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SEELEY LAKE - A two-year saga came to a successful conclusion when the Montana Transportation Commission granted virtually all of the requested speed limit reductions that the Seeley Lake Community Council had petitioned for. The Commission’s order Sept. 22 closed the final chapter on a lengthy story that began with a constituent’s question at a council meeting in 2014 about what might be done to slow traffic in Seeley Lake. The council’s Traffic Project was launched with an appeal to the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) for lower...
OVANDO – Smiles and laughter filled the Ovando School gymnasium as the community and students swung their partners and do-si-doed Friday, Sept. 23. The square dance was the first fundraiser hosted by the Ovando Community Education Endowment (OCEE) in an effort to raise funds for the school and celebrate the community. In order to continue to provide a high-quality education for the Ovando's children, and maintain the school as a community center, a group of Ovando citizens started the OCEE. T...
SWAN VALLEY - American Lands Council (ALC) representatives Kerry White and Jennifer Fielder spoke to nearly 100 people at the Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) meeting Sept. 20. They were invited by the council to provide information and answer questions about the ALC. White and Fielder expressed concern for public lands in Montana that are federally managed and talked about transferring federal public lands to willing states. Montana State Senator Fielder, Republican from Thompson Falls is also CEO of the Utah based ALC. White is a Montana...
SEELEY LAKE - It's been 20 years this Sept. 30, since the unsolved murder of seventh and eighth-grade teacher Cliff Nelson. His 20-year tenure at Seeley Lake Elementary came to an end that night but his memories live on in those of us who were lucky enough to have known him as Mr. Nelson. On this anniversary I find myself in a strange place, one that even Mr. Nelson would have found to be most amusing, owning the Seeley Swan Pathfinder. Tonight as I scroll though the archives of the Pathfinder,...
SEELEY LAKE – Monture Guard Station was buzzing with activity in celebration of National Public Lands Day Saturday, Sept. 24. The Seeley Lake Ranger District (SLRD) had activities for children and provided information for adults about all the different disciplines on the district. The district fire crew along with Woodsy Owl and Smokey Bear talked with attendees about fire prevention and had a game for children to practice their aim with the fire hose. The wilderness and trail crews d...
Addrien Marx is blessed with the background and skills that make her the ideal representative for Montanans living in House District 92. Addrien knows what it means to be a mother. She knows first hand the challenges of running a Montana business. She has backpacked in the “Bob.” Her teaching experience makes it easier for her to understand and assist others. She has successful experience helping folks with differing viewpoints find win-win solutions. She helped build a shooting range. Addrien has served the Historical Museum at Fort Mis...
SWAN VALLEY – Tuesday, Sept. 20 I attended the meeting at the Condon Community Center. The American Land Council presented their reasons for the transfer of Federal land to State control. The representatives Jennifer Fielder and Kerry White put forth several good reasons for state control. Unfortunately, like most people arguing their position they made statements that, while not lies, were not totally true. The facts were stated so as to compare apples to oranges. The one position they put forth that is hard to argue with is that the people cl...
SWAN VALLEY - As a resident of Senator Jennifer Fielder’s county - Sanders - I wish to apologize to all the logically inclined people of Condon for the ruckus she created last week. Here, in Sanders County, we know what kind of misrepresentations she makes and large numbers of people of all political parties tend to avoid her and her presentations. Suffice it to say that exaggeration and misinformation are not items about which the Senator seems concerned....
SEELEY LAKE - The argument between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton over who is more transparent just two months before the election brings to mind our local situation with the Seeley Lake Sewer District Board. With just over two months before the mail in election on the sewer, voters have no idea what the project will cost, how much their monthly bills will be and how long the debt will continue. The preliminary estimate for the first sub-district stands at $12 million...with no information about how much sub-districts two, three and four...
SEELEY LAKE - I would like to thank everyone for all their prayers, donations and help getting through my ordeal. It has been a long haul… I would like to thank Seeley Lake 911, my church and employer for their support and making it possible to get me back to work. I would also like to thank our community. Thanks for the support of my family and friends that have helped out before, during and after being in the hospital. Without all of you, I literally would not be here. I thank God I am alive. I have a long road ahead of me…but at least I am...
I sit near Morrell Creek trying to think of a prompt I hear a name that the water whispers to me and allows my Imagination to fly on the wings of my broken heart And my eyes see the scales that are wrapped around my skin I feel the wind upon my wings as they beg me to take flight I feel the horns grow upon my crown, and my teeth lengthen and sharpen into fangs I feel my fingers, the ones that flipped through pages of many books, holding the pencil writing this very poem, become talons capable...
SEELEY LAKE - Jon Turk will be presenting his new book “Crocodiles and Ice” Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. at the Grizzly Claw Trading Company sponsored by Alpine Artisans’ Open Book Club. As Turk states, “Crocodiles and Ice is a scientist/adventurer’s journey into a Consciousness Revolution based on a deep, reciprocal communication with the Earth. The book highlights my award winning polar expedition circumnavigating Ellesmere Island, as well as other, lesser known passages.” Jon Turk has a PhD in chemistry and has worked in theoretical research...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Ranger District has announced an Oct. 31 deadline for submitting 2016/2017 winter/spring Recreation Event Special Use Permit applications. Applications received past this deadline will not be accepted for review. A Recreation Event Special Use Permit is required for organizing any use or activity on National Forest System lands that meets either of the following criteria, regardless of whether the use or activity is intended to produce a profit: • Where an entry or participation fee is charged. Donations are consid...
