The Homer Legislative Information Office at 270 W. Pioneer Ave. is open. from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. For more information, call 235-7878.

The Homer Rope Tow at Mile 3.5 Ohlson Mountain Road is open every Sunday from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. The club maintains a heated lodge at the base of the ski hill, about a 400-yard walk in from the road. Daily passes are $10 for adults and $5 for students 18 and under, as well as value priced season memberships for individuals and families. Updated conditions and information about openings will be posted to the Kachemak Ski Club’s webpage at homerropetow.org, on Facebook (Homer Rope Tow) and by calling 235-SNOW.

Kachemak Emergency Services holds its regular board meeting at 7 p.m. today at the McNeil Canyon Fire Station (53048 Ashwood Ave.), Mile 12 East End Road. The public is welcome to attend. The agenda is posted at the fire station and at the Kenai Peninsula Borough annex building. Call 235-9811 for more information.

The Anchor Point Fire and Emergency Medical Service Area Board holds its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Anchor Point Fire Station, 72440 Milo Fritz Ave. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 235-6700.

The Homer Chamber of Commerce announces the Saturday parade theme as “Jazz Up Winter.” The Parade Marshal will be Hilda Caraballo, Queen Krewe of Gambrinus. This year’s theme include the genre of jazz music and jazzing up cooking, clothing and culture. Parade applications will be available on the chamber’s website at homeralaska.org. You may also pick up hard copy at the chamber offices at 201 Sterling Highway. Applications are due on or before Monday, Feb. 6, in-person, by mail or faxed to 907-235-8766.

The parade starts at noon along Pioneer Avenue with the parade line-up at the Homer High School and the parade ending at the Woodside Avenue parking lot. The Bay Reality viewing stand is offered complimentary by Realtor Debra Leisik, where parade contestants will stop and perform for 1 minute before the judges. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Judge’s Sentimental Favorite; Best of Show; Best Use of Theme; Best Children’s Group; Performing Arts and Music; Antique Cars, Trucks and Machinery; Animals, Birds and Sea Creatures, and Bikes and Trikes. Prizes will be “Homer Bucks” so winners can shop locally at more than 50 Homer businesses.

There also will be a “Homer Bucks” prize for the “Best Storefront Adornment.” For more information on the Winter Carnival Parade, contact the chamber at 235-7740.

The annual Outhouse Race sponosored by Homer Events has been cancelled. However, Homer Events will hold the annual Mr. Homer Pageant again this year, featuring an interview round, talent round, and of course, the swimwear round. The Mr Homer “Pageant” is 9 p.m. Friday in the main room at the Homer Elks Club, with emcee Chris Story. Admission is $10, with proceeds going to “The Miracle Place,” a new nonprofit in Homer intended to eventually solve our homeless problem. Nominations are welcome for contestants. To nominate or for more information, call Dax Radtke at 907-299-0319.

The Homer National Organization for Women (NOW) holds a meeting at noon Wednesday at the Homer Public Library Conference Room to celebrate Susan B. Anthony’s birthday. They also will discuss current issues and plan ways to take on subjects that are threatening equality on many fronts. All are welcome. For more information, visit the Homer NOW Task Force on Facebook.

The Homer Public Library invites community members to participate in the 2017 Lit Lineup reading challenge. The HPL staff has compiled a list of 100 books from 10 different categories. The challenge is to read 15 books from the list throughout the year. Monthly prizes are drawn from book submissions and those who’ve read 15 or more by the end of the year will be entered into a grand prize drawing. You can find a printable booklist and the submission form at http://cityofhomer-ak.gov/library/2017-lit-lineup or in person at the library. If you have questions, contact Teresa at tsundmark@ci.homer.ak.us. Participation is free and open to all.

Anchor Point Senior Citizens

The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Friday. The center serves Thursday night dinners starting at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Bingo is at 6:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. on Friday nights. The Helping Hands Thrift Store is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For more information, call the senior center at 235-7786.

Cooperative Extension

February brings gardeners seed catalogs, thoughts of springtime and garden plans. If you are one of the many peninsula residents who uses a high tunnel or greenhouse to jump start your garden, it also is time to think about snow removal. With recent snows, and probably more to come, snow can build up quickly and weigh more than anticipated. To avoid collapse of high tunnels and greenhouses, consider ways to reduce the weight and possible damage to your investment. E-Grow has a publication on this subject titled “Don’t Let the Snow Get You Down” which can be found online at www.e-gro.org/pdf/2014_410.pdf. For more information, visit the Cooperative Extension at uaf.edu/ces/districts/kenai, call 907-262-5824, or stop by its office at 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite A, Soldotna.

Friendship Center

Friendship Center Adult Day Services is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday with extended hours for special situations. Programs are offered daily, including story time, crafts and musical performances. Call 235-4556.

Homer Senior Citizens

Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The lunch menu for this week is: today, roast beef with mashed potatoes; Friday, oven fried shrimp; Monday, chicken cordon bleu; Tuesday, spaghetti Bolognese; Wednesday, spanakopita; next Thursday, roast pork loin.

Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. The cost is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers per class.

Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center. The cost per class is $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers.

Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. The cost per class is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.

Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Jacquie Thaute at 299-2924 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.

Kachemak Bay Campus

Upcoming community classes include Kundalini Yoga on Feb. 13, Outboard Engines on Feb. 24-26, French Bistro Cooking with Teri Robl on Feb. 25 and Garden Design on March 25 and April 1. For information on community education classes, visit kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com.

Visiting writer Daryl Farmer, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Creative Writing program director, teaches a special multi-genre writing workshop, “Writing Interior and Exterior Landscapes,” from March 3-5. He also hold a public reading on 3/4, at 6:30 p.m. March 4. Register early for the workshop. For more information call 235-7743.

Pratt Museum

The museum gallery is open noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and closed Sundays and Mondays . Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“Bikes By the Bay,” a new show by Homer artist Don Henry, is now on exhibit. Henry’s show features five full-size art bikes exhibited together for the first time.

South Peninsula Hospital

South Peninsula Hospital offers “Living Well Alaska,” a six-session chronic disease self-management class. The group workshop is for people dealing with ongoing health conditions or the family members who support them, such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses. Learn skills to live life to the fullest and meet day-to-day challenges. In the workshop, students learn to solve problems that prevent you from doing what you want to do, set goals, understand and handle symptoms, eat well and be active, deal with difficult emotions, and collaborate with your health care team. The workshop meets Mondays from 4-6:30 p.m. Feb. 20 to April 3. The cost is $10 for the entire six-week series. Registration is required. For more information and to register, please call 235-0285.