Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board will be holding its regular monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. tonight. The meeting will be held at the McNeil Canyon Fire Station, 53048 Ashwood Ave. (Mile 12 East End Rd.). The public is welcome to attend. Call 235-9811 for more information.
Kachemak Bay Birders’ next trip will be an owling trip on Saturday, Oct. 12 with trip leader Gary Lyon. Gather at 7:30 p.m. at the muskeg at Mile 1 Ohlson Mountain Road. Please park as far as you can off the road side. There is a vacant driveway on the right, about 100 feet beyond the muskeg that is a good place to get off the road. Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight or headlamp (for walking in the dark). If it is raining or too windy on Oct. 12, the trip will be postponed until the Oct. 13 — check the website kachemakbaybirders.org. This event is free and everyone is welcome to attend. All trips are cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. For questions, call Gary Lyon: 299-2000.
Hospice of Homer Annual Volunteer Training will take place from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26-27. There is a $20 fee for materials. Volunteers must pass a background check and get a TB test.
The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 at the Anchor Point Fire Station, 72440 Milo Fritz Ave. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 235-6700
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:
Kenai Peninsula Votes says: thank you to the 29% of Homer residents who voted in this past election. The close race for city council was decided by only seven votes, which illustrates the importance of each vote. Why do the majority of voters choose not to vote? Next year, the borough will try to increase voter turnout by sending ballots through the mail. Research shows that mail-in voting is gaining momentum and is increasing turnout. As we get closer to the next election for 2020, we need to continue to encourage people about the importance of their vote to make their voices heard.
Ultimate Frisbee group meets from 7-9 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at the SPARC. Contact: Sunny at 441-0314.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities will be closed on Sundays for the winter from Oct. 6 through April 26, 2020. For more information contact the KPB Solid Waste Department at (907) 262-9667. Due to a change in its recycle market, Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities will no longer accept D grade plastic film, including plastic shopping bags. Also, they are only accepting #1 PETE beverage bottles with twist tops for recycling.
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 Robbie Fuller 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 lunch menu for this week is: Today, baked ham; Friday, salmon; Monday, hamburgers; Tuesday, chicken parmesan with pasta; Wednesday, meatloaf; and next Thursday, turkey.
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 Robbie Fuller 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.
Hospice of Homer
A Widows Support Group meets the second and fourth Saturdays of every month at 10:30 a.m. at Hospice of Homer. The group is for women who have lost husbands or partners and seek support in everything from practical matters like insurance to emotional support. For more information, call Marsha Graham at 235-5925.
Living with Loss – a weekly walk in conversation about loss and bereavement is on Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m.
Pratt Museum
The special exhibits gallery is hosting Kathy Smith’s “Rivers of Ice” exhibit from Oct. 4 through Dec. 28.
The KP Brass Band has selected the Pratt Museum as beneficiaries for their Saturday, Oct. 19 performance at the Alibi at 10 p.m. There is a $5 cover. Support great local music and the Pratt Museum.
The Pratt Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. For information about what’s happening at the Pratt, visit www.prattmuseum.org or call 235-8635.
Kachemak Bay Campus
The next Kenai Peninsula College College Council Meeting is at 6 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Oct. 10 in P202. This meeting is open to the public and takes place in room 202 in Pioneer Hall at Kachemak Bay Campus, 533 E. Pioneer Ave. Parking is accessible from Heath Street. For information please call 235-7743.
On Friday, Oct. 11, Megan McPhee presents: “Using Parentage to Understand Consequences of Salmon Aquaculture: a case study from Auke Creek.” This is part of the University of Fairbanks’ College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences weekly Friday seminar series which is live video hosted in room 219 at 3:30 p.m. in Pioneer Hall at KBC. Call 234-7743
Explore Watercolor Painting with Jan Peyton from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13. If you want to try watercolor painting but haven’t delved into the process, or if you’ve tried and feel frustrated, this workshop may inspire you. Students will explore traditional and innovative ways to work with watercolors during this two-day workshop. Floral and landscape paintings will be the focus. All levels welcome. The cost is $155. To register, call 235-7743 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/
Love bugs? Join Dr. Paula Martin for Exploring Aquatic Insects. This two-day adventure begins close to Homer on Saturday at Blackwater Bend on the shore of the Anchor River where you will learn about local ecology and collect samples of the insects that live there. The next day we will gather in the college science lab to examine and identify what the class has collected. This class runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Oct. 12 and from 1-4 p.m. To register, call 235-7743 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com.
