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4/7/2025
“Helena This Week” is reported and written By JoVonne Wagner. Send your Helena news and tips to [email protected].
Officials anticipate work will be done by the end of May
Restoration of the historic Helena Fire Tower is nearing completion after a fire damaged the structure nearly nine years ago, according to project officials.
Earlier last week, residents may have noticed that the top of the fire tower, or the cab, had been placed back on the structure’s new frame.
Built in 1874, the fire tower, nicknamed the Guardian of the Gulch, served as a lookout point on Helena’s west side until it was damaged by an arson-caused fire in 2016.
Helena Parks Superintendant Craig Marr told Montana Free Press that the city decided to save and restore the tower. However, the restoration project was delayed by contracting issues, among other barriers.
Last year, with help from the city’s Heritage Preservation & Tourism Council, the city moved forward in finding a new contractor for the project after the previous contractor, a Vermont-based company, bailed out of the agreement.
The council hoped that the tower would be restored in time for its 150th anniversary last August.
In November, the city awarded a $424,383 contract to local Dick Anderson Construction, which was about $150,000 over the initial budget, and the city’s Downtown Urban Renewal District added to its contribution to help cover the cost.
Marr said renovation work began in January as the construction crew worked to salvage as much of the tower’s original lumber as possible, but nearly 70% was rotted.
Marr said hey anticipates the tower restoration to be completed by the end of May. The final task will be to add the string lights that illuminate the tower at night.
“ We’re excited to have this project wrapped up and to have the fire tower in place overlooking the gulch into the future,” Marr told MTFP. “It’s an important part of Helena’s history, and we’re just glad that we were able to save most of it.”
Public Notice
Lewis and Clark County and the city of Helena’s 911 Center will host a public safety open house on Saturday, April 26, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3425 Skyway Dr. Participants will have the opportunity to talk with emergency first responders and explore service vehicles.
5 Things to Know in Helena
More opioid funds to come: Last week, city staff updated the county and city commission on four projects the county area opioid committee recommended for funding from the Montana Opioid Abatement Trust, totaling about $505,300. Staff said the county is expected to receive an additional $400,000 for the next quarter, which would be added to the committee’s remaining $94,000. The committee is looking for project applications aimed at addressing opioid remediation and prevention work for local youth, city staff said.
City-County infrastructure study update: City and County Public Works staff updated both commissions last week on the progress of an infrastructure study aimed at analyzing where city limit boundaries could change. After hosting its first open house in January, the next step in the study, conducted by Great West Engineering, will be to produce a report from public feedback. The report will then be presented to the public again during another open house before the engineering group presents its recommendations to the commissions. Project officials have not yet set a date for the next open house.
BID safety classes: Downtown Helena’s Business Improvement District will hold a series of safety training sessions on crowd management, first aid and CPR for those seeking to host outdoor events or become volunteers. The first training sessions will be at the Lewis and Clark Library on Tuesday, April 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Contact the BID at [email protected] to register.
2025 summer guide: Last week, Helena Parks and Recreation released its summer guide, which includes information about local outdoor programs and events, including Last Chance Splash Waterpark, summer camps, Bill Roberts Gold Course and the Helena Civic Center.
Heart of Helena: St. Peter’s Episcopal Cathedral will host its second annual Heart of Helena Art Auction on Thursday, April 10, at the Helena Civic Center, 340 Neill Ave., from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The auction will also include live music from the Moonshiner Band. Proceeds from the auction will go to local nonprofits, including Family Promise, Helena Food Share and Good Samaritan Ministries. Event tickets are $25 and can be purchased on the cathedral’s website.
On the Record
Last week, the city commission held a closed session to discuss arbitration between the city and the Helena Firefighters IAFF Local 448 bargaining unit. City officials did not respond to inquiries about the session’s outcome.
Verbatim
“Somehow even though other groups have taken cuts, you feel your group should be exempt and that the recommendations are wrong. So please help me understand why the board should deviate on this one recommendation? Why is your need more valid than other needs? Explain why a school with the lowest enrollment, which continues to decline, should continue to stay open, but we should make other cuts to other students? We have a deficit, there is no magic money tree.”
Helena School Board Trustee Janet Armstrong’s social media comment in response to the “Helena Friends of Neighborhood Schools” Facebook post that critiqued the school board’s process in determining potential school closures and boundary changes.
Helena Friends of Neighborhood Schools, an organization made up of local elementary school parents, has been advocating to keep Hawthorne Elementary open as the school district navigates how to address budget shortages and a $100 million facility maintenance backlog.
During the last school board meeting in March, Superintendent Rex Weltz officially recommended the board of trustees consider closing Hawthorne, which needs about $4.6 million in maintenance.
The recommendation sparked hours of public comment from both Hawthorne’s parents and teachers; however, some members of the public supported Weltz’s proposal.
The school closure discussion is expected to continue at the next school board meeting on Tuesday, April 8, and at a public hearing on Wednesda
