Chambers set schedules
■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce will meet at noon today at Froso’s Restaurant in Soldotna. A Kenai Peninsula College Update with KPC Director Gary Turner is planned. RSVP to 262-9814.
■ The Kenai Chamber of Commerce will not meet this week. For more information call 283-1991.
■ The Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce will host a joint luncheon at noon on Feb. 10 at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Borough Mayor Mike Navarre will discuss the Health Care Task Force. RSVP to 262-9814 or 283-1991.
Workshop to build peninsula farmers markets
There will be a Farmers Market Roundtable from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the Cook Inlet Aquaculture building on K-Beach Road. This event is for market farmers and anyone considering becoming a market farmer. Topics include business basics, planning, marketing, food safety, local markets and more. Featured speakers include Arthur Keyes from the South Anchorage Farmers Market and Glacier Valley Farm, and Amy Pettit from the Alaska Division of Agriculture. This event is free and open to the public, however registration is required. A local foods lunch will be provided. To register, call 283-8732 ext. 5 or RSVP on Facebook. Sponsors for this event include the Central Peninsula Garden Club, Kenai Soil & Water Conservation District, Alaska Grown and the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program.
Nomination period open for Homer Electric Association Board of Directors seats
Homer Electric Association 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 David Thomas will be on the ballot. In District 2 (Soldotna-Sterling-Kasilof area) the seat currently held by Soldotna resident Dave Carey will be up for election. In District 3 (Kasilof-Homer-Seldovia area), HEA members will vote for the seat currently held by Jim Levine 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 6. Completed packets can be dropped off at either the Kenai or Homer HEA office.
Ballots will be mailed out to HEA members on April 3, and the results will be tabulated and announced at the Annual Meeting on May 7 at Homer High School. For additional information contact Joe Gallagher at 907-283-2324
Junior Achievement Raffle tickets available
The Kenai Junior Achievement Committee has put together a raffle fundraiser for the 2014-2015 school year. Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Tickets are $10 each and all proceeds benefit Junior Achievement programs on the Kenai Peninsula. Winning tickets will be drawn on March, 21, 2015 at the Kenai River Brown Bears hockey game. You need not be present to win. First place is $1,000, Second place is $600 and third place is $400.
To purchase tickets, please contact Janet Johnson at johnsoja@denalifcu.com or 907-257-1669 or Renee Rybak at r.rybak@alaskausa.org or 907-395-4505.
AK-CESCL storm water training program offered
The Kenai Watershed Forum is sponsoring two Alaska certified erosion and sediment control lead training sessions Feb. 9-10 in Soldotna. This training explains the erosion process and how to obtain and comply with the EPA NPDES Construction General Permit. The course will describe the key elements of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and stormwater Best Management Practices. This is a requirement for people who work on Alaska DOT roads. Other people who may need this certification include commercial and residential builders, project engineers, natural resource managers and anyone responsible for creating, maintaining or evaluating a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
Small business series offered
Small business workshops will be offered in Fairbanks and by webinar around the state.
The series is hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, UAF Community and Technical College and the Alaska Small Business Development Center.
Extension economic development specialist Kathryn Dodge said the workshops will provide guidance to small business owners interested in starting or expanding their businesses. Participants may attend one or all of the workshops. Topics include:
— Taxation for small business, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 5
— Starting a small business, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 12
— Writing a business plan, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 19
— Creating a one-page business model canvas, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 12
Classes will be taught in Room 216 of the UAF Community and Technical College at 604 Barnette St. and by videoconference at the Anchorage Extension district office at 1675 C St. Anyone who wishes to connect by desktop may contact Dodge at 907-474-6497 or kdodge@alaska.edu.
Each class costs $25. Register online at http://bit.ly/ces-workshops. Instructors will include Kimberlee Hayward of the Small Business Development Center, accountant Paul Robinson, Scott Swingle of the Small Business Administration and Dodge. See details about the classes at www.uaf.edu/ces.
Sponsors include the Fairbanks Economic Development Corp., the Small Business Administration, Paul Robinson and Associates, and SCORE.
Job Center hosts training
The following job skills workshops will be offered at the Peninsula Job Center the week of Feb. 9:
Monday, Feb. 9 — 9:30 a.m., ALEXsys Job Leads; 10:30 a.m., Introduction to ALEXsys and the Job Center; 2 p.m., Resume Writing Workshop
Tuesday, Feb. 10 — 10:30 a.m., Career Ready 101 Lab
Wednesday, Feb. 11 — 9 a.m., WorkKeys® Testing
Thursday, Feb. 12 — 10:30 a.m., Interviewing Skills Workshop; 3 p.m., Vocational Rehabilitation Orientation
Friday, Feb. 13 — No workshops offered
All workshop are free of charge to the public.
Those interested in attending any workshops offered at the Peninsula Job Center can reserve space by clicking on the “Schedule Workshops” option located on the main screen in your ALEXsys account (www.jobs.alaska.gov), call 335-3010, or visit the job center located in Kenai at 11312 Kenai Spur Hwy., Suite #2. Business hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. excluding state and federal holidays.
What’s new in your business?
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.
