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SEELEY LAKE – After more than 1,350 hours over the past two and a half years, Seeley Lake residents Erik Gullikson and Bob Thorne's two-seater S-20 Raven experimental airplane lifted off for the first time Monday, May 14. Both are excited to be in the air again after selling their other plane in April 2015. Thorne and Gullikson have both been flying since the mid-1970s. Thorne started flying as a jet pilot in the Marine Corps. He retired from Delta as a commercial airline pilot. Gullikson s...
CONDON – The Air Force career of current Condon resident Arthur E. Busby III (aka Buzz) got off to a hesitant start. After spending five years trying to figure out where he fit, he was offered a career in nuclear weapons which resulted in several promotions and eventually took him to seven states and six foreign countries Busby's career began in 1956 at Texas A&M, which was a military school when Busby got his bachelor's degree there in Chemical Engineering. Along with the degree came a t...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake Elementary was abuzz during Wildfire Awareness Week, May 14-18 where students took field trips to explore the Rice Ridge fire, engaged in various activities and learned more about living with fire from the FireWorks curriculum developed by fire scientists at Missoula's Fire Lab. Spearheading the week was SLE Junior High Science and Math teacher Patti Bartlett Gladstone. She felt due to the events of last fall, this discussion about wildfire will help empower students o...
Dear Seeley Lake Residents: I just had the most amazing visit to your elementary school. As I walked in, I felt like I was in the most amazing learning environment. There was a bench by the opening door made from snowboards and the wood trim on all the indoor doorways, windows and shelves were made from recycled pine beetle wood. I saw a table made from an old wooden bleacher and met some of the most enthusiastic educators. While visiting with the educators I learned about an outdoor program you had for your students and learned how this was...
I find it interesting and intriguing that Mr. Keith Virga found the need to write a letter to the Editor in the May 10th Pathfinder. His support of Freshman Representative Hopkins is his right, as is mine to support and promote Mr. Derek (DJ) Smith, a strong conservative Republican. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to look at an idea without agreeing with it. (Aristotle) I am on the ballot and filed my C-1 in December of 2016. If I did not think then that I was better qualified than Mr. Hopkins, why file? I have followed the...
SEELEY LAKE - Shout out to the Seeley-Swan Community. I’m thinking Saturday night’s art auction, talent show and scholarship fundraiser was a success. The talent in this community is astonishing. Regulars such as Trace and Mark wowed the folks as always...and Pete on the banjer and his wife Rachel on guitar did the same. Two high school students did their own original poetry and Steve Fraker did original Cowboy verse. A group of hand bellers hushed the crowd with quiet melodic bell music. How’d they do that? And more good stuff too numerous to...
I live in East Missoula and was very intrigued when I read one of Lee Bridges’ (HD92) intro cards. So I called her and she actually came over to my house and we talked for over an hour. I find her incredibly thoughtful, understanding and insightful - I have since volunteered for her campaign, and am impressed with her commitment to hard work and her ethical practices. I hope you will join me in voting for Lee Bridges for HD92!!...
With proud enthusiasm, I support Cecil Schlabach for HD92 in the upcoming primary election on June 5. I have known Cecil for the past seven years as both a teaching associate and a friend. We both teach junior high at SLE. Cecil works tirelessly to promote well-educated students through his teaching of History, Civics and Communication Arts, along with coordinating the educational trip to Washington D.C. Embracing higher education, Cecil just completed a Masters in Educational Leadership. Cecil is hardworking, dedicated and honest as the day...
Tired of asking our state representatives to allow for more renewable energy development? Ready for a just transition to renewable energy? Do you think it’s time voters had a say in expansion of renewable energy options in Montana? THEN I-184 IS THE ANSWER. This proposed initiative is being circulated to gather enough signatures from 25,468 registered voters by June 22 to qualify it for the November 2018 Montana ballot. To learn more about I-184 and sign the petition, go to the website mtcares.org and click on the “About” tab. The page that...
We have come to expect that the Federal Government does not do its job. When it comes to State Government, we expect the opposite. We expect our State Legislature to get things done, to work together to tackle serious problems affecting us as citizens. I ran to represent you in 2016 because it seemed like our state government had lost touch. Instead of creating an environment where small business can grow, the legislature had created one where small businesses were forced to jump through a seemingly never-ending set of hoops and red tape....
MISSOULA - I’ve known Josh Slotnick, candidate for Missoula County Commissioner, for nearly 20 years. We have worked together in various capacities and we occasionally hunt elk and deer together. You don’t need to spend a lot of time with Josh, however, to sense his deep integrity, his singular ability to listen well and consider other points of view carefully, his sincere commitment to his community and his farmer’s fierce work ethic. I also know Jean Curtiss, have worked with her and think highly of her. She has been a darned good commi...
MISSOULA - I met Jean Curtiss over two decades ago while I was a school board trustee. The board was grappling with the agonizing prospect of neighborhood school closure. Representing the Missoula PTA, Jean brought a calm and rational voice to the rancor, always advocating for the decision that would ensure the best education possible for all of the students in the sprawling district. She earned my respect. Jean has demonstrated that same steady hand for 17 years as County Commissioner, helping guide Missoula County through difficult economic t...
