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Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation released their decision regarding the Removal and Remediation of Elbow Lake Dam Project May 26. Instead of demolishing the dam as originally proposed, they instead will defer taking action for the time being and leave the structure to naturally degrade. “As stated in the draft Environmental Assessment (EA), the dam is illegal as it lacks the necessary authorization and accompanying water rights, and it is highly unlikely that those could be obtained i...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce's Visitor Center will not look the same this year. After two years separated from the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitor Center locally known as "the Barn," the official Visitor Center returned to the Barn May 29 and will be managed by the Seeley Lake Historical Society. The Chamber is running remotely. In the past, the Chamber ran and staffed the Visitor Center in the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center. The Chamber...
SEELEY LAKE - "Don't bring in a rocker - I don't need those kinds of things," Pearl Hawkins told Seeley Lake Elementary preschool teacher Sheila Devins on her first day as a foster grandparent. "I'm going to get down in the beanbags with the kids." Sixteen years later, "Grandma Pearl," nearly 78, is the longest-serving foster grandparent in Missoula County, having volunteered more than 17,400 hours in the preschool classroom. Hawkins laughed when she said she missed her calling as a preschool...
SEELEY LAKE – "When we toss these caps and hang up these robes, we will leave this place behind and find our own way," said Salutatorian Ella Batchelder highlighting the different paths she and her classmates will pursue following graduation. "We are resilient. We are the class that was born during 9-11, started sophomore year evacuated from our homes in the smoke of the Rice Ridge Fire and finished our schooling in Seeley Lake during a pandemic. We've got this." Adaptable, resilient, c...
As I watched the national news over the past couple of weeks, I was reminded of the Darwin Awards. According to the rules posted on the Darwin Awards website, nominees for the award “significantly improve the gene pool by eliminating themselves from the human race in an obviously stupid way.” Furthermore, “they are self-selected examples of the dangers inherent in a lack of common sense,” and represent an “astounding misapplication of judgment.” I suspect the leading candidate for a 2020 “Darwin Group Award” will be all those people who chos...
SEELEY LAKE - When deciding the proposed sewer, I hope the conservative, financially and socially responsible citizens of Seeley consider this: • Combined utility, water and sewer costs per user is likely to be THREE times what’s considered a normal/fair rate...unless we beg for more grants and hope for help from somewhere. [Montana Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation / Pathfinder article “Annual assessment may double” 05/28/2020] • Is now really the right time to saddle the village of Seeley with a never-ending debt? We are in the mi...
The county has taken some great steps on jail diversion to break the cycle of addiction and misdemeanor arrest but we need statewide leadership on this issue, especially in the office of the Montana Attorney General, the state’s chief law enforcement officer. Kimberly Dudik has a proven record of reforming our criminal justice system. She held offenders accountable and protected vulnerable populations as a Deputy Gallatin County Attorney and an Assistant Attorney General under Attorney Governor Steve Bullock. As a private attorney, Dudik f...
In my opinion Obama and Biden are clear up to then necks in the deep state swamp. They interfered in the Trump campaign and in the presidency of our President Donald Trump. Other presidents left the White House gracefully and kept their mouth shut so the new president could get on with the agenda he ran on and was voted into office for by the American people. Obama does not care about the will of the American people. He made sure he left his liberal leftwing people to criminally undermine our duly elected president. Obama still can’t keep h...
As Montana enters the second stage of reopening, we still have a long, slow recovery ahead of us. Missoula Aging Services (MAS) has seen first-hand how difficult this crisis has been for older Montanans, especially those already struggling with limited resources. We’ve seen a significant increase in demand for our Nutrition Services and many of our older neighbors, who are the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, often live alone and can’t receive assistance from friends or family due to social distancing. John is a MAS client who depends on...
This column picks up where the last one ended concerning the development of the .44 Magnum cartridge. The last column ended with the introduction of the first .44 caliber, self contained cartridge for a handgun that was actually a rim fired cartridge developed for the Henry and Winchester rifles developed during the Civil War. After the war, Smith & Wesson (S&W) built a handgun for the cartridge. The U.S. Army ordered one thousand of the pistols but specified the cartridge had to be center fired...
Did you know the CARES Act allocated $1.25 billion just to Montana? This is IN ADDITION TO other funding Montanans have access to, like the SBA money (including the PPP and EIDL), unemployment money (including new availability for sole proprietors and independent contractors, plus $600/week extra for all) and the $1200 stimulus checks to individuals! And, did you know that Montana’s $1.25 billion in COVID-19 funding must be spent by the end of the calendar year? That’s great news during this stressful time, because this means more money wil...
What is Medicare? Medicare is federally supported health insurance for: • People age 65 or older • Anyone on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) • Anyone with End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) How do you enroll in Medicare? The Social Security office processes Medicare enrollment applications. During the coronavirus public health emergency, local Social Security offices are closed to in-person appointments with the publi...
