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NEWS
Kalispell Bypass Opens Friday with Public Ceremony Local, state and federal o cials will lead a procession on Friday followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
At long last, the full length of the Kalispell bypass is opening.
An opening ceremony of the U.S. 93 Alternate Route is scheduled for 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 28.
Local, state and federal o cials will lead a procession north from the bridge at U.S. Highway 2 to Old Reserve Drive. As the procession progresses along the new four-lane road, the bypass will o - cially open to tra c, including the over- passes, adjacent walking path and Four Mile Drive near Kidsports Complex.
When the procession arrives at the bridge at Old Reserve Drive, a ribbon-cut- ting ceremony will take place featuring Gov. Steve Bullock. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and a representative from U.S. Sen. Steve Daines’ o ce. There will also be city and county o cials on hand to celebrate the historic event.
The public is invited to attend the cere- mony and parking will be available on the north side of the Old Reserve Bridge.
The Kalispell Bypass seen from Lone Pine State Park. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
which is also U.S. 93.
“There’s no other project in the whole
state that impacts a community and area like this one does,” Jim Mitchell, the Montana Department of Transporta- tion’s engineering project manager for the bypass over the last 10 years, told the Bea- con earlier this month. “It totally changes the whole landscape and infrastructure of the area.”
LHC, the Kalispell-based construction company that was awarded a $34 million bid to complete the project, nished the nal stretch in 12 months.
While the entire project was originally planned to feature four lanes and over- passes, the south half of the bypass was built with only two lanes to get the project o the ground in 2007. State transporta- tion o cials still hope to expand the south portion to four lanes and add overpasses at Foys Lake Road and Airport Road for an estimated cost of roughly $20 million, but there are no immediate plans to do that in the near future.
dtabish@ atheadbeacon.com
The opening of the bypass marks the completion of the single largest transpor- tation project in Montana history. Val- ued at a total of roughly $140 million, the
project is roughly 70 years in the making. Community residents have long hoped for a bypass, primarily for large trucks, that would reduce congestion on Main Street,
Therapy Through Art
Local artist Souheir Rawlings helps people with development disabilities through expressive arts therapy
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
On a cool, rainy afternoon in Kalispell, Souheir Rawlings gathered with a small group of artists to decorate pumpkins for an art show opening. Over the next hour or so, glitter, glue and construction paper would be spread across the table all in an e ort to create the perfect decora- tive gourd.
The artists are all people with devel- opmental disabilities who meet with Rawlings once a month at the Center for Restorative Youth Justice in Kalispell for a class called “Art and Soul.” Rawl- ings, who has lived in the Flathead Val- ley for nearly three decades and spent years teaching art at area schools, is an expressive art educator and consultant who works with people of all ages. Rawl- ings said art is a fantastic way to express inner thoughts and feelings.
“It gives them a chance to focus on their abilities and not their disabili- ties,” Rawlings said, as she prepared the CRYJ space for the monthly class. “This isn’t about painting a pretty picture, but is instead about having an expressive experience.”
Besides the monthly class at CRYJ,
Souheir Rawlings leads an art thearpy class at CRYJ in Kalispell on Oct. 21. JUSTIN FRANZ | FLATHEAD BEACON
to not teach the client about what’s good art but instead what’s good for them.
Lynette Jarvis’ 23-year-old daughter Claire struggles with communication and has been working with Rawlings for three months. Jarvis said being able to give her daughter new and interesting experiences is important.
“Our goal is to just expand her world and see what puts a smile on her face,” Jarvis said.
Like Rawlings, Jarvis said the nal product isn’t important, but rather that her daughter had a memorable experi- ence. That’s what has kept Grace Sted- man, 20, coming back to as many classes as she can.
“This helps me do things in di erent ways,” the student said. “And I just like spending time with Souheir.”
Work by Rawlings’ students is now on display at CRYJ in the KM Building in Kalispell at a show called “Special Art by Special Artists.” The public can view the show at CRYJ during its regular hours Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information, visit www. expressiveartandsoul.com.
jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
Rawlings also meets with clients one on one, either at their home or her studio. Rawlings said that creating art with her students can help them nd new ways to communicate and work with others.
Rawlings studied art in Italy and
California prior to teaching. A few years ago, she began to study expressive arts therapy and is currently getting her cer- ti cation as a registered consultant. She said one of the biggest challenges in mov- ing to expressive art therapy is learning
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OCTOBER 26, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM