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SEELEY LAKE – "I want to make sure you guys are safe and customers have the ability to be safe in here," said Kris Martin, owner of The Filling Station as she stood in front of her employees April 26. "I have to get back in business so I can stay alive and hopefully everyone has a job when all of this is over and not with someone else." After reviewing Governor Steve Bullock's statewide reopening directives released Wednesday, April 22, Martin called a meeting with her employees. Even though t...
SEELEY LAKE – There is a new art gallery in town that looks to attract Montana artists to display a diversity of work. Located in the south end of the Lazy Pine Mall on Highway 83, Gallery 83 owner Chris Larabee looks forward to offering an affordable location for artists to share their artwork and where the community and visitors can appreciate the artists' creativity. Brian Larabee, father of Chris who is looking after the operations of the store, said he has been doing stained glass for 30 y...
OVANDO – The Blackfoot Angler owner Kathy Schoendoerfer was struggling to communicate - not a situation she often finds herself in being the self-proclaimed "Ovando organizer of frivolous affairs." With five fishermen from Mongolia in her shop, Schoendoerfer knew zero Russian or Mongolian and they knew limited English. She did the best she could using hand signals and drawings and helped them get everything they needed. When she checked them out, they kept showing her two fingers and saying "...
SEELEY LAKE – "The more time we spend with our dogs, the better that relationship is going to be and the more value you are going to have in the eyes of your dog," said Julee Samuli, a certified dog trainer who lives in Seeley Lake. "A lot of people think training is cues - that is static and boring. Helping people know how to have fun, play and train at the same time gets people more involved with their dogs and they want to spend more time with their dog." Dogs have been an essential part o...
GREENOUGH – Fairytale Farms in Greenough has taken a huge step towards their dream of improving the food security of the local communities with access to healthy, organic produce and offering agricultural education. With their recently renewed 501(c)3 status and grant for a 30-foot X 72-foot greenhouse, they are now able to expand their education-focused organization with the help of volunteers. Bo and Sarah Mendenhall started Fairytale Farms in 2011 while renting property in the Swan Valley. T...
SEELEY LAKE – "For as long as I can remember I've endeavored to make things I either didn't have, couldn't afford, couldn't find or just for fun," wrote Jeanette Roesner, owner of The Dooking Weasel, in an email. "I've been an artist, author and seamstress all my life." Roesner opened The Dooking Weasel in January. She looks forward to offering handmade custom crafts, toys, embroidery and books as well as providing sewing services including mending and alterations to the communities of the S...
SEELEY LAKE – For Sam Olinger and Janet Price no job is too small if it helps out their neighbor. Owners of Seeley Residential Services, LLC, based out of Seeley Lake, say their goal is to offer a quality service with reasonable rates that provides assistance with everyday needs and helps whittle down the honey-do list. Olinger and Price moved to Seeley Lake from Missoula in 2016. They loved recreating in the area and decided to move closer to what they call "a little paradise in the woods." "...
SEELEY LAKE – After offering in-home care in Seeley Lake for the past two years, owner of Seeley Home Health Dawn Butler has taken the business in a new direction. She now offers assistance for people in the area to be able to obtain a medical marijuana card and complete the required state registration to become a legal cardholder. Butler has been offering home health services since she was 16 years old. When elderly or disabled people needed help, she assisted them as needed. "In this area, f...
SEELEY LAKE – The power was out. Grizzly Claw Trading Co. Owners Dee and Susan Baker were prepared for a great sales day during the heart of their first summer in business. Now it was so dark in their store that it was nearly impossible to see what was in the display cases. When two visitors from North Carolina walked in they apologetically told them that yes, they were open but they had no power. When the two middle-aged men insisted that they wanted to see what was in the cases, the Bakers o...
SEELEY LAKE – After a year of owning the Tamaracks Resort on Seeley Lake, Jessica and Jeff Kimmel have expanded their business model by not only opening up their property to the public but also intentionally collaborating with other local businesses to offer more services on site. When the Kimmels purchased the resort in May of 2018, one of their goals was to offer more services. Along with hosting various events on the property they opened up the resort to the public offering various options t...
SEELEY LAKE - After making one-too-many trips into Missoula for outdoor gear, Ryan Dunster decided it was time for a change. "There wasn't anything here, so we saw the need for it," said Ryan. "Sometimes where you might need something and there's nothing here so you have to make a plan or do without it." Now, locals and visitors will have a one-stop-shop to fill their outdoor needs. The shelves at Heritage Outdoors are packed with odds and ends for backpacking and camping, such as cookware,...
SEELEY LAKE – Sparrow's Vine Parenting and Pregnancy Resource Center welcomed new Executive Director Greta Treser this past February. Treser hopes that, with Sparrow's Vine, she will be able to help families grow stronger and enjoy being together through fostering healthy relationships. Treser has been a stay-at-home mom for the past 20 years. Treser's husband James pastored a church in Whitehall for 13 years. As a pastor's wife, Treser helped with Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and y...
SEELEY LAKE – For Steven Wilson, it all started with Tog'l blocks and an erector set. Now after more than 30 years building from the ground up, Wilson and his wife Juli opened Steve Wilson Construction in Seeley Lake. Their goal is to establish lasting relationships with their customers by exceeding expectations and gaining trust through exceptional performance by every member of their construction team. "I didn't know what I wanted to do in life. I just started building stuff as a kid – mod...
