On Sunday, Oct. 18, at 2 p.m., there will be a cleanup and put things away for the winter workshop at Cottonwood Horse Park.
Two disaster awareness classes are offered in October. Tsunami Awareness is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center seminar room. Learn about tsunamis, including hazard assessment, warnings, preparedness, mitigation and response. Coastal Community Resilience is 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 21 at the same location. Learn about resiliency as it applies to understanding risk from natural hazards and how to build resiliency in coastal communities. The courses are sponsored by the National Disaster Preparedness Center, Honolulu. To register for either course, visit ndptc.hawaii.edu/training. For registration assistance, contact Homer Volunteer Fire Department Chief Robert Painter at 235-3155 or email rpainter@ci.homer.ak.us.
The first winter meeting of the Homer Native Plant Society takes place at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. With El Nino visiting again this winter, Dr. Ed Berg’s program is titled “Climate Change and Plants, Part 1.” He will share insights into the Kenai vegetation history since the end of the last glacial period taken from the pollen and plant macrofossil records. The program also includes light refreshments and an update on the summer’s first year of a long-term phrenology program on three trails in Homer. For more detail, email jwoodring@alaska.net, call 235-9344, or visit us on Facebook.
The Homer MakerSpace is open for 3D design and 3D printing from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every Monday and Tuesday at 178 E. Bunnell Ave. near Two Sisters. Students in grade four through middle school are welcome to use MakerSpace computers and 3D printers. Staff will teach you the ropes, and it’s all free. For more information, contact HomerMakerSpace@gmail.com.
Arvell Dinwiddie, a longtime resident of Homer, turns 90 on Nov. 11. His family is requesting a “card shower” for him. Greetings and cards may be sent to him at 8740 S. Tyler Road, Clearwater, KS 67026.
Homer is turning pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink flags are flying at homes and businesses around town this month in honor of those whose lives have been affected by breast cancer. The Pink Flag Campaign is a project of Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic in recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each flag is a $100 donation that helps local families by supporting access to screening, treatment, education and other support services provided at no cost through Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic. To learn how you can become a pink flag sponsor or to learn about breast cancer screening, call 235-3436 or email info@kbfpc.org.
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 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. The Annual Holiday Bazaar is Nov. 7 with tables available. To sell items, stop by the office or call 235-7786.
Cooperative Extension Service
Make the most out of your grain foods: Carbohydrates get a bad rap these days. They are blamed (often wrongly) for a whole host of health problems and are taboo on most weight-loss diet plans. Whole grains are a wonderful source of complex carbohydrates, which provide our bodies with much needed energy, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Whole grains contain all parts of the grain and are far more nutritious than refined grains, which are devoid of most nutrients.
Overwhelmingly, research has shown that diets high in whole grains may protect against heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers and other chronic diseases. Current USDA recommendations are that we should strive to make at least half of the grains we eat whole grains. Product packaging can be misleading, so be sure to read the nutrition label and ingredients list to look for the words, “whole grain.”
Barley has become a popular crop grown in Alaska. Locally grown, whole grain barley can be a delicious and healthy addition to your diet. For a free publication on baking with barley flour, stop by our office at 43961 K-Beach Road, Suite A, Soldotna, or call us at 907-262-5824.
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, roasted pork loin, peas and carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy; Friday, battered cod, French fries and steamed kale; Monday, pork chow mein, fried rice, sweet chili stir fry vegetables; Tuesday, chicken pot pie and lemon pepper broccoli; Wednesday, Swiss steak and new potatoes with buttered spinach and feta; next Thursday, baked ham, au gratin potatoes and a vegetable.
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 members, $6 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 Bay Campus
There will be a craft talk and reading by visiting writer Allen Gee at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26. Register now for these new classes, including: Vessel Navigation Using Electronic Charts, Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m., $25; Aluminum Fabrication: Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 7-8, $250; Ergonomics for Fishermen, Oct. 16, 6:30 p.m., free; Drill Conductor USCG Training, Oct. 17, free; Vessel Stability Training, Oct. 18, free; Global Climate Change, Oct. 22-Nov. 19; “Flash Fiction” writing workshop, Oct. 22-Nov. 19; Grant Proposal Writing Workshop, Oct. 30, $75; GED, ESL and ABE classes. Call 235-7743 for more information. There will be an information meeting on fisheries technology programs: at noon and 5 p.m. Nov. 9.
Pratt Museum
Fall gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday through November. Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The Ritz 30th anniversary art preview is now on exhibit. Preview art for the annual art and experience auction, to be held Nov. 7 at Wasabi’s. The evening includes a live and silent auction featuring art and items donated by artists, businesses and individuals. The theme for the 30th anniversary Ritz is “Havana Nights! Ritz at the CopaCabana.” The theme evokes the 1940s and 1950s that was Cuba in its heyday. Ritz includes Cuban food, music, dancing, diamonds, pearls, bright lights, rum and cigars (enjoyed outdoors).
Road Construction
Expect delays on this lower Kenai Peninsula road project:
• Sterling Highway Mile 135 to 137 improvements: Road construction continues through mid-October. Expect single-lane traffic, 10-minute delays, flagging and pilot car operations on the Sterling Highway from 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit AlaskaNavigator.org.
South Peninsula Hospital
South Peninsula Hospital will participate in the Great Alaska Earthquake Drill at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 15. All staff, patients and visitors in the hospital or hospital occupied buildings will be invited to participate in the “Drop-Cover-Hold On” one-minute earthquake drill. More information about the drill or earthquake preparedness can be found at www.dropcoverholdon.org.
Rotary Health Fair
The 32nd annual Rotary Health Fair is 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 7 at Homer High School. “It’s Your Life … Take a Day to be Well” is the theme of the fair, sponsored by Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary Club in cooperation with South Peninsula Hospital. The fair will feature more than 50 exhibitors with various health screenings, information and services related to health and wellness.
As part of the health fair, comprehensive blood analysis is available for only $40, a sizeable discount from the average cost of a comparable test. In addition to the basic wellness test, additional tests available for purchase include prostate, thyroid, cardiac, vitamin D and hemoglobin A1C.
These tests are offered by appointment at the fair, or before the fair at the hospital with the results available for pickup at the fair. Appointments are offered from Oct. 19-Nov. 6 in the hospital conference room on the hospital’s lower level. Payment must be made by cash or check at time of the test, and checks can be made to Rotary.
Appointments for both the day of the fair or at the hospital can be made at www.sphosp.org or by calling the health fair hotline at 399-3158. Book early as appointments fill up the closer it gets to the Health Fair date.
