20/35 Year Look Back

In celebration of 35 years of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder, each week we will run parts of articles that appeared in the issue 35 years ago and 20 years ago. The entire issue will be uploaded to our website seeleylake.com for you to enjoy. We hope you will enjoy the journey with us as we follow our community through the past 35 years as documented by the Pathfinder.

35 years ago: Sept. 11, 1986 issue

Quick Response Unit

If you were in Seeley Lake very much this past week, you are aware of some of the emergency services available in the Seeley Swan area. The Seeley Lake Quick Response Unit, which is responsible for driving the ambulance and providing emergency care, has been responding to an average of about one call a day, according to one QRU member.

The SOS Health Center technically owns the ambulance but, according to Wilma Nicholson, R.N. at the Center, "the ambulance belongs to the community."

Nicholson recalls that the ambulance service began in 1963 when "donated hearses" were used to transport people in need of emergency medical care...

To read more visit https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/1986-09-11.pdf

35 years ago: Sept. 11, 1986 issue

Swan Valley Elementary

Story Suzanne Vernon

Swan Valley Elementary has a new principal and several new teachers this year. The teachers and staff seemed in good spirits last week as they wrapped up the first four days of classes and began organizing schedules and goals for the coming year. There are 63 students enrolled in the Kindergarten through eighth grade program. The lower grades are "combined" classes and the seventh and eighth grades are taught separately in the middle school/multi-purpose building.

Dan White is the new principal of Swan Valley Elementary. This will be the first year that the school has had the benefit of a principal. White, who will also teach fifth and sixth grades, believes that his experience as an administrator will allow the school board to focus on establishing school policy, rather than having to deal with the day-to-day business of running the school.

White has worked for nearly 15 years in private Seventh Day Adventist schools as an administrator. He and his wife Shirlie (who was recently hired as teacher's aide at Swan Elementary) wanted to move to Montana for several reasons. Dan was raised in Missoula and graduated from high school in Bozeman, and although his job took him out of Montana (to as far away as Hawaii), he always wanted to return here. He is also looking forward to spending more time with his family.

Dan was the principal and, also, taught at the Redwood Junior Academy in Santa Rosa, California last year. Keeping track of 230 students in the K-12 school was a busy job. Dan's hectic schedule included dealing with "stacks of paperwork" for the five churches which were affiliated with the school, in addition to teaching, attending meetings "three or four nights a week," and reporting to the 27-member board of trustees for the academy.

Kindergarten and Librarian: Kate Johnson was raised in a small community in northern California and says about Swan Elementary, "This is like coming home... I love it." Johnson is a University of Montana graduate and taught at Bonner last year. She says she is "a teacher first, then a librarian." She emphasized that a library/media area should be a vital center for all types of materials that may be used by students and teachers.

First and Second Grade: Annette Walmsley is beginning her second year at Swan Elementary. She grew up in Billings, and has taught school in "the Yaak" (northwestern Montana), Missoula, and in California. She enjoys working in the Swan Valley and feels that the school is "kind of a happy medium," since she has taught both in smaller and larger schools.

Third and Fourth Grades: Diann Ericson is beginning her fifth year at Swan Elementary, making her the senior member of the staff. Her background is in both secondary and elementary education. Some special projects that she has in mind for students will include an in-depth study of natural resources: wood, coal, and water, for example. Diann's husband, Mike Childs, also teaches at Swan Valley Elementary (seventh and eighth grade).

To read more visit: https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/1986-09-11.pdf

20 years ago: Sept. 13, 2001 issue

4-H kids shine at Missoula County Fair

The Trailblazers 4-H Club did a wonderful job at the Western Montana Fair, held in Missoula in August. Fair results are as follows:

Michael Caroline - White ribbon for Novice Showmanship; White ribbon for novice obedience; best job of going through the tunnel in Dog Agility.

Erin Demerle - Blue ribbon for Dog Obedience; Red ribbon for Dog Showmanship; Purple ribbon for Dog Interview

Colton Dunlap - Purple ribbon for Archery Exhibit; Best shooting sports exhibit; Purple ribbon for Furbearers’ Exhibit; Superintendent’s Award for Trapping Display; Purple ribbon for Market Hog; First in class for Market Hog; Second in class for Hog Junior Showmanship; Third overall for Market Hog; Third in Junior Livestock Judging

Michaela Dunlap - 4 Purple ribbons in Quilting; Second place overall Quilting award; 2 Purple ribbons in Cake Decorating; Best use of a character pan...

To read more visit https://www.seeleylake.com/home/customer_files/article_documents/2001-09-13.pdf