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Well, the Montana Legislature is in session, and some of the bills put forward are pretty strange. It is easy to go to leg.mt.gov and let your opinion be known. Go to HOME and choose Send a Web Message to Legislator/Committee...then just follow instructions. Here is one of mine. I am going to post them in case anyone wants to use them as a skeleton for another letter. You can also leave comments at https://legiscan.com I am opposed to HB121, which would require elected officials to approve local health board and officer actions. This bill...
Senator Steve Daines and Representative Matt Rosendale need to be held accountable for their blatant and un-democratic support for the insurrection at our nation’s capital this week. Please speak out. Please contact them via phone, email or letter. Steve Daines, shame on you. Own up to the lies you have encouraged and the consequences you have helped to foment. The election was not rigged, the process was valid, the people voted and now it is time for you to get to work. Apologize to Montanans, and to Americans for your complicity and blind s...
The events of the past week in Washington DC, where rioters invaded the Capitol yelling “Hang Pence” are inexcusable. The elected officials that supported these events included elected officials from Montana. If we let them remain in Congress, we tell every veteran and every family of every veteran, that Democracy does not matter. Do we really want to do that? Montanans need to stand together. Officials, elected here, need to know that we value democracy, their oath to protect democracy matters, and we expect them to do the right thing and res...
To quote board publications, “The Seeley Lake Missoula Country Sewer District Board of Directors adopted Resolution #11192020, calling for a bond election on Feb. 23, 2021, by mail ballot asking the qualified electors in the District to approve a General Obligation Bond to finance a portion of the costs of the treatment plant and associated infrastructure and a Revenue Bond to finance a portion of the cost of the Phase 1 collection system. These bonds will replace the Assessment Bond methodology authorized through the Notice and Protest p...
Most Montanans have suffered losses from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve shipped cattle at low prices, our fairgrounds have taken hits of hundreds of thousands of dollars and restaurants have closed. Our hospitals continue to incur significant financial losses to care for patients while overextending health care workers. Most of us will not be able to make up the setbacks we’ve experienced in the last year. In contrast, the largest monopoly corporations in Montana want to benefit from the pandemic. NorthWestern Ene...
SEELEY LAKE - Another lawsuit in the mix may be the last thing the village of Seeley needs to make sense of what is already a train wreck of a process to decide on the sewer. If, after decades of public discussion, we’re still fighting about it, that alone seems a good reason to put this project on the shelf…or come up with a plan than has solid community support. This one doesn’t have it....
Senator Steve Daines is one of 12 senators who have decided your vote doesn’t count. Those officials, led by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, have organized to protest Joe Biden’s victory and are making a futile effort to unseat the President-elect. By this action Senator Daines is ignoring the Constitution he has sworn to uphold. While most of us democrats have long-felt a vote for Mr. Daines is wasted, this new twist suggests these officials are telling you ALSO, your vote doesn’t matter. To hell with the will of the people. Makes you wonder where...
LOCAL SEELEY LAKE BUSINESSMEN ARE SUING THE SEELEY LAKE SEWER DISTRICT!! As you may already know from the Pathfinder this past week, several of your local businessmen are suing the Seeley Lake Sewer District. Their names and John Does are in last week’s Pathfinder. They are seeking TO FORCE THE DISTRICT TO CONSTRUCT THE PROPOSED SEWER SYSTEM. It is my opinion that they are doing this to benefit themselves, as I know they all own several lots in the sewer district that they probably want to develop. It is also my strong opinion that they d...
It seems that the lies and disinformation from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) keeps getting worse. With China concealing information about the coronavirus, the world has been caught unprepared and it is a threat to everyone on the planet. The CCP's suppression of people who tried to warn the world of its severity is well known. The brutality that China enforces on people who try to tell the truth and make their leaders accountable is also suppressed. People practicing their faith in China, including Christians, Falun Gong practitioners,...
SEELEY LAKE - ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas...’ I would like to begin by wishing each and everyone in the Seeley/Swan area a very safe, relaxing and rejuvenating holiday season. This is a season of giving and receiving. Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church has been involved with the local “Giving Tree” for the past 30+ years. This has allowed us to connect with many families in the area and, hopefully, bring a bit of cheer to them. The “Santa Helper Patrol” has just finished wrapping all of the presents an...
The Federal Government has only the powers specifically enumerated to it...all other powers accrue to the states. That’s the way the U.S. Constitution reads. However we all know, because it controls the big purse strings, the Feds make state and local governments beggar “socialist” states, ready and waiting for the myriad federal aid program handouts. And because the Fed controls these purse strings, it dictates much of what state and local leaders do. Our new Montana leaders, many of whom will take office next month, need to carefully exami...
The following is a poem written by my girlfriend, Jasmine. I wanted to share it as I believe it captures our adventures in and around the beautiful mountains surrounding Seeley Lake, but also is a reminder to stop and look at life from a different perspective. Thomas Beers The Pair That Started Everything By: Jasmine Schreckendgust Awake Dive into you and feel immediate comfort Vast country awaits Each memory starts with you Now begin my gray and blue Take my feet Unwrap this earth Right beneath me Each step unravels The First True Test Open th...
Randy Newberg doesn’t carry a sidearm. Clocking some 100 days every year exploring the unbound—and often bear-laden—pockets of the American landscape, Newberg says when it comes to a bear attack, he’d leave his trust in an aerosol rather than a piece of lead. It’s a personal decision, one that is the right of each individual who steps foot in the woods, but for Newberg, carrying bear spray is a no-brainer. Newberg is a hunter who calls Bozeman, Montana his home. He is the producer of two popular TV shows, “Fresh Tracks” and “On Your Own Advent...
