Darby Bread Box collections
For the months of October and November, the Darby Bread Box is collecting peanut butter, stuffing and pumpkin pie mix. You can drop off the donated items at Peoples Market and the Bitterroot Credit Union in Darby.
County recycling
Ravalli Recycling is open Mondays from 3 to 6 p.m. or dusk, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon (Sat. only buying aluminum cans, scrap metals and car batteries). #1 and #2 plastics, cardboard (flattened and no wax), telephone books, magazines and tin cans are currently being accepted. Containers must be rinsed and no lids or caps are accepted. The recycling center is located at 131 Old Corvallis Road, Hamilton, next to Habitat for Humanity, www.ravallirecycling.org for more information. The center is 99% run by volunteers. Volunteers always needed. Call 375-5398 for details.
HHS bands fruit sale
The Hamilton High School Bands are currently taking orders for fresh citrus fruit including naval oranges, grapefruit, and mandarin oranges which will be delivered during the second week in December. The citrus is picked fresh in southern California and delivered to Hamilton within days of harvest. It’s a healthy alternative to most fundraisers and the fruit is delivered just in time for the holidays. The citrus is sold in boxes of 20 lbs. and 40 lbs. For more information, or to place an order, call 375-6060, ext. 6248 by October 31.
Stevi Booster Club Bazaar
The annual Stevensville Booster Club Bazaar will be held Saturday, December 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Stevensville High School. Shop for great crafts, and enjoy homemade soup and pie. To get an application or ask about available space, call Karla at 777-0059.
Misa en Español
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, La calle Main Street, en frente de la biblioteca el segundo y cuarto Miercoles de cada mes a las 7 p.m.
Todos estan bienvenidos! Preguntas? Llama la Revda Dori Zubizarreta, 360-2661. (English also spoken.)
Wednesday, October 24
BPL Preschool Story Time
Preschoolers are invited to meet in the children’s corner of the Bitterroot Public Library on Wednesday, October 24 to enjoy “Pumpkins” with storyteller Paula Prescott. 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.
NVPL Storytime
Come to the North Valley Public Library on Wednesday, October 24 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. to check out Storytime and Craft Hour, a free early learning program for toddlers and preschoolers. Using a different theme each week, children will hear a story, engage in fingerplays and songs and create an enriching craft. At each storytime, a healthy snack is provided and there is time to play and socialize with new friends. North Valley Public Library is located at 208 Main Street, Stevensville. For more information, call the library at 777-5061.
WNET meeting
The next WNET meeting will Wednesday, October 24 from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Conference Room at RCEDA, 274 Old Corvallis Road. The topic will be a discussion on forming a Working Women’s Co-op – what can we do to get some affordable and manageable quality personal assistance. The presentation and Q & A will be one hour. Afterwards there will be time for general networking. Like all WNET brown bag lunches, there is no fee. For more information call 375-9416.
NVPL travel presentation
Juan Thompson will give a travel presentation on “Peru, Argentina & Mexico – The People, Their Land & Their Culture” on Wednesday, October 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the community room of the North Valley Public Library, 208 Main, Stevensville. The presentation is free, all ages are welcome. Call 777-5061 for more details.
Thursday, October 25
NVPL blood drive
The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive on Thursday, October 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the community room of the North Valley Public Library. For an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code northvalleylibrary. Alternatively, stop into the library and register at the circulation desk. Consider giving blood as the need is constant and the gratification is instant. For more information call 777-5061. North Valley Public Library is located at 208 Main Street, Stevensville.
Victor Park District
The Victor Park District typically meets on the fourth Thursday of each month, and will hold its next regular meeting on Thursday, October 25. Meetings are held at the Farmers State Bank meeting room in Victor (enter rear door from the south parking lot) at 7 p.m.. This month the topic is the final winterization of the highway plantings and other parks. Call Roger De Haan at 961-3953 with any questions.
BPL Halloween Craft Time
A Halloween Craft Time will be held Friday, October 26 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Bitterroot Public Library in Hamilton. Sam will be back with her creative talents to help you make mummies and more! Meet her at the Children’s Corner. For more information call 363-1670.
Stevi town council meeting
The Stevensville Town Council will hold a regular meeting on Thursday, October 25 at 7 p.m. at the town hall, 206 Buck. Agenda items include: discussion/decision on Council consent to Mayor’s request for temporary relocation due to family health issue; update on Town Council ward boundaries from 2010 Census; and discussion/decision on airport annexation issues, to name a few.
Friday, October 26
AERO annual meeting
The Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO) will host its 38th annual meeting at the Yogo Inn in Lewistown, Montana, from October 26–28.
Two prominent speakers will present on the theme: “Innovative Grazing and Greenhouse Strategies for Montana.” Jim Howell of Grasslands LLC, a member of the Savory Institute, brings holistic management decision-making and planning to ranching clients across the American West. Shane Smith with Wyoming’s Cheyenne Botanic Gardens has 35 years of experience in horticulture education.
