Issuu

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Fighting the Good Fight HOME + DESIGN T H E S E S T R E E T S H AV E S T O R I E S H E A LTH + W E LLN E S S GIVING & RECEIVING S P O R T S + R E C R E ATI O N K ID’S GOT PLUCK

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TO SAVE AND CHANGE LIVES . FROM APRIL 2020 TO MARCH 2021 24 .1% OF MONTANANS REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY AND OR DEPRESSION 30 MINUTES OR MORE OF EXERCISE A DAY FOR THREE TO FIVE DAYS A WEEK HAS PROVEN TO S I G N I F I C A N T LY I M P R O V E DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY SYMPTOMS.

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

NOVEMBER 2021 PUBLISHER

Mike Tucker | MTucker@LifestylePubs.com EDITOR

Ear warmers in the kitchen.

Chelsea Lyn Agro | Chelsea.Agro@LifestylePubs.com MANAGING EDITOR

Erika Fredrickson | Erika.Fredrickson@LifestylePubs.com

I WORE EAR WARMERS ON MY FIRST THANKSGIVING IN MONTANA. In the

ACCO UNT MANAGERS

kitchen. That's right, ear warmers inside my home. I remember standing next to the

Marla Huggins | Marla.Huggins@LifestylePubs.com, Heather Cassidy | Heather.Cassidy@LifestylePubs.com

oven door to warm my thighs and listening to our heater tick on every ten minutes or so. It was negative twenty outside and I learned that Mother Nature had no leniency

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

for energy efficient walls, or for my bundled appearance. The warm welcome they

Erika Spaulding | InspiredByMontana@Gmail.com

talked about? It was a harsh hello from our first Montana winter.

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Whitney Lockhart

November has a way of slowing me down, which is otherwise hard to do. Negative temps will slow anyone down, right? I stop to notice things more, like the perfectly frosted whiskers on my horses when the fog is laid over the valley floor. Or the way my little dog tucks her nose under her paws and gives me side eye when I ask her to go outside. The golden poplars are bare from windswept days and howling nights

L AYO UT DESIGNER

Dani Moore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Shelby Humphreys, Jill MH Taber, Susie Wall

and the grass (and all its critters) is dormant now. The holiday season is upon us but we still have a few weeks to fret over new recipes or if our flight will be delayed or canceled. But the real reason of the season is to hone in on gratitude, so I draw up some lists in my mind of the things I'm most grateful for. With Thanksgiving around the bend, I'm reflecting on things that I once wanted and now have. And that's not limited to materialistic things like a home or a vehicle, though

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

these things are huge blessings. This year, though, I'm thankful for the ability to hold

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

on and to let go, and how to decipher between the two when challenges arise. What's

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

worth letting go of? Does it do my heart any good to hang onto something that isn't

AD MANAGER Chad Jensen

meant for me? And the crystal clear, hang-on-for-your-life things, like time around the

REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams

table with my family, or dropping everything and going for a walk, or visiting the animals

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

in our backyard and listening to them graze. These small things hold all of my big things together and I'm grateful that I've recognized their importance in our hurried world. So what are you proud of this season? What have you done for yourself or others that sits well in your soul? I hope this season offers the same reminder to you of how far

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you've come and how blessed you truly are. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

ON THE COVER Read about the Missoula Boxing Club, a non-profit that helps leverage the appeal of com-

Chelsea Lyn Agro, Editor

petitive amateur boxing for the purpose of academic achievement and positive mentorship of at-risk youth.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIKA SPAULDING 6

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

Proverbs 3:5-6 Missoula Valley Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Missoula Valley areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Missoula Valley Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

A Single Momen t In Time

Go to MandMTuck .PicFair .com

A Single Moment taken of the Beauty of the Montana Outdoors

INSIDE THE ISSUE NOVEMBER 2021

FEATURES 16 Giving & Receiving Two men are forever connected.

26 These Streets Have Stories Getting architecturally acquainted with AJ Gibson.

32 Kid’s Got Pluck Missoula Boxing Club creates

26 32

studious incentive.

