Red Ribbon poetry contest
As part of Red Ribbon Week 2011, Western MT Addiction Services and Tobacco Free Ravalli are hosting the Red Ribbon Poetry Mash! Write a simple poem (haiku, limerick, rhyming or not) 250 words or less about a life free from addictions (what a great life!), send it in, for a chance to win $50 for first place and $25 for second place $25. Send your great words to Faylee at WMAS, 209 N. 10th St, Suite C, Hamilton MT 59840 or email it to ffavara@wmmhc.org. Deadline is October 26 and winners will be announced at the Red Ribbon Mash Dance on Saturday, Oct 29 from 8 to 11 pm. Call 532-9149 for more info.
Darby Bread Box collections
Darby Bread Box is collecting boxed potatoes, stuffing, flour and sugar for the months of October and November. The donations can be dropped off at People’s Market or the Bitterroot Credit Union in Darby.
Wednesday, October 12
Bitterroot flower workshop
The Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge is partnering with local Bitterroot flower aficionado John Stroud for a workshop on Wednesday, October 12. This workshop will feature bitterroot seed distribution and useful information for residents interested in the propagation of the Montana State Flower. Activities will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the Okefenokee Room of Refuge Headquarters. For more information call Bob at 777-5552 x203.
BPL preschool storytime
Preschoolers are invited to meet in the children’s corner of the Bitterroot Public Library on Wednesday, October 12 to enjoy “Dr. Seuss Stories” with storyteller Lisa DeMoss. 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.
NVPL preschool storytime
Music Makers Storytime will be held Wednesday, October 12 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the North Valley Public Library. Music Makers is a wonderful way to encourage a love of reading and an appreciation for music among children. Parents also benefit from storytimes, as they learn new ways to share stories and enrichment activities with their children. This month’s theme is all about Halloween! Sing, dance, play instruments and learn fingerplays in this engaging storytime. A healthy and delicious snack is always provided. For more information contact Caitlin at 777-5061.
Community prayer service
There will be a community prayer and music service to shed light on the issue of domestic violence, Wednesday, October 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Hamilton Assembly of God Church, 601 West Main, Hamilton. The event is part of White Ribbon Week, sponsored by the Ravalli County Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. All are welcome to attend. For information, call Sonya at 363-2793.
Thursday, October 13
Stevi school facility committee
The Stevensville School Board of Trustees Facility Committee will meet on Thursday, October 13 at 10 a.m. in the Swank Construction work trailer.
Green Thumbs Up
The Green Thumbs Up garden club will meet on Thursday, October 13 at 2 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room, downstairs in the Bitterroot Public Library, Hamilton. Helen and Peter Allen, noted for the dahlia blooms they sell at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market, will be discussing Fall Care of Dahlias, including digging, dividing, and storing for the winter. The meeting is open to the public. For those who can’t attend, a similar program will be presented at 10 a.m. the following Saturday, October 15, under the sponsorship of Sam’s Spade. For further information, telephone Peter or Helen Allen, 375-0331.
Women Newcomers’ Club
The Bitterroot Women Newcomers’ Club will meet on Thursday, October 13 at 10 a.m. at the First Christian Church on Fairgrounds Road in Hamilton. Pam Suarez, owner of Flower Happy Florist in Hamilton, will present a program on fall arrangements and wreaths. A no-host lunch will follow at Bella Valle. For more information call 777-0377 or bitterrootnewcomers@yahoo.com.
Flu vaccine clinic
Ravalli County Public Health is hosting a flu clinic next Thursday, October 13 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the St. Francis Pastoral Life Center, 411 S. 5th, Hamilton. Cost is $22 for standard flu vaccine and $21 for flu mist nasal spray. Medicare and Medicaid is accepted. This clinic is open to all ages. Bring children’s immunization records to be updated. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment for an office visit, call Ravalli County Public Health at 375-6670.
