Homer Alaska - Business

Faced with seasonally diminishing heat and light energy and increasing costs of fuel energy, residents of the lower Kenai Peninsula are understandably curious about how to get the most bright for their buck.

More than 400 people attended HEA's second annual Energy and Conservation Fair in Homer last Saturday. Between the Homer fair and the one held in Kenai the previous week, nearly 1,000 people stepped out to learn about energy options.

"The idea of the energy and conservation fair is to allow people to get as much information as they can to be able to manage the amount of energy they use," said Joe Gallagher, spokesperson for Homer Electric Association.

Drinks and snacks kept visitors energized while they absorbed information from vendors and presenters. Twenty-three tables representing an array of the energy spectrum — from local gardens to brand new automobiles to geothermal heat pumps to coal-burning stoves — filled the West Homer Elementary school gym. About 15 people attended each of the six seminars held in the library.

"People seemed to appreciate more in-depth information," Gallagher said.

The first ever HEA Energy Efficiency and Conservation Student Contest was held in conjunction with the energy fairs. Students in grades three through eight wrote poems, newspaper articles and TV commercials regarding efficient use of electric energy for the contest. Winners were presented with U.S. savings bonds and movie passes or gift cards to McDonald's and Coldstone Creamery or Timeless Toys at a ceremony during the fair.

"There's not a whole lot anyone can do about the price of power, but we can, within our own homes, take steps to reduce the amount we consume. That is the goal of our energy fair," Gallagher said. "We think we were successful with that."

HEA welcomes comments and suggestions for next year's fair.

Winner of the energy fair's grand prize (two roundtrip tickets from Era Aviation between Homer and Anchorage) was Kenneth Mandt.

Poppy Benson and Anita Critchett won the $50 energy credits.

Student contest winners North Service Area

Energy poem (Grade 3)

First prize: Shannon McClure, Connections Home School

Second prize: Bailey Lundell, Sterling Elementary

Newspaper article (Grade 4, 5, 6)

First prize: Logan Lundell, Sterling Elementary

TV commercial (Grade 7, 8)

Best overall group: Dylan Sledge and Jasmine Monroe, Nikiski Middle School

South Service Area

Newspaper article (Grade 4, 5, 6)

First prize: Denauli Ashbell, McNeil Canyon Elementary

Second prize: Casey Fetterhoff, IDEA Homeschool

TV commercial (Grade 7, 8)

Best overall individual: Seth Miller, Homer Middle School