See you at the auction! 

Well, to be honest it’s a pretty good bet you can meet anyone you know from Northwest Montana at the Creston Auction and Country Fair, which runs Saturday and Sunday behind the Creston School.

This is the 49th annual auction, and as many as 7,000 people could stop by. With great weather, even that number may be exceeded. 

You never know what you will find up for sale. Merchandise is being dropped off today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The auction itself kicks off on Saturday at 9 a.m. with general merchandise of all kinds, and continues on Sunday with the big auto, boat, RV and equipment sale.

In addition to the fund of the auction itself, you will also know you are benefiting a good cause. Proceeds go to support the volunteer Creston Fire Department. 

Pine Grove is even better

The popular Pine Grove Pond family fishing area is bigger and better.

A celebration Saturday — opening day of the season for the fishing area north of Kalispell — will mark the expanded Pine Grove site.

The area, originally 13 acres, now encompasses 23 acres including a half-mile of Whitefish River frontage. The new and improved Pine Grove also features upgraded facilities and parking areas.

Families and young anglers can thank the generosity of many people and organizations for establishing and improving this wonderful place.

Pine Grove Pond is a gem in the Flathead Valley and now it has gotten even better.

Habitat’s hard work pays off

Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley has just wrapped up a massive building project in Columbia Falls, completing 16 townhomes. That brings the nonprofit organization’s total of locally built homes to 44 since Habitat and its corps of volunteers and homeowners began pounding nails here in the Flathead in 1989.

That’s a commendable amount of much-needed affordable housing. Habitat’s blueprint for providing decent and affordable homes works so well because it involves so many dedicated volunteers.

The Columbia Falls townhomes were built with more than 50,000 hours from nearly 6,000 volunteers, homeowner “sweat equity” and donations from local and national building material suppliers. That’s a lot of community collaboration.

Habitat always needs willing workers; call 257-8800 if you can help.