Wednesday, March 8
Lent Luncheon Series
“24 Hours That Changed the World,” heartbreaking, inspiring study, step by step through the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life, will be presented Wednesdays at 12 noon from March 8 through April 12. Format includes welcome and soup, 10-minute DVD, discussion questions facilitated by host pastor, closing at 1 p.m.
Hosting schedule:
March 8: “The Last Supper” at Faith Lutheran Church
March 15: “The Garden of Gethsemane” at St. Francis Catholic Community Center
March 22: “Condemned by the Righteous” at First Presbyterian Church
March 29: “Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate” at United Methodist American Baptist Church
April 5: “The Torture and Humiliation of the King” at Faith Lutheran Church (hosted by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church)
April 12: “The Crucifixion & Christ the Victor” at Corvallis United Methodist Church.
Lenten Services
Our Savior Lutheran Church of Stevensville invites the community to Wednesday Lenten Vesper services beginning March 8, and continuing each Wednesday through March. Pastor Andrew Eckert will preach on the Words of Christ from the cross. Come each Wednesday evening for a free soup and sandwich supper, served in the fellowship hall at 6 p.m. Bring your family to eat and then join the congregation in worship after supper. For more information call 777-5625 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Our Savior, located at 184 Pine Hollow Road, is affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. To find the church, head south on the Eastside Highway. About one mile past the Burnt Fork Market, turn east onto Pine Hollow. Cross the tracks and the canal, and the church will be on your left, marked by three crosses.
Faith series
“Discovering Our Neighbors’ Faith” will be presented Wednesdays, March 8 through April 5 at Faith Lutheran Church, 171 Lewis Lane (turn east at Murdoch’s), south of Hamilton. A soup supper will be served at 6:15 p.m. followed by the presentation at 6:30 and vespers at 7:30 p.m. Each week, participants will explore the religious practices of those folks who live and work around us.
Speakers include:
March 8: Dave Schultz, Center for Spiritual Living
March 15: Toba Winston, Jewish community (Missoula)
March 22: Frank Peltree, Sufi community
March 29: Fidelus Temukum, Salvation Army and Pastor at Cornerstone Church
April 5: Eamon Ormseth, (SALAM, Standing Alongside America’s Muslims, Missoula).
Aquatic Invasive Species program
On Wednesday, March 8, the Clark Fork Coalition (CFC) will host an informal presentation about the threat of invasive mussels and other aquatic invasive species (AIS) in Montana waterways. Caryn Miske, Executive Director of the Flathead Basin Commission will share her extensive knowledge of AIS and what can be done to stop their spread to the Clark Fork watershed. The presentation is from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. at the Clark Fork Coalition office, 140 S. 4th West, Missoula.
Invasive mussels likely arrived in the U.S. as tiny passengers in the ballast water of ocean-going barges from Eastern Europe. They first appeared in the Great Lakes in the 1980s and have spread to at least 30 states by hitching rides on watercraft. Invasive mussels strip the food web of plankton, promote nuisance algae growth, harm native fish populations, ruin beaches, and damage infrastructure, including drinking water pipes, irrigation infrastructure, and recreation facilities. Once established, they’re impossible to eradicate.
The first discovery of mussel larvae in Montana occurred in November 2016 in the Tiber Reservoir, along with “suspect” detections in Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Both of these reservoirs drain to the east part of the state. Still, the discovery has dramatically upped the ante in the battle to keep mussels out of the Clark Fork watershed, which forms the eastern headwaters of the Columbia River basin.
“As we’ve seen in other states, mussels and other invasive aquatic species have the potential to wreak havoc once they’re established—both ecologically and economically,” said Karen Knudsen, executive director of the Clark Fork Coalition. “So it’s critically important to block any outbreaks on the east side of the state and stop them from entering the Clark Fork watershed. In the case of AIS, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.”
This spring, Montana’s lawmakers are evaluating a series of recommendations for preventing, detecting, and containing mussels and other AIS. Come learn what these new threats mean for the Clark Fork watershed, and what we can do to stop a mussel invasion in western Montana.
The March 8th event is part of the Coalition’s “Water Walks and Talks” learning series, which keeps citizens informed about hot topics and recent developments in the Clark Fork River watershed. For more information on the Walks & Talks series, and the Clark Fork Coalition, visit www.clarkfork.org.
Thursday, March 9
Women Newcomers Club
Are you new to the Bitterroot Valley? Have you recently retired? Have you been here for awhile and would just like to meet new people? If so, the Bitterroot Women’s Newcomers Club welcomes you to its next meeting, Thursday, March 9 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon at the First Christian Church, 328 Fairgrounds Road in Hamilton. Members will be taking a tour at 11 a.m. of the Fab Lab in Hamilton. After the meeting there will be a no-host lunch at Higher Ground for members who are interested. For more information call Deb Tennant at 503-871-9249.
