[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6150748,"mediaKeyId","5506490-9418f8ce9e82c1df6a276068eca428d0","parentId",5506490,"title","Saint Matthew’s seeks city recognition for longtime teacher Sister Judy Lund as she plans retirement","audioSeconds",374,"startMs",4468000,"endMs",4842000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506490-9418f8ce9e82c1df6a276068eca428d0&start=4468&end=4842","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506490-9418f8ce9e82c1df6a276068eca428d0/thumbnail_4468000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6150748/Kalispell/Flathead-County/Montana/Saint-Matthews-seeks-city-recognition-for-longtime-teacher-Sister-Judy-Lund-as-she-plans-retirement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150748-2bd741d6b5145d08607fd4d4f08ce161/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162516&Signature=Gj1M0IAbOzXwJscI64GhdODfanzdHMg2J5U57GxLzYsKBwyi9SkWj-K8-Z4gjM9FLepJQrTDSNJhvj2Yug7-yx4IOrQjQ0sC6vQ9Vr1aVsCGw2mSgTVYt0SjhAMLm5337~1ZLZIEYlLbr~3Ty5rfP3PiRXSRE9tug99bpc1-njVGYUZ79jL5y-IHpuGUbj6j0tild1QKiqPVKE940jFhAxrLySZe8aWG8nVr2QH3k1ex~jBcO9IAbUKgUaiR9oPdv7~PTwRN7GB7GX~jo09uQpx6JK4hPa~YEAsbmktAABU57lRmwygQdyn44M~T1NJDRmy5SnSBEM~6320UBZawjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Kalispell, MT ","date","2025-07-29T15:04:06Z","article","A Saint Matthew’s Catholic School representative asked the Kalispell council July 28 to formally recognize Sister Judy Lund, who the speaker said will turn 90 on Aug. 31 and has been a longtime educator in the Flathead Valley.
Melanie Goli, speaking for Saint Matthew’s, said Sister Judy “has inspired, nurtured, and guided hundreds of children” and described decades of volunteer work, including homelessness outreach. Goli asked the council to consider presenting Sister Judy with a key to the city or, if that is not customary, to pass a city resolution or other recognition at a planned school assembly after Labor Day.
Goli provided the council copies of a local newspaper article and a written letter she had mailed to the mayor’s office and said Sister Judy had decided this will be her last year of teaching.
City staff acknowledged the request and said they would follow up with Goli and the school. Staff told the council they would explore options for city recognition and coordinate details for a presentation at the school’s post‑Labor Day assembly if the council chooses to proceed.
Details submitted by the speaker: Goli said Sister Judy would turn 90 on Aug. 31; that she has taught in the Flathead Valley since 1991; and that she is active in local homelessness and food‑bank work. Staff did not provide a formal commitment in the work session; they said they would follow up with the speaker by phone or email and bring possible forms of recognition back to council staff for scheduling.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7/28/25 Kalispell City Council Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","A Saint Matthew’s Catholic School representative asked the council to present Sister Judy Lund with a city honor for her decades of service; staff said they would follow up and suggested options including a city resolution or other recognition at the school’s post‑Labor Day assembly.","taxTitle","Kalispell, Flathead County, Montana","taxId",61441,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6150753,"Kalispell council signals support to name youth athletic complex for Dan Johns",1466,2954000,4420000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506490-9418f8ce9e82c1df6a276068eca428d0&start=2954&end=4420","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506490-9418f8ce9e82c1df6a276068eca428d0/thumbnail_2954000.jpg","/articles/6150753/Kalispell/Flathead-County/Montana/Kalispell-council-signals-support-to-name-youth-athletic-complex-for-Dan-Johns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150753-e0fa3aeb2c1a02d96acac28900d11dc6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162516&Signature=iflIBYtDef8~pw4RbSQ9FNxmfWdWIt7kMlwTRDn6FEiaQRZ28pT0SJ3AmBlxvcVcE-Hkybq453ZBwu2Zmz0~8dJI7de-0KKoSh3PSLRxh3pwiPb76UVp-HPMUx9ROEfBcu0G6pXhDdaOfc-d8b5CKbelfiexL5WV17y5HTfcvj1mlbw-lYvbEkrFj7ABWEwPXkCZzdtbDfaR8aA~ZLpiJ4xu3fstGEISqpuDSs3t8~muPck-gnqc38A79Dlt792N4ilnBUEPLACI-EHwt59iQLqmRREddqlf2Fxz3QaAhUoTYhp5DTC~Q1hv077ymRkXaHC4ccCo1jWwlPlIleStBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kalispell councilors told staff July 28 to work with KidSports to prepare a naming resolution to recognize Dan Johns’ role in creating and developing the city’s youth athletic complex.
Several councilors and many residents urged the council to adopt a name that preserves both the city’s and Johns’ contributions. Roy Beekman and Justin Slider, president of KidSports, described Johns as the driving force behind the complex and said they wanted a form of the facility’s name that makes that legacy clear.
Justin Slider, identified as president of KidSports, told the council the nonprofit has invested heavily in the facility and asked to participate in drafting the final name. “The nonprofit has put well over $4,000,000 into the facility,” Slider said, and requested that KidSports be involved in deciding the exact wording of the new name.
Councilors cited broad community support and agreed the fiscal cost of changing signs and materials would be minimal. Councilor Fisher asked about potential ongoing naming requests and urged the city to adopt a policy to guide future honorary namings. Several councilors agreed that a short, clear name would be preferable for practical use, while still honoring Johns.
