Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Valley News at a Glance

Legion Oratorical Contest held

Bowen opens local healing practice

Manure available

Volunteer opportunity

Poppy poster contest

Call for used art and jewelry

Young artists wanted

Library expands opportunities through partnering

Hunter education instructors honored

Capitol Christmas Tree Tree-tini has a Cinderella ending

Obituaries

The American Legion recently conducted their annual oratorical scholarship competition at Stevensville High School. Andrew McVittie took 1st place honors, earning a $150 cash award and Ronikka Kendall took 2nd place, also earning a cash award.

Students presented 8 to 10 minute memorized speeches about the constitution and also presented a formal response to an impromptu question regarding constitutional amendments. Members of the American Legion judged the presentations.

The American Legion sponsors the annual contest across the nation. Students move on the next level of competition (District and State) and can compete at the national level.

Pat Bowen has recently moved to the Bitterroot Valley form northern Idaho and has brought her healing and wellness practice, “Where Eagles Soar,” to her home at 4790 Grayhorse Lane in Stevensville. Pat is a Reiki Master and an Emotional Release Journey Coach. She adds to her business the Energetic Footbath detoxification therapy and Raindrop Aromatherapy. In Idaho, Pat has worked from the offices of Chiropractors and Naturopaths and now has her business established in her home. Pat is the mother of 10 children and 45 grandchildren which she considers her greatest accomplishment. After being widowed eight years ago she developed her Wellness Therapy Practice. She considers this her second life and her mission as well. Pat has one daughter in Stevensville and another in Hamilton. Call her to get acquainted and set an appointment to learn how she can help you, 777-7159.

Manure available

Safe Haven Llama and Alpaca Sanctuary is selling a manure mix to fertilize your flower beds or gardens. The mix is high in nutrients, won’t burn, and is available by the bag or wheelbarrow full. Proceeds benefit the sanctuary. Call Char at 961-4027 for more information.

Wanted: gardeners! Do you love gardening and have some extra time? Volunteer opportunities abound in gardens in Corvallis and Stevensville. Call Sandy Gates at Clearwater Farm, 370-0808. Let’s get planting!

The American Legion is holding its annual Poppy Poster Contest.

Contest categories are: Class I - Grade 2 & 3; Class II - Grade 4 & 5; Class III - Grade 6 & 7; Class IV - Grade 8 & 9; Class V - Grade 10-12; Class VI - Students with Special Needs.

Each poster must have a fitting slogan not to exceed 10 words. The words "buddy" and "buy" cannot be used. The words "American Legion Auxiliary" must be used in the design of the poster, and will not be counted in 10-word count. Spelling must be accurate. Each poster must carry a picture of the Flanders Poppy in correct color (four red petals with a center of green and black) with four petals and no leaves. Posters must be on 12” by 18" poster board. Media used shall be watercolors, crayons, powder, oil paint, handmade paper cutouts, ink or cut textures, acrylics, pencils and markers. Deadline is May 12, 2008.

Wanted: Your used art and jewelry for the annual Used Art & Jewelry Sale which will be held May 2 and 3 in downtown Stevensville. All proceeds benefit the Stevensville Historical Museum. A Pre-Sale Party exclusively for donors will be held Thursday, May 1, with attendees getting the first chance to buy the donated art and jewelry. Consider donating the art that you no longer display on your walls, and the jewelry you no longer wear. Many treasures have been discovered at this popular event and this year the volunteers are starting fresh with no art held over from last year! Donations can be dropped off at the Bitterroot Star office, 215 Main, Stevensville. For more information contact Victoria Howell, 777-3928.

The work of young artists is wanted for a gallery showing at the Bitterroot Public Library. Submissions will be accepted through April 23, between the hours of 12 noon and 5 p.m. Submissions must be original artwork signed by the artist residing in the Bitterroot Public Library service area comprised of the school districts of Hamilton, Victor and Corvallis. Submissions must be submitted in photograph format (do not bring in the artwork). No exceptions. All entries must be submitted no later than 5 pm on April 23. Submission photos may be brought into the library in person, e mailed to the Youth Services Librarian at mistymiles@montana.com or mailed to: Misty Miles, Youth Services Librarian, Bitterroot Public Library, 306 State Street, Hamilton MT 59840 Gallery showings will begin on April 30 and run through August 27. Six artists will be selected from each of two age groups: Preschool-4th grade and 5th-12th grade. No submissions will be sold or advertised for sale while on exhibit at the library.

When the North Valley Public Library in Stevensville joined the Montana Shared Catalog (MSC) in September 2007, it also became a Partner Library. The eleven Partner Libraries within the MSC share their collections in much the same way that branches of a library system do.

North Valley Public Library patrons can access the online catalog at www.northvalleylibrary.org. From there, they can see the holdings of all eleven Partner Libraries, and place a hold on items in any library.

