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TODay

• Red Cross blood drives: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center, 126 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell; 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Three Rivers Bank, Meridian Road, blood mobile.

• 2017 Montana Pond Hockey Classic today through Sunday, Foys Lake near Kalispell. Eighty teams across Montana compete. Games scheduled 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Community skate rink 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today; free skate rentals. Snow bike demos. Spectators welcome. Free admission; $5 parking for entire weekend. Food, beer garden.

• Glacier Pachyderm Club meets noon to 1 p.m., Sykes’ in Kalispell. Update from Helena Legislative delegation. Public invited; www.gcpachy.org

• Immanuel Lutheran Communities hosts “New Year, New You: Rediscovering, Purpose, Passion and Direction,” 2 to 3:30 p.m.,Buffalo Hill Terrace, 40 Claremont St., Kalispell. Free; 752-9624

Saturday

• 2017 Montana Pond Hockey Classic continues today and Sunday, Foys Lake near Kalispell. Eighty teams across Montana compete. Games scheduled 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Community skate rink 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today; free skate rentals. Snow bike demos. Kids’ activities 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Spectators welcome. Free admission; $5 parking for weekend. Food, beer garden.

• AARP Driver Safety Course, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.,The Summit, Kalispell. $20 fee ($15 for AARP card-holding members.) Call 751-4500.

• Glacier Woodturners meet 9 a.m., Hanson Trucking, Columbia Falls. Call 755-1795.

• Tom Osborne presents a class on “Christianity and Islam,” 9 a.m. to noon, Easthaven Baptist Church, 2010 Whitefish Stage, Kalispell. Seating limited. To reserve seats, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christianity-and-islam-tickets-29806674566

• Red Cross blood drive, 10 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Risen Christ Church, Kalispell.

• 2017 Pro-Life Rally and March for Life, Central Bible Church, Kalispell. Lunch at noon. Speakers and rally starts 1 p.m. March beginning from the courthouse at 1:45 p.m.

• Whitefish Winter Carnival coronation of Prince Frey and Princess Freya, 5:30 p.m. during the Whitefish High School basketball game.

• Coats for Kids banquet and silent auction, 6-9 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, Kalispell. Live music. Cash bar. Advance tickets $50 at Kalispell Toyota, Centsible Auto or Coats for Kids; $60 at door.

Sunday

• 2017 Montana Pond Hockey Classic continues, Foys Lake near Kalispell. Eighty teams across Montana compete. Play-offs 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Championship games 1:30; awards 2:15 p.m. Spectators welcome. Free admission; $5 parking. Concessions, beer garden.

• Van Riper pioneer family painting unveiling and hike 1:30-3:30 p.m., Lone Pine State Park, near Kalispell. Family-friendly one-hour, moderate hike. Dogs on leashes welcome. Hosted by Flathead Land Trust and Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

• Kim Corette leads a Whitefish Legacy Partners Snow Science hike, 2-4 p.m. Jan.22, Lion Mountain Trailhead, Whitefish. Free, family-friendly one- to two-mile hike to Learning Pavilion. Wear snow boot; 862-3880.

• John White Lecture Series presents museum executive director Gil Jordan on the history of the Flathead Valley and Central School, 2:30 p.m., Museum at Central School, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell. Tickets $6 for museum members; $9 for nonmembers. Limited tickets at door. Call 756-8381.

Monday

• AARP Driver Safety Course, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Libby Christian Church. $20 fee ($15 for AARP card-holding members.) Call 283-7000.

• Red Cross blood drive, 1:30-5:30 p.m., at the center, 126 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell.

• Somers School District board meets 6 p.m., Somers Middle School.

• Columbia Falls School board meets at 6 p.m., administration offices boardroom, 501 Sixth Ave. W.

• Flathead Conservation District business meeting, 7 p.m., 133 Interstate Lane, Kalispell, 752-4220.

• Climate Smart Glacier Country and National Parks Conservation Association present National Geographic’s documentary film, “Before the Flood” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, 7 p.m., O’Shaughnessy Center, Whitefish. Panel discussion follows. Speakers include Glacier Park Deputy Superintendent Eric Smith and Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld. Free; donations accepted.

• Glacier National Park Associates Winter Speaker series presents Glacier Park natural resources program manager Mark Biel on GNP Pilot Project with Gracie, the GNP Wildlife Service Dog.” 7 p.m., Museum at Central School, Kalispell. Free. Public invited; 756-8992.

thought

“America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” • Alexis de Tocqueville, French author (1805-1859).

Tuesday

• Flathead County Democratic Women meet at Hilton Garden Inn, Kalispell. Social at 11:30 a.m. followed by noon buffet lunch for $13. Speaker is Shannon Rogue of Big Sky Rising. For reservations, call Lynne Bradley, 756-9245; or Judy Cox, 755-1507.

• Red Cross blood drive, noon to 5 p.m., Polson Methodist Church.

• Flathead County Solid Waste District board meets 3 p.m., landfill office.

