September 2014 is Back-to-School Box Top Drive month. When was the last time you dumped a jar of change into the trash? Probably never! So, why would you toss out Box Tops? Each Box Top is worth 10 cents for your school – so don’t dump these dimes in disguise, instead drop them in the little red school house in the Wal-Mart lobby or in the bill pay box at Super One Foods (by the bank entrance). All collections benefit the Mission Valley Christian Academy whose mission is to provide a Christ-centered quality education to prepare students to be lifelong servant leaders. For more information on the Box Top program go to http://www.btfe.com/.

PLAINS — Sanders County Arts Council announces the opening of the summer show of “Art on the Walls” at the Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains. Original artworks by Valerie Curtiss, Rosa Dolson, Rachel Gonzalez, Gary Hensley, George Humeston, Crystal Kingston, Sun Honts Mann, Jina McHargue and Karen Thorson will be shown. The show runs from June 26-Sept. 23. For additional information, call Mary McClenahan at (406) 826-0112 or Joy Nelson at (406) 826-8585.

RONAN — Join the Valley Journal in celebrating 10 years as your homegrown newspaper on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 2-6 p.m. at the Ronan Community Center. The party will include a jumping castle, free popcorn, cotton candy and balloons. The Montana Kids Co-op will offer a gluten-free personal pizza or a fresh, locally grown salad for $5 each. They will also offer cupcakes for sale. The Valley Journal is a community-supported newspaper and we want to thank every person that has had a hand in the success of this locally owned business. We hope to see you so we can thank you for your support.

RONAN — Ronan Area Chamber Harvest Festival’s sixth annual Chili Cook Off will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Ronan Visitors’ Center. Judging takes place at noon.

RONAN — A medical benefit for Kathy Snyder Coffman will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20, at KD’s Valley Club, 407 Third Ave. NW. A barbecue beef dinner will be served from 3 to 7 p.m. for $10 per plate and a live auction will be held at 5 p.m. Kathy has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. She will be going to Missouri to wait for a double lung transplant. If you would like to donate to the auction, please call Krissy Paro at (406) 676-3228 or Kelly Bailey at (406) 883-2910 or drop off at KD’s Valley Club. There is also an account set up at Community Bank for donations. You can also go to our event on Facebook to sign up to attend. Thank you so much from Kathy and her family for all the help and support. 

RONAN — Join the Valley Journal in celebrating 10 years as your homegrown newspaper on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 2-6 p.m. at the Ronan Community Center. The party will include a jumping castle, free popcorn, cotton candy and balloons. 

Adults will be entered to win framed scenic photographs. The Montana Kids Co-op will offer a gluten-free personal pizza or a fresh, locally grown salad for $5 each. They will also offer cupcakes for sale. The Valley Journal is a community-supported newspaper and we want to thank every person that has had a hand in the success of this locally owned business. We hope to see you so we can thank you for your support.

POLSON — On Sept. 20 at the KOA Camp, 200 Irvine Flats Road, from 7-10 p.m., the Polson Chamber of Commerce is putting on a wine tasting event. Be a guest at this inaugural event. Tickets are $45 each and include a sampling of over 20 local and regional wines, gourmet hors d’oeuvres and live music by Nathan Eyre. Call or stop by the Chamber office for tickets. 

ST. IGNATIUS — On Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20 and 21, the Fort Connah Restoration Society will host an open house and rendezvous which depicts life during the fur trading era of Montana. This is a great opportunity to see the 1846 historic Hudson’s Bay Fort Connah Trading Post come to life. 

This event will be free to the public and includes demonstrations of time-era activities, crafts and games. Main events are on Saturday, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Fort Connah is located six miles north of St. Ignatius at mile marker 39 on Highway 93.For more information about camping and demonstrators, contact Chris Poloynis at (406) 214-0333 or email: cpspartan55@gmail.com.

For general information and trader/vendor set-ups, call Carolyn Corey/Preston Miller at (406) 745-4336, or email: 4winds@blackfoot.net.

RONAN — Join in the Classic Country Jam planed for Saturday, Sept. 20, at the South Ronan Methodist Church from 7-9 p.m. If you can play an instrument or sing, please join us or just come and sit in. This is a free event. 

RONAN — Ronan Chamber Harvest Fest is getting geared up and will be on Sept. 20. There will be the chili cook off, vendors, lots of kids' games, a scarecrow-decorating contest, and lots of good food.

POLSON — The Polson Shooters Association will hold a free shoot day at their range at 38386 Kerr Dam Rd, on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The public is invited to come and check out our range, sight in your rifle for hunting season, and/or shoot your pistols. We will serve hot dogs and hamburgers, so come out to the range and have some shooting fun and meet some of our staff.

For more information, call Rob St. Clair at (406) 883-1110 or (406) 270-8886.

DAYTON — The Mission Mountain Winery encourages all wine lovers to attend our free event on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. There will be vertical tasting of the 2007, 2005 and 2004 vintages of Mission Mountain Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. Mission Mountain Winery is located just off Highway 93 in Dayton. Go to: www.missionmountainwinery.com, for more information.