Articles from the February 25, 2016 edition


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  • Estimates Increase 2.2 Million for Phase I

    Nathan Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District (SLSD) board received an updated cost estimate of 11.8 million dollars for the proposed wastewater treatment facility and Phase I of the collections system at their Feb. 18 meeting. In other business, the board appointed Davy Good to the vacant board position and approved extending funding for the high school students to keep testing water samples in Morrell Creek. The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (RD) requested the updated estimates as it reviews the project for funding....

  • Icicles on the Blackfoot

    Feb 25, 2016

  • Stine Electronics Celebrates 50 Years

    Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE - Stine Electronics of Seeley Lake is celebrating 50 years in business. Owner Bob Stine's work in communications has been predominantly with the military, fire, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and law enforcement. He was instrumental in developing and implementing the EMS communication system that started in his home state of Illinois and has now become a nationwide system. Stine grew up primarily on his maternal grandparents' farm near Benson, Ill. after his mother died at age 27...

  • Lady Blackhawks Claim First Place at Districts

    Nathan Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    HAMILTON - For the fourth year running, the Seeley-Swan Lady Blackhawks beat out the competition for First Place at the District 13-C tournament. The Ladies took down Lincoln, Clark Fork and Drummond in their run to the top, earning themselves a spot at the Western C Divisional Tournaments this week. The victories extend their record to 20-1 overall. Versus Lincoln The Lady Blackhawks dominated the Lincoln Lynx in the first game of the tournament. All but one of the Ladies put points on the...

  • Blackhawks Take Second at Districts

    Nathan Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    HAMILTON - The Seeley-Swan Blackhawks upset third seeded Clark Fork, 45-41, in the opening round and second seeded Granite, 46-39, in the semifinal of the District 13-C Tournament. The victories set up a championship game with Valley Christian. The Blackhawks fell to Valley Christian, 33-66, earning second place but secured a trip to Divisional Tournaments in the process. Versus Clark Fork The Blackhawks took on Clark Fork Feb. 17 in the opening round of the tournament. The teams had split...

  • Is Standardized Testing Really Necessary?

    Alex Bohlman, Seeley-Swan High School, Grade 11|Feb 25, 2016

    Ever since I entered high school, I have had the major goal to graduate and go to college. My dad always says, "The time will come when you grow up, and you'll have to decide what you want to do in college." Now I'm a junior and it's creeping around the corner. In order to attend college, I have to take either the ACT or the SAT. But leading up to those tests, are other standardized tests. All these tests are part of the path that will help get one into a good college, so why go to four years of...

  • A Call to Action for the Swan Valley Community

    Diann Ericson, Condon, Mont.|Feb 25, 2016

    SWAN VALLEY - We have an opportunity before us to be heard or to be ignored. I am writing this letter to those of us who want to be heard by Missoula County regarding the maintenance and protection of the Swan Valley. As many of you know, a draft of a neighborhood plan has been completed by the planning committee of the Swan Valley Community Council. It is a document consisting of values based on an envisioning process (a community survey technique) carried out in 2012 by the Swan Valley-Condon Comprehensive Plan-Growth Committee. It is my...

  • Elementary Bond Levy Approved for May Election

    Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) School Board unanimously approved a general fund levy to be voted on in the May 3 Special Election. The exact amount will be decided at the board’s March 22 meeting. District Clerk Sally Johnson presented to the board that the state funds allotted to SLE for the 2016-2017 school year would be approximately $21,300 less than this year’s budget due to declining enrollment. Johnson said this is a preliminary estimate of the shortfall since more information will be available from the Office of Publi...

  • SSHS Design Plan Approved

    Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE - CTA Architects Engineers (CTA) of Great Falls, Mont. met with Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) representatives and members of Alpine Artisans Inc. Thursday, Feb. 18 to finalize the design plans for the addition of the Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS) stage and other safety features that will be installed. The MCPS High School bond that was approved last November funds the renovations and addition. CTA expects construction will begin June 11 and be nearly complete by the time school gets back in session in the fall, Aug. 28....

