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. 

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 — 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.

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.

PABLO — The Lake County Democrats cordially invite members and the public to the February meeting at Salish Kootenai College on Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the Michel Bldg., room 107. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by our meeting from 7-9 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there. For directions, please call Sheila Bell at (406) 883-1516.

POLSON — All Westerners are welcome to the dance on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at the Elks. No spurs are needed and horses are optional. Grab your partners and join the fun from 7-10 p.m. Treats are appreciated and enjoyed. Ken’s Country Combo will be playing their brand of tunes and requests are accepted. See you there.

POLSON — Lenten Studies will be every Wednesday, Feb. 20, 27, and March 6, 13, and 20 at 1:00 p.m. at Polson Community Church located at 1814 First Street East.  All are welcome.

POLSON — The Mission Valley Mariner mandatory parent and player meeting is at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 21, at the Polson High School cafeteria.

All baseball players interested in trying out for the Mission Valley Mariners, this is the meeting to attend.

If you are unable to attend, please contact board president Dan Rausch at (406) 270-4877.

POLSON — Applications for Polson High School’s 2013 spring driver education class can be picked up in the Polson High School guidance office on Feb. 21, 22, and 25, (Thursday, Friday and Monday), during school hours. Completed forms will be accepted on Feb. 25 and 26 only (Monday and Tuesday) from 8-8:30 a.m. in the high school health room near the gymnasium.   

This driver education session will begin on March 4, and end on approximately May 14. Criteria to get into the class is: in-district students first; year in school second; and age third. If you need more information, contact Harold Lair at (406) 249-7258 and leave a message.   

Class size will be limited and only those who are in the class will be notified. Accepted students must have a parent attend an informational meeting before the start of the first class session. Only students who can attend all classes should sign-up. Students involved in other activities should wait for the next class or check with their advisor as there is a strict attendance policy. There is a $30 deposit for the class with the balance of $100 due at the parent meeting. Students who do not get into the class will have their deposit returned.

POLSON — Support Polson Late Afternoon Social Hour is on Thursday, Feb. 21, from 5-7 p.m. at the Salish Bar Your host will be Area VI Agency on Aging, A Plus Health Care, The Salish Bar and Fiesta En Jalisco and will be held at the Salish Bar. Stop by and visit the Salish Bar remodel.

RONAN — The Little Big Band will sponsor a dance at the Terrace Lake Community Church gym on Feb. 22 from 6-10 p.m. There will be great music, people, and refreshments. Call James Pettit at (406) 676-8224 for more information.

BIG ARM — The Historic Big Arm School will host a community potluck on Friday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m., followed by a talk at 7 p.m. on gun safety. McGregor Rhodes, NRA certified firearms instructor and safety officer, will talk about the basics of firearm safety, review the laws about self-defense, discuss how to apply for a concealed weapon permit and answer gun related questions. Please bring a favorite dish to share.

For more information, call Alison at (406) 849-6628.

POLSON — Guest speaker at the Friday, Feb. 22, meeting of the Lake County Pachyderm Club will be Dan Roberson, the unit manager of the Swan River State Forest for the last 10 years. The title of his presentation is “The Swan River State Forest and Its Role in Trust Land Management and the Swan Valley.”

The Pachyderm Club meets in the Polson Rural Fire Department building on Regatta Road beginning at 11:30 a.m. for a social time. Brown bag lunches are encouraged. The business meeting starts at noon and adjourns at 1 p.m. Anyone interested in learning about relevant issues is cordially invited to attend.

POLSON — The Mission Valley Christian Academy’s annual dinner and auction fundraiser is Friday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. Both silent and live auctions will be held. Vista Linda of Somers will cater the dinner and tickets cost $25 each. For more information call MVCA at (406) 883-6858 by Feb. 15.

RONAN — Local Montanan and nationally known quilt artist, Toni Whitney, will teach a beginner’s landscape, raw edge appliqué class on Feb. 23 in Ronan. For information, call Kay Krantz at (406) 745-4575. There will be more information and a sign-up sheet at the Feb. 5 meeting. 

The theme for the 2013 Quilt Show is “A Quilter’s Garden.” Call Char Sheumaker or Colleen Fenimore for more information. Get started working on your quilts for the show.  

POLSON — Please join members of Mystic Chapter #53 in welcoming Worthy Grand Matron Syble Rudd as she makes her official visit on Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. at the Masonic Temple in Polson. Other Grand Officers will accompany her. Lunch will be served in the dining room from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Official meeting will take place at 2 p.m. Cookies will be served after the meeting. Contact Kay Stam at (406) 883-4480 for more information.

