Community news
Chamber meets
The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly membership meeting at the Teakettle Community Room, 235 Nucleus Avenue, in Columbia Falls, on Tuesday, April 8, from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. A presentation will be made about the F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co.’s co-generation biomass boiler plant, with an update of their future plans. Lunch costs $10.
Business after-hours
The Columbia Falls Area and Whitefish chambers of commerce will hold a joint business after-hours social at Glacier Bank, 822 Nucleus Avenue, in Columbia Falls, on Thursday, April 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. Food will be provided by the Oktoberfest Grill Meisters, along with beverages, appetizers and door prizes.
Lions Club
The Columbia Falls Lions Club will hold a pancake breakfast at the North Valley Senior Center on Nucleus Avenue on Saturday, April 12, from 7 a.m.
History club
The Columbia Falls Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at the old chapel building at the Montana Veterans Home, in Columbia Falls, on Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m.
Missionary talks
The Columbia Falls United Methodist Church, 117 Second Street West, in Columbia Falls, will host a talk by Kenneth Nkando, a native of Kenya who worked in Angola as a mission financial officer for the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, on Thursday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. A prolonged civil war delayed ministry work in Angola since 2002. Chicken dinner, potluck salad, dessert and bread will be served in the Fellowship Hall.
Quilt show
The Teakettle Quilt Guild of Columbia Falls will hold their annual quilt show at Glacier Gateway School, 440 Fourth Avenue West, in Columbia Falls, on Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with vendors, demonstrations, boutique and raffles. The featured quilter will be Janet Masten. Admission is free, but non-perishable donations for the Columbia Falls Food Bank will be appreciated.
Plum Creek donation
Plum Creek Timber recently donated a truckload of 700 manufactured lumber studs for framing two new townhomes at the Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley project off Truck Route in Columbia Falls. The project started in May 2011, and 10 of the project’s 16 townhomes have been completed. Construction of the next two townhomes will begin in the next two weeks.
Cemetery board
The Flathead County Commissioners are seeking a volunteer to serve on the Columbia Falls Cemetery Board. Members must reside in the Columbia Falls Cemetery District and are granted the power and duties to maintain the cemetery district. The volunteer would fill one vacated seat through Dec. 31, 2016. Letters of interest can be sent to Flathead County Commissioners Office, 800 South Main, Room 302, Kalispell MT 59901-5420. Deadline is April 28. For more information, call 406-758-5537.
Barbershop quartet
The Great Pretenders, the male vocal quartet of the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, will perform “The Power of Song” at the Museum at Central School, 124 Second Avenue East, in Kalispell, on Friday, April 11, and Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. This marks the first time the group has organized a full-length concert. Doors will open at 7 p.m. for socializing and a no-host wine bar. Seating is limited. Tickets are $15 adults and $12 seniors available at the GSC box office, 407-7000, 69 North Main Street, in Kalispell or online at www.gscmusic.org.
Secularist talk
Ronald Lindsay, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Inquiry, will present a free talk about “The Necessity of Secularism” at the Museum at Central School, 124 Second Avenue East, in Kalispell, on Tuesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. With increasing numbers of non-believers, will the doctrine of separation of church and state alone ensure the rights of people of all ideological persuasions and belief systems? The talk is being sponsored by the Flathead Area Secular Humanist Association.
Creston Auction
The 48th annual Creston Auction & Country Fair and the accompanying Auto, Marine, RV & Equipment Sale, a fundraiser for the all-volunteer Creston Fire Department, will be held April 5-6 in Creston, 12 miles east of Kalispell on Highway 35. The event draws thousands of people from across the region and Canada. Merchandise will be accepted on Friday, April 4, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The main event will take place on Saturday, April 5, a day-long auction featuring building materials, household goods, tools, tack, antiques and many other items. Grounds will open at 8 a.m., and entrance is free. Bidding on cars, trucks, boats, recreational vehicles, tractors, farm equipment, trailers and other large items will begin at noon on Sunday, April 6. For more information, visit online at www.crestonfire.org or call 406-250-7396.
Book sale
The American Association of University Women is now accepting good quality used books for the upcoming used book sale at the Kalispell Center Mall on April 11-13. Donation barrels are located in Columbia Falls at Super 1 Foods. Proceeds will benefit FVCC scholarships and other charitable projects. For more information, call Vicki at 608-712-9302.