Community news
Ruby Ridge
The Columbia Falls Women’s Connection, hosted by Stonecroft Ministries, will present a talk by Sara Weaver about her perspective as a survivor of the Ruby Ridge incident and her book “From Ruby Ridge to Freedom.” They will meet at the Teakettle Community Hall, 235 Nucleus Avenue, in Columbia Falls, on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $8 per person for lunch and program. Reservations can be made at 387-4119 or 892-3621.
Whole living
Jill Purdy’s free Whole Living Community Workshops will continue in January at the Seventh–day Adventist Church, 269 Second Avenue East North in Columbia Falls, every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. with classes on vegan cooking and more. This month’s classes include Healthy Lip Balm on Jan. 15, The Packed Lunch on Jan. 22 and Fun Fat Facts on Jan. 29. Classes in February will cover survival kits, bread making, millet recipes and more. Everyone is welcome.
Music classes
North Valley Music School will offer “Music Together,” an adult-child group music class, at the North Valley Hospital annex building, 235 Nucleus Avenue, starting Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The eight-week session offers children ages birth through five along with their caregiver the opportunity to experience music through song, dance, rhythms and instrument play. Cost is $80. Register before Jan. 10. For more information, call 862-8074 or visit online at www.northvalleymusicschool.org.
Student aid
Columbia Falls High School counselors Brian Crandell and Doug Cordier, in cooperation with the Montana Student Assistance Foundation and Flathead Valley Community College Office of Financial Aid, will host a workshop aimed at assisting high school seniors and their parents with completing their application for federal student aid on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m. in the high school library. For more information, contact Cordier at 892-6500, ext. 230.
Bible school
Kids For Christ will meet for 12 weeks at the Fellowship Alliance Church, 1025 Seventh Avenue West, in Columbia Falls, on Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 9. Bible study, games and other activities will be offered for children in grades K-5. For more information, call 892-4477.
Community choir practice
The Columbia Falls Community Choir will begin practice on Sunday, Jan. 13, for the 2013 concert season. The concerts will take place on April 20 and 21. Practices will take place at the Columbia Falls Junior High School on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. Sign-in and music pick-up will take place Jan. 13 from 1:30 to 2 p.m. with practice following. For more information, call Ron Bond at 892-5174.
Literacy tutors
Literacy Volunteers of Flathead County will hold an open house at their office in the Gateway Community Center in Kalispell on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for interested tutors and volunteers. The group provides free, confidential, one-on-one tutoring to adults and families who struggle with basic skills. Tutors for basic literacy and English as a second language must attend a training course on Saturday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers can start right away. For more information, call 257-7323.
IONS meets
The local Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) community group will meet at the Bohemian Grange, west of Montana Coffee Traders on U.S. 93, on Thursday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. Leigh Schickendantz and Mark Leitzel, of Two Rivers Aikido/Kalispell Zen Center, will talk about “Aikido and the Embodiment of Peace.” Two Rivers Aikido is one of 47 dojos in the world that qualify as an International Peace Dojo through Aiki Extension. A donation will be requested to help defray expenses. For more information, call 862-9591 or 862-7711.
Graduation party
The Class of 2013 Parent Committee will meet Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at All About Memories scrapbook store, 3585 Highway 40 West. A Facebook group has been created for regular communication. Split The Pot tickets will be sold at the Jan. 10 home basketball game beginning at 3 p.m. For more information, call Kathy Price at 253-3775.
Softball sign-ups
Registration for spring softball will begin Monday, Jan. 14. Forms can be found online at www.wildkatsoftball.org and in the offices at local schools. For more information, call Kathy Price at 892-1162 or 253-3775.
Hospital room
Kalispell Regional Medical Center will open a Ronald McDonald House Charities room in January. Families who travel here for their children’s health care can apply to use the room. Amenities will include a fold-out couch, kitchen, computers and laundry facilities.
Wrestling sign-ups
The Columbia Falls Little Guy Wrestling Club will hold sign-ups on Saturday, Jan. 19, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. in the Columbia Falls High School gym foyer. The season will begin Feb. 11. Participants include boys and girls from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. For more information, e-mail Beth Windauer @ schafer@cyberport.net.
Recycling
Pacific Steel and Recycling, in Evergreen, recently expanded its recycling services to include electronics year-round, from cell phones and old batteries to computers, DVD players and flat-screen televisions. The company will pay up to 4 cents per pound for computer towers, but customers must pay a per-pound rate to dispose of televisions with tubes.
Book club
The Bad Rock Book Club will discuss “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak, at Bad Rock Books, 615 Nucleus Avenue, in Columbia Falls, on Thursday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. The club meets on the second Thursday of each month. For more information, call Carol Rocks at 892-0515.
Master gardener
The Montana State University Extension Office will offer a Master Gardener Level 1 class at the First Baptist Church in Whitefish on Jan. 17 through March 14 on Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. Topics will include lawn care and maintenance, tree pruning, seed starting, container growing, vegetable gardening, soil fertility, lawn care, plant physiology and fruit production. Registration forms are available online at www.flathead.mt.gov/extension. For more information, call 753-5553.
4-H fair
The Flathead County 2013 4-H Foods Fair will take place at the Flathead County Fairgrounds, in Kalispell, on Saturday, Jan. 26. Judging will begin at 10 a.m. 4-H members will show off their best culinary skills in more than 15 different categories, including main dishes, salads, pies, soups/stews/chowders, cookies, baked cakes from scratch, quick breads, appetizers, decorated cakes/cupcakes, side dishes, beverages and yeast breads. For more information, contact Tammy Walker at tammy.walker1@montana.edu or 758-5552.