Summer Guide 2012

2012

Mission Valley Map free inside

Valley

Journal

Your Homegrown Newspaper

2

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Welcome to your Montana Summer ew places offer as much natural beauty as the Flathead Indian Reservation and Lake County.

This is Montana at its best, with countless ways to fulfill outdoor recreational cravings. The area is full of choices: hiking, fishing, bird hunting, bird watching, boating, water skiing, camping, sightseeing, golfing and so much more.

Driving in from the south, the view from the crest of Ravalli Hill is breathtaking. The craggy-topped Mission Mountains jut from the valley floor with eye-catching beauty, towering over a lush landscape of rolling hills and sweeping fields.

Clear mountain streams fed by winter snowpack cut paths from the mountains and meander through the valley floors en route to Flathead Lake or Flathead River.

The area’s postcard beauty is a recreational Nirvana. The National Bison Range and the Ninepipe Wildlife Refuge are home to abundant wildlife including deer, elk, antelope, birds and bison, among other species.

The historic Catholic Mission Church in St. Ignatius also has its own special grandeur in its architecture, history and religious murals.

The area’s museums offer locals and visitors a taste of what it was like in days gone by.

Numerous town festivals, powwows, rodeos, stockcar racing, basketball tournaments, fishing derbies and fairs throughout the summer offer tourists and local residents plenty to do each and every weekend.

The cherry-on-top of the experiences, especially for tourists and other visitors, is the laid-back lifestyle of the friendly and lucky folks who call the Flathead Indian Reservation and Lake County home. If a person can’t find something fun and exhilarating to do, it’s because they aren’t looking!

F

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

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Contents Flathead cherries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 State parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Boating safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Invasive mussels. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Flathead Lake facts . . . . . . . . . . 13

Glacier National Park . . . . . . . . . 29

Library summer programs. . . . . . 15

Tourism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Local parks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Golf courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Bull trout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Pine beetles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Glacial Lake Missoula . . . . . . . . . 22

Buddha garden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Geocaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Flathead River trips . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Wild Horse Island . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Arlee Celebration . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Water Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Summer calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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Montana Summer 2012 Montana Summer is a yearly publication of the Valley Journal, a weekly newspaper published each Wednesday in Lake County, Montana, for readers in the Mission, Jocko and lower Flathead Valleys.

Our main office is located in Ronan at 331 Main Street S.W. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Business phone (406) 676-8989. Fax - (406) 676-8990.

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Our mailing address is: Valley Journal, PO Box 326, Ronan, MT 59864.

Our Web address is www.valleyjournal.net News and calendar submissions may be sent by email to vjeditor@valleyjournal.net Copyright 2012, the Valley Journal. All rights reserved. Reproduction, reuse or transmittal in any form or by any means is prohibited without written permission of the Valley Journal.

Staff

Publisher/Owner ......................Summer Goddard

Advertising manager/Owner ....Boone Goddard

Reporter ........................................Berl Tiskus

Graphic artist ..............................Linda Sappington

Editor ..............................................Melea Burke

Reporter ........................................Tetona Dunlap

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Production manager......................Mickele Schultz Office manager ..........................Leni Baker

Flathead

M

by Alice Miller

for the Valley Journal

ontana and “cherry” aren’t two words generally associated with each other, but the Flathead Lake cherry orchards are gaining international recognition and respect.

The Main Street Flathead Cherry Festival held in Polson in July recognizes the cherry’s importance to Polson and celebrates the business community.

Originally a main street festival held in June, the event morphed into its current form incorporating the cherry business about seven years ago, said Jackie Cripe, who created the festival. About 8,000 people attend the event, now in its 13th year, Cripe said.

In addition to creating awareness about local stores and products and the area’s natural beauty and recreation opportunities, the event brings business to local shops, she said, adding the weekend is the best weekend of sales for many local businesses.

This year’s festivities kick off

Cherries

at 9 a.m. Saturday and again at 10 a.m. Sunday. Families and individuals enjoy the variety of activities and browsing the more than 125 vendor booths set up for the event, which is sponsored by the Polson Business Community and Flathead Lake Cherry Growers Inc. Kids can take part in free arts and crafts at 10 a.m. Saturday, then try their spitting prowess during the cherry pit-spitting contest at 2 p.m.

Adults can spit pits at 3. A stemtying contest follows at 4. Then the Southern Comfort Band will play during the street dance from 6 to 10 p.m.

At noon Sunday, the winners of the first student cherry art contest will be announced. Then, at 1 p.m., judges will decide who made the most unique food with cherries. People can take in a magic show at 2.

If you really like cherries, or just really like to eat, the children’s pie eating contest begins at 3, with the adult contest at 3:30.

The festival is fun and, at the same time, raises awareness

about the cherries.

“Most people can’t even believe we can grow cherries in Montana,” said Ken Edgington, whose orchard is near Yellow Bay. Fast-draining soil and the warmer climate caused by Flathead Lake’s close proximity create an ideal growing environment, said Edgington, who also is secretary of the cherry growers co-op Flathead Lake Cherry Growers. Cooler nights cause the fruit to hang on branches longer, and the cherries build up more sugar, making for a sweeter cherry.

People can pick up the fruit from myriad roadside stands along the lake, or in grocery stores primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Some cherries make their way as far as Florida or Korea, Edgington said.

Most are sold as fresh pack, mean-

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

ing fresh with their stems on.

Each year, growers strive for a better product, Edgington said.

“We’re doing this as a labor of love,” he said, adding cherries are particularly susceptible to the elements and sometimes get a late start depending on how cool and wet spring is.

“Sometimes we have cherries, and sometimes we don’t,” Cripe said. Cherries from other areas are never substituted, though, she said, adding the festival is loyal to local ones.

Flathead cherry products are always available, though, she added.

Cherry festival details can be found at www.flatheadcherryfestival.com. To learn more about Montana-grown cherries, visit www.montanacherries.com.

5

Fun cherry facts

(from www.montanacherries.com)

• 1866: Cherry trees first introduced in Montana.

• 1893: Flathead Valley was found to be the best climate.

• 1932: First train car load of Lambert cherries left Kalispell’s original packing plant.

• 1935: Cherry growers’ cooperative founded. Now called the Flathead Lake Cherry Growers Inc. • 80-100: Number of growers in the cherry growers’ co-op.

• 3-5 million: Average total poundage of annual Flathead cherry harvests.

Polson Main Street Flathead Cherry Festival When: July 21 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and July 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Downtown Polson Cost: Free general admission

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2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Flathead Cherry Polson Main Street

2 12

Festival July 21st & July 22nd

Fun for the whole family

More than 125 vendors • Flathead cherries Homemade cherry pies • Unique arts & crafts • Entertainment • Sidewalk sales and specials

Saturday, July 21st 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

10 a.m. Free arts and crafts for kids in front of Jackie M’s Footwear

3 p.m.

Adult Cherry Pit Spitting Contest in front of The Cove Deli and Pizza

1 p.m.

Bagpipers strolling Main Street

4 p.m.

Cherry stem-tying contest at The Cove Deli and Pizza

2 p.m.

Children’s Cherry Pit Spitting Contest in front of The Cove Deli and Pizza

6-10 p.m. Street dance with Southern Comfort Band in front of The Cove Deli and Pizza

Sunday, July 22nd 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

12 p.m. Polson student cherry art awards presentation in front of the Cove Deli and Pizza 1 p.m.

Judging of most unique food made with cherries contest in front of Jackie M’s Footwear - please bring your recipe and 4 samples for judges to taste

2 p.m.

Magic Show in front of The Cove Deli and Pizza

3 p.m.

Children’s Pie Eating Contest in front of Jackie M’s Footwear

3:30 p.m. Adult Pie Eating Contest in front of Jackie M’s Footwear

Win more than $1,000 in gift certificates from downtown merchants!

More cherry products than ever before!

For Vendor Space call 871-8252 • www.flatheadcherryfestival.com Proudly sponsored by the Polson Business Community and Flathead Lake Cherry Growers, Inc. 2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

7

State Parks

N

orthwestern Montana is known for its scenic beauty and wealth of outdoor activities for both tourists and those who call this area home.

There are six state parks in Lake County, offering multiple locations to fish, hike, camp, and swim. Five of the six are located on Flathead Lake: Wild Horse Island State Park, Big Arm, Yellow Bay, Finley Point, and West Shore. The sixth park is at Lake Mary Ronan, a smaller lake located northwest of Dayton.

Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, offers worldrenowned fishing opportunities.

Anglers who are not members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will need a Flathead Reservation Use Permit/State Conservation License with joint fishing stamp attached when fishing on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The Flathead Reservation includes the southern half of Flathead Lake. (See related sidebar for fishing/conservation license purchase locations.)

A campsite reservation system was implemented in 2011 and is available for most state parks during the peak season of May 27- Sept. 5 by calling 855-922-6768 toll free between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends; or go to montanastateparks.reserveamerica.com.

Big Arm Located on Hwy 93, Big Arm State Park is 13 miles north of Polson.

Visitors can enjoy the long pebble

file photo

beach for swimming and sunbathing, go fishing for lake trout, board sailing, boating, picnicking, bicycling, hiking on the two and a half mile trail, wildlife viewing, scuba diving and water skiing.

The park is open year-round and is has tent and RV sites for campers along with bear resistant storage lockers. Each campsite is equipped with sheltered picnic tables and fire rings.

Wild Horse Island State Park Wild Horse is Flathead Lake’s largest island and offers a remote getaway for adventure-seekers. The 2,163-acre island was once used by Salish and Kootenai Indians as pastureland for their horses. The island was also used as way to protect the

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Flicker at Big Arm State Park

herd from being stolen by neighboring tribes.

The island is now home to seven wild horses, as one mare gave birth last spring. Visitors to Wild Horse Island should not approach or feed any wildlife, including the horses.

“It has recently become a problem when one visitor brought a bag of apples,” said David Landstrom, Region One Parks Manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“Now the horses are approaching visitors and that is not a good thing.”

The park is open all year. Visitors can beach their boats at one of the six public landing sites, as there are no public docks on the island. According to Montana FWP, visitors need to be cautious of wind, as it can come up

without warning. All boats must be tied to live trees to prevent from blowing away.

There are a number of hiking trails throughout the island, with many opportunities for wildlife viewing.

Some of the animals visitors may see include: bighorn sheep, mule deer, songbirds and bald eagles, to name a few.

Access to the island is by boat only, with Big Arm State Park being the nearest public boat launch.

Yellow Bay Located in the heart of Montana’s sweet cherry orchards, Yellow Bay State Park is surrounded by fields of white cherry blossoms in spring. Open see page 10

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9

State Parks (continued from page 8)

year-round, Yellow Bay has a sandy beach for swimming and sun bathing or can serve as a fishing access site in the winter. Visitors can enjoy scuba diving, bird watching, boating and fishing at the park. Yellow Bay is located 15 miles north of Polson on Montana Highway 35.

Finley Point Located in a quiet pine forest on the south end of Flathead Lake, Finley Point State Park offers fishing access, a boat launch, and camping.

Open May 1-Sept. 30, the park has 18 campsites, (two are tent-only), 30amp electrical hookups, picnic tables and fire rings. Campfire wood is also available on site along with boat slips and mooring lines.

For those planning a day trip, Finley Point visitors can take a short hike around the 28-acre park, jump in the lake to cool down or fish from land.

West Shore Located in a mature forest over-

looking Flathead Lake, West Shore State Park is another location to explore and enjoy a scenic area of the lake. The park has glacially-carved rock outcrops, which give visitors views of Flathead Lake, as well as the Swan and Mission Mountains.

The rocky shoreline provides anglers with exceptional fishing, as many fish seek refuge in the rocks.

At 129 acres, the park has a wealth of outdoor activities for visitors.

Activities include picnicking, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, camping, photography, wildlife viewing, ice fishing, and bird watching.

The park offers fire rings, firewood, picnic tables, trashcans, drinking water and 26 camping sites.

The park is located 6 miles south of Kalispell on U.S. Highway 93.

Lake Mary Ronan The only park not located on tribal land is Lake Mary Ronan. Located approximately eight miles northwest of Dayton off Lake Mary Ronan Highway, the secluded park surrounds the lake. Shaded by Douglas fir and Western Larch, the area offers scenic views throughout the park.

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Fishing for kokanee salmon, cutthroat and rainbow trout, and largemouth bass is good year-round at Lake Mary Ronan.

The park offers numerous trails into the surrounding areas abundant in wildflowers and wildlife. Also while hiking, visitors have the opportunity to hunt wild mushrooms, pick

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The park was renovated last year, and new additions include pavement, electricity at individual campsites, a group campground area and additional boat trailer parking.

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Boating Safety

E

ven when alone on the water, it is important to remember that the person operating the boat is responsible for any damage done by the wake of the boat.

When being passed by another boat, slow the speed of your vessel to allow a safe passing.

Always enter an anchorage or mooring area at a slow speed, so that others in the area aren’t disrupted by an uncomfortable wake.

Never pull a boat too close to an anchored boat, as anchor lines can become tangled, and wind can bang boats against each other.

Before anchoring, evaluate the intended behavior on your boat. The more commotion through music, pets, and people on board, the further away your boat should be docked from others.

Before approaching a boat ramp begin your prelaunch preparations in the parking lot, such as removing tie-downs, to avoid creating a long line of angry boaters waiting to launch.

When loading a boat, never leave the boat parked at the ramp while retrieving one’s vehicle; instead, beach boats off the ramp to keep the area clear for others.

While on the water, if your boat is in motion, always keep an eye out for swimmers and others sharing the water.

Summer Goddard/Valley Journal Boating on Flathead River

According to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website, people need to be careful not to spread aquatic invasive species.

To prevent this spread, remove all mud and aquatic plants from your vehicle, boat, anchor, trailer and axles, waders, boots, and fishing gear before departing a fishing access site or boat dock.

Also, drain all water from your boat and equipment, including coolers, buckets, and live wells before departing an access site.

According to FWP, do not load a boat with passengers or cargo beyond its safe carrying capacity, taking into consideration weather and operating conditions.

Always distribute weight of passengers and gear evenly.

One’s boat should always have emergency gear, such as a throw rope, signaling mirror, rescue blanket, and matches in a waterproof container.

According to FWP, if operating or riding a jet ski, or being towed behind a boat, the law requires that person to wear a Coast Guard Approved Life Jacket.

Children under 12 must wear a life jacket on boats less than 26 feet long anytime the boat is in motion.

Everyone 12 and up that are out for a boat ride, the law requires an approved life jacket for every person on the boat, but doesn’t have to be worn at all times.

Other items required by Montana or Federal Law: • A PFD (personal flotation device) that can be thrown • A working fire extinguisher should be on all motor boats • Whistle or horn • Navigational lights • Registration documents, boat number, permanent decal and validation decals

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Invasive aquatic species

T

by Berl Tiskus Valley Journal

hey don’t hiss, jump or bite, but the newest threat to the lakes and rivers of Montana are still dangerous. They are known as Aquatic Invasive Species, and two of the most worrisome are the zebra mussel and the quagga mussel. As adults they about the size of a fingernail, but the larvae are so tiny they can’t be seen by the naked eye.

“Plants you can clean and eradicate, but there is no treatment for mussels,” explained Caryn Miske, executive director of the Flathead Basin Commission, an organization dedicated to monitoring and protecting the water quality in the region.

She noted that mussels will colonize any hard surface, often completely coating lake bottoms and affecting fish and aquatic plants.

“Their impact is economic as well as ecological,” Miske said. “The mussels affect hydropower production by jamming up turbines and screens.”

12

Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal

Boat inspection

To remove the mussels, underwater power washers are needed, driving up power costs, according to Miske.

The insidious critters will grow on anything with a semi-stable surface, too, said Linnaea Schrooer, Aquatic Invasive Species Specialist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

“Mussels will grow on abandoned tennis shoes, vegetation, crayfish, our native mussels ... in fact, mussels attached to aquatic plants are one way they get transferred,” she said.

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mussels were first discovered in the Great Lakes in 1988 and quagga mussels were found in the same area a year later. It’s believed they came to the United States in a tanker and were emptied into the Great Lakes via ballast water discharge.

Now they’ve infected the Great Lakes and many other eastern waterways and are moving west to Arizona, California and Nevada.

To stop the spread of the pests, the Flathead AIS work group is working with the Montana Department of Agriculture; Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Natural Resources and Conservation.

“Inspect, clean and dry” are the watchwords for boaters, Schrooer and Miske said.

In the Flathead Lake area, plans for AIS prevention include a boat inspection station south of Ronan on U.S. Highway 93, one at Clearwater Junction in the Swan Valley and another near Eureka on Highway 37. The stations will be open seven days a week about 12 hours a day and will begin inspections of boats traveling through the area on Memorial Day and continue through September.

Boaters should drain their boats when they leave a body of water, including any standing water in live wells and bilge areas. see page 14

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Flathead Lake facts (Data derived from the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station, located near Yellow Bay on the east shore of the lake.)

Quagga Mussels

Invasive species (continued from page 12) Not only does draining remove mussels, it could also prevent the spread of fish diseases and pathogens, such as whirling disease. Dump the bait bucket into the trash, and remove all plant and animal material from the boat and trailer since mussels can cling to plants and hide themselves. Also check the exterior of the boat, including running fingertips over the surface to detect adolescent mussels, which feel like sandpaper.

Schrooer added that water toys and life jackets can also harbor aquatic invasives, and she suggested checking these items also.

After checking and cleaning, boats should sit out in the sun for 10 days before they’re launched in another body of water, since mussels can survive in a cool, moist environment.

For boater information, call 444-2449. To report a fouled boat, call 1-800-tipmont.

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• Flathead Lake is one of the 300 largest natural lakes in the world and is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States.

Of those large lakes, Flathead is one of the cleanest. Studies at the Flathead Lake Biological Station show that water quality in Flathead Lake is among the best in the world.

• The Lake’s major tributaries are the Flathead and Swan Rivers.

Numerous small streams flow directly into the Lake at its shoreline, particularly on the wetter East Shore.

• Kerr Dam is located at the outlet of Flathead Lake in Polson, at the southern end. Regulation of outflow by the dam maintains the Lake’s level between 2,883 and 2,893 feet above sea level. If runoff conditions in the mountains don’t warrant flood threats, the Lake level is brought to 2,890 feet by the end of May and to full pool by mid June.

• Maximum flow in the Flathead River generally occurs during spring freshet between May 15 and June 10, creating a plume of sediment that covers the Lake surface.

• Due to its massive volume and normally active winds over the surface, Flathead Lake does not freeze over most winters, although the bays often have winter ice cover.

The Lake did freeze over in the winters of 1978-79 (all winter),

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• Open space on the shoreline includes the National Wildlife Refuge on the North Shore and State land managed by the Flathead Lake Biological Station as a refuge on the South Shore (Polson Bay).

• Wildhorse Island, near Big Arm Bay, is the largest island in the lake, at 2,163 acres. It is managed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a wildlife refuge and State Park. It is noted for its herd of Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep and several wild horses.

Native grasses and flowers are abundant.

• Bird Island near The Narrows is State owned and managed jointly by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Flathead Lake Biological Station as a bird refuge. Geese, osprey, herons and eagles frequent the Bird Islands.

• The name Yellow Bay was derived from the yellow rock outcrop on the point which is Precambrian without fossils. The outcrop belongs to the Algonkian substrata, which also outcrops Glacier Park.

• Flathead Lake Biological Station was established in Bigfork in 1899 by Dr. Morton J. Elrod.

The Flathead Lake Biological Station was moved to its present location in 1908 and is currently operated as a year-round academic and research facility mainly dealing with aquatic studies.

• The first wagon trail (1880s) from Polson to the north end of the

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Lake followed the west side of the lake and was steep and hazardous.

At some places, wagons had to be lowered by ropes.

• In 1911, work started from the south end of the Lake to build an east shore road with the work primarily done by convict labor. It was completed in September of 1946.

• Flathead Lake is currently described as oligomesotrophic (oligotrophic means being deficient in plant nutrients while mesotrophic means having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients).

• In spite of its renowned purity, studies at the Bio Station show the water quality of Flathead Lake has declined over the last decade due to the combined effects of increased pollution from human sources, erosion of the shoreline caused by dam operations and introduction of nonnative biota (flora and fauna).

• Average surface temperatures of the lake range from 2.3° C (36°F) in mid-January, to 13.5°C (56°F) in mid-June, to 20.3°C (68°F) in midAugust.

• Of the 25 fish species most commonly found in the Flathead River-Lake ecosystem, 10 species are native and 15 have been introduced. The native species include redside shiner, peamouth minnow, squawfish minnow, largescale sucker, longnose sucker, sculpin, bull trout, cutthroat trout, pygmy whitefish and mountain whitefish. Lake trout, lake whitefish and yellow perch are the most common nonnatives and have increased in abundance since 1970, whereas native species have declined.

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Library Programs

• Jocko Valley Library’s Summer Reading Program is “Dream Big-Read!” This theme includes dreams and wishes, buffalo, nocturnal animals, stars and planets. The program runs from June 12 to August 21. Each Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., library staff will offer a readaloud story, snack, craft, reading contests and prizes, and time to checkout new books.

Everyone who participates in the program will be invited to a final cookout party on Saturday, Aug. 25. Activities are free and open to children of all ages and abilities. You may register from June 12 to June 17 at the library.

Beginning in June a detailed monthly schedule of Summer Reading Program events will be posted on the website. To access the website, go to www.arlee.montana.org and click on Jocko Valley Library on the left side to view the monthly newsletter, according to Andrea Brister, supervisor of the Summer Reading Program.

