Project Homeless Connect Homer is hosting a free supplies and resources event for people who are homeless or who are at risk of being homeless from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Homer United Methodist Church and the Anchor Point Food Pantry. People will be able to pick up supplies such as backpacks, food boxes, snack bags, personal hygiene kits, comfort care packs, feminine hygiene products, diapers and baby wipes, condoms, pet food, sleeping bags, blankets, tents, utensils, overdose response kits, medication disposal bags, winter gear, laundry vouchers and home COVID-19 tests, among other things. A chance to connect with housing agencies, food resources, employment opportunities and health care information will be available during the event. COVID-19 and flu vaccinations will also be offered. For more information, visit the Project Homeless Connect Homer Facebook page.
The Friends of the Homer Public Library annual meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 via Zoom to elect new officers and provide an update on FHL activities. The meeting is open to the public. To RSVP, email info@friendshomerlibrary.org.
Join Friends of the Homer Public Library for a virtual Lunch with Homer City Councilmember, Rachel Lord, on Feb. 14. This monthly program provides community members an opportunity to learn more about city council, ask questions and share ideas. This meeting is a Zoom only event. In the future we hope to resume these gatherings in the library meeting room. Stay tuned for updates. To attend at noon on Monday, Feb.14, email info@friendshomerlibrary.org for the Zoom link.
Registration is now open for the Homer-Kachemak Bay Rotary Club’s fourth “nearly annual” Cranium Cup Trivia Challenge, which will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12 at Alice’s Champagne Palace. The competition has space for 20 teams of six individuals, and the entry fee is $100 per team or $20 for an individual player. Participants can register at https://www.homerrotary.org/. Payment may be made by cash, check or credit card the evening of the event. The winning team will be awarded a grand prize and the Cranium Cup trophy. For additional information, contact Dennis Weidler at
Registration is open for the 2022 Alaska Food Festival and Conference, which is going virtual on Friday and Saturday, March 18-19. It opens with a pre-conference movie on Thursday, March 17. This year’s theme is “Everybody Eats: Nourishing Our Culture, Our Health, Our Future.” The four focus areas of this year’s conference are: Policy and Education, Production and Harvest, Culture and Community, and Business and Industry.
This event is co-sponsored by the Alaska Food Policy Council, Intertribal Agriculture Council and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Dietetics and Nutrition Program.
Registration costs $40-$150, depending on the package, and you can register at this link, www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-alaska-food-festival-conference-tickets-232976558157. Early bird registration and pricing ends on Monday, Jan. 31.
The Homer Legislative Information Office at 270 W Pioneer, is now open for the second session of the 32nd State Legislature which started Jan. 18. Our doors are open with masks required and provided. We are a distribution site for Alaska Permanent Fund dividend forms which can be picked up from a document holder located outside at the entrance or inside the office. 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 call us at
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. 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, Coles Market, Latitude 59 SBS, Ulmers and Wild Honey Bistro. 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,
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,
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
The Homer Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 6:30 p.m. downstairs at Homer United Methodist Church, 770 East End Road. All meetings are open to anyone wanting to learn more about recovery from alcoholism. More information and online links to meetings can be found at www.aahomer.org.
Co-Dependents Anonymous is meeting in person at Homer Methodist Church, located at 770 East End Road. Please contact Kay at
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
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)
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. Monday is Homemade Soup and Bread night. Serving two different soups to-go each week, from 4-6 p.m. Quart’s $12 / Pints $7. Reservations not required. Tuesday is Kickin’ Fried Chicken night. Serving from 4-6 p.m. Buckets or 3-piece meals. With or without Coleslaw and Biscuits. Walk in’s welcome or call ahead
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
All of our meals and programs are open to the public and do not require membership. Call
Homer Senior Citizens
Homer Senior Citizens Inc. is closed to the public due to the high spread of the virus in our community. We are being very COVID-conscious due to the vulnerability of the people we serve. Please follow the signage on the entrance doors, which follow our mitigation efforts based upon the community levels of spread.
You my order a take-out meal from the Silver Lining Café or you may receive a meal at your home (if you do not have transportation at this time). Just call
Family members may visit their loved ones at the Terrace Assisted Living. Face masks and screening are required to enter our facility. Visitation is allowed in the resident’s apartment. If you are a friend and would like to schedule an indoor visit in our Visitation Room, please call Tanner at
Friendship Center Adult Day Services will reopen to the public once our community level of spread is back to Intermediate.
Please join us in our concentrated efforts to reduce the spread of this virus wear a mask and avoid indoor gatherings. Choosing to get vaccinated is the single most important action you can take to protect yourself and our community. We care about our community and want to rejoin it safely.
