The Kachemak Skeeters Youth Sport Shooting Club announces registration is open for a new season. Youth in grades 3-12 are welcome to join; however, space is limited. Anyone interested in the shooting sports but who doesn’t know much about it is welcome to come out to the Kachemak Gun Club and watch practices 10 a.m.-noon every Saturday at Mile 160 Sterling Highway, Ibenson Road near Blackwater Bend. Call or text 399-2972 for more information about the Skeeters or email kachemakskeeters@gmail.com.
The third Annual Sugar Plum Holiday Fair is from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday in the lower level of Homer United Methodist Church. There will be handmade vendors, food vendors, home consultants, nonprofits and manicures by Dragonfly Nails. Vendor space is available by calling Joyce Colbenson, 398-6712. The fair benefits Special Olympics, Homer area.
South Peninsula Hospital invites kids under 7 to the Trick or Treat Fun House from 2-5 p.m. Friday at the hospital’s Pediatric Therapy Gym, in the Rehabilitation Department (use the hospital’s lower-level, west entrance). Enjoy tricks, treats and games.
The Great Candy Exchange at South Peninsula Hospital will be from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at the Rotary Health Fair at Homer High School. Kids 10 and under can weigh and trade in their Halloween candy for prizes at the Pediatric Therapy booth as part of the Early Childhood Wellness Fair. The candy collected will be sent in care packages to U.S. troops overseas. While trading their candy, kids can make a personal greeting card to include in the packages.
Chapman School’s Halloween Carnival is today from 6-8 p.m. New games, haunted house, raffle, pie in the face booth and much more.
The Harvest Carnival is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Christian Community Church Gymnasium, 3838 Bartlett St. It’s free to families and kids of all ages. There will be carnival games, costumes, candy, popcorn, hot dogs and a fire truck. For more information, call 235-8291.
Sprout and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Child Find Program offer free screenings for children not yet in kindergarten (5 years old and younger). The screenings will be held in Ninilchik at the NTC Clinic Annex from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 5. Screenings will be done for a child’s early development, motor skills, speech, early learning concepts, vision and hearing. Children will be seen by appointment only. Immunizations are available upon request. To make an appointment, call the NTC Clinic at 567-3970.
Homer Emblem Club No. 350 will hold a Crafts Fair on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 in the basement of the Homer Elks. Vendor tables are still available to sell your favorite wares. Call Dee Dee at 235-8081 to reserve a table. The Emblem Club also will have a table of crafts for sale and a food table.
The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies is hosting activities at their headquarters on early school release days. From 1:30-3:30 p.m. Nov. 26, the program will be “Birdfeeders and Garlands.” Participants will create natural garlands and feeders for our friends with feathers. For more information, call 235-6667.
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.
Cooperative Extension Service
The Cooperative Extension Service is a year-round resource for a variety of topics. Visit today at www.uaf.edu/ces/districts/kenai. Or, stop by the extension office from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday in the Doors and Windows Building, 43961 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Soldotna.
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 beef; Friday, battered cod; Monday, chicken cordon bleu; Tuesday, barbecue beef brisket; Wednesday, chicken parmesan.
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
Deb Evensen, an educational consultant who specializes in FASD, will give a public lecture at 6:30 p.m. today on “New ways to help children with FASD succeed from preschool through adult life.”
Dr. Catherine Knott, Anthropology faculty, will present a public lecture on “Ebola and West Africa: The Cultural, Political and Economic Context” at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4.
KBC Visiting Writers’ Series presents poet John Morgan Nov. 7-9. There will be a public reading and talk at 7 p.m. Nov. 7. Morgan will conduct a poetry workshop titled “Forms of Feeling: Poetry in Our Lives” Nov. 8-9. Cost is $60. Advanced registration is required by Nov. 7.
To earn your GED or improve basic reading, writing and math skills, call 235-1606.
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.
“Communities, Disaster and Change” is a traveling exhibition coordinated by the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive. Framed by the 50-year anniversary of the devastating Good Friday Earthquake that struck Alaska on March 27, 1964, the exhibit features 28 artists from around the state. Each artist has submitted one piece, although some works contain multiple elements, such as diptychs and sculptural arrangements, that address the theme of natural disasters’ effects on their communities.
“La Fiesta en el Dia de Los Muertos,” the 29th annual Ritz benefit, is 6:30-10 p.m. Nov. 1 at Wasabi’s. The event includes Spanish cuisine served in a festive Day of the Dead atmosphere with musical entertainment by The Devils Club, featuring Johnny B., Jeff Szarzi, Jennifer King and Tyler Munns. Donated artwork is on display now at the Pratt through Oct. 29 and on Oct. 31 at Wasabi’s. Tickets are on sale for $100 at the Pratt and the Homer Bookstore.
South Peninsula Hospital
The 31st annual Rotary Health Fair is set for 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 1 at Homer High School. “It’s Your Life … Take a Day to be Well” is the theme of the fair, sponsored by Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary Club in cooperation with South Peninsula Hospital. For more details, see pages 12-15.
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 “Sculpt Session: abs, thighs and glutes” with Cassandra Chwialkowski, a certified personal trainer.