42 The Rise

16 DEPARTMENTS 6

Lifestyle Letter

Good Times

Around Town

Local Limelight

38 Inspired By 40 Lifestyle Calendar 42 Parting Thoughts

Burning Feet? Electric Shocks? Pain & Numbness? Pins & Needles? You might have

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GOOD TIMES

On top of the world Roughly eight miles and a 2,490-foot elevation gain is the rugged portrait of hiking Saint Mary's Peak in Stevensville. Rocky and windy but always worth that crispy mountainous view. PHOTOGRAPHY ERIKA SPAULDING

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

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AROUND TOWN

CHERRY CREEK MEDIA ANNUAL GUERRILLA TURKEY DRIVE For many families, the turkey is the hardest thing to put on the table but for over 25 years, Cherry proudly located in the heart of Missoula, MT

Creek Media has helped those in need with their annual turkey drive. If you see a good deal on a turkey while you're out and about, or you're feeling generous when you're out and about this time of year, donate a turkey to help the families within our community. This year, the drive is taking place between November 15 and November 19. Let's fill that truck and feed our families!

THE PUMP AND DUMP SHOW Treat yourself to a fun event at the Wilma Theatre on November 5 at 7 p.m. The Original Moms' Night Out has swept the nation and

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eminent string players: Benjamin Britten and Antonin Dvorak (both violists), and the celebrated American violinist Mark O'Connor, whose "Appalachia Waltz" opens the concert. The String Orchestra of the Rockies (SOR) musicians have invited a few young musicians to join in a side-by-side performance of the "Simple Symphony" by Britten, which is an early work based on eight themes that Britten wrote in his childhood. The exuberance and youthfulness of his work is astonishing and its profoundly touching "Sentimental Sarabande" is

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a favorite of both string players and audiences. Czech compose Antonin Dvorak is featured in the second half of the program and his lyrical and enchanting String Sextet in A Major. This work, written in only two weeks, gave the young Dvorak much recognition. It has been arranged

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Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

November 21 at 7:30 p.m.

OLD FASHION FOREST SERVICE CHRISTMAS On November 27 at 12 p.m. at the National

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Museum of Forest Service History, take part in an old fashion Forest Service Christmas! They will have Santa Claus, Woodsy Owl and Smokey the Bear available for pictures. Learn the Snow Pants Dance, do the scavenger hunt, and win prizes. Gather around the fire and sing songs while you sip hot chocolate and munch on candy canes. Fun for all ages! The National Museum of Forest Service History is located one mile west of the Missoula Airport.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Do you have an outstanding employee or know someone who could use a little recognition? Maybe someone you know is getting married or having a baby! Whatever the special case may be, we’d like to feature them here for a public celebration. Please send your good news to Chelsea.Agro@LifestylePubs.com.

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LOCAL LIMELIGHT

Giving & Receiving ROB KENNEDY AND TIM SCHREIBER HAVE ALWAYS HAD A LOT IN COMMON. They married

TWO MEN ARE FOREVER CONNECTED

sisters, they each have two boys close in age, and they each have a wacky sense of humor. But one common-

ARTICLE SUSIE WALL

ality recently arose that made their bond even stron-

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY MARY LOUISE ZAPP-KNAPP

ger. Rob needed a kidney and Tim had one to give. Rob and Sarah Kennedy and Beth and Tim Schreiber have been close for many years. Beth and Sarah are sisters and self-described best friends, daughters of Mary Louise Zapp-Knapp, and granddaughters of the late Missoula matriarch, Patricia Zapp. As husbands to sisters, Rob and Tim formed a great friendship. “Sarah and I come from powerful, loud women and these guys have been one another’s safety nets. They have been pretty tight from day one,” said Beth. When Rob was a teenager, a doctor discovered some evidence of decreased kidney function. Though the diagnosis rarely affected his daily life, he was always aware that the time might come when a transplant would be necessary. For years it was something he monitored as his levels held steady. Then in 2017 following a blood draw for an infected wisdom tooth, Rob received the startling news that his kidney was functioning at twenty percent and a transplant was likely in his future.

