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HELENA – The Montana Community Foundation (MCF) distributed more than $600,000 in grants to 81 organizations including 64 fire departments across Montana from the Montana Wildfire Relief Fund. Area organizations received $84,000 of the funds including: Seeley Lake Rural Fire District, $15,000; Helmville Volunteer Fire Department, $6,000; Lincoln Rural Fire District, $13,000; Missoula City-County Health Department, $15,000; Seeley Lake Community Foundation, $15,000; Seeley Lake Chamber of C...
POTOMAC – Since his father, uncle and two cousins had served in the U.S. Navy, it seemed only natural to Scott Miller in 1967 that, rather than wait to be drafted into the U.S. Army, he should enlist in the Navy instead. As a corollary to growing up on a ranch in Stevensville, Mont., Miller had learned to handle repairs on farm equipment. It was that mechanical ability the Navy recognized when they headed Miller down a career path as an electrician. Because of his prior experience, Miller was n...
SWAN VALLEY – Representatives of the Flathead National Forest met with area residents at the Swan Valley Community Hall to discuss where the re-writing of the Forest Plan is in the process and the next steps. The Swan Valley Community Council arranged the Jan. 31 meeting. Forest Plan Revision Team Leader Joe Krueger presented on the plan. Rick Connell, Fire Management officer for the Flathead National Forest, and Eric Trimble, Timber Management Office Swan Lake Ranger District, helped address audience questions and concerns. The current F...
SEELEY LAKE – When Kris Gullikson and Belinda Rich started the biannual Painting for a Dream workshop at Rich's Montana Guest Ranch, Gullikson never dreamed she would hosting monthly painting classes in her Seeley Lake studio five years later. Uncorked and Creative gives her the opportunity to offer an activity that is creative and helps locals build personal comfort and skill with painting while also promoting the two-day resident painting workshop. In 2013, Gullikson and Rich were d...
Back in 1898, near the headwaters of the Missouri River in what is now Glacier National Park, my great grandfather found and drilled the first oil wells in Montana. He also found the school teacher in Altyn (who was 33 years younger) and on their windy mining claims on Swiftcurrent Creek, they raised 17 children. It was a hard life, but as my grandfather (#13) used to say, “It was a good place to get the stink blowed off ya.” Now fast forward 120 years and go down the Missouri River 1000 miles to Standing Rock, N.D. Last winter my daughter Jess...
Montana’s booming outdoor recreation industry is dependent on having ample wild and wonderful places. We cannot manufacture new wild places. Now is not the time to shrink our public lands, now is the time to protect our public lands. One important step we can take towards ensuring we’ll have sufficient wild places 50 years from now is to see that the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA) becomes law. The BCSA was born and raised by Montanans. For more than a decade local ranchers, loggers, sportsmen, snowmobilers and business owners have...
When I lived in the Swan and before I hauled my ponies and mule over to winter on the bench out of Fairfield to my great friend old Mormon Sam, I needed considerable hay. Elden Rammell once introduced me to an old timer on the Helmville cutoff named Otto Eder. Otto was like many that age (in his eighties). We had to go in and sit a spell. And he insisted we taste his homemade wine. I wasn’t much of a wine drinker but to be sociable I took a small glass. Don’t know what it was made of but it was real tasty stuff. Anyway, if memory serves me rig...
LINCOLN – The 2018 Young Living Race to the Sky, Montana’s premier sled dog race, runs Feb. 9-13. This year there are 20 teams registered as of Feb. 5. This includes teams from Montana, Utah, Idaho, Washington and Minnesota. Seeley Lake’s Roy Etnire will be running in the 100-mile race again this year. Etnire is a 62 year old millwright who runs Alaskan huskies. He operates Mystik North Sleddogs and has been mushing for eight years. He won the 2014 Eagle Cap 100 and the Race to the Sky 100 in 2013 and 2014. He also received the Best Cared...
SEELEY LAKE - Theodore Catton, associate research professor of history at the University of Montana, will be reading from and discussing his recent book "Rainy Lake House, Twilight of Empire on the Northern Frontier," Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Grizzly Claw Trading Company sponsored by Alpine Artisans Open Book Club. There is no charge and all are welcome. Seeley-Swan High School senior Jasen Sokoloski will open for Catton reading his poem "Down the Bottle." Rainy Lake House was a fur...
Montanans are now seeing the real-life consequences of budget decisions made by the Republican legislators who make up the majority of our state legislature. Over the next year, 28 property assessment offices will be closing their doors in addition to the 19 public assistance offices that have already turned off their lights – impacting thousands of Montanans in rural areas of our state. As many as 14,000 health care providers will have to reduce care for the mentally ill and disabled, some even shuttering their own doors. Services that M...
