Sorted by date Results 886 - 910 of 1151
SEELEY LAKE - I have watched the lively debate about the proposed Seeley Lake sewer system for some time now, with many thoughtfully constructed arguments on each side, as well as some wild rantings and conspiracy theories. Here’s some of the basic truths I was able to distill from all of this: There are a lot of septic systems in a very confined area, some operating properly and some failing. They may or may not be entirely responsible for ground water and lake contamination but it is certain that many of them are contributing to it. Adding m...
SEELEY LAKE - I want to say a big THANK YOU to the community of Seeley Lake for voting Good Times the best place to buy a gift. I am honored, thankful and humbled for the recognition. Sue had a dream when she opened Good Times in 1982, and I am dedicated to preserving that dream. I know she is smiling down from above with a big glass of wine in her hand and saying “Cheers, My Dear! “ God Bless you all, Dena Turner Seeley Lake, Mont....
SEELEY LAKE - It is probably general agreement that the summer of 2017 in Seeley Lake will be remembered as the summer of the fire, as opposed to the summer of sunny skies, fresh mountain air and experiencing a variety of recreational opportunities. As we all know, and it bears repeating, that “The Fire” has had significant impact on this community personally and economically, the extent which is yet to be determined. Although this fire season is (hopefully) coming to an end fairly soon, we must not forget to resurrect multiple factors con...
SEELEY LAKE - A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is just that: a possible event which offers enormous gain but will never be re-offered and if not seized will leave decades of regret in its wake. The federal government, whose purse strings are rapidly closing, is offering Seeley Lake a $8,000,000 (!) grant, the largest award ever to any community, to construct a sewer system. This will solve a problem that threatens the very economy and way-of-life of Seeley Lake: ancient septic systems are contaminating our ground water and polluting our beloved...
SEELEY LAKE - This is the third time of my writing on the Seeley Lake sewer issue. Each time visiting the subject, more troubling issues arise. First off, who are these people who are able to go against the wishes of citizens who have voted down financing the sewer? They are able to hire lawyers to find some loophole to get around the voting of residents. The capper is WE are charged to pay the lawyers. How is this possible? Is this some sort of totalitarian hidden government whose ugly head arises only when their lawyers are paid? I have also...
SEELEY LAKE - As relative newcomers to the Seeley Lake community, please allow us to provide our perspective on the municipal sewer issue. Three years ago we purchased a seasonal (summer) cabin on Boy Scout Road. Our time here during the summers and occasional winter snowmobile trips convince us that we want to build a year-round home on our property. Discussions with builders and Missoula County officials have shown that we may need to upgrade our existing septic system. This additional expense may be necessary because we are slated for Phase...
SEELEY LAKE - The underlying issue of the sewer proposal is Seeley Lake’s ability to sustain itself as a community. We have seen most private land around Seeley revert to government ownership, so the growth potential of the community is capped. Forces continue in play to depopulate the town. Forest management is decreasing, making it harder to manage large wildfires. Rivers run through them the color of chocolate milk. The impact of current septic systems on the lake seems speculative. Depends on whose definition of unacceptable impact you u...
SEELEY LAKE - First, a solid majority voted in a certified, legal election against the sewer initiative last December. That speaks volumes about peoples’ no-growth wishes for Seeley Lake and for their inability to shoulder the heavy financial burden the proposal represents. Majority rule is an age-old democratic principal, even in remote Seeley Lake. Second, business is at a standstill in Seeley Lake by Missoula County Health Department fiat. In gestapo-like fashion it has changed the septic regulations regularly over the years without a p...
SEELEY LAKE - I’m thankful to live in a community and nation that respects opinions. I respect the opinions of those arguing against a sewer system for Seeley Lake and know they have the best intentions for our community. We must, however, deal with facts when making a decision that will significantly impact our future. Some facts regarding sewer systems and sewage: • A couple of excerpts from the six-page Wastewater section of the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card (easily found via on-line search) -- The nation’s 14,728 wastewater treat...
SEELEY LAKE - In the Aug. 30 Pathfinder, the article written about the public sewer meeting brought up a plan by [District Manager] Greg Robertson which should make anyone involved with the sewer outraged. Here is some of what the Pathfinder article said that you should sit up and listen. The Pathfinder said on page 11, “For the debt service across the entire district Greg Robertson used the Seeley Lake Regional Plan’s land use designations. Because of this difference there will be a SIGNIFICANT NUMBER of properties that are currently pay...
I believe everyone knows the earth is warming up. So there is no need to throw yourself on the floor kicking and screaming that nobody is listening. There does seem to be some controversy over whether man caused the warming or it is just a regularly occurring phenomenon the earth has gone through for millions of years. However, whatever the reason, if we can’t immediately change the situation, shouldn’t we take the necessary measure to protect ourselves as best we can? Given this situation, why wouldn’t our environmental friends want to see t...
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake is the water supply to much of the town, community and others draw water from the lake or the surrounding community aquifer. So, let’s “cowboy up” to our responsibility of protecting it now and for future generations. Let’s support the construction of a community sewer system. We have owned a cabin on the lake for 50+ years and we certainly understand the need for clean lake water and drinking water. We continue to enjoy and appreciate the Seeley Lake community; we have worked on community projects, we support the Com...
SEELEY LAKE - In an earlier letter-to-the-editor, I pointed out that Sewer District 4 has some 40 properties which are, in fact, residences or the occasional vacant lot. Seeley Lake Sewer District Manager Greg Robinson would have them charged as “businesses” to cover the debt and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) expenses if district property owners accept the proposed sewer project. (Please see the Pathfinder archive if you wish to review that information.) At that time, I noted that similar situations also existed for other sewer districts. So...
