Articles written by sigrid olson


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  • Snow jumping hexapods

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Mar 5, 2020

    During sunny late winter days in the Blackfoot Watershed, multitudes of small black things can be seen wriggling on the snow. They are called snow fleas, Snow fleas, or Hypogastrura nivicola, are part of the arthropod group called springtails which include horseshoe crabs, spiders and scorpions. Springtails are not considered insects because their mouthparts are internal while insect mouths are external. Unlike parasitic fleas, snow fleas are decomposers and not bloodsuckers. They do not bite...

  • Potomac community gathers for pancakes and permits

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Feb 27, 2020

    POTOMAC - More than 150 people attended the annual Pancakes and Permits event Feb. 22 at the Potomac/Greenough Community Center (PGCC). For two hours the coffee and conversation flowed as Potomac and surrounding community members enjoyed each other over a hot breakfast of sausages, eggs and pancakes. The Potomac Valley 4H Club and the Greenough/Potomac Volunteer Fire Department (GPVFD) hosted the breakfast. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Clearwater Unit was there al...

  • Potomac program captivates audience

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jan 2, 2020

    POTOMAC - There was standing room only during the annual Potomac School Christmas Program Dec. 18 in the Potomac/Greenough Community Center (PGCC) as more than 300 people attended to watch the students and sit with family and friends. Highlights of the evening included the annual art silent auction, presentation of raffle prizes by the eighth grade, singing and dancing, special guests and Christmas cookies and drinks. Eighth grader Lauren Nordberg emceed the event again this year. She...

  • Potomac celebrates Christmas

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Dec 19, 2019

    POTOMAC - On the snowy evening of Saturday, Dec. 14, more than 100 people attended the annual Christmas Comes Home event in the heart of Potomac. Outside there were wagon rides, a bonfire and a live Nativity scene. Inside, the Potomac Greenough Community Center was full of Christmas delights including music, children's activities, Christmas quilts and decorated Christmas trees. The eighth-grade class served dinner as part of their fundraiser for their class trip. The Potomac Quilt Guild...

  • Go ride a bike

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Nov 28, 2019

    POTOMAC - Around the school block and past the horse and cattle pastures Potomac School students rode skateboards, bikes, rollerblades, scooters, a pogo stick, walked, ran and hopped their way through the annual Bike-a-thon fundraiser Oct. 16. For more than five years, Free Cycles of Missoula once again made their way to Potomac for the annual Bike-a-thon. Director Bob Giordano brought staff with him to assist and cheer on the student bikers. His professional work area is usually busy during the...

  • Fall traditions bring out Halloween fashions

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Nov 7, 2019

    POTOMAC - Potomac children celebrated fall and Halloween by dressing up and attending the second annual Fall Carnival and the annual Parade of Costumes. The Fall Carnival Friday, Oct. 25 was held at the Potomac/Greenough Community Center (PGCC). Volunteers said it was well-attended by children and adults alike. Potomac resident and teacher Christie Taillefer spearheaded the event which raised $480. Proceeds go towards the Explorers Program. "We had a lot of people, a lot more than last year," sh...

  • Potomac School welcomes new junior high teacher

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Oct 24, 2019

    POTOMAC - Jessica Van Kerkhove is a new junior high social studies and intervention teacher for Potomac School. She looks forward to working with all the students and staff and getting to know the families and the Potomac community. She completed her schooling from the University of Montana in 2014 with a BA in PSCI/HSTR (Political Science and History), and a Secondary Education teaching certification in Broadfield Social Studies. Van Kerkhove is currently taking classes through MSU-Billings for...

  • Potomac flag football team has successful season

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Oct 24, 2019

    POTOMAC – With 16 Pioneers on the team this year, Potomac School's Flag Football team came away with nine wins and two losses. "This was a great year for Potomac flag football," said head coach Marty Preston. Preston is a Potomac resident and father and has been the coach for the last two and a half years with his first year beginning after the season started. Preston's son Martin was the assistant coach this year. For the Prestons, flag football is a family affair. Marty's son Hunter played l...

