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I would like to echo C. Burt Caldwell’s endorsement of Sen. Jon Tester in his July 25 letter to the editor in the Pathfinder. Sen. Tester has consistently demonstrated he is working for all Montanans. That contrasts sharply with Sen. Steve Daines who is highly partisan and is in fact a leader of the Republican National Committee. His first loyalty seems to be with his party. Our congressional representatives, Rep. Ryan Zinke and Rep. Matt Rosendale are junior senators who don’t seem to be accomplishing much at all, despite the fact they are...
We are issuing this joint statement because it has come to our attention that political signs educating House District 92 voters of our candidacies have been removed or defaced. These unfortunate acts affect both our efforts and, though small in number, they extend across the whole district from the Rattlesnake neighborhood to Condon. Though we differ on specific legislative priorities and policies and describe different visions for the role of state government, we want to speak loudly and clearly on one issue that we agree upon wholeheartedly....
There is a confusion these days about a thing called truth. It is that cliché of, “How can you tell if a politician is lying? Their lips are moving.” But it shouldn’t be that way. Jesus said for us to let your yea be yea and your nay, nay. And anything more is what comes from evil. (Matthew 5:37) Truth has become a relative thing instead of the immutable thing it should be. The day of the scientific method is quickly falling behind us. I have been told many times that whilst I believe something, that it is just “my truth” and it is not for th...
Early this evening the air was pleasant. The air quality index varied between moderate to good - stable enough for Jan to plan ahead, marinate some fresh veggies and chicken chunks for kebabs, throw them on the grill and plan a pleasant outdoor meal. Left in my hands, we'd have eaten cold tuna sandwiches indoors. It's a good thing she's more energetic and playful than I am these days. Smoke gets to me and I become a house-bound creature of dour habits when enough wildfire smoke hangs in the air...
I've been back in the Swan Valley for a little over a week now, having parked the boat in Pasadena, Maryland and prepared it for sale. Naturally, the boat market has completely tanked, with everyone trying to get rid of that impulse-buy boat from the pandemic. We have the preternatural ability to find the bottom of any market when we have something to sell. Our quick response unit in Condon had six medical calls the first four days I was back. The members suggested that I take my black cloud...
Don Larson’s Aug. 15 Pathfinder OpEd concerning Condon jumping ship from Missoula to Lake County being a no-go rings true. A 30-year stint in Seeley Lake left vivid memories of being treated like a red-headed step child by Missoula. Condonites, you have my sympathy. What did not ring true were Larson’s misleading comments concerning CSKT government and tribal membership not paying their fair share into the Lake County tax coffers while enjoying many county services. While up on his soap box, two-county homeowner Larson also took a pot shot at...
Before we were born on earth, we all lived with the Heavenly Father as His spirit children. He presented a plan to help His children learn and grow. Through His plan, we can become more like Him and be worthy to enjoy eternal life. This plan is possible because God’s Son, Jesus Christ, came to earth to suffer for our sins, a sacrifice called the Atonement. God sent us to earth, where we could have a physical body (see Genesis 1:26–27). We needed bodies to help us experience life on earth. God...
These days we're having now, this little tweener season that I call late summer, is one of my favorite times. The heat of summer - and hopefully the fires and their shrouds of smoke - are winding down. Days are getting noticeably shorter and the nights are noticeably cooler. The kids are getting their last lick of vacation in before the start of school. It's 4H animal projects and county fair time, sweet corn fresh from somebody's garden or maybe a roadside stand time, and time to think about...
As the new school year begins, the lack of affordable housing casts a long shadow over Montana’s communities, especially for our teachers and students. The housing crisis is not just an economic issue — it’s a threat to the future of our state and the well-being of our children. The housing crisis hits all of us, but in this back-to-school month, the impact on our teachers and families is in full light. On the trail in western Montana, I met with Seeley Lake’s principal, who told me they had teacher openings with interested candidates, but ther...
Charles Dickens wrote “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” in his novel A Tale of Two Cities. Though the novel is an all-time best seller, I wanted to write to you about redistricting as the common sense conservative candidate for House District 92. HD92 for decades has been one of the last conservative leaning represented areas in Missoula County. It covered exclusively areas outside the city, from Clinton to the Seeley-Swan Valley. Unfortunately, in 2023 the Districting & Apportionment Commission changed that. Areas like See...
I’d like to provide constituents with an update on my legislative activities this summer. Most recently, I chaired the next-to-last legislative Revenue Interim Committee (RIC) meeting to review our state’s financial updates, the Governor’s Property Tax Advisory Committee’s recommendations, the Department of Revenue’s recommended bill drafts generated by that agency’s Land Classification Study Working Group (LCSWG), and finalizing our 2023-2024 Property Tax Modernization Study. The Property Tax Advisory Committee provided a comprehensi...
At first I hated fishing tricos. They were too much of a mystery - not much was written about them then and all I knew about them were things I didn't like. They were too small. There were no standard patterns - that I knew about, anyway - so I had to start from scratch. The trout kept sipping them off the surface with maddening regularity for hours every morning. And when the tricos were on, it was useless to fish with anything else. If I wanted to catch these fish, I'd have to learn more...
This long slow process of the Pyramid Mountain Lumber mill shut down is just heartbreaking. Seeley Lake Community Foundation staff got to be a fly-on-the-wall at the Rapid Response hosted by Missoula Job Service in June, to see if there was any way the SLCF could help during this sad time. This meeting at the Community Hall was set up to get Pyramid employees info on next steps as the layoffs occur this summer. At that meeting, several mill employees asked the Job Service to offer their services...
