Community news

American Legion

Columbia Falls American Legion Freedom Post 72 will hold its first major fundraiser at the Columbia Falls Fire Hall on Saturday, March 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. with a full spaghetti dinner. Door prizes include oil changes and a Nikon rifle scope. Tickets cost $8 per person or $20 per family available at the table manned by the Legion at Smith’s Foods in Columbia Falls on Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds will be used for veterans programs supported by the local post. For more information, call Mike Shepard at 250-9806.

Senior party

The Columbia Falls High School senior class is selling two-month passes to The Wave as a fundraiser for its senior party. The passes are $40 and can be purchased Super 1 Foods, Glacier Bank, Freedom Bank, Park Side Federal Credit Union and Whitefish Credit Union until March 21.

History club

The Columbia Falls Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at the chapel building at the Montana Veterans Home on Tuesday, March 17,  at 7 p.m. Anyone interested in local history is invited to attend. For more information, call Clarence Taber at 892-3722 or Dorothy Downen at 892-5894.

Student art

Artwork by Columbia Falls High School students will be on display at the Montana Coffee Traders in Columbia Falls through the month of March. Some pieces could be for sale. Interested buyers should contact the students.

Community choir

The Columbia Falls Community Choir will present two free spring concerts in the Columbia Falls High School Little Theater on Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 29, at 2 p.m. Directed by Ron Bond and accompanied by Dawn Hashley, the 95 choir members have been meeting weekly since January. Music will range from jazz to classical to spiritual. Donations will be accepted.

Visiting choir

The University of Jamestown Concert Choir from North Dakota will perform at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Columbia Falls on Saturday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. as part of its spring tour of sacred music. Everyone is invited and a free offering will be received.

Women connect

The Columbia Falls Women’s Connection will meet at the Teakettle Community Room on Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls on March 18 at 11:30 a.m. Staff from the Garden of Eden Thrift and Variety store will be the featured speaker, and Ginger Jackson will share an inspirational life story. For reservations, call 387-4119 or 892-3621.

Fish fry

The Knights of Columbus will offer a fish fry at St. Richard’s Catholic Church in Columbia Falls on Friday, March 13, starting at 6 p.m. Cost is $9.

Fire board

There are two openings on the Flathead County Fire Service Area Advisory Board, one for a resident of the Middle Fork Area and one for an active firefighter. An application is available online at http://flatheadmt.gov/commissioners or at the commissioners office in Kalispell. For more information, call 758-5537.

Chamber social

The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours social will take place at Professional Therapy, 1850 Ninth Street West, on the U.S. 2 strip in Columbia Falls, on Thursday, March 12, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Tourism grants

UnderCurrent Web, a local digital marketing company that promotes the Columbia Falls area, was recently awarded a  $15,500 Tourism Digital Marketing Grant from the Montana Office of Tourism. All told, the office awarded $200,000 to six tourism-related organizations in Montana for digital marketing efforts.

Bakery grant

The Polebridge Mercantile recently was awarded a $20,000 grant from the state’s Growth Through Agriculture program. The money will be used to help the North Fork-based business expand into its second location at Stumptown Market in Whitefish and to purchase huckleberries and other local produce needed for its baked goods.

Music fundraiser

Belton Chalets in West Glacier will give a portion of all sales from it taproom and grill for the weekend of March 27-20 to support North Valley Music School in Whitefish. For more information, visit online at www.beltonchalet.com or call 888-5000.

Winter golf tourney

The eighth annual Chili Open golf tourney will take place at All Saints Episcopal Church, on Conn Road between Whitefish and Columbia Falls, on Saturday, March 14, as a benefit for the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, the Spay and Neuter Task Force, the Flathead County Animal Shelter, and Spay Montana-Browning. To RSVP, call 752-7297 or e-mail volunteers@humansocietypets.com or visit online at www.humanesocietypets.com.

Economic roundtable

The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their Economic Development Roundtable in the Back Room-Nite Owl restaurant in Columbia Falls on Tuesday, March 17 starting at 7 a.m. For more information, call Carol Pike at 892-2072 or e-mail cpike@centurytel.net.

Freethought

The Flathead Area Secular Humanist Association will present Part 2 of the video series “American Freethought” in a free showing at the ImagineIF Library in Kalispell on Monday, March 23, at 6 p.m. This segment will look at how the abolition movement seeded the women’s rights and freethought movements. Parts 3 and 4 will be shown at the library at 6 p.m. on the Mondays of April 6 and 13. For more information, visit online at www.flatheadsecular.com.

CFAC picnic

The annual AAC/ARCO/CFAC employees picnic is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, at Lawrence Park in Kalispell. Former employees and families are invited to come and share memories of working at the aluminum plant over the years. For more information, contact Sharon Chubb at smarinochubb@centurytel.net.

Speech workshop

The Columbia Falls Speaks Toastmasters Club will sponsor a six-session introductory Speech Craft Workshop at Freedom Bank starting Tuesday, March 17, through Tuesday, May 5, from 12:10 to 1 p.m. Cost is $25/. To register, contact Kristi Hatfield at 406-871-7999 or glaciersbungalow@gmail.com.

Community band

The Flathead Valley Community Band will present their free spring concert at the Flathead High School auditorium on Wednesday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. under the direction of Allen Slater. The concert’s theme is “A Celebration of Americana” and will include the world premier of “Lullaby For A Sweet Soul” by local composer Craig Thomas Naylor. For more information, visit online at www.fvcband.org.

Book sale

The American Association of University Women’s Kalispell Branch will host its annual used book sale on April 16-19 in the Kalispell Center Mall. Donations of good used books will be accepted until April 1. Donation barrels are located in Kalispell at Super 1 Foods in Columbia Falls. For more information, call 608-712-9302.

Loud at the Library

The sixth annual Loud at the Library fundraiser will be held at the ImagineIF library in Kalispell on Thursday, March 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sponsored by the ImagineIF Library Foundation to support ImagineIF Libraries, the evening will feature live music by the Can’t Hardly Playboys, appetizers, beer and wine, raffle baskets and a silent auction. Tickets are $30 with $20 tax deductible, available in the business office at ImagineIF Kalispell. For more information, call 758-5821.

Creston auction

The Creston Fire Department will host the 49th annual Creston Auction & Country Fair and the accompanying RV, Marine, Auto & Equipment Sale on Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12. This benefit for the all-volunteer fire department is the largest spring event in Montana and draws thousands of people from throughout the region and Canada. Consignment Day is Friday, April 10, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The sale grounds in Creston will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The vehicle and equipment sale will begin at noon on Sunday. For more information, call 406-250-7396 or visit online at http://crestonfire.org.

Pesticide training

The Montana State University Pesticide Education Program will hold a six-hour training session on March 26 in Kalispell to cover integrated pest management, pesticide movement in the environment, pesticide safety and toxicity, pesticide law, calibrating ground spray equipment, understanding the private applicator license, and reading/understanding pesticide product labels. Cost ranges from $10 to $25, depending on whether attendees want to earn their private applicator license. For more details, pre-registration information and complete agendas, visit online at www.pesticides.montana.edu or contact Cecil Tharp at 406-994-5067 or ctharp@montana.edu.