List of local cancellations

The Daily Inter Lake will continue to compile a list of closures, postponements and other changes related to the coronavirus as the information becomes available.

• Community Kitchen - Feeding the Flathead community meal program will be serving to-go meals only at Central Christian Church in Kalispell, at 6 p.m. Thursday (today) and Saturday this week, and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday for the week of March 23-28. In Evergreen, the meals will be to-go with pickup Thursday (today) at Calvary Lutheran Church. Meals normally served at St. Richard Catholic Church and Lakeside are canceled.

• Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic based at Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish is closed until further notice.

• The Flathead Conservation District monthly Business meeting March 23 is canceled.

• Glacier Pachyderm Club Friday meeting at Sykes in Kalispell is canceled.

• Epworth United Methodist Church, Kalispell, has canceled all events through March. Daily devotions will be posted on Facebook and sent by email.

• Fundraiser for the Laker Baseball fundraiser at Five Guys is canceled Five Guys will be open normal hours 11-10 everyday but customers can only call in orders, order on line and then come in and pick up their orders. Also customers can take advantage of delivery thru Door Dash and Uber Eats.

• Kalispell Elks Lodge indoor cornhole tournament planned for March 20 will be rescheduled to a later date.

• All Saturday night dances at the Kalispell Eagles, through May 23, are canceled. Resumption of dances will be announced when proper authority advises it is safe to do so.

• Cinemark theaters in Kalispell and Mountain Cinema in Whitefish are closed temporarily.

• The city of Kalispell will limit public access to City Hall, 201 First Ave. E., beginning March 19, 2020 until further notice. Only essential meetings will be conducted at City Hall, with most meetings using conference call or other online meeting services. More information can be found at www.Kalispell.com.

Kalispell utility payments will be accepted and processed via mail, drop box, phone (406) 758-7745, and online at www.Kalispell.com. Additionally, the City Water Department will not be entering homes to service water meters, unless there is an emergency. Customers impacted will be sent a letter explaining the situation, how the estimation process works, and that they will be contacted as soon as we resume normal service operations.

Kalispell Parks and Recreation office at 306 First Ave. E. is also be limiting public access. Recreation activities can be registered using online forms at www.Kalispell.com or by phone at (406) 758-7718.

The public is encouraged to process payments for Municipal Court through mail, drop box, phone (406) 758-7706, and online.

Kalispell Police Department is taking measures to minimize certain kinds of contacts. The department will not be providing fingerprint services until further notice. The lobby will remain open for reports, however, pass-through windows may be utilized. Sex offender registrations will continue as required by Montana law. Enforcement efforts will not be curtailed, but steps are being taken to minimize certain contacts while in the field. For example, electronic verification of identification may be used. Vehicle unlocks will be reduced to emergency situations with children or animals locked inside of vehicles.

• The city of Columbia Falls is limiting public access to City Hall at 130 Sixth St. W. and the Fire Hall, 624 First Ave. W. beginning today, March 19, until further notice. The City Hall foyer will be open to provide a drop-off for permits, planning documents and other routine requests, but the building doors will be locked to limit walk-in and face-to-face services. City services will remain fully staffed and operational during this time, including field activities and inspections performed by Public Works and the Building Department. Contact the city for all questions at 892-4391.

Utility payments will be accepted and processed as usual through mail, drop box, ACH or online (pay gov linked to the City’s website, https://cityofcolumbiafalls.org). Call the UB Clerk at 892-4392 should you need to make a cash payment or make payment arrangements. The Water Department will not be entering homes to service or replace water meters at this time, unless there is an emergency.

The City Court payments will be processed as customary through the mail and drop box. Phone the Court directly at 892-4340 if you have a required court appearance to reschedule or to obtain specific appearance instructions.

For customers needing non-emergency police services please use the contact button located by the rear door of City Hall. This is a direct link to the Dispatch Center which will put you in contact with a police officer. For all emergencies, please call 911.

Please follow the City website, https://cityofcolumbiafalls.org and the Columbia Falls Police Department Facebook page for updates.

• Whitefish City Hall offices will be closed to the public through March 27, but will offer a full range of services at City Hall by phone and email. The city currently provides utility and permit/fee payment options by phone, by mail, or online. The payment drop box located off of Baker Avenue will remain open and is checked frequently throughout the day. The city is waiving all late fees and will not turn off water service for delinquent water and sewer accounts through April 30.

Whitefish also will have a drop-off and pick-up location for building plans, applications, and other documents for various departments in the City Hall vestibule. Doors to the City Hall lobby will remain locked.

An extension of this closure will be considered on a week-by-week basis beginning March 27. For general inquiries or to make payments call 406-863-2400.

