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SWAN VALLEY – When a Missoula client asked Swan Valley gardener Grace Siloti to plant three acres of lavender she did not realize the new opportunity it could afford for her and hopefully others in the Swan Valley. Now after her second season, she is reaching the top of a steep learning curve and looking forward to offering lavender oil, hydrosol, buds and stems. Siloti was one of the pioneer gardeners in the Swan Valley. When she started in 1991 she tried just about everything to see if she c...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board held their annual assessment hearing after their board meeting Aug. 17. The assessment uses the same methodology as the previous year and charges commercial and vacant property based on square footage of the lots while properties with dwelling units are charged a flat rate of $79.85. Don Larson, representing the Committee for Sensible Wastewater Solutions, presented a petition protesting the annual assessment. Larson said that in just couple of hours he had collected around 50 signatures protes...
SEELEY LAKE – From donating blood to swarms of mosquitoes at Teen Missions International Boot Camp in Florida to sharing her testimony and God's love with orphans in Malawi, Africa, thirteen-year-old Grace Wilson returned to Seeley Lake the end of July a changed person. While she learned many life lessons, Bible verses and met many new friends, her biggest take-home was she needed to have a better relationship with God and show her parents more respect. Wilson was a member of a 21-person p...
SEELEY LAKE – It's been 10 years since the Jocko Lakes Fire threatened Seeley Lake. With the help of rehabilitation efforts following the fire, the landscape has gone from black destruction to green rebirth. Now agencies and landowners have turned their focus to preventing the next fire. At the end of the Jocko Lakes Fire, there were more than 100 miles of dozer lines to be rehabbed. Scott Tomson and Shane Hendrickson, the two resource specialists assigned from the Lolo National Forest, w...
The timing of this story is a scarred sadness for the Seeley Lake area as days remembered that are at rest with God within our prayers along with all of the memories we can only share together during the destruction and devastation of the Rice Ridge fire of 2017. Where some of the days in Seeley Lake the smoke has settled at times thicker and darker than any fog seen before it seemed. The fumes and flames from the Rice Ridge Fire were choking while, they burned within an extensive summer heat not only in the air with falling ash but, also in...
SEELEY LAKE - Everyday most Americans work, play, and relax without thinking about what happens every time they flush a toilet. That’s because most Americans have a sewage treatment facility that properly handles human waste. In Seeley Lake each time we flush we’re not sure exactly how completely waste will be treated. Some septic systems work better than others. All septic systems require maintenance and may require replacing the drain field at some point in time. Studies show a clear link between the location of septic systems and the deg...
SEELEY LAKE - Whether just to catch a glimpse or camped out for the duration, Seeley Lake residents were out Monday, Aug. 21 to watch the solar eclipse. Everyone thought it was just incredible....
I've logged some serious miles on my saddle this summer and I've had the pleasure of riding some fine horseflesh. With each mile looking out between those ears, I soak up the intrinsic value of time spent doing exactly what I love; riding my horse through the wilderness and the backcountry, over new trails and old. I'm always amazed at the newness of this country I've ridden through my entire life. Every turn reveals a slight change and offers up a new perspective physically, as well as...
SEELEY LAKE - Clearwater Montana Properties announced that it has been named one of America's Best Brokerages in the Summer 2017 issue of "The Land Report." The Land Report's exclusive America's Best Brokerages award recognizes a select group of best-in-class brokerages that specialize in land, recreational, farm, ranch and investment properties. Clearwater Montana Properties is an exclusive partner to Sports Afield Trophy Properties, a network of top recreational property brokerages. With more...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board was informed at their monthly meeting, Aug. 17 that this fall’s planned notice and protest might be delayed. The Board’s public outreach meetings scheduled for Aug. 23 and Sept. 21 will go on as planned. Residents at the meeting took the opportunity to ask questions during public comment. District Manager Greg Robertson explained that the notice and protest period cannot happen until they receive a status on the district’s most recent application for additional funding. The application to Rural...
It’s painful to watch the national news. Partisan politics rule the day. The times when you made decisions by taking into account the best interests of your neighbor feel all but gone. We used to come together as one nation, indivisible and chart out a course that we all could agree on. We used to meet in the middle. And in rural Montana, we still do. We have all seen the magic that occurs when diverse interests and stakeholders put their differences aside and focus on their commonalities. That’s the real Montana - not Republicans, Democrats, L...
SWAN VALLEY - Anna Joy Wood of Salmon Prairie and Ryan Allan Hardy of Polson, Montana would like to invite you to their wedding celebration on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. The wedding will be down Piper Creek Road just north of Condon – follow the signs. A reception will follow the ceremony. For more information please call 406-754-2509. Congratulations Anna and Ryan!...
Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is one of my favorite flowers because it is tough and the deer don't seem to like it. Its shallow roots make transplanting easy and it tolerates some neglect in the process. It is drought resistant and spreads by shallow rhizomes, so it fills my flower garden even when I forget to water it! Yarrow is in the Composite Family, not the Parsley Family as some might guess, so please learn to identify it correctly before using it. To the untrained eye, some poisonous...
