St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 619 Sterling Highway, holds Saturday group meditation walks in the church labyrinth during Lent. A short Compline evening prayer service follows about a half-hour after the walk. The walks are weather permitting. Please wear appropriate outdoor clothing and foot gear. Walks are held between sunset and dark, so start times vary. Approximate start times are 7 p.m. Saturday, 8 p.m. March 19 and 8:30 p.m. March 26.
The Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board holds its regular monthly 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. For more information, call the office at 235-9811.
“Didyano” presented by Daisy Lee Bitter, is offered by the Homer Native Plant Society at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. Many Homer residents know a lot about Alaska’s native plants, but Daisy Lee believes she’s found some unique information for you. A master gardener and television teacher for the Alaska Ecology television series, she has had a close relationship with Alaska plants for 62 years and is a treasure trove of ethnobotany knowledge. At this unique program, Daisy Lee will share stories and facts about native plants that might surprise you. The program is free. Light refreshments are included. For details, email jwoodring@alaska.net or call 235-9344.
The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board holds its board meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 16 at the Anchor Point Fire Station, 72440 Milo Fritz Ave. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 235-6700.
Girl Scout troops will be selling cookies in Homer from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 19 and March 26 at Redden Marine-Kachemak Gear Shed. Girl Scouts sell eight varieties, including Samoas, the number one best selling cookie in Alaska. One-hundred percent of the money raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program stays in Alaska with the state council and troops. To find locations of other cookie sales, use the online Cookie Locator at girlscoutsalaska.org/cookies/cookie-locator.
The Alaska Democratic Party holds its Presidential candidate caucuses at 10 a.m. March 26 statewide. The House District 31 caucus will be held in Homer at a place to be announced. For more information, call Liz Diament at 914-588-0332. Voters must be registered members of the Democratic Party to participate. Alaskans not registered as Democrats can change their party affiliation or register to vote at the caucus. To help party officials plan for caucuses, voters are encouraged to preregister for the caucuses by visiting www.akdems.org or calling 907-258-3050. Democrats will elect delegates to the state convention in proportion to the votes each candidate receives. The state convention is May 13-15 in Anchorage.
The Homer Legislative Information Office, located at 270 W Pioneer Ave., is open to keep citizens informed and involved on issues facing the Alaska Legislature. Various hearings are being held, and public testimony sought, on instituting a state income tax and restructuring the Alaska Permanent Fund. A variety of tax increases and other nonrevenue issues also are being discussed. To learn more or keep up to date on any of these issues, contact the LIO at 235-7878.
ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE) is looking for local families to host boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 18 from a variety of countries, including Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Japan. The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance. ASSE students are selected based on academics and personality, and host families can choose their student from a wide variety of backgrounds, countries and personal interests.
To become an ASSE Host Family or to find out how to become involved with ASSE in your community, call the ASSE Western Regional Office at 1-800-733-2773 or go to www.host.asse.com to begin your host family application.
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 p.m. with play starting at 7 p.m. on Friday nights. There will be a special $1,000 three-day bingo event at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. 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.
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 pork loin; Friday, oven fried shrimp; Monday, beef stroganoff; Tuesday, chicken picatta; Wednesday, seafood enchilada; next Thursday, corned beef and cabbage.
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.
Cooperative Extension Service
Protein seems to be a popular buzzword these days. Advertisements for powders, bars and shakes surround us. With all this press about protein, it seems as if we’re in dire straits and should rush out to “get our beef on.”
The amount of protein required by the body varies with age, sex, and activity level, but the average is 5.5-6.5 ounces per day. Most Americans eat enough protein without supplementing. Therefore, improving protein in our diets means focusing on variety and quality.
Selecting a variety of protein is key, as variety improves nutrient intake. Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, nuts, seeds and soy products are all considered important foods in the protein group. Quality refers to the leanness of our protein choices. Selecting lean or low-fat meats has been proven to be beneficial for overall health, but especially so in reducing heart disease.
