Volume XX, Number 49

Wednesday, July 7, 2005

Children's Environmental Health Summit scheduled

In partnership with EPA Region 8, the Montana Children's Environmental Health Network is hosting the 2005 Regional Children's Environmental Health Summit. "Healthy Children: A Call to Action" is sponsored by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services, the Rocky Mountain Region Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, and US Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry.

This ground-breaking conference will help Montana's health, environmental, and education professionals to identify, prevent, and reduce environmental health threats to children. Experts from across the country will share information, "best practices", and emerging science about the protection of children's health from environmental hazards. Topical breakout sessions will encourage information sharing across government agencies, health organizations, educators, and the general public in addressing children's environmental health issues. Participants will work together to identify actions that can be taken throughout the Region to protect children from environmental health threats.

Speakers include Governor Brian Schweitzer, Dr. Henry Falk, Director, Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention, Dr. Katherine M. Shea, board certified pediatrician with specialty training in preventive medicine and environmental health and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Other speakers will address topics including drinking water, lead, pesticide use, environmental tobacco smoke, and healthy schools and homes. Parents, day care providers and the general public are also welcome to attend.

The summit will be held in Helena on August 3-4 at the Best Western Great Northern Hotel starting at 8 a.m. The conference registration fee is $75. There is an early registration fee of $50 for attendees that register and pay before July 15. Payments should be made to the Department of Environmental Quality and mailed to Bonnie Rouse, DEQ, P.O. Box 200901, Helena MT 59620-0901. The Best Western Great Northern Hotel is offering discounted room rate of $95.00 per night for attendees.

To register for the discount rate contact the hotel directly at 1-800-829-4047. For more information about the conference or to register online go to www.deq.mt.us. For questions about the conference call Bonnie Rouse, DEQ, at 1-800-433-8733 or Alicia Aalto, EPA Region 8 at 303-312-6967. Continuing education credits for physicians, nurses, Certified Health Education Specialists, and other professionals as well as Montana Teacher Renewal Units will be offered.

Summer art academy

Rocky Mountain College's Outreach program and McIntosh Art Company celebrate their seventh summer in offering a variety of unique art classes to students, ages 8-16. Sally McIntosh, owner of McIntosh Art Company, says "The Summer Art Academy is unique in that it is held on the campus of Rocky Mountain College where students study under professional artists in concentrated areas, which they choose, and classes are no larger than 10 students per instructor. The basic foundation of the Art Academy includes observation, perception, communication, creativity and imagination, criticism, discipline, drawing and design, research and understanding. In a college atmosphere, students from 8-16 move from classroom to classroom and from instructor to instructor. They have the opportunity to use the recreational facilities for swimming and basketball at RMC, eat lunch in the Student Union, and immerse themselves in art for a full week, July 18-22. The RMC Art Gallery will exhibit different artist/instructor's work for the kids and parents to view every day."

This summer, Art Academy will offer the following classes for students, ages 8-11:
- Book Arts, instructor, Helen Widenhofer
- Collage Assemblage and Mixed Media, master instructor, Stacy Nybo Black
- Clay, master instructor, Jennifer McClure
- Innovations in Glass, instructor Jeanne Hutchinson
- Multi-media Drawing, master instructor, Julie Pederson-Atkins
- Watercolor Painting, master instructor, Mana Lesman
- Calligraphy, master instructor, Mary Alice Spencer

A fourth class may be offered if the maximum enrollment is registered.

Sally McIntosh states, "The opportunity for young artists to study under professional artists is what sets this program apart from others."

To register, call the RMC Outreach office at 657-1040, or visit the website at www.outreach.rocky.edu. Class enrollments are limited.

Parenting class

"Parenting Through Divorce," a class to help divorcing parents improve communication between households and develop healthy co-parenting plans, will be offered July 18-19 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Westview Center, Hamilton. Cost is $15 for single parent, $25 for both parents. Presenter is Star Jameson, BSW, Solutions Mediation Services. Register in advance at 363-4026.

