Sorted by date Results 906 - 930 of 1183
The Seeley Lake Ranger District would like to thank everyone for your patience, dedication and hard work on the Rice Ridge and Liberty Fires. So many individuals contributed to the success of the firefighting efforts that it is impossible to comprehensively list all of those who participated in the daily briefings, cooperators meetings, worked out on the line, or supported the many functions that were in place. However, I do want to specifically mention the residents of Seeley Lake, Ovando and the associated communities; wildland and...
SEELEY LAKE - The self-created mission for the sewer district clearly establishes why the board’s current proposal is so out-of-line. The statement introduces itself appropriately: “to assist the community in determining the need and cost for a centralized sewer system.” But, from that point on, the goals and subsequent board actions headed in a different direction. Rather than establishing NEED by developing a plan for a comprehensive study and analysis of environmental factors, the board settled for doing some water testing on FEWER SITES...
SEELEY LAKE - The Pathfinder has published 41 letters to the editor about the proposed sewer in the past four months...June through September. Twenty-one have been for the project and 20 have been against it. All the 20 against the project were by residents who live and vote in the Sewer District. Of the 21 in support, only seven live and vote in the District. Curious...
SEELEY LAKE - I recently received a response from Congressman Gianforte that indicated he was doing his best to reduce federal expenditures but that it looked like with the hurricane and flood expenses of Florida and Texas, along with the fire expenses in Montana, he was going to have to vote for an increase in the debt ceiling. He said our national debt is nearly $20 trillion and growing. Interest payments are reaching nearly $200 billion. I know the politically correct thing is to praise the firefighters and their “putting their life on t...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board has been assessing district residents $47,000 for the past 13 years for “study” of the sewer situation. That’s a total of more than $600,000 of taxpayer money. Now add the cost of the services the Missoula County Commissioners have donated through an interlocal agreement signed in 2011. They’re easily a couple hundred thousand dollars and include a hundred thousand dollar “loan.” These services include the Public Works Directors time...between 10 and 30 hours a week as well as that of an administrat...
SEELEY LAKE - The trio opposed to the sewer should change their name to Citizens Against Sensible Wastewater Solutions, for that is what they’ve turned out to be. “Citizens for” just doesn’t fit their profile, though it’s typical these days to adopt a high-minded name – and then do the opposite. And while we’re seeking truth, as they say they are, let’s prepare for the last mile. Many of the old warnings fit so well here and now; don’t [urinate] in your own pot, don’t [defecate] in your own mess kit. But if the trio dupes too many into prote...
MISSOULA - When will the coaching staff be shaken up at the University of Montana football? Enough is enough already, with losses, loss of players and the latest, our very good rookie quarterback who was nothing more than fed to the wolves. I wrote a Letter to the Editor before about our head coach. Head coach? What a joke. Check out the injury list, losses, embarrassment to the team and the University. I won’t mention players names who have been sacrificed and fed to the wolves by a head coach who no doubt ‘prayed for someone to make him ‘lo...
I wrote this letter nearly 30 years ago and it was published in the Kalispell Daily Inter Lake newspaper – please read it. “I just finished reading in the Daily Inter Lake where farmers who lost 40 percent of their crops are eligible for federal disaster funds. What I would like to know is, when will we loggers be paid for the loss of our crops? I am talking about the millions of board feet of blowdown left to rot in the woods; the millions of board feet of dead and dying, bug-killed timber; and last, but not least, billions of board feet of ov...
SEELEY LAKE - I want to thank the Northern Rockies Incident Management team for dropping by my house and sharing maps and information about the Rice Ridge Fire. I live on Woodworth Road and the fire was burning right behind my house. They would stop everyday and take time to sit with me on the porch over a cup of tea and muffins and explain the fire situation to me. They made me feel better that they would protect my buildings. Everyone I met was so nice and polite. Thank you for the certificate of appreciation. All the firefighters deserve a...
The politicians have been milking the patriotism cow for some time, at the same time they want to ignore veterans’ needs. As soon as some citizen on the street or representative in Congress or the white house starts espousing patriotism, a big red flag goes up in my mind. “Patriotism” is the first refuge of carpetbaggers, and it trips my gag reflex. True patriots are not shouting their esprit from the rooftops or in front of microphones. True patriots are quietly doing patriotic things and they ask for no recognition for doing what seems natur...
My name is Mona Bennett, aka MontanaNana (Addy Trevino’s Grandma). As I approached the carnival fundraiser for my granddaughter my heart was truly touched. From several blocks away I watched people all going to one place with one goal; to support Addy. Cancer is a horrible thing for anyone to go through but the people of Seeley Lake have certainly helped ease the pain. I thank you all for that. The love and support from this community is amazing. I am so grateful and proud that my kids live in Seeley Lake, Montana. Again, thank you all so m...
Well it looks like we may finally exiting the fire season of 2017. Many questions are on the minds of the people that reside in this area of the nation. The first and easiest question is how did it start? The answer to that is simply a lightning strike. Now the questions become much more complicated. I have found the answers given by the ‘EXPERTS’ leave a lot to be desired. There are three things necessary for a fire. Oxygen Fuel Ignition source In our forest we, not surprisingly, have the first two in abundance and Mother Nature supplied the...
