Seeley Swan Pathfinder Archives (2024)

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 29, 2016

SEELEY LAKE – In the last couple of weeks there have been several bear sightings, one black bear killed in Dogtown and another broke into a car at the Tamaracks Resort. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Game Warden Bill Koppen reminds people to be diligent and said, "a fed bear is a dead bear." The weekend of Sept. 17 a six foot, two inch black bear was killed south of Riverview Drive in Dogtown. Koppen heard that the bear was hazed off the Seeley Lake Game Preserve, a no hunting area to the n...

Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Sep 29, 2016

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As the hot summer days move into cooler autumn weather, insects like stink bugs and Western Conifer seed bugs are moving into sheltered areas to spend the winter. They may move indoors and if disturbed will cause an odor, although only one is a true stink bug. Leptoglossus occidentalis, the Western Conifer seed bug is from the Coreidae family. They are known as "leaf footed bugs", and there is only one species around the Blackfoot Valley. They have been called stink bugs; which they are not,...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 29, 2016

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council hosted a candidate forum, Sept. 19 at the Seeley Lake Community Hall. Candidates for Governor/Lieutenant Governor, U.S. Congress, Secretary of State, Supreme Court Justice and State Attorney General races answered various questions from moderator and council chair Klaus von Sutterheim and the audience. All candidates that will appear on the ballot including Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians, were invited. Only the Supreme Court Justice race h...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 29, 2016

SEELEY LAKE - Montana Mountain Mushers (MMM) held their Canine Fun Days this past weekend, Sept. 24 and 25 at the West Side Bypass Trailhead north of Seeley Lake. Around 10 experienced mushers from the club ran their dogs and worked with other novice mushers and skijorers. Kristina Prichard from Helena, Mont. came for the event to "get some expertise." Seeley Lake musher Rob Loveman worked with her and her dog Blu. They had Blu pulling her on her mountain bike by the end of Saturday morning....

Sep 29, 2016

SEELEY LAKE & SWAN VALLEY – Ranger Districts on the Lolo and Flathead National Forests are planning to conduct multiple fall season prescribed fire projects, when weather, fuel conditions and air quality is favorable. Burning is expected to start as early as Sept. 16 and will continue through the close of open burning season Nov. 30. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. Each project follows a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan. The prescribed fire projects a...

Sep 29, 2016

Swan Valley AARP Meeting Oct. 3 SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Chapter of AARP monthly meeting will be held at 12 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall Monday, Oct. 3. Potluck lunch will be at 12:30 p.m. The program will begin at 1:30 p.m., featuring Suzanne Rowlands, who will speak on the Palm Society. Swan Valley Library News SWAN VALLEY - Friday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. readers are meeting at the Swan Valley Library to discuss “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdich. There are a few free books left for those who would be interested in participating. Com...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

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SWAN VALLEY - Labor Day weekend a 550-pound, black colored, male grizzly bear was hit and killed near mile marker 40 on Highway 83 N. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Game Warden Bill Koppen warns the community that bears are hungry and looking for an easy meal. Securing attractants is essential to keep people safe and bears alive. The grizzly has been in the Seeley-Swan area for the past 12 years. It had been captured on several occasions and wore a radio collar for many years. Koppen...

Sep 22, 2016

POTOMAC - At approximately 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, Michael C. Fellows, age 59 of Missoula, Mont., was involved in a head on collision at mile marker 16.5 on Highway 200. Fellows died at the scene. The person in the other involved vehicle was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The initial investigation suggests that Fellows was traveling west on Highway 200, returning from a campaign function held in Seeley Lake when the crash occurred. The Montana Highway Patrol is conducting the crash investigation while the sheriff’s office c...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

