Community briefs

Recycling drive starts today 

This month’s plastic drive by S.A.V.E. and community partnerswill be held Nov. 11 through Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1100N. last Chance Gulch. 

Items collected at the event are type one (No. 1) and two (No.2) plastics including: type one beverage containers (e.g. water andsoda bottles), type one clear clam shell tray (e.g. the heavierduty, less “crackly” trays that often contain fruit, but not thosethat contain cookies), type two natural color containers (e.g.standard milk jugs, distilled water containers) and type two colorplastics (e.g. orange juice containers, white milk jugs, detergentbottles). Motor oil containers are not accepted.  Cooking oilcontainers should be thoroughly rinsed beforehand. Items shouldalways be stored without lids for quality control and safety.  

The event-based plastics drive is a partnership by S.A.V.E., thecity of Helena, City-County Sanitation, Pacific Steel andRecycling, General Services of the state of Montana and the MontanaBeverage Association with additional support from CarrollCollege. 

America Recycles Day Celebration will be held Nov 15, from 6 to9 p.m. at ExplorationWorks on 995 Carousel way in the GreatNorthern Center. Event is free and open to the public. 

Additional details, volunteer opportunities, and 2012 collectiondates are available at Savemobile.org or by calling449-6008.

Fall bazaar today at Neighborhood Center

The Helena Senior Center Advisory Council is hosting theirannual fall bazaar today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the basement onthe Neighborhood Center, 200 S. Cruse Ave.

The bazaar will feature high-quality used items includinghousehold items, Christmas goods, crafts, books and puzzles. Noclothes will be included, and prices are always customer friendly.The council will hold silent auctions for unique items.

For more information, call Carol Kellerher at 442-5369 or447-1680. 

The Helena Senior Center Advisory Council is an informal groupthat fundraises for and advises the Helena Senior Center at RockyMountain Development Council.

Free car-seat safety inspections  

Tri-County Buckle Up Montana and Economy Auto Body will offerfree car-seat safety inspections on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.at 2308 Euclid in Helena. Nationally certified child passengersafety technicians from law enforcement and other organizationswill check for correct use, installation and answer questions.these inspections take approximately 25 minutes-no appointment isnecessary.  There will be refreshments and activities for childrenavailable.  

Proper use and installation of child safety seats and seat beltsare the most effective means of reducing the chance of injury orfatality in motor vehicle crashes. In Montana, all children lessthan 6 years old and weighing less than 60 pounds must be riding inappropriate child-safety seats. for more information, call324-1072.

Garden Club to discuss guerilla gardening

The Helena Garden Club will meet Saturday at 10:30 a.m. atMontana Wild, 2668 Broadwater Ave. off Euclid Avenue/Highway 12.this month’s program will be guerilla gardening, presented by MFGCLewis and Clark County Director Sue Leferink. Participants willlearn how to take a risk and learn to beautify the areas aroundyour local neighborhood plus there will be an activity on thebasics of making seed balls. The public is always welcome. 

The Helena Garden Club is part of the Montana Federation ofGarden Clubs and the National Garden Clubs, Inc. The club meetsmonthly, September through June, on the tsecond Saturday of themonth at 10:30 a.m. for meeting locations and upcoming activities,visit helenagardenclub.wordpress.com, find it on Facebook orcontact Christi Mock, HGC president, at 465-6142.

AARP announces classes, veterans promotion

To recognize and thank veterans, active military and theirspouses for their dedication and commitment to service, AARP isoffering them a driver safety program classroom course at no chargeduring November 2011.

The course was developed for participants age 50-plus; but isopen to all ages. It is taught by AARP-trained volunteers with nofinal test to pass. The course fee for non-military is $14 ($12with AARP membership card). 

Auto insurance companies in Montana provide a multi-yeardiscount to Driver Safety Program graduates 55 years of age andolder. 

Nov. 12 â€" St. Peter’s Hospital education center, 2475 Broadway;8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 22 â€" Mountain West Bank-East, 2728 Colonial Drive, noon toabout 4:30 p.m.

To register, call 457-4712. 

Bring questions to extension booth at farmersmarket 

Bring your gardening and horticulture questions, plants, weedsand insects down to the Helena farmers market at the fairgrounds.The MSU/Lewis and Clark County Extension Office and the Helena areaMaster Gardeners will have a booth at the farmers market thisSaturday and on Nov. 19.  

