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OVANDO – The Blackfoot Angler owner Kathy Schoendoerfer was struggling to communicate - not a situation she often finds herself in being the self-proclaimed "Ovando organizer of frivolous affairs." With five fishermen from Mongolia in her shop, Schoendoerfer knew zero Russian or Mongolian and they knew limited English. She did the best she could using hand signals and drawings and helped them get everything they needed. When she checked them out, they kept showing her two fingers and saying "...
Living in rural Montana, people get used to seeing signs of wolves, lions and bears and if they get lucky, running into the animals themselves. However, the presence of predators for ranchers and other livestock owners poses unique challenges. In 2019, the Montana's Livestock Loss Board recorded 376 livestock killed by wolves, grizzly bears and lions. This is the highest number of livestock killed by predators since they started keeping statistics in 2008 and resulted in the highest payouts to...
SEELEY LAKE - "Health should come before homework, family should become before frustration and learning should come before letter grades," said Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Watson said in the Missoula County COVID-19 update April 15. "It's not about your letter grade at this point it is really about learning. If we can keep students engaged in learning activities through the closure, it will help when we get finished." Seeley Lake Elementary and Seeley-Swan High School teach...
SEELEY LAKE - Though I am trying to appreciate Troy Spence and Don Larson’s efforts to tell the fine folks of Seeley Lake who they should vote for in the upcoming sewer district director election, I am a bit troubled by their need to tell people, who are more than capable of making their own decisions, who to vote for. Part of the reason I am running myself is the fog of opposition and their blizzard of opposing letters and information have created much confusion. I would like to be able to cut through that and inform myself and others of t...
SEELEY LAKE - It’s great to be able to call beautiful Seeley Lake my home. But I also see a community severely impacted by COVID-19 and I am afraid that it may be years before we are able to recover economically. Yet the Sewer Board continues to move forward with a very expensive plan to implement the sewer system. This proposal impacts only a small percentage of the Valley’s human population that are contributing nitrates to our ground water and does nothing to address the tons of nitrates contributed by environmental factors such as ani...
SEELEY LAKE - I would like to remind Sewer Board candidate Kyle Zumwalt, the Sewer Board and Missoula County, their actions overturning the 2016 public vote declining the project caused the lawsuit. The solution is obvious - restore the voters’ right to participate and let them vote on the $40,000,000 project....
With quarantines and self-distancing temporarily being a large part of Montanans’ lives, historians and archivists around the state and in Missoula County invite residents to share their personal experiences with future generations. “There are many gaps and blanks in our local history. One reason for our skimpy history is because people of the past thought their tribulations, or ordinary life, was not worthy of recording for future generations,” wrote the Seeley Lake Historical Society in a press release. “Generations later would dearly...
Now our community, as well as the rest of the nation, is deeply affected by severe economic conditions brought on by a pandemic. Prior to this, many of us couldn’t afford the proposed sewer system that is being, for lack of a better term, “shoved down our throats.” This system has been touted as a way to cleanup Seeley Lake. Will it have a positive effect on the nitrate level of the lake? Quite possibly, but so small as to be all but immeasurable. Seeley Lake’s nitrate problems are, for the most part, a result of stripped watershed upstrea...
There are those like Virgil Burns you could call "mule men." I've had several but wouldn't call myself a "mule man." Often I reasoned who had the smarts - me or the mule? Take Festus for instance. He's gone now but the good memories linger. For ya see Festus was as close to perfect as a mule could be: catch anywhere, never offer to kick, stand like a rock to mount and dismount, had a gait second to none, ya could tie his ears into a knot... Yes-sir-ree ol' Festus was almost perfect. But he had...
MISSOULA – Businesses impacted by COVID-19 now have a single point of entry to assistance and expertise, thanks to the University of Montana's new Business Emergency Assistance and Recovery (B.E.A.R.) Powered by UM initiative. In recent weeks, UM has actively supported businesses in Missoula and across the state in navigating the impacts of COVID-19 through its Accelerate Montana portfolio of economic development programs. Since its launch, the BEAR Program has assisted 27 businesses with Payche...
Since Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, the scientific community has continued to make strides that were previously unimaginable even the century prior. Today, more than ever, we look to science to solve some of our most pressing issues, ranging from the development of a COVID-19 vaccine to methods that can be used to sequester carbon to reduce some of the worst projections related to climate change. While national polling indicates that over time a significant portion of the...
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) expanded mental health services to help Montanans who may be experiencing a range of emotions including loneliness, sadness and fear as a result of the current COVID-19 situation. The Missoula City-County Health Department has also compiled some helpful resources for anyone experiencing changes in their mental health, including a crisis line ready to take your call. “We continue to monitor and make adjustments as necessary to meet the needs of Montanans during this challenging time,” sa...
