SEELEY LAKE - Residents of Dogtown received an update on the issue of county road maintenance, or lack there of, at the Seeley Lake Community Council meeting Dec. 11. Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Clearwater Unit Manager Kristen Baker-Dickinson gave the update. The issue came to light in the summer of 2015 when Missoula County informed Dogtown residents who access their state lease properties via Grizzly Drive and Cub Lane that the county could no longer maintain those roads. The county stated that it could not use ro...
Should the Forest Service Let It Burn?
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley-Swan High School seniors took to the stage Dec. 13 to debate the resolution "The Forest Service should manage fires by letting them burn." While both sides presented convincing arguments with supporting evidence and facts, the team opposing the resolution won the debate. Everyone in the audience had the opportunity to comment and choose which side they felt won. This was the fourth annual debate in Dr. Kathleen Pecora's senior English class. The students chose the r...
Giving Tree Brings Christmas to Area Families
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
SEELEY LAKE - The annual "Giving Tree," sponsored by the Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church women, brought Christmas joy to 15 families in the Valley. This year 92 gifts were given to 48 youth in the area. Parents or guardians indicated a clothing item and one toy that were needed and/or wanted by their children or youth under the age of 18. For each child there was a card on the Giving Tree at Cory's Valley Market. The card listed age, gender and a gift to purchase. Community members selected...
Musical Pirates Performed
Colleen Kesterson, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Elementary School entertained with songs, dancing and the production of "An Island Christmas" at their annual Winter Program Dec. 14....
Choosing Kind
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
GREENOUGH – This fall, Sunset School students embarked on a journey of learning how to be more kind to others. Using the book "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio as the catalyst, the students first through fifth grade learned about bullying and focused on the theme from the book stated by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, "When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind." "Wonder" is a book about a young boy who was born with a severe facial abnormality, and the challenges he faces when he a...
Part 1 of this series on holiday gift-givers talked about Saints and Santas, Part 2 about The Three Kings. Part 3 will discuss The Baby Jesus or Christkind as Gift-Giver In European countries such as Austria, Germany, Slovakia and some South American countries such as Columbia, Christmas presents are brought by the Baby Jesus or the Christkind. In Hungry he is called Jezuska, or Little Jesus. Though the Christ Child is generally pictured as a young, blond child with angel wings, he is never...
Recalling a Most Memorable Christmas
Betty Vanderwielen, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
Colleen Kesterson of Condon remembers the smell of Christmas. She said, "Always the fragrance of pine and fir bring back memories of the sweet smell filling our house after a day's trudge through the woods to find and cut our Christmas tree. Also, I remember the evergreen boughs were placed near the heaters and their fragrance filled the church on Christmas Eve. All through the winters in the 70s, when I moved to the Swan Valley, I could smell the trees every time I stepped outside – Christmas c...
Forest Service Works to Recover Post-Fire Landscape
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
SEELEY LAKE - This past summer, the U.S. Forest Service's Northern Region experienced one of the hottest and driest fire seasons on record, with 36 fires that burned ~710,000 acres on National Forests in Montana and Northern Idaho, heavily impacting local communities and landscapes. As a result, recognizing the scope of the fires this year, Regional Forester Leanne Marten saw the need for an expedited approach focused on safety and formed a Regional Post-Fire Response Incident Management Team (I...
High School Auditorium Glows with Music
Betty Vanderwielen, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
SEELEY LAKE – Seeley-Swan's new high school auditorium stage was almost too small to hold the 80 singers and musicians who came from Missoula on Dec. 17 as part of the 2017-2018 concert season presented by Alpine Artisans' 2 Valleys Stage (2VS). The performers, Missoula Community Chorus (MCC), is a non-audition chorus open to all who love to sing. Their mission is to "Inspire Community Through Music." The concert program took its name from the first song the group performed, "Glow" by Eric W...
