Museum board prepares for winter

The H.Earl Clack Museum Board decided at a meeting Monday evening to close the museum for January of the coming year.

At the meeting, the board also discussed this year's expanded Dinosaur Christmas event and other news at the museum.

Board Co-Chair Lela Patera said looking at years passed, so few people ever go to the museum in January that they've decided to close entirely for that month, which will give them a chance to do some deep cleaning and work on larger projects.

Patera said this will also give them the opportunity to let the museum manager have a more flexible schedule.

The board also discussed this year's Dinosaur Christmas, a free event for children that includes arts, crafts, cookies and other activities that the museum holds annually.

Patera said they've expanded the event by an hour to include some new activities, like face painting.

The event will take place at the museum's previous location in the Holiday Village Mall Dec. 2 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Patera said the museum is also setting up their Christmas display for this year and members of the board discussed vintage items they could use to decorate their tree.

She also mentioned that she wants the museum to try partnering with the Havre Holiday Stroll in 2024, as she thinks they could add something to the event.

During the meeting, members of the board also discussed some recently donated items, including records of many people buried in town after their deaths, records that hadn't been actively maintained for some time.

Board member Dona Woods said the records were primarily of Chinese immigrants who died while constructing the railroad, including their causes of death.

The board also discussed creating some records of a few historic buildings that are poised to be torn down.

Patera said someone she knows recently bought a trio of buildings that belonged to the Clack family, but they have deteriorated to the point that they can only be torn down.

She said she wants to do some photography of the buildings to keep as historical records and the buildings' owner thought that was a great idea, so she reached out to a professional photographer who is going to document as much of the buildings as possible before they have to come down.

H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation President Elaine Morse said she recently donated a 5-foot tall play teepee to the museum, but it's up to the board to determine how they want to use it.

Members of the board also discussed some of the more routine goings-on at the museum.

Patera said the stairs at the Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump, now closed for the season, have been repaired and Morse said the jump's finances for the year have been squared away.

Board member David Sageser said he's been looking for a new computer for the museum, one that can better handle their cataloging software, and it looks like it's going to cost at least $850, though they could find one with expanded memory for a bit more.