Community briefs for March 13

FBC meets

The Flathead Basin Commission will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, March 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Whitefish City Council Chambers. The morning portion of the meeting will focus on administrative business including a review and approval of the commission’s meeting minutes, update on staff work, financials, a new website, and a two-year work plan. An overview of priority issues will be provided, including a project on incentive-based strategies for addressing septic systems by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana, and the Ashley Creek restoration project and outreach by the Flathead Lakers. In addition, the FBC will hear from the City of Kalispell and the Whitefish Lake Institute on a potential project related to stormwater management. All FBC meetings are open to the public and interested parties are encouraged to attend.

Iran talk

Sam and Ruth Neff will be presenting a program entitled “A Look inside Iran” at the Whitefish Community Library, 9 Spokane Ave., on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.,

With Iran currently in the spotlight, now is a good time to learn about this country that is being presented as our enemy. In 2008 and 2009 Sam and Ruth Neff led groups of 20 or more travelers to Iran, several from the Flathead Valley. The groups traveled to Tehran, Esfahan and Shiraz, with a short stop in the mountain village of Abyaneh. As well as seeing ancient buildings and monuments, everyone was able to interact with many Iranians in a spirit of friendship and unity.

Also in 2008, Rick Steves traveled to many of the same places in Iran, filming the PBS documentary “Rick Steves Iran.” The presentation will include parts of the documentary, supplemented with pictures and descriptions by the Neffs.

Blood drive

The American Red Cross will host the Whitefish Community Blood Drive on Thursday, March 21, in the gym at The Wave – 1250 Baker Avenue – from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The entire blood donation process takes about an hour — including check-in, a brief health review, drawing the blood and snacks afterwards.

Appointments are recommended and a blood donor card or a driver license is required at check-in. To schedule an appointment, call Jean at 406-862-4332 or go online to www.redcrossblood.org and search for blood drives in the 59937 area. Walk-in donors are welcome; however, there may be a short wait. It is suggested that donors eat a hardy meal and drink plenty of water prior to giving blood. Snacks, water and juices will be provided at the blood drive.

Gone Fishin’

The Clock Tower Plaza and four different businesses will host this month’s Whitefish Chamber of Commerce’s Gone Fishin’ after-hours mixer on Thursday, March 21 from 5-7 p.m. Located at 3949 Highway 40 East, the Plaza is home to four chamber members, including: Safeguard Storage, Medi-Lift Spa, The Blind Man and Gravity Shots photography.

Bingo

Bingo at the Whitefish Community Center is Monday, March 11 at 1 p.m. Cost is $1 at the door and 10 cents per card. Coffee and cookies are complimentary. For more information call 862-4923.

Ireland

“Beautiful Ireland” will be presented at Whitefish Community Library by Kathy Borchers on Saturday, March 23, at 1 p.m. A special addition to this popular program will be Irish guitarist Maggie Ferguson who will be entertain with Irish music. The ‘tour’ begins in the oldest Stone Age ruins in Europe; visit the home of Thomas Francis Meagher, Irish patriot, and acting territorial governor of Montana. Visit includes many castle ruins and Kilmainhan Gaol where the patriots from the 1916 Rising were executed. Listen to the Irish National Anthem, learn some Irish words and sample some Irish soda bread.

Community Choir

The Columbia Falls Community Choir is gearing up for its annual concert. Concerts will be March 23 at 7 p.m. and March 24 at 2 p.m. in the Columbia Falls High School Little Theatre. The choir is under the direction of Steven Holte and accompanied by Dawn Hashley. Eighty-two adult voices combine to produce an amazing sound of music featuring classic choral literature and a bit of jazz. Singers are from Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Kalispell, Lakeside, Coram, Bigfork, and Olney. Plan to attend this gift of music to our community. Admission is free, but a freewill offering will be taken.

Outdoor heritage

The public is invited to participate in a Community Conversation hosted by members of the Montana Outdoor Heritage Project at Rocky Mountain Outfitter in Kalispell on Friday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. The Heritage Project is a volunteer collaboration of Montana citizens, small businesses, conservation, industry, and recreation groups exploring ways to conserve, maintain, and better invest in our public lands to protect our shared outdoor heritage. Heritage Project volunteers are hosting multiple community conversations across the state to listen to Montanans about current challenges and future opportunities to invest in our outdoor way of life.

Rocky Mountain Outfitter is located at 135 Main St. in Kalispell. This event is free. For more information, contact Karrie Kahle at karrie@montanaheritageproject.com. Find more information about the Heritage Project online at montanaheritageproject.com.

Student art

The Hockaday Museum of Art is delighted to announce the New Artists 2019 exhibition. The popular annual show, which opens with the Artists Reception on March 14 from 5-7 p.m. features impressive works by talented young artists attending local high schools.

The New Artists 2019 exhibition includes a wide array of pieces selected by art teachers from Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Whitefish and surrounding areas. These featured works represent the best of the best from their respective schools. Visitors may vote for the People’s Choice Award until the Artists Reception on March 14. Both, the Curator and People’s Choice Award will be announced at the reception. The exhibition remains on display through April13.

The Hockaday Museum of Art is located in the cultural district of downtown Kalispell at 302 Second Ave East. It is housed in a 1904 Carnegie Library building that appears on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum is a private nonprofit organization, open year-round, Tuesday through Saturday. The mission of the Hockaday is to enrich the cultural life of our community and region, and preserve the artistic legacy of Montana and Glacier National Park. For more information, please visit www.HockadayMuseum.org or call 406-755-5268.

Women’s Connection

Columbia Falls Women’s Connection will have a luncheon on Wednesday, March 20 at 11:30 a.m. at the North Valley Hospital Community Room in Columbia Falls. Guest speakers will be Michelle from Plant Land who will share gardening tips and Rosainne Taylor will share her story of hope for a great future. Donations of nonperishable food and personal care items will be collected for the Ray of Hope. Cost is $8 and all women are welcome to attend. For reservations call Candy at 387-4119 or Janet at 892-3621 by 5 p.m. Monday, March 18. Affiliated with Stonecroft Ministries.

Scholarships

Flathead Electric Cooperative offers over $117,000 in scholarships each year and applications are due by March 15. The scholarships are funded by unclaimed capital credits. Despite the Co-op’s best efforts to return capital credits to members, many go unclaimed (some people move and don’t provide a forwarding address for example). As a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative, the state allows Flathead Electric to use capital credits that go unclaimed for five or more years for educational purposes in its service area, rather than allocating those dollars to the Montana general fund.

Individual scholarships range from $1,500 to $6,000. The applicant or their parent/legal guardian must be a member of Flathead Electric Cooperative, served by the Co-op at their primary residence. Students eligible to apply for scholarships include:

Seniors graduating from accredited high schools in the Co-op’s service territory; graduating homeschool students; and current undergraduate college students.

Scholarship money must be used to attend an accredited post-secondary education institution in Montana. For more information or to apply, visit www.flatheadelectric.com/scholarships.