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SEELEY LAKE – Seeley Lake volunteer firefighters responded to a motorhome fire on Gull Port in Seeley Lake Monday, May 16 around 11:30 a.m. The fire was contained to the motorhome and a large enclosed car trailer. No one was injured. When Incident Commander and Seeley Lake Rural Fire District Captain Shawn Ellinghouse arrived at the residence, the back of the RV was fully involved. He was told there were also flames inside the car trailer. The first engine to arrive started suppressing the f...
SEELEY LAKE - The Hellgate Civilian Shooters wrapped up the regular season and have been participating in post-season invitation matches starting with Regional Championships at the end of March. The shooters finished third out of 16 invited teams at the Three Position (3P) Air Gun Regional Championships in Sandy, Utah. They earned an invite to the National Championships end of June at Camp Perry, Ohio. This is the first time the Hellgate Civilian Shooters team has been invited to shoot at the...
SEELEY LAKE - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) are continuing their mission to remove smallmouth bass, a non-native, illegally introduced species, from Seeley Lake. After installing radio transmitters and tracking smallmouth's movement in 2014, they learned that the bass congregate in spring to spawn in the south bay of Seeley Lake. This is the third year they have set trap nets in the south bay in an effort to remove spawning smallmouth from the fishery. Although there were unconfirmed...
SEELEY LAKE - After earning a superior rating at the district music festival April 16, Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS) senior Kim Kellogg competed in the state music competition in Helena in May. She again received the top rating for her solo "Homeward Bound" by Marta Keen. She was the only SSHS musician this year to attend state. Kellogg has been singing ever since she was a little girl. Both of her parents sang with various groups. Kellogg believes this is why she was born with a love for...
SWAN VALLEY - The Mission Mountains Mercantile was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of May 18. At approximately 12:22 a.m. a fire was reported at the Mission Mountains Mercantile on Highway 83. The Swan Valley Fire Department was dispatched to the scene. A short time later assistance was requested from the Seeley Lake Fire Department. When fire personnel arrived on-scene the blaze was towards the back of the gas station, but quickly moved to the front of the structure. The building... Full story
Last year after Missoula County Commissioner Bill Carey announced he was retiring mid-term, the Missoula Democratic Central Committee held a forum which resulted in three people being nominated for presentation to the Board of Commissioners. The two voting Commissioners agreed to APPOINT Stacy Rye on the first ballot. Now, after working with Stacy for seven-plus months, one Commissioner has endorsed Dave Strohmaier and the other has NOT endorsed Stacy. To me that means Stacy does not play well with others and that she has created what will be...
MISSOULA – Hopefully you read the big card from Stacy Rye who is running as a democrat to retain her seat as Missoula County Commissioner. Stacy has been endorsed by the mayor, all the council members, Carol Williams and many county leaders. Why, you ask? It is because she feels the people want and need more transparency from the commissioners such as minutes taken and meetings recorded. Before they make a decision, which affects all of the people of the county, they will have a voice, and decisions will not be made behind closed doors with n...
Dave Strohmaier has my vote in our June 7 Missoula County Commissioner primary. Two years ago I encouraged Dave to run for House District 92 in northeast Missoula City and County. What a great job he did, traveling the county, experiencing the landscape, knocking on doors, meeting people and learning about issues. Because Northeast Missoula County is part of my Senate District, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about the hardworking people who are making great strides to preserve, protect and enhance the area. I’ve watched Commissioner Jea...
I met Stacy Rye five years ago and I have been grateful ever since. She is a strong friend and an even stronger leader. I supported her when she put in her name for the appointment of Missoula County Commissioner because I knew she would work harder than anyone else at the job. She is extremely passionate about local government and making Missoula a better place to work and live. While I could repeat other letters about openness and transparency, helping families and partnering with local governments, all things Stacy ardently believes, my...
I am responding to recent allegations by my Public Service Commission (PSC) primary opponent and her supporters about recent automated phone calls that I left in voter’s answering machines. The state statute they quote is not as clear-cut as they would like to think. In all likelihood it is unconstitutional. The same law in South Carolina was found to be a violation of free speech. It is regularly used by candidates on both sides to get their message out. I stand behind my decision to drop a 15-second, pre-recorded voice mail that was delivered...
Dave Strohmaier is the best candidate for Missoula County Commissioner. We have known Dave for the last 15 years when he kindly helped our son Kevin Furey with his candidacy for the Montana house. Dave is a hard working, committed candidate with a wealth of experience. Since we live in Bonner, we are thrilled with the planned extension of the Kim Williams Trail and the new state park. With that expansion also comes risks. Dave is committed to helping establish a system to protect users of the trails and the environment. Dave is a strong...
For my generous friends and their families that have been kind enough to share their way of life with me... Thank you... I haven't written much about the hi-line of Montana since moving here. Mostly, because I was fairly certain that nothing about Havre could compare to the spring beauty of the home and the mountains but I've been proven wrong. And as much as I love the receding of the snow-line on the mountains, birth of the wildflowers and watching the ice retreat from its alpine lakes,...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Foundation (SLCF) is trying a new approach to how they financially support local organizations. The inaugural Change Your Pace Challenge offers 14 local organizations the opportunity to raise up to $5,000 from May 20-July 22. The funds raised will be matched by the SLCF for a total of $30,000 available match funding. The SLCF offers two grant cycles each year during which 501(c) 3 organizations can apply for up to $2,500. The grants are made possible throu...