Each Saturday there will be a special theme. The Nov. 12 themeis season extension techniques, and Nov. 19 is composting.  If youhave an insect or plant that you would like identified, or you havea question about a tree of yours that isn’t looking too healthy,bring them down to the farmers market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at thefairgrounds.  

The booth will provide Extension fact sheets on related topicsand free MontGuides, which are MSU Extension publication pertainingto yard and garden installation, plant selection, integrated pestmanagement and other related topics such as food preservation.

For more information, contact Brent Sarchet at 447-8350 orbsarchet@montana.edu.

Bjerke family benefit slated for Sunday

There will be a benefit for the Brett Bjerke family Sunday, from5 to 10 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1867 N. WashingtonSt.

Brett’s battle against esophageal cancer has been a horrificchallenge physically and financially for the Bjerke family. Pleasejoin family and friends for an evening of caring, sharing andgiving.

Events include: a chili dinner from 5 to 7 p.m., live karaoke,50/50 raffle and a silent auction.

Items donated include: two-day ski package, jewelry items,saddle racks, Lexmark printer, ski pass punch cards, autographedMiami Dolphins footballs, artwork, flowers, wine/liquor/coffeebaskets, stained glass wall art, clothing items, auto maintenancegift certificates, 40 square feet of slate and so much more.

For more information or to donate, call 439-8528 or 933-5971.

Library accepting food for fines

Since Helena Food Share is experiencing a critical need forfood, the Lewis and Clark Library would like to help out byoffering “Food for Fines” to our patrons the week of Nov. 13through 19. Simply bring in nonperishable food items along with allof your overdue items and the circulation staff will waive yourfines.

Some restrictions do apply, however.  Patrons must have allover-due items turned in and must present their food sharedonations in order to have their account cleared. Also, patronswith accounts in collections, or who owe for damaged or lost items,will not be able to benefit from “Food for Fines.” Patrons mustpresent one nonperishable food item per overdue item.

The Lewis and Clark Library will donate all collected food itemsto the Helena Food Share. 

So find those overdue books and head to the main branch of thelibrary at 120 S. last Chance Gulch, or one of the branch librariesin Augusta, Lincoln and East Helena, between Nov. 13-19 and help ushelp Food Share.  For more information, please contact thecirculation staff at 447-1690 ext 6 or log ontolewisandclarklibrary.org.

Learn about gluten-free diets

“Gluten Free: Fad or Medical Necessity?” will be presented freeat St. Peter’s Hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m., in thehospital’s education center by clinical dietitian JenniferColegrove, R.D., L.N. 

Topics include eating gluten-free for weight loss, healthbenefits and complications of not eliminating gluten, illnessesassociated with gluten and more. There will be time for audiencequestions. Gluten-free recipes and resources will be provided.

St. Peter’s free well Nourished lecture series is sponsored bythe Real Food Market and Deli. for a complete schedule of WellNourished lectures, visit stpetes.org or call 444-2189.   

Enjoy an evening of magic and adventure 

Helena Center of Creative Living will host a free movie nightNov. 18 at St. John’s Law Library, St. John’s Building, 25 SouthEwing St. Doors open at 6 p.m.; films begin at 6:30. The featurewill be the 2010 Disney film, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” starringNicolas Cage as a modern-day sorcerer with his hands full defendingManhattan against dark forces. The film is rated PG. A bonus shortfilm called “The Lost Thing” will also be shown. “The Lost Thing”was the 2010 Oscar winner for best animated short. 

Arrive early for community and snacks. you are invited to bringa favorite snack to share in the lobby, but there is no obligation.for more information, visit thehelenacenter.org. 

Skating club to present fall show

The Helena Figure Skating Club will be presenting its fall show,“A ‘Glee’ful story,” on Nov. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. this will feature basic skills students, members of the club and even some of theadult beginning students and parents.  This is one of the moreambitious presentations that the club has put together. It isloosely based on a “Glee” like story, and will feature music thathas been presented on that television show.

Montana FSA announces SURE 2010 Crop Disaster Programsignup

U.S. Department of Agriculture Montana Farm Service AgencyActing State Executive Director Dick Deschamps recently announcedto Montana farmers that enrollment for 2010 crop losses under theSupplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) program will beginNov. 14 and end on June 1, 2012.