Bone health class
Join Anne Weinberger, ANP of Bitterroot Physicians Clinic and Desiree Dutton, MPT on Thursday, March 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital Blodgett Canyon conference rooms for the “Bone Health Matters” class. Osteoporosis has a direct correlation with diet, exercise, and overall health; and it is on the raise in younger ages. Learn healthy habits needed to avoid and control this debilitating disease. Learn how to determine bone mass, get tips on having healthy bones and ways to avoid bone fractures. Doors open at 5 p.m.; arrive early and get your posture checked! Marcus Daly Medical Staff offers these health education classes. Take this opportunity to meet the medical staff and learn how to become a more active partner in your health care through informative and engaging classes. For information about upcoming classes visit mdmh.org/hes or call 363-2211.
Victor Heritage Museum
The monthly meeting of the Victor Heritage Museum will be held March 9 at 5 p.m. A vote to reduce the number of board members from seven to five per By-Law Article 8, Section 1 will be held at the meeting. Members are encouraged to attend. For questions or comments, call Suzanne at 363-3165. The meeting will be held at the Museum on the corners of Blake Street and Main Street in Victor.
Fly-tying demos
Three Bitterroot Valley businesses have joined forces to sponsor free public fly-tying demonstrations in Stevensville and Hamilton this week by author Tony Tomsu featuring his famed foam skwala stoneflies in the wake of the upcoming onset of the famed insect’s hatch on the Bitterroot River this month that draws fishermen from all over the Northwest to the Bitterroot Valley.
Tomsu will appear in Stevensville Thursday, March 9 at the Stevi Café at 202 Main Street from 6 to 8 p.m. Greg Lanoue, manager of the Stevi Café, said Tomsu will show how to tie the delicate skwala as well as other flies in the cafe’s north dining room and that copies of Tomsu’s book “Creations From the River Road” will be available for those who want to purchase a copy of the book and have the author personally sign it.
The all-color book of some 212 pages was released earlier this year by Stevensville’s Stoneydale Press, which is cosponsoring these events. The book contains some 20 chapters covering a number of Tomsu’s favorite trout patterns used on trout stream in Montana and across the West. The use of foam for creating highly realistic trout fly patterns has grown in popularity across the fishing world in recent years.
Tomsu will demonstrate his creative foam fly-tying techniques Friday, March 10 at Chapter One Bookstore in Hamilton beginning at 6:30 p.m., according to Sean Wathen, store owner, where he once again will emphasize tying the skwala stonefly. Chapter One is located at 252 Main in Hamilton. Wathen said that Tomsu’s book has become one of the most popular outdoor-oriented books in his store.
These demonstrations follow a presentation by Tomsu in Missoula on Wednesday where he put on a demonstration of his foam tying techniques as a guest of the West Slope Chapter of Trout Unlimited at its monthly meeting in that city. Earlier he was a guest of Valley Drug in Stevensville where he entertained a number of fly-tying enthusiasts with his innovative fly-tying designs.
Fellowship Club
The Bitterroot Public Library’s Fellowship Club will be meeting on Thursday, March 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to discuss “The Science and Practice of Humility: The Path to Ultimate Freedom” by Jason Gregory.
From Krishna and Lao-tzu to Buddha and Jesus, each enlightened master discovered how being receptive to all experience was the key to becoming one with the universe and its spontaneous patterns of order and chaos.
Revealing humility as the purest expression of this receptivity, Jason Gregory integrates classic teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Hermeticism with principles from quantum physics to explain the science of humility as practiced by the ancient masters. The author shows how, driven by fear, the human mind creates the ego. In its greedy and arrogant quest to protect the self and its desires, the ego forges the illusion of separation, weaving complex patterns of reality that shield us from our unity with all beings and result in attitudes of aggression, selfishness, and competition. This is reflected in the polarized state of the modern world, and in the wave of conscious evolution we are now witnessing. The key to catching this evolutionary wave is humility: the reversal of complexity into simplicity.
Jason Gregory is a teacher and international speaker specializing in Eastern and Western philosophy, comparative religion, metaphysics, and ancient cultures. He studied with masters in Buddhism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Hinduism, and Taoism and produced the documentary The Sacred Sound of Creation.
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.
Hamilton Masons
Ionic Lodge #38 will meet Thursday, March 9 (2nd Thursday) at the Lodge, 115 South 3rd Street, Hamilton for the discussion of business that regularly comes before the Lodge. The Stated Communications will be opened on the Master Mason’s Degree, Entered Apprentice Degree or Fellow Craft Degree if a Brother(s) of these Degrees is present. A light meal will be served in the Lodge dining hall at 6:30 p.m. with the meeting at 7:30 p.m. Sojourners (visiting Brothers) will be provided assistance if their Masonic work is a little rusty. For further information contact Rick Laible, Trestle Board Editor, (406) 531-4456, ricklaible@aol.com.
