The Story Behind the "M"

The "M" is 620 feet above the Missoula Valley floor. It is 125' feet long and 100' feet wide. University of Montana forestry students cut the switchbacks into the side of the hill in the early 1900's. The first "M" was assembled out of whitewashed rocks in 1909, and given a fresh coat of paint by freshmen every year, until 1968, when all those rocks were cemented together with concrete.

Photo by Nelson Kenter, kenterphotography.com

Archive for the ‘All News & Opinion’ Category

Preventing Conflicts with Bears

By JOLEEN TADEJ - Already this year, bears have traveled the river corridors – Sun, Marias, Dearborn and Teton – east from the Rocky Mountain Front looking for natural foods.... more

Installation of Ybarra’s Public Art Sculpture Underway at Silver Park

Construction of the new public art piece for Silver Park, George Ybarra’s sculpture “Perseverance and Passage,” has begun.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of July 6

Jobs this week: Housekeepers, Sobriety and Accountability Tech, Restaurant Workers, Permit Specialist, Equipment Sales person, Small-engine mechanic, Mail Delivery Driver and more!... more

Head Out to the Ball Game for the Helmet Giveaway!

Join the Brain Injury Alliance of Montana for our 8th annual Helmet Giveaway Event at the Missoula Osprey baseball game on Saturday, July 11, starting at 6:00 p.m.... more

City Plans Fireworks Law Enforcement, Asks for Citizen Cooperation

By TRAVISH WELSH - City leaders ask for cooperation from citizens to help keep Missoula safe in a period of extremely dry and hot weather during the Independence Day holiday.... more

Good Metrics, Better Metrics

By MARK RIFFEY - Hiding inside most good metrics is better, actionable information.... more

This Fourth of July, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

To crack down on drunk driving this Fourth of July, Missoula law enforcement will be out in full force, aggressively targeting those who put lives in danger. ... more

City Imposes Stage 1 Fire Reststrictions Bans All Fireworks

Fire Danger moved to EXTREME on Monday and Stage 1 fire restrictions have been imposed prohibiting use of fire or open flame, including campfires, smoking and the use of fireworks.... more

Leave Young Wildlife Where You Find Them

By TOM PALMER - Remember this advice if you see newborn wild animals: "If you care, leave them there." Do not move or attempt to feed newborn wildlife.... more

Liz Marchi: Maintenance

By LIZ MARCHI - Maintenance has never been a sexy concept for me. I like startups, building, remodeling. As I age, all of that is changing. Maintenance is EVERYTHING. ... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of June 29

Jobs this week: A Laundry Attendant/Presser, Equipment Mechanic, Mobile Home Set-up Worker, Behavior Intervention Specialist, Therapist, and more!... more

Street Trees Suffer in Summer Weather

By BECKY GOODRICH - The heat is hard on all of us, but did you know it can KILL trees? Remember that street trees need your help to survive summer’s soaring temperatures.... more

Summer Forecast has FWP Keeping Close Watch on Streams

By JOLEEN TADEJ - With high temperatures and depleted snowpack runoff, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is gearing up now to protect fish from stress of low flows and elevated water temperatures.... more

Parks and Recreation Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Playground Improvements

Missoula Parks and Rec invites citizens to learn more about and comment on "Operation Playground Build- proposed improvements at 10 city playgrounds.... more

The Importance of Performance Metrics

By MARK RIFFEY - Quality and performance metrics drive your business. Do you know your critical metrics?... more

Brisk Sales for Nonresident Big Game Combo Hunting Licenses

By TOM PALMER - Montana's surplus nonresident elk and deer combination hunting licenses for this fall are selling at a brisk pace.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of June 22

Jobs this week: Overnight Baker, Auto tech, Admin Support, Youth Case Manager, Legal Secretary, Tire Technician, Cook, Salesperson, Cleaning Captain, Guest Service Agent and more!... more

Celebrating Fathers: A Tradition Started at the YMCA

Did you know that the first Father's Day celebration was on June 19, 1910 and started at the Spokane, Washington YMCA?... more

Emergency Notifications: Smart911 is Your Answer

By NICK HOLLOWAY - The Missoula Office of Emergency Management reminds us: May is National Wildfire Awareness month. Is your family’s ready should a wildfire threaten your property?... more

The Care and Feeding of Leads

By MARK RIFFEY - Coming up with the right question can be a lot harder than not having the answers. And answers are better than assumptions.... more

Liz Marchi: Digital Detox

By LIZ MARCHI - This weekend was Big Sky Dev Con in Bozeman. This was year 5 of the event which is another of those little known but extraordinary things going on in Montana. ... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of June 15

Jobs this week: A Counter Person, a Production Technician, Entry Level Customer Service, Delivery Driver, Medical Claims Processor, Dispatcher or Logistics Specialist & More!... more

The Care and Feeding of Leads

By MARK RIFFEY - How are you caring for the warm leads that you get each day? It matters.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of June 8

Jobs this week: A Human Resources Assistant, Construction Laborers, Event Services and Houing Manager, Sales and Services Assistant, Accounts Receivables, Maintenance Worker & More!... more