“Eligible producers who suffered crop losses during the 2010crop year are encouraged to visit their local FSA office aftersignup begins on Nov. 14 to learn more about the SURE crop disasterprogram and how to apply,” Deschamps said. 

SURE is available to eligible producers on:

- farms in counties with secretarial disaster declarations,including contiguous counties, that have incurred at least a 10percent crop production or quality loss, or both, on all cropsgrown by a producer nationwide, except grazed crops; or

- farms in which, for the crop year, the actual production onthe farm because of disaster-related conditions is 50 percent orless of normal production of the farm. 

Although farmers may be able to sign up for the SURE program inNovember, the SURE payments may not be issued until sometime laterbecause the 2010 National Average Market Price (NAMP) data may notbe available for all crops. The NAMP prices are intended to reflectthe actual marketing value of a crop during the marketing year andthe marketing year for some crops will not end until the beginningof 2012. 

For more information, call or visit your local county office. Amap of Montana counties that were designated as 2010 primary orcontiguous secretarial disaster counties and more information aboutFSA programs are available on the state FSA website atfsa.usda.gov/mt.

Volunteers working to collect gifts forkids

While many Helena families are busy with holiday activities, agroup of local volunteers is focused on filling empty shoe boxeswith school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes ofencouragement for needy kids overseas. Helena families areparticipating in the world’s largest Christmas project of its kindâ€" Operation Christmas Child â€" an effort that has hand-delivered 86million gifts to kids worldwide since 1993. 

This year-round project of Samaritan’s Purse is coming to itspeak, as local businesses, churches and schools prepare to collectgift-filled shoe boxes during National Collection Week, Nov. 14 to21. Participants can drop off their shoe box gifts at Helena FirstAssembly of God’s Youth first Building, 2315 Dodge Ave. Operatinghours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. everyday.

 Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christianrelief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, uses whatevermeans necessary to reach suffering children around the world withthese gifts of hope, including sea containers, trucks, trains,airplanes, boats, camels and dog sleds.  Tracking technology alsoallows donors to “follow” their box to the destination countrywhere it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To registershoe box gifts and find out the destination country, use the FollowYour Box donation form found at samaritanspurse.org/occ.

For more information on how to participate in OperationChristmas Child, call 303-745-9179 or visitsamaritanspurse.org/occ. 

Ovando announces 11h Annual Old West ChristmasFest

On Nov. 25 and 26, Cowboy Claus returns to Ovando atop hisfaithful horse, to visit with all the kids who come to town toplace their Christmas wishes. Dressed in his traditional weatheredchaps, red plaid flannel shirt, black cowboy hat and boots, andbearing the family resemblance of long white beard and hair, Cowboy Claus will arrive every day at 1 p.m. during Ovando’s 11thAnnual Old West Christmas Fest on Thanksgiving weekend.

Returning to this year’s Fest is the Ovando Outlaws for theirdaily whenever-they-feel-like-it gun fights. All for fun, ofcourse. Too Tall Tom Black returns with his axe throwingdemonstrations and contests, as will gingerbread house extrememakeovers.

The usual arts and crafts from the local talent will beavailable in the school gym. And don’t forget to put in your bidfor this year’s Old Fashioned Outhouse with all proceeds going tothe Ovando Improvement Fund.

If that doesn’t get you enthused to drive into Ovando afterThanksgiving, think about your stomach. The newly remodeled StrayBullet opens its doors for soups, sandwiches and sweets, along withbeer and hot mulled wine. The Blackfoot Angler brings back itschutney and BBQ sauce and the very popular Kathy’s BlackfootTruffles just in time for Christmas gifting. And to help quell thechill, the Blackfoot Commercial Company has the much neededespressos with a myriad of flavors.

The Old West Christmas Fest is Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m.until 4 p.m. Lodging is available and questions are cheerfullyanswered. call Peggy at 793-5555, for more information.

East Helena announces Christmas Stroll and CraftShow

The East Helena Downtown Christmas Stroll and Arts and CraftsShow will be Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. There will beseven vendor locations: Comm Tech, VFW, Boilermakers Union Hall,The Eagles, Firemen’s Hall, East Helena library and city hall. Bustransportation will be available. Also featured will be kids’activities on Main Street, performances at city hall, a raffle,refreshments served by Main Street businesses and a visit fromSanta Claus. 

Jackson to hold Christmas Bazaar

The Jackson Christmas Bazaar will be Saturday, Dec. 3, at theJackson Hot Springs Lodge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

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