POLSON — St. Joseph Medical Center is holding “Stepping On,” a falls-prevention program. This class meets for two hours a week for seven weeks starting April 15. It aims to reduce the more than one-third of adults 65 or older who fall every year. By joining our “Stepping On” workshop, you will learn tips on strength and balance exercises, identification of safe footwear, medications' contribution to fall-risk, eliminating fall hazards in your home, and so much more. This course has been shown to reduce fall risk by up to 30 percent. Join and learn with people your own age how to step outside your home with confidence. To register or to get more information, call Stephanie at (406) 883-8453.

POLSON —Reading is a gift and the Mission Valley Christian Academy Usborne Book Fair Fundraiser is your chance to give that gift to a child this summer. 

On Friday, May 16, from 3–7 p.m. and Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. over 1,000 fiction and non-fiction titles that inspire, enthrall and teach through reading will be available for purchase at MVCA, located 2 miles east on Highway 35. The Usborne family of books is internationally acclaimed as the finest educational children’s book line-up in the marketplace today. Come purchase a book to help MVCA raise some money by raising your child’s reading level this summer. Proceeds will benefit the non-profit Mission Valley Christian Academy School and library.

HOT SPRINGS — On Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17, at the Symes Hotel, Scarlet Ribbons will play at 7 p.m. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday. Tickets are $14 and include a dessert and house wine. John Kelley will perform blues music at 8:30 p.m.

PABLO — On Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, the Asist two-day training will take place in the math and science building (building #67) at SKC, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. You must attend both days to receive a certificate of completion. Seating is limited to 30 participants.

PABLO — Cheers in Pablo is hosting a “Ladies’ Day Bazaar.” The day will include several vendors including: Thirty-one, Wildtree and more. Join them on Saturday, May 17, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Lunch will be available for purchase.

RONAN — Ronan American Legion Post 138 is celebrating Armed Forces Day on May 17 with a breakfast from 7 a.m.-11 a.m. Individual meals are $5 and families are $20. Breakfast will be served at the Ronan Senior Center.

POLSON — A “meet and greet” for Lake County Attorney Mitch Young will be held Saturday, May 17, 5:30-8 p.m., at the Mission Valley Aquatic Center in Polson. Everyone is invited to come and meet their county attorney, ask questions, and enjoy locally produced wine, cheese and other refreshments. Mitch Young for Lake County Attorney is hosting this event.

POLSON — On Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. there will be electronic waste recycling at the Lake County Transfer Station. For more information, call (406) 849-5288 or (406) 883-2248. 

VALLEY VIEW — The Valley View Women’s Club will hold a rummage sale on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Valley View Clubhouse, 40762 Valley View Road. Lunch will be available. Donations of any items are still needed. All profits go towards the Valley View Clubhouse. Call Kelly Bailey for drop-off or pickup at (406) 883-2910.

YELLOW BAY — The annual Yellow Bay Cherry Blossom Festival will be held on Saturday, May 17, at Mile Marker 18 on Highway 35 in Yellow Bay from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mark your calendar to attend this fun event, which includes local artists, good food and great entertainment. For more information, call Shari at (406) 982-3437.

VALLEY VIEW —The Valley View community potluck will have guest speaker Kim Leibenguth, candidate running for Lake County Sheriff. 

The potluck will be Sunday, May 18, at 5 p.m. at the Valley View Clubhouse, 40762 Valley View Road. Bring your favorite potluck dish to share and questions for Kim. Everyone is welcome. If you have questions, call Kelly Bailey at (406) 883-2910.

HOT SPRINGS — On Sunday, May 18, at the Symes Hotel, Scarlet Ribbons will give a matinee performance at 2 p.m.

POLSON — The Montana Co-op’s Monday movie for May 19 will be “Thrive - The World is Waking Up.” Movie night is free; bring snacks if you desire. Show time is 6 p.m. at Wander In at Journey Be, 101 Seventh Ave. W. in Polson. To order from the Co-op, come at 5 p.m. For more information, call (406) 883-1330 or (406) 883-0110.

RONAN — Ronan High School presents “Fine Arts Spring Fling” on May 19 and 20 at the Ronan Performing Arts Center. There will be a $5 charge for this event. Tickets will be available at the door and at the high school office. 

On the evening of May 19 the dramas “Out of the Mind of Ronan High School Students,” a presentation of film trailers; written, produced and performed by Ronan students and “Middle School Original One Act Festival,” a presentation of original one acts written, produced and performed by RMS students will be performed. It will be a very entertaining evening.

POLSON — On Tuesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m., the North Lake County Public Library will host a film/discussion entitled, “As Good As It Gets,” a popular movie portraying an aspect of mental illness. This event is part of the “Mind Matters” series being shown every Tuesday evening during National Mental Health month. Following the film, Julie Fleck, LCSW, and director of Sunburst Mental Health Service, will lead a discussion. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.  For more information, call (406) 883-8225. 