SEELEY LAKE - I have watched the lively debate about the proposed Seeley Lake sewer system for some time now, with many thoughtfully constructed arguments on each side, as well as some wild rantings and conspiracy theories. Here’s some of the basic truths I was able to distill from all of this: There are a lot of septic systems in a very confined area, some operating properly and some failing. They may or may not be entirely responsible for ground water and lake contamination but it is certain that many of them are contributing to it. Adding m...
SEELEY LAKE - I want to say a big THANK YOU to the community of Seeley Lake for voting Good Times the best place to buy a gift. I am honored, thankful and humbled for the recognition. Sue had a dream when she opened Good Times in 1982, and I am dedicated to preserving that dream. I know she is smiling down from above with a big glass of wine in her hand and saying “Cheers, My Dear! “ God Bless you all, Dena Turner Seeley Lake, Mont....
SEELEY LAKE - It is probably general agreement that the summer of 2017 in Seeley Lake will be remembered as the summer of the fire, as opposed to the summer of sunny skies, fresh mountain air and experiencing a variety of recreational opportunities. As we all know, and it bears repeating, that “The Fire” has had significant impact on this community personally and economically, the extent which is yet to be determined. Although this fire season is (hopefully) coming to an end fairly soon, we must not forget to resurrect multiple factors con...
SEELEY LAKE - A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is just that: a possible event which offers enormous gain but will never be re-offered and if not seized will leave decades of regret in its wake. The federal government, whose purse strings are rapidly closing, is offering Seeley Lake a $8,000,000 (!) grant, the largest award ever to any community, to construct a sewer system. This will solve a problem that threatens the very economy and way-of-life of Seeley Lake: ancient septic systems are contaminating our ground water and polluting our beloved...
SEELEY LAKE - This is the third time of my writing on the Seeley Lake sewer issue. Each time visiting the subject, more troubling issues arise. First off, who are these people who are able to go against the wishes of citizens who have voted down financing the sewer? They are able to hire lawyers to find some loophole to get around the voting of residents. The capper is WE are charged to pay the lawyers. How is this possible? Is this some sort of totalitarian hidden government whose ugly head arises only when their lawyers are paid? I have also...
SEELEY LAKE - As relative newcomers to the Seeley Lake community, please allow us to provide our perspective on the municipal sewer issue. Three years ago we purchased a seasonal (summer) cabin on Boy Scout Road. Our time here during the summers and occasional winter snowmobile trips convince us that we want to build a year-round home on our property. Discussions with builders and Missoula County officials have shown that we may need to upgrade our existing septic system. This additional expense may be necessary because we are slated for Phase...
SEELEY LAKE - The underlying issue of the sewer proposal is Seeley Lake’s ability to sustain itself as a community. We have seen most private land around Seeley revert to government ownership, so the growth potential of the community is capped. Forces continue in play to depopulate the town. Forest management is decreasing, making it harder to manage large wildfires. Rivers run through them the color of chocolate milk. The impact of current septic systems on the lake seems speculative. Depends on whose definition of unacceptable impact you u...
SEELEY LAKE - First, a solid majority voted in a certified, legal election against the sewer initiative last December. That speaks volumes about peoples’ no-growth wishes for Seeley Lake and for their inability to shoulder the heavy financial burden the proposal represents. Majority rule is an age-old democratic principal, even in remote Seeley Lake. Second, business is at a standstill in Seeley Lake by Missoula County Health Department fiat. In gestapo-like fashion it has changed the septic regulations regularly over the years without a p...
SEELEY LAKE - I’m thankful to live in a community and nation that respects opinions. I respect the opinions of those arguing against a sewer system for Seeley Lake and know they have the best intentions for our community. We must, however, deal with facts when making a decision that will significantly impact our future. Some facts regarding sewer systems and sewage: • A couple of excerpts from the six-page Wastewater section of the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card (easily found via on-line search) -- The nation’s 14,728 wastewater treat...
SEELEY LAKE - In the Aug. 30 Pathfinder, the article written about the public sewer meeting brought up a plan by [District Manager] Greg Robertson which should make anyone involved with the sewer outraged. Here is some of what the Pathfinder article said that you should sit up and listen. The Pathfinder said on page 11, “For the debt service across the entire district Greg Robertson used the Seeley Lake Regional Plan’s land use designations. Because of this difference there will be a SIGNIFICANT NUMBER of properties that are currently pay...
I believe everyone knows the earth is warming up. So there is no need to throw yourself on the floor kicking and screaming that nobody is listening. There does seem to be some controversy over whether man caused the warming or it is just a regularly occurring phenomenon the earth has gone through for millions of years. However, whatever the reason, if we can’t immediately change the situation, shouldn’t we take the necessary measure to protect ourselves as best we can? Given this situation, why wouldn’t our environmental friends want to see t...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake is the water supply to much of the town, community and others draw water from the lake or the surrounding community aquifer. So, let’s “cowboy up” to our responsibility of protecting it now and for future generations. Let’s support the construction of a community sewer system. We have owned a cabin on the lake for 50+ years and we certainly understand the need for clean lake water and drinking water. We continue to enjoy and appreciate the Seeley Lake community; we have worked on community projects, we support the Com...
SEELEY LAKE - In an earlier letter-to-the-editor, I pointed out that Sewer District 4 has some 40 properties which are, in fact, residences or the occasional vacant lot. Seeley Lake Sewer District Manager Greg Robinson would have them charged as “businesses” to cover the debt and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) expenses if district property owners accept the proposed sewer project. (Please see the Pathfinder archive if you wish to review that information.) At that time, I noted that similar situations also existed for other sewer districts. So...
