Museum concert proposed, schoolhouse roof completed

The H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board heard Monday about a proposed fundraising concert, and discussed how that could be arranged.

Board Chair Judi Dritshulas said during the board’s monthly meeting that local musician Kirt Miller approached her and said he would like to hold a fundraiser for the museum.

Dritshulas said the board itself cannot do fundraisers, and the board approved her relaying the offer to the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation, the museum’s fundraising group.

“He was envisioning it as a parking lot event, but said it doesn’t have to be a parking lot event,” Dritshulas said, adding that she thought it might be a nice change for the annual foundation board meeting and membership drive held in the fall.

While giving the foundation report to the board, Dritshulas also said the group’s fundraising golf tournament will be held in August, and that the Hands on History fundraiser held in April cleared $9,478.

“So that was a very good thing,” she said.

Dritshulas also said the foundation is planning to hold more work days over the summer at the Griggs Building on the 100 Block of 5th Avenue to continue preparing it to eventually hold the museum.

The H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation purchased the building last year, with the provision that Jim and Bonita Griggs could continue to operate Griggs Printing there and other groups that lease space also could continue their leases.

Museum manager Jim Spangelo said the museum has acquired a second tent stove used in military tents, which will be displayed at the Gramma’s Attic rotating display at the museum.

He also told the board he has been stamping passport books from the Montana Dinosaur Trail, stamping eight so far this season. Several people have said they intend to visit all four locations on the trail this year, he added.

He said Montana State University-Northern professor Vicki Clouse brought in one of her classes and spent about three hours looking at the paleontology displays, some of which were discovered by Clouse herself.

Dritshulas also reported that work on the roof of the Faber Schoolhouse, a historic rural school moved from the Bear Paw Mountains to the Great Northern Fairgrounds and maintained by the museum, has been completed. She said board member Eli Salapich headed up the work to replace the roof, for which the Montana Historical Society awarded a $4,000 grant from its Preserve Montana grant.

“We really owe Eli a round of applause,” Dritshulas said.

Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump manager Anna Brumley said the archeaological site saw about 60 visitors during Living History this weekend, and said a new documentary about the site would be arriving this week and would be on sale at the visitors center at the site later this week.

She said the documentary would sell for $15 on DVD and $20 on Blu-Ray. All profits from sales of the documentary will be used to fund the site’s maintenance and operation.

At the end of the meeting, board member Raela Hulett said Monday would be her last meeting. Hulett said she had decided to leave the board and had submitted her letter of resignation to the Hill County Commission.

Earlier in the meeting, Hulett also distributed an updated copy of proposed revisions to the bylaws, procedures and forms of the county museum.