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

“I remember sitting in my work car,” said Rob, a detective with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office. “I pulled over to the side of the road when the doctor called me. He said you need to have a transplant and you need to start thinking about that. I drove home and waited for Sarah and the boys to get home and I told them. We all cried and then figured it out and here we are.” Rob was put on a donor registry but he would need to wait for a suitable match and the odds were that it would be from someone who just passed away. “Live donation is always a much better outcome,” said Sarah. “So we asked everybody who was willing to go through the process to get tested. Tim stepped up and really wanted to do it.” There are many different factors when it comes to compatibility of a potential donor including blood type, age, and even body size. It’s very unusual to find a compatible match in someone outside the family, so when Tim was eventually identified as a possibility, everyone was surprised and also very hopeful. Both Rob and Tim flew to Seattle where they were subjected to a battery of tests by a litany of medical professionals and even social workers to make sure they were of sound mind for such a daunting procedure. “I can’t believe I passed,” laughed Tim. CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

LOCAL LIMELIGHT (CONTINUED)

The exciting news then came that Tim was indeed a match but the transplant didn’t happen right away. The best outcome for Rob would be that his kidneys would continue to function at a low but acceptable level, keeping him from ever having to go through the transplant process. The doctor continued to monitor Rob while Tim bided his time, always with Rob’s health in the back of his mind. Then, the time came. “I waited for several years, slowly watching that function decline,” said Rob. “I reached Stage 5 kidney disease and that was the triggering point.” The transplant was scheduled for July 12, 2021. Rob and Tim went to Seattle about a week before and stayed in a hotel until they went to Swedish Hospital for surgery at midnight on Sunday July 11. The surgery was a resounding success. Beth tells the story that following the operation Tim kept walking by Rob’s room asking if Rob was awake. Beth peeked into Rob’s room and posed the question to Sarah. Up pops Rob’s thumb and Tim slipped into the room where the two men shared a fist bump and lots of tears. Tim was able to leave Seattle and come home within a week. Rob and Sarah stayed in Seattle for six weeks in a hotel while Rob recovered. During that time, Mary Louise said many extended family members pitched in to help and take care of Rob and Sarah’s sons. The impact of the sacrifice Tim made will be with both men and their families forever, yet Tim is still surprised how much his selfless act of kindness has touched other people, even those that don’t know the family. “When people have reactions and say ‘wow’, his first response is to ask why it’s such a big deal to everybody. He thinks everyone would do this,” said Beth.

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

Which is why it’s so important to Tim that everyone knows they could do the same for someone they love, or even a stranger. The list of those suffering from kidney disease is long and the number of live donations each year is short. “It’s unbelievable how many people are just sitting on a list and they can’t get kidneys waiting for a deceased donor, so when someone does this and gives life it’s amazing. Tim is the hero here,” said Sarah. Tim’s advice to those considering becoming a live kidney donor is to do your research as there are many misconceptions. “What you think you know about kidney donation, you really don’t know,” said Tim. The incisions are smaller, recovery is shorter, and there is often little to no expense to the donor. “There was a little bit of pain. It felt like I did a bunch of stomach crunches, but what are three or four days of pain for saving a life?” As for Rob, he can never thank Tim enough. “The fact that he would step up and do that for me, for my kids, my wife, save my life, I can never repay that debt,” said Rob. “I think about him every day and how I can repay him. I know I can never do that. It’s beyond words. “ If you are interested in learning more about becoming a live donor, contact LifeCenter Northwest at lcnw.org for more information.

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

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Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

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ARTICLE SHELBY HUMPHREYS | PHOTOGRAPHY ERIKA SPAULDING

The Patchwork of Peace

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

THE JEANNETTE RANKIN PEACE CENTER AND UPCYCLED SUPPORT FAIR TRADE AND SET EXAMPLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY

“THE FAVORITE PART OF MY DAYS ARE THE CONVERSATIONS I HAVE WITH CUSTOMERS.” RECIPE FOR EASY THANKSGIVING SWEET POTATOES: PEEL

to our table. We can savor the dedication of those who brought

AND BOIL POTATOES, THEN BLEND WITH BUTTER, SPICES,

each ingredient from the fields to the store and the determination

AND BROWN SUGAR. Place in a casserole dish. Top with marsh-

of farmers who planted the seeds.

mallows. Bake until warm and marshmallows melted. Skim off the marshmallows and throw the orange stuff in the trash. Enjoy!

