Making Connections
Arlee resident creates websites t spotlight businesses, events
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ARLEE — About six years ago Roxane Rinard wanted to attend her granddaughter’s mini powwow but she didn’t know when it started. At that time, if you wanted to know what was going on in Arlee you had to check the community bulletin board in town. So Rinard, a software engineer, decided to create a community website that would link businesses in Arlee and inform residents of local events.
“We needed everything in one location,” Rinard said. “That is the power of the Arlee community website.”
A few years before, local businesswoman Donna Mollica and others spearheaded an effort to unite and support local artists and businesses. Because Arlee does not have a chamber of commerce, they launched the Arlee Community Development Corporation (CDC) in 2002.
“It was clear that arts and local culture were what was here,” Mollica, co-owner of the Hangin Art Gallery, said.
Now these two entities work together to provide Arlee with the most up-to-date information about the CDC, the Arlee Fitness Center, churches, fire department, senior center, libraries or schools. Recently there was information on the website informing residents about local flooding issues and concerns.
Rinard, who owns Developing Wings Inc., a web consulting and design company, created and maintains www.arleemontana.org, free of charge for the benefit of the Arlee community. In 2008, Rinard bought a webcam that is mounted to the side of her house that overlooks the Jocko River. The webcam gives vital live weather updates to pilots who fly St. Patricks’ Life Flight and Community Hospital’s Omniflight helicopters in Missoula.
Rinard also provides free training and help to local business owners and groups who want to post information to the website.
“It’s my way of giving back to the community,” she said. Rinard moved to Arlee in 1991 after living in Ravalli for 10 years. She is currently working with Janis Richter to create a similar website for the town of St. Ignatius.
Richter, who plays a large role in the annual Good Ol’ Days event, said before Rinard approached her, most advertising for local events was done through radio and newspaper. Now St. Ignatius has a new medium to reach residents and tourists.
“It’s a great way to reach out to people,” Richter said. “Technology is such a big part of people’s lives, most people are on the Internet.”
“It’s the wave of the future,” Mollica said. “This gives small rural towns and businesses the opportunity to survive.”
Last year, the Arlee website had 67,000 visitors and the Facebook profile has 2,390 likes. A large portion of the numbers from the website are from international interest as a result of the Dalai Lama’s anticipated visit to the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas in Arlee.
“The way she (Rinard) has connected the website to social media is masterful,” Mollica said. “It’s extremely successful and makes a huge difference communication wise for the CDC.” The CDC’s Facebook profile currently has 69 fans.
Despite these triumphs, Rinard said the websites and social media profiles take time to become complete successes.
“It takes a long time for a site to gain interest,” Rinard said.
Mollica said she was not an immediate fan of either the Arlee website or Facebook when she first started.
“Roxane dragged me kicking and screaming into this. I didn’t have much patience and a year ago she convinced me for the sake of my business and the CDC to get involved,” Mollica said.
Rinard is currently working on .com websites for both towns that will only highlight businesses and not events and public information. She is also considering selling ads on this website.
“I never dreamed all this would happen those years ago when I was wondering when my granddaughter’s powwow was taking place,” she said.
