PABLO — Free tax help is offered through the VITA Program to low- to moderate-income (generally, $51,000 and below) people who cannot prepare their own tax returns. SKC student volunteers will offer tax help from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays in February (Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22) at SKC’s Agnes Vanderburg Building. 

No appointments are necessary. 

For more information, contact Tina Begay at (406) 275-4851 or tina_begay@skc.edu. 

ARLEE — The ninth annual Chocolate Lovers Festival tasting and fundraiser auction gets under way at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, just in time for Valentine’s Day. This year’s event will be held at the Brown Building Community Center on Highway 93 in Arlee which is handicapped accessible, so all can enjoy it! Entries will be accepted between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Brown Building. Please make two identical confections; one for tasting and one for bidding on.

Beginning at 6:30, the public is invited to taste and vote on their favorite entries in several categories for just $2 per person and $5 per family with children. This year we have added a kid’s category (kindergarten through sixth grade) so get your kids baking. At 7:30, the auction begins with J.R. Strand of Strand Auction Sales in Missoula, once again donating his services and ensuring lots of fun and lively bidding on the best the Jocko Valley has to offer in fine chocolate treats!

The evening ends with awarding prizes for the winning entries. All proceeds benefit the youth programs of the Arlee Community Development Corporation and the Jocko Valley Library. Please come and help support these valuable services in our community!

For more information, to register your entry, or to volunteer to help put on this event, please call the Arlee Community Development Corporation office at 726-5550.

POLSON — The Lake County Republican Convention will be held Thursday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Miracle of America Museum's public meeting room in Polson. The Lake County Republican Central Committee is holding a convention for the purpose of organizing. Officers will be elected to serve in 2013 and 2014. The public is welcome.

POLSON — It’s time for the annual Mardi Gras party to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County. Save Feb. 9 for the party. It starts at 5:30 p.m. at the KwaTaqNuk Resort with a no-host social hour and then a Cajun steak and shrimp dinner with both a silent and live auction. Then enjoy dancing until midnight to Gladys Friday Band.

Lou and Irene Marchello will be passing on their crowns to the 2013 king and queen that win the most votes during the evening raffle. Purchase tickets from the Boys and Girls Club in Ronan, located next to Dairy Queen or phone (406) 676-5437 or from La Nita Fitzpatrick of Mountain West Bank in Polson at (406) 883-4111 or (406) 253-3130.  A reserved table for 10 is $500. Individual tickets are $50. 

Be ready for a great Mardi Gras party on Feb. 9 and help “Open the door to great futures.”

CHARLO — The Ninepipe Arts Group invites everyone to its annual Valentine’s party on Saturday, Feb. 9. This fundraiser features creative and original art pieces to choose from during the silent and live auctions. 

Leon Community Hall will be decked out and KC and the Valley Cats will provide lively dance music. A selection of beer and wine will be available for purchase and gift baskets will be offered as raffle ticket picks. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $10 per person, which includes a choice from the dessert table. The funds raised by NAG support art and culture in the Mission Valley through a variety of activities, including: bringing Missoula Children’s Theatre to local schools, the Charlo Fine Arts Camp, Shakespeare in the Park and providing scholarships and funding for trips to special events. Call (406) 644-2311 for more information.

POLSON — Visitors to the Miracle of America Museum the week of Feb. 10 to 17 will receive a string of Mardi Gras beads. Also on display for seasonal viewing are antique valentines.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. 

The museum is located at 36094 Memory Ln. 

RONAN — The American Legion Post 138 of Ronan will meet Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at the VFW Hall in Ronan at 35981 Round Butte Rd. New members are welcome. For more information, call Jack Fay at (406) 676-3380.

POLSON — Polson Community Church’s Ash Wednesday service will be at 1 p.m. on Feb. 13. All are welcome. The church is located at 1814 First St. E.

