Old Baldy Adult Education Finishes Season
 | Author:
Nancy Marks, MT43 News Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Nancy Marks
MT43 News Reporter
Learning to make wild meat sausage and artisan bread might not be everyone’s “cup of tea” but several county residents enjoyed the adult education class held at Broadwater High School beginning April 14. The class concluded as adult education classes end for the season.
The first class, taught by expert cook and cookbook author Eileen Clarke, introduced students to wild game ingredients and use of a sausage stuffer. She emphasized the change in protein content as the seasonings, filler and meat are beaten together. The ingredients are then put in the stuffer and inserted into the casings. According to fellow teacher Ron Salladay, they made links, bulk sausage and meatballs.
Salladay taught the second class the intricacies of turning out good artisan bread. Students learned the importance of temperature both of the oven when baking, and during raising. “We laughed a lot, and really enjoyed eating the fruits of our labors,” he said.
Salladay, who retired from teaching science to middle school and high school students in Minnesota, began making furniture under the tutelage of high school shop teacher Clint Watson fifteen years ago. He is part of a larger group of Broadwater County volunteers who have been part of Old Baldy Adult Education’s impact on a vibrant community service program for many years, according to former librarian Kay Ingalls.
Ingalls, who worked at the library for 37 years before retiring, said she began teaching adult education for people who wished to attain their GED or finish high school. “It was a very popular course, which we began offering in about 1996. We helped anywhere from two to five students each session to obtain their high school diploma equivalent. We not only offered the classes, we also did the testing. Later, under a different program, both high school-aged students and adults took their tests at the Learning Center in Helena,” she explained.
Old Baldy Adult Education evolved somewhere between 1989 and 1995, according to former Superintendent Brian Patrick. “I had taught school here in 1989 and when I returned as Superintendent, Old Baldy was already in place. We put out three schedules in the school newsletter, which went out to all county residents. MSU County Extension Agent Virginia Knerr and Kay Ingalls worked hard to get computer classes in place with someone to teach them and enroll people new to personal computers to learn how to turn on the machines,” he laughed.
In 2004, Old Baldy Education offered as many as 20 different courses and ski trips to Showdown ski hill. Patrick enumerated classes: beadwork, woodworking, cross-country skiing, fly typing, pottery, step aerobics, Toastmasters, potters, QuickBooks, dog training and tennis. These were in addition to computer classes and GED courses. “I was lucky to have such a robust program with great participants,” he added.
Communications specialist Mia Whitfield entered the picture around that time to expand Old Baldy Adult Education program. She was a member of the Old Baldy board, which included Knerr, Ingalls, Patrick, teachers and principals at school. “They knew everybody in town who might be able to teach a class, plus volunteers were willing to step up and commit to teaching something they enjoyed. In the meantime, Knerr was teaching both beginning and advanced computer classes, such as Publisher and Excel. She also taught a Facebook class. Teacher Libby Henneberry taught many of the beginning classes. People came from Helena and East Helena.
The program is a budgeted fund item included in the Townsend School District Trustees’ annual budget. The revenue source for the program is generated by a non-voted “permissive” levy, which comes to the district from Broadwater County taxpayers, according to School Board Chairman Jason Noyes. In other words, the money for the program is received annually but is not required to be voted on by voters. “If individual classes have extra supply or equipment costs, those are paid for by the participants through a sign-up fee,” he said.
Current director of the program, Rachael Brug, thanked people for their participation this winter and issued an invitation to the community: “Anyone who has new ideas or wants to teach some favorite skill, please contact me. We love new classes to offer along with the favorite oldies – pickleball, welding, woodworking and of course the book club.”
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Ron Salladay photos.
Image 1 Caption: Class leader Eileen Clark (right) operating the sausage stuffer while Henry Wishman (left) helps. Roxann LeReux and Liz Wishman observe.
Photo Credit: Ron Salladay
Image 2 Caption: Class participants write notes during bread-making session.
Photo Credit: Ron Salladay
