Farmers market vendors wanted
If your garden is producing more than you eat or store, consider selling it at the Hamilton Farmers Market. The Wednesday Evening Markets, beginning July 11, are an excellent opportunity for small gardeners to sell their excess vegetables. It’s an easy way to see what vending is like and booth spaces are only $10 per day. For more details, call Laura Craig, manager, 961-0004.
Fair premium books available
Premium books for the 2012 Ravalli County Fair are now available in several locations throughout the valley, including Murdoch’s and the fair office, Gary & Leo’s in Florence, and People’s Market in Darby. If you can’t find one, there are plenty at the fairgrounds. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call 363-3411 for more information. Entries can be made online at ravallicountyfair.rc.mt.gov or dropped off at the fair office. Deadline is August 10.
South Valley Sellerama
The South Valley Civic Group is sponsoring a Sellerama the second Saturday in July, August and September. Vendors or garages sales are welcome to set up in Darby. Spots are available at Canyon Springs Log Homes, downtown Darby and at the city park. Each event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last year there were more than 20 sales all within a few miles. Call Anni at 821-3131 or Al at 381-3600 for more info.
Thursday, July 5
BPL Creation Stations
All ages are welcome to join Samantha Twedt on Thursday, July 5 to make crafts from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Make some dream potions and enjoy a play dough activity. Next week, July 12th, you can fold a wishing boat and create lanterns.
Friday, July 6
NVFC Toddler Time
Ready!Set!Play! Toddler Time will take place Friday, July 6 from 10:30 to 12 noon at North Valley Family Center! Come enjoy story time and arts and crafts with your toddler. Learn tips that help promote language and literacy development in your toddler. The North Valley Family Center is located at 5501 Hwy 93 N, Suite 3, Florence Business Center, behind the Town Pump. Call 273-0142 for more information.
North Valley Pachyderm Club
The North Valley Pachyderm Club will meet Friday, July 6 at noon at The Frontier Café, Hwy 93 in Stevensville. Guest speaker will be Susanna Pyron talking about education. 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.
Florence Golf Scramble
The Florence Civic Club is hosting its 16th Annual Golf Scramble on
Friday, July 6 at the Whitetail Golf Course in Stevensville. Dinner will be catered by Caffe Firenze and will be served at 5:30 p.m. The golf tournament will start at 6 p.m. with a shotgun start. The
cost is $30 per player and there will be lots of prizes and fun.
Persons interested in playing call Candace Jerke at 273-0002.
First Friday Pet Party
Montana Companion Animal Network (MTCAN), along with other animal rescues and shelters, is joining in the “First Friday” fun by holding an adoption event on Friday, July 6 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the First Security Bank parking lot, corner of Hwy 93 and Main Street, in Hamilton. The “Adopt-A-Lifelong Friend” celebration will feature healthy, adoptable pets from MTCAN’s Dawg Gone Acres, the Bitter Root Humane Association and other local rescues. Bring the family out to visit with all the wonderful animals, take a chance at some unique door prizes and enjoy some cupcakes and free balloons for the kids. For more information visit www.mtcan.org, email at info@mtcan.org or call Mary at 642-3785.
First Friday at NV Library
Stephen Wolf plays guitar and sings original and cover songs of alternative country genre. His performances are interactive providing a very entertaining evening for his audience. Steve will perform at the North Valley Public Library on Friday, July 6, from 6 to 7 p.m. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. Join your friends for a fun time on First Friday listening to Stephen Wolf’s alternative country style music. North Valley Public Library is located at 208 Main Street, Stevensville. For more information, call the library at 777-5061.
Book signing
John W. Wulf brings part of his life’s collection of poetry to Chapter One Books, 252 Main, Hamilton for First Friday, July 6 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, July 7 from 10:30 to noon at Fact and Fiction Books, 220 N. Higgins, Missoula. Raised in the Flathead Valley, John W. Wulf has written poetry all his life, yet never considered himself to be a writer. Now, at 60+, he looks back at a body of work, stuffed in folders or filed in his computer, to find that words have been his constant companion, expressing emotions, healing wounds, or describing moments of truth.
In “Lady Who Loves the Whisper: a Heart’s Unsimple Truth,” John’s first published collection, he has gathered those pieces that speak directly to our most human need – to connect emotionally with one another. A recent review notes, “Sometimes wistfully, sometimes painfully, and often with a delightful dry humor, Wulf finds his way through relationships and stages of life ‒ and invites us along for the ride.”
Wulf studied social work after Army service in Vietnam, but worked mostly in the timber and automotive industries. A love of words, music and the wilderness has shaped his life. He currently lives near Boise, Idaho, spends summers near his family in Idaho and Montana, and winters wherever snowflakes are scarce.
For more information contact Susan Buchel at (406) 788-8923.
Art exhibit
Ed Wolff, western wildlife and landscapes in oil, will be the guest artist for July at River’s Mist Gallery of Fine Art. Dr. Wolff, a veterinarian for 40 years, paints nature and wildlife as he finds it through the lens of his camera, not wanting to elaborate or embellish the natural beauty. His paintings are in private collections around the U.S. and his photographs have been published in Outdoor Life, Ranger Rick, Montana Magazine, and Outside Magazine. Also featured is Chris Cole of Quail Mountain Pine Needle Baskets. Ms. Cole has perfected her craft in pine needle work which she then compliments with highly detailed wood burnings to create beautiful baskets and wall hangings. The budding artist is Stormy Mitchell. An artist’s reception will be held Friday, July 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. The show runs through July 31. The gallery is located at 317 Main Street in Stevensville. For more information call 777-0520.