• City of Kalispell Impact Fee Advisory Committee meets 4 p.m., City Hall Chambers, 201 First Ave. E., Kalispell. Open to public.

• Lakeside-Somers Chamber of Commerce meets 4-5 p.m., Short Branch, 7210 U.S. 93 S. Free for chamber members; $5 nonmembers. Call 844-3715.

• Smith Valley School informational meeting, 5:30 p.m., regarding bond issue that will presented to voters on March 28.

• Kalispell Public Schools district board special meeting and work session, 6 p.m., Kalispell Middle School Library.

• West Valley Rural Fire District trustees meet at 7:30 p.m., West Valley Fire Station on Farm to Market Road.

Wednesday

• ImagineIF Libraries board meets at 9:30 a.m., Bigfork branch, 525 Electric Ave. Call Kim Crowley, 758-5826.

• Red Cross blood drives: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Parkside Credit Union; 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Whitefish Credit Union, Kalispell.

• Zen priest Jerry Smyers presents a free Introduction to Zen Meditation class, 7 p.m., YogaHeart Studio, 314 Main St. Polson. All welcome. Call 847-721-0665.

• Wilderness Speaker Series presents wildlife biologist Jessy Coltrane on “Mountain Goats of Northwest Montana: Natural History, Ecology and Population Status,” 7:30 p.m., Arts and Technology Building, FVCC. Free. Public invited. Call Carol Treadwill, 387-3847.

Thursday

• AARP Driver Safety Course, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Risen Christ Catholic Church, Kalispell. $20 fee ($15 for AARP card-holding members.) Call 752-4219.

• Winter Warm Up event 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Gateway Community Center, 1203 U.S. 2 W., Kalispell. Free winter clothing, meals, books, health services, tax preparation, hair cuts, job and housing leads, pet services, and more. Learning sessions, children’s activities. All welcome. Call 752-7266 for information, to donate or volunteer.

• Montana State Old Time Fiddlers perform at 2:30 p.m., Kalispell Senior Center, 40 11th St. W., suite 110.

• Polson Shooters Association annual general membership meeting, Polson VFW. Social and no-host bar 5:30 p.m.; dinner 6 p.m. Meeting follows. Cost of dinner waived to new members and those renewing. Contact Rob St Clair at 883-1110 or Mauri Morin at 249-2250.

A look ahead

• Red Cross blood drives Jan. 27: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center, 126 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell; 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. National Flood.

• Glacier Pachyderm Club meets noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 27, Sykes’ in Kalispell. Kalispell Chamber of Commerce president Joe Unterreiner discusses legislative bills the Chamber is supporting. Public invited; www.gcpachy.org

• Big Arm community potluck, 6 p.m. Jan. 27, Historic Big Arm School. Bonnie and Tom Eddy will talk about their recent trip to Cuba. Call N. Foster, 849-5064.

• Lakeside Winterfest Jan. 28. Pancake breakfast 7-10 a.m. Lakeside Chapel. Blacktail Mountain Family Cup ski races registration 9:30 a.m.; races start 11 a.m.; awards 4 p.m.; pig roast 6 p.m. Tamarack Brewing Company.

• Bigfork Village Un-decorate Day, Jan. 28. Volunteers should meet at 8 a.m. at Bigfork Inn for coffee, hot cocoa and donuts.

• World Invitational Whitefish Ski Joring races, Jan. 28-29, Whitefish Municipal Airport. Competition starts at noon. $5 admission, kids 12 and under, free. Spectator parking at Whitefish High School with free bus shuttles to venue all day. Food and adult beverages on site.

• Red Cross blood drive, 1:30-5:30 p.m. Jan. 30, at the center, 126 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell.

• Red Cross blood drive, 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Jan. 31, Flathead Electric, Kalispell.

• Healthy potluck supper, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Wellness Education Center, 103 Ponderosa Lane, Kalispell. Bring a healthy dish to share if you like. Families welcome. Call 755-8423.

• Lakeside Community Council meets 7 p.m. Jan. 31, QRU Building, 201 Bills Road. Open to public.

• FVCC 50th anniversary celebration and presentation, noon Feb. 2, Arts and Technology Building. Garret Garrels, founder of Pink Gloves Boxing, will speak. Complimentary copies of college commemorative publication will be available.

• Kalispell Downtown Association Chocolat Affaire, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 3, Stores offer chocolate treats and specials. Visit at least 12 locations to get card stamped for a chance to win gift certificates; must be at least 18.

• Whitefish Winter Carnival Gala, 6 p.m. Feb. 3, Whitefish Lake Restaurant.

• FVCC Music Program faculty members give a free concert, 7 p.m. Arts and Technology Building. Public welcome.

• Penguin Plunge, 11 a.m. Feb. 4, Whitefish City Beach. Pie social 12:30 p.m. St. Charles Catholic Church. Whitefish Winter Carnival Grand Parade, 3 p.m. downtown.

• Whitefish Winter Carnival Rotary pancake breakfast, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 5, Whitefish Moose Lodge.

