Homer Wilderness Leaders (HoWL) will host the annual DiRtBaG Ball from 5-7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at Alice’s Champagne Palace, as the culmination of clean-up week. It is free to attend and family friendly, including live music by the Stringalongs, an all-you-can-eat sundae bar, DiRtBaG awards and door prizes.
The Faith Friday Friends, a group within the Faith Lutheran Church, and others will welcome two local veterans, Don Fell and Bill Sheldon, back from their Alaska Honor flight at 3:20 p.m. Saturday at the Homer Airport. Faith Friday Friends will present them with quilts of valor. The public is invited to attend.
The Homer Youth String Orchestra Club will perform its Spring Concert from 5-6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21 at Islands and Ocean Visitor Center.
The Homer Native Plant Society will host a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24 at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. The meeting’s title is “The Healing Power of Alaska’s Native Plants,” with Tia Holley. An Inupiat ethnobotanist and a wellness consultant for the Dena’ina Wellness Center in Kenai, Holley has a long history of and passion for exploring the use of native Alaska plants for food and medicine with the goal of preserving traditional Alaska Native knowledge. She will introduce some of Alaska’s most powerful native plants, discuss how to grow wild plant seeds, and share samples of the healing products she has made. This is a free program. Light refreshments. For details, email: jwoodring50@gmail.com.
A Conflict Resolution Skills/Alternatives to Violence basic workshop will be held from 5-9 p.m. Friday, April 27; from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 28; and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 29 at 59835 Tern Court in Homer. The workshop is presented by the Alaska Training Cooperative and Alaska Hands of Peace. This workshop presents skills to help reduce conflicts in work and everyday settings. It costs $75 to attend all three days. For more information or to register, contact Karen Cauble at 907-235-3832 or klcauble@hotmail.com, or Lisa Cauble at 907-264-6276 or lisa@alaskachd.org.
The Homer Bed and Breakfast Association will host its annual Spring Kickoff from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 29 at Wasabi’s Bistro. This gathering brings together hosts of dozens of local accommodations to learn directly from local businesses and organizations about what services and offerings are available to visitors this season. This helps the association make well-informed recommendations and referrals. The event will include networking, a round table of presentations, snacks and door prizes. This is a free event. For more information or to volunteer, call Lori at 235-3757.
Kachemak Crane Watch asks that residents report sandhill crane sightings to the organization at 235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.org. Date, time, location, behavior, and number of cranes is helpful. Leave a name and number in case the group needs more details.
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 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For information, call 235-7786.
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
The Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Pam Hooker at 299-7198 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The menu for this week is: Thursday, roast pork; Friday, salmon; Monday, vegetable quiche; Tuesday, chicken parmesan with pasta; Wednesday, meatloaf; next Thursday, turkey.
Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center.
Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Duplicate Bridge is $3 for members and $5 for non-members. Strong Women, Zumba and Tai Chi are $5 for members and $7 for non-members.
Pratt Museum
Galleries are open Tuesday-Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
Curator’s Closet: 50 Years of Collecting at the Pratt Museum is on in the Special Exhibits Gallery through April 28.
Behind the Scenes Collections Tours are 2 p.m. Thursdays. The tours cost $5 per person.
Ongoing activities: Fish Feedings have resumed from 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays in the Marine Gallery. Fish Feeding is fun and all are welcome.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Upcoming classes: Plein Air Painting taught by Jim Buncak (April 21 and 28, $90). Registration is open at https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com//
Maritime technology classes are Outboard Engine Repair with Danny Cole (April 20-22, $95). For information and to register: https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call 235-1622.
An Opening Reception of the Student Art Showcase will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. April 27. Work from this semester’s drawing and ceramic classes will be exhibited.
2018 KBC Commencement will be held at 7 p.m. May 9 at the Homer High School Mariner Theater. The keynote speaker is Dr. Joe Evensen.
Registration for all fall credit courses is now open at https://uaonline.alaska.edu/banprod/owa/bwck2sch.p_disp_dyn_sched . Sign-up now, pay latter.
Degree-seeking students: Call 235-7743 for an advising appointment.
KBC offers free GED, ESL, college preparation and life skills courses and individual assistance. Call 235-7743.
“Early Bird” registration for the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference (June 8-12) is open until May 1. Register by then for reduced fee. http://writersconference.homer.alaska.edu
South Peninsula Hospital
South Peninsula Hospital is accepting applications for its Board of Directors. Call 235-0237 or visit www.sphosp.org and click on “About SPH” for more information.
Walk with a Doc! with Dr. Todd Boling – “Healthy Weight Loss” will be held from 9-10 a.m. Saturday, April 21. at SPARC (600 Sterling Hwy next to Homer Middle School). All are welcome to hear a brief talk by Boling on weight loss for health and spend the rest of the hour walking at your own pace, chatting and asking any questions. This is a free event, open to all ages and abilities. There is parking up at the SPARC and down below in the Homer Middle School Parking lot. Find out more on Facebook or the hsopital’s page on the Walk with a Doc National website. There will be free blood pressure screenings, prizes, and refreshments. Please bring clean indoor walking shoes.
Upcoming – May 5 Walk with Devry Garity, ANP on Asthma. Email wellness@sphosp.org, or call the Health &Wellness Department at (907) 235-0970 with questions or for more information.
South Peninsula Hospital announces Homer Steps Up 2018, a steps-based community challenge to promote wellness and fun by motivating participants to walk. Cosponsored by SPARC, SVT Health and Wellness, City of Homer, South Peninsula Hospital and South Peninsula Behavioral Health, the goal is to reach 100 million steps as the southern Kenai Peninsula in the month of May.
Participants must enroll in the event online at www.sphosp.org or at upcoming enrollment sessions later in April. Steps can be tracked by pedometer or other step trackers and entered into the challenge website, or automatically through smartphone and android apps.
Various Homer organizations and businesses will be participating as Teams, competing against each other for the traveling trophy and “bragging rights.” In its second year, the challenge awarded the trophy to the City of Homer, and the trophy remains on display there through the end of May. New this year is the addition of an individual category, which allows everyone to participate in the challenge which runs May 1 through 31. Great prizes include:Grand Prize Winner: $500
Second Place Winner: $250
Third Place Winner: $100
Highest Stepper Winner: $500
Weekly prize drawings include: Individuals with a weekly step total of 35,000 – 69,999 steps
Individuals with a weekly step total of 70,000 – 99,999 steps
Individuals with a weekly step total of 100,000 – 139,999 steps
Individuals with a weekly step total of 140,000 or more
