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Jimmy Zander of Potomac has been fishing for a "wall hanger" even since he can remember. After his father Charlie got a 24.5 pound northern pike on Lake Upsata in 1996, he's been trying to beat him. The day finally arrived on a solo trip to an area lake after work Monday, March 26. He landed a 47-inch, 33 pound, 8 ounce northern pike. The first fish on was a four-pound northern pike. After landing that one, Zander looked out and his tip-up was up. "It was really zinging," said Zander "I set the...
SEELEY LAKE - "It is such an honor to be recognized by your peers across the state," wrote Seeley Lake Elementary Junior High Teacher Patti Bartlett Gladstone after receiving the 2018 Montana Environmental Education Association Educator's Award. She was the only recipient of the Educator's Award in appreciation of her work in the field of Environmental Education in the state of Montana. Jenélle Dowling, PhD, research specialist with the Montana Natural History Center and faculty affiliate at...
SALMON LAKE - The island log home retreat on Salmon Lake is under new ownership, becoming the property of the Montana Education Benefits Foundation (MEBF) at the Resort at Paws Up. The "Island Lodge" will open for guests Memorial Day Weekend. The island namesake, Sourdough Island, comes from Dave 'Sourdough' Madson who found his way to the island circa 1918 where he was put in charge of netting squawfish for the Fish and Game Department. According to the Seeley Lake Historical Society, Madson's...
I have been following the purposed 61-unit Swan Mountain Estates subdivision in Powell County, just outside Seeley Lake. I have some concerns that I don’t believe are adequately addressed. While I don’t have any problem with the subdivision in principle, the fact that these developers want to rely on the Seeley Lake’s first responders for emergency situations has some troubling ramifications. Seeley Lake has terrific first responders. I personally know a number of people who work with or for the fire department, search and rescue, the sheri...
SEELEY LAKE - As we all know, Seeley Lake is a small, rural, unincorporated community. For fire and medical emergencies, we are served by a volunteer fire department. Our property taxes pay to outfit the department with equipment and gear, pay for employee salaries, volunteer recruitment, training and supervision. There are typically three paid employees: the chief, an office worker and a maintenance worker. Volunteer ranks are usually between three and four dozen. The volunteers are the heart and soul of the department. Let’s face it, if t...
It's springtime... no wait. Not in my neck of the woods anyway. It's January 78th, but that's another story for another day. Anywho... What I meant to say is that it's horse trading season again for the dude ranch, and given the going price of horses these days, we should've spent less money on diesel for snow plowing, starved the kids, forgone Christmas, hit the millionaire jackpot and hocked granny's fine china. All I can figure (and hope for) after reading through some of these for sale ads...
SEELEY LAKE – After hearing of the devastation caused by the fires last summer in Seeley Lake, Corvallis business owner Cody Edwards made an appointment with the Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. After meeting with the Chamber Board, he put his design skills to work free of charge to create a Travel App. His goal was to showcase the beautiful area and entice visitors to make Seeley Lake a destination. In 2013, Cody Edwards, owner and designer for Touch Point Designs, LLC, started creating i...
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake Elementary eighth-grader Hannah Ayers is looking for basketball players and enthusiasts who not only love the game of basketball but who will also join the fight against childhood hunger in Montana. She is hosting a three-on-three basketball tournament April 22 at Seeley-Swan High School to collect non-perishable food items and monetary donations to support the Seeley-Swan Community Food Bank during Fight Childhood Hunger Week. Ayers was one of 20 students across the state chosen for the Governor and First Lady Youth L...
MISSOULA - I believe everyone should have a say in their government. I want to write laws that force Commissioners to send important issues to the voting booth for the people to decide, such as all property tax increases, sales taxes, building permits and fees, subdivision regulations and social laws like legalizing at-home use of marijuana. Important changes should be approved by the people, not dictated by three Commissioners as they have been for the last 18 years. Public comment is not the...
With abundant snow, this has been an outstanding season for winter recreation around Seeley Lake. We are grateful to all of the people and partner groups who have made this a safe, successful and fun season on The Nature Conservancy’s lands. From skiers to bikers to snowmobilers and more, we are working with many different groups to plan for recreation all across this landscape. We want to thank the Driftriders Snowmobile Club for a great season of working together. The club groomed hundreds of miles of snowmobile trails, managed closures, c...
SEELEY LAKE – Despite a thick layer of snow still covering the ground in many yards, more than 50 Clearwater Valley residents, whose fingers were itching to get into the soil, gathered at the Seeley Lake Community Hall April 7 to hear newspaper columnist, author and gardening expert Molly Hackett speak. Clearwater Resource Council sponsored the event. Attendees came with a host of questions and Hackett answered them all. Hackett began by naming a few of her favorite gardening implements. A...
