■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce meets at noon today at Froso’s Restaurant in Soldotna. A presentation by Jessica Crump with Kenai Peninsula CASA is planned. RSVP to 262-9814.
■ The Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce will host a joint luncheon at noon on Wednesday at the Kenai Visitors Center. A Washington, D.C., update from Sen. Lisa Murkowski is planned. RSVP to 262-9814 or 283-1991.
■ The Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center’s 32nd annual Beer and Wine experience starts at 5:30 p.m. April 16 at the Old Carr’s Mall in Kenai. This year’s theme is “Adventure to Neverland.” The event includes live and silent auctions, the Wall of Guns, and raffles. For more information, call 907-283-1991.
Four candidates will be on the ballot for the Homer Electric Association (HEA) Board of Directors’ 2016 election. The deadline to apply for a seat on the board was March 4.
HEA directors are elected by the members in their respective district, with members voting only for the candidates residing in their district. This year, the following candidates are seeking election to the HEA board:
— In District 1 (Kenai – Nikiski- parts of Soldotna area), the candidate is incumbent Dan Chay of Kenai.
— In District 2 (Soldotna – Sterling – Kasilof), the candidate is incumbent Ed Oberts of Soldotna.
— In District 3 (Kasilof south to Kachemak Bay area), the candidates are incumbent Bill Fry of Homer and Stephen J. Pollack III of Seldovia.
The 2016 ballot will also include six propositions. Proposition 1 and Proposition 2 would change the wording in the HEA bylaws and Articles of Incorporation from “husband and wife” to “married couple” to allow same-sex couples to hold a joint HEA membership. The proposed change is based on recent legal rulings regarding same-sex marriages. The remaining ballot propositions are aimed at clarifying language and intent in several sections of the bylaws. A complete rundown of the ballot propositions along with candidate information is available on HEA’s website (www.homerelectric.com).
Ballots will be mailed to HEA members on April 1. Completed mail-in ballots must be received in the mail by May 3 for validation. If HEA members are unable to complete a mail-in ballot, members will also have an opportunity to vote at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Members, which will be held May 4 at Kenai Central High School.
For more details about the election and the Annual Meeting of the Members contact HEA’s office at 800-478-8551 or HEA’s website at www.homerelectric.com.
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is now accepting applications for non-competitively awarded permits to provide commercial visitor services on certain areas of the Refuge. Applications are available at the Refuge Headquarters on Ski Hill Road in Soldotna, or at www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/CommercialSpecialUsePermitApp_GuideOutfitter.pdf. A special use permit is required for providing commercial visitor services, including but not limited to guiding, outfitting, transporting and shuttle services, on Refuge lands and waters including portions of the Kenai River within Refuge boundaries.
Applications for a first-time non-competitive visitor services permit, or for those wishing to renew an expired permit, must be submitted no later than April 1, 2016. Applications will not be accepted after the April 1 deadline.
Existing non-competitive permit holders whose permits expire later than the 2016 season, need only to update relevant permit requirements, and receive the annual 2016 commercial visitor services decal(s). Existing permit holders must make an appointment to update relevant information before seasonal activities begin, or no later than June 1, 2016.
To make an appointment, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., contact Donna Handley at 907-260-2803. For additional information, please contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office during regular business hours at 907-262-7021.
Two online workshops aimed at helping food businesses use social media for marketing will be offered in April by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service and Alaska Sea Grant.
A basic class in social media and analytics will meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 4, and an advanced class will meet on April 6 at the same time. Both will be offered via Zoom, an Internet-based videoconferencing program available from any computer or iOS or Android mobile device.
The basics class will cover Facebook, Twitter, social media analytics and organizing a social media marketing plan. The advanced class will include more on analytics, social media platforms and details about incorporating a social media plan into a business marketing strategy. Both courses will be taught by Christina Uticone, a social media manager and consultant. The fee for each class is $20. Register online at http://bit.ly/ces-workshops. For more information, contact Ann Eide at 907-474-6339 or aneide@alaska.edu.
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) will offer a Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor Workshop in Seward on April 18 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. at AVTEC, 809 2nd Avenue. This workshop will cover cold-water survival skills; EPIRBs, flares, and maydays; man-overboard recovery and firefighting; immersion suits and PFDs; emergency drills, helicopter rescue, life rafts, and abandon ship procedures.
The workshop meets the training requirements for drill conductors on documented commercial fishing vessels operating three or more miles offshore. It is offered to commercial fishermen at no cost, thanks to support from the United States Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The cost for all others in $175 and all mariners are welcome. Interested mariners may register online at www.amsea.org or call AMSEA at 907-747-3287.
Business announcements may be submitted to news@peninsulaclarion.com. Items should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.