Two Missoula businesses bring awareness to each link in the chain of what we buy, albeit with dollars instead of sweet pota-

That’s not your typical sweet potato recipe but this won’t be a

toes. The Jeannette Rankin Peace Center (JRPC) and Upcycled

typical Thanksgiving. Giving thanks will be extra meaningful as

are neighbors on the Hip Strip and partners in creating conver-

we remember all those around the world with whom we shared

sations around what it means to connect to the world through

the hardships of 2020, including those who helped get the food

ethical consumerism.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

THE PATCHWORK OF PEACE (CONTINUED)

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

The peace center is named after Montana’s congresswoman— and the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress—who cast dissenting votes against U.S. entry into both world wars. The center is known for both a store stocked with Fair Trade Certified goods and peace-centered community projects. Although, not everyone realizes that these various activities come from a single non-profit. Carol Schwartz, Fair Trade and Marketing Director, frequently hears surprised comments. “They know us from either our store or our public outreach. When we’re at an event, I’ll hear, ‘You’re THAT Jeannette Rankin center?’” Recently, JRPC had another opportunity to practice peace by becoming the new caretaker of the peace sign—yes, THAT peace sign—once erected on Missoula’s North Hills. Longtime Missoulians remember the shared drama that played out on what was originally a microwave reflector. A peace symbol would appear on the sign overnight. The phone company would repaint the sign white. Soon, the peace sign would return, only to be whitewashed again. Back and forth, citizens and the phone company volleyed with different symbols and innumerable white washings, until the reflector was removed in 2001. Carol shared how the sign re-emerged at its new home behind the peace center. “When the sign was taken down, nine pieces were distributed to locals for watching over. They kept them safe all these years. It was always the goal to bring the pieces together again. We’re proud to display the sign in all its original size and glory.” JRPC couldn’t ask for a better neighbor than Upcycled. Owner Donovan Peterson has provided an antidote to the modern ailment of wishcycling: not being sure if something is recyclable but throwing it in the bin anyway, hoping someone will find a way. His shop sells work from local makers that’s at least 50% sourced from old materials. The shop’s register counter is a perfect example. Repurposed from the Missoula Food Bank and covered with outdated floppy-disks, the counter doubles as a display for locally-made magnets. A keen eye can see how the colored disks are arranged to spell “UP!” It’s that combo of whimsy and practicality that Donovan encourages in both artists and shoppers. “Some of the best upcycling are happy accidents,” he said. The two stores have created a synergy that goes beyond brick-andmortar. Carol remembered one instance. “A customer wanted one of our hats but she wanted a chin strap on it. We went to Donovan and asked if he could make one. He found materials in his store and she walked out with the hat that she wanted.” However, it’s about more than just shopping. “We run our shops but we also hold space for ethical conversations about consumption,” explained Donovan. Carol agreed. “The favorite part of my days are the conversations I have with customers. Plus, you can shop both stores and feel good about what you buy because we’ve done the work for you.” “Of course,” Donovan said, “You have to stay in business. But we’ve been able to create self-perpetuating models based on being a good person, rather than the bottom line.” This Thanksgiving we can each follow the examples set by JRPC and Upcycled by considering what it means to be a good global citizen. We can take our own first step, even if that’s just with one bite of sweet potato. CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

these streets

have stories GETTING ARCHITECTURALLY ACQUAINTED WITH AJ GIBSON ARTICLE ERIKA FREDRICKSON PHOTOGRAPHY ERIKA SPAULDING

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO KNOW A TOWN INSIDE AND OUT

contractor and the owner of Johnson Livery,

TO APPRECIATE ITS ARCHITECTURE ON AN EMOTIONAL

Cab and Transfer Stable. They were consid-

LEVEL. I grew up in Missoula and attended Hellgate High School

ered one of the finest versions of modular

in the mid-1990s. I had a few classes with windows that faced out

row houses at the time.

onto Higgins Avenue from which I could view a block of elegant, old brownstones on Roosevelt Street.