National Forests and Grasslands throughout the Northern Region, including the Lolo and Flathead National Forests, will continue to offer free firewood and other forest product gathering for personal use for the remainder of 2020. Starting June 1, the Forests are requiring the public to obtain a hard-copy permit in order to track harvesting and communicate important wildfire safety and collection information. "As the impacts from COVID-19 continue to be felt across the country, we remain committe...
Q: Would too many pine needles be bad for my compost? A: Poor old pine needles! They often get a bad rap from gardeners, for no good reason. Pine needles have been accused of making paths slippery when it rains. Perhaps, but very few materials are not slippery when wet. Pine needles also have been accused of ruining garden soil by making it acid. The truth is that it is nearly impossible to make alkaline soil acid, or vice versa. Various characteristics of soil can be changed-somewhat, with...
At a press conference May 28, Governor Steve Bullock and the state of Montana prioritized preparing highly transited ‘destination communities’ for higher amounts of tourists as the state loosened interstate travel restrictions as a part of its Phase Two reopening plan. This includes adding additional resources for community testing and contact tracing in high-visitation communities, as well as an informational campaign to educate visitors on responsible travel and a grant program for small businesses across the state to implement safety mea...
MISSOULA - On Thursday, May 28, the Missoula City-County Health Department amended local orders to embrace the Governor’s requirements for Phase 2, which take effect June 1. Missoula County offices will begin to reopen to the public with precautions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Starting Monday, per Governor Bullock’s directive, gyms, fitness studios, pools, restaurants and bars can move to 75% capacity providing that they can maintain six-foot distancing. Restaurants and bars can increase the number of people seated at tab...
Are your kids tired of spending hours each day on remote learning on the computer? Are they (and you) wondering what there is to do in the Seeley in the summer that doesn't involve logging in, virtual connections or feeling socially isolated? Are they ready to get outdoors, get dirty and explore our wild backyard with other human children? If your answer is yes, then I am pleased to inform you that the Seeley Lake Elementary 21st Century Summer Adventure Club is BACK! With a few minor...
KALISPELL - Last month, the Flathead County Resource Advisory Committee and USFS Northern Regional Office approved fee changes for 12 rental cabins and the Spotted Bear and Lindbergh Lake campgrounds in Flathead National Forest. The changes come as part of a regional effort to better align prices with the services and amenities the areas provide. Most existing rental fees at Flathead National Forest have not been changed for over 15 years, with some dating back to 1999. The public was first notified about this proposal in 2017 with an early opp...
SWAN VALLEY – "Loss changes everything. Your way of life, your hopes, your dreams, your normal and your faith," wrote musician, teacher and video producer Katie Wright of the Swan Valley. Wright has transformed her love of music and God into a tangible connection that she hopes offers blessing and hope to others. After producing her initial film "The Gift" in 2017 she has expanded, creating four more productions each with their own motivation and purpose. Her most recent film, "Seek and Find" w...
SWAN VALLEY - Swan Valley School graduated four eighth graders June 2 in a closed, in-person ceremony. The students shared their favorite memory, someone who had impacted their lives at school and their teacher Colleen Harrington wrote a little about them....
SEELEY LAKE - The bear in front of the Grizzly Claw Trading Post on Highway 83 has been refurbished in an effort to signify a 'rebirth' to local businesses. Seeley Lake resident and woodworker Tom Flannery spent eight days last month sanding and refinishing the iconic bear. "When things look run down people feel run down," said Flannery. "We need to take a little pride in our town." Flannery encourages everyone to utilize the resources they have and do one thing to visually brighten up town – w...
If you're like my wife you're probably asking what is "unconscious unreality?" It's a phrase I picked up while reading Oswald Chambers, one of my favorite authors. Chambers made the statement that, "The deadliest Pharasaism today is not hypocrisy but unconscious Unreality. What he was getting at is our ability to (without even being conscious of it) commit sin and then justify it to ourselves. Let me give you an example: If you've ever been guilty of being angry with someone and then justified i...
PLACID LAKE - During routine monitoring in early May, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks discovered a northern pike in Placid Lake. The Fish and Wildlife commissioners declared at their May 28 meeting that the fish must be killed and reported when caught. “We are seeing too many of these,” said Commissioner Tom Aldrich. “We’ve got to take every reasonable measure we can to figure out what’s going on and halt what’s going on with that fishery in Placid Lake.” According to FWP, the goal of the kill order is to find the pike’s origin, populat...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary eighth grade graduates were recognized June 2 through a video that was posted to the SLE website and Facebook page. Below, some of the graduates shared their favorite memory from SLE. Their teachers Patti Bartlett and Bridget Laird also offered them best wishes for the future....
GREENOUGH - Multi-colored cones lined the grass outside of Sunset School as the teachers recognized their students for finishing out the unexpected school year. Roughly 10 families gathered under summer dusk Friday, May 29 to watch. "We are thankful that we are still able to come together to celebrate what you have learned and accomplished each school year," said teacher Toni Hatten. For the 29 students, parents and teachers in attendance, the ceremony was the first time the group was able to...