Montana law states that "it is unlawful for any person to permit any noxious weed to propagate or go to seed on the person's land." It further states that "...any person who adheres to the noxious weed management program of the person's weed management district or has entered into and is in compliance with a noxious weed management agreement" is considered to be in compliance. (Montana Code 7-22-2116 (2023)). Legally, a noxious weed is any plant designated by a Federal, State or county...
Do you own a home and wonder what it’s worth? You can easily look up your address on Zillow and see the estimated value is rapidly rising, translating to more property taxes. Too many Montana families cannot keep up with an annual $249 million property tax increase imposed by Republican Governor Gianforte and his party in the Legislature. Yet, after months of analysis by the Governor’s property tax task force, they recommended a complicated process that will raise our taxes again. Why didn’t they didn’t consider the new taxes they already...
On Sunday, Aug. 4, my husband and I were in a serious accident on Highway 83 north of Seeley Lake. We were towing a fifth wheel and a boat, both which will probably be totaled. Needless to say, we were unbelievably fortunate to not have been injured. We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank everyone who helped us, especially the Swan Valley emergency response team, Missoula highway patrol and Missoula County sheriff. We especially want to thank Bob and Ben at Clearwater Towing, who were exceptional at clearing up the huge...
Does anyone know Where the love of God goes When the waves turn the minutes to hours Those lyrics from Gordon Lightfoot's famous ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" were passing through my mildly seasick brain as the predicted 3-foot waves were clearly significantly higher. Moving our boat from New York City back to Chesapeake Bay involved 122 miles of open North Atlantic Ocean, and I had waited patiently for a benign weather forecast. On the day of departure my many weather apps predict...
“Throughout history, there have been supernatural apparitions and signs that go to the heart of human events and, to the surprise of believers and non-believers alike, play their part in the unfolding of history” (Vatican). If someone predicted future events and said, “I will perform miracles on a certain date to prove my words to be true,” and has 70,000 witnesses, would you believe it? That happened in Fatima, Portugal. The details began in the village of Fatima, Portugal on May 13, 1917. The Blessed Virgin Mary, holding a Rosary, appeare...
The summer reading program finishes Thursday, Aug. 22. Reading logs can be turned in through the end of the day. The grand-prize drawing will be on Monday, Aug. 26. A special thank you to the Ice Cream Place for donating small cones for each kiddo who completes a reading log. This steadfast support for years from the ICP makes the summer reading program such a treat for the kids. Also, thank you to Linda Orr, who donates a blanket with a hand-crocheted border each year for the summer reading...
Throughout the years, the Forest Service has had a lasting impact on the landscape and culture of the upper Swan Valley. Many residents were employed by the Forest Service from the local teenagers on the YACC (Young Adult Conservation Corps) crews, to the seasonal trail crews, fire crews, planting crews, spraying crews, building crews, fire lookouts, to the full-time employees. The Condon Work Center has remained an important part of the fabric of the community. When the Forest Service decided...
You see them everywhere - maybe not in blizzard numbers but usually at least a few - all summer long. They start while salmonflies are on the water in June and they last, most years, well into September, depending on how chilly the nights get. You'll often find more of them clinging to streamside willows and tall grass than you'll see on the water. When they're ready, you'll see the egg-layers flying almost haphazardly over the stream, then dropping to shed their cargo of eggs into rifled...
Saturday Aug. 3 found 147 triathletes preparing to hit the water at River Point Campground. This year’s race had a bit of a twist for the bikers, no Boy Scout Bridge. After a little creative work we came up with a route. Down Boy Scout to Highway 83, down 83 to Riverview Drive, across the Dogtown bridge, turnaround at Snowmass Drive, back across the Dogtown bridge, down our driveway, through the fence, through multiple private yards, across Cabin Lane, down Back Cabin Road to Lars Kramen, to Boy Scout Road and back to the campground. WHEW! I h...
Condon residents unhappy with Missoula County government should consider the real fact Lake County would probably reject their offer to join that county. It would be a far reach for Lake County to offer the required fire, road and other emergency services.It has plenty of problems of its own. I know I now reside in both Missoula and Lake Counties. Because the Tribal government does not pay its full share for government services it enjoys and it recently took the Kerr Dam out of the Lake County tax base, the county government is strapped. A far...
Alpine Artisans would like to give a big shout out of thanks to the Seeley-Swan and Blackfoot Valley communities for making our 24th Loon and Fish Festival a big success! Why do we call it a success? We rely on the sales of raffle tickets to fund our ambitious Youth Grant and Scholarship Fund, which awarded over $5,000 in grants to seven youth grant recipients and three senior scholarship winners in the last year. Next year will be even better. Your support of the raffle this year set a record in sales, enlarging our budget for these youth...
We learn about people in different ways. Some we read about, some we have met in person, and of course in this digital age we meet people virtually. I was a seasonal worker at the Seeley Lake Ranger District in the 1960s, and one person that I knew only by voice over the Forest Service radio was Dorothy Taylor. It seems strange in this day of fire patrol planes to learn that in 1966 the Seeley Lake District alone had four fire lookouts: Falls Point, East Spread, Morrell (built in 1962) and Double Arrow. Dorothy was our Double Arrow lookout...
