Wednesday, August 24
BPL preschool story time
Preschoolers are invited to meet in the children’s corner of the Bitterroot Public Library on Wednesday, August 24 to enjoy “We Share the Earth ” and hear books read by Paula Prescott. This story time begins at 10:30 a.m. and is designed for children 3-5 years of age. For more information, call 363-1670. There will be no story times on August 31 and September 7.
NVL preschool story time
Help your preschooler get ready to read by attending story time on Wednesday, August 24 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the community room of the North Valley Public Library. Children will develop language and sensory skills through listening to stories and making a craft. The theme is “All About Me!” A healthy and delicious snack is always provided. Ages 3-7 are welcome, accompanied by a grown up. For more information contact Caitlin Kempainen, 777-5061.
Bitterroot College Program steering committee meeting
The steering committee for the Bitterroot College Program of The University of Montana will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, August 24 at 3 p.m. in the Human Resource Council Building Meeting Room located at 316 N. 3rd St. in Hamilton. The BCP steering committee is a public board and welcomes members of the public to observe and participate at its meetings. Agenda topics will include operational, educational planning and fiscal issues. The meeting agenda and supplemental meeting materials are available on the BCP website at http://www.umt.edu/bcp (click on “Meetings” under “Steering Committee”), by calling BCP Interim Director Victoria Clark at 375-0100 or by emailing victoria.clark@umontana.edu. The BCP steering committee is a collaborative group comprised of Ravalli County stakeholders, UM officials and state higher education representatives. The committee is charged with planning an entity to provide responsive and sustainable adult and higher education opportunities to Ravalli County residents. The BCP will be offering more than 30 UM College of Technology and mountain campus courses in the Hamilton area during autumn semester 2011.
Israel support event
“Restoring Courage Rally” in support of Israel, will be held Wednesday, August 24 at the Rocky Mountain Grange, Hwy 93 in Hamilton. Join others to view a live feed on Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Courage Rally” from Jerusalem and show your support for Israel. The event in Israel is taking place just steps from the Western Wall and the Temple Mount and calls for unity among all faiths, and will honor Israelis who have displayed courage in their struggle for survival and peace. There is no charge for the Hamilton event. Doors open at 6:30 with the live feed starting at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.
Thursday, August 25
Stevi school facility committee
The Stevensville School Board of Trustees Facility Committee will meet on Thursday, August 25 at 10 a.m. in the Swank work trailer.
‘Choose Life’ event
A “Choose Life” tent event for Bitterroot youths will be held August 25 to 27
from 7 to 10 p.m. and Sunday, August 28 at 11 a.m. at mile marker 53 on Hwy 93, ½ mile south of Sheafman Creek. Life youth bands, dynamic speakers, hamburgers and hotdogs will be available. The event is free.
Stevi school special board meeting
The Stevensville School Board of Trustees will hold a special board meeting on Thursday, August 25 at 7 p.m. in the Stevensville High School Learning Center to approve staff negotiations.
Devotional singing
Take a little time out to enjoy harmonies and easy melodies from the world’s spiritual traditions through devotional singing on Thursday, August 25 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 607B Grantsdale Road, Hamilton. Live music. No experience necessary. All are welcome. Led by Brian Vayu Jameson whose gentle nature and humor encourages the shy singers. For more information contact Brian at 381-0617.
South Valley Civic Group
The next meeting of the South Valley Civic Group will be held Thursday, August 25 at 6 p.m. at the Conner Grocery & Deli in Conner. Everyone is welcome. Come to the meeting and bring a friend.
Victor Park Board
The Victor Park Board will meet Thursday, August 25 at 7 p.m. at Farmers State Bank meeting room in Victor. There will be discussion on the upcoming hand-over of Highway 93 landscaping from MDOT, plus regular business. The Victor Park Board meets the fourth Thursday of every month. For more information call Roger De Haan at 961-3953.
Friday, August 26
Event management workshops
Montana communities, organizations and tribal governments sponsoring or planning community-based tourism festivals and events are now working on their applications for the $100,000 in state tourism grant funds available through the MTOT Special Events Grant Program (SEGP). The SEGP application deadline is October 21, 2011. New to the grant process this year is the opportunity to earn bonus points for the applicant organization by attending an Event Management course sponsored by MTOT. Workshop attendees will receive 10 bonus points that go towards their total SEGP score for successful completion of the workshop. Course attendees must be actively involved in the planning and production of the event for which funding is being sought in order to be eligible for the additional points. A workshop will be held Friday, August 26 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the Hilton Garden Inn, 3720 N Reserve Street, Missoula. The workshop presenter is Kent Gustafson, Extension Professor of Tourism from the University of Minnesota in St. Paul. The Workshop is free and open to anyone. You must call or email Carol Crockett, 406-841-2796, ccrockett@mt.gov to register.
Saturday, August 27
Metcalf Refuge Trail closure
The Kenai Nature Trail on Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. A Montana FWP hunter safety class will be using the Refuge firing range in close proximity to the Kenai Nature Trail to complete their course curriculum. For more information call Bob at 777-5552, x203.
Greenwing Expo
The Bitterroot Valley Greenwing EXPO will be held Saturday, August 27 at the Teller Wildlife Refuge Slack Barn. Sign in is at 8:30 a.m. and activities begin at 9 a.m.
