Wednesday, September 14
Preschool story time
Preschoolers are invited to meet in the children’s corner of the Bitterroot Public Library on Wednesday, September 14 to enjoy “Let’s Go to the Lake!” with storyteller and Library Director Trista Smith. Story time begins at 10:30 a.m. and is designed for children 3-5 years of age. All story times are free and open to the public. For information, call 363-1670.
Kids Bible Club
Kids Bible Club will begin meeting on Wednesdays starting September 14 from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. at Lone Rock Bible Church, 1142 Three Mile Creek Rd. The club is for grades K-6th, and it will include bible teaching, games, activities, music, and wholesome snacks. Children will be escorted from the school. Home schooled children are also welcome. For information call 777-2592.
‘Astonishing Discoveries’ series
A series of talks on Astonishing Discoveries will be held at 7 p.m. nightly September 14-18 at the Hamilton Adventist Church, 117 West Bridge Road. Schedule is: Wednesday, September 14: Egyptian Wonders That Stunned the World; Thursday, September 15: Babylon, Sumer, and the Quest for Power; Friday, September 16: The Greatest Discoveries in the Land of Israel; Saturday, September 17: The Spade and the Historical Jesus; Sunday, September 18: Living Rocks from the Apocalypse.
Everyone is welcome. For more information contact Joanne at 240-7240.
Thursday, September 15
Back Country Horsemen
Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen host their monthly meeting on Thursday, September 15, at the Corvallis School Cafeteria on Eastside Highway in Corvallis. Potluck dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. and the general meeting starts at 7:00. Program speaker is Sylvia McNeill, a board certified arborist, who will discuss tree and shrub trimming as it relates to proper trail clearing and maintenance. Guests are welcome to attend, and for more information call Karen at 961-0101 or check the website at www.bchmt.org/bitterroot.
Friday, September 16
China Painters’ Convention
The Montana China Painters Art Association will hold its statewide convention in Missoula on September 16 and 17 at the Best Western Grant Creek Inn, 5280 Grant Creek Road. Admission is free to the public for both days of this event, which features displays by local painters, supplies and art sales, raffles, door prizes and demonstrations by nationally known china painters. The show will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, September 16, and 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 17. This is the first time the convention has been held in Missoula since 2006. For more information about china painting or the convention, contact Joanna Barker, 961-4428.
North Valley Pachyderm Club
The North Valley Pachyderm Club will meet Friday, September 16 at noon at the Frontier Café, Hwy 93 in Stevensville. The guest speaker will be Nancy Ballance who will talk about new state compacts. The North Valley Pachyderm Club meets the first and third Friday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the Frontier Cafe. The North Valley Pachyderm Club is an educational arm of the Republican Party. All are welcome.
Saturday, September 17
Women’s Health Symposium
The 2nd Annual Women’s Health Symposium will be held Saturday, September 17 from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Hamilton. This symposium focuses on staying healthy and aging gracefully. This event is dedicated to women and it is all about you – relax, get pampered, and learn from the experts. Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital and Soroptimist International invite you to start your day with a complete lipid panel, delicious healthy breakfast and experienced and interesting speakers. These speakers include Marcus Daly medical staff, local healthcare professionals and Rolf Holle, MD, FAASM, FCCP, who will deliver astonishing facts about correlation between sleep and woman’s health. His address will be complemented by eight different medical experts covering the top women’s health issues and concerns. Each expert has created an inspiring and interactive session. Some of the medical professionals and topics include; April Weinberger, MD – Nutrition, Jeremiah Clinton, MD – Bone Health, John P. Moreland, MD – Heart Health, Robert Alexander, MD – Protecting Your Skin, Susan Reynolds, FNP – Supplements that Support Good Health, and more. You will also have an opportunity to get a relaxing massage, receive many wonderful gifts and receive your cholesterol screening results prior to the end of the symposium. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Register by calling 375-4500. Attendees are offered a 25% discount on a digital mammogram screening and/or bone density Axial and radiologist’s interpretation. Visit www.mdmh.org for more information or to register. Symposium fee is $40.00, covered by medical flex plans.
Bitterroot Green Home Tour
The Bitterroot Green Home Tour, sponsored by Sustainable Living Systems, will be held Saturday, September 17, from 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m. Meet the vans for the guided tour at 9 a.m. at Super 1 in Stevensville or K-Mart in Hamilton. Bring lunch and water. The tour will include four homes and one business, viewing an Earthship under construction using a variety of techniques, also passive solar heating, solar power, strawbale, and ecological water systems, and a pyramid home/greenhouse. After the tour, meet at Blacksmith Brewery in Stevensville to view their reclaimed materials structure with refreshments and a beer provided and an opportunity to meet others interested in building sustainably. Cars may follow the vans. Tickets are $10 are will be available at the vans. For more information call Gretchen at 207-3738, or Jill at 642-3601.