Gibson was not formally trained in architecture but he apprenticed in Butte and

I was a romantic even then, spending evenings with friends at the

moved to Missoula in 1887. Over the years

Crystal Theater (where Gild Brewing is now), watching foreign films

he would design public, residential, and

set in Paris and Spain. I had not yet seen much of the world but I

commercial buildings across the valley,

got a glimpse of the beauty of old-world architecture through these

some of which comprise the city’s most

films. Those row houses felt as old-world as you get in a place like

iconic structures including the Central High

Missoula, and it struck me as exactly the kind of historic, artsy place I

School (now Hellgate), the Missoula County

would one day want to live in. I imagined throwing dinner parties and

Courthouse, the Atlantic Hotel, the original

sitting in the living room talking about world politics with my friends,

Missoula Art Museum (which was built as

like Audrey Hepburn in “Funny Face” or something.

the public library), the Greenough Mansion,

It wasn’t until later, when I returned to Missoula after living a few

and the Marcus Daly Mansion in Hamilton.

other places—Chicago, San Francisco, Portland—that I learned

He also designed five of the University of

more of the actual history behind the apartments I coveted. While

Montana’s first buildings, including the

working at the Missoula Independent as the arts and culture editor

stately brick Main Hall.

I wrote a few architectural stories, and that’s where I learned about

His single-family homes and multifamily

A.J. Gibson, Missoula’s most famous architect, who designed the

buildings are what showcase how diverse his

apartments, built in 1909. They were referred to as the University

style was. Hipólito Rafael Chacón, a UM pro-

apartments or the Roosevelt apartments. But they were first named

fessor of art history, notes that Gibson was a

the Johnson Flats after the builder, Charles E. Johnson, a cement

revivalist in that his architecture echoed the CONTINUED >

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

THESE STREETS HAVE STORIES (CONTINUED)

styles of previous architects. But he also stayed on top of trends. He designed everything from modest bungalows to Queen Anne-style follies to Spanish mission-style dwellings with arched colonnades and twisted, barley-sugar columns. Versions of his modular row houses, like the Roosevelt, can be found up and down 5th and 6th streets, with their combination of neoclassical and Queen Anne details. The Roosevelt apartments were built at a time that was a little bit like what Missoula is going through now: a growing city with a housing crunch. When the University of Montana opened its doors at the turn of the 20th century, the neighborhood between Higgins Avenue and campus developed rapidly. There was already a lot of construction happening on the south side of the river, including a new bridge and the Slant Street neighborhoods to the west of Higgins. To understand this area of Missoula, you have to know the weird story behind the Slant Streets. If you have driven through the neighborhood just west and south of Hellgate High School, you know the maddening exercise of trying to navigate streets that seem to have gone rogue from the main drag like broken guitar strings popped loose from their frets. If you think you can’t get lost in a small place like Missoula, the Slant Streets will prove you wrong.

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

The Slant Streets came to be because two lawyers

Gibson believed in good craftsmanship and design for

in the 1880s, W.M. Bickford and W.J. Stephens, tried to

everyone. Many of his dwellings were for working class

plot out a new town called South Missoula with streets

people as well as the wealthy. The Roosevelt apartments

running parallel and perpendicular to what was known

were built to house university faculty and staff as well as

as the wagon road with a bridge crossing the river at

staff from the high school. They are small dwellings for

Stephens Avenue. However, the city’s co-founder, CP

small families or single occupants. The humbleness of

Higgins, made the decision to connect the bridge to

size is outweighed by the beauty of large bay windows

Higgins Avenue and the streets in that area were built in

and leaded glass transoms that filter rainbows across

grid form. This city planning feud is an oft told story and

the hardwood floors, as well as the built-in China closets

was the subject of a viral Tweet in 2019 in which a Google

with beveled glass doors in the dining room.

map showed an aerial view of the Slant Streets amid the

In the years since I returned to Missoula I’ve seen the

rest of the gridded city. It caused some Twitter users and

city develop in wonderful ways with new restaurants,

online travel sites to declare it one of the weirdest and

bakeries, arts, and community spaces. The housing cri-

worst city planning examples in the country.

sis however has left a bad taste, as people with means

At the edge of the Slant Streets and the beginning of

are buying up houses sight unseen and landlords hike up

the grid is an oddball triangle block that doesn’t quite fit

their rents so that service workers can no longer afford

in anywhere. And in that prominent spot is where the

to live here. I made it just under the wire, with help from

Roosevelt apartments were built.

