The Kachemak Ski Club is hosting a work party at the Homer Rope Tow this Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. Please bring some tools. Email janeandbill@gmail.com for details.
The Anchor Point Senior Citizen Center and VFW Post 10221 will host Oktoberfest this Saturday at 72551 Mile Fritz Road in Anchor Point. This is a family festival that runs from noon to 11 p.m. with children welcome from noon to 7 p.m. Food will be served from 2-5 p.m. There will be games for both kids and adults, music, prizes and a costume contest. Bring a canned food item for the Anchor Point Food Pantry.
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 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 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, turkey; Friday, halibut tacos; Monday, stuffed shells with meat; Tuesday, balsamic roasted chicken; Wednesday, spaghetti with Italian sausage; and next Thursday, walnut crusted pork roast.
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 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
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 is a hands- on writing workshop exploring one of 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. To register, call 235-7743 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/
Stephanie Quinn-Davidson presents “Rural Engagement with the Board of Fisheries” from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 in room P219. 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 in Pioneer Hall at KBC.
Julie Matweyou presents: “Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in the Kodiak,” from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 in room P219. 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 in Pioneer Hall at KBC.
Marine Technology continues when the Able Seaman class starts on Oct. 24. This USCG-approved 40-hour course is for those that have sea time and would like to obtain the Able Seaman Merchant Mariner Credential. Fishermen are welcome. Upon completion of this course and passing an exam, you will receive a course completion certificate in lieu of Coast Guard examination. Topics include navigation, rules of the road, safety, marlinespike seamanship, etc. You may have more qualifying sea time than you think. Contact the KBC Marine Tech. Coordinator at 907-235-1622. The class meets from 5:30-9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and costs $500.
Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center
The Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center is open Tuesday – Saturday from noon 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 West Wing women’s health clinic of Homer Medical Center will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. The public is invited to take tours of the clinic, meet the team of four certified nurse midwives, enjoy children’s activities and enter to win a grand door prize of a brand new car seat, including installation by a Child Passenger Safety Technician. Free mini-photo sessions will be offered during the event, perfect for individuals, families, newborns and expecting moms. Refreshments will be served. The clinic is located at 4117 Bartlett Street, and parking will be provided at Homer Medical Center. West Wing offers complete women’s health, ob/gyn services, family planning, prenatal, birthing and post-partum care and well-baby checks. Call 435-3040 for additional information.
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 through 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.
Dotti Harness-Foster (Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner) and Rich Kleinleder (Physical Therapist Assistant at South Peninsula Hospital) will lead the next Walk with a Doc from 9-10 .m. at SPARC on Saturday, Oct. 19. The two will provide a brief talk about their class “Body Moves: Moving to the Groove,” and discuss the benefit of exercising with music, especially for people with mobility issues. Following the brief presentation, folks can spend the remainder of the hour walking, visiting with Dotti and Rich, 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.
