Get ready to light up the sky this New Year’s Eve as the fourth annual crowdfunded New Year’s Eve Fireworks FANTASTICAL returns at Mariner Park at 8:05 p.m.! The fireworks for the show are bought by Aaron Weisser through community contributions. To have a show as big as last year’s, this year’s show is expected to cost up to $15,000, and Aaron has already raised close to $3,000. More contributions are needed to have a show like 2020, so here are a few ways to donate: online at paypal.me/WeisserFireworks, on venmo @Weisser-Fireworks-2020, or on Facebook Messenger with “Fireworks” in the memo, or drop off cash or check to the Weisser Homes office at 1091 East End Rd. For those who cannot attend in person, the firework show will be broadcast on the Homer’s Fourth Crowdfunded New Year’s Eve Fireworks FANTASTICAL!! Facebook page. For more information about the event, visit https://aaronw970.wixsite.com/fireworks-fantastica.
Bear Creek Winery Garden of Lights will return this December with Christmas lights, hot chocolate, a bonfire and holiday music. Garden of Lights will be open from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 10-11 and Dec. 17-18. Admission is free. Bear Creek Winery is located three miles out East End Road.
Dave Erikson will present “Winter Bird Identification” via zoom on Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. Dave’s presentation is an excellent review and preparation for participants in the Christmas Bird Count. Or for new birders, it is a great introduction to birds that are present here in Homer in the winter. Check the Kachemak Bay Birders’ website kachemakbaybirders.org for the zoom link a few days before the presentation. Information about the Christmas Bird Count in Homer is also on the birders’ website. All our events are sponsored by the Kachemak Bay Birders and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
The South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board will hold its regular monthly meeting virtually via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9. The Committee of the Whole will meet at 5:30 p.m. before the regular meeting. The South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board is an elected board that oversees local tax dollars for a healthier community. Learn about the workings of your hospital and your Service Area Board.
All are welcome to attend either or both meetings. The Zoom link is available on the Kenai Peninsula Borough calendar found at https://www.kpb.us/service-areas/south-kenai-peninsula-hospital-service-area and by emailing Devony at dlehnerediting@gmail.com.
Faith Lutheran Church is hosting a community Christmas Carol sing-a-long, featuring Shelly Erickson on piano, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12. Refreshments to follow. Faith Lutheran Church is located at 1000 Soundview Ave.
Interested in sharing your ideas, questions and comments with a member of the Homer City Council? Spend your lunch hour on Dec. 13 on Zoom with Council Member Donna Aderhold and discuss your concerns about the city. This event, hosted by the Homer Public Library, will be held on Zoom, but future events are expected to be held in person. To join the conversation, visit https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89560891088. The meeting ID is 895 6089 1088 and the passcode is 457904.
The Loved & Lost Memorial Bench is being created to honor all those missing around Alaska, the nation, and the world. Three artists, 250 pounds of clay and more than five months in the making, work continues on the bench with a goal of placing it in its permanent spot outside the Homer Public Library. A memorial for Duffy and bench dedication event will be open to the public via Zoom, with details to be announced soon.
If you have a missing loved one and would like their photo included on the bench during the dedication event, please email a photo along with their name and date/location they went missing to Christina at lovedandlostmemorial@gmail.com. Fundraising efforts are ongoing with $10,000 still to be raised. Donations can be made online at gofundme.com/f/lovedandlostmemoria AND homerumcalaska.org/donate, and by check payable to HUMC, mailed to HUMC, 770 East End Rd, Homer, AK 99603 with memorial bench in the subject line.