family, to purchase a Roosevelt apartment when they

“It’s speculative on my part,” said Rafael, “but the fact

were recently turned to condos. It feels lucky and maybe

is there are no Gibson buildings as far as we know in

a little serendipitous. It’s a dream I hope others who work

the Slant Streets. I don’t know if that’s because he didn’t

and live here can attain.

favor the development of a new town or if he didn’t have

During Gibson’s time, the famous architect Frank

a good working relationship with the developers of that

Lloyd Wright criticized a lot of America’s new architec-

project. The history is a little bit murky on that.”

ture as inhumane. He believed buildings should be both CONTINUED >

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, THE BUILDING OF MULTI-FAMILY HOMES AND CONDOS ISN’T NEW IN MISSOULA. IT’S EXACTLY WHAT GIBSON WAS DOING BUT HE WAS DOING IT WITH GREAT CARE AND AN EYE FOR BEAUTY.

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

THESE STREETS HAVE STORIES (CONTINUED)

functional but aesthetically pleasing in a way that enriched the people living inside. And he thought this was true for everyone: Not just the rich, but the working class and children who were both often seen as groups that did not appreciate, understand, or need beauty. “He was talking about how Americans live in cubes and boxes— cages, basically,” Rafael said. “He described the windows as guillotines. So there was this awareness that American architecture had very mean spaces.” Contrary to popular belief, the building of multi-family homes and condos isn’t new in Missoula. It’s exactly what Gibson was doing but he was doing it with great care and an eye for beauty. He also built affordable spaces, which is another thing we can learn from, and require to get out of this crisis. “AJ Gibson was an important developer—not just an important architect, designer, and contractor,” Rafael said. “He had his sights on how this city is going to grow reasonably. And he wasn’t alone. These are historic patterns I think we can learn from on how to do it sensitively, how to do it beautifully. With him, design and craftsmanship went hand in hand and that’s something we need to be mindful of as we develop today.”

“AJ G i bso n wa s a n i m p o r t a nt d eve l o p e r — n ot j u st a n i m p o r t a nt a rc h it e c t , d esig n e r, a n d co nt ra c t o r. H e h a d h is sig ht s o n h ow t h is city is g oi n g t o g row re a so n a b ly. 30

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

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KID’S GOT

PLUCK

MISSOULA BOXING CLUB CREATES STUDIOUS INCENTIVE ARTICLE JILL MH TABER | PHOTOGRAPHY ERIKA SPAULDING

THEIR NAMES, SCRAWLED IN BLACK SHARPIE ON BLUE PAINTER’S TAPE, STRETCH ACROSS THE FRONTS OF YELLOW LOCKERS. They are a group of Missoula’s youth, members of Missoula Boxing Club and USA Boxing, learning to box, but only after they hit the books: working with tutors to finish schoolwork before donning the gloves. JD Partain, founder of Missoula Boxing Club, is not a boxer himself. He’s an entrepreneur with a background as a pastor who volunteers as a court-appointed special advocate.

in a meeting with school administrators, teachers, and a student—a

Several years ago, he sat

young man who needed to graduate from high school but who had fallen behind, academically and in his desire to finish school. “I thought to myself, ‘if this kid doesn’t want it, what do we have?’” JD explained. “That put a question in my heart: what does a kid want and how to leverage that into what they need?” That question led to a news article about the Detroit Boxing Club, an organization working with inner city youth, putting academics at the forefront, learning to box second, and getting students to graduation. JD found a mechanic’s garage on South Avenue and began renovations. By December 2020, student boxers were training on site. As a member of USA Boxing, Missoula Boxing Club follows strict protocols and rigorous training standards, ensuring proper technique and safety measures for its members who pay a membership fee to USA Boxing but no monthly fee to join.