  • Leaving a Legacy

    Heather Layman|Feb 25, 2016

    Some moments simply leave your mouth absent of words, your eyes filled with warm tears and your heart so full of love and pride. When those moments come, you make note of every detail in that capsule of time. My grandfather, Clarence Barron "C.B." Rich was recently inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame this month in Great Falls. I have written about my grandpa in the past and shared how he impacted my insignificant, little life but to witness what it means to really leave a legacy...

  • 40 Years of Community Conservation in the Blackfoot

    Erin Hendel, Development Writer - The Nature Conservancy|Feb 25, 2016

    Propelled to fame by Norman MacLean’s “A River Runs Through It,” few Montana landscapes are as beloved as the Blackfoot River watershed. Those who are fortunate enough to live here come to know the forested valleys, hidden streams and elusive fishing holes where native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout rise to dine. 2016 marks the 40th anniversary of The Nature Conservancy’s first conservation easement in the Blackfoot. In 1976, shortly after the passage of Montana’s conservation easement legislation, landowner Edna Brunner donated a...

  • The Quest for Fur

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    Successful trappers in the Blackfoot Watershed rely upon the ability to read animal signs and study behavioral patterns within habitats. Within the watershed, there are animals that can be trapped year-round as well as those with a defined season and area. There is a limit as to how many and which animals can be trapped within each season per regulations. "Just because a trapper can trap animals year-round does not mean it is the right thing to do," said semi-professional trapper Bob Sheppard...

  • Residents and Missoula Lawyer Comment on Regional Plan Draft

    Colleen Kesterson, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    SWAN VALLEY- Missoula lawyer Colleen Dowdall, recognized in the state of Montana as an authority on land use, along with several residents presented their comments on the Swan Valley Regional Plan (SVRP) draft at the Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) meeting Feb. 16. The public meeting regarding the draft plan will be held March 2 at 7 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall. Swan Valley resident Harry Blazer asked Dowdall to be present at the meeting. Blazer offered to pay Dowdall and the committee agreed to review her comments along with...

  • SSSAR Recognizes Flathead County Sheriff's Office and Two Bear Air

    Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    KALISPELL – Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue (SSSAR) personnel recognized Flathead County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) Commander Brian Heino, FCSO Sheriff Chuck Curry and Two Bear Air Head Pilot Jim Bob Pierce at the Sheriff's Office in Kalispell, Mont., Feb. 19. They were recognized was for their continued support and mutual aid that they have provided SSSAR over the years. "Flathead County Sheriff's Office has sent down their boat for help on a drowning in Salmon Lake and for two, separate d...

  • Use IRS Free File for Free Online Tax Prep & E-Filing

    Senator Sue Malek, Senate District 46 - Democrat|Feb 25, 2016

    It's time to file our tax returns. Last year I discovered www.IRS.gov/freefile. It provides free online tax preparation and e-filing for people earning $62,000 or less a year. The IRS partners with 13 leading tax software companies to provide free access to the most innovative and secure tax software. Free state return options are also available. Using Free File, most taxpayers simply have to check a box to report health care coverage for the entire year so adjustments can be made to tax...

  • Customer Satisfaction Number One for Seeley Sales & Services LLC

    Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Sales & Services LLC opened in Seeley Lake in March 2015. Owner Chad Fowler offers garage door sales, services and parts, along with snowmobile, ATV and chainsaw sales, parts, service and accessories. Customer satisfaction is Fowler's number one goal. Fowler worked in the shop alongside his father for as long as he can remember. "Since the time I was four-years-old I would be out tearing things apart on a work bench and trying to figure out how to put it back together," s...

