Missoula Forums

National Public Lands Day

2008-09-25T10:04:00-07:00

Sierra Club Press Advisory

Contact: Bob Clark, 549-1142

Join the Lolo National Forest, Sierra Club, Society of American Foresters, and the Missoula public on Saturday, September 27th, National Public Lands Day, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at Sawmill Gulch (Rattlesnake National Recreation Area.)

Partners in the Sawmill Gulch Fuels Reduction Project will be holding a volunteer service day to hand-pile brush and small timber in the wildland-urban interface and to remove old barbed-wire fencing and weeds to improve elk habitat.

The hand-piling work is part of a demonstration project between the Montana Sierra Club, Missoula chapter of Society of American Foresters, and the Lolo National Forest reducing fuels on 98 acres of public land in the Wildland-Urban Interface. The project is part of a larger effort that will help protect the upper Rattlesnake community from wildfire. Forest Service fire specialists will be on hand to lead the hand-piling effort and to discuss the benefits of the fuel reduction project.

Fence removal and noxious weed pulling is part of an on-going effort by Five Valleys Chapter of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Five Valleys Land Trust, Hellgate Hunters and Anglers, University of Montana Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and Lolo National Forest to improve elk habitat in the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area.

Project representatives will be available for interviews on site or by appointment

* Boyd Hartwig, Lolo National Forest
* Dave Atkins, Society of American Foresters
* Bob Clark, Sierra Club

There will be opportunities to tour the Sawmill Gulch project site and to talk with citizen volunteers.

WHERE: Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, Sawmill Gulch (call for directions)

WHEN: Saturday, September 27th, 9:00 – 2:00

WORD Seeking Volunteers

2008-08-18T11:39:16-07:00

Women’s Opportunity & Resource Development, Inc. (WORD, Inc.) is beginning a community needs assessment to collect current data on the circumstances and concerns of women in and around Missoula and the Bitterroot Valley . WORD’s overarching goal is to establish increased access to WORD services and programs in addition to developing a broader range of services geared at reaching groups currently under-represented by existing community services.

We are seeking volunteers to participate in focus groups to gain an understanding of needs, and barriers young women and not so young women face living in Missoula or the Bitterroot Valley . Focus groups will concentrate on issues of women’s access to education and career development, housing (among many), and also to identify solutions to improve the quality of life for women in the area.

The groups will meet for about 2 hours, beginning in September (Date, Time and Location TBA). Each person is asked to participate in only one group meeting and all groups will be provided with food and refreshments. As a way to show that we value and appreciate the time volunteers give in helping us meet our goals, all focus group participants will receive a $10 gift certificate. We are seeking women in all age groups and backgrounds to participate! Childcare can also be provided with enough time to make arrangements.

406-543-3550 x 228

Forward MT Job Opening in Gallatin Valley

2008-07-17T18:14:28-07:00

Forward Montana / Forward Montana Foundation
Full-Time Gallatin Coordinator
Job Description
July 17, 2008

Forward Montana (FMT), an organization dedicated to increasing youth involvement in Montana politics, seeks an energetic Gallatin Coordinator to organize and engage volunteers within the movement, direct outreach efforts, and assist with issue and electoral activity in the Gallatin Valley and neighboring areas. The Gallatin Coordinator will work with staff and volunteers, community partners, and sister organizations to increase the political engagement of progressive youth in Gallatin County.

Specific responsibilities include:

Oversee fellows, interns and volunteers working on Forward Montana projects;
Oversee local organizing work on key local and statewide issues, including, but not limited to, health care for all, the war in Iraq, college affordability, and LGBTQ equality;
Assist with other Forward Montana activities, including local events, fundraisers, and community building functions; and
Engage in small dollar fundraising activities, including house parties and recruitment of Rockstar monthly members.

Communication
Occasionally serve as an organizational spokesperson, help organize press conferences, and utilize new and traditional media to spread the word of political opportunities.

Organizing
Recruit, train, and supervise volunteers and interns;
Working with the CEO, develop and implement plans for volunteer-driven signature gathering, voter identification, and voter turnout operations in Western Montana related to ballot initiatives and candidate campaigns;
Integrate Forward Montana’s ballot initiative and electoral work in with partner organizations.
Working with other organizing staff, develop volunteer tracking and retention systems;
Build stronger relationships with community businesses and other potential outlets.

Qualifications
Strong organizing experience, not necessarily in the political realm.
Organized, self-starting teambuilder with a sense of humor and a willingness to work hard and creatively to grow Forward Montana in the Gallatin Valley.
Understanding of and commitment to progressive politics.

Compensation
$19,000-$21,000 a year, plus benefits, including health insurance, generous holidays and annual leave. After six months, the compensation will be reviewed by Forward Montana’s CEO.

About Forward Montana
Forward Montana was founded in 2004 as an all volunteer organization started by a dozen young Montanans committed to changing politics in our state. Over the past three years, we have become a fully-funded political organization now dedicated to becoming a statewide political force, powered by volunteers, caffeine, and adrenaline.

To Apply:
Submit cover letter, resume and three professional references to Jamee Greer at:
jamee at forwardmontana dot org or
736 S. Higgins Ave
Missoula, MT 59801

KIDDOPALOOZA

2008-07-02T14:57:13-07:00

Families First presents Kiddopalooza, a music festival featuring local musicians, kids activities and workshops, good food and fun for everyone! This fundraising event will take place on Friday, July 18th from 3-9pm at Caras Park in downtown Missoula. Event sponsors include Mismo Gymnastics, Saint Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, Simmons Media, Prudential Missoula Properties and Holiday Inn-Downtown at the Park, and Max Media.