Sunshine Marketing as Self-Defense

By MARK RIFFEY - Have you ever signed a non-compete, non-disclosure clause as a condition of employment? Do you make your employees and / or contractors sign one?... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of June 1

Jobs this week: Marketing Assistant, Finance Specialist, Dispatch and Operations Team Member, Bakery Work, Deli Worker, Checker, Produce Clerk, Grocery Stockers and more!... more

A Forecast of Shadows

By MARK RIFFEY - Warning: I’m about to discuss some technology things (yes, again), with good reason. IT affects every business niche, including yours. This isn’t about IT. It’s about everything.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of May 25

Jobs this week: A Director of Operations, Assistant Manager, Cleaning Technician, Administrative Clerk, General Laborer, Communications Specialist, Nursery Worker and More!... more

Splash Montana Opens for Lap Swims this Weekend

Due to cool temperatures in this weekend’s weather forecast, Splash Montana waterpark will be open for lap swim only on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.... more

Grizzlies Announce That All 11 Football Games to be Televised

By MIKE HANSON - University of Montana Athletic Director Kent Haslam announced on Wednesday that all 11 games of the 2015 football season will be televised.... more

Can You Predict Future Revenue?

By MARK RIFFEY - What would you be able to focus on if you weren’t running about the place trying to chase down enough sales to make next week’s payroll?... more

Is Your Family Ready For Wildfire Season?

By NICK HOLLOWAY - The Missoula Office of Emergency Management reminds us: May is National Wildfire Awareness month. Is your family’s ready should a wildfire threaten your property?... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of May 18

Jobs this week: Outdoor General Labor Positions, a Safety Officer, Wildland Firefighters, Engine Crew Boss, Substitute Dispatcher, Cashier and More!... more

Rage Quit? Throw a Fit? You Might Regret it.

By CHERY SABOL - A RESOUNDING RESIGNATION, afire with sturm und drang, can be momentarily satisfying, but damaging for years to come. ... more

Celebrate Kids’ Day at the Carousel

A Carousel for Missoula will be celebrating its 20th birthday on Sat., May 23. Come enjoy FREE rides on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. ... more

Out to Lunch & Downtown ToNight Summer Series Kicks Off

The 2015 Summer Series kicks off June 3rd and 4th and is sure to be exciting as the MDA celebrate 30 years of Out to Lunch and 15 years of Downtown ToNight.... more

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Spring Workshops Offered by FWP

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' Becoming an Outdoors Woman Program (BOW) is sponsoring several workshops: Firearms Shooting, Muzzle Loading & Primitive Skills, and Nature Journaling.... more

Robots, Rural Small Business and China

By MARK RIFFEY - Would robotics address rural small business challenges like it does in China?... more

Downtown Flower Baskets Scheduled To Go Up May 14

By Tom Aldrich for the Missoula Downtown Association Missoula’s beloved Downtown Flower Baskets will be installed this Thursday, May 14 beginning at 5:30 p.m. A total of 98 baskets will be moved from Pink ... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of May 11

Jobs this week: A Project Superintendent, Lawn Mowing Foreman, Quality Control Workers, Bank Teller, Freight Receiver, Merchandise Processor, Dental hygienist, Delivery Driver and More!... more

Lady Griz Hand Out Annual Awards, Kellie Cole-Rubel Named MVP

Kellie Rubel was named 2015 Most Valuable Player, and Montana’s other two seniors, Maggie Rickman and Carly Selvig, were both double award winners at this week's awards banquet.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of May 4

Jobs this week: A Web Support Specialist, Pediatric RN/LPNs, CNAs and PCAs, Manager of Internal Audit, Line Cook, Direct Care Providers and More!... more

What Your Customers Don’t Know

By MARK RIFFEY - What you think they know, what they really know, what they've forgotten. Why Messaging is so important in marketing your business.... more

Glacier Park Plows Within Two Miles of Logan Pass

By JUSTIN FRANZ - Plow crews on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road are within sight of Logan Pass.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of April 27

Jobs this week: An Enroller/Care Coach, RV Salesperson, Deli Worker, Delivery Job, CDL-A Driver, Production Laborer, Maintenance Tech, Assistant Manager, and More!... more

Big Sky Basketball Tournaments Heading to Reno

The men's and women's BSC postseason basketball tournaments are headed to Reno. The Big Sky and the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority announced a three-year agreement.... more

Internationally Renowned Barbara Wold in Missoula for Business Workshops May 7-8

The Missoula Downtown Association presents Barbara Wold. An expert in retail sales and tourism, Wold will hold three business development workshops and a keynote luncheon May 7 & 8th.... more

Winning Against the Chain Store

By MARK RIFFEY - Yesterday, I sat down in a store that’s part of a Montana-based coffee shop chain. I drove past a national coffee chain to reach this place. Why should I drive past them to vist you?... more

Liz Marchi: Manners, the Masters and Equal Pay

By LIZ MARCHI - Be on notice, hitting on women is unwelcome and exhibits the worst in manners. Sexist comments and jokes are NOT funny.... more

Missoula Job Service Featured Jobs | Week of April 20

Jobs this week: A Program Coordinator for a transitional housing program, Assistant Travel Counselor, Case Manager, Sales and Services Coordinator, Shipping & Receiving Clerk, and More!... more