New West Network

My Page: Dylan Tucker

New Westerners

In 1999, Ross Peterson and Chris Bacon were just a couple of skateboarders trying to have fun. Today the two friends are the backbone of one of Missoula’s most successful non-profit organizations, the Missoula Skatepark Association, and are heading up a construction project in downtown Missoula with a price tag of over half a million dollars. Ironically, the pair rarely has time to skateboard anymore.
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the "overheard" blog

On the Higgins Street Bridge overlooking the kayak wave, two women have stopped to watch a pair of boaters play in the sun:
“This is just amazing. Its days like this I feel like a first grader again and all I want to do is go to recess.”
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The "Overheard" blog

Overheard on the University of Montana oval, a bike walk bus week volunteer offering raffle tickets to a passing cyclist on a creaking, run-down ten speed: “Have you gotten a raffle ticket yet? You could win a bike- one that you can actually pedal!” [more]

Overheard

The sun is shining on the patio seating at the Good Food Store in Missoula, Thursday afternoon. A couple sat with their dogs beneath their feet.
Woman: I could eat here every day.
Man: You practically do, you’re here all the time.
Woman: I know! Its like healthy crack, I can’t stop!
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missoula bike/walk/bus week

Bike Walk Bus Week is an annual event in Missoula that focuses on alternative transportation and reducing emissions. Though I ride my bike daily and love to walk the downtown streets, I’ve never ridden Missoula’s public bus system, Mountain Line. Since Mountain Line is offering free rides all week long, I decided to give it a try.

Recently, the Mountain Line was chosen to receive a sizable chunk of federal money to expand their facilities and increase the amount of buses in operation. General Manager Steve Earl said they are currently writing up the grant.

I told him of my mission, and he welcomed the challenge. “You’ll see Missoula in a whole new way,” he promised. “And we’ll get you where you’re going on time, too.” [more]

The "Overheard" Blog

Overheard on Higgins Ave. Saturday morning. Two college guys walking past a street vendor:

Guy#1: "That dude is out here selling that stuff everyday."
Guy #2: "I know, it must suck."
Guy #1: "No way! he gets to meet all kinds of girls selling jewelry like that."
Guy #2: "Yeah, for like no money."
Guy #1: "Ok yeah, that would suck." [more]

The "Overheard" Blog

20-something girl at Missoula's Break Espresso, Saturday afternoon talking to her friend:

"Do you ever find it ironic that we’re both single? Cause I swear, we know more about relationships than anybody." [more]

The "Overheard" Blog

Overheard in line at the Good Food Store Friday afternoon:

Hip older woman: "Really? Taxes? How did I forget that?"
Cashier: "It’s the same date every year."
Hip older woman: "Huh. I thought Bush changed that." [more]

Musical Bike Shops

The bell on the door rings, and a middle-aged man in khakis and fleece walks into the Bike Doctor, pushing a mountain bike with one hand. Under the other arm, he holds a twelve-pack of Bayern beer.

"Hey Don,” he calls into the shop, and past rows of bikes waiting to be fixed, Don Gisselbeck calls back a hello.

"Must be springtime,” Gisselbeck says, pointing at the muddy bike. After a quick look at the bike by Gisselbeck, the customer hands over the bike and the beer. “This needs a tune-up,” he says, “and this is something to ease the pain of your move."

Gisselbeck accepts the beer and the bike graciously, and is soon back to work cutting a U-lock off of a bike after the owner locked it on and lost the key. [more]

Space Center

The Inland Northwest Space Alliance announced Tuesday that it has been selected to help develop a small secondary payload spacecraft as part of a NASA project to search for water on the moon in 2008.

The INSA’s role in the project seems small, especially when compared to the investigation surrounding the Missoula non-profit’s ties to the University of Montana, and more than 3 million in NASA grants that the organization has not sufficiently accounted for. [more]