Sandhill crane eggs have started to hatch. Please report any observations of sandhill crane colts (chicks) to Kachemak Crane Watch at 235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.org. 

The Third Annual Scottish Highland Games and Celtic Festival starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Karen Hornaday Park. The Scottish weekend begins at 5 p.m. July 5 with visiting pipers walking along Pioneer Avenue to a short concert at WKFL Park and then performances at 7 p.m. at the Down East Saloon. The Highland Games include traditional events and the Kilted Mile. The entry fee to participate in the games is $40, with registration at 9:30 a.m. July 6. The fee for the Kilted Mile is $30. All competitors receive a T-shirt. Admission to watch the games is $10 adults 16 and older, $5 for kids ages 5 to 16; kids under 5 are free with a paid adult. Family admission is $25 for two adults and three children or one adult and three children. The Highland Games include food, music and crafts, with kids’ activities. Following the games at 6 p.m. July 5 is a Ceilidh, or Scottish dance, at the Homer Elks Club on Jenny Lane in Old Town. Admission is $13 for dinner and music. For more information, visit www.kachemakbaycelticclub.com. Anyone interested in volunteering for the games can contact Renee Krause at 907-953-6546 or renee@kachemakbaycelticclub.com

The Kenai Peninsula Orchestra holds a Garden Party fundraiser and Summer Music Festival starting at 2:30 p.m. July 28 at the former Fritz Creek Gardens, Mile 8.5 East End Road. Hors d’oeuvres and champagne will be served, with music by The Areté Trio. Tickets are $30 and available at the Homer Bookstore and River City Books, Soldotna. Door prizes will be drawn throughout the afternoon. Attire will be Alaskan elegant; this is an opportunity for ladies to wear their hats. For more information, contact Mary at 252-4236 in Soldotna or Linda at 235-8650 in Homer.

The Homer High School class of 1988 holds its 25th alumni reunion July 19-20. The reunion starts with a meet-and-greet at AJ’s Old Town Steakhouse at 7 p.m. July 19. A family picnic and pig roast is noon-4 p.m. July 20 at Karen Hornaday Park. For more information, call Lara at 299-6688 or Marta at 206-372-2459.

Friendship Center

Friendship Center Adult Day Services is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday with extended hours for special situations. 

Homer Senior Citizens

Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and their guests and is served 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday. 

Strong Women classes at Homer Senior Citizens Recreation Room are 2-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Cost is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers per class.

Tai Chi classes are Thursday at 3 p.m. Cost is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers per class. For more information, call Daniel at 235-7655.

The Caregiver Support Group meets from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Homer Senior Center Friendship Terrace on these dates and about these subjects: July 11, to be announced; July 25, “Alzheimer’s,” with Lisa Wawrlorek; Aug. 8, “Questions and Answers on Dementia,” with Dr. Eneboe; Aug. 22, “Memory Book,” with Amy Lower, speech therapy, South Peninsula Hospital.

Kachemak Bay Campus

Registration for all fall workshops and classes is now being held. Register now, pay later. Call 235-7743 for an advising appointment for earning a degree. See schedule and course listing at www.kpc.alaska.edu/KBC.

Advance registration is required for the “Oil and Wax” art workshop with nationally recognized visiting artist Rebecca Crowell, to be held Aug. 9-11. Limited enrollment; register now.

Kenai Peninsula United Way

 Tesoro Alaska will sponsor its 13th annual golf tournament benefiting the Kenai Peninsula United Way on July 12 at the Kenai Golf Course. The event will be a four-person team golf scramble. Lunch will be provided. There will be an awards ceremony at the completion of the tourney. There are several ways to participate: a $300 per hole sponsorship; a $750 hole sponsorship with a four-member team and Alaska tee package; and the donation of prizes. The deadline to participate is July 5. Call or email Dina Pizzuto at 907-776-3513 or r.dina.pizzuto@tsocorp.com for more information. 

In addition, KPUW is preparing for its Fox Island Dinner Cruise and Auction. The day will include a three-and-a-half hour Kenai Fjords Sightseeing Cruise to Fox Island, dinner, a no-host bar and an outcry and silent auction to benefit KPUW. The ship departs at 3 p.m. Aug. 17 and returns at approximately 9:45 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person or $500 for a corporate-sponsored table for six. To reserve tickets or for more information, call KPUW at 907-283-9500. 

Pratt Museum

Summer hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. “Encounters: Whales in Our Waters” is on exhibit until July 21. “Inspired by Place,” selected art from the museum collection, is on exhibit through December. 

R.E.C. Room

The R.E.C. Room (a youth Resource and Enrichment Co-Op) provides teens with a safe space to foster healthy relationships and make healthy choices. Teens 12-18 spend time with friends and access information about the resources, activities and programs available for youth in the community — all with the guidance of a youth development staff member. The R.E.C. Room offers guitars, wifi, X-Box Kinect, air hockey, ping pong, board games, darts, rave gloves, movies, computers, art and craft supplies, and a lending library. Staff can help youth connect with resources for a variety of concerns, such as GED preparation, finding a summer job or homelessness. The R.E.C. Room, a program of Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic, is located at 3957 Nielsen Circle. Summer hours are 2-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Friend the R.E.C. Room on Facebook at facebook.com/rec.room7 to learn about new summer programs. 

Seldovia Village Tribe Health & Wellness Center

The SVT Health & Wellness Center offers a series of classes covering all aspects of wellness every Thursday at 6 p.m. there is no class this Thursday. On July 11 and 18 the program will be “Daily Green Smoothie Challenge Part 1 and 2,” with Jennifer Dickson, certified nutritional therapist. She offers tips on why green smoothies are beneficial, good tasting and immune system boosting. For more information or to suggest topics for future classes, call Amy Rattenbury at 226-2228, ext. 660.

Student News

Rosie Robinson, daughter of Kathy and Bruce Robinson, graduated May 19 from the University of Vermont, Rubenstin School of Environment and Natural Resources, with a bachelor or science degree in fisheries biology. Robinson is a 2009 graduate of Homer High School. She is working on the North Slope with an environmental consulting company doing arctic fisheries research.