JACKSON, TENN. - After a two-month investigation, with the assistance of federal law enforcement agencies, 54 year old William Farrell Russell of Seeley Lake was arrested at a residence in Jackson, Tenn. on 20 counts of Distributing, Possessing, or Viewing Matter Depicting Sexually Explicit Conduct Involving a Child. The investigation into Russell began after he was identified as a potential suspect following the arrest of a previous suspect on similar charges back in June of this year. Federal law enforcement authorities arrested Russell July...
CONDON - SPC Rincon R. Parcell, 2006 graduate from Seeley-Swan High School from Condon, graduated from Airborne (Parachute Jump) Training with the 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Fort Benning, Ga. on Sept. 9. He successfully completed the arduous ground, tower and jump training with a total of five parachute jumps from C-130 and C-17 aircrafts. His father Col. Robert E. Parcell, USMC, pinned his paratrooper wings on him at the graduation ceremony. Sunday, Sept. 18 SPC...
SWAN VALLEY - Staff from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and Missoula County presented information to Swan Valley residents about the proposed updates to the Swan River Floodplain and the impacts to individual Missoula County property owners Sept. 20 at the Swan Valley Community Hall. In 2014, the updated draft floodplain mapping project began. The updated maps will eventually replace maps produced more than 30 years ago. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DNRC and Missoula County utilized more...
SEELEY LAKE – Change is inevitable in any community. That is the working premise of the Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA). The question is whether the community wants to direct that change or simply let it happen. MEDA Resource Teams have helped 48 Montana communities direct their change. On Sept. 19-20 a resource team came to do the same for Seeley Lake. At a Town Meeting held at the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center, the eight-team members took turns presenting t...
SEELEY LAKE - With the abundance of wood and no natural gas pipeline in the area, many businesses and residents of Seeley Lake use wood stoves as an affordable heating option. Unfortunately, winter wood stove smoke emissions are the main reason Seeley Lake exceeds a national air pollution standard for particulate matter (specifically, PM2.5). PM2.5 is particulate matter in the air with a diameter of 2.5 microns and smaller. The National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2.5 is 35 micrograms...
SEELEY LAKE – In the last couple of weeks there have been several bear sightings, one black bear killed in Dogtown and another broke into a car at the Tamaracks Resort. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Game Warden Bill Koppen reminds people to be diligent and said, "a fed bear is a dead bear." The weekend of Sept. 17 a six foot, two inch black bear was killed south of Riverview Drive in Dogtown. Koppen heard that the bear was hazed off the Seeley Lake Game Preserve, a no hunting area to the n...
As the hot summer days move into cooler autumn weather, insects like stink bugs and Western Conifer seed bugs are moving into sheltered areas to spend the winter. They may move indoors and if disturbed will cause an odor, although only one is a true stink bug. Leptoglossus occidentalis, the Western Conifer seed bug is from the Coreidae family. They are known as "leaf footed bugs", and there is only one species around the Blackfoot Valley. They have been called stink bugs; which they are not,...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council hosted a candidate forum, Sept. 19 at the Seeley Lake Community Hall. Candidates for Governor/Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Congress, Secretary of State, Supreme Court Justice and State Attorney General races answered various questions from moderator and council chair Klaus von Sutterheim and the audience. All candidates that will appear on the ballot including Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians, were invited. Only the Supreme Court Justice race h...
SEELEY LAKE - Montana Mountain Mushers (MMM) held their Canine Fun Days this past weekend, Sept. 24 and 25 at the West Side Bypass Trailhead north of Seeley Lake. Around 10 experienced mushers from the club ran their dogs and worked with other novice mushers and skijorers. Kristina Prichard from Helena, Mont. came for the event to "get some expertise." Seeley Lake musher Rob Loveman worked with her and her dog Blu. They had Blu pulling her on her mountain bike by the end of Saturday morning....
OVANDO - Carol Joyce Boyd gave unconditional love and caring to those that she touched in this world. She gave without expectation of anything in return leading an extraordinary life of courage. Her unrelenting generosity was so sincere and pure that her single acts of kindness changed lives forever. Carol came to us Dec. 4, 1932 when she was born in Stevensville, Mont. to William and Justine Boyd. Sunday, Sept. 19 she died peacefully with her family by her side. She left this world to join her...
Living in a valley, as we do here in Seeley Lake, one comes to appreciate both the beautiful scenery of the surrounding mountains and the shelter from the high winds that are so often a part of life on the plains. And as in life, the mountain top experiences (beautiful views and far off vistas) are often ones we would like to hold on to. Yet we are called to return to the valley floor to spend the bulk of our time and existence. God often gives his missions to his people during these “mountain top experiences.” Such was the case with Moses at...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley-Swan Blackhawks hosted the Twin Bridges Falcons Sept. 23. The Blackhawks defense came out strong forcing the Falcons to punt on their opening drive. When the Blackhawks offense couldn't move the ball either, the defenders came back with another big fourth down stop. The game took a turn in the middle of the first quarter when the Falcons broke away for a 61-yard touchdown. Following the touchdown, a pair of turnovers set the Falcons up for two more touchdowns finishing...
