Wednesday, January 28
Quilters’ Guild
The Bitterroot Quilters’ Guild will meet Wednesday, January 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Daly-Leach Funeral Home, 1010 W. Main, Hamilton. Come and learn from member Peggy Holt about “Designing Award-Winning Quilts.” She will be discussing how to design and draft original quilts from conception to completion. Her powerpoint presentation and the actual quilts will serve to jumpstart your own creativity, just in time for the June 2015 quilt show! All community members are welcome to attend.
Environmental law lecture
Missoula attorney Jack Tuholske, Montana’s premier public interest environmental attorney, will speak on Wednesday, January 28 at 7 p.m. at the Bedford Building, 223 S. 2nd in Hamilton. His talk, “The Road We Must Travel: Environmental Law in the 21st Century,” is free and open to the public.
Tuholske graduated from the University of Montana School of Law with honors in 1985. He is in private practice in Missoula and has emphasized public interest environmental litigation in state and federal court in Montana and the West. He has been lead counsel for more than 45 published decisions, including over a dozen successful cases at the Montana Supreme Court in fields as diverse as water law, land use, constitutional law, citizen lawsuits and natural resource management. He successfully represented the Bitterroot River Protection Association before the Supreme Court in the Mitchell Slough case which established that free flowing streams in Montana cannot be reclassified as ditches by merely manipulating them, and that the public retains the right to access those streams. In recognition of his public interest work, Tuholske received the William O. Douglas Award from the Sierra Club in 2002 and the Kerry Rydberg Award in 2010 from the University of Oregon Public Interest Law Conference.
More recently, Tuholske has combined teaching with his law practice, and holds appointments as a Visiting Professor at the University of Montana, and Vermont Law School where he directs the Water and Justice Program. As a Fulbright Scholar in 2009, Tuholske taught at the Law Faculty of University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. He also is a technical adviser to the Vermont Law School U.S.-Asian Partnership for Environmental Law.
Tuholske’s current public interest cases involve protection of endangered fish species, water pollution prevention and challenging coal development that threatens farms and ranches. He also serves as lead counsel representing Bitterrooters for Planning in three public interest land use and water pollution prevention lawsuits: one contesting the Legacy Ranch subdivision decision by Ravalli County and two against Montana Department of Environmental Quality for its approval of ground water discharge permits for the Grantsdale Addition and Blood Lane development projects.
The talk is sponsored by Bitterrooters for Planning. Following Tuholske’s talk, the public will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Friday, January 30
Driver safety class
An AARP Driver Safety Class (formerly ’55 Alive’) will be presented at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, located at 1200 Westwood Drive in Hamilton, on Friday, January 30. The class will begin at 9 a.m. and last approximately four hours. While this safe driving strategies class is designed for drivers age 50 and over, all drivers are welcome. The class fee is $15.00 for AARP members and $20.00 for non-members. There are no written exams or driving tests and, Montana mandates an insurance discount for qualified graduates. Pre-registration is advised. To sign up, contact Jones-Korman Insurance at 363-6583 or, for further information, call Thom Ainsworth, District Coordinator at 369-0149.
BPL Story Time
Story Time for Kids will be held Friday, January 30 at 10:30 a.m. at the Bitterroot Public Library meeting room. Enjoy early literacy through stories, explorations, and crafts. This story time is designed for 3-5 year olds. Storyteller Jamie Ogden presents “What Does the Frog Say?”
Seed Swap
Sam’s Spade Garden Tools and Wares, 111 S. Fourth Street in Hamilton, will hold a free Seed Swap on Friday and Saturday, January 30 and 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sort through your seed collection and bring your excess to the Seed Swap. Full packets, partial packets, re-packed seeds and even your own saved seeds are welcome. Packets/envelopes should be sealed and well marked. This is great therapy – sorting through colorful packages, organizing your seeds by sowing time, sharing with other gardeners and finding new varieties to plant. Email samantha@samsspade.com for more information.
Eagle chili feed
A Chili Feed will be held Friday, January 30 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Eagles Lodge, 125 N. 2nd, Hamilton. The lodge will be serving southwest chili with tortillas and a sweet for $5.00. Proceeds will go to the Eagle Wings Over The Bitter Root. The public is welcome.
Saturday, January 31
Bluegrass Hootenanny
The Montana Rockies Bluegrass Association is hosting an old fashioned bluegrass music Hootenanny on Saturday, January 31 at the Stevensville Playhouse. The show kicks off at 1 p.m. All ages of local bluegrass musicians will perform two songs each. Admission is $3 and under 12 is free. Come join in the fun. More info at 821-3777 or www.mtbluegrass.com.
Bitterroot Dancers
Dark Horse Country Band will be playing Saturday, January 31 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Bedford Building (Hamilton City Hall). Admission is $8, all ages are welcome. Dance sponsored by Bitterroot Dancers, 381-1392.