Creativity series
Studio You is offering a facilitated journey through Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” on Monday nights beginning September 19 at 7 p.m. at Studio You in Hamilton. This is a free 12-week course (donation asked to cover space and utilities). The books are available used for as little as $1 on line. For more information call Barb at 363-4463.
Stevi school menu
September 19-23
Monday: Breakfast – Cereal, fruit, milk; Lunch – Pizza, corn, pears
Tuesday: Breakfast – Bagel with cream cheese, fruit, milk; Lunch – Beef steaks, broccoli Normandy, bananas
Wednesday: Breakfast – French toast, fruit, milk; Lunch – Chef salad with ham and cheese, apricots
Thursday: Breakfast – Fruit bar, fruit, milk; Lunch – Pulled pork sandwich, taters, apples
Friday: Breakfast – Cereal, fruit, milk; Lunch – Mac & cheese, fresh carrots, Mandarin oranges
Tuesday, September 20
Preschool Story Time
Preschool Story Time will resume on Tuesday, September 20 at 1 p.m. at the Darby Public Library. Preschoolers need to master key skills that will help them make sense of all those black squiggles on the page before they start kindergarten. The National Institute for Literacy has identified a number of building blocks that prepare children for reading. The key components of reading readiness include familiarity with print and books, speech sounds, and letter recognition. The Preschool Story Hour provides opportunities to prepare your child for lifelong learning by addressing these important areas. Teaching letter recognition and discernment of speech sounds through rhyming games and songs as well as reading stories and providing opportunities for interactive play and storytelling are key components in the story hour that help your child become Ready to Read. Story times will continue through December 6 every Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Amateur radio technician licensing course
The Bitterroot Amateur Radio Club is sponsoring a Technician Class License course. The class will start Tuesday, September 20 and will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the LDS Church in Corvallis (on the Eastside Highway about a quarter of a mile south of the intersection of the Eastside Highway and Willow Creek Road). The last class will be held on October 13.
Come take your first steps and join the exciting world of Amateur Radio. Enjoy talking to other Amateur Radio Operators near and far! Want to experiment with new technologies that utilize computers interfaced with radios? Would you like to join forces with government and local volunteer organizations as Amateur Radio Operators and team up with them for Public Service events and Emergency communications assistance? Take your first steps by joining us for this interactive course taught by a team of knowledgeable Amateur Radio Operators from the Bitterroot Valley.
You can get an Amateur Radio Technician license by passing a multiple-choice examination. No Morse code test is required. The exam covers basic regulations, operating practices, and electronics theory, with a focus on VHF and UHF applications. Although regulated by the FCC, license exams are given by volunteer groups of Amateur Radio operators. Operating under organizations called Volunteer Examiner Coordinators. Volunteers administer and grade tests and report results to the FCC who grant the license. U.S. licenses are good for ten years before renewal, and anyone may hold a license except someone who is a representative of a foreign government.
All the information needed to pass this test will be covered in the course. There is also a required study book that you will need to purchase and which will be available at the class from the instructors for $29.95 which includes a CD that has the test pool questions and other information. The club has four old manuals available for $24.95 but they do not have a CD. An exam has been scheduled for October 15 and the time will be announced later (there is a $15 fee to take this test).
Anyone wishing to get an FCC Amateur Radio Technician license is welcome to attend. Contact Jim Brummit at 961-1323 (cell 369-3980) or Lawrence Brooker at 777-0238 to reserve a spot in the class. Drop-ins will be accepted if there is room.
Baby Sign Language Class
Would you like to jumpstart your baby’s language development? Enhance your child’s self-esteem? Stimulate your baby’s intellectual development? Strengthen your parent-infant bond or reduce your child’s communication frustrations? A Baby Sign Language Class sponsored by Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital will begin Tuesday, September 20 and will meet every Tuesday for six weeks from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the Marcus Daly Rehabilitation Service’s pediatric gym. The gym is located inside the new Marcus Daly Rehabilitation Center at the west end of 1200 Westwood Drive, Hamilton. The class is designed to benefit most children and their guardian. Amy Yockey, MS, CCC/SLP, an accomplished and licensed Speech Therapist at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, will be teaching this class. If you have a child in your life 6 months to 3 years of age, call Marcus Daly Rehabilitation Services at 375-4570 to reserve your spot. The fee is $25 and space is limited.
