Living up in Nye, our closest neighbors are actually birds, eagles, turkeys, geese, and deer.  Okay, and an occasional bear or coyote wanders through.  There was a time, when I lived in a city in Florida, that I wished for a place very much like this.  Even though I had never lived way out, I knew it was for me!  What about you?  Do you like where you live? 

If you could pick just one place to live, where would it be? 

Speaking of thrift stores, don’t you have the best time in those!?!  There is no telling what kind of “gems” you’ll run across.  Garage sales are great for finding “gems,” too.  That used to be a favorite passtime of mine.  Now, my favorite passtime is watching Montana’s wonderful wildlife.

Now its back to work for me..

Maria

The Fishtail Community Council will be granting five $500.00 scholarships in 2009:

 ·       Three scholarships to graduating seniors

·       Two scholarships to post-graduates

The scholarships will be paid directly to the students, upon successful completion of one semester of full time study and proof of re-enrollment.  These scholarships will be awarded based on the criteria in the application questionnaire and on financial need.  Applicant must be a resident of the Absarokee High School District.  The applicants can attend a college, a trade school, or be doing additional undergraduate study. 

Applications for the scholarship will be available after March 20 at Absarokee High School.  The contact person at the school is Jodi Ostrum.  Application must be returned to Jodi Ostrum by May 1.

Funding for these scholarships comes from 10% of the earnings of Fishtail Family Fun Day – a celebration of community, which will be held on June 27 this year.  These earnings, along with the generous donations which were received during the year, make it possible to grant these five scholarships for 2009.

Sponsored by the Fishtail Community Council

SBA Warns of Fraudulent Attempts to Obtain Bank Info from Businesses via Email

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration issued a scam alert today to small businesses, warning them not to respond to letters falsely claiming to have been sent by the SBA asking for bank account information in order to qualify them for federal tax rebates.  The fraudulent letters were sent out with what appears to be an SBA letterhead to small businesses across the country, advising recipients that they may be eligible for a tax rebate under the Economic Stimulus Act, and that SBA is assessing their eligibility for such a rebate.  The letter asks the small business to provide the name of its bank and account number. 

These letters have NOT been sent by the SBA, and all small businesses are strongly advised not to respond to them.   The Office of Inspector General asks that anyone who receives such a letter report it to the OIG Fraud Line at 1 (800) 767-0385, or e-mail at OIGHotline@sba.gov .

Business After Hours is an event which offers business owners an opportunity to show off their business and gain new customers.   Hosting one of these events will benefit you by making the community aware of who you are and what your business has to offer.  The events are an excellent opportunity for you, your guests, and other Chamber members to network, socialize, and meet new people.   Hors d’oeuvres, soft drinks, beer, wine, and desserts are provided by the host, so if you attend the event straight from work, you can count on having refreshments (because we’re all hungry at the end of a long day, right?).   Oh, and remember, door prizes are often awarded by the hosts, so you might be the lucky winner of a cool prize!  The Business After Hours events are relaxing fun for everyone.  We hope you’ll join us! 

Contact the Chamber now, to schedule an opportunity to showcase your company.  Choose what month works best for you – we usually hold them on the 3rd Thursday of the month.  We look forward to working with you to make YOUR Business After Hours event a huge success!   For more information or to schedule an event, you can reach Maria by email at admin@StillwaterCountyChamber.com or by phone at (406) 322-4505, and we’ll get you started on your way to hosting your own event!

The next scheduled event is at 6:00 PM on April 30, 2009, at Special K Ranch.

We will be posting information on upcoming training opportunities.  Check back with us in the next few days and get the scoop on what’s happening.

The Chamber meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM.  They are usually held in the 2nd floor meeting room of City Hall in Columbus.

     NEW for 2009:  We will rotate the meeting locations throughout Stillwater County.

If you have a suggestion for a meeting location, click here to email the Chamber.

All right, I’ll admit it – I tend to brag too much, when it comes to talking about Stillwater County, Montana.   And I’m betting that most people who visit our area leave with a renewed sense of the wonders of  Mother Nature.   Besides the scenic views of the charming Western communities, the Yellowstone and Stillwater Rivers, and the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains, you’ll likely see bald eagles, golden eagles, hawks galore, whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, moose, bears, coyotes, geese, and birds of all types.

Whether you visit Montana for camping, hiking, trout fishing, rafting, skiing, snowboarding, or just relaxing and checkin’ out the views, you won’t be disappointed with Montana…the place which most people only dream about!

Our new web site is the happening place to post your group or organization’s upcoming events in Stillwater County.   You don’t have to be a chamber member to have your events listed…but if you’re not yet a chamber member, we’d love to have you join us. 

Check out our Calendar of Events

Submit or Update your event