Fellowship Club
The Bitterroot Public Library’s Fellowship Club will be meeting on Thursday, October 13, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to discuss “Home with God in A Life That Never Ends: A Wondrous Message of Love in A Final Conversation with God” by Neale Donald Walsh.
This is the last of nine books that Neale Donald Walsch wrote as “conversations with God” over an 11-year period. It deals mostly with the topic that we all consider the “finality”, about which we all want to know more, and perhaps are most afraid to talk about – death.
In this uplifting masterwork of comfort and compassion, Walsch asks the ultimate questions of existence and transcendence. Through his profound and personal dialogue with God, Walsch explores the process by which all humans must end their days on Earth and begin their new life in God’s Kingdom, to which all eventually return, regardless of their earthly deeds. This astonishingly spiritual work offers hope, comfort, and surprising revelations for all human kind.
Neale Donald Walsch is an American author of the series “Conversations with God.” Walsch’s vision is an expansion and unification of all present theologies to render them more relevant to our present day and time. He created Humanity’s Team as a spiritual movement to communicate and implement his spirituality beliefs, mainly that we are all one with God and one with life, in a shared global state of being.
The Fellowship Club meets every second Thursday of the month in the West Meeting Room of the Bitterroot Public Library and is free and open to anyone seeking to promote individual and collective well being.
Call 363-1670, or email jacostant@gmail.com for more information.
Tea Party Patriots
Ravalli County Tea Party Patriots will meet Thursday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Willow Court Apartments, 150 Skeels Ave, Hamilton (from Hwy 93 turn east on Foxfield by Tire-Rama, dead ends at Skeels, turn right, apts on left, park across the street). Attend to discuss local, state and national issues. Learn about the candidates in the 2012 state and national elections and find out how you can get involved. For more information contact Jennine Jones, 381-0314.
Victor Park Board
A special meeting of the Victor Park District will be held on Thursday, October 13, at 7 p.m. at the Farmers State Bank meeting room (rear door) in Victor. The purpose of the meeting will be to organize several special weed-free flower beds in the new highway construction. For more information call Roger De Haan at 961-3953. Regular meetings of the Victor Park Board are on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Farmers State Bank, Victor. The public is always welcome.
Museum lecture
“Casting Shadows: Spooks, Specters, and Spirited Places,” a free lecture with author Ellen Baumler will be held Thursday, October 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Old Courthouse at the Ravalli County Museum in Hamilton. History and the supernatural harmonize in a tapestry woven of ghostly encounters and things that go bump in the Big Sky night. Historian, storyteller, and award-winning author Baumler brings Montana‘s historic landscapes to life with a thought-provoking journey into the darker places of Montana‘s memories. Ghostly miners picking at riches deep in the earth, a spectral child that delights tourists and whispers in the walls of the historic Deer Lodge prison illustrate how the past sometimes haunts the present. Based on well-researched incidents of the unexplained collected from Montanans across the state, the stories will fascinate audiences of all ages. Sponsored by Humanities Montana. For more information contact the Ravalli County Museum at 363-3338.
Friday, October 14
Toddler Time
Toddler Time: Ready!Set!Play! for children ages 2-5 will be held Friday, October 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Local Living Family Center. 5501 US Hwy. 93, Suite 3 in Flornece (beside Town Pump). Parents and other family members play an important role in supporting children’s growth and development. The event is free and utilizes Montana’s Early Learning Guidelines to help parents and caregivers learn ways to support children’s learning through fun and interactive activities. Toddler Time is facilitated by Allison Dunne.
Marriage conference
Getting eight churches from numerous faiths and denominations to come together and unite around a single topic is a rare and unique thing these days. That’s exactly what is happening here in the Bitterroot Valley on October 14-15. Eight different churches, all part of the Ravalli County Ministerial Association, are organizing The Art of Marriage, a two-day conference at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Hamilton.
“This is one issue that all churches here in the valley can agree on,” said Canyon View Church Pastor Chris Harder. “We continue to see a great number of marriages that are hurting and struggling to survive. If your marriage is struggling right now, this conference is for you, and if your marriage is good but you want it to be even better, this conference is for you also.”
