Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
SEELEY LAKE – Governor Steve Bullock launched the National Forest and Rangeland Management Initiative in his capacity as Chair of the Western Governors' Association (WGA) at Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Inc. Tuesday, Aug. 16. The work of the initiative will position western governors to recommend and promote congressional efforts to improve forest management and encourage more effective collaboration throughout the West. "We have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep workers in our f...
SWAN VALLEY – Kaylie Charlton, 24-year-old from the Garnet area near Drummond, Mont., was arrested Aug. 15 on several counts including burglary, assaulting a peace officer and carrying a concealed weapon. Since her arrest, she has also been charged with arson after allegedly igniting a wildland fire on private property and leaving the scene. According to the report filed by Missoula County Sheriff’s Sergeant Robert Parcell, at about 5:40 a.m. Aug. 15 owner of Photographer’s Formulary Bud Wilson walked from his house to his photography classroom...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board signed a letter of intent to meet revised conditions for funding from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (RD). The board also voted to create sub districts in place of the current phases at its regular monthly meeting Aug. 18. The RD funding offer consists of 5.7 million dollars in grants and 4.4 million in loans. The district has already secured the balance of the 12.75 million dollar project mainly in the form of grants. The funding package is only for the proposed...
OVANDO – With a piece of leather spread across his lap, Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Archaeologist Steve Platt repeatedly struck a piece of jet black obsidian rock with a chunk of limestone, fashioning the obsidian into an arrowhead shape similar to those arrayed on a cloth at his feet. As he worked, Platt explained the process of flintknapping and answered questions about the native peoples who left stone artifacts in the Blackfoot Valley. Platt was the featured guest for Pure M...
Don’t forget to get your raffle tickets for the Crazy Quilt, made by Louise Cameron and embroidered by Margaret Sandor. The quilt is on display at Deer Country Quilts. Tickets are also available there. All proceeds benefit Paws Up Safe Home Animal Shelter. The drawing will be held at the Sept. 4 Seeley Lake Farmers’ & Crafters’ Market at 1 p.m. By now all of you have read or heard of the puppy mills in Charlo and Libby. Don’t you think it is time our legislators wake up and pass a bill abolishing all puppy mills and checking out the so called...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board of directors will conduct a Public Hearing on the creation of sub-districts as provided for in Montana Code Annotated 7-13-2349. The purpose of sub-district creation, as outlined in the proposed resolution is to provide a framework to distribute assessments for Phase 1 of a 4 phase project. Phase 1 is valued at approximately $12,752,333. The proposed sub-districts are graphically displayed and legally described in attached Exhibits A & B respectively. The District Board of Directors will...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) Board received a formal complaint regarding the sale of alcohol on school grounds. SLE Outside store’s function and relationship to the school was also discussed at the Aug. 16 board meeting. Seeley Lake resident LaRee Morris filed a complaint that alleges that the school violated the school board’s own policy when it allowed alcohol to be sold during SLE Outside’s Bob Marshall Music Festival. The complaint cites SLE board policy - Conduct on School Property 4015 (page 102) that states: “No p...
Bears are well known omnivores. They are animals that eat both plant and animal matter including insects, plant matter, berries, tree cambium, fish and red meat. At the North American scale, a high degree of available foods appear on the bear menu. Large salmon runs or even whale carcasses are available along the Alaskan Coast. Caribou range Northern Alberta. Huckleberries, whitebark pine, deer and elk litter the Rocky Mountains. Composition of diet has been shown by to affect physical size, reproductive potential and survival. Specifically for...
SEELEY LAKE - The work of eight artists is displayed at the Seeley-Swan Medical Center. While most of the artists belong to Alpine Artisans, Inc. (AAI), the opportunity to participate is open to any artists in the area that are willing to share their work. Displaying artists' work at the medical center was initiated by AAI. Condon artist Merrily Dunham originally coordinated the artists for the medical center prior to the recent expansion. Now Seeley-Swan Hospital District board trustee and AAI...
SWAN VALLEY – The Swan Valley Shintangle took place Saturday, Aug. 20 at the 33 Bar Ranch in Condon. The event was a fundraiser for Swan Valley Connections (SVC). The theme for the evening was Supporting SVC is Supporting Your Community. Guests were treated to a meal by Vista Linda Catering and music provided by Moonshine Mountain Band of Columbia Falls, Mont. In between the food, music, dancing and raffle drawings, SVC Executive Director Maria Mantas elaborated on the theme. Mantas said SVC e...
