Business Briefs

Area chambers set schedule

Chambers of commerce speakers for the upcoming week include:

Dan Gregory of the Nikiski Fire Department will speak at the Nikiski Chamber of Commerce meeting at noon today at North Kenai Baptist Church. For more information, call Judene Van Cleave at 776-5551.

The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce will meet at noon Tuesday at the Riverside House. Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Dale Bagley will speak on the Arctic Winter Games. For more information, call Shanon Hamrick at 262-9814.

Central Peninsula General Hospital CEO David Gilbreath will be the featured speaker at Wednesday's meeting of the Kenai Chamber of Commerce at Paradisos. Lunch is $11. For more information, call 283-7989.

The Nikiski Chamber of Commerce meeting at noon April 15 at North Kenai Baptist Church will feature Tom Rohn of tsunamifactor.com. For more information, call Judene Van Cleave at 776-5551.

Grant money available

Northern Industrial Training has grant money available to train 12 Alaskans in an eight-week commercial drivers license (CDL) course. Training includes construction truck driving, heavy equipment operation and hazardous materials training. Alaskans who work or used to work in the salmon industry may be eligible, including commercial fishers, crew members and cannery workers who lost jobs due to a cannery's permanent closure.

For more information, call (888) 367-6482 or visit www.nitalaska.com.

Economic forum set for Homer

Economist Scott Goldsmith, director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), will be the featured guest at the Homer Economic Forum on Tuesday.

The purpose of the forum, co-sponsored by the city of Homer and the Homer Chamber of Commerce, is to look at a series of questions which need to be answered in order to help decision makers plan and direct Homer's future.

The forum begins at 9 a.m. in the downstairs conference room at the Best Western Bidarka Inn. Lunch will be available for $10. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call Derotha Ferraro at (907) 235-7740 or (907) 399-0993. For more information about Goldsmith or ISER, go to www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu

Businesses sponsor food drives

Members of Curves of Soldotna and Curves of Kenai who bring in canned or dry goods for donation will be eligible for drawings. Also, for every KDLL membership of at least $91.90 charged to a credit card during the station's spring membership drive Tuesday through April 19, local grocery partners will donate one can of food. All donations go to Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. For more information, call Kristina Combs at 262-3111.

Refund check cashing offered

As an enhancement to its payroll check cashing service, Safeway will cash IRS tax refund checks up to $1,499 at its stores in Kenai and Soldotna. Present the check and personal identification at the customer service desk to receive cash, upon approval. The service is intended to assist individuals who wish to remain unaffiliated with banking institutions. Safeway keeps the identity of customers who use the service confidential.

Contest to reward business ideas

The First Annual Great Ideas Contest seeks ideas for starting a business or increasing jobs on the Kenai Peninsula. There is no limit on the number of ideas an individual may enter and no restriction on the age of contestants. Big and small ideas are welcome. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners at the Peninsula Opportunities Forum on April 16. The contest is sponsored by KeyBank and the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District. Entry forms are available online at www.kpedd.org or by calling 283-3335. The deadline for entry is Friday.