Sorted by date Results 791 - 815 of 1183
MISSOULA - Count me as a proud supporter of Josh Slotnick for Missoula County Commissioner. For 20 years we have worked together improving and expanding Garden City Harvest and raising kids who have been friends since preschool. I know Josh to be incredibly principled, inquisitive, thoughtful and innovative. He seeks input and is not afraid to make difficult decisions. He is the kind of leader we need. He has shown his longtime concern on issues like affordable housing as a Homeword board member and grappled with development issues on the...
MISSOULA - Jean Curtiss has always fought for our community and we’re sounding the alarm that we need to fight for her too. Recently, we were at a Target Range candidates forum and Jean’s opponent suggested that the job of the Missoula County Commissioner is to oversee the judicial system. That’s actually the one area of county government that our commissioners do NOT oversee. We are also very concerned that it appears Josh Slotnick is taking stances on issues without even bothering to review scientific studies prepared for the county befor...
I hear that Matt Rosendale turned down a state pay raise from the state of Montana. Of course any other multi millionaires working for the state probably would have also. Nice political ploy Matt. Now you can mention this gracious move on your part in your political ads. Actually I am supporting the only non-millionaire running for the U.S. Senate. That of course would be my fellow veteran Dr. Al Oslzewski....
SEELEY LAKE - The Fire Service is an ever changing dynamic. If you don’t take the time to train and take classes, whether as a volunteer member or a trustee (and yes there are classes for trustees offered by the state), then you become complacent. I know what it takes to do the job as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I’ve been in burning houses, on the medical calls where loved ones were lost and at the motor vehicle accidents where the person is scared and needs a hand to hold. I know what it takes and what is needed to do the job. I have gon...
SEELEY LAKE - The new candidates for membership on the Board of Directors of the Seeley Lake Sewer District have indicated their desire to serve. I doubt service is their true intention. Bubbling up between their claims of bringing transparency, a new perspective and other seemingly laudable traits is the obvious intent to destroy from within that which they were unsuccessful in sabotaging before. Colleen Krause put it well, “The top priority for these three candidates is not to immediately [underline added] reject the sewer. Their key focus w...
I have known and admired Cecil for almost 20 years. His has been an amazing personal journey, starting with growing up in an Amish community in Ohio, where he was forced to quit school after eighth grade to work on the family farm. At the age of 18, he left and set out for the west to seek a wider world and determined to enrich his education. He settled in Montana where he worked as a guide for two outfitters, while earning his GED, then getting two BA’s – in history and English. He will graduate this spring with a Master’s Degree in Educa...
The upcoming primary election for House District 92 has three candidates for the Republican ticket, two of which are excellently qualified to be your Representatives: “DJ” Derek Smith and myself Larry Dunham. We are both Conservative Republicans with a firm belief in encouraging and protecting the economy of our district and that of Montana as a whole. The current Representative Mike Hopkins’ voting record has shown him to be a weak and liberal leaning Republican. I firmly believe that he has shown his colors and we need to replace him and t...
Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of walking Housing District 92, listening first and speaking only when asked as I’ve met the great residents here. I have been encouraged by the people of this valley and their resilience to keep fighting for their way of life that they love and cherish. What we have in our community is unique and was built by the generations before us through hard work and can-do attitude. The hard decisions they made still linger today and we are grateful for what they have left us. As Republicans we are f...
Dear Community of Seeley Lake, SEELEY LAKE - Ballots for the election for Board of Trustees at Seeley Rural Fire Department have been mailed and the voting deadline is fast approaching on May 8th. I would love for you to consider me for this board position. I would be delighted to contribute my time and fresh perspective to this board. I’d consider it a privilege and honor to volunteer on this board, as an advocate for those who serve us. I have a passion for people in this community and desire to offer my abilities in research, finances, c...
SEELEY LAKE - Mr. Spence hit the nail on the head. There is a lot of false information regarding the sewer and his article in the April 26th Letters to the Editor is a prime example. His first question is “How is that [Placid Lake algae bloom] possibly caused by Seeley Lake septic systems?” No one who reads and writes English could honestly misinterpret my comments to make that claim. But those are Mr. Spence’s own words that, I believe, are meant to intentionally deceive the readers of this newspaper and the voters within the Sewer Distr...
I am writing this letter to encourage citizens of House District 92 to vote for Duane “Cecil” Schlabach as our representative in the June 5th election. Cecil is both a hunter and an outdoorsman who recognizes the importance of keeping public lands public. Cecil’s knowledge of public lands doesn’t just come from some random bullet points or having areas pointed out on a map. Duane “Cecil” Schlabach has done ranch work that has included extensive horse packing into the Bob Marshall. He’s additionally hiked and hunted on public lands. He’s s...
MISSOULA - Too often we get swept up in the desire for the new and different instead of appreciating what we already have. This is especially true at political campaign time. This spring’s race for Missoula County Commissioner is a tough choice because we have two great candidates running. I hope all voters learn as much as they can and make considered choices. I’m sticking with the woman who has been there for us all along. Jean Curtiss and I have not always agreed but she has always kept her door and her mind open. In a divided world, lea...
