New West Network

My Page: Brenna Moore

Local Music Soundoff

Nathan Carter, also known as purrbot, is about to release his third album, civil unrest, upon Missoula.

Unlike purrbot's first two CD's, which were both self-produced, Carter teamed up with Firefly Sessions Recordings in Missoula to produce civil unrest, an album that aims to act as a catalyst for political action concerning the gay community. [more]

Live Missoula

Rent or buy? As in any growing town, this is a complicated question in Missoula.

As part of our series looking into housing issues with the Live Missoula radio program on KGVO 1290, several of Missoula's housing leaders today talk about changes in the Missoula market and what the rent or buy questions boils down to in the Garden City. [more]

Growth and Transportation

The on-going construction taking place on West Broadway is wrapping up these next few weeks, but city and civic leaders say the battle of what should be done with West Broadway is far from over.

Temporary alterations to West Broadway began in October of last year when the city started receiving complaints about how unsafe and inaccesible the then four-lane street was for bikers and pedestrians, as well as automobliles. After five pedestrians were killed over a period of six years, including one who was trying to cross the street in a wheel chair, the city decided something had to be done, said Missoula City Engineer Steve King. During the summer and fall of last year, citizens of Missoula began to petition Missoula's City Council, the mayor's office, the State Department of Transportation and even congressional delegates, calling for action and a solution to the fatalities and injuries occuring on West Broadway. Temporary changes were made in October of 2005, narrowing the four-lane road to two lanes, complete with a turning lane. While the city maintained three lanes were much easier to cross than four, several citizens, particularly Broadway businesses, motorists and several residents were dissatsified with the change. And, as construction on last year's temporary design nears completion this month, not much has changed. [more]

The Missoula Student Job Market

Missoula has everything a college student could want -- an outstanding university, a sublime ski season, awesome mountain biking, hiking and fishing, not to mention the unique cultural atmosphere and sense of community. Missoula is the place to be during the academic year, with tons of things to do, work to keep students busy and many, many jobs available to students through the university and elsewhere. So, why isn't that the case in the summer? Where do all the jobs go? When the middle of May hits, at least in my experience, all decent paying and worthwhile jobs seem to drop off the deep end. After my month-long crusade in trying to find a job (or two), I now have a few helpful tips for those students who are still left penniless. [more]

Missoula Tourism

A refreshing new waterpark with towering slides and a lazy river, an exhilerating whitewater park where kayaks playfully dart above and below the Clark Fork River's surface, a challenging and unique skatepark where skaters of all ages can come and enjoy the obstacles--all three are new to Missoula, and all three are helping to keep tourists and citizens in Missoula longer, if not creating a new kind of tourism for the city.

Missoula's newest tourist attractions, Brennan's Wave (which was completed in March), Splash Montana (which opened last month) and the Missoula Skatepark (set for completion in August) are expected to draw a new tourist group into Missoula, one that differs from the usual Lewis-and-Clark-history-seekers.
[more]

Open Space Bond

With Missoula County Commissioners voting this week to put a county open space bond on the November ballot, city officials have decided to hold off for now on a Missoula-wide bond. City officials say there might be room for another city bond in 2010, but this year, the city and the county are working toward one together.

As the Missoulian reported earlier this week, the county bond would be for $10 million to use over 20 years. Half of the money will be designated for the city and its urban areas, while the other half will be specified for the county.

If the bond passes in November, it will allow for the city's open space program to carry on while also creating an open space program for the county. The city and county will work together on making that happen, said Jackie Corday, Open Space Program Manager for the City of Missoula. [more]

Growth and Transportation

Earlier this month, New West covered the controversy surrounding the city and county of Missoula's plan to reconstruct Mullan Road. The developers and the community seem to differ on why this road is changing, and whether or not the change is the best thing for Missoula. [more]

Missoula Events

A crowd of about 1,000 people flocked to Caras Park during this week's "Out to Lunch" where the Lewis and Clark in the Rockies Bicentennial Festival held its opening commemorative ceremony. After buying their food and drink from the vendors, the attendees gathered with friends and family to watch the beginning of the festivities. [more]

The "Overheard" Blog

During the Lewis and Clark in the Rockies Bicentennial Festival, I overheard a mother and her three sons talking about the nature of the dressed up soldiers who were acting as an old-fashioned military group. They seemed to differ on the human quality of these reenacters.

Son #1 with a black shirt and a black backward cap: They're aliens.
Son#2 with a striped shirt and a tan backward cap: Then how come they're wearing dresses?
Son #1: Cause aliens wear clothes!
Son #2: No they don't!
Son #1: Yes they do. They're aliens.
Son #2: Then how come they're wearing hats?
Son #1: Cause aliens wear hats!
Son #2: No they don't, aliens don't wear hats!
Son #1: Yes they do.
Son #2: No, aliens don't wear clothes!
Son #1: Yes they do.
Mother with a straw hat: Boys, stop arguing.
Son #3 with a colorful button-up shirt: Mom, are they aliens?
Mother: Whatever you say, but they are people that were foreign to this land, that's what alien means. It means they were people who came here when they didn't necessarily belong here.
The boys stop talking.

Missoula Events

Starting tomorrow, over 100 Lewis and Clark and Native American activities, presentations and performances will begin spreading throughout five Western Montana valleys in more than 25 locations for 19 days.

The Lewis and Clark in the Rockies Bicentennial Festival commemorates the 200-year anniversary of Lewis and Clark's return journey through Western Montana through a multiday extravaganza of activities, exhibits, reenactments, entertainment, outdoor experiences and Native American programs from June 21 to July 9 in the Missoula, Bitterroot, Lolo, Blackfoot and Mission valleys. [more]