Town Crier

Local author Dana Stabenow and the Friends of the Homer Public Library would like to invite you to a virtual talk by New York Times columnist Jesse Wegman at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8. Wegman is the author of “Let the People Pick the President,” a history of the Electoral College and the many attempts to reform it. There will be opportunity for questions after the talk. The book is available at the Homer Public Library. Check it out today! Due to COVID-19 cases in the local area, the in-person event has been replaced by a Zoom meeting. Login information is provided on the Homer Public Library calendar page or by going to: https://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/library/author-visit-jesse-wegman.

The Halibut Cove Lagoon Ramp is scheduled to be raised on Oct. 15. The dock will be available for use over the winter and a dinghy will be needed to get to shore.

The South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board will hold its regular monthly meeting via Zoom at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 14. The Committee of the Whole will meet at 5:30 p.m. before the regular meeting. The South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board is an elected board that oversees local tax dollars for a healthier community. Learn about the workings of your hospital and your service area board.

All are welcome to attend either or both meetings. The Zoom link is available on the Kenai Peninsula Borough calendar found at https://www.kpb.us/service-areas/south-kenai-peninsula-hospital-service-area and by emailing Devony at dlehnerediting@gmail.com.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District requests input from staff, parents and community members at the districtwide KPBSD budget development meetings scheduled at the following times:

Central Peninsula Community – 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7 at Soldotna High Library

Homer Community – 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19 at Homer High Library

Seward Community – 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20 at Seward Library

Additional information and the number to call in with questions will be posted on the Finance Page of the KPBSD website. As new budget information becomes available, it will also be posted on the Finance page. If you have questions, please call Natalie Bates at 907-714-8888.

The 2021 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Annual CoastWalk has started. CoastWalk is a citizen monitoring and stewardship project with a mission to bring awareness about marine debris, collect data to track trends and patterns, and to educate the community about the impact on the shores and oceans. CoastWalk volunteers pick a zone on the beach to walk, survey the area of natural and human caused change, collect marine debris and trash, and record anything unusual they find. Kachemak Bay is divided into 32 zones stretching from the mouth of the Anchor River all the way to Port Graham. There are many zones still to be adopted, especially on the south side and more remote parts of Kachemak Bay and community cleanups that anyone can sign up for on both sides of the bay.

This year the theme of CoastWalk is “Washed Away” with a focus on waterways and runoff. To catch trash before it enters the ocean, this year’s CoastWalk volunteers are encouraged to clean a river or roadway and gathering the same information as they would on a beach cleanup. To adopt a road or waterway, anyone can come check out a cleanup packet and sign up with the name or location of the area they are cleaning, then giving us their stop and start points when they return their data sheets. CACS is currently signing up individual volunteers, school classes and groups to clean up specific beach zones. Each CoastWalk volunteer will receive a packet with a survey form, instructions, maps, and garbage bags. Interested volunteers can contact the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies at 235-6667, visit the office at 708 Smoky Bay way, or email Henry@akcoastalstudies.org.

The Loved & Lost Memorial Bench is being created to honor all those missing around Alaska, the nation, and the world. Three artists, 250 pounds of clay and more than five months in the making, work continues on the bench with a goal of placing it in its permanent spot outside the Homer Public Library in late October or early November. A memorial for Duffy and bench dedication event will be open to the public via Zoom, with details to be announced soon.

If you have a missing loved one and would like their photo included on the bench during the dedication event, please email a photo along with their name and date/location they went missing to Christina at lovedandlostmemorial@gmail.com. Fundraising efforts are ongoing with $10,000 still to be raised. Donations can be made online at gofundme.com/f/lovedandlostmemoria AND homerumcalaska.org/donate, and by check payable to HUMC, mailed to HUMC, 770 East End Rd, Homer, AK 99603 with memorial bench in the subject line.

You can also continue to drop dollars and change in donation jars around town – Chevron, CoffeeSmith, Coles Market, Fritz Creek General Store, Homer Theatre, KBBI, Kachemak Gear Shed, SBS, Safeway, Sunny’s Service, Ulmers Drug & Hardware, Wild Honey Bistro, and Kamakani Kitchen in Kenai. If you’d like to support the bench as a major donor and receive name/logo recognition in a variety of ways, please contact Christina for more details and the donor form – lovedandlostmemorial@gmail.com, 907-435-7969.

Duffy’s family would like to share the modeling clay that has been used to create the 12 sculptures that will be depicted on the bench. If you are a local or statewide artist, school or arts organization interested in re-using some of the 200 pounds of clay, please contact Christina, 907-435-7969.

Oct. 17 marks the 2-year anniversary of Duffy’s disappearance. Community members are invited to join Duffy’s family in a silent walk beginning at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 17, retracing Duffy’s route from Main Street Apartments to SVT Health Clinic and back, with parking available at NOMAR.

Anchor Point Group of Alcoholics Anonymous continues to meet in person at the Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce at 34175 Sterling Hwy (north of Chapman School) on Wednesday and Friday at 7 p.m. These are open meetings, and alcoholics and non-alcoholics are all welcome. For more information, call 907-223-9814.

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 is closed on Sundays for the winter through April 24, 2022. 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.

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.

Homer Senior Citizens

Homer Senior Citizens Inc. is closed to the public. We are being very COVID-conscious due to the vulnerability of the people we serve. Please follow the signage on entrance doors, which follow mitigation efforts based upon the community levels of positive cases.

Family members and friends can visit residents at Friendship Terrace, but face masks are required and visits are limited only to the resident’s apartment.

Friendship Center Adult Day Services remains closed. Call 235-4556 for more information.

The Homer Senior Citizen’s congregate dining remains closed.