MISSOULA - I was pleased to learn that the Missoula County Democrats (MCD) endorsed T.J. McDermott in the primary race for Missoula County Sheriff. McDermott is the only candidate in the race to receive the Democratic endorsement. In addition to the MCD’s endorsement, TJ is endorsed by former Sheriff Doug Chase, Mayor Engen and Missoula County Commissioner Cola Rowley. There are many reasons why McDermott has won such a breadth of endorsements. McDermott showed true leadership in promoting and implementing the Missoula City-County Jail D...
While Senator Jon Tester is not the first Senator who lied for money and power, he has recently moved to the top of the political food chain, bringing shame to our magnificent state. The big money lie he continues to promote is Senate Bill 3013, the CSKT Water Compact. His bill substantially amplified and expanded tribal authority, added multi-millions to the Compact, and is filled to the brim with illegalities and has been shoved down the throats of 360,000 Montanans in 11 Western counties. And if re-elected Tester has promised to resubmit...
SEELEY LAKE - Job well done Seeley Lake Fire Department Interim Chief Michael Greer and a big thank you. It takes a special person to step up to the plate and do what you did with the fire department. Job well done, well done. And I want to urge Seeley to vote with me for Connie Clark and Gary Lewis for the Seeley Lake Fire Board of Trustees....
I read Mr. Doug Anderson’s letter concerning the proposed Swan Mountain subdivision and the fact that its location preempts its inclusion in Missoula County’s permit system. If I understand him correctly, this fact will cause great harm to first responders in the future, due to shoddy construction. Mr. Anderson states that after 2006, when the building permit system was implemented countywide, thanks to this much needed program, buildings are safer and the result is less demand on first responders. That may or may not be true. We have a ten...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake is very fortunate to have three new people who are interested in running for the Sewer Board. They are Beth Hutchinson, Troy Spence and Juli Cole. The top priority for these three candidates is not to immediately reject the sewer. Their key focus will be on reevaluating all wastewater treatment options and greatly improving communications with the district. There are several issues that they will address if elected to the board. One of their main concerns is that many of the constituents in Phase I will be forced into...
Dear Citizens of House District 92, You can count on Duane “Cecil” Schlabach to be a representative who will pour his heart and soul into his duties. He has integrity, humor, a solid work ethic, a caring heart for Montana and its people and a wealth of knowledge and experience. I hope you take time to vote for him in the upcoming primary election June 5th. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Cecil at Seeley Lake Elementary since 2011, when he became the junior high civics, history and English teacher. He has excellent rapport with...
When we first came to Seeley Lake in the late 1990’s, there was much discussion about the sewer system. We were interested in the future planning for this community and went to the Missoula County Office and obtained a Seeley Lake Comprehensive Plan Amendment. This was adopted by the County Board of Commissioners and the Seeley Lake Community Council on May 10, 1989. This amendment, “was an effort by the people of the Seeley Lake Area to outline the direction in which they wish their community to go and to set specific goals for acc...
SEELEY LAKE - The more the sewer is the topic, the more false information is surfacing. First of all, regarding Joann Wallenburn’s letter in the April 19 issue of the Pathfinder. I would like to ask her to support her facts on the Placid Lake algae bloom. How is that possibly caused by Seeley Lake septic systems? And in reference to Wallenburn’s comment on the Salmon Lake algae bloom, since Placid Lake is upstream from Salmon Lake, wouldn’t it be logical to say maybe Placid has leaking septics or some DNRC lots on the Clearwater have issue...
SEELEY LAKE - There is not enough space in this column to list all the accomplishments and dedication to our community of these five outstanding people, which have already been documented on these pages last week. Suffice it to say that they all have devoted many hours, days and years in their respective offices skillfully and that there is no substitute for solid long-term experience and knowledge. Add that we would be throwing away about $8 million in federal grants if we were to elect the wrong people to the Sewer Board and the decision...
SEELEY LAKE - Finally, after more than two decades of effort by many members of the sewer board and managers, we now have a solid plan and funding in place for a sewer system in Seeley Lake. I can only express my heartfelt thanks to all who have tirelessly pursued the goal of bringing this to pass. The board has done a great job and, in my opinion, there are NO better or more cost-effective systems. These have all been considered and found wanting. Now is NOT the time to change hands on the board, exchanging knowledge, understanding and...
SEELEY LAKE - When long-term, costly decisions are being made, you— the voters— deserve to be given reliable information. Getting such information from the current Seeley Lake Sewer Trustees has been and continues to be virtually impossible. When incumbents spoke at the candidates’ forum, they continued to demonstrate their inability to serve us well. Asked about what might be reasonable sewer rates, they each waffled in different directions. According to earlier, formal board and general manager-released figures for debt (+/- $55) and opera...
Most data is obtained legally, with your consent. But many times you don’t recognize when you are providing your information. There are many steps you can take to help protect your privacy. Here are a few more that are driven by the upcoming election cycle: • Stop filling out political surveys you get in the mail or over the phone. No matter what they say or imply, those surveys are not directing the actions of any organization. Organizations have boards, funders or founders that determine organizational goals. • Stop taking online quizz...
SEELEY LAKE - Last week Seeley Lake hosted two candidate forums at our Community Hall. The Seeley Lake Community Council offered a great service for the community and they did it very professionally. One of Klaus von Stutterheim’s super powers is acting as MC for these events. It’s a lot of work to orchestrate such an event, with much contact back and forth between here and the candidates to coordinate. Then there is the setup and breakdown of the hall for the events. I understand that all but four of the candidates accepted the invitation to...