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

“ T HE RE ’ S S OME T HING F ORM AT I V E A B OU T T HIS S P O R T. PA IN S E R V E S A P U R P O S E . PA IN I S V E R Y T R A NS F ORM AT I V E . B OX ING GI V E S T HE M T HE T OOL S T O D E A L W I T H P A I N .” CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

KID’S GOT PLUCK (CONTINUED)

“We train theses kids very hard,” JD said. “We’ve had kids throwing up in the alley. There’s camaraderie in that. They are sweating, hair stuck to the sides of their faces.”

they may have been born in.” Boxing is a special sport, requiring a different level of physicality, athleticism, and, sometimes, risk-taking.

Members of Missoula Boxing Club make a commit-

“There’s something formative about this sport. Pain

ment to academic progress, making strides to finish

serves a purpose. Pain is very transformative,” JD said.

homework and improve grades before stepping into

“Boxing gives them the tools to deal with pain.”

the ring, whether they have straight-A or failing grades.

That encouragement to overcome and the spring-

JD pointed out that the goal, though, is not just

board into life’s next steps are perhaps the corner-

improved grades or top-notch fighting ability. “While our metric is that we want kids to graduate, more importantly, we want kids to have the opportunity to launch into what comes next,” he explained. “My hope is that this effort is a realistic endeavor.”

stones of Missoula Boxing Club’s mission—a goal close to JD’s heart and to his hope to contribute to the Missoula community. “Hopefully, these kiddos will say, ‘My road was this way but because of Missoula Boxing Club, my road

The club’s website offers real-life statistics about

went another way’,” said JD. “And if that’s the case,

graduation rates and their relation to crime and the

that definitely does change the fabric of our city. These

number of children in foster care in Missoula.

kids will be the future leaders, the future champions of

“Many times, generations are stuck in a cycle of

“We hope to help break whatever cycle of brokenness

our city.”

poverty and abuse. We have kids here who are in

Missoula Boxing Club is located at 1633 South Avenue

the foster system because their parents are abusive

West and can be reached by calling 406.529.5610 or by

because they were abused themselves,” JD explained.

visiting www.missoulaboxingclub.org.

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

J.D. Partain (center)

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

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Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

GET INSPIRED EAT + DRINK SHOP LOCAL City Lifestyle

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CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

INSPIRED BY BEN HIGGINS TALKS COFFEE, HOPE & HUMANITY, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THANKFUL

Living a Purposeful Life

PROBABLY BEST KNOWN FOR BEING LEAD #20 IN THE BACHELOR, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO BEN HIGGINS THAN BEING ONE OF AMERICA’S REALITY TV SWEETHEARTS, SUCH AS HIS DEEP PASSION FOR MAKING MOVES TO “MULTIPLY GOOD IN THE WORLD.” PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED 38

Since his time on The Bachelor, Ben has taken the opportunity to use his fame to create not one, but two inspiring podcasts, publish a successful autobiography, while also elevating awareness of his “for-purpose” Generous Coffee brand. We sat down with him (virtually) to reflect on all that he has accomplished in this season of “thankfulness.”

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

CL: WHAT DOES THE TERM ‘THANKFUL’ OR ‘GRATEFUL’ MEAN TO YOU?

Plus, we believe that people enjoy drinking life-changing coffee that has a story behind it over their regular cup of coffee.

BH: It may sound corny and cliche, but when I think of gratitude, it’s an every day break to look at where my life

CL: WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE

sits and to be thankful for the friends and family around

BACK IN THEIR COMMUNITY?

me and the things that I am able to be a part of.

BH: I think everybody can figure out what they can do in their local communities by asking the same question: What is it around me that makes me the

CL: TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD

angriest? Maybe it’s people without homes, maybe it’s animals or the environ-

OF OR INSPIRED BY?

ment. What emotional pull is it? Go after that.

BH: I just want to be a part of really cool stories that I believe are good and healing. And my filter on whether

Plus, you can do that sitting on your couch drinking a great cup of Generous Coffee.

they are good or not comes from my faith. I just want to be a part of loving others and loving God well.

With over 1.2mm Instagram followers, Ben Higgins is co-founder of @generous_ coffee_, author of #AloneinPlainSight, host of @hopestillwins, and co-host of @

CL: HOW DID GENEROUS COFFEE BEGIN?

almost_famouspodcast.