Winter Concert Showcases Local Musicians
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 21, 2017
SEELEY LAKE – Voices were heard in the darkness as the Seeley-Swan High School Choir entered the auditorium singing Medieval Gloria to start their Winter Concert Dec. 12. This was Music Director Kristen Cottom's first concert with the SSHS musicians. The Mixed Chorale Ensemble included eighteen students. They sang four selections ending with Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Lane Mackie-Wendel, Chloe Robbins, Chance Johnson and Amaya Harman all soloed during the piece. The eight-piece Concert Band f...
Community Briefs
Dec 21, 2017
Paws Up Safe Home Animal Shelter Remains Open POTOMAC – There has been confusion about the status of the Paws Up Safe Home Animal Shelter located near Potomac. While the shelter is not currently taking in animals, it is still caring for and housing 25 dogs and several cats and horses. Operator Hazel Tyler said she posted on the Paws Up Safe Home Facebook page in early November that they would not be accepting animals at this time because her husband is dealing with some serious health issues. “The shelter is not closed, nor is it clo...
The Seeley Lake Sewer cleared another hurdle this week as the protest period came to a close Dec. 18. Landowners had until the close of the business day to file their written protest against the proposed Levy of Special Assessment. Approximately 42 percent of landowners attempted to protest. The district rejected about two percent of those protests. The rejected protests didn’t change the outcome of the protest. The failure of the protest means the district is now authorized to sell $5.79 million in bonds to match their existing grants for t...
Helping Fill the Need
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
SEELEY LAKE – “After this summer, I was exhausted. I needed help,” said Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church Reverend Carrie Benton who talked to many others who felt the same way. “Then it dawned on me that we all need help. It has become so clear to me how much we need each other.” This was the impetus behind the Seeley Lake Community Exchange and Giftaway set for Dec. 16 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall. Organizers encourage everyone to come with a skill, ability or non-monetary goods that they can offer in exchange fo...
Happy Holidays from the Swan Valley
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
SWAN VALLEY – "How awesome was that?! We did it," said Boyd as the students gathered all their belongings and loaded on the hay wagon for the Holiday card photo. Swan Valley School students and staff spent the afternoon Dec. 6 packing down letters and designs in the snow in a field near Condon. They painted their 640 X 457 foot holiday card with dye and posed for a drone photo. While all agreed it was a lot of fun, they also learned a lot of practical tools and lessons throughout the project. E...
SWAN VALLEY – Though scarcely one year old, Swan Valley Connections (SVC) hosted a grand 20-year celebration Dec. 6 at the Swan Valley Community Hall. In January 2016, Swan Ecosystem Center (SEC) and Northwest Connections (NWC) merged into SVC, hence the one-year status. Those parent organizations have roots reaching back two decades, hence the cause for celebration. The evening consisted of an on-going slide show, short films highlighting SEC and NWC and a number of people sharing memories a...
Community Invited to First Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Fire Department invites the community for the First Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration at the Fire Hall Saturday, Dec. 16. from 4:30-8 p.m. It's a great opportunity to visit Santa, support the Trevino family and enjoy some Christmas cheer with the community. After learning about a similar event hosted by the Seeley Lake Volunteers several years ago at Deer Country Quilts, Fire Chief Michael Greer thought it would be a great thing to bring back. "I decided t...
Don't Get Fired Up – Remember to Clean Your Chimney
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
SEELEY LAKE – It’s that time of year to make sure your chimney is cleaned and ready for winter. The Seeley Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded to a chimney fire on Double Arrow Saturday afternoon. While there was no structure damage to the home, it is a good reminder for everyone who burns wood to inspect and clean their chimneys. According to Fire Chief Michael Greer, the fire had died down by their arrival. “It took little involvement on our part,” said Greer. “We just put out the fire in the firebox to make sure it had died completel...
