Clack Museum switching to summer hours May 26

The H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum will switch to summer hours by Memorial Day and the Wahkpa Chu’gn Buffalo Jump will open that same day.

Members of the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board voted unanimously, at their monthly meeting Monday, to have the museum open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. after Memorial Day. The Buffalo Jump will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, but appointments may be available for after-hours visits.

After closing for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the museum opened April 1, Tuesday through Saturday 1-4:30 p.m.

Museum Manager Emily Mayer said business at the museum since its opening this month has been fairly slow with the exception of this past Saturday which saw an unusually high 20 visitors.

She said statues created by the late Jim Pasma, a Havre artist and prominent state Democratic Leader, are being set up in the museum, as well.

H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation President Elaine Morse also provided an update on the asbestos abatement contract for the future location of the museum in the former Griggs Printing Building on the 10 Block of Fifth Avenue.

Morse said the company contracted to do the job has pushed the project back until June due to recent changes at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

She said the EPA recently changed the forms needed to apply for approval of the project, so the company had to resubmit paperwork, a resubmital that was apparently not approved.

She said the company doesn’t want to proceed until they get approval from the EPA, but she doesn’t know how much longer the project can be delayed.

“I don’t think we can wait much longer without starting,” she said.

Morse said she’s been working on preparations at the new building in preparation for the move but a great deal is left to be done including electrical work, bathroom improvements, floor refinishing and seating replacement.

Board Chair Lela Patera said the board’s budget was also recently approved by the county.

The next meeting of the board will be May 10 at 6 p.m.