A courier service runs each weekday between Partner Libraries, delivering books for patrons to pick up at their local library. The Missoula Public Library functions as a "hub," sorting materials from each library and forwarding them along to their destinations. There is no charge to the end user for this service.

In addition to the North Valley Public Library, the Partners group includes the Bitterroot Public Library, Drummond School and Community Library, Flathead County Libraries, Glendive Public Library, Hearst Free Library, Miles City Community College, Miles City Public Library, Mineral County Library, Missoula Public Library and branches and Polson City Library.

For more information, or to sign up for a library card, visit the North Valley Public Library at 208 Main St. in Stevensville or call 777-5061.

Two Montana Hunter Education instructors in the Missoula and Hamilton area were recently honored for 40 and 50 years of volunteer service to the program.  

Hamilton instructor Dale Smith began teaching Hunter Education in 1958, just one year after the Montana Hunter Education program was established.  Hunter Education instructor, Joe Rice, has taught in Missoula for 40 years.  Both instructors held leadership roles in the program throughout the years, serving as chief instructors for their counties and never missing a year of teaching a class.

All Hunter and Bowhunter Education instructors are volunteers for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. They provide safety, ethics, and firearms and archery equipment handling training to students across Montana.  In west-central Montana’s Region 2, over 200 instructors train nearly 2,000 students every year.

A total of 25 instructors received service awards this year ranging from 5-50 years. The instructors were honored by FWP at an annual instructor workshop held in Missoula this March.  The complete list of service award recipients for 2008 is as follows:

50 year hunter: Dale Smith, Ravalli; 40 year hunter: Joseph Rice, Missoula; 20 year hunter: Greg Wickes, Missoula, Larry Fox, Missoula; 20 year bowhunter: Duane Jessop, Ravalli, Michael Jessop, Ravalli; 15 year hunter: Randy Buck, Ravalli, Craig Winter, Powell; 15 year bowhunter: Earl Willard, Missoula, Marlon Clapham, Ravalli; 10 year hunter: Mark Behan, Missoula, Isaac Scott Welch, Missoula, Russell Hoerner, Missoula, Philip Meis, Ravalli, Thomas Haviland, Missoula, Charlie Lambson, Ravalli; 10 year bowhunter: Joanne Unger, Ravalli; 5 year hunter: Jim McCormack, Ravalli, Martin Webster, Ravalli, Jackie Cohen, Missoula, Dawn Ishler, Mineral, Monte Ishler, Mineral, Colleen Buck, Ravalli, Faron Stevens, Ravalli, James Kosena, Missoula.

Search is on for winner of the Capitol Christmas Tree sapphire

With strong support from the greater Bitterroot community, the Capitol Christmas Tree 2008 Tree-tini was a grand success, with at least one strange twist that left people thinking of the Cinderella story.

Late last week, Asmus Jewelers donated a green Montana sapphire to be raffled off during the Tree-tini event. Tickets were sold for 50 bejeweled cranberry ice cubes which were placed in glasses mid way through the evening. Forty-nine of the glasses held pink, purple or yellow plastic rings; one, the “winner” which could be turned in for the oval cut sapphire, was blue-green in color. As the clock struck 9:30, and bejeweled ice cubes were melting in glasses throughout the great hall, one woman found the lucky, aqua-colored ring and turned it in only to be erroneously informed that she had not won. The mistake was quickly recognized but the misinformed winner had slipped away into the night.

When the dilemma was discussed at the home of event coordinator Marilyn Wildey the next day, her 6-year-old daughter Emily declared that this sounded just like the story of Cinderella’s glass slipper.

Thus, the search for the Tree-tini Cinderella is on, and Tree-tini organizers are anxious to find the true winner and deliver her gem. The only available information is that the winner was a woman who can be recognized by the volunteer to whom she turned in her winning ring.

If you happen to know who pulled the aqua-colored ring from her drink, have her call Marilyn Wildey at 363-7101 or Nan Christianson at 363-7113 at the Bitterroot National Forest.

The Tree-tini was held as a community kickoff and fund raising event for the national Capitol Christmas Tree 2008 project. Montana has been asked to provide a 70+ foot tall Christmas tree that will grace the West Lawn of the nation’s Capitol in Washington D.C. this December. In addition to the 70+ foot tall tree, the Bitterroot is providing 75 smaller trees for congressional and agency offices, 5000 handmade ornaments and a host of other special trimmings all designed to reflect the theme of "Sharing Montana's Treasures."

To learn more about the 2008 national Capitol Christmas Tree project, visit

the website: www.capitolchristmastree2008.org or call Nan Christianson at

the Bitterroot National Forest, 363-7113.

Albert ‘Al’ Webster
1936-2008

Albert Ernest “Al” Webster, Jr., 71 of Willis, Texas, died on Friday, March 28, 2008 in Houston, TX. Interment of his ashes will be at a later date in Missoula at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery upon its completion. The Whitesitt Funeral Home of Stevensville is in charge of local arrangements.