Bear Creek Winery Garden of Lights will return this December with Christmas lights, hot chocolate, a bonfire and holiday music! Garden of Lights will be open from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 17-18. Admission is free. Bear Creek Winery is located three miles out East End Road.
The Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold its last virtual public hearings over the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Lease Sale 258 for over 1 million acres for oil and gas exploration and development in the federal waters of Lower Cook Inlet Nov. 18. The meeting Thursday, Nov. 18 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Visit the online Nov. 18 Town Crier to register for the virtual hearing.
This region supports vital commercial, sport and subsistence fisheries, and drives a lucrative and sustainable tourism industry. The draft EIS shows at least 40 years of oil and gas production in Lower Cook Inlet, with a likelihood of both small and large oil spills which would be impossible to fully contain in the region’s fast-moving waters. Furthermore, the proposed lease ignores growing impacts from climate change on Lower Cook Inlet, where federal managers closed the Pacific cod fishery in 2019-2020 due to low population numbers caused by climate change. Cook Inletkeeper opposes all new oil and gas leasing in Cook Inlet until the state and federal governments embrace realistic plans to address rapid climate change in Alaska, and adopt fiscal strategies that remove massive subsidies for oil and gas corporations. In addition to verbal comments during the virtual public meetings, anyone may submit written comments by December 13, 2021 at: https://www.regulations.gov/document/BOEM-2020-0018-0049.
The Christian Science Society, 3774 Bartlett St., will hold a Thanksgiving service on Thursday, Nov. 25 at 10 a.m. Hymns, prayer and readings from the King James Bible with correlative passages from Science and Health with key to the scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy comprise the service. Time will be set aside for sharing testimonies and expressions of gratitude. All are welcome at this hour-long service.
A Woodfired Anagama Kiln Unload with artists in residence Amanda Gentry, Heidi Kreitchet, Zoë Powell and Cynthia Morelli is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27 at Cynthia Morelli Studio, 60159 Lookout Ridge Ave. Homer, AK 99603. Masks are required.
The Loved & Lost Memorial Bench is being created to honor all those missing around Alaska, the nation, and the world. Three artists, 250 pounds of clay and more than five months in the making, work continues on the bench with a goal of placing it in its permanent spot outside the Homer Public Library. A memorial for Duffy and bench dedication event will be open to the public via Zoom, with details to be announced soon.
If you have a missing loved one and would like their photo included on the bench during the dedication event, please email a photo along with their name and date/location they went missing to Christina at lovedandlostmemorial@gmail.com. Fundraising efforts are ongoing with $10,000 still to be raised. Donations can be made online at gofundme.com/f/lovedandlostmemoria AND homerumcalaska.org/donate, and by check payable to HUMC, mailed to HUMC, 770 East End Rd, Homer, AK 99603 with memorial bench in the subject line.
You can also continue to drop dollars and change in donation jars around town – Chevron, CoffeeSmith, Coles Market, Latitude 59 SBS, Ulmers and Wild Honey Bistro. If you’d like to support the bench as a major donor and receive name/logo recognition in a variety of ways, please contact Christina for more details and the donor form – lovedandlostmemorial@gmail.com, 907-435-7969.
Duffy’s family would like to share the modeling clay that has been used to create the 12 sculptures that will be depicted on the bench. If you are a local or statewide artist, school or arts organization interested in re-using some of the 200 pounds of clay, please contact Christina, 907-435-7969.
Anchor Point Group of Alcoholics Anonymous continues to meet in person at the Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce at 34175 Sterling Hwy (north of Chapman School) on Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. These are open meetings, and alcoholics and non-alcoholics are all welcome. For more information, call 907-223-9814.
Co-Dependents Anonymous is meeting in person at Homer Methodist Church, located at 770 East End Road. Please contact Kay at 907-399-6243 for more information. All are welcome.
Step into Freedom is a narcotics anonymous group that will be held at 7 p.m. every Thursday at the Glacierview Baptist Church “Big House” next to the main church. This group is for both women and men, and is open to non-addicts who would like to sit in on the meetings. For questions, call Jaclyn at 907-756-3530.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities is closed on Sundays for the winter through April 24, 2022. For more information contact the KPB Solid Waste Department at (907) 262-9667.or check their webpage at https://www.kpb.us/swd-waste/about-solidwaste.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Avenue serves take-out meals on Thursday evenings with pickup from 5-6 p.m. Monday is Homemade Soup and Bread night. Serving two different soups to-go each week, from 4-6 p.m. Quart’s $12 / Pints $7. Reservations not required. Tuesday is Kickin’ Fried Chicken night. Serving from 4-6 p.m. Buckets or 3-piece meals. With or without Coleslaw and Biscuits. Walk in’s welcome or call ahead 235-7786. Thursday night is Home Cooked Dinner Night. Each Thursday is a different meal. Dine in or Take out. Served from 5-6:30 p.m. Reservations 235-7786.