• Blacktail Mountain Ski Area has temporarily suspended all operations, saying “whether we will reopen during this ski season is still undecided. Season passes for next year can be purchased online at www.blacktailmountain.com/shop or call 844-0999.

• The Helena Diocese of the Catholic Church has announced all public Masses are suspended. There will be a live stream of noon Masses from the Cathedral at https://diocesehelena.org/ Access the website for all information and updates. Also, all parish activities are suspended. St. Richard Catholic Church in Columbia Falls will be open for public prayer. No more than 10 people allowed.

• Evergreen Chamber of Commerce has postponed its March and April Energizers and is canceling the April member luncheon scheduled for April 24 and the Kids Count in Evergreen event scheduled for May 7.

• Bigfork Chamber of Commerce offices are closed until April 1. At that time, staff will re-evaluate and decide whether further closures are necessary. Chamber staff are still available by phone and email. The office number, 406-837-5888, is forwarded directly to the executive director’s cellphone.

• Whitefish Chamber of Commerce has canceled its Thursday night Gone Fishin’ after-hours event at Nelson’s Ace Hardware and will work to reschedule later in the year. The Chamber’s Board of Directors will not meet in-person this month, but instead will meet via conference call. The Chamber’s Visitor Information Center at 505 E. Second Street is now closed to walk-in traffic until further notice. Magazine and brochure racks outside the entrance will be stocked each weekday morning, and replenished throughout the day. The Chamber staff will continue to respond to telephone calls, website requests and email inquiries from prospective visitors, and will mail-out Relocation Packages, Visitor Guides, maps and brochures on behalf of both the Chamber and the Whitefish Convention & Visitors Bureau.

• Love Lives Here will host its March 18 meeting on Skype at 7 p.m. To learn more, visit the Flathead LGBT+ Youth group Facebook page or email info@loveliveshereflathead.org.

• Bigfork Community Center will not be offering dine-in hot meals, but will continue to operate its Meals on Wheels program. Call the Agency on Aging at 758-5730 to sign up. Those interested in volunteering are asked to call Rocky at 837-4157. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Monday morning knitting group is also allowed to continue meeting.

• Kalispell Senior Center is closed until further notice. All activities are canceled. Call Gerri Backes, president, at 253-1032.

• Flathead Valley Community Band has suspended all rehearsals and postponed the March 18 spring concert.

• Flathead Lake Cherry Growers’ meeting April 4 at Yellow Bay has been canceled.

• Flathead Audubon has canceled its April 13 public meeting at the Gateway West Community Room in Kalispell.

• Sunriser Lion’s 45th Annual Pancake Supper planned April 2 has been canceled.

• Lakeside-Somers Chamber of Commerce Captain’s Award banquet planned April 2 has been canceled.

• Kalispell Gun Show March 27-29 at Majestic Valley Arena has been canceled.

• NARFE meeting Friday at Perkins is canceled.

• Glacier Institute has canceled all programming until May 1. All courses and camps scheduled before that date will be refunded in full; those affected will be contacted in the coming week.

• Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has temporarily closed Montana WILD. In addition, fish hatcheries and visitor centers will be closed for two weeks. This includes those at Montana State Parks.

However, FWP’s outdoor recreation areas, including fishing access sites and state parks, will remain open. FWP also has temporarily suspended hunter and bowhunter education classes scheduled through March 30, at which point FWP will reassess the situation.

• Canyon Community free dinner on March 26 in Hungry Horse is canceled.

• All in-person 4-H-related activities are canceled through April 1, including 4-H clubs, projects, clinics, or contests. Larger group gathers are discontinued through May 10. Rec Lab is also canceled.

• Montana Motor Vehicle Division has announced changes. For all driver licenses due to expire in March, April, or May of 2020, state officials are working on the possibility of an executive order extending the renewal deadline by 90 days. The goal is to limit the need for visits to MVD stations during the COVID-19 outbreak. (Note that an extension of Montana’s deadline may not necessarily prevent a person from being cited by a law enforcement agency in another state.) Vehicle registrations can be renewed online.

It is not necessary to renew vehicle registrations in-person at a county treasurer’s office. Vehicle registrations can be renewed by mail and at www.dojmt.gov/driving. A vehicle registration’s grace period expires at the end of the month as shown on your license plate tab. If a customer renews online, they may do so up to one month after the date shown on their tab.

In order to implement social distancing, effective today, all Class D (non-commercial) driving tests will be suspended for 30 days. MVD will reassess the suspension in mid-April and determine if testing can resume on a full or limited basis.

