Week of April 25, 2024
Week of April 25, 2024
Editor's note: After press, the Pathfinder learned Stetson Spooner decided to not take the superintendent position offered to him by the Seeley Lake Elementary School Board. An update will be provided next week regarding the candidate who took the position — Christina Hartmann from Townsend Public Schools — according to the school's attorney. The Seeley Lake Elementary School Board voted unanimously to hire Stetson Spooner as the new superintendent and principal of Seeley Lake Elementary School. The decision came after a review of four...
Samantha Arroyo remembered Girl Scouts fondly when she was growing up in Seeley Lake in the eighties. As she recalled it, the troop meetings happened after school and the troop leaders were also elementary school teachers. There was a really active parent group at that time, Arroyo said, which also supported Boy Scouts and the Seeley Lake Lions Club. "But they've grown, their kids have grown, and a lot of them moved," Arroyo said. Arroyo and other parents are trying to get the next generation...
Two Seeley Lake organizations - Seeley Lake Elementary School and the Clearwater Resource Council - have received the full amount possible - $4,000 - from Missoula County through the Rural Impact Grant program. This program is intended for groups like community councils, nonprofits and schools to be used for projects that "enhance the quality of life" in rural Missoula County. Last year, the Seeley Lake Lions Club received funding from this grant to hire swimming instructors and the Potomac...
The Missoula County Commissioners approved the proposal to adjust operating hours for the Seeley Lake garbage container site at their meeting April 18. The new hours will be Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., effective May 1. These hours will remain the same year-round. “I did outreach at (the) Seeley Community Council and through the Pathfinder,” Kim Myer, Seeley Lake projects and operations coordinator with Missoula County Public Works, said. “There was only one negative comment and I received many emails in...
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation’s Change Your Pace Challenge (CYP) is a month-long campaign for community-wide giving, motivating community members to donate to their favorite participating local non-profits, knowing the impact of their gift will multiply thanks to the CYP Match Fund. The Seeley Lake Community Foundation invites everyone to the Change Your Pace Challenge Kickoff Party on Wednesday May 1. Join us for an opportunity to mingle with local non-profits and enjoy lunch, sponsored by Republic Services. The event runs from 11...
Thirty-five years ago... Thursday April 27th, 1989 Kids enjoy a day at the Capitol Seeley Lake 7th and 8th grade students put their classroom government studies to direct use on April 18 as they toured state government in a "Day at the Capitol." Using the theme that "government is people," they met throughout the day with officials in all three branches of government. At the Legislature, local Rep. Janet Moore took the students onto the House floor and discussed current issues before the House...
The Seeley Lake Nordic Ski Club (SLNSC) has been selected for full funding from the 2024 Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks Trail Stewardship Program. This funding was requested by SLNSC for the second phase of our Seeley Creek Trailhead project. The second phase consists of constructing a sufficient grooming building at the trailhead to be used in conjunction with our grooming efforts. The first phase was completed late 2023, resulting in electrical service being installed to the Seeley Creek Trailhead. A new 1,300 square-foot secure...
The seasonal roads designated to open May 1 on the Seeley Lake Ranger District on the Lolo National Forest are now open. “With the unusual winter, roads have dried out earlier than normal and staff are out swinging gates open today,” said Quinn Carver, District Ranger, Seeley Lake Ranger District on the Lolo National Forest. “Staff will be starting at the lower elevations to open gates this afternoon. There may be a few at higher elevations that aren’t opened until the weekend.” The roads that are opening are typically closed...
The Swan Valley Elementary School Board voted unanimously to switch to a four-day school week on April 9. A survey sent out to parents and community members before the vote showed strong support for the switch. Principal Angie Mock said the four-day school week seems to be the better model for Class C schools and it puts Swan Valley School in alignment with both the high school and elementary school in Seeley Lake where students in both districts share extracurricular activities. Swan Valley’s graduates also attend Seeley-Swan High School....
Layered onto the diverse landscapes that grizzly bears call home is another, equally variable ecosystem: the human one. As bears exit their winter dens in search of food and mates this year, be it in sprawling sagebrush steppes, high-elevation whitebark pine stands, or willow-lined waterways, their success will be determined by the availability of social habitat - the tolerance and attitudes that enable coexistence - as much as physical habitat. As a collective, we humans wield immense...
The need for compassionate and effective approaches to mental health crisis intervention has never been more pressing. In Missoula, an innovative response to this need, The Mobile Support Team (MST), has emerged as a benchmark for mental health crisis interventions in our region. When someone in Missoula calls 911 with a concern about a behavioral health issue, the Missoula Mobile Support Team (MST) springs into action. Comprised of a licensed mental health clinician, an emergency medical technician (EMT) and a case facilitator, the MST...
Today, April 25, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of St. Mark, Apostle, and Evangelist. He is the second of the four writers of the Gospels (Matthew, Luke and John) and associated with the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew and Luke). Most of what we know about St. Mark we learn from Scripture generally and his Gospel in particular. There is general agreement that the Mark of the second Gospel is the John Mark of Acts 12:12. He was part of the early missionary efforts of Apostles. He left his home in Jerusalem to accompany Barnabas and Paul as a...
What I see on too many YouTube videos makes me wince. Some of the trout, I'm sure, don't survive. Most of them probably make it, despite the rough handling they're subjected to. Wild trout are hearty creatures, but still, they're deserving of our respect. They deserve - and require, if they're to remain viable when subjected to natural stresses and unnatural fishing pressure - informed and responsible handling that will give them an optimal chance of survival. I've written comments in response...
I am writing this letter in support of Representative John Fitzpatrick and his candidacy for reelection to House District 76. I’ve known John for several years and during the 68th Legislative Session in 2023, he proved to be a solid and thoughtful legislator. I found him to be a very respectful representative of his constituency and wanted to do what was best for Montana. Additionally, Rep. Fitzpatrick is an extremely accomplished legislator who possesses the leadership skills and legislative experience to successfully move legislation...
This spring, voters in Swan Valley Elementary School District #33 will have the opportunity to vote on two levies: one for general operations and one for technology. Swan Valley Elementary School has not asked for an operational levy for 14 years and currently does not have specific funds designated for technology. We all know the cost of everything has increased in the last 14 years. These funds will help Swan Valley School keep up with rising transportation costs, support staff salaries and retention, and ensure students and educators have...
The Seeley-Swan track and field athletes took on 27 teams across classes last weekend at the Seeley-Swan High School Invitational. This is the first hosted meet for the Blackhawks, and the second will be the first weekend in May, which is a memorial event for Coach Mike Haines' father, the Kim Haines Memorial Track Meet. The Blackhawks got 16 personal records last weekend in a fairly challenging field including Cannon Hawkinson's 11.99 seconds in the 100-meter dash and Neveah Wilson in the...
