Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 2089
SEELEY LAKE – After two years, the Seeley Lake Driftrider's returned to the Seeley Lake Community Hall for their annual Snowball Banquet and fundraiser Feb. 26. Attendees enjoyed the Fiesta with dinner catered by the new Casa Caro Mexican Restaurant, games, raffles, a dessert dash and live auction. The fun continued Sunday for the 35-mile annual Fun Run from the West Side Trailhead. Driftrider's President Bill Swain said the event went smoothly and they liked being back in the Community Hall. In...
SWAN VALLEY - Attendees at the Missoula Children's Theatre production of "Johnny Appleseed" Feb. 18 got to see first hand the fruitful career of Johnny Appleseed. Swan Valley students sang and danced their way across the west spreading apple seeds, kindness and sharing how much fun apples can be. Johnny Appleseed (played by Lilly Boyd) was not always called by his famous name. In fact, as the story goes, the young Johnny Chapman was given the nickname "Appleseed" after sharing seedlings for...
SEELEY LAKE – More than 25 people gathered for the second "Tell us your story – Why did you come here and why do you stay?" Wednesday, Feb. 16. Six community members shared their stories and highlighted those values they hold dear and how they are exemplified here. "Every story is unique and every story is important because it is those stories that make up what this valley is all about," said Organizer Tom Beers. "People come from different places, different backgrounds, different styles so we...
SEELEY LAKE – The Montana Snowmobile Association recognized Kurt's Polaris 2021 Snowmobile Dealer of the Year at the MSA Awards Dinner and Banquet Feb. 5. This is the second time Kurt's Polaris has received the award. Owner Curtis Friede said it is a testament to his team and putting the customer first. "It is never a perfect situation, it is just a situation, so you gotta deal with it," Friede said. "They just keep struggling forward and keep fighting for everything and try and take care of t...
POTOMAC – At their Feb. 14 meeting, the Potomac School Board approved their lease with the Potomac Greenough Community Center (PGCC) and the bid with Shadow Asphalt to pave the parking areas behind and in front of the school to meet ADA compliance. In other business, they received an update regarding the eighth grade trip fundraising and approved several contracts for next year. Chair Dr. Courtney Hathaway said much of the lease was the same with the PGCC. She highlighted some of the changes and explained why some of the cost increased. H...
SEELEY LAKE – "This is the very first of Oskar Murphy productions," Playwright and Seeley-Swan High School Senior Oskar Murphy said about "The Play." It will be performed Thursday, March 3 at 6:45 p.m. by the Seeley-Swan High School Drama Class. Attendees will watch this original script unfold as a mad king attempts to control and dominate the princess. "The Play's" theme is about a woman overcoming adversity. "I just liked the story of being told you can't do something, and knowing something i...
SEELEY LAKE – "I have a desire to create the opportunity for the kids to go 'What do I believe?'" said Bryce Smith, youth leader for Christ Unrivaled. "If this is it, then where does that take me?" Bryce and his wife Stefanie are looking forward to welcoming area youth in grades six through 12 to the new Christ Unrivaled Youth Hub Wednesday nights from 6 – 8 p.m. in the basement of Faith Chapel, 3260 Highway 83. Their mission at the Youth Hub is for the youth of the community to learn their iden...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Feb. 15 meeting, Seeley Lake Fire Chief Dave Lane gave the Fire Board an update regarding the levy that was discussed last summer, proposed nearly doubling the ambulance rates to help offer a better salary for a full-time firefighter/paramedic and addressed the public concern regarding properties that could be a fire hazard. He also addressed comments made by the public at last month’s meeting that he felt were inaccurate. The board took no action on the increased ambulance fees or paramedic position. They asked for mor...
With a slushy start and temperatures in the high 40s Saturday, Feb. 12, Seeley Lake musher Jessie Royer took an early lead in the 300-mile Race to the Sky and never gave it up. First to all the check points, she returned to Lincoln Monday night just after 6:30 p.m., more than four and half hours ahead of second place Josi Thyr of Olney, Montana. Rounding out the top three was Cindy Gallea, a musher who started her racing career in Seeley Lake in 1991 and now lives in Wykoff, Minnesota. Gallea...
With several special district governing board positions up for election within Missoula County in Potomac, Seeley Lake and the Swan Valley, the Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board is the only election currently on the ballot for the May 3 election. However, write-in candidates can still file until Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. A write-in candidate could trigger an election if there are more candidates than vacancies. The School District candidate filing closes March 24 at 5 p.m. There are several positions up for election at Seeley Lake Elementary, Swan...
HELMVILLE - "I think supporting and encouraging the life and activities in our communities helps them to be stronger and to be more vibrant," said Jean Pocha, the Seeley Swan Pathfinder's newest reporter. "It is my hope to be a part of that." Pocha has lived in Helmville for more than 31 years. She looks forward to developing interesting stories that capture the happenings and people of the Ovando and Helmville communities. Since a young girl, Pocha said she has always taken notes and been a...
The Seeley-Swan High School Boys Basketball seniors were recognized with their family and friends Feb. 5 and Feb. 12 ahead of the varsity game....
BIG SKY LAKE – For anyone that has spent time southeast of Seeley Lake around Big Sky Lake, the view is changing. More than half of the properties are being treated through the Big Sky Lake Fuels Reduction Project. Landowners are logging and thinning to not only reduce the risk of wildfire but also improve the health of the forest. The Big Sky Lake Homeowners Association (HOA) conceived the project in May 2020. After months of outreach to the landowners around Big Sky Lake and collaboration w...