SEELEY LAKE - The 60-home subdivision proposed in Powell County next to the Seeley Lake Airport will continue to be a topic of discussion at Monday’s Community Council meeting, Feb. 12. One of several major issues is the fact that the subdivision would be using Missoula County resources like fire, sheriffs and roads, while paying their taxes to Powell County. Deborah Bell of Missoula County Public Works will present the County’s GIS project, a county software solution which will help the public get easier access to land records, such as sep...
SEELEY LAKE – Kristin Mason never thought when she started her career working with young children that she would end up working with the elderly. After more than 10 years working in geriatrics specializing in memory care, nutrition, diabetes care and medication management, Mason is excited to offer Mason's Direct Care, an in home care service in Seeley Lake. She hopes this will allow residents of the area to not only maintain their independence and remain in their home but also continue to l...
BOULDER, MONT. – When the Montana legislature decided in 2015 that the Montana Developmental Center would close within two years, it was a blow to the community of Boulder. For more than 125 years, the MDC had been a major employer in the southwestern Montana town of about 1,300. The state's residential facility for individuals with developmental disabilities, the MDC employed roughly 250 people at the time of the closure decision. "Not only will the community's economy suffer extensively from t...
During extreme conditions, snow and ice can impact the feet and hair of domestic animals and can cause more than discomfort. When the temperature drops and rises and the snow melts and clings, livestock and pet owners troubleshoot icy foot issues. Cloven hoofed animals like cows, sheep and goats can collect snow, frozen manure pieces and ice in the middle of their hooves. Single-toed hoofed animals like horses and mules can collect snow in and around their frog (on the underneath of their hoof)...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake's Claire Kesterke married Condon's Jonah Rosen Feb. 3 at Mission Bible Fellowship. Rosen was a 2010 Seeley-Swan High School graduate. Kesterke was a homeschool graduate in Seeley Lake. Missy and Shane Kesterke of Seeley Lake are the parents of the bride and Dan and Vicki Kultgen of Whitlash, Mont. are the groom's parents. The Rosens will be living in Missoula. Congratulations!...
Early in his life after he had taken over as King from his father David, God said to Solomon, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5) Solomon replied that because he was young he wanted wisdom to discern between good and evil to be able to act as a judge for his people. God being pleased with his answer gave him great wisdom along with riches and honor that he had refrained from asking for. 1 Kings 10:23-34 says, “So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. All the earth was seeking the p...
SEELEY LAKE – The Swan Valley Warhawks hosted the Blackfoot League Tournament at Seeley Lake Elementary Feb. 3. The Hall Huskies won the tournament and also received the Sportsmanship Award. The Warhawks finished third. The first seeded Hall Huskies were pitted against the Avon Elks in the opening game. Hall advanced to the Championship game. The second seeded Warhawks faced the third seeded Helmville Mustangs in the second game. The Warhawks beat the Mustangs in both the pre-season matchups. S...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley-Swan Blackhawks and Lady Blackhawks took on Drummond Feb. 1 and then hosted Lincoln Feb. 3. The Boys had a great game against the Trojans at Drummond. They jumped to an early lead in the first quarter and dominated the second half only allowing two baskets in each quarter. The Blackhawks played a cleaner game than when the teams last met. They gave the Trojans only 5 attempts from the free throw line versus 27 in the last game. The final score was 48-26. Cameron Haines...
SEELEY LAKE - Duane "Cecil" Schlabach announced his candidacy for House District 92 as a Democrat. He filed Jan. 31, 2018 with Lee Boman as his Treasurer for the campaign. Schlabach decided to run for HD 92 because he's concerned about the future of our great state of Montana. Through his professional and volunteer efforts, he has gained experience in the field of education and public lands. At the same time he also understands the economic challenges we currently face, which was evident in the...
Politics these days can be brutal. On the airwaves people act as if disagreeing on some particular policy is grounds to hate one another but that hasn't been my experience representing the people of House District 92. When I first ran to represent this district, one of the things that I fell in love with was the way that people treat each other. Sure, we have real, stark differences when it comes to our individual political view's but we never let that get in the way of treating one another...
MISSOULA - A local realtor and engaged citizen DJ Smith announced his candidacy for House District 92. He is seeking the Republican nomination. Smith is running to assure protection of Montana values and to make sure the middle class has someone standing up for them back in Helena. Smith's years of experience in real estate and local advocacy for attainable housing has prepared him to address the tough issues facing this upcoming Legislative Session. "Our greatest assets in Montana are our...
