INSIDE WELCOME.................................................. 4 Know Before You Go ATTRACTIONS Montana Actors' Theatre.................... 5-6, 13 Holiday Happenings........................... 8-9, 12 Winter Calendar of Events........................ 15
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to Havre & Montana's Hi-Line
elcome our Canadian neighbors and friends … to Havre. Our area is rich in history of the American West. Havre was settled more than 100 years ago, after James J. Hill forged the Great Northern Railroad, now Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, across the Great Plains. Havre quickly became the transportation hub of the area, providing goods and supplies to the area trappers, miners and military stationed at Fort Assinniboine. Area museums and attractions set the stage for a visit, showcasing and re-creating local history. The Havre Daily News is pleased to bring this community tourism information guide for visitors to the area. Recreation
can be found in town at city parks, the golf courses, historical attractions and art venues. Western hospitality is no catchpenny phrase in Havre. Hospitality and friendliness are a charming part of the town’s personality, as genuine and as real as the surrounding hills. Havre is a town where visitors are warmly welcomed whether the stay is an hour, a day or a week. Outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities beckon with camping and fishing in Beaver Creek Park located in the Bear Paw Mountains and at Fresno Reservoir. Beaver Creek Park, 10,000 acres in size, provides a beautiful natural recreation area. Historical and archeological sites await
visitors, including the bison kill site, on the western edge of Havre, and Fort Assinniboine, one of the largest forts in the nation built at the end of the Indian Wars just south of Havre. The arts also embrace Havre, from art shows to theater productions performed by local actors and concerts and shows by nationally recognized talent. A variety of attractions also exist in surrounding communities. Numerous museums, historical sites and other attractions are all awaiting within a few hour drive of Havre. A smiling welcome awaits visitors, who can use this guide to find activities, accommodations, shopping, restaurants, taverns and services while they enjoy Havre and the Hi-Line.
Know Before You Go A little preparation will help simplify the process of entering the United States. Customs and Border Protection reminds travelers: The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires U.S. and Canadian citizens, age 16 and older, to present a valid acceptable travel document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. by land or sea. U.S. and Canadian citizens under age 16 may present a birth certificate or alternative proof of citizenship when entering by land or sea. WHTI - compliant documents for entry into the United States at land and sea ports include: o U.S. or Canadian passports; o Trusted traveler card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST/EXPRES); o U.S. passport card; o State- or province-issued and enhanced driver’s licenses (when and where available). For more information, visit the WHTI website at GetYouHome.gov. A radio frequency identification-enabled travel document, such as a U.S. passport card, enhanced driver’s license/enhanced identification card or trusted traveler program card, expedites entry and makes crossing the border more efficient. Other programs that facilitate the entry process for international travelers coming into the country to visit, study or conduct legitimate business include trusted traveler programs, such as SENTRI, NEXUS and Global Entry. For more information about these programs, visit www.cbp.gov. The • • •
hours at the ports near Wild Horse are: Sweetgrass, MT: open 24 hours per day all year Wild Horse, MT: open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during winter hours Willow Creek, MT: open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. all year
Montana Actors' Theatre
in the middle of regular season ‘Still Life with Iris’ follows ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ BY TIM LEEDS
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An amateur acting troupe that started in Havre more than 20 years ago, with production across the state and even spanning the Atlantic Ocean, had an early start this season and is well into its regular season productions.
The Havre productions typically start at 8 p.m. with the doors and the backstage lounge opening at 7:30 in the Little Theatre on the west end of Cowan Hall at Montana State University-Northern. The variety of the kinds of shows are typical of the troupe, which performs plays ranging from works by Sophocles and Shakespeare to original plays crafted by members of the troupe.
Montana Actors’ Theatre Havre started its 2013-14 season a month early, with a one-actor production in September, adding a seventh show to its normal six-production regular season. Havre actress Andi Daniel starred in the comedy “Bad Dates” by Theresa Rebeck, telling the story of a woman trying to get back into the dating scene after concentrating on work for many years — complicated by her business’ connection with the Romanian Mafia. The Havre troupe’s production of the classic “Little Shop of Horrors” is in its final weekend, with the play scheduled to run the weekends from Oct. 25 through Nov. 9. The troupe next steps up with “Still Life with Iris,” set to run Dec. 13-14, 19-23 and 27-28, followed by Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park,” which premiered on Broadway starring Robert Redford in 1963 and was made into a film starring Redford and Jane Fonda in 1967. That production is set to run the weekends of Jan. 31-Feb. 5. Pullitzer-prize winning “Ruined,” by Lynn Nottage, which tells the story of women in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, is slated for March 7-8, 13-15 and 20-22. The musical “Chicago” is next on the slate, set for the weekends of April 25-May 10. The Havre troupe closes out its regular season with the satire “Baby with the Bathwater,” set for the weekends of May 27-June 7.
