Anchor Point Group of Alcoholics Anonymous continues to meet in person at the Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce at 34175 Sterling Highway (north of Chapman School) on Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. These are open meetings, and alcoholics and non-alcoholics are all welcome. For more information, call 907-223-9814. The group has a mitigation plan in place to ensure proper distancing between participants.
NOAA Seeks Public Comment on the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Plan
A public meeting will be held as part of the renewal of the Management Plan of the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom at 5 p.m. Monday, June 21, 2021. The purpose of the meeting is to receive public comments regarding the plan for operation and implementation of the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Please see more information and register at https://accs.uaa.alaska.edu/kachemak-bay-nerr-draft-management-plan/. Written comments are encouraged, and participation at the public meeting is not required for submission. Written comments should be submitted through the Federal Register no later than June 30, 2021 or by emailing Coowe Walker, KBNERR Manager at cmwalker9@alaska.edu no later than July 31, 2021.
Step into Freedom is a narcotics anonymous group that will be held at 7 p.m. every Thursday at the Glacierview Baptist Church “Big House” next to the main church. This group is for both women and men, and is open to non-addicts who would like to sit in on the meetings. For questions, call Jaclyn at 907-756-3530.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste facilities are now open on 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.
The nonpartisan Homer Legislative Information Office at 270 W. Pioneer Ave. is now open for the first session of the 32nd State Legislature. At this time the office is able to assist by phone or email only.
To learn more about how you can participate in the legislative process or to obtain more information on issues of interest facing the Alaska State Legislature, please contact 235-7878 or lio.homer@akleg.gov.
After 30 days of incubation, sandhill crane eggs hatch. Tiny, precocious crane chicks or colts should appear any day around Homer. Crane colts and other baby wildlife are very vulnerable, so please keep your dogs on leash and cats home.
As part of its Citizen Science projects, Kachemak Crane Watch keeps track of nesting success and wants your observations of Sandhill Crane colts. Send your report to Kachemak Crane Watch at reports@cranewatch.org or call 235-6262. Include date of hatching, time, location, number of colts, and your contact information so we can call for details.
For more information, contact Nina Faust at 907-235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.org.
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. – 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.
Homer Senior Citizens
Some activities remain canceled, and the Homer Senior Center is closed to the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friendship Center Adult Day Services is now open six days a week. Call 235-4556 for more information.
Homer Senior Citizens congregate dining have returned. The dining room will be open for reservations from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 907-235-7655.
The Homer Area Caregiver Support Group has resumed its monthly meetings on the second and fourth Thursdays in the senior center dining room. Enter through the back of the building where you get meals. The caregiver group provides support, information, referrals and friendship with other people dealing with the joys and challenges of caregiving. Speakers on related topics are scheduled at least once a month. For more information, call Pam Hooker at 907-299-7198 or Janet Higley at 907-235-4291. Newcomers are welcome.
Hospice of Homer
Hospice of Homer is looking for models for the 2022 calendar fundraiser. The photography shoot will be held at 6 p.m. June 17, at the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon. Models are asked to dress appropriate for fishing — waders, boots, vest, hat, etc., and to bring props such as fishing poles, tackle boxes, coolers, stuffed fish etc. Joshua Veldestra will take the photos. Contact Holly Dramis for more information at director@hospiceofhomer.org or 907-235-6899.
The Bereaved Parents Support Group is a newly formed support group and mutual assistance self-help group offering friendship, understanding, hope, encouragement and healing to all bereaved parents. Our purpose is to provide support, share and emotionally assist parents through their grief. The group is intended to serve both newly bereaved parents and those who are continuing on their grief journey. Anyone that has lost a child knows, you don’t just stop grieving. A parent’s grief is as timeless as their love. For more information, please email thomasklingensmith@yahoo.com or call 303-949-8969.
Widows Group: Losing a partner is one of the most devastating things a person can experience. Hospice of Homer has resumed its monthly Widows Support Group. This group is a place for those who have lost their partner to share and heal. It is a safe place for coming to terms with the powerful feelings and experiences only those who are walking the same path can truly understand. Participants will be following all COVID-19 protocols. RSVP is required if you plan to attend so organizers may plan accordingly for social distancing and group size limitations. Call 907-235-6899 to respond.
Homer Council on the Arts
Registration is open for HCOA’s summer programs, including Art in the Park for ages 5-18! Check out homerart.org/calendar for a full list of our summer camps, classes and workshops for all ages in a variety of mediums.
Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about LIVE musical performances on July 8 and July 10. Visit homerart.org for more information.
Homer Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center
The Homer Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center is hosting the 2021 Taste of Homer Food Festival June 14-20 to celebrate Homer restaurants and food. During the week, participating restaurants will feature their favorite dishes for a fixed price, and customers will have the opportunity to sign up for a “Dine Out On Us” gift package with gift cards to local restaurants. Participating restaurants will have a food festival sign outside their business.