Special guests for the reading program are: astronomer Leonard Lahaye, Sr., from Big Sky Scopes in August; Farmer Estee will talk about the importance of eating locally and share delicious produce from Sky View Farm, Arlee, during snack time at the end of July and August; face Painter Tracy Topp, Arlee, will paint faces during the library finale on Saturday, Aug. 25.

The library needs volunteers during the summer reading program, so if you can volunteer as a reader during story time or an assistant during craft or snack time, contact Andrea at 726-5555.

• The Ronan City Library and the D’Arcy McNickle Library Summer Reading Program begins June 11. This year’s national theme is “Dream Big—Read!” Participants may start registering at the D’Arcy McNickle Library on June 11 and at the Ronan City Library on June 12 or online at ronancitylibrary.org. Anyone of any age may participate in the program. Participants are given a reading log and will get incentive prizes for time spent reading and tickets to enter for the grand prize drawings.

Story times and craft activities focusing on

Melea Burke/Valley Journal

Reading at Ronan City Library

the Dream Big, Read, theme will be offered at both libraries. D’Arcy McNickle will host story times every Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 a.m. beginning June 13 and ending Aug. 11. Ronan City Library will host story times every Thursday, 10:30-11:30 a.m. beginning June 14 and ending Aug. 11. August 11 will be the last day to turn in tickets for the grand prize drawings, which will be held at the pavilion in Bockman Park in Ronan on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 3 p.m.

• North Lake County Public Library’s (formerly the Polson Library) annual Family Summer Reading Program begins June 11 at 10 a.m. Participants of all ages are invited to stop in

and sign up for this popular summer-long event.

“Dream Big-Read” is the overall theme with an “Own the Night” teen theme and an adult theme of “Between the Covers.” Theme related prizes and reading incentives will be offered After registering, participants receive a log to track their reading. After four hours of reading, reading bring their signed reading log to the library, receive an incentive and enter the prize drawing.

Anyone who reads, or is read to, is eligible to participate. Readers can register at North Lake see page 16

Full Service Lawn Care!

• Weekly mow schedules • Leaf & grass clean-up • Fertilizing • Thatching

Commercial & Residential • Licensed & Bonded

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2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

15

Library Programs (continued from page 15)

County Public Library during regular hours any time from June 11 to July 28, and the program ends on Aug. 11 at 4 p.m.

Thursday morning programs will also be presented for school-aged children accompanied by an adult, beginning June 14. Younger children are welcome with close adult supervision.

All Thursday programs will be at 10 a.m. at the library or an announced location and run through Thursday, Aug. 9.

As a special treat, a puppet show entitled “Dragon Dreams” will be held on June 22 at 2 p.m.

A schedule will be available at the circulation desk after June 11. The drawing for prizes will be Thursday, Aug. 16, in the library meeting room.

If you do not have a library card, you may register for one at the circulation desk. Library cards are free and are available to anyone ages five years and older. Anyone under the age of 18

16

Melea Burke/Valley Journal

Jocko Library

needs a parent or guardian to sign for a new card.

For more information about the Family Summer Reading Program, please call North Lake County Public Library at 883-8225 or stop by our location at 2 First Ave. E., Polson.

vj

file photo

Shakespeare in the Park

Montana Shakespeare

T

his is the 40th year for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. It is the only fully professional touring

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

theatre program in the state currently producing Shakespeare’s plays, according to the website. This summer’s plays are “Twelfth Night” and “Hamlet.”

Each summer, MSIP visits 60 communities in Montana, northern

Port Polson Players

Montana

W

ith songs like “Seventy-Six Trombones” and “Ya Got Trouble” and characters like Professor Harold Hill, Marian Paroo, the librarian, and Winthrop, her lisping baby brother, “The Music Man” is an all-time favorite musical. The Port Polson Players open their season with “The Music Man” on May 27-29 before swinging into their 37th summer season with four hilarious mid-life comedies at the beautiful John Dowdall Theatre on Flathead Lake.

Back by popular demand, according to Neal and Karen Lewing, is “Those Boomer Boys” on Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10.

Next up is “Murder at the Howard Johnson’s,” from June 30-July 15.

The Port Polson Players website calls “Peach Pie Reunion” funny, sweet-tempered and moving. It’s a karaoke comedy that deals with life, death and making the most of every moment. It will be on stage July 19-Aug. 5.

The all-girl answer to ”Those Boomer Boys” is “Boomer Babes,” playing Aug. 9-26.

Curtain times are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m.

For reservations, call 883-9212 or e-mail portpolsonplayers@centurytel.net

Shakespeare (continued from page 16)

Wyoming, eastern Idaho, western North Dakota and eastern Washington, and their cast and crew present 75 performances.

The curtain will go up at 6 p.m. at the St. Ignatius Amphitheater on Aug. 16 for the Montana Shakespeare in the Park production of “Twelfth Night.” In case of inclement weather, the venue will be moved to the St. Ignatius Elementary multipurpose room.

The cast will return to the area on Aug. 26 to present “Hamlet” at 6 p.m. in Palmer Park in Charlo. If it rains, the play will move to the Charlo School gym. courtesy photo

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Port Polson Players' "Boomer Babes"

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(406) 676-4653

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

17

y a d h t r i B 0 0 1 y Happ Rona th

n!

Parks

L

ooking for a place to have a picnic lunch, a location to let your dogs run without a leash, or maybe you want to take your children swimming? Below is a list of parks in Polson, Ronan, Charlo and St. Ignatius as well as the amenities in each park.

POLSON

Schedule of Events August 3, 4 & 5 - 2012

Friday

7:30 p.m. Bulls & Broncs Rodeo 9:30 p.m. Street Dance outside Pheasant and Second Chance, featuring The Clark Fork River Gang

Saturday 7 a.m.

8 a.m.

8 a.m.

9 a.m.

10 a.m.

10 a.m.

12 p.m.

VFW Pancake Breakfast 3 on 3 Basketball Mission Mtn Classic Run Experimental Aircraft Association Open House at the Ronan Airport.

Free rides for kids 8 – 17 yrs old.

Free car show Kids Parade Kiddie Rodeo

No one will be allowed in the arena without a waiver stamp.

Kids Sheep Riding: Fee $1 per child, sign-ups start at 11a.m. on the day of event, child must be present, no age limit, must be under 60 lbs. to ride, first 60 to sign up and pass the weight check. No pre-registrations.

Stickhorse Race: No fee and no signup. For all children ages 1 – 6.

Careful, some of these horses can really buck!

Kids Sheep Dressing: 3 member team, 2 sets, ages 8 – 11 and 12 - 14, $10 fee per team. Prize money split from entry fees; 1st = 60% and 2nd = 40%.

Calf Cash Race: No entry fee, (2 sets), Ages 8-11, 12-14, and 15-18.

Chicken Scramble: 2 heats; Ages 0-5 and 6-9 You catch ’em – you take ’em home!

Pig Scramble: Fee of $1 per kid, will be collected in the arena just prior to the event. Ages 10-14.

Pig will be auctioned off. Cash pot goes to the winner.

7:30 p.m.

9:30 p.m.

Rodeo and Wild Cow Race Street Dance outside Pheasant and Second Chance, featuring Out on Bail

Sunday

12:30 p.m. Big Parade 3 p.m Rodeo and Wild Buffalo Ride

Y’all come back next year!!

For more information call the Visitors Center: 676-8300.

18

• Boettcher Park is located on Flathead Lake next to Polson Bay Golf Club. It boasts picnic tables and shelters, a swimming area and dock, a playground, restrooms, a shower, concessions stand, a volleyball court and horseshoe pits.

Reservations may be made for either one of three covered group shelter by contacting Polson City Hall at 883-8203. A small fee is charged.

• Ducharme Park is on U.S. Hwy. 93 with an outstanding view of Flathead Lake. The park is shady and includes benches and a grassy area.

• Sacajawea Park can be found north of the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge on the shore of Flathead Lake. Take a break for lunch at the picnic tables or benches. Restrooms are located on the north end of the park.

• On the south side of the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge is Riverside Park. Located on the Flathead River, the park has a swimming area, a boat launch ramp, a children’s playground, picnic tables, one shelter, benches, a volleyball court and restrooms as well as grassy areas and trees.

• Polson’s newest park is the Salish Point Park on Flathead Lake behind the KwaTaqNuk Resort.

Along with a swim area and swimming platforms, Salish Point features a fishing dock, a boat launch, slips for boats to pull into, a grassy area for picnicking and vault toilets.

• O’Malley Park hosts American Legion baseball games and is located at the intersection of 11th

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Avenue East and Second Street East. The park consists of an a baseball field, a Little League baseball field, a concession stand (during games), restrooms, two basketball courts and picnic tables.

• Pomajevich Park, at the intersection of 12th Avenue East and Second Street East,is primarily a baseball field but also includes a children’s playground and restrooms.

• Seventh Avenue Skate Park/Sports Complex can be found at 603 Seventh Avenue West.

Besides the skate park, there are informal soccer fields, two ball fields, a basketball court, a playground for small children, a shelter with a picnic table and restrooms near the ball fields.

• And don’t forget the dogs.

Travis Dolphin Memorial Dog Park, at the end of Seventh Avenue, borders the Flathead River. Visitors can walk their dogs and enjoy great views of the river and lake. The grounds include a dock, two trails, doggie bags for picking up, a kiosk with information for adopting animals and one bench.

RONAN

• Ronan City Park is located along First Avenue SW in Ronan, and offers a bike path/walkway, which follows crystal clear Spring Creek. The park also has grills and picnic tables, along with bench seating and pavilion. The park is open dawn to dusk.

ST. IGNATIUS

• Taelman Park, located at Mission Drive and Taelman Road adjacent to the St. Ignatius Mission Church, offers scenic views of the Mission Mountains, picnic tables and one of the highest-rated new skateparks in the Northwest.

The 14,000-square-foot Skate Ignatius Skatepark features include a clover bowl, a “jersey barrier corner boomerang thing,” jersey barrier on top of bank, mini double set,

Selection & Style 7 days a week in Downtown Polson

Largest selection of quality men’s & women’s clothing in the Mission Valley!

Summer Goddard/Valley Journal

Riverside Park in Polson

hubba, and quarter pipe, according to skatemontana.com, as well as plenty of street and bowl-skating elements designed to allow beginners and more experienced skaters to enjoy the park.

The Skate Ignatius cloverleaf bowl has two shallow bowls for learners and a deep bowl for the more advanced skaters. There’s also a ramp for easy access on the shallow end.

And you never know who you might see on a warm summer day at Skate Ignatius. Since Phase I was finished in 2007, the park has attracted professional skaters and skate junkies from all over the country. Surprise visits from the likes of the Independent Skate Team have left several local kids the proud recipients of new skateboards, shoes and T-shirts, not to

mention bragging rights after skating with the pros.

Park hours are dawn to dusk, and BMX bicycles are allowed. Alcohol or tobacco products are not permitted in the park. Skaters are encouraged to wear helmets and safety gear and bring a picnic; just remember to clean up your trash and help keep the park enjoyable for everyone.

• Pendleton • Tommy Bahama • Cutter & Buck • Tribal • Nic & Zoe • Joseph Ribkoff • Cartise • Picadilly • Karen Kane • French Dressing • NYDJ • Maggy London • Adam Jacobs

• Belldini • Icelandic • True Grit • Lily Dresses • Eva Varro Dresses • Nomadic Traders • Foxcroft • Silver Jeans • Levi’s • Wrangler • Montana Co. • Flathead Lake Apparel

PENDLETON BAGS, BLANKETS AND ACCESSORIES

CHARLO

• Charlo Community Park, located on Main Street in Charlo, offers grills, picnic tables, a white picket fence, and stunning views of the Mission Mountain Range. The park also has water faucets and public restrooms.

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219 Main, Polson • 883-2129

open 7 days a week

19

Bull Trout

S

saving a species: bull trout numbers through river restoration reviving

Melea Burke/Valley Journal

alish, Pend d’Oreille and Kootenai people thrived for centuries on the rich bounty of the Mission Valley’s natural resources. And bull trout, a native species of fish, have traditionally been an important food source for tribal people when other foods were out of season or completely consumed.

Today, bull trout have dwindled to near extinction in North America due to changes in their natural habitat, and the Jocko and Flathead rivers are no exception.

More than five years ago, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes embarked on a project to save the species.

The project was funded through a settlement decree for restoration, where the Tribes decided to focus on restoring the Jocko River.

The Jocko flows through the southern end of the Mission Mountain range before emptying into the Flathead River east of Dixon.

According to CSKT Natural Resources information and education specialist Germaine White, bull trout need cold, clean, complex and connected water in order to flourish. The human footprint left by rising numbers of residents and non-point source pollution (NPS) in this area has reduced bull trout to dangerously low numbers. NPS is unlike pollution from industrial and sewage plants, as it’s caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground.

During this process, the water picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants ranging from fertilizers, herbicides, oil, grease, sediment from construction sites and dirt roads, salt from irrigation practices, acid drainage from abandoned mines, to bacteria and nutrients from livestock and pets.

Bull trout require a narrow set of environmental conditions to survive and flourish, see page 21

Fly fishing the Jocko River

Mission Mountain

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Days we will be open are Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is our intention to operate on this schedule through October 15, 2012 (excluding holidays). www.missionvalleypower.org Drive up window open 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Rodeo

Friday & Saturday, June 29 & 30 Youth events begin at 7 p.m.

Rodeo 8 p.m. both nights!

Food & Beverage Concessions Available

36079 Pablo West Rd. ~ Pablo, MT 59855 ~ 883-7900 or 675-7900

20

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Polson Fairgrounds Arena 883-1100

for more information - www.polsonfairgroundsinc.com

Bull Trout (continued from page 20)

and their presence in a stream is a good indicator of a healthy watershed.

Through this project, CSKT hopes to restore a healthy bull trout population in the upper watershed of the Jocko River.

Livestock management is one present threat that the Tribes plan to address. Proper management can minimize impacts to steams and riparian areas, which are areas between land and a river or stream.

Many farms with livestock run along the banks of the Jocko, which reduce vegetation and cause trout numbers to dwindle. There are many ways farm owners can help reduce livestock impacts on riparian areas along the Jocko.

Improvements include installing fencing along the banks, using offsite water for livestock, controlling grazing intensity, rotational grazing and use of salt blocks or other attractants to draw livestock away from riparian areas, according to the multimedia piece.

Badly maintained roads are also an issue of concern, as they can harm riparian areas and streams by taking away vegetation, accelerating bank erosion, degrading fish habitat and deteriorating water quality and quantity.

White says bull trout require clean, un-silted water, which is why unpaved roads and high road density can create a major source of sediment in the water. To reduce sediment levels, roads need to be better planned, and only built when necessary so impacts to the

file photo

Bull trout

stream are minimal.

Vegetation throughout the Jocko floodplain has also been lessened over time, causing a number of problems for the stream. The Jocko Valley bottomlands used to be covered by a Black Cottonwood forest, but logging, agriculture, grazing and residential development have taken the thick vegetation away, causing the Jocko to change both physically and biologically, according to the multimedia piece. These changes are not taken lightly, as the disappearance of the forest has had one of the largest impacts on the overall ecology of the Jocko River floodplain.

The restoration project’s solution to this issue is to eliminate or modify these harmful land management practices, which include: clearing brush, season-long or high-intensity grazing, and diversion of the water for irrigation, to name a few.

Irrigation canals, drainage ditches and ponds are also a common sight along the lower Jocko floodplain, which can trap fish and the spread of noxious and non-native plant species and poor habitat for

other aquatic species.

Before irrigation, the Jocko’s size was much larger and could handle 50 to 100-year floods without the channel becoming destabilized or seeing excessive erosion.

As water flow levels dropped, the lower flow caused the channel capacity to drop, reducing the width of the floodplain.

The smaller channel can’t handle larger flood flows without eroding and destabilizing the channel.

Lastly, human impacts on the Jocko need to be addressed in order to restore the river.

Influences like over-fishing, abused streamside camping areas, housing, vehicles driving through stream beds and garbage dumped on the bank can damage how the stream functions, along with harming plants and animals that depend on these areas.

Improved residential development, educating and regulating of anglers and campers, and thinking like an elder can make a difference.

“Our goal is to remove disturbances that cause impacts,” White

said. “We’re working down to the confluence of the Jocko and Flathead rivers. It’s a large-scale restoration.”

In 2011, the Tribes completed a multimedia information and education project that describes the ecology and importance of bull trout in the Mission Valley, focusing mainly on the Jocko River.

The educational tools consist of an integrated set of materials for children including an interactive DVD entitled “Explore the River: Bull Trout, Tribal People and the Jocko River.” The interactive media is paired with additional curriculum: a website, field journal and a storybook called “Bull Trout’s Gift.” The project is published and distributed by the University of Nebraska Press and available through the Tribes.

“It’s been warmly received,” White said of the curriculum. “We have copies in every school library in the state. It’s a great sciencebased education tool.”

The interactive DVD gives an in-depth look at the Jocko River restoration project and the different management areas that need to be addressed so bull trout can once again thrive in the Jocko and Flathead rivers.

“The DVD walks them through a bull trout’s life history, spawning, how they choose a spawning site, and (how they) dig a redd for their eggs,” White said. “Each chapter is incredibly rich with information.”

Interviews with tribal elders, who discuss the importance of bull trout as a source of survival for their ancestors, are also included.

MY PLACE IN MONTANA Rodeo Bible Camp “Make It Your Next Meeting Place”

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July 9-12 for kids ages 8-14 will be held at the Polson Fairgrounds.

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Cost is $150 per camper.

Register by calling Holly Porter at 207-4102, Jill Hoyt, at 644-2713 or e-mail porters1234@gmail.com Event run by Riders for the Son, a chapter of FCC

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

21

Loans!

We can help.

Valley Banks Jamie Buhr

676-2000

Tom Foster graphic

Glacial Lake Missoula

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22

limb the highest point you can find on the Mission Valley floor, and you’d still be under nearly a half-mile of water in the days of Glacial Lake Missoula, the largest known proglacial (icedammed) lake in history.

From about 18,000 to 12,000 years ago, a lake big enough to cause a Noah’s Ark-scale flood covered much of Northwestern Montana. The lake formed as an arm of the Cordilleran ice sheet reached into the Idaho Panhandle and present-day Lake Pend Oreille, damming the Clark Fork River drainage. At its fullest, Glacial Lake Missoula held more than 500 cubic miles of water — today’s Lake Erie and Lake Ontario combined — and reached 4,250 feet above sea level. Geologists believe Lake Missoula drained with catastrophic flooding, but how many times severe flooding occurred is up for debate. As evidenced by sediment layers and old lakeshore lines visible on surrounding hills, the lake filled and drained at least 50 times and possibly more than 100, said Dr. Gordon Warrington, a member of the Glacial Lake Missoula chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute. According to the Institute, Glacial Lake Missoula drained about every 40 to 140 years as its waters pushed through the 2,000-foot-thick Clark Fork ice dam.

If you’ve seen the popular children’s movie “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown,” you have some idea of what the dam bursting would have looked like, Warrington said. While it’s unlikely that a squirrel pulling an acorn out of the ice could cause the dam to fail, as purported in the movie, the dam probably burst in a matter of an hour or two, and the ensuing torrents of glacial floodwaters would have been an incredible sight. Whether anyone was there to see it is another story, but some sacred tales of the Kootenai Tribes imply that their ancestors may have witnessed some of the flooding, Warrington said, and “there could have been a mammoth around.”

Without eyewitnesses, it’s hard to say what the lake itself would’ve looked like, but it was most likely not the vibrant bluish-green color depicted in artists’ renderings,

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

geologist Norm Smyers said. As glaciers migrated, the ice ground rocks into a fine white powder known as glacial flour, which would have given the lake a milky appearance, perhaps with browner areas where streams and groundwater entered the lake.

“It was very likely a milky white,” Smyers said.

“It wasn’t clear … I’m not saying there weren’t periods when it looked (blue-green), but I doubt it.”

In modernday glacial lakes, glacial flour often turns the water turquoise, in part due to the refraction of sunlight.

But Glacial Lake Missoula would have had so much rock flour suspended in its waters that light couldn’t penetrate, Smyers explained.

A lack of sunlight, along with glacial temperatures, made the lake unfriendly to life, and no evidence

500 cubic miles of water.

An ice dam

2,000 feet thick. The world's largest known proglacial lake.

see page 23

Glacial Lake Missoula features

courtesy photo

Layered sediments from Glacial Lake Missoula

Glacial Lake Missoula (continued from page 22)

has been found to suggest that anything lived in Glacial Lake Missoula, Smyers added. But the lake forever left its mark on the region, carving out gullies, transporting giant rocks encased in ice to new locations — even forming giant ripples of earth along the lake bottom.

“What happened in a giant lake like this isn’t what happens in a static lake like Flathead (Lake),” Warrington said.

The first geologist to note curious features in the Flathead Lake region was T.C. Chamberlin, head of the glacial division of the U.S. Geological Survey. In a report from 1885, he described “a series of parallel watermarks of the nature of exceptionally slight terraces sweeping around the sides of the valley and encircling the isolated hills within it, like giant musical staves.” “(Chamberlin) didn’t know what he was looking at at that time,” Warrington said.

A quarter of a century later, J.T. Pardee argued in a paper titled “The Glacial Lake Missoula” that a huge ice-dammed lake had once covered much of Northwestern Montana, but he offered no explanation as to where all the water had gone. J Harlen Bretz took up that charge in the 1920s as he studied the channeled scablands of Eastern Washington. He determined that a catastrophic flood must have formed the scablands: “The only genetic interpretation yet proposed which is inherently harmonious and which fits all known facts is that of a great flood of water abruptly issuing

from the Spokane icesheet,” Bretz told colleagues at a meeting sponsored by the Geological Society of Washington D.C., in 1927. But his idea was rejected, partly because he didn’t know where the flood could have originated.

