Sorted by date Results 831 - 855 of 1183
Regarding the Editor’s Note about media coverage of local government meetings on March 15, that was a well-written piece and deeply appreciated. Having served on boards I have seen board members tempted to be secretive and avoid transparency. But in the end, transparency is always better for all involved, including the board members. I’m pleased that most boards in this area are quite open and forthcoming. Only a very few local board folks seem not to understand this. Those paid board administrators and/or elected or appointed board mem...
SEELEY LAKE – As I read the March 22 issue of the Pathfinder, I walk over to the wall and beat my head against it. I am very amazed how a board of individuals that are supposed to be representing the citizens of Seeley Lake have posted false info and did a protest in the middle of winter that was unconstitutional to the voters to try and pass the bonds there. This is very unprofessional and is deceptive practice by giving a number and not being honest to the voting people. The board has no idea of the routes needed for the project. So how c...
“Obfuscation” – to make obscure or unintelligible. Governor Steve Bullock and his party have been considered very environmentally conscious, but it seems they are forging a new direction. North Dakota is not currently allowing the disposal of Bakken Oilfield radioactive or hazardous garbage. But the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is moving briskly to welcome a veritable torrent of those toxic materials to a site near a Sidney subdivision and a rural school. Imagine having your home on a scenic plateau overlooking the Yello...
Russ Fagg is the obvious choice for the US Senate race. He is: • Pro-second amendment, • Pro-education, • Pro-limited government, • Pro-life, • Pro-jobs, and • Pro-balanced budget. Russ will represent our Montana values in DC. He will vote for small businesses, economic growth, and tax cuts. With his background, he understands the importance of upholding the rule of law and is not afraid to make the hard decisions. Russ Fagg is the clear choice for the US Senate. Russ Fagg is the clear choice for Montana....
Wow, Jon Tester’s ads tell us he’s “out of fingers” counting the ways he’s just like Donald Trump. Truth is, he WISHES Montanans would run out of fingers when remembering the times he bowed to Obama, Pelosi, Clinton and Shumer and left Montana stained with his collusion. Jon, some may clutch their noses and swallow the pasty grime that you’re “not finished getting things done for Montana” but the facts are you never started – you didn’t dare! Montanans remember how you voted a straight Democrat Party line and forsook us for party politics on do...
I read about the permitting of commercial mushroom hunters being allowed and possible recruitment of additional law enforcement. I admit to not seeing these commercial mushroom gatherers in action but have witnessed first hand the actions of the wild grape vine harvesters. They come in hoards and strip the forest completely of grape vines. The worst is the trash left in their wake, what were clean logging roads become littered with Styrofoam food boxes, hamburger sacks and beer cans. I suspect it is the same with commercial mushroom hunters (I...
MISSOULA - Missoula County is at a crossroads. The city is in the midst of a building boom, planners forecast 2000 additional city residents annually, and the county confronts increasing recreational and residential subdivision pressure and challenges to rural livelihoods. These trends pose opportunities as well as challenges. If Missoula is to avoid the fate of Boulder, Bend and Bozeman, the county needs affordable housing, living wages and vibrant agriculture, ranching and forestry sectors linked to local use, value-added processing and land...
MISSOULA - I write in support of Josh Slotnick, the Democratic candidate for the Missoula County Board of Commissioners. Josh has been my mentor since I worked at his family farm in 2011, then as a Teaching Assistant and employee at the PEAS Farm. He continues to mentor my work as a beginning farmer and professionally in Missoula’s nonprofit sector. Josh models how to build community for long-term sustainable growth. I experience firsthand his ability to listen respectfully to divergent viewpoints, resulting in constructive and forward-thinking...
It is of utmost importance to the Seeley Lake Rural Fire District and its Board of Trustees that we are not only providing the best emergency services possible to our community, but that the community we serve has faith in the services and the people who provide it! We strive to honor and maintain that faith through rigorous screening of our members and employees as well as providing exceptional training and the best tools possible. It has come to our attention that the credentials of our current Chief, Michael Greer have been called into...
In November Montana voters have an important role to play in giving Republicans a 60 vote majority in the Senate. Since each state gets two Senators one Montana vote is worth 19.85 New York and 39.54 California votes since our population is 1.05 million and those states have 19.85 and 39.54 million people. The last 12 years Senator Jon Tester Democrat has taken it upon himself to give your votes to New York and California. He decided to represent the liberal wing of the Democratic Party not Montana. Chuck Schumer calls the tune and former...
Driving home Saturday, March 17, I spun out maybe 60 yards up my driveway. As I was sliding backward, my vehicle spun sideways and got stuck in that position boxed in by snowbanks. I made a call to Clearwater Towing to get me out. As I was standing outside my vehicle, I noticed a pickup truck coming up my drive. A man, his wife and black lab stopped. “I saw you were in trouble when we were driving by on the highway (83). I might be able to help you get your vehicle out.” I was stunned that anyone could even see me sideways in my driveway hal...
MISSOULA - When we first envisioned what is now the Kettlehouse Amphitheater on the banks of the Blackfoot River, few believed that it could go from a big idea to a reality in six months. As you can imagine, the project had a lot of moving parts and required extensive analysis, planning and approval from the county, the state and federal agencies. Throughout the entire process, Missoula County Commissioner Jean Curtiss always answered my calls and was extremely responsive in helping us navigate a very complex situation. She saw the vision of...
