The city needs participants for a Point of Dispensing pandemic exercise from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday at the Homer High School Commons.
This is an emergency preparedness exercise coordinated by the State of Alaska Section of Public Health Nursing. It will be administered by South Peninsula Hospital, Homer’s Public Health nurses and seven other service organizations. People who stop in during this planning exercise can receive a free flu shot. The vaccines are provided by the State of Alaska Department of Epidemiology and will be offered to those older than 6 months, pregnant women and seniors, who will receive a high dose.
A Winter Bird Identification class will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12 at the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in the Auditorium. Dave Erikson, long-time Homer resident and birding expert, will be teaching it. This class is a great review of our resident birds for folks who are planning to participate in the Christmas Bird Count, and it is an excellent introduction to the winter birds here in Homer for new birders. If you are new to birding or have an interest in learning more about birding, this would be an excellent opportunity to learn about the birds we have here now. Also, members of the Kachemak Bay Birders will be there with information about what their group does, birding trips, and how you can join.
The class is sponsored by the Kachemak Bay Birders and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. It is free and everyone is welcome to attend. For questions, call Lani Raymond at 399-9477.
Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board will be holding their regular monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13 at the McNeil Canyon Fire Station, 53048 Ashwood Ave. (Mile 12 East End Road). The public is welcome to attend.
Loving Hearts 4 Paws, a local nonprofit, is hosting Santa Paws from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Christian Community Church. All proceeds will help local pet owners facing unaffordable vet bills at the Homer Vet Clinic. Please visit as animals sit with Santa for “howliday” photos with a professional photographer. Family photos are encouraged, so kids and pet “pawrents” are also welcome to sit with Santa. There is a suggested donation of $10.
Bear Creek Winery will host its annual winter light display this month, an evening of holiday fun for the entire family. Take a stroll through a winter wonderland filled with delightful holiday displays. Warm up by a toasty fire pit with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the holiday music at the pavilion. The light display will run from 5-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14-15, and from 5-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 21-22.
The Christmas Bird Count in Homer will be on Saturday, Dec. 15. This year marks the 119th annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count — the longest running citizen science survey in the world and provides critical data on bird population trends.
You do not have to be an experienced birder to participate. Come join a team — there is no charge. People are encouraged to come to Islands and Ocean Visitor Center (IOVC) at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, where they will be divided into teams by the Homer CBC Compiler, Dave Erikson, to cover the seven sub areas of a 15-mile diameter count circle. The center of this circle is located at the intersection of the Homer Spit Road and Kachemak Drive. Coffee, tea and goodies will be available to get participants started as they are assigned to a team. It’s an all-day event and volunteers will meet back at the center after 4:30 p.m. to tally the preliminary results and discuss the count while enjoying a hot potluck meal. Bring a dish to share.
Check out the Kachemak Bay Birders’ website for more information at http://kachemakbaybirders.org.
The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 19, 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 Homer Community Food Pantry is encouraging area residents to participate in a reverse Advent calendar project this holiday season.
The pantry will accept the boxes between Christmas Day and New Years Day at 770 East End Road. Call the food pantry at 907-235-1968 for more information and for the list of item to put in the box.
The Homer Volunteer Fire Department wants to remind the public as the temperature drops and they start to turn the heat on, make sure you properly have your chimney cleaned and inspected.
The department offers chimney brushes at the station for your convenience. Give them a call if you have any questions at 907-235-3155 ext. 0.
Ultimate Frisbee groups meets Mondays from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at the SPARC.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities are closed on Sundays through April 28, 2019.
For more information contact the KPB Solid Waste Department at 907-262-9667.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m. to 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 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For information, call 235-7786.
Friendship Center
Friendship Center Adult Day Services is open 9 a.m. to 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
The Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Pam Hooker at 299-7198 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Lunch costs $7 for seniors age 60 and older, and $15 for those under 60.
The menu for this week is: Today, turkey; Friday, beef stroganoff; Monday, stuffed shells with meat; Tuesday, teriyaki chicken; Wednesday, spaghetti with Italian sausage; and next Thursday, walnut crusted pork.
Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center.
Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.
Duplicate Bridge is $3 for members and $5 for non-members.
Strong Women, Zumba and Tai Chi are $5 for members and $7 for non-members.
Pratt Museum
Galleries are closed for renovations until May 2019.
The business office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Kachemak Bay Campus
An Opening Reception of Student Art Showcase is tonight from 5-6:30 p.m., featuring work from this semester’s ceramics, painting and drawing classes.
Marine Electronics class will be held Friday, Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. with Mark Zeiset from South Central Radar. Call 235-7743 for information. Sign up on easy community education website at www.kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com.
Registration is now open for all winter/spring classes. See https://www.kpc.alaska.edu/academics/schedule/ and https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/
Classes include Welding, Cetaceans of Alaska, Able Seaman, Yoga, Gill Net Building, Environmental Economics and Policy, Volcanology of KBay, Drawing, East Asian History, Tai Chim Private Ground School and more.
South Peninsula Hospital
Free flu shots will be offered during a full scale exercise of the community’s Point of Dispensing Emergency Response Plan from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Homer High School. This exercise will not only help the city and community prepare for emergency response, but will also provide a much needed, very valuable public health service for all by providing free flu shots.
The event will exercise the community’s mass dispensing plan for opening, operating and closing an Open Point of Dispensing site to quickly dispense medication from the Strategic National Stockpile in the event of a public health emergency for the Southern Kenai Peninsula Region.
To fully exercise the dispensing part of the plan, free flu shots will be provided. These flu shots are appropriate for children 6 months and older, adults, pregnant women and high dose for seniors.
This community wide Emergency Preparedness Exercise is coordinated by the State of Alaska Section of Public Health Nursing, in cooperation with numerous local emergency preparedness partners, including the City, South Peninsula Hospital, Kachemak Emergency Services, SVT Health and Wellness and the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to name but a few.
Additional information can be found by calling Derotha Ferraro, public information officer for the exercise, at 235-0397.