• ImagineIF Libraries will be closed March 16 through 28 as a precautionary measure to slow the spread of COVID-19. Library customers should keep currently checked out materials at home, as book drops will be closed and not accepting returns. The library will ensure that customers do not accrue fees for materials during the closure.

Librarians are also preparing remote services and will be answering questions via e-mail and offering virtual programming. All electronic services such as eBooks, databases, and more remain available and can be accessed via: https://imagineiflibraries.org/

To get in touch with a librarian during business hours email asklib@imagineiflibraries.org.

• Whitefish Community Library is closed March 16 through March 30. The library will extend its pickup date for on-hold items, and staff is available to respond to phone messages.

• Flathead Audubon has canceled its April 13 public meeting at the Gateway West Community Room in Kalispell. For field trips, Flathead Audubon will continue its March and April field trips as scheduled due to their outdoor nature and separation in vehicles. A list of upcoming field trips is available on the www.flatheadaudubon.org website. There will be no carpooling or sharing of binoculars and scopes. Check the website before you head out; things might change at the last minute.

• Summit Medical Fitness Center is closing its Kalispell facility, along with the Westshore and Polson medical fitness centers, effective March 16. This closure includes all facility programs and the SPARKs program.

As a result of this decision, all member billing will be suspended until further notice. Members that have paid for a year in advance will receive an extension on their membership once the facility is back in operation and an adjustment will be made for classes as well. For questions email info@summithealthcenter.com.

• The 11th annual Loud at the Library fundraiser has been rescheduled to May 21 at ImagineIF Library, Kalispell.

• Friendship Force of the Flathead Valley has canceled its March 19 general membership meeting at Village Greens Community Center. Call Priscilla, 756-9332.

• The Northwest Montana History Museum is closed until March 30. Public programs and classes in March such as the Quilting Class and Historic Film Club are canceled as well, but will certainly pick back up after this temporary closure is over. As of now, everything from March 30 onward is still scheduled and the Museum will be open the usual hours at that time.

Staff will still have a presence in the building to discuss via phone the checking out the rental halls for future private events, possible donations of historic artifacts and photographs, opportunities to view the historic photo collection, or to make purchases from Schoolbell Books and Gifts. Call 406-756-8381.

• The Governor’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council has canceling its meeting in Choteau. The council’s tentative plan is now to conduct a video/phone conference meeting from 9-11 a.m., Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20. Public involvement opportunities will be available online at fwp.mt.gov/gbac.

• Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley has canceled its builds and has temporarily closed its ReStore retail store and affiliate office through March 30.

• Flathead County Democrats have canceled their March 23 Democratic Women general meeting.

• Canvas Church has canceled all public gatherings and activities on its Kalispell and Columbia Falls campuses through the end of March. Gatherings will be streamed online at 6 p.m. Saturdays and at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. at https://canvas.church. For more information call 406-752-6426.

• Flathead Electric Cooperative has canceled its March 21 annual meeting. Also effective immediately, the co-op’s offices in Kalispell and Libby are temporarily closed to the public. The cooperative’s mail-in election will still take place. Co-op members will receive ballots the week of March 23. Completed ballots should be mailed in the pre-addressed enclosed envelop to Survey & Ballot Systems, the co-op’s independent election processing company.

Ballots should not be returned to Flathead Electric Cooperative office. Ballots received at the SBS office on or before April 9 by 5 p.m. will be counted.

While the offices are closed, co-op members can utilize one of the co-op’s other fee-free options to pay their electric bill or manage their account including payment kiosks and drop boxes at both the Kalispell and Libby locations, drive-thru open until 5:30 p.m. in Kalispell, online payments through the Flathead Electric website or mobile app, the pay-by-phone system (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 406-751-1839 or 877-761-4637). For assistance with any of these services, members can call 406-751-4483.

• Kalispell Parks and Recreation has canceled its Afterschool Program and Spring Break Camp through March 27. Sports programs including Adult Soccer and Little Dribblers basketball will be suspended until further notice. Call 758-7975 for assistance.

• Flathead Valley Community College will limit access to the Broussard Library, Common Grounds, dining service and FVCC Bookstore to students and staff. Community members may visit administration offices in Blake Hall, including the Admissions and Registration Office, the Business Office, the Financial Aid Office and the FVCC Foundation.

• The Whitefish Community Center will be closed to the public for four weeks, with plans to reopen April 13. During the closure there will be no programs, classes, social lunches or rentals. The center will continue Meals on Wheels service. If you know of someone, 60 or older, who could use meal assistance during this trying time, have them reach out to the Agency on Aging, Meals on Wheels at 758-5710.

• The 4-H Sheep Project livestock quality assurance meeting scheduled March 20 has been postponed and will be rescheduled.