Community Briefs

Flooding Update

SEELEY LAKE – The American Red Cross shelter located at Mission Bible Fellowship is on standby and ready to assist if needed. Residents seeking shelter should call 1-800-272-6668.

Sandbags and water testing kits can be obtained at the Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

For information from Missoula County Flood Information and daily updates visit https://www.missoulacounty.us/government/public-safety/office-of-emergency-management/des/flood-safety or Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5787/. Residents can also call the Office of Emergency Management hotline at 406-258-INFO (4636). 

Reward Offered for Missing Handbell

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley-Swan Mountain Bells handbell choir is offering a reward of $100 for the return of their missing D4 bell. The bell must be undamaged.

The Seeley-Swan Mountain Bells is a local handbell choir, supported by donations from the community. We have had several pieces of our equipment walk away since we resumed practices in late January.

Most recently, one of our bells went missing. A handbell has a cast bronze bell with an inch wide looped handle. The bell that is missing is labeled “D4” and has a white handle. The bell mouth is about six inches in diameter and the total height including the handle is 10-12 inch.

“Losing a bell from our set is like taking a key off a piano,” said director Joann Wallenburn. “We would greatly appreciate the return of our bell.”

For more information or to arrange the return of the bell, undamaged and claim the reward, call Joann at 677-4424.

Local State Parks Open for Camping

SEELEY LAKE - Placid Lake and Salmon Lake State Park campgrounds are now open. The day use area and boat ramps at both parks will remain closed due to continued high lake levels. Areas of flooding in the park had delayed the opening which was originally scheduled for May 1.

Annual Trailblazers Vaccination Clinic May 19

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Trailblazers 4-H club is hosting their annual pet vaccination clinic May 19 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at 239 Whitetail Drive. Dr. Andy Cross from Missoula Vet Clinic will be on hand to vaccinate dogs, cats and horses. No appointments are necessary, pets will be seen on a first come, first served basis.

Proceeds from the event will go to the 4-H club. For information about vaccinations and prices please call the clinic. All other questions call 210-2777, 880-1438 or 210-2477.

Movie Night, May 19

SEELEY LAKE - Come out of the shadows and come down to the Seeley Lake Fire Station for movie night Saturday, May 19. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows” will be on the big screen following a dinner of brats and hot dogs starting at 6 p.m.

Everyone is welcome. The event is free but donations are accepted.

“Era of Megafires” Comes to Potomac, May 22

POTOMAC - “The Era of Megafires – A multimedia Learning Experience” will be presented at the Potmac-Greenough Community Center, May 22 at 6 p.m. The purpose of the Potomac Community Wildfire Preparedness Event is to raise awareness about wildland fire safety, community preparedness, hazardous fuels mitigation and fire prevention.

A digital version of Dr. Paul Hessburg’s presentation, “Era of Megafires” will be shown. This presentation reviews the current era of massive wildfires, what’s brought about these fires and the changes needed for citizens of the West to better live with wildfire and smoke. Hessburg is a research landscape ecologist with the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station and a member of the University of Washington’s Affiliate Faculty.

The Potomac Wildfire Preparedness Event will also feature:

• A community BBQ

• Fuels mitigation information, including grant opportunities

• Smart911 Information

• A Q&A panel with local fire & forestry officials

Annual Bison Range Biocontrol Work Day, May 23

Join Missoula County Weed District for a day on the National Bison Range. The fourth Annual Dalmatian Toadflax Biocontrol Work Day is May 23 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. It is a great opportunity to get out and explore a part of the Bison Range that isn’t open to the public and help the Weed District and move large numbers of Dalmatian toadflax stem weevils.

If interested in attending or have any questions please contact Melissa at mmaggio@missoulaeduplace.org or 406-258-4223.  RSVP is required to provide transportation throughout the Bison Range and sack lunches.

Seeley Lake Library News

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Library will be closed to the public on Wednesday, May 23 due to Senior Project presentations. 

The Seeley Lake Library Book Club will meet a week later on Wednesday, May 30 at 11 a.m. to discuss Caitlin Doughty’s “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” All are welcome to join in the discussion. Books are available at the checkout desk. For more information call 677-8995.

SSHS Yearbooks Have Been Digitalized

SEELEY LAKE - Seeley-Swan High School yearbooks from 1966-2017 have been digitalized. The Seeley Lake Historical Society helped SSHS with this project and funded a portion of the efforts.

They are viewable on Montana Memory Project’s website at http://mtmemory.org/cdm/search/collection/p16013coll108. There is also a link to the books on our library’s website. 

Swan Valley Community Library Highlights

Swan Valley - New books belonging in areas such as nonfiction, fiction, young adult and children come in monthly to the Swan Valley library. Ebooks are also available from the Missoula Public Library’s website and can be downloaded to a device at http://missoulapubliclibrary.org

A class in how to download ebooks to your device was held at the library on May 2 by a reference librarian from Missoula Public Library. If there is further interest, another class could be held. If interested call the library at 754-2521.

Wednesday, May 23 readers will meet at the library at 1:00 p.m. to discuss “The Devil in the White City.” The author Erik Larson was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism on The Wall Street Journal.

The book which was nominated for the National Book Award contrasts two men in the late nineteenth century. Daniel H. Burham the brilliant architect of the Chicago World’s Fair held in 1983. Burnham overcame huge delays, tragedies and challenges to create the White City. The fair was called the White City in contrast to the city where it was located, Chicago, because it was a beautiful, safe, clean dream city.

The other a murderer, Dr. Henry H. Holmes who built his “World’s Fair Hotel” just west of the fairgrounds to lure his many victims.

The author said in an interview that it was extraordinary “that during this period of nearly miraculous creativity there should also exist a serial killer of such appetite and industry. What better metaphor for the forces that would shape the 20th century into a time of monumental technical achievement and unfathomable evil?”

The Swan Valley Library is open Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.