POLSON — Polson Heart and Soul has an event planned for the Lakeview/Kerr Dam Road neighborhood at the Lakeview Baptist Church, Sunday, Feb. 24, from 2-4:30 p.m. Lunch will be served. The first 20 to RSVP will receive one free movie ticket per family and gift certificates from The Terrace Flowers and Gifts will be drawn during the gathering. To RSVP, get more information, or to secure babysitting services, email: polsonheartsoul@montanasky.net or call (406) 250-3498.  

Activities include registration, lunch, small group conversations, large group discussion, and wrap-up, all ending at 4:30 p.m. 

Polson Heart and Soul project is holding these gatherings throughout the area to let residents voice their views about Polson and help develop a stronger, healthier Polson, while preserving the best. 

RONAN — Sunday, Feb. 24, The Red Poppy will open a gallery exhibition, “Pottery in the Simplest Form”, by Becka Watrous. At 2 p.m. students of Katherine Skinner from Missoula will present a program of piano music. As always, the afternoon is free and open to the public with a reception following the program.   

The Red Poppy is open from 1-4 p.m. on Feb. 24 and is located on Highway 93 in Ronan, across from True Value Hardware. Call (406) 676-3010 for more information or go to our website: www.theredpoppy.org, to inquire about the schedule for a wide variety of classes and workshops offered throughout the month.   

POLSON — Mission Valley Aquatics will hold its monthly meeting on Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. If you are unable to make it this time, please note that they meet every fourth Monday of each month. 

POLSON — Sandpiper Art Gallery is hosting the Native American Art Invitational Feb. 26 through April 5 at the gallery located at 306 Main St. in Polson.

Salish and Kootenai College Art Department faculty and students have contributed work to this exhibit. New SKC Art Department Director Karen Goulet and faculty member Frank Finley are both featured. Native American artists Ben Pease and D.G. House have also been invited to exhibit work. An opening reception will be held at the Gallery on Friday, March 1, from 5-7pm.

For more information contact Sandpiper Art Gallery at (406) 883-5956 or visit our website Sandpiperartgallery.com.

ST. IGNATIUS — Mission athletic boosters will meet Feb. 27, at 6 p.m. in the high school commons. 

POLSON — Polson Youth Baseball signups are scheduled for Feb. 28 and March 5. Signups will be located in the Polson High School health room next to the high school gym. Signups began at 5 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. both nights. Signup forms are available for print-out on our website: www.polsonbaseball.org. You can also follow us on Facebook at Polson Youth Baseball.

Please make sure and have your child’s birth certificate available at signups. Due to insurance costs and chartering costs, there will be no refunds after March 5. No scholarships are available. Team sponsors are still needed for the 2013 season. Let’s play ball.

ARLEE — Sacred Heart Church in Arlee will hold Stations of the Cross every Wednesday during Lent at 7 pm.

POLSON — Black Satin Revue will be having a sneak peek of their upcoming show, “Red,” Friday, March 1, at 7 p.m. at the former Page by Page book store, 220 Main St. 

Hors d’oeuvres and libations will be provided free of charge, but donations will be accepted. For more information, call Julia Roberts at (406) 249-0457.

POLSON — Black Satin Revue will be having a sneak peek of their upcoming show, “Red,” March 1 at 7 p.m. at the former Page by Page book store, 220 Main St. 

Hors d’oeuvres and libations will be provided free of charge, but donations will be accepted. For more information, call Julia Roberts at (406) 249-0457.

ST. IGNATIUS — Stations of the Cross will be held at the St. Ignatius Mission Church on March 1 and 15 at 7 p.m. and on March 8 and 22 at 6:30 p.m. 

Registration for the spring hunter education course will be Friday, March 1, at Ronan High School at the west entrance. Classes will be from 7 to 9 p.m.  

A parent or guardian must accompany students under age 18 on the first night of class to register. To preregister for the Ronan-Pablo spring hunters education class online, go to http://fwp.mt.gov/education/hunter/hunterEd.html. 

Volunteer instructors will teach the hunters education course beginning Friday, March 1; the second class is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6; and runs through March 12. Each class is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. each evening. A mandatory field course is scheduled for Saturday, March 9. 

Students who choose to take the online course are required to attend the mandatory Saturday, March 9, field day.

All hunter education classes are free of charge and open to hunters and non-hunters alike. Some students take the courses for the firearm safety and outdoor survival information, even if they don’t plan to hunt. 

By state law, anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, must have completed the hunter education course to buy a hunting license in Montana.  The minimum age for hunting in Montana is 12 (11-year-olds who turn 12 by Jan. 16 of the license year can qualify; see regulations for more details).

For more information on hunters education courses, call lead instructor Virgil Rinke at (406) 676-8132 or instructors Tom Fieber at (406) 250-3386 or Germaine White, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Natural Resources Department, at (406) 883-2888 ext. 7299.

