Chambers set schedules

■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce will host its annual chamber awards luncheon at noon today at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. RSVP to 907-262-9814.

■ The Kenai Chamber of Commerce will not meet this week. For more information, call 283-1991.

Small Business Development Center plans workshop

On Jan. 19 and 20 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Bryan Zak will present a 2-day Profit Mastery workshop at the Alaska Small Business Development Center in the Red Diamond Center Suite 12. This is an opportunity for knowledge-driven financial management education. This 16-hour hands-on course will help you set goals for the future of your business, control spending and pricing, and leave with a process to assess the performance of your business and a strategy to implement change. In addition to the program content, you will master the material through quizzes, lively discussion, guided practice, and real-life application to your own business. Creating Value and Building Wealth will empower you to make better business decisions and keep more of your hard earned money. To qualify for the job bill funding’s limited time offer of $200, you must register online by Thursday. You can use UPAY for MasterCard or VISA, or contact Bunny if you prefer to pay by cash or check. If you are a veteran with DD-214 identification, contact Bunny for receipt of free attendance if the Veterans Scholarship Fund balance is still available.

For more information, contact the Small Business Development Center in Soldotna at 260-5629.

Peony growers schedule conference

The annual winter conference of the Alaska Peony Growers Association will take place in Homer at Land’s End January 28-30. With over 27 sessions and 23 speakers, there is certainly something for everyone from the experienced peony grower to Grower Schools for the beginners.

Speakers include Don Hollingsworth, world renowned peony grower, Gay Smith from Chrysal with 35 years’ experience in cold chain management and marketing, local grower panels, web construction classes, and several sessions on field maintenance including pest and disease management. Sign up at http://www.alaskaperonyconference.com/. Questions, call Rita Jo 907-235-8116 or Wayne Floyd 907-741-0204.

American Seafoods offers community grants

The Community Advisory Board of American Seafoods Company, one of the nation’s largest seafood harvesters and processors, is now accepting applications for its Alaska community grant program. The deadline to submit applications is February 12.

Since its inception in 1997, the board has granted over $1,300,000 to organizations and programs in Alaska. The CAB meets three times a year to distribute awards.

A total of $38,000 will be allocated by the board to community projects addressing issues such as hunger, housing, safety, education, research, natural resources and cultural activities. The majority of grant awards range from $500 to $3,000 per organization. Grant recipients will be selected at the American Seafoods CAB meeting on Feb. 23.

The board evaluates each proposal based on the following criteria: the need in the community, project benefits, the number of people who will benefit from the program, and the ability to garner additional funding.

Contribution request forms are available online at http://americanseafoodscompany.com/about /news, or by contacting Kim Lynch at kim.lynch@americanseafoods.com or 206-256-2659. Completed contribution request forms should be returned to Ms. Lynch at American Seafoods using the above email, faxed to 206-448-0202, or postal mail at 2025 1st Ave, Ste 900, Seattle, WA, 98121.

Home Watch receives accreditation

Home Watch Service Plus KPB, of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, has gained Accredited Member status in the in the National Home Watch Association for the fourth consecutive year. The NHWA was formed in 2009 in order to establish and maintain the highest industry standards for Home Watch and absentee homeowner services throughout the United States and Canada.

Owner Stace Escott has experience in facilities management and 10 years in law enforcement/loss prevention. He has lived in Alaska for over 20 years.

HWS Plus KPB serves Soldotna, Sterling, and Kenai. Stace can be reached at 907-252-4431, at StaceEscott@HomeWatchServicePlus.com, or you can visit his page at http://www.homewatchserviceplus.com/kenai.

Free F/V Drill Conductor Workshop

The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) will offer a 12-hour Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor workshop in Homer on Jan. 16 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The workshop will be conducted at the Best Western Bidarka Inn, 575 Sterling Highway. This workshop is an opportunity for commercial fishermen and other mariners to gain hands-on training with marine safety equipment and learn best practices for surviving emergencies at sea. Instructor, Rob Hulse, will cover cold-water survival skills; EPIRBs, flares, and maydays; man-overboard recovery and firefighting; immersion suits and PFDs, helicopter rescue, life rafts, abandon ship procedures, and emergency drills. There will be and in-the-water practice session, giving participants practical experience with PFDs and immersion suits, employing survival techniques, and righting and boarding an inflatable life raft. AMSEA Drill Conductor workshops meet the training requirements for documented commercial fishing vessels operating beyond the federal boundary line. This workshop is offered to commercial fishermen at no cost, thanks to support from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health.

Interested mariners may register at www.amsea.org or call 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.