POLSON — After a dormant year, I’m going to try to revive the “Pickin’ in the Park” gang at the “Boardwalk” in Boettcher Park. The boardwalk is is adjacent to the Port Polson Playhouse. If you sing or play any musical (electric or acoustic) instrument or just want to sit and listen, then join us each Friday at 3 p.m. starting June 16. A lawn chair and blanket may be advisable, and if you get hungry then stop and eat at the Boardwalk food booth. The music genres start in the 1950s, but any year is OK … join us.

POLSON — Sandpiper Art Gallery, 306 Main Street, Polson, presents “Making It Up as I Go.” This exhibit will definitely capture your imagination. It features artists Nancy Miler (painter), Donna Winn (3D mixed media), Nancy Zadra (impressionist/ abstract painter), Gerald Garcelone (woodwork), Susan Evans (3D mixed media), Carol Rae (jewelry), and Sue Ball (lino-prints). The exhibit will run from Sept. 4 until Oct. 13. Artists reception for this exhibit is on Sept. 8 from 5-7 p.m. at the Gallery.

POLSON – North Lake County Public Library in Polson is holding a peanut butter drive the week of Sept. 11-16. All contributions from this weeklong event will be donated to the Polson Loaves and Fish Food Pantry. Overdue fines will be reduced by one dollar for each item donated. Please call 406-883-8225 for more information.

KALISPELL —The third annual Flathead Celtic Festival is on Sept. 16 at Herron Park in Kalispell. Enjoy a day of fun for the whole family including highland athletics, Celtic music, Irish dance exhibitions, and a beer and wine tent. Come and spend the day with your friends and family and enjoy food, local wares and culture with a Celtic twist from local vendors. Festivities start at 9 a.m. and last all day, including a parade of clans and a welcome ceremony at noon. Bring a chair and be ready for some fun. Dogs on leashes welcome too.

POLSON — Lake County High School Rodeo will be held at Polson Fairgrounds Saturday, Sept. 16 starting at 9:30 a.m. Two rodeos will run that day. Watch as the girls and boys participate in a wide range of rodeo activities: barrels, saddle broncs, goat tying, and breakaway and possibly there will be sports shooting. There will be a great concession stand. For more information, call 406-544-8836.

POLSON — On Sept. 16, at the Red Lion Inn from 6-9 p.m., the Mission Valley Animal Shelter will hold a Puppy Party fundraiser to benefit the shelter and a much needed puppy room addition as well as upgrades and repairs. A prime rib and salmon dinner will be provided by the Finley Point Grill following a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are sold for $50 per person at the Mission Valley Animal Shelter and Seconds-2-Go, the shelter’s thrift store in Polson. For further information, call the MVAS at 406-883-5312.

POLSON —On Saturday, Sept. 16, we will host a ZumbaThon Fundraiser. The proceeds will go towards supporting our local special education programs. The event will include a bake sale, a silent auction, a ticket raffle, and of course dancing. It will take place on Sept. 16 from 3-5 p.m. at the Polson High School gymnasium. Tickets are currently on sale for $10 for ages 12 and up and $5 for ages 4-11, and free for ages 3 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance through Mel Butler at 406-871- 1182 or email mbutler@ polson.k12.mt.us.

STEVENSVILLE — Annual Salish Pilgrimage march to St. Mary’s Mission in Stevensville will be on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 3 p.m. with a potluck dinner to follow.

ARLEE — Save the date for the 13th annual Festival of Peace and the sixth Annual Walk-A-Mile for Peace at the Garden on Sunday, Sept. 17, which begins at 10 a.m. The all day free event invites people to come together to sing, dance and pray for peace and harmony until 7 p.m. There will guest speakers, live music, meditation as well as goods and craft vendors. This is a free event. Call 406-726-0555 or go to: www.ewambuddhagarden. org.

POLSON — The Thyme for Herbs group will meet Monday, Sept. 18, at 7 pm in the meeting room of the North Valley Library in Polson. Our main topic is “Herbs Can Help You Survive the Future.” Other discussions will include: Dealing with drug resistant microbes; the importance of saving seed; harvesting medicinal roots; and why we need to ferment foods. Anyone interested in learning more about herbs or taking charge of your health is welcome. For information call 406-319-2446.

POLSON — North Lake County Public Library in Polson announces a free 90-minute evening program presented by author/educator Sharon Randolph. The program’s title is “Canada’s Mountain National Parks: A Celebration of Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017.” This slideshow and discussion will be held in the library meeting room on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and everyone is welcome.The library is located at 2 First Ave. E. in Polson. Please call the circulation desk at 406-883- 8225 for more information.

POLSON — Support Polson Late Afternoon Social Hour on Thursday, Sept. 21, from 5-7 p.m. Your host will be Whitefish Credit Union, 110 Third Ave. E.