Lions Provide Holiday Food Baskets
Dec 14, 2017
SEELEY LAKE - It’s that time of year as Christmas fast approaches. Each year Seeley Lake Lions Club distributes Holiday Food Baskets to area families in need of help, providing a holiday meal for Christmas. The Lions perform various fundraisers throughout the year to raise money to purchase turkey dinners with all the trimmings for those in need. Besides fundraisers by the club, personal donations have been made in the past from community residents. All groceries are purchased locally at Cory’s Valley Market. Cory’s employees assemble the f...
Christmas Bazaar Fills a Need
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
SEELEY LAKE – With a burger in one hand and their wallet in the other, shoppers enjoyed the Christmas Bazaar at Lindey's Prime Steak House Saturday, Dec. 9. It was an opportunity for local vendors to display their products and buyers to purchase from local consultants and craftsmen. The idea for the bazaar came through conversations between Alicia Kues, her husband Mark and Lindey's owners Jenny and Mike Lindemer. "We felt like Seeley Lake needed a place for vendors to get out," said Alicia. "...
Who Brings Holiday Presents?
Betty Vanderwielen, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
Part 1 of this series on holiday gift-givers talked about Saints and Santas. Part 2 will discuss The Three Kings as Gift-Givers One of the most obvious Christian connections between the giving of presents and the Christmas holidays is that it commemorates the arrival of the Three Kings, sometimes called Magi or Wise Men, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus. In fact, in some countries, children receive presents not on Dec. 25, but on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Three...
Recalling a Most Memorable Christmas
Betty Vanderwielen|Dec 14, 2017
Susan Stone from Condon said, "I think my most memorable Christmas was the gathering of family shortly before my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. We spent a Christmas in Portland with almost all of the family under one roof." * * * * * Connie Rose from Cour d'Alene, Idaho, was in Seeley Lake visiting Boyd and Helen Gossard. Rose said her most memorable Christmas was when she was about nine years old. She had gone with her family to visit her grandfather, whose birthday was on Christmas...
Building a Sense of Community Through Teaching and Mentorship
Andi Bourne, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
SWAN VALLEY – Swan Valley resident Colleen Harrington was offered her dream job this past fall when she was hired as the junior high teacher for Swan Valley School. After teaching at the Mission Mountain School for 18 years and spending the past seven years volunteering in various capacities at Swan Valley School, Harrington completed her teaching license and Masters of Education in May 2017. She looks forward to not only teaching her students the academics they need to succeed but also being t...
Jim Creek Restoration Work Leads to Proposed De-listing
Dec 14, 2017
SWAN VALLEY – The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has announced that Jim Creek in the Swan River Valley will no longer be considered “impaired” for water quality. DEQ will submit an impairment de-listing to the Environmental Protection Agency in 2018. Jim Creek was listed in 1996 due to sediment and siltation. However, a new DEQ assessment has found Jim Creek to meet water quality standards. Improved forest practices and road management on both private and public lands in the watershed were significant factors in the delis...
Swan Valley School Yearbook Wins First Place for Page Layout
Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
SWAN VALLEY - Entourage Yearbooks announced their seventh Annual National Yearbook Competition awards, recognizing Swan Valley Elementary School with the distinctive First Place for Page Design. The nationally sponsored contest conducted by Entourage Yearbooks judged school yearbooks in many facets including creativity, originality and journalistic relevance. Hundreds of schools entered across all fifty states at the Elementary, Middle School, and High School level. "I'd like to offer my...
Christmas Comes Home to Potomac
Sigrid Olson, Pathfinder|Dec 14, 2017
POTOMAC - More than 80 community members turned out for the Annual Christmas Comes Home event in Potomac Dec. 9. Young and old enjoyed indoor fellowship including Santa and his sleigh, the Christmas Train, Christmas cookies, carols and hymns, barbecue, a scavenger hunt and quilts. Outdoor festivities were a live Nativity scene, bonfire and wagon rides provided by Ray Woodside and his mule team and Brad Hall with his draft team....
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