In 1942, Pardee proposed that cataclysmic flooding had formed features such as giant ripple marks in Camas Prairie — these ripples had to have been caused by “unusually large and rapid currents,” he wrote. This evidence provided Bretz with a source for his giant flood, but it would be decades later before a Glacial Lake Missoula flood (or floods) was considered a sound explanation for the giant ripples in Montana and the channeled scablands in Washington.

Up until the 1960s, the idea of epic flooding in the Western United States wasn’t widely accepted; most scientists still bought into a theory that landscapes were formed gradually, Warrington explained. With a relatively short history of studying Glacial Lake Missoula, scientists still have a lot to learn about this fantastic tale of one of the world’s largest known floods.

“The interesting thing about this story is that there’s a lot we don’t know,” said Ice Age Floods Institute member Larry Lambert.

For more information on the Ice Age Floods and the Glacial Lake Missoula chapter of IAFI, visit www.iafi.org.

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• Layered sediments – Spring Creek – U.S. Highway 93 between Arlee and Ravalli.

• Strandlines (wave cut shore lines) – National Bison Range – north side.

• Giant ripple marks – Camas Prairie – pull off along Highway 382 just south of Markle Pass.

• Erratics (rocks moved by glacial ice and deposited) – National Bison Range – drive the loop in summer.

• Kolk (pit formed by an underwater whirlpool) – Markle Pass – east side of Highway 382.

• Gulch fill (rocks piled at the ends of gulches by floodwaters) – many valleys on the north side of Highway 200 west of Ravalli.

• Polson Moraine (hill formed by glacial debris and moving ice) – Polson Hill – south end of Flathead Lake.

• Elmo Moraine – west of Elmo on Highway 28.

• Alpine Moraine – valleys east of U.S. Highway 93 – “U” shape extending up the Mission Range.

• Erratics – sometimes buried – rock piles along farm fences.

• Lake bottom – valley sediments are 200 feet or more deep – see downstream from Polson Bridge on the Flathead River.

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2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

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23

Geocaching

“

Y

ou may have heard of it, but to most people, the term is still foreign. Since its creation in 2000 by a computer consultant in Portland, Ore., geocaching has grown to involve more than 5 million participants worldwide. So what’s all the fuss about?

According to geocaching.com, all you need to get started in the high-tech treasure-hunting game — or sport, for you serious geocachers — is a GPS device and a sense of adventure. Using the website geocaching.com, you can find caches hidden near you, program

Geocaching gets you outdoors; you find places you never knew

“

were there.

the coordinates into your GPS, and then the hunt begins. Caches can range from a tiny cylinder containing only a log book for geocachers to sign as proof that they found it, to large ammunition boxes filled with trinkets and small prizes, known as “SWAG” (stuff we all get).

Geocachers measure their successes in “finds,” counting how many caches they’ve located, but for most, the real thrill is the hunt.

You never know where the search will take you, and it’s often to a scenic or interesting out-of-the-way place. “(Geocaching) gets you outdoors; you find places that you never knew were there,” Polson geocacher Kaley Radermacher explained.

Radermacher, who moved to Polson from Minnesota nearly two years ago, first learned about geocaching from a friend’s uncle who explained that he used his handheld GPS to find caches hidden by other people. The game sounded too specialized and elite to involve ordinary

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2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Minnesotans, Radermacher thought, but she soon learned how wrong she was — more than 300 geocaches were listed in her college town alone.

“In all honesty I was shocked; at first I couldn’t believe that there would be geocaches in Mankato, Minnesota,” she said.

Radermacher was hooked; soon she bought her own GPS and geocached during her move to Polson.

Two years later, she’s logged more than 300 finds and “owns” around 10 caches herself, meaning she hid and maintains the caches. She’s found Polson to be a great geocaching town, with a dedicated group of enthusiasts who’ve placed nearly 100 caches in the Polson area.

Montana seems to be the perfect geocaching state, with endless beautiful scenery and hidden gems to discover while searching for caches, a fact the Polson Geocachers group use to their advantage. Local caches range from simple stops on pullouts along U.S. Highway 93 to more strenuous mountain hikes and even spelunking. For those with access to a boat, several caches on Wild Horse Island and other smaller Flathead Lake islands offer adventurous summer day trips. Each state park around Flathead Lake boasts at least one geocache — if you’re interested in hiding a cache, check

out Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ geocaching page at www.fwp.mt.gov/parks/permits/geocaching.html.

Geocaching enhances any vacation, Polson geocaching guru Doug Crosby noted. Since getting into the sport about three years ago, he’s hidden more than two dozen creative caches in the Polson area and logged more than 300 finds from Montana to New Zealand.

“Pretty much everywhere I travel now, I try to do some (geocaching),” he said.

During road trips, hunting a cache is the perfect excuse to stop and stretch your legs, and it keeps you excited about driving as you get closer to the next cache, Kaupa explained.

“It relieves the stress of the road and brings you to new places off the highway that you would never discover without geocaching,” she said.

From “park-and-grab” caches conveniently located at rest stops, highway pullouts and scenic points to extreme adventure caches requiring overnight hikes, geocaching has something to offer for every age and

courtesy photo

Geocaching with handheld GPS devices

ability. Each cache is rated between one and five stars on terrain (how strenuous accessing the cache location is) and difficulty (how tricky it is to find once you reach “ground zero”). In addition to the traditional cache that’s just a container of any size hidden in one spot, there are a variety of other cache types. Multicaches bring geocachers to an initial

Patient-centered

location where they must follow hints to reach successive locations and finally, the physical cache itself.

Mystery or puzzle caches require the geocacher to solve a puzzle or riddle, sometimes very complex, to get the coordinates for the cache.

And the newest form of geocaching brings together several caching elements and puts the geo-

cacher in the dark with night caches.

For these caches, you’ll need a headlamp or flashlight along with a GPS. The coordinates given take the geocacher to the first of a series of small reflective tacks placed on trees, posts, rocks, signs or anywhere else they won’t be easily noticed in the daylight.

Once you’ve found the first tack, you’ll use a light to try and spot the next reflective marker, and so on until you reach the final marker, usually signified by a three tacks in a stoplight or triangle formation. Then the hunt for the actual cache begins, made even trickier under cover of darkness.

“It’s definitely more adventurous,” Radermacher said of night-caching.

For a listing of caches near you and to learn more about getting involved with this ever-evolving activity, visit www.geocaching.com.

And if you’re in the Polson area, look up Polson Geocachers on Facebook or contact Crosby for pointers.

“I’m more than happy to take people out (geocaching) and show them around,” Crosby said.

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Wild Horse Island

L

by Berl Tiskus Valley Journal

egend has it Wild Horse Island got its name from the herd of escaped horses the Salish and Kootenai tribes lost when they used the island to pasture their horses. To protect their horses from the Blackfeet, the tribes would swim their best horses from island to island before finally hiding them out on Wild Horse Island.

Wild horses still live on the island — seven at last count. Five horses were transplanted to the island from the Pryor Mountain herd in the spring of 2010 to join an old gelding, according to David Landstrom, Region One Parks Manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Then one of the mares unexpectedly gave birth to a paint filly, who’s now a healthy yearling.

Besides horses, the island is home to mule deer, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, coyotes, marmots, squirrels and many birds, including golden eagles and ospreys — 100 types of birds and mammals in all.

Termed a Palouse prairie, which means the island produces lots of native bunchgrasses, Wild Horse provides excellent habitat for bighorn sheep. With enough feed all year round and minimal predation, the herd thrives, so much so that for the last three years the FWP has thinned the herd by transplanting sheep from Wild Horse to the Tendoy Mountains south of Dillon.

A weathered cabin and barn are all that remain of a short-lived homestead on the island. Herman Schnitzmeyer, a noted homestead-era photographer, homesteaded the island in 1910 and called his homestead Apollo Heights.

To keep their homesteaded land, homesteaders needed to live on the property for five years, build a home and make improvements.

But just two years later, Schnitzmeyer moved back to Polson where he supported himself with his photography, according to the Hockaday Museum of the Arts website.

Several private homes and lots remain along the shoreline. Visitors are asked to not encroach on their privacy.

Based on survey estimates, Wild

26

courtesy photo

Horse Island hosted about 16,000 visitors during 2011, according to Landstrom.

“We’re really fortunate with the visitors we get at Wild Horse Island,” Landstrom explained, since there is very little litter and trash left by visitors.

Sometimes visitors bring dogs or pets, but that is strictly prohibited because of the large wildlife population. Campfires are not allowed on the island due to fire suppression difficulties.

Accessible only by boat, Wild Horse Island State Park is open year round for day use only. No camping, motorized vehicles or bicycles are allowed. Boats can be rented in Polson or Bigfork to make the trek to the island. If you have your own boat, public boat launches are available at Walstad fishing access, City of Polson docks, Big Arm State Park, Elmo EcoPark or other state parks around Flathead Lake.

Bighorn sheep

Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal

Wild Horse Island

There are six public landing sites on the island, but no public dock. There is also a tremendous amount of shoreline owned by FWP where boaters may land.

Once on the island, visitors can fish, swim, bird watch, picnic or hike the one-mile trail and enjoy the

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

wildlife, wildflowers, forest and prairie landscapes. Trash is strictly pack it in/pack it out, but a restroom is available on the island.

“Take advantage of Wild Horse Island,” Landstrom urged. “It’s worldclass wildlife viewing, and it’s just a gem in this part of Montana.”

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

27

Water Safety

S

ummertime in the Mission Valley means fun in, on and near the water. Whether it is swimming in Flathead Lake, floating down the Flathead River or swimming in the backyard pool, water always seems to play a large part in summer fun for this area of Montana.

While water can make for a fun day, activities involving swimming and water sports also bring along many dangers that people should be aware of.

Drowning is the second-leading cause of death for people in America between the ages of 4 and 44 (behind only motor-vehicle accidents). More than 7,000 people drown in the United States every year with more than 4,700 of those occurring when people did not even intend to get into the water.

While these statistics should be kept in mind by those looking to swim, area swimming instructor Eileen McMillan says the best way to avoid drowning is by taking the most obvious of precautions: learn how to swim.

“One of the most important things you can do to stay safe near the water is to learn how to swim,” she said. “Learning to swim is very important. I know it sounds like a common sense issue, but it is always surprising to see how many people drown each year because they didn’t know how to swim.”

According to McMillan, nearly two-thirds of all drowning victims did not know how to swim.

Even if you do know how to swim, McMillan says it is very important not to go swimming alone.

“Nearly half of the people who drown every year were swimming alone,” she said. “It is always important to have someone with you if you are going to swim. If you are swimming alone and get into trouble, then there is nobody there to help you.”

Supervision is also an important part of water safety, according to McMillan.

“Supervision is a big deal,” she said. “Even in public pools. It is not unusual for kids to be swimming while the parents are poolside talking to each other and not paying attention. That only leads to trouble.”

Even with supervision, McMillan says it is not always obvious when someone is struggling in the water.

“A major problem is that it can be very hard to see that a swimmer is in trouble,” she said.

“Television and the movies portray drowning with someone waving their arms and screaming for help, but drowning is usually a silent event. A swimmer gets water in their lungs and starts to go under and you never hear a thing.”

“

Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal

Swimming race on Flathead Lake

If you do see someone having trouble in the water, it is very important to know what to do.

Unfortunately, the most obvious thing to do is truly the last thing you should do.

“If you see someone struggling, one thing you should never do is swim out to them,” McMillan said. “Don’t ever let them grab onto you. Always put something between you and them. If a drowning person is able to grab onto you, more likely than not, they will just take you under with them.”

McMillan says the first thing you should do if you see someone in trouble is to try to reach for them with something they can grab onto. The second option is to throw out some sort of flotation device. If that is not possible, then try to get to them by boat. If all else fails, then you should swim out to them, but that should be a last resort.

“It doesn’t matter who they are and how they are related to you, they will pull you under with them if they are in a panic,” McMillan said.

If someone is far out in the water and is having trouble, the situation changes drastically.

“Someone having issues far from shore is a really tough situation,” McMillan said. “If someone is having trouble far from shore and you do not feel comfortable trying to help them, then you should go back and get help. It may be tough to leave that person out there, but it may be the best chance to save them. Too many people have jumped into the water trying to save someone only to end up drowning too.”

Another way to stay safe on the water this sum-

Nearly half of the people who drown every year were

swimming

28

alone. “

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

mer is by making sure to wear a lifejacket.

“It just seems like so many people go out on boats without wearing a lifejacket,” McMillan said.

“It always seems senseless when someone drowns when they are not wearing a lifejacket.”

Lakes and rivers present their own dangers to swimmers as conditions are always changing.

“Lakes and rivers can be very dangerous places for swimmers,” McMillan said. “Even if you know the area well, the water conditions are constantly changing. You never know what is going on just below the surface. The surface of the water can be calm while currents that can pull you under are lurking where you can’t see them.”

McMillan says that it is also very important to know the weather conditions when swimming, especially when swimming in a lake, as storms can form and move quickly. She says that if you spot dark clouds while swimming, you should immediately head for shore.

It is also important to be safe when diving into water this summer.

“When it comes to diving, it is very important to know the depth of the water before you dive in,” McMillan said. “You need to know how much water you have beneath you. You should have eight feet of water to do a standard front dive.”

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, McMillan said that it is very important to be careful around water when drinking.

“Another big factor in drowning is alcohol consumption,” she said. “Drinking and water just do not mix very well. What happens is that someone who has been drinking gets into the water and gets into trouble, then the other people that have been drinking have no chance to save them. If someone who has been drinking does try to help, then they are at a high risk of also drowning.”

No matter where you go swimming this summer, it is important to keep safety in mind.

A

Glacier National Park plethora of activities and attractions awaits visitors to the Mission Valley who are willing to follow the road a bit further north: Glacier National Park, a destination for 2 million visitors every year and one of the most beautiful areas Montana has to offer.

Often people mark the Going-to-the-Sun Road as a highlight of the park, but there are a number of exciting aspects to the park waiting to be explored. In fact, every location in the park offers a chance to discover historic homesteading sites, Native American history, peaceful landscapes and breathtaking valleys.

Established as a national park on May 11, 1910, Glacier National Park is located on the border of Montana and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

Glacier National Park actually connects with Canada’s Waterton Lakes National Park to form the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

There are two ways to reach the western entrance of the park from the Mission Valley.

For those wanting to see the western shore of Flathead Lake along the way, Highway 93 see page 30

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

29

Glacier (continued from page 29)

travels north to Kalispell. Once in Kalispell, Highway 93 intersects with U.S. Highway 2, which travels to West Glacier and the park’s western entrance.

Alternatively, Montana Highway 35 travels north from Polson along Flathead Lake’s eastern shore.

Travelers can enjoy fantastic views of the lake and the area’s plentiful cherry orchards as the road makes its way to Bigfork. Once past Bigfork, travel 11.4 miles and turn right on Montana Highway 206, which travels to Columbia Falls. The road ends at U.S. Highway 2, where a right turn will lead you to West Glacier.

Glacier National Park covers a vast area of land – more than 1 million acres – that includes a variety of climates and ecosystems ranging from grass-covered prairie land to frozen tundra in the park’s higher elevations.

Visitors to the park can also expect to see a wide variety of wildlife, ranging from bears (both black and grizzly) to songbirds. The park is home to many species of animals, including

30

mountain goats, big horn sheep, mountain lions, moose, mule deer, whitetailed deer, coyotes, elk, wolves, badgers, porcupine and even the rarely seen wolverine and Canadian lynx.

If birds are your thing, Glacier National Park boasts numerous types of flyers, more than 260 different species in all. Visitors may get the chance to glimpse such amazing birds as golden eagles, peregrine falcons, ospreys, Canada geese, great horned owls, harlequin ducks, blue herons and bald eagles, just to name a few.

Fishermen will be glad to hear that Glacier is home to 23 species of fish, including cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish and kokanee salmon.

The best way to see all of Glacier’s many animals is to take a walk along one of the park’s 700 miles of trails.

There are numerous day hiking trails throughout the park that are easily accessible, as well as many backcountry trails for the more seasoned hiker.

A permit is required for backcountry camping. Hikers are asked to make arrangements at one of the park’s visitor centers before venturing into the backcountry. Much of the park’s backcountry is closed until early June due see page 31

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

file photo

Glacier National Park waterfall

Glacier (continued from page 30)

to high snow levels, and several of the trails in the park’s higher regions do not open to hikers until the snow melts in July.

The park also has numerous camping sites for those wishing to enjoy a night’s stay under the stars.

Summer tourists should keep in mind that the majority of the park’s visitors come between the months of June and September, making finding camping spots difficult at times.

“We get pretty busy about the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, usually when the higher elevation trails finally open,” Glacier National Park Public Affairs Officer Ellen Blickhan said.

The park has two campgrounds that take reservations: Fish Creek on the west side and St. Mary on the East side. The 11 other auto campgrounds are first-come, first-serve.

Apgar Campground, on the west side of the park, will open May 4 and St. Mary Campground will open May 14. Other campgrounds will open as the weather warms and the season progresses.

For those who prefer to stay off their feet, Glacier National Park offers several ways to get a good view of the area without leaving the comfort of a vehicle.

The famous Going to the Sun Road bisects the park and is the only route for vehicles traveling

file photo

Glacier National Park wildflowers

completely through the park’s interior. The road crosses the continental divide at Logan Pass and travels to St. Mary on the east side of the park and West Glacier on the western side of the park.

Glacier National Park is never closed, but Going to the Sun Road is not open year-round, as snow keeps the passage closed until mid- June. Motorists should also be aware of the current project to reha-

bilitate the road and should be prepared to face construction crews and delays along the road.

Until plowing is complete, 21 miles of the Going to the Sun Road are open for travel; visitors can drive 15.5 miles from the West Entrance to Avalanche and 5.5 miles from St. Mary Entrance to see page 32

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file photo

Mountain Goat

Glacier (continued from page 31)

Rising Sun. The section between Avalanche and Rising Sun is closed due to plowing, but good news for hikers and bicyclists: while vehicles are banned, walking or biking is encouraged along this section of Going to the Sun. Due to rehabilitation activities between Avalanche

Creek and Logan Creek, spring hiker and biker access may be reduced from previous years, but this is an upclose and personal way to see springtime in the park.

Although the main road through the park may not be open during most of June, the park is still worth visiting.

“Some of the advantages of coming in early June, before the road opens, are that snow is melting and

Local Artwork

the water is flowing well,” Blickhan said. “The waterfalls are big. The flowers are at their best. Trails are starting to be clear of snow and the animals are at their most active.”

Glacier National Park offers current road statuses throughout the year on its website, nps.gov/glac.

The earliest possible opening of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in its entirety will be June 15.

While construction is one reason for keeping the road closed, weather also plays a large factor in when the road opens.

For those who would rather let someone else do the driving, the park features a fleet of White Motor Company coaches, called Red Jammers, which ferry tourists throughout Glacier. Visitors can just sit back, enjoy the ride and let their guide show them the wonders of the park.

Tour boats also operate on several of the park’s larger lakes, including Lake McDonald and St. Mary Lake.

While Going to the Sun Road is a great way to see most of the park, there are a few other areas that are accessible by car that are more than worth the drive.

The Two Medicine area in the southeast section of the park can be reached by vehicle by leaving the east entrance of the park in St. Mary and driving south along US Highway 89.

Once the main entrance to the park, Two Medicine was the area that most visitors to the park saw until Going to the Sun Road was completed in 1932.

Another must-visit area off the main road in the park is the Many Glacier area. The Many Glacier area is located in the northeastern part of the park and can be reached by exiting the eastern entrance at St. Mary

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and driving north along US Highway 89.

Many Glacier boasts the park’s largest hotel, the aptly named Many Glacier Hotel, which is located on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake. The area is a hiker’s paradise with access to several major hiking trails to some of the park’s most stunning scenery.

It is a common misconception that the park is named Glacier because of the several glaciers it contains. The park is called Glacier National Park because it was the action of glaciers during the ice age that cut the many mountains, lakes and other formations that can be seen throughout the region.

That does not mean the park is without glaciers. Glacier National Park is currently home to 37 separate glaciers, though only 25 of these are large enough to be considered “active glaciers” by contemporary geologists.

It is a well-documented fact that glaciers are quickly disappearing from Glacier National Park. A changing climate and rising temperatures during the past one hundred years have helped reduce the number of glaciers in the park from 150 to the 37 seen today. Scientists speculate that the park may lose all of its glaciers sometime between 2020 and 2030.

Despite the decrease of glaciers, the park will not change its name when they are gone.

For now, though, the park still offers many spectacular glacier views, especially for those who are willing to make the hikes necessary to see them.

Whether you come for the fishing, the hiking, the camping or just to see the sights, be sure to visit Glacier National Park this summer.

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

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Tourism boosts state, local economy

Linda Sappington/Valley Journal

Bison at the National Bison Range

Tourism

by Tetona Dunlap Valley Journal

GLACIER COUNTRY — Thirty years ago, tourism wasn’t even on the radar when it came to Montana’s top industries. But thanks to legislation implemented in 1987, tourism now ranks in the top two, along with agriculture, raking in $2.5 billion in direct expenditures from 10.5 million non-resident visitors every year.

This means that 75 percent of every

visitor dollar is spent in local communities, equating to approximately 28,110 jobs and $785 million in worker salaries statewide.

Montana’s successful tourism industry relies on the 4 percent Lodging and Facility Use Tax, commonly referred to as the bed tax, which helped the state during an economic slump in the 1980s and continues to do so today.

In 1988, the first year of its existence, the tax generated $5

million. In 2006, that number increased more than 200 percent to $15.4 million. In 2010, visitor spending generated $180 million in state and local tax revenue. And that number is expected to increase as the revenue from the tax is used to effectively market the six distinct tourism regions across the state that include Glacier Country, Russell Country, Missouri River Country, Gold West Country, Yellowstone

93 Discount

Country and Custer Country.

