Knitters looking for a chance to help a good cause should visit Camas Creek Yarn in downtown Kalispell. The local knitting outfitter has created a one-of-a-kind Rails to Trails Historical Trail “beanie” style knit cap pattern.

Fans of the pedestrian trail system, which follows the old railroad right-of-ways from Somers to Kila, can wear their support with the flashy black, white and red hats. Thirty percent of each knitting kit purchased goes directly to the Kalispell Rails to Trails system.

 

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Singer, songwriter and farmer Chuck Suchy will play the KM Theater in Kalispell on Saturday, March 17. An active musician since the 1980s, Suchy has released six studio albums and played on the iconic stage of "A Prairie Home Companion."

Born and raised in Mandan, N.D., Suchy played his guitar at area clubs and lounges when he was a young man. In 1982, when a friend gave him a recording of Canadian musician Stan Rogers, who also sang about life on a farm on the Great Plains, he began to write his own music. Since then, Suchy has sang about life in the Heartland from an insider's prospective, one that has made him popular among fans.

“If he's not one of the great American songwriters, I don't know who is,” said Rod Kennedy, founder of the Kerrville Folk Festival, held every summer in Kerrville, Texas.

He's been called an "undiscovered treasure" and, according to Suchy's website, his music reflects the vast changes that have occurred across the plains. His show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door and children under 12 get in for free.

For more information about the artist, check out chucksuchy.com.

Here's a look at his work:

 

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Dancing has long been a form of human expression, evolving throughout history as a means of social interaction and communication as cultures change and grow.

And for a group of Flathead dancers, Duke Ellington eloquently captured their preferred means of hoofing it when he sang, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”

 

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I've been to most dark corners of the Pine Tree State, since I am a native "Mainer," but I've never been to "Almost, Maine." Mostly due to the fact that it doesn't exist. But the “remote, mythical” town in the north woods will be brought to life this week at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

Almost, Maine takes place on a clear Friday night in the middle of winter when everyone in town is falling in and out of love, often with hilarious results. The play is being headed up by first-time Director Scarlett Schindler, an experienced local actor, and a full cast of 15 performers. Working with such a large cast is one thing that excited Schindler.

“Having such a big cast worked well with one of my goals as a new director: I wanted to see some new people auditioning who hadn't braved it yet, and help grow our base of actors at WTC,” Schindler said.

The play is split into nine vignettes and includes a variety of different stories. It's been praised by critics and was originally written by John Cariani.

Tickets for Almost, Maine are $8 and are available at the door. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on March 10 and 11 and is appropriate for adults and older students.

For more information call (406) 862-5371 or visit www.whitefishtheatreco.org

 

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You would think the artists behind Glacier National Park’s annual pass would be world renowned painters or photographers. But you would be wrong. In fact, the art selected for the 2012 and 2013 park passes, more than 14,000 of which are sold every year, came from amateur artists.

The 2012 annual park pass features a mural coordinated by park volunteer Sheryl Mink and created by more than 700 visitors and park employees. Meanwhile, earlier this month, park officials selected the work of a local Glacier High School student to be featured on the 2013 pass.

 

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Tammi Fisher has been involved in a lot of community activities since becoming Kalispell’s mayor, but never sumo wrestling. That’s about to change.

Fisher will be packing on the inflatable pounds at the Relay for Life Kickoff Party at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 3. Doors open at 4 p.m. and a spaghetti dinner will be served at 5 p.m. Individual tickets to the event are $10; Family of four tickets are $25 and cancer survivors have free admission. Tickets include dinner and Monte Carlo play money.

This weekend’s precursor to the Relay for Life will include carnival games, a poker table, bingo, raffles and live and silent auctions.

Attendees will also be able to step into the ring with Fisher, who joked that her foray into sumo wrestling will probably be short lived.

“I would imagine it will be a short match and I will get pummeled,” Fisher told me about her sumo wrestling prospects.

Still, even if it means getting humbled in the ring, Fisher said she's more than happy to support the Relay for Life any way she can.

“I have been involved with Relay for Life since 2002 when I walked in the relay with my late husband, John, who was fighting cancer at the time," she said. "He passed in 2003, and I continue to support Relay for Life as an organization that has helped so many cancer survivors and victims.”

The Relay for Life is an annual event that is held at different dates across the country and raises money for the American Cancer Society.

This year’s relay is scheduled for June 22 in Kalispell.
The Whitefish relay is June 15.
The Columbia Falls relay is July 13.
The Bigfork relay is July 20-21.

 

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If you want your work to appear on the same pages as John Irving and Tom Brokaw, the clock is ticking. The submission deadline for the twice-annual Whitefish Review is March 15.

Published twice a year, the Whitefish Review features stories, interviews, conversations and art from established and emerging authors. This year the nonprofit publication is pushing forward with its first themed issue, which will focus on the wilderness and be guest edited by ecologist and writer Cristina Eisenberg.

“We will publish writing and art that explore the untamable and wild in astonishing ways, from wolves howling at the door, elemental forces ranging in the mountains, and wild, creative urges surging deep within hearts and minds,” Eisenberg said.

Eisenberg, who lives in Bigfork, is working on her second book and recently earned a doctorate in forestry and wildlife at Oregon State University.

Content for the summer issue can be submitted at www.whitefishreview.com.

 

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If you’re looking for a way to get away from the cold, the Museum at Central School in Kalispell could provide the perfect relief.

Located near downtown, Central School was built in 1895 as an elementary and high school and used as such until the late 1960s, when it became home to Flathead Valley Community College. Since 1999 it has housed the museum and the Northwest Montana Historical Society’s collection.

 

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