The Seeley Swan Pathfinder is a great weekly source for coverage of local news, events, meetings and area specialties that affect the Clearwater, Swan and Blackfoot Valleys. Our goal is to provide a forum to highlight accomplishments, unique ideas and generate discussion about important issues affecting our communities.
We approach the paper from the readers' perspective asking what would be interesting and important to our readers and tailoring our coverage to questions and ideas that we hear. We passionately dig into issues that affect our area making every attempt to present both sides of the issues. We go to the source to uncover the facts and dispel rumors. Readers are welcome to submit letters to the editor to raise issues of concern or if they feel their view has not been represented.
The Pathfinder is currently owned by Ponderosa Publications who took ownership August 2022.
Keely Larson is our editor (pathfinder@seeleylake.com), Kelly Bambenek is our office manager (office@seeleylake.com), Julie List is the ad manager and Jenny Wherley is our designer.
The Seeley Swan Pathfinder office is located in the Heritage Building on the north end of Seeley Lake on Highway 83. Our office is open Tuesday through Friday 10-2. Please call and leave a message at 406-677-2022. To reach the editor, email pathfinder@seeleylake.com
For advertising inquiries, email Julie at adsales@mullennews.com. Our Advertising Deadline is 5pm Thursday and all other submitted content deadline is Friday at 5pm for the next Thursday issue.
Letters to the Editor Policy
Letters to the Editor, columnist and editorial cartoons do not express opinions and views of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder editors or staff. Letters must be less than 500 words and address local issues or topics. All columns and letters are subject to editing for grammar and style. Edits to content will be provided to the author for review prior to print.
Cartoons must be ORIGINAL art from the person submitting it and will printed 4X4 inches in black and white.
All Letters to the Editor and cartoons must be signed and include name, address and telephone number for verification purposes or they will not be printed. Phone numbers and street addresses will not be published.
Letters from the same person are limited to once a month unless they are directly responding to another letter in the following week. The content of the letter must stick to a direct rebuttal and not bring in new ideas or topics into the discussion.
Letters and advertisements attacking a political candidate will not be published in the final issue prior to an election without proof that the opposing candidate has been notified at least 48 hours prior to that issue’s deadline.
‘Thank You’ letters to emergency personnel, law enforcement or the community at large are allowed. For all other ‘Thank Yous,’ we would be happy to help you create a paid advertisement for print.
To submit a letter, email it in the body of an email or as an attached .doc or .docx to pathfinder@seeleylake.com.
Obituary Policy
The Seeley Swan Pathfinder prints obituaries that are 500 words or less, with a photo at no cost for residents of the Seeley-Swan and Blackfoot Valleys. Obituaries over 500 words will be charged $20/100 words and $20/additional photo. Obituaries for someone who was not a past or present resident of the Seeley, Swan, Potomac, Greenough or Ovando areas, will be charged $20/100 words. This includes a photo at no charge and $20/additional photo.
Email your high resolution photo attached as a .jpg and text within the body of an email or as an attached .doc or .docx to pathfinder@seeleylake.com. Payment must be received prior to the obituary appearing in print.
Announcement Policy
The Seeley Swan Pathfinder prints birth, graduation, engagement and wedding announcements for residents of the Seeley-Swan and Blackfoot Valleys at no charge. Email your high resolution photo attached as a .jpg and announcement to pathfinder@seeleylake.com by the 5pm Friday deadline to appear in the next week's issue.