Sunday, February 1
Center for Spiritual Living
The Center for Spiritual Living will present “What is This Thing Called God?” with Dave Schultz on Sunday, February 1 at 10 a.m. What is the nature of the Universal Loving Presence called by many names such as God, Goddess, Great Mystery, Allah, Yahweh, Higher Power, and so on? Refreshments and conversation follow at 11:15. Come early for Meditation at 9:30 a.m. The Center for Spiritual Living is located at 1720 N. First Street, Suite C in Selway Commons, north of Sears in Hamilton. For further information call Dave at 381-2355 or visit CSLbitterroot.org.
Monday, February 2
Stevi school menu
Monday: Breakfast-Pancakes or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Mac & Cheese, mixed veggies, pears, bread & butter, milk
Tuesday: Breakfast- Bagels & cream cheese or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Tacos, refried beans, oranges, bread & butter, milk
Wednesday: Breakfast – Cereal or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Chef’s salad with turkey & cheese, apricots, bread & butter, milk
Thursday: Breakfast – French toast or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch- Sloppy Joes, taters, grapes, bread & butter, milk
Friday: Breakfast – Ham bites or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Ham & Scrambled eggs, hash browns, pineapple, bread & butter, chocolate or regular milk.
Rotary Club
Rotarian Tom Korst, Superintendent of Hamilton School District #3, will be speaking at the next meeting of the Hamilton Rotary Club on Monday, February 2 at 12 noon at BJ’s Restaurant, 900 N. 1st, Hamilton. Korst will be presenting an overview of the School District activities. The meeting is open to the public. For further information call 363-2960.
Tuesday, February 3
Master Gardener course
The Master Gardener program is a cornerstone of Extension’s educational programming. It is an opportunity for community members interested in horticulture to receive hands on training and knowledge from local experts. Once certified, Master Gardeners share their knowledge and skills through volunteering in their communities as Master Gardener Educators. The Master Gardener courses are meant to train gardeners in soils, botany, vegetable and flower gardening, turf and irrigation, fruit production, composting and pest management.
This spring the MSU Ravalli County Extension Office will be offering the Level One Master Gardener Course Tuesday evenings, February 3 through March 24, from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m. in the Ravalli County Extension Office Meeting Room. The cost for the course is $150, which includes course materials. Students who pass the exam with 80% or better and complete 25 hours of volunteer service receive a $50 rebate and Master Gardener Certification. Scholarships are also available to qualifying individuals.
“This course is perfect for the home gardener looking to hone their skills in horticulture,” says Katrina Mendrey, Ravalli County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources. “It’s also a perfect way for people new to the valley to learn about the specifics of gardening in our sometimes challenging climate.”
While the first few sessions will be taught mostly by Mendrey, many of the classes will be taught by local experts in horticulture, landscaping and pest management. In addition students will have the option of attending field trips in the valley to local composting operations, nurseries and farms.
For more information and to register contact the MSU Ravalli County Extension office at 375-6611. Space is limited.
Bitterroot Buggers
The 18th annual Bitterroot Buggers program begins soon and Trout Unlimited is looking for volunteers to help with its long-running flagship education program. Being an instructor at the Buggers is a lot of fun. You do not need to be an expert tyer or caster to help. The initial session on Tuesday, February 3 is an orientation where four topics will be covered: Why We Fly Fish, Entomology, River Safety, and Fish identification. The five fly tying classes start on Tuesday, February 10, and March 17 is devoted to casting. As a grand finale, in April the entire class and helpers will go out to the private pond at the Stock Farm for fishing and a picnic. All classes are located at the Westview Center on 9th at Main in Hamilton. Classes begin at 6:30 p.m. and end about 8 p.m. The classes are free and open to all kids between 8 and 14 years of age. Flytying kits and flyfishing outfits are available for a very nominal charge. The course is sponsored by Bitterroot TU and Keystone Enrichment Program. For information or to learn about registering someone as a participant, contact Ria Overholt, 363-5996, overholtr@hsd3.org.
Sons of Norway
Bitterrootdalen Lodge, Sons of Norway will meet Tuesday, February 3 at 5 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton. The program will include welcome for new members, a language lesson, review of the Cultural Day, and planning for future meetings. The Lodge will provide a main dish. Members and visitors are invited to bring a side dish. The public is always welcome. For information call Jackie at 961-4538.
Wednesday, February 4
Stevensville Garden Club
The Stevensville Garden Club will meet Wednesday, February 4 at 1 p.m. at the Community Baptist Church, 409 Buck Street, Stevensville. Members will play “Plant Bingo” and have a soup and bread exchange. Come join the fun and meet some great friends. For information call Linda at 777-4777.
Stevensville Planning & Zoning Board
The Stevensville Planning & Zoning Board will meet Wednesday, February 4 at 7 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers, 206 Buck.