Hospice of Homer

Hospice of Homer seeks to start a general Bereavement Support Group. This will be a facilitated group that will meet in person and be subject to our current COVID guidelines. Hospice has specific groups for those who’ve lost a life partner or child, but this group would welcome anyone dealing with loss. If you’re interested in joining, please contact the office at 235-6899 to be added to the list. Day/time information will be sent to you directly once we have an understanding of group size.

The Bereaved Parents Support Group is a 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 various youth and adult art classes at Homer Council on the Arts, including Art a la Carte, our after-school series for grades 3-6. Learn more and register at homerart.org/calendar.

HCOA is always accepting proposals from artists wishing to share their skills by teaching workshops. Open to opportunities for any age group in both single-session and ongoing-series formats. Connect with us at homerart.org/education.

Calling all performing artists! We are accepting submissions for a new Second Friday Performance Series, showcasing emerging or developing local work or artists in any performance genre: music, dance, drama, standup, and more. Visit www.homerart.org/2nd-friday

Kachemak Bay Campus

The Kenai Peninsula Learning Center is offering FREE classes for GED, ESL, citizenship, life skills and computer basics at Kenai River Campus and Kachemak Bay Campus. Serving adults across the Kenai Peninsula. For more information, please contact your nearest campus: Soldotna: 907-262-0327 / krc.learningcenter@alaska.edu; Homer: 907-235-1602 / kbcadulted@alaska.edu.

Computer Design: Marine Technology with Brad Conley of Bay Welding Services. Tired of designing on the scratch paper? Get a feel for what computer-assisted drawing (CAD) can offer. This introduction into cutting-edge design software (RHINO 3D) covers how and why it is used for design, conceptual work, and manufacturing, specifically in the marine industry, as well as basic software navigation, commands and design. Classes take place in the KBC computer lab. Co-sponsored by Bay Welding Services and Homer Marine Trades Association. Oct. 12 and 14, from 6-9 p.m. Class fee: $49 To register, visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call (907) 235-1674.

A Writing Workshop with Rich Chiappone and Justin Herrmann: This hands-on writing workshop explores the fastest growing sub-genres in creative writing today. Write your own life, or make one up and see how much of it you can cram into exercises from 1,500-word short stories down to six-word memoirs. Classes will be held Oct. 16, 23 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The class fee is $75. Call (907) 235-1674 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ to register.

Rockhounding with Taz Tally: Take a journey back through time with “The Rock Doc” as he leads you down Diamond Creek Trail and along the shoreline, revealing the forces of nature that have shaped Kachemak Bay and created one of the great rockhounding beaches. The class will be held Oct. 16 from 2-6 p.m. and will cost $59. Call (907) 235-1674 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ to register.

Master 100 Ton/OUPV – This USCG-approved course is for those with enough sea time to get a 100 ton USCG license or an Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel license. The exam will be administered upon completion of the course. Full attendance is mandatory. Upon passing, the exam a certificate will be issued, which the USCG will accept in lieu of taking their exam. You may have more qualifying sea time than you think. The class will be held Nov. 5 – 28, Fridays from 5-9 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Class fee: $700. Call (907) 235-1674 or visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ to register.

The Pratt Museum & Park

The Pratt Museum & Park is open for its fall hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and will be closed Monday through Wednesday.

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 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.

South Peninsula Hospital

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 from Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can only be made online at www.sphosp.org. Vaccinations are open to anyone 12 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.

FDA has approved by Emergency Use Authorization the Pfizer COVID-19 booster for specific groups. South Peninsula Hospital is currently offering COVID-19 booster shots of Pfizer brand to individuals who were fully vaccinated with Pfizer at least six months earlier and fall into one of the following categories: People 65 years or older, residents in long term care settings, people 50-64 years of age with underlying medical conditions. Additional groups may receive the booster based on individual benefits and risks. Check www.sphosp.org for complete details, call your healthcare provider or call 235-0235. A mass Pfizer booster vaccine event will take place on Friday, Oct. 15 at Homer High School. Flu shots will be offered at time of visit. Appointments are encouraged, go to www.sphosp.org.

SPH will offer free flu shots at a community flu shot event on Friday, Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointment needed.

The 38th annual Rotary Health Fair is offering greatly discounted blood draws, including the comprehensive blood analysis for only $55, a sizeable discount from the average cost of a comparable test. In addition to the basic panel, additional tests are available for purchase at special health fair rates, including a wellness panel, prostate, thyroid, vitamin D, hemoglobin a1c and cardiac CRP, thyroid free T4, testosterone and hepatitis C. Appointments are offered from Oct. 11 to Nov. 5 at a designated location on the hospital campus used exclusively for Rotary Health Fair blood draws. Appointments are required, and payment must be made online at time of booking. Free flu shots will be offered in conjunction with the visit. Masks and COVID-19 screenings are required the day of the appointment. Appointments can be made at www.rotaryhealthfair.org or by calling the health fair hotline at 399-3158. Book early as appointments fill up.

Kenai Peninsula Votes Tidbit

Oct. 5 has come and gone and another election is in the books. Life goes on and the people who have been elected will do their very best to fulfill their new positions.

The election coverage in the Homer News has been excellent, as well as KBBI and the Peninsula Clarion. The Anchor Point and Homer Chambers of Commerce have given all the candidates a voice. Finding information about the candidates was not that hard if you wanted to do your homework.

For many people on the Peninsula, Oct. 5 is just another day, and voting is still not a top priority. Many voters procrastinate, as that seems to be part of the human condition. And trying to explain how these candidates can impact your lives is a continuing challenge.

The work that needs to take place to educate voters and the civics involved in this doesn’t end on election day. The effort continues and is part of our journey to make elections and voting more of a common denominator in all of our lives.

Remember, all votes count and all voices matter.