THOMPSON FALLS — The Kuilix chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet at noon on Tuesday, May 20, at Jennifer Fielder’s home in Thompson Falls. 

There will be a potluck and presentation about the explorer David Thompson’s adventures in northwest Montana. Call Nancy Mehaffie for more information and directions (520) 609-2214.  Prospective members are welcome.

RONAN — On Tuesday, May 20, from 9 a.m.-noon at the Lake County Community Development Center, 407 Main Street SW, Ronan, free business resources will be available. Presenters include Doug Bolender, John Balsam, Todd Erickson, and Carol Cunningham. 

These professionals have a world of knowledge to help your business succeed. Empower yourself and your business with the knowledge to help you succeed and grow. You may RSVP to Carol at (406) 261-3200 or Lisa at (406) 676-5901. These opportunities will be repeated on the third Tuesday of every month.

RONAN — Ronan High School presents “Fine Arts Spring Fling” on May 19 and 20 at the Ronan Performing Arts Center. On the evening of May 20, an event featuring students performing solos, ensembles, and large group numbers with styles ranging from classical, pop, and humorous, vocal, instrumental, and skits will be performed. 

These are a culmination of this year’s hard work of the band and choir. It will be a very entertaining evening. Both nights will also include visual arts displays produced by the students and set up throughout the commons. There will be a $5 charge for this event. Tickets will be available at the door and at the high school office.

RONAN — Tom Camel will be presenting a video on Veteran’s mentoring filmed in Missoula in 2013. This is mentor training for veterans that mentor veterans with substance abuse or mental health problems who have been accused of or convicted of a serious crime. Tom Camel is interested in getting a Veterans’ Court started in Lake County. Anyone interested (especially veterans) please attend these classes. They will be held at the Ronan VFW Hall Tuesday, May 20, and Wednesday, May 21, from 6:30-9:30 p.m.n

POLSON — A community dance will be held in Polson at the VFW on Wednesday, May 21. Ken’s Country Combo will play from 7-10 p.m. Treats are greatly appreciated, so bring your favorite to share.

ARLEE — Meet with Arlee area Democrats on May 21 to discuss their effective “get out the vote” strategies at Hangin Art Gallery. Meet for social time at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is at 7 p.m. All Lake County Democrats are invited.

POLSON — All local nonprofit organizations are invited to a “get acquainted” session on May 21, 2014, at 11:45 a.m. at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Polson.There will be a presentation to provide information explaining the grant application process, which is now available for download on the Greater Polson Community Foundation, website: http://www.greaterpolsoncommunityfoundation.org/grants/.

Interested applicants are welcome to review the application prior to the event and bring questions. 

A no host lunch will be served for $5 per person. The Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is located at 409 Fourth Ave. E.

Please RSVP by May 9, to Joleen Barce at (406) 250-7712, or JoleenBarce@gmail.com.

CHARLO — Do you know what the issues are? Do you want to meet the person who wants to tackle them? Do you want to let him know how you feel? Guess what, he wants to know too. Come to meet House District 93 Republican candidate, Frank Delgado at Leon Hall (984 Leon Road) in Charlo on Wednesday, May 21, from 5-8 p.m. Please join us for coffee and a slice of pie while you get a chance to know the man and give him a chance to know you too.

Sponsored by folks who care.

For questions, please call or Rita Senkler at (406) 644-3047 or Sherlee Santorno at (406) 676-8157.

PABLO — The Community Bird Day Festival, “Why Birds Matter: The Benefit of Birds to Humans and Nature,” is planned for Thursday, May 22, from 5-8 p.m. in the Joe McDonald Health and Athletic Center at Salish Kootenai College. All community members are welcome. Come celebrate birds in science, culture and art. Enjoy bird-themed information stations, vendors and crafts, including live birds on display. Various bird-themed short films will be shown in the Johnny Arlee/Victor Charlo Theater. Refreshments will be provided. Visit www.cskt.org/birdday.htm, for more information.

POLSON — A free community dinner will be served on Thursday, May 22, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Fellowship Baptist Church, 2 Seventh Ave. E., Polson. The menu will include casseroles, salads, and desserts. All are welcome.

POLSON — Partners in Suicide Prevention and Intervention will hold an educational meeting on Thursday, May 22, from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., on the third floor of the Tribal Health Building (conference room), 5 Fourth Ave. E. The topic of this meeting will be: the problem with methamphetamines and other drugs, a growing concern in our community. Wade Nash, Chief of the Polson Police Department, will share invaluable insight, information and data on these issues. Lunch will be catered. This and all education and trainings through Partners in Suicide Prevention and Intervention are open and free to the public.

