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Thirty-five years ago ...

Thursday June 8, 1989

Chamber salutes Jeff Macon with Citizen of Year award

At its annual banquet Tuesday night, Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce members and guests saluted Jeff Macon, realtor and active participant in civic affairs, with the Chamber’s “Citizen of the Year” award.

Macon said he was “...quite proud of the award. In the past other people who’ve lived here many years have been honored. I’m quite proud as a relative newcomer.”

Macon moved to Seeley Lake in 1975 after working for the previous four years in land sales for the ski development at Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

In 1971 he changed fields from engineering to real estate. He had worked for Lockheed Aerospace for 10 years as a training manager when he decided to trade the “boom and bust” aerospace field for the “boom and bust” of real estate. “Kind of like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire,” he laughed.

Macon grew up in Virginia and joined the Army Air Corps, graduating from flight school and marrying his wife, Sarah. He flew B-24 bombers out of Italy on 46 missions before being shot down over Hungary.

He was chief pilot on the mission when two engines were lost and an attempt to reach Yugoslavia failed. All ten crew members bailed out and landed safely. But in broad daylight, a reception party of Hungarian peasants greeted the landing party “...with rifles, ax handles, and shovels,” he said.

That began a “year’s vacation with pay” in a German P.O.W. camp that was finally liberated by General Patton.

After the war, Macon entered Georgia Tech, graduating with an engineering degree. He worked for some time with a wood products company in wood preservation in Atlanta before joining Lockheed and being sent to San Jose, Houston, and “all over”.

Macon came to Seeley Lake as sales manager for the Double Arrow Ranch, working under John Tripp, marketing director for Life of Montana Insurance Co, the ranch’s owner at the time.

In 1979, with most of the initial land sales completed, Macon set up his own realty office. Working with him is his son, Gary.

Macon was active in the businessmen’s association here, the predecessor to the Chamber of Commerce, which he helped organize, serving as president for two years. He is currently a director of the Chamber and heads up the standing Economic Task Force committee which explores ways to improve local business.

He has served in the past as president of the Lion’s Club and is currently serving as a member and secretary-treasurer of the Community Council.

Read this and more at: https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/1989-06-08.pdf

Twenty years ago ...

Thursday June 10, 2004

It’s a celebration!

On May 29 the fifth grade class of Lisa Pena was rewarded for their participation in a contest sponsored by the Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce. The class was served pizza and pop, provided by Roveros and Wold’s Valley Market and delivered by Pat Mitchell, the Chamber President.

The contest was to name the theme for the Fourth of July Parade. Many good themes were entered by each grade, and the board, at their March meeting, picked the winners, Lisa Pena’s fifth graders. The winning theme is “Seeley Lake Hot Summer Sports.”

The contest was something new the board had decided to try to get more involvement from the community and especially the grade school students. The reward for the winners of the contest would be a pizza party and they would be able to ride on the chamber float.

The board would like to thank all the students for their hard work and participation and say congratulations to the winning class.

We would also like to see each and everyone make this the largest parade ever. So, everyone, let’s get building those floats.

Read this and more at: https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/2004-06-10.pdf