If the Bazaar had fewer crafters than in previous, it wasn’t obvious. Things were spread out and elegantly displayed as ever. There were old favorites, of the usual sort -a raffle quilt, baked goods, scarves, hats and mittens, baby blankets and little booties, some jewelry and a variety of elegant ornaments. Pottery -mugs, as well as pennants and magnets. Additionally there were conk paintings and wooden bowls, neither of which I recognized from previous years.
Cookies and hot beverages were available, and it was a pleasant chance to get out and see people, as well as to shop locally. Folks seemed quite pleased for the opportunity to resume holiday traditions.
The Bazaar began on Friday and ended Sunday -if you missed the chance, many of our local crafters can be contacted, and the historical village bazaar remains online.
This past Friday evening (March 26, 2021), the Trego Civic Center had its annual meeting and membership drive.
Attendees received an update on the raffle, new board members were appointed, and the bylaws were amended to change the requirements for membership, opening it up to a much wider area. Now, anyone living in the TFS Fire District can become a member. Previously, membership had been restricted to residents of Montana School District 53 – Trego and Stryker.
There was a proposal from the North Valley Foodbank to use the Civic Center to achieve more efficient food distribution. Then, there was a discussion on maintenance of the hall. Finally, the evening concluded with suggestions for activities and fundraising that could take place at the hall.
New Board Members:
Two Positions were up for vote: those held by Lindy Smith and Donna Todd Lowery. Todd Swan (of the Trego Pub & General Store) and Erica Ness were voted in as their replacements.
Amended Bylaws:
*** Current Bylaws, under the membership eligibility section, state that to be a member you must live in or own property in Trego. *** We would like to amend that to state that to be a member you live in or own property in the TFS (Trego, Fortine, Stryker) fire district.”
The sheet handed out to attendees, stating the meeting agenda.
North Valley Foodbank:
Lauren Jarrold from North Valley Foodbank arrived to discuss a proposal to use the Civic Center as a satellite food pantry. Biweekly food distributions from the mobile food pantry at Trego have served an average of twice as many families than at Eureka. (Trego has an average of 100 families, peaking at 160 last fall. Eureka averages 50).
Having the Civic Center as a place where food could be stored, boxed, etc. could potentially increase the number of distribution times a month. It would also mean that someone with a sudden need for food assistance could call and get food, even if it wasn’t a set distribution day, without having to make a trip down to the Flathead.
Lauren also briefly spoke about the BackPack program, which North Valley Foodbank is assisting with, noting that the mobile pantry will be bringing the food up, and that the program is fully reimbursed by the state. She mentioned the possibility of continuing the program on into the summer months.
Maintenance Needs:
Repair of recent damage. (Upon further inspection, this appears to have been done by a raised vehicle. Yes, county vehicles parked nearby have been considered. Snow plows have not yet been examined). Ken Smith has volunteered to do the repairs.
Replacement of the current wood stove with a propane heater on hand. (This would substantially lower insurance costs, which are high due to the fire risk inherent in wood heating).
Hooking up a wonderful commercial propane stove that was donated.
Suggestions:
Later, talked turned to the future of the Civic Center, the need for fundraisers, and how to better serve the community. The consensus seemed to be that more events were needed, but that to make that happen, more volunteers would be needed as well.
Speaking of volunteers, that’s one way to earn membership. Like-kind service is acceptable instead of the membership fee; Otherwise, it’s a $25 fee per household.
Some suggestions for activities and fundraisers were:
Bringing back the Fireman’s Ball (this was mentioned at the TFS Fire Department Meeting as well)
T-shirts, mugs, and other little reminders of the Civic Center
Public Educational Talks by community members.
Science Fair (open to all kids, both public and home-schooled)
This newest hole isn’t the only damage to the entry- that post alongside the ramp is pretty twisted as well. It’s a common place to back vehicles up to when events are happening, and that puts the entrance at risk of damage.
Trego’s Civic Center is due some expensive repairs- with insurance premiums already high, filing a claim with the civic center’s insurance may cost more in the long run. Since the damage appears to be associated with backing up towards the hall (odd, since there were no events held at the hall near the time the damage occurred), the Civic Center is considering how to keep this type of damage from happening again.
