Five citizens told Kalispell City Council Monday night they opposed the Valley Ranch subdivision proposal for a host of reasons: its density, the traffic impact, the old growth Ponderosa pine trees that would have to be cut down, and the lack of storm water drainage planning. Whether the citizens’ comments had the intended effect or […]

A feeble attempt at humor Congratulations on your new enterprise. For some time we have needed a newspaper in the Flathead that represents the diverse nature of our residents. I hope you will be successful in doing this. That said, I was disappointed in your first commentary: “Statehouse or Schoolyard?” In his effort to be […]

Over the past year, drivers on Baker Avenue have watched the lawn at The Walking Man Frame Shop and Gallery sprout with stone and steel sculptures. Ripe from the imagination of Danny Kraus, the sculptures have attracted attention to the Arlee artist whose show opens this Thursday at The Walking Man. You can meet Kraus […]

A proposal to expand Safeway failed Monday night at Whitefish’s city council meeting. The 3-3 tie vote to approve the conditional-use permit counted as a “no-pass” because Mayor Andy Feury was out-of-town and unable to give the tiebreaking vote. Since there were no motions to deny the store expansion, only to approve it, council member […]

More than once in its life, the Whitefish Railway District has re-invented itself. And now, it’s re-inventing itself again. A wave of new businesses have launched in the past several years – well over 10 in the past year alone – in renovated historic railroad homes and new multi-use townhouses. They are banding together to […]

Some would say Northwest Montana is already on the map. It just depends on what map you’re talking about. Last Friday the National Geographic Society held its second Crown of the Continent Stewardship Council in Whitefish to discuss a Geotourism MapGuide that will include parts of Flathead County and Glacier National Park, among other areas […]

Former Massachusetts governor and current presidential candidate Mitt Romney will headline the GOP’s annual convention in Helena later this month. “We’re very excited to have Governor Romney in Montana to talk about the important issues facing our nation,” convention organizer, Jake Eaton, said in a prepared statement. “Attracting a top presidential contender is a great […]

I’m embarrassed to admit how excited I was when the new HuHot opened north of town. It wasn’t the idea of Genghis Khan-influenced food or watching it being prepared in a counterclockwise motion that excited me. It was the idea of having somewhere new to go in Kalispell. With all the growth in the valley, […]

You’ll see it soon, but you won’t believe it. There you are, driving past Pinewood Park at 630am when you get an urge for a donut. You pull into the bakery, get out of your car. A noise to the south makes you look down the hill toward the pool where you see….30-40 teenagers swimming […]

Located one mile from the northwestern entrance to Glacier National Park, the Polebridge Mercantile is an oasis for the weary traveler. Besides amenities such as gas and groceries, the “Merc” offers world-class pastries and a custom roasted Polebridge blend of coffee. “The furthest we’ve had anyone come from is Israel to try our pastries,” Deb […]

Kids are smart these days. I would have never thought to have a pizza personally delivered to me as I stepped off of the stage, just a moment after receiving my diploma. Then again, I’m not sure if they had delivery pizza in 1978 (yep, I’m that old). But today, that’s exactly what happened at […]

It’s four o’clock on Wednesday afternoon and there’s a group of kids watching a skateboarding movie in Spirit Skate Shop, joking around with a decidedly older kid. He’s 25, to be exact. But he’s not out of place. In fact, he manages the shop. His name is James Reeves and he is working with his […]

“It’s completely the opposite from the Flathead,” said 17-year-old Hannah Hayes about Les Champs Elysées. As she and five other students browsed through Paris’ elite fashion district, they were wowed by wares the likes of Gucci, Armani, and Dior. “It was amazing,” laughed Hayes. “But we didn’t touch anything because it was all thousands of […]

Last night, graduation week wound down to Saturday’s finale with one of the last steps – the CFHS Senior Band concert. Seniors in the Columbians Jazz Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble select the music they want their band to play, and in some case, they get to be the band’s guest director for a […]

Bob Horne may have stepped down as Whitefish’s city planning and building director, but his work is far from done. Earlier this month, Horne resigned as the city’s first planning director, but he is still under contract with Whitefish to oversee the adoption of a new growth policy that he helped write over the past […]