The city needs participants for a POD exercise from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Homer High School Commons.
This is an emergency preparedness exercise coordinated by the State of Alaska Section of Public Health Nursing. It will be administered by South Peninsula Hospital, Homer’s Public Health Nurses and seven other service organizations. People who stop in during this planning exercise can receive a free flu shot. The vaccines are provided by the State of Alaska Department of Epidemiology and will be offered to those older than 6 months, pregnant women and seniors, who will receive a high dose.
The Homer Community Food Pantry is encouraging area residents to participate in a reverse Advent calendar project this holiday season.
The pantry will accept the boxes between Christmas Day and New Years Day at 770 East End Road. Call the food pantry at 907-235-1968 for more information and for the list of item to put in the box.
There will be a Loss, Grief and Addiction workshop from 6-8 p.m. on Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 1 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 2 located at 1231 Ocean Drive in Homer.
This is a weekend workshop for parents, families, loved ones and those in recover. It will be led by Dr. Ted Wiard, founder and executive director of Golden Willow Retreat. The workshop will include the topics of chronic grief, chronic fear, unconventional grief and complicated or compounded grief. Contact Annie Wiard to reserve a spot by calling 907-299-0541.
The Homer Volunteer Fire Department wants to remind the public as the temperature drops and they start to turn the heat on, make sure you properly have your chimney cleaned and inspected.
The department offers chimney brushes at the station for your convenience. Give them a call if you have any questions at 907-235-3155 ext. 0.
The Annual Holiday Tree lighting Celebration hosted by the Homer Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30 at the Chamber Visitor Center. The Chamber is located at 201 Sterling Highway.
Santa will arrive on a Homer Fire Department Engine. Mayor Ken Castner will welcome Santa and turn on the tree lights, which will continue to glow throughout the holiday season on the tall evergreen on the Chamber lawn. The Homer High School Swing Choir, directed by Kyle Schneider will sing carols outside or inside the Chamber depending on weather conditions. Take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus as kids share their Christmas wishes.
Hot cocoa, apple cider and s’mores roasted over the bonfire will be available. There will be an Arts and Craft Room for kids with a new addition of artists David and Elissa Pettibone from the Kachemak Bay Art Space Shop showing kids how to make marbled holiday cards.
The Tree Lighting Ceremony is sponsored by the following Chamber Members: AmericasCuisine, Alaska Flower Mill, AlaskaUSA Mortgage Company, Cornerstone Home Lending, Cosmic Kitchen, Don Jose’s Restaurant, Dutch Boy Christmas Décor Enstar, Homer Electric Association, Malone Insurance Company, Safeway, Save-U-Mor, SVT Health & Wellness and Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware.
For more information call Jan Knutson, Chamber Visitor Center & Community Event Manager at 907-235-7740.
The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 19, at the Anchor Point Fire Station, 72440 Milo Fritz Ave.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 235-6700.
Ultimate Frisbee groups meets Mondays from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at the SPARC.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities are closed on Sundays through April 28, 2019.
For more information contact the KPB Solid Waste Department at 907-262-9667.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Friday.
The center serves Thursday night dinners starting at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Bingo is at 6:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. on Friday nights. The Helping Hands Thrift Store is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For information, call 235-7786.
Friendship Center
Friendship Center Adult Day Services is open 9 a.m. to 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
The Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Pam Hooker at 299-7198 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Lunch costs $7 for seniors age 60 and older, and $15 for those under 60.
The menu for this week is: Today, baked ham; Friday, almond-crusted salmon. The menu for the rest of the week is not available yet.
Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center.
Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Duplicate Bridge is $3 for members and $5 for non-members.
Strong Women, Zumba and Tai Chi are $5 for members and $7 for non-members.
Pratt Museum
Galleries are closed for renovations until May 2019.
The business office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Kachemak Bay Campus
How to Use QuickBooks, Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ($30). Marine Electronics class will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 with Mark Zeiset from South Central Radar. Call 235-7743 for information. Sign up on easy community education website at www.kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com
Intermediate MS Access takes place Nov. 30 and Dec. 7.
Registration is open starting Nov. 26 for winter/spring classes. See https://www.kpc.alaska.edu/academics/schedule/. Classes include Welding, Cetaceans of Ak, Able Seaman, Gill Net Building, Environmental Economics and Policy, Volcanology of KBay, Drawing, East Asian History, Tai Chi. Private Ground School and more.
South Peninsula Hospital
Free flu shots will be offered during a full scale exercise of the community’s Point of Dispensing Emergency Response Plan from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Homer High School. This exercise will not only help the city and community prepare for emergency response, but will also provide a much needed, very valuable public health service for all by providing free flu shots.
The event will exercise the community’s mass dispensing plan for opening, operating and closing an Open Point of Dispensing site to quickly dispense medication from the Strategic National Stockpile in the event of a public health emergency for the Southern Kenai Peninsula Region.
To fully exercise the dispensing part of the plan, free flu shots will be provided. These flu shots are appropriate for children 6 months and older, adults, pregnant women and high dose for seniors.
This community wide Emergency Preparedness Exercise is coordinated by the State of Alaska Section of Public Health Nursing, in cooperation with numerous local emergency preparedness partners, including the City, South Peninsula Hospital, Kachemak Emergency Services, SVT Health and Wellness and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to name but a few.
Additional information can be found by calling Derotha Ferraro, public information officer for the exercise, at 235-0397.