Without money brought in from tourism, it is estimated that each Montana household would have to pay $480 in additional local and state taxes.

Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission, a nonprofit organization, works to create a balanced partnership among the eight western Montana counties that see page 34

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Tourism (continued from page 33)

make up the Glacier Country region. These counties include Flathead, Glacier, Lake, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli and Sanders.

Some of their marketing goals are to raise awareness of Glacier Country as a recognized destination and increase visitation yearround.

“The commonality in Glacier Country is the types of activities we provide. We really are a recreational mecca,” said Racene Friede, executive director of Western Montana’s Glacier Country. She shared that Glacier National Park and Yellowstone are the two key markets. The area also features rich culture and stunning landscapes, as well as the Flathead Indian Reservation and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation; along with the Blackfoot, Bitterroot and Clark Fork rivers.

Often the traffic that flows through Lake County en route to Glacier stops along the way, pausing at several unique attractions in the Mission Valley and enhancing local economies.

One of those attractions is the National Bison Range in Moiese, where outdoor recreation planner Pat Jamieson said peak season often coincides with the open period for Glacier’s Going-to-theSun Road. But typically the bison range’s busiest stretch is from July 4 to August. Last year, the National Bison Range hosted more than 122,000 visitors during

Summer Goddard/Valley Journal

Kerr Dam

the summer.

“That’s when the summer visitors hit us,” Jamieson said, rattling off a plethora of range activities that draw these crowds, including stellar hiking landscapes with the Mission Mountains looming in the distance to excellent opportunities to photograph elk, whitetail and bison.

“We have one of the best wildlife viewing and photographing opportunities around,” she shared.

Though the summer tide won’t turn for another four months, locals will soon be taking to the

range about mid-May when the popular Red Sleep Mountain Drive will open.

Jamieson noted that the National Bison Range is not only utilized by out-of-staters, but draws many locals as well. In fact, she credited local traffic to maintaining visitor numbers when state tourist numbers drop.

“We do get a lot of locals, and we are only three hours from Spokane,” Jamieson said, adding that visitors can spend half a day exploring the range and also have the opportunity to hit up great local museums, hike the Missions or boat on nearby Flathead Lake.

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“You don’t have to go to Glacier to do those types of things,” Jamieson said.

“Those are our calling cards.

Usually people visit Glacier National Park first and are so impressed that they are coming back to visit Glacier again but also exploring other aspects of Montana such as the Bob Marshall Wilderness,” Friede shared.

A new National Park Service report indicates that in 2010 more than 2 million visitors spent almost $110 million in Glacier National Park and nearby

Call Marion Cooper or Jennie Jorgenson for a tour.

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Tourism (continued from page 34)

communities. This spending supported 1,695 jobs in the lodging, food and beverage services (52 percent) followed by 29 percent in retail; 10 percent related to entertainment/amusement; 7 percent in gas and local transportation and 2 percent for groceries.

“Glacier National Park has historically been an economic driver in the state,” said Glacier National Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright.

“This report shows the value that many good and services provided by local businesses are to the park visitor, as well as employment opportunities for the area.”

Friede explained that Glacier Country is working to make sure these visitors who come back to re-explore Montana are well informed of the state’s other aspects and attractions.

Polson is one of the larger towns on U.S. Highway 93 that features small-town charms and big city draws.

According to Heather Knutson, president of the Polson Chamber of Commerce, the city has been proving itself a hospitable hot spot for conventions and festivals.

During the summer, the city will host the 20th annual Flathead Lake 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, which draws hundreds of ballers to battle on the pavement. In August, the area also claims the largest car show in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 500 hotrods, custom and classic cars lining the streets.

“The Cherry Festival is definitely a local favorite,” Knutson said of the Flathead Cherry Festival, which offers more than 125 vendors, and last year saw an estimated 8,000 visitors over a two-day period.

Another unique aspect of Polson, besides the shimmering waters of Flathead Lake, is the fact that the city does not have any type of resort or tourist tax, though similar in size and

file photo

Ronan Pioneer Days rodeo

offerings to other nearby resort communities.

“Polson currently does not have (sales tax),” Knutson said.

As the summer months draw closer, Knutson and others in the Mission Valley happily prepare for the onslaught of visitors to the area.

“You can’t make a left-hand turn on Highway 93 during the summer,” Knutson joked about summer traffic.

And though she acknowledges the impact out-of-state guests have on the state and local communities, she also credits less-known seasonal visitors to the numbers, as well. These types of visitors often stay in summer homes or cabins and leave during the winter. Knutson noted seasonal visitors are an interesting subsector of tourists that add to the tourist economy.

But tourists, seasonal or not, are impacting Montana’s economy and this is illustrated in a

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Currently, Californians make up 6 percent of non-resident visitors to Lake County every year, while Coloradans constitute the most with 13 percent. In January, Allegiant announced it would offer nonstop jet service between Kalispell, Missoula, Bozeman, Billings and Glacier Park International Airports and the San Francisco Bay Area. The airline already offers flights to Las Vegas, Nev., Phoenix, Ariz., and Los Angeles, Calif.

“When you really think about it, there isn’t another sector that (tourism) doesn’t impact,” said Friede.

To discover more about what the Glacier Country region offers, visit www.glaciermt.com.

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Golf courses

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he Mission Valley is a paradise for golfers with a wide selection for golfers of all levels and ages.

• Polson Bay Golf Course has spectacular scenery and immaculate playing conditions, with 27 breathtaking holes that boast spectacular lake and mountain views and comprises the only golf course located on the shores of Flathead Lake.

Their 18-hole course plays 6,401 yards from the white tees and 7,008 from the blue tees.

Facilities include PGA Golf Shop, driving range, practice greens, power cart rental, regular and VIP rental, golf lessons and a restaurant and lounge. The golf course is located at 111 Bayview Drive in Polson, MT 59860. For more information call (406) 8838230 and ask for Roger Wallace, PGA Director of golf, or PGA Head Professional Cameron Milton or visit their website at www.polsonbaygolf.com.

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Boone Goddard/Valley Journal

Mission MountainGolf Course

• Mission Mountain Golf Course is located in the heart of the Mission Valley, west of Ronan, and features the most lush fairways and greens in western Montana.

Add to this the spectacular views of the Mission Mountains from every hole, and you will have a truly pleasurable golf experience.

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Residential Construction

Dock Construction

Commercial Construction

Barge Services

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(406) 883-4233 36

is located west of Ronan on Round Butte Road. Turn west at stoplight on Highway 93, then proceed three miles and look for signs. The street address is 640 Stage Coach Trail, Ronan, MT 59864. Phone: (406) 676-4653.

The season is from March 15 through Oct. 31. Hours of operation are daylight hours. Services offered include: bar/lounge, club house, driving range, golf equipment rental, golf cart, golf club repair, golf instruction, handicapped accessible, locker room, pro shop, putting green, snack bar and restaurant.

• Silver Fox Golf Course is a nine-hole executive course located in Pablo, adjacent to the Salish Kootenai College. Silver Fox includes four par-four holes and five par-threes.

The course is located on Division East Street, on the southern end of the SKC Campus, right off Highway 93 in Pablo. Phone: (406) 675-PUTT. Visit www.silverfoxgolf.com.

Silver Fox has a full-service pro shop, driving range and a PGA Head Professional, Mark Cordier.

Salvage Recovery

(406) 261-4461

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

37

Pine Beetles

F

or more than a decade, environmental protection agencies throughout Montana have waged war on an insect the size of a grain of rice.

The Mountain Pine Beetle, a native insect has taken advantage of warm, dry weather to wreak havoc on Montana’s pristine wilderness, killing millions of trees along the way.

As a long-time insect of interest, the U.S. Forest Service has been keeping a close eye on the tiny invader as the current outbreak isn’t the first occurrence. According to Gregg DeNitto, Group Leader for the Forest Health Protection Group, records show the first outbreak happened in the late 20s to early 30s, returned in the late 70s and ran through the early 80s.

The previous outbreak played a key role to the devastating fires in Yellowstone National Park, where 793,880 acres, or 36 percent of the park and Greater Yellowstone region were effected by fires.

“They’re native and have been here throughout all of our recorded history,” DeNitto said. “It’s not anything new.”

To survey the damage, the Forest Service gathers results from insect and disease aerial surveys by flying small planes over heavily forested areas throughout the state. Observers collect data on types of tree species impacted, type of insect or disease causing the impact, and the extent of damage and numbers of trees killed. The large scale search hinders the team from covering all of Montana, but they do cover the most of the state.

“We don’t always get the entire area covered,” he said. “But we do the best we can.”

The pine beetles’ tree of choice is the lodge pole pine, with the most susceptible areas where the trees are even-aged, and suppressed by heavy growth. 100110 year-old lodge pole pines that are large in diameter are also at high risk, DeNitto said.

In effort to cut back on the pine beetle infestation, logging companies take away damaged trees, while leaving healthy ones to continue growing — a process Linda Sappington/Valley Journal

Sticky sap bubbles: evidence of pine beetle infestation

38

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

called “thinning.” Proactive efforts have helped reduce affected lands from more than 2 million acres in 2010, to approximately 900,000 in 2011. The current outbreak began in 1999, and is the longest consecutive outbreak on record.

“The outbreak is declining,” DeNitto noted. “Research was done during the last outbreak, and it was documented that if we could reduce stocking density, it would increase the trees’ vigor (which would reduce Pine Beetle numbers).”

The beetles come out in mid to late summer, flying around for 7 to 11 days, before boring into the bark of a tree. Once inside, females enter the pholem (inner bark), where the trees are most susceptible.

“If successful, a male will come in with the female, boar a gallery and lays eggs,” DeNitto said. “The eggs hatch under the bark, becoming larvae who feed on the inner bark.”

The beetles remain in the bark throughout the winter, where they

Linda Sappington/Valley Journal

Tree killed by mountain pine beetles

seek protection from the elements.

The age-old myth that says extreme temperature drops below zero kill the beetles is not exactly true. Another problem, is that when a beetle enters a tree, they release pheromones, which attracts the masses. It takes thousands of

pine beetles to kill a tree, which can happen in a couple of weeks.

“The beetles have been here a long time and have adapted to climate,” DeNitto noted. “They essentially produce anti-freeze and with protection from the bark they can tolerate pretty severe

cold.”

Only rapid temperature drops at the beginning and end of winter, where the beetles’ antifreeze is at a lower level, kill off the pesky bugs.

In Northwest Montana, the Bitterroot mountain range is currently the most active area of pine beetles infestation, while Helena, Butte and Anaconda are also under the gun.

DeNitto says Seeley Swan and the Flathead Indian Reservation have also seen damage to lodge pole pines and ponderosa pines from the beetles, but the issue is currently not as severe in these areas.

It takes around 10 years for a dead tree to fall, DeNitto says, which can cause extreme fire danger, not only for Montana’s wilderness, but for the firefighters on the ground. Downed trees cause altered fire behavior, making it difficult for firefighters to know how the fire will burn. It also causes snags that put their lives in extreme danger.

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BUY - SELL - TRADE - LOAN Guns, Gold & Silver, Jewelry Optics, Art, Collectibles, Antiques

The Unusual and the Obvious 102 Rufus Lane, Polson, MT 59860 On the way to WalMart (406)

883-2440

Polson’s Premier Pawn Shop ~ polsonpawnshop.com 2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

39

Molding peace

Melea Burke/Valley Journal

Buddha Barn

Garden of 1,000 Buddhas

T

by Tetona Dunlap Valley Journal

his place is full of surprises. A home to native culture, ranch life and rural agriculture, the Flathead Reservation brings to mind many pictures of the American West. But in a field outside the small community of Arlee sits an embassy of the East: the EWAM Garden of 1,000 Buddhas.

40

Driving down the dirt road leading to the garden, the colorful 25-foot statue of Yum Chenmo emerges from the fields, bright and bold, against the stark mountainside in the distance.

Also known as the “Great Mother,” or the perfect manifestation of the perfection of wisdom in the Buddhist tradition; the gold, cobalt blue, red and orange statue is surrounded by carefully constructed walls that make up

the Dharma wheel. Soon these walls will be home to 1,000 Buddhas and 1,000 stupas (hard carved volcanic stone reliquaries), which represent the enlighted mind. Now the figures wait in crates shipped in from Indonesia, stored next to the walls. Placed on the gau in front of each stupa will be 1,000 green Tara statues made in Taiwan. The garden also received 1,000 sogshings (rolled blessings, mantras and medicine) from Rinpoche’s nunnery in Nepal, which will be inserted into each stupa.

“The stupas were all hand-carved

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

by one family in Java,” said EWAM media and communications coordinator Deborah Hicks. “It’s been an international project.”

Ten years ago, Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche, an incarnate Tibetan Buddhist lama, founded the garden in an effort to bring together people of all faiths and cultures to a place that cultivates peace. This year the garden will celebrate the eighth annual Peace Festival and second annual Peace Walk from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 8. see page 42

When Visiting the Lower Flathead River...

Remember to Do Your Part!

• Never leave a campfire unattended.

• Keep it clean - if you pack it in, pack it out.

• Be sure to keep track of fishing hooks, lures, baits and line - loose line can injure and kill animals.

• Treat wildlife with respect by observing without disturbing plants and animals.

• Use the river shoreline rather than a stream-bed as a pathway in order to protect fragile stream-bottom habitats.

Remind your friends and relatives that off-road vehicle use is strictly prohibited!

“O

ver 50 miles of the Lower Flathead River remain undeveloped, with no homes along the shoreline, few roads with little traffic, and mile upon mile of scenic free-flowing River. Visitors will not see “NO TRESPASSING” signs. The landowners - the Confederated Salish and Kotenai Tribes - allow access not only to Tribal members, but also to non-members who purchase a valid Tribal recreation use permit. Continued public access to the river depends upon visitors treating this fragile landscape with respect. Only in this way can we maintain and improve the health of the land and the purity of the waters. Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen a dramatic increase in vandalism, noxious weeds, illegal off-road vehicle use, and excessive ivestock grazing. These abuses often result in scars upon the land that can last for generations. We ask visitors to respect this special place, and to report to Tribal authorities anyone violating the regulations that are in place to protect the resource for all visitors. If everyone does their part, we can ensure continued open access for all.”

Lester Bigcrane, Manager, Wildland Recreation Program Appropriate use of this precious resource will allow for continued public access in the future.

For more information please contact the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Natural Resources Department at 883-2888.

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

41

Garden of 1,000 Buddhas For the entire month of July, under the direction of Rinpoche, 1,000 stupas will be set and consecrated in the garden. There are several ways for volunteers to get involved in this month-long ceremony. Students can also donate items to be instilled in the stupas but are asked to notify EWAM of what items they will bring. There are also a limited number of stupas available to sponsor in the name of your family or loved ones.

“It was a very productive year,” Hicks said of completed projects in 2011, putting the garden right on schedule with major construction.

All the work will accumulate with the anticipated blessing from the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet. Hicks said there is no set date yet, adding that the Dalai Lama has a very busy schedule.

Whenever His Holiness’ visit is set, Rinpoche and volunteers would like a great deal of the garden complete.

(continued from page 40)

In 2010, irrigation was installed throughout the garden along with a well and pump house. Now, all eight inner walls, two outer throne walls and all the dirt pathways have been replaced with handicappedaccessible walkways. A stupa carving and painting by Nepali artist Lama Sonam Tsering is finished on the back of the Yum Chenmo statue.

Next up to tackle will be landscaping and paving a parking lot. Last year, 100 trees were donated, and in the end, 1,000 trees will be planted on the 60-acre sanctuary. The first of 1,000 Buddha statues, created by local volunteers, has also been installed on one of eight spokes of the wheel.

The rest of the nearly 850 total statues sit in the barn patiently waiting for the day they grace the walls, 1,000 strong, as well.

Every day the Buddha numbers grow, as volunteers work yearround casting statues. Jacob Ries, who has volunteered for about a

Melea Burke/Valley Journal Garden founder Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche

year and a half, spent many hours last winter making sure each one came out perfect. Inside the barn, by the warmth of a wood stove, Ries was a one-man crew most days. But volunteers are welcomed year-round at the garden, although

they’re asked to call to set up an appointment first. One of the curious was Jamie Breidenbach, who read a story about the garden in a newspaper in Missoula and decided to call and see if she could arrange a visit. see page 43

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a beautiful life

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883•3310

Garden of 1,000 Buddhas (continued from page 42)

To her surprise and delight, she learned that not only was the garden open, but she could cast a statue. This was a plus because her friend Jessy Lee had just returned from a backpacking trip in New Zealand and Breidenbach wanted give her a belated Christmas present.

“I knew she wouldn’t want a ‘thing’ for Christmas,” Breidenbach said. “I thought (casting a statue) would be even better.”

Lee couldn’t agree more, her gloved hands full of concrete, smiling as she enjoyed her gift.

“I’m in the middle of a year-long backpacking adventure,” Lee said. “I can’t really carry much.”

The two worked the mixture in their hands like dough, placing it inside the Buddha cast, as Ries inserted a vibrating metal rod inside the mold to rid the concoction of bubbles.

Ries said it often takes five to 10 hours to cast and patch, or take out the imperfections, on one statue alone.

“It’s a very slow but wonderful process,” Ries shared.

After that, the statue sits and cures in the mold for about three weeks. It is then taken out and smoothed with a fine sandpaper and weather sealed.

The entire process takes about a month for each statue.

One of the final steps, after filling

the mold, includes adding a bundle that contains sacred mantras, substances and herbs.

“Hold it over your heart,” Ries tells the two women, holding the bundle over his chest. “It is the last chance to add your spirit to the statue.”

They then take turns pushing the bundle into the statue they helped create.

“It’s been great,” Lee said of the volunteering opportunity. “It’s a fun environment.”

For more information about the garden or volunteering, visit ewambuddhagarden.org.

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We welcome our visitors

to experience a friendly country store in the St. Ignatius Amish Community.

Quilts, Gifts, and a Whole Lot More!

WOOLS • LUSCIOUS YARNS FOR KNITTERS

DISCOVER THE LOCALS’ SECRET Bulk Foods Hutterite Chicken (turkey in season)

Fresh Eggs

Large Jam - Salsa Selection Areas Largest Deli Meat Cheese Selection Groceries

Serving made to order Deli Sandwiches Homemade Style Ice Cream - made on premises Friday - Saturday, May 15 through Labor Day

Come experience the difference.

KITS • A STORE FULL OF INSPIRATION

(406) 883-3643 Hours: Mon-Sat. 9-5:30 • Closed Sunday 61307 Watson Rd. • St. Ignatius, MT ~ Turn East on Airport Rd. to Watson Rd. (Follow Signs)

210 Main Street, Polson Open Mon-Sat • 9:30 - 5:30

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

43

Lake Lake County County Waste Waste Disposal Disposal and Recycling Information TRANSFER STATION & RECYCLING CENTER & DISTRICT OFFICE 3 6 1 1 7 N o r th R es e r v o ir R d , P ol s on 883-7323

Open 7am to 5pm, Seven Days A Week Except For Legal Holidays

Acceptable Wastes: Household Waste • Garbage • Dead Animals Used Refrigerators and Freezers Brush • Tree Trimmings • Stumps Untreated, unglued, unpainted wood waste Concrete (without exposed rebar)

Recyclables: (Must Be Clean and Separated) Cardboard • Newspaper • Office Paper • Magazines Aluminum and Steel Cans • Rigid Plastic (#1 - #7) Used Motor Oil • Antifreeze • Lead Batteries

CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION DEBRIS LANDFILL 39276 Ke rr Dam Rd , Polson, MT 59860 883-5412

Open 8am to 5pm, Tuesday - Saturday Except For Legal Holidays

Acceptable Wastes: Construction & Demolition Debris • Large Bulky Items • Scrap Metal • Compostable Yard Waste

SEVEN RURAL CONTAINER SITES: Open 7am to 7pm, Seven Days A Week Except For Legal Holidays

Woods Bay – 14692 Sylvan Dr Proctor – 45642 Lake Mary Ronan Rd Ferndale – 13003 Hwy 83 Elmo – 49529 Hwy 28

Swan – 25781 Hwy 83 Charlo – 55633 Herak Rd Ravalli – 66972 N Valley Creek Rd

Acceptable Wastes: ONLY Residential / Household Wastes and Quantities

C ONTROL (C OVER) ALL LOADS PLEASE CONTACT OFFI CE FOR PROPER WA STE DI SPOSAL

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44

courtesy photo

Rafting on the Lower Flathead River

River trips

O

n a hot summer day, nothing is as refreshing as climbing aboard a raft and splashing through Buffalo Rapids, the challenging stretch of whitewater below Kerr Dam outside Polson. Or if you’re feeling a little more relaxed and want a longer trip, a canoe, float tube or kayak can provide a full day of fun while you soak up the sun and scenery on the Lower Flathead River.

Whether you own a boat, choose to rent one or would like a guided river adventure, you can find plenty of options in Polson. Flathead Raft Company offers guided half, full-day and overnight raft trips, and sea kayaks are also available to rent and take on the lower portion of the river below Buffalo Bridge. Discounts for kids 12 and under and group discounts are available.

If you have your own equipment and choose to strike out independently, there are a few things you should know about the river.

The Lower Flathead River is 72 miles long from Kerr Dam to its convergence with the Clark Fork River. The Lower Flathead is the fourth largest river in Montana, with average flow of 11,700 cubic feet per second (One cfs is equivalent to 448.8 gallons per minute).

Spring runoff causes maximum river flow from about mid-May to midJune, with average flows ranging from 13,000 to 30,000 cfs during that time. Then in July, flows decrease to around 3,200 cfs.