SEELEY LAKE - The Ecosystem Management Research Institute (EMRI) of Seeley Lake announced the release of its Terrestrial Landscape Assessment of the Southwest Crown of the Continent Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project (CFLRP). The assessment, conducted through a partnership agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, assessed the forests that occurred historically in the project area and describes how these conditions have changed to the conditions present today. The report provides reference information to support the Blackfoot...
The impacts of this summer’s drought have resulted in extremely low flows in Western Montana rivers, with the Blackfoot flowing at record lows for the second year in a row. Even though river water temperatures have cooled – prompting Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to lift hoot owl fishing hour restrictions – fishing may still stress our native fish. The Blackfoot Drought Response Committee encourages anglers to consider voluntary measures that can reduce the stress on native trout during these extremely low river flows. In 2000, the Black...
SEELEY LAKE - Part-time Seeley Lake resident Elizabeth (Betsy) Casper lost a valiant struggle to advanced metastatic pancreatic cancer this summer, one of the most virulent and lethal forms of cancer. Early June symptoms took her to the clinic in Seeley Lake, then to Providence Hospital in Missoula, finally to the Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Despite all efforts she slipped from her earthly bonds only a few weeks later on July 27. Betsy was born in... Full story
One year during our family Easter egg hunt, I set out to trap one of our kids. Oh the joys of being a father! I planned it with meticulous care and feeling confident, I put the most beautiful egg inside a small mouth canning jar and buried it securely in the ground. It worked perfectly! Right out the door, Easter basket in hand, our little Kelsey spied the egg and reached in and grabbed hold of it. I bet you can guess what happened. That’s right, her little hand fit in the jar perfectly but grasping that nice round egg, it wouldn’t. Ini...
Editor’s Note: One of the first complaints we hear from people moving to Seeley Lake is they cannot find a place to rent. Potential renters are faced with limited options, budget constraints and lack of availability. Several renters, property managers and landlords were asked the question: Does this constitute a rental crisis in Seeley Lake? While not all agreed, they identified problems, challenges and potential solutions from their perspective. While most of the landlords we spoke with were willing to share their name, two asked to remain a...
BIGFORK – The Swan Lake Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest has released the Draft Decision Notice for the Beaver Creek Landscape Restoration Project. The Beaver Creek Project is located approximately nine miles south of Condon and is bordered by Lindbergh Lake and the Mission Mountains Wilderness Area to the west, the Swan River to the north, State Highway 83 to the east and the Lolo National Forest to the south. After working with the public over the course of four years to develop the project and modify the proposal based on p...
SWAN VALLEY - Republican candidate for the Missoula County Board of Commissioners Todd Geery of Bonner, Mont. spoke at the Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) meeting Aug. 16. Swan Valley Fire Chief Randy Williams and Quick Response Unit (QRU) Medical Chief Dan Maloughney also commented on the issues they see with the proposed Flathead National Forest (FNF) Plan. Geery said his reason for joining the race is a deep passion to make a difference for all 111,000 residents of Missoula County. “I don’t want to be a politician, which can become a j...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board approved its annual special assessment after receiving several protests and despite the protest period not closing for another week. Several dozen citizens showed up at the Aug. 18 hearing on whether to continue the $47,620 assessment. There was no change in the proposed assessment from the previous year. Lots with a dwelling unit on them pay $79.80 per year while vacant and commercial lots pay approximately $63 per acre per year. District Manager Greg Robertson explained that the assessment was for...
MISSOULA - Owen Raines, a Potomac Valley 4-Her along with his two-year-old Escondido Llama 'Cubby' competed in numerous events at the 2016 Western Montana Fair in Missoula, Mont. Together they won the Outstanding Llama Herdsmanship trophy along with other awards. It is Owen's second year in 4-H, and he took the Llama project because he really wanted a llama. The project is pretty new to him, according to his mother Nickie. Owen has owned Cubby for a little over a year and a half. In preparation...
MISSOULA - 4-H uses the Danish system in the judging process. Top ribbons include grand and reserve champion, followed by a purple group (P – top in their class), blue group (B), red group (R) and white group (W – participation ribbon) according to the placing received. The letter following each project indicates ribbon received. Potomac Valley 4-H Club Earned Certificate for Herdsmanship in the Rabbit Barn Cheff, Mersaydees: Market beef, B France, Anna: Market hog & interview, B Hall, Ash...
Garden Club Gathering POTOMAC – The Garden Club will meet Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Potomac Community Center. Those attending are encouraged to bring a garden treat to share. Missoula BLM Plans Fall Prescribed Burns OVANDO – Smoke may be visible periodically during the next two months in the mountains east of Missoula as the Bureau of Land Management’s Missoula Field Office conducts three controlled burns. Two burns are located in the Blackfoot Valley, about five miles southwest of Clearwater Junction. The other burn is located three miles...
