Keeping the doors open and being an important asset to the community, were Dave Hannah’s intentions of the St. Regis Senior Citizens Center when he took over as president of the board of directors last summer.

With a few new directors, employees and ideas, the enthusiasm remains positive and is moving the operation forward on the right track.

On Dec. 15, they held a holiday dinner for the Christmas season to sort of test the waters trying something new, and it was a sell out. They realized they had something that the area appreciated. That event was planned in a short two weeks but this next event has been in the construction phase for over a month.

Then, on Tuesday, Feb. 14, the St. Regis Senior Citizens Center invited people to the first ever Valentine’s Day Dinner and Dance, with Derek and Shelly Larson providing the music, along with a special guest.

Scott Burrows, along with a few others have been involved with the St. Regis Senior Citizens Center for years and have seen the ebb and flow of activity.

“The St. Regis Senior Citizens Center is doing much better financially than a few years ago when closing the doors was being discussed. The bills are all paid and we even have a few bucks in the bank,” smiles Burrows.

He stressed that they want the facility to be used for family reunions and weddings or events where a full commercial kitchen is available with tables and seating chairs. The fire marshal has the patron capacity at 110 people but the center doesn’t have quite that many chairs and tables. Their conference room seats about 12 people comfortably and is available to rent as the Pioneer Council holds their monthly meetings there as well as Alcoholics Anonymous.

The Crusty Crew Coffee Club welcomes any, and everyone to have coffee with them in the main seating area at 10 a.m., seven days a week. These are longtime locals (guys mostly) who need new blood so the topics of tractors, government, wolves, Millennials, pickups, alfalfa, timber and mining can rest for a while.

The Foot Clinic runs on the first Friday of every month starting at 9 a.m. Lauri Fillo, a retired RN, does pedicures in other areas of the county and has a good following. Fillo is happy to schedule you for her St. Regis Foot Clinic at (406)529-0128. The center has a blood pressure monitor and scale she will assist people with if they ask for it to be done.

Pinocle is played Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. after a potluck at 6 p.m. and is another "please feel free to join us" social gathering to meet new people or visit with old friends.

It's their every Thursday evening meals and fourth Monday at 5:30 p.m. that they are known for.

“At the high end we’ve been getting as many as 40, or close to it. But 30 or so is most Thursdays,” said Burrows.

“We’ve asked people to bring in their favorite recipes that they would like to see cooked up by the center. This is going to give even more variety to the menu that people have already taken a liking to.”

The facility has been around about a dozen years and has gone by a couple different names. When Hannah was asked what the official name of the center is, he said, “Well, the in the by-laws we are the St. Regis Senior Citizens Center but I don’t want people to think that this facility is only for old folks. We are a community center so if people drop “Citizens” from the name, I’m good with that.”

Once the snow melts and the weather breaks, you’ll notice new outdoor signs at the facility.