Two decades of productions The company’s productions have, so far, encompassed several Montana cities
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and toured productions one town to another since the group started some 20 years ago when its founder was a graduate student in Oregon. Jay Pyette, executive artistic director for MAT and a Havre High School English and drama teacher, who also has held classes at Montana State University-Northern, started the troupe as Northwest Ensemble Theater. After he received his master’s degree and moved back to Montana to start teaching in Havre, he revived the troupe, with one of his students, Grant Olson, a co-
Havre Daily News/Lindsay Brown Will Cochran, as Seymour, sings to Audrey 2 during Wednesday evening's rehearsal of "Little Shop of Horrors." N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 3 H AV R E D A I LY N E W S
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Havre Daily News/Lindsay Brown Crysta Robinson, from left, Denae Ellis and Mary Kaercher sing together during a dress rehearsal of "Little Shop of Horrors."
founder. In 1997, the name was changed and the troupe became Montana Actors’ Theatre. It rapidly grew from its two founding members to more than 50 participants, and soon close to 100, and has continued to grow. Olson left Havre and while he was in Missoula founded another troupe there — that troupe is in a reorganizational hiatus and its restarting time is unknown — and another troupe is up and running in Great Falls. The company went international in 2003. Olson took a cast of 18 actors from Havre to London to perform Pyette’s play “Dead of Winter” in 2003. Olson produced the play as part of the final requirements for his master’s degree in a combined program of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and King’s College. Olson has returned to London and is working on his Ph.D. The troupe has had other collaborations as well, putting on co-productions with the Havre High School drama department starting with co-productions of adaptations of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
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The partnership continued with productions including Walt Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” “Cinderella” and Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamboat.” The MAT productions in Havre have ranged the gamut, from Shakespeare’s “Richard III” to the British comedy “Run for Your Wife” and its sequel, “Caught in the Net.” Other productions vary in style from the production of the Tectonic Theater Project’s “The Laramie Project,” which dramatized interviews made following the death of a gay college student in a hate crime, to “The Man From La Mancha,” as well as productions of original plays including several Havre productions of “The Dead of Winter,” which examines a community’s attitude toward a convicted child molester. Varying sets as well as themes The troupe also varies how its shows are produced. Some productions are set in arena theater, with the chairs for the audience right up on the stage surrounding the action. The 2012 production of an adaptation of “Miracle on 34th Street” all took place
inside a radio studio. Other plays — particularly those done in conjunction with the high school — involve massive, intricately constructed sets. The troupe also continues its work outside of its regular season. MAT puts on two productions in the summer aimed at younger children, with its youth camp taking very young actors and putting them through a week-long camp where they learn about the theater and work on rehearsing — and producing — a play put on at the end of the camp. The troupe also has a summer production taking older youths and exhibiting their acting skills to the community. MAT regularly holds special events in Havre, often during the annual Havre Festival Days celebration and at other times, as well. Finding a home theater at the university The Havre troupe found a permanent home last decade when it took over operation of the Montana State University-Northern theater. continued on page 13 w w w. h a v r e d a i l y n e w s . c o m
Holiday Happenings in and around Havre BY PAM BURKE
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any communities in and around Havre put on events to celebrate the holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas. These celebrations display the individual character of each town and highlight the community spirit seen across north-central Montana. The events are put on by community members, for their neighbors, friends, family and visitors to celebrate the holidays. Each celebration, in some way, gives back to the community, enriching and supporting local service programs, organizations or civic activities. This is not a complete list of events, but it should provide great ideas of how to kick-start your holidays this year.