The Art of Marriage brings together some of the most respected and influential pastors and experts on marriage and family all in one setting. It also brings together a fresh approach to a video event by weaving together engaging stories, real-life testimonies, man-on-the street interviews and humorous vignettes.
“Marriage is more than a science, it’s an art,” said Cornerstone Bible Pastor Ted Jolley. “Like any art form, it requires an investment of time, focused study and the right tools. If you need to soften some of the edges in your relationship, or you want to be better educated about your marriage, your spouse and yourself, then attend The Art of Marriage.”
Sponsoring churches include Canyon View Church, Cornerstone Bible Church, Hamilton Assembly of God, Christ’s Bible Church, Faith Lutheran Church, Crosspoint Christian Fellowship, Mountain View Church and Conner Wesleyan Church.
The two-day event begins on Friday night, October 14th and the cost to attend is $40 per couple. Scholarships are available. Free child care will be provided at Cornerstone Bible Church and will include refreshments and lunch on Saturday, Bible classes, arts and crafts and games.
Saturday, October 15
Fall Festival Marketplace
The second annual Fall Festival Marketplace will be held at the First Interstate Center in Hamilton on October 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are still booth spaces available for the event. The Marketplace is an opportunity to get your Christmas shopping done early. There will be a host of products to choose from – jewelry, handmade creations for the home, antiques & collectibles, beautifully handcrafted items from nature, woodworking, and a host of other great Montana-made products. There will be food and beverage available also. For an application, or other information, call 363-3411. The spaces are assigned on a first come first served basis.
Methodist Women’s Bazaar
The Stevensville United Methodist Women’s Bazaar and Luncheon will be held Saturday, October 15 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 216 College Street, Stevensville. You will find crafts, homemade gifts, totes, fancy sweatshirts, baby items, aprons, Yellowjacket and Grizzly scarves, gift baskets, jewelry and more. Plus, a silent auction area, a room full of treasures and collectibles, a baked goods table, and a section for books and media. Come early for a sweet roll and coffee, or have a homemade soup and pie lunch. All proceeds go to mission projects: local, statewide and worldwide.
Class A soccer playoff
Hamilton High School will host the Class A Girls’ and Boys’ soccer first round playoff game on Saturday, October 15. The girls will be hosting the Polson Pirates at noon, and the boys will be hosting the Libby Loggers at 2 p.m. Since this is a Montana High School Association contest, no passes will be honored for admission to the game. The ticket prices will be $7.00 for adults and $6.00 for students. Ticket sales will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. The Hamilton soccer field is located southeast of the high school. The Hamilton Booster Club will be providing concessions at the home playoff game starting at 11 a.m.
‘Extreme couponing’ class
There will be an Extreme Couponing: How To Class facilitated by Gwen Handel Dahlin on Saturday, October 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Local Living Family Center, 5501 US Hwy 93 N, Suite 3 (beside Town Pump). Come and learn how to extreme coupon to maximize your savings.
The average American family spends between $500 and $1,100 every month on groceries, toiletries, cleaning products, pet items, clothes, and simple entertainment costs. You know you can make some sacrifices to get from the high-end of that range to the low-end. But can you really reduce or even eliminate some of these costs without giving up on good nutrition and hygiene? You absolutely can!
“Extreme couponing” isn’t as crazy as it may sound. You don’t have to let coupons dominate your life, and you don’t have to be embarrassed at the cash register. You just need to find the right moves to use coupons in conjunction with store sales and promotions, and then enjoy the satisfaction of getting items for free or close to free. It’s about timing, and not necessarily using a particular coupon just because you found it in that week’s Sunday paper. Instead of using it immediately, you’ll hold on to coupons until items go on sale, maximizing your savings and becoming an extreme couponer.