Anger management class

"Chilling Out 101 - Introductory Course in Anger Management for Adults" will be held Saturday, July 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m at Westview Family Center in Hamilton. Learn your personal Conflict Style, develop your Cool-down Tool Box in upbeat class with videos and discussion. The presenter is Star Jameson, BSW, Solutions Mediation Services. Cost is $35 (lunch on your own). Register in advance at 363-4026.

Offensive Skill Development Camp

Carroll College Head Women's Basketball Coach Shawn Nelson announced there is still openings for the 4th Annual Offensive Skills Camp. The dates of camp are July 25-28 for boys and girls entering the 5-12 grades in the fall of 2005. Brochures can be picked up at the Carroll College PE Center or you can call 447-4489 or 447-5181 for application information. The camp uses an intensive and comprehensive approach to help each athlete improve their offensive skills.

'Fund' for All available

Is money holding you back from participating in something you would love to do? The Stevensville community has a special fund for kids who need a little financial help to participate in activities, whether at school or in the community. This fund is available year round for Stevensville or Lone Rock area kids. If you need help with sports equipment, lessons, materials or fees for an extra-curricular class or a special event, write a letter or call for an application. Be sure to include your name, address, and how you can be contacted. Send letters of request to: Fund For All, 108 Memory Lane, Stevensville MT 59870. For more information call 777-4143.

AARP driving classes

AARP classes for mature drivers will be held July 21-22 and August 18-19. Cost per person is $10 to be paid at time of sign up. AARP membership is not required. Sign up at the class or at Jones Korman Insurance Agency, 518 S. 1st Street in Hamilton. For more information call 363-6583.

Stevensville Museum

Enjoy the Stevensville story from its birth, through the childhood and teen years to adulthood at the Stevensville Historical Museum, 517 Main. Admission is free and the hours are Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

Darby basketball camp

New Darby head boys basketball coach Dave Paisley will hold a "spare change and loose dollars" basketball camp this summer at Darby High School. A camp for boys and girls, grades 9-12, will be held July 18-22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A camp for boys and girls, grades 3-8, will be held July 25-29 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon for grades 3-6 and from 1 to 4 p.m. for grades 7-8.

All the camp will cost is your spare change and loose dollars! Monday is "dimes day" - bring as many dimes as you can. Tuesday is "quarters day" - bring as many quarters as you can. Wednesday is "dollars day" - bring as many dollars as you can. Thursday is "five dollars day" - bring as many five dollar bills as you can. Friday is "ten dollars day" - bring as many ten dollar bills as you can.

In addition to Coach Paisley, camp staff will include Caroline Ehmann, head girls basketball coach, and special guest Randy White, a professional basketball instructor from Cleveland, Ohio and former college basketball coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

Paisley has been coaching basketball for 12 years. His team has a record of 73-37 over the past five years and he was elected as the state of Ohio's high school basketball coach of the year in 2003. This past season his team at Ronan High school finished with a 16-5 record and was the Northwestern A Conference Champion.

For more information contact Dave Paisley at 406-212-5598.

Pick-up soccer

Pick-up soccer for high school aged players and adults is held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Stevensville Soccer Complex.

"Summer Sun and Tons of Fun!" is the theme of the 93rd annual Creamery Picnic Parade sponsored by the Stevensville Civic Club. The parade will be held Saturday, August 6 at 11 a.m. in downtown Stevensville.

Help the Stevensville Civic Club make the 93rd Creamery Picnic Parade the best ever! The first weekend in August is eagerly anticipated by many, due to so many activities available to individuals and families. The parade gives the Stevensville community the chance to honor the town and its history, its citizens and their accomplishments, and its many businesses and organizations.

Since the Creamery Picnic is the Civic Club's only fundraiser, a $5.00 fee is charged for each parade entry. The money generated will off-set costs for security, rental of traffic barriers, awards, and other miscellaneous expenses. A parade entry form can be found on page 5 in this week's Star.

For more information concerning the parade, call Dennis Kimzey, 777-5481, ext. 138 (w), or 777-0628 (h).