Helping Hands Thrift Store is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and donations can be dropped off any time. The office staff are at work and available by phone for addressing needs. For information, call 235-7786.
All of our meals and programs are open to the public and do not require membership. Call 235-7786 for more information.
Homer Senior Citizens
Homer Senior Citizens Inc is closed to the public due to the HIGH spread of the virus in our community. We are being very COVID-conscious due to the vulnerability of the people we serve. Please follow the signage on the entrance doors, which follow our mitigation efforts based upon the community levels of spread.
You May Order a take-out meal from the Silver Lining Café or you may receive a meal at your home (if you do not have transportation at this time). Just call 235-7655 and reserve your meal. This week’s menu includes roast turkey with corn and peas, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes on Thursday; halibut steak with broccoli, quinoa and butternut pumpkin pie on Friday; ham and cheese sandwiches with tangy goat cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded carrot salad and potato chips on Monday; skirt steak with charred greens, roasted bell peppers and potato salad on Tuesday; and chicken/broccoli and gnocchi pesto with Mediterranean bulgur salad with carrots, almonds and feta on Wednesday.
Family members may visit their loved ones at the Terrace Assisted Living. Face masks and screening are required to enter our facility. Visitation is allowed in the resident’s apartment. If you are a friend and would like to schedule an indoor visit in our Visitation Room, please call Tanner at 235-7655 to schedule your visit.
Friendship Center Adult Day Services will reopen to the public once our community level of spread is back to Intermediate.
Please join us in our concentrated efforts to reduce the spread of this virus wear a mask and avoid indoor gatherings. Choosing to get vaccinated is the single most important action you can take to protect yourself and our community. We care about our community and want to rejoin it safely.
Hospice of Homer
Hospice is kicking off the holiday season with a storytelling event. Join us on Zoom Friday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. to hear stories from volunteers who feel a deep sense of gratitude and watch local performers share love and loss through their music. The link is available on our website.
Purchase a luminaria to support Hospice, and we’ll decorate it with the name of a loved one or a message for the community. Luminaria are $20 each and can be purchased at our office or on our website.
Join us Thursday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. for our second annual Light Up A Life event. The luminaria from our fundraiser will be lit and placed around WKFL Park where we’ll gather to bring light to a dark night. Share a story, wish your community members well, or just take in the light and a few cookies.
This prize for this year’s raffle is a striking Norman Lowell Lithograph of “Mt Redoubt (Ninilchik).” The lithograph is signed and numbered by the artist and beautifully framed. The drawing will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16.
Holiday candy from See’s and Homer Truffle Co will be on sale Saturday, Nov. 20 at Northwind Home Collection, Homer Bookstore, The Art Shop Gallery, Homer’s Jeans, The Classic Cook, The Bagel Shop, Petro Marine and the Hospice office. All proceeds fund general operating costs so we can keep services free to the community!
Hospice of Homer seeks to start a general Bereavement Support Group. This will be a facilitated group that will meet in person and be subject to our current COVID guidelines. Hospice has specific groups for those who’ve lost a life partner or child, but this group would welcome anyone dealing with loss. If you’re interested in joining, please contact the office at 235-6899 to be added to the list. Day/time information will be sent to you directly once we have an understanding of group size.
The Bereaved Parents Support Group is a support group and mutual assistance self-help group offering friendship, understanding, hope, encouragement and healing to all bereaved parents. Our purpose is to provide support, share and emotionally assist parents through their grief. The group is intended to serve both newly bereaved parents and those who are continuing on their grief journey. Anyone that has lost a child knows, you don’t just stop grieving. A parent’s grief is as timeless as their love. For more information, please email thomasklingensmith@yahoo.com or call 303-949-8969.
Hospice of Homer has resumed its monthly Widows Support Group. This group is a place for those who have lost their partner to share and heal. It is a safe place for coming to terms with the powerful feelings and experiences only those who are walking the same path can truly understand. Participants will be following all COVID-19 protocols. RSVP is required if you plan to attend so organizers may plan accordingly for social distancing and group size limitations. Call 907-235-6899 to respond.
