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SEELEY LAKE – "10-4" was three-year-old Addy Trevino's response when her number was called over the radio and welcomed by Missoula 9-1-1 Dispatch as the newest member of the Seeley Lake Rural Fire Department. Trevino, known to many as Addy Boo, was made an honorary member #799 during a ceremony April 29. She is officially the youngest member of the Seeley Lake Fire Department and one of two honorary members ever given by the Department. "In June of last year Addy and her family began a battle t...
SEELEY LAKE - Spring is here and everyone is eager to get out into the National Forests. Before you go, please be aware of road conditions and the increased potential to do harm to Forest roads...or get stuck. No roads on the Seeley Lake Ranger District will open May 1 due to the heavy snow load and soft road conditions. Every year, most damage to unpaved roads occurs in the fall and spring when rains and snow-melt cause road surfaces to soften. When vehicles drive on soft roads, they create...
SEELEY LAKE - After last summer's fires and the heavy snowfall this winter, many residents around Seeley Lake are now flooded or threatened with flood waters. The rivers continue to rise as the snowpack in the mountains slowly begins to melt. The flooding is not only affecting homes but also washing out roads, creating mudslides and threatening bridges. The North Fork Jocko (667) SNOTEL Site at 6,330 feet reported a snow depth of 156 inches with a snow water equivalent of 57.8 inches April 2....
Q: With our winter that won't stop, what would you suggest about planting dates for the vegetable garden? Our average date for last frost is June 10. A: If there is one constant about Montana weather, it is its inconstancy. I would ignore the weather of last winter and proceed onward, assuming that this summer's gardening weather and last winter's snows have no connection. If it were my garden, I would plant vegetables on the usual schedule--provided that the ground has thawed by then, of...
SEELEY LAKE - The Fire Service is an ever changing dynamic. If you don’t take the time to train and take classes, whether as a volunteer member or a trustee (and yes there are classes for trustees offered by the state), then you become complacent. I know what it takes to do the job as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I’ve been in burning houses, on the medical calls where loved ones were lost and at the motor vehicle accidents where the person is scared and needs a hand to hold. I know what it takes and what is needed to do the job. I have gon...
SEELEY LAKE - The new candidates for membership on the Board of Directors of the Seeley Lake Sewer District have indicated their desire to serve. I doubt service is their true intention. Bubbling up between their claims of bringing transparency, a new perspective and other seemingly laudable traits is the obvious intent to destroy from within that which they were unsuccessful in sabotaging before. Colleen Krause put it well, “The top priority for these three candidates is not to immediately [underline added] reject the sewer. Their key focus w...
I have known and admired Cecil for almost 20 years. His has been an amazing personal journey, starting with growing up in an Amish community in Ohio, where he was forced to quit school after eighth grade to work on the family farm. At the age of 18, he left and set out for the west to seek a wider world and determined to enrich his education. He settled in Montana where he worked as a guide for two outfitters, while earning his GED, then getting two BA’s – in history and English. He will graduate this spring with a Master’s Degree in Educa...
The upcoming primary election for House District 92 has three candidates for the Republican ticket, two of which are excellently qualified to be your Representatives: “DJ” Derek Smith and myself Larry Dunham. We are both Conservative Republicans with a firm belief in encouraging and protecting the economy of our district and that of Montana as a whole. The current Representative Mike Hopkins’ voting record has shown him to be a weak and liberal leaning Republican. I firmly believe that he has shown his colors and we need to replace him and t...
Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of walking Housing District 92, listening first and speaking only when asked as I’ve met the great residents here. I have been encouraged by the people of this valley and their resilience to keep fighting for their way of life that they love and cherish. What we have in our community is unique and was built by the generations before us through hard work and can-do attitude. The hard decisions they made still linger today and we are grateful for what they have left us. As Republicans we are f...
Dear Community of Seeley Lake, SEELEY LAKE - Ballots for the election for Board of Trustees at Seeley Rural Fire Department have been mailed and the voting deadline is fast approaching on May 8th. I would love for you to consider me for this board position. I would be delighted to contribute my time and fresh perspective to this board. I’d consider it a privilege and honor to volunteer on this board, as an advocate for those who serve us. I have a passion for people in this community and desire to offer my abilities in research, finances, c...
SEELEY LAKE - Mr. Spence hit the nail on the head. There is a lot of false information regarding the sewer and his article in the April 26th Letters to the Editor is a prime example. His first question is “How is that [Placid Lake algae bloom] possibly caused by Seeley Lake septic systems?” No one who reads and writes English could honestly misinterpret my comments to make that claim. But those are Mr. Spence’s own words that, I believe, are meant to intentionally deceive the readers of this newspaper and the voters within the Sewer Distr...
I am writing this letter to encourage citizens of House District 92 to vote for Duane “Cecil” Schlabach as our representative in the June 5th election. Cecil is both a hunter and an outdoorsman who recognizes the importance of keeping public lands public. Cecil’s knowledge of public lands doesn’t just come from some random bullet points or having areas pointed out on a map. Duane “Cecil” Schlabach has done ranch work that has included extensive horse packing into the Bob Marshall. He’s additionally hiked and hunted on public lands. He’s s...