Those numbers mean that the summer months offer varying experiences on the river. While a June run on the Lower Flathead is sure to thrill adventure-seekers, in July, rafters are more likely to have sunshine and warmer water. Things heat up even more by August.

“I usually tell people, ‘You can come back in June, July or August and have a different run every time,’” Flathead Raft Company owner Sean Fragua said.

For the average Joe, July is probably the best time to run the river, Fragua said. There’s still plenty of water and nice weather, and the water has had time to warm up a bit, he explained.

You can also customize your river-running experience depending on which section of the river you choose to travel. If you start at the Kerr Dam access point, you’ll travel seven miles to the first stopping point at Buffalo Bridge. Depending on the water flow, this trip takes about a quarter to a half day. This section is home to Buffalo Rapids and is categorized as class 3 to 4 whitewater — canoes are not recommended.

From Buffalo Bridge to Sloan’s Bridge, you’ll travel 20 miles over a full day to two days. Here the river drops an average of three feet per mile and is rated class 1 to 2, offering something for all levels of river-floaters.

Sloan’s Bridge to Hoskin’s Landing is another full-day trip, covering 20 miles of class 1 water, dropping about 1.6 feet per mile.

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

River trips From Hoskin’s Landing in Dixon, it’s 7 miles to McDonald Crossing.

This half-day trip is class 1, dropping 1.5 feet per mile.

McDonald Crossing to Perma Bridge is another 7-mile class 1 stretch, as is Perma Bridge to the Flathead Reservation boundary.

These river access points offer various recreational facilities such as picnic tables, restrooms and campsites. If you choose an overnight river trip, remember that camping is allowed in established campgrounds or semi-developed sites as evidenced by tables, toilets, fire rings or other improvements associated with camper/recreational use. You must also camp at least

(continued from page 44)

100 feet away from the riverbank.

For non-tribal members 12 years and older, a Flathead Reservations Use Permit is required when boating or floating on the Lower Flathead River. If you plan to do any fishing or camping along the way you’ll need an appropriate activity stamp, too. Remember to keep your recreation permit with you on tribal lands — violations of these rules can result in fines and/or expulsion.

For a map and more information about the Lower Flathead River, contact the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Natural Resources Department at (406) 883-2888.

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Be sure to purchase recreational permits, licenses Recreational activities on the Flathead Indian Reservation including hiking, picnicking, swimming, photography, camping, fishing and boating require various permits and licenses. A new restriction this year is that non-tribal members will not be allowed to pick berries and mushrooms on tribal lands unless they are children or the spouse of a tribal member who accompany and assist their tribal member parent or spouse with berry and mushroom picking. For complete details on fishing and recreation regulations of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – pick up a handbook at any of the following locations where licenses and permits are sold: Polson • CSKT Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation, and Conservation - 406 Sixth Ave. E. in Polson; open Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; call (406) 883-2888.

• Walmart - 170 Heritage Lane, (406) 883-9211 Pablo • Zimmer Tackle –s 32 Carlyle Lane, (406) 675-0068 Ronan • Ronan Sports and Western – 63298 Hwy. 93, (406) 676-3701

Join us ...

Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 27-29 for the 20th annual

Flathead Lake 3-on-3

Basketball Tournament and Slam Dunk Contest in Polson.

Register at www.flatheadlake3on3.com 3-on-3 presented by Anderson Broadcasting.

Slam Dunk Contest presented by Town Pump and Budweiser.

* Concerts and basketball events are free and open to the public.

and...

Friday and Saturday, August 10 & 11 for

Concerts at Riverside Park during the Valley Cruisers’

Craig Barton & Friends & Gladys Friday Band Friday, Aug.10 7 p.m.

The Bop-A-Dips Saturday, Aug. 11 7 p.m.

St. Ignatius • Allard’s General Store – 1 Museum Lane, (406) 745-2951 FM

Hot Springs • Y Quick Stop – 1893 Hwy. 28, (406) 741-3210 Reservation permits are also available on the Internet at http://app.mt.gov/Als/Index.

A Reservation Permit must be purchased initially from a retail outlet/Reservation Permit vendor; then subsequent permits can be purchased online.

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

45

Arlee Celebration DON GARRISON Hwy 93, Arlee

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(406) 239-5288

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Jocko Valley Farmers’ Market Wednesdays • 4-7 pm

June 6 - Sept. 26 • Locally grown produce, • Value added food, • Baked goods • Art • Weekly live music and dinners EBT, Debit and Credit Cards accepted.

Hwy 93 in downtown Arlee next to The Hangin Art Gallery.

For more information call 406-726-5550.

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Wilson Family Foods 92345 U.S. Hwy 93 • Arlee • 726-DELI

46

G

atherings and celebrations with singing, dancing, socializing, education, craft work and feasting have been an important part of the Salish and Pend d’Orielle Tribes’ — and other Indian tribes’ — life for centuries.

All are welcome to the celebratory gatherings, such as the Arlee Celebration. The event coincided with the traditional mid-summer break in the hunting and gathering cycle of the Salish and Pend d’Orielle Tribes, but the road to maintaining the celebratory tradition was fraught with obstacles set up by the federal government. The government policy of assimilation put such traditions on the fast track to elimination. However, through often-clandestine tenacity, that did not happen. Indian people continued to practice traditions despite federal policies aimed at eliminating them.

The Arlee Fourth of July Celebration is an example of survival by dovetailing age-old Indian traditions with the relatively new American tradition of celebrating the Declaration of Independence. That made it harder for Indian agents to quash it because of that “patriotic” link.

The 114th Arlee Celebration begins Tuesday, July 3, with Camper’s Day and the Memorial Dance held a day prior to the official opening of the celebration to honor all who have passed away in the year since the last celebration. After memories are shared and tears shed by those gathered, the announcement is made to: “Leave your sorrows, it is now time to celebrate happiness.”

The official opening of the celebration will take place Wednesday, July 4, beginning with a Snake Dance. The War Dance Chief usually leads the dance. It is a serpentine single-file dance that begins outside the pavilion and winds into it. The drummers and singers follow the group singing the Snake Dance song.

After the Snake Dance, each session begins with a grand entry that includes an honor guard bearing the flags of the Salish Nation and America. Following the honor guard is the procession of dancers grouped in categories.

A Flag Song is sung in honor of the flags, then a prayer is said to complete the opening ceremonies. After a veterans’ honoring ceremony, the dancing begins in earnest.

This year, the celebration continues through Sunday, July 8, and features a new walk/run event along with the parade, which will also take place on the celebration

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Tetona Dunlap/Valley Journal

Arlee Fourth of July Celebration

grounds. The dance competition and drumming competition will take place on July 6, 7 and 8, as champion dancers, drummers and singers step out to shine. The Arlee Celebration Committee will also choose a Miss Salish Pend d’ Oreille.

The earliest contemporary record of the Arlee Fourth of July Celebration was in 1900. The earliest attempt to hold the Arlee Fourth of July Celebration was in 1891.

However, during that time period, traditional Indian dances were illegal, according to Bureau of Indian Affairs regulations.

According to the late Blind Mose Chouteh, a Salish elder, the first “official” Arlee Celebration was in 1898.

Blind Mose’s account was corroborated in a sermon given later that year by Jesuit Father George de la Motte, who preached against the “revelry” that took place near Arlee on July 4 of that year. In 1998, the Salish tribe commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Arlee Fourth of July Celebration.

93 Feed & Supply

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406.726.2166 2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Now serving

Hunter Bay Coffee

inside the Ronan Flower Mill.

We feature specialty coffee and fresh baked goodies all in a cozy setting!

• S p e c i al t y c o f f e e s • Smoothies

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Open 7 a.m. daily

(or by special request for small groups) 106 Main St. SW • Ronan, MT 59864

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The Arlee Celebration includes various styles of Indian dancing and each has numerous songs to match the styles.

Throughout the celebration, various other dance styles are performed, including: Intertribal dance, where everyone is welcome regardless of dress; War Dance, where each warrior dances his own style to a wide range of songs with fast and slow tempos; Women’s Traditional Dance, consisting of women remaining stationary with a slight up and down movement; Men’s Traditional Dance, in which the dancers tell stories in dance about battles or hunting. The outfits remain traditional and subdued, often decorated with bead and quill work and eagle feather bustles. Round Dance is a happy social dance that is meant to have everyone participate; Scalp Dance is done by women dressed in men’s clothing; Prairie Chicken Dance resembles the movements prairie chickens use for mating or fighting purposes; and “Home Sweet Home” is the farewell song sung at the end of each day of the celebration. It is also the closing song of the celebration.

Some “newer” dances at the Arlee Celebration include: Fancy Dance, where dancers are dressed in colorful regalia and dance in less restricted styles with fancy movements; Jingle Dance, where women dance in jingle dresses festooned with 365 metal cones or jingles; Grass Dance, a plains Indian dance where dancers move in swaying motions that move the fringes on the grass

Melea Burke/Valley Journal

Arlee Celebration

dance outfits; and the Owl Dance, which is a social dance where couples dance together in a circular motion with men on the outside circle and women in the inside circle.

For more information, visit www.arleepowwow.com. Participants may camp on-site in teepees, tents, campers and RVs. Most facilities are handicapped-accessible. Admission is free.

Drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited (vehicles

and persons subject to search).

Come to learn the difference between a grass dancer and a jingle dress dancer. Watch the veterans’ honoring ceremony, tiny tots dancing, and enjoy some Indian humor. Meander through vendors’ wares from the heart of Indian country.

Come celebrate life.

Rick’s Kustom Kut STORE

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• Chester Fried Chicken • Smoked sausage & cheese • Salads • Sandwiches • Barbecue meats: beef, • Desserts pork and buffalo • Jalapeno cheese dip • Local honey • Lunch specials • Huckleberry lemonade • Huckleberry products • Buffalo jerky

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• On and off sale liquor • Beer and ice • Huckleberry lemonade with ??

• Quiet relaxing bar • Check out our pig collection

FREE drink if you add to our pig collection!

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Hwy. 93 • Arlee • 726-MEAT • 726-PIGS 2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

47

calendar May

Wednesday, May 23 • POLSON – Sandpiper photographers offer their images as inspiration to Sandpiper member artists working in other mediums. This unique show, called “Inspired By,” pairs the resulting paintings, sculptures, and other work with the photos that inspired them. The exhibit continues until June 15.

Thursday, May 24 • RONAN – Ronan Middle School students will perform the play “Little Women,” May 24 - 25, at 7 p.m. at the Ronan Performing Arts Center.

Tickets will be available at the Ronan Flower Mill or at the door the evenings of the plays.

• POLSON – North Lake County Public Library Story Time Hours– Two, one-hour programs, the first from 10 to 11 a.m., and the second from 1 to 2 p.m., Thursdays, for children age 3-5 and their caregivers.

Books, stories, songs, finger plays, rhymes and fun. This program will be

48

replaced June 11 by the summer reading program. The program takes place at the North Lake County Public Library in Polson located at 2 First Avenue E. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• POLSON – Suicide Prevention Conference. The CS&KT Suicide Prevention/Circle of Trust program is hosting a Suicide Prevention Conference at KwaTaqNuk Resort on Thursday, May 24 from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. and Friday, May 25 from 8 a.m.

– 4 p.m. For conference details contact Jason HeavyRunner, CSKT Circle of Trust Youth Activities Coordinator at (406) 675-2700 ext. 1340.

Friday, May 25 • HOT SPRINGS – Richie Reinholdt (Original- Acoustic- Americano) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• POLSON – Farmers’ Market opens in May and continues through to October, every Friday at Third Avenue West (between the Cove Deli and Pizza and First Citizen’s Bank) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a seasonal open air market offering farm produce, chickens and turkeys, eggs, organic produce, flowers, bedding plants, wood crafts, woodworks, baked goods, jewelry, photography, soap products, birdhouses, fruits in season, jams and jellies and more. (Extended hours begin July 10, on Tuesday after-

noons from 4:30 – 7 p.m., see related July 10 calendar event.)

Saturday, May 26 • RONAN – The first annual Bandana Benefit, a fundraiser for the Hellroaring Detachment of the Marine Corps League, will be held Memorial Day weekend at Sky Ridge Ranch on Timberlane Road. Come out for an afternoon of great music, food and to support the good works of our local retired servicemen. Live music will be played by Missoula country/rock band Showdown. The event gets underway Saturday, May 26 at 1 p.m. and continues until 5 or 6 p.m. Admission is $5. All proceeds benefit Hellroaring Marine Corps League Detachment 1041. For more information call (406) 270-5327.

• POLSON – Marketplace at Polson will be sponsoring the 1st Annual Memorial Day Weekend Swap Meet/ Flea Market on Saturday, May 26, Sunday, May 27, and Monday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will be held at 35986 Memory Lane in Polson. For more information call (406) 270-2501 or check the website: www.marketplaceatpolson.com • HOT SPRINGS – Kathy Colton and the Reluctants (Folk ‘n Originals) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• ARLEE – The Nk’wusm School Graduation Celebration Powwow is

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

set for May 26 from 1 to 7 p.m. at the Arlee Community Center in Arlee.

This special powwow will honor 8th graduate Coral Sherman; this is the second time Nk’wusm has graduated a student. There will be cakewalks, drumming and singing, 50/50 raffles, and concessions. Big-ticket items such as vacation packages, gift certificates, arts and crafts and more will be up for bid in our silent auction. A stickgame tournament is also in the works. Stay around for the free pig roast and barbeque feast. For more information call Nk’wusm at (406) 726-5050.

• POLSON – The Polson Flathead Historical Museum will be opening for the season on Saturday, May 26.

They are located at 708 Main Street and the hours are from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday thru Saturday and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Call (406) 883-3049 for more information.

Sunday, May 27 • POLSON — The Port Polson Players will present “The Music Man” at the John Dowdall Theatre on Flathead Lake. Come enjoy songs like “Seventy-Six Trombones” and characters like Professor Harold Hill. Call 883-9212 or e-mail portpolsonplayers@centurytel.net • RONAN — The Red Poppy’s 7th anniversary celebration will be Sunday, May 27. Art by Olivia Lynn Olsen, “I never promised you a rose garden” and classical music: Mozart

Piano Quartet K49 by Elissa Taylor, Katherine Skinner and friends, and Vivaldi Violin Concerto by Rachel and Josiah Petitt, with Trish Tavenner.

The Red Poppy will be open from 1 to 4 p.m., with the musical program on stage at 2 p.m. A coffee/punch/cookie reception following the program. Free of charge to the public.

• HOT SPRINGS — Gary Redman will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information. (Memorial Day barbeque at 4 p.m.)

• PLAINS — Bike ride at 10 a.m. with desk clerk Doug from Plains Fair Grounds to Paradise City Park. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• POLSON & RONAN — Memorial Day Parades, organized by the Polson and Ronan VFW posts, will be held in Polson at 10 a.m. and Ronan at 12 p.m. Memorial services at both the Polson and Ronan Cemeteries will be held immediately after the parades.

Following all ceremonies a dinner will be served, about 1 p.m., at the Ronan VFW, 521 Round Butte Road W. • POLSON — The Miracle of America Museum will drive five military vehicles in the Polson Memorial Day Parade. Anyone interested in riding in one of the vehicles can call (406) 883-6264 to make arrangements.

Monday, May 28 Memorial Day • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library will host Mother Goose Time - a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers ages 1-3, and their caregivers.

Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends. The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• NINEPIPES — Starting Memorial Day, May 28, the Ninepipes Museum will be open six days a week, Monday - Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Labor Day. The museum memorializes the history and culture of the Flathead Indian Reservation and early Montana with four rooms of artifacts, historical photographs, a selection of stunning beadwork, guns, bows and arrows, and a diorama room filled with mounted wildlife. Admission is $5 for adults, $4.50 for seniors, $4 for students, $2.50 for children ages six to 12 years of age, and no cost for children younger than six when accompanied by an adult. The museum’s phone number is (406) 644-3435. Please visit the website for further information: www.ninepipesmuseum.org • RONAN – The Garden of the Rockies Museum, located at 400 Round Butte Road, opens Monday, May 28. The museum will be open thereafter for the summer season Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends by appointment. The museum features Sloan’s Flat Stage Stop, a one-room schoolhouse, an old log home with dovetailed construction, and a tool shed and farm machinery building. Call (406) 676-5210 for more information.

Tetona Dunlap/Valley Journal

Browsing for books at Jocko Valley Library

Thursday, May 31 • POLSON — The North Lake County Public Library will host story time hours – 2 one-hour programs, the first from 10 to 11 a.m., and the second from 1 to 2 p.m., Thursdays, for children age 3-5 and their caregivers.

Books, stories, songs, finger plays, rhymes and fun. The library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

June

Friday, June 1 • HOT SPRINGS — Ray Allan, jazz – variety, will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• JOCKO VALLEY — A Farmer’s Market will be held on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. beginning June 1, and running through October 5, in the same location between Rick’s Kustom Kuts and The Hangin’ Art Gallery in downtown Arlee. If you are interested in being a vendor download and printout a vendor application at: arleemontana.org/node/140 For more information contact Kelley at (406) 726-5550.

• RONAN — Marla Brown - “Great Gray Owl in the Moonlight” Workshop: Use of a mother color and dark background, with moonlight. The owl itself is a study of form, feathers, eyes, and expression. You will need a 14” by 18” or 12” by 16” canvas, (may use bigger, but it is harder to finish.) Regular paint supplies needed, metallic powder for moonlight effect will be supplied. For more informa-

tion or to sign up, call (406) 7412059, or email marla@westernart.com Cost is $75 for two days, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Red Poppy in Ronan.

Beginners and intermediate welcome.

Friday, June 1 • CHARLO — Community Softball Tournament, Friday to Sunday, June 1 to 3, at the softball field in Charlo.

Proceeds from the tournament go to pay for bleachers at the softball field and if possible a donation will also be made to the Charlo 4th of July fireworks funds. For more information call (406) 396-3168.

Saturday, June 2 • HOT SPRINGS — Soul City Cowboys (Rock n Country) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m.

Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• NINEPIPES —The Kids Fishing Day will be held at the Family Fishing pond at Ninepipes Reservoir on June 2 from 8 to 11 a.m. for kids 13 years and younger. Prizes will be awarded for the largest and smallest fish caught for age groups 7 and younger and 8 to 13. Door prizes, drawings and a Fish Identification Test are featured at this event. Limited fishing poles, tackle, and bait will be available for kids who do not have fishing equipment. The pond will be stocked with Rainbow Trout. Anyone who would like to donate any new or used fishing equipment please call (406) 381-7574.

Monday, June 4 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Tuesday, June 5 • CHARLO – Charlo School will have a Flag Football camp June 5, 6 and 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Charlo School. Bring a sack lunch. A snack and drink will be provided. Call (406) 246-3566 for more information.

Wednesday, June 6 • HOT SPRINGS - Alma Desnuda (Acoustic – Soul) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

Thursday, June 7 • POLSON - The Port Polson Players will be presenting “Those Boomer Boys!” for four shows only, Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, June 10 at the John Dowdall Theatre. Show time is 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Adults are $18 and senior citizens and students are $17.

Call the Port Polson Players at (406) 883-921 for more information.

• POLSON – North Lake County Public Library will host story time hours– 2, one-hour programs, the first from 10 to 11 a.m., and the second from 1 to 2 p.m., Thursdays, for children age 3-5 and their caregivers.

Books, stories, songs, finger plays, rhymes and fun. The library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

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calendar Friday, June 8 • KALISPELL — Montana Audubon’s Annual Bird Festival, “Wings Across the Big Sky” will be held at the Kalispell Hilton Garden Inn, June 8-10. Call (406) 294-5099 ext. 302 for more information.

• HOT SPRINGS — The annual Homesteader Days celebration will feature live music by Cabin Fever (Rock, Classic Rock, Country, and Blues) and Richie Reinholdt (Original- Acoustic- Americana) at the Symes Hotel. The Hot Springs annual Homesteader Days Celebration is the Founder’s Day Celebration for Hot Springs and Camas, honoring the original homesteaders and settlers of the area. It started on the anniversary of the grand opening of the Camas Hot Spring bathhouse in 1949. This annual family fun weekend offers something for everyone. An auction will be held on Saturday as well as street games, the first rodeo performance, a children’s parade, quilt show, arts in the park, live music on Main Street, 3K and 6K runs, food booths and many other types of craftsmen

selling their products. Following the rodeo on Saturday night, there will be a street dance. On Sunday, the grand parade will be staged along with more music and the final rodeo performance. A local service organization will provide breakfast on Sunday morning.

Hotel rooms are available and camping is also allowed. Call (406) 7412361 for more information.

• POLSON – Mission Valley Aquatics will host an 80’s Dance Party fundraiser on Friday, June 8 at 7 p.m.

Come celebrate the beginning of summer. Call (406) 883-0420 for more information.

Saturday, June 9 • POLSON – Rodeo Bible Camp for children ages 8-14 will be held June 9 to 12 at the Polson Fairgrounds. This overnight camp offers barrel racing, pole bending, team roping, break away roping, goat tying and bull riding. Cost is $150 per camper. For more information call (406) 207-4102 or (406) 644-2713.

• POLSON — Lake County Chapter 1122 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will be hosting Young Eagles Flights at Polson Airport on Saturday morning, June 9, starting at 9 a.m. All children between the ages of 8 and 17, with their parents’ approval, can get a ride in an airplane free of charge. A breakfast of pancakes, ham and eggs will be available from 8 to 11 a.m. (Entire event is

weather dependent.) The EAA Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give interested young people an opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane. These flights are offered free of charge and are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers.

Breakfast proceeds will be used to pay for fuel costs incurred flying the Young Eagles. Membership in the EAA and the local chapter is open to all who are interested in aviation.

