Community news
Chamber meets
The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their October membership meeting at the Teakettle Community Room, 235 Nucleus Avenue, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Columbia Falls School District 6 superintendent Steven Bradshaw will be the guest speaker. Lunch costs $12. Reservations are not required. For more information, call Carol Pike at 892-2072 or e-mail cpike@centurytel.net.
Fall burning
The fall open burning season runs from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30. Anyone wishing to burn must call the Ventilation Hotline for restrictions at 751-8144 before burning. For more information, visit online at www.flatheadhealth.org.
Addictions
Celebrate Recovery will offer public meetings with a free dinner for people in the North Valley with “hurts, habits and hang-ups” at the Canyon Baptist Church in Hungry Horse on Mondays at 6 p.m. For more information, call 387-4240.
Pet blessing
The All Saints Church of Whitefish and Columbia Falls, 2048 Conn Road, off Highway 40, will celebrate St. Francis Day on Saturday, Oct. 4, with their annual blessing of the pets at noon. The event is also a fundraiser for the animal relief agencies in the Flathead Valley and Blackfeet Reservation. For more information, call 862-2863.
CROP Walk
The Columbia Falls United Methodist Church and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church will host the sixth annual CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, Oct. 5, to raise awareness of hunger around the world. Routes of 1 or 2 1/2 or 5 miles start at the North Valley Senior Center on Nucleus Avenue, with registration at 1 p.m. and the walk at 1:30 p.m. The event raised $3,945 last year and nearly $17,000 over the past five years. A quarter of funds raised will provide food in the Flathead Valley. This year, the program will assist Hungry Horse Community Dinners, which provides monthly meals. For more information, call Louann Mohn at 892-3942.
Hospital board
Columbia Falls High School athletic director, athletic trainer and teacher Troy Bowman was recently named to North Valley Hospital’s volunteer board of director. He is also the Health Occupation Student Association (HOSA) advisor, providing guidance and education to high school students interested in pursuing professions in health care.
United Way
The monetary goal of this year’s United Way fund drive is $700,000. The campaign will continue through Dec. 31 with 99 percent of all funds staying in local communities. A total of $683,572 was raised last year, about 14 percent over the goal. Last year, United Way’s member agencies helped 48,125 people in need. This included 42,059 meals for 893 people in emergency shelters, 1,820 children in after-school enrichment programs, 15,080 hours of tutoring for 303 adults, and 23,743 nights of temporary emergency shelter provided to 616 people. For more information, call 752-7266. Donations may be mailed to United Way, P.O. Box 7217, Kalispell MT 59904.
Haunted park
Lone Pine State Park will host the free Humanities Montana Speakers Bureau Program “Haunted Montana: Where the Ghosts Are” with Karen Stevens on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 6 to 7 p.m. Stevens, a retired librarian, has collected ghost stories from all over Montana for more than 30 years. She will present a “virtual tour” and discussion of haunted sites that are of historical interest, have recent ghostly activity and are open to the public. For more information, call 755-2706.
Metals class
Columbia Falls High School is offering an Introduction to Metals class for adults on Fridays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. from Oct. 3 through Dec. 19. Students will learn beginning oxy-acetylene brazing, welding and cutting, electric arc stick and MIG welding. Some aluminum foundry is possible. Rod Cogliati is the instructor. Cost is $100. The class is limited to eight students. Sign up at the high school office.
Economic development
The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its regular Economic Development Roundtable at the Backroom/Nite Owl in Columbia Falls on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7 a.m. SmartLam will make a short presentation. For more information, contact Carol Pike at 892-2072 or cpike@centurytel.net.
Tourism meeting
The Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission will hold its board meeting at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Tuesday, Oct. 14, from noon to 3 p.m. The board meets four times a year. On the agenda are the legislative initiative, media placements and a Superhost update.
Halloween at Vets Home
The Montana Veterans Home will welcome trick-or-treaters on Friday, Oct. 31, between 6 and 7 p.m. Please no early arrivals.