Chamber recognizes community spirit at luncheon

Eleven people and businesses were honored with Community Spirit Awards at the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas luncheon on Dec. 9.

“Community Spirit Awards are presented to someone who has, through their service, action or support show pride and spirit by giving to the community,” outgoing chamber president Jim Oliverson said.

Four people were recognized for helping remodel the chamber’s tourist information center by Marantette Park, including Jim and Teresa Thompson, of Plum Creek, “who took the project under their wing,” chamber executive director Carol Pike said.

Steve Melby, Melby’s Home Interiors, provided flooring materials for the center. Don Torgerson, who moved here recently from Great Falls, volunteered on all phases of the project, and Eric Morgan, a Columbia Falls High School teacher, helped with the painting.

“Don is a real go-to guy, always with a smile on his face,” Pike said.

“I just try to do all that Carol asks me to do,” Torgerson said.

Several businesses were also recognized for improvements to their buildings, including Outside Media, Xanterra Glacier National Park Lodges, O’Brien’s Liquor and Wine, Glacier Clean Car Wash, GCR Tire and Dairy Queen.

“In three days, it will be my first anniversary with Xanterra,” Marc Ducharme said. “It feels like a decade.”

Byrd acknowledged all the people in the community who came by while he was remodeling his new building and thanked him for cleaning up the site.

And Catherine Richter was recognized for the 50 years she ran the San-Suz-Ed RV Park Campground and Bed and Breakfast in West Glacier. She expressed her determination to see a bike path built along U.S. 2 from Coram to West Glacier in honor of the 4-H club that initiated the effort decades ago.

Four retiring chamber board members included Bill Brunett, Dee Brown, Gary Sparr and Michael Nicosia. Brunett has run the chamber’s Heritage Days basketball tournament for 20-some years, and Sparr has overseen the chamber’s Holiday Village lighting display for about 10 years.

“For the first time in decades, Steve and I had two days off in a row to enjoy the summer, thanks to Xanterra,” Brown said, referring to the sale of her RV park in Coram to Xanterra.

Teri Schneider, of New World Recycling, noted that Xanterra recycled about 25,000 pounds of glass over 14 weeks this year. The ground-up glass was reused in concrete at Xanterra’s new offices and in front of the Montana Coffee Traders restaurant in Columbia Falls.

Pike also announced her retirement from the chamber at the end of May.

“As any past chamber president knows, Carol is the ‘Chamber Mother,’” Oliverson said.

Oliverson is stepping down as president but will remain on the chamber’s board.

“I belong to several chambers,” Oliverson said, “but this one has the hardest working people of them all.”

Stacey Schnebel, co-owner of UnderCurrent Web and the Stonefly Lounge in Coram, will be the new chamber president. Two new board members are Victoria Lee, of Great Northern Resort, and Kerin Gaynor, of Meadow Lake Resort-Grand Pacific Resorts.

First Buck Awards for 2014 went to Auto Zone in Columbia Falls, Crown of the Continent Discovery Center in West Glacier, Dreamcatcher Lodge in Kalispell, Glacier Coffee House in West Glacier, Guroots Web Development in Columbia Falls, KC’s Variety & Gifts in Columbia Falls, Love, Inc. in Columbia Falls, Moss Mountain Inn in Columbia Falls, New World Recycling in Columbia Falls, O’Reilly Auto Parts in Columbia Falls, Reclusive Moose Cabins in West Glacier, Salon VIP in Columbia Falls, SmartLam LLC in Columbia Falls and Tea Kettle Cafe in Columbia Falls.

Twenty new chamber members in 2014 included Black Diamond Mortgage in Whitefish; Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls; Crown of the Continent Discovery Center; Dreamcatcher Lodge; Glacier Coffee House; Xanterra Glacier National Park Lodges in Columbia Falls; Glacier Park Vacation Rentals in Columbia Falls; Guroots Web Development in Columbia Falls; LaSalle RV Park in Columbia Falls; Meadow Lake View Bed & Breakfast in Columbia Falls; Moss Mountain Inn; New World Recycling; O’Brien’s Liquor & Wine; Reclusive Moose Cabins; Rotary Club of Columbia Falls; SmartLam LLC; The Springs at Whitefish; The Towne Printerin Whitefish; The Wave Fitness & Aquatic Center in Whitefish; and Wild River Adventures in West Glacier.