by Travis Mateer
One of the benefits of having a meth lab made of Legos is that the chances of an explosion are minimal. Since safety is important, I do have a member of the Lego fire fighting crew on hand in case there’s a need, like an exploding propane tank.
On Tuesday, it was likely a propane tank that exploded at the homeless camps around Lion’s Park. This isn’t the first explosion that fire fighters have had to deal with at the camps in this part of town. Back in January, several fires led to an explosive situation. From the link
Fire officials said a space heater set fire to the tent before several propane tanks exploded. No injuries were reported, but everything was a loss.
Earlier this month, fire crews responded to reports of a fire and explosions on a river island off California Street. In that incident, crews arrived to find a 16-foot fire in a pit filled with garbage.
The fire also caused several propane bottles to explode, with fragments nearly hitting first responders.
Yep, this area is a lot of fun for first responders, like earlier this week when a knife-wielding woman was threatening campers. Isn’t it great that so many caring people in Missoula support these campers and their supposed right to blow shit up around them while engaging in other violent, threatening behavior?
This backdrop of urban camps exploding is fun to keep in mind as you consider the boring, yet highly important effort to revamp zoning laws in Missoula. Here’s Grant Kier of the Missoula Economic Partnership discussing this issue in an article from the boring publication, The Pulp:
“All of the data tell us that it is possibly the hardest time in generations for a person starting out to own their own home,” said Grant Kier, CEO of Missoula Economic Partnership, which monitors the housing market for its crucial role in creating a vibrant, resilient local economy.
Missoula’s housing deficit goes back to the years following the Great Recession, Kier said, when the community fell 3,000 housing units behind its immediate needs. Adding to that deficit, the rate of new building is not on pace with Missoula’s growth projections.
“If the community could do one thing, it would be more tolerant to changes to their built environment,” Kier said. “That will lead to changes in housing affordability that will allow more people to live here and will reduce accelerated rates of homelessness.”
And here’s Grant Kier meeting my Lego Meth Lab:
Will MEP join my vision of BETTER METH/BETTER OUTCOMES for our urban camping community? I sure hope so! If not, don’t worry, my Lego Meth Lab is a VERY inspirational educational device that I’m sure will garner some kind of monetary support as I make my rounds around Zoom Town.
You don’t have to wait for a visit from my meth lab to help me out financially, just click on Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF) and donate today!
Tomorrow’s post will have a link to my Western Montana News article, and a song about my Lego Meth Lab, so stay tuned!
And, as always, thanks for reading.