Havre Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Havre’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner brings together family, friends, neighbors and strangers to enjoy a traditional holiday meal. Started by and funded for decades through the generosity of an anonymous donor, the Thanksgiving Dinner was envisioned as an event that fosters the idea that community is family. That sentiment is proved out every year by serving 600 to 700 meals to locals and visitors. Entirely volunteer-organized and operated — with the support of Gary & Leo’s Fresh Foods whose staff cooks the turkeys and bakes the buns and pies — this community dinner serves up turkey, buns, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, assorted vegetables and pumpkin pies at St. Jude Parish Center, 440 7th Ave., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Home-delivery meals are encouraged for those who can't get out easily, but they must be ordered during the week before Thanksgiving. Volunteers put together those meal and deliver between 8 and 9:30 a.m. Chairperson of the 2013 Community Thanksgiving Dinner Debi Rhines said that organizers over the years have strictly adhered to the anonymous donor’s request that this be a free meal, and all donations are turned away. Should anyone manage to sneak in a payment for the meal, that money is promptly handed over to one of the local charities such as the Salvation Army or the Havre Food Bank to help these organizations at a time when they are approached by many people in need. Visitors are welcome to come share the meal and festivities. To arrange a delivery call the North Central Senior Center at 406-265-5464, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 20-26. For more information about the dinner or volunteering, call Rhines at 406-265-6900.
Chinook Community Thanksgiving Dinner
Chinook has served up its Community Thanksgiving Day Dinner from noon to 2 p.m. at the Chinook Senior Center, 324 Pennsylvania Street, for more than 30 years. Volunteers cook and serve a traditional meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, cole slaw, rolls, cranberry relish, pies and a selection of dessert salads for about 200 people each year. Everyone is welcome to attend to enjoy the meal and conversation along with music from the Kitchen Band. Meals can also be delivered to those who cannot get out of the house. The meal is served at no cost to the diners, though free-will donations are welcome and help pay for the next year’s dinner, along with donations from businesses and community members. Any leftovers are donated to the Senior Center or to the Chinook continued on page 9
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continued from page 8 Food Pantry. Though organizers hope all diners will be able to come enjoy the dining experience with the camaraderie of friends family and neighbors, requests for delivery can be made from one week in advance, right up to serving time Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, by calling 406-357-2648.
Havre's tree festival
Though only in its sixth year, Havre Festival of Trees has quickly become a community favorite holiday celebration. This year, 13 trees decorated with individual, and highly creative, themes by businesses and organizations will be up for auction as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line. The highest bidder on each tree in a silent auction wins the tree, its decorations and accompanying gifts. The trees, though, aren’t the only draw for the evening. Organizers are serving hors d’oeuvres and rousing the crowd with a variety of lively games and a live auction. All the proceeds for the evening will go toward the building campaign which will be a funding match for a grant to expand the Boys & Girls Club facility. The Festival of Trees will have a change of venue this year and will be held at St. Jude Parish Center, 440 7th Ave., Saturday, Nov. 30, starting at 7 p.m.. Because of this location change, the free public viewing time will only be from 4:30 to 5 p.m. that afternoon at the Parish Center. Tickets for the event are $25 per person. For a ticket or further information, contact the club’s executive director, Krista Solomon during regular business hours at 406-265-6206, ext. 302.
Lighting the tree in Havre
Havre’s Community Tree Lighting will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at Town Square on 1st Street in downtown Havre. This event marks the start of the city’s Christmas celebration. Santa lighting the living Christmas tree is the featured activity, but much more takes place to feed the community's holiday spirit. Revelers can feast on hot cocoa, cider and other treats provided by vendors, many of them local organizations raising money for their charities. Friends, family and neighbors can gather around a crackling fire while local groups of carolers lead the holiday musical cheer and youngsters tell Santa what they want for Christmas. Gift certificate winners will be chosen and w w w. h a v r e d a i l y n e w s . c o m
prizes given away to young and old. For more information about the event or to sign up to be a vendor, call Debbie Vandeberg at the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce at 406-265-4383.
Christmas dinner in Havre
The Community Christmas Dinner in Havre is an annual holiday event that brings the community together for a traditional Christmas meal. Each year hundreds of people from all walks of life are fed, either at the dinner or with a meal delivered to their home. One recent year, travelers snowbound in town were bused to the event by the local transit system. Organized for the last decade by the Jerry and Penny Bergren family, this year Tom Farnam, manager of Havre’s Eagles Club, volunteered to spearhead the event with a group of co-organizers and an everready band of volunteers which flock to help this event. A traditional Christmas meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, rolls, an assortment of vegetables and a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eagles Club at 202 1st St. Anyone wanting a meal delivered can call the North Central Senior Center during regular business hours between Dec. 16 and Dec. 23 at 406-265-5464. The meal is free, though donations are appreciated and go toward funding the next year's meal. For more information about the dinner or volunteering, call Tom at 406-265-9551.
