Wednesday, February 1
BPL preschool story time
Preschoolers are invited to meet in the children’s corner of the Bitterroot Public Library on Wednesday, February 1 to enjoy some great books with storyteller Joe Yanzick. 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.
Stevensville Garden Club
Join the Stevensville Garden Club on Wednesday, February 1 at 1 p.m. at the Community Baptist Church, 409 Buck Street, Stevensville, to learn the “ins and outs” of planting a Cottage Garden. Guests are welcome. For more information contact Mary, 207-0334 or Nina, 239-5361.
North Valley Coupon Club
The North Valley Coupon Club will meet Wednesday, February 1 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the North Valley Family Center. The club is open to everyone: beginner couponers, extreme couponers, and everyone in between, so come join the fun. Come to the next meeting to meet new couponing friends and share ideas, success stories and learn ways to find coupons, use them, and how to get and stay organized! Facilitated by Gwen Dahlin. The North Valley Family Center is located at 5501 Hwy 93 N, Suite 3 of the Florence Business Center, next to the Town Pump in Florence. Call for more info, 273-0142.
Thursday, February 2
Free tax preparation
Free tax preparation for low to moderate income taxpayers of any age is available at the Stevensville Senior Center starting February 2 through April 14 on Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For appointment call 777-5681.
Corvallis Methodist dinner
The Corvallis United Methodist Men’s Group will host a Swiss steak dinner on Thursday, February 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. A free will offering will be taken. The church is located at the corner of Eastside Highway and Cemetery Road, one mile south of the Corvallis four-way stop.
Friday, February 3
‘Living Near Water’ series
The Bitterroot Water Forum and the Clark Fork Coalition (CFC) will launch a new continuing education series, “Living Near Water” for real estate professionals in the Bitterroot. This Montana Board of Realty regulation-approved series will offer two 2-credit continuing education courses in one day. The series will take place on Friday February 3 at the Bitterroot Valley Board of Realtors, 224 N. 4th St. in Hamilton. The first course, Enhancing Property and Resource Value, will take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. The second course, Rules, Rights and Permits, will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join the Clark Fork Coalition’s Policy Director, Brianna Randall, and other local conservation professionals for the “Living Near Water” series. Learn about the science, regulations, and “how to” of living on property near streams, lakes, wetlands and reservoirs. This series is designed to teach real estate agents and others the opportunities and responsibilities associated with living near Montana’s celebrated waterways. Baked goods and beverages will be provided in between courses. Visit http://www.clarkfork.org Living Near Water page or call the Bitterroot Valley Board of Realtors at 363-2000 to register for this event or for more information about this great opportunity.
North Valley Pachyderm Club
The North Valley Pachyderm Club will meet Friday, February 3 at noon at The Frontier Café, Hwy 93 in Stevensville. The guest speaker will be Derek Skees, running for Montana State Auditor. 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.
Home and ranch expo
The Bitterroot Building Industry Home & Ranch Expo will be held Friday, February 3 from 4:40 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds, Hamilton. There will be over 70 vendors and also a builder surplus garage sale. Concessions will be available. Admission is $2 or two cans of food to benefit Bitterroot Youth Homes.
Model trains running
First Friday, February 3, will see the Bitterroot Valley under full steam with the Model Railroaders. Come and see the trains in the Kohl Building right behind Valley Drug starting at 5 p.m. It’s free and fun!
Stevi volunteer reception
The Stevensville Main Street will be hosting a volunteer reception during First Friday. The event will be held on February 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bitterroot Star office, 215 Main Street. Volunteers are the lifeblood of a small community like Stevensville and the Main Street Association. Stop in Friday night and see what you can offer, whether it’s a long commitment or just helping with the Western Heritage Days or some other Main Street event. There will also be an Organization List that has the names of the many different organizations in Stevensville along with contact information. Drop by, take a minute to see what is needed in the community and have a glass of wine and some chocolate too! Everyone welcome.
Knights of Columbus Fish Fry
The Knights of Columbus will hold a “Fish Fry” on Friday, February 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Francis Pastoral Center, 411 S. 5th in Hamilton. The meal consists of fish, fries, coleslaw, vegetables, dessert and soft beverage. The price for the meal is $8.00 per person children under nine is free. Wine can be purchased separately. This is a great opportunity to relax and let someone else do the cooking. For information contact Nick Hooper at 961-3930.
NVPL First Friday music
Stevensville resident and piano instructor, Maria Rosencrans, was born and raised in Russia. Maria will perform a variety of classical and jazz piano pieces in the Community Room of the library in celebration of Stevensville Main Street Association’s First Friday events, February 3 from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served. The library is located at 208 Main Street, Stevensville. For more information, call 777-5061 or visit online at: www.northvalleylibrary.org.