The entertainment line-up features Secret Powers, Tom and the Tomatoes, Andrea Harsell, Larry Hirshberg, Shane Hickey, Downtown Dance Collective and many more! Parson’s Pony Rides, a bouncy house, face painting, tye dying t-shirts, cupcake walk, plasma car races, a dunk tank and a giant sandbox are just the beginning of fun for the kids! A variety of workshops throughout the day will be hosted by spectrUM Discovery Area, the Downtown Dance Collective, Caras Nursery and of course, the Children’s Museum with Balloon Bending 101, is that a puppy or an anteater?!?

Families First will host a BBQ and Beer Garden during the event and we will be joined by other local food vendors, so come on down and join the fun! Admission to the event is free. Many kids activities and workshops will be carnival style, tickets will be available for purchase. The raffle features great prizes, such as a package to Bigfork, MT for a family of four (includes accommodations for two nights, tickets to Big Sky Waterslides and Tickets to the Bigfork Playhouse to see Paint Your Wagon.) All proceeds benefit Families First. Please visit http://www.learnplayimagine.org for more information about kids activities, workshops and the entertainment schedule.

NewWest.Net’s Summer Photo Contest

2008-07-02T14:46:43-07:00

Check out NewWest.Net’s summer photo contest. You can win all sorts of prizes.

http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/h2ography_give_us_your_best_water_shot/C41/L41/

Recycling Wealth - Investing in Missoula

2008-06-05T15:42:23-07:00

How are the fortunes of entrepreneurs of the past being recycled to help the entrepreneurs of today in Missoula, Montana?

At City Club Missoula’s June 9 forum, hear about the opportunities for individuals to invest their wealth in local businesses to help create a vibrant local economy and resilient jobs.

Mary Stranahan, founder of High Stakes Foundation, will discuss her decision to donate $1 million to a business capital pool at Montana Community Development Corporation (MCDC) in Missoula. Rosalie Sheehy Cates, Executive Director MCDC, will describe this partnership and explain how MCDC’s business loans can achieve the community prosperity impacts that High Stakes Foundation seeks.

Monday, June 9, 2008
11:30a.m. – 1:00p.m.

DOUBLETREE EDGEWATER, 100 MADISON

City Club Missoula forums are open to everyone. You do not need to be a member to attend, however, reservations are required. Reservations for the June 9 City Club Forum can be made by email to ccm at cityclubmissoula dot org or by calling 406-546-6643 by noon Thursday, June 5. Please indicate if you want lunch ($11 for members, $16 for nonmembers) or the no-lunch option of forum only for $5. Please cancel if necessary by the reservation deadline. Payment is required for late cancellations and unclaimed reservations. We encourage you to find a substitute to claim your reservation.

For more information about City Club Missoula, visit http://www.cityclubmissoula.org or call 546-6643.

Word of the Day

2008-06-02T08:35:37-07:00

Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for June 2nd 2008:
ersatz • AIR-sahts • adjective

: being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation

Example Sentence:

Finding that appeals to fundamentalist religious beliefs were
profitable in garnering votes, Republicans in the last quarter of
the twentieth century projected some times flimsy, or outright
ersatz relgious feeling into their political rhetoric

Did you know?

“Ersatz” can be traced back in English to 1875, but it really
came into prominence during World War I. Borrowed from
German, where “Ersatz” is a noun meaning “substitute,” the
word was frequently applied as an adjective in English to items
like “coffee” (from acorns) and “flour” (from potatoes)—ersatz
products resulting from the privations of war. By the time World
War II came around, bringing with it a resurgence of the word
along with more substitute products, “ersatz” was wholly
entrenched in the language. Today, “ersatz” can be applied to
almost anything that seems like an artificial imitation: “Even
when those marketplaces did succeed, the fun always felt a little
ersatz.” (Malcolm Jones Jr., Newsweek, April 22, 1996)

Happy Memorial Day to all

2008-05-26T10:02:51-07:00

Anyone got any plans? What to do today?

New to Missoula

2008-05-21T12:08:22-07:00

Hello everyone new to Missoula just wanted to say HI. Is there any other forums around in the state here that are active? I would like to post some photos.

Summer Science Discovery Camps Now Enrolling

2008-05-21T14:44:24-07:00

Nature detectives study signs and tracks to learn more about animal behavior, they look closely at animal skulls and think about adaptations, and they search for insects as they explore the diversity of life in a field. Kids are invited to do this and more at the Montana Natural History Center’s Summer Science Discovery Camps. Twenty eight different camps are available this summer with themes like Predators and Prey, Naturalist Explorers, and Adventures in Science! Montana Natural History Center summer camps keep kids engaged in learning and having fun with exploration, local field trips, games, arts and crafts, and more. Registration is now open and camps are filling fast! To register, contact the Montana Natural History Center at 327-0405 or learn more at http://www.MontanaNaturalist.org.

The Montana Natural History Center promotes and cultivates the appreciation, understanding and stewardship of nature through education. MNHC is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by a group of educators who had the vision to create a natural history center as a resource for schools and the public. The Montana Natural History Center; your base camp for discovery at the edge of McCormick Park in the heart of Missoula …