  • Gladstone Receives National Award

    Submitted by the First Peoples Fund|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE - First Peoples Fund, a national organization supporting Native American artists, has named Jack Wallace Gladstone of East Glacier, Mont. as one of seven recipients of the 2016 Jennifer Easton Community Spirit Award. A nationwide committee selected the honorees and the prestigious award includes a $7,500 no-strings-attached grant. "This honor is given to a small number of artists each year to recognize their exceptional passion, wisdom and dedication to passing on ancestral...

  • Little Debbie's Housekeeping & Handyman Services

    Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    Goal: Sole proprietor and owner of Little Debbie's Housekeeping & Handyman Services Deborah Boast offers a well-rounded service with everything from deep cleaning, changing hard to reach light bulbs, project management of remodels and additions for clients that are unable to oversee their own projects. She works to provide a quality service to the community to a client base that appreciates extra effort being put forth. "That's something we strive to teach our children every day," said Boast....

  • The Meaning Behind Off the Cuff

    Betty Vanderwielen, Pathfinder|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE - More than one politician has created problems for himself by speaking “off the cuff.” In the case of a politician the phrase means talking without having a written speech to refer to, or not having sufficiently thought things through before speaking. But what does that have to do with cuffs? Although a number of theories have cropped up about how, when and why the phrase came into existence, what is certain is that the cuff in question is a man’s paper shirt cuff. From the late 19th century to the early 20th, collars and cuffs...

  • Cases of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease Increase in Missoula County

    Missoula County Health Department|Feb 25, 2016

    MISSOULA - The Missoula community is currently experiencing an increase in cases of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease (HFMD). HFMD is a common virus in young children that causes mild fever, blisters in the mouth and a rash, usually seen on the palms of hands and the soles of feet. The blisters can be painful and some kids may complain of a sore throat or a stomachache. Usually the infection goes away without any serious complications. HFMD can also occur in adults, but less commonly than in children. How is it spread? The virus can be spread...

  • James White 1942-2016

    Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE - James White, 73, of Seeley Lake passed away Tuesday, Feb. 16. He was born to Henry James White, Sr. and Opal (Jetton) in 1942. His father was stationed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked and his mother Opal was sent to the mainland in San Francisco, Calif. where Jim was born. He graduated high school from Concord High, Concord, Calif. in 1960. A year later he was granted a football scholarship to Northern Montana College where he played the position of Guard for the...

  • A Tribute to Jim White

    Seeley Lake Fire Department|Feb 25, 2016

    SEELEY LAKE - Our little volunteer fire department is greatly saddened by the passing of one of our own, Jim White. Jim joined the department in April 1994 and was its Volunteer Fire Chief from 1996 to 1999. "Hundreds of firefighters have passed through the department since 1959 and very few, if any, have had the impact that Jim White has had on the department," stated retired Fire Chief, Frank Maradeo. One of Jim's finest accomplishments was building Engine 727, the department's 2500-gallon...

  • Surrendering Bitterness

    Rev. Carrie A.H. Benton, Pastor Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church|Feb 25, 2016

    “Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord pointed out a tree to him. He threw it in the water, and the water became sweet.” (Exodus 15:25 CEB) The notion of “surrender” has a myriad of understandings. On one hand we can relinquish an object, even ourselves, over to the care or responsibility of another. On another hand, we can surrender by giving into something – perhaps a behavior, or going along with the crowd. This season before Easter, what those of us in certain liturgical traditions call “Lent,” provides an opportunity to focus on surr...

  • Community Briefs

    Feb 25, 2016

    Register Early for the Snow Joke, Caps Out at 1,000 Runners SEELEY LAKE - After last year’s unprecedented turnout of more than 800 runners, this year’s Snow Joke Half Marathon scheduled in Seeley Lake Feb. 27 looks poised to attract an even bigger field. Race organizers announced they will cap participation at 1,000 to ensure the safety of runners on the road and ease logistics. This decision may limit race day registration. Race organizers encourage runners to sign up early to be assured of a spot. Runners can sign up at Bob Ward’s in Missoula...