SEELEY LAKE – After a hiatus for COVID last year, the Seeley Lake Biathlon returned this year Feb. 5. More than 90 racers took to the Seeley Creek Nordic Trails to test their skiing ability and marksmanship in the 21K, 9K and 3K races. Tim Swanberg was the only racer from the area that participated in the 21K. He finished in 1:32:52.18 taking second for the men. Representing Seeley Lake in the 9K Adult Female's race was Claire Muller and Ryen Neudecker. While both are avid skiers, neither had p...
SEELEY LAKE - Montana’s own Race to the Sky 37th anniversary sled dog race, will be held Feb. 11-15. This year there are 28 mushers in the field - 12 competing in the 300-mile race including local mushers Jessie Royer, Josi Thyr and past-resident Cindy Gallae, now from Wykoff, Minnesota. In the 100-mile, there are 16 mushers with the closest musher being Nicole Lombardi from Lincoln, Montana. This year’s race will pay tribute to Dave Armstrong. Armstrong passed away at age 100 last spring. He was one of the original founders of the Sac...
MISSOULA – The fourth In the Footsteps of Norman Maclean Literary Festival announced its biennial gathering will be held June 24 - 26 at the Missoula Public Library. This year's Festival is named "Public Land & Sacred Ground: Western Writers Bear Witness" and will feature nationally prominent authors who will discuss the unique heritage of American wilderness, public lands and sacred grounds. The last day of the Festival, June 27, will feature day hikes in the Seeley-Swan. Admission is free t...
POTOMAC – Members of the Montana Department of Transportation Project Team (Team) for the Clearwater Junction Intersection Project met with the Greenough-Potomac Fire District Board to provide information and answer questions regarding the proposed roundabout. In mid-November 2021, MDT announced a high-speed roundabout, a roundabout on a high-speed roadway, was the preferred alternative of the six alternatives evaluated. The team has now entered the design phase and continues to encourage public input as they work to address safety, o...
SEELEY LAKE– The Swan Valley Warhawks hosted the Blackfoot Valley League Tournament at Seeley Lake Elementary Feb. 5. Helmville defeated Ellison and Swan Valley to take home the championship. The Warhawks wrapped up their basketball season in second place after defeating Elliston and falling to Helmville. Despite a season filled with "micro challenges to push through," Head Coach Chris Auchenbach was proud of how hard the players worked and "the season was fantastic." At the peak of their s...
SEELEY LAKE – "Conditions could not have been better for the 40th running of the OSCR cross country 50k ski race," Mike McGrew said in an announcer voice and laughed. President of the Seeley Lake Nordic Club and OSCR veteran since 1984, McGrew's light-hearted comment captured the race well. Not only were the courses groomed to perfection, the sub-zero temperatures in the morning gave way to sunshine and temperatures in the upper teens by early afternoon making the course fast and the racers h...
The University of Montana Western and Carroll College announced their Dean’s Lists for the 2021 fall semester. Among students listed in the area were Laura Devins and Nicole Williams of Seeley Lake. To make the UM Western Dean’s List, students must be enrolled full-time or for 12 semester credits and carry a minimum 3.33 grade point average. UM Western named 563 students to this fall’s Dean’s List including Devins who also received high honors. For the full list of in-state and out-of-state/international students visit https:/...
SEELEY LAKE – Thanks to the rekindling of an old program, the Seeley Lake Ranger District now has two snow rangers in the field this winter. Seeley District Wilderness Ranger Abby Propsom and developed recreation technician Paige King have increased the District's presence this winter interacting with recreationists through patrols, helping maintain the services the Forest Service offers and working local events and teaching winter safety awareness in area schools. According to Seeley Lake Range...
SEELEY LAKE - Missoula Aging Services (MAS) received $6,700 from the Seeley Lake Community Foundation (SLCF) to help expand their Lifelong Connections program into the Seeley-Swan Valley. This program provides Samsung tablets, an unlimited data plan and one-on-one training to learn how to use the technology. In 2020, MAS developed the Lifelong Connections program in response to the pandemic. Lifelong Connections purchases wi-fi enabled tablets, the data plan and trains volunteers. Program...
OVANDO – While most people come to the area to recreate in the winter due to ample snowfall and great terrain, the US Army 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is here on a different mission. Public Affairs Officer for the 10SFG(A) Major Pete Bogart said they are conducting routine cold weather training in the area to improve the group's ability to conduct mountain operations in extreme cold weather conditions. The 10SFG(A), also known as Green Berets, is based at Fort Carson in Colorado S...
SEELEY LAKE – "All I saw was the tail and it covered all eight inches of the opening in the ice," Seeley Lake 17-year-old Klayton Kovatch recalled after getting the first glimpse of a monster pike through the ice Monday, Jan. 17. After more than a half an hour fighting the fish, he landed the 20.5-pound, 40.25-inch northern pike on his lite action, 24-inch jigging rod, spooled with four-pound test line and tipped with a sixteenth ounce tungsten jig. "This type of setup would typically be used t...
With the White House launching a program to deliver half a billion COVID-19 tests straight to Americans’ homes and Governor Greg Gianforte securing 650,000 at-home COVID-19 tests for Montanans, the Missoula City-County Health Department offered guidance on what residents should do if they test positive at home. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. They can be ordered online at https://www.covidtests.gov/ and usually ship in 7-12 days. The website also provides information about other testing resources i... Full story
