Thirty Years Culminate in Pathfinder Celebration

SEELEY LAKE – Spread across tables forming a large L in the Seeley Lake Community Hall were 30 oversized bound books. Each book held a year's worth of issues of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder newspaper. Starting from 1986, the volumes documented 30 years of community life in the Clearwater, Swan and Blackfoot valleys. The occasion was the Seeley Swan Pathfinder's 30th Anniversary Celebration June 25.

People came to the community hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and were treated to food, anniversary cake and the opportunity to browse through old Pathfinder issues. Some people looked up specific events of the past, some perused the early issues to marvel how much younger they or their friends looked "back then." One young person read to see what had happened in the community the year she was born.

The wall above the books carried colorful enlargements of some of the more recent pictures captured by Pathfinder reporters, including photo award winners in the Montana Newspaper Association Better Newspapers contests.

Perhaps the highlight of the event was the appearance of the two couples who originally started the Seeley Swan Pathfinder in 1986, Dick and Michele Potter and Suzanne and Sheldon Vernon.

Dick's first comment was, "This is amazing. That what we started has lasted 30 years!"

The couples reminisced about the early days and how nervous and anxious they were in getting the paper started. They remembered how all four of them went to the print shop and together watched the first pages roll off the press.

Michele recalled approaching business owners and asking for their advertising support for the proposed newspaper. She said they would ask her, "What makes you think you can make a go of it?" Her standard answer was, "With your support, we will." "Every single time," she said, "I would get them as a supporter. The community came behind us. I look at the newspaper now – fast forward 30 years – and oh my gosh, they have all this community support!"

The Vernons took credit for starting the tradition of binding the year's issues in book form. Suzanne said, "Every newspaper does that. And we wanted to be a real newspaper."

In the name of the former owners, Dick recognized current owners Andi and Nathan Bourne as the newest of those finding the path. He presented them with a copy of the newspaper's namesake book, "The Pathfinder" by James Fenimore Cooper.

Asked about the gift later, Andi said, "We are delighted and humbled that the founders of the Pathfinder [Vernons and Potters] feel that what we are doing carries on the vision that they started. We feel very fortunate to be a part of such a lasting legacy in our community."

Large 30th cutouts and marker pens were available for people to write comments if they wished. Amid general congratulations were many comments of support for the Bournes and for the direction they are leading the Pathfinder.

Ron Wollan summed it up with his parting comment, "The kids [Andi and Nathan] are doing a great job with the paper."

Names were drawn from among the guests who signed in. Gary Ikerd and Eilan Schaff each won a hat embroidered with the Pathfinder logo. Ken and Dee Schmitz and Ann Phipps won a one-year print and online subscription to the Seeley Swan Pathfinder. Rebekah Kelley and Bill Gehrke won both a hat and a subscription.