Saturday, July 7
Doll show
A group of passionate doll collectors from the Bitterroot Valley are sponsoring a doll, toy and teddy bear show and sale on July 7 and 8 in Darby. Admission is $2.00 or a pet item and all proceeds go to support AniMeals and AniMania in Missoula.
AniMeals, at 1700 Rankin in Missoula, is a no-kill adoption center and animal food bank. AniMania, at 1530 Livingston in Missoula, is a boutique and animal thrift store for pets and their people. An estimated 10 million animals are abandoned each year. Shelters and rescue groups that house and feed these animals are struggling. The AniMeals mission is to save the hungry, the helpless, the lost, and the little ones just struggling to survive; to house and feed as many animals as possible; to ease the suffering of the weak and unloved; to create a No-Kill community and realize the achievement of a No-Kill nation.
The Darby Doll, Toy and Teddy bear Show and Sale will be held Saturday, July 7 at the Darby Community Clubhouse, 106 N. Main, and Sunday, July 8 at the Darby Community Library, 101 S. Marshall. The show and sale is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Displays include composition baby dolls, Shirley Temple dolls, antique and vintage Christening gowns, cloth dolls and many others. The sale includes vendors from the Bitterroot Valley, Gallatin Gateway, Kalispell, Dillon and other Montana towns. Vendors will have available for sale antique, vintage, modern collectible and artists dolls including porcelain, composition, vinyl, cloth and other materials. Toys, teddy bears, doll clothes and accessories, doll furniture and many other items will be available for sale.
Family Fun Dance
Healthy families dance together. Come boogie with your loved ones at the Family Fun Dance on Saturday, July 7, in Hamilton’s Legion Park. Dancing starts at 10 a.m. and continues until noon. This event will include rhythmic movements led by Natalie Naidl and kids’ songs and dances led by Chip Jasmin, as well as a variety of craft activities and games. This event is free and open to all who want to have some family fun. For more information, contact Sonya at SAFE, 363-2793.
Forest Moon Walk series
The July 7th Walk By the Light of the Moon program will focus on birds and will be led by Bitterroot Audubon. It will be held at Bass Creek Picnic Area at 7 p.m. Meet live owls and hawks and learn what makes them special. Learn how to use binoculars to look for tiny birds and the key features for identification. Learn about biomimicry—what it is and specifically how designers, architects, and engineers are using biomimicry to design quieter and more efficient transportation, colors without toxic chemicals, cooling systems, insulation, and windows that prevent bird collisions. For more information visit www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot and click on “Special Places” or call the Bitterroot National Forest at 363-7100. To get to Bass Creek Picnic Area turn west off of Hwy 93 about 4 miles south of Florence onto Bass Creek Road and follow the signs to the picnic area.
Sunday, July 8
Lone Rock Park Board
The Lone Rock Division of the Ravalli County Park Board will meet Sunday, July 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Three Mile Fire Hall. This will be the annual meeting. A review of the bylaws and reorganization of the board is on the agenda. The public is welcome.
Monday, July 9
Blood drives
Upcoming Bitterroot Valley blood drives:
July 9, Walgreens, Hamilton, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For appointment call 375-2264. Blood mobile will be in the parking lot.
July 10, Grace Lutheran Church, 275 Hattie Lane, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. For appointment call Tammie Mart, 642-3996.
July 19, Marcus Daly Hospital, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For appointment call Gary, 375-4451.
July 25, Darby Community Club House, 1:30 to 6 p.m. For appointment call Laurie Ellis, 821-3098.
BPL biblical storytime
A storytime for preschoolers using stories from the Bible will be held every Monday in July from 10 to 11 a.m. in the downstairs meeting room at the Bitterroot Public Library. After the story there will be a song fitting the story and a craft suitable for preschoolers. The story teller will be the Rev. Janet Malone and is sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church.
SAFE book club
SAFE is hosting a book club discussion on Monday, July 9, at 7 p.m. at Chapter One Book Store. Come join us as we discuss “When She Woke” by Hillary Jordan. For more information, contact Sonya at 363-2793.
Tuesday, July 10
Florence Summer Program
The North Valley Family Center Summer Program for kids ages 8-12 will be staring on Tuesday, July 10, and will run on Tuesday-Thursdays, from 3 to 5 p.m. until August 2. Registration is required to hold your spot. Pick and choose the classes and dates you wish to attend. Program activities include: Tuesdays – Creative arts; Wednesdays – Cooking Classes; and Thursdays – Mind and Body exercise. All classes are at the North Valley Family Center, located at 5501 Hwy 93 N, in Suite 3 of the Florence Business Center, next to the Town Pump. Stop in to pick up a registration form, or for more info call the center at 273-0142 or check out the facebook page “North Valley Family-Center.”
Wednesday, July 11
BPL Wild Wednesday
Meet Kate Davis and some of the eagles, falcons, hawks and owls that make up the Raptors of the Rockies “teaching team.” Kate is a wildlife rehabilitator, author, and photographer. Her latest book, “Raptors of the West,” received the 2011 Montana Book Award. Learn some of the habits of our local raptors – you’ll be glad you did! “Wild Wednesdays” programs begin at 1:30 p.m. on the west lawn of the Bitterroot Public Library in Hamilton.
Wednesday Evening Market
Hamilton Farmers Market, located on Bedford Street in historic downtown Hamilton, will begin its Wednesday Evening Markets on July 11. This weekday Market will run from 6 to 8 p.m. through August 29. If you are unable to attend on Saturdays, come by on Wednesdays for a shopping experience that is the best in locally grown produce, handmade crafts and fresh cooked goodies.