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SEELEY LAKE - Members of the Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue team (SSSAR) received the Distinguished Citizen Medal from the Bitter Root Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) before their regular meeting Tuesday, June 15. The Medal is presented to groups that exemplify honor, service, courage, leadership and patriotism. SSSAR is the first group in Montana to receive this award. "We're here today to thank and recognize each and every one of you for volunteering for the Seeley-Swa...
SWAN VALLEY - Throughout this past school year, students from Swan Valley Elementary School wrote poems, short story excerpts and created artwork that were published into an anthology literary magazine called "Wild Words: A Swan Valley School Anthology." Every student in the school had at least two pieces represented in the 41-page publication that was organized and published by Classroom Aide Liza Ward. Ward worked as an aide for grades third through fifth and taught poetry, fiction, personal e...
SEELEY LAKE - This upcoming summer season, Seeley Lake is expecting to see a shift in available lodging. With the main two motels and multiple vacation rentals no longer available for visitors, those traveling through the area may need to reserve a place to stay further in advance or look for alternative lodging accommodations. Simultaneously some employers have seen a lack of available housing affect the size of their workforce. This past January, The Resort at Paws Up (Paws Up) purchased The Wilderness Gateway Inn, Seeley Lake Motor Lodge and...
In the Clearwater River Watershed alone there are over two-dozen lakes that provide opportunities for anglers and recreationalists. While some are more well known and exceedingly popular during the summer months, you may not have remembered some of these lakes that could provide the quiet escape you've been looking for! Just miles north of the Seeley Lake community lies lakes Alva and Inez. Lake Alva has 'no wake' boating restrictions, making it a popular destination for non-motorized...
I just love June. It is a time of recognition, hope and celebration: the traditions of graduation, Father's Day and weddings. This is a time we can reflect on the potential impact we might have on other people. Reading last week's Pathfinder honoring the kindergarteners, eighth graders and high school graduates just warmed my heart. I enjoyed the diplomas and the honors, the proud families and the excitement for next steps. I am grateful for the teachers who are retiring after long careers of...
SEELEY LAKE - Two vehicles were involved in a collision at mile marker 19 Highway 83 near Elaine's Way just after 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 15. Montana Highway Patrol Sergeant Sean Finley said that there were no serious injuries as a result of the accident. Seeley Lake Rural Fire District volunteers were at the scene. Further details were not available because the investigating trooper could not be reached for comment by the print deadline....
GREENOUGH - The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and engineering firm Robert Peccia & Associates gathered public input during two virtual open houses Wednesday, June 16. The two entities are trying to look at reconfiguration options for the intersection of Highway 200 and Highway 83 also known as Clearwater Junction. Part of what triggered the request for change was a number of accidents occurring in the area. The purpose of the change is to address accidents and improve overall traffic flow. Between 2003 and 2019, 35 crashes were...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council received updates on Fourth of July activities as well as other upcoming local projects during their regular monthly meeting Monday, June 14. In the meeting, Jordan Lyons, Missoula County Community and Planning Services housing specialist, provided the results of a recent Community Needs Assessment; Claire Muller, Seeley Lake Community Foundation executive director, then announced updates on the Change Your Pace program; and Seeley Lake District Ranger Quinn Carver described project updates and...
In comparison to many subdivisions in Western Montana, Double Arrow Ranch is a senior citizen. Opened in phases between 1973 and 1978, it coincided with Montana’s first attempt to regulate such developments, with the Subdivision and Platting Act of July 1, 1973. The earliest parts of the ranch turn 48 years old this year, and soon will reach the age of 50, where people, places and events are considered historic! The residential Ranch of today is a legacy of Seeley Lake’s first dude ranch dating from 1929, the original Double Arrow Ranch. Est...
Hummingbirds are stunning creatures: not only for their jewel-like beauty and gravity-defying aerial acrobatics but also for their sheer fortitude. Every fall, they migrate thousands of miles to Mexico or Central America. Their wings thrum at up to 80 beats per second. When they sleep, their body drops into a state of torpor: their heartbeat and breathing slow to a state almost near death. Yet when they awake, their first order of business is hovering about trees and blossoms, hunting for...
MISSOULA – In bear country, it's normal to find bruins munching down on temptations left out by humans – from a backyard apple tree to leftovers in the trash bin – but these encounters can cause trouble for humans and bears alike. One method to reduce human-bear conflicts is to secure attractants like garbage and livestock feed. While effective when implemented, this approach requires people to change their behavior, and that makes things a little more complicated. University of Montana resea...
