Wednesday, February 15
Online Town Hall Meeting
U.S. Senator Jon Tester will host an online town hall meeting with Montanans on Facebook on Wednesday, February 15 at 6:30 p.m. at www.facebook.com/senatortester. Tester has been hosting public events all across Montana and receiving an unprecedented volume of phone calls, emails and letters from Montanans who want to engage in important policy discussions.
“I am hosting an online town hall to hear directly from Montanans and answer questions about the future of health care, our economy, and our public schools,” Tester said. “Montanans deserve a say in their government, and folks in Washington must do their job and answer to their bosses—the folks they represent back home.”
Tester will take questions from Montanans on Facebook Live; constituents may also post questions ahead of time at https://www.facebook.com/events/190721801409118/.
Winter Campfire Storytelling
The University of Montana Student Involvement Network will host Winter Campfire Stories at The Payne Family Native American Center’s Fire Circle on three Wednesday evenings in February and March. The free events will be held from 8 to 9:30 p.m. February 15, 22 and March 1. Stories will be shared around the campfire outside of the Native center. Hot chocolate and s’mores will be provided. The event is open to the public, and organizers encourage all people to attend and bring their stories to share. More information can be found on the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1162298703888121/.
Thursday, February 16
Bitterroot College science program
Bitterroot College of the University of Montana will host “Introducing MSGC, the Eclipse Ballooning Project and How You Can Get Involved!” on Thursday, February 16 at 6 p.m.
The event will celebrate new student opportunities with NASA programs and will take place in Room 119 at Bitterroot College UM, located at 103 S. Ninth St. in Hamilton. Bitterroot College students, faculty and staff, as well as any business, industry, nonprofit and private mentors in STEM fields are encouraged to attend.
Established in 1991, NASA’s Montana Space Grant Consortium comprises higher education, business, industry and nonprofit organizations that promote a strong science, math and technology base in the state. MSGC awards fellowships, stipends and scholarships to students pursuing aeronautical or space-related studies at all member campuses and has a yearly competition for research initiation, as well as educational enhancement grants for faculty. The consortium carries out additional undergraduate research, K-12 teacher enhancement, and pre-college and public outreach programs through its central office and affiliate campuses.
Kate Stocker, a UM post-baccalaureate student in the physics program, initially became involved with MSGC as a sophomore studying the governing processes of solar flares at Montana State University. After she was introduced to MSU’s MSGC director Angela Des Jardins, she conducted additional student research and helped plan an upcoming eclipse project.
“I didn’t know where I was going or how to get involved,” Stocker said. “Then I met Angela and the MSGC team, and everything else has been structured around that day.”
One of MSGC’s current programs is the high altitude ballooning program, or the Balloon Outreach, Research, Exploration and Landscape Imaging System. Through BOREALIS, students from multiple disciplines work together to conceive, design and build scientific payloads that are flown up to 100,000 feet – the edge of space – using high altitude balloons. BOREALIS has two complete ballooning programs at UM and MSU.
On August 21, Montana students associated with BOREALIS will take part in high altitude balloon flights with over 60 other teams at locations across the total solar eclipse path, from Oregon to South Carolina, and send live videos, images and atmospheric data from near space to the NASA website.
The event will bring together students from both the high altitude ballooning project and the radiosonde project.
For more information on MSGC, call Jennifer Fowler, MSGC assistant director, at 406-396-8085, email jennifer.fowler@umontana.edu or visit http://www.spacegrant.montana.edu.
Back Country Horsemen
Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen host their monthly meeting on Thursday, February 16, 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 p.m. Program speaker is Tyler Parks, FWP carnivore specialist, who will present a wolf update and safety tips for livestock and pets, as well as what to expect when encountering wolves. Information on upcoming projects and the March 4 horsemanship clinic will be provided.
Friday, February 17
North Valley Pachyderm Club
The North Valley Pachyderm Club will meet Friday, February 17 at 12 noon at The Frontier Café, Hwy 93 in Stevensville. Guest speaker will be Keith Kubista who will talk about MTSFW, who they are, what they have done and what they are working on. The North Valley Pachyderm Club is an educational arm of the Republican Party. All are welcome.
Saturday, February 18
Square Dance Club
Boots & Calico Square Dance Club will have Ray Dunbar calling a Mainstream dance on Saturday, February 18 at the Golden Age Club at 5th & Baker streets in Hamilton. Plus dancing from 7 to 7:30 p.m., Mainstream 7:30 to 9:30, round dancing between sets with Don Scheline providing the round dance music. Spectators are always welcome.
