The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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*The headline of this story has been updated March 10, 2022 to better reflect the fact no revitalization plan exists. The original headline may have created or exacerbate that misperception. A Feb. 18 event aimed at re-introducing Envision Lincoln to the community and restarting conversations around downtown revitalization efforts drew a surprising turnout for a Tuesday gathering at mid-day, suggesting there is still significant interest in the economic and quality-of-life...
Envision Lincoln has applied for two new grants to support in-town trails efforts and is in the beginning stages of gathering input regarding how to move forward as a Montana Main Street member. A USDA Rural Business Development Grant will support further planning related to trail cost estimates, trail surface design, easements, tree removal and wayfinding, according to Envision Lincoln's lead organizer Karyn Good. "The USDA grant would support trails planning by encouraging...
The Farmers Market is slated to return to Lincoln beginning the first weekend in June, with plans to run each Saturday, June 6 until September 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting. Previously held in Hooper Park and by the Envision Lincoln's Health and Wellness team, the market will now be held in the Montana Heritage House on Sucker Creek and managed by Jason and Tiana Valler. Without adequate time and resources to commit to the Farmers market, the team reached out...
This month, Lincoln became the first unincorporated community in the state to become an affiliate member of the Montana Department of Commerce Montana Main Street Program. Last December, Envision Lincoln and Erin Farris-Olsen, the Rural Development Director for the Heart of the Rockies Initiative, worked with the Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce and Lewis and Clark County to apply for affiliate membership in the program as part of ongoing economic development efforts. Membership in Montana Main Street Program has been a...
Envision Lincoln, the community revitalization effort begun in 2017, has been flying below the radar for the past several months, but organizers are working to invigorate the movement with an open house at the Lincoln Community Hall Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. "It will be an introduction to getting Envision Lincoln going again," lead organizer Karyn Good said at a Jan. 10 meeting of several of the core members of the Envision Lincoln group. "We had a break, but we...
During the latest meeting of the Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce, several items were discussed. One of the main topics on everyone's mind, and up for discussion, was the cancellation of the annual Skijoring event. The LVCC board was disappointed they weren't able to hold the event, but it came down to the safety of the animals, participants, and volunteers. The board talked about looking into other options for coming years for the event such as moving the date, and seeking...
The building on the corner of Sucker Creek and Highway 200, formerly home to Wind Turbine Tools and before that Summit Seekers Skidoo and Woodhouse Construction*, has a new and unique future ahead of it after being purchased this summer by Jason & Tiana Valler. The Vallers have been hard at work on their plans for the building and their future here in Lincoln. Their plans will unfold in stages, and to start things off they are opening the Heritage House Artisan School for the...
From downtown Lincoln you can now head for miles in any direction and still say you're within the Crown of the Continent, thanks to the work done by University of Montana Geography Professor Rick Graetz and his former graduate student Katie Shank. Last Friday, Graetz and Shank unveiled a new southern boundary for the Crown, which highlights the region around Lincoln and adds about 275,000 acres and 87 miles of the Continental Divide to the 13-million-acre ecosystem. Over the...
A barbecue fundraiser to benefit the planned Lincoln Skatepark drew an estimated 200-300 people to Hooper park Saturday, June 29 to support efforts by Lincoln school students to build a skate park for Lincoln. Employees from the Lincoln Ranger District, working on their own time, spent their free time over the last four weeks coordinating the event after Jarel Kurtz, the District's fire management officer, heard about the project during an Envision Lincoln meeting he...
Ronald Reagan was President, no one had heard of the internet and deer were more of a traffic problem in Lincoln than cars, trucks or semis when Sherri Wood began her job as library director at the Lincoln Library. "I started when my oldest boy was a baby. He turned 36 and I thought, 'What? I think I've been here a long time,'" Wood said, showing her deadpan sense of humor last Wednesday as her tenure drew at the library drew to a close. More than 25 people (and a large...
The first Lincoln Farmers Market, organized by Envision Lincoln members, received a warm welcome Friday, June 7 as community members showed up to check out the latest bi-weekly event in town. Shoppers seemed to enjoy the small but varied selection of vendors, as well as the live music and food offered at the event. But, like any inaugural event, it hit a few rough spots. Some patrons were unhappy that the event is enforcing Health Department regulations against dogs at such...
Cyclists and ATV enthusiasts should have more trails to enjoy in the Lincoln area by the end of the summer as the Beaver Creek Trails Project continues to move forward. The project, funded by an $82,000 Montana State Parks Recreational Trails Program grant that was awarded to the Lincoln Ranger District, got its start last year with district personnel designing, flagging and cutting corridors for about eight miles of mountain bike trails and for a series of connector ATV...
Farm fresh produce, handmade foodstuffs, unique arts and crafts, and live music are just some of the attractions browsers will find at the new Lincoln Farmer's Market throughout the coming summer. The farmer's market is scheduled to open for business at 4 p.m., Friday, June 7 at Hooper Park. The market will continue on the first and third Fridays of every month, from 4 to 8 p.m., through Sept. 6. Twelve vendors selling everything from produce to pottery have reserved spots...