SEELEY LAKE – Bonnie Johnson, EMBA, CPA learned accounting from her father as a child and made a career out of it. After retiring to Seeley Lake, she has opened The Johnson Management Group, LLC to provide businesses and individuals the resources to better manage their finances and free them up to do what they love. She believes financial information provides a story that is very powerful and an important component to all other aspects of a business. Johnson was born and raised in California. H...
SEELEY LAKE – "The only thing I won't pick up [and clean around] is a dead mouse," said Darlene Muex reeling at the thought of it. Muex is the sole proprietor for Loving Hands cleaning and in-home care service in Seeley Lake. She hopes to work with as many clients as her schedule allows, "and make them happy and provide for any needs they have [except rodent removal]." Muex grew up in Detroit, Mich. Her mother Helen Hester, a professional cleaner for nearly 40 years, took her on cleaning jobs e...
SEELEY LAKE – Seven years ago when Carrie Darrah took a pottery class, "I fell in love with it. One class and I was hooked." She opened Obsession Pottery five years ago and opened her studio in Seeley Lake this past November. Through offering classes and selling her work, Darrah hopes to share her love of pottery and help others enjoy it as much as she does. When Darrah's daughter started college she needed to find something to do. She talked to a local potter in Helena and asked if he taught c...
SEELEY LAKE - "From the moment we finally met [musher Jessie Royer] through our first two days of sledding with her, it was everything and then some - from the quality of her equipment, to the quality of the instruction, to her professionalism" said Colburn McClelland when speaking about his family's tours with Royer and the J Team. "More importantly than all that, is her character and true love and passion for what she does with this sport." Royer moved to Shining Shirt Road near Placid Lake th...
SEELEY LAKE – Stageline Pizza, "your pizza delivery people," is now open for business in Seeley Lake across from Seeley Lake Elementary School. Branch owners Patrick and Cheryl Sheridan look forward to supplying a consistently superior product that tastes the same every time. They also hope it brings more businesses into town by sparking interest in franchise businesses. The Sheridans are from Wisconsin. Patrick worked as a stainless steel welder in food and dairy plants for years and then b...
SWAN VALLEY - Liquid Louie's, Condon's oldest bar, celebrated 71 years full of rich history, warm memories and shenanigans with a party on Saturday, July 28. The bar had humble beginnings. It was started by Louis and Marian "Mame" Krause in 1947, in a small shack built onto the side of the Krause's log home, according to the Upper Swan Valley Historical society and archived interviews with Mary Lou Krause Wilhelm, one of the Krause's daughters. In the small "beer parlor," benches lined the... Full story
SEELEY LAKE – Owner of The Lodges on Seeley Lake Kerry and Brian Bertsch always dreamed of having a main lodge. Now after owning the resort for 22 years, their dream is a reality. They have assembled their perfect team of employees and look forward to using the new lodge to enhance the experience for their guests lodging at the resort. The colorful history of The Lodges on Seeley Lake is closing in on a century of time. The McLeod family of Missoula built the majority of its cabins in the e...
SEELEY LAKE – "This is our Home Place, our sweet spot," said 15-year-old Kayden Kimmel whose parents Jessica and Jeff now own Tamaracks Resort, two miles north of Seeley Lake. After managing the Tamaracks for the past four years, the Kimmels purchased it May 30 from Jeff's parents Sue and Jeff Heagy, owners for the past 27 years. They look forward to preserving the history, experience and relationships the Heagys have maintained for nearly three decades. They also look forward to adding to t...
SEELEY LAKE - When Kyle Zumwalt was a manager at Noodle Express in Missoula, the company required that he read a book called "Good to Great." It detailed how companies can go above and beyond when serving their customers. Zumwalt, 30, hasn't stopped thinking about what he read since, especially when it comes to his new sandwich shop, It's Ah Wrap. "Since I've been a kid, I wanted to open a restaurant," he said. "The food industry has always fascinated me and I love being in the kitchen." Zumwalt...
SEELEY LAKE - When Kim Grover opened Rejuvenate Day Spa in June of 2004, she thought she could handle all aspects of the business. After six months, she quickly realized she needed someone to handle the front office. Lynn Mitchell was the perfect fit guaranteeing Grover that not only would she help turn her part time position into full time, she would also make it so Grover couldn't live without her. After more than 13 years, Mitchell has done that and more. She is retiring this spring with...
SEELEY LAKE – Loving Hearts was given a face-lift this past week. They reopened Saturday, April 7 welcoming shoppers with a new bright, open atmosphere. Customers raved about how open, organized and new it looked. "I felt that it just needed an update," said Mary Newpower, Loving Hearts' new manager. They closed the store for a week. Newpower said they rearranged to optimize some of the space that wasn't being used. Volunteers streamlined the check-out counter. While the old check-out counter w...
SEELEY LAKE – Adding handpicked, quality clothing that adds a vintage feel to someone's closet is the goal of the newly opened second hand clothing store La Rosa Vintage. Sole owner and operator Rosa Erck is excited to share her love of thrift stores by offering another shopping option in Seeley Lake. She offers clothing, shoes and jewelry options from the 1970s through early 2000s. Erck used to work in a thrift store and loves shopping at thrift stores. She said she is an excellent organizer a...
