Community news

Board opening

The city of Columbia Falls has an opening on the Columbia Falls Board of Adjustment. The appointment is for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1. The board hears and decides appeals or exceptions to zoning ordinances or decisions. Interested persons who live within the Columbia Falls planning and zoning jurisdiction can send a letter of interest to City Clerk, City of Columbia Falls, 130 Sixth Street West, Columbia Falls MT 59912. Deadline is Dec. 10.

Open burning ends

The fall open burning season ended Nov. 30. No open burning is allowed in the Western Montana Burn Zone, including Flathead County, until March 1, 2015, unless specific permission is obtained from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. For more information, visit online at www.burnclosures.mt.gov or call 406-444-3490.

Christmas music

Several free concerts will be offered in the Columbia Falls High School’s Little Theater for the holidays. The choir will present its annual holiday concert on Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. The band will perform on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. The advanced ban and choir will perform on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.

Kid mushroom class

Farming For The Future Academy will offer a “Kids Mushroom Workshop” in the academy’s garden at the Montana Veterans Home on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Kids will drill holes, insert mushroom plugs and stack logs for spring germination. To register, visit online at www.farmingforthefutureacademyinc.org. Each students must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call Sherry Lewis-Peterson at 253-4369 or e-mail farmingforthefutueacademy@gmail.com.

College planning

Columbia Falls High School seniors and their parents are invited to join Student Assistance Foundation’s Mary Howard in the high school auditorium on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. to find out about preparing and paying for college. Information will be provided on deadlines, admissions requirements, types of financial aid and scholarships, and how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. High school counselor Linda Kaps will provide additional information for college-bound seniors.

Senior fundraiser

The North Valley Senior Center will hold its annual Craft, Bake and Soup Supper fundraiser on Friday, Dec. 5, with the craft and bake sale from noon to 8 p.m. and the soup supper from 4 to 8 p.m. A bowl of homemade soup with a roll will cost $4. A variety of desserts will also be available.

Church bazaar

The Columbia Falls Methodist Church, 117 Second Street West, will hold its Joy Of Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with cinnamon rolls and coffee from 9 to 11 a.m., soup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., cookie trays, silent auction items, handmade crafts and fair trade coffee.

Free food

The Columbia Falls Community Kitchen will offer free nutritious meals in the basement of St. Richard’s Catholic Church on Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 27-30, starting at 6 p.m., including a Thanksgiving meal.

Chamber meets

The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly meeting in the Teakettle Community Room, 235 Nucleus Avenue, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The annual Christmas luncheon will include music programs presented by Columbia Falls High School students and presenting of the Chamber’s First Buck Awards and Community Pride Awards. Luncheon costs $12. No reservation is required.

Vets cemetery

Gov. Steve Bullock will be on hand for the Wreaths Across America celebration at the Montana Veterans Home Cemetery in Columbia Falls on Saturday, Dec. 13. More than 540,000 wreaths were placed on graves at more than 900 cemeteries across the U.S. last year. To donate to the cause, contact Steve Armstrong, 439 Grand Drive No. 1, Bigfork MT 59911.

Work party

Volunteers are needed to help put up and take down the Holiday Village decorations at Marantette Park in Columbia Falls. The lights at the exhibit will be turned on during the Night Of Lights on Dec. 5. For more information, call Gary Sparr at 751-4752 or e-mail him at gsparr@glacierbank.com. A work party to put up the display will be held at Marantette Park on Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. Bring drills and other tools. Call Carol Pike at 892-2072 for more information.

Christmas food

The Columbia Falls Food Bank will hand out Christmas food baskets on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Matt and Janet McConville will offer a free community Christmas dinner at the United Methodist Church, 117 Second Street West, in Columbia Falls, on Christmas Day from 2 to 6 p.m. The Armed Forces Reserve Center, 2989 U.S. 93 North, in Kalispell, will hold its 25th annual free dinner on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

History club

The Columbia Falls Historical Society’s 2015 calendars are now available from any member of the group or by calling 892-3722 or at the Columbia Falls Library Used Book Store. The calendar features historical photos of Columbia Falls and surrounding areas and is one of two main fundraisers for the society. Plans are also underway for the third annual Cowboy Christmas Ball at the Chapel Building at the Montana Veterans Home on Saturday, Dec. 27. Tickets will be available at the door or reserved by calling 892-0178. The ball will feature a night of dancing and a free photo courtesy of Old Time Photos. Proceeds from the calendar and dance will go toward remodeling the Old Main Building at the Vets Home campus into a museum. The group’s next meeting will be at the chapel building on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

Art exhibit

The Hockaday Museum of Art, 302 Second Avenue East, in Kalispell, will present its 13th annual Members Salon art exhibit through Dec. 27, with more than 100 works created over the past year in glass, sculpture, pottery, textile, photography, jewelry, oil, watercolor, acrylic and dye on silk. For more information, visit online at www.HockadayMuseum.org or call 406-755-5268.

Library exhibit

A new display at the ImagineIF Columbia Falls library is an exhibit of photos of the Syrian cultural landscape by Maggie Davis, of Lakeside. In the spring of 2011, Syria was experiencing civil unrest throughout the country. Despite the turmoil, Davis continued her trip and documented her experiences along the way. The exhibit will hang throughout November. Local artists of all ages and experience levels are encouraged to apply for future exhibits.

Winter coats

Flathead Valley Community College’s Service Learning and AmeriCorps programs are collecting new and gently-used coats and jackets of all sizes for its One Warm Coat drive. Donations can be placed in the collection box located inside the foyer of Blake Hall on the FVCC campus through Nov. 21. Donated coats will be given to Feeding the Flathead/Community Kitchen and other local community organizations that will distribute the coats at no cost to people in need. Since One Warm Coat was founded in 1992, nearly 4 million coats have been provided to those in need nationwide at no cost. For more information, call 756-3908.