by Travis Mateer
While I’ve been having some pretty threatening experiences as of late, something about the Missoulian headline that reads “Missoula may add art park” seems particularly threatening to me.
Perhaps it was the City Club lunch I attended yesterday that paired so sourly with the notion Missoula should throw up a sculpture garden, because I definitely felt a deep stab of nausea hit when I read this bullshit:
Last week, the Missoula Parks Board voted unanimously to authorize the Parks Department to work with the Missoula Public Art Committee and a local artist, Chuck Leonard, to determine the feasibility and costs of creating and maintaining a public art sculpture park and walk along with a policy for providing public art in the Clark Fork Natural Area.
Does the Missoula Parks Board have any inkling how poorly timed their UNANIMOUS vote is? Maybe they need to hear from the public about how much we DO NOT NEED a sculpture garden. To assist, here’s a screenshot of the regular members and chair.
Who are these people? Well, just starting off with the first name, here’s what Charles Besancon is up to with his fancy business, Global Park Solutions. For those following along closely, I suggest taking note of the UN and South Africa connections.
Yesterday I was hoping to hear back from Parks and Rec’s Dave Selvage about when exactly the gate on the bridge to nowhere is being opened and shut by Black Knight security, but I never heard back.
Speaking of Black Knight Security, I missed the discussion last night at City Council about defecation and the role of private security in dealing with shit, literally. I guess that’s why we have the Missoulian. From the link:
Council members and public commenters went back and forth about whether private security makes those spaces more or less safe for residents and surrounding neighborhoods. In particular, those that took part in Monday’s meeting repeatedly pondered whether a person defecating in a yard constitutes a security threat to the property owner, and whether private security would limit that possible outcome.
While there was little agreement on the defecation question, council members were more united in expressing reservations about Rogers International’s ongoing security presence at the ACS.
“It is just disappointing to vote to keep a security firm that feels like has been problematic even for 30 more days,” said Ward 1 council member Jennifer Savage.
Did we go from sculptures and jet setters to private poop picker-uppers rather quickly? Yes. Yes we did.
Speaking of people who like to handle other people’s shit, I noticed Bill Burt, candidate for Justice of the Peace, has a Q and A in the Missoulian. Here is the part I find HILARIOUS:
Kind of sounds like Bill Burt is running against County Attorney Kirsten Pabst, doesn’t it. Funny thing is, Bill’s colleagues at the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office have to actually INVESTIGATE things in order for the County Attorney’s Office to pretend to do THEIR job.
The incident Bill Burt highlights above was a result of his buddies at MCSO doing a sub-par investigation, and I know this because I was there that day and NOT INTERVIEWED. Instead it was ME seeking out interviews with those involved to figure out what the hell happened, and why.
If I was trying to sell this community a $5 million dollar crisis milll levy, I would be very miffed with Parks and Rec and the Sheriff’s Office for their poorly timed garden-sculpting and belly-aching. All hands are apparently NOT on deck.
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Thanks for reading!