seniors

Polson

By Peter Mangels for the Valley Journal

POLSON — We Montanans understand that winter ends on April 15, so here is a reminder that tax filing assistance is available on Mondays or Thursdays from now until then. Call for an appointment. Bring your paper work and a copy of last year’s tax forms. No Fees. Donations always welcome.

St. Valentine’s Day is the day to spoil your sweetheart. Buy a box of See’s Candy, on sale now. Oh, about that comment I made last week about buying my wife a vacuum cleaner as a gift? She showed me how to plug the thing in and turn it on. I’ve been using it. Often. Always. This year it is her turn to vacuum. Maybe. We recently purchased Super-0ne grocery bags (the green ones). These bags are used for Commodity Food Distributions. Recycle green bags at the Senior Center.

Sign up for Tai Ji Quan

- Moving for Better Balance Classes, taught by Dixie Bisson. Slow and easy exercises to improve flexibility, strength, and mobility.

Activities

Bowling: fun league, pay by the day non-sanctioned, notap, Tuesdays, 1 p.m. weekly

Bingo: regular bingo Fridays, 7 p.m. “Playing Card” bingo first Wednesday and third Thursday of each month - help wanted

Exercise: low impact MW- F, 10:30 –11:30 a.m.

Pinochle: eat lunch at the center before cards Thursdays, 12:15– 3 p.m. (or later if you wish). We coach new players, or those who have not played in years. Card playing keeps my hands flexible. Losing tests my patience. All good hands come to those who wait. I have waited long enough. Last week I lost two out of three games. That is an improvement from the week before.

Bridge: Tuesday and Friday - open for all - 12:30 p.m.

Pool: open table from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays

Tai Ji Quan: Tuesdays 1011 a.m. Wednesday 1-2 p.m.

Veterans’ Rep: The first Friday (March 3) and third Tuesday (Feb. 21) of each month from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Menu (subject to change): Sit-down, take-out, call before 10 a.m. for delivery, only $5. Serving from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

— Thursday, Feb. 9: meatloaf, mashed spuds, carrots, green salad, pretzel Jell-O

— Friday, Feb.10: blueberry strata, sausage links, cinnamon applesauce, orange salad, cookies

— Monday, Feb. 13: taco soup, chips and cheese, green salad, fruit

— Tuesday, Feb. 14: St. Valentine’s Day Cupid’s cabbage casserole, green beans, Be Mine bread, strawberry Jell-O, red velvet cake — Wednesday, Feb. 15: chicken Alfredo, pasta, mixed veggies, focaccia, green salad, raspberry bars

— Thursday, Feb. 16: pork chop, stuffing, gravy, carrots, orange/pineapple salad, ginger bread with sauce

— Friday, Feb. 17: burger pot pie, biscuit, baked pears, broco-flower salad, coconut cream dessert

The Polson Senior Center, 504 3rd Ave. East, is open from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekdays. Call 406-883-4735 or email: polsonseniorcenter@ gmail.com for more information.

St. Ignatius

By Barb Plouffe for the Valley Journal

ST. IGNATIUS — Where did January go? Now it almost Valentine Day. Be careful on the ice.

We will be having a Guess the Kisses in a glass container and a 50/50. It will cost a $1 for each guess and entry into the 50/50 starting Jan. 18 at the evening meal and each meal until Feb. 15 dinner. The winner(s) will be chosen on Feb. 15 at our evening meal.

— Friday, Feb. 10: chicken, mashed potatoes/gravy, veggies, rollsfruit, chocolate cake

— Tuesday, Feb. 14: pizza, green salad, fruitheart cookies

— Wednesday, Feb. 15: garlic balsamic pork loin, roasted potatoes and carrots, Watergate salad, heart cupcakes

— Friday, Feb. 17: homemade mac and cheese with ham, veggies, fruitcorn bread, brownies

If you are interested in a take-out meal, please call by 10 a.m. and leave message if no one answers.

Bonnie Kiser has Gentle Yoga on Wednesday afternoons at 1 p.m. If you are interested, please call Kiser at 406-2253-0171. Her rates are five sessions for $60.

The St. Ignatius Police Chief will be having Narcan Training at the St. Ignatius Senior Citizen Center on Feb. 11 at 3:30 p.m. In order to get signed up, please go to St. Ignatius Police Department Lake County Montana Facebook page or go to Best Practice Medicine and click on Education them follow the training down to Naloxane and do the online education and test. Print off your certificate and bring to the hands-on training on the Feb. 11. The online education and test need to be done prior to the training. If you do not have a computer or need help with computer, call and leave a message. We will return you call and help you, or you can come into the Center and use our computer.

The St. Ignatius Senior Citizen Center is hiring a Site/Nutrition Manager. If you are interested, come in for a job description or call and we will return your call. It would be helpful if you know the QuickBooks computer program.

On March 22 there will be QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., presented in cooperation with the St. Ignatius Police Chief. This is an important training as Montana is first in the Nation for Suicides. All are welcome.

Our Senior Center is open to people renting it. If you are interested, please call 406-745-4462 and leave a message. We will call you back with the information you need.

CSKT to receive water rights settlement funds

News from the Office of Senator Tester HELENA — The DOI announced on Feb. 3 that they will be allocating more than $232 million from Senator Tester’s bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to fulfill Indian Water rights settlements in Montana. Senator Tester worked with a bipartisan group of four other Democrats and five Republicans to negotiate the BIL and was responsible for securing $2.5 billion in the infrastructure package for the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund. This latest tranche of funding will enable Tribes and their non-Native neighbors to access long-promised water resources that are critical for their quality of life and economic development.

The settlements in Montana receiving BIL funding this year are:

- Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement $45,279,000

- Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribes - Montana Water Rights Protection Act $156,937,000

- Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement $30,000,000

Ball rolling for 2023 Cherry Festival

News from Polson Chamber of Commerce

POLSON — The Polson Business Community and Chamber have merged and will do amazing things now that forces have become one. The Flathead Cherry Festival will continue to exist as it has in the past with additional information on a new website. The same amount of dedication, marketing, and level of organization will carry on. The two day event is currently scheduled for Saturday, July 29, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We are beginning to get the ball rolling for the 2023 Flathead Cherry Festival. After a successful event last year, we are excited to continue to fine-tune the festival and showcase even more local & regional artists in addition to supporting our local businesses.

Applications are now live for applying to the event. In years past, things ran a bit different, and we are streamlining the process to apply and be accepted to the event and requiring everything to be processed digitally.