Town Crier

Community announcements

The Homer Food Pantry has changed its hours of operation to noon to 3 p.m. Deliveries of food boxes will stop after Monday, Sept. 14. However, clients who are elderly, disabled, or unable to visit the pantry or drive through will be able to keep using the service. You must re-apply for the service through the provider who originally requested it.

The South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board will hold its regular monthly meeting virtually via ZOOM at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Thursday. The Committee of the Whole will meet at 5:30 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend both meetings. The ZOOM link is available on the Kenai Peninsula Borough website kpb.us. The South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board is an elected board that oversees local tax dollars for a healthier community.

Kachemak Emergency Services will be holding its monthly board meeting by Zoom at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday. The public is welcome to listen in by Zoom. The information is below:

Topic: KESA Board Meeting

Time: Sep 10, 2020 07:00 PM Alaska

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/94560822131?pwd=TWJ0RzhvMC9LcWFwNXZVMDdXOWtaQT09

Meeting ID: 945 6082 2131

Passcode: 474919

The Friends of the Library book sale will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12 and 13. Admission is by reservation only. You can make a reservation by contacting the library’s front desk at 907-235-3180 or circ@ci.homer.ak.us. Please wear a mask if you have one. If you don’t, the Friends can give you one for free.

The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies annual CoastWalk has started. Sign up to clean and monitor a section of coastline in Kachemak Bay by visiting the Coastal Studies offices at 708 Smokey Bay Way during regular business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information call 907-235-6667 or email info@akcoastalstudies.org.

East End Cottages is now accepting applications for two-and three-bedroom apartments located at 41716 Crested Crane Street in Homer, off East End Road (across from George’s Storage). This living community includes market value and equal opportunity housing and ADA compliant townhomes. Preference will be given to homeless, veteran and disabled applicants. Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units are subject to income restrictions and eligibility requirements. The apartments are professionally managed by North Star Management. To set up an appointment, pick up an application or for more information, contact Site Manager Dana Jaworski at 907-235-5639 or eastendcottages@gmail.com.

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:

Sometimes, who to vote for can be a tough decision. This 2020 election season has an added twist — now, you have to decide how you will cast your ballot, and it can be yet another tough decision. Should you vote early in person at your local city clerk office or wait to vote at your local polling place on election day? Now you can vote early by mail and that ensures it will arrive in time to be counted.

We hear about mail-in votes being tossed out for a variety of reasons: no signature, blank address blocks, missing ID, mailed late or missing stamps. These are things we, the voters, are responsible for. This may be the first year you have decided to vote by mail, and you are unsure if it’s the best way. Sometimes it’s a bit unnerving to do important things differently. This is where practice comes in handy; the more often you vote by mail the more comfortable you’ll be because you have experience and will be less likely to make common errors.

Borough and municipal elections are on Oct. 6. If you haven’t received that ballot request or you misplaced it, you can go on line at https://www.kpb.us/assembly-clerk/elections and ask for another. The sooner that request is received the sooner you get your borough mail-in ballot then you can take your time to complete it and get it in the mailbox with time to spare. Don’t forget to have a witness sign the envelope. You might ask them to review your ballot to make sure everything is right, and all the boxes are filled. This will help you be more successful in November.

With the postal service in disarray and COVID-19 lurking about, you might be tempted to just pass voting this year. Please don’t. Your single vote has great value to the future leadership of your city, the borough, Alaska, and our nation. Indeed, the rest of the world will feel the impact of your decision.

You can learn more about Kenai Peninsula Votes on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Kenai-Peninsula-Votes-1137000326349152.

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 is in need of volunteers to help move medical equipment between their office and client’s homes. They are looking for one-time, short-term and long-term help to work alongside their experienced volunteers and appreciate whatever time you can spare. If you can help, please call Christina at 235-6899.

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

It’s not too late to register for classes. Keep moving forward with your degree or start on a path to a bright future by building a new skill or updating one you already have. Advisors work with you to find the right fit. Call 907-235-7743 to be connected.

Sept. 12-13 — Rockhounding with Taz Tally. Join the Kachemak Bay Campus and the Pratt Museum for a weekend of Rockhounding with Taz Tally, a.k.a “The Rock Doc.” The first class is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. The class will meet in the Pratt Museum’s education wing. Learn about the Rock Cycle using the college’s rock sample boxes, then go “behind the scenes” to tour some of the Pratt’s extensive rock collection. From 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13, Tally will lead the group on a hike to explore the geology of Kachemak Bay. The class costs $69 per person and enrollment is limited. To register call 235-7743 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/. KBC and the Pratt Museum are committed to your safety. Workspaces will be physically distanced and participants will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing of 6 feet or more at all times.

High school students can JumpStart college by taking college classes while attending traditional high school or learning from home, and receive a big break in tuition. KBC has decades of experience in online teaching that students can rely on. More information is available at 235-7743.

KBC is planning on Marine Tech classes in the late fall. Visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ to see what is available.

Second Sunday Shakespeare — This month join for community read of “All’s Well that Ends Well” at 1 p.m. on Sept. 13. Everyone is invited. Just log into zoom and you will be assigned a part. You can join by computer, cell phone or landline. Call 235-1674 for information on how to connect.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Homer Annex is open with some restrictions at 638 East Pioneer Ave. in the Homer Borough Maintenance building east of the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. Please limit visits to one person at a time and wait in the parking lot or in vehicles while other people are inside. Masks are recommended but not required. 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 fall hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday to 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.

Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center

The Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center operations are temporarily suspended, but please visit virtually and take a 3D tour by going to http://ow.ly/hf3f50Bf4HB. The Beluga Slough Trail and other outdoor areas on the refuge will remain open to provide healthy options for recreation and relaxation. Kids can download the Agents of Discovery App and play an interactive learning game on the trail.

To reach refuge staff call 907-235-6546 or email alaskamaritime@fws.gov.