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HELMVILLE – Despite nearly half of the Northern Rodeo Association (NRA) rodeos canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Helmville Rodeo Club is looking forward to hosting their 56th annual two-day Labor Day rodeo Sept. 6 and Sept. 7 starting at 1 p.m. both days. Because the NRA finals were canceled, this is the final rodeo in the NRA Tour 2020. The best of the best NRA cowboys and cowgirls are expected to participate as well as local favorites in the mini bull riding, mutton busting and barrel racing. The Club has been busy e...
SEELEY LAKE - Closures are starting to lift on the Forest Services roads around Seeley Lake as work is completed. Dunham Creek Road #4388 is open to the Lodgepole Trailhead just as hunting season opens. The contractor who did the work in Lodgepole Creek moved over into Shanley Creek to open the road from a slide earlier this summer which should be open soon as well. The Upper Cottonwood Road work was completed in July. Morrell Creek is also another area of focus. According to Seeley Lake...
SWAN VALLEY - The Flathead National Forest is seeking public input on a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a 174,000 acre landscape level project to restore forest conditions and reduce fuels in Swan Valley. The purpose of the Mid-Swan Landscape Restoration and Wildland Urban Interface Project (Mid-Swan Project) is two-fold: to restore and maintain key habitat for plant and animal species in light of a changing climate, and to reduce the risk of extreme wildfire adjacent to local communities. “The project is anchored in the e...
MISSOULA – The Missoula Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is scheduled to meet on Sept. 8 at 3 p.m. virtually. The objectives of the meeting are to: • Approve meeting minutes as needed; • Discuss, recommend and approve new Title II projects and hear project proposal presentations as requested by the RAC; • Discuss and make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites located within Missoula County on the Lolo National Forest. At the conclusion of the meeting, the committee will recommend projects for funding under Title II of the Secur...
If the early history of Seeley Lake is intertwined with the lumber industry, the rise of the United States Forest Service is incontrovertibly intertwined with Seeley Lake and in particular with the Big Blackfoot Timber Sale of 1907-1910. Historian and member of the Camp Paxson Preservation Board Gary Williams has been researching that sale. The Seeley Swan Pathfinder will be bringing some of the interesting bits of information he has discovered about logging in the Seeley Lake area and also...
SEELEY LAKE - Walking on the campus of Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, Brian Bennion had the distinct impression, and a really good feeling, that becoming an English teacher would be the best choice for him. "At the time I had been debating what discipline I wanted to teach, but it wasn't until that point in time that I firmly decided to become an English teacher," said Bennion. Bennion is looking forward to bringing his love of learning, reading, research and drama to the classroom...
Seeley Lake Library News SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Library has resumed curbside service and is currently open after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 - 6 p.m. In accordance with local COVID-19 directives, upon arriving at the library, patrons are asked to call 677-8995 to arrange pickup of their items. If driving, library patrons are asked to stay in their vehicles. All items returned curbside or to the book drop will show as “checked out” on user accounts for a while. Items are currently quarantined a minimum of four b...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary School Board approved the re-opening plan for the 2020-2021 school year at their Aug. 17 meeting. SLE will be welcoming all students back to school in person Sept. 8. Families do have the option for 100% remote learning with a deadline to submit the SLE Family Onsite instruction opt-out form to SLE by Aug. 28. The board also received resignation letters from junior high teacher Bridget Laird and sixth grade teacher Sharon Teague. They approved several hires and are still accepting applicants for one c...
SEELEY LAKE – An early morning thunderstorm Aug. 19 was a rude awaking for many in the valley but it proved to be especially rude for the Bertsch family who lives on Boy Scout Road in Seeley Lake. About 15 minutes after a lightning strike shook their house their son received a call from his friend Ben Haley informing them their shop down the road was on fire. Ben and his mom just happened to be driving by around 7:30 a.m. when he spotted what looked like smoke. He kept looking as they drove b...
Carbon County is mostly rural. Coupled with its older population, and considering the current pandemic, social isolation worries Therese Picasso-Edwards. "[Seniors] just didn't feel that they are in the county-wide loop," Picasso-Edwards, the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation program director, said. Carbon County has been working to increase mobility for senior citizens and decrease social isolation after it joined a nationwide age-friendly initiative. The county is one of two localities in...
SEELEY LAKE - At 10 o'clock at night, one member of the Kesterke family mixes together fruits and vegetables to make a healthy "sugar glider salad." The nightly snack is for their small lovable pets, their sugar gliders. They often, like their human counterparts, prefer to eat the fruit over the veggies. When they aren't asleep during the day, these small mammals jump around their cage, take an occasional field trip to explore the house or even spend time with the family in a group tent. "They...
With the uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic brings to returning to school and employment, child care has been a main point of discussion at several school board meetings and the local and state level. There are several resources available to support families, including a grant to help defray the cost of in-home care for those that cannot allow their child to participate in group settings and financial support for child care facilities. Last week ENHANCE released the results of a survey conducted of more than 3,000 Montana residents. ENHANCE... Full story
Montana State Parks is seeking public comment on 25 grant applications for Snowmobile Trail Grooming funds for the 2020-2021 winter season. The Seeley Lake Driftriders are included to receive more than $17,000. Public comment will be accepted through Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. The Montana Snowmobile Program, as administered by Montana State Parks, was established in the early 1970s and is an essential component of both motorized and non-motorized winter recreational activities in the state. Montana’s groomed trails provide important access a...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board had a marathon meeting stretching over four hours on Aug. 20. The board covered many topics ranging from a cash shortfall, potential bond election, mandating hookups, legal bills, water testing results and other regular business. District Manager Jean Curtiss informed the Board that the District has around $34,000 to operate in the coming months after paying this month’s invoices. The first half of this year’s property tax bills are not due until the end of November so the District won’t...