RONAN — Ronan is conducting their annual Child Find free screening on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017, from 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the K. Wm. Harvey Elementary School. Children, age birth to 5 years old, will be screened for delays in speech, language, motor skills, and social or basic school readiness skills. Please make an appointment by calling Janet at 406-676-3390 ext. 7450. Walk-ins will be subject to availability or scheduled for a later date. Appointments are required.

ST. IGNATIUS — On Saturday, Sept. 23, from 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. (lunch and snacks provided) a mental health first aid training will be offered at Mission Valley United Methodist Church, 70715 Highway 93, (top of Post Creek Hill). One in five Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or do not know where to turn for care. Symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect – and it is not easy for friends and family to know how to step in. The Flathead Reservation Human Rights Coalition will offer the National Council for Behavioral Health’s Mental First Aid training and certification, an eight-hour course that prepares participants to interact with a person experiencing a mental health crisis and refer them to the proper resources. CEU credits will be offered for participants. For more information or to participate in this all day training at MVUMC, call 406-871-1008 or go to: jschmidt06@centurytel. net.

ST. IGNATIUS — Join Mission Valley Model Aviators #5220 for their club Fun Fly and Swap Meet on Saturday, Sept. 23. Gates open at 9 a.m. at the St. Ignatius Airport, 900 Airport Road. All ages are welcome and spectators are always free. Lunch will be served for an additional charge. Pilots bring your swap items along with your own table and set up to buy, sell, or trade. Spectators bring your lawn chairs and enjoy watching the pilots show their stuff. The day ends at dusk. For more information, contact Erich Spidel at 406- 552-5815.

POLSON — “From jumping and fishing at the dock, jumping in the freezing water at the Polar Plunge, to watching fireworks on the Fourth of July, Riverside Park has been a place I have gone my whole life to have fun and I want to give back,” said Cameron Decker, Department Head of Fine Arts at SKC. His project is a tri-panel (triptych) tile mosaic composition that will be installed on the west side of the Riverside restrooms. The panels are the focal point to a concrete pad and benches the City of Polson is installing which will be dedicated to the memory of Officer William Cleveland who died of cancer on Nov. 15, 2015. His badge will be replicated and embedded in the mural, thus connecting the two projects. Please join Cameron, et al., in the unveiling of this beautiful addition to the Polson landscape on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m. at Riverside Park.

ST. IGNATIUS — A free St. Ignatius Community Dinner will be held at the St. Ignatius Senior Citizens Center on Wednesday, Sept. 27. We will serve a hot, homemade meal from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy dinner with your friends, family, community. Hosted by the St. Ignatius Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. For additional information call 406-360-0563 or 406-273-8203.

POLSON —High school juniors and seniors from Polson, Ronan, Charlo, Two Eagle River School, Mission Valley Christian Academy, and Thompson Falls, along with their parents, are encouraged to attend Polson’s College Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 10–11:30 a.m. in the Polson High School Gymnasium. Approximately 80 representatives from post-secondary institutions in Montana and the Northwest, along with US Military recruiters, will be in attendance with information about academic programs, admission requirements, scholarship opportunities and other crucial data pertinent to students’ post-secondary plans. For more information, contact the PHS Guidance Office at 406-883-6351 ext. 205.

POLSON — The Museum of America’s free “Night at the Museum” for September will have Polson’s namesake, David Polson and his daughter, Agnes, back from the grave to tell their story. We will also be visited by the ghosts of other early day Polson residents. We invite the public to share stories of their ancestors. We expect some young folks from Polson High School’s Drama Club to get involved with this program. The public is welcome to share accounts and photos. Call 406-883-6804 or 270-7895 for more information. The program starts at 6:30 p.m.

POLSON — The “Fifth Friday Dinner” will be held on Sept. 29 at Polson Community Church, 1814 First Street E, from 4:30- 6:30 p.m. This event is free as always. Beef stew, corn bread and desserts galore will be served. Be sure to bring a friend.

POLSON — Good Shepherd’s Little Friends Preschool will have a fundraiser yard sale on Friday, Sept. 29, from 8 a.m.-1p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 8 a.m.-noon. The fundraiser will take place at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 406 Fourth Ave. E.

PABLO — The Church of the Nazarene, 43653 Old Highway 93, is hosting illusionist and evangelist Scott Humston on Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.; on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m.; and on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Each time is a different show. These shows are free for the whole family. A freewill love offering will be accepted at every show. Call the church office at 406-675-0081 for more details.

PABLO — A Peace Corps Recruiter will be at Salish Kootenai College on Friday, Sept. 29, in RD3 classroom 142 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to provide the community with resources and information about Peace Corps service. Refreshments will be served. Register for the event at: www.peacecorps.gov or call 406-275-4826.