Friends and neighbors, primary season is here and our House District (92) has a clear choice to represent us in the Montana State Legislature. Lee Bridges is an incredible candidate and citizen willing to work around the clock for us. She has more than 40 years of experience in hands-on blue-collar work and has been an active public servant as a volunteer fire fighter, community organizer, and community committee member. Her main issues are fair wages, good jobs, unions, public lands, fire management and public education. She is actively...
SEELEY LAKE - – The seasonal opening of campgrounds on the Seeley Lake Ranger District will take place May 25 for Memorial Day weekend. All campgrounds except Big Larch Campgrounds will be available for public use. However, Big Larch’s boat ramp, reservable group campsites and the day use area will be open for public use. The District received an unusually high amount of snowfall this winter and some campgrounds were heavily impacted by downed trees. Recreation crews on the Seeley Lake Ranger District have worked hard to get the cam...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is holding the Change Your Pace Challenge for the third year from May 24-Aug. 3. A percentage of the donations to 16 local non-profits will be matched by the Foundation with the intent to increase the fundraising power in the community. The biggest change this year is the CYP Challenge will not be associated with the Bob Marshall Music Festival. "The festival is more of a tourist draw and brings in a lot of people from out of town," said the F...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has begun their annual Fourth of July fundraising efforts. The largest expense is the fireworks show over Seeley Lake. This year's goal is $8,000. Progress thermometers are on Highway 83 south of Cory's Valley Market and at Parts Plus and in Citizens Alliance Bank's lobby. The community can donate to the celebration in several ways. The Chamber is a part of the Change Your Pace Challenge in collaboration with the Seeley Lake Community Founda...
Lead is cheap with a long tradition of use in fishing tackle. Many western societies have eliminated it in paints, gasoline, solders and in shot for waterfowl hunting. Despite this, lead products continue to be used for angling. Although lead is toxic to all wildlife, birds hold lead objects in the gizzard rather than passing it through their system, making them particularly at risk. Lead poisoning is a leading cause of mortality in adult common loons. One recent New Hampshire study found that...
SEELEY LAKE - Health Science Academy freshmen students came from Big Sky High School Wednesday, May 16 to help with the sandbagging efforts in Seeley Lake. They filled sandbags at the Seeley Lake 1-Stop and the Missoula County Satellite Office north of town from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Big Sky Assistant Principal and past Seeley-Swan High School teacher Jennifer Courtney in collaboration with the Seeley Lake Fire Department organized the effort. Forty students were chosen from the 70 in the program. "...
SWAN VALLEY - The members of the Swan Valley Community Council voted to follow SVCC member Henry Westra’s matrix in which he compiled public comments suggesting changes or recommendations to the second Swan Valley Regional Plan Draft. The comments, due on April 10, were then perused by the Council. They discussed and voted for some changes or to keep the original writing to the second draft plan at their meeting May 15. Westra wrote the specific comments on the matrix in the order of the plan, specifying location and by whom the comments w...
SWAN VALLEY – From chicken to beef, sweet to spicy, the range of tastes in the 15 chilies in the America Legion Post 63 28th Annual Condon Chili Cook-off made choosing the best quite the challenge. With a three-way tie for third, first and second were a clean sweep. The 2018 Chili Champ Patricia Maurer claimed this year's coveted trophy and $150. Maurer is from Harrisburg, Pa. and is building a home in the Swan Valley. She loves to cook chili for her family and placed second last year in the coo...
Everyone is invited to the Swan Valley Elementary School Graduation May 25 at 2 p.m. at the Swan Valley School...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board discussed the future of the sewer district at its May 17 meeting after voters elected three new board members. In other business the board questioned legal fees due to a public information request and got an update on water testing. The board also continued moving the project forward by approving an update to the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) and a resolution to apply for grants to begin acquiring funding for Phase 2 of the collection system. The resolution to levy current annual assessm...
SEELEY LAKE – The proposed ice rink and SLE's behavior health program dominated the discussion at the Seeley Lake Elementary School board meeting May 16. Contract negotiations are also complete and the board voted unanimously to retain the current staff. Trustee Ryen Neudecker said after talking with Scott Eggeman, the ice rink committee is asking for approval for a temporary ice rink on one of the ball fields. They would level the area with sand and bring in boards to form the rink. They w...
And no, I’m not talking about the extra pounds I put on over the Easter holiday...rather I was reflecting on the verse from Chapter 4 verse 10 of Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” The thought that occurred to me as I read this verse was that the reality of my life is that, too often my life is more often a reflection of me, of my human nature and not often enough a reflection of Christ and His nature. I have found o...
SEELEY LAKE - To be or not to be? Should the Seeley Lake Community Council (SLCC) be in the business of building and maintaining trails through its Trails Committee was the topic of much discussion at the council's May 14 meeting. The council also welcomed two new members and elected officers. The SLCC Trails Committee has been in existence for around 20 years and has been responsible in some way or another for many of the existing trails in and around Seeley Lake. The committee has worked on...