Homer Council on the Arts
Kenai Peninsula residents of all ages are invited to enter the 24th Kenai Peninsula Writers’ Contest. Categories include poetry, fiction and nonfiction. For contest rules and to enter, visit homerart.org/writers-contest. The deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 10.
Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks before, during, and after the Nutcracker Faire! If you’d like to find out more about volunteer positions, please call HCOA at (907) 235-4288 or email hcoa@homerart.org. The Faire will take place on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 5 from noon to 5 p.m. at Homer High School.
Kachemak Bay Campus
The Spring 2022 printed class schedule is available on campus, at the Homer Public Library and throughout town. Offerings can be found online at: https://kpc.alaska.edu/academics/schedule/. Be sure to contact an adviser to find the classes that are right for you. Visit us on campus or call (907) 235-7743.
Open registration for the spring semester for the general public (including high school students) begins November 22, 2021.
Basics of DC Electricity for Vessels with Adam Smude: Basic troubleshooting and theory of direct current systems on vessels. Topics include electrical terms and definitions, safety codes, fundamental diagrams, battery types and application, marine wiring and more. The class will be held Dec. 6-10, from 6-9 p.m. $175. To register visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call Jill Burnham (907) 235-1674.
USCG approved Able Seaman certification is now available online. Complete the course in eight weeks and take the test here in Homer at KBC. Contact Marine Technology coordinator, Jesus Trejo, at 907-235-1622 for details. You may have more sea time than you think!
The Pratt Museum & Park
The Pratt Museum & Park is currently open for its fall hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and will be closed Monday through Wednesday. The museum will be closed for the week of Thanksgiving, Monday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 28. We will reopen on Dec. 2 to the public, following our normal schedule of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Additionally, the Pratt will be closed from Dec. 19 through Feb. 2, 2022.
Join us on Saturday, Dec. 18 from 1 – 2 p.m. for our FIRST free-family Saturday event. This will take place every third Saturday of the month and will include crafts, treats and story time for families. For December, welcome the snow and celebrate the Holidays with snowflake making, hot chocolate with marshmallows and story time. All the materials will be provided.
A new special exhibit has opened at The Pratt called “Ron Senungetuk: A Retrospective” and features work from the late iconic Alaska artist Ron Senungetuk. Senungetuk was a world-renowned sculptor, silversmith and woodcarver who blended ancestral Inupiaq forms with modern concepts and materials. This exhibition presents works created over his career, which have been featured in exhibitions and public art installations throughout Alaska and the U.S. He was a leading advocate for art in Alaska and helped establish the Native Art Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
South Peninsula Hospital
South Peninsula Hospital offers free testing and vaccinations for COVID-19. Free testing is offered daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the test site on Bartlett Street. No appointment is necessary. Vaccines are offered walk-in or by appointment as supplies permit from Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can only be made online at www.sphosp.org. Vaccinations are open to anyone 12 years and older for Pfizer, and 18 years and older for all other brands. Call the COVID nurse at 235-0235 to discuss symptoms, or the COVID vaccine info line at 435-3188 for recorded updates. Free testing is now offered for anyone who recently attended a social gathering or who was in a crowded indoor space and close to others. Details are in the weekly newspaper ad, at www.sphosp.org or at 907-435-3188.
Pediatric vaccine appointments are also now available every Wednesday and Saturday at the SPH test and vaccine clinic on Bartlett Street. Pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine are now available for children ages 5-11. Appointments can be scheduled at sphosp.org. A parent or guardian must be present during the appointment.
Kenai Peninsula Votes Tidbit
Do you know what these names all have in common? Donna, Shelly, Adam, Heath, Jason, Britny, Tim, Dawson, Ashton and Mike? These are the names of the people who ran for office in our most recent election in October. These are just a few of the people who decided to go to the next level and help our community move forward. They gave their time and energy to campaign to represent you. Running for public office is a monumental task. The amount of effort is incredible. They have devoted much time to getting their message across about why they are running for office. And on top of that, they have to deal with unwarranted attacks from opposing sides because the temperature for disagreement has become so disrespectful. All these people deserve the utmost respect for doing what they did. In KPV’s opinion these people are the true heroes. Win or lose, they came out and wanted to do greater good. They wanted to make a difference. They made our democratic process stronger and for that we should be grateful. A big reason to vote is to support your friends and neighbors who put themselves out there to support you. Remember all votes count and all voices matter.