Christmas celebration events in Chinook
The Chinook Chamber of Commerce will once again bring together three special Christmas events to give the Hi-Line a special treat for the holidays. Nov. 29 is the day to hit town for the Christmas Stroll, the Festival of Trees and the grand Parade of Lights. Starting at 1 p.m. local businesses will be holding Christmas open-houses with arts and crafts booths and food vendors adding their wares to the main street selections, and while out strolling, people can stroll on in to the Blaine County Library at 94 4th Street to take in the Festival of Trees. The newest of the three events, the Festival of Trees offers a chance to win an inventive Christmas treat along with an opportunity to help some deserving local causes. Local businesses, organizations and individuals sign up to create their own themed Christmas tree, complete with decoration and presents, and donate the tree to the festival. From 1 to 7 p.m. the public can bid in a silent auction on a favorite tree displayed at the library. All proceeds from the winning bids go to the Chinook Food Bank, the Blaine 1 Inc. ambulance and the Chinook Garden Club. The crown jewel of the day is the Parade of Lights with participants glowing, twinkling and dancing to Christmas tunes down Indiana Street starting at 6 p.m. The popular parade was made even bigger in 2012 when the Chamber started offering a prize for the best float. Tomi Simenson of continued on page 12 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 3 H AV R E D A I LY N E W S
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continued from page 9 the Chamber said she expects a prize will be offered again this year. For more information on any of theses activities, contact Simenson at 406-357-3858.
Rudyard's hometown Christmas
The Christmas stroll in Rudyard has been bringing community members and visitors together for more than 20 years, and this year's event will be Dec. 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. People are welcome to stroll through town to visit local businesses which serve treats, but if a walk around town sounds too everyday, then revelers can hop on a wagon for a hay ride. Chili, hot dogs, cinnamon rolls and cocoa will be served at the youth center. Everyone is invited to eat at no-cost, but free-will donations are welcome — the money goes toward a town improvement project. Lynn Hybner, one of the event organizers said that this year the money will go toward repairing the roof of the senior center in town. Everyone is welcome join in the festivities. For more information, contact Hybner at 406-355-4354.
Chouteau County Country Christmas
While the name is a tongue-twister, the celebration itself is just simple, old-fashioned fun and a great way to spend the weekend. Around 15 years ago the towns of Chouteau County pooled their efforts, resources and holiday cheer to create a unique countywide Christmas celebration that has steadily drawn more people to the area to take part in the festivities. With Christmas activities running Dec. 6-8 across the
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county, including the towns of Big Sandy, Fort Benton, Geraldine, Loma, Shonkin and Virgelle, people can spend a day or more taking in the sights, sales and community spirit. Start the weekend Friday with the Country Christmas Social in Geraldine in the afternoon and early evening and then shake it up at the Country Christmas Dance in Loma that night. Saturday and Sunday are filled with opportunities to go shopping at local businesses, arts and craft fairs, bakedgoods and homemade chocolate sales, and vendor booths or to seek entertainment with music events, luncheons and dinners, a wagon ride and a parade of lights. All the events for the Chouteau County Country Christmas can be found on the events calendar at VirgelleMontana.com or by contacting co-organizer Don Sorenson at 406-3783110 or 800-426-2926.
Harlem Country Christmas
The Harlem Country Christmas Stroll kicks off the yuletide season Dec. 11 this year. Downtown businesses will be holding their open-house events along with vendors selling food and crafts starting at 4 p.m. People will be able to enjoy a live nativity scene and a visit with Santa. Carolers will entertain event-goers. Hay rides through town will be available, weather permitting. Other activities for strollers taking in the festivities include competitions, such as for best Christmas costume, best gift box decoration, best Christmas ornament and kids coloring. For more information, including on event locations, the costume competition theme and setting up as a vendor, call Rod Becker at 406-3532256.
