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INTEREST RATES, CASH AND BUYER CONFIDENCE Thirty-year mortgage rates have more than doubled this year, and after running up above 7%, now have settled out around 6.5%, and 15-year rates are currently at 5.95%. Compared to prior decades current mortgage rates are good, however over the past 8 years most homeowners have obtained new mortgages with 3 to 4% interest rates, and many have been unwilling to sell their current home and give up their 3% mortgage rate and move on to a new home with a 6.5% interest rate. This has resulted in less homes...
Twenty Years Ago... Thursday, May 15, 2003 Over a year of work by area volunteers was rewarded last Thursday, May 8, with the delivery of a "para-transit" bus to the Seeley Lake Senior Citizens Center. Numerous volunteers were present to accept and inspect the red, white and blue bus, named "SEELEY-SWAN STAGE'" This bus will provide transportation for persons with disabilities and aged persons in the Seeley Lake and Condon area (roughly, both sides of Highway 83 from Highway 200 to mile marker... Full story
Where I’m from we don’t really have any public lands. Much like Europe, New England is all privately owned. The 300 years of land purchasing, developing, and trading has left little unclaimed by some entity or individual. The American East, and especially the colonial region known as New England, has been a part of this nation since long before the concept of communal land occurred to the European settlers. My hometown of Proctor, was originally called Southerland Falls but was renamed when it was purchased by the Proctor family with the int...
Time to act! Update on the current situation regarding the purchase of Holland Lake Lodge, Swan Valley by POWDR Corporation proposing a destination resort. A critical and crucial US Forest Service decision on this public land use is about to be made. What can you do? Be bothered! Be upset! Be vocal! Reminder! Swan Valley, Montana is a small community situated in the middle of public lands and two wilderness areas. Over the past 40 years, there has been extensive work by property owners, timber companies, conservation groups and the USFS to...
Thirty-five years ago in 1988... Thursday, May 5, 1988 Boys State delegates chosen Every year high schools throughout the state choose two junior boys from their school to represent them at Boys State. This year it will be held in Dillon from June 12-18. Chosen to represent Seeley-Swan High School at Boys State this year will be Dustin Gordon, son of Les and Gayle Gordon and Ron Gossard, son of Boyd and Pat Gossard. The purpose of Boys State is to teach these youth about state government. To...
George N. McCabe was born on December 25, 1930, in Great Falls, MT to George N. McCabe, Sr. and Helen Florence O'Day McCabe. He was raised in Cut Bank, MT. He was an accomplished musician, playing the trumpet and saxophone. He played in the high school band. On weekends, he played in Cut Bank dinner clubs with his own band. He graduated high school as the Valedictorian in 1949. After graduating, George attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. He was a member of the Army ROTC. After 3 years... Full story
The grass getting green, the sun parting the clouds, temperatures becoming comfortable, and pollen tickling noses can only mean one thing: spring burn season is upon us! Spring is not only one of Montana’s many wonders, but it is also the best time to collect and burn yard debris before summer takes us into fire season. Spring burn permits may seem like a hassle or headache, but they are required for the debris burn period of March 1st to August 31st. Let this be your guide to applying for, paying, and activating your permits while m... Full story
At the Swan Valley Community Council meeting on April 18, and Librarian Jenny Kauffman presented some updates on services available at the Swan Valley Community Library. The Library which is attached to the Swan Valley Community Hall in Condon is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of every week. The shelves are stocked with books, both classic and contemporary, but the library has access to many more books through the inter-library loan system. “We do have a large collection of nonfiction and fiction books for adults and children and we can a...
Hunter's education teacher Ron Ream, of Condon, was recently recognized by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks(FWP) for 15 years of teaching the youth of South Dakota and Montana. "I enjoy teaching our younger generation and appreciate those who carry on our traditions," Ream said. "I enjoy sharing my experiences, in hopes I will influence young hunters to make good ethical decisions and to always be safe when out in our beautiful outdoors." Ream got hooked on bowhunting while on a trip to...
Jay William Lapka passed away on April 11, 2023 at 64 years of age. He died at home with his family . He was born on October 4, 1958, in Leola, South Dakota to George and Leona Lapka. Jay was born with Downs Syndrome. He did go to a school in Aberdeen for a while but Jay was not meant to be a scholar. When he was eleven he moved with his family to Montana. It was there in the Swan Valley that his brother John taught him to chop wood. He became a champion wood chopper. He was still chopping wood... Full story
Pathfinder Archives April 20, 2023 1988 Highway 83 Widening Being Planned If all goes well, starting about 1993 much of Highway 83 will be widened from its current 24 feet to 28 feet (two 12-foot lanes and two 2-foot shoulders), According to Bob Lajoie of the state highway department, four separate projects are being considered for widening the highway. If completed, the projects would result in a 65-mile continuous stretch of widened roadway, starting at Clearwater Junction. Company's... Full story
CONDON- April 5 brought snow showers, but despite the reluctance of spring to come around the Swan Valley Connections hosted their annual Spring Bear Wake Up Social- a potluck and presentation on the local bear population. Birdfeeders, outdoor pet shelters, gardens, and livestock can all attract the attention of a bear as it passes through, but in recent years the main concern for bear management has become chicken coops. "Chickens are the new trash," has become a kind of catch-phrase for the...
