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January marks the beginning of the second year of the Missoula County Rural Grant Program, Commissioner Juanita Vero said. Both Micro Grants for up to $500 and Impact Grants for projects $501 to $4,000 are designed to support community projects outside of city limits. Missoula County has opened the second round of Impact Grants and is continuing to accept Micro Grant applications to support community-driven projects that enhance the quality of life in rural areas of Missoula County. Following a...
Alaina Barger won Senior Goat Showmanship at the Arizona National Livestock Show held in Phoenix, Arizona on Dec. 29-31. Competing against 78 exhibitors from 16 states, Barger was pleased to take home the championship prize. "Anyone can buy a fancy animal to compete with," Barger said. "But the attitude and motivation to compete in showmanship is available to anyone. Even a small-town girl like me can compete and win in Showmanship at the National level." The Arizona National attracted 1556 exhi...
Seeley Lake and the rest of western Montana has continued to see drier and warmer than average conditions, as mountain snow levels continue to stay below 65% of normal, according to the National Water and Climate Center. "We're in a classic El Niño pattern this winter," said Meteorologist Luke Robinson of the Missoula National Weather office. "There are some indications that it might change in mid-January, bringing some snow and cooler temperatures." The El Niño weather pattern is caused by warm...
Cowboy Claus made his annual visit to the Ovando Christmas Fest for the 23rd time. He rode into town on Bill and Dena Hooker's faithful steed Nic, who has been carrying Cowboy Claus to the Christmas Fest for 15 years. This years' celebration on Nov. 25 included craft vendors filling the Ovando gym and Rob Henrekin's wagon with his team of black percherons ferrying visitors back and forth from downtown Ovando to the gym. Children's activities happened at the church and Christmas trees were...
The Ovando School students and teacher's aide Angela Williams performing sign language while the crowd did the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the Annual Harvest Dinner. The Harvest Dinner is put on annually by the So and So Club of Ovando. This year's dinner was highlighted by a high bid of $1700 for 2 dozen eggs donated by Norma Hughes Auctioneer Kevin Ertl and spotter Ben Slaght celebrate when the bid got to $1000. Rachel Bignell holds the eggs up high. All proceeds go to a fund for...
"The Valor Ride was a heck of a trip that I'll never forget," Curtis Friede of Kurt's Polaris said. "I learned that many veterans deal with complications from war every day. Not everyone's world is a fun, happy or safe place." Friede and other veterans completed the 5,337 mile Valor Side-By-Side Ride 2023 on schedule Oct. 10, taking 22 days to ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to El Paso on the Texas-Mexican border. The 22-day trip was designed to increase awareness of veterans and their needs. The...
The Deer Lodge School District unification passed 876-520 on Nov. 7. Rural areas in Avon, Elliston, Gold Creek, Precinct 2 (from Garrison to the Deer Lodge Fairgrounds), Helmville and Ovando voted against the proposition 156-290. “I hope it’s a good change and beneficial to all involved,” Kelley Knight, Powell County Deputy Clerk and Recorder said. “The cards will play themselves out eventually.” About 35% of registered voters participated in the election. According to Rick Duncan, Superintendent of both Powell County High School and Deer Lodg...
Rebecca Ramsey, Swan Valley Connections(SVC) executive director, welcomed 28 participants to their quarterly potluck and speaker series held at the Swan Valley Community Hall. "It's beautiful to see everyone together," Ramsey said. "At SVC we love to bring people together to connect them to each other and to the landscape to inspire conservation." The featured speaker on Nov. 1 was Emiline Kraus, a science and parks intern with Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center (CCRLC) in Glacier...
Kyle Peltier from Seeley Lake prepared for the Appalachian Trail (AT) as his second leg of hiking the triple crown last winter, but he didn't know how different it would be from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) he hiked in 2021. Nearing his 23rd birthday, Peltier has hiked 4,853 miles in the past few years. "The AT is basically some hiking with glorified rock climbing while carrying a 30 pound backpack," Peltier said. "The AT is basically an obstacle course." According to Peltier, the terrain...
New Bear Buffer Zone regulations will go into action after Missoula City Council finalized the decision to expand the zone, including new regulations around garbage storage in the Potomac Valley. Potomac will be requiring bear resistant garbage cans by Sept. 1, 2024. The ordinance revising the Missoula municipal code will be instituted over a three phase multi-year plan. The proposed rules are an outcome of the work of the Bear Smart Working Group, which is a public-private partnership of bear experts, agency representatives, and concerned...
The beauty of glass drew Sheri Burden’s curiosity to explore the art and craft of stained glass 40 years ago. Buying a book and supplies for her new passion gave her the start she needed. “My inspiration comes from what I see around me,” Burden said. “I see something like the beautiful fall leaves we’ve had this season and made stained glass leaves that have been very popular.” Burden is a stained glass artisan from the Swan Valley. She was one of several artists who participated in the Tour of the Arts on Oct. 14 and 15. The Alpine Arti...
There is a common thread of community care and support for Veterans, Seniors and the community between the Seeley Lake Senior Center, Food Pantry, Veterans and Families and others. After meeting Barb Knopp, President of Seeley Lake Veterans and Families, when she visited the Deer Lodge Southwest Montana Food Pantry to pick up 80 bags of meat for Seeley veterans, the Deer Lodge Pantry wanted to do a food distribution in Seeley Lake. "A 600 pound food donation on Sept. 23 by the Deer Lodge...
