Community Calendar - Feb. 20

Affordable Care Act explained

Assisters are available to come and talk with your community group, neighborhood organization, church group, or at an activity that you think would be a good place for people to receive this information – just call (406) 546-0199 and we will schedule a time that works for you.  Health insurance offered by the ACA begins on Jan. 1, 2014, but open enrollment will take place through March of 2014.

Story Time at SKC

The D’Arcy McNickle Library of the Salish Kootenai College hosts Story Time on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30. The events offer story reading and crafts for all ages.

The facility is an academic and public library located on the SKC campus. Our hours of operation are 7:30am to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday, 7:30am to 4:30pm Friday and 10:00 am to 4:30 pm Saturday. For more information about library services or Story Time call 275 - 4875.

SKC Career Fair

Salish Kootenai College (SKC) Career Services, Student Support Services (SSS), Issksiniip Project, Indigenous Math and Science Institute (IMSI), and Lake County Job Service would like to extend an invitation to your organization to participate in our 2014 Career Fair, Thursday, February 20, 2014. The SKC Career Fair will be held from 9:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. in the Joe McDonald Health and Wellness Center (gym).

The SKC Career Fair is a convenient, effective and inexpensive opportunity for recruiters to meet, network with, and interview qualified applicants. This is a valuable opportunity for representatives from local, state and national organizations to offer full and part-time employment, summer employment, internships and career opportunities. Last year we had approximately 70 employment/recruitment agencies, and over 300 potential employees register and participate in this event.

Questions, call Lennie Webster (275-4826) or Ellie McLeod (275-4825).

Flathead Reservation Fish and Wildlife Board

The Flathead Reservation Fish and Wildlife Board will meet on Wednesday, February 26 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Montana FWP headquarters on Spurgin Road in Missoula.  One of the main items on the agenda is an update on Flathead Lake Fisheries Co-Management.

Fourth Annual Winter Fest

A new band is coming to town. Blue Smoke Band featuring Robin Gough will be one of two dance bands featured at Polson’s Fourth Annual Winter Fest, Saturday, February 22 at the Elks Club Ball Room. Also on tap is Southern Comfort Band. Activities will begin at 5:00 pm. Proceeds will benefit programs in your community that aid our homeless and hungry neighbors. A transitional housing project, a neighbors in need program and  “Soup’s On,” a free food program all rely on this yearly fundraiser to support their efforts.

A superb sliced pork dinner will be prepared by Guy at the Old World Deli, while dessert will honor Washington’s Birthday, with a cherry/chocolate theme. Children under 12 are free. A silent auction and 50/50 drawing are also on tap. Donation items for the auction are greatly appreciated. Please join the fun at this Fourth Annual gala event. Any questions? You can contact us at the Wander Inn between 9 am and 3 pm Mon-Thurs, 406-883-5160, or call 406-871-1109.

The Wander Inn is the host of several projects that address hunger. Soup’s On provides a free meal weekly, Mon-Thurs, from 11:00 to 1:00 pm.  Family Table hosts a free dinner on the fourth Friday of every month. All of these meals are served at the Wander Inn, 101 7th Ave West, Polson. The meal is always free and all are welcome. These programs will be hosting an open house on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, February 19 & 20.  The Wander Inn is located just across from Dempsey’s Pawn Shop on 7th Ave West. Please join us for an evening of food, bingo, and line dancing. Take this opportunity to learn who is behind this valuable service in your community. A tipi will stand before the entrance to remind us of the grave affordable housing crisis that exists in our community. Please be part of the housing solution by supporting efforts to bring housing alternatives here for our neighbors that find themselves in transition.

Soup’s On and the Family Table have served over 40,000 meals since its inception,  The Wander Inn also provides over 300 shelter days per year. “Help Us Help Others” is the theme for this year’s event.  

Big Arm Potluck

Please come join us at the Big Arm Historic School on Friday February 21 for our monthly Big Arm Association Potluck supper. We are thrilled to have returning Army soldiers-Aimee & Jeff  Lamoreaux- as our featured guest speakers. They will be enlightening us about their duties while deployed in the U.S.  Army with 495th CSSB (Combat sustainment & Support Battalion), in Afghanistan.

Please bring a dish to share with your friends and neighbors. Our meal will begin at 6:00. Feel free to come at 5:30 to get your seat and socialize.  Jeff & Aimee’s talk will begin at 7:00. It should be a wonderful evening. We hope to see you there. For any questions please contact the Big Arm Association by emailing thebigarmassociation@gmail.com, or calling Nancy Foster at 849-5064.

Pachyderm Club

Those attending the Friday, February 28, 2014,  meeting of the Lake County Pachyderm Club will see an amazing demonstration of canine intelligence and hear stories of how dogs are used in contraband intervention and detecting illegal drugs.  The meeting will be held at the Polson Rural Fire Hall on Regatta Road beginning at 11:30 with brown bag lunches.  The business meeting begins at 12 noon and adjourns at 1 p.m.

Featured speaker will be Dennis Jones, retired  Polson High School principal who now owns the franchise for Interquest Detection Canines, a national company headquartered in Houston, Texas.  Jones, who has worked narcotics and weapons canines for the past 12 years, provides detection service in schools, prisons, Job Corps, oil fields, and other industrial facilities throughout Montana, the Dakotas, and Wyoming.  He and his dogs work closely with law enforcement in those states.

He will bring his drug detecting dog, a black lab named Jetta, to show how her keen sense of smell can quickly sniff out where a stash of drugs is located.

All those interested in learning about issues of local concern are welcome to attend.

Free community dinner

All are welcome at a free dinner at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Polson on Thursday, February 27th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Join us for some Mexican food at 2 7th Ave East. Call 883-0800.

Miracle of America Museum Monthly Activity

2nd Thursday evening, 6:30 pm. Free admission. Treats welcomed. If you would like to contribute to, present, or suggest a program, please call Gil at 406-883-6804.

Mar 13th 2014 program - “Artist dive to and painting of the Titanic.” Video of nationally known artist Roger Bansemer’s journey to the Titanic and painting the infamous ship on the ocean floor while looking through a viewport of the dive vessel.

Roger, whose art show/workshops are featured on 200 PBS channels, and his wife Sarah, spent 3 days at the Miracle of America Museum last fall painting and doing documentaries of specific museum artifacts.

Music scholarship available

The Five Valley Chorus of Sweet Adelines International is awarding a music scholarship to any Montana resident pursuing a college degree while being involved in music activities or pursuing a music degree. High school seniors or college students are eligible. The deadline is April 9, 2014. Interested individuals should contact their school advisor or Judy C. Lange, Scholarship Chairman, at 273-2491 or download the application at: www.fivevalleysweetadelines.com.