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SEELEY LAKE – After the Seeley Lake Fire District Board heard accolades from those that worked with Seeley Lake Fire Chief Bob Vanden Heuvel and district volunteers during the Rice Ridge Fire, Vanden Heuvel resigned effective immediately at the board meeting Oct. 17. The board will meet with the county attorney and human resources staff to determine the next steps since several questions on the agenda were left unanswered. During public comment, Missoula County Commissioner Jean Curtiss, District Board Member Rita Rossi and Greenough/Potomac V...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board was informed at their Oct. 19 board meeting that the assessment methodology was changed to using equal assessments. The timeline for the notice and protest period has been set. In other business the board accepted a new inter-local agreement with the county and was updated on water testing results. District Manager Greg Robertson said he reevaluated the assessment methodology after the last meeting. Previously he had been instructed to come up with a method that would charge businesses a...
SEELEY LAKE – The world of Disney infiltrated the Double Arrow Lodge Thursday, Oct. 19, at the annual fundraiser for Sparrow's Vine Parenting and Pregnancy Resource Center. Tables were elegantly set for the "Be Our Guest" banquet, each table identified by a Disney movie name including the Cinderella Table, The Lion King Table and the Mulan Table. Several items in the live and silent auctions carried Disney movie themes. Even attendees, encouraged to dress as princes or princesses, got in the s...
SEELEY LAKE – I don’t believe that the current proposal by the Seeley Lake Sewer Board makes any sense. However, I realize that there’s been a tremendous amount of effort for many years by members to find a solution. Now, let’s assume that there is a current or future water quality issue. I don’t feel that there’s been nearly enough nor appropriate test data collected, e.g. well and lake water integrity. There’s certainly enough money that has been collected from residents to do a more diligent investigation. The facts as I know them: • No one...
SEELEY LAKE - As some of you may know after an extended period of time off, our chief resigned at our district board meeting held Oct. 17 which was effective immediately. We want to thank Bob for his last three years of service to the community and wish him well and success in his future endeavors. Moving ahead, I want to assure everyone that operationally nothing has changed and business and emergency response will go on as usual. We have more than 20 members on the department that are firefighters and most of them are also cross-trained as...
SEELEY LAKE – Due to the recent resigning of the Chief and the constant turmoil that this fire district seems to be in, it is with great regret that I will be resigning from the Rural Fire District maintenance position, effective two weeks from Oct. 24....
SEELEY LAKE – Losing Bob as our fire chief is an unfortunate occurrence and losing our fire chief is sad. Best of luck to Bob in his future endeavors. However, just because a few of the members walked out, that does not mean they resigned from the unit. The fact that they volunteered to begin with means they care about the community they live in and they would not intentionally leave the community short-handed. Keep in mind though that we do not know all the details and to jump to conclusions and get worked up is not going to help matters. I...
SEELEY LAKE - Greg Robertson revised his proposed sewer rate schedule at the board meeting Thursday, Oct. 19. The problem is that he moved from one tremendously warped method (that had over 100 residences labeled as “businesses”) to another equally unfair approach. Under his newest scheme, ALL – be they high or low users, business or resident, year-round or seasonal, prosperous or low-income residents, owners of occupied or vacant parcels—will now pay the same for both debt service and operations and maintenance (O&M). Robertson seems to look...
Along the back trails of my memories I remember some great hunters and the companionship we shared. Uncle George was a stalking backwoods instructor. I often saw him moving through the woods with no more sound then the breeze that rustled the dry autumn leaves. He was a man of unlimited patience. Some he learned hunting wily whitetail for a lifetime. Others came from being a Marine fighting in one of those World War II hell-holes in the South Pacific. Though wounded he was so grateful to come home. The lessons he gave us boys out there n’ t...
HELENA – The Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comment on an Opencut mining permit application for a 26.5-acre site known as Cottonwood Pit located approximately four miles East of Seeley Lake in Powell County. Deer Creek Excavating, LLC submitted the Permit application. DEQ will hold a public meeting Thursday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Elementary School located at 200 School Lane in Seeley Lake. DEQ specialists will provide information during the open house portion of the meeting (6 – 6:30 p.m.). During the que...
KALISPELL – The Flathead National Forest is interested in receiving comments on a proposal to add a new fee at Lindbergh Lake Campground and bring 12 additional existing cabin and lookout rentals and one additional campground into alignment with other sites offering similar benefits and services. As part of a Region-wide effort, these fee changes are being proposed to support the Forest’s ability to continue providing high levels of service to visitors at popular recreation sites. The Forest has invested in items such as new furniture and app...
SEELEY LAKE – Developers of a 160-acre lot northeast of the Seeley Lake Airport have applied for a variance through the Powell County Board of Adjustments. If granted, they can begin the approval process for a major subdivision currently named Swan Mountain Estates. S.G. Montana, LLC currently owns the southwest quarter of Section 31 of Township 17N, Range 14W. The variance application states they will transfer development to JDC Development, LLC which is comprised of Gary Chilcott, Martin Cahoon of Seeley Lake, and Jarrett and Colton F...
