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“People need something different than anonymous meat,” Cole Mannix of the Mannix Ranch in Helmville said during the Old Salt Festival on June 23-25. “Old Salt is primarily a meat company, and we’re borrowing a model from the breweries that have sprouted up. People go to breweries to have a good time and build relationships. That’s what Old Salt is trying to do with the festival, and have it focused on great wood-fired cooking, music and relationships.” Authentic connections with people rather th...
Riddy Arman serenaded the crowd with her folksy bluesy voice proclaiming "a cowboy hates fencing with love on his mind" against the backdrop of misty green hills, fading as rain showers threatened. People sat in clusters on rows of straw bales under an 80 foot x 160 foot tent listening to the music and chowing down on pork barbecue and beans. They were cooked low and slow overnight in cement block fire pits and 30 gallon cauldrons. Some played corn hole and ladder golf in the background. "It's...
A full-body elk mount carrying panniers helped attract 200-250 people to the Bear Fair on the Little Bird lawn June 18. More than eight organizations hosted tables with displays and information for people to learn a bear smart lifestyle. "The last Bear Fair in Seeley Lake was 21 years ago," said Patti Bartlett, organizer of the Bear Fair. "It was time to have another one with all the new people in the area so we can all be safer wherever we live." There are about 100 food-conditioned black...
Cyclists Jessica Cerra and Evelyn Dong crossed Highway 200, within 2,000 feet of the finish line. The 80-ish mile race sprint finish was between second and third place. Cerra was ready to relegate herself to third place. Dong encouraged her to finish strong, and Cerra came in ahead of Dong by 0.7 of a second. The gray, drizzly morning did not stop the 200 riders from showing up to the Second Annual Dusty Banditas Women's gravel bike race on June 3 in the Ovando area. Thirty-seven women...
"Main Street, Ovando is on the route of the Tour Divide, a grueling 2,700 mile gravel bike race. It is the world's longest off-pavement bicycle race," said Kathy Thurmond, owner Blackfoot Angler and impromptu bicycle shop. "As of June 16, 156 riders have passed through town." The original 198 riders in the grand departure left Banff, Alberta, on June 9. Leaders passed through Ovando on Sunday, June 11. As of June 17, the leaders are over half-way to the finish-line in New Mexico. The overall...
The 44th Annual Father Mac Fastpitch Softball Invitational event brought teams from around the state to Helmville, Montana for the weekend of June 3-4. Each year the non-league softball tourney brings teams together for a weekend of fun and fast pitches in memory of a Helmville priest who would come up to play umpire after church services. "He loved the game and after his untimely death (in 1980) the Father Mac Invitational was created," said Dave Mannix, retired Helmville pitcher.. The Father...
Ovando Museum hosted five local citizens June 25 for recognition of being Nonagenarians, people 90-99 years old. Irene Weaver, her sister Norma Hughes, Whitey (Charles)Whitehead, Jack Hooker and Peggy Wittrock were the honorees. About 30 family, friends and community members attended. The honorees shared stories and memories from years past. "The purpose of the event was to recognize, admire and appreciate the wisdom from their experiences of life," said Barb McNally, Museum board member. "It...
Four eighth grade students finished their Helmville School career on May 30 with encouraging words from the Drummond Junior Varsity Football coach and the book "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." Graduating eighth graders Wyatt Daniels, Michael Goettle, Natalie Graveley and Lucas Spatig will all be attending Drummond High School in the fall, and per tradition they were the centerpieces of a graduation ceremony at the Helmville Community Center. The graduates shared their child...
Passers-by may notice new fenced-in areas blocking pedestrian traffic in some loacations this summer including Clearwater Crossing Fishing Access and Brown's Lake. These Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) fishing access points have been slated for habitat restoration and will see some improvements over the course of the season. According to FWP, trees need to be planted to mitigate erosion and the fences will stay up until the trees are well established enough to grow without protection....
Every year the Blackfoot Clearwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA) commonly known as the Game Range near Clearwater Junction in Greenough opens for eager shed hunters to collect antlers from the field. The annual tradition has become a kind of festival. "Horn hunting is like an Easter-egg hunt for adults," said Trevor Welnel, a Helena area hunter who came to the Greenough for the opening day event. The Game Range opened on May 15. "Once the gate opens you drive until your heart is bursting with...
Game wardens from as far away as Kentucky and Ohio descended upon Seeley Lake May 9-11 for a Wildlife Field Forensics Seminar hosted by Wildlife Field Forensics. The 58 state, federal and tribal officers had lectures and field training for learning skills needed in forensic analysis of wildlife cases. Seminar classes included investigating wildlife-human conflicts, decomposition stages for forensic analysis, firearms evidence field analysis, entomology related to crime analysis and field...
Some extreme winter conditions this year led to abnormally high fish fatality rates in the Blackfoot Valley. The ice had mostly melted off Brown's Lake by May 1. While this would normally mean the start of fishing season this year had local fishermen worried. In the wake of that melting ice, scores of dead fish were found. On Upsata Lake, the shoreline was covered with dead yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike. "The ice on Brown's Lake was over 24 inches thick," said Ladd Knotek, a...
An inventory of lands and rivers on Forest Service ground that may be suitable for recommendation as Wilderness or Wild and Scenic River status in the Lolo National Forest Plan Revision is underway. “The initial Wilderness inventory looks at all the lands on the Lolo that might meet some of the basic criteria for consideration,” said Amanda Milburn, of the Lolo National Forest Revision Team. “The inventory doesn’t speculate whether any of this would be good, bad or indifferent as a wildern...