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
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
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
Homer Council on the Arts
Registration is open for a Chinese painting workshop taught by artist Sharlene Cline on Friday, Jan. 21 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at HCOA. Find out more and reserve your spot at homerart.org/calendar/trees.
HCOAholds its annual meeting and presents its annual Community Art Awards at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, via Zoom videoconference. Register for the meeting at www.homerart.org/calendar/awards. HCOA has presented community awards since 2005, making this year the 16th Annual Community Art Awards. Individuals are nominated by the public, and finalized by the HCOA Board of Directors. The 2021 recipients will be presented at the annual meeting. The 2020 Award recipients are Mary Epperson Lifetime Achievement Award, Paul Dungan: Artist of the year, Kim McNett; Arts Advocate, Little Foot; Mary Langham Volunteer of the Year Award, Abe Abrahamson; Jill Berryman Art Educator Award, Carly Garay; Diane Borgman Youth Artist of the Year Award, Mariah McGuire; Kathy and Mike Pate Business Award, Bodett & Co.
Kachemak Bay Campus
The Spring 2022 printed class schedule is available on campus, at the Homer Public Library and throughout town. Offerings can be found online at: https://kpc.alaska.edu/academics/schedule/. Be sure to contact an adviser to find the classes that are right for you.
Are you ready for a job in the healthcare industry? Becoming a Certified Nurse Aide is a great way to gain an entry-level position in the field in a relatively short period of time. Classes meet at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer once a week on Fridays beginning Jan. 14, followed by two weeks of supervised on-site clinical training (Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays) at local health care facilities. By April 29, you will be eligible to take the State of Alaska certification licensing exam on campus. The curriculum includes CPR training, medical terminology, basic anatomy, first aid, and skills labs. Talk to an adviser today to explore options for financial assistance. Call
Coastal Navigation with Anna Borland Ivy will begin Feb. 2, 2022. Learn essential boating skills to safely explore Kachemak Bay. The class covers safety, navigation, anchoring, rules of the road, charting and basic seamanship. The class is meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5-9 p.m. from Feb. 2-11 (Starts on a Wednesday). Fee $95. To register visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call (907)
Deckhand Skills with Anna Borland Ivy begins Feb. 18, 2022. Learn practical job skills for becoming a deckhand on any vessel. The class includes safety, survival skills, line handling, knots, gear, basic navigation, crew roles, helm, wheelhouse expectations and more. This class takes place on a three-day weekend, Feb. 18-20, for the Kenai Peninsula Borough school district from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fee is $85. To register visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call (907)
Able Seaman in-person with Anna Borland Ivy begins Feb. 25, 2022. This USCG-approved course is for those that have sea time and would like to obtain the ABLE SEAMAN Merchant Mariner Credential. Complete the course and examination at Kachemak Bay Campus and you will then receive a course completion certificate in lieu of Coast Guard examination. Fisherfolk are welcome. Topics include Navigation, Rules of the Road, Safety, Marlinespike Seamanship, etc. You may have more qualifying sea time than you think. The class will meet Friday from 5-9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. From Feb. 25 through March 6. Fee is $500. To register visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call (907)
The Pratt Museum & Park
The Pratt Museum & Park will reopen to the public Feb. 12 for Winter Carnival. Entry will be free on that Saturday, and they will have two new exhibits.
In the Community Gallery will be “Homer’s Nutcracker: A Community Portrait,” photographs by Rafael de la Uz. Lisa Williams will be in the special exhibit gallery. More information to come.
South Peninsula Hospital
South Peninsula Hospital offers free testing and vaccinations for COVID-19. Free testing is offered daily 9 a.m. – 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 5 years and older for Pfizer, and 18 years and older for all other brands. Call the COVID nurse at
Pediatric vaccine appointments are also now available every Wednesday and Saturday at the SPH test and vaccine clinic on Bartlett Street. Pediatric doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine are now available for children ages 5-11. Appointments can be scheduled at sphosp.org. A parent or guardian must be present during the appointment.
Kenai Peninsula Votes Tidbit
Even though S.2747 did not proceed in the last legislative session, cloture (procedure for ending a debate) was not invoked. That was in October. Below is a summary of the bill taken directly from Congress.gov. All voters should consider its merit and write to your legislators with your thoughts.
Freedom to Vote Act
This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance.
Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) an voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls.
Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday.
The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence.
The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote.
Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting.
The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting.
The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.
Remember, all votes count and all voices matter.
