Ballroom dancing offered

North Star Dance Studio offers community ballroom dancing classes with Norm and Annie Berg from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, call 262-6133.

Community conversation slated

The Pratt Museum in Homer will host a community conversation about creativity, facilitated by Deland Anderson, at 5 p.m. April 23.

Oilers hold mascot naming contest

The Peninsula Oilers are asking fans to help them come up with a new mascot. Entries must include the mascot idea and name and the entrant's phone number, address and e-mail address. The winner will receive a prize package worth $500.

All entries can be mailed to Peninsula Oilers, P.O. Box 318, Kenai, AK 99611 or e-mailed to gm@oilersbaseball.com. The deadline is May 1. For more information, call 283-7133.

Photo contest announced

The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Amateur Photo Contest, part of the annual shorebird festival, is accepting entries. Three categories of Alaska photography are open for entry: Alaska wildlife, Alaska scenic and black and white. There will be prizes and gift certificates awarded in each category and a $300 grand prize for best of show.

Entries are due by 6 p.m. May 3. All entries will be displayed during the festival, May 6-9, and after the festival until May 23 at Nomar Canvas in Homer.

For contest rules and entry blanks, contact Nomar Canvas at (907) 235-8363 or Eagle Eye Photo at (907) 235-8525.

For more information about the festival, contact the Homer Chamber of Commerce at (907) 235-7740.

Writers' conference coming up

The Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference is in Homer June 18 to 22. It will feature award-winning author Maxine Hong Kingston as the keynote presenter, 20 other faculty members of University of Alaska Anchorage and out-of-state presenters including Robert Michael Pyle, Susan Power, John Keeble, Lee Gutkind, David Bradley and Aurthur Sze. The conference will be held at Land's End Resort on the Homer Spit and will offer daily workshops, craft talks, manuscript reviews, publisher conferences, panel presentation and evening readings in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and more.

Advanced registration is required and is $225 before May 15 and $275 after that.

There is a reduced rate of $125 for UA-admitted, degree-seeking students before May 17. One UAA academic credit is offered for an additional $102. For specific program and registration information, visit chinook.kpc.alaska.edu/~conference/ on the Web.