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Good morning and happy Friday. In this edition, we have the latest on Missoula County’s plan to pay for upgrades to Lolo’s water and sewer system to allow new connections for the first time in years. Also, I talk with the artists behind Missoula’s newest (and largest) mural.
But first, a weather preview ☀️
After last weekend’s rain and snow, the sun is returning for some ideal fall days this weekend. Friday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny conditions with a high near 66, according to the National Weather Service’s Missoula office. Saturday should be similar, with a high near 69 degrees and wind picking up in the afternoon. Sunday will be a bit cooler with a high near 63 degrees. Overnight lows will be in the mid-to-high 30s.
Multiple mural projects are bringing color to Missoula’s walls
Like many Missoulians, I often find myself crossing the Orange Street bridge or idling at the intersection of Orange and West Front Street. And like many, the frankly massive mural taking shape on the Clark Fork Riverside retirement community has caught my eye more than once in the last couple weeks.
When I stopped by the building at 301 W. Front St. Wednesday, I caught up with the mural artists, Ernest Doty and AJ Tiam (aka staybacon). Tiam told me about the mural design, which was partially inspired by “A River Runs Through It” and a “dreamscape” of life in Montana. The artists worked to incorporate elements the building owner wanted to represent the community, including Indian paintbrush, a magpie, a heron, bull trout and a grizzly bear, of course.
“We wanted to depict something that’s more of what Missoula is about and more nostalgic,” Tiam said.
While the whole mural flows together, it is made up of four scenes separated by mountain ranges, Doty said. The artists are filling in and adding details with a goal to finish by Oct. 19, weather permitting.
The scale of the mural became more obvious when Doty and Tiam headed up in a lift to continue painting. For reference, the Indian paintbrush on the mural’s right side is 7 feet tall, Tiam told me. At 113 feet tall and more than 6,000 square feet, it’s no surprise that the mural is the tallest in Missoula (though not the biggest in the state, that honor goes to the approximately 10,000-square-foot mural being painted on a former grain elevator in Glendive).
Both artists often paint murals and have worked together before. Along with the benefit of turning a blank wall into something beautiful to look at, Tiam and Doty told me they aim to make a positive impact and connect with the community.
“We’d probably be done by now, but we bring the lift down to talk to people,” Doty said. “We want to interact. … It’s important to say hi; it could make the difference in someone’s day.”
Though the mural is not part of the Missoula Downtown Foundation’s Arts and Culture Impact Grant Program, that message fits with its goal, Jack Hall, finance director of the Downtown Missoula Partnership, told me this week. The program has helped fund eight murals since 2023, with the most recent two wrapping up earlier this month.
“The projects promote placemaking efforts that reimagine public spaces and make a more inviting, healthy and vibrant community,” Hall said.
One of this year’s mural projects is on the side of the Montana Natural History Center facing Hickory Street. Sx̣elí x̣èct u Ql̓epm, or Camas Dig and Bake, was designed and painted by Aspen Decker and her husband, Cameron Decker. The mural depicts the gathering of Bitterroot Salish people to dig and bake camas, a traditional food, in a contemporary ledger style.
“The camas dig and bake is not simply part of the history of this place,” Aspen Decker said in a press release. “It is a living cultural practice that carries our language, knowledge, and responsibilities to the land. I hope this mural helps people understand that Salish culture is still here, and that our connection to these lands has continued for thousands of years.”
Across the river on the other side of downtown, artist Lillian Nelson’s “Joy Blooms” on the building housing Leaf + Quiet is the second mural funded by the grant program this year. In a press release, Nelson said the purpose of the mural is to bring beauty to a vital Northside neighborhood. The mural is on the corner of the building, partially facing the railroad tracks and downtown.
“It is my hope that the mural will draw much-needed attention to the Northside again and hopefully attract more visitors,” Lillian said in the press release. “The choice of Montana wildflowers and pollinators is not only meant to be eye candy but also serves as a reminder of our natural landscape and heritage of this beautiful state.”