MISSOULA - For Lee Bridges, a 35-year homeowner in East Missoula, and board member on the East Missoula Community Council, a big part of the path toward economic sustainability is for her community to come up with its own zoning designations. She'd rather see that happen through the county than find her town "cookie-cutter" zoned by the City of Missoula once East Missoula is likely annexed due to growth over the next decade. She says the cultural values and urban zoning codes of Missoula aren't...
Mark Butcher - Incumbent I am currently a serving board member and up for renewal for my position. I was originally approached to consider serving because of my Operator qualifications for water & waste water treatment plants in Alaska. Our family moved to Seeley Lake in 2012 and we own Blue River Station. My family is foremost, but welding, metal fab, all phases of construction, mechanics, farming, oil field operations, hunting/fishing, camping and exploring are my enjoyment. Experience: I...
Connie Clark - Incumbent Seeley Lake has been my home for 26 plus years. I am a Montana native born and raised in Kalispell. In 1991 we bought Pop's Place which we operate today. We raised four children here. When not busy with day-to-day operations of a restaurant, we enjoy exploring the backroads of Montana on our motorcycle. I also volunteer at Loving Hearts Thrift Shop and currently serve as their treasurer. I am an active member of Veterans and Families of Seeley Lake. In 1994 I began a 20...
SEELEY LAKE – Loving Hearts was given a face-lift this past week. They reopened Saturday, April 7 welcoming shoppers with a new bright, open atmosphere. Customers raved about how open, organized and new it looked. "I felt that it just needed an update," said Mary Newpower, Loving Hearts' new manager. They closed the store for a week. Newpower said they rearranged to optimize some of the space that wasn't being used. Volunteers streamlined the check-out counter. While the old check-out counter w...
SEELEY LAKE - Norman Leslie Hall was born to Phyllis and Robert Hall on April 7, 1949. He grew up in Dalton, Massachusetts. On a trip with his family he fell in love with Montana. Attending the University of Montana he graduated in 1971 with a degree in forestry. He lived the rest of his life in Montana. Working in the woods, on ranches and lastly at Pyramid Mountain Lumber retiring in 2014. Norm was active in Seeley Lake in the local Senior Center, playing pinochle with several groups, the... Full story
SEELEY LAKE - At their special meeting April 4, Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Board of Trustees met to discuss board member possible Article 17 violation/public display towards board members and the chief, unprofessional conduct in public, public concerns, an investigation and member issues. While the majority of the meeting was closed, Board Secretary Rachel Jennings provided a written statement to the board prior to closing the meeting. In Jennings’ written statement it said that she was informed of allegations against her 48 hours prior t...
SEELEY LAKE – Adding handpicked, quality clothing that adds a vintage feel to someone's closet is the goal of the newly opened second hand clothing store La Rosa Vintage. Sole owner and operator Rosa Erck is excited to share her love of thrift stores by offering another shopping option in Seeley Lake. She offers clothing, shoes and jewelry options from the 1970s through early 2000s. Erck used to work in a thrift store and loves shopping at thrift stores. She said she is an excellent organizer a...
SHELDON, WASH. - Bentley Daniel Gray was born April 2 to William and Laken Gray of Shelton, Wash. He weighed seven pounds, four ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long. Proud great grandparents include Dana and Mike Rhoades of Seeley Lake. Bentley is pictured with his big sister Naraiah Lhee Gray....
SEELEY LAKE – The Missoula Community Concert Band filled the Seeley-Swan Auditorium stage during their outreach concert with Seeley-Swan High School Band April 3. Not only did they bring songs of light to brighten the evening, they incorporated the six SSHS band members and presented junior Jared Townsend with a $250 scholarship to the University of Montana's summer band camp. SSHS Band played three pieces to start the concert followed by five selections from the Missoula Community Concert B...
How could we forget the fires of 2017? Ranking #1 in the nation in any category was bad enough. We ranked #1 in fire and #1 in worst air in recorded history. To add insult upon injury, if you lived east of Highway 83 here in the valley, you were asked to evacuate. Where to go when everywhere was on fire or had bad smoke conditions? What could possibly be a ray of sunshine among such tall timber of despair? Well, we experienced some of the finest examples of service in our little valley. When you had to leave your home, was there someone that...
After the recent school shooting the usual cries for gun “safety” went out. Stephen Smith who lost his mother in a school shooting wrote a great pro-gun guest editorial which pretty much reflects my views on the subject. Democrats and other liberals are always in favor of “common sense gun safety laws” as a way to save lives. They want to modify the second amendment to restrict what kind of gun you can own and how old an adult must be to buy a gun. These are the same people who believe convicted, violent, illegal immigrants must be protected fr...
My grandfather’s generation fought in WWI, my father’s in WWII and mine in the many conflicts which followed. Each generation of Americans valiantly stood against the evil of their day as we must also do. Today’s battlegrounds, unlike Iwo Jima or Normandy, reveal enemies wielding drugs, abortion, pornography, etc. launched against our families, friends and children by gangs, murderers and abusers. We must understand that, just like our ancestors, WE are the ONLY soldiers on this diabolical battlefield. This is OUR turn to champion our value...