Fire: It’s hot, it’s smoky, it’s uncomfortable, it’s dangerous, it’s scary. All of us in the Seeley/Swan and Blackfoot Valleys are feeling anxious, stressed, fearful of losing our homes and fearful of our beloved landscape changing. Placing blame, pointing fingers, becoming angry and vindictive will help no one, nor will it solve any of the issues we are facing. The interagency fire teams that are here working on our landscape and in our communities deserve our respect. These folks have the training and the knowledge to do their jobs, and...
SEELEY LAKE - Most of us living in Seeley Lake share some common values: independence, some desire to be isolated, appreciation of nature and security for our families and homes. These are important values that are not easy to compromise. We also know that making a living in Seeley Lake is difficult. Given this understanding, let’s consider an important initiative that can affect our values and income—the Seeley Lake Sewer Initiative. No one wants our small community to become a booming met...
That’s what we do. And that’s been the case during a difficult wildfire season that has touched all corners of our state. Neighbors have helped neighbors, donating hay, offering up a safe place to stay and a warm meal. They’ve also opened their pocketbooks, donating thousands to Montana Red Cross. This allowed us to provide food, shelter and comfort to those who have been forced to evacuate their homes, sometimes with little warning. We have opened 16 shelters since July, and our Red Cross volunteers are working around the clock to ensur...
SEELEY LAKE - With his letter in last week’s Pathfinder, Dennis Clark became a strong, though likely unwitting, ally to Citizens for Sensible Wastewater Solutions (CSWS) and the constituents of the Seeley Lake Sewer District. We at CSWS found most of what Clark said quite agreeable as he applied criteria and a level of critical thinking skills rare to the current support’s side of the debate about the proposed sewer project. Mr. Clark, while you and CSWS may seem to be on opposing sides of the issue, like England’s famed “Loyal opposit...
I am really getting tired of all the advertisements about all the good things our good old Montana boy Jon Tester is doing for Montana. Anytime I hear a politician continually blowing their horn I get suspicious. That`s certainly is the case with Mr. Tester. An example is his purported support for our veterans. I think we all support our veterans and would do anything for them. However, I have misgivings about Mr. Tester’s support of disabled veterans when I see him supporting the limiting of access to our public National Forest to special i...
SEELEY LAKE - I am writing to share my thoughts and voice my “Yes” for a community sewer system. The first reason is that I, along with all of you, like clean water. It is so refreshing to drink directly from a spring or mountain waterfall! I can’t say the same for drinking directly from the lake and this is the point. The second reason is stewardship and doing “my part” to protect my family, my community and my state. Through the efforts of the volunteer committee, and the process they followed, we have learned about several logical and well-...
SEELEY LAKE – Fifty-one years ago, the Titus Family spent their first summer at Seeley Lake. It was magical for us all. Not only did we play endlessly in the water but we drank from it and have continued to do so for many years, taking our clean water for granted. However, since the lake was closed, many of us have come to realize how important the lake really is. Now the lake is polluted. Our family recently had two tests done with the Department of Environmental Quality. They found coliform (feces) levels that were unacceptable to the h...
SEELEY LAKE - Well here we go again residents of the Seeley Lake Sewer District. After attending the public meeting, I actually thought I was watching CNN but realized this was worse than that. I wrote questions that were ignored (couldn’t answer them honestly)? This board has failed to honestly represent the town of Seeley Lake and has used the liberal approach that they are for it, if they benefit. I have followed this sewer project since the beginning. I have spoken to past board members and have gotten the facts. They are just the o...
The government mis-management of the Florence Lake and Rice Ridge Fires and the Seeley Lake Sewer proposal are eerily similar... In the case of the fires, we have state and federal mis-management of the lands, allowing fuel build-ups to incendiary levels and the loss of millions of dollars in timber. Then we have incredible mis-management of the fires themselves which cost a firefighter his life and at last count no less than $21.5 million taxpayer dollars to fight. Then we have the hundreds of thousands in lost revenues to the local tourist...
We are seeing the results of an accumulated series of mismanagement procedures on our forests. This is not a sudden or new thing. It has been going on for years and we have for the most part been either sitting idly by or actually helped in the mismanagement process. Ms. Randi de Santa Anna is partially correct when she says that there is no easy way to thin our forests back down, but there is a way to achieve a portion of that goal. A short lesson in history is in order. Years ago, we put fires out aggressively when they started. There were lo...
Were you aware that, under sewer general manager Greg Robinson’s desire to determine equitable sewer debt and Operation and Maintenance costs, 40+/- historically residential properties in Sub-District or Phase 4 have become “businesses”? Such a business designation burdens us with the privilege to pay double for sewer charges — even though our parcels have never functioned as business properties and are hardly likely to become businesses after 50+/- years of us enjoying our homes. As non-business “businesses”, we cannot deduct such charges fro...
SEELEY LAKE - Prior to the Public Information meeting regarding the sewer last Wednesday, members of the Citizens for Sensible Wastewater Solutions (CSWS) were handing out a flier on light green paper. The flier is titled Some Facts about the Proposed Seeley Sewer. This same document has been made available at various locations around town. As a summer resident interested to learn about both sides of this important issue, I brought this Fact Sheet home and read it. The following is what I learned. I was interested to see that CSWS are so...