Another downtown mural project wrapped up this month on the concrete walls surrounding the NorthWestern Energy substation at the end of Pattee Street near Caras Park. The Downtown Riverside Art Walls (DRAW) Indigenous Murals Project is a celebration of Indigenous art and language that includes murals featuring poetry and visual art of 10 Indigenous artists from Montana. In October, the fourth wall featuring seven ledger artworks was completed.
The recently completed north wall features art by Aspen Decker, Terrance Guardipee, Louis Still Smoking, David Dragonfly, John Isaiah Pepion, Frank Finley, Rachel Twoteeth-Pichardo, Monica Gilles-BringsYellow, Debra Magpie Earling and Vic Charlo.
Decker told me via email that being part of both recent mural projects has been especially meaningful as a Bitterroot Sèliš, Ksanka, and Ql̓ispè artist seeing her work and that of other Indigenous artists represented in their homeland.
Hall with Downtown Missoula Partnership told me it’s cool to see organic art going up outside of the grant program. Hall said he wants the public to know the murals are there for the public to enjoy.
“There’s enough art around downtown that you can make a day of it strolling around,” he said.
Meeting Minutes 📝
County Commission
The Missoula County commissioners took the first step last week to establish a new rural special improvement district to help pay for $7.3 million in upgrades to the Lolo water and sewer systems. The improvements would enable new connections to the water system that’s been at capacity for years.
A federal EPA grant will cover $1.75 million of the project cost, leaving about $5.5 million to be paid through the RSID, Samuel Scott, the county’s assistant recording director, said during the commissioners’ meeting Oct. 8. The project is set to receive loans through the state’s revolving fund, which provides low-interest loans and loan forgiveness, Scott said. That loan, or bond, would be paid off over 20 years by property owners in the RSID. The county applied for a $2.4 million federal grant that could help offset some of the cost to taxpayers, said Jason Mitchell, the county’s public works director.
Brent O’Conner, who manages the systems, said the Lolo water system has been out of state compliance for several years because the wells lack sufficient capacity to accommodate new connections. The project would replace two of the three wells to increase capacity, add a new emergency generator and replace aging piping and water mains, including one under Highway 93. The improvements would allow for 400 new connections, improve system pressures and provide reliable emergency power, O’Conner said.
Scott said the new RSID boundaries will be the same as the current maintenance district established in 1967. That district includes 1,390 parcels. While the maintenance district will expand as new properties connect to the systems, the boundaries of the new RSID will stay the same, Scott said. New connections will instead pay an impact fee to help pay for the project.
Based on the $5.5 million, each parcel in the new RSID would pay a total of $3,992.82 over 20 years, not including interest, Scott said. Bonds can’t be issued until construction is completed, so the exact interest rate is unknown. Scott said 460 properties will pay an additional assessment for their proportionate share of a common area. The maximum possible assessment for any property is $4,436.57, excluding interest. The annual principal-only assessment is about $200 per parcel. Property owners could pay the total assessment after the first year to avoid future interest, Scott said.
Commissioner Josh Slotnick said without interest, property owners would pay about $16 per month for 20 years for a crucial service that will last a lifetime. The commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the resolution of intent to create the RSID.
All property owners in the district will receive notice of the proposed RSID and the proposed assessment for their property, Scott said. Property owners can protest the district from Oct. 17 through Nov. 20. The county commission will hold a hearing Dec. 3 to consider the protests and potentially adopt the new district. If adopted, construction would ideally begin in spring 2027, with assessments appearing on fall 2028 property tax bills.
Public Notice 🧐
City neighborhood grant program accepting applications
ℹ️ The Missoula City Council allocated $35,000 for the Energize Your Neighborhood Grant program. Projects that enhance quality of life and provide a lasting benefit to the community may receive up to $6,000. The Missoula Neighborhoods office is holding open houses this month to help answer applicants’ questions.
🗓️ Friday, Oct. 16, from noon to 2 p.m.
🗓️ Friday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to noon
📍 Ryman Street Conference Room, 412 Ryman St.
🔗 More information is available on the city’s website.