You can also continue to drop dollars and change in donation jars around town – Chevron, Coles Market, Latitude 59 SBS, Ulmers and Wild Honey Bistro. If you’d like to support the bench as a major donor and receive name/logo recognition in a variety of ways, please contact Christina for more details and the donor form – lovedandlostmemorial@gmail.com,
Duffy’s family would like to share the modeling clay that has been used to create the 12 sculptures that will be depicted on the bench. If you are a local or statewide artist, school or arts organization interested in re-using some of the 200 pounds of clay, please contact Christina,
Anchor Point Group of Alcoholics Anonymous continues to meet in person at the Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce at 34175 Sterling Hwy (north of Chapman School) on Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. These are open meetings, and alcoholics and non-alcoholics are all welcome. For more information, call
Co-Dependents Anonymous is meeting in person at Homer Methodist Church, located at 770 East End Road. Please contact Kay at
Step into Freedom is a narcotics anonymous group that will be held at 7 p.m. every Thursday at the Glacierview Baptist Church “Big House” next to the main church. This group is for both women and men, and is open to non-addicts who would like to sit in on the meetings. For questions, call Jaclyn at
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities is closed on Sundays for the winter through April 24, 2022. For more information contact the KPB Solid Waste Department at (907) 262-9667.or check their webpage at https://www.kpb.us/swd-waste/about-solidwaste.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Avenue serves take-out meals on Thursday evenings with pickup from 5-6 p.m. Monday is Homemade Soup and Bread night. Serving two different soups to-go each week, from 4-6 p.m. Quart’s $12 / Pints $7. Reservations not required. Tuesday is Kickin’ Fried Chicken night. Serving from 4-6 p.m. Buckets or 3-piece meals. With or without Coleslaw and Biscuits. Walk in’s welcome or call ahead
Helping Hands Thrift Store is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and donations can be dropped off any time. The office staff are at work and available by phone for addressing needs. For information, call
All of our meals and programs are open to the public and do not require membership. Call
Homer Senior Citizens
Homer Senior Citizens Inc is closed to the public due to the HIGH spread of the virus in our community. We are being very COVID-conscious due to the vulnerability of the people we serve. Please follow the signage on the entrance doors, which follow our mitigation efforts based upon the community levels of spread.
You May Order a take-out meal from the Silver Lining Café or you may receive a meal at your home (if you do not have transportation at this time). Just call
Family members may visit their loved ones at the Terrace Assisted Living. Face masks and screening are required to enter our facility. Visitation is allowed in the resident’s apartment. If you are a friend and would like to schedule an indoor visit in our Visitation Room, please call Tanner at
Friendship Center Adult Day Services will reopen to the public once our community level of spread is back to Intermediate.
Please join us in our concentrated efforts to reduce the spread of this virus wear a mask and avoid indoor gatherings. Choosing to get vaccinated is the single most important action you can take to protect yourself and our community. We care about our community and want to rejoin it safely.
Hospice of Homer
Purchase a luminaria to support Hospice, and we’ll decorate it with the name of a loved one or a message for the community. Luminaria are $20 each and can be purchased at our office or on our website.
Join us Thursday, Dec. 16 at 6:30 p.m. for our second annual Light Up A Life event. The luminaria from our fundraiser will be lit and placed around WKFL Park where we’ll gather to bring light to a dark night. Share a story, wish your community members well, or just take in the light and a few cookies.
This prize for this year’s raffle is a striking Norman Lowell Lithograph of “Mt Redoubt (Ninilchik).” The lithograph is signed and numbered by the artist and beautifully framed. The drawing will take place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 16.
Hospice of Homer seeks to start a general Bereavement Support Group. This will be a facilitated group that will meet in person and be subject to our current COVID guidelines. Hospice has specific groups for those who’ve lost a life partner or child, but this group would welcome anyone dealing with loss. If you’re interested in joining, please contact the office at
The Bereaved Parents Support Group is a support group and mutual assistance self-help group offering friendship, understanding, hope, encouragement and healing to all bereaved parents. Our purpose is to provide support, share and emotionally assist parents through their grief. The group is intended to serve both newly bereaved parents and those who are continuing on their grief journey. Anyone that has lost a child knows, you don’t just stop grieving. A parent’s grief is as timeless as their love. For more information, please email thomasklingensmith@yahoo.com or call
Hospice of Homer has resumed its monthly Widows Support Group. This group is a place for those who have lost their partner to share and heal. It is a safe place for coming to terms with the powerful feelings and experiences only those who are walking the same path can truly understand. Participants will be following all COVID-19 protocols. RSVP is required if you plan to attend so organizers may plan accordingly for social distancing and group size limitations. Call
Homer Council on the Arts
Kenai Peninsula residents of all ages are invited to enter the 24th Kenai Peninsula Writers’ Contest. Categories include poetry, fiction and nonfiction. For contest rules and to enter, visit homerart.org/writers-contest. The deadline for entry is 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 10.
Anchor Point VFW
The Anchor Point VFW Post 10221 is hosting a potluck benefit fundraiser in honor of Rick Paulsrud, who has suffered severe medical issues since October, at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18 at the VFW. The fundraiser was planned in hopes of easing the financial burden the Paulsruds have faced since he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome after suffering from COVID-19. The benefit will include a live auction, silent auction, dessert auction and a wall of guns raffle, which will begin at 6 p.m. For more information about the benefit, including donating an item for the auction, making a dish for the potluck or how to make a monetary donation, contact Heidi at
The Anchor Point VFW is also hosting a family friendly New Year’s Eve celebration on Friday, Dec. 31, that is open to everyone. The Post’s doors open at 3 p.m., and events begin at 9 p.m. with the flag retirement ceremony. Fireworks will follow at 9:30 p.m. for all to enjoy. Hot chocolate, cookies and finger foods will be provided and a champagne toast will ring in the New Year. The Anchor Point VFW is locaed at 72551 Milo Fritz Ave.
