Announcements

The Kachemak Bay Research Reserve Community Council invites the public to its regular quarterly meeting from noon-3 p.m. Dec. 10  at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. For more information, contact Stacey Buckelew at 226-4653.

The Kachemak Bay State Parks Citizens Advisory Board meets from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Alaska State Parks Office, Mile 168.5 Sterling Highway. For more information, call the Homer State Parks Office, 235-7024.

The Southern Peninsula State Parks Advisory Board meets from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 14 in Ninilchik at 66590 Oil Well Road. For more information, call the Kenai Area State Parks Office, 262-5581.

Pets can visit Santa Claus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Homer Animal Shelter. Have a photo taken with Jolly Old St. Nick. This is a fund raiser for Homer Animal Friends, and all proceeds will go towards supporting its mission. No reservations are needed.

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is Saturday, Dec. 20. Meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. Dave Erickson holds a class, “Winter Bird Identification,” from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in preparation for the bird count. For more information, call Lani Raymond with the Kachemak Bay Birders at 399-9477 or email lani67@alaska.net.

Linda Willard and the family of the late Bruce Willard are encouraging donations in his memory to the Alaska Farm Bureau Scholarship Fund. A pioneer rancher and farmer at the head of Kachemak Bay, Bruce Willard served on the Alaska Farm Bureau board of directors and had been an advocate of agriculture. The Alaska Farm Bureau awards $2,000 scholarships to applicants seeking to improve their skill levels to work in an agricultural or natural resource field through college, trade school or vocational training. Donations can be mailed to Alaska Farm Bureau Scholarship Program, Amy Seitz, executive director, 37075 Nicholas View Lane, Soldotna AK 99669. 

The 2015 Bearded Ballet Show is Feb. 20 at the Mariner Theatre. Produced by Homer Events, the Bearded Ballet is a comedy/variety evening and competition with celebrity judges. The ballet seeks teams, entries and acts of any size, each representing a local charity or fraternal organization, to compete. The funniest team will win a $1,000 donation to add to what their charity raises in connected fundraisers before and during the event. Nonprofit organizations are invited to hold a silent auction booth or table in the high school commons before the show. Register nonprofit groups by posting email on Facebook at “Homer Bearded Ballet,” emailing homerevents@gmail.com or calling Dax Radtke at 299-0319. 

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. For more information, call 235-4556.

Homer Senior Citizens

Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday. The lunch menu for this week is: today, roast pork loin; Friday, oven fried shrimp; Monday, beef stroganoff; Tuesday, chicken picatta; Wednesday, seafood enchilada; next Thursday, roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy.

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 members, $6 nonmembers.

Tai Chi classes are Thursday at 3 p.m. The cost per class is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-7655.

Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center dining room. Call Pam Hooker at 299-7198 or Kathy Hedges at 235-4556.

Kachemak Bay Campus

A student art show with work by students in this semester’s painting class is on exhibit in the commons, Pioneer Hall.

A student recognition reception for Certified Nurse Assistants is at 2 p.m. Dec. 8 at South Peninsula Hospital Long Term Care. 

The upcoming Winter/Spring Class and workshop schedule is now online at www.kpc.alaska.edu/KBC/searchable_schedule. Registration for next semester’s classes has started. Stop by the campus to sign-up or register online. 

Classes include gourmet cooking/culinary arts, marine technology, bookkeeping, cultures of Africa, polar bears, creative writing, intermediate yoga, 6-pack boat license preparation, pilot ground school, fisheries technology, oil painting, intermediate Tai Chi, ceramics, welding and more. Register now, pay later. Call 235-7743 for advising information for winter/spring semester classes.

Pratt Museum

The museum winter hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; the museum is closed Monday. Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Thanks to individual donors and the city of Homer, the museum offers free admission all December. From 1-3 p.m. Dec. 14 is the Holiday Recital and Quilt Raffle, the Pratt’s annual community recital and raffle drawing for a locally handmade quilt.

The People’s Choice Art Exhibit features artwork people voted on to display in the downstairs museum art gallery. Many of these pieces from the Pratt’s permanent collection have not been on exhibit in some time, and this input provided a diverse and refreshing selection of works. Among the most popular selections were Tamara Schmidt’s “Alder Crane,” Annette Bellamy’s “Mending Tools” and Alex Combs’ “Caribou.” The show is up through Dec. 31.

“Women Who Run with the Tides: New Work by 29 Women — 25 years” includes works by women artists who lived and work in the Kachemak Bay area at least 25 years ago. The exhibit was curated by Kim Terpening and Nancy Wise.

South Peninsula Hospital

South Peninsula Hospital offers free help with certified application counselors to anyone wanting to sign up for health insurance made available through the Affordable Care Act. Appointments are available on select Saturdays through February. Appointments are at the hospital and are strongly encouraged to avoid a wait. Additional dates for assistance include Dec. 6, 13; Jan. 10, 24; and Feb. 7, 14. Call 235-8101 to make an appointment.

SVT Health & Wellness

SVT Health & Wellness offers a series of classes covering all aspects of wellness every Thursday at 6 p.m. Today’s class is “Homemade Holiday Gifts” with Hillery Daily, naturopathic doctor.
Learn to make healthy, all natural, homemade gifts. Make and go home with whipped body butter, body-face-lip brown sugar scrub, and ginger mint foot and body polish. A donation of $5 for supplies is appreciated. Please call 226-2228, ext. 660, to RSVP. The class is limited to 20 participants.

Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace has started. Certified application counselors are available to meet for a one-on-one appointment. Please call 226-2228 to make a free, confidential appointment.