RONAN — A blood drive for the American Red Cross will take place Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 1:30-5 p.m. in the cultural hall at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, corner of Franklin Street and 4th Ave., E., in Ronan. Identification is required to donate blood. To schedule an appointment or to get more information, contact Wendy at (406) 676-5646. 

PABLO — Members of the Flathead Basin Commission will hold a meeting on Feb. 13, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at the CSKT Tribal Council Chambers, Pablo.

The FBC was established in 1983 by the Montana Legislature to “monitor and protect” the water quality of the Flathead River drainage system. All FBC meetings are open to the public.

For more information, contact the FBC at (406) 240-3453.

POLSON — Midweek Lenten services and soup suppers begin at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 409 Fourth Ave., E. in Polson, on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 13, and continue through March 20. Soup suppers will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by the worship service at 6:30 p.m. The choir and high school youth group will meet after the service at 7:15 p.m. Marty Haugen’s “That You May Have Life” liturgy for Lent will be used, with the studies centered around the scriptures for each week. 

For more information, call (406) 883-5864 or visit the website: www.gslcpolsonmt.com.

RONAN — St. Paul Lutheran Church welcomes all to our Lenten worship series entitled “Broken: Seven ‘Christian’ Rules that Every Christian Should Break.” We begin at 6 p.m. with a soup supper followed by the Lenten service at 7 p.m. The services are held each Wednesday from Feb. 13-March 20. For more information, you can call the church at (406) 676-8280 and speak with Rev. Gordish or you may check out our webpage at ronanchurch.org. St. Paul Lutheran (Missouri Synod) is located at 35681 Terrace Lake Road. 

RONAN — On Feb. 13, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., the Ronan City Library is having a stew and fry bread fundraising luncheon. Donations of $5 are appreciated. Money to go to the operating costs to keep the library open. Come and join us for lunch.

POLSON — The Polson Rural Fire District trustee monthly meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Fairgrounds Station.  

All residents of the Polson Rural Fire District and interested general public are encouraged to attend. For a full text of approved minutes and the agenda please go to www.polsonfire.org.

POST CREEK — Mission Valley UMC will be making their famous pasties Feb. 15-16. Deadline for taking orders will be Feb. 14 or earlier if the goal of 1,200 is reached before that date. Order your pasties soon, so you don’t get left out.

Call Mary at (406) 745-3584. Proceeds go to the United Methodist Women projects.

POLSON — The Mission Valley Christian Academy will provide singing valentines throughout the valley on Thursday, Feb. 14. You may pick up order forms at MVCA, the Polson High School office or the Linderman School office. Singing valentine deliveries will be made from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. that Thursday.

The MVCA students can serenade individuals or groups. When people order the valentine, they may choose any of the eight songs that are available. The titles of the songs are: “Cacophony,” “You are My Sunshine,” “Clementine,” “B-E-S-T,” “Caissons,” “Lolly,” “Skiminirink” and “Eyes.” A “no preference” song choice will also be available for those who aren’t sure which one to choose and the singers will then select an appropriate choice for the recipient.

Any MVCA delivery or phone call delivery will cost $3 while all other locations will cost $5 until noon on Monday, Feb. 11. After the Monday deadline, all delivery prices will be raised to $6 and $10, respectively.

Orders must have payment included before they can be received and they can be dropped off at MVCA, PHS, Linderman or mailed to MVCA at 38907 Highway 35 in Polson. 

This school fundraiser will help purchase music, equipment and other items for the MVCA music program. The choir class at MVCA is new this year so there are several areas of need to get the music program up and running. Any donations will be gladly received by the students or may be mailed to the school. If you have questions, please contact Chris Bumgarner at (406) 883-6858.

DIXON — Valentine’s Day, Thursday, Feb. 14, will be enjoyed at Dixon School with a Valentine’s Day dinner of roast beef and special favors for diners. Students will serve dinner as part of a fundraiser for the Ski Club. Dinner is served from 5-7 p.m. Please call the school at (406) 246-3566, for more information.

