Features

Members of the Motivity Dance Collective rehearse at the Kachemak Shellfish Growers Association deck in Homer, Alaska. From left to right, Emily Rogers, Emilie Springer, Bridget Doran, Rhoslyn Anderson, Breezy Berryman. Not pictured is Kammi Matson. (Photo by Kammi Matson)

Arts in brief

Motivity Dance Collective performs Saturday After a winter of practicing during the COVID-19 pandemic with face masks and social distancing, Motivity Dance Collective holds it… Continue reading

Members of the Motivity Dance Collective rehearse at the Kachemak Shellfish Growers Association deck in Homer, Alaska. From left to right, Emily Rogers, Emilie Springer, Bridget Doran, Rhoslyn Anderson, Breezy Berryman. Not pictured is Kammi Matson. (Photo by Kammi Matson)
Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion Brie and caramel apple voulevant is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

On the strawberry patch: A celebration of food

Make first gatherings special with this simple but sophisticated brie and caramel apple voulevant.

Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion Brie and caramel apple voulevant is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Gail Priday's paintings are on view starting Friday, May 7, 2021, at Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Bunnell Street Arts Center)

First Friday art exhibit openings

As more Alaskans get vaccinated for COVID-19, local galleries are reopening cautiously. The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival opens today, so it’s no accident that many… Continue reading

Gail Priday's paintings are on view starting Friday, May 7, 2021, at Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Bunnell Street Arts Center)
An atmoshpheric phenomena called STEVE — for "Sudden Thermal Emission from Velocity Enhancement" — is seen in the southern sky early on Saturday, April 17, 2021, from Diamond Ridge near Homer, Alaska. The STEVE appeared the same night as a strong display of auroras to the north. Don Hampton, a research associate and faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, said STEVEs are not auroras, but a stream of charged particles or sub-aurora polarization streams. "It's actually primarily a different phenomena or mechanism that is creating light," Hampton said of STEVEs. A STEVE is more of a broadband emission than an aurora and can be distinguished by its color of light. Auroras tend to be green or vivid red, while a STEVE appears white to the human eye and may have tinges of red. Hampton said scientists knew about streams of charged particles that are not auroras, but hadn't thought to look if there's an optical phenomena associated with. Aurora chasers in Canada first noticed the optical phenomena in 2014, and it was named by Chris Ratzlaff as a joke reference to the film "Over the Hedge," where the animals called the hedge "Steve." NASA scientist Elizabeth Macdonald came up with the description. "It's pretty cool," Hampton said. "The whole history of the STEVE is that it's a citizen scientist discovery." (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Best Bets

In the long haul toward spring, even though winter might be hanging on with all its might, light and warmth persevere. It’s a matter of… Continue reading

An atmoshpheric phenomena called STEVE — for "Sudden Thermal Emission from Velocity Enhancement" — is seen in the southern sky early on Saturday, April 17, 2021, from Diamond Ridge near Homer, Alaska. The STEVE appeared the same night as a strong display of auroras to the north. Don Hampton, a research associate and faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, said STEVEs are not auroras, but a stream of charged particles or sub-aurora polarization streams. "It's actually primarily a different phenomena or mechanism that is creating light," Hampton said of STEVEs. A STEVE is more of a broadband emission than an aurora and can be distinguished by its color of light. Auroras tend to be green or vivid red, while a STEVE appears white to the human eye and may have tinges of red. Hampton said scientists knew about streams of charged particles that are not auroras, but hadn't thought to look if there's an optical phenomena associated with. Aurora chasers in Canada first noticed the optical phenomena in 2014, and it was named by Chris Ratzlaff as a joke reference to the film "Over the Hedge," where the animals called the hedge "Steve." NASA scientist Elizabeth Macdonald came up with the description. "It's pretty cool," Hampton said. "The whole history of the STEVE is that it's a citizen scientist discovery." (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
The cover of Anne Coray's novel, "Lost Mountain."

Review: New novel set near fictional Pebble Mine

Coray’s ‘Lost Mountain’ looks at personal, community conflict in setting where a large mine might happen.

The cover of Anne Coray's novel, "Lost Mountain."
A sure sign of spring is crocuses blooming in front of the Homer Bookstore, as seen here in this photo taken on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Rosemary Fitzpatrick)

Kachemak Gardener: Take heart: Spring is rushing at us

Let’s start this by addressing the amount of snow that those of you who live at elevation are experiencing. Keep in mind that we lived… Continue reading

A sure sign of spring is crocuses blooming in front of the Homer Bookstore, as seen here in this photo taken on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Rosemary Fitzpatrick)

Years Ago

Homer happenings from years past

Gathering ingredients for Thai-inspired curry, an easy one-pan, weeknight meal, on April, 13, 2021, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Kalifornsky Kitchen: The building blocks of Thai

Curry can be anything you want it to be

Gathering ingredients for Thai-inspired curry, an easy one-pan, weeknight meal, on April, 13, 2021, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
Roasting eggplant slices for a versatile meal, photographed on March 10, 2021, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Kalifornsky Kitchen: Eggplant for every occasion

Eggplants are surprisingly versatile.