During the weekend, the city will host the Food Truck and Beer/Wine Garden Festival in the Kevin Bell Hockey Arena parking lot to encourage weekend visitors to experience the Homer food scene.
To sign up your restaurant, contact the Chamber at 907-235-7740 or email info@homeralaska.org.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Registration for fall classes is open. For fall 2021, Kachemak Bay Campus will be offering several in-person courses, which were traditionally offered before the pandemic, as face-to-face/hybrid classes with safety protocols in place. A limited number of on-campus/in-person seats will be available for each class while the remaining spots will be offered online/in-person via Zoom. We will continue to offer exceptional online-only classes for students who prefer managing their own schedules. Registering early offers the best chance of being in the classroom with other students and your professors. Call (907) 235-7743 to be connected with an adviser who will help you determine which classes are best for you.
Pratt Museum & Park
The Pratt Museum & Park is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.
The latest Pratt Museum & Park exhibit is “Microbial Worlds,” a close-up look at the hidden world of microscopic organisms through the lens of art. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 25. A Collaborative Arts-Humanities-Science exhibit, 14 artists and writers magnify the microbiome in this collaborative exhibit sponsored by the Fairbanks-based arts-humanities-science consortium, In a Time of Change. The exhibit includes original art works and writings by Alaska artists Susan Campbell, Annie Duffy, Nancy Hausle- Johnson, Jessie Hedden, Eric Henderson, Mariah Henderson, Margo Klass, Debbie Clarke Moderow, Jennifer Moss, Ree Nancarrow, Gail Priday, and Sara Tabbert, as well as San Diego artist Charlotte Bird and Brooklyn artist Stephanie Rae Dixon. Mary Beth Leigh, a professor of microbiology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, directed the project.
Alaska Positive is displayed in the People and Place Gallery. Now in its 49th year, Alaska Positive is a statewide juried photographic exhibition organized and toured by the Alaska State Museum. Its purpose is to encourage the practice of photography as an art form in Alaska.
Finding Home in Homer is a new project hosted by the Pratt Museum for young people (ages 14-24) who have lived experience with homelessness, housing insecurity/at risk, couchsurfing, unstable home environments or car camping, or teens seeking emancipation due to parent relations. The goal of this project is to connect young people in the community with local artist mentors, workshops, and a group of peers to create art, music and writing in response to the question “what is home?” The hope is the project provides a platform for young people in the community to share stories, make connections and call Homer to action to work to end youth homelessness. Concluding this year’s program, youth participating have the option of submitting their artwork for the Finding Home in Homer exhibit. Come see what they have created.
Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center
The Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center is now open to the public. Throughout the summer, it will be open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer Ranger Programs are in full swing, so check out the website alaskamaritime.fws.gov/ for updates and program schedules. To reach refuge staff, call 907-235-6546 or email alaskamaritime@fws.gov.
Beginning June 24, the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center will offer an in-person Pre-K Puffins Early Learning Program. The classes will be hosted in two sessions, 10-11 a.m. and noon-1 p.m. The sessions, designed for ages 2-5, are identical and will be hosted completely outside, so come dressed for the weather. To join in on the fun, meet us on the back patio of the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. Check our Facebook page at facebook.com/AlaskaMaritimeNationalWildlifeRefuge or the website. Those interested can also contact Ranger Kendra Bush at Kendra_bush@fws.gov or 907-266-4606.
South Peninsula Hospital
South Peninsula Hospital, in coordination with the City of Homer, is offering a free, walk-up COVID-19 vaccine event on the Homer Spit from 3-7 p.m. every Thursday in June. This event will take place in the Boathouse Pavilion at the top of Ramp 2 near the public restrooms and will be offering the single-dose Janssen vaccine and the two-dose Pfizer vaccines.
South Peninsula Hospital offers free testing and vaccinations for COVID-19. Free testing is offered daily 9 a.m.to 6 p.m. at the test site on Bartlett Street. No appointment is necessary. Vaccines are offered walk-in or by appointment as supplies permit. Walk-ins are welcome daily noon-5 p.m. Appointments can only be made online at www.sphosp.org. Vaccinations are open to anyone 16 years and older for Pfizer, and 18 years and older for all other brands. Call the COVID nurse at 235-0235 to discuss symptoms, or the COVID vaccine info line at 435-3188 for recorded updates. Free testing is now offered for anyone who recently attended a social gathering or who was in a crowded indoor space and close to others. Details are in the weekly newspaper ad, at www.sphosp.org or at 907-435-3188.
Vaccination supports a fast and safe return of our economy by protecting the health of employees and eliminating the need to quarantine for two weeks after coming in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. That matters because two weeks is a large part of our short summer season.Vaccines are the best assurance that the short summer season will not be impacted.