Wednesday, September 21
Leadership Bitterroot class
Orientation for the next Leadership Bitterroot Class will be held Wednesday, September 21 followed by the first session Wednesday, September 28. Thereafter it is the third Wednesday of every month and runs through May. This program is sponsored by the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce and helps develop effective leaders to take Bitterroot communities into the future.If you are interested in this program call Pat at 363-2400. This can be your first step in learning and getting more involved in your community.
Thursday, September 22
Book signings
Book signings with Roberta Swartz of Hamilton, author of “Me, Myself, and Mind: Reclaim Yourself, Your Health, and Your Life,” will be held throughout September at various locations. Reclaim your self, your health, and your life when you read this “self health” book by Roberta Swartz, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. This ground breaking book offers deep insight into the human psyche and provides a wealth of information that is founded in more than 27 years of evidence based results in self hypnosis and clinical hypnotherapy. It is designed to help readers connect with their inner being in ways that are appropriate and self determined. It skillfully guides readers through a personal journey of self awareness so they can transform old subconscious patterns and problems. Come meet Roberta at a book signing on Thursday, September 22, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at The Mill, 140 Cherry, Hamilton or Monday, September 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rainbow’s End Natural Foods, 910 N. 1st Street, Hamilton. Contact Roberta Swartz for more information, 375-0446.
National Recovery Month observance
A National Recovery Month observance will be held Thursday, September 22 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Missoula Indian Center, 830 W. Central, Missoula. National Recovery Month is a national observance that educates Americans about addiction treatment and mental health services that can enable those with a substance use or mental disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. The Missoula Indian Center would like to honor the gains made by those in recovery from these conditions by presenting a workshop. The Indian Center would like to spread the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people do recover. There will be speakers and refreshments. Registration is open to everyone, including clients, and families. For more information call Marvin, Kathleen, or Michelle at 406-829-9515 with any questions about the Missoula Indian Center’s scheduled event for Recovery Month.
Friday, September 23
SVCFC benefit dinner
South Valley Child and Family Center presents Turkey Fry and Apple Pie!, a Suppertime Extraordinaire Fundraiser Dinner, September 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at SVCFC, 515 Madison in Hamilton. Featuring Amazing Fried Turkeys from guest chef Tom Brader and brilliant side dishes and of course, apple pie, tickets are $40 a person. Proceeds go to fund the great programs at South Valley Child and Family Center. Call 363-3450 for reservations.
Trout Unlimited banquet
It will be a Trout Unlimited banquet on Friday, September 23, but you won’t need to be a trout angler to come and have a good time. According to Bitterroot Trout Unlimited (BRTU), chapter president Cassie Buhl, “Of course we will have flies, rods and reels, and fishing trips, but we will also have a great dinner as well as an amazing assortment of art, Native American silver jewelry, clothing, wines, dinners, pottery and many other items. In other words, things that will appeal both to men and women – anglers or not!”
This is the 32nd annual fundraiser for Bitterroot Trout Unlimited and the banquets have become a highlight of the fall season. The group uses the funds to support conservation and education efforts, including the “Bitterroot Buggers,” their decade old program that teaches valley kids about flytying, fishing and native trout. For the last several summers, BRTU has supported a college intern to work with Bitterroot National Forest fisheries biologists on native trout projects.
The banquet this year features a dinner catered by Riversong Gourmet Catering and beverage table by Silver Coin Casino, featuring local Bitterroot Brewing Company beers. Dinner is followed by drawings, door prizes as well as live and silent auctions. Some of the items this year include an afternoon of flytying and dinner with local legend John Foust, a Sweetgrass Rods split-bamboo flyrod in a split-bamboo walking stick rod case, a complete Orvis saltwater outfit. Float trips on the Bitterroot, Clark Fork, Madison and Kootenai Rivers will be offered as well as artwork by Robert Neaves, Dale Jorgenson, Monte Dolack, Kendahl Jan Jubb, and Mary Beth Percival.
The event will start at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 23 at the Bitterroot River Inn. Tickets are $45.00 a piece and may be reserved or purchased now at Fishaus Tackle, Western Flies &Guides, and Osprey Outfitters in Hamilton. Buhl added, “The banquets usually sell out and seating is limited, so people should get their tickets now. And, anyone can come.”
For more information, contact Marshall Bloom (363-3485) or Greg Chester (363-0033).
