Kachemak Emergency Services will hold a regular board meeting via Zoom at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday. The public is welcome to listen in by the following: https://zoom.us/j/96639563961?pwd=UHhqa3loUDNBZWJZZVFTNzR1RHE4UT09
Set Free Alaska invites the public to an open house from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, July 25 at 51310 Timber Bay Court down East End Road. A dedication ceremony for the religious nonprofit’s new in-patient, residential addiction treatment center, Compass Men’s Residential Facility, will start at 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit setfreealaska.org.
As part of Homer’s first peony celebration, the Rotary Club of Homer-Kachemak Bay is partnering with the Alaska Beauty Peony Co-op to “Spread Joy, Say Thanks” by selling bouquets of peonies for $20 each.
Peony sales will happen on the lawn of the Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25. Sales also are planned on the Homer Shores Boardwalk on the Homer Spit on Friday and Saturday afternoons during the peony celebration.
Bouquets of seven stems of peonies with buds getting ready to open will sell for $20, with $10 going to the growers and $10 going to Rotary to help do good in the community.
When buying bouquets, people are encouraged to remember area essential workers. Rotary will deliver bouquets to the following essential workplaces: South Peninsula Hospital, Public Health, Seldovia Village Tribe, Safeway, Save-U-More, Post Office, the Homer Police Department, the Homer Volunteer Fire Department, the Homer Senior Citizens Center and Hospice of Homer. For more information, call Lori Evans at 399-7767.
Starting in late July, the City of Homer will be, as part of their regular road maintenance work during the summer season, mowing, cutting brush and trimming tree limbs that obstruct sight distances, block drainage channels or otherwise constitute a safety hazard on city-maintained roads. The city will not be removing entire trees without first contacting the adjacent property owner. You’ll see city crews and equipment moving throughout town doing this work during regular business hours, Monday – Friday, during the months of July and August. For more information, contact the city of Homer Public Works Department at 907-235-3170.
Kachemak Crane Watch asks you to report fledging sandhill cranes. Sandhill crane colts are practicing their flying skills. It takes 60-70 days from hatching to fledging. Some may even fledge by the end of July. Please report any crane colts fully flying (fledged) to Kachemak Crane Watch. Let them know where and when the colts were able to fly off with the adults. Include your specific location and other information you care to share. If the colts you have been watching have disappeared or died, please report that as well. If you know how they died, please include that information too. Successful fledging and mortality reports help Kachemak Crane Watch determine nesting success for the year compared to previous years. Your citizen science reports are vital to KCW monitoring of the nesting season. Send reports to reports@cranewatch.org or call 907-235-6262.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities are now open Sundays. For more information contact the KPB Solid Waste Department at 907-262-9667 or check their webpage at https://www.kpb.us/swd-waste/about-solidwaste.
Kenai Peninsula Votes tidbit:
With all the talk about voting in our state, the average voter turnout for the last four state primaries was (drum roll please) … 26%. That’s right, 26% of Alaskans used the power of voting to decide which candidates were on the four previous state election ballots. This year you can change these low voter turn-out numbers and make a difference by voting in our state primary Aug. 18.
If you would rather not go to the polls this year, the state has made it a lot easier to request an absentee ballot online. You will need either a driver’s license or state ID. Here is the link: https://absenteeballotapplication.alaska.gov/ or just go to Alaska Division of Elections homepage and click on absentee voter. It only takes a few minutes to complete the application, and the Division of Elections will mail you your ballot in time for both elections (in August and November).
The deadline to request your absentee ballot for the primary election is Aug. 8. The primary election day is Aug. 18. There will also be opportunities to vote early, or you can go to the polls and vote in person on Aug. 18. Kenai Peninsula Votes encourages everyone to vote, because we’re all in this together and no matter how you feel, your voice truly matters.
Anchor Point Senior Citizens
The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Avenue serves take-out meals on Thursday evenings with pickup from 5-6 p.m. Helping Hands Thrift Store is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and donations can be dropped off any time. The office staff are at work and available by phone for addressing needs. For information, call 235-7786.
Friendship Center
Friendship Center Adult Day Services is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Call 235-4556.
Homer Senior Citizens
All activities are canceled and the Homer Senior Center is closed to the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Homer Senior Citizens congregate lunch is closed, but meals can be picked up at noon from Monday-Friday. You must call 907-235-7655 by 10 a.m. daily to reserve your meal.
Hospice of Homer
Hospice of Homer requests that anyone who needs to borrow or return medical equipment or to pick up disposable personal care items, call the office. Staff will check availability and arrange a time for pick up.
Anyone needing access to grief counseling or other services should also call to talk with a staff member. Staff will be available Monday-Thursday at 235-6899.