Last week, The Nature Conservancy staff from Washington state joined Montana staff to look at the forests burned this summer by the Liberty Fire, which affected roughly 7,000 acres of the land recently acquired by the Conservancy. Dozens of local contractors and crews from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and U.S. Forest Service have been working for weeks on rehabilitation efforts, including repair of roads and firelines. We are grateful for all of the good work and long days that have gone into this effort and...
Montana's general big game hunting season opened on Saturday. In the west-central part of the state, hunter check stations reports show the highest number of big game animals harvested on opening weekend since 2010. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) reported 117 elk, 111 white-tailed deer, 15 mule deer and five black bears at its Darby, Anaconda and Bonner check stations combined, where the tradition of inspecting harvested animals goes back as far as the 1940s. "The check stations only sam...
Several hundred hunters, hikers and landowners will receive a can of free bear spray this fall, thanks to local partnerships aimed at reducing bear conflicts in the Blackfoot and Upper Clark Fork Valleys. During hunting season, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Blackfoot Challenge employees are distributing cans and offering on-the-spot training in areas known for frequent bear activity. Along with a can of spray, wardens, block management employees, wildlife biologists and others are also offering tips on hunting and camping safely in bear...
SEELEY LAKE – David and Sherri Heppner are the proud new owners of a log playhouse raffled off by the Seeley Lake Elementary students going to Washington D.C. this summer. They feel very fortunate to have won the playhouse and know that their 10 grandchildren will enjoy it. Bo Hinchey built the six by eight-foot playhouse this spring. He put in about 40 hours on the project and donated it to the group going on the trip as a fundraiser. Those going on the trip could sell tickets individually a...
MISSOULA - Justin Isaiah Kesterson, 31, of Missoula passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 17. He was born June 27, 1986 in Missoula to Manuel and Robin Kesterson. He grew up in the Swan Valley with his parents and two brothers Joshua and Jared. He attended Salmon Prairie School, was home-schooled some of his grade school years and attended Seeley-Swan High School. He worked at Pyramid Mountain Lumber Company. He went on to earn an Associates Degree of Applied Science in Electronics Technology/Computer...
“He got up, and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:39) I don’t know what’s more impressive: Jesus calming the storm or him simply being able to sleep through it, on the deck of a small boat, upon Lake Galilee. I just returned from Africa, riding in planes for more than 30 hours. I’ve never been able to sleep much in a car or in a plane, let alone on a boat in a storm. But there’s Jesus, dead to the world, within the storm. Perhaps he was too exhausted to worry....
Halloween is creeping up on us. The rush is on to find the perfect pumpkin, the spookiest costume, and the best candy for trick-or-treaters. However, along with all this excitement comes potential fire hazards related to seasonal decor and costumes. Fortunately, fire risks can be avoided by following the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Halloween safety precautions. From 2011-2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 840 home structure fires per year that...
SEELEY LAKE – "It's beautiful," said two hikers who were heading back to the Morrell Falls trailhead the afternoon of Oct. 19. The hike into Morrell Falls has been forever changed following the Rice Ridge Fire burning through the entire 2.7-mile trail. Hikers have the opportunity to see areas of high intensity fire where all the crowns were consumed to areas that the fire left untouched and everything in between. Despite the best efforts of the Seeley Lake Ranger District to keep the trail c...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School recognized their senior volleyball and cross country athletes along with their families at the last volleyball home game of the season Thursday, Oct. 19....
DARBY - The Blackhawks gave the Darby Tigers a run for their money Oct. 18 in the final game of the season. The Blackhawks struck first with a 13-yard touchdown run by Nate Samuli. The Tigers returned the kickoff to tie the game back up but not for long. Logan Robinson pulled down a pass from Hunter Sokoloski for a 50-yard touchdown followed by a two-point conversion by Samuli. The Blackhawks held the lead through the rest of the first half but in the third quarter the Tigers scored three...
POTOMAC - Coached by Potomac teacher Kristy Pohlman, 17 girls took to the court for the 2017 Potomac School A and B teams girls volleyball season. Girls from fifth through eighth grade make up the two teams. There were eight girls on the A team and on the B team there were 11 girls. According to Pohlman there were certain aspirations this year. “Our goals [were] to improve on the foundational skills: overhand serving, bumping, setting and spiking,” she said. The teams also worked on pos...
POTOMAC - This year Potomac School had enough players and coaches to have Pioneer flag-ripping power on their flag football team. Last year players and coaches were lacking. With community members stepping up to coach and students participating this fall, this season was guaranteed. Ben Jones was the head coach, Marty Preston and Jake Nissen were assistant coaches. Team parents said they were grateful for the coaches. "Luckily our community has some great people that are willing to donate their...
HELENA – The Blackhawks took to the course a final time this cross country season at the State Cross Country Meet in Helena Oct. 21. The seven runners for the boys placed eighth among the C Schools and the sole Lady Blackhawk Jayla Kauffman ran a personal record. While times were slower than last year due to the smoke and injuries, Head Coach Zelda Haines was proud of everyone's grit and determination to finish the season strong. Kauffman traded with Ellie Smith from Richey-Lambert the entire ra...