Many of you know that I’m a veterinarian. My husband Alistair is a family physician working on the front lines at a walk-in/urgent care clinic in downtown Bismarck, North Dakota. He has been one of five doctors doing the majority of COVID testing there since this pandemic took hold and sees 50-80 patients a day. We are also both from Canada and our connections there are going through a nightmare right now. With my epidemiology and Alistair’s microbiology backgrounds we hope to put some facts into perspective regarding the upcoming holiday seaso...
Dear friends, thank you for electing me to represent you as the next Montana State Senator for District 46. I am grateful beyond words for your support. My opponent Niki Sardot, ran a fair and civilized race. Niki graciously reached out to me in congratulations, it was a class act. I’m relieved, grateful, honored and ready to get to work. Mostly however, I recognize that we are a nation divided. Let’s look for the good in others, help out when we can, smile and give a wave to our neighbors. It’s so simple, but so urgently needed right now....
The Seeley-Swan, and Montana generally, stayed red this past election cycle. What are the messages in this continued move to the right? Voters are apparently demanding less government, less in-your-face regulation and permitting, lower taxes and, presumably, fewer government “services.” That might even go as far as reduced funding for public education, welfare assistance and environmental protection programs. So, now that we have a Republican governor, a republican legislature and we have re-elected Republican Mike Hopkins to represent us up...
Isn’t it great that Halloween 2020 was last week and not one week ago? Imagine all of those little fairies, goblins and pirates dragging their soggy costumes through 14 inches (I know there are reports of upwards of 20 inches but let’s just settle on 14 inches - that’s enough for October) of October snow. Those adorable “Halloweeners” would be wallowing through Seeley Lake’s “entry into winter” and slowly dragging their costumed selves through the slop and making their way to the next “trick or treat” location. We would like to thank all t...
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is not widely understood, but it is very important, because it sets the rates that we pay for utilities, like electricity, etc. The current Commission takes its marching orders from the utilities which they are supposed to regulate, and they do it with no regard for us, the end customers. MONICA TRANEL is one of the most extraordinary people I have met. Competing twice in the Olympics, Monica won a World Championship Gold for the U.S. Women’s Rowing Team, taking three Silvers and picking up a Bronze. She i...
Have you noticed the political foes who spread rhetoric accusing me of supposedly horrible things never provide any evidence? If I had actually advocated the outlandish things they claim, where is the quote? Afterall, I’ve made hundreds of social media posts, written dozens of op-eds, given presentations all over the country (which are video recorded and posted on the internet), given dozens of media interviews, spoken on the record during legislative hearings at least 1,000 times and released thousands of requested emails. If I had said anythi...
For those voters who worry about Montana becoming a socialist state, you’re too late. Montana already IS a welfare state. We get more back in federal payments than we pay out to the federal government in taxes. The Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, unemployment insurance and the Federal highway programs are just a few of the many federal programs we enjoy. And the CRP, crop rotation program that pays farmers to NOT produce, is one of the biggest welfare scams in the country. Think about that!...
In this time of political division, pandemic and economic stress, we need something upon which we can all agree. Montanans all agree that we love our last best place. We all want to keep it that way. To that end, supporting our economy and keeping our natural resources pristine at the same time is paramount. That is why we are endorsing Monica Tranel for PSC. The Public Service Commission should keep the interests of Montanans at the forefront. This means that we should promote allowing farmers and ranchers to retain their land and generate ren...
We hear again about the availability of the public lands for use by the owners of that land ––the PUBLIC. Both candidates for Montana Senate seat indicate they feel public lands need to be open to the public. Who exactly are they talking about? The term public to me tends to be inclusive and not exclusive. The Bob Marshall Wilderness is considered by many to be “public” lands. The Bob Marshall is classified to be public but that is not really true. The elderly and handicapped (27% of the public) are categorically denied access to the Wildern...
Here is how I am voting: Judges, Propositions and Public Service Commission: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot-part1.pdf Five candidates: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot-part2.pdf My ballot: http://kvs.org/vote/ballot2020.pdf U.S. Senator: STEVE BULLOCK has done an outstanding job in difficult times. He expanded healthcare to 90,000 Montanans and kept rural hospitals open, balanced the budget and saved $60 million in our rainy day fund. His opponent takes credit for legislation he opposed, which passed anyway. He consistently votes against Montanans...
It is the harvest season, and a lot of living things, especially grizzly bears, have their minds on food. In the case of grizzly bears, the only thing they think about right now is food. While they think about food, I think about garbage. I work for the Living with Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with Flathead National Forest. I serve as the Swan Valley bear ranger, assisted by a dozen volunteers. We talk to campground visitors about grizzlies and garbage. Following last Sunday’s airing of “Coexisting with Grizzlies” on CBS 60 Minut...
I found the letter to the Pathfinder titled “Vote like life depends on it” interesting and I thank the Pathfinder for printing the varied views of the community. I do have several concerns about the view expressed. First, the author’s view is based on her Christian belief. As most of you are aware, our country was founded on the idea of the separation of church and state. Mostly this was out of concern that people did not want the state messing with their religious freedoms. I believe turnabout is fair play. Why should a church be able to ge...