POTOMAC - Texan John Rouse is the new principal at Potomac School. Rouse said he brings life lessons to Potomac to support the faculty, staff, board members and community members to provide unsurpassed learning experiences for the students. During the last 26 years, 10 administrators have become part of Potomac School history. Rouse makes 11 and he hopes to remain at Potomac School. Rouse completed his schooling at Texas A&M with bachelors and masters degrees in education, and at the University...
SWAN VALLEY - The Housing Element, the fourth of seven elements of the Swan Valley Growth Plan, was addressed and edited at the Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee meeting Aug. 16. The committee completed six sections of the element. The committee discussed the addition to the opening paragraph of the fourth element. The original wording said that the market price of housing has surpassed the ability of many residents to own or rent. Many communities have established programs to help close the gap which can be important to the economic deve...
SEELEY LAKE- The Seeley Lake Elementary School Board of Trustees hired a teacher and approved the 2017-18 budget at their Aug. 16 meeting. They were also updated on several topics ranging from preschool funding and the SLE Outside store, to firefighters using the school, a new website and resurfacing of the parking lot. Stout said the Rice Ridge Fire incident management team using the school will be moved out around Aug. 23. That should give the school time to get ready for the students to return Sept. 5. The school parking lot resurfacing has...
SEELEY LAKE – There has been a lot of press about evacuation warnings, orders and recommendations to leave the Seeley Lake area. Missoula County Sheriff’s Office Captain Anthony Rio said the only reason the Sheriff’s Office will issue an evacuation order is if a fire is an eminent threat to public safety. Other issues such as air quality, while health officials recommend leaving the area, do not warrant a forced evacuation. An evacuation warning means the fire is in the area. Based on the observed fire behavior and fuel conditions between the f...
SWAN VALLEY – The new Mission Mountains Mercantile had the concrete slab poured at the end of last week. The pre-built walls are supposed to arrive this week as well as the trusses. While it's been a slow process getting to this point, contractor Rollie Matthew said the 7,000 square-foot store will be half way complete once the floor is finished. Owner Len Kobylenski and partner Grace Siloti broke ground for the new Merc May 22. The old store, referred to by many as the "heart beat of the S...
SEELEY LAKE - The winning ticket for the Veterans and Families of Seeley Lake's (VFSL) playhouse was drawn Aug. 17 at the Seeley Lake Senior Citizen's Center. The winner was Shelley Hodne of Seeley Lake and Colorado! The Hodne's sincerely appreciate the VFSL as they are a military family. Shelley retired from the Army and her husband Dave is still on active duty currently deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Their children, daughter Taylor (11) and son Matthew (9), were excited to...
How’s your JQ (Joy Quotient). Jesus prayed for his Disciples “...that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” Paul prayed, “...that I might finish my course. With joy.” In Galatians 5:22, Paul lists joy as one of the gifts of the Spirit. So clearly God wants us to share in His joy. Yet Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, spells out four things that can rob us of our joy. They are: 1) Circumstances, 2) People, 3) Things and 4) Worry. Who among us has not allowed one or more of these to rob us of our joy? Yet Paul does not leave us...
Animal Wonders at Placid Lake State Park, Aug. 26 GREENOUGH - Join Montana State Parks for an hour and a half long campfire program on animal adaptations at Placid Lake State Park Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. Animal Wonders will have 10 different animals from all over the world. They will show the different animal species and their adaptations to their different environments. Don’t miss this free, fun-filled presentation. Additional Awards for Potomac Valley 4-H Club MISSOULA – There were a few more awards from the Potomac Valley 4-H Club that were not...
SEELEY LAKE - As of Tuesday, Aug. 22, the Rice Ridge Fire is 16,117 acres, nine percent contained and has 535 firefighters working it....
Rice Ridge Fire Morning Update: A community meeting will be held Thursday (8/24) at 6pm at the Seeley Lake Elementary School. Thompson's Central Montana Type 2 Incident Management Team is now in charge of the fire. The Rice Ridge Fire is still 16,117 acres and 9% contained. There are 535 firefighters assigned to the fire: 8 crews, 31 engines, 4 helicopters, 2 dozers, 16 water tenders and overhead personnel. YESTERDAY: The Eastern Area Incident Management Team transitioned command with...
Rice Ridge Fire Morning Update: A community meeting will be held tonight Thursday Aug. 24 at the Seeley Lake Elementary School at 6 pm. The Rice Ridge Fire grew 1,600 acres and is now 17,794 acres. Containment increased to 16 percent. There are currently 454 personnel on the fire. YESTERDAY: There was an increase in fire behavior as temperatures and winds increased. Helicopters were used to assist firefighting operations on the west and southwest portions of the fire. Crews scouted additional...
SEELEY LAKE – The community met Aug. 24 for the eighth community meeting. The Rice Ridge Fire has been burning for 31 days. New Evacuations Warnings were issued late Thursday afternoon for Kozy Korner area. Eastern boundary starts in the 7500 block of Woodworth Road and runs west to Cottonwood Lakes road, then north through the Rich Ranch. There are 15 homes in the warning area. This also includes the Black Canyon Ranch which is the only property located on the south side of Woodworth Rd in t...
