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SEELEY LAKE – In a split vote the Seeley Lake Sewer District Board passed a resolution to mandate connections to the sewer system as it is built at their Aug. 15 meeting. The board also approved the tax assessment method for the District’s annual administrative fee and officially opened public comment on the proposed Rules and Regulations (R&R). Board President Pat Goodover came out firing in his opening comments responding to people who have questioned his independence, ability to look at all sides of the issue and his role as president as...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake Elementary's new Superintendent Daniel Schrock has always loved the excitement of the first day of school and the fresh start it offers. Schrock said this year is no exception at SLE with new leadership and teachers working for the best interest for students. He looks forward to elevating academics, building school pride and fostering relationships within the school and community. Schrock chose not to follow in the footsteps of his father who was a mechanic for Ford M...
SEELEY LAKE – Members of the community and visitors came out for the Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue Open House to check out the facility, meet the volunteers and enjoy lunch. At the dedication, Assistant Chief Joe Miller named the building the "Gerry Connell Search and Rescue Building" in recognition for Connell's more than 30 years of dedicated service, leadership and effective organization that has made SSSAR what it is today. Connell helped establish the SSSAR unit after it separated from Miss...
SEELEY LAKE - The sewer board’s attorney comes across as being overly aggressive and occasionally patronizing and seems to take an awful lot of liberties and “willful interpretations.” Such behavior distorts the law and results in minimizing the rights of the public to have their will respected. The board then feels confident to go its merry way in carrying out anything they want to, including overriding public sentiment. I presented a petition signed by 182 Seeley Lake constituents, who are in Phases 1-4, opposing the mandate to hook up to the...
Senator Steve Daines and Representative Greg Gianforte, according to press reports, are in Montana for the August congressional recess (or “state work period”). They are holding invite only roundtables and discussions (like Daines’ guest speaking slot at the RSVP-only, pay-to-get-in Missoula City Club luncheon) and other private events, but not public, open town halls. In other words, Daines and Gianforte are continuing to hide from their constituents instead of meeting with them in public. Senator Jon Tester, on the other hand, is the only...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board continues to abuse the citizens it was elected to represent. At its meeting last week it quickly disregarded a petition signed by 182 residents opposing mandatory hook-ups and voted 3-1 to mandate them. It caved to Pyramid when its spokesman pointed out Pyramid pays 20 percent of the administrative fee, around $9,000 a year, but does not and will not enjoy 20 percent of the “benefit” of the sewer system. The manager and one Board member immediately voiced their intentions to re-visit the assessment met...
Calls are being received across the state of Montana by someone pretending to be a Social Security Administration (SSA) employee. The intent of these calls is to steal the victim’s identity and/or money directly from their bank account. Various versions of the scam have been reported throughout Montana: claiming the recipient’s Social Security number has been suspended due to suspicious activity; talking about enrollment in the Medicare prescription drug program; claiming the SSA computers are down; or offering a lower-cost health plan if som...
SEELEY LAKE - The Lolo National Forest is replacing the Swamp Creek stream crossing at milepost 3.7 on the Cottonwood Lakes Road (FS Road #477) starting Aug. 19. The road will be closed on either side of the project (between Blind Canyon Road #4378 and Swamp Creek Road #4379) for up to three weeks. The old culvert will be replaced with a new culvert that will pass all storm and runoff flows and will allow for fish and aquatic organisms to cross under the road. Forest users will still be able to...
I always like to get the bad news first, then follow with the good. So I'll start there. Most of us are aware that Montana has the highest rate of suicide in the nation. Most of us have been touched in some way by suicide. There are a lot of factors that contribute to Montana's high rate of suicide, including a lack of mental health services (especially in rural areas), easy access to firearms and the lingering stigma about depression and reaching out for mental health help. Now on to the good n...
If you've visited Nature Conservancy land in the Seeley-Swan area in the past few months, there's a good chance that you've run into Tayler Templin. An avid camper, hiker, angler and photographer, this 2019 University of Montana graduate is putting her skills to work as TNC's Recreation and Stewardship Intern. Tayler graduated in May with a degree in Parks, Tourism and Recreational Resources Management. Every day, Tayler is out on the ground making sure that everyone can enjoy and protect these...
MISSOULA - The Missoula County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is seeking new members to share in the management of local National Forest lands. Volunteer RAC committee members serve an important role in recommending how funds received by counties under the Secure Rural Schools Act will be spent in the county on projects that are on, or will benefit, nearby National Forest lands. By law, RACs must be comprised of 15 members from Montana with balanced and broad representation of the public. RAC member duties and commitments: • Review and m...