Saturday, September 24
Stevensville Founders Day
On a cool autumn day in 1841, a small band of travelers made their way along an ancient Indian trail through a valley, now known as the Bitterroot, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. They had come by invitation from the Salish and Nez Perce people: six men in black robes, accompanied by an escort of Indians and guided by frontiersman, Thomas Fitzpatrick. At a signal from their leaders the little band stopped beside the river that traversed the valley. There, on September 24, 1841, Jesuit Father Pierre Jean DeSmet planted a rough-hewn wooden cross on the east bank of the Bitterroot River, thus, establishing the mission which he named St. Mary. Over the years a community, St. Mary Village, developed around the little mission, later the Fort Owen trading post and finally the town we now know, Stevensville. On that day Jesuit Father Nicolas Point observed, “Everyone thought we would be able to find nothing better anywhere else.”
You are invited to join the Founders Day Celebration on Saturday, September 24, on the grounds at St. Mary’s Mission, west end of 4th Street, Stevensville. The day will celebrate “170 Years of Community, the Oldest Community in Montana.”
The day will begin with a Flag Raising Ceremony at 11 a.m., followed by a reenactment of Indian tribes welcoming the Blackrobe Missionaries, announcement of Stevensville and Lone Rock Student Poster Contest winners, refreshments, coffee and conversation, and guided tours. A barbecue lunch sponsored by the Knights of Columbus will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Contra Dance
A Contra Dance will be held Saturday, September 24 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Rocky Mountain Grange, 1436 S. 1st Street (south of Hamilton on Hwy 93). A practice session for new dancers will begin at 6:30 p.m. The Celtic Knots will provide the music (fiddle, guitar, whistle, flute, bohdran). The caller will be Morna Leonard. Cost is $5/person, $10/family. Dancers need no experience, all dances are taught, and singles are welcome. The event is fragrance-free. Dances will continue on the second Saturday of each month. For more information call 642-3601.
Tuesday, September 27
Library book sale
Attention all Bibliophiles! The 2011 Annual Friends of the Bitterroot Public Library Used Book Sale is coming to the downstairs Community Room in the Bitterroot Public Library at 306 State St. in Hamilton September 27 through October 1.
The sale will be Tuesday, Sept. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept 28 from 12 noon to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday, Sept. 29 and 30 from 12 noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Tuesday evening only there will be a $3.00 admission for adults. The price for all items is $1.00 per inch thick. Saturday all day will be the ever-popular Bag Sale when all the items that can be stuffed in a grocery bag are $3 a bag or 2 bags for $5 – bring you own bags if possible. Another popular feature of the book sale is free books all week long outside on the sidewalk and in the gazebo. On Saturday after 2 p.m. there will be a Truckload Sale – $15.00 per load! Bring your own truck and load it up! Starting on Tuesday and ending at 2 p.m. on Saturday there will be a silent auction of special books.
Volunteers are welcome and needed to help set up and sort books before, as well as during, the sale. Set up times are Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26 from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A sign-up schedule is posted on the Friends of the Library bulletin board near the front door of the library.
Donations to the book sale may be brought to the Bitterroot Public Library during regular open hours; however, do not put donated materials in the library book return boxes. All proceeds from the book sale go to benefit the Bitterroot Public Library.
For information contact the Bitterroot Public Library at 363-1670.
Thursday, September 29
Devotional singing
Take a little time to enjoy harmonies and easy melodies from the world’s spiritual traditions through devotional singing on Thursday, September 29 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 607 B Grantsdale Road, Hamilton. There will be live music accompaniment and no experience is necessary. All are welcome. The singing is led by Brian Vayu Jameson whose gentle nature and humor encourages the shy singers. For more information contact Brian at 381-0617.
Monday, October 3
Homeschool choir program
Heartsong Music Studio is offering a homeschool choir program beginning Monday, October 3 in Hamilton. Rehearsals will be on Mondays and Thursdays from 2:15 to 3 p.m. No audition is necessary, but a love of singing is a plus! For more information contact Dawn Matt, Choir Director, at 363-8951.
Friday, October 7
Art exhibit
The Artists’ Shop, gallery of regional art and fine craft, 304 N. Higgins, Missoula, presents “Forever Barbie,” a mixed media show using recycled Barbie dolls by artist Mary Byers of Hamilton. An artist’s opening reception will be held on First Friday, October 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. The show may be viewed through October (open Mon-Sat.)
Sunday, October 9
Stevensville Awana
Awana will once again be offered to the Stevensville children beginning Sunday, October 9 at Community Baptist Church, 409 Buck Street, Stevensville. Awana is a kid’s club that offers weekly Bible teaching and curriculum, music, games and awards. Awana helps churches and parents work together to develop spiritually strong children who faithfully follow Jesus Christ. For more information call Lynn at 531-2684.