About Town Crier

The announcements section of Town Crier is a public service provided to individuals, nonprofit agencies and community groups.

Short announcements are generally run for two weeks, but are subject to space availability. Notices and obituaries may be edited for length, style and clarity. Events will be listed in the Calendar page.

Send notices to Homer News, 3482 Landings St., Homer 99603, fax to 235-4199, or e-mail to towncrier@homernews.com. Deadline is noon Monday to be considered for Thursday publication.

Rep. Sarah Vance (R-Homer) will host several community meetings on the southern Kenai Peninsula. The first is at 5 p.m. today at Captain’s Coffee in Homer. There will also be meetings from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Central Emergency Services station in Kasilof, and from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Ninilchik Community Center, both on Saturday, Aug. 31. Vance will be giving a Capital Update on budgetary issues and seeking your thoughts on the PFD. Coffee and donuts will be provided.

The 27th annual Wooden Boat Festival starts today at 7 p.m. with sea chanteys, sea stories and fishing poetry at the Salty Dawg. The festival continues on Friday with speakees and movies about Bristol Bay and the Back to the Bay project at 6 p.m. at the Kachemak Bay Campus. Enjoy salmon chowder and hardtack. The wooden boats display is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Fishing Hole Campground. See marine skills demonstrations and kids boat building. At 8 p.m. the Rogues and Wenches perform at the Down East Saloon; $10 suggested donation. They also perform a singalong from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at the wooden boats display. For more information, visit https://www.kbwbs.org.

The Homer swim and dive team will host the Homer Mariner Triathlon at 8 a.m. Saturday for the community. Participants register as teams of two to three or as individuals to complete the challenging course consisting of a 1,000-yard swim in the Homer High School pool; a 15-mile bike ride up East Hill Road, across Skyline Drive and down West Hill Road to the Homer Spit; and a 5-mile run back up to Homer High School.

All proceeds of this event benefit the swim and dive team. Participants receive a commemorative t-shirt (courtesy of sponsor Cycle Logical) and the opportunity to compete for custom Mariner wheel medals (courtesy of Desperate Marine LLC) awarded to the top three Ironmen/women in each age group.

For more information or to register, visit www.facebook.com/HomerMarinerTri. There will be a race bib pickup from 4-6 p.m. the evening before the event, Friday, Aug. 30, at Cycle Logical. For answers to other questions or for help finding another person to fill your team, contact race director Paul Story at pstory@kpbsd.org or 299-3523.

Kachemak Crane Watch’s annual Count Days are coming up on Aug. 31 and Sept. 7. Please submit your info on the day of each count, or as soon as you can before the next count day. For a special experience, join at Beluga Slough at the end of the gravel trail for the evening crane fly-in. Citizen Scientists are needed for special Sandhill Crane population survey in the Homer area (Anchor Point and south). Kachemak Crane Watch would like to know of specific crane sightings on Aug. 31 and Sept. 7. Please report the number of adults, colts, or banded cranes seen by location, time, and day for each count day, and your name and contact information to reports@cranewatch.org or by calling 907-235-6262. For more information, contact Nina Faust at 235-6262.

The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Sept. 18 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 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.

Kenai Peninsula Votes tidbit:

It’s time to get your vote on. By the time your read this, there will be 40 days left before the next City/Borough election, Tuesday, October 1, 2019.The voter turnout for these local and borough elections is usually under 30%. Kenai Peninsula Votes wants to see this increased. Just vote. Be informed — but go vote. So, what will you be voting on? In Homer, we have two city council members who are up for re-election, Shelly Erickson and Tom Stroozas. They are running against Joey Evensen and Storm P. Hansen-Cavasos. Homer will also vote on the plastic bag issue. In the Borough election there are seats being voted on for the hospital and school boards, but they are all unopposed. There are two ballot proposals; one dealing with borough management and the other with raising taxes. Refer to the perspective city and borough web sites to get a more detailed look at these propositions and candidates. Let’s break the trend of low voter turnout on these elections. Go out and vote.

Ultimate Frisbee group meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. at the Homer High School turf field. Contact: Sunny at 441-0314.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities are 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. Due to a change in its recycle market, Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities will no longer accept D grade plastic film, including plastic shopping bags. Also, they are only accepting #1 PETE beverage bottles with twist tops for recycling. For more information, call the 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.