Don’t miss the Bitterroot Valley’s premier outdoor youth Expo sponsored by The Teller and Bitterroot Valley Ducks Unlimited Chapter. Event activities include: Birds from Raptors of the Rockies, Decoy Painting and Artwork Contest, Used Gear Exchange, Dog Handling, Duck/Goose Calling, Laser Shooting, General Raffle and a free raffle for youth hunts on The Teller and Double Fork Ranch. A Silent Auction and Backpack Raffle will be available for the adults. Registration is $10.00 for youth under 18 years of age (includes lunch) and $5.00 for an adult lunch. Contact Sue Miller at 777-0214 or Jon Miller at 546-5995 to register.
Bitterroot Classic Triathlon
The 6th annual Bitterroot Classic Triathlon will be held Saturday, August 27 at the Bitterroot Aquatic Center. The race is a fast, fun and exciting family event held to benefit the Missoula Ronald McDonald House. Athletes race registration now open; register online at www.bitterrootclassictriathlon.com.
Over the past five years, the Bitterroot Classic Triathlon has raised over $65,000 in support of Missoula’s Ronald McDonald House. Join in by sponsoring, volunteering or participating in this fun and worthwhile event of swimming, cycling and running to raise funds for this special place. The Bitterroot Classic Triathlon is a sprint distance race, 750yd Swim (15 laps in Bitterroot Aquatic Center pool), 20k Bike, 5k Run (followed by a children’s triathlon).
The swim takes place in the Bitterroot Aquatic Center pool, the bike portion gives racers the opportunity to take in the great views of the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains while racing with the cows through some of the most beautiful private property in Ravalli County. The race concludes with a double loop around the Hamilton High School. The racers entry fee is $45.00 and all activities will take place at the Bitterroot Aquatic Center. The Bitterroot Classic Triathlon has something for everybody! Volunteers interested in helping out on race day, call Lynn at 531-2684 or email at lynn@rmhmissoula.org. For more information on the Bitterroot Classic Triathlon, visit www.bitterrootclassictriathlon.com.
Victor ‘Breakfast in the Backyard’
Victor residents have all missed “Breakfast in the Park” this summer. Now that the highway is finished the community is invited to celebrate with “Breakfast in the Backyard” at the Senior Center at 242 Fifth Ave. on Saturday morning, August 27, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cost for adults is $5.00 and kids under 10 years are $3.00. The crew will be serving pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon, juice and coffee.
South Valley Quilt Show
The South Valley Quilt Show will be held on Saturday, August 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Darby Club House. The theme of the show is “In the Good Old Summertime.” Admission is $1 or one food item to be donated to the Darby Bread Box.
Stitch N Time, a Darby Quilt Guild, is calling for quilt entries for the show. Quilts may be entered in six categories: Pieced, Machine Appliqued, Hand Appliqued, Art, Home Décor and Theme Quilt. There will be People’s Choice voting and ribbons awarded.
Entry forms for the show can be picked up at Pinnacle Sewing Service at 404 N. Main Street, Darby. Online entry is available at www.pinnaclesewing.com. Entry fee is $5 per quilt. Entry deadline is August 15th.
The South Valley Quilt Guild is also calling for vendors for the show. Artisans of all types of media are welcome to hold a booth at the show. Items for the craft portion of the show must be mostly handmade, no commercial items. Booth fee is $10 for a 10-foot space. Vendors may share tables.
For more information about the South Valley Quilt Show, call Karen Tinney at 406-203-4398.
Local Living Center open house
You’re invited to the annual Open House at the Local Living Family Center in Florence, behind the Town Pump on Saturday, August 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free food, family fun activities, and information about upcoming classes will be available, as well as the chance to buy “The Most Amazing Lamb Sandwich in the World!” So stop by the LLFC while you are out, and try locally raised organic lamb. Come in and pick up information about infant, pre-school and after school programs and adult learning opportunities, all beginning this fall! “Stuff the Bus” school supplies for families in need will be available from United Way of Ravalli County.
Tuesday, August 30
Candidate meet and greet
Become an informed voter. Meet Republican gubernatorial candidate, former Congressman Rick Hill. This meet and greet will be held Tuesday, August 30 at 5:30 p.m. at North Star Aviation, off Airport Blvd, Hamilton. Senator Bob Lake will emcee. Free ice cream will be served. Bring your neighbors. For more information, call 207-7630.
Wednesday, August 31
Stevi substitute training
Substitute training will be provided for all new employees and employees who did not attend last year on Wednesday, August 31 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in the new 4-8 building. If you attended the program last year you are certified for the three years. Contact Pat Pfau at 777-5481, ext. 136 to confirm your attendance.
FFA Alumni bake sale
Don’t miss this tasty event, the FFA Alumni Bake Sale on Wednesday, August 31 at 6 p.m. at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds. Come bid on some homemade goodies and support your local FFA Chapter. All proceeds go towards leadership development for the students in the Stevensville FFA. For more info or to donate a baked item call Theresa Pendergast, 207-1130.
Hamilton High School registration
Registration for juniors and seniors at Hamilton High School will be held Wednesday, August 31. Seniors register at 11:30 a.m. and juniors at 2:30 p.m. Registration for freshmen and sophomores will be Thursday, September 1. Sophomores register at 8 a.m. and freshmen register at 10 a.m. Freshmen will start school on Tuesday, September 6 at 8:15 a.m. Students grades 9-12 will start school on Wednesday, September 7 at 8:15 a.m. The purpose of registration is for students to finalize their class schedules that they developed last spring, to pay their fees for the year and to get their photo taken for the yearbook/student ID cards. New students to the district and a parent or guardian are encouraged to schedule an appointment with a counselor beginning the week of August 22. Use the west entrance of the high school during registration. For information call 375-6060.