Missoula Animal Services issues vaccine reminder after bats test positive for rabies
ℹ️ Area bats are the most common rabies carriers in the county, but unvaccinated pets and stray animals can also carry the virus, according to Missoula Animal Services. Dog and cat owners whose pets are unvaccinated or whose vaccines have expired should get them vaccinated as soon as possible. Residents who encounter a bat should never intentionally try to touch or handle it, alive or dead. People should treat any contact as a possible rabies exposure, and seek medical care as soon as possible. Those who discover a bat in a residence or a bat acting unusually in a public area should call animal services at 406-541-7387. Report all possible human exposures to Missoula Public Health at 406-258-3896. Report pet exposures to animal services.
🔗 More information is available on the health department’s website.
Photo Op 📸
There was a Bobcats celebration in Missoula this week, but one the Griz community welcomed, as part of an effort to increase the number of healthcare providers serving Montana.
Leaders, supporters and students of Montana State University’s Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing celebrated the opening of the college’s new nursing education building in Missoula Tuesday.
In 2021, the Joneses, founders of Goosehead Insurance, donated $101 million to MSU’s nursing college. Of that, $92 million was dedicated to constructing five new buildings to house the program in Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell and Missoula.
MSU started its college of nursing in 1937 and began offering the program in Missoula in 1976, said Tracey Koch, director of the Missoula program. The program was previously housed in Corbin Hall at the University of Montana. Community Medical Center donated the land for the new building on Fort Missoula Road near its campus. The college offers an in-person bachelor’s degree in nursing at all locations. The new nursing education buildings include modern classrooms and simulation labs.
The new buildings will allow the College of Nursing enrollment to increase 33% to 400 graduates annually by 2030, said Sarah Shannon, dean of the nursing college, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Our vision is to transform the lives and the health of Montana’s communities, and we seek to do that through cutting-edge education, the creation of new knowledge, and meaningful service,” Shannon said.
Holly Nagel, Community Medical Center’s chief nursing officer, told me the Missoula program will increase from 24- to 32-student cohorts. Community has partnered with the MSU nursing program for years to offer clinical sites for students, Nagel said.
“These experiences help our students develop their skills, but just as importantly, help them build relationships, develop a sense of belonging and envision a future serving communities throughout our state,” Nagel said during the ceremony.
UM offers an associate degree in nursing program through Missoula College but does not offer a four-year degree.
Business Report 💼
Partnership Health Clinic’s last day in the Seeley Lake clinic was Thursday. The federally qualified health center contracted with the Seeley Lake Hospital District to provide clinic services in the district’s building for the last 12 years but withdrew after multiple years of financial losses, Lara Salazar, Partnership CEO, wrote in an op-ed published in the Missoulian last week. The organization will offer telehealth and home visits to patients in Seeley Lake, who can also receive care in Missoula. Partnership is also exploring future mobile clinic options, according to a social media post.
The hospital district is seeking a provider for the clinic, but none had responded to its request for proposal to operate a primary care clinic as of last week, the Missoulian’s Griffen Smith reported. The board is also looking into ways to open a private practice in Seeley Lake.
Local Lineup 🚶
🪧 Missoula Resists and Indivisible Missoula are holding a No Kings: Vote Early event at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Caras Park. The event is one of more than 2,000 planned nationwide focused on voter participation and election protection, according to organizers. The Missoula event will include speeches, music and local food trucks.
🛠️ Home ReSource is holding a free “Fixit Clinic” Saturday to celebrate International Repair Day. The clinic runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Home ReSource community room. Missoulians can bring broken items and learn to repair them or participate in activities with local organizations working to keep items out of the landfill through repair. Registration is appreciated but not required.
🎭 Nonprofit theater company MissCast Productions is putting on “Lizzie: The Musical,” an all-women musical about the case of Lizzie Borden. Borden was tried and acquitted of the 1892 murders of her father and stepmother. The show runs from Wednesday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Zootown Arts Community Center. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. A matinee show starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Tickets cost $25 for general admission, $20 for students and seniors and $30 to $35 for theater supporters.