Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary School Board approved the re-opening plan for the 2020-2021 school year at their Aug. 17 meeting. SLE will be welcoming all students back to school in person Sept. 8. Families do have the option for 100% remote learning with a deadline to submit the SLE Family Onsite instruction opt-out form to SLE by Aug. 28. The board also received resignation letters from junior high teacher Bridget Laird and sixth grade teacher Sharon Teague. They approved several hires and are still accepting applicants for one c...
SEELEY LAKE – An early morning thunderstorm Aug. 19 was a rude awaking for many in the valley but it proved to be especially rude for the Bertsch family who lives on Boy Scout Road in Seeley Lake. About 15 minutes after a lightning strike shook their house their son received a call from his friend Ben Haley informing them their shop down the road was on fire. Ben and his mom just happened to be driving by around 7:30 a.m. when he spotted what looked like smoke. He kept looking as they drove b...
Carbon County is mostly rural. Coupled with its older population, and considering the current pandemic, social isolation worries Therese Picasso-Edwards. "[Seniors] just didn't feel that they are in the county-wide loop," Picasso-Edwards, the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation program director, said. Carbon County has been working to increase mobility for senior citizens and decrease social isolation after it joined a nationwide age-friendly initiative. The county is one of two localities in...
SEELEY LAKE - At 10 o'clock at night, one member of the Kesterke family mixes together fruits and vegetables to make a healthy "sugar glider salad." The nightly snack is for their small lovable pets, their sugar gliders. They often, like their human counterparts, prefer to eat the fruit over the veggies. When they aren't asleep during the day, these small mammals jump around their cage, take an occasional field trip to explore the house or even spend time with the family in a group tent. "They...
The article “Pulling Your Hair Out” published Aug. 13, 2020 about trichotillomania contains inaccuracies that should be clarified. This is a debilitating disorder, and to refer to it as something people do because their plans fell apart furthers stigma and shame that prevent people from seeking help. Trichotillomania is a mental health disorder affecting at least 2% of the population. It often begins in puberty, but toddlers and babies may compulsively pull their hair as well. Contrary to the information in the article, it is an obs...
Well, I see the city council has approved the purchase of 19 acres on Scott Street using $10.7 million dollars of TIF money, including bond issues. Let me put that into plain English. Of that $10.7 million dollar property tax money you paid into, around $3 million would have gone to the County. In other words, the city of Missoula should thank the taxpayers of Condon, Seeley Lake, Bonner, Frenchtown, and the other 10 or so forgotten towns in Missoula County for the money. And my opponent said nothing. Anytime you read Missoula uses TIF money...
Yes, of course! Tom lives in Montana House District 92. He is the secretary of the Seeley Lake Community Council, president of the Double Arrow Land Owners Association, and a board member and volunteer for the Seeley Lake Historical Society. Tom lives in Seeley Lake, the center of the district, and through his volunteer associations, visits with and listens to so many people. He hears our concerns, visions and needs. He sees how decisions at the state level affect us as rural people. He will speak to our needs and benefits as opposed to the...
At the moment, we can ask this question about so many discrepancies in our social lives, but I want to focus on one: people denying the validity of science and scientific findings. Let me begin this way. Centuries ago, Copernicus determined that the earth was not the center of the solar system. The sun was the center. Copernicus was a scientist, using the science of his day to determine his conclusion. Yet, people didn't believe him. The key word here is "believe." His discovery existed over a...
With the uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic brings to returning to school and employment, child care has been a main point of discussion at several school board meetings and the local and state level. There are several resources available to support families, including a grant to help defray the cost of in-home care for those that cannot allow their child to participate in group settings and financial support for child care facilities. Last week ENHANCE released the results of a survey conducted of more than 3,000 Montana residents. ENHANCE... Full story
Montana State Parks is seeking public comment on 25 grant applications for Snowmobile Trail Grooming funds for the 2020-2021 winter season. The Seeley Lake Driftriders are included to receive more than $17,000. Public comment will be accepted through Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. The Montana Snowmobile Program, as administered by Montana State Parks, was established in the early 1970s and is an essential component of both motorized and non-motorized winter recreational activities in the state. Montana’s groomed trails provide important access a...
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Sewer District Board had a marathon meeting stretching over four hours on Aug. 20. The board covered many topics ranging from a cash shortfall, potential bond election, mandating hookups, legal bills, water testing results and other regular business. District Manager Jean Curtiss informed the Board that the District has around $34,000 to operate in the coming months after paying this month’s invoices. The first half of this year’s property tax bills are not due until the end of November so the District won’t...