Methodist bazaar
The Stevensville United Methodist Women’s Fall Bazaar and Luncheon will be held Saturday, October 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 316 College Street. Crafts, homemade gifts, treasures and collectibles, baked goods, silent auction, books and media items, breakfast rolls and coffee, and a soup and pie lunch will be offered. All proceeds go to mission work.
Moon Walk series
“Ghost Moon” will be the topic on Saturday, October 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Walk by the Light of the Moon Series presentation at the Larry Creek Group Camp, Bitterroot National Forest. Sit around the campfire and hear historical Bitterroot Valley ghosts share stories of their lives and untimely deaths. For more information visit www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot and click on “Learning Center” or call the Bitterroot National Forest at 363-7100.
Sunday, October 16
Youth benefit dinner
An Exceptional Dinner will be held Sunday, October 16 at the Wild Mare restaurant in Corvallis, featuring Aiyana Ferraro, a young musher heading to Alaska this winter to run the Junior Iditarod. Aiyana is a 14-year-old musher from Victor who has been racing her dogs, 20+ Alaskan Huskies, for the last 5 years. Her dream is to run the full Iditarod once she turns 18. Dinner includes a wild game lasagna, gourmet vegetarian lasagna and spaghetti for kids, served with a salad and bread. Cost is $25 for adults & $10 for kids. Cash bar, a portion of the proceeds go Aiyana’s Iditarod fund. Purchase tickets at aiyanaferraromushing.com/sponsors. Staff time and most of the food costs will be donated so that most of the proceeds will go to Aiyana’s Iditarod fund. For more information contact Kierstin Schmitt at 360-6266.
Bitterroot Audubon
Bitterroot Audubon’s October meeting will feature a very interesting and exciting program by Kate and Nathan Stone who spent four weeks this past winter traveling in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania, visiting friends and observing wildlife. This region of Africa is home to some of the greatest concentrations of animals in the world and many species are unique to a very limited area. Conservation efforts vary by country and allocating resources to wildlife conservation is often not possible in the face of human conflict and political instability. Kate and Nathan will present photographs from their trip, highlighting the many biological wonders of the region. They will also share the hopes and struggles of some of the families they visited, and how these families rise above some very challenging circumstances. The meeting is Monday, October 17 at 7 p.m. at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge Visitors’ Center north of Stevensville. Contact Kay Fulton (642-3794) for additional information.
Stevi school menu
October 17-21
Monday – Breakfast: Cereal, fruit, milk; Lunch: Chicken and noodle casserole, peas and carrots, Mandarin oranges
Tuesday – Breakfast: Waffles, fruit, millk; Lunch: Hamburgers, taters, apples
Wednesday – Breakfast: Cinnamon rolls, fruit, milk; Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cheese sticks, carrots, pears
Thursday & Friday – no school.
Stevensville Playhouse auditions
Auditions for “A Christmas Story” will be held October 18 and 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Stevensville Playhouse. Parts are available for children, ages 7-14 and men and women, ages 25 and up. There will be cold reading from the script. Actors must be committed for all eight shows:
Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 2 p.m. Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the Midwest of the 1940s follows 9-yr-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” All the elements from the motion picture are here, Scut Farkas, the school bully; the wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; and of course the woman’s leg lamp. For more information call 777-2722.
Bitterrootdalen Lodge
Bitterrootdalen Lodge, Sons of Norway, will hold a Norwegian Bingo and White Elephant auction on Tuesday, October 18 at 5 p.m. at the Hamilton Senior Center, 820 N. Fourth. The bingo game plays until all cards are filled, and play money is awarded, which can then be used to bid for white elephant items. The Lodge will provide a main dish, with members and visitors invited to bring a potluck dish. The public is welcome.
Wednesday, October 19
Darby PEP talk
Want to set goals to take control of your future? Out of work? Looking for a new career? Register for the Fall PEP Talk Workshop on Wednesday, October 19 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Darby Community Public Library. PEP Talk is a simple three-step planning process that individuals can use to develop more effective long-term employment goals. PEP Talk is a program that empowers you to take control of your future by giving you the tools and knowledge you need to succeed in both your current job search and your long-term career goals.