Support Group meetings have been canceled.
Hospice of Homer has had an unusually high demand for medical equipment recently and are in great need of many items. Anyone wishing to help can go to Smile.amazon.com.
Select Hospice of Homer as your charity then select Charity List and choose any of the items on our List of Current Needs. All donated equipment is loaned out free of charge to anyone who needs it in the Homer vicinity and a percentage of the purchase is donated to Hospice of Homer.
Kachemak Bay Campus
An Automatic Scholarship for all full-time students is available. Take 12 Kenai Peninsula College credits and receive $702 in tuition funding. No scholarship application necessary. To be eligible students must be admitted to or have a pending application to any University of Alaska degree program; be enrolled full-time with a minimum of 12 credits at the Homer and/or Soldotna campus; and meet this criteria by July 15. Scholarships will be applied to student accounts after the add/drop deadline (Sept. 6). For information call 235-7734.
The college and campus directors will be available for general information sessions via Zoom to answer questions and provide updates at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at https://alaska.zoom.us/j/94681988485, and at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13 at https://alaska.zoom.us/j/98979055598.
Weekly advising and financial aid sessions are available via Zoom. Get your KPC questions answered and learn more about financial aid at these information sessions:
Financial Aid Sessions — noon to1 p.m. July 21, and noon to 1 p.m. Aug. 4
General Advising Sessions — noon to 1 p.m. July 28. All sessions will be available via Zoom at https://alaska.zoom.us/j/91420275179.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Homer Annex is closed to walk-in traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic at its location at 638 East Pioneer Ave. in the Homer Borough Maintenance building east of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. The office is staffed for help by phone or email. For more information call 235-9837 or email Tamarron Baxter at tbaxter@kpb.us. Forms for property tax exemptions or appeals are available outside on the door, and a dropbox is available for completed forms.
Pratt Museum
The Pratt Museum’s summer hours through Aug. 31 are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
These hours are subject to updates in compliance with CDC State/Federal Public Health Guidance.
For the safety of guests, members and staff:
• Face masks required for entry.
• Visitor log sign-in required upon entry.
• Social distancing guidelines include maintaining 6 feet of distance at all times.
• Capacity limited to 10 guests in the museum at one time.
Face masks and capacity limits do not apply to outdoor spaces including gardens, forest trails, and Homestead cabin; however, staff do request that visitors respectfully comply with social distancing guidelines.
The Pratt Museum and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies are hosting the Walking Museum from 2-4 p.m. this Saturday, July 18. This guided walk is the first in a series of programs that expand opportunities for learning and discovery beyond the walls of the Pratt Museum and into the incredible outdoor spaces of Kachemak Bay. Join the Pratt Museum’s Botanical Garden Curator Yarrow Hinnant in an exploration of the Pratt Trails. Attendees will learn how to identify common plants found in the forest and practice documenting their observations through nature journaling, drawing, and collecting. All ages are welcome to this free event. To RSVP, please visit the Walking Museum event on the Pratt Museum Facebook page. Space is limited.
Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center
The Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center operations are temporarily suspended following guidelines from the CDC and recommendations from state and local health authorities. Updates will be posted to the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge website and social media channels. The Beluga Slough Trail and other outdoor areas on the refuge will remain open to provide healthy options for recreation and relaxation. A reopening date has not been determined at this time.
Updates about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s response to coronavirus will be posted at https://www.fws.gov/home/public-health-update.html. Please check with individual refuges or facilities regarding the change of operations or postponement of events and programs.
To reach refuge staff call 907-235-6546 or email alaskamaritime@fws.gov.
South Peninsula Hospital
Free COVID-19 testing is available at South Peninsula Hospital daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the hospital’s main entrance parking lot. Individuals should call the COVID nurse at 235-0235 before coming to be pre-screened and pre-registered to make for the fastest experience possible, and remain in their vehicle upon arrival for drive thru testing.
Testing is offered to individuals experiencing symptoms (cough, fatigue, fever, chills, difficulty breathing, headache, muscle or joint aches, nausea, rash, diarrhea, decreased sense of smell or taste, runny nose, Sore throat, increased phlegm production) or the sudden onset of any new, unexplained symptom.
Other individuals also approved for testing include critical infrastructure workers, fisheries, individuals with recent travel out of state (with or without a voucher), known exposure to a confirmed positive case, ferry passengers on long voyages which require negative testing for boarding, or anyone with a provider referral or for pre-procedure screening.
Bring your photo I.D. (or something with name/date of birth), and an insurance card if you have one. Visit www.sphosp.org for more information, or call 235-0235 daily between 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