Selway-Pintler Wilderness Back Country Horsemen
Do you have High Country Fever? It’s time to start dreaming of the mountains and warm spring trails. Selway-Pintler Wilderness Back Country Horsemen will be discussing and planning summer trail work, scouting trips, pack trips and group activities. If you’d like to be a volunteer and help keep our trails open, join the Selway-Pintler Wilderness BCH’s next meeting on Thursday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hamilton Forest Service Bldg. located at 1801 N 1st St. Entry is in the rear. Guests are always welcome for coffee, desserts and lots of “trail talk.” For more information call Mike at 777-4383.
Stevensville Town Council
The Stevensville Town Council will meet Thursday, March 9 at 7 p.m. in the town hall, 206 Buck. Partial list of agenda items includes discussion/decision on: whether to change council meetings to 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month, Stevensville Main Street Association submittal of Montana TAP grant for Phase II of Streetscape Project; confirmation of appointment of Officer Jessop to Police Department; modification of School Resource Officer Agreement with Stevensville School District; approval to accept MT Board of Crime Control Grant of $9,315.80 for Student Awareness and Education; approval to include Physical Demand/Work Environment to the Building Official Position Description.
Friday, March 10
Creativity workshop
Looking to learn and experience the Creative Process in Self Discovery? Plan to attend a community-based workshop at the Bitterroot Public Library (downstairs meeting room). On Friday, March 10 (6:30-9 p.m.), there will be a free, public introduction to the concepts, followed on Saturday, March 11 (8:45 a.m.-4 p.m.) with a full-day workshop of classes presented by numerous speakers and specialists. Suggested donation: sliding scale $20-60; receive a certificate of attendance. For more information, contact Kris Bayer at 307-274-6850 or Amanda Walker at 406-381-8619.
Fish Fry
Knights of Columbus Council 6130 of Hamilton will hold a Fish Fry on March 10 from 5 to 6:45 p.m. at St. Francis Pastoral Center, 411 S. 5th, Hamilton. This is an excellent opportunity to get out of the house and let someone else do the cooking for you. The all-you-can-eat meal consists of fish, fries, coleslaw, and mac n cheese, vegetables, dessert and soft beverage. Cost is $10.00 per person, children under nine eat free. As a special offer a family of 4 or more (2 adults and children) will eat for $35.00. Wine can be purchased separately. Lenten Friday Night Fish Fries will continue every Friday through April 7. 100% of all proceeds go toward charitable giving within the community. For information contact Nick Hooper at 961-3930.
Saturday, March 11
Pancake breakfast
The Florence Fire Department will provide a free pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 11 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon at the Florence Fire station located at 234 Holloway Lane, in Florence. Fresh pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage will be served. All are welcome.
Beekeepers
Beekeepers of the Bitterroot will hold a regular monthly meeting on Saturday, March 11 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Hamilton First Assembly of God at 601 W. Main Street (entry in the rear. Bring a nonperishable item as donation to their food bank in appreciation for the use of the space.) The agenda will be discussion of arriving bees (nucs and packages), Varroa mite monitoring and control, and swarms and swarm captures. Come learn more about honeybees and beekeeping in the Bitterroot. For more information about the club go to www.beekeepersofthebitterroot.org.
DAR
The Daughters of The American Revolution will meet Saturday, March 11 at 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army Building, 355 S. Russell Street (behind the Good Food Store), Missoula. The program will be “The Women With Lewis and Clark” by Tom Schenarts.
Donkey Basketball
Come watch students, teachers and community members face off in Donkey Basketball on Saturday, March 11 at 4 p.m. in the Stevensville High School Gym. Help send the Stevensville Symphonic Band to Seattle!
Square dance club
Boots & Calico Square Dance Club will have Barry Bartlette calling a dance on Saturday, March 11. The evening starts at 7 p.m. with a half hour of Round Dance music provided by Don Scheline. Barry will call a Mainstream with Plus tip from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The Club dances inside the Golden Age Center at 5th & Baker, Hamilton. Spectators are welcome.
Sunday, March 12
Center for Spiritual Living
“You Learn Something New Every Day – A Book Lover’s Journey” by Rebecca Lellek, a local clinical hypnotherapist, will be presented on Sunday, March 12 at 10 a.m. at the Center for Spiritual Living, 1720 N. 1st, Suite C in Selway Commons, north of Sears in Hamilton. What you need to grow, learn and succeed in your life may just be a turn-of-the-page away. All you need to do is allow yourself to be open and curious. 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.
