Sandhill cranes are heading north. Please report Sandhill Crane sightings to Kachemak Crane Watch at 235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.org. Date, time, location, behavior, and number of cranes is helpful. Leave a name and number in case Kachemak Crane Watch needs more details.
The May 2020 Hazardous Waste Collection Days for Soldotna, Seward and Homer are canceled. Organizers anticipate the July 2020 events will resume as normal. For more information, please contact the Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste Department at 907-262-9667 or email us at solidwaste@kpb.us. Also, check the borough website for updates.
The regular monthly Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board meeting for April has been canceled.
Kenai Peninsula Votes tidbit:
It’s a coming of age story. It will be one that will be passed on from one generation to the next. We are all pioneers. We are the ones who will make the difference. The new normal will bring life, hope, compassion and a new responsibility to stand tall for all of our descendants. Voting will become the new norm for a more just society. Our conversations about politics will be rational and substantive. We will be proud to talk about how we cast our vote and will not feel the stigma of others when our opinions differ. We will listen to others with an open mind and thoughtful response. People will vote on issues and candidates who they believe will bring positive change, and all political rhetoric will take negativity out of their messages and talk about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our new tomorrow is upon us, and we have a responsibility to vote to make our world better for future generations to come. Our voices matter.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities will be closed on Sundays for the winter through April 26. 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.
Kenai Peninsula Service Area Boards meetings have been postponed until further notice. For more information, visit kpboem.blogspot.com.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Avenue is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Congregate meals and the Helping Hands Thrift Store also are closed. Donations for Helping Hands Thrift Store can dropped off. The office staff are at work and available by phone for addressing needs. For information, call 235-7786.
Friendship Center
Friendship Center Adult Day Services is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Call 235-4556.
Homer Senior Citizens
All activities are canceled and the Homer Senior Center is closed to the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Homer Senior Citizens congregate lunch is closed, but meals can be picked up at noon from Monday-Friday. You must call 907-235-7655 by 10 a.m. daily to reserve your meal.
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Hospice of Homer
Hospice of Homer requests that anyone who needs to borrow or return medical equipment or to pick up disposable personal care items, call the office. Staff will check availability and arrange a time for pick up.
Anyone needing access to grief counseling or other services should also call to talk with a staff member. Staff will be available Monday-Thursday at 235-6899.
Support Group meetings have been canceled.
Hospice of Homer has had an unusually high demand for medical equipment recently and are in great need of many items. Anyone wishing to help can go to Smile.amazon.com.
Select Hospice of Homer as your charity then select Charity List and choose any of the items on our List of Current Needs. All donated equipment is loaned out free of charge to anyone who needs it in the Homer vicinity and a percentage of the purchase is donated to Hospice of Homer.
Kachemak Bay Campus
All Kachemak Bay Campus courses shifted to online/alternate delivery and will not be held on campus. Community events have been canceled and non-credit classes have been postponed until further notice.
Professors will contact students directly on how to connect with classes. The college is working on a plan for lab classes and to make resources available to students who do not have access to computers or the internet.
While administrative operating hours will be 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, the college asks that people call 235-7743 with questions rather than stop by the office. The campus will be closed on Saturday and Sunday until further notice.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Homer Annex is closed to walk-in traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic at its location at 638 East Pioneer Ave. in the Homer Borough Maintenance building east of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. The office is staffed for help by phone or email. For more information call 235-9837 or email Tamarron Baxter at tbaxter@kpb.us. Forms for property tax exemptions or appeals are available outside on the door, and a dropbox is available for completed forms.
Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center
The Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center operations are temporarily suspended following guidelines from the CDC and recommendations from state and local health authorities. Updates will be posted to the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge website and social media channels. The Beluga Slough Trail and other outdoor areas on the refuge will remain open to provide healthy options for recreation and relaxation. A reopening date has not been determined at this time.
Updates about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s response to coronavirus will be posted at https://www.fws.gov/home/public-health-update.html. Please check with individual refuges or facilities regarding the change of operations or postponement of events and programs.
To reach refuge staff call 907-235-6546 or email alaskamaritime@fws.gov.