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SEELEY LAKE – When Blaze Vandine purchased land on upper South Canyon Drive 16 years ago he thought he was going to be living on a private road. However since lower South Canyon Drive is not maintained, the upper road is being used as a thru road to access Double Arrow. While not all his neighbors agree that the road should be considered a private road, Vandine asks the public to respect his property and use the lower road. Vandine's deed of sale reads, "The purchaser and/or owner of the lot o...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

SEELEY LAKE – Bob Deal's lawn in Poverty Flats south of Seeley Lake on Montana Highway 83 has become the hot spot for flamingos in the past couple of years. What started out as a gift of two plastic flamingos has grown to a flock of 19 various colored flamingos and two that flew the coop. Deal's sole purpose for maintaining his flock is for fun. When Deal was young, he enjoyed the lawn jockeys that used to adorn people's yards. Following the lawn jockeys, garden gnomes grew in popularity. D...

Submitted by the Seeley Lake Community Council|Sep 22, 2016

SEELEY LAKE - Another array of candidates for the November election will present themselves at the second Candidates Forum, hosted by the Seeley Lake Community Council Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Community Hall. Starting at 5:30 p.m., the first half hour will be devoted to pizza, soda and milling-about; the formal part will begin at 6 p.m. The forum will include the following candidates: • State Auditor: Jesse Laslovich (D) and Matt Rosendale (R) • Superintendent of Public Education: Elsie Arntzen (R) • Public Service Commissioner: Gail Gutsc...

Sep 22, 2016

SEELEY LAKE - A 9-hole scramble golf tournament will take place at the Double Arrow Golf Course in Seeley Lake Friday, Sept. 30. Registration for this tournament will take place at 3:30 p.m. with a 4 p.m. shotgun start. Jessica Monaghan, a Big Sky High School senior and daughter of Seeley Lake business owner Tom Monaghan, is organizing this tournament. The tournament will benefit the Wild Skies Raptor Center located in Potomac, Mont. It will also serve as her Senior Project. “I’ve been volunteering at Wild Skies Raptor Center this past couple o...

Sep 22, 2016

BIGFORK – The Swan Lake Ranger District, Flathead National Forest (FNF), has released the Decision Notice and finding of no significant impact for the Cold Jim Fuels Reduction and Forest Health Project. The Cold Jim Project is located approximately three miles northwest of the community of Condon. The project area is in the Cold and Jim Creek watersheds within the Flathead National Forest in Lake and Missoula Counties. The Decision Notice identifies Alternative C as the selected alternative. Under the selected alternative, approximately 740 a...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

GREENOUGH – The storage units located beside Montana Highway 200 east of the Clear Water Alliance Church were broken into within the last week. Other storage units in Seeley Lake and Condon have been broken into within the past couple of months. Missoula County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Sunderland said that multiple units were broken into between Sunday, Sept. 11 and Thursday, Sept. 15. No information has been released about what was stolen. “If anyone saw any vehicles there or anything strange in the last week give us a call,” said Sunderl...

Nathan Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board voted to accept assistance putting out an informational packet at its Sept. 15 regular meeting. A county health department representative also presented on the Seeley Lake Special Management Area and how the county currently handles septic permits in town. The LOR Foundation offered assistance in putting out an informational packet. LOR would pay for a public relations company to collect and assemble the information presenting the facts on the proposed...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

SEELEY LAKE – Many who drove by Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE) early this summer read "The PIECES Framework is taking over the world" on the reader board. While the framework has yet to take over the education world, the influence that it has had in the past year has set the waves in motion for tangible impacts locally and for other rural schools across the country. In October 2015, Special Education Director Julie Haines and Behavior Support Coordinator Angela Harris were challenged by Superinten...

Colleen Kesterson, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Regional Planning Committee (SVRPC) began discussion of the economic climate in the Swan Valley at their Sept. 14 meeting. Editing of the second element of the draft plan, Economic Development, was begun. Topics addressed during the meeting were 2.1 Economic Activity in the Swan Valley and 2.2 Barriers to Economic Development. Resident Marcia Tapp said, “We [the valley] need some stimulation to our economy. The tax base is shrinking and those who live here can’t afford the taxes. We need some viable businesses and...

