New archway raised over downtown Ronan

Ronan’s iconic welcome arch is back.

With the original arch showing signs of wood decay, the community put in a massive effort the past two years, raising money and assembling the resources to replace it. On Monday morning, Nov. 4, the arch rose again. Efforts from many area companies, local government, students coalesced to erect the new archway to downtown.

Most of the construction materials came from Montana, including several donated local logs, and Montana-mined copper sheeting that covers the log tops to protect them from weather, said Ronan High School business teacher Heather Gray, one of the project’s movers and shakers on the Arch Committee. Students have done a large part of the work, including peeling logs, welding, cutting new metal letters, and documenting the process with video and photographs.

The project will be completed in the spring with the placement of signs and a ceremony. “Spring Waters” will be spelled out in English and Salish.

It took several boom trucks at a time to hold the giant pieces in place while they were bolted together. Trucks, expertise, and hard work were donated for assembling the pieces the school and others had been working on for so long.

The breadth of this hearty community undertaking is evidenced by the long list of contributors and volunteers, including: Western Building Center, Mission Valley Power, Gary Cote and Cross Diamond Boom Service, Access Montana, Jennison Tree Service, City of Ronan and Street Department staff, Michael Dennison with Mr. Log, Jason Delaney with Delaney’s Engineered Solutions, Cordell Hardy Photography (and drone work), Valley Banks, Glacier Bank, Ronan High School CTE (career technical education) students and the Arch Committee members — Jay Preston, Jamie Buhr, Robbie Gauthier, Whitney Cantlon, Ronna Walchuk, Jesse Gray, Hap Cheff, Casey Lunceford, Dan Miller and Heather Gray.