Ginger Williams maintained three of the planters around the light poles in downtown by hauling gallons of water in milk jugs to water them. She also regularly picked up trash along Highway 83.
Seeley Lake resident Nathan Bourne tests out the new seat and back rest on the bench outside Mission Bible Fellowship. He replaced five of the six benches on Highway 83 from as far south as the Seeley Swan Medical Center north to Rovero's. The bench in front of Blue River was removed.
Lake Alva Campground Host Tim Kelliher repainted the red stick figure outside Lindey's Prime Steak House. He hopes to repaint the yellow and blue one next summer.
Recently Loving Hearts Thrift Store got an attractive new sign made by Seeley Lake volunteers John Meyer and Jeff Miklatz. Loving Hearts Manager Mary Newpower said redoing the sign was part of the store's remodeling project this summer since the old one needed to be repaired and repainted.
SEELEY LAKE – Ginger Williams was often seen this summer picking up trash or watering flowers along Highway 83.
"I love Seeley Lake," Williams wrote in an email. "I have lived here over 40 years. With all the tourism that has come into our community [this summer], I wanted to spruce 'downtown' up a bit especially in front of the businesses that could use a little help since everyone was so busy."
Williams wasn't the only one who volunteered her time to help improve the Highway 83 corridor. Other volunteers also stepped up and replaced the benches, repainted artwork and replaced signs along the highway. The Seeley Lake Community Foundation facilitated and helped fund some of the improvements. The Foundation and volunteers agree that if everyone in the community can do a little, the downtown will be inviting to visitors and something in which the locals take pride.
Williams said it all started with the light post flower beds.
The 2001 the Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce installed the six-by-six foot flower boxes at the base of the light poles as part of the "Seeley Lake unification and beautification project."
While no one is specifically in charge of the planters, many of the boxes "belong" to the businesses they front and have not been maintained. Others were adopted by families that still maintain them including Kim Haines' family, Geri Anderson's family and Kathy Davis and her family.
Williams planted the boxes in front of the Grizzly Claw and the two on the east side near Rovero's.
"[Owner of the Grizzly Claw] Dee Baker usually did but he was too busy," Williams said. "I wanted to surprise him."
Williams also nursed and watered two other boxes near the Post Office that contained perennial shrubs but had been orphaned. She hauled 20 gallons in milk jugs to water it all.
This complemented the other boxes that have been maintained for the past 20 years.
Williams also noticed with all the traffic coming through town, littering had increased. She religiously walked the bike path picking up litter all summer. When the benches were rebuilt, Williams said she was inspired to weed-eat certain areas along the trail.
"I may have gone overboard with all of this but if I see something that could be improved or where I can help, I just do it," Williams wrote. "It would be nice if more people could help out by being more aware of litter and maybe be aware of how the outside of their business or property looked. It's a reflection of what it is like inside."
This past spring there were several complaints about the poor condition of the benches along Highway 83. The bench between Rovero's and Napa was so badly damaged from being hit by the snowplow and groomer that Rovero's Manager Kyle Marx approached the Foundation's Executive Director Claire Muller about removing it.
"When I spoke with Kyle about it, he shrugged and said something to the effect of 'this community lives on volunteers. So much of what needs to happen only happens because of everyone chipping in and helping out. Happy to help,'" Muller said.
Marx removed the bench and stored it behind Rovero's.
The ski benches were installed by the Foundation in June 2016. Pitman's Machining built the benches and mounted old skis, donated by Seeley Lake ROCKS, for the seat and backrest.
Resident Nathan Bourne also heard the complaints.
"Rather than complaining about them, I decided someone should just fix them," Bourne said.
Bourne contacted Muller to see if he could fix the benches. Since the Foundation didn't have the ability to do the work, yet Muller felt they had a responsibility to maintain the benches since they installed them, she approached the Foundation Board about purchasing the materials for the project.
"This seemed like a great way for the Foundation to contribute dollars for a small community beautification project that would have a big impact, with the help of amazing community volunteers," Muller said.
Bourne removed the benches and took them back to his shop. The two benches at Rovero's and Blue River were in the worst shape because they were close enough to the road to be subject to road deicer. The bench Marx removed was beyond repair. Bourne cut it up and used parts to build extra bracing for the five remaining benches.
Bourne stripped the metal, repainted it and replaced the seat and backrest. While he considered using wood, he wanted something more durable that required less maintenance. Thanks to the Foundation funding, he purchased materials locally including the composite decking and rust-stop paint.
Four of the benches were returned to the highway in front of the Seeley Swan Medical Center, Seeley Lake 1-Stop, Mission Bible Fellowship and the Post Office in August. In September, the final bench was replaced in front of Rovero's. Since there was no bench to put out by Blue River Station, the concrete slab was removed. Plans have been made to remove the bench by Rovero's during the winter months.
"We're so grateful to Nathan for doing such an incredible job," Muller said. "They look beautiful."
Lake Alva Campground Host Tim Kelliher also wanted to use his time to improve the downtown appearance.
"If you have the talent and the time, what harm is it going to do to try and spruce up the place," Kelliher said who is retired from construction.
The U. S. Army instilled a sense of volunteerism and discipline in Kelliher. After he and his wife Sandra repainted the bears by the Memorial Park two years ago, he was looking for another project in town. He noticed the stick figures in front of Lindey's Prime Steak House.
"It was nothing a coat of paint wouldn't take care of," Kelliher said. "So I just did it."
The three stick people were built in the summer of 2016. Jackson Hole Public Art was developing a public art and place-making toolkit in the intermountain west. The Foundation hosted a community workshop where they decided the stick people would be fun project to use local by-product from the mill and slow traffic down through town. The LOR Foundation provided the funding and local volunteers did the work.
Kelliher purchased the paint and let law enforcement know what he was doing.
Next summer when he returns, Kelliher hopes to work with Lindey's and repaint the yellow and blue stick people and the large green Seeley Lake sign.
The Foundation has also purchased new "Change Your Pace" banners to replace the faded banners that were hung in the summer of 2016. They will be hung on the light posts soon.
"When you see a place where you can plug in and it fits your skill set, do it," Bourne said. "If we all do a little bit to keep things up, our whole community benefits."
"I am proud of Seeley and we have a wonderful community of people," Williams said. "I just wanted to reflect how our town appears to us and visitors."
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