It’s Jupiter January at the MakerSpace. Design rockets then print them on 3D printers. Makers will aim for Jupiter and launch at the end of the month. Available to kids in grades 4-8, Makerspace is free and meets 3:30-5:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays on East Bunnell Avenue near Two Sisters Cafe. Makerspace also is open with classes for all ages from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday in January. For more information and to register, email HomerMakerSpace@gmail.com.
Hazardous Waste Disposal Day is 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Homer Transfer Facility. Disposal is free to households; a fee is charged for commercial disposers. All businesses are required to pre-register with NRC Alaska. Only households with more than 55 gallons of waste must preregister. To register, call NRC Alaska at 877-375-5040.
The Seldovia Fish and Game Advisory Committee will hold an election meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Multi-Purpose Room. Also on the agenda will be discussion of Board of Fish and Board of Game statewide proposals and any other business that may properly come before the committee. There may be a discussion of proposals to submit for the Cook Inlet region BOF meeting. For more information, contact Michael Opheim at 907-240-0568.
The Homer Fish and Game Advisory Committee will hold an election meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the NERRS building on Kachemak Drive. The agenda also will include the authors of Proposal 38 and 39 discussion on Board of Game proposals, items of interest to the general public and any other business that may properly come before the committee. For more information, contact Dave Lyon at 399-2340.
The Kachemak Advocates of Recycling (KARe) meets from 4:30 –6:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies headquarters at 708 Smokey Bay Way. For more information, contact Lani Raymond at 399-9477 or lani67@alaska.net.
The Kachemak Bay State Park Advisory Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Alaska Island and Oceans Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited.
An open house for the Boat House, a proposed maritime pavilion at the Homer Harbor, is 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at Land’s End Resort. Architects with ECI/Hyer and supporters of the project present their plans for the Boat House and efforts to raise funds. For more information, call 299-5550 or email HomerBoatHouse@gmail.com.
Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board holds its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at the McNeil Canyon Fire Station, 53048 Ashwood Ave. (Mile 12 East End Road). The public is welcome to attend. For more information, call 235-9811.
The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Anchor Point Fire Station, 72440 Milo Fritz Ave. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 235-6700.
The 2016 Homer Winter Carnival and Homer Events seeks people to participate in the Outhouse Races and the Mr. Homer Pageant. The Outhouse Race is a great way for any family, group, business or organization to have some laughs as a team. The entry fee is $100 which goes to defraying costs involved, with any extra given to a local charity. The Mr. Homer Pageant is open to men and women. People can nominate any amazing personalities to enter by submitting a paragraph or two explaining why that person is qualified to represent Homer as an “exemplary example of extraordinary-ness.” The entry fee is $25. The carnival also seeks businesses or organizations to sponsor events. To register for either event, or to sign up as a sponsor, go to Homer Events on Facebook or call Dax Radtke of Homer Events at 299-0319.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road is open for winter hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m.-noon Friday. The center serves Thursday night dinners starting at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Bingo is at 6 p.m. with play starting at 7 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, country style roast pork; Friday, coriander cod; Monday, sweet and sour pork; Tuesday, chicken pot pie; Wednesday, mustard and rosemary roasted pork chops; next Thursday, roast beef with mashed 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.
The Kachemak Advocates of Recycling (KARe)
Here are some tips to begin the New Year with recycling.
First, decide on one easy item to recycle and start there. Pick one of the Big Four — cardboard, glass, aluminum or mixed paper/newspaper — which can be taken to Save-U-More, McNeil Canyon and Anchor Point, as well as to the dump on Baycrest Hill.
• Cardboard is corrugated material that has layers and the middle layer is wavy. Easy to tell.
• Mixed paper can now be put in bins along with newspaper. Mixed paper is almost all paper except paper that has a plastic or foil layer or makes a crinkling sound like cellophane.
• Glass includes jars and jugs and all glass items except no ceramics, china, pottery or light bulbs.
• Aluminum includes beverage cans, aluminum pet food containers and aluminum bakeware.
Recycling even one item will get you started.
Next, designate a tiny little area of your house/garage/porch/shed for recycling. The overall strategy with recycling is to make it as fast and easy as possible. The easier it is, the more likely you will do it, and the fewer times you have to handle an item, the faster it will be. Nearly everyone who recycles advises sorting items at home instead of at the dump or dumpster, so try the following:
• Find a location that would work for you, such as under the sink, in a utility room, in the garage or shed, on the porch — anywhere that is convenient for you.
• Locate some cardboard boxes, big bags or other old containers and write the name of the item with a marker. If you have more formal bins, that’s great but they are not necessary at all. My setup is about as primitive as it gets, but it works. (Note: since I have my recycling boxes in the cold garage, I put recyclables on a shelf by the door and go out once a day to put them in their bins.)
Begin this year with some recycling. Start small, maybe only one or two items for a while, but you’ll be on your way.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Registration for winter and spring classes has now begun for community education, job training, recreation or degrees. Interested in a degree or training programs for jobs like certified nursing assistant? Make an appointment soon with an advisor at 235-7743. For GED, ESL and ABE classes, call 235-7743.
Pratt Museum
The museum gallery is closed for January. Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Sprout Family Services
Sprout Family Services needs parents of children ages 0-5 to volunteer for their focus group “Early Childhood Development and Sprout Family Services” on Saturday, Jan.16, from 4-5 p.m. at the Homer Public Library.
The objective of the focus group is to understand community perceptions of Sprout and learn where parents get information on child development and parenting. Childcare will be provided. Participants will receive a $10 K Bay Caffé gift card and will also be entered to win a $100 gas gift card.
Please e-mail office@sproutalaska.org or call 235-6044 by Jan. 11 if you are interested in participating.
