On November 19, 1897, the East Helena Record introduced itself to readers:
“With this, the first issue… we make our bow to the people of one of the most thriving towns of Montana. It may not be out of place to say that we are proud to have the honor of publishing the first newspaper of the town, for it is somewhat surprising that the town has not had a paper before.”
So began an ambitious but brief journalistic endeavor. Newspapers of that era were mostly fleeting enterprises, mirroring the boom-and-bust tumult of their day. The Record ceased publication after five years.
More than a century later, we’re taking up that mantle: Welcome to The East Helena Monitor. Our team has been working for over a year to make this first issue happen, and we’re excited that it’s finally in your hands.
“We believe East Helena is destined to soon become a rival among the cities of Montana, hence the appearance of this newspaper.”
Today, as in 1897, East Helena is on the brink of dramatic change. The looming development of the former ASARCO site could launch an order-of-magnitude increase in the city’s population over the next two decades. That potential growth raises many critical questions about environmental liability, land and water use, and infrastructure — not to mention culture and identity. What will East Helena become? How will that happen? And who will decide?
The Monitor will report regularly on those big questions — starting in this issue with reporter Piper Heath’s explanation of how ASARCO’s water rights ended up with the State of Montana, posing an existential challenge to development plans. We hope to provide information and insights that will guide responsible and constructive decision-making.
But The Monitor also will cover East Helena’s here and now. We’ll visit regularly with the City Council, the Public Works Department, the Police Department and other government entities, keeping you abreast of their challenges and plans. (See Editor David Lepeska’s interview with Mayor Kelly Harris.) We’ll take you inside the School District as it wrestles with growth. We’ll report on Vigilante sports.
“The East Helena Record will pretend to no large proportions or glowing or flashy appearance, but will strive to represent the people of East Helena locally, pure and simple in its work.”
Many of you know The Monitor already. We’ve been publishing a weekly paper just across the line in Jefferson County since 1907. (Back in the 1950s, in fact, we ran an East Helena bureau of sorts, when Ann Rose, mother of the inimitable Iris Maness, wrote a regular column.)
Today, our prize-winning reporting reaches across Jefferson County. Readers look to our team for credible, solutions-focused coverage that reflects their reality, informs their ambitions, and helps them navigate their shared future. We aim to do the same for East Helena.
We actually began covering your city back in May, posting stories semi-regularly to our website, boulder-monitor.com. (That address will change as we redesign our site over the next few months.) In fact, the East Helena Monitor will be what’s called a digital-first news outlet. That means most stories will appear online first, as the news warrants. This monthly paper will republish some of what has appeared on our site, and it also will bring you, as in this issue, a range of new feature and investigative stories.
“In presenting to the public the East Helena Record, we realize the full responsibility we assume, but we have every reason to believe that a live local paper at this point can be made a success.”
We share that long-ago publisher’s optimism. For its first few months, The Monitor will be free to all. There’s no charge for this paper, and you’re welcome to read as much as you want on our website. We hope you’ll find our coverage informative, relevant and, above all, helpful. If you do, we hope you’ll eventually subscribe.
I’d like to thank the many people who have helped The Monitor get this far. That starts with the residents who completed our first survey last October, most of you responding with great enthusiasm to the prospect of a dedicated local news source. That led to a long string of chats over coffees, beers, lunches and conference tables. Every one of those helped us better understand this community, what it needs and how The Monitor might help it move forward.
We’re grateful for that generous investment, and we hope the conversations will continue. Please email me or any of our team with article ideas, questions, or constructive criticism. Or track us down at Galaxy Roasting or Missouri River Brewing. We’d love to meet you.
East Helena is very much its own special place. It deserves its own local news, and we’re privileged to bring it to you. Please enjoy this first issue, and stay with us for all the incisive reporting to come.
Keith Hammonds is the Publisher of The East Helena Monitor. Reach him at keith@boulder-monitor.com.