Please report sandhill crane sightings to Kachemak Crane Watch at 235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.org. Date, time, location, behavior, and number of cranes is helpful. Leave a name and number in case they need more details.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Homer Annex has moved to its new location at 638 East Pioneer Ave. in the Homer Borough Maintenance building east of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. The annex door is to the right of the double garage doors. For more information call 235-9837.
Hospice of Homer is holding its “Holes Fore Hospice” event from 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 at Tips Gold Course on East End Road. Individuals or teams are welcome to register at www.hospiceofhomer.org at a reduced fee of $50. Register the day of at 4 p.m. at the golf course for $70. Food is provided for everyone and awards are provided for winners. All proceeds to help Hospice of Homer carry out its mission in the community. Call Mike at 299-0290 for more information.
The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 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
A free, 1-day Anchor River streambank restoration workshop and demonstration will be offered June 7, hosted by Homer Soil and Water Conservation District. The workshop will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Anchor Point Senior Center, 72750 Milo Fritz Ave., Anchor Point, with presentations by ADF&G on salmon habitat and USFWS on plant-based streambank restoration techniques. At 10:30 a.m., participants will head to Silverking Campground on the Anchor River, just below the Old Sterling Highway Bridge, to help install brush layering, spruce tree revetments, and other “soil bioengineering” techniques on two short stretches of streambank that are subject to accelerated erosion. Installation should be complete by 5 p.m. and will be overseen by Moore’s Landscaping, which has 30 years experience in soil bioengineering and habitat restoration in Alaska. Participants should bring a lunch and dress for muddy, wet, work that will be accompanied by a huge sense of satisfaction and accomplishment and lots of hands-on learning. For more information, contact Kyra at Homer Soil and Water, 235-8177, ext. 5, or devony@homerswcd.org. More information is also available on the “Anchor River Updates” Facebook page.
The Bear Creek Music Festival will take place on June 1 at the Bear Creek Winery. Tickets for adults 21 and older cost $65. Kids under 5 years old get in free. Call the winery at 235-8484 for ticket prices for those under 21. Buy tickets at eventbrite.com, at the Homer Bookstore or at the winery. The ticket gets you food and two drinks. The event includes a live auction, door prizes and music from four bands.
Kenai Peninsula Votes tidbit:
Did you know that there are two states that do not use the traditional winner take all to assign electoral votes to the President? To win the Presidential election, a candidate has to get 270 electoral votes. In the 2000 and 2016 election, both candidates, Bush and Trump, won the electoral college vote, but not the popular vote.
Currently two states, Maine and Nebraska, use the Congressional District Method to award their electoral votes. This is where both states award electoral votes by congressional district winners and the remaining two votes for each state goes to the overall winner of that state. Maine started this system in 1969 and only once in the 2016 election did one vote go to Trump and the rest to Clinton. Nebraska changed their electoral system in 1991 and in the 2008 election, one vote went to Obama and the rest went to McCain.
The idea that we can change our voting procedures is important to recognize. We should continue to pursue these kinds of ideas because it might help increase voter turnout.
Ultimate Frisbee group meets Mondays and Thursdays from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the SPARC.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities are now open seven days a week through September. Hours are 8 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Sundays.
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 Avenue, 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 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 lunch menu for this week is: Friday, roasted shrimp; Monday, spinach and beef lasagna; Tuesday, roasted chicken breast; Wednesday, beef stroganoff; and next Thursday, baked ham.
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
The Pratt Museum has reopened for the season, with hours daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Registration is now going on for the 2019 Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference being held June 14-18. An optional post-conference workshop is at Tutka Bay Wilderness Lodge.
The keynote speaker is author Diane Ackerman along with 16 other poets, essayists and novelists. The four-day conference with meals is $425. For information visit http://writersconference.homer.alaska.edu.
Register for fall 2019 classes now. Save your space and register early. Payments aren’t due until September. The new fall schedule is out this week. Come by the college and pick one up, or look for them throughout the town.
Computer Game Design and Virtual Reality App Development for-credit classes are offered this fall. Sign up now before the classes are full. Call 235-7743 or visit http://www.kpc.alaska.edu/ to register.
South Peninsula Hospital
Homer Steps Up community wide steps challenge will award prizes, announce winners and reveal final total steps on Saturday, June 1 at 2 p.m. at the Homer Farmer’s Market. The challenge ran from May 1 – 28 with a community goal of 100,000,000 total steps. More than 700 individuals and 22 teams enrolled.
Trophies will be awarded to the high stepping team in the large and small categories of fewer than 24 members, and 25 members or more. Nine individual winners will receive cash prizes from three total steps categories: three $300 cash prize winners randomly drawn from those walking 300,000 or more; three $200 cash prize winners randomly drawn from those with 250,000 to 299,999 total steps; and three $100 cash winners randomly drawn from those with 200,000 to 249,999 steps.
Last year’s challenge had more than 400 individuals and 17 teams participate, and fell short of the 100,000,000 goal by only 9 million steps. The winning team was City of Homer.The awards event is open to the public. Parking is limited at the market, and attendees are encouraged to walk or carpool.
The challenge is cosponsored by South Peninsula Hospital, South Peninsula Behavioral Health, SVT Health and Wellness and The City of Homer, and made possible with a grant from South Peninsula Hospital Foundation.
Get updates on facebook @homerstepsup or contact www.sphosp.org or SPH Health and Wellness Department at 235-0970 for additional information.
Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center
Exhibits and gift shop at Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to next Saturday.
