To The Owners and Editors of The Seeley Swan Pathfinder:
In the March 30, 2023 issue in the archives section you include the story of Kerry and Stacy Good. This was not only distasteful and cruel, it shows a true lack of journalist research. With just a few clicks on your keyboard your team would have found that this family has had its share of tragedy. They have risen from that part of their history.
If you need to be educated I will take this opportunity to do so. Stacy Good, mentioned in the article, was killed along with three of her children in a fiery crash on highway 200 near Potomac. This travesty hit this valley hard, very hard. A wonderful, creative, loving mother of 7 was taken from us along with her youngest son and two only daughters, angels in their own right. What was left was five men, a destroyed father and four lost sons. The glue of the family was gone and they had to start again without their guiding lights. They persevered, they did it day by day, moment by painful moment. Two of these men live in Seeley Lake, they own businesses in Seeley Lake, they raise their children in Seeley Lake. They have spent their lives in this valley. For these men and their children seeing that article is beyond painful and utterly tasteless on the part of our so called ‘Local Paper’.
To choose this excerpt to print as a fluff piece directly affects the lives of all of the remaining Good Family. These men have spent a lifetime building their reputations. They are committed to this community, both personally and professionally. When in business in a small town, your reputation is everything, word of mouth is everything. The remaining Goods may not be able to erase the past, but they certainly can do all they can to build a future for themselves and their children, and they are doing so, beautifully.
To thoughtlessly print such a story 35 years later is not only heartless it shows a complete lack of connection to this community. It represents lazy journalism and heartless editorial skills.
Shame on you. The next time you choose to dredge up the past, do your research first to see just how many lives and livelihoods you will affect in doing so.
Vicki Voegelin
Seeley Lake, Montana
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