POLSON —The February meeting of the Masumola Club will be held on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, Feb. 14. A social hour will be held from 5:45-6:30 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a program at 7 p.m.

The clubhouse is located on Masumola Road. Anyone in the community of Polson and the surrounding area is invited to attend. The only requirement for new guests is to bring your own utensils and a dish to pass, if you wish. For membership information, contact Irene Marchello at (406) 883-6184.

PABLO – The SKC AIBL chapter will be hosting a design contest for a logo to put on T-shirts that will be given away to talent show participants. Please submit drawings to the Vanderburg building at the SKC campus by Feb. 15 to be considered. The contest winner will receive a $50 cash prize and a free T-shirt. For more information contact Bryson at (406) 275-4853 between the hours 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

RONAN — Western Montana Water Users Association, LLC, invites all irrigators and other concerned parties in the Flathead Irrigation Project to a meeting with their attorney, Brian Shuck, on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 3 p.m., in the Ronan High School Auditorium. Information will be presented that is vital for irrigators to have in order for them to make an informed decision about the proposed CSKT Water Rights Compact.

POLSON — The annual Mission Valley Elks Crab Crack will be held Saturday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. Tickets will be available for members to buy for themselves. Tickets are available at the Elks after the first of the year until they are gone.

PABLO — On Saturday, Feb. 16, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the People’s Center in Pablo, the public is invited to a free bridal and prom dress fair. They are seeking gently used wedding, prom, and formal wear to consign for this one-day event. Proms are approaching and wedding season is on the horizon. Vendors will be on hand for services and accessories.  For more information, contact Whisper Means at (406) 370-6050 or Roxanne Hamann at (406) 531-7859.

ST. IGNATIUS — The free annual “Bingo for Books” event at Mission Elementary will be held Monday, Feb. 18, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the elementary cafeteria. Join in the family fun. Play bingo at no cost and win free books. You may purchase food from the Targeted Enrichment Activities students who will offer hot dogs, popcorn, drinks, and sweet treats for sale. Their profits will be donated to St. Jude’s Hospital and to other non-profit organizations. Everyone is welcome. An adult must accompany children under the age of 12. 

POST CREEK — On Monday, Feb. 18, Mission Valley United Methodist Church on Post Creek Hill will be hosting “Free to First Responders” appreciation coffee and treats at the church from 8 a.m.-noon. There is no cost for this. We would just like to honor all first responders (police, tribal police, MHP, EMT’s, sheriff officers; everyone involved in any type of “first Response”), who give of themselves to keep the rest of us safe.

Please stop by any time during that time frame for a cup of coffee and “goodies.”

RONAN — It is time to start thinking about Relay For Life. The event will take place July 12-13 at the Ronan High School Football Field.  The theme this year is “Making Hope Happen.” We are having a Virtual Kickoff this year, so get your teams signed up online at lakecountyrelay.org, between Feb. 18-25 and your team registration fee will be free. You can also check out our Facebook page: Relay For Life of Lake County Montana for meeting dates and news. 

There will also be a team experience event Feb. 23 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in Missoula. (Location yet to be announced.) This is a great opportunity to learn what Relay for Life is, get fund-raising ideas, and have fun. Gather your team and join us for prizes and fun. Contact Cammie at (406) 728-1004 ext. 203 or cammie.edgar@cancer.org, for more information.

PABLO — Salish Kootenai College will host a career and job fair Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Joe McDonald Health and Wellness Center. For more information, contact Lennie Webster at (406) 275-4826 or Ellie McLeod at (406) 275-4825.

POLSON — Polson spring league girls youth softball will be holding signups on Feb. 19 and 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Polson High School front lobby for girls ages 8 through 14. The league is also taking coaching applications for all age groups. The season will run from the middle of March to the end of May. 

A birth certificate for age verification will be required at signups. 

Please email polsonfastpitch@gmail.com for a coaching application or any questions.