If you're a native to the area or a longtime resident, you may have an outage routine that happens during a black out at your home... check to see if the neighbor's lights are out, fetch some flashlights, call your local power provider, unplug major appliances, etc. But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a power outage? From small scale and planned outages, to widespread, multi-day outages, the team at Missoula Electric Cooperative is equipped to handle it all. Each outage...
SEELEY LAKE – If you have been out on the lake this summer or plan to hunt this fall, chances are you will have the opportunity to meet the new game warden for the Seeley Lake area. Jake Barzen started as the new game warden in early July following Bill Koppen's retirement last year. Barzen looks forward to getting to know people in the community and working to protect the exceptional resources in the area. "I want folks to be comfortable talking to me so everyone can take part in protecting o...
Someone once said, if you're not worried you're not paying attention. The apostle John recorded in his gospel, these words: "In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33. And anyone that's paying attention has certainly noticed the world seemingly crumbling before our very eyes. How then are we to find peace in a world of chaos? First, let's take a look at the words Jesus used preceding His pronouncement that we would find trouble in this world. His warning, "you will have troubles" is prece...
SEELEY LAKE – At their Aug. 18 meeting, the Seeley Lake Fire Board hosted more than 25 members of the public who voiced their concerns, frustrations and praise for the Department. Prior to opening the meeting for public comment, Board Chair Scott Kennedy read a letter from the board that addressed concerns brought up by Alyssa McLean at the July meeting. Regarding the Fire District employee that contacted McLean’s supervisor, Kennedy said Chief Dave Lane will address the situation since it was a personnel issue. Kennedy said there is no pen...
SEELEY LAKE – As of Aug. 14, Seeley-Swan High School Blackhawk athletics are in full swing. Although all of the teams have had to adapt to distancing, health screenings and uncertainty, the players and coaches are excited to have a season and represent SSHS and the community. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, county and statewide regulations require all players and coaches wear masks when they show up for practice and they are health screened before practice starts. The teams spread o...
If the early history of Seeley Lake is intertwined with the lumber industry, the rise of the United States Forest Service is incontrovertibly intertwined with Seeley Lake and in particular with the Big Blackfoot Timber Sale of 1907-1910. Historian and member of the Camp Paxson Preservation Board Gary Williams has been researching that sale. The Seeley Swan Pathfinder will be bringing some of the interesting bits of information he has discovered about logging in the Seeley Lake area and also...
SEELEY LAKE – Raised in Seeley Lake, Seeley-Swan High School's new head volleyball coach Shelby Holmes is excited to share her positivity and lessons learned with this year's Lady Blackhawks. While the team's ultimate goal is to make it to the state tournament, Holmes said everything is day-by-day and the team is just excited to have the opportunity to play. Holmes started playing basketball and volleyball at Seeley Lake Elementary. She played both sports through high school graduating from S...
Online courses for hunter and bowhunter education Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is offering online hunter and bowhunter education courses in response to COVID-19. To take the online hunter education courses, Montana students can get the free code by visiting http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/ and select the course you want to take. The online courses, which are developed and administered by the outdoor education company Kalkomey, include text, videos and interactive scenarios to engage students. Students will need to pass a final test to...
Firefighters with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, U.S. Forest Service and volunteers with Greenough/Potomac Volunteer Fire Department responded to a wildland fire burning near Clearwater Junction Monday night just before 6 p.m. The Clearwater Fire was around one acre when resources arrived and there was a live power line down. The fire was controlled just before 9 p.m. All resources were released by 9:30 p.m....
We are a group of educators that collectively worked for more than 160 years at the Office of Public Instruction (OPI) for five state superintendents of both political parties. We are proud of the role that OPI has had in supporting local public schools and in providing leadership to ensure our Montana schools offer the best public education available anywhere. Melissa Romano is the candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction that we believe has the energy, expertise and vision needed to lead public education in Montana. Romano is an...
Mike Cooney for Montana Governor is our candidate to vote for Nov. 3, 2020. Cooney has released his, "Keep Montana Working Plan" for Montana's future. www.cooneyformontana.com/jobs Cooney supports Public Education, unlike his opponent that is for our tax dollars going to private school. Cooney stated at a press conference on July 14, "He would defend Montana's public lands against politicians and powerful interest groups seeking privatization." Cooney will fight for Social Security, Medicare and Healthcare for Montana residents, unlike his...
The Montana Secretary of State has several critical duties and functions in service to the people of Montana. Chief among those duties is interpreting state election laws, overseeing elections and serving on the Montana Board of Land Commissioners. I am supporting Bryce Bennett for Montana Secretary of State in this November’s election because he will protect all Montanans access to the ballot in both urban and rural parts of the State and because he will protect our cherished public lands. Bryce is currently a Montana State Senator and also s...