Katie McCabe presents: Intertidal community structure and drivers across a glacial gradient from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 in room P219. This is part of the University of Fairbanks’ College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences weekly Wednesday seminar series which is live video hosted in room 219 in Pioneer Hall at KBC.Call 234-7743
Deckhand Skills runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 through Sunday, Oct. 20. Learn practical job skills for becoming a deckhand on any vessel. Includes safety, survival skills, line handling, knots, gear, basic navigation, crew roles, helm, wheelhouse expectations and more. The cost is $85. To register, call 235-7743 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/
Telling Tiny Tales: Flash Fictions and Mini Memoirs with Rich Chiappone and Justin Herrmann. A hands- on writing workshop exploring the fastest growing sub-genres in creative writing today. Flash fiction and non-fiction stories. Participants will write short, shorter, and shortest pieces. Write your own life, or make one up and see how much of it you can cram into exercises from 1,500 word short stories down to six word memoirs. All skill levels welcome. This class runs for three Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 19, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. It costs $75.00. To register, call 235-7743 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/
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
South Peninsula Hospital and Medtronics will host two classes on insulin pump therapy on Thursday, Oct. 17 at the SPH Training Center. The 5 p.m. class will be an in-depth training on Auto-Basal for people who are already using the 670G hybrid closed loop system for insulin delivery. The 7 p.m. training will be for individuals using the Paradigm 530G, Revel or 630G pumps. The classes will help you learn more about pump features, provide education, tools and resources to better help you manage diabetes, look at the latest and future portfolio of Medtronic products and discuss the new ADA standard of glucose assessment. Jeremiah Britton, MS, RD, Medtronic’s Alaska Clinical Manager, and PeggyEllen Kleinleder, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Homer Medical Center will conduct the trainings. Contact PeggyEllen at 235-0311 or pek@sphosp.org for more information or to register.
Appointments for reduced rate wellness screenings are now available. The 36th annual Rotary Health Fair is set for 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Homer High School. As part of the health fair, comprehensive blood analysis is available for only $55. In addition to the basic panel, additional tests are available for purchase at special health fair rates, including prostate, thyroid, vitamin D, hemoglobin a1c and cardiac CRP. New offerings this year include thyroid free T4, testosterone and hepatitis C.
These tests are offered by appointment at the fair, or before the fair at the hospital with the results available for pickup at the fair. Appointments are offered from Oct. 14-Nov. 1 in the hospital conference room on the hospital’s lower level. Payment must be made at the time of the test, and insurance cannot be billed. Appointments for both the day of the fair or at the hospital can be made at www.sphosp.org or by calling the health fair hotline at 399-3158. Book early as appointments fill up the closer it gets to fair date.
Walk with a Doc, a bi-monthly indoor walking program sponsored by South Peninsula Hospital, will take place Saturday Oct. 19 from 9-10 a.m. at SPARC (South Peninsula Athletic & Recreation Center). The walk leaders will be Rich Kleinleder and Dotti Harness-Foster, instructors of the class “Body Moves.” They will be discussing exercise and movement for people with all kinds of mobility issues. Following their brief presentation, folks can spend the remainder of the hour walking, visiting with the presenters, getting free blood pressure screenings and more.
Please bring your clean, indoor walking shoes to change into. Walk with a Doc is free and is a drop-in program. All are welcome, and SPARC is accessible for walking, running, strollers, wheelchairs, walking poles, etc. All ages and abilities can join us for this healthy Saturday morning activity, with snacks and coffee provided.
Additional information can be found online at the SPH website or Facebook page, or contact the SPH Health & Wellness Department at wellness@sphosp.org or call (907) 235-0970 with any questions or suggestions.