• RONAN — Olivia Olson “Painting Retreats” - The River at Dixon, Old Sloan’s Landing: capture the serenity of the Flathead River, painting the panorama from a distance, then on the middle ground as a point of interest, and finally, zoom up close to capture often unseen beauty in nature. Cost is $75 for two days, June 9-10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (406) 676-3010 or (406) 644-2246 to sign up or for more information.

• HOT SPRINGS — Homesteader Days continues-Parades, Rodeo, FunRun, Street Dance, Cabin Fever (Rock, Classic Rock, Country, and Blues) and will play will play at the Symes Hotel. Bring a sack lunch. A snack and drink will be provided. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

Monday, June 11 CHARLO — Charlo School will have a Basketball camp June 11-14 from 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Charlo School.

Call (406) 246-3566 for more information.

• POLSON — The North Lake County Public Library’s annual Family Summer Reading Program begins June 11 at 10 a.m. and ends August 11 at 4 p.m. “Dream Big – Read” is the overall theme for the summer. Participants can register at the library during regular hours. Call 883-8225 for more information or go to the circulation desk after June 11 for a schedule.

• RONAN & POLSON — The Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County begins its summer program June 11. Summer hours run from 12 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Twice weekly field trips to different businesses (Flathead Lake for Polson club) and scenic sights, gardening club, swimming, swimming lessons, arts and crafts, outdoor activities, horse riding clinics and much more are available throughout the summer to club members.

Membership is $50 for the entire year.

For more information call either the Polson (406) 883-0521 or Ronan (406) 676-5437 club.

• POLSON – A summer literacy camp will be held June 11-15, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. “Dogs vs. Cats” will be offered to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students (ages 7 to 10) who are interested in participating in literacy activities, art and exploring the Internet and other resources to gather research and

H u c kl e b e r r y P a nca ke B r e akf a st

Enjoy the fabulous views from your coach.

Es presso S ta nd

Visit our Gift Shop.

Play Mini-Golf.

Try the Huckleberry Pancake Breakfast on Sundays from Father’s Day to Labor Day.

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2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Mini -Go lf

information. Each session will have fiction and non-fiction aspects and a guest speaker. Sessions take place at Linderman School Library and are $100 per student, ($20 per day). One of two enrolled sibling gets a 25 percent discount. Fee covers materials, supplies, snacks, drinks and lunch. (A sack lunch is provided but you may send children with their own lunch.)

There’s a limit of 25 students, Instructors include one full time teacher, one half-time teacher and one full time assistant. Call (406) 8836229 ext. 429 or (406) 250-4325 for more information.

• POLSON – A “Summer Science Camp” for second to fourth grade students will take place at Linderman Elementary School, Polson, June 1115 and June 18-22 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The cost is $75 per week.

Students can sign up for both weeks’ camps, as there will be different experiments and activities each week.

Hands on activities, science experiments, fishing, and a “rocket launching” are planned. Call (406) 471-2398 at for more information or to register.

• POLSON — The North Lake County Public Library will host Mother Goose Time. A half-hour program will be held at 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers ages 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The program takes place at the North Lake County Public Library in Polson

file photo

Face painting

located at 2 First Avenue E. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• POLSON – A free summer food program for children will offered June 11 to Aug. 10 at Cherry Valley School, 107 8th Ave. West in Polson. All children ages 18 and younger may eat for free. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• RONAN – Ronan City Library will host its summer reading program from June 11 to Aug. 11. Participants can register beginning Monday, June 11,

at the Ronan City Library and will receive a reading log for keeping track of their reading hours. The program will end with a picnic celebration, and prizes for reading, on Aug. 11.

• RONAN – Ronan/Pablo School District 30 summer camps will be held June 11–15. A technology camp for next year’s grades 6 to 9, will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Students take part in a wide range of tech activities during the 5-day camp. They will work on multimedia skills, build and test the strength of structures, have an

introduction to robotics and more.

A robotics camp for next year’s grades 7 to 12 will be held from 12:30-4 p.m. The camp will include textrix and robotics. Students will learn how to design a robot that can perform multiple challenges. They will learn to build and program a robot to run autonomously.

A leadership camp for next year’s grade 5 to 6 will be held 12:30 to 4 p.m. Students will take part in a week of team-building activities that challenge them to communicate, solve problems, and work as a team. They will have fun, build strong bonds with their peers, and sharpen their leadership skills.

Elementary art camps for next year’s grades 1 to 5 students will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and are tentatively scheduled for either June 11–15 or June 25–29. Students will explore the two-dimensional and three-dimensional processes of creating art.

Projects may involve pottery, mosaics, masks, batik, kites, plaster sculpture, and papier mache.

June 25-29 summer camps, held from 12:30 to 4 p.m., include MS/HS Art Camp for 6-12 grade students.

Students will explore some of the more complex aspects of two-dimensional and three-dimensional artwork, which could involve pottery, mosaics, masks, batik, kites, plaster sculpture, and papier mache.

A Culture Camp for next year’s grades 6-9, (date and time TBA) is

2012 Polson Events

Memorial Day Parade

Lake County Fair

Mission Mountain Rodeo & Parade

Polson Bay’s Water Daze

May 28

June 29-30

August 3-5

August 4

Arlee Powwow

Cruisin’ By the Bay Car Show & Concert

4th of July Parade & Block Party

Sandpiper Gallery-Art Festival Courthouse Lawn

July 4-8

July 4

Lake County Relay for Life

August 10-11

August 11

July 13-14

Smokin’ on the Water BBQ Cook-Off

July 20-22

Brew Tour

July 21-22

Rotary Chili Cook-Off

Standing Arrow Powwow Live History Days Main Street Cherry Festival July 21-22

20th Annual Flathead Lake 3-on-3 Tournament July 27-29

August 18

August 18

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August 25

Polson Fly-In September 8

General Contractor Polson, Montana

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(406) 261-6272

OR GO TO CHAMBER WEBSITE

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WWW.FLATHEADLAKEBUILDER.COM

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

51

calendar about traditional skills, knowledge, and games. In addition, their experience will help strengthen bonds with their peers and create a better understanding of the world around them.

For more information, contact Nick Bejarano at (406) 676-3390 ext. 3374.

Limited space is available and there is a priority for Ronan School District 30 students.

• PABLO – “Making Fitness Fun” is a free program for children ages 6 and older. Activities run Monday to Thursday, June 11 to Aug. 26 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Joe McDonald Fitness Center on SKC campus. Sign ups can be done at any time throughout the summer at the gym. Organizers plan to provide free supervision to children while they participate in organized activities like swimming, hiking trips, kickball, football, baseball, basketball, dodge ball, Native games, volleyball, soccer, shinny, bike riding, nutritional education and more.

Free transportation to Ronan and Polson Boys and Girls Clubs will be offered at noon. Free nutritional breakfast and lunch is also provided.

“Making Fitness Fun” is designed to keep kids active during the summer by involving them in fun activities that also improve their fitness levels.

To sign-up or for more information contact Paul Phillips at Joe McDonald Fitness Center in Pablo, (406) 2754981.

Tuesday, June 12 • ARLEE – The Jocko Valley Library’s begins its summer reading program, “DREAM BIG-READ!” The theme for this year’s program includes dreams and wishes, buffalo, nocturnal animals, stars, and planets. The program runs from June 12 to Aug. 21.

Each Tuesday an event will begin at 11 a.m. and finish at 1 p.m. A readaloud story, snack, craft, reading contests with prizes, and time to check out new books will be offered.

Everyone who participates in the program will be invited to a final cookout party on Saturday, Aug. 25. Activities are free and open to children of all ages and abilities. You may register from June 12-17 at the library.

Beginning in June a detailed monthly schedule of summer reading program events, including special guests, will be posted on the library’s website. To get to the site, go to www.arlee.montana.org and click on Jocko Valley Library on the left side. Information about the library, hours of operation, and special events will be posted there.

Volunteers to read during story time and assistants during craft and snack time are needed. Please contact Andrea at (406) 726-5555 if you’d like to help.

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Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal

Wednesday, June 13 • PABLO – Ronan City Library will hold a story time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College on Wednesdays from June 13 – Aug. 8, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. All ages are invited. Participants can document reading time in their reading log.

Thursday, June 14 • POLSON – Sandpiper Art Gallery in Polson will hold the 2012 Reservation Views Plein Air Paint-Out from Thursday, June 14, to Sunday, June 17. An exhibition in the gallery will follow on June 19. For more information call (406) 883-5956.

• RONAN – Story time will take place on Thursdays, June 14 – Aug. 9, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the Ronan City Library. All ages are invited.

Participants can document reading time in a log and receive prizes at an end of the year celebration.

• POLSON – The North Lake County Public Library will host a Thursday morning program for school-aged children at 10 a.m., at the library or at an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

Sunday, June 17 Father’s Day • POLSON – Huckleberry or regular pancakes will be served every Sunday morning at Polson Motorcoach and

Plein Air Paint-Out

RV starting Father’s Day weekend, Sunday, June 17. All meals include milk or juice and coffee. Breakfast will be served from 8-10:30 a.m. Cost is $6 for children and $7 for adults.

Call (406) 883-2151 for more information.

Monday, June 18 • CHARLO – The Ninepipe Arts Group, with assistance from Charlo Schools’ 21st Century Learning Grant, will present a Charlo Fine Arts Camp entitled “Art Around the World.” The camp takes place June 18 to 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Charlo High School building. Bring a sack lunch.

A snack and drink will be provided.

Students may register at Charlo School or The Red Poppy in Ronan.

Call (406) 644-2311 for more information.

• POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• KALISPELL – Join the fun as we venture off to fantasy-land at the Summit, June 18 to 22 for fairy tale activities. Young adventurers will use

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

their imaginations to create a land with pirates, princesses, fairies, trolls and whatever we can dream up. We will design and create our own costumes and props to make our stories come to life through dramatic play.

Two to three year olds, from 1 to 3 p.m. (limit 8 children) Cost of camp is $45 for members and $65 for non-members. For more information please call Tyke Town at (406) 751-4113.

• POLSON – A summer literacy camp entitled, “Sharks” will be held for students in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade, ages 7 to 10, from June 18-22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This camp is for students who are interested in literacy activities, art and exploring the Internet and other resources to gather research and information. We will spend one afternoon fishing, (not for sharks), but maybe the Flathead Lake Monster.

Each session will have aspects of fiction and non-fiction materials and a guest speaker. Sessions take place at Linderman School Library and are $100 per student, ($20 per day). One of two enrolled sibling gets a 25 percent discount. Fee covers materials, supplies, snacks, drinks and lunch. (A sack lunch is provided but you may send children with their own lunch.)

There’s a limit of 25 students.

Instructors include one full time teacher, one half-time teacher and one full time assistant. Participants may be dropped off and picked up in the

Linderman School parking lot, and enter through the side gym door to go to the library. Contact Roxanne Hovenkotter at (406) 883-6229 ext.

429 or (406) 250-4325.

swimming, canoeing and kayaking, daily explorations, quality family time and campfires. A variety of professionally facilitated support seminars and workshops are also offered for caregivers and survivors.

For more information, download the registration information or call (406) 582-1600.

• ECHO CAMP – The Montana Jr. Grange Camp is June 21-24, at Echo Camp in Avon. Arrival on Thursday, June 21 is at 4 p.m. and is followed by a potluck dinner. We have fun and games and have various crafts until Sunday, June 24 at noon. All campers get T-shirts; the fee is $30 per person and donations are welcome. Camper should plan on having an adult go with them. For more information, please call the Montana State Junior Director at (406) 883-1130.

Tuesday, June 19 • POLSON – The third annual “Reservation View” exhibit at the Sandpiper Gallery, will feature work created during the Flathead Reservation Plein Air Paint-out. Prizes will be awarded for community-voted and Sandpiper member-voted favorites. A reception will be held Friday, July 6, from 5-7 p.m.

Wednesday, June 20 • PABLO – Ronan City Library will hold a story time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College on Wednesdays from June 13 – Aug. 8, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. All ages are invited. Participants can document reading time in their reading log.

Thursday, June 21 • POLSON – Support Polson Late Afternoon Social Hour (SPLASH) will be Thursday, June 21 from 5-7 p.m. Your host will be the Best Western KwaTaqNuk Casino Resort located at 49708 US Hwy. 93 in Polson. Contact the Polson chamber office at (406) 883-5969.

• POLSON – The North Lake County Public Library will offer a Thursday

file photo

St. ignatius firemen's picnic

morning program for school-aged children at 10 a.m., at the library or an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

• KALISPELL – For One Another Family Camp is a fun summer camp held each year for families who have a member diagnosed with cancer. The first place the effects of cancer spreads to is the family. Many times families are pulled apart by a cancer diagnosis. Our family camp activities are intended to provide a place of fun,

support, and sense of community for the whole family. Families who have members with cancer are welcome to attend. This camp is offered free of charge. This year’s camp is June 2124 at Flathead Lutheran Camp near Kalispell; is a gathering of people who celebrate life, cherish family time, discover new strategies and hope, appreciate good company, and need to kick back and relax. A sampling of the fun, high adventure, family-based activities includes: fishing,

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rating Celeb

rs yea- 2012 1962

Friday, June 22 • HOT SPRINGS – Steel Toe Floes (Folk – Americana) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• POLSON — The North Lake County Public Library will present a puppet show entitled “Dragon Dreams” at 2 p.m., June 22. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Saturday, June 23 • ST. IGNATIUS – The Volunteer Fire Department will hold their 18th annual picnic at the Good Ol’ Days field

• Chicken • Seafood • Burritos • Footlong Hotdogs • Ice Cream • Milkshakes

50567 Hwy 93, Polson (406) 883-2620 2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

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5-day event is filled with drum and dance classes, evening circles, free time for exploring the Absaroka Mountains and great food. You can register for 3, 4, or 5-day participation. The event includes option to build a drum. Instructors will be Matthew and Michael Marsolek and Lawrence Duncan of Drum Brothers.

For our special Friday evening of Contemplative Rhythm and Melody, dance teacher and artist, Tracy Topp, will be offering beautiful henna designs for those interested. Some special classes in didgeridoo and frame drums will also be offered. Call (406) 531-8109 for more information.

• POLSON – John Davis and Nancy Zadra will teach the workshop “Adventures in Abstraction,” Monday through Thursday, June 25-28, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Sandpiper Gallery. Free to Sandpiper members, $50 for non-members. Contact the Sandpiper Gallery for more information at (406) 883-5956.

calendar across from Cenex on June 23. A live auction starts at 4 p.m. and dinner will be served from 2 to 4 p.m. Raffle drawings begin at 5 p.m. Raffle ticket prizes include: a Ruger rifle (choice of caliber), a 15-cubic foot Maytag freezer with half a beef, a whole hog cut and wrapped and a playhouse. To donate items, please call (406) 7454190 or (406) 745-4266.

• HOT SPRINGS – Louie Bond & Kimberly (Rock – Country) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m..

Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• HOT SPRINGS – Health Fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Symes Hotel lawn.

• POLSON – An ice cream social will be held at Mission Mountain Winery.

All summer gourmets are encouraged to attend this free event on Saturday, June 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is part of the winery’s continuing program to educate the community about the pleasurable synergies created by the pairing of food and wine. The staff and winemaker have collaborated in producing several sorbet and ice cream treats: Muscat Canelli, Sorbet,

file photo

Mission Mountain Rodeo

Cream Sherry Ginger Ice Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream with Cocoa Vin Chocolate Port. Mission Mountain Winery is located on Highway 93 in Dayton on the west shore of beautiful Flathead Lake. For more information

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call (406) 849-5524.

Sunday, June 24 • BIG TIMBER — Drum Brothers will host a Boulder River Rhythm Retreat from June 20-24. This special

Life

Monday, June 25 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

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Or let US do the driving!

We are your headquarters for

DHRD Transportation

Stop by our handy Convenience Store, Laundromat and Car Wash

CSKT Transportation is open Monday-Thursday from 6 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and on Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

We ask that you call and schedule your ride 24 hours in advance.

We transport within Flathead Indian Reservation boundaries.

675-2700, ext.1030 275-2792 Direct Quick Silver hours: Mon.- Fri. 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sat. - Sun. 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Quick Silver • 675-5000 snacks • drinks • ice cream • lunch specials Near the walking bridge in Pablo

• KALISPELL – Join the fun as we venture off to fantasy-land at the Summit, June 25-29 for fairy tale activities. Young adventurers will use their imaginations to create a land with pirates, princesses, fairies, trolls and whatever we can dream up. We will design and create our own costumes and props to make our stories come to life through dramatic play. For four to 5-year-olds, 1 - 4 p.m., (limit 10 children). Cost of camp is $45 members and $65 non-members. For more information please call Tyke Town at (406) 751-4113.

(Country Rhythm and Blues and Rock) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

Saturday, June 30 • POLSON – The Port Polson Players will be presenting the hysterical comedy for adults “Murder at the Howard Johnson’s” Saturday, June 30 through Sunday, July 15, at the John Dowdall Theatre. (No show on July 4.) Curtain time Wednesday - Saturday is 8 p.m. and the Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m.

Adults are $18, senior citizens and students are $17. Contact the Port Polson Players at (406) 883-9212 for more information.

Wednesday, June 27 • PABLO – Ronan City Library will hold a story time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College on Wednesdays from June 13 – Aug. 8, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. All ages are invited. Participants can document reading time in their reading log.

Thursday, June 28 • POLSON – North Lake County Public Library will host a Thursday morning program for school-aged children at 10 a.m. at the library or an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

Friday, June 29 • POLSON — At 11 a.m. on Friday, June 29 watch the Rodeo Parade and Children’s Pet Parade in downtown Polson featuring Charlie Russell

July

Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal

Polson Fourth of July parade

Riders and Polson’s Kids and their pets. All children participating with their favorite pet will receive a free ticket to Saturday’s rodeo. (The children are to meet at Riverside Park at 10:30 a.m.) Yes, they can dress up their pets! Contact Polson Chamber of Commerce at (406) 883-5969 for more information.

• POLSON — The Mission Mountain Rodeo will be held at the Polson Fairgrounds on Friday, June 29 and Saturday, June 30 starting at 7 p.m. on

Your office away from home

• Flathead Lake & Valley Maps • Office Supplies • FedEx • Copies

• Leanin’ Tree cards

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213 Main St. • Downtown Polson • 883-4345

both days. Activities include mutton busting/miniature bull riding with the rodeo starting at 8 p.m. This event is a two-night action packed Pro Rodeo in a beautiful setting at the Polson Fairgrounds arena. The Fairgrounds are located across the bridge on Hwy. 93 North and bordered by the Flathead River with spectacular views of the Mission Mountains and Flathead Lake.

For more information contact Una Rose Graham at (406) 883-1100.

• HOT SPRINGS – Mo Walker

Monday, July 2 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Tuesday, July 3 • ARLEE – The 114th Arlee Powwow begins Tuesday, July 3, with the traditional Snake Dance and Veteran’s

Shop Fresh • Buy Local

Polson Farmers Market

Visit us every Friday from 9 a.m. until 1p.m., May through October Tuesday evening markets start July 10 from 4:30 - 7 p.m.

Fresh Produce

Jams & Jellies

Baked Goods

Bedding Plants Plant Starts Fresh-cut Flowers

EBT/Debit/Credit accpeted

Fresh Greens

Cheese

Wood Working

Soaps

Jewelry

... and much, much more!

To our wonderful customers: Please don’t park in the First Citizens Bank parking lot.

Thank you.

Check us out on Facebook!

3rd Ave. West • Downtown Polson

For information call Market Master Lou Anne 675-0177 or Bill 261-5700

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

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Hair

• Men, Women & Kids’ Hair Shaping • Partial & Full Highlights • Color Correction • Root Retouch • All Over Color • Color Gloss

• Hair Tinsel • Texturing Service • Permanent Wave • Partial Permanent Wave • Color Gloss • Deep Conditioning

We’v e go t wh at y o u need for the sty le you want!

Nails

• Manicure • Children's Mini-Mani • MAN-Icure (men's manicure) • Pedicure • Children's Mini-Pedi • Acrylic Full Set • Acrylic Fill

Extras

• Eyelash Extensions • Extension Services • Extension Removal • Facial Waxing • Makeup Application • Set and Style • Special Occasion Upstyle • Bridal Upstyle

8 4th Avenue East • Polson

883-5666

Berl Tiskus/Valley Journal

Hoop dancer

calendar Honoring. Camper’s Day and Memorial will also be held July 3. RV hookups are $20 for electricity, and this will be enforced. All events are open to the public and free of charge.

Arts, crafts, stick games, dance competitions, Indian and other ethnic foods. Absolutely no alcohol, firearms, unleashed dogs or motorcycles in the camp area. The event takes place on powwow grounds on Powwow Road, Arlee. Go to: arleepowwow.com for more information.

Wednesday, July 4 Independence Day • CHARLO – The annual Charlo Fourth of July parade begins at noon.

For more information call (406) 6443181.

• ARLEE – The 114th Arlee Powwow, continues Wednesday, July 4 to Sunday, July 8. All events are open to the public and free of charge. Arts, crafts, stick games, dance competitions, Indian and other ethnic foods.

Absolutely no alcohol, firearms, unleashed dogs or motorcycles in the camp area. The event takes place on powwow grounds on Powwow Road, Arlee. Go to: arleepowwow.com for more information.

• HOT SPRINGS – Celebrate the fourth of July in the City Park on Main St. where Gary Redman (Soul) and the City Cowboys (Country Rock) will play. Day includes food and vendors with a fireworks show at dark.

• POLSON – A 1-mile run/walk will be held on July 4, at 11:45 a.m. Call (406) 883-8322 for more information.

