Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board hammered out the final details of the Rules and Regulations, approved an opinion of probable cost for operating the system, adopted most of their bylaws revision and discussed a variety of other business at their four and a half hour long Nov. 21 meeting. The new “worst case scenario” monthly estimate is $130.58 plus $2 per 1,000 gallons used for properties assigned one Volume Ratio Unit (VRU), equivalent to a single family house. Rules and Regulations Hearing The Board made minor edits to th...
SWAN VALLEY - Swan Lake District Ranger Chris Dowling received applause from attendees at the Swan Valley Community Council special meeting Nov. 21 when he announced there would be no fee to use the Day Use at Holland Lake during the 2020 season. Dowling explained that the fee for the campground would increase from $18 to $20 per night. He said he had met with the concessionaires and the Flathead National Forest supervisor Chip Weber to go over numbers of administration and operation costs. They did not want to see a decrease in tourism...
MISSOULA – On Thursday, Nov. 21, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) reported the first case of terrestrial (non-bat) rabies in Missoula County in four years. The rabies-infected animal was a skunk captured in the Wye area of Missoula on Sept. 18. Earlier that day a resident noticed the skunk acting abnormally and contacted Animal Control. MDOL and Missoula City County Animal Control are working together to notify residents of the diagnosis. There are no known cat, dog or human exposures at this time. The Department of Livestock has i...
SEELEY LAKE – For the past year Blue River Station and Obsession Pottery have joined together to offer something for all ages to have fun with pottery at their holiday pottery events. Potter Carrie Darrah provides the ceramic piece that attendees paint while enjoying a beverage and snack provided by Blue River Station. "It's to bring the community together so they can visit, have fun and let their kids enjoy something different," said Nancy Butcher, owner of Blue River Station. "It brings a l...
SWAN VALLEY - The Condon Community Church hosted their annual Condon Community Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 24 at the Swan Valley Community Hall. This year nearly 100 attended the event....
SEELEY LAKE - I was sorry to have missed the sewer board meeting Thursday night due to an out of town trip. However, I heard Friday morning that it is going to be $130 per month per hook up. We probably won’t go broke with this fee but it is going to seriously impact the family that rents our extra lot. This fee will double their rent. I am sure that someone will be wondering why we would raise their rent to cover it, why not just absorb this increased expense? The answer is, the taxes already take six months of the rent and the balance goes t...
Neurosis is a common term often used in our daily lives. This is due to the pioneers of psychology: Freud, Jung and Adler, who introduced us to the psychology of neurosis. Though it's a commonly used word, its actual meaning is somewhat complex. So, let me provide a simple definition. Since adaptation to life is critical, anyone who doesn't adapt to life usually experiences a neurosis. The behaviors and psychological expressions of a neurosis vary, so much so, that it is almost impossible to pro...
SEELEY LAKE - Qualifying non-profit and public organizations are invited to submit grant proposals to the Seeley Lake Community Foundation for 2020 projects. As part of its mission, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation endeavors to help charitable groups in Seeley Lake fund projects to benefit the community. In this capacity, the SLCF strives to be a community resource and catalyst for innovative approaches to improving the quality of life in Seeley Lake. The SLCF awards small grants of up to $2,500 once per year, due at the end of January and...
OVANDO - A reliable source reported that they spotted and even spoke with the elusive Cowboy Claus last week. This source reports that Cowboy Claus is indeed on his way to the Blackfoot Valley hamlet of Ovando. Meteorologists along with astrophysicists have gotten together with area outfitters to determine that the arrival time for Cowboy Claus is predicted to be precisely at 12 p.m. To celebrate the arrival of Cowboy Claus, one day a year, the town of Ovando steps back 150 years to the Old...
Seeley Lake ROCKS' mission "To build healthy children, strong families and vibrant communities through outdoor recreation," has expanded significantly the past two years. Two years ago, ROCKS [Regional Outdoor Center for Kinetic Sports] was known primarily as the group that bought skis for the elementary school and promoted youth XC skiing. Today we have dozens of volunteers also helping with an ice rink at the elementary school and with new multi-use trails above Placid Lake. COMMUNITY ICE...
SEELEY LAKE – For Sam Olinger and Janet Price no job is too small if it helps out their neighbor. Owners of Seeley Residential Services, LLC, based out of Seeley Lake, say their goal is to offer a quality service with reasonable rates that provides assistance with everyday needs and helps whittle down the honey-do list. Olinger and Price moved to Seeley Lake from Missoula in 2016. They loved recreating in the area and decided to move closer to what they call "a little paradise in the woods." "...
