Community news
Alumni bball
An alumni basketball tournament is scheduled to take place at the Columbia Falls High School gym on Saturday, Dec. 27. Six teams so far have signed up to compete, organizer Jesse Grilley said. There is no cost for attendance but a small fee for players. For more information, call Jesse Grilley at 314-1085 or e-mail him at jgrilley3798@hotmail.com or contact Jeremy Grilley at 314-2918 or Devyn Rocker at 261-7701.
Student aid
Columbia Falls High School counselors will present their annual “Student/Parent Financial Aid Preparation Night” for students and parents in the high school’s Little Theater on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. Students Assistance Foundation director Mary Howard, financial aid representatives from Flathead Valley Community College, Danielle Whitten and Cindy Kiefer, and Running Start coordinator Deanne Brown will talk about applying for the student PIN number, questions and answers on filling out the FAFSA document, and scholarship information.
Community choir
The Columbia Falls Community Choir will begin practice on Sunday, Jan. 4, for the 2015 concert season. Concerts will be held on March 29-29. Practice will take place at the Columbia Falls Junior High School on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. Sign-up and music pick-up will take place on Jan. 4 from 1:30 to 2 p.m. with practice promptly following at 2 p.m. The final rehearsal will take place on Friday, March 27. For more information, call Ron Bond at 892-5174.
Chamber grant writer
The Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking a grant writer to help the chamber apply for a digital marketing grant through the Montana Office of Tourism. For more information, contact Carol Pike at cpike@centurytel.net.
Master gardener
Montana State University’s Flathead County Extension office will offer a Master Gardener Level 1 class at the Earl Bennett Building, in Kalispell, on Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. from Jan. 15 through March 5. Topics include lawn care, tree pruning, vegetable gardening, soil fertility, plant physiology and fruit production. For more information, call Pat McGlynn at 758-5553 or e-mail pmcglynn@montana.edu.
Wish tree
The annual Montana Veterans Home Christmas Wish Tree will be located at Kalispell Center Mall by the Dairy Queen through Dec. 22. The Wish Tree is decorated with a tag for each resident. On the back of each tag is a resident number and requests for needs or wants. A logbook is provided to sign out tags as they are removed from the tree and to check tags in when returned attached to the wrapped gifts. Gifts will be collected daily and transported to the Vets Home. The gift distribution party will be held at the Vets Home on Dec. 23. For more information, call Sue Haverfield at 892-3783 or Bonnie Stutsman at the Vets Home at 892-3256.
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.