• POLSON – Show some patriotism and community spirit by entering Polson’s 4th of July Parade sponsored by the Envision Polson youth committee. The parade begins at noon, route starts at the Polson-Flathead Historical Museum on Main Street and Eighth

56

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Avenue and will end on Main and Third Avenue. A Main Street block party will follow the parade. Stay around for the fireworks display at dusk on the south side of the bridge sponsored by the Polson Chamber of Commerce and the Marine Corps League. To participate in the parade please contact Brenda Dennis at: bsd@commbank.net or pre-register on the morning of the event at 10 a.m. behind Cherry Valley School located on Ninth Avenue and Main Street.

• POLSON – The Annual July 4th Ice Cream Social will be held following the 4th of July parade at the Polson Flathead Historical Museum, located at 708 Main Street in Polson. Come by for some cool ice cream. Contact Kathy Farmer at (408) 883-3049 for more information.

• ARLEE – The Arlee Volunteer Fire Department will host its annual pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. at the old Arlee Fire Hall. Cost is $5 for adults and $4 for children - all you can eat. For more information call (406) 210-4144.

• ARLEE – The Arlee Jocko Valley Museum, run by the Arlee Historical Society, opens for the summer July 4 and will remain open on Saturdays tfrom 2 to 4 p.m. or by appointment, until Labor Day. Displays for the summer of 2012 include “Immigrants from Around the World,” and “Contemporary American Indians in Montana.” A video presentation, “I’ll Ride that Horse,” is being planned for later in the summer. The video shares the story of Montana women bronc riders in their own words - their experiences roping, breaking, and riding.

The museum has many historical displays including a copy of the 1855 Hell Gate Treaty, Dawes Act (1887), The Flathead Allotment At (1904), and many photographs of Native and homesteading families. There is also a military display commemorating those who have given their lives for this country. The Arlee Museum is located at corner of Bouch and Fyant (by the grade school). For more information or to arrange a viewing appointment, call (406) 726-3167.

Try to eat just one piece.

Genuine Native American Buffalo Jerky

file photo

Tim Ryan Writer's Night

• ARLEE – The Arlee Open Rodeo will be held at 2 p.m. at the Arlee rodeo grounds. This popular rodeo features a mix of local and regional cowboys and cowgirls competing in traditional rodeo events. Call (406) 726-3762 for more information.

Thursday, July 5 • ARLEE – The 2012 Arlee 3 on 3 Basketball Celebration will be held on Thursday, July 5, with a signup deadline of July 3. This year’s tournament will include 5th grade to adult divisions. Prizes will be awarded to first place winners. The entry fee is $100 for 3 guaranteed games. Participant Tshirts will be offered.

• POLSON – North Lake County Public Library will host a Thursday morning program for school-aged children at 10 a.m. at the library or an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

Friday, July 6 • HOT SPRINGS – Live music will be performed at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m.

• POLSON – A reception for the end of the “Reservation View” exhibit will be held Friday, July 6, from 5 – 7 p.m., at the Sandpiper Gallery. The exhibit featured work created during the Flathead Reservation Plein Air Paint-out. Prizes will be awarded for community-voted and Sandpiper member-voted favorites.

Saturday, July 7 • HOT SPRINGS – Live music will be performed at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m.

• BIGFORK – The 2nd Annual Bigfork “Battle in the Bay” Jamboree will be held on July 7 at Bigfork High School. The registration deadline is July 2. Entry fees are $100 for 3 guaranteed games and shirts. Prizes will be handed out for the top 3 places.

Three-point and dunking contests will also be held at the K-O Auto Center Court.

Monday, July 9 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• NINEPIPES — The Ninepipes Museum of Early Montana will host a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 9, with guest author Sheila Heuer and illustrator Jacki Goedert for their book “Cowboy the Magic Horse.” The first of 12 stories is based on Heuer’s true-life kidney cancer discovery and treatment.

Please join us at the museum to hear more about this magical, miraculous story. Contact Kathy Senkler at (406) 644-3458 for more information.

• POLSON – A workshop for children ages 8 and older, entitled “Classic Cartooning,” will be held Monday through Thursday, July 9-12, 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Sandpiper Gallery.

The cost is $25 and includes materials. Contact the Sandpiper Gallery for more information at (406) 883-5956.

• POLSON – A workshop for kids ages 8 and older, entitled “Rock Animals,” will be held Monday through Thursday, July 9-12, 1 to 2:30.p.m. at the Sandpiper Gallery.

The cost is $25 and includes materials. Contact the Sandpiper Gallery for more information at (406) 883-5956.

• KALISPELL – Take a trip back in time to the day dinosaurs ruled the land during Dino Days at the Summit.

An adventurer’s delight; explore dinosaur bones, footprints, create a fossil, make and watch a volcano explode. The camp is for two to theeyear-olds from 1-3 p.m. There is a limit of 10 children. Cost is $45 for Summit members and $65 for nonmembers. For more information call (406) 751-4113.

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Family Fun ALL

Summer long!

• 8 bowling lanes • Kids game area • Full service restaurant with daily lunch specials, Friday night dinner specials including prime rib and seafood, breakfast served weekends from 8 a.m. - noon • Daily happy hour from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

• Entire facility is air conditioned and smoke free.

Sportspage

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Bowl & Lounge

101 Heritage Lane, Polson

883-4010 or 883-4030 57

Lake County Rental Services

See us for all of your rental needs.

• residential • commercial

Call for application or details.

883-8000

Linda Sappington/Valley Journal

Alpine Tipis

306 Main St., Polson

(406) 883-3500

www.alpinetipi.com

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Specialist 24/7 Water Damage Service Free Estimates

Call us at 676-2370

YOUR ONE STOP FOR: grass & pasture mixes and cereal grains.

58

calendar Tuesday, July 10 • POLSON — A Farmers Market offering strictly food and agricultural items will be held Tuesday evenings from 4:30 – 7 p.m. on Third Avenue E. between the J.C. Penny/Hallmark store and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal building.

• POLSON — An invitational show featuring the photography of Judith Bromley, Tony Bynum, Paula Craft, Jay Cross, and Joe Weydt will be at the Sandpiper Gallery from July 10 to Aug. 17. A reception will be held Friday, July 13, 5 – 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 11 • PABLO — Ronan City Library will hold a story time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College Wednesdays, June 13 – Aug. 8, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. All ages are invited. Participants can document reading time in their reading log.

Thursday, July 12 • POLSON – North Lake County Public Library Thursday morning program is for school-aged children from 10 a,m,, at the library or an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

LOCATION

676-2174

Relay for Life luminaries

One mile north of Ronan East side of Hwy. 93

Friday, July 13 • HOT SPRINGS — Soul City Cowboys (Rock ‘n Country) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m.

Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• RONAN —The 25th Annual Mission

Valley Scholarship Golf Tournament and Hit Writers Night will be Friday, July 13 at Mission Mountain Golf Course in Ronan. This is local celebrity Tim Ryan's scholarship golf tournament and concert and Tim says this is his final year. The Mission Valley Scholarship is the oldest and largest charity golf tournament in the state of Montana. The MVS Tourney is unique, as the event has always been a reunion of family and friends capped off with dinner and concert. Tee time is 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dinner and awards are at 5 p.m. and the concert is at 7 p.m. Call the golf shop at 676GOLF for more information or to reserve your team now.

• POLSON — A reception for the invitational showing of photographers Judith Bromley, Tony Bynum, Paula Craft, Jay Cross, and Joe Weydt will be held Friday, July 13, from 5 – 7 p.m., at the Sandpiper Gallery. The exhibit will continue through to Aug. 17.

• RONAN — This year's Relay for Life theme is “The Magic of Relay: Dream It, Hope It, Cure It.” Activities will be held at the Ronan Sports Center, July 13 - 14, and include; survivor dinner at 6 p.m., opening ceremony at 7 p.m., and the survivor lap at 7:15 p.m. It is an all night event to celebrate those who have won the battle against cancer, remember those who have lost their battle and to fight back against the disease so that people cannot be hurt by cancer in the future.

There are activities through the night, plenty of food, lots of laughs and many tears.Everyone is invited to participate in this truly amazing experience.

If you are currently undergoing treatment or caring for someone in treatment please call the American Cancer Society Helpline at 1-800-227-2345.

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

Saturday, July 14 • HOT SPRINGS — Lefty Lucy (Rock Dance Band) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• RONAN — Olivia Olson "Painting Retreats" continue at the Ronan City Park Shelter area on the south end of the park. This retreat focuses on arranging shapes of color and value.

Discover the relationship of your objects to the picture's boundaries.

Learn a texture technique to elevate some of your objects from the background. Learn to use negative and positive space to discover delightful compositions. Cost is $75 for two days, July14-15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 676-3010 or 644-2246 to sign up or for more information.

• HOT SPRINGS - Stand up comedy will be performed at Symes Hotel Deck at 3 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

Sunday, July 15 • LAKE MARY RONAN — Kootenai Christian Senior Camp for students entering grades 10 to 12 will be held July 15 to 20. The camp offers swimming, boating, fishing, sports, plus Bible study, daily devotions and group worship times. The camp is held at Lake Mary Ronan. Registration forms and camp brochures can be picked up at First Christian Church in St. Ignatius, or call Marilyn at 745-4545.

Monday, July 16 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers ages 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library

is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• KALISPELL – Take a trip back in time to the day dinosaurs ruled the land during Dino Days at the Summit.

An adventurer’s delight; explore dinosaur bones, footprints, create a fossil, make and watch a volcano explode. The camp is for four to fiveyear-olds and will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. There is a limit of 14 children.

Cost is $45 for Summit members and $65 for non-members. For more information call (406) 751-4113.

• POLSON – Joanne Simpson will hold a workshop entitled, “Watercolor for the Terrified,” Monday through Friday, July 16-20 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Sandpiper Gallery. The cost is $125. Contact the Sandpiper Gallery for more information at (406) 883-5956.

Wednesday, July 18 • PABLO – Ronan City Library will hold a story time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College on Wednesdays from June 13 – Aug. 8, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. All ages are invited.

Thursday, July 19 • POLSON – Support Polson Late Afternoon Social Hour (SPLASH) will be held on Thursday, July 19, from 5-7 p.m. The July host will be First Interstate Bank located at 49573 US Hwy. 93 in Polson.

• POLSON – The Polson Flathead Historical Museum will have a presentation on Thursday, July 19, entitled “our Flathead Lake by Steamboat” by Doug Wold. The museum is located at 708 Main Street in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-3049.

• POLSON – The Port Polson Players will present “Peach Pie Reunion,” a karaoke comedy starting Thursday, July 19 and running until Sunday, Aug. 5. Curtain time Wednesday through Saturday is 8 p.m. with Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Adults are $18 and senior citizens and students are $17. For more information call Port Polson Players at (406) 8839212.

• POLSON – North Lake County

Tetona Dunlap/Valley Journal

Public Library will host a Thursday morning program for school-aged children at 10 a.m. at the library or an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

Friday, July 20 • POLSON – “Reggae by the Bay” will be held at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Polson. Tickets are $55 at the gate. Children 7 and younger are free with paying adult.

Reggae music featuring Clinton Fearon, Dominic Balli, Off In The Woods, In Walks Bud, The Mighty Lions, DJ Supa J Reggae, DJ General Smiley, DJ Oneness will be played.

Come See Us For FREE Inspections and Estimates

Good Old Days

Bring your own chair. No coolers, outside food or beverage is allowed.

No pets except authorized service animals. Handicap accessible. No weapons. Fee parking available. Rain or shine. No refunds. This concert is a fundraising event for the Flathead Coalition For Kids. Call (406) 2506398 for more information.

• RONAN – The Ronan class of 1977 will have their 35th class reunion July 20-21 at the Valley View Clubhouse.

Please RSVP. • ELMO – The Standing Arrow PowWow of the Kootenai Tribe, also known as the Ktunaxa Ksanka Band, welcomes all nations and the general

Authentic Mexican Food • Daily lunch specials • Children’s menu • Combinations • Full bar

675-8710

Automotive Repair Pablo West Rd. 42125 Leighton Rd.

Salomon Rd.

Hwy. 93

Turn west on Pablo West Rd. between Mission Valley Power and Pablo IGA, proceed 2 miles then turn left on Leighton Rd. First house to your right.

public to a “Pow-wow weekend” July 20-22 at the Elmo Powwow Grounds.

The Standing Arrow Powwow is an Indian gathering featuring drumming, dancing and traditional dress and food. Visitors are welcome and asked to respect the dance area, which is sacred. Grand entry is at 7 p.m.

Friday and at 1 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and Sunday. Contact Gina Big Beaver at (406) 849-5659 for more information.

• ST. IGNATIUS – Good Old Days in St. Ignatius is three days of family oriented fun in the Good Old Days Park. This year’s event will be held July 20-22. Friday family night will

• Seafood • American food • Specialties • To Go orders

Outside dining and great views Open 7 days a week, 11 am - 9 pm 110 Main St. #10, Polson • 883-5854 • www.fiestaenjalisco.net

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

59

calendar start with a barbecue dinner, followed by entertainment and fireworks.

Saturday will be the Buffalo Run, pancake breakfast, parade, fun and games in the park, lots of special events and food. Sunday, a fly-in at the airport with free airplane rides for children ages 8 to 17.

Saturday, July 21 • ST. IGNATIUS – The 2012 Buffalo Run in St. Ignatius, is a 1 mile Fun Run, 4-mile run-walk, 7-mile, and a half marathon. The half marathon starts promptly at 7 a.m. All other races start at 8 a.m. The course is in and around St. Ignatius (mostly flat terrain). Entry deadline is July 19, and the cost is $18 pre-registration (with shirt) $8 (no shirt), and $20 day of the race (with shirt), $10 (no shirt).

Entry forms are available at: stlukehealthnet.org • POLSON – The Miracle of America Museum will host their annual “Live History Days” celebration July 21 and 22. You can watch and often try your hand at numerous crafts and enjoy a multitude of exhibits. There will be three trains, a tank, army rigs and

other vehicle rides, even a pump railroad velocipede, an operating sawmill, and schoolhouse activities.

Munch a lunch in the afternoon while you relax and enjoy Montana old time fiddlers, accordionists, banjo pickers and more. Additional artists and craftspeople are welcome to join in for any of the two-day event. This is held rain or shine and the main building is air-conditioned. Admission is $5 for all 3 years of age and older, and includes admission on all rides.

Food is charged for. The museum is located just south of Polson on Memory Lane. For more information, call (406) 883-6804 or (406) 8836264.

• POLSON – The Main Street Cherry Festival kicks off Saturday, July 21 at 9 a.m. This family fun event features more than 125 vendors selling flathead cherries, homemade cherry pies, unique arts and crafts, entertainment, sidewalk sales and specials. The event is held from 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Saturday, July 21 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 22. For vendor space or more information call (406) 871-8252.

Sunday, July 22 • LAKE MARY RONAN – Kootenai Christian Intermediate Camp for students entering grades 7 to 9 will be held July 22-27. The camp offers swimming, boating, fishing, sports, plus Bible study, daily devotions and

Arnie’s

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group worship times and will be held at Lake Mary Ronan. Registration forms and camp brochures can be picked up at First Christian Church in St. Ignatius, or call Marilyn at (406) 745-4545.

• ST. IGNATIUS – In conjunction with Good Ol’ Days in St Ignatius, the Lake County Chapter #1122 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will be flying Young Eagles Flights at St. Ignatius Airport on Sunday morning, July 22, starting at 9 a.m. All children between the ages of 8 and 17, with their parents’ approval, can get a ride in an airplane free of charge. Breakfast will be available from 8 to 11 a.m. Entire event is weather dependent.

Monday, July 23 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Thursday, July 26 • POLSON – North Lake County Public Library will host a Thursday morning program for school-aged

children at 10 a.m. at the library or an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

Friday, July 27 • POLSON — The Flathead Lake 3on-3 Hoop Shoot on Main Street will be in Polson July 27-29. The 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is expected to bring in 300 teams. All proceeds are donated back to the community including $1,000 to the Chamber Beautification Fund. For more information contact Anderson Broadcasting at (406) 883-5255 or 1800-750-KERR, Saturday, July 28 • POLSON — On Saturday, July 28, Polson’s Flathead Historical Museum will hold a Wine and Beer Fest from 7 to 9 p.m. Come enjoy wine and beer tasting, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment while viewing the museum’s collections. The Flathead Historical Museum is located at 708 Main St. Call (406) 883-3049 for more information.

Wednesday, July 25 • PABLO – Wednesdays, June 13 to Aug. 8, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Ronan City Library will hold a Story Time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College. All ages are invited. Participants can document reading time in their reading log.

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Thursday, July 26 POLSON — The North Lake County Public Library is offering story time hours - two, one-hour programs, the first from 10 to 11 a.m., and the second from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursdays, for children age 3-5 and their caregivers.

Books, stories, songs, finger plays, rhymes and fun are scheduled. The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson.

For more information call (406) 8838225.

Saturday, July 28 • HOT SPRINGS – The third annual Blues Festival held at Symes Hotel will feature Brother Music and the Mike Bader Blues Band starting at 4 p.m.

Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• RONAN – Lake County Fair Shooting Sports begins at 9 a.m. Call the Lake County Fair office at (406) 676-8660 for more details.

• ST. IGNATIUS – The Montana Skate Series is a 3-stop contest to crown Montana’s best overall skater. Cash and prizes are awarded to the best overall skaters in 15 years and younger and 16 years and older categories. The event will be held Saturday, July 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Skate Ignatius Skatepark.

Sunday, July 29 • RONAN – The Lake County Fair Big Sky Sporting Clays competition begin at 1 p.m. Call the Lake County Fair office at (406) 676-8660 for more details.

Monday, July 30 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• KALISPELL – Enjoy a Creative Movement and Music seminar at the Summit July 30 to Aug. 3. Swim like a dolphin. Dance like a snowflake. Sway to the music. Paint to the music. This is

Linda Sappington/Valley Journal

Lake County Fair

a joyful approach to teaching children about themselves and how their bodies move. The camp weaves together stretching, creative movement, cooperative activities, songs, music and stories to help promote children’s selfconfidence, self-expression, and cooperative play with one another. The camp is for two and three-year-olds from 1-3 p.m. There is a limit of 8 children. Cost is $45 for Summit members and $65 for non-members. Call (406) 751-4113 for more information.

• RONAN — The Lake County Fair gets underway at the Ronan Fairgrounds, Monday, July 30 with events running through Saturday, Aug. 4. Founded in 1938, this rural country fair is recognized as one of Montana’s finest and frequently has as many as 350 exhibitors each with several entries. The Lake County Fair is a big

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event in the lives of many of our boys, girls and adults. Youth from all over the county exhibit livestock and projects with a 4-H emphasis. Open class entries of all kinds are encouraged from Lake County residents. Each day of the fair offers spectator interaction with livestock shows, entertainment, project judging and youth activities.

For complete information refer to the Lake County Fair Premium Book available in June at the Lake County Extension Office, (406) 676-4271, or from local businesses. The fairgrounds are located west of Hwy. 93 adjacent to Ronan High School. Horse show check-in begins at 10 a.m., judges orientation is at 2:30 p.m., interview judging (A-M) from 3 to 5 p.m. and (N-Z) from 5 to 7 p.m. Horse packing is at 5 p.m.

• POLSON – A workshop entitled “The

Magic of Color,” (any medium), will be held Monday through Friday, July 30 to Aug. 3, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., at the Sandpiper Gallery. The cost is $125. Contact the Sandpiper Gallery for more information at (406) 8835956.

• LAKE MARY RONAN – Kootenai Christian Junior Camp for students entering grades 4 to 6 will be held July 30 – Aug. 3. The camp offers swimming, boating, fishing, sports, plus Bible study, daily devotions and group worship times. The camp is held at Lake Mary Ronan. Registration forms and camp brochures can be picked up at First Christian Church in St. Ignatius, or call Marilyn at (406) 7454545.

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2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

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calendar Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson.

For more information call (406) 8838225.

August

Wednesday, Aug. 1 • PABLO – Wednesdays, June 13 to Aug. 8, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Ronan City Library will hold a Story Time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College. All ages are invited. Participants can document reading time in their reading log.

Thursday, Aug. 2 • POLSON – North Lake County Public Library will host a Thursday morning program for school-aged children at 10 a.m. at the library or an announced location. The program runs through Aug. 9.

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• HOT SPRINGS – Heather and The Nearly Homeless Blues Band (Blues) to perform at Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

Friday, Aug. 3 • RONAN — Pioneer Days celebration begins in Ronan. Happy 100th birthday Ronan! Pioneer Days will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday Aug. 3-5.

Events get underway Friday, Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m. with a Bulls and Broncs Rodeo. A street dance will follow at 9:30 p.m. outside the Pheasant and Second Chance Saloon on Main Street, featuring the country music of “The Clark Fork River Gang.” A pancake breakfast at the Ronan VFW kicks things off Saturday at 7 a.m. The Mission Mountain Classic Run begins at 8 a.m. Kiddies’ rodeo events include sheep riding ($1 fee, 11 a.m. sign-up) for children under 60 pounds, stick horse race (ages 1-6), sheep dressing $10 for 3 member teams ages 8-11 and ages 12-14, free calf-cash race for ages 8-11 and 12-14 and 15-18, chicken and pig scrambles ($1 fee). An evening rodeo and wild cow race begins at 7:30 p.m. followed by another street dance outside the Pheasant and Second Chance on Main Street at 9:30 p.m. featuring “Out on Bail.”

Saturday, August 4 • POLSON – Polson Bay’s Water Daze, the annual fundraiser for Mission Valley Aquatics begins at 1 p.m. at Boettcher

Park. There will be lots of fun activities for the kids and a barbeque. There will also be a fun swim after the one-mile swim race. Registration is 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for adults and 1 p.m. for children. For more information call (406) 883-4567.

