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H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation President Elaine Morse, from left, museum board Vice President Lela Patera, Board President Judi Dritshulas, and board members Kathy Shrauger and Alison Hecker discuss museum business during the museum's monthly board meeting Monday in Havre Inn and Suites.
Heather Herring, 10, and her brother Jacob, 11, listen to Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump manager and guide Anna Brumley talk about the site and the display. The H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum is working to plan how to best manage and care for the archeaological site after John and Anna Brumley, who contracted to manage the site, retired this fall.
People on a tour of Wahkp Chu'gn Buffalo Jump listen to site manager and guide Anna Brunley talk about the display. The H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum is working to plan how to best fill the management and care of the archeaological site as John and Anna Brumley, who contracted to manage the site, retired this fall.
H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum Board Chair Judi Dritshulas said at Monday's monthly board meeting that Hill County Auditor Kathy Olson has said the county can handle the payroll of tour guides at Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump when the museum takes over management of the bison kill site.
The museum will take over the operation of Wahkpa Chu'gn, after longtime managers John and Anna Brumley retired last month and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dritshulas said Olson wanted board members to inform her when they are ready to hire guides for the site.
Members of the Board's Transition Committee told the commissioners at an Oct. 11 meeting with Hill County Commissioners Diane McLean and Mark Peterson and other county officials the museum board does not envision needing additional county money to operate Wahkpa Chu'gn, but could use the county's help in handling payroll for employees at the archeological site.
The Brumleys handled the payroll of tour guides through their firm Ethos Consulting, which had the management contract.
Dritshulas said board member Val Hickman, who was not at Monday's meeting, is working on the job description for a new joint manager for both the museum and Wahkpa Chu'gn.
Hickman has not yet completed the description, Dritshulas said.
The museum manager position has been open since the death of then-manager Jim Spangelo in August.
Dritshulas said the description will go to the county commissioners when complete for their approval before it is sent to the county personnel director who will then post the description and begin the search for candidates.
Dritshulas said she hopes to have the position filled by February.
H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation President Elaine Morse said two new members were elected to the foundation's board at their annual meeting last month.
Mike Haugen and Kathy Brodeur were elected to the Foundation's board at their annual dinner Oct. 15. Haugen and Brodeur will replace Shawn Keeley and Bev Kologi, who did not seek re-election to the board.
Morse said that about 100 people attended the foundation's annual meeting, where the foundation's finances and accomplishments from the past year were discussed.
"It seemed like everyone had a really good time and enjoyed it," Morse said.
Historian, speaker and author Randy Morger of Fort Benton, known as the Shep Whisperer was the dinner's featured speaker with a presentation about the famous dog who for years went every day to wait for his master - who had died and whose body was sent by rail to his family back east - to come back to Fort Benton on the train.
The board also agreed to close the museum through the month of January. For the past few years the museum has been closed in January and sometimes into February when the numbers of visitors are down, Dritshulas said, so board members and volunteers can clean the museum and change displays.
The museum will also be closed Nov. 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday, Dritshulas said, but will open again Friday after the holiday.
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