Art exhibit
Teresa Garland Warner’s first one-woman show “The Many Facets of Mountains” will be featured for the month of February at River’s Mist, Gallery of Fine Art in Stevensville. Warner’s work has been shown at the Dana Gallery, the University of Wyoming, the Treasure State Show in Hamilton, the Emerson Center in Bozeman, the Richeson School of Art in Wisconsin, the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, and Yellowstone Museum in Billings. Teresa has paintings in private collections in several western states including Montana, Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona, and Texas. The budding artists for February will be Alyssa Gee and Ali Marble. An artist’s reception will be held Friday, February 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Teresa Garland Warner will present a free gallery talk on February 10 at 7 p.m. The show runs through February 28. The gallery is located at 317 Main Street in Stevensville. For more information call 777-0520.
Music concert
Tickets are now available for the Friday, February 3 concert with the Emerson String Quartet at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center. The Emerson String Quartet stands alone in the history of American string quartets with an unparalleled list of achievements over three decades: over thirty acclaimed recordings produced with Deutsche Grammophon since 1987, nine Grammy Awards, including Best Classical Recording, an unprecedented honor for a string quartet, three Gramophone Awards, the coveted Avery Fisher Prize and cycles of the complete Beethoven, Bartók, Mendelssohn and Shostakovich string quartets performed in the world’s musical capitals, from New York to London to Vienna. The Emerson Quartet has collaborated in concerts and on recordings with some of the greatest artists of our time and, after more than 33 years of extensive touring and recording, continues to perform with the same benchmark integrity, energy and commitment that it has demonstrated since it was formed in 1976. Tickets are $34.50 and $39.50 and are available by calling 363-7946 or by visiting the website, www.bARTc.org. The concert is presented by the Bitterroot Performing Arts Council, box office at 127 W Main St. #3, Hamilton.
Labor Film Festival
The Seventh Annual Missoula Labor Film Festival will take place Friday and Saturday, Feb. 3-4, at the Roxy Theater, located at 718 S. Higgins Ave. in Missoula.
Two films will be shown each day, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The recommended donation is $5 for one night, $9 for both nights. There will be a comment period for the audience after each screening.
The film festival is sponsored by the Missoula Area Central Labor Council, the University of Montana Faculty Association, the Montana Public Employees Association and International Programs at UM.
Following is the film festival schedule:
· 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3: “Locked Out.” This film tells the story of 560 unionized borax miners in the desert town of Boron, Calif., who faced off against Rio Tinto, a British-Australian multibillion dollar global corporation, which locked the miners out of work when they rejected drastic cuts to their pay and benefits.
- · 8:10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3: “Made in Dagenham.” This film chronicles the historic 1968 strike at a British Ford factory. Led by spunky Rita O’Grady, the women walked out when they learn that management has classified them as unskilled workers and substantially capped their wages. The film touches on issues, including the pay gap, collusion between bosses and union reps, global corporate power and sexism, that still influence society today.
· 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4: “The Dark Side of Chocolate.” Two journalist-filmmakers traveled to West Africa, where they recorded illegal trafficking of children as young as 7 to the cocoa fields in Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa producer.
· 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4: “Jaffa, the Orange’s Clockwork.” This film narrates the visual history of the famous citrus fruit, which originated in Palestine and has been known worldwide for centuries as “Jaffa oranges,” and how its cultivation brings together Palestinians and Israelis.
Saturday, February 4
Soroptimist Winter Golf Tournament
Soroptimist International of Hamilton is inviting the community to
dust off their putters and costumes and participate in its annual
Winter Golf Tournament taking place on Saturday, February 4 in
downtown Hamilton from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sign a team up for $80
(traditional golf) or $55 (caddy-shack-“bribing allowed”) by calling
Mary Alice Holloway at 396-9105. The event will include prizes for
best score, best costume, a split-the-pot drawing, a silent auction,
designated driving drawing, and an optional poker hand activity.
Soroptimist of Hamilton is a non-profit service organization that
strives to improve the quality of lives of women and children within
Ravalli County. The Winter (mini) Golf Tournament is a fun way to
lighten the spirits and wash away the winter blahs. Each year
Soroptimist of Hamilton provides much-needed donations and awards to
local women and girls such as the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital
Mammogram Program, local education scholarships and awards, support to
SAFE, Bitterroot Literacy and Youth Homes of the Bitterroot. Money
earned to support these projects and programs is procured primarily
through fundraisers and membership dues.