Fortunately, in Alaska, we have the benefit of wild seafood, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in levels of mercury and other contaminants, as well as naturally lean wild game. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds and limit processed meats to enjoy protein without extra sodium.
For more information, stop by the Cooperative Extension Service for a handout or visit www.choosemyplate.gov. Your local Cooperative Extension Service is your year round resource for a variety of topics. The Cooperative Extension Service office is at 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite A, and is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Register in advance for Operating A Skiff for the First-Timer, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 26 and conducted by harbormaster’s office. The deadline to register for the skiff class is March 24 with a $35 fee. “Deckhand on Fishing Vessels” is 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 9-10, with a fee of $60. Biology of Polar Bear meets Mondays, March 28-April 25. “Pollinators in Your Garden” workshop with Brenda Adams is 10 a.m.-1 p.m. April 2. MS Excel class is 10 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Saturdays, April 9-30. U.S. Coast Guard Onboard Drill Conductor Training is 8 a.m.-7 p.m. April 20; Vessel Stability Training is 8 a.m.-3 p.m. April 21, and Ergonomics for Fishermen is 3-4:30 p.m. April 21. Register in advance at uaonline.alaska.edu. Check out most of the KBC opportunities at www.kpc.alaska.edu/files/resources/spring-2016-kbc-schedule.pdf.
The Kenai Peninsula College Council meets at 6 p.m. today at Pioneer Hall.
Kachemak Advocates
of Recycling (KARe)
Kachemak Advocates of Recycling want to make it easy for you to recycle. Here are some tips:
• There are new corrected signs up on the old newspaper and glass recycling bins. The old newspaper only bins now say “Mixed Paper and Newspaper.” Mixed paper is almost any paper that does not have foil or plastic on it. This includes paper boxes such as cereal and cracker boxes, insides of toilet paper rolls, etc. Glass bottle bins now say “Container glass and other glass.” Any glass, except light bulbs, is OK to put in these bins, even ceramics, pottery and china, because the glass is crushed here and used as road fill. Regular light bulbs cannot be recycled so they are trash. Fluorescent bulbs are collected in the recycling area at the dump.
• The Borough would like to remind folks not to put plastic bags filled with aluminum cans in the aluminum bin, for instance. Put the aluminum containers only into the bin. This is true also for tin cans and glass — don’t just dump them in the bin if they are still enclosed in a bag or box; dump the items in the bin and then you can recycle the bag or box also.
Pratt Museum
Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. The museum gallery is open noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, closed Sundays and Mondays. Admission is free on Tuesdays and Thursdays in March.
“Living Alaska: A Decade of Collecting Contemporary Arts for Alaska Museums” is on exhibit. Curated by Sven Haakanson Jr., the exhibit opened Nov. 6 at the Anchorage Museum and features works collected by Alaska museums through the Rasmuson Foundation Art Acquisition Fund. The Pratt exhibit features additional works from its collection purchased through the Rasmuson program.
South Peninsula Hospital
South Peninsula Hospital offers a Safe Sitter class 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on March 17 and 18. The class is designed for 11-14 year olds to teach basic child care, infant and child CPR, first aid, safety for the sitter, behavior management and business etiquette. Students should bring their own lunch. Registration is required. The cost is $70 per person, but scholarships are available based on need. Space is limited. For more information and to register, call the hospital’s education department at 235-0258.
SVT Health and Wellness and South Peninsula Hospital are teaming up to offer “Living Well Alaska,” a chronic disease self-management class. Developed by Stanford University, this six-week group workshop is for people dealing with ongoing health conditions or the family members who support them. People with all kinds of long term conditions such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses can benefit. It offers fun with others while you practice skills to live life to the fullest and meet day-to-day challenges. At a Living Well Alaska workshop, you will learn the skills 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 runs weekly from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, March 16, 23, 30 and April 6, 13, 20. The cost is only $10 for the entire six-week series. Registration is required. For more information and to register, call 235-0285.
