The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) reminds drivers that they may now use studded tires on Alaska’s paved highways and roads north of latitude 60. Studded tires will be legal to use in Alaska communities located south of latitude 60 on Oct. 1. While the 60th parallel also crosses just south of Ninilchik on the Sterling Highway, Alaska law permits drivers to use studded tires on any paved portion of the Sterling Highway beginning Sept. 15 of each year.

The Homer Transfer Facility will be closed on Sundays for the winter beginning Oct. 2, 2016, through April 30, 2017. Sundays will re-open for the summer starting May 1, 2017. For more information, call the Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste Department at 907-262-9667.

The VA Volunteer Services of the Kenai Peninsula invite all veterans (including Coast Guard) and their immediate family to the ninth Southern Kenai Peninsula (Ninilchik, Anchor Point, Homer and across Kachemak Bay) Annual Veterans free picnic noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the American Legion Hall, Mile 2.5 East End Road in Homer. The barbecue picnic includes hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs and all the trimmings. There also are door prizes and children’s games with music by the 8-Mile Band. Representatives from the VA Medical Clinic in Kenai and American Legion Service Officer Craig Forrest will be present to answer your questions. Bring your VA card or DD214 and sign up for VA services. You do not need to belong to a veterans organization to attend this picnic; it is for all veterans and their families. Monetary donations and volunteers are from veterans/service organizations of the Kenai Peninsula. For more information, call the American Legion Post at 235-8864 or Darlene at 235-6789.

The Seldovia Fish & Game Advisory Committee holds an election meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Seldovia Library Multipurpose Room. The agenda will also include discussion of a habitat resolution and prepare comments on the Lower Cook Inlet Board of Fisheries proposals 1-46. For more information, contact Michael Opheim at 907-240-0568.

The District 31 Democratic Party meets from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 13 at the home of Taz Tally, District 31 Chair, 58467 Bruce Street. For more information, call him at 907-435-7906 or email him at taztally@me.com or co-chair Carrie Henson (Kenai/Soldotna) at courageoustiger@gmail.com.

The Anchor Point Fire & Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Anchor Point Fire Station, 72440 Milo Fritz Ave. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, call 235-6700.

The board also seeks applicants for a board seat that will be vacant this month and no candidate ran to fill. Any qualified voter who has resided within the service area for 180 days may apply for appointment to Seat C. Questions regarding eligibility may be directed to the Office of the Borough Clerk at 907-714-2160 or 1-800-478- 4441 Extension 2160.

Anchor Point Senior Citizens

The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Friday. The center serves Thursday night dinners starting at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Bingo is at 6:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. on Friday nights. The Helping Hands Thrift Store is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For more information, call the senior center at 235-7786.

Friendship Center

Friendship Center Adult Day Services is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday with extended hours for special situations. Programs are offered daily, including story time, crafts and musical performances. Call 235-4556.

Homer Senior Citizens

Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The lunch menu for this week is: today, baked ham with scalloped potatoes; Friday, blackened salmon; Monday-Wednesday, to be announced.

Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. The cost is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers per class.

Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center. The cost per class is $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers.

Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. The cost per class is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.

Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Jacquie Thaute at 299-2924 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.

Kachemak Bay Campus

Registration for upcoming short credit and noncredit workshops is now being held. Courses include Intermediate Yoga (Oct. 3), Digital Camera Use (Oct. 8), Science and Nature Writing, Personal Essay Writing (Oct. 12), First Aid/CPR (Oct. 21), Grant Proposal Writing (Oct. 21), Watercolor Painting (Oct. 21), Fiberglass Gel Coat Repair (Oct. 14-15), and Qaspeq-making (Oct. 14-16). Call 235-7743 or visit kpc.alaska.edu.

Visiting writer Bryan Fierro reads from his work at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14.The reading is open to the public. Fierro is the author of “Dodger Blue Will Fill Your Soul” and recipient of the Maureen Egen Writers’ Exchange Award in Fiction.

Pratt Museum

The museum gallery fall hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Jeffrey and Ranja Dean’s “Heartfelt and Handmade: From Creative Homesteading to the Fine Arts” is on exhibit through Saturday.

The 31st annual Ritz gala fundraiser is Nov. 5 at Wasabi’s, with the theme, “A Black and White Cabaret Ball.” Artists and businesses are invited to donate art and other items for the auction. For more information, call 435-3334. The Ritz art preview exhibit opens with a reception 5-7 p.m. Oct. 7.

South Peninsula Hospital

The 33rd annual Rotary Health Fair is 7:30am-1: p.m. Nov. 5 at Homer High School. “It’s Your Life … Take a Day to be Well” is the theme of the fair, sponsored by Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary Club in cooperation with South Peninsula Hospital. As part of the health fair, comprehensive blood analysis is available for only $40, a sizeable discount from the average cost of a comparable test. In addition to the basic wellness test, additional tests are available for purchase, including prostate, thyroid, cardiac, vitamin D and hemoglobin A1C.

These tests are offered by appointment at the fair, or before the fair at the hospital with the results available for pickup at the fair. Appointments are offered from Oct. 17-Nov. 4 in the hospital conference room on the hospital’s lower level. Appointments can be made at www.sphosp.org or by calling the health fair hotline at 399-3158.

The purpose of the fair is to set aside just one day of your life to take advantage of free and inexpensive health screenings and up-to-date information on relevant health topics. More than 50 exhibitors will be available to offer various health screenings, demonstrations and services, including blood pressure, vision tests, hearing tests, flu shots, fitness tests and more.