H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum to close for four weeks

Members of the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum board met Monday night at Havre Inn and Suites and discussed temporarily closing the museum for four weeks starting Monday.

Board member Val Hickman said the museum would be closing temporarily for cleaning and for budgetary reasons, as well. She added the museum would reopen Wednesday, Feb. 20, following Presidents' Day weekend.

"We don't have enough money to not close," said Hickman.

Hickman added that the museum closed last year in February and was closed the year before for all of January.

The board voted unanimously to pass the motion to close the museum for four weeks.

President of the H. Earl and Margaret Turner Clack Memorial Museum Foundation Elain Morse said the foundation was looking into getting a Brownfield Grant for the museum to help with renovations regarding asbestos and lead paint in the future home of the museum, the former Griggs Printing building on the 10 Block of Fifth Avenue..

"But it's quite a big grant. It's about a $250,000 grant, but the foundation is going to have to come up with about a $40,000 match," Morse added. "That's where our concern lies."

The foundation received a private donation that was meant specifically for the construction of a handicap ramp at the new museum location, she added.

H. Earl Clack Museum Director Emily Mayer said she is working on finalizing a job posting for tour guides at Wahkpa Chu'gn Buffalo Jump this summer.

Mayer added that she would like the board to vote at the next meeting to update the position to be seasonal so people who want to work for a couple months can do so and then return the following year without having to apply with the Hill County government like before.

"That way, they don't have to go through a job interview and they don't have to go back down to the courthouse and sign anything. They can just start up again and be good," she said.

She said she is looking to have at least four tour guides and hopes that they can start right away in June and that some can stay through Labor Day to help close out the season at Wahkpa Chu'gn.

"That way, we've got those ... areas covered and that way it's not just me having to try and bounce between the buffalo jump and the museum," Mayer added.

Tour guides should be prepared to deal with the public, adhere to safety standards, have basic bookkeeping skills and be in communication with manager of the buffalo jump, Mayer added.