Community news
Historical Society
The Columbia Falls Historical Society will meet in the old chapel building at the Montanan Veterans Home on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. The public is welcome. For more information, call 892-5894.
Gone fishin’
The Whitefish Chamber of Commerce will hold their Gone Fishin’ free and public social hour at Swan Mountain Snowmobiling in Hungry Horse on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 5-7 p.m. with complimentary refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, and door prizes.
Court hours
The Columbia Falls City Court of Record is open on Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on Fridays. Arraignments are held on Mondays at 9 a.m. except on federal holidays. Non-mandatory appearances and contract payments can made online at www.citypayusa.com. For more information, call 892-4340.
Spirit channelers
Imagine Health and IONS will co-host a free movie, “Tuning in: Spirit channelers in America,” at Imagine Health, 305 First Avenue West, in Columbia Falls, on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. A $5 donation will be requested. For more informaton, call 892-4406 or visit online at www.imaginehealth.net.
Free energy audits
NorthWestern Energy will offer free home energy audits in Columbia Falls, Hungry Horse and Browning on Wednesday, Jan. 29. In some cases, experts may, at no charge, install water-heater wraps, low-flow shower heads, low-flow faucet aerators and insulation for hot-water pipes. The free audits can be scheduled by calling 800-823-5995.
Lakeshore regs seminar
The Flathead County Planning Office will host a two-hour educational seminar on lake and lakeshore regulations in the Earl Bennett Building second floor conference room on Thursday, Jan. 30, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The seminar will be tailored to lakefront property owners and contractors who do work on lakes and/or lakeshore protection zones, such as docks, swim platforms, patios, stairways, retaining walls, waterlines, etc. This is not a workshop or meeting on any updates or amendments to the regulations. For more information, contact Abbey Wellemeyer at 751-8200 or awellemeyer@flathead.mt.gov.
Scrabble tournament
Literacy Volunteers of Flathead County will hold their annual Scrabble for Literacy fundraiser tourney at the Museum at Central School in Kalispell on Saturday, Feb. 8. Players can form teams of four and compete from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m. Each four-person team is asked to collect $200 in pledges. To reserve a table, call 257-7323. For more information, visit online at www.literacyflathead.org.
Free tax help
AARP Tax-Aide will provide free help in preparing and electronically filing federal and state income tax returns for low to moderate income taxpayers to anyone of any age at the Gateway Community Center in Kalispell from Feb. 3 through April 15 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. All volunteers are trained and certified through the IRS and must sign a confidentiality agreement. To schedule an appointment, call 407-8355.
Special Olympics
Special Olympics Montana will celebrate 19 years at Whitefish Mountain Resort with the 2014 State Winter Games on Feb. 23-25. Athletes train for a minimum of eight weeks in alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing to prepare for the games. More than 300 athletes are expected, along with 150 coaches from 25 communities across Montana and nearly 250 volunteers. The Parade of Athletes will take place on Central Avenue in Whitefish on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. Businesses or individuals interested in tournament sponsorship can contact Jim Lawrence at 406-216-5327 or jlawrence@somt.org.