POLSON — Dennis Jones, owner of a franchise of Interquest Detection Canines, the largest and oldest such company in the U.S., will be the guest speaker at the Friday, May 23, meeting of the Lake County Pachyderm Club held at the Polson Rural Fire Department building on Regatta Road. The meeting begins at noon and adjourns at 1 p.m. All interested in learning about his experiences are welcome to attend.

POLSON — Linderman Elementary’s “Pirate Pledges 4 Playground Walk-a-thon” is Friday, May 23, from 1-3 p.m. Bring the whole family to the walking path and help us raise funds for new playground equipment.

HOT SPRINGS — On Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24, at the Symes Hotel, Shade, a local singer, will perform with his guitar.

POLSON — The Polson Flathead Historical Museum will open for the season on Saturday, May 24. They are located at 708 Main Street and the hours are Monday thru Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Call (406) 883-3049 for more information. 

ARLEE — The third and final “Spur The Cancer Out Of Montana” rough stock rodeo will take place memorial weekend. This event includes bareback, saddle bronc, bull riding and barrel racing for the ladies. The PBR short round bull Chocolate Thunder and the boys from Bird Bucking Bulls will be joining in on the fun. Thanks go to New West Rodeo, Pistol Creek Rodeo Company, Triplett bucking bulls and Hendrickson bucking bulls for bringing their stock.

HOT SPRINGS — Kathy Colton and the Reluctants (World Music) will play at the Symes Hotel from 8-10 p.m. Call (406) 741-2361, for more information.

HOT SPRINGS — On Memorial Day Sunday, May 25, at the Symes Hotel, a barbecue and dance with Voodoo Horseshoes performing is scheduled.

POLSON — North Lake County Public Library will be closed.

POLSON/ RONAN — Memorial Day Parades, organized by the Polson and Ronan VFW posts, will be held in Polson at 10 a.m. and Ronan at noon. Memorial services at both the Polson and Ronan Cemeteries will be held immediately after the parades. Following all ceremonies a dinner will be served, about 1 p.m., at the Ronan VFW, 35981 Round Butte Road. 

POLSON — A free showing of the movie Temple Grandin will be presented at North Lake County Public Library in Polson on Tuesday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m. The film will be followed by discussion led by Lisa Orr, MSW, LAC, of Sunburst Mental Health Service. The event is being held in conjunction with National Mental Health Month, and is sponsored by NAMI Mission Valley and North Lake County Public Library.  It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call the library at (406) 883-8225 or visit the circulation desk at #2 First Ave. E. in Polson.

ST. IGNATIUS — “Smoker, a Mission Valley Rumble” is a boxing and MMA event for youth sports sponsored by Mission Little Guy Wrestling. Weigh-ins for the Friday, June 6, event are at the Community Center on Wednesday, May 28, at 7 p.m. Interested fighters or anyone with questions, please call Lyle Cronk at (406) 210-0874.

POLSON — A Montana Common Core Standards Symposium will be held on May 28, at 7 p.m., in the Polson High School Auditorium. There will be local educators answering important questions regarding the Common Core Standards. Everyone is welcome.

POLSON—The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1122 will hold the May meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, at the Polson airport. Speaking to our group will be Jeff Vercoe, the Helena FSDO, with a presentation on “Owner Maintenance.” All interested pilots are welcome to attend this meeting.

POLSON — The Fifth Friday Community Dinner is “Where’s the beef?” The dinner will be served at Polson Community Church, 1814 First Street E, on May 30, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. All are welcome.

POLSON — Sandpiper Gallery will host a reception on Friday, May 30, from 5-7 p.m. This will be a Montana themed show highlighting pottery, landscape and wildlife photography and woodcut prints.

RONAN — Round Butte Grange 126 is having a Lake County and State forum on May 30 at 7 p.m. at the Museum in the old Round Butte gym. 

If you would like to have a question answered by a candidate, send your questions to drenter@centurytel.net or Darlene and Ray Salomon, 35451 Minesinger Trail, Polson, MT, 59860. Questions must be in by May 23.

HOT SPRINGS — On Friday, May 30, at the Symes Hotel, John Kelley will perform blues music.

ST. IGNATIUS —There will be a yard sale and bake sale sponsored by The People’s Voice, Inc. for two days on May 30-31 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. The event takes place on top of Post Creek Hill at the Methodist Church. There will be many new items, delicious baked goods, $1 grab bags for clothing. You get one bag and may fill it with clothing in one minute. Everyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served at a nominal cost.

CHARLO — The Mission View Garden Club is sponsoring a Garden/ Craft Sale on Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The sale will be held at the corner of Highway 93 and Highway 212. The proceeds from this sale will go to maintain the Charlo Park.

If you have any questions, please call (406) 644-5001.