SEELEY LAKE – Volunteers with the Seeley Lake Rural Fire District (SLRFD) and Swan Valley Emergency Services (SVES) spent their weekend May 14-15 improving their knowledge of trauma response. The 16-hour class, taught by state certified instructors, earns Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) a Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) certification and, as lead instructor Shari Graham said, "improves patient outcomes from trauma related injuries." Graham, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) S...
SEELEY LAKE - The Wilderness Sportsman's Club (WSC) held their annual Range Cleanup Day, May 15 at the Seeley Lake Gun Range on Cottonwood Lakes Road. A new berm at 500 yards was built last year at the end of the rifle range to prevent the possibility of striking a vehicle on East Morrell Road. Shooters are expected to pack out all their trash when they leave. The WSC has enough used tires for the pistol range so donations are no longer needed. The WSC requests anyone using the range donates $5...
Along with watching our loons return in spring, nest and raise chicks, getting to know our Montana Loon Rangers is one of the nicest things about the Montana Loon Society Loon Season. Here are a few words from Ashley Huinker, our 2015 Blackfoot-Clearwater Loon Ranger. It is fun to read her loon ranger experience from her perspective. Following this is information from the Clearwater (Seeley), Blackfoot (Ovando) and Swan (Swan Lake) areas. A Loon Ranger Summer - In Her Own Words by Ashley...
by Nathan Bourne Pathfinder The Seeley Lake Community Council hosted a candidate forum, May 9 at the Seeley Lake Community Hall. Candidates from the Public Service Commission (PSC) District 4, House District (HD) 92 and Missoula County Commissioners races answered various questions from moderator Klaus von Sutterheim and the audience. This week the Pathfinder is featuring the candidates for the PSC. Look for HD 92 and County Commissioners in the following weeks. Three PSC candidates attended...
"When the Good Lord calls a cowboy home, He opens wide the gate and Welcomes in an honest man Whose walk and talk is straight. For Those who chose the life of a cowboy way Will live a life well spent, Serving God and their fellow man Until they're heaven sent." Born: March 1, 1944 in Lufkin, Texas Passed away: May 9, 2016 at his home in Skillyville (Seeley Lake, Mont.) Ed was 72 years old. Preceded in death by: his mother Nora and step-father Carl Beaty; father Merrel Bass and brother Merrel... Full story
SEELEY LAKE – Mary Jean Gibson went to be with the Lord on Monday, May 9. She passed away at her home in Seeley Lake. She was born Dec. 6, 1956 to Paul and Verna Gibson. Mary spent her short life serving others either in restaurant work and in the past 15 years performing home health care. For a couple years she operated a stone quarry. Mary loved living life and showed this by caring for the elderly, spending time with family and friends, her motorcycles and pets Vianna (dog) and Midnight (... Full story
For those of us fortunate enough to live in this gorgeous country, our hearts have been thrilled with this fantastic spring as the lakes thawed, the grasses turned green and the larch and aspen started to leaf out again. As I looked about I saw the miracle of life exploding upon us and I started to ponder once again what life really is. Although science can define the attributes of living things, scientifically life itself remains an unknown. Yet we all realize what things are alive and those that are not. In all of the commotion that life...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council (SLCC) was informed at its May 9 meeting that a new study would be done on crosswalks across Highway 83 in Seeley Lake. The council's budget and appointed position was also discussed. The new study is a step toward implementing some of the council's recommendations for pedestrian safety created during its traffic project last summer. Councilman Duane Schlabach reported that he met with Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Missoula County...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) met to address and edit more of the Swan Valley Regional Draft Plan (SVRP) May 11. Edits and comments from Swan Valley Elementary District No. 33 School Board and residents were utilized. The committee voted to table Section 1.2 Habitat Types of the SVRP until the next meeting. It was agreed the comments needed further study. SVRPC member Dave Johnson said that since none on the committee were well versed in habitat types, the committee should come back to it. He said the...
POTOMAC - More than 60 years ago Missoulian and 4-H supporter Tony Rollin created the first "Drama Festival" where Missoula County 4-H clubs produced plays and skits using 4-H members as the talent. Potomac Valley, Blue Mountain, Lolo Peak, Bearcreek Buckaroos and the Mullen Trail Mustangs 4-H Clubs brought acting competition to the Potomac/Greenough Community Center (PGCC) Sunday May 15. Festival judges Hannah Fradkin and Amy Kalil are volunteers from the Missoula Children's Theatre. Potomac...
SEELEY LAKE –Art Mobile of Montana sent its 2016 traveling art gallery to Swan Valley Elementary School (SVE) and Seeley Lake Elementary School (SLE) May 9 and 11. Teaching artist Shelby Johnson told each group of students the art pieces she brought were created by contemporary Montana artists. She explained the artists each had their own unique way of seeing things and used a variety of art materials and methods to convey what they saw and felt. The students got an opportunity to look at all t...
SEELEY LAKE - Sparrow's Vine Pregnancy Resource Center hosted their second annual Ladies Tea and Open House March 14. The purpose of the event was twofold: to thank the community for its support and tell the community what has been happening at Sparrow's Vine. Attendees were served a variety of appetizers, desserts and tea selections, given the opportunity to tour the new center, win door prizes and socialize. Now in its new location in the Bison and Bear Center and under the leadership of...