Lincoln’s April 5 Government Day meeting covered a lot of ground. In Town Trails Karyn Good presented information on the progress of the Envision Lincoln in-town trails project that has been in the works since last year. “Our overarching goal for the in-town trails plan was to create a connected trails system that would connect our existing assets safely, and would be available to all,” she said. “We realize this is a costly process and likely a very long process so we’re starting small.” Good said they began looking fir...
Trails, traffic, tourism and teamwork were all topics of discussion as Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney sat down with Lincoln stakeholders and Main Street Montana Rural Partners Monday, Oct. 22. Administered by the Community Development Division of the Montana Office of Tourism, Main Street Montana helps communities revitalize and preserve their historic downtowns by uniting community ideas and efforts with program organization and resources. Focusing on economic development, urban...
Lieutenant Governor Mike Cooney and staff members from the Governor's Office of Economic Development are slated to visit with members of the Envision Lincoln team Oct. 22, as part of the fledgling Montana Main Street- Rural Partner's initiative that launched in Choteau Sept. 25. The initiative, an outgrowth of Gov. Steve Bullock's five-year-old Montana Main Street Project, is part of an effort to bridge the gap between the strong economies seen in Montana's larger cities and...
Family Nurse Practitioner Laura Broussard, the medical provider at Parker Medical Center, moved to Lincoln one year ago in the midst of forest fire smoke and hot, windy days. Despite surviving an epic snowy winter, learning to snowshoe and driving through snow drifts, she says she loves it here. "This has been a wonderful year, full of great memories," said Broussard, adding that she's hoping for a little less snow next winter. Coincidentally, Pureview Clinics is...
Recently, a group of media took flight with University of Montana professor Rick Graetz to take in the stunning landscape of the southern Crown of the Continent area, centered on Lincoln. This flight highlighted Graetz’s effort to map, explore, and include this landscape of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest into the coveted Crown of the Continent, which could bring an economic boost for Lincoln. With increased visitors to the area, that tourism influx could assist in cushioning and leveling out the historic b...
Last week, the Trust for Public Lands held the last of three meetings aimed at designing a local trail system that makes walking and biking around Lincoln safer and more appealing. The trail planning effort stemmed from the LOR Foundation grant that also funded Envision Lincoln, and though it's a separate process, it's tied tightly to the vision for the community that was established in those meetings. As the Envision Lincoln organizational meetings drew to close, two of the t...
Envision Lincoln recently announced the winners a poster contest they sponsored at for Lincoln High School graphic design students as part of an effort to remind Lincoln-area residents to call 911 during emergencies or when they see something suspicious. Alyssa Rios took first place and the $50 prize with her straightforward design featuring 911 in bold red numbers. Mackenzie Storey's design, featuring the tag line "Small things matter, don't be afraid to call," took second...
Work on the Lincoln Ranger District's first dedicated mountain bike trails and on a series of off-highway vehicles connector trails should get underway late this summer thanks to a $82,393 grant awarded to the district this month under the Recreational Trails Program administered by the Montana State Parks. The Beaver Creek Trails Project includes development of seven to eight miles of mountain bike trails, as well as a series of connector trails that will create looped...
With the job of coordinating the initial Envision Lincoln meetings behind them, Trust For Public Lands representative Amy MacNamara began working with locals last week on the plans for a trail system for the town and nearby areas. Shortly after Lincoln was awarded the $100,000 grant from the LOR Foundation last year that funded Envision Lincoln, a priority identified by organizers is the need for a trail system around Lincoln that provides safe walking or bicycling routes for...
Envision Lincoln may have held the last of its four-hour long meetings March 28, but it's just the beginning of the effort to revitalize Lincoln. "Really, this is when people want to join the conversation, especially those people who don't want to go to meetings," said Karyn Good, lead local organizer for Envision Lincoln The meeting centered around three teams, made up of community members, who have been working on plans to address Lincoln's economy, health and well-being, an...
Health and Well-being The health and well-being action team, led by Lisa Gibson and Laurie Richards, chose to begin their efforts with an education campaign aimed at increasing safety and reducing crime, and by developing family friendly events for Lincoln. Throughout Envision Lincoln, drugs and crimes reporting emerged as a leading concern for community well-being. At local meetings, Lewis and Clark County Deputy Sheriff Chris Joyce often talks about the need for proper and timely reporting, which can be done anonymously....
I would like to sincerely apologize to everyone at the March 28 Envision Lincoln for losing my temper and causing a disruption. I guarantee, it had nothing to do with Envision Lincoln or the goals of the meeting itself. I believe in the effort and hope to be involved in seeing it succeed. Unfortunately, a little exhaustion, a bit of anxiety about what we have and haven’t been able to cover and concerns about the future of the BVD didn’t mix well in the face of comments that no one in town seems to know what Envision Lin...