• Agency on Aging hosts a Super Bowl party, Feb. 5, South Campus Dining Room, 40 11th St. W., Kalispell. Doors open 3 p.m.; kickoff 4:30 p.m. Big screen TVs, barbecue chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers. Family-friendly. Call 758-5730.

Womens’ Choral Festival public conter, 6 p.m. Feb. 7, Flathead High School auditorium. About 140 students from seven area high schools perform. Free. Public invited.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. Feb. 7, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• Performances of “Vagina Monologues,” Feb. 9-10, O’Shaughnessy Center, Whitefish. Doors open 6:30 p.m.; curtain time 7:30 p.m. Wine, cupcakes served. Cost $15 at www.abbieshelter.org or at door. Not recommended for children. Fundraiser for Abbie Shelter.

• John White Lecture Series presents author/historian Ellen Baumler on “Profiles of African American Montanans, Feb. 12, 2:30 p.m., Museum at Central School, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell. Tickets $6 for museum members; $9 for nonmembers. Limited tickets at door. Call 756-8381.

• West Valley School board meets 5 p.m. Feb. 13.

• Flathead Audubon meets at 7 p.m. Feb. 13, in the United Way conference room, Gateway Community Center, U.S. 2 West, Kalispell. Tom Bansek, aquatic biologist with Flathead Lake Biologica Station presents, “Shrimp, Salmon, Trout and Mussels: Invasive Seafood Chowder in Flathead Lake.” Enter from west side of building. free. All welcome.

• West Shore Community Library Wine, Dine and Dance for Library Lovers, 6 p.m. Feb. 14, Hilton Garden Inn, Kalispell. Tickets are $75 per person; 100 percent of proceeds benefit library. For reservations, visit www.wsclibrary.org, or call 844-3917.

?• Flathead Special Education Cooperative Executive Council meets 9 a.m. Feb. 16, 15 Meridian Court, Kalispell. Call 257-1857.

• Glacier Institute 2016 Winter Lecture Series presents “Riding the Trails ... A Look Back at Glacier’s Dude Ranch Days,” slide presentation by Tom Neleson, Feb. 16, Conrad Mansion, 330 Woodland Ave., Kalispell. Coffee, wine and desserts served at 6 p.m. Presentation 6:30-8 p.m. Cost $15 per person. Reservations required. Call 755-2166.

• Wilderness Speaker Series presents poet and English professor Amy Pearson on her summer working at Jumbo Lookout in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, with “100 Days of Solitude” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, Arts and Technology Building, Room 139, FVCC. Free. Public invited. Call Carol Treadwill, 387-3847

• John White Lecture Series presents actress/educator Mary Jane Bradbury portraying pioneer photographer Evelyn Cameron, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 26, Museum at Central School, 124 Second Ave. E., Kalispell. Tickets $6 for museum members; $9 for nonmembers. Limited tickets at door. Call 756-8381.

• Glacier National Park Associates Winter Speaker series presents professional photographer/biologist John Ashley on “The Nature of Night, What’s Been Lost and What’s been Found,” 7 p.m. Feb. 27, Museum at Central School, Kalispell. Free. Public invited. Call 756-8992.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. March 7, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• West Valley School board meets 5 p.m. March 13.

• Flathead Special Education Cooperative Executive Council meets 9 a.m. March 16, 15 Meridian Court, Kalispell. Call 257-1857.

• Glacier Institute 2016 Winter Lecture Series presents “ If Rocks Could Talk...,” by Glacier Park geologist Teagan Tomlin, March 16, Conrad Mansion, 330 Woodland Ave., Kalispell. Coffee, wine and desserts served at 6 p.m. Presentation 6:30-8 p.m. Cost $15 per person. Reservations required. Call 755-2166.

• Wilderness Speaker Series presents wilderness author Peter Fromm on “The Names of the Stars, A Life in the Wilds” 7:30 p.m. March 22, Arts and Technology Building, Room 139, FVCC. Free. Public invited. Call Carol Treadwill, 387-3847.

• Glacier National Park Associates Winter Speaker series presentation on Two Bear Air search and rescue procedures and missions, 7 p.m. March 27, Museum at Central School, Kalispell. Free. Public invited. Call 756-8992.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. April 4, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• West Valley School board meets 5 p.m. April 10.

• Flathead Special Education Cooperative Management board and Executive Council meets 11:30 a.m. April 27, 15 Meridian Court, Kalispell. Call 257-1857.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. May 2, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• West Valley School board meets 5 p.m. May 8.

• Flathead Special Education Cooperative Executive Council meets 9 a.m. May 18, 15 Meridian Court, Kalispell. Call 257-1857.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. June 6, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• West Valley School board meets 5 p.m. June 12.

• Flathead Special Education Cooperative Executive Council meets 9 a.m. June 13, 15 Meridian Court, Kalispell. Call 257-1857.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. July 4, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 1, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. Sept. 5, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 3, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 7, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.

• Suicide Support Group, Surviving Our Loss after Suicide, (SOLAS) meets 7-8:30 p.m. Dec. 5, The Summit, Kalispell. Call Joan Schmidt, 871-1008.