Jim Van Oss speaks at 1 p.m. Friday for the Parkinson’s Support Group monthly meeting at the Homer Senior Center. He recently attended a Parkinson’s disease conference and will report on new information he heard. For more information, contact Jolee Ellis at 235-6349.
A spaghetti-feed fundraiser for Heather Pancratz is at 5 p.m. Saturday at Chapman School in Anchor Point. The fundraiser is to support Pancratz’s medical and living expenses while she is at the Mayo Clinic and after she returns home. Pancratz is a teacher at Nikolaevsk School. The dinner includes non-meat and meat spaghetti, salad and rolls. There also is a dessert auction. A “bald-a-thon” fundraiser also will be held, with men and women volunteering to have their heads shaved to raise money.
The Kachemak Bay Birders sponsor an owling trip Saturday evening. Meet at 8:30 p.m. at the Wynn Nature Center, Mile 1.5 East Skyline Drive. Gary Lyon leads the trip. Later in the evening birders will regroup at the muskeg at about Mile 0.7 Ohlson Mountain Road. Dress warmly. Bring a flashlight so you can see in the dark walking along the uneven, shadowy trails later at night. All ages are welcome; no dogs. Silence is advised, since the quieter people move, the more owls are apt to come closer and the easier it will be to hear them from far away. Oct. 9 at the same time and place is the alternate date in the event of high winds or rain. All birding trips are cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. A donation is requested to the Wynn Nature Center, but there is no charge for the birding trip. For more information visit kachemakbaybirders.org.
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.
Abraham George speaks about his book, “Celestial Traveler,” at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Regent Life Church on Pioneer Avenue across from K-Bay Caffe. An Alaska Native from Manokotak and a former Homer resident, George speaks about his journey into heaven and hell and back. He spent five years researching and writing his book. George also will be autographing his book.
Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer, and Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly member Kelly Cooper discuss the senior property tax exemption and the borough Health Care Task Force at 1:30 p.m. Monday with the Pioneers of Alaska at the Homer Senior Center. They will discuss the status of the senior exemption and assembly member Cooper will provide an update on the Health Care Task Force.
The Seldovia Fish & Game Advisory Committee holds an election meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday 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 Kachemak Bay Advisory Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center. The board also is recruiting new members. For more information, contact Ranger Jason Okuly at 907-226-4688 or email jason.okuly@alaska.gov.
The Kachemak Emergency Service Area Board holds its regular monthly board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the McNeil Canyon Fire Station, 53048 Ashwood Ave. (Mile 12 East End Road). The public is welcome to attend. The agenda will be posted at the fire station and also at the KPB Annex building at 206 E. Pioneer Ave. Call 235-9811 for more information.
A Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) course is offered 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 17 at Alice’s Champagne Palace. The certification exam will be administered at about 4 p.m. at the end of the class. The fee is $177.38 and includes the course handbook, exam and proctoring fees, and Homer sales tax. For more information or to register, contact JTAK Food Safety at 907-398-2584 or john@jtakfoodsafety.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, roast turkey; Friday, oven fried shrimp; Monday, hamburgers and French fries; Tuesday, chicken picatta; Wednesday, seafood enchiladas; next Thursday, pork roast.
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 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.
A “Making a Will” seminar is noon-1:30 p.m. Saturday. Please RSVP by Friday. The seminar is sponsored by KBC, the Homer Foundation, the University of Alaska Foundation and KBBI.
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 winter hours are noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Business offices are open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
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 7:30 a.m.-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.
South Peninsula Hospital offers a Safe Sitter class 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Oct. 21-22 at the hospital. The class is designed to prepare students in grades 6-8 to be safe when they’re home alone, watching younger siblings or babysitting. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $75 per person; scholarships are available based on need. Space is limited. To register or for more information, call the hospital education department at 235-0285.
