Daybook
Wednesday
• Red Cross blood drives: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Forest Service; noon to 4 p.m. Flathead Electric.
• Eighth annual totally free gift wrapping, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 18, 914 Second St. E., Whitefish. For an appointment, call Katie, 890-3958. Hot tea, cocoa and cookies provided.
• Columbia Falls Women’s Connection luncheon and Christmas tea, 11:30 a.m., Tea Kettle Community Hall, Nucleus Ave., Columbia Falls. Cost $8 per person. Connie Baker shares her hat collection. Speaker is Liz Young. Free child care by reservation. Call Candy at 387-4119, or Janet at 892-3621. Affiliated with Stonecroft Ministries.
• Lakeside Community Club meets at noon, Vista Linda restaurant. Lunch is $10. For reservations, call Vista Linda at 857-3158.
• Parkinson’s disease support group meets 3-4:30 p.m., The Summit, Kalispell. All welcome. Call Lois, 871-3767; or Inga, 756-5514.
• Santa Claus will be available for photos, 4-7 p.m., Kalispell Senior Center, 403 Second Ave. W. Bring your own camera. Donations to center welcome.
• Flathead County Planning board Growth Policy Update workshop, 6 p.m., Earl Bennett Building, 1035 First Ave. W., Kalispell. Public welcome.
• Evergreen School board meets 6:30 p.m., administration boardroom.
• Bigfork County Water and Sewer District meets 7 p.m., 108 Harbor Heights Blvd., Bigfork. Public welcome.
• Flathead Outdoor Club meets 7 p.m., The Summit, Kalispell. Mitchell Leu presents of his backpacking trip to Norris Traverse from Triple Divide Pass to Logan Pass. Coffee and tea served. Everyone welcome. Call Mike Spence, 857-2599.
Thursday
• Red Cross blood drive, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Libby VFW.
• Flathead Suicide Prevention Coalition meets noon to 1 p.m., Flathead City-County Health Department conference room, 1035 First Ave. W., Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.
• Friends of the Library meet at noon, Flathead County Library meeting room, Kalispell. All interested welcome.
• Flathead Municipal Airport Authority meets at 4 p.m., Glacier Park International Airport board room. Lease committee meets at 2 p.m.; board workshop at 3 p.m.
• Whitefish High School and Middle School Music Department benefit dinner, 5-8 p.m., Whitefish Moose Lodge, 230 W. 10th St., Whitefish. Performances by string quartet, two jazz bands and Voce Primo choir ensemble. Open to public.
• Annual Spirit of Christmas concert, 6:30 p.m., Flathead High School auditorium, Kalispell. Tickets $12. Proceeds benefit CASA for Kids. Call Columbia Falls United Methodist Church at 892-5811; or Dave Merkel, 406-253-0686.
• Libby Middle School Band Christmas concert, 7 p.m., Libby Memorial Center. Free admission. Public welcome.
• Father Bradley reads “A Christmas Offertory,” in remembrance of pets, 7 p.m., All Saints Church, 2048 Conn Road, Columbia Falls. Free will offering to benefit the Humane Society, Flathead County Animal Shelter and Spay and Neuter Task Force.
Friday
• Red Cross blood drive, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Troy High School.
• Glacier Country Pachyderm meets noon to 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel Kalispell. Speaker is Ronalee Skees of Hope Pregnancy Center. Lunch available. Public invited. Call Mark Johnson, 253-7467.
Saturday
• AARP Driver Safety class, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Summit, Kalispell. $14 fee ($12 for AARP card-holding members.) Call 751-4500.
• Occupy Wall Street rally, noon to 1 p.m., west sidewalk of Depot Park, Kalispell. Bring signs expressing concerns. Nonpartisan, peaceful.
• Carroll College football championship game party, 2:30 p.m. Paddy’s Touchdown Lounge, Meridian Road, Kalispell. Call Anthony Lapke, 260-3361.
• Whitefish Figure Skating Club holiday ice show, “Excellence on Ice, 7 p.m., Stumptown Ice Den. VIP chairs, $20; bleacher, $15, standing, $8; 6 and under free. Tickets at Ice Den, Imagination Station in Whitefish and Kalispell. Call Carol, 862-7699.
Sunday
• Kick out the Kinks 3,5 and 10K cross-country ski races, Izaak Walton Inn, Essex. Registration 10:30 a.m. to noon, $10 includes chili; racing begins at 1 p.m. Free 1K kids race. Call 888-5700.
• Performance of “Messiah,” 7 p.m., Libby Memorial Center. Admission by donation. Call Lorraine Braun, 406-293-8802.
Monday
• Red Cross blood drive, 2-6 p.m., at the center, 126 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell.