Child safety seat clinic
The Ravalli Safe Kids Child Safety Seat Fitting Station will be held Saturday, February 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mildenberger Motors in Hamilton (service bay entrance). Lonie Hutchison, Nick Hooper and others will be on hand to provide free seat inspections for anyone wishing to assure their child’s safety. Appointments can be made by calling Lonie at 546-9640 or Nick at 381-1200. This is a great opportunity for parents and others caring for kids to make sure they are using their safety seats properly. Nearly 73% of child restraints are not installed or used correctly. Coffee is provided by Mildenberger Motors. Bring your car seat manual and vehicle owner’s manual and your child.
Rural life lecture
“Renaissance of the Rural,” a talk exploring community and self reliance through sustainable skills with the intention of building resilience in our gardens, our homes, and strengthening our community will be held Saturday, February 4 at noon at the Bitterroot Public Library Meeting Room. The talk will be on the interrelations of economics, global food systems and energy dependence, exploring the opportunities for a renewal of rural life that a shifting economy inspires. This will be a participatory lecture led by ecological designer and sustainable community facilitator Justin McCoy to kick off a season of workshops and events hosted by Sam’s Spade in Hamilton. Contact Sam’s Spade for more information at 363-1293.
Senior Center bingo
Hamilton Senior Center will be hosting a special Saturday Bingo on February 4. Doors open at noon, games start at 1 p.m. Paper cards will be used. Free refreshments will be served. You must be 18 to play. Call Cathy at 375-9276 or Senior Center 363-5181 for information.
Good-Time Jamboree
The Bitterroot Valley Good-Time Jamboree on Saturday, February 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. opens with the always-enjoyable music of John Schiever and his guitar. Next Tim Ezzell entertains with mandolin and mountain dulcimer, followed by Jane Shigley discussing and playing both the folk harp, and the concert harp. Chip Jasmine and Denny Whitsett will introduce us to some drums from around the world. Then father and daughter duo Ken and Laurie Watson bring classic country music to life. The show closes with M. Missouri Clem and Jack Mauer giving us a taste of Classic Western Swing Music.
The event is held at The Rocky Mountain Grange Hall, one mile south of Hamilton at 1436 S. 1st Street (93 Highway South), just south of Valley Pet Clinic. For more information call Clem, 961-4949.
Celtic music concert
There will be a Celtic music concert by the Celtic Knots on Saturday, February 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Stevensville Hotel, 107 E. 3rd St, (777-3087). The Celtic Knots are five local musicians playing Irish flute, pennywhistle, bohdran (Irish drum), guitar, fiddle/cello on a blend of traditional Irish and Scottish jigs, reels, hornpipes, and waltzes. Cost is $10. For information call Mike at 240-0216.
Sunday, February 5
Free throw contest
The Hamilton and Stevensville Knights of Columbus councils will hold the annual Knights of Columbus Free Throw competition on Sunday, February 5, at 1 p.m. in the Hamilton Middle School Gym (use the back entrance on South Sixth Street). The event is open to all Ravalli County youth, ages 10-14. The age group you compete with is determined by your age on January 1, 2012. Girls compete against girls and boys against boys. Each contestant shoots 25 free throws. Prizes are given to each participant and a plaque is awarded to the winners in each division and age group. All valley schools’ elementary and middle school PE instructors should have information about the contest or you may call Rick Borden at 363-6027.
Monday, February 6
Stevi school menu
February 6-10
Monday: Breakfast – Cereal, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Hot Pockets, broccoli Normandy, applesauce, bread & butter, milk
Tusday: Breakfast – French toast, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Spaghetti, tossed salad, oranges, bread & butter, chocolate or regular milk
Wednesday: Breakfast – Bagel with cream cheese, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Hamburgers, taters, pineapple, bread & butter, milk
Thursday: Breakfast – Scrambled eggs, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Pizza, green beans, bananas, bread & butter, milk
Friday: Breakfast – Cereal, fruit, toast, milk; Lunch – Chicken Tenders, fresh veggies, pears, bread & butter, chocolate or regular milk.
Rotary Club
Amy James will be speaking at the February 6 meeting of the Hamilton Rotary Club. The club meets Monday noons at BJ’s Restaurant, 900 N. 1st Street, Hamilton. Amy will be presenting information regarding the upcoming Bitterroot Triathalon. This meeting is open to the public. For further information call 363-2960.
First time homebuyer class
The Bitter Root Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc. (RC&D) is holding a nationally certified homebuyer education class on February 6, 7, and 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. (each night) at the Human Resource Council Building, 316 N. Third St., Hamilton. Call the Bitter Root RC&D office at 363-5450 to reserve a space. Attendance on all three nights is required for certification. The charge is $40 per household. If you are buying your home as a couple, one household, you both need to attend the class. Some scholarship funds are available, contact the office if you need assistance.