SEELEY LAKE – If you have been out on the lake this summer or plan to hunt this fall, chances are you will have the opportunity to meet the new game warden for the Seeley Lake area. Jake Barzen started as the new game warden in early July following Bill Koppen's retirement last year. Barzen looks forward to getting to know people in the community and working to protect the exceptional resources in the area. "I want folks to be comfortable talking to me so everyone can take part in protecting o...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Aug. 18 meeting, the Seeley Lake Fire Board hosted more than 25 members of the public who voiced their concerns, frustrations and praise for the Department. Prior to opening the meeting for public comment, Board Chair Scott Kennedy read a letter from the board that addressed concerns brought up by Alyssa McLean at the July meeting. Regarding the Fire District employee that contacted McLean’s supervisor, Kennedy said Chief Dave Lane will address the situation since it was a personnel issue. Kennedy said there is no pen...
If the early history of Seeley Lake is intertwined with the lumber industry, the rise of the United States Forest Service is incontrovertibly intertwined with Seeley Lake and in particular with the Big Blackfoot Timber Sale of 1907-1910. Historian and member of the Camp Paxson Preservation Board Gary Williams has been researching that sale. The Seeley Swan Pathfinder will be bringing some of the interesting bits of information he has discovered about logging in the Seeley Lake area and also...
Online courses for hunter and bowhunter education Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is offering online hunter and bowhunter education courses in response to COVID-19. To take the online hunter education courses, Montana students can get the free code by visiting http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/ and select the course you want to take. The online courses, which are developed and administered by the outdoor education company Kalkomey, include text, videos and interactive scenarios to engage students. Students will need to pass a final test to...
Firefighters with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, U.S. Forest Service and volunteers with Greenough/Potomac Volunteer Fire Department responded to a wildland fire burning near Clearwater Junction Monday night just before 6 p.m. The Clearwater Fire was around one acre when resources arrived and there was a live power line down. The fire was controlled just before 9 p.m. All resources were released by 9:30 p.m....
MISSOULA – The Missoula County Public School Board of Trustees approved Superintendent Rob Watson’s recommended reopening plan on a split vote at their Aug. 11 meeting. MCPS schools will reopen Aug. 26 in Phase 1 - Hybrid model and Seeley-Swan High School will reopen Sept. 1 (pending board approval Aug. 20) in Phase 2 – Modified Schedule. Students will also have the option to choose the MCPS Online Academy for 100% remote learning beginning Sept. 8 until the District reaches Phase 3. Watson presented a phased approach for a return to schoo... Full story
SEELEY LAKE – "I've taken a pie to the face, slept on the top of the school roof and was duct tapped to a wall when the students met their goals [for "I Love to Read" month]," said Seeley Lake Elementary's new Superintendent Josh Gibbs smiling at the memories. "I didn't enjoy school and definitely didn't put my best effort in. I understand that school is not everyone's strong suit and I try and reach out to those students and build those connections....It is just those little types of things, no...
SEELEY LAKE – Missoula County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Robert Parcell received the Montana Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association (MSPOA) Distinguished Career Award Aug. 17. He has been with the Missoula County Sheriff's Office for the past 38 and was nominated for the award by Missoula County Sheriff TJ McDermott. "There is not a person more deserving of this award," said McDermott. "Bob has served with honor, integrity and dedication throughout his entire career." Throughout his nearly four d...
As longtime volunteers grow older, many want to take a step back to allow for more travel and leisure time. What will volunteer organizations do to fill the void, and how can we keep older volunteers active? Many communities are struggling to find an answer. Wolf Point's Clint and Arlyss Long have been at the head of a small army of volunteers behind the Wild Horse Stampede, the oldest continuous rodeo in the state of Montana, for nearly 40 years. Along with the many challenges experienced...
Hot, dry conditions continue to dry fuels out, prompting Missoula County fire protection agencies to raise the fire danger in the Missoula area to VERY HIGH, effective midnight Aug. 18. Very high fire danger means that fires start easily from all causes, and immediately spread rapidly and increase quickly in intensity. There are no new fire restrictions at this time and outdoor burning by permit remains closed in Missoula County as well as in our surrounding counties. Residents and visitors are urged to use extra caution when outdoors due to th...
SWAN VALLEY - Flathead National Forest firefighters are working on suppressing a fire in a remote area of the Swan Mountain Range. The Lion Creek Fire was reported Tuesday, Aug. 11, burning in heavy fuels on steep slopes. The lightning caused fire was 110 acres as of Monday, Aug. 17. With the hotter, drier weather, fire managers expect to see more active fire behavior in the coming days. The fire is burning approximately one mile outside the Bob Marshall Wilderness and four miles from other land ownership (DNRC). At 10:50 a.m. Aug. 11, a...
