Best Bets

If springing your clocks forward this past weekend wasn’t enough of a sign that spring is on its way, try driving out East End Road where spring melt run off by East Hill will have you running to the car wash or at least to the store to load up on more windshield washer fluid. And while there’s still plenty of snow out East for skiing and snowshoeing, in town trails are now a patchwork of brown and white. And, if you missed it as an insert in last week’s paper, the Shorebird Festival program is out! How many more signs of spring do you need?

BEST THRIVING THURSDAY BET: Seldovia Village Tribe presents its weekly conversations. On Thursday, March 16, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Mel Mutterspaugh, a clinical herbalist, will discuss Indigenous traditional knowledge to learn to communicate with and learn from plants. Participants will make cottonwood bud honey as she teaches plant properties, benefits, sustainable harvest and how to build a natural first aid kit. Supplies provided by SVT Health & Wellness. For more information, call 907-226-2228.

BEST DEMENTIA EDUCATION BET: Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska and Hospice of Homer present Three Days of Dementia, bringing education and resources about this devastating disease to the community.

Thursday, March 16, 6-8 p.m. at the Homer Theatre — A free showing of the movie “Alive Inside,” with discussion to follow. “Alive Inside” is a joyous cinematic exploration of music’s capacity to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity. Admission by donation.

Saturday, March 18, 10 a.m. at the Hospice of Homer office — Positive Approach to Care, a discussion. All are welcome; 2-4 p.m. at the Hospice office

Sunday, March 19, 10 a.m. at the Hospice office — Virtual dementia tour; 2 p.m. at Kachemak Bay Campus — Normal Aging or Something Serious? Presentation.

For more information on all of these activities, contact Hospice of Homer, 907-235-6899

BEST ARTS BY AIR BET: Bunnell Street Arts Center and KBBI AM 890 present Bunnell Arts By Air, a radio series featuring Alaskan and visiting musicians in all genres. On Friday, March 17 at 7 p.m., Orion Donicht will be live in concert and on-air. Donicht has been making music around Alaska for almost three decades. From seminal punk band Stubby’s Crack Co. to the acoustic stylings of the Spenard Satans Old Times Club House Band to the hundred of songs in four hour power solo shows to the acerbic jazz of The Life Ain’t Fairview Trio, and now back to his punk roots with DiscopianS. Join the live studio audience at Bunnell by arriving by 6:45 p.m. Tickets at https://bunnell-street-arts-center.square.site/concerts. Listen online at kbbi.org and AM 890.

BEST SKI MARATHON BET: The 2023 Kachemak Nordic Ski Marathon is Saturday, March 18, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lookout Mountain trails with three distances to choose from: a point to point 42 kilometer race, a point to point 25 kilometer race, and a 13 kilometer timed scenic tour. A shuttle bus will be available and everyone is invited to the after party with food and awards. For more information, including fees, shuttle details, and to register, contact Kachemak Nordic Ski Club at 907-299-2114, kachemaknordicskiclub@gmail.com, or visit them online at kachemaknordicskiclub.org.

BEST HOMER BEEKEEPERS BET: Homer Area Beekeepers Association holds their next membership and mini beekeeping meeting and all are welcome. Topics will include safety for beekeepers, how to run a double queen hive, best location for your hive, bear fencing, finding your queen, and hive checks. Meeting is Saturday, March 18, 2 p.m. at the Homer Methodist Church. For more information, contact Linda at 907-290-1695.

BEST SUNDAY FUNDAYS BET: The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies hosts Wynnter Sunday Fundays at the Wynn Nature Center. Join in every Sunday, 1-3 p.m. for games, hot dogs, science, s’mores, and more. On March 19, enjoy Wynn Mystery and on March 26, Welcoming Spring. Free and everyone is welcome. For more information call 907-235-6667 or email henry@akcoastalstudies.org. Wynn Nature Center is located at mile 1.5 East Skyline Drive.

BEST KNOW YOUR BODY BET: Your Body Within: Numbers That Matter. Join South Peninsula Hospital and Sunrise Medical Weight Loss for a free, interactive community presentation on the technical and scientific aspects of weight loss, presented by Carrie Warren, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and medical weight loss specialist. Come at least 30 minutes early to this free event for a free Body Composition Analysis or stop by Sunrise Medical Weight Loss at 4201 Bartlett Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get your free body analysis prior to the event, and then use your results during the presentation. Sunday, March 19, 5 p.m. at Kachemak Bay Campus. Enjoy door prizes, a complimentary gift pack and snacks and enter to win a body composition home scale. For more information, contact wellness@sphosp.org, visit sphosp.org, or Sunrise Medical Weight Loss on Facebook.

BEST 3D FILM SERIES BET: Pratt Museum and Park hosts Diving Deep into Discussions “3D” film series every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Free and open to the public, films relevant to the Kachemak Bay region will be featured and participants are invited to discuss the topics together with our Director of Lifelong Learning Experiences. On March 21, watch “Then and Now: The Alaska Oil Spill at 20” (2009), 20 minutes and “A Concerned Citizen: Civics in Action” (2019), 41 minutes. Films will be shown in the Downstairs Classroom Gallery. Please access the classroom directly from the lower South Parking Area as the museum’s main entrance will not be used for this event and there will be no access to exhibits on the upper floor. For more information, email education@prattmuseum.org. Please feel free to bring your own refreshments to enjoy or share.

BEST PARENTING PRESENTATION BET: Parenting is not an easy job, especially in today’s digital age with kids often spending several hours a day on their devices. What are they seeing? Who are they talking to? What are the dangers? How does this affect their mental health and personal safety? Join Lt. Ryan Browning for a presentation and conversation on parenting in the digital age. This presentation is open to teens/adults/parents/guardians with very candid, and probably uncomfortable, conversation on what your children are seeing and experiencing online and how to help your children navigate responsibly and safely. HPD wants this to be a safe space for everyone to listen, share and have authentic dialogue. No recording will be permitted. Upcoming dates and local locations include: March 14, 6-8 p.m. at the Homer Public Library; March 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Chapman School, Anchor Point; March 23, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Nikiski High School; March 25, 6-8 p.m. at Soldotna High School; March 29, 6-8 p.m. at Kenai Central High School. For more information, call HPD at 907-235-3150.

BEST HEALTH CARE SCHOLARSHIP BET: The Homer Foundation is offering a scholarship to provide financial assistance to students from the lower Kenai Peninsula who are pursuing a career in a healthcare-related field at an accredited professional or technical school. Applicants may apply as a high school graduate or in any given year of their post-graduate studies. The awards vary from $500-$3,000 and generally there are multiple awards made each year. Applicant must be pursuing a career in a health care field and the deadline to apply for 2023 is March 24. Hear from current recipients and learn more in this quick video, and apply online at https://app.smarterselect.com/…/85241-The-Homer-Foundation.

Recent snow melt fills East End Road with water on Sunday. (Photo by Christina Whiting/Homer News)

Homer Council on the Arts exhibit on bodily automony is on display Saturday1. HCOA and Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic invite community members to stop by the exhibit and share what bodily autonomy means to them. (Christina Whiting/Homer News)