Alaska State Parks is currently accepting applications for vacancies on three Kenai Peninsula state park advisory boards. The Kenai River Special Management Area, Kachemak Bay State Park, and Seward State Parks advisory boards are seeking volunteers to serve three-year terms, beginning July 2022. The advisory boards are the primary method that Alaska State Parks incorporates public involvement with park management. Volunteers that serve on these advisory boards help park managers better understand concerns from local communities and stakeholders. Those selected will serve from July 2022 through June 2025. The board typically meets once a month between September and May.
To apply for a position on an advisory board, fill out the Alaska State Parks Advisory Board Application provided at http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/misc/boards.htm. Applications are being accepted through March 31, 2022. For more information, please contact the Kenai Peninsula/Prince William Sound Region State Park office at
The South Kenai Peninsula Hospital Service Area Board will hold its regular monthly meeting virtually via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10. 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.
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.
Join the Friends of the Library and author Annie Boochever for a creative writing workshop – Common Writing Traps – Tips for Clear, Precise, and Dynamic Writing – in the Homer Public Library meeting room on Tuesday, Feb. 15 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Registration required due to limited seating. Register on the Homer Public Library’s webpage. Annie Boochever grew up in Juneau when Alaska was still a territory and racism, although subtler than before passage of the anti-discrimination bill, was still pervasive. Her books Bristol Bay Summer (Alaska Northwest Books, 2014) and Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich (University of Alaska Press, 2019) have won numerous awards and were selected as Notable Social Studies Trade Books and Alaska State Battle of the Books.
Join the Friends of the Homer Public Library for a Book Talk and Community Conversation celebrating Elizabeth Peratrovich Day and the book Fighter in Velvet Gloves. Guest speakers are author Annie Boochever, KPC English Professor Dr. Lia Calhoun, and Yup’ik Culture and Arts Consultant Nita Rearden. This event will be held in-person and broadcast over Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 16 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Homer Public Library. This project is supported in part by a grant from the Alaska Humanities Forum and the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendation expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Please register for the in-person event, limited to 25 seats, on the Homer Public Library webpage. You may also watch the event online via Zoom webinar. The Zoom link is posted on Homer Public Library webpage. No reservation is needed for the online broadcast.
Registration is 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.
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, Ssafeway, 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)
Homer Legislative Information Office
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. We are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Masks are required and provided. We are here to help you learn about, participate in and track matters facing the State Legislature.
Our office is a distribution site for PFD applications and can assist with questions. We verify passports and birth certificate for the Permanent Fund Division so you do not need to mail your original documents.
BILL HIGHLIGHT: HB52: TUTKA BAY HATCHERY; “An Act providing that operation of the Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery in Kachemak Bay is compatible with the functions of Kachemak Bay State Park; and providing for an effective date.”
LEGISLATIVE TIDBIT: A bill can be amended during the committee process and when it is before the whole body. When amended in committee a committee substitute will replace the original bill. The bill number will remain the same, but the version number will change. When giving public testimony it is important to speak to the correct version of the bill.
PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHT: Free: Bill documents such as presentations, reports, and handouts are available for you to take home. These are useful when watching a bill hearing.
MEETING HIGHLIGHT: The House Resources committee will meet on Friday at 1 p.m., to take public testimony on HB52: Tutka Bay Hatchery. You can email written testimony to hres@akleg. Please call the office to learn how to give public testimony.
To learn more about our services please contact us at
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
The Ron Senungetuk Summer Youth Arts Scholarship is open to Homer area students in grades 6-11. This program supports student tuition to a summer arts program or private instruction during the summer of 2022 in any medium. More info and application at homerart.org/calendar/2022/scholarship. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on March 13, 2022.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Beginning Fly Fishing with Dave Atcheson begins March 24 at KBC. Naturalist, Kenai River guide, and author, Atcheson has taught fly fishing in Soldotna for over a decade and is coming to Homer to guide you through the basics, including the selection of equipment, types of line, flies and fly tying, casting, and techniques geared toward local lakes and streams. This one credit class meets Thursday nights from 6-8 p.m. on campus for six weeks with an all-day fly fishing field trip on Saturday, April 23. The course fee is $243 and includes the use of fishing gear, student provides proper attire. For registration information, call (907)
Do you have a masters degree? Have you ever thought of teaching a college class? KBC is seeking qualified adjuncts that would be willing to share their expertise with University of Alaska students. Stop by campus at 533 E. Pioneer Ave. (parking lot accessible from Heath St.) or call (907)
Are you interested in exploring the beauty of winter but are a bit intimidated by the conditions and by the potential dangers involved? Join local outdoor explorer, adventurer, geologist, and photographer Taz Tally for a two-day workshop, called Enjoying Outdoor Adventures Safely in All Kinds of Weather, on how to competently and safely engage and enjoy the outdoors in all sorts of weather conditions, and have fun doing it! Saturday, Feb.19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., we will be in the classroom learning about clothing layering and gear, navigating challenging terrain, having fun in the elements, fire building, and outdoor photographic techniques. Saturday, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is an all-day field trip down Diamond Creek Trail where we will try out our gear, practice our skills and enjoy and capture a winter beach adventure. The class fee is $79, and the enrolment limit is 10 students. To register, visit https://kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/ or call (907)
The Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference will be held May 14-17, 2022, at Kachemak Bay Campus. The 2022 keynote speaker will be Jericho Brown, 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, winner of the American book award, and a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award. Joining Brown are the amazing Victoria Chang, Christina Chiu, CMarie Fuhrman, Toni Jensen, T. Geronimo Johnson, Tynan Kogane, Marie Mutsuki Mockett and Anjali Singh. The conference also includes four days of in-person craft classes, conversations, generative workshops, panels, readings, opportunities to form a writerly community and more. For information on speakers and tuition packages, visit https://writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu/ and register today!