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 is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The special exhibits gallery is hosting the show All Alaska Biennial from now until Sept. 22.

The museum offers harbor walking tours weekly, from 3-4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. Meet at the Pratt kiosk in front of the Salty Dog Saloon. For tour rates and other information about what’s happening at the Pratt visit the website, www.prattmuseum.org

Kachemak Bay Campus

Kachemak Bay Campus began fall semester this week. Keep an eye out for community and 1 credit classes starting throughout the semester.

Scientific Illustration with Lee Post begins today (Thursday) and runs through Oct. 3. Learn how to create a publishable quality illustration of a biological specimen. Beginners welcome. This 1 credit class meets Thursdays from 4:30-7:15 p.m. Call 235-7743 to register.

Tonight at 6:30 p.m., celebrate 10 years of partnership between Kachemak Bay Campus and 49 Writers with a Free reading by Paul Lisicky, a Guggenheim and NEA Fellow whose work appears in The Atlantic and New York Times, and author of five books including The Narrow Door, Unbuilt Projects and Famous Builder. This public reading precedes the 10th annual Tutka Bay Writers Retreat, led this year by Lisicky. More info about is available at 49writers.org. This event takes place in Pioneer Hall.

First Friday Artists from The Experience Gallery in Halibut Cove will represent KBC at the Alaska World Arts Festival with an exhibition organized by Marian Beck in the gallery in Pioneer Hall on Sept. 6, beginning at 4 p.m. Watch this space and visit the Kachemak Bay Campus Facebook page for details.

More Alaska World Arts Festival at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 with “Writing at the Edge of the World,” when Kathleen Dean Moore and other Alaskan writers will read and discuss their work. From 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, Moore will conduct a workshop, “Write for the Reeling World,” encouraging writers to craft messages of empowerment and inspiration in the face of a natural world in peril. Events take place in Pioneer Hall. The readings are free and the workshop is $35. Call 235-7743 or register at https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com

Marine Technology classes are back with Outboard Engine Maintenance beginning Friday, Sept. 13 from 5:30-9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. t0 5 p.m. The cost is $95.

Coastal Navigation with Anna Borland Ivy will teach you the essential boating skills to safely navigate Kachemak Bay. This class runs from 5-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday for $95. Call 235-7743 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com to register for Marine Tech classes.

Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center

The Islands & Ocean Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ranger-led talks and walks are Sundays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. All programs are free of charge.

South Peninsula Hospital

Walk with a Doc will re-start after a summer break on Saturday, Sept. 7 at SPARC. The free program, made possible by a grant from the South Peninsula Hospital Foundation, meets the first and third Saturdays of each month from 9-10 a.m.The walk leader on Sept. 7 will be Paula Godfrey, DO from the South Peninsula Hospital Emergency Department. Godfrey, Board Certified in Emergency Medicine, will discuss and demonstrate “Stop the Bleed,” a national and local effort to help prepare individuals for best response to a bleeding emergency. Following her presentation, folks can spend the remainder of the hour walking, asking questions, getting free blood pressure screenings and more. Please bring clean, indoor walking shoes to change into. Walk with a Doc is free and is a drop-in program. All are welcome, and SPARC is accessible for walking, running, strollers, wheelchairs, walking poles, etc. All ages and abilities can join for this healthy Saturday morning activity, with snacks and coffee provided. Additional information can be found online at the SPH website or Facebook page, or by contacting the SPH Health & Wellness Department at wellness@sphosp.org or call (907) 235-0970 with any questions or suggestions.

Booth applications are now being accepted for the annual Rotary Health Fair. The Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary Club in partnership with South Peninsula Hospital invites exhibitors to apply for booth space at the 36th annual Rotary Health Fair. The purpose of the fair is to promote individual wellness, share health information and to encourage in healthy lifestyle choices. The fair is Saturday, Nov. 2 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Homer High School, and the deadline to apply for booth space is Friday, Sept. 13. To get an application or more information, please send an email to rotaryhealthfair@gmail.com or visit www.sphosp.org.