Town Crier

The Anchor Point Fire &Emergency Medical Service Area Board will hold its next board meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday June 20 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 Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board will be holding their regular monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 14. The meeting will be held at the McNeil Canyon Fire Station, 53048 Ashwood Ave. (Mile 12 East End Rd.). The public is welcome to attend. Call 235-9811 for more information.

Kachemak Bay Birders Year of the Bird Trip to Seaside Farm with Mossy Kilcher: To celebrate the Year of the Bird, the Kachemak Bay Birders’ next trip will be to Seaside Farm from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, June 9. Park at the top of the hill and Mossy Kilcher will meet the group there. Mossy has worked hard for many years to develop unbelievable, varied bird habitat throughout the farm area. She will share ideas for how people can improve habitat for birds in their own yard, what improves habitat for birds also improves habitat for people, too. All Kachemak Bay Birding trips are cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. All trips are free and everyone is welcome to attend. For questions, call Lani Raymond, 399-9477.

Hospice of Homer is holding its annual “Holes Fore Hospice” fund-raising event from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 9 at Tips Golf Course on East End Road.

Individuals or teams are welcome to register now at the Hospice website: HospiceofHomer.org or register at Tips at 9 a.m. the day of the event. There will be food for everyone and awards for winners.

All proceeds go to help hospice carry out its mission of “Compassion in Action” for the community. For more information, call Mike Hawfield at 299-0290 with any questions.

The 8th Annual Kachemak Bay Scottish Highland Games will be on Saturday, July 7 at Karen Hornaday Park. Organizers are looking for vendors, merchants, athletes, sponsors and volunteers. For more information, check out the Kachemak Bay Scottish Club website at: www.kachemakbayscottishclub.org.

Central Peninsula Landfill and Transfer Facilities and Sites are open on Sundays. All facilities will be open seven days per week. For more information, call the Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste Department at (907) 262-9667.

Kachemak Crane Watch asks that residents report crane sightings. Sandhill Crane colts will be hatching in the next few weeks. These colts are small and very susceptible to predation by dogs and cats. If you see crane colts, please keep your pets under control. Report observations of Sandhill Cranes colts to Kachemak Crane Watch at reports@cranewatch.org or by calling 235-6262. Include date, time, location, number of colts, and your contact information so Crane Watch members can call for more information.

The Fourth Annual Tribute to Coach Tommie will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10 at the Homer High School football/soccer field. Attendees will get to play soccer and visit with friends while remembering Tommie CarlinSchauer (April 21, 2957 – Dec. 18, 2014).

There are three spaces left on the Seaweed (Microalgae) Field Trip to Seldovia with the Homer Native Plant Society on June 16. the trip is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You are allowed to collect seaweed on this field trip, so bring your large ziplock bags for storage. The trip leader, Tania Spurkland, who has a doctorate in microalgae. She will help the group explore the biodiversity of Seldovia’s macroalgae on a minus 5.1-foot tide. Dress in layers and wear rain pants over your highest rubber boots. Bring water, a sack lunch, scissors, ziplock bags, a permanent marker, heavy duty rubber gloves, and a bucket. The cost is $59.50 plus $5 to support gas for the road transport in Seldovia. To reserve one of the three spaces left, contact jwoodring50@gmail.com.

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 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For information, call 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

The Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Pam Hooker at 299-7198 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.

Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The menu for this week is: Thursday, turkey; Friday, cod; Monday, pasta primavera; Tuesday, honey dijon chicken; Wednesday, beef tamales; next Thursday, baked ham.

Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center.

Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.

Duplicate Bridge is $3 for members and $5 for non-members. Strong Women, Zumba and Tai Chi are $5 for members and $7 for non-members.

Pratt Museum

Galleries are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Ongoing activities: Fish Feedings have resumed from 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays in the Marine Gallery. Fish Feeding is fun and all are welcome.

Kachemak Bay Campus

The Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference Festival of Literary Readings will take place at 8 p.m. June 9 with Anthony Doerr at the Homer High School Mariner Theater; June 10 at Alice’s and June 11 at Lands’ End, both at 7 p.m. This will include visiting poets, essayists and novelists. See schedule at: http://writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu/about/public-readings/

Registration is open for special July art workshops: “Crash Course in Oils” with David Pettibone for $85 (July 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and “Mug Making” with David Kaufmann for $125 (July 21,22 and 28). Information and advanced registration at: www.kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com. Call 235-7743.

Registration for all fall credit courses is now open at https://www.kpc.alaska.edu/academics/schedule/. Sign-up now, pay latter. Degree-seeking students: Call 235-7743 for an advising appointment for fall classes.

South Peninsula Hospital

More than $3,000 in cash and merchandise prizes were awarded to winners in the first annual community wide steps challenge at the event-wrap up party on Saturday, June 2 at the Homer Farmers Market. The 435 participants enrolled in the event made a grand total of 90,214,266 steps in the month of May.

The City of Homer retained team bragging rights, ending the month long challenge with 349,443 total steps taken. The City won last year’s challenge, which was an invitational among four local agencies, and took the trophy in this year’s expanded event among 18 total teams.

Above and Beyond Stepper award of $500 went to Christopher Stillford, for walking 2,311,539 steps. The High Stepper Award of $500 went to Deb Anderson for walking 1,184,334 steps. The Grand Prize, $500 donated by the SPH Foundation, was a random drawing prize of the 128 participants who exceeded 300,000 total steps. Tara Hammond won with 1,116,519 steps. 2nd Place, $250 donated by Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware, was awarded to Teresa Sundmark by random drawing out of 42 participants stepping 250,00 – 299,999. 3rd place, $100, went to Alexis E., drawn out of 35 participants stepping 200,000 and 249,999. Weekly prizes were awarded to high steppers in various categories.

The community wide steps challenge is organized by the South Peninsula Hospital Health and Wellness department, in cooperation with wellness representatives from The Center, SVT Health and Wellness, the City of Homer, and SPARC. It was made possible by donations from these and other local businesses, and a $500 grant from South Peninsula Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit charitable institution dedicated to the welfare of the people of the southern Kenai Peninsula and supporting the healthcare mission of South Peninsula Hospital.

See www.sphosp.org for a complete list of winners, prizes and donors.