LINCOLN, MONTANA - Shirlee Marie Hansen, beloved wife and mother, passed away peacefully in her home with her family surrounding her on June 10. She was born Aug. 31, 1943 to the late Albert Amos and Juanita Mae Maynard in Boise, Idaho. Her father moved often for work and she lived in many places. She talked about her time in the Yaak where they had pet racoons, a pet skunk Petunia and even a bear named Brutus. Shirlee met her beloved husband Bruce and they were married Feb. 22, 1964. They... Full story
As we approach the Fourth of July, I cannot help but think of where we as a country have received the blessings that we have. Actually, not from where, but from Whom. The “whys and wherefores” are an ongoing debate for some but one thing that is irrefutable is the singular prominence of faith and dependence upon God and His Word with which the majority of the Founding Fathers based virtually everything they did, not only in their personal lives but also inveterately within their framing of this new nation. As but one quote of many, John Adams w...
POTOMAC - Members of the Potomac School Board approved a collection of Montana School Board Association (MTSBA) policy updates both on first and second reading with amendments during their regular meeting Monday, June 14. The Board also heard from the eighth graders on their recent school trip and approved the 2019-2020 audit. The required policy updates that were approved on second reading with amendments had to do with uniform complaint procedure; district policy and procedures; school calendar and day; school emergency and closure; entrance...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Fire Board amended their by-laws and approved the 2021-2022 budget at their June 15 meeting. They also addressed public questions regarding the mission statement, financials and public information requests. At a special meeting June 21, they approved a five percent raise for Chief Dave Lane and assigned Board Chair Scott Kennedy and Board Member Jon Kimble to a committee to further discuss the volunteer shortage and options. In his report, Lane said on June 13 following the windstorm, the District responded to 13 c...
In a wildfire briefing at the state Capitol attended by more than a dozen land use and wildfire response agency leaders, Gov. Greg Gianforte said he wants to double the number of treated acres on Montana’s forests and pressured the National Park Service to extinguish all wildfire starts on park service lands. Gianforte said the state is undergoing a forest health crisis due to insect outbreaks, disease and heavy fuel loading that leads to an elevated wildfire risk. Increasing treatment — forest management strategies including some mix of thi...
Seeley Lake residents Elizabeth “Ibby” Lorentz, Brittany Cory and Nicole Williams were named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester. Lorentz, a junior majoring in biological sciences, was named to the Dean’s List for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after maintaining a grade point average of 3.7 or higher. She was among more than 6,800 students at Nebraska named to the Spring Deans’ Lists for the spring semester. For the full Deans’ List, visit https://go.unl.edu/deanslist-spring21. Cory and William...
SWAN VALLEY - Hailey Loudon and her husband Jesse Arno are bringing back Swan Valley Café for the first time since it closed in 2016. They are excited to bring in another active restaurant to the Condon area. "I always just wanted to own my own business and ... it seemed like a good opportunity," Loudon said. "It's been for sale forever and I would try to convince him to do this for about 10 years now. He finally just gave in." Loudon is originally from Aurora, Oregon but she graduated from Seel...
SEELEY LAKE - Potomac resident Sherri Housley has been selling her collection of various jam and jelly flavors at Seeley Lake Market for around a decade. She learned how to make jam at an early age when she would help her family pick strawberries and make jam out of it. "That's how we ate, we were really poor," she said. She finds the jam-making process "relaxing" and says that describing it is like describing art. She said while some may freeze the fruit in their jars, she prefers to leave...
In celebration of 35 years of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder, each week we will run parts of articles that appeared in the issue 35 years ago and 20 years ago. The entire issue will be uploaded to our website seeleylake.com for you to enjoy. We hope you will enjoy the journey with us as we follow our community through the past 35 years as documented by the Pathfinder. 35 years ago: June 25, 1986 issue New survey questions surface at Condon community meeting About a dozen Swan Valley residents...
Weekly COVID-19 update As of June 21, there have been 113,225 cases of COVID-19 in Montana. There have been 852,515 doses of vaccines administered and 420,329 Montanans fully immunized. There are 454 active cases, 5,446 total hospitalizations with 44 active, 111,119 recoveries and 1,652 deaths in Montana due to COVID-19 complications. Missoula County has had 9,337 cases, has 37 active cases, 9,205 recovered and 95 COVID-related deaths. For the most up-to-date and accurate information please refer to the Missoula County-City Health Department we...