To The Owners and Editors of The Seeley Swan Pathfinder: In the March 30, 2023 issue in the archives section you include the story of Kerry and Stacy Good. This was not only distasteful and cruel, it shows a true lack of journalist research. With just a few clicks on your keyboard your team would have found that this family has had its share of tragedy. They have risen from that part of their history. If you need to be educated I will take this opportunity to do so. Stacy Good, mentioned in the article, was killed along with three of her... Full story
26 SOS Levy Fails A proposed mill levy which would have raised approximately $15,690 for the SOS Hospital District over the next two years failed during local elections last Tuesday. Seeley Lake residents approved the levy by a vote of 98 to 56. Swan Valley and Sunset (Greenough) area voters, however, defeated the levy by a wide margin. Total votes for the entire district (Seeley Lake, Swan Valley and Sunset combined) were 161 for and 172 against the levy. Joe Anders, New Chairman At Seeley...
Pathfinder Archives April 6, 2023 Montana Outfitters Host Retreat Montana Outfitters and Guides Association leaders held a long range planning retreat at the Foxwood lnn at White Sulphur Springs last weekend. Directors, officers and chairpersons emphasized Montana's oldest industries commitment to protecting our resources and the outfitters positive impact on the state's economy. Local outfitter Jack Rich and his wife Belinda attended the retreat to represent their district, as Jack is on the... Full story
The Montana Department of Transportation hosted an open house for public comment and questions about the upcoming Highway 83 construction at Salmon Lake. Engineers for MDT and Kiewit were present to explain what work is planned for the two-lane route that snakes along the hill ridge next to the lake. The proposed work is only a small part of a large plan to renovate major roads in the area, and because of a prolonged winter it's already facing probable delays. "We hope to get in there [at the]...
Between the winter thaw and the summer sun there arrives two annual influxes of new area residents. The beach-lounging lake crowd, and the bears. This late winter has kept both populations away, but recent weeks has seen the beginning of bear movement in the area, and while most of the collared grizzlies haven’t ventured far it’s only a short matter of time before they start leaving their winter dens and exploring the same areas that humans inhabit and enjoy. “I’ve got four radio collars that are out of the den,” said Erik Wenum, Fish, Par...
CONDON- The Swan Valley Community Council met on March 21 to discuss federal funding for bridge repair, bear news, Alpine Artisans summer events, National Forest updates and Holland Lake. Missoula County has requested permission from the Condon town council to apply for federal funds to repair the Cold Creek bridge through the Federal Land Access Program. (FLAP) If the council consents to the application then the county would submit for funding which can be used to repair the bridge but not other projects. The only objection came from Brian...
Pathfinder Archives March 23 Issue Drug Bust Nets $60,000 Worth of Marijuana Missoula County law enforcement officers confiscated 44 mature marijuana plants from a Lindbergh Lake residence Tuesday. Captain Larry Weatherman, Missoula County Sheriff's Department, said that the marijuana plants, along with "six or eight" pounds of dried marijuana, has an estimated street value of about $60,000. A Swan Valley man was arrested and taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the case. Weatherman...
Dear Editor, As more information has come to light through the efforts of Save Holland Lake, a few key pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place. I’ve been pondering why the Flathead National Forest (FNF) would push such a widely unpopular expansion project. Now, after reading recent publications, I have a few ideas of why. FNF gets to unload a failing septic treatment system into private hands. Essentially flushing the decades of regulatory failure down the toilet without the public realizing a thing, until now. It seems to me they failed t...
Kenneth Lewis Ashcroft, 32, of Seeley Lake, passed away suddenly, unexpectedly and certainly without permission, in his home on Friday, March 3rd. Kenny was taken from us much too soon. He was born August 1, 1990, in Missoula, MT to Rene Lewis Ashcroft and Jerry Ashcroft of Seeley Lake. Kenny grew up in Seeley Lake and graduated from Seeley Swan High School in 2008. Kenny had a variety of jobs in Seeley after high school, including spending a brief time in California. Then he landed his perfect... Full story
Pathfinder Archives, March 16, 2023 1988 Local Skiers Compete In Yellowstone Rendezvous On March 5th, the final marathon in this area began with a mass start of 334 cross-country skiers competing in the 50-kilometer and 25-kilometer races. There were seventeen states represented and three other countries: Australia, France and British Columbia, Canada. Honored as the only participant to have competed in all 9 Rendezvous. Ernie Lundberg, Seeley Lake, 3:04:24, 13th in 35-39 division, 71st overall in mens. George Gearhart, Seeley lake, 3:05:57,...
Last month, Patrick Jones of Seeley Lake was awarded his black belt in taekwondo at the Missoula Taekwondo Center. The ceremony marked a height of achievement, nine years in the making. Earning a belt in taekwondo is a test of self discipline and dedication for anyone, but for Jones, who has Down syndrome, it's an even greater testament to perseverance. "He loved it from the very first time he went," said Jones' mother Mary Lynne Jones. "A lot of people go 'okay, yeah, he's got Down syndrome. So...
Completing a Girl Scout project to replace the Condon Community Sports Court in 2022 earned Isabella Cruz her first Gold Award from Girl Scouts. The Gold Award is the highest honor and only 5.4% of Girl Scouts complete it. She completed a second Gold Award in October 2022 and will be recognized with the Congressional Gold Medal this spring. "While finishing the Condon Community Sports Court, her best friends had some very scary experiences," said Patricia Cruz, Isabella's mother. "Isabella...
Pathfinder Archives March 9, 2023 1988 Ranger Pushes For New Era In Timber Dennis Johnson is becoming concerned by the cumulative impacts of timber harvest in the Seeley Swan Valley. Johnson, district ranger for Seeley Lake, made his concerns known at last week's meeting of the Wilderness Sportsman's Club. Citing the impact of overcutting in certain areas, Johnson said, "The watershed has the greatest potential for disaster. We're not worried about catastrophic rain...we're worried about normal...