• High Country Carvers meet 6:30-8:30 p.m., Evergreen Fire Department meeting room, 2236 U.S. 2, Kalispell. Bring safety gloves and a bench hook or protective cover for table. No power tools.
• Libby Middle and High School Choir concert, 7 p.m., Libby Memorial Center. Free. Public invited.
• Columbia Falls School board meets at 7 p.m., administration offices boardroom, 501 Sixth Ave. W.
Tuesday
• Red Cross blood drive, 2-5 p.m., Lakeside Baptist Church.
A look ahead
• MOMS (Mothers Offering Moms Support) meets 9:15-11:15 a.m., Dec. 21, Trinity Lutheran Church, 400 W. California St., Kalispell. Topic is Christmas traditions. Pre-school child care provided. Call Marlo Lancaster, 260-2417.
• Kalispell Toastmasters Club Christmas-themed Tall Tales Contest, noon to 1 p.m., Dec. 21, First Montana Bank conference room, 85 N. Main St., Kalispell. Public invited.
• National Homeless Persons Memorial Day ceremony, noon, Dec. 21, Depot Park, Kalispell. Samaritan House executive director Chris Krager will read the names of the homeless who have died this year in the Flathead Valley. Soup and coffee served. All welcome.
• Free dental screening for children ages 2 to 18, Dec. 22, Flathead City-County Health Department, 1035 First Ave. W., Kalispell. Includes Oral dental exam, fluoride treatment, goody bag. Free pictures with Santa.
• Red Cross blood drive for Samaritan House, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 22, at the Armory.
• Julie Laing gives a poetry reading, 7 p.m., Dec. 22, Cottage Inn, Kila. Laing was recently published in “Inspiration Speaks,” a collaboration between poets and artists around the world whose sale benefits ColaLife, a nonprofit dedicated to helping remote communities in need. Inn owner Keith Bassett will also share his poetry and there will be an Irish jam session.
• Red Cross blood drive, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 23, at the center, 126 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell.
• 12th annual Light the Luminarias event, Dec. 23-24, Friendship House, 606 Second Ave. W., Kalispell. Luminarias may be purchased in remembrance of loved ones for $10 each. Call Jim, 257-8375; or Carol, 755-5169.
• Red Cross blood drive, noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 27, Eureka Baptist Church.
• Kalispell Public Schools district board work session, 5:30 p.m., Dec. 27, Kalispell Middle School Media Center.
• Red Cross blood drive, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 28, Three Rivers Bank, Meridian Road; in the blood mobile.
• Red Cross blood drive, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 29, Qdoba Restaurant; in the blood mobile.
• Red Cross blood drives Dec. 30: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center, 126 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell; noon to 4 p.m. Best Buy; in the blood mobile.
• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets at 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 2, The Summit, Kalispell. Call 871-1008.
• The Flathead Conservation District meets at 7 p.m., Jan. 9, 133 Interstate Lane, in Evergreen. Call 752-4220.
• Opening reception for Sweat & Steel exhibition featuring painting of Livingston artist C. David Swanson, 5-7 p.m. Jan. 12, Hockaday Museum of Art, 302 Second Ave. E., Kalispell. Free. Public invited. Local historian Kevin McCready gives a talk at 4 p.m. ($10 for nonmembers). Call 755-4268.
• Frontier Hospice offers a free advanced directive workshop, 10-11 a.m. Jan. 14, 29 Second St. E., Kalispell Social worker Dawn Lyga presents and answers questions. Call 755-4923.
• Artists and Craftsmen of the Flathead meets at 7 p.m. Jan. 19, basement of the Eagles, 37 First St. W., Kalispell. Guests welcome. Call 406-881-4288 (leave a message).
• Great Rockies Sportshow, Jan. 27-29, Kalispell.
• 2012 Whitefish Winter Carnival, Feb. 3-5. Theme is “Fiesta Pescado Blanco.”
• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets at 7-8:30 p.m., Feb. 6, The Summit, Kalispell. Call 871-1008.
• 10th annual Weddings and Events Expo, Feb. 18, Flathead County Fairgrounds, Kalispell. Food, fashion shows, giveaways.
• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets at 7-8:30 p.m. March 5, The Summit, Kalispell. Call 871-1008.
• Flathead Suicide Prevention Coalition meets noon to 1 p.m., March 22, Flathead City-County Health Department conference room, 1035 First Ave. W., Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.
• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets at 7-8:30 p.m., April 2, The Summit, Kalispell. Call 871-1008.
• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets at 7-8:30 p.m., May 7, The Summit, Kalispell. Call 871-1008.
• Flathead Suicide Prevention Coalition meets noon to 1 p.m., June 28, Flathead City-County Health Department conference room, 1035 First Ave. W., Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.