The class is especially beneficial to first-time homebuyers with below median incomes, but any potential homebuyer or individuals looking to successfully understand and manage their finances will benefit from the class. Anyone who has not owned a home for 3 or more years is considered a first-time homebuyer and may be able to purchase a home for monthly payments comparable to what they are paying in rent. The current market is right for homebuyers. Completion of this class is required in order to qualify for some of the special homebuyer loan assistance programs.
Tuesday, February 7
Growing Green Garden Club
Growing Green Garden Club meets Tuesday, February 7 at 1 p.m. Guest speaker is Maggie Moddison of Garden Goodies on the subject of organic seeds. For information and location call Ginny at 381-5566.
BPL tech workshops
The Bitterroot Public Library in Hamilton will hold for Tech workshops throughout the month of February. Every week there will be a workshop based on community interest. All workshops are free and open to the public. Tuesday, February 7 will be IPad Tricks and Tips from 9 to 10 a.m. Sign up in advance by calling 363 1670 or stop by the Information Desk. Additional workshops include Digital Photography, February 15, 6 to 7 p.m., Setting Up and Using Skype, February 21, 9 to 10 a.m. and Downloading e-books from Montana Library2Go on February 28 from 9 to 10 a.m.
Sons of Norway
Bitterrootdalen Lodge, Sons of Norway, will meet at Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton on Tuesday, February 7 at 5 p.m. The program will include a history of World War Two in Norway, and the after effects. Norwegian troops still serve around the world, as peacekeepers, and most lately, destroying Ghadafi’s tanks during the uprising in Libya. There will be a potluck supper, with the Lodge providing a main dish, drinks and service. Members and visitors are invited to bring a side dish. The public is always invited.
Family Night
The Bitterroot Cares for Kids Network invites you and your family to Terrific Tuesday Family Night on Tuesday, February 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the South Valley Child & Family Center. At 6 p.m. Suppertime is served up featuring great family-style meals followed by a wonderful family film, winter craft projects and game, all free to the families of the Bitterroot. SVCFC is located at 515 Madison in Hamilton. Call 532-9149 for more information and come celebrate family!
Fly Fishers of the Bitterroot
The monthly meeting of Fly Fishers of the Bitterroot is Tuesday, February 7 at BJ’s Restaurant in Hamilton. The social hour is from 6 to 7 p.m. Dinner is optional. The speaker will be Drew Miller, a guide and outfitter for Grizzly Hackle in Missoula. His presentation, “Fly Fishing for Spring Steelhead on the Clearwater River,” will describe how the fish move and feed during the unstable spring conditions. He shares his extensive knowledge of the Clearwater during this exciting time! The public is welcome. For more information call Dorreen at 363-0744.
Wednesday, February 8
Right to Know and Documenting Workshops
The Professional Development Center, Montana Department of Administration, is bringing two of its most popular courses to Missoula in February. “A Delicate Balance: Privacy and the Right to Know” will take place on February 8, and “Documenting Disciplinary Action” will take place February 9.
“A Delicate Balance: Privacy and the Right to Know” will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on February 8. The seminar provides the opportunity for attorneys and employees of state and local government to learn more about the right to know, the right of privacy, the Public Records Act, and the Open Meetings Act. The State Bar of Montana has approved the seminar for 6.5 CLE credits for attorneys. Other interested persons are welcome to attend.
Through case studies and discussion, participants will determine the extent to which Montana’s constitution demands openness in government. The seminar will identify relevant constitutional sections, statutes, and court decisions that affect the actions and responsibilities of government agencies.
“Documenting Disciplinary Action” will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon on February 9. The workshop will discuss how, what, and when to document employees’ behavior on the job. Participants will learn about different types of documentation and critical aspects of legally defensible documentation. Attorneys can pick up 3.0 Ethics CLE credits for attending “State Ethics Law.”
Sponsored by the Professional Development Center, training arm of the Montana Department of Administration, both workshops will be led by John Moore, the Center’s director. Moore has 35 years’ experience as a trainer, with a focus on legal issues of employment, management, and right to know. The workshops will take place at Ruby’s Inn on Reserve Street in Missoula. Participation is open to all interested persons at $152 for “A Delicate Balance: Privacy and the Right to Know” and $93 for “State Ethics Law.” People wishing to attend one or both of the classes should preregister by calling the Professional Development Center at 444-3871 or e-mail pdc01@mt.gov.
NARFE luncheon
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE Bitterroot Chapter) will hold the monthly no host luncheon meeting on Wednesday, February 8 at 11:30 a.m. in Perkins Restaurant, 1285 N. 1st St, Hamilton. The speaker will be Kirk Thompson whose topic is “Amtrak Overview”. All members, guests and anyone interested in becoming a member are welcome. Contact Warren Neyenhuis at 546 6706.