Community news
Community garden
The Columbia Falls Community Garden will host an open house at the garden in River’s Edge Park on Tuesday, Aug. 12, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with lemonade and a tour of the garden.
Park alumni
The annual Glacier Park Alumni Picnic for past and present National Park Service employees, along with friends and families, will take place at the Community Building in Park Headquarters on Sunday, Aug. 17, from noon to 4 p.m. with a potluck lunch at 1 p.m. Park superintendent Jeff Mow will be the speaker. Attendees are asked to bring a favorite potluck dish to share. Beverages, dishes and utensils will be provided. For more information, contact Sue Buchel at 406-788-8923 or retireinmt@yahoo.com.
Teacher awarded
Kami Heinz, a math teacher at Glacier Gateway Elementary School, in Columbia Falls, was one of seven Montana public school teachers selected as 2014 state finalists for the prestigious Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This is the nation’s highest honor for U.S. mathematics and science teachers in grades K-12. The 2014 Montana finalists will be honored at an awards dinner this fall.
Summer concerts
The Columbia Falls Lions Club summer concert series continues Thursday, Aug. 7, with Brass Werks performing selections from Bach to Basie at Marantette Park. The Rocky Mountain Rhythm Kings will be the warm-up band, with Dixieland and Ragtime music. The concert will start at 7 p.m. Donations are $3 for an individual, $5 for families.
Farmers market
Porter Creek will be the featured band at the Columbia Falls Farmers Market, held at Pinewood Park next to the City Pool on Thursday, Aug. 7, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The Thursday markets host local vendors offering fresh produce, baked items, crafts, arts and various eats and treats. Next week’s music will be provided by Rudy Mendez.
State fiddler
Alida Wright, of Columbia Falls, placed fifth in the Senior Division at the Montana State Old-Time Fiddle Contest held Saturday, July 26, in Choteau. Four Kalispell fiddlers also placed: Steve Stafford, 1st, and Leah Farns, 3rd, in the Championship Division; and Sylvie Johnson, 2nd, and Angeleena Johns, 3rd, in the Junior Division.
Quilt display
A new display of quilts and needlework by Flathead Valley quilters and seamstresses will be exhibited at the Museum at Central School, 124 Second Avenue East in Kalispell, through the end of October. More than a dozen hand-sewn quilts, some with tops from the late 1800s through the 1930s, will be featured. Many of the quilt designs are based on traditional quilt patterns. Also on display are knitted dresses and a variety of period needlework.
Celtic music
The Montana House in Apgar Village will host Willson & McKee, a nationally touring award-winning duo specializing in traditional Irish and Scottish and original acoustic music, on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 21-22, at 7 p.m. The concert will feature material from their nine recordings, including music from a recent tour to Scotland, with the sounds of dulcimers, guitars, Irish bouzouki, harp, accordion and bagpipes. Cost is $5 per person. Seating is limited so reservations are needed by calling 406-888-5393 or e-mailing 1960mthouse@qwestoffice.net.
Community meeting
Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana will hold a strategic planning meeting at Imagine Health Wellness Center, 305 First Avenue West, in Columbia Falls, on Wednesday, Aug. 20, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Kalispell-based nonprofit, established in 1976, helps residents in four counties with rental vouchers, assistance in building their own homes, energy payments and other housing needs. For more information, visit online at www.capnm.net.
Class of 1956
The Flathead County High School Class of 1956 will hold their annual dinner and get-together at the Elks Club in Kalispell on Thursday, Sept. 4, starting with an open bar at 5 p.m. and smorgasbord dinner at 6 p.m. Entree and cost are yet to be determined. The class has held the annual get-together for the past seven years, and last year’s event was attended by 160 class members and guests. RSVP at 752-2959 by Aug. 25. For more information, contact Patty Slack at 752-2959.
Gravestone preservation workshop
Nationally known gravestone conservator Jonathan Appell, of Hartford, Conn., will conduct a hands-on workshop at the Demersville Cemetery, in Kalispell, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The workshop is sponsored by the Montana Historical Society and the Museums Association of Montana. Appell will talk about monument types, gravestone repair, materials to use, how to reset and conserve monuments and maintaining historic cemeteries. Cost is $75 per person, which includes box lunch, handouts and supplies. Pre-registration is required online at http://tinyurl.com/ll3ll9a. For more information, e-mail Diana Carson at dcarson@flathead.mt.gov or Deb Mitchell at 406-444-4789 or e-mail dmitchell@mt.gov.For more information about Appell, visit online at www.gravestoneconservation.com.