Kachemak Bay Campus
The Spring 2022 printed class schedule is available on campus, at the Homer Public Library and throughout town. Offerings can be found online at: https://kpc.alaska.edu/academics/schedule/. Be sure to contact an adviser to find the classes that are right for you. Registration for the spring semester is now open and classes begin Jan. 10. Visit us on campus or call (907)
Basics of DC Electricity for Vessels with Adam Smude has moved to Monday through Friday, Dec. 13-17, from 6-9 p.m. Learn basic troubleshooting and theory of direct current systems on vessels. Topics include electrical terms and definitions, safety codes, fundamental diagrams, battery types and application, marine wiring and more. The course costs $175. To register visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call Jill Burnham at (907)
USCG approved Able Seaman certification is now available online. Complete the course in eight weeks and take the test here in Homer at KBC. Contact Marine Technology coordinator, Jesus Trejo, at
The Pratt Museum & Park
The Pratt Museum & Park is currently open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and will be closed Monday through Wednesday. The Pratt will be closed from Dec. 19 through Feb. 2, 2022.
Join the Pratt for “Glacier Salon,” an intimate performance event on Friday, Dec. 10, featuring violinist Odin Rathnam amidst our current special exhibit, Ron Senungetuk: A Retrospective. Since his critically acclaimed Lincoln Center debut in 1993, Rathnam has performed throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist and concertmaster. The benefit will include hors d’oeuvres, wine, music, and art. Email Holly Atkins at hatkins@prattmuseum.org to reserve your seat. A monetary donation is suggested to attend.
Join us on Saturday, Dec. 18 from 1 – 2 p.m. for our FIRST free-family Saturday event. This will take place every third Saturday of the month and will include crafts, treats and story time for families. For December, welcome the snow and celebrate the Holidays with snowflake making, hot chocolate with marshmallows and story time. All the materials will be provided.
A new special exhibit has opened at The Pratt called “Ron Senungetuk: A Retrospective” and features work from the late iconic Alaska artist Ron Senungetuk. Senungetuk was a world-renowned sculptor, silversmith and woodcarver who blended ancestral Inupiaq forms with modern concepts and materials. This exhibition presents works created over his career, which have been featured in exhibitions and public art installations throughout Alaska and the U.S. He was a leading advocate for art in Alaska and helped establish the Native Art Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
South Peninsula Hospital
South Peninsula Hospital offers free testing and vaccinations for COVID-19. Free testing is offered daily 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the test site on Bartlett Street. No appointment is necessary. Vaccines are offered walk-in or by appointment as supplies permit from Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can only be made online at www.sphosp.org. Vaccinations are open to anyone 5 years and older for Pfizer, and 18 years and older for all other brands. Call the COVID nurse at
Pediatric vaccine appointments are also now available every Wednesday and Saturday at the SPH test and vaccine clinic on Bartlett Street. Pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine are now available for children ages 5-11. Appointments can be scheduled at sphosp.org. A parent or guardian must be present during the appointment.
Kenai Peninsula Votes Tidbit
What do voting statistics say about our democracy?
Voting is a constitutional right granted to all citizens 18 years and older. It is the most peaceful tool individuals have to employ our democracy. Yet voter turnout is often marginal, especially in municipal elections where it is likely your vote will make the most difference in your community.
Kenai Peninsula Borough total voter turnout in this past October 2021 municipal election was a sad 11.84%. In 2020 it was 28.15%; 18.03% in 2019; and 18.70% in 2018. There are 28 precincts in the borough, six are strictly mail-in voting.
The City of Homer October 2021 voter turnout was 25%, with 37% in 2020, 29% in 2019, and 33% in 2018.
Voter turnout in our state/national elections are markedly better: 2020 our voter turnout was 60.67%, 49.84% in 2018; 60.77% in 2016; and 56.08% in 2014. There are 441 precincts in the state of Alaska.
Voting for our state and national legislators and judges is immensely important. Just as important is voting for local city council and assembly members, school district and hospital board members – these are our neighbors guiding important decision-making that impact us daily.
What makes people choose to vote or not vote? The election day, available time, ballot measures, accessibility to the polls, feeling uninformed, importance or concern? The non-partisan group Kenai Peninsula Votes is conducting a quick survey to dig into these reasons. Please take just a few minutes of your time to complete the Kenai Peninsula Votes (KPV) Voter Survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWPTJTP.