  • The old firefighting days – Stories from Potomac

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Sep 12, 2019

    POTOMAC - As summer’s dry heat wanes into cooler damp weather, fire season comes to an end. Some Potomac residents took time this year to openly reflect on past fire seasons and their firefighting experiences. They shared stories of fighting fires on their own; when they would leave the mill, their logging jobs and ranches to fight fires. They used their own equipment and worked through the night to put the fires out. Potomac has a history of the Anaconda and Champion logging companies, the Blackfoot Forest Protective Association (BFPA), f...

  • 4H, not just about the show

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Aug 15, 2019

    MISSOULA - The 4H year is a journey for all members, especially when something happens to the project animal. Owning livestock provides opportunity for responsibility but sometimes things happen that are out of the owner's control. For some Potomac 4H members this year brought some sadness along with triumphs. Potomac horse member Emma Richardson is in her eighth year in the horse project. Her horse Calypso was diagnosed with Equine Osteoarthritis in 2013 which has gotten progressively worse....

  • Warriors from Potomac set inspirational pace

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jul 11, 2019

    MISSOULA – Six "Potomac Warriors" walked and ran strong during the Missoula Half Marathon June 29. The 13.1-mile race began at The Peak off Highway 93 and finished on Higgins Street in Missoula in front of the Wilma Theater. Potomac residents Katy France, Launa Henry, Jessie Salter, Jen Nordberg, Allyson Nelson and Tammie Dry and her mother Mary Watson of California trained together for the event. They affectionately refer to themselves as the Potomac Warriors. "I guess you could say the m...

  • Blackfoot Rendezvous breakin' records, havin' fun in the sun

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jul 4, 2019

    POTOMAC - The second annual Blackfoot Rendezvous was a screaming success according to the Explorers Parent Group that hosted the event. "We made more than $4,000 this year, thanks to our generous cash donors and food donations we received," said Explorers parents Michelle Dunn and Jenny Clark. The event was created to raise funds for the Potomac School Explorers Program. Explorers takes place Fridays during the school year since Potomac School has a four-day school week. More than 450 people att...

  • Potomac School updates for next school year

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jul 4, 2019

    POTOMAC - Potomac School is ready for 2019-2020 school year with rearranged staff positions, new staff coming on and updates to the school facilities. Security measures remain in place with security cameras and door buzzers to control who enters the school buildings. The school board continually looks through and updates safety policies including scheduling armed intruder drills. Staff receive appropriate training to create a safety zone for the students. Several staff changed positions for next year. The teacher for fourth/ fifth combined...

  • Potomac students take the next step forward

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jun 20, 2019

    POTOMAC - Memories and laughter partnered with smiles the evening of Potomac School's kindergarten and eighth grade graduation June 12 at the Potomac Greenough Community Center. More than 120 people including great grandparents sat amongst friends and family for the event which began with a motivational speech by principal John Rouse. Accompanied by their eighth grade buddies, the five kindergartners passed out flowers to their parents and then were escorted to the stage. The eighth grade class...

  • Potomac students participate in county and statewide bees

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Apr 25, 2019

    Potomac School eighth grader Connor Bush and seventh grader Lauren Nordberg recently competed in the Missoula County Orthography Bee and state Geography Bee. Both received a certificate of participation....

  • Fallen antlers are spring treasures

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Apr 4, 2019

    With the weather starting to warm up, south slopes are baring off and outdoor enthusiasts can be found searching for newly dropped antlers. Shed hunting for these treasures is growing in popularity. Montana ungulates include caribou, deer, elk and moose. They are from the family Cervidae because they are even-toed and grow and shed their antlers each year. Antlers are made of bone and grow from the tips. Antelope are also even-toed ungulates but belong to the family Bovidae. They have permanent...

  • Potomac Pioneer girls bring strength to the court

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Mar 28, 2019

    POTOMAC - "One of the greatest strengths that I saw was the support the girls gave to each other continually through the whole season," said Potomac Pioneers Head Coach Christi Taillefer about the team this year. This year there were 13 girls that played for the Pioneers. It was a young team with two eighth graders, four seventh graders, four sixth graders and three fifth graders. The coaches and players felt the season went pretty well. It was a season of many firsts, for the coaches and some...