MISSOULA - Too often we get swept up in the desire for the new and different instead of appreciating what we already have. This is especially true at political campaign time. This spring’s race for Missoula County Commissioner is a tough choice because we have two great candidates running. I hope all voters learn as much as they can and make considered choices. I’m sticking with the woman who has been there for us all along. Jean Curtiss and I have not always agreed but she has always kept her door and her mind open. In a divided world, lea...
MISSOULA - I was pleased to learn that the Missoula County Democrats (MCD) endorsed T.J. McDermott in the primary race for Missoula County Sheriff. McDermott is the only candidate in the race to receive the Democratic endorsement. In addition to the MCD’s endorsement, TJ is endorsed by former Sheriff Doug Chase, Mayor Engen and Missoula County Commissioner Cola Rowley. There are many reasons why McDermott has won such a breadth of endorsements. McDermott showed true leadership in promoting and implementing the Missoula City-County Jail D...
The Seeley Lake Ranger District is planning to conduct prescribed burning this spring, if weather, fuel and air quality conditions allow for safe and effective operations. The project areas with planned burning are located in five locations, two of which are directly adjacent to Seeley Lake. One is located just south of Seeley Lake within the Horeshoe Hills area, while the other is just north of Seeley Lake at Auggie. The other three areas are Colt Summit, Swan Face and Monture. All project areas have multiple units planned for prescribed burni...
SEELEY LAKE – The Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees met for their April meeting April 25 at Seeley-Swan High School. SSHS Principal Dr. Kathleen Pecora provided an update for SSHS happenings for this spring. The board members also received a budget update on all projects underway as part of the Smart School 2020 bond passed by voters in November 2015. Two SSHS staff members, a paraprofessional and two students attended Stanford University April 20-22 and took part in the Challenge Success program. They did not send anyone in the...
I am taken aback by the beauty we share in the Seeley-Swan Valley this May. We share stunning sunny days, majestic snow covered peaks contrasted against gorgeous blue skies, gushing rivers and eye-catching wildlife. Amidst our glorious surroundings we also share many personal challenges; one of which is a concern about memory loss, in ourselves, friends and loved ones. Memory loss is a scary thing to think about primarily because there is no definitive way to prevent it or cure it. Memory often changes as we grow older. But memory loss that...
The Double Arrow Ranch Land Owners’ Association (DARLOA) and its landowners have made fire safety and preparedness a priority and will continue to do so. We all learned valuable lessons from the Jocko Lakes fire 10 years earlier and the Rice Ridge Fire last summer. First and foremost, we learned that being good neighbors and being there for, caring for and helping one another in a time of crisis/challenging times, is one of the most (if not the most) important attributes and values of any community. During the Rice Ridge fire, we were in near-c...
More than 1.3 million acres burned across Montana in 2017 making it one of the most significant wildfire years in history. While wildfires can occur at any time of the year, the majority of wildfires in Montana occur between May and September of each year. May is an ideal time to promote wildfire awareness in Montana so that residents and visitors can begin to reduce wildfire risk to their properties and communities through hazardous fuels reduction, incorporation of fire resistant building materials, and upkeep around their properties to...
POTOMAC - Springtime is a good time of year for property owners to look ahead to fire season. Creating defensible space through fire mitigation can not only protect homes but establishes a healthier forest. "This term [fire mitigation] is often used to refer to work being done to prevent high intensity fire and leave property and values with a fighting chance in the case of a fire being nearby," said Zachary Bashoor, a forester who owns Bashoor Land Management out of Missoula. "The key to fire...
SEELEY LAKE – Pop's Place opened their doors for their annual Cakes for Canines donation pancake breakfast, April 26. The free breakfast included pancakes, bacon and eggs, great conversation and an opportunity to support the Paws Up Safe Home Animal Shelter in Potomac. Paws Up currently has 24 dogs, eight tame cats and two shelter horses available for adoption. Photos of the animals are posted on the Paws Up Safe Home Facebook page. Anyone interested in meeting the animals are encouraged to c...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council hosted two candidate forums, April 9 and 11, covering eight races with 31 candidates in attendance. All candidates on the May 8 Special District Mail-in ballot and June 5 primary were invited. Ballots for the May 8 election were mailed April 18. For the next two weeks, the Pathfinder will continue to feature races from the Candidate Forum. This week the Pathfinder features the candidates for House District 92 that will appear on the ballot during...
OROSI, COSTA RICA – "It wasn't just a vacation," said Seeley-Swan High School Science Teacher Tonya Smith. "These guys worked [really hard] while they were there and were in really uncomfortable and growth mindset situations." Thirteen students along with chaperones Smith and Bridget Laird participated in the Destinations for Education trip to Costa Rica April 4-14. From having to speak Spanish with their homestay families, to learning how to live in a different culture, students and adults were...
HELENA – As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), NorthWestern Energy and Carroll College recognized 15 Montana high school women from 12 high schools for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology. Seeley-Swan High School junior Nicole Williams was among the recipients. She is the first SSHS student to receive this award. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in C...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake senior Ibby Lorentz signed her national letter of intent to attend University of Nebraska-Lincoln next fall and shoot on their rifle team. After being pursued by five other schools with four offers, Lorentz is excited to be given an athletic scholarship for rifle and a $58,000 four-year academic scholarship from UNL. She sees collegiate shooting as the next step in her goal to someday shoot in the Olympics. While Lorentz always knew she wanted to go to college, she did...
