About Town Crier

The announcements section of Town Crier is a public service provided to individuals, nonprofit agencies and community groups.

Short announcements are generally run for two weeks, but are subject to space availability. Notices and obituaries may be edited for length, style and clarity. Events will be listed in the Calendar page.

Send notices to Homer News, 3482 Landings St., Homer 99603, fax to 235-4199, or e-mail to towncrier@homernews.com. Deadline is noon Monday to be considered for Thursday publication.

The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at the Anchor Point Fire Station, 72440 Milo Fritz Ave. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 235-6700.

Forget Me Not Alternative Healing is moving out East End Road and will be having a Grand Re-Opening Aug. 1-3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The address is 59584 East End Road.

The Omicron Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma and the Homer Community Food Pantry is holding its annual Backpack Back to School Project from today, Aug. 1, through Aug. 16. Donations will be collected in boxes at Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware, Christian Community Church, Glacier View Baptist Church, Homer United Methodist Church and West Homer Elementary School. These should be donations of school supplies and backpacks. The project benefits more than 100 children whose parents are clients of the Homer Community Food Pantry in Homer, Anchor Point and Ninilchik. For more information, contact Ceil Manchester at 907-235-6407.

The Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board will be holding their regular monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. The meeting will be held at the McNeil Canyon Fire Station, 53048 Ashwood Ave. ( Mile 12 East End Road). The public is welcome to attend. Call 235-9811 for more information.

Homer Birth and Wellness Center will host an open house from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9 at the center’s building at 3902 Shelford Street. The center is celebrating two years of providing services to women and their families. This is an opportunity to see the birthing facility and meet the midwives and their support team. This is a free, family-friendly event that will include food and refreshments, a bounce house, a maternity clothing exchange and a raffle drawing for a free parental or motherhood massage. For more information, call the office at 907-299-7133.

The Family Freedom Festival will be hosted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10 by the Anchor Point VFW Auxiliary. The Festival will be held at VFW Post 10221 located at 72551 Milo Fritz Ave. in Anchor Point. The festival will feature hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn and activities, including a bouncy house, dunk tank, face painting, coin hunt and more. Please bring a nonperishable food item for the local food pantry. For information about the Family Freedom Festival, contact Jennifer Henley at jhenley@spbhs.org or 907-399-7572.

There will be an all you can eat fish fry at the Anchor Point Senior Center from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11. The Senior Center is located at 72750 Milo Fritz Ave. in Anchor Point. Dinner will feature fried and baked local halibut, salmon, cod and rockfish as well as baked beans, cole slaw, corn bread and dessert. Suggested donations are $12 per adult and $6 for children 12 and under. There will also be door prizes and raffle items. For information about the Fish Fry, contact Cindy Burns at apsci@acsalaska.net or 907-235-7786.

The first-ever Homer Suicide Awareness & Prevention Ride will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. This is a motorcycle ride and/or drive for non-riders that starts at Homer Christian Church at 865 East End Road. The event includes a vigil with local family and friends to say a few words at the start, then share a plan and safety briefing for the motorcycle ride route. This is a family friendly event. Contact homersapr@gmail.com. An event patch is available for purchase for $8.

Sandhill Crane colts are practicing their flying skills in preparation for full flight. It takes 60-70 days from hatching to fledging. Some may even fledge by the end of July.

Please report any Crane colts fully flying (fledged) to Kachemak Crane Watch. Let them know where and when the colts were able to fly off with the adults. Include your specific location and other information you care to share.

If the colts you have been watching have disappeared or died, please let Kachemak Crane Watch know as well. If you know how they died, please include that information too. Successful fledging and mortality reports help Kachemak Crane Watch determine nesting success for the year compared to previous years. Your citizen science reports are vital to KCW monitoring of the nesting season.

Send reports to reports@cranewatch.org or call 907-235-6262.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Homer Annex has moved to its new location at 638 East Pioneer Ave. in the Homer Borough Maintenance building east of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. The annex door is to the right of the double garage doors. For more information call 235-9837.

Kenai Peninsula Votes tidbit:

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended racial discrimination in voting. Before this law, certain states made many black citizens pass a literacy test or pay a polling tax to vote. The consequences of this new law led to a huge increase in African-American voter turnout. In Mississippi, black voter turnout in 1964 was 6% and in 1969 it jumped to 59%.

Today many states still make it challenging to vote. For a more detailed look at what some states are doing to restrict voting, go to https://www.brennancenter.org/new-voting-restrictions-america. This year the House of Representatives has initiated HB 1,” For the People,” which is an act that would “expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and for other purposes.”

A civil rights activist said, “voting is the one time when we are all equal. When every citizen-whether rich or poor, young or old, and regardless of race-has the same influence.” Don’t forget to register to vote, fill out an absentee ballot, or just vote! Our next Borough election is Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Ultimate Frisbee group meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. at the Homer High School turf field. Contact: Sunny at 441-0314.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities are now open seven days a week through September. Hours are 8 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Sundays. 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 Avenue, 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 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.

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

The Pratt Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The special exhibits gallery is hosting the show All Alaska Biennial from now until Sept. 22.

The museum offers harbor walking tours weekly, from 3-4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. Meet at the Pratt kiosk in front of the Salty Dog Saloon. For tour rates and other information about what’s happening at the Pratt visit the website, www.prattmuseum.org

Kachemak Bay Campus

Register for fall 2019 classes now. Save your space and register early. Payments aren’t due until September. The new fall schedule is out this week. Come by the college and pick one up, or look for them throughout the town.

Computer Game Design and Virtual Reality App Development for-credit classes are offered this fall. Sign up now before the classes are full. Call 235-7743 or visit http://www.kpc.alaska.edu/ to register.

Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center

The Islands & Ocean Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ranger-led talks and walks are Sundays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. All programs are free of charge.

South Peninsula Hospital

The MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella is offered free-of-charge at Homer Medical Center during walk-in clinic hours from 5-8 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday evening until further notice. If someone is experiencing measles symptoms (high fever; runny nose; red, watery eyes; rash three to five days after symptoms begin) they are asked to please call before arriving at the hospital or clinic. It is important to access care if necessary, but individuals are asked to not go directly to the clinic, hospital, your doctor’s office or other provider. Please call first and the provider will have instructions for you to help prevent exposure to other patients.

For more information call Homer Medical at 235-8586.