Volume XIX, Number 41

Wednesday, May 5, 2004

Overeaters Anonymous

Overeaters Anonymous is a Twelve Step program that deals with compulsive eating behaviors. It offers a solution within reach of all those who want to find relief from the obsession with food. It meets weekly on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 203 Main Street, Stevensville, as well as on Saturdays at 10 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1220 W. Main St., Hamilton. For information, call 777-7160.

The Hamilton High School Drama Department will present "Wild Oats," a romance of the Old West by James McLure, May 18 and 20.

The show is a rip-roarin' "mellerdrama" full of mistaken identities, estranged families, bizarre reunions and torrid love affairs.

Kate Thunder (Roselyn Hallett) has just inherited a fortune, but a phony will leaves Kate under the control of sleazy preacher Ephraim Smooth (Brandon Printz), founder of the Christian Church of Suffering and Denial. Meanwhile, Kate's uncle Croftus (Brandon Butsick) is desperate to have Kate marry his son Harry (Benjamin Gantt), though the two have never met.

Harry, however, is more interested in actresses, like Jane Gammon (Kimi Cleveland). Enter the heroic, Shakespeare-quoting Jack Rover (Drew Dickerson), who instantly falls in love with Kate. Kate mistakes Jack for Harry, so Jack assumes Harry's identity, leading to confusion that mounts to fever pitch until the ultimate happy ending. A crew of desperados (Brad Loudon, Chev Wissenbach, Alan Andreasen), a displaced cactus-growing brother and sister (Pat Shea and Tara Helming/Alice Bratches), and a half-Irish, half-Indian faithful army scout (Bryan Stueve) complete this wild comedy.

Wild Oats is directed by Jean Steele, with technical direction by John Mikesell. The show's elaborate two-story set was designed by Lindsey Weber.

Cast and crew members include: Alan Andreasen, Rauna Bindewald, Alice Bratches, Sasha Brooks, Brandon Butsick, Kimi Cleveland, Drew Dickerson, Jaydn Ekin, Reagan Farley, Ben Gantt, Roselyn Hallett, Alex Hamilton, Taylor Hanrahan, Tara Helming, Jo Jo Johnson, Pat Joiner, Bradley Loudon, Mandy McClory, Heather Miller, Abe Olsen, Brandon Printz, Dan Sager, Ryan Senn, Pat Shea, Angie Sorenson, Josh Stone, Bryan Stueve, Lindsey Weber, Liz Wershing, Whitney Wiles, Chev Wissenbach, and Holly Zak.

"Wild Oats" will run Tuesday and Thursday, May 18 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hamilton Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $4.00 and may be purchased at the door, from any cast member, or through the HHS Box Office by calling 375-6060.

Vendors wanted

The Historic St Mary's Mission in Stevensville will be celebrating Western Heritage Days on Saturday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a variety of community activities on the Mission Grounds.

The Mission invites vendors, such as handcrafters, quilters, basket weavers, jewelry makers, etc, to display and sell their items on the grounds during this event. There will be no charge for the space but donations for the restoration of the Mission will be gratefully accepted.

Vendors who wish to participate are asked to call Mary Irwin at 777-1493.

Danmore Stables is looking for lesson volunteers starting in May for the busy summer schedule. If you are interested in assisting as a side-walker or horse leader in Danmore's equine assisted therapy sessions, contact Jan Harris or Corrie Schilling at 273-6623.

Danmore Stables accepting riders

Danmore Stables provides equine assisted therapy for adults and children who have physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities. Danmore Stables is currently accepting riders for weekly lessons starting May 17 though July 3. In addition, Danmore Stables will be hosting Integrated Summer Camps for children. Camp sessions start July 12; there will be seven camp sessions from Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each session is dedicated to a certain age group. Call the center at 273-6623 for more information.

All riders must complete required paperwork and evaluation prior to the start of therapy sessions.

Lolo Watershed Group

Interested folks, and particularly landowners in the Lolo area, are invited to attend an evening presentation hosted by the Lolo Watershed Group.

The presentation, "Landowner Assistance Programs," will explain the basics of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service's financial and technical assistance programs for landowners interested in conservation projects to increase the fish and wildlife benefits of their land. Speaking will be Tony Prince of the USDA/NRCS office in Missoula. Prince has extensive knowledge and experience in working with landowners to increase conservation values. Implementation of conservation projects on private lands in the Lolo Creek watershed is key to increasing the quality of the wild trout fishery in Lolo Creek.

This free presentation will be part of the regular monthly meeting of the Lolo Watershed Group, held on Wednesday, May 19 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lolo Community Center on Lolo's south side, west of Highway 93. Refreshments will be available.

The Lolo Watershed Group is a community effort seeking to advance conservation while restoring Lolo Creek's wild trout fishery and protecting private property values in the watershed. The Lolo Watershed Group is committed to improving the quality of life in the Lolo area. Coordination and development of the Lolo Watershed Group is a project of Montana Trout, a Missoula nonprofit.