BH: The idea came in July of 2017 and we launched in January of 2018. When the show [The Bachelor] happened, our fundraising increased 500%, but we also knew that it probably wasn’t going to last. We asked ourselves how we can make this more sustainable, and we came up with the idea that we could start a for-profit business and call ourselves “for-purpose.” We donate 100% of our profits to non-profits.

We believe that people enjoy drinking lifechanging coffee that has a story behind it over their regular cup of coffee.

CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

NOVEMBER

LIFESTYLE CALENDAR

blues and holiday bloat? Get those

WESTERN MONTANA WEDDING FAIR

MOUNT JUMBO ELK RAMBLE 15K

a 3K Kid's Run, a Fun Run, and the

endorphins flowing and sign up for the Turkey Day 8K! There will be

Mount Jumbo

8K. Visit RunWildMissoula.com for

Missoula County Fairgrounds

Run Wild Missoula doesn't want you

more information.

Every bride-to-be in the Missoula

to miss the opportunity to take part in

and surrounding areas should con-

the only organized trail race on Mount

sider this one-stop-shop experi-

Jumbo! As part of this exclusive event,

ence for all wedding desires. Cakes,

you will experience our gorgeous

music, decorations, dresses. You

landscape as you traverse the winter

name it, it'll be there! This event

home of the Mount Jumbo elk herd.

takes place Thursday, November 4

The race is capped at 300 participants

HOPE GALA

SENTINEL CRAFT FAIR & SHOW Sentinel High School

Join Sentinel High School in celebration of their 26th annual craft

through Monday, November 8 and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

fair! Offering handmade crafts, arts,

MISSOULA BUTTERFLY HOUSE AND INSECTARIUM

elry, treats, and all the custom-made

woodworking

repurposed

goods,

sign making with Pine and Co., jewitems you could dream up. Support

Discovery Bench, level two of the

your local artisans while support-

University Center Ballroom

Missoula Public Library

ing

Put hope within reach on Saturday,

Every Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. you can

and Sentinel High School's Special

November 6 at 6 p.m., by attend-

visit the spectrUM Discovery Bench to

Education Department. Free admis-

ing the Adult & Teen Challenge

observe and even hold several of their

sion. Event runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2021 Gala, a premier fundraising

many-legged bug ambassadors!

Missoula

Special

Olympics

event which celebrates freedom from

addiction

and

generates

support for the students currently in their programs. You'll hear live testimonies from students, bid at a silent auction, and enjoy a gourmet dinner.

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

25 RUN WILD MISSOULA'S TURKEY DAY 8K

Would you like to get in touch with us? We would love to hear from you! Contact us at CityLifestyle.com/

Downtown Missoula

MissoulaValley using the Get In Touch

Want to get ahead of those winter

link and let us know what you think.

GET IN TOUCH

https://layinggroundwork.com | 406-530-7175

406-721-9359 www.signpromissoula.com

· Digital Printing · Vehicle Decals and Wraps · Window Graphics · Site Signs · · Parking Signs · Sandwich Boards · Banners · Dimensional Lettering · Trade Show Displays · CityLifestyle.com/MissoulaValley

PARTING THOUGHTS

THE RISE

ARTICLE CHELSEA LYN AGRO

MY HUSBAND SAYS, “IT’S NOT THE FISH YOU’RE AFTER,” AND

the sandy shore with our son on my back and an eagle silently drops

AFTER DOZENS OF TRIPS TO THE RIVER, I FINALLY GET IT.

from a limb and swoops down before flying somewhere further from

Watching him fly fish is so therapeutic, so rhythmic, which is unlike

us. The flies land on the glassy, fast-moving surface of the water and

my fishing style. I use a spinner rod and get agitated after ten min-

sure enough, another rise and swallow. But my husband’s lure skips

utes of no nibbles. I’m impatient, too enthusiastic, and the rises only

along without the interference he’s hoping for. He stops to switch

taunt me.

flies after paying close attention to his live competition and begins

On a recent trip one golden autumn day, we head to the river and tramp along the river rocks with hundreds of tiny black spiders taking cover in the cracks. As his line streams through the air, I walk along

Missoula Valley Lifestyle | November 2021

the dance all over again, chest in the water. It’s not the fish he’s after. It’s the spiders and the eagle and the walk along nature’s edge. It’s honing in on the finest details of life.

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