Stevensville Playhouse benefit
As a member, season ticket holder or patron, have you ever wondered where the actors wait before going on stage? Or where set pieces are stored? Or how actors know when to make their entrance?
As an actor, have you ever spent a rainy/snowy evening in “the tent” behind the theater? As a parent of a young actor, have you worried about your child slipping on steps behind the theater? As a set construction volunteer, have you ever had to dig platforms out of the snow? Or removed most everything from “the shed” to get that door you need in the back?
For all these reasons and many more the Stevensville Playhouse board of trustees has undertaken a project to build an addition onto the back of the theater. This additional space would provide a Green Room (where actors wait before going on stage), rest rooms, dressing rooms, prop and costume storage, and set storage/shop.
The board is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, February 18 at 6 p.m. at the Stevensville Playhouse, 319 Main Street, Stevensville.
Montana sized hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and nonalcoholic beverages will be served. Professional entertainers include pianist Kendall Norris, mime Christian Ackerman, Josh Farmer, jazz, rock, folk and soul musician, and Jenn Adams, guitarist/singer/songwriter.
There will be a silent auction of mostly local products and gift cards, plus two quarters of locally grown beef.
Tickets may be purchased at stevensvilleplayhouse.org or by calling 777-2722.
Sunday, February 19
Center for Spiritual Living
“There by the Grace of God” featuring Mark Snider, a retired business owner and student of self-improvement and religion, will be presented on Sunday, February 19 at 10 a.m. at the Center for Spiritual Living, 1720 N. 1st Street, Suite C in Selway Commons, north of Sears in Hamilton. Along the road of life, we can experience extreme diversity. What it teaches us is the need for inclusion and acceptance. Come hear these enlightening ideas and uplifting music. Meditation is at 9:30 a.m. Refreshments and meaningful conversation follow at 11:15 a.m. For further information, call Dave Schultz at 381-2355 or visit CSLbitterroot.org.
Monday, February 20
Stevi school menu
Monday: Presidents’ Day – No school
Tuesday: Breakfast – Bagels with cream cheese or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Taco Salad, chips & salsa, oranges, bread & butter, milk
Wednesday: Breakfast – Cereal or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Turkey & Cheese Sandwich, taters, apricots, bread & butter, milk
Thursday: Breakfast – Pancake on a stick or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Spaghetti, tossed salad, grapes, bread & butter, milk
Friday: Breakfast – Scrambled Eggs or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Chicken Tenders, corn, mixed fruit, bread & butter, milk
Rotary Club
Paul Kink, retired investment broker, will be speaking on the subject of Elder Financial Abuse at the next meeting of the Hamilton Rotary Club, on Monday, February 20 at 12 noon at BJ’s Restaurant, 900 N. 1st Street, Hamilton. The meeting is open to the public. For further Rotary Club information, call 363-2960.
Nonviolent Communication Discussion Group
Nonviolent Communication Discussion Group will meet Monday, February 20 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. (first and third Mondays) at The Center for Spiritual Living, 1720 N. 1st Street, Hamilton (north of Sears). Learn to communicate in a non-violent way. Peace and violence start within each individual and are expressed by the way we communicate with one another. This discussion group is based on the book “Nonviolent Communication—A Language of Life” by Marshall Rosenberg. Come and learn Marshall’s simple technique to communicate and build healthy, strong relationships in a non-violent, peaceful, and respectful way. By donation. Purchase the book from your favorite book source. For more information call Salim at 241-1292 or visit the website CSLBitterroot.org.
Audubon
Bitterroot Audubon will meet Monday, February 20 at 7 p.m. at the Bitterroot National Forest Headquarters on Hwy 93 at the north end of Hamilton (park and enter on west side of building). The program is free, and the public is welcome. The program will feature a multimedia presentation on the spectacular concentration of polar bears that occurs each fall in the Cape Churchill area on the west coast of Hudson Bay, the polar bear capital of the world. Dr. Frank Tyro’s program will include his outstanding photography focused on the bears and other animals that inhabit this area, and the Great Bear Foundation’s annual trips to bring people to learn about the animals, geology and ecology of this special place. A short segment from the upcoming film “Walking Bear Comes Home” will also be shown about the life and work of UM’s Dr. Charles Jonkel, the first scientist to systematically study polar bears. Frank is currently the President of the Board of the Great Bear Foundation and the Flathead Lake International Cinema Fest. For further information, contact Kay Fulton at 642-3794.