Community Briefs

SSHS Drama presents "We'll be Right Back After this Murder," April 20

SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley-Swan High School Drama class invites the community to their performance "We'll be Right Back After this Murder" by Pat Cook April 20 at 7 p.m. in the SSHS auditorium. Tickets are $5 with children under six-years-old free. Families are $15.

For more information contact Crissina Quinn at SSHS, 677-2224 Ext. 5760.

Leo Club Organizational Meeting, April 24

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Lions Club, in cooperation with the Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS), is exploring establishing a Leo Club in Seeley Lake. An informational meeting will be held at 12:15 p.m., Monday, April 24 in room 102 of the SSHS. Students of high school age, including home-schooled students and their parents are encouraged to attend.

The objective of the Leo Club is to provide youth with the opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively, as responsible members of the local, national and international community. The Leo motto is Leadership, Experience and Opportunity.

To get involved or for more information please contact Mary Stone at SSHS 677-2224 or Tim Berry, Seeley Lake Lions Club, 406-291-9005.

Change Your Pace Challenge Opportunity, Mandatory Meeting May 1

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is offering a $30,000 fundraising match through the Change Your Pace Challenge. The Community Foundation invites area nonprofits, service clubs, schools and governmental entities to participate with projects that benefit the Seeley Lake area.

To be eligible, organizations must attend a mandatory meeting on May 1, 2017, 5:30 p.m. at Lindey's Prime Steak House.

In the two months leading up to a July 15 event, local donors make gifts of all sizes to their favorite causes. The Change Your Pace Challenge makes giving easy as donors need only fill out one form and write one check to give to as many local organizations as they like.

Non-profits can raise as much money as they wish, of which the Community Foundation matches the organizations fundraising efforts up to an organizational total match of $30,000 this year. Each organization receives 100 percent of their donor contributions.

The fundraising event will culminate on July 15. The Seeley Lake Community Foundation will host a 2K Fun Run/Walk and 5K & 10K competitive races in the Change Your Pace Challenge. This event will be held in conjunction with a mountain bike race and a celebration of community spirit and support featuring The Bob Marshall Music Festival and fun family activities hosted by participating nonprofits in the afternoon and throughout the evening.

Other activities planned for the day include a stand-up paddle board race, equipment demos, art, mill tours, environmental education and conservation presentations, farmers market, creative place making and music jam sessions around town.

For more information contact Anne Beach at 677-3506 or email annebeach@slcfmt.org or visit http://www.seeleylakecommunityfoundation.org

Fall Bible Study Fellowship Welcome Classes for New Members, May 1 and May 4

SEELEY LAKE - The satellite discussion groups for the Seeley Lake groups with Bible Study Fellowship will be holding welcome classes to sign up new members for the study starting in September. The group will be studying Romans.

Classes are held at Mission Bible Fellowship in Seeley Lake. The men's class is May 1 at 7 p.m. The women's class is May 4 at 9 a.m.

Contact Sue Dunn,677-6175 for more information.

Free Developmental and Preschool Screening, SLE May 2

SEELEY LAKE – A clinic for children ages 0-5 for Seeley Lake and Swan Valley School Districts will be held Tuesday, May 2 from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Elementary School (SLE).

This free screening will include gross motor, fine motor, language concepts, communication concepts, communication skills, hearing and vision screening.

Please call SLE at 677-2265 to schedule an appointment for a child's screening or to receive more information.

Seeley Lake Library News

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Library Book Club will discuss Paula McLain's "The Paris Wife" Wednesday, May 17 at 11 a.m. at the Seeley Lake Library. In this historical fiction, McLain tells the story of Hadley Richardson and Ernest Hemingway. She includes details about the couple's whirlwind courtship, wedding and their expatriate lives in Paris in the 1920s.

Widely acclaimed, this book has been described as a fascinating, intimate, spellbinding story that is certain to stay with the reader well after the last page has been read.

All are invited to join in the discussion. Books are available at the checkout desk.

With summer almost here, keep in mind that the library has life jackets in various sizes available for checkout. For more information call 677-8995.

The Seeley Lake Library is a branch of Missoula Public Library located at Seeley-Swan High School. The library is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Comments Sought on Easement Through Memorial Park

SEELEY LAKE - Missoula County received a request for an easement from Professional Consultants, Inc. (PCI) for a 60-foot wide public access and utility easement through Memorial Park. The one-acre parcel owned by Missoula County and is located adjacent to Highway 83 in Seeley Lake, between Cedar Lane and Morrell Creek Road. Public comments on the easement are due May 10.

Existing site conditions include the Veterans' Memorial with mature Ponderosa Pine trees throughout the parcel. A social trail paralleling Highway 83 is located outside of the eastern park boundary, which provides trail access to Morrell Creek Road from the northern terminus of "Connecting the Community Trail" (Cedar Lane).

Immediately northeast of Memorial Park is Thelma Lane, an undeveloped county public right-of-way. A portion of the existing trail is located within Thelma Lane.

The remaining trail trespasses across private property owned by Kakwa River Partners, LLC where it continues southward trespassing across private property owned by a separate landowner. 

Kakwa River Partners, represented by PCI, is requesting a 60-foot wide easement across the southern portion of the county owned parcel for future subdivision ingress/egress and future commercial access off Highway 83 (pending development of available services). They are going through a separate county subdivision review process for Alpine Trails, a 30-lot proposed subdivision adjacent to the county-owned parcel.

In exchange for the easement, Kakwa River Partners is proposing a 22-foot wide public access easement to secure public access for the section of existing trail that is trespassing on their property. This does not include improvements to the existing trail nor does it secure trail access on the southern portion of the trail where it crosses private property owned by a separate landowner.

The proposal does include a new trail crossing with signage where the trail and Alpine Trails would intersect. In addition, the client is proposing a 30-foot wide public access and utility easement to the east of the proposed trail easement to provide access to the three existing dwellings along a 20-foot wide gravel road. The residential access road would be constructed and maintained by the subdivision.

The existing shared access road off of Highway 83 that bisects the northern portion of the park providing current park access and residential access to three existing dwellings on a separate parcel would be abandoned and reclaimed as parkland.

A project information packet is available on the County Community and Planning Website: EASEMENT REQUEST INFORMATION PACKET (http://www.missoulacounty.us/home/showdocument?id=24913)

The Parks & Trails Advisory Board reviewed the easement request at their March 2017 meeting with no decision. The board is requesting public comment on the proposed easement.

The deadline for public comment is 5 p.m. May 10. This will be on the agenda for the Parks and Trails Advisory Board at their May 18 meeting held in the second floor conference room of 323 West Alder, Missoula at 1:30 p.m.

Please submit comments to Garrick Swanson gswanson@missoulacounty.us and copy Dale McCormick dalem@pcimontana.com. Questions regarding the proposal can be addressed to Garrick Swanson at gswanson@missoulacounty.us or call 406-258-4719.