Betty Vanderwielen, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

SEELEY LAKE – Second grade teacher Erin Lynch is new to Seeley Lake, but not to Montana or to teaching. Lynch grew up in Havre, Mont., got her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Science Education at Montana State University in Bozeman. She has taught in Bozeman, Billings and most recently in Livingston. Her teaching career began in a two-room schoolhouse. She has also taught in a traditional one-grade classroom and math and science in a middle school setting. Addi...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 22, 2016

SEELEY LAKE & POTOMAC - Foster Grandparents and RSVP Tutors have the opportunity to share their gifts and talents and positively influence the education for local students. The Foster Grandparent Program has been in Missoula County for 30 years. Through the Senior Corps Program with Missoula Aging Services, foster grandparents have worked with students since 2003 at Seeley Lake Elementary (SLE), since 2013 at Potomac School and since 2005 at Swan Valley School. The Foster Grandparent Program...

Sep 22, 2016

Celebration of Life for Carol Joyce Boyd, Sept. 22 GREENOUGH - Carol Joyce Boyd, 83 passed away Monday, Sept. 19 in Missoula. Services to celebrate her life will be held at Clear Water Alliance Church Thursday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at the family cemetery with a reception to follow. The service address is 45226 Hwy 200, Greenough. Join Montana Mountain Mushers for Canine Fun Days Sept 24 & 25 SEELEY LAKE - All beginning or experienced mushers, runners, bike enthusiasts and scooter lovers are invited to Canine Fun Days Sept. 24...

Nathan Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 15, 2016

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer Board put the fate of the proposed sewer into the hands of the voters at a special board meeting Sept. 7. The board also changed the phases to subdistricts and discussed how to get information to the voters. The route of the main pipe to the treatment facility and the possibility of an open board position were also discussed. The present board members unanimously passed the bond resolution which, if approved by the voters, would allow the district to borrow $4,488,000. The district has already secured...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 15, 2016

SWAN VALLEY – More than 100 concerned citizens attended the Swan Valley Community Council (SVCC) special meeting Sept. 14 to discuss and gather more information on the Flathead National Forest (FNF) Draft Forest Plan. US Forest Service representatives from the Revision Team including team leader Joe Krueger presented the four proposed Alternatives A, B, C and D. Swan Valley resident, Swan Valley Fire Service Area board member and Swan Valley Emergency Services (SVES) volunteer Jimmy Boyd spoke about the safety concerns he sees with the plans a...

Sep 15, 2016

For the past eight years, members of the Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Company have stood in remembrance Sept. 11 holding flags for 102 minutes in front of the Seeley Lake Post Office. This is the amount of time it took for the first of the two Twin Towers in New York City to fall after being hit that fateful day in 2001. This year was no different as they paid tribute to those who lost their lives and all of the medics and firefighters who responded. Seeley Lake Volunteer Emergency Medical...

Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Sep 15, 2016

OVANDO - The Blackfoot Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program marked its 12th year of releasing swans in the Blackfoot Valley Sept. 8. Eight trumpeter swan cygnets were released at Jones Lake near Ovando in an effort to restore trumpeter swans to their historical territory in the Blackfoot Valley. State Coordinator for the Montana Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Greg Neudecker led the program in which seven area schools participated in the release. While the birds were being banded and...

Sep 15, 2016

MISSOULA – Wildland fire officials with the Missoula County Fire Protection Association (MCFPA) have reported widespread rain and cooler temperatures within their jurisdictions. Longer, cooler nights will prolong the rain’s effect on the fuels that are the primary carrier of fire on the landscape. These conditions will move Missoula County fire danger rating from VERY HIGH to MODERATE effective Sept. 7. While the General Outdoor Burning season for yard debris cleanup is closed until March 2017, Prescribed Wildland Burning and Essential Agr...