SWAN VALLEY - If you do not have the time or desire to read the second draft word for word, I suggest taking 15 minutes to skim over the entire document. This will enable you to find subtopics in each of the seven elements that are of particular interest to you. Then write out your comments on those subtopics. There are response sheets available which can help all of us organize our comments. You may email Henry Westra at henry.westra@gmail.com to request them. Then, may I recommend that you conclude your comments by recognizing that the...
Andi and Nathan Bourne, excellent editorial in the 15 March Pathfinder. You’re both doing outstanding work as journalists. As noted on the front page of a national newspaper (The Washington Post):“Democracy dies in darkness”....
SEELEY LAKE - You take away Choice and give us “telehealth care?” Seriously? You want the Veterans here to go to the Seeley Lake Post Office to see a TV doctor? Seriously? Is that the kind of health care you enjoy? My husband - a 100 percent service connected disabled soldier - had hands-on true health care with our doctor in Seeley Lake! Now you think seeing a TV doctor is acceptable? Last time we were in Missoula (December) he was only seen by a nurse. With promises of follow-up with a TV doctor (I thought they were joking) but nothing. I’v...
SWAN VALLEY - In updating the Lake County Growth Plan, the density-zoning map should be maintained and enhanced, not repealed. Continued rural sprawl in the Mission and Swan Valleys is a threat to critical habitat and the rural lifestyle enjoyed by those who live and recreate there. Constructing and maintaining public access roads, utility infrastructure, providing wildland and structural fire protection and emergency services for increased commercial and residential construction, is all cost prohibitive and will put more stress on the public a...
MISSOULA - Facts based on her accomplishments and personal knowledge of inherent love and respect for the people of this county, is why I proudly support Jean Curtiss in her race for Missoula County Commissioner. As a long time small business owner in Seeley Lake, I have seen Jean effectively bring new businesses to Missoula County – all of which have provided our community members with good paying jobs. I especially admire her job creation efforts that seek to balance scientific resource management, open space, healthy lifestyles and a s...
MISSOULA - I am beyond excited to endorse Josh Slotnick for County Commissioner and hope you will take the time to learn about - and vote - for him. We both moved here to go to college in the early ‘80s from our respective Dakota’s and immediately became fast friends. After college, he moved to Thailand for the Peace Corp; we reunited back in Missoula eight years later with kids and spouses in tow (at Farmer’s Market). By then he’d studied permaculture and started a small family farm growing organic veggies. My friend was now a farmer, an entr...
POTOMAC - I would like to apologize publicly for my comments regarding the “sub-par” education at Potomac School. I did say that, but in reflection it was a very poor word choice and was not meant to reflect on the teachers at the school. They are all amazing, give 110 percent, care about our kids and may be counted among the best of the best. My intent was more to point out that in the absence of the Explorer’s program I personally feel that the school isn’t really all that different from the average school. In many ways the opportu...
Hello! I am a third-grade student in Northern Virginia. In third grade we do state reports and I have chosen your state! I am very excited to learn more about the great state of Montana as I work on my report. Information that I gather for my report will mainly be from books and websites but I would also like to get information from the people who live in the state. This is why I am writing to you. I was hoping that you would be willing to send me some items to help me learn more about the best things in your state. It could be things like...
It is obvious that Russ Fagg is encouraged that he is being supported by so many establishment type politicians in his campaign for the U.S. Senate. For the most part these same politicians were those who opposed Donald Trump. Some people would consider them as part of the political swamp that must be drained. In law school it did not take me long to understand why so many lawyers tend to be progressive type political thinkers. Most of my fellow students and almost all of my law school professors had political science backgrounds. Frank...
Why is it that our political parties are so disagreeable while we still visit with each other over coffee? The answer is that our political parties in Montana are no longer drawing their direction from our grassroots. Including Libertarians, of the 4758 precinct vacancies in the June 2014 Primary Election, only 571 positions were filled by properly filing a Declaration For Nomination and Oath Of Candidacy in a County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Of more concern only 10 of 168 potential County party committees achieved 50 percent of precinct pos...
There seems to be misinformation being shared publicly. This is being written to clarify actions in part. At our recent district board meeting with four board members present, who bring over 100 years combined volunteer/board experience, spoke on various topics. The four board members present thanked our current Interim Chief Michael Greer. He has our full support in the decisions that he has made in an effort to making and bettering this department. It is unfortunate that less than a handful of volunteers chose to challenge the system. The...
I am proud to endorse Russ Fagg for the United States Senate. Russ announced that he had received endorsements from over 100 current and former Republican leaders from around the State. I am on that list because I believe that Russ is the only conservative that can beat Jon Tester. Russ Fagg is a fourth generation Montanan, a two-term Republican legislator, and was a Judge in Billings for over 20 years. Russ will represent Montana in the US Senate because he is one of us. He understands Montana values and his campaign is Montana focused....
With respect to US Forest Service Regional Forester Leanne Martin’s Editorial request for an open checkbook for mismanagement of our national forest. One thing about our National Forest Service employees, they have more guts than government mules. For the first time in over a hundred years the Forest Service wants special funding to fight forest fires that they refuse to put out. At least in part due to their let it burn policy and destructive backfires, we lost millions of dollars that could have created jobs to help the unemployed and two f...