The annual meeting provides AERO members and non-members a unique opportunity to share innovative solutions in the areas of alternative energy and agriculture. The general public is encouraged to attend.
The meeting kicks off with energy and farm tours on Friday, October 26th, followed by two days of guest speakers, roundtable discussions, a lively auction, and Montana-grown meals. Visit www.aeromt.org to register for the meeting and learn more about AERO programs.
Haunted Mansion
The Daly Mansion Preservation Trust will be hosting its bi-annual Haunted Mansion at the Daly Mansion on Friday, October 26. Beginning at 6 p.m., the evening includes a Harvest Dinner, costume contest, ghost hunting, tours into the basement, a haunted hayride, visits with psychics and tarot readers, classic spooky movies, and other ghoulish entertainment. The “haunting” will conclude at 2 a.m. Reservations are $60 per person. Call the Mansion to reserve your plot, er, spot at 363-6004 ext. 2# The Haunted Mansion is sponsored by Farmers State Bank and proceeds go to benefit the operations of the Daly Mansion and the Margaret Daly Memorial Arboretum.
Haunted Swamp
Come walk through the spooky Haunted Swamp at the Bitterroot Aquatic Center in Hamilton. The Swamp is full of live actors who will make your nightmares come true starting Thursday, October 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, October 26 and 27 from 7 to 11 p.m. Admission is $7. Call 375-8200 for more information.
Saturday, October 27
Fall Festival
“Go West to the Fest,” a free fall festival for families and all ages on Saturday, October 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bitterroot River Inn Conference Center in Hamilton. There will be free drawings, turkeys, gas cards, food gift cards, and accessories from Cowgirls Corner. Free hot dogs and chips, cotton candy, popcorn, and lots of candy will be served and there will be free activities including arts and crafts, games, and a cake walk. For more information contact Centershot Ministries, Feet of Faith ministries, 363-2404.
GAN Warriors Art Auction
GAN Warriors will hold a benefit art auction on Saturday, October 27 in the Corvallis High School old gym. Art will be displayed starting at 12 noon with the bidding beginning at 4 p.m. Donate and show your art which will be auctioned off to the highest bidder to raise funds for the GAN Warriors. Levi (age 6) and Aaron and Allan (twins age 4) are three brothers here in the Bitterroot Valley who suffer from Giant Axonal Neuropathy (GAN), a rare genetic disease which causes their bodies to slowly degenerate. GAN is terminal. The only hope that these boys have exists in the efforts of Hannah’s Hope Fund – a non-profit organization created to fund the research that will cure GAN. Hannah’s Hope Fund has been awarded an all-or-nothing grant from Doris Buffet’s Sunshine Lady Foundation. If HHF can raise $450,000 by April 2013, the Sunshine Lady Foundation will match their efforts. To help fund the first human clinical trials of the gene therapy cure, the GAN Warriors team has pledged to raise $150,000 locally. Contact Christine at 381-5199 for information regarding art to be auctioned. For more information about the GAN Warriors, GAN, or Hannah’s Hope Fund, visit ganwarriors.com or email info@ganwarriors.com.
Haunted Harvest Festival
Evergreen Kids Corner non-profit pre-school will hold a Haunted Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 27 starting at 2 p.m. at the Rocky Mountain Grange Hall, Hwy 93 south of Hamilton. The event will feature two Haunted Houses, Spooktacular Entertainment, Pony Rides, All Ages Costume Contest, Jack-O-Lantern Carving Contest, Prizes, Fall/Halloween Photo Portraits, Crafts, Games for young and old, Face Painting, Bake Sale, and Food. $4 suggested donation at the door. Jack-O-Lanterns need to be at the Grange by 2 p.m. for judging. Pony rides start at 3 p.m. Call 363-7288 for more information.
Forest Moon Walk series
The final Moon Walk of the season will be held Saturday, October 27 with a Ghost Moon at Lake Como Recreation Area near Darby. Enjoy a moonlit walk through the woods and stories around a campfire. Meet historic Bitterroot Valley ghosts and hear stories of their lives and untimely deaths. The presentation begins at 7 p.m. and will last approximately 1-2 hours. Presenters include foresters, biologists, scientists, historians, poets, storytellers, and everything under the sun, or in this case – moon. Dress in layers because the weather in the Forest is often different than it is in town. Guests are also encouraged to bring a lawn chair, flashlight and a jacket. For more information including directions to each Moon Walk, visit www.fs.usda.gov/bitterroot and click on Special Places or call 363-7100.
Eagles Halloween Party
The Eagles Halloween Party will be Saturday, October 27 at 1 p.m.