POLSON — Representatives Greg Hertz and Dan Salomon and Senators Janna Taylor and Verdell Jackson will be guest speakers at a special meeting of the Lake County Pachyderm Club on Friday, March 1. Our Lake County legislators will be home on mid-session break from the Montana Legislature and will report their perspectives on key pieces of legislation now being transmitted from one legislative body to the other.

The meeting will be held at the Polson Rural Fire Department building on Regatta Road on the north side of the bridge in Polson. Social time begins at 11:30 a.m. with brown bag lunch; the meeting begins at noon and adjourns at 1 p.m.

This is a special opportunity to hear first-hand reports from our legislators as they discuss the future laws that affect all citizens. Everyone interested is cordially invited to attend.

POLSON — The Montana Office of Tourism is hosting a free workshop and social media training entitled “Coming together to expand Montana’s Tourism Story” in Polson on Friday, March 1 at the KwaTaqNuk Resort.

Session one will be from 9 a.m. to noon, and lunch will be courtesy of MTOT from noon to 1 p.m. Social media tips will be given from 1-2:30 p.m. and session two will take place from 2:45-4 p.m.

Visit MT.com/GetLostMT.com for more information.

The state will give away one complimentary registration to the 2013 Montana Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation and one room for two nights, for every 20 registrants

One person will also be selected to receive an iPad Mini to help utilize tools and tips presented at the workshop. (Must be present to win.)

An RSVP is required by Wednesday, Feb. 20. 

POLSON — The Montana Office of Tourism is hosting a free workshop and social media training entitled “Coming together to expand Montana’s Tourism Story” in Polson on Friday, March 1, at the KwaTaqNuk Resort.

Session 1 will be from 9 a.m. to noon and lunch will be courtesy of MTOT from noon -1 p.m. Social media tips will be given from 1-2:30 p.m. and session 2 will take place from 2:45-4 p.m.

Visit MT.com/GetLostMT.com for more information.

The state will give away one complimentary registration and one room for two nights at the 2013 Montana Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation for every 20 registrants.

One person will also be selected to receive an iPad Mini to help utilize tools and tips presented at the workshop. (Must be present to win.)

An RSVP is required by Wednesday, Feb. 20. 

ST. IGNATIUS  — Upcoming events for the Lenten season at Mission Valley United Methodist Church are: March 5- Financial Peace classes begin at 7 p.m.; March 24- Palm Sunday service, 10 a.m.; March 28- Maundy Thursday Seder/Passover meal, 6 p.m.; March 31- Easter Sunrise service at 8 a.m., Easter brunch at 9 a.m. and Easter Sunday worship at 10 a.m. The church is located at 70715 Highway 93, Top of Post Creek Hill at mile marker 39.5.

For further information, call Pastor Derf Bergman at (406) 644-0122.

POLSON — Continuing through April 15, AARP tax assistance volunteers will provide free tax preparation for taxpayers of all ages with low to medium income levels. This assistance will be available at the Polson Senior Center- (406) 883-4735, every Thursday; at the Ronan Senior Center- (406) 676-2371, every Friday; and at the St. Ignatius Senior Center- (406) 745-4462, the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Please call for an appointment.

POLSON — North Lake County Public Library invites everyone to join Puff the Magic Dragon for Story Time each Thursday through April 25. This one-hour program for children age’s three to five and their caregivers is held at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m.  All are welcome for books, songs, finger plays, rhymes, stories, and fun.

RONAN — The Mission Mountain Quilt Guild will hold its monthly meeting March 5 at Terrace Lake Community Church in Ronan. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.

The monthly education will be about preparing a quilt for long-arm quilting and given by Marci Watson of Courier Quilting of Spokane.

The 2013 Mission Mountain Quilt Guild Quilt Show will be held Aug. 1, 2, and 3. The theme is a “Quilters Garden.” Please contact Char Shuemaker or Colleen Fenimore for more information.

Bring your block of the month, and any challenge quilt projects or show and tell you have.

Laurie Lindon, Evelyn Kelch, Laurie Schmitt, and Bunny Monaco will provide this month’s refreshments.

Everyone is welcome.

RONAN — Ronan/Pablo summer recreation will hold sign ups for T-ball, rookies, minors, majors and Babe Ruth baseball.  Signups will be Tuesday, March 5 and Thursday, March 7 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Ronan Event Center Commons. Please bring payment and a copy of your birth certificate. We will also need volunteers to coach, help with the fields and work concessions.

Please call Lennie at (406) 493-2901 or Lisa at (406) 396-7565 after 5 p.m. with questions.