  • Blackfoot Peacemakers quilting the fabric of life

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Mar 21, 2019

    POTOMAC - For the last 24 years Potomac ladies have been getting together and creating quilts. Some of the quilts are donated to hospice, raffles, families in need, Potomac Bingo night, the Greenough/Potomac Volunteer Fire Department for people displaced by fire and to veterans. In 1995 Barb Sheehy was part of the Potomac Home Extension Group, now called the Blackfoot Home and Community Club. Sheehy, who has a quilting background offered to give some quilting lessons. The group took quilting...

  • Burn permits Potomac style

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Feb 28, 2019

    POTOMAC - The partnership between the Greenough/Potomac Volunteer Fire Department (GPVFD) and the Potomac Valley 4-H Club was a continued success Feb. 23 at the annual Pancakes and Permits event in Potomac at the Potomac Greenough Community Center. The focus of the community event was for residents to prepare for burning season by obtaining their burn permits and maintaining their fire extinguishers while enjoying a hot breakfast and fellowship with neighbors. The GPVFD and the Montana Departmen...

  • Pioneers unstumped by bees

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Feb 7, 2019

    POTOMAC - Potomac School hosted their annual geography bee Jan. 23 and spelling bees Jan. 28 and 30. The bees have been part of Potomac School tradition for more than 15 years. The geography bee is for fourth through eighth graders and is organized and administered by teacher Damian Gaglia. The fourth through eighth grade teachers hold classroom geography bees to determine who will compete in the school geography bee. Goals surrounding the geography bee are hopes that students will be motivated...

  • Gold star for Potomac teacher

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jan 31, 2019

    POTOMAC - Terri Klein, the first grade teacher at Potomac School, was awarded the Gold Star Award for December 2018. KECI has sponsored the award for 27 years. It recognizes excellence in education. Klein said she has never wanted to be anything but a first grade teacher. She grew up and went to school in Drummond. Her first grade teacher was Julie Enman. Klein stayed in touch with her through the years. "It was so fun to be able to visit her and talk education." Klein's high school teacher...

  • Potomac horse found after 50 days

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jan 24, 2019
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    POTOMAC - Dinkelman, a 16-year-old gelding quarter horse, got lost around Thanksgiving during hunting season on the north side of Potomac. Local snowmobiler and hunter Jeff Hahn found him on Jan. 11 after more than six weeks in the woods. Lifelong Potomac resident Chad Thurston owns Dinkelman. He has hunted the Potomac area for 15 years, using his horses for riding and packing. Thurston has used Dinkelman for the last three years. When Thurston hunts, he sometimes has horses at his camp. That...

  • Potomac Dodgeball coming soon

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jan 17, 2019

    POTOMAC - A double elimination Dodgeball Tournament will be held at the Potomac/Greenough Community Center Feb. 2 starting at 10 a.m. This event is a fundraiser to help the Potomac eighth grade class go to Texas for their annual eighth grade trip, now called the Capstone Trip. A team of parents, teachers and community members are working together to make the trip a reality. There are 10 eighth graders going to Texas A&M University. One goal is for the students to learn about marine biology....

  • Potomac offers new preschool program

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Jan 3, 2019

    POTOMAC - Potomac School is offering a preschool program this year. Jodi Hausmann teaches the Potomac Early Learning Program in the Potomac School Library and History Center. The preschool program is part of Potomac School and funded by the Montana Comprehensive Literacy Project Grant. Potomac School was one of 21 Montana schools awarded the grant. There have been preschool and nursery programs throughout the years in Potomac including Little Lambs Preschool, Bear Creek Daycare and other...

  • Pioneers ring in the holiday season

    Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Dec 27, 2018

    POTOMAC - The 2018 Potomac School Holiday Program Dec. 19 brought more than 200 people to the Potomac Greenough Community Center including students, their families, community members, teachers and friends. The evening began with fifth grader Kaycee Salter playing a Christmas medley on the piano while the guests were being seated. For the second year Lauren Nordberg emceed the program...

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