The Pratt Museum & Park
The Pratt Museum & Park will reopen to the public for free on Feb. 12 for the Homer Winter Carnival.
Additionally, the Pratt Museum will have two new exhibits opening mid-February.
In the Community Gallery will be “Homer’s Nutcracker: A Community Portrait,” photographs by Rafael de la Uz. “Homer’s Nutcracker” tells the story of the town’s ballet in the midst of a pandemic. The exhibit depicts the effort and dedication the community invests in this traditional performance. Homer’s children work to provide several nights of joy and beauty. Photographs will be available for purchase.
Rafael de la Uz is a photographer and filmmaker. He began his work in his hometown of Havana, Cuba. Since moving to the U.S. in 2001, he has worked on projects for HBO, PBS, the New York Times and others. His latest work is a portrait of the community of set netters in South Naknek.
Lisa Williams’ “Native Ways In Changing Times” will be in the special exhibit gallery. “Native Ways In Changing Times” is the accumulation of photographs taken over a five-year span from 2005 to 2010 in the villages of Nanwalek and Port Graham, Alaska. The Exxon oil spill occurred in 1989, but the social-cultural ripple effect is still felt to this day. The work shown here is an attempt at examining the tightly held traditions and values of the Native people of these two villages and their resiliency with which they responded to the impact the Exxon spill had on their way of life. These 35 images and quotes were selected from over 1500 photographs and 50 pages of transcribed interviews. This project was funded in part by the Alaska Humanities Forum.
Lisa Williams is an award-winning photographer whose images are featured in the book, “Our Changing Seas.” She received her MFA in Social Documentation from Sonoma State University in Sonoma, California. Born in San Diego, California, Lisa has spent the last 30 years hiking the mountains, making friends, and exploring Alaska. She is a two-time grant recipient from the Alaska Humanities Forum and values the opportunity this has given her to learn about and document Alaskan Native Cultures. Lisa’s passion is visual anthropology and hopes her photographs compel deeper respect and appreciation for the cultural values of Native Alaskans. Her work has been shown in museums and cultural centers throughout Alaska and she looks forward to more photographic adventures.
South Peninsula Hospital
The Wellness Walks scheduled for the first and third Saturdays of the month are postponed in February due to high rates of COVID-19 in the community.
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
Being an election worker on the day of an election can be very rewarding. I did it a few years back, and had many memorable experiences and stories, but one in particular stands out.
I was working at the Homer Chamber of Commerce, and it was sometime in the latter part of the day when a young woman came up to me and wanted to vote. I checked to see if she was on our register and if she had proper identification. It all checked out. I was about to give her the ballot, when she turned to me and said, “I don’t know who or what I am going to vote for.” She then asked me if there was anything she could use to help her with knowing how to vote. I reached for the Borough voter pamphlet that is mailed out each year right before the election and told her this is a good resource to use.
(As a side note, it is discouraging, when I walk into the Homer post office on the day the pamphlets arrive, and many of the pamphlets have been discarded and laying waste in the building.)
She took it, and I noticed her sit in one of those nice comfy chairs that is in the Chamber.
I forgot about her, and it must have been about an hour or so later, when she came up to me and said she was ready to vote. So, I had her sign her name in the voting register, recheck her ID and gave her the ballot.
She didn’t know ahead of time who or what she was going to vote on. She wasn’t influenced by banners, family, friends, or various forms of media- no preconceived notions; just what had been written in the pamphlet.
At first, when she came in to vote, I thought how unprepared she was. But afterwards, I realized that she was one of the most prepared voters that voted that day.
Every vote counts and all voices matter!