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continued from page 6 MAT bases its action out of that theater, known as The Little Theatre, and offers free admission to its productions to current Northern students. The theater is located on the bottom floor of one of the older buildings on campus, Cowan Hall, and also features a backstage lounge opened in conjunction with the troupe’s production. MAT also invites students to participate in its productions, reviving a tradition of producing plays on campus that had gone on hiatus some time before. Widespread support and interest in the community and on the Internet The group has had widespread support outside of the people who join to act, direct and produce the plays. Numerous Havre businesses have long-term histories of support, sponsoring plays, offering space for events and selling tickets for the plays and events. The troupe started a new tradition several years ago with its annual fall Death By Chocolate event. During the fundraiser, the audience samples, and bids on, locally cooked chocolate desserts, participates in other auctions and dines on meals or hors d’ouvres — while enjoying an interactive murder-mystery dinner theater. The dinner theater event typically is sold out. And MAT has reached out on the Internet. At its website, http:// www.mtactors.com, the troupe lists its shows, sells tickets to productions as well as its season-ticket offering, and offers MAT merchandise for sale. The company also has Facebook pages, both for the Havre and the Great Falls troupes.
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November
November 11th – Veterans Day – Chamber Office Closed Remembrance Day (Canadian Holiday) MSU-Northern Showcase presents “Two on Tap” – 7:30pm – HHS Auditorium November 13th-14th – Elf Food Drive (Havre Fire Department) – 6pm-9pm November 15th-16th – Senior Center Rummage Sale & Bazaar – (15th – 4pm-7pm; 16th – 8am-2pm) NMH 21st Annual Employee Holiday Craft Fair – (15th – 9am-7pm; 16th – 9am-3pm) November 16th – Recycle Drive and Free E-Waste Collection – 8am-Noon–Corner of 1st St. & 5th Ave. November 19th – MSU-Northern Community Orchestra – 7pm – 5th Avenue Christian Church November 23rd – First Lutheran Church Bazaar – 11am-2pm United Way Grocery Cart Raffle – 10am-6pm – Gary & Leo’s IGA November 26th – Community Thanksgiving Service – 7pm – 5th Annual Christian Church November 28th – Thanksgiving Day – Chamber Office Closed Thanksgiving Dinner – 11am-2pm – St. Jude Social Hall November 29th – Chamber Office Closed 28th Annual Parade of Lights, Christmas Stroll & 3rd Annual Festival of Trees - Chinook November 29th-30th – Northern Alumni Games – “Alumni vs. Alumni” 29th – Volleyball – 7pm; 30th – Men’s & Women’s Basketball – 1:30pm November 30th – Community Tree Lighting – 5:30 pm – Town Square Holiday Spirit Stroll through Havre Beneath the Streets – 3pm-5pm Festival of Trees – 7pm – St. Jude Parish Center
December
December 5th-7th – Chouteau County Country Christmas December 7th – St. Jude Bazaar – 10:30 am – 2pm Cowboy Christmas – 5pm – MSU-Northern SUB December 8th – Piano & Pipes Christmas Concert – 2pm – First Lutheran Church
December 13th-14th – MAT presents “Still Life with Iris” – 8pm – MSU-Northern Theatre December 14th – Lunch with Santa – Noon – Holiday Village Mall Jaycees Open House – 1pm-4pm – Basement of Eagles Club Live Nativity Scene – 5pm-7pm – Van Orsdel United Methodist Church December 19th-23rd – MAT presents “Still Life with Iris” – 8pm – MSU-Northern Theatre December 21st – Recycle Drive and Free E-Waste Collection – 8am-Noon – Corner of 1st St. & 5th Ave. December 22nd – Winter Begins Eagles Kids Christmas Party – 2pm December 24th – Christmas Eve – Chamber Office Closed at 3pm December 25th – Christmas Day – Chamber Office Closed Community Christmas Dinner – 11am-2pm – Havre Eagles Club December 26th – Boxing Day (Canadian Holiday) December 27th – HHS Alumni Holiday Hoops Basketball Games – 5pm – Location TBD December 27th-28th – MAT presents “Still Life with Iris” – 8pm – MSU-Northern Theatre December 31st – New Year’s Eve
January
January 1st – New Year’s Day – Chamber Office Closed January 14th – MSU-Northern Showcase presents “Gordy Pratt” – 7:30pm – HHS Auditorium January 15th – Chamber Annual Meeting – Noon – Duck Inn Olympic Room January 18th – 8th Annual PEO Wine & Microbrew Gala – 7pm – St. Jude Parish Center January 20th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Chamber Office Closed January 25th-26th – 3rd Annual Fresno Ice Fishing Derby – Fresno Reservoir January 31st – MAT presents “Barefoot in the Park” – 8pm – MSU-Northern Theatre
February
February 1st – First Lutheran Church Lutefisk Dinner – Noon-6pm February 1st – MAT presents “Barefoot in the Park” – 8pm – MSU-Northern