As an educational therapist specializing in special education, Trish Schreiber found that students excel when they have individualized learning plans. "Every student I worked with in private practice needed something different than what was being offered," Schreiber told the Pathfinder. "Whether it was a traditional school or private school it really didn't matter. My work also involved helping families find the right placement for their students." Trish Schreiber, a resident of Helmville and...
Curt Friede of Kurt's Polaris Seeley Lake is on the adventure of a lifetime, primarily to raise funds and awareness for active duty and veteran suicide prevention. Starting in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, Friede and his team drove their side-by-sides nearly 500 miles a day through Alaska, Yukon Territory and British Columbia on the way to Seeley Lake, arriving Sept. 24. From Seeley they will continue mostly by gravel road on their way to El Paso, Texas. "The cause for the ride is to promote awareness...
Showcasing a real-life project where the Colt Fire and a forestry management unit interacted was the purpose of a tour held Tuesday, Sept. 26 on the burn area. Attendees included regional Forest Service, DNRC and BLM personnel plus members of the Montana Forest Action Advisory Council. "Fire doesn't stop at fence lines and property boundaries, and forest and fire management shouldn't either," said Quinn Carver, Lolo Forest Service district ranger. "We always get more done working together than...
Well testing results shared at the Seeley Sewer District Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 21 indicated one groundwater monitoring well near Spruce Street has nitrate levels over the state standard of 10 mg/l. The 14 groundwater monitoring wells are collected quarterly by Bill Decker, Sewer District manager, for tests. Tests are performed by an independent testing lab. Of the remaining wells there were a total of four wells over 5 mg/l. Sewer district board members voted proactively to have eDNA (environmental DNA) testing done right away on any monit...
Participants from Kalispell to Hamilton came to Seeley Lake for the Nature of Art workshops hosted by Alpine Artisans Sept. 16-17 at the Seeley Lake Community Hall. Nature Journaling, Plein Air painting, Silk Painting and Gelli printing were held during the two-day event. "The goal of the weekend was to bring more art experiences and classes to the community," Kris Gullikson, Aline Artisans president and event organizer said. " My reward will be the looks on their faces when they see how much fu...
All types of tool stands, coal and propane forges were set up under a tent behind Valler's Coffee Roastery in Lincoln for the Northern Rockies Blacksmiths Association (NRBA) Conference on Sept. 15-17. Twenty people from Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota gathered for the conference. The NRBA is part of the Artists Blacksmith Association of North America (ABANA). ABANA developed a three-level accreditation program in 2015 for a nationally recognized blacksmithing curriculum. "Blacksmiths become...
Requiring bear resistant garbage cans across parts of the county was discussed at the Missoula County Commissioners meeting Sept. 14. The Commissioners expressed their intent to adopt resolutions to the City-County Health Code requiring bear resistant garbage cans in Missoula and Potomac's Bear Buffer Zone. "There was a time in the past when saying thou shalt have a bear resistant garbage can was unthinkable," County Commissioner Josh Slotnik said. "It's only because of time spent working in...
Bridger Tower Corporation's application for placing a cell phone tower near Highway 200, approximately 4.2 miles west of Ovando on the north side of Highway 200 was approved with one nay at the Powell County Planning Board public meeting Sept. 7. The project now moves on to the Powell County Commissioners for final approval. The application for the conditional use permit is for a 195 foot tall cell tower supported with three sets of guy wires. The height of 195 feet is 30 feet taller than Big...
The whispers of "Heads up, something special is going to happen at the beginning of the rodeo," floated around the grandstands, building suspense for the opening of the 59th Helmville Rodeo. Following the presentation of the Montana and Armed Forces flags, Bonnie Weaver, rodeo club secretary and Bill Baker, Rodeo Club president carried the American Flag to the center of the freshly groomed arena. Lily Boyd, a Seeley-Swan High School student from Condon climbed onto a barrel and prepared to...
Meeting under the Boot Tree outside of Ovando, tour participants looked through a forest managed for health and wildlife habitat on the Blackfoot Community Conservation Area. Abundant grass grew amongst trees with up to six foot diameter trunks and visibility up to 100 yards. Soon the tour caravaned to the perimeter of the Type One treatment unit. Visibility through the forest was limited at the edge of the road as the sunlight was strangled by a dense screen of ladder fuels. As part of the...
Some of the only known Swiss Valais Blacknose sheep in Montana live in Potomac on the ranch of Marin and Brad Hall. "I was taken with the breed when a coworker showed me their picture," Marin said. "Then my cousin and I were daydreaming about the sheep and the idea got born to develop a small flock." Margie Chritton from Seeley Lake, Marin's cousin and business partner, thought learning about the sheep business would help her transition from New York City life to rural Montana. Two foundation...
The Missoula City-County Health Board is hoping to reduce bears' access to garbage in Potomac by requiring bear-proof trash cans after multiple years of food conditioned bears visiting the area. The City-County Health Board approved a bear mitigation zone in the Potomac Valley at its Aug. 17 meeting, along with expanding the Bear Buffer Zone and related trash requirements across the Missoula Valley. "The Potomac Valley, especially in the Union Creek area, is one of the worst 'bear behavior...
A French family of five pedaled into Ovando on Monday, Aug. 14 during their bicycle tour from Calgary to the Grand Tetons along the Great Divide bike route. Only three of them pedaled, as one rode in a special seat on the front of dad's bike and the baby rode in a baby backpack on mom's back. "In France, the Tour Divide is a famous bike ride," Julien Bonin said about their decision for the ride. "We are firefighters at home and like the exercise." Six-year-old Agathe sits on a Gekko adaptive sea...
