The Exchange, a pilot syringe exchange program, offers free syringe exchanges every other Tuesday starting June 21 at the South Peninsula Hospital Training Center, 203 West Pioneer Avenue, in the southwest corner of the building. Exchanges are held 5-7 p.m. The Exchange is a program established and operated by a group of individuals and agency representatives in the Homer area that support the idea of harm-reduction and safer drug use as a means of making our community a safer place to live. The primary goal of The Exchange is to reduce the spread of Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and bacterial infections among intravenous drug users by exchanging used needles for clean ones.
During their visit participants in the program will be offered various health, treatment and recovery related information, as well as rapid on-site testing for Hepatitis C and HIV. Dr. Sarah Spencer, a local doctor board certified in addiction medicine, will be overseeing this project. Participants will be offered safe syringe disposal and exchanges, Narcan overdose response kits, free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing, information about addiction treatment and recovery programs, and condoms. For more information, email homerexchange@gmail.com.
The Kachemak Bay Birders’ next birding trip is Saturday along the North Fork Road. Meet at 7 a.m. at the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center parking lot to car pool or at the bridge on the south end of the road (the end closer to Homer) at 7:30 a.m. Most walking will be along the side of the road. Expect mosquitoes. Songbirds, thrushes, sandpipers and dippers may be seen. Bring binoculars, field guide, and scope if you have one. No charge and everyone is welcome. All trips are cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The leader is Michael Craig, 235-0631.
Sandhill crane eggs are hatching. Please report sightings of colts. Report any observations of sandhill crane colts to Kachemak Crane Watch at 235-6262 or email reports@cranewatch.org. Leave a name and number so Crane Watch can call for more information.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Friday. The center serves Thursday night dinners starting at 5:30 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 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For more information, call the senior center at 235-7786.
Friendship Center
Friendship Center Adult Day Services is open 9 a.m.-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
Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The lunch menu for this week is: today, roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy; Friday, roast turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy; Monday, orange glazed Cornish game hens; Tuesday, beef tacos; Wednesday, Cuban pork; next Thursday, baked ham and scalloped potatoes.
Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. The cost is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers per class.
Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center. The cost per class is $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers.
Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. The cost per class is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Jacquie Thaute at 299-2924 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Kachemak Advocates of Recycling (KARe)
Used monofiliment and other fish-line can be placed in receptacles on the Spit: one located at the Fishing Hole and the other by the Ferry Dock attached to the restroom there. They are white, “periscope-looking” receptacles, conveniently located near those fishing areas. There also are two more located in the Silver King and the Steelhead campgrounds at the Anchor River. This program is being done in conjunction with the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and the Reel In and Recycle Monofiliment Recycling Program.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Composting project is scheduled to begin on July 1 and more details will be available soon. There are 20 participants (restaurants and other entities) at this time and there will be a way for households to add their compostable materials also. It has been estimated that overall perhaps 30 percent of trash consists of compostable material, so this project will mean a significant reduction in the amount of trash that needs to be transported out of Homer to Soldotna saving the Borough money — plus there will be the wonderful compost material as a result.
“Where Does It Go?” is the question most frequently asked of recyclers. The following materials are collected at the borough “dump”/Transfer Station up on Baycrest Hill, compacted and then shipped to Anchorage and sold to the WestRock company: mixed paper and newspaper, corrugated cardboard, aluminum, and plastic #1 and #2. WestRock makes things like packaging material out of the recycled materials. For more information, visit rocktenn.com. Scrap metal and tin cans go to Peninsula Scrap & Salvage in Soldotna.
Glass is different because there is no viable market for glass due to its weight for shipping. It is collected and stored in a pile in the landfill until there is a need for it locally, and then heavy machinery is driven over it to pulverize the glass into usable-sized particles for use as fill or cover material. Some people see the glass being collected in the pile up there and think it is just going to be buried, but they are just waiting until there is a need for some and then they pulverize it for use — it is all used eventually.
An alternative for some recyclers is to reuse as much glass as possible. One local business, Bear Creek Winery (60203 Bear Creek Drive), takes back their wine bottles to reuse. They also take back their corks to use for making key chains.
For more information about KARe or recycling in general, contact Lani Raymond 399-9477 or lani67@alaska.net or the Borough Solid Waste Department at 262-9667.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Registration for fall classes is now being held. Sign up now, pay later. Advising appointments are available for degree-seeking students. Call 235-7743. For the fall schedule, visit www. kpc.alaska.edu.
Pratt Museum
The museum gallery is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week. Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
“Art and Science of Bears” is on exhibit through July 31.
The Historic Harbor Tour is 3 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Meet at the kiosk next to the Salty Dawg on the Spit. The fee is $10. Tours are offered through Sept. 1.
Road Closures
Expect delays (duration unknown), road closures and lane closures from 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m. through July 8 on the Old Sterling Highway. Maintenance crews are replacing culverts and there will be excavation on the road and ditches. Be alert to flaggers and prepared to stop. Expect narrow lanes, width restrictions, and workers and heavy equipment on the road. Motorcycle riders should use caution. Long combination vehicles are prohibited as well as oversize vehicles and vehicles with trailers.