SWAN VALLEY – The Swan Valley School Board approved the Swan Valley Elementary School Strategic Plan and reviewed their evaluations at their monthly meeting Nov. 20. They also unanimously approved increasing Principal Ralph King’s position from one day a week to two days a week for the rest of the school year. The board has been conducting annual evaluations since they adopted the Strategic Plan in February of 2015. The Strategic Plan is one of three documents that the School board uses to provide direction and governance for the school. The...
MISSOULA – On Nov. 21, the Bureau of Land Management's Missoula Field Office preserved public access by acquiring 7,268 acres of land in the Blackfoot River Corridor. Using Sportsman's Access funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the acquisition from The Nature Conservancy is helping stitch together what had been a patchwork of interspersed public and private land. The Belmont Creek acquisition, located 25 miles northeast of Missoula, was part of 117,000 acres purchased by T...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary School board plans to undertake the creation of a strategic plan for the school in the coming months. They voted at their Nov. 19 meeting to hire Dr. Daniel Farr to help with the process. Farr came highly recommended by SLE Superintendent Daniel Schrock who worked with Farr on a strategic plan at his last school. Farr is an educational consultant with 34 years of experience in public education in Montana. He had a wide range of positions including counselor, science teacher, coach, curriculum d...
SEELEY LAKE - A frequent complaint to Fish, Wildlife and Parks this time of year centers on carcasses dumped after someone has removed the meat. Not only does the carcass look unappealing and stink, dumping carcasses has been known to spread chronic wasting disease (CWD) and attract predators including bears and mountain lions. Further, it is illegal to dump animal remains on state and federal land. Region 2 Wildlife Program Manager Mike Thompson wrote in an email that moving carcasses from...
On Nov. 10, Wild Skies Raptor Center in Potomac admitted an adult Golden Eagle with the classic symptoms of lead poisoning. The bird's talons were clenched and its wings drooped to the floor. His blood hardly had enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to keep him alive. Brooke Tanner, one of the rehabilitators, analyzed the eagle's blood and found lead concentrations beyond what her instrument could measure. Despite attempts to save him, the eagle died 36 hours later. About three weeks before th...
SEELEY LAKE - Carol Gladys Brodie died Nov. 3 at her home in Montana after a brief illness. She was an extraordinary mother, grandmother, wife and friend and the world is less without her. Carol was born in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, Nov. 11, 1939, to Les and Marion Ortler. She had two younger brothers Jim and Tom. Carol treasured her early summers spent on Bay Lake outside of Minneapolis where she ran free – swimming and boating and getting into wonderful adolescent mischief. She cherished her t...
The aim of all gospel learning and teaching is to deepen our conversion and help us become more like Jesus Christ. For this reason, when we study the gospel, we’re not just looking for new information; we want to become a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This means relying on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to help us change our hearts, our views, our actions and our very natures. But the kind of gospel learning that strengthens our faith and leads to the miracle of conversion doesn’t happen all at once. It extends beyond a classro...
POTOMAC - Around the school block and past the horse and cattle pastures Potomac School students rode skateboards, bikes, rollerblades, scooters, a pogo stick, walked, ran and hopped their way through the annual Bike-a-thon fundraiser Oct. 16. For more than five years, Free Cycles of Missoula once again made their way to Potomac for the annual Bike-a-thon. Director Bob Giordano brought staff with him to assist and cheer on the student bikers. His professional work area is usually busy during the...
First annual SLE Pajama/Book Drive SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake Elementary staff and students are collecting new pajamas, new or gently used books or monetary donations to help children in need. Donations can be dropped off at the SLE Office or with kindergarten through third grade teachers. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 16. They will be delivered to Sparrow’s Vine, Watsons Children’s Shelter, Mountain Home and the Ronald McDonald House. Santa comes to Seeley Lake, Dec. 3 SEELEY LAKE - Santa Claus is stopping in Seeley Lake Tuesday, Dec....
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe (CSKT) Water Compact took over a decade to negotiate with water users on and off with the CSKT nation. The CSKT will protect the rights of water users across Montana. It passed the Montana Legislature with bipartisan support and was signed by the governor in 2015. All major ag organizations support the CSKT. The first letter I sent as President of Montana Farmers Union was to Senator Daines asking him to reintroduce the CSKT Water Compact. Senator Tester had introduced the CSKT Water Compact to the Sen...
Montanans, it’s time to pay attention. In 2020, the person we elect to be our next governor will determine the fate of our public lands. On the ballot for governor of the state of Montana next year is mega-millionaire Greg Gianforte. He’s already run for governor once, and lost—in part because of his disastrous record on public lands. Before Gianforte ran for office, he was best known as a rich out-of-stater from New Jersey who sued the people of Montana in 2009 in an attempt to block Montanans from accessing a public river next to his prope...