• POLSON – The Polson Skate Jam will be held Aug. 4, at noon, at the Seventh Avenue Skate Park in Polson. Prizes will be awarded for trick and bowl skating contests for skaters of all ability levels, and a product toss with an assortment of skate merchandise will complete the Skate Jam. For more information, call (406) 253-8319.

• RONAN – The 17th Annual Pioneer Days “3 on 3 Jamboree” will be held on Saturday, August 4. The registration deadline is July 31. Divisions include 3rd grade to adult and coed. Entry fees will be $100 per team with 3 games guaranteed and shirts. Prizes will be handed out for the top 3 places. Threepoint, and dunk contests will also be held at the Woody’s/K-O Auto Center court.

• RONAN – In conjunction with Ronan Pioneer Days and the Fair, the Lake County Chapter #1122 of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) will be hosting Young Eagles Flights at Ronan Airport on Saturday morning, Aug. 4, starting 9 a.m. All children between the ages of 8-17, with their parents’ approval, can get a ride in an airplane free of charge.

• POLSON – St. Joseph Medical Center

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will once again host their playhouse fundraiser Aug. 4, from 5-7 p.m. at Ridgewater, on Hwy. 93 across from the new Wal-Mart location. Please call (406) 883-8926 for more details.

Sunday, August 5 • RONAN – The big Pioneer Days parade begins at 12:30 p.m. Sunday followed by the rodeo and wild buffalo ride at 3 p.m. Stop by the Ronan Visitor center to or call (406) 676-8300 for more information.

• PLAINS – Montana Bicycle Ride is a 7-day bicycle tour beginning in Plains and visiting the communities of Polson, Kalispell, Eureka, Libby and Noxon before returning to Plains. Participants will be at Boettcher Park on Sunday, August 5. The ride will display the beauty of the Clark Fork, Kootenai and Bull Rivers as well as, the incredible sight of Flathead Lake flanked by the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Participants from all over the US and abroad are expected. The organizer, Bicycle Riders NW, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing fully supported scenic bicycling adventures to discover the beauty of the Northwest and the heart and soul of its communities. Call (541) 382-2633 for more information.

• LAKE MARY RONAN – Kootenai Christian First Chance Camp for students entering grades 1-3 will be held Aug. 5-7. The camp offers swimming, boating, fishing, sports, plus Bible study, daily devotions and group worship

times. The camp is held at Lake Mary Ronan and cost is $45. Registration forms and camp brochures can be picked up at First Christian Church in St. Ignatius, or call Marilyn at (406) 7454545.

Monday, Aug. 6 POLSON — The Lake Swim program, under the auspices of the Carl A. Ross Memorial Foundation and the American Red Cross, will be held at Boettcher Park in Polson Monday, Aug. 6 through Friday, Aug. 10. The one-hour classes, held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., are for children ages 4-10. The cost is $15 per child with the balance of the cost picked up by the Carl A. Ross Memorial Foundation.

Please call (406) 261-5873 for more information.

• POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• KALISPELL – Enjoy a Creative Movement and Music seminar at the Summit Aug. 6-10. Swim like a dolphin. Dance like a snowflake. Sway to the music. Paint to the music. This is a joyful approach to teaching children about themselves and how their bodies

gals shows Aug. 9 to 26. This new mustsee musical picks up where the popular Boomer fellas left off. Call (406) 8839212 for more information.

Boone Goddard/Valley Journal

Cruisin’ by the Bay Car Show

move. The camp weaves together stretching, creative movement, cooperative activities, songs, music and stories to help promote children’s selfconfidence, self-expression, and cooperative play with one another. The camp is for four and five-year-olds from 1-4 p.m. There is a limit of 10 children. Cost is $45 for Summit members and $65 for non-members.

Call (406) 751-4113 for more information.

Wednesday, Aug. 8 • PABLO – Wednesdays, June 13 to Aug. 8, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Ronan City Library will hold a Story Time in the D’arcy McNickle Library at Salish Kootenai College. All ages are invited. Participants can document reading time in their reading log.

Thursday, Aug. 9 • POLSON – “Boomer Babes” Trills, Thrills and Frills via four Baby Boomer

Friday, Aug. 10 • POLSON – Cruisin’ by the Bay Events begin Friday, Aug. 10 and continue through Saturday, Aug. 11. Friday registration goes from 12 to 5 p.m. at Riverside Park (Hwy. 93). Watch for sign and parking attendants. Events include a Poker Run from 12-5 p.m., the “cruise” starts at 5 p.m. at Riverside Park, and the parade starts at 6 p.m. On Saturday registration goes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Post Office Parking Lot (Third Avenue and First Street in Polson.) Events for the day include a Poker Walk from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and a Kids Carnival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, on the Corner of Main Street & 5th Avenue.

The Award Ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. in front of information booth with the “Parade of Winners.” The Bop-ADips will provide a free concert Saturday evening from 7-10 p.m. at Riverside Park. Food vendors will be available. For more informatin call Jackie Brown (406) 883-1042.

Saturday, Aug. 11 • POLSON – The 41st Annual Sandpiper Lake County Art Festival takes place on the Polson Courthouse lawn Saturday, August 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in conjunction with “Cruisin’ By the Bay” Vintage Car Show. There

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• Six-week summer camp at SKC

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2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

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calendar will be fine art originals in all media, jewelry, handmade furniture, birdhouses, hand-sewn items, stained glass, rose mauling, pottery, candles and sculpture and many other interesting and unique items. In addition to the many returning artists, there will be new artists displaying in this popular juried event. There will be varied musical entertainment and food concessions throughout the day.

Applications are being taken by phone (406) 883-5956 or visit their website at Sandpiperartgallery.com • RONAN – The Ronan City Library will celebrate the end of their summer reading program with a picnic and a grand prize drawing at Bockman Park in Ronan, on Saturday, Aug. 11. Call (406) 676-3682 for more information.

Sunday, Aug. 12 • POLSON – Loren Kovich will teach a workshop, entitled “Beginner to Intermediate Watercolor,” (ages 8 and up), Sunday and Monday, Aug. 12 and 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Sandpiper Gallery. Cost is $50 per day. Call 883-5956 for more information.

Monday, Aug. 13 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Thursday, Aug. 16 • ST. IGNATIUS – Montana’s Shakespeare in the Park’s production of “Twelfth Night” will be performed at 6 p.m. on Aug. 16 at the St. Ignatius amphitheater. In case of inclement weather, the play will move to the St. Ignatius elementary gym.

• HOT SPRINGS – Teri Hill, (country-folk-rock-Americana and storyteller), will perform at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• POLSON - Support Polson Late Afternoon Social Hour, SPLASH, will be held on Thursday, Aug. 16 from 57 p.m. August host will be Glacier Bank located at 49430 US Hwy 93 in Polson. Call the Polson Chamber of Commerce for more information (406) 883-5969.

Friday, Aug. 17 • HOT SPRINGS – Soula Festival (Blue Grass) will be held at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

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Boone Goddard/Valley Journal

Saturday, Aug. 18 • RONAN – Olivia Olson “Painting Retreats” continue Aug. 18-19 at Ninepipes Reservoir, Ninepipes Museum. From the majesty of the Mission Mountains to the reflections on the Reservoir, explore ways to capture light and reflection. Use texture to enhance shapes and water movement. Study pond life, birds and ducks. Cost is $75 for two days, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (406) 676-3010 or (406) 644-2246 to sign up or for more information.

• PABLO – The People’s Center Celebration and Pow-wow will be held Aug. 18, in Pablo, at the center grounds. There will be traditional Native American dancing, drumming and singing from 5 p.m. to dark.

Vendors of beadwork, local art and food will be on hand. Everyone is welcome. No admission fee is charged for the event. For more information call The People’s Center at (406) 6750160.

• HOT SPRINGS – Soula Festival (Blue Grass) will be held at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• ST. IGNATIUS – The Fort Connah Restoration Society will be hosting an open-house rendezvous Aug. 18-19.

This is a living history event depicting life during the fur-trading era of Montana. The event is a great opportunity for the public to see the historic Hudson Bay’s Fort Connah Trading Post come to life. Built in 1847, one of the original buildings still stands, making it the oldest building in Montana. There will be ongoing demonstrations: hide tanning, blacksmithing, flint knapping, fire starting,

Art in the Park

spinning, weaving and beadwork. For the children there will be time era related crafts and games. These activities will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. This event is free to the public but donations to the Fort Connah Restoration Society are greatly appreciated. Dry camping will be possible Friday, Aug. 17 to Monday, Aug. 20 for a $20 fee.

Fort Connah is located 6 miles north of St. Ignatius or 8 miles south of Ronan at mile marker 39 on Highway 93. For more information on this event call David Steindorf at (406) 644-2882 or Scott Cameron at (406) 381-0759.

• POLSON – A “Brew Tour” at the KwaTaqNuk Resort starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 18. This event is held in conjunction with the annual Smokin’ on the Water barbecue cook-off. There will be Microbrews from the Tamarack Brewing company, Great Northern Brewing Company, Glacier Brewing Company, and Flathead Lake Brewing Company. Cost is $3 per cup or buy a souvenir glass pint for $7 (includes one fill). For more information call (406) 883-8368.

• POLSON – The Fourth Annual Smokin’ On The Water barbeque and cook-off, sponsored by the Polson Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors, will be held Saturday, Aug. 18, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the KwaTaqNuk Resort. Trophies will be awarded in all categories. Join the ambassadors for a barbeque cook-off of beef, chicken, pork, sauces, and an open category “Chef’s Choice,” - anything

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

that is edible and grilled. If you think you have the best-smoked brisket, or maybe killer ribs or chicken, call to reserve your spot and a chance to say, “I’m the best barbequer on the lake!”

Registration fee for cooker’s booth is $100 or vendor booth is $45.

Call (406) 249-6689 or (406) 4714218 for more information.

• POLSON – The Polson Triathlon will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18 beginning at 9 a.m. at Riverside Park.

Early entry fee (by Aug. 1) is $70 online only (teams $150). Late entry (Aug. 2 - Aug. 14) $90 online (teams $170). No race registration after Tuesday, Aug. 14. Race capacity is 200 competitors (teams count as one).

For more information call (406) 8839264 or go to: polsontriathlon.com Monday, Aug. 20 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Tuesday, Aug. 21 • POLSON – An invitational show featuring the paintings of Kelly Apgar, Lavonne Burgard, Mary Kelley, Phil Korrell, and Alice Varnum will be at the Sandpiper Gallery from Aug. 21 to Sept. 28. A reception will be held Friday, Aug. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 24 • POLSON – INFR (Indian National Finals Rodeo) Tour will be Aug. 23 to 25 at the Polson Fair Grounds starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. Saturday. Call (406) 338 -7684 for more information.

• HOT SPRINGS – Chris DuPerri (Jazz – Blues) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

• POLSON – A reception will be held Friday, Aug. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Sandpiper Gallery and will feature the paintings of Kelly Apgar, Lavonne Burgard, Mary Kelley, Phil Korrell, and Alice Varnum.

Saturday, Aug. 25 • POLSON – A workshop entitled “Flower Power,” (watercolor) will be held Saturday, Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sandpiper Gallery. Cost is $45.

Call (406) 883-5956 for more information.

• POLSON – Join in the Polson Rotary Chili Cook-Off at Riverside Park on the south side of the Armed Forces Bridge in Polson. The day includes children’s games, activities, and a raffle. This year’s Annual Polson Rotary Festival for the Youth is an effort to raise funds to support a local project oriented towards the youth of our local community. Polson Rotary is proud to support the Mission Valley Mariners and the improvements and stadium lighting being constructed on their home field.

The improvements and lighting will enable them to host tournaments and enhance the overall functionality of the ball field. Polson Rotary believes this project will have a significant impact on the youth of this community. Please make any checks payable to Polson Rotary. Your support is greatly appreciated. Call the Polson Chamber of Commerce at (406) 883-5696 for more information.

• DIXON – The Dixon Melon Days celebration is set for Aug. 25. A run and breakfast will be held from 7 to 8 a.m. with the parade beginning at 11 a.m.

The event is free to the public with fun for the entire family. Activities include a parade, 1 mile, 2 mile, and 3 mile run/walk, food booths, old time kids and adult games, live entertainment, farmer Olympics, horseshoes, little buckaroo rodeo and the best melons in western Montana. Come on out and join us and we will guarantee a good time by all.

Call (406) 246-3526 for more information.

Sunday, Aug. 26 • POLSON – A workshop entitled “Clouds and Other Atmospheric Phenomena,” will be held Sunday, Aug. 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sandpiper Gallery. Cost is $45. Call (406) 883-5956 for more information.

• CHARLO – Montana’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Hamlet” will be at 6 p.m. in the Palmer Park in Charlo. If it rains, the play will move to the Charlo gym.

Monday, Aug. 27 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and

file photo

12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

• PLAINS – The Sanders County Fair and PRCA Rodeo will be held at the Sanders County Fairgrounds Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, daily from 8 a.m. to midnight.

There is a $5 fee for parking.

Fairgrounds entrance is free. Arena event fees vary. Call (406) 826-3202 or go to http://www.sanderscountyfair.com for more information.

Thursday, Aug. 30 • POLSON – The North Lake County Public Library will host story time hours - two, one-hour programs, the first from 10 to 11 a.m., and the second from 1 to 2 p.m., Thursdays, for children age 3-5 and their caregivers. Story time includes books, stories, songs, finger plays, rhymes and fun. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

September

Saturday, Sept. 1 • HOT SPRINGS – Shennanigans (Folk – Gospel - Blue Grass) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8 to 10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361 for more information.

Sunday, Sept. 2 • HOT SPRINGS – A Labor Day barbeque and performance by Gary Redman (Cowboy Singer) is set for 4

3-on-3 basketball tournament

p.m. and from 8 to 10 p.m., respectively, at the Symes Hotel. Call (406) 7412361 for more information.

Monday, Sept 3 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Thursday, Sept. 6 • POLSON – The North Lake County Public Library will host story time hours - two, one-hour programs, the first from 10 to 11 a.m., and the second from 1 to 2 p.m., Thursdays, for children age 3-5 and their caregivers. Story time includes books, stories, songs, finger plays, rhymes and fun. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Saturday, Sept. 8 • DAYTON —The Chief Cliff Fire Service Area is sponsoring its 21st Annual Dayton Daze celebration at the Idle Spur Saloon on Sept. 8. There will be sailboat rides at the Dayton Yacht Club from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a Ladies Aid Bazaar at the Dayton Church with lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., wine tasting at the Mission Mountain Winery from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., parade line-up at 2 p.m. and parade at 3 p.m., and a pig roast and music at the Idle Spur from 4:30 p.m. until closing. The fire department will be holding a raffle, with pro-

2012 Montana Summer www.valleyjour nal.net

ceeds to benefit the Chief Cliff VFD. For more information, call 849-5917.

Dayton — Day at the Winery: Mission Mountain Winery encourages you to attend our free event 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We are joining the community of Dayton in celebrating its 103rd anniversary. You are invited to enjoy the Dayton Daze festivities including bazaars, parades, sailboat rides, barbecues and wine tasting. Mission Mountain Winery is located on Highway 93 in Dayton on the west shore of beautiful Flathead Lake.

Polson — On Sept. 8, beginning at 10 a.m. at Riverside Park in Polson, (registration is at 9 a.m.), join in “March for Babies,” a 2 mile walk-Olson “Painting Retreats” - Sept. 15 to 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ronan City Park, Shelter area on south end: Paint a scene at a distance, studying trees and a meandering creek. Then moving to a distance of 50 feet or less, compose a painting to capture the mood of the moment. And then, paint the beauty of nature at close range. $75 for two days. Call 676-3010 or 6442246 to sign up or for more information.

POLSON — Lake County High School Rodeo will be held at Polson Fairgrounds Sept. 15 to 16. Watch as the girls and boys participate in a wide range of rodeo activities: barrels, saddle broncs, goat tying, and breakaway.

There will be a great concession stand complete with homegrown Montana beef direct from our valley. For more information, call 644-2874 or 676-7600.

• ARLEE – The 8th Annual Festival of Peace is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8. The festival will begin with the 2nd Annual Walk-A-Mile for Peace. Speakers will again address

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calendar indigenous people and land, the health of the planet, human health and ethics, and how we can create a more peaceful world in turbulent times. Keynote speaker will be Simon Ortiz. Interfaith panels, guest speakers, and blessings from indigenous people from Tibet and America will come together to pray for peace and harmony. Back by popular demand Alma Desnuda will return again as musical headliner.Food vendors, information tables, native games and crafts, along with spiritual items, clothing and jewelry sellers will round out the festival atmosphere on the Garden grounds. Volunteers and sponsors are needed to help setup and take part in the event. Call 406726-0555 for more information.

Monday, Sept. 17 • POLSON — North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Tuesday, Sept. 18 • POLSON – Wings For Wishes Over Montana is a radio controlled airplane fun fly event (R/C Airshow) designed to benefit The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Montana. Model aviation pilots from as far east as Mississippi, Georgia, and Illinois, and as far west as Washington will be coming to our location on the corner of Minesinger and Farm Roads in Polson, for this 2-day fun filled fundraising event for such a great cause.

There is a landing fee for pilots in the amount of $15 for a 1-day pass or $25 for a 2-day pass. Pit passes will be available for $5 each. As always, spectators are free. There are many raffle items, a couple silent auction items as well. All of the funds raised will go to Make-A-Wish Montana. Visit www,wingsforwishes.weebly.com for more details.

• RONAN – Olivia Olson “Painting Retreats” continue Sept. 15-16 at Ronan City Park, Shelter area on south end.

Paint a scene at a distance, studying trees and a meandering creek. Then moving to a distance of 50 feet or less, compose a painting to capture the mood of the moment. And then, paint the beauty of nature at close range. Cost is $75 for two days, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (406) 676-3010 or (406) 644-2246 to sign up or for more information.

• PABLO – Native American Awareness Days at the People’s Center in Pablo will be held Sept. 18-20. Open to the public, the purpose of the event is to educate the community on lifestyles, history of the Salish, Kootenai and Pend

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d’ Oreille people. A few of the activities taking place include: Native arts, crafts, dancing and cooking demonstrations with frybread and dry meats available to eat. Call Marie at (406) 675-0160 for more information.

Thursday, Sept. 20 • POLSON – Support Polson Late Afternoon Social Hour, SPLASH, will be held on Thursday, Sept. 20, from 5-7 p.m. September host will be the Mission Valley Aquatic Center. For more information call the Polson Chamber of Commerce at (406) 883-5969.

Monday, Sept. 24 • POLSON – North Lake County Public Library Mother Goose Time is a half-hour program, 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for toddlers age 1-3, and their caregivers. Mother Goose is here and always ready to do nursery rhymes and stories with her friends.

The North Lake County Public Library is located at 2 First Avenue E. in Polson. For more information call (406) 883-8225.

Regularly scheduled events, activities

• POLSON – Friday activities are offered regularly throughout the summer at North Lake County Public Library. Come down, get cool, and have fun at the library. The library will be an exciting place on Friday afternoons.

“Friday Flicks” and Friday “Game Days” will be held from 2 to 4 p. m. in the library meeting room. Anyone is welcome. During Friday Flicks, kids

Peace Festival at Garden of 1,000 Buddhas

will be able to relax with popular movies, refreshing blasts of air conditioning, and snacks. On alternating weeks, game says will allow kids to have fun playing Wii, board games, and more. For more information, please call the library at (406) 883-8225.

• RONAN – VFW Post 5652 will host a breakfast the first Saturday of every month at the Ronan VFW building, 35981 Round Butte Rd, Ronan. The breakfasts are open to the public. Call (406) 676-5652 for more information.

• POLSON – Enjoy a Flathead Lake cruise aboard the KwaTaq Nuk Resort’s “Shadow.” Cruises range in price and distance. Call (406) 883-3636 for more information.

• POLSON – The Miracle of America Museum in Polson, located just south of Polson on Memory Lane will host a variety of activities throughout the summer months. For more information, call museum at (406) 883-6804 or (406) 883-6264.

• ST. IGNATIUS – The Community Library will hold a morning preschool story time program for children 0-5 years old during the summer. If there’s enough interest basic computer classes may be offered and the book/video van may make deliveries to homes throughout the summer. For information on any of these programs call (406) 745-3811 ext. 222 or go to the stignatiuslibrary.net website.

• CHARLO – Charlo and Dixon Schools will have swimming lessons available for students at Big Brother, Big Sisters in Ronan, during the summer months. Call (406) 246-3566 for more information.

• CHARLO – Charlo and Dixon Schools will hold summer school infor-

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mation.

• MISSION/FLATHEAD VALLEYS — A variety of camps for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are available throughout the summer. For more information visit Montana council BSA at www.montanabsa.org • RONAN – Beginning to intermediate level piano lessons for all ages at Karen Randle’s Studio in Ronan. Programs are available for children as young as 5 years, and have been successful teaching the student to play and read music.

Adult programs are best taught in a group – so bring your friends or family.

Have fun learning to play your favorite songs while lowering your stress levels.

Call (406) 239-2838 to register. Also available at Karen Randle’s Studio in Ronan, lessons available for guitar, voice, ukulele, drums, music theory and composition, as well as electronic music, taught by Robert Braun. For more information call (406) 459-3035.

• PLAINS – A variety of camps and summer programming for youth begin at Camp Bighorn, a non-denominational Christian adventure camp. Camp Bighorn is next to the beautiful Clark Fork River near Plains. A schedule of camps is available at campbighorn.org • ARLEE – The WOW Bus will visit the Jocko Valley Library every other Wednesday, beginning May 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. The WOW Bus is an eight-station Internet connection place for those needing to use or learn just about anything on the computer.

Internet classes begin at 2:30 p.m.

One-on-one assistance is available during each visit. If you have any questions call (406) 726-0182.

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