The hole appears deceptively small!
How can we help? Buy Raffle Tickets. The Civic Center is still selling raffle tickets for the upcoming drawing. Win an American Flag Quilt or a Firearm (see picture).
Rent the Civic Center. The Civic Center is allowed to open for events once again. On a related note, Bingo should be resuming soon -keep checking the Civic Center’s Board.
If anyone has any extra sonotubes for pouring concrete, the Civic Center can use them!
The North Valley Food Bank, located in Whitefish, serves Trego via a mobile pantry. The distributions are “drive through” style and occur at the Trego Civic Center; There are no eligibility requirements, and no need to provide supporting documentation.
Line outside the Trego Civic Center for the North Valley Food Bank Distribution on the last Friday before Christmas 12/18
The Mobile Food Pantry typically serves Trego on the first and third Fridays of the Month . The next distribution, however, will be on a Thursday (December 31st), as the Food Bank is closed for New Year’s. If you miss the distribution window, the Mobile Food Pantry visits Olney after Trego, and it should be possible to meet it at the Olney Store after it leaves Trego. The Food Bank itself is open from 12-6PM in Whitefish on Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you need to find the Food Distribution before the 31st, the Food Bank is distributing food on Tuesday (12/22) and Wednesday (12/23) from their Whitefish site.
The Pre-Christmas Food Distribution included a turkey, fresh yams, crescent rolls, and stuffing, in addition to the usual groceries. The distribution began at 10:30, and, at 10:30, the line to the Trego Civic Center stretched towards the Post Office. Once distribution began, the line quickly shrunk.
By now, you’ve probably noticed the frequent bread giveaways occurring in Trego. A few things to note:
It’s for everybody. There’s definitely enough bread, and it all needs a home.
Much of the bread is double-bagged and freezes well for storage
It’s not just bread, but other baked goods as well: english muffins, donuts, cookies, bagels, pizza crusts, hot dog buns…
This is not just about to go bad, days after the expiration date bread. It’s surplus from a warehouse, and a perfectly good product.
Why is it being given away? While we can thank the various places hosting the bread giveaways, the real force behind this is one man. He’s a retiree, who made arrangements with a warehouse, and collects surplus bread (and related products), often several times a week. He’s responsible for the bread giveaway at the senior citizen’s center in Eureka, and also provides bread to the food bank.
If you want to say thanks, the folks hosting the giveaway will be able to pass on your well wishes when next they see him. Given the situation (warehouse surplus, run by a single individual), it’s difficult to predict when/if the next giveaway will occur. So, keep an eye out!
Pick up bread. Pick up bread for your neighbors. And drop a word of thanks for the man who thought to arrange this, and has been selflessly giving away bread to the food bank and senior center for years.
It’s been a rather uneventful season for Trego’s Civic Center. That is to say, with corona virus and associated restrictions, the events that provide the community hall with the ability to pay its monthly bills just haven’t been happening.
In more normal years, the community hall has hosted Christmas bazaars, weddings, funerals, plays, pie contests, Halloween parties and Thanksgiving meals, even dances. This year, with gatherings restricted, the hall has been mostly empty. In more recent months, it’s been the site for the North Valley Food Bank distributions.
Lack of activity means that the Civic Center is pressed for funds. The answer? A fundraiser! All you can eat brisket and more for $15 a plate. The Sawmill Bar is hosting the fundraiser this Saturday (October 3rd) from 1-6 PM.
Trego Civic Center Fundraiser Flier
The silent auction is expected to include: Schnapps (homemade), themed baskets: a wine basket, a Scentsy (Scentsy products include wickless candles, oils and diffusers) and Avon basket, among others.
Gun Raffle: A continuing fundraiser (ticket sales at events are difficult when there are no events), the drawing for the firearm is expected to take place at a Civic Center event this spring.
If you’re busy Saturday, the bake sale will be going Friday through Sunday and there should be future opportunities to purchase raffle tickets.
People wishing to donate to the Civic Center can also do so by mailing checks to their PO Box (# 393) , or by dropping them off at the Sawmill Bar. For further information, to get involved, or to donate to the silent auction, contact the Trego Civic Center at their facebook page.
Trego's Mountain Ear 