Fall Pasty Sale
The fall pasty sale, sponsored by the Ravalli County Democratic
Women’s Club, will be held Wednesday, October 19 at the Rocky Mountain Grange in Hamilton. The pasties will be made with organic beef and the usual mix of potatoes, onions, carrots and spices. They may be ordered
baked or unbaked. There is also an option for 100 vegetarian pasties
for the first callers who wish to place a vegetarian order.
All pasties are $3 each. Place your order early with Lisa at 777-3145 or Corrine at 544-8586. Pasties may be picked up at the Grange Hall south of Hamilton on October 19 between 1 and 5 p.m.
Thursday, October 20
Cares for Kids Network
The Bitterroot Cares for Kids Network will hold its next meeting Thursday, October 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. at 515 Madison in Hamilton. The Network is open to community members who want to help connect our youth and families to valuable prevention resources and services. Breakfast will be served. RSVP to Ryan or Faylee at 532 9140.
Coat and Costume Exchange
The 3rd Annual Coat and Costume Exchange will be held Thursday, October 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Local Living Family Center, 5501 US Hwy 93, Suite 3, Florence (next to Town Pump). Bring last year’s coat and Halloween costume for exchange! Or, even better, come down and create a new costume with all the goodies! Chili will be served, so come and chow down! Don’t have a coat to exchange? No worries. There will be dozens of coats to be given away, graciously collected by “Coats for Community Coat Exchange”, Girl Scout Troop 3661. All coats will be dry cleaned prior to coat exchange. Want to donate a coat prior to the exchange? Drop off coats at any of the boxes placed at all Farmers State Banks in Missoula and Ravalli County. Or drop them off at the Local Living Family Center. For more information call 273-0142.
Friday, October 21
RSVP coat drive
The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) will be holding its second annual winter coat drive. Coats of all sizes are needed along with gloves, scarves and hats. Everything collected will go to organizations that help families in need. Good quality, clean items will be collected at the Darby Community Public Library on October 21 from 4 to 6 p.m., the Bitterroot Public Library (downstairs in the meeting room) on October 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and at the North Valley Public Library on October 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. For more information contact RSVP at 363-1102.
‘Root Food Dinner
SLS’s Annual ‘Root Food Dinner, Work Party, and Salsa Making will take place Saturday, October 22 at the new Victor Community Garden on 5th Avenue, just west of Victor town. Work starts at 10 a.m., dinner is at 2 p.m., with salsa making to follow. The Work Party will be creating a native pollinator garden in the center of the community plots and a picnic area of native trees and bushes off to the side. Come and help plant. Most of the plants are being donated by Great Bear Restoration, and the planting will be directed by horticulturist Michelle Bradley from Great Bear. Bring gloves and a shovel. The Dinner will feature local, organic, home cooked food by the SLS board, including barbecued local, grass fed beef. For the Salsa Making, the ingredients will be provided; you bring jars, a knife and cutting board. Cost is $10.00, $5.00 for children, $5.00 for salsa making only. Donations are accepted. (Dinner is free for workers.) Call Marie Anne at 642-3604 with any questions.
‘Dancing with BEAR’ benefit
Kick up your heels and howl at the moon with Portland’s Keegan Smith and the Fam at the 15th annual Dancing with BEAR Halloween bash Saturday, October 22 from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at the Hamilton Community Center. The event raises important funds for BEAR’s outdoor-based youth mentoring programs. Featured will be dancing, delicious hors d’oeuvres, no host bar, silent auction, and prizes for best costumes! Adults only, please. Advance tickets available for $18 at Chapter One Bookstore, Blacksmith Brewing, and Rockin’ Rudy’s. Admission is $25 at the door. Come support programs that help youth discover the world around them while developing character and lasting positive relationships. For more information about BEAR visit www.bearoutdooradventures.com.