Accordion jam
Five Valley Accordion Association will hold a Jam and Dance on Sunday, March 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Rustic Hut, Hwy 93 in Florence. Admission is $4 for members and $5 for the public. Everyone is welcome. Come have some fun!
Fishing Film Festival
Come join the Bitter Root Water Forum for a day of family fun on Sunday, March 12. The Bitter Root Water Forum and Fishs Eddy O Outfitters will be hosting the Montana Fishing Film Festival: a set of films made by Montana fisherman for everyone to enjoy. The films are sure to entertain everyone from the avid fisherman to the first time caster. Doors open at the Pharaohplex Theatre in Hamilton at 11 a.m. and films start rolling at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at Freestone Fly Shop. You won’t want to miss these great films and gear giveaways.
The fun keeps rolling into the afternoon at the Reels N’ Brews event at Bitterroot Brewing in Hamilton. This family-friendly event will have a silent auction, door prizes, and good times galore. The event runs 1 to 7 p.m. with the silent auction from 2 to 6 p.m. A portion of every brew sold from 1 to 7 p.m. will benefit the work of the Bitter Root Water Forum, so you can sip beer all while supporting clean water!
Raffle tickets will be available at both events for a float trip with local guide Eddie Olwell of Fishs Eddy O Outfitters. The full day float includes fishing for two and a gourmet picnic lunch.
Proceeds from both events help the Bitter Root Water Forum support agriculture, wildlife, community, and recreation in the Valley. This year at the Water Forum, you can look forward to riparian restoration projects, youth educational programming, a community irrigation tour, the annual river cleanup, a friendly face at the Hamilton Farmers market, and more.
Monday, March 13
Stevi school menu
Monday: Breakfast – Pancakes or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Meatballs, mashed potatoes & gravy, peaches, bread & butter, milk
Tuesday: Breakfast – Bagels & Cream cheese or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Burrito with lettuce & salsa, Spanish rice, apples, bread & butter, milk
Wednesday: Breakfast – Cereal or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Cheeseburgers, taters, mixed fruit, bread & butter, milk
Thursday: Breakfast – French Toast or yogurt, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Cheese-filled Breadsticks, glazed carrots, bananas, bread & butter, milk
Friday: Spring Break – no school.
Rotary Club
Rotary Club member Bob Broughton, owner of Empire Landscaping in Victor, will be the speaker for next meeting of the Hamilton Rotary Club, on Monday, March 13 at 12 noon at BJ’s Restaurant, 900 N. 1st Street, Hamilton. Bob will be discussing preparations for spring planting and stages of emergent plant growth. The meeting is open to the public. For further Rotary Club information, call 363-2960.
Green Thumbs Up
Green Thumbs Up Garden Club will meet Monday, March 13 at 2 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room of the Bitterroot Public Library in Hamilton. The meeting is free and open to the public. Master gardener, author and garden club member Molly Hackett will discuss the basics of starting seeds indoors, including equipment, supplies and an easy to remember timetable. There will be hands-on practice, and people can start a pot of micro greens to take home. People are welcome to bring any garden-related items to place on the free table. Contact Karen at 381-1395 for more information.
Drum Circle
African Drum Circle will take place Monday, March 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Center for Spiritual Living, 1720 N. 1st Street (north of Sears), Hamilton. Bring your drum, rattles, and other instruments and be part of the fun. No drums? No worries, there are instruments to share. Drum Circle meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month and during March will also meet every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. By donation. For information, contact Jerry at 381-7220 (jelb229@aol.com) or visit CSLBitterroot.org.
Stevensville Playhouse auditions
The Stevensville Playhouse will hold auditions for the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” on Monday and Tuesday, March 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. There are parts for all ages. The show runs for three weekends, May 6-21. This adaptation by Joseph Stein and music by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick has brought Tevye’s life, struggles, and family to life in a beautiful way for the entire family to enjoy. For more info www.stevensvilleplayhouse.org.
Tuesday, March 14
RCEDA
Ravalli County Economic Development Authority will hold its regular monthly Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 14 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., and the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, March 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. Both meetings will be held at the RCEDA office, 274 Old Corvallis Road, Hamilton. The meetings are open to the public.
Thursday, March 16
RASS training
Western MT Addiction Services is holding a Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service (RASS) training on Thursday, March 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 209 N. 10th, Suite C in Hamilton. The cost of the training is $15 (cash only) for materials. The “Let’s Control It” curriculum is approved by the MT Dept of Revenue and participants will receive a certificate of completion good for three years. For further information or to register call 532-9149 or email ffavara@wmmhc.org. Register by March 15.