Community briefs
ProStart fundraiser
The Whitefish High School ProStart team is fundraising for their trip to Providence, Rhode Island for national competitions. On April 5, starting at 5:30 p.m. $1 for every item purchased at Whitefish Lake Restaurant will be donated to the team.
Montana ProStart is under the national ProStart umbrella, a program developed by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation in conjunction with the industry. ProStart reaches nearly 140,000 students annually in all 50 states.
For more information, contact Amanda Matdies at 406-862-8600 ext. 409.
Night of the Arts
Whitefish High School is holding a Night of the Arts April 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the high school gym. The event will showcase works by the music, English, art, welding, woodworking and culinary arts department. A post concert reception will follow in the gym foyer.
For more information, contact Amanda Matdies at 406-862-8600 ext. 409.
Black Swifts
Flathead Audubon will offer an informational program on Black Swifts on Monday, April 9, 7-9 PM at the Gateway West Community Room, US Highway 2 West, Kalispell. Chris Hammond will discuss this unusual neotropical migrant bird that initiates nesting in Montana when most other birds are completing their breeding season. Their young usually do not fledge until August or September. Black Swifts are reliant upon perennial streams, waterfalls, and insect prey for survival and are considered at high risk of extirpation, due to climate change. In 2015, Canadian biologists listed Black Swifts as endangered due to significant population declines. Since 2012, partnerships have coalesced around the search for this elusive and hard-to-detect bird, striving for standardized surveys that can shed light on the bird’s presence and distribution in Montana. Chris Hammond works for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as the Regional Nongame/Mitigation Biologist in Kalispell. He is responsible for survey, inventory, management, and conservation of primarily nongame wildlife species. He also works on mitigation projects that involve conservation easements, acquisitions, and habitat restoration. His undergraduate and graduate work focused on the ecology of Common Loons in northwest Montana. In 2010, with collaboration from members of the Common Loon Working Group, he completed the Conservation Plan for Common Loons in Montana. Chris is currently a co-chair of the Montana Common Loon Working Group.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Flathead Audubon website: www.flatheadaudubon.org
Trout Unlimited
Join Flathead Valley Trout Unlimited on April 17 for its chapter meeting where Mark Raisler, co-owner of Headhunters Fly Shop in Craig, will share his knowledge of the blue-ribbon Missouri trout fishery. Raisler will explain the history of water management and its impact on the fishery, discuss angler history, pressure, and trends, and share some secrets on how to be smarter than the average angler. Raisler’s presentation includes a 10 minute primer on trout spey rod fishing, the fastest moving trend in the fly fishing world.
The program begins at 7 p.m. at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks office on Meridian Road in Kalispell. Refreshments will be served and door prizes will be awarded. Contact Chapter President Larry Timchak at 250-7473 for additional information.
Bag sale
The Soroptimist Thrift Haus in Whitefish will hold its spring bag sale from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 7. Fill a plastic grocery bag for $5.
The Thrift Haus, at 303 First St., is operated by volunteer members of Soroptimist International of Whitefish. All sale proceeds will be donated to area nonprofits with a focus on improving the lives of women and children.
WCVB
The Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau (Explore Whitefish) will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors on Monday, April 9 at Whitefish City Hall, 418 E. 2nd St., in the City Council Conference Room. The meeting begins at 3 p.m. The public is invited to attend. For more information, please call 862-3390.
Stumptown Art
Join Stumptown Art Studio instructors for the next fun and creative first Fridays on April 6 form 6:30-9:30 p.m. Bring snacks and beverage of choice, we’ll provide the rest. Tickets $35/$30 members. Stumptown Art Studio, 145 Central Avenue in Whitefish. For information, call 406-862-5929 or visit www.stumptownartstudio.org.
Art Club
The Stumptown Art Studio Cultural and Art History Club for adults meets Tuesday, April 10 at 1:30-3 p.m. at National Parks Realty, 601 Spokane Avenue in Whitefish. European painter Henri Matisse is the focus of the discussion. For information, call 406-862-5929 or visit www.stumptownartstudio.org.
Glass Fusing
The Stumptown Art Studio will hold a Glass Fusing Workshop for adults on Wednesday, April 11 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Try your hands at this colorful, creative art form. Learn the techniques for making a hanging bird bath. Tickets $75/$70 members. For information, call 406-862-5929 or visit www.stumptownartstudio.org.
Stumptown fundraiser
A Celebrity Bartender Night at Whitefish Lake Lodge on Friday, April 13 from 5-8 p.m. is a fundraising event for the nonprofit Stumptown Art Studio. That night 20 percent of food and bar sales and raffles going to the studio. For information, call 406-862-5929 or visit www.stumptownartstudio.org.
Storytime
Join the residents of The Springs at Whitefish as they welcome all toddlers and their caregivers to Whitefish Community Library’s free Toddler Storytime on Wednesday, April 11 at 11 a.m. Stories, songs, and early literacy activities are chosen especially for toddlers aged 1 to 3.
“Toddler Storytime is not about sitting and listening,” said Whitefish Librarian Mary Drew Powers, “Early literacy is about doing — with participatory stories, rhymes, and songs picked especially for that age group.”
Toddler Storytime takes place in the Glacier Room at The Springs, 1001 River Lakes Parkway, Whitefish. For more information, call the library at 862-9914, or The Springs at 862-6322.