■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce meets today at noon at Froso’s Restaurant in Soldotna. A presentation by Alaska’s Future, a statewide coalition of Alaskans promoting a solution to the budget deficit is planned. RSVP to 907-262-9814.
■ The Kenai Chamber of Commerce will host the annual Job Shadow Day luncheon Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at Kenai Christian Church. The guest speaker will be 1980 Kenai Central High School graduate Kelly Gifford. For more information call 283-1991.
Homer Electric Association (HEA) is accepting nominations from members interested in running for a seat on the cooperative’s Board of Directors.
The cooperative’s Board is made up of nine directors, three from each of the three districts that make up the service area.
This year, the District 1 (Kenai-Nikiski-parts of Soldotna) seat held by Kenai resident Dan Chay will be on the ballot. In District 2 (Soldotna-Sterling-Kasilof area) the seat currently held by Soldotna resident Ed Oberts will be up for election. In District 3 (Kasilof-Homer-Seldovia area), HEA members will vote for the seat currently held by Bill Fry of Homer.
HEA directors are elected by district, with members voting only for the director in their respective district.
Members interested in being on the ballot must fill out a Candidacy Packet that requires the candidate to gather at least 15 signatures from current HEA members that live in the district where the candidate resides. The Candidacy Packet is available at HEA offices in Kenai and Homer and online at www.homerelectric.com
The deadline to submit the Candidacy Packet is 5 p.m. on March 4. Completed packets can be dropped off at either the Kenai or Homer HEA office.
Ballots will be mailed out to HEA members on April 1 and the results will be tabulated and announced at the Annual Meeting on May 4 at Kenai Central High School.
A Recordkeeping for Successful Tax Preparation class will be held on March 10 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. This class is a perfect option for small business owners who need basic guidance on how to set up, maintain, and prepare their business financial records for the tax season. There will be time for questions, brief discussions of covered and non-covered topics, and any other financial issue that is of concern to attendees. The class will cover the following topics: 1) Setting up a sound record keeping and filing system; 2) How to keep track of your business transactions; 3) Business requirements of the IRS; 4) Filing of source documents; 5) Computer or manual bookkeeping — what will work best for you and what is available; 6) Financial Statements you may need; 7) How to maximize your business tax return. The fee is $75. Register online at www.alaskasbdc.org. Veterans with DD-214 identification are eligible to attend for free if the Veterans Scholarship Fund balance is still available.
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.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks will host a series of eight small business workshops by videoconference in Anchorage and Delta Junction, beginning Jan. 28.
The UAF Cooperative Extension Service and the UAF Community and Technical College will host the series, which is also offered by webinar around the state. The workshops provide guidance to small business owners in keeping records, calculating taxes, writing a business plan and using social media. Topics and workshop dates include:
— March 12, Beginning social media and mobile marketing, 10 a.m. to noon
— March 19, Intermediate social media and mobile marketing, 10 a.m. to noon
— March 19, How to develop ideas into businesses, 1-3 p.m.
Each class is $25. Register online at http://bit.ly/ces-workshops. Anyone who wishes to participate via webinar may contact Kathryn Dodge at 907-474-6497 or kdodge@alaska.edu. Instructors will include an accountant, and financial and media experts. See details about the classes at www.uaf.edu/ces/sbd.
Have you opened a new business, moved to a new location, hired a new person or promoted an employee? Send us your information at news@peninsulaclarion.com, fax it to 907-283-3299, or drop it by the Clarion at 150 Trading Bay in Kenai. Questions? Call 907-335-1251.
Business announcements may be submitted to news@peninsulaclarion.com. Items should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.
