Museum board talks dinosaurs and summer events

Monday night, the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board discussed dinosaurs, summer events and the progress of the future Havre History Center.

June 6, a camera crew came to take footage of Montana State University-Northern instructor and paleontologist Vicki Clouse and the dinosaur exhibit at the museum, museum manager Emily Mayer said.

The footage was taken to publicize the Montana Dinosaur Trail, which includes 14 locations, from Bynum to Ekalaka, that people can visit to view the history of dinosaurs in the state.

The board also discussed the fact that the museum has one of only two castings of the skull of the rare stygimoloch dinosaur, which is featured in the new "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" film.

"It is being released on June 22; we should do something with it," said H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation Chair Elaine Morse.

The finalized summer speaker series dates and details were reviewed by the board, including the first one, which will happen this Saturday at 2 p.m. at the museum when Keith Doll will present "Havre and the Great War."

The speech will be free, and iced tea will be served, museum board Chair Judi Dritshulas said.

Saturday, July 21, at 2 p.m. at the Great Northern Fairgrounds, Mayer will present "Sedition in Hill County," and Friday, Sept. 21, during Festival Days weekend, at 7 p.m. Jim Magera will present "Havre at the Turn of the Century."

After Magera's speech, Dritshulas said, a dedication ceremony will be held for Mural Park, a park at Havre Inn and Suites that includes a mural made by Canadian Jim Marshall depicting the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump behind Holiday Village Mall.

"There are going to be flagpoles, two benches and two trees," she added.

The museum board also oversees Wahkpa Chu'gn.

Also during Festival Days, the foundation plans to hold its second Digging Up History event at the fairgrounds, Morse said, adding that last year it seemed to be a popular event where people could dig up real buffalo bones as well as fake bones to get prizes.

The foundation has hosted two work parties at the future Havre History Center where they were able to take down the wall of the Tobacco Room, Morse said.

She added that the foundation members found the cement out front of the building is not solid, but they are considering a "very fair bid" from Korb Construction to work on it as well as building a handicap ramp.

Morse said the foundation members also talked about the Griggs Printing sign that is on the building, saying it is getting weathered and old.

It might be nice to get a large sign that says "Future Home of the Havre History Center," that can be modified to remove the future home part when it is completed, she said, adding that they could possibly take down the Griggs sign and replace it with a new, smaller sign.

The board discussed their Living History Day that was held Saturday, June 2.

"It was a good day," Dritshulas said, adding that there were many activities and lots of kids.

Mayer said they had 53 people do tours of the buffalo jump during Living History Day.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson said that during the Hi-Line Cruz'n Association's annual rod run last weekend, visitors asked about Wahkpa Chu'gn and if Faber School is open. He said it may be a good idea to reach out to tourists during events like this, to show them Havre's historical landmarks.

Mayer brought a list of items that community members had contacted her about possibly donating to the museum. The board agreed that items including music festival pictures, a bell from the rural Redwing School and a World War II uniform might make good additions to the museum.