Hoy to talk on bird deformities

Judy Hoy will be giving a presentation titled "Bill and Feather Deformities in Birds" at the Bitterroot Birding Festival, on Saturday, May 22, at 4:30 p.m. at the Stevensville High School. Hoy has photos of beak and feather malformations and before and after photos of how rehabilitators can make some individuals with such malformations grow to be normal. Birds in the wild with beak or feather malformations suffer high mortality as fledglings, since they often cannot fly or eat normally. Beak malformations are a hot topic this year in birding circles all over the United States, including Montana. Feather malformations, though fairly evident on many birds, have not received much publicity. Disrupted feather growth can cause mortality in affected birds, especially birds of prey and should also be reported whenever observed.

Colleen Handel of the USGS Alaska Science Center, who has been studying beak malformations for several years and the Falcon Research Group, who is studying beak malformations in raptors, especially Red-tailed Hawks in the Western U.S., has asked for birders to report such malformations. FRG would like people to look closely at raptors, especially Red-tailed Hawks and report all beak malformations seen in raptors to Bud Anderson at (360) 757-1911 or bud@frg.org.

Handel would like to have birds of any species with a beak malformation reported to her at colleen_handel@usgs.gov. Hoy would like all birds and any other animal, with bone, beak, feather or other malformation, to be reported to her at 777-2487 or bwrehab@mtwi.net. All animals of any species observed in Ravalli County with any type of malformation should be reported to Charmell Owens at 375-6258 or cowens@co.ravalli.mt.us. For those who do not have email, call Judy and she will forward your sighting to the appropriate out-of-area researchers.

82nd ABN DIV Association

The Montana All ABN Chapter will meet Saturday, May 15 at 9 a.m. at the Belgrade Armory. LTC Hank Adams will be the guest speaker. A no host lunch will be at McKenzie River Pizza Co. All former and present Paratroopers are welcome. For information call Chairman Frank Hendzel at 777-3973.

Writing workshop

"Six Trait Writing" is a one credit workshop offered by the University of Montana-Western School of Outreach, June 18-19.

The workshop will explore the key characteristics of good writing, idea development, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions.

Workshop participants will review the Montana State Writing Standards and adapt the Six-Trait language and materials to meet state standards.

Participants will learn strategies to promote writing fluency through an interdisciplinary curriculum from social studies to math. The workshop teach participants how to empower reluctant writers, provide hands-on experience with pre-writing, reinforce story elements, model the writing process and develop self-evaluation and self-reflective skills.

There is a $110 extension fee. For more information or to register by phone, call the UM-Western School of Outreach at 1-866-799-9140.

Band members wanted

The Bitterroot Community Band is accepting new members. The band rehearses on a regular basis and performs at many community events. According to director Shawn Thacker, "there is always a seat for someone who wants to play." Dues are $15 per year. For more information contact Celeste Pogachar, 363-2649.

Hideout Mountain art call

Hideout Mountain Playground is seeking artists, sculptors, painters, woodworkers, and builders to help with art projects during playground construction June 9-13. During this five-day period, the 10,000-square-foot public playground for the Bitterroot Valley will be built entirely by volunteers at the Florence Community Park.

This is a great opportunity to work with a variety of materials and media on a large scale. Projects vary from 100-square-foot painted murals to numerous three-dimensional sculptures made from Trex, a wood composite. Sculptures include a life-size horse pulling a covered wagon, a great blue heron nest, and more. Artists will have a great deal of latitude in defining how their project arrives at its desired end.

To sign up as a volunteer or for more information, contact Devry Garity at 239-3549 or coyotemt@msn.com or visit the playground website at www.hideoutmountain.com.

SuperHost Training

The Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Customer Service SuperHost training seminar. With tourism becoming the fastest growing industry in Montana, and the upcoming Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. Learning how to serve and please your customers is a major issue. It can either make your business or not, depending on what kind of service the customer receives.

Don't miss this opportunity to send your business representatives; they will contribute not only to your company's profit but also to the economic well-being of the valley. This SuperHost Seminar will be based on the video, "Moments of Magic."

If you have contact with Montana visitors, you need to attend. The training will be Monday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Hamilton. Cost is $20 for Chamber members and $25 for non-members.

For more information or to register, call the Chamber at 363-2400. Register by Friday, May 14 to reserve your spot.

Sapphire Ballet recital

Sapphire Ballet Academy of Dance presents "A Story of Spring" on Saturday, May 15 and 22 at Chantilly Theatre with shows at 1, 3 and 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under, and lap children are free. Reservations are recommended by calling Megan at 777-4400.

Bicycle repair and giveaway

There will be a bicycle repair and giveaway on Saturday, May 15 from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. at Westview Center in Hamilton (Main and 9th). Youth from Ravalli County can choose a bicycle from the many that have been donated to Kids First, help repair it and take it home with them. For more information call John at Kids First, 375-9588.