Roasting eggplant slices for a versatile meal, photographed on March 10, 2021, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
A trumpeter swan feeds in Beluga Slough on Monday, April 12, 2021, in Homer, Alaska. According to local birders, both tundra and trumpeter swans have been seen in the area the past week. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Best Bets

Congratulations, citizen! You have diligently fulfilled your duties as a tax-paying, law-abiding resident of the United States of America and Alaska. Today you no doubt… Continue reading

A trumpeter swan feeds in Beluga Slough on Monday, April 12, 2021, in Homer, Alaska. According to local birders, both tundra and trumpeter swans have been seen in the area the past week. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
The Jubilee youth art show opened on Friday, April 2, 2021, at the Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Arts in brief

April is ‘youth in the arts’ month at HCOA The creativity of artists from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade can be seen in the Homer Council… Continue reading

The Jubilee youth art show opened on Friday, April 2, 2021, at the Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Koby Etzwiler is a two-time Ptarmigan Arts scholarship recipient. His stickers can be found locally, in Juneau and online. (Photo courtesy of Ptarmigan Arts)

Ptarmigan Arts allery, community boost young artists’ dreams

For almost 25 years, Ptarmigan Arts Scholarship has been helping artists’ careers

Koby Etzwiler is a two-time Ptarmigan Arts scholarship recipient. His stickers can be found locally, in Juneau and online. (Photo courtesy of Ptarmigan Arts)
The cover of Larry Baxter's novel, "Abandoned." (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)

New book looks at legend of Alaska’s ‘Nantiinaq,’ or ‘giant hairy thing’

“Abandoned, the History and Horror of Port Chatham, Alaska,” by Larry Baxter (Sasquatch Publishing, $14.99, 141 pages) ^ As a youngster in small-town Kentucky, Larry… Continue reading

The cover of Larry Baxter's novel, "Abandoned." (Photo by McKibben Jackinsky)
An African violet was started from seed about four years ago provides some spring cheer on April 4, 2021, at the home of the Kachemak Gardener in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Rosemary Fitzpatrick)

Kachemak Gardener: Oops: Getting complacent at latitude 59.5 degrees N

I’m in a pickle. I’ve allowed myself to become complacent here at latitude 59.5 degrees north. What a mistake. Not only do we never have… Continue reading

An African violet was started from seed about four years ago provides some spring cheer on April 4, 2021, at the home of the Kachemak Gardener in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Rosemary Fitzpatrick)
Crews work on a boat on Monday, April 5, 2021, at the large-vessel haul out beach on the Homer Spit near the Pier 1 Theatre in Homer, Alaska. In the off season boats are hauled onshore for repair at the beach near the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Best Bets

As part of the Betster’s annual expedition to document signs of spring, yours truly went on a photo safari to tag the usual seasonal markers.… Continue reading

Crews work on a boat on Monday, April 5, 2021, at the large-vessel haul out beach on the Homer Spit near the Pier 1 Theatre in Homer, Alaska. In the off season boats are hauled onshore for repair at the beach near the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Years Ago

Homer happenings from years past

Art by Tyler Schlieman on exhibit at Grace Ridge Brewery. (Photo courtesy Grace Ridge Brewery)

First Friday: Artists — near and far, new and seasoned — catch spring fever

During April, the artwork featured in local galleries has been created by Homer artists as young as pre-kindergarten and as old as, well, who knows.… Continue reading

Art by Tyler Schlieman on exhibit at Grace Ridge Brewery. (Photo courtesy Grace Ridge Brewery)

Years Ago

Homer happenings from years past

Workers with Psenak Construction return with an empty load after dumping armor rock at the Ocean Drive seawall on Monday, March 22, 2021, at Mariner Park on the Homer Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Best Bets

Everyone loves a good joke, especially today, when pranks are taken to an art form. Perhaps because we live in a state of perpetual adversity,… Continue reading

Workers with Psenak Construction return with an empty load after dumping armor rock at the Ocean Drive seawall on Monday, March 22, 2021, at Mariner Park on the Homer Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Nancy Lord in a 2017 photo. (Photo by Irene Owsley and courtesy of Pier One Theatre)

Lord’s ‘The Frederick Cook Interview’ looks at explorer’s perception of truth

‘The Frederick Cook Interview’ shows at 7 p.m. Friday on KBBI radio

Nancy Lord in a 2017 photo. (Photo by Irene Owsley and courtesy of Pier One Theatre)
[flipp]