BEST SALSA STEP BET: Warm air and sunshine sure put a spring in everyone's step, but a dance class offered this weekend may be the perfect direction for that fair-weather energy. A salsa and Latin dance workshop will be held Friday at 8 p.m. at The Studio. Cost is $4 per person, and all are asked to bring clean shoes. Call 235-0124 for more information.
BEST GREENERY BET: There's little more rewarding this time of year than getting dirt under your fingernails and cultivating that green thumb. This weekend, a tree and shrubbery sale offers great deals on everything from maples to lilacs and all in-between. Rose bushes are also on the menu and everything is at wholesale price. The sale will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at Eagle Quality Center.
BEST HAWAIIAN SOUNDS BET: George Kahumoku played a sold out Homer show last weekend, but if you missed that chance, or are hungry for more, he plays again in Seldovia this weekend. A concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Susan B. English School, and if you want to make a day of it, slack-key guitar and hula dance workshops will be held from 4-6 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information, call 234-7614.
BEST INSPIRING FUND-RAISER: If you're looking for inspiration, and a little sophistication, too, a Bunnell Street Gallery fund-raiser, "Grand Inspirations," may be just the ticket. The day starts around 11 a.m. Sunday with a cruise to Kachemak Bay Wilderness Lodge, followed by an acoustic folk concert with Andy Baker. Lunch, dessert, drinks and an auction with art and get-away packages are all included. Tickets are $100, everything included. Call 235-2662 for more information.
BEST HAT TOSS BET: All right, so it's been a few years since the Betster got that hallowed scroll and did the tassel-toss. But watching those shining faces cross the stage is inspiring no matter how long ago you did it yourself. The ceremony for Homer High's class of 2002 will be held Monday at 7 p.m. at the school gymnasium. Other schools on the Southern Peninsula will also hold graduation ceremonies this week. For all the details, check out the story on Page One.
BEST TORCH RUN BET: The Alaska Law Enforcement Torch Run, a fund-raiser for the Special Olympics Alaska, will be held Saturday. The healthy philanthropic effort starts with sign-up at 10 a.m. at the Eagle Quality Center parking lot. The run starts at 10:30 a.m. Pledge sheets are available at Eagle and other locations around town and a $25 donation also earns a T-shirt.
BEST ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM: You may have to bring your own peanuts and Crackerjack, but Homer's Mariners will provide the entertainment with baseball and softball double-headers Friday and Saturday. The ballgames start tonight when the Homer High team hosts Houston at 7 p.m. at the Homer High School fields. Friday, a second game against Houston starts at 5 p.m., at the same time as a softball double-header against Palmer. The weekend's baseball frenzy continues on Saturday with a softball double-header against Palmer at 9 a.m. and a baseball double-header against Colony at 10 a.m. The weather folks are saying good things, so come out and enjoy the games.