On Tuesday, Aug. 12, Seeley Lake Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports (ROCKS) kicked off construction of the Hill 16 Lakeview Trail above the north shore of Placid Lake. The Hill 16 Community Trail System was deemed a priority project in the 2018 Seeley Lake Trails Plan – the result of three years of public input and facilitated discussion. "This is a big day and a major undertaking for ROCKS", said Carol Fulton, ROCKS Board member. "It is the culmination of countless hours of work on t...
In this three-part series, Montana Free Press examines how federal land management agencies have approached wildfire in the past and highlights public sector efforts to make communities more resilient through land-use planning, strategic building processes and targeted fuel reduction treatments. In Part 3, we explore a private sector development: the growth of private firefighting companies deployed by insurance companies to protect properties from loss by wildfire. BOZEMAN - Last November,...
SEELEY LAKE – Every year when school starts Seeley Lake Elementary Secretary Suzie Teafoe has a collection of donated school supplies available to help students. This year Teafoe said the generosity has been amazing and well beyond her expectations. She has two cabinets full of donated supplies thanks to local business owner Terry Lucke of Fat Hippie, other generous individuals and local groups. Lucke said he feels that taking care of needs in the community should come from the individuals a...
OVANDO - The Blackfoot Challenge hosted its second annual Block Party fundraiser in downtown Ovando on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Nearly 200 people attended the event that hosted local food trucks such as Lindey's Steak Sandwich Truck and the Montana Farm Girls, live music from the Huckleberry Pickers of Seeley Lake and Helena, as well as a raffle and live auction with Kevin Ertl as the auctioneer. "Really, thanks to all of you, this is a chance for us to say thank you to the communities that do all...
SWAN VALLEY – Pat Tabor called himself "the new kid on the block" when he took his turn to talk at the Outfitters and Guides in Swan Valley program at the Upper Swan Valley Historical Society (USVHS) Aug. 3. Unlike some of the old timers who spoke, Tabor didn't start outfitting until 2004 and then he took over an already existing operation called Lion Creek Outfitters from Cecil Noble. Tabor told the story of how Noble got started in 1973: "Cecil did something no one had ever done before. He w...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host open houses across the state, including northwest Montana, to share information and gather public comment on proposed changes to the statewide fishing regulations. The department will present regulation proposals to the Fish and Wildlife Commission in Missoula on Aug. 15 and will accept public comment on the regulations from Aug. 19 through Sept. 15. The final regulations will be considered at the October commission meeting. Fishing regulations undergo a...
SWAN VALLEY - James G Johnson, motorcycle racer, sailor, stunt man, truck driver, merchant seamen and nature lover, took his last lap around the track May 14 at his home in Swan Valley. He was surrounded by his nephew and a couple of his good friends as he said "aloha" to his life here on this planet. Jim was a spiritual person, loved life and lived most of his 90 plus years to the fullest. Jim's life was full of adventure and excitement until he decided to settle down in the beautiful Swan Vall... Full story
SEELEY LAKE - Floyd Arthur Routh, 84 of Seeley Lake, passed away on Monday Aug. 12 at Hillside Health and Rehabilitation Center due to complications of COPD. He was born Feb. 9, 1935 in Enid, Okla. to Roy and Virginia Routh. As a boy Floyd was raised at the Baptist orphanage ranch and graduated from John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City, Okla. On Sept. 1, 1956 he joined the Air Force and was stationed at Kinross Air Force Base for his entire duty as a Control Tower Operator. Floyd was honor... Full story
SEELEY LAKE - The roar of an excited crowd, the adrenaline stemmed from pride rushing through the players' veins and the fresh feeling of victory are what Seeley-Swan High School's new head football coach Jay Crum is looking forward to during this year's season. Throughout his earlier years, Crum coached high school- and college-level leagues, as well as played for the Los Angeles Rams' practice team. Last year, he volunteered to be the defensive coordinator for the SSHS Blackhawks football...
“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) Many of us do not know who we are if we aren’t opposing something or someone. There’s such great energy underlying angst and rage, such momentum in the desire for retribution, in the urge to assert one’s agenda. How long, O Lord, how long? How long will we continue to do battle from the security of our ideological fortifications? We feel so safe behind walls built of ego and fear. We...
Pets in campgrounds SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Ranger District clarified their regulations for pets in campgrounds after questions and comments were posted on social media. In Big Larch Campground and other developed recreation campgrounds, pets need to be leashed on a six foot tether at all times. No pets are allowed in roped off swimming areas or beaches unless designated like the Seeley Lake Pet Area Swimming Beach, north of the public swimming beach area at the Seeley Lake Campground. SSHS football spaghetti feed and auction f...
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.” This quote is from the movie “V for Vendetta” and it is a perfect example of for what is happening in our state. Steve Daines and Greg Gianforte are so afraid of the citizens of Montana that they are refusing to hold in-person public town hall meetings during their congressional recess. They seem to have forgotten that they were elected to serve ALL Montanans, not just those who agree with them. They are ignoring the fact that great ideas come...