Staff explained past lease arrangements and said the property was originally under a long state lease that the city later made permanent after paying a final lease fee; staff also described a separate operations memorandum of understanding with KidSports. Council direction was to have staff coordinate with KidSports on a proposed name and bring a resolution to a future council meeting; staff also said they will draft a naming policy for council consideration.
Next steps: Staff will work with KidSports to identify a preferred name (examples discussed included variations on “Dan Johns Kalispell Youth Athletic Complex” or simply “Dan Johns Fields”), prepare a resolution for council action, and draft a naming policy to guide future requests.","Councilors and community speakers overwhelmingly backed a proposal to include Dan Johns’ name on the Kalispell youth athletic complex, instructed staff to work with KidSports on a naming resolution, and asked staff to develop a naming policy for future requests.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6150756,"Kalispell council opens talks on transferring Central School building to Northwest Montana History Museum",4729,124000,4853000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506490-9418f8ce9e82c1df6a276068eca428d0&start=124&end=4853","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506490-9418f8ce9e82c1df6a276068eca428d0/thumbnail_124000.jpg","/articles/6150756/Kalispell/Flathead-County/Montana/Kalispell-council-opens-talks-on-transferring-Central-School-building-to-Northwest-Montana-History-Museum","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150756-e7b4a1385e436fa5f7ac7583fde98476/orig.mp4?Expires=1771162516&Signature=QTlNmx1BJtvfFPvxAS6KcMgJIWJrSmNZGNzDaFY7jRGZkV29Xhie1HdfO~iS4CEi5VN8z44O7NYLtUGwocuhVgcFx8j0vbswzkENSjEUxChwYkqd006s9RqflDdEuMkSuJWvx8avwGUe0eDHqg6E1AWX0zAaLF6mFx22ZNEB8pNvhnDIDXj4tZDOqABdMkAbWtDsPNHdB08AoHFWE7TxjW5DN1wd9fxdNzq~gQ~PywQpxy8BefkTsdXxkiTAc9W7tGCmvoSJAkribi0nniMG3z~lUCPwVWGbPhMzzuX2HjrIEvKfMvdZdQ-0auC9fHp~4kSjupxPQIqPuRiBwHZJzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kalispell councilors opened a work‑session discussion July 28 on a request from the Northwest Montana History Museum to transfer ownership of the Central School building at 124 Second Avenue East to the museum.
The museum board told the council the 130‑year‑old structure needs “repairs, improvements, and continuing maintenance,” and argued ownership would allow the nonprofit to pursue grants and loans the board says are difficult to secure while the city holds title.
City staff briefed the council on Montana law governing disposal of municipal property, noting that a statute the staff cited allows transfer while also authorizing a deed provision requiring preservation and reversion if the new owner fails to comply. The staff told the council it can draft transfers that include deed restrictions, reversionary clauses or rights of first refusal.
The council’s discussion focused on three practical questions: whether the museum could access grants and low‑rate programs more easily as owner than as a lessee; how to structure deed language and loan approvals to protect the building’s historic status; and whether parking and adjacent green space should be included in any transfer.
AJ King, introduced as a museum board member and a lender at 3 Rivers Bank, told the council that many grant programs and low‑rate financing opportunities are easier when the applicant owns the property and that sizable energy‑efficiency and equipment projects would be more feasible if the museum held title. “When you’re the owner, you can take advantage of these programs at a very low rate,” King said.
Margaret Davis, the museum’s executive director, told the council the museum exceeded 10,000 visitors in 2024 and provided attendance and programming statistics: “We surpassed 10,000 visitors last year. 10,336; 1,700 of those are kids, and about a thousand are just in our third graders’ McLaren immersion school program,” she said, and described an active schedule of more than 140 events a year and a collection the museum says includes more than 50,000 items.
Councilors repeatedly raised the risk that, if the museum later defaulted on a loan secured against the property, a bank foreclosure could place the building in private hands. “That’s the outcome I don’t want,” said Councilor Hunter, arguing for deed language and other protections to keep the building a museum if the nonprofit later were unable to continue operating it.
Board members and several councilors discussed practical contract options. Staff advised the council that Montana law allows transfers to nonprofits for historically significant buildings that include a preservation requirement and a reversion provision. Staff said such restrictions can reduce the sale price or limit future transfers and are often paired with requirements that the council approve loans or other encumbrances.
No formal vote occurred. Council members signaled interest in pursuing the request while asking staff to obtain a written legal opinion and to prepare more detail on the parking parcels and the financial tradeoffs of extending a long lease versus deeding the property. Staff closed the session saying it would work with the museum board and return with a follow‑up work session within about one to two months.
Background and next steps: Councilors and museum representatives discussed options including a long lease extension (the museum’s current lease expires in about 10 years), deed restrictions requiring museum use, rights of repurchase or right of first refusal in the event of noncompliance, and possible subdivision of the assessor parcel to leave public parking or green space in public ownership. Staff told the council it will prepare a legal opinion, provide data about permit parking revenue and maintenance costs for the green space, and return with a draft transfer framework for further council direction.","City council discussed a request from the Northwest Montana History Museum to transfer ownership of the 130‑year‑old Central School building, explored legal limits and reversion clauses under state law, and asked staff to return with a legal opinion and follow‑up work session to sort parking, lending and deed‑restriction options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Saint Matthew’s seeks city recognition for longtime teacher Sister Judy Lund as she plans retirement

Kalispell council signals support to name youth athletic complex for Dan Johns

Kalispell council opens talks on transferring Central School building to Northwest Montana History Museum