Lolo National Forest have opened for public comment this month. The Wild and Scenic Rivers draft, and the Outstanding Remarkable Values Framework and Wilderness Inventory Draft are open for comment until May 16, 2023. "The Lolo National Forest Plan is about issues that are important to people," said Carolyn Upton, Lolo National Forest Supervisor. "We're interested in hearing from forest users about how they see the future of both the forest and the uses of the forest and about issues that are...
The yearly Ovando Town meeting was held Tuesday April 18 at the Ovando Gym. There were updates from 11 community groups. Notable updates included the Fire Department, Town Park, Blackfoot Challenge, Sheriff's Department, upcoming bicycle events and school news. Fire Chief Monte McNally reported that there are 18 active volunteer firemen and five Emergency Medical Responders (EMR). A battery-powered "Jaws of Life" was obtained as a gift from Blackfoot Telecommunications and a six wheel utility ve...
"It was a great experience to visit our nation's Capital as a class,"said Matilda Hessler, Ovando School sixth grader. Ovando School fifth-eighth graders took an eight-day trip to Washington D.C. April 11-18. The trip was choreographed by fifth-eighth grade teacher Nathan Graves. The group was supervised by Andrea Tougas, Ovando School's supervising teacher, Dena Hooker, School Business manager and Graves. The group of five students and three adults stayed in an airbnb and rented a van to tour...
"The Pathway of Life" is a Montana story of the Sperry family and life in the Blackfoot Valley in the late 1800's and early 1900's. C.B. Sperry and his wife Nell left Michigan for California and then traveled to Montana in search of a better life. From Helena they homesteaded along the Blackfoot River east of Clearwater Junction. Their homesite area is now called Sperry Grade, near Russell Gates Campground and fishing access. "It is a story of an early homesteader determined to survive the...
Hunter's education teacher Ron Ream, of Condon, was recently recognized by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks(FWP) for 15 years of teaching the youth of South Dakota and Montana. "I enjoy teaching our younger generation and appreciate those who carry on our traditions," Ream said. "I enjoy sharing my experiences, in hopes I will influence young hunters to make good ethical decisions and to always be safe when out in our beautiful outdoors." Ream got hooked on bowhunting while on a trip to...
"The design process for the Clearwater Roundabout is ongoing, said Kristine Fife, of Big Sky Public Relations. "Don't expect construction for at least four to five years." Although public opinion from an informal social media survey is high against roundabouts, roundabouts successfully reduce traffic accidents and fatalities in their locations. Roundabouts keep traffic moving during off-peak times, rather than having a lone car sitting at a red light. "Speed limits don't get very good...
Tanya Fyfe grew up in Canada and spent her whole life skating on ice. It was a part of every aspect of her life until she moved to Seeley Lake and hung up her skates. But after a hiatus, she is back in the skates. "Ice skating has given me everything I ever wanted in life," said Fyfe, local realtor, part-time veterinarian, author and lifelong figure skater in an interview at her home near Seeley Lake. Fyfe performed March 25-26 at the "Skaters got Talent" ice show in Hazen, ND for the first...
A potential gravel pit is being proposed for an undeveloped area near Elbow Lake, in Greenough, and the residents of the area are voicing concerns about noise pollution and disruptions to wildlife in hopes of stopping the project from moving forward. The 21.2 acre gravel pit would be just off of Highway 83, south of Salmon Lake and near Elbow Lake in Greenough. LHC Construction, the Kalispell-based outfit being subcontracted by Kiewit for the project, says the pit and its accompanying asphalt...
Kyle Peltier of Seeley Lake is embarking on the Appalachian Trail April 8 after completing the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in 2021. While nearing the end of the PCT, Peltier began thinking about another through hike, either the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) or the Appalachian Trail (AT). The three trails comprise the Triple Crown of thru hiking. "I wasn't really keen about doing the Appalachian Trail because of all the rain and snakes and stuff on the east coast," said Peltier. "One of my PCT...
An owl prowl was held Saturday, March 4 by Rachel Fiegley for Clearwater Resource Council (CRC). A brief explanation of owl behavior and Montana owl species at the CRC office was followed by a moonlit walk from River Point Campground to observe owls. The owl prowl was the sixth CRC nature walk program, which started in 2020. "We want to help people get out onto the public land in the area," said Fiegley, former Forest Service District Ranger and Wildlife Biologist. "That way they can hopefully...
New energy and ideas from school parents has resurrected the Parent Teacher Club(PTC) at Seeley Elementary School(SLE). "Fifteen years ago there was a Parent Teacher Club at the school," said Michelle Dunn, current PTC president. "As happens, those parents moved on as their kids grew up and the PTC languished." Dunn and her family, including two children now in 7th and 8th grade, moved to Seeley Lake in 2020 from Potomac. As part of the organizing committee of the Potomac PTC for five years and...
Helmville has Irish roots that go back five generations in many of the residents. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated with a parade, a corned beef and cabbage potluck and special music on the weekend. The parade route runs from the Post Office to the Copper Queen. Parade participants included American Legion Post #9 from Lincoln, motocross riders, Mannix Ranch, families in side-by-sides, a horse and buggy, dogs, kids and balloons. More than 70 people packed the Copper Queen for the potluck. "The...