Sunday, October 28
Accordion dance
The Five Valley Accordion Dance will be Sunday, October 28 from 1 to 5 p.m. at The Rustic Hut in Florence. Tickets are $3.00 for members and $4.00 for non-members. Listen and dance to accordions, guitars and banjos. Contact 375-0911 for information.
Monday, October 29
Customer service seminar
A customer service seminar with Steve Beck will be held Monday, October 29 from 8 to noon at Marcus Daly Hospital in Hamilton and again from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Stevensville Playhouse. Topics to be covered include: Words and their meaning; How to improve communication; The importance of listening; The four behavioral styles; How to flex one’s style to efficiently communicate; How to deal with angry or difficult customers; The importance of not taking things personally. Objectives include: Learn how to increase effective communication throughout the organization; Reduce mistakes; Head off tomorrow’s problems today; Communicate more effectively at home; Reduce stress; Understand our personal style and how others perceive us; Handle difficult or angry customers in a positive and friendly way; Deal effectively with the next customer right after that angry one. Cost is $45. Deadline is October 23. Attendance at Part 1 is not a pre-requisite to attend this session. For more information contact DeLynn Gardner at the Bitterroot Job Service, 375-6049.
Rotary Club
The Hamilton Rotary Club is featuring the theme, “County Mayors” during the month of October. A local mayor will be the speaker for the Monday, October 29 meeting. The club meets Mondays at noon at BJ’s Restaurant, 900 N. 1st Street, Hamilton. There will be time for questions and discussion. This meeting is open to the public. For further information call 363-2960.
Tuesday, October 30
Marketing workshop
Glacier Country Tourism will hold a Marketing Boot Camp on Tuesday, October 30 at Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown. The boot camp is designed to help tourism related businesses and organizations market effectively.
“Tourism is a key industry to the state of Montana,” said Racene Friede, Executive Director of Glacier Country Tourism. “We want all of our partners to be successful and for the travel industry to continue as a strong economic engine for our state. It’s important for our organization to provide useful tools and ongoing education that will help strengthen and grow the tourism industry.”
Glacier Country Tourism is working cooperatively with leading industry experts from The Wendt Agency, Windfall Technologies, Missoulian and Montana Marketing Group. As part of the day-long boot camp, attendees will have the opportunity to learn in small group settings, with workshops including Marketing 101, Print and Digital Marketing, Webpage Development and Analysis and Public Relations and Social Media.
Early bird registration is open now through October 16 and is $100/person for members of Glacier Country Tourism and $200/person for non-members. After October 16, registration fees are $125/person for members and $225/person for non-members. Register online at http://conta.cc/S7XrbS.
Aid for Mammography benefit
Bella Valle Restaurant in Hamilton will present a “Scared Pink” three-course dinner on Tuesday, October 30 from 4 to 8 p.m. to support Sprinkle Pink. Enjoy a fantastic meal of Spookghetti and Meatballs or Fettucine Afraid-o with either Pasta FaGhoulie Soup or a Haunted House Salad, with Terror-misu for dessert! Come be “Scared Pink” in the “haunted” Bella Valle, complete with staff dressed and in-character, to support a great cause. Reservations are not required but are recommended for large groups. $15 for adults and $8 for kids – be there and go pink, 100% of the proceeds are donated to the Aid for Mammography fund! For more information visit mdmh.org.
Wednesday, October 31
Trunk or Treat
Get your costumes ready for the 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, October 31 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at The King’s Christian Church, 9830 Valley Grove Drive, Lolo. Outside there will be many festive trunks of treats and inside there will be free games plus more treats. Call 273-0682 for more information.
Trunk-R-Treat
This year, the Stevensville United Methodist Church is sponsoring a Trunk-R-Treat program on Wednesday, October 31 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Methodist Church parking lot, corner of Pine and East 3rd in Stevensville. Trunk-R-Treat gives children a safe place to trick or treat. Church members will decorate their vehicles and dress up in costumes, and hand out candy and other treats to kids who come to trick-or-treat.
Candy donations can be dropped off at the church during the month of October if desired. The church is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday — and Sunday mornings!
Trunk or Treat Party
A Trunk or Treat event will be held Wednesday, October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at 601 Main Street, Stevensville (parking lot of former grocery store). There will be trunk-to-trunk treats with decorated vehicles full of free candy, plus free hot beverages and other treats for all kids. The event is sponsored by Light of the Valley Great Adventures Kids. For more information call 777-5859.
Halloween Party
St. Mary’s Family Center will host a community Halloween Party on Wednesday, October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. The center is located at 400 Charlos St. in Stevensville. The evening will feature children’s games with prizes. All children leave with Trick-or-Treat candy. Admission is one unopened bag of Halloween candy per child. Parents are encouraged to accompany children and adults are also invited to attend. It will be ‘spooktacular.’