View From The Bridge 2/1/17

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
By Muncie
2/1/17

FEBRUARY MOON
It is called the Full Snow Moon and we will just have to wait and see if that name holds true this year. Native Americans named it for obvious reasons and they must have kept their own weather records.

It was also the Full Hunger Moon as hunting for food was more difficult with the cold and snow.  How fortunate we are that we are comfy and cozy warm and we do not have to hunt for food. (We are just plain spoiled.)

The full moon is on Friday the 10th. It should be like last month with that icy silvery look. I am looking for the “finger nail” slit of the moon to show up. I just checked Fort Benton’s weather report and the moon rise today (Monday) was at 9:16 a.m. and sets at 8; 41 p.m. No wonder I am missing it. Who checks during the day? I check the Fort Benton weather report almost every day but didn’t check that moon rising and setting until this morning.

It is now 10:30 a.m. and I went outside to see if I could see the “finger nail moon.” The sun is so bright I could not see it although I know it is there. One of my weather stations shows the moon and the “finger nail moon” is very clearly there. I’ll check later this afternoon and also early evening. It will be too late to report as the View is sent by 3:00 p.m.

Oh, by the way, it reports snow every day this week. After that melt the last couple of days there will be ice under that snow. Be especially careful if you go out and about. (I think I am going to have an ice skating area behind my apartment. There is a good section covered with water. I wonder what ever happened to my ice skates.)

I would like to call this month the Romantic Moon because of Valentine’s Day. So remember your special Valentine in the best way you can be it a box of candy, a dinner, or a card…JUST DO IT. (That goes both ways.)

BASKETBALL
WOW! What a game last Thursday evening. It should do down in the books as the greatest win ever.

The Lady Longhorns won easily and then on came the Longhorns. They played very hard, never led in the game, and at times the score was twice in favor of North Star.

Now we are down to the last few seconds of the game and the Longhorns slowly brought the score up to finally make it 35 to 35. North Star then scored to make it 37 to 35. Fort Benton has the ball, it is given to Andy Giles who shoots it, and while it was in the air the clock read 0 seconds left. Then pandemonium broke out as a 3 pointer was scored making the Longhorns the winners by 1 point.

It has been a long while since I have seen the ending of a game with a 3 pointer. Thanks to the whole Team for a most exciting game and talk about it was all over town on Friday. There is never a dull moment in Fort Benton.

I know that the Coach will write up a more descriptive article about the game but I just had to give a spectator’s view. Wish we had instant replay.

CONSORTIUM
On Friday afternoon Randy and I arrived at the Civic Center in Great Falls for the opening of the 2017 Consortium. All Performing Arts Board Members from cities and towns across Montana were assembled for an exciting weekend.

For several hours we visited the tables of the participating Performing Arts groups and I was able to visit each table. I also checked over the tables of Silent Auction items. Each Performing Arts groups and others donated items or baskets for the auction. They were all wonderful donations and included original paintings, framed photos, baskets filled with goodies, and the cutest were Candied Apples from Disneyland.

We were up and back at the Civic Center at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning and the 1st showcase began at 9:00 a.m. Each artist is allowed 12 minutes to do a presentation of their act. There are 6 performances in Showcase and the last is at 10:25.

We break to visit the artists who now are set up where the Performing Arts cities and towns were the night before. We chat with most everyone and our P.A. Board is collecting as much info as possible for Connie Jenkins.

Lunch by Chandee is at 11:45 and we are back in the auditorium at 12:30 for Showcase II. The first performer is our own Native American singer, Jack Gladstone, with his Glacier Park show.  (For those of you who know Jack and his fiancée, Patty, I think I have breaking news. They are engaged and will tie the knot on August 11th. Patty told me the most romantic story of how Jack presented the ring to her. It went something like this…she was given a beverage with a candy cane in it on Christmas Day. The ring was on the candy cane and she did not notice it until several hours later when it was brought to her attention.

Randy and I are invited and we have that date on our calendars already. A good time will be had by all in the outdoors of their valley.

After the 6 performances, we again broke until 3:30 when Showcase III began. There were 5 more performances that ended the showcases. We broke again to visit the artists until dinner at 6:15. After dinner there were awards and the winners of the silent auction, and other wrap-ups. There were not enough ways to say thank you to the stage crew members who do all that important work to make everything go so smoothly and in as little time as possible. Next year when the Consortium is here in Fort Benton, take note of what they do. There would be no Consortium without them.

Now the real work begins for our Fort Benton C.C.P.A. Board. They must decide what acts to have for the next season, try to match up with close towns or cities for better prices, and comply with the needs that the chosen groups have in their contracts. This must all be done before April 1st.

The next project for the Board is to get the tickets printed and the beginning of selling those tickets. I would like it to be a banner years for selling tickets. Whether you like a particular show or not should not stop you from buying a season ticket. Go anywhere in the state of Montana and see if you can get a cheaper price for 8 terrific shows. Another plus is we can reciprocate with towns nearby for $5.00 a ticket if they are presenting a group that you really enjoyed. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Perhaps this article will make you aware of the work that goes into C.C.P.A. It is not something you can sit down at the computer and put together in an evening. Oh no! All other organizations that you are asked to support are much more for memberships or dues and you are asked to work.  For the C.C.P.A. you are going to be entertained by your support. SO JUST DO IT for next season.

We had an outstanding dinner catered by our own Chandee from Loma with her husband, sister, sister-in-law, and daughters helping with everything.

It was announced sometime during the evening that a renovation is planned for the Civic Center Building to the tune of $8 to $10 million dollars in the next few years. (Hope they work on the kitchen first.)

Fort Benton’s next Chouteau County Perforating Arts performance will be Tuesday February 21st and will feature a group called “Take 5.” They were a group who show cased at Consortium and they are good. There will be a surprise with that performance and you have to be there to witness it.  I know what it is but if I tell they will have to kill me. See you in three weeks.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR TROOPS, THOSE WHO PROTECT US, WEAR RED ON FRIDAYS, PUT A GREEN BULB IN YOUR PORCH LIGHT and FLY THE AMERICAN FLAG.  (We need all the help we can get.)