Hello Seeley-Swan and beyond community! For those of you I have not met yet I'd like to introduce myself and tell you about this great new feature available through the Pathfinder. My name is Kim Grover, PT, MPT. I am a physical therapist (PT) and the owner of Rejuvenate LLC. We provide physical therapy and massage services. We have been in business for over 16 years and have been privileged to serve the Seeley-Swan and surrounding communities. Currently our licensed staff includes Beth Layman,...
SEELEY LAKE – Sharing the love of reading and encouraging literacy are goals of Seeley Lake Elementary third grade teacher Kristy Pohlman, SLE Librarian Susan Bracha and local realtor Carey Kanavel. Through their collaborative efforts a new Book Box is available outside of SLE. Students now have access to library books and anyone can participate in the give-and-take books. They are hopeful the Book Box will be available through the summer and additional Book Boxes will be available at other loca...
Fairytale Farms Volunteer Day, April 25 GREENOUGH – Join Fairytale Farms for their monthly volunteer day Saturday, April 25 from 12-5 p.m. Volunteers will learn about Hugelkultur garden beds and work in the greenhouse. Please bring work gloves, water bottle and snacks, no lunch will be provided. There will be a portable toilet available for volunteers to use. Volunteers are asked to RSVP, 406-244-8811, since group size is limited to 50 people. Fairytale Farms is located at 11791 Waterfowl Lane, Greenough. For more information visit their F...
Everyone is on a Journey. How we live out our personal journey will determine our eternal destination. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and while there seems to be many different and sincere opinions, on the day of reckoning there will only be one! What will be your destination of your journey? There is only one “opinion:” The word of Elohim, made flesh that will judge righteously according to what man has done in the body. See 2 Corinthians 5:10. While in the judgment seat, you will need reliable witnesses – let Yahuah be found true....
With Tim Fox term-limited, we will elect a new Attorney General this year. I support Fox’s Chief Deputy Attorney General, Jon Bennion. Serving as Fox’s chief of staff for most of his first term was the greatest privilege of my career. I worked closely with Jon. He has the knowledge, experience, work ethic, and judgment for the job. Navigating the Attorney General’s world and Montana’s complex Department of Justice is no small task. The law enforcement community has high regard for Jon. He works well with everyone, is an excellent listene...
Last week the Legislative Council met virtually to discuss COVID-19 and the fiscal situation for Montana. Administrative committee chairs from finance, audit and revenue were also invited for information purposes. Todd Everts, chief legal counsel for the legislature, briefed members on the powers of the governor and the legislative body when there is an emergency. Throughout the years, the legislature has delegated broad authority to the governor in dealing with emergencies such as fire, flooding, drought and energy issues. There’s never b...
The upcoming primary election is one of the most important for the State of Montana. There is a critical race for Montana Attorney General and I want to enthusiastically endorse Kimberly Dudik. Kimberly Dudik is a mother of four, a former prosecutor and Deputy Gallatin County Attorney, Assistant MT Attorney General and a Registered Nurse who specialized in neonatal intensive care. Kimberly Dudik is a four term legislator who has successfully worked across the aisle for everyday Montanans. As an advocate and leader for the protection of public...
Coronavirus is not going to disappear anytime soon. There is no vaccine or cure. The primary goal of the current public health and safety measures have been to slow the spread of the virus so our healthcare system would not collapse. In Montana, we have succeeded. Since the beginning of this crisis, a massive federal aid package was passed to ease the burden on as many Americans and businesses as possible – but it is a solution to the economic crisis we now face. In addition to our public health and economic crises we face, there is a third c...
MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock announced a gradual and phased reopening of the state beginning Sunday for individuals and extending to businesses on Monday. Individual counties still have the authority to impose more restrictive local ordinances and encourages local officials to work regionally and make local adjustments as local needs demand. Missoula County Incident Commander Cindy Farr said Missoula County will release their guidelines by the end of the week. “There are very few states in the country that can say they have seen the number...
The pandemic surrounding Covid-19 has left the country in a predicament that it wasn't prepared for. Non-essential businesses were forced to close, forcing millions of Americans to scramble and file for unemployment. Congress passed an economic stimulus package that at first glance, seemed like a big help. This package is the lacking basic consumer relief that many people need. With a stimulus package that can barely hold some over for 2 weeks and millions unemployed, it will force a number of people to seek out loans where they could be...
MISSOULA – Friday, April 24 Missoula Health Officer Ellen Leahy issued additional local orders to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 for Missoula County. These measures followed Governor Steve Bullock’s announcement on Wednesday, rescinding the “Stay at Home” directive for individuals on April 26 and allowed some businesses to reopen on April 27. “Given Missoula’s large population [second largest in the state], our need to protect our health care hub and particularly to avoid preventative transmission of disease and reduce the likelihood...
