■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce will hold a mixer today at 5:30 p.m. at St. Elias Brewery in Soldotna. Talk to local brewers and learn more about the upcoming Frozen Riverfest. RSVP to 907-262-9814.
■ The Kenai Chamber of Commerce meets Wednesday at noon at the Kenai Visitors Center. A State of the Chamber presentation is planned. Hear about what the chamber has been up to, and what’s planned. RSVP to 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.
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 Cooperative Extension Service and Alaska Sea Grant will host a workshop series March 1-15 for entrepreneurs interested in starting and operating a specialty food business in Alaska.
The five-session webinar will be offered across Alaska via Zoom, an online videoconferencing program. Sessions will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The instructors are Kate Idzorek, Extension small food business training and development coordinator, and Quentin Fong, seafood marketing specialist with Alaska Sea Grant.
Specialty foods are manufactured in limited quantity with high-quality ingredients and include products such as handmade chocolates and food truck items.
The workshop is intended for individuals who want to sell specialty foods directly to consumers and wholesale. Topics will include business planning and marketing, financing and accounting, permitting, feasibility assessment, and promoting and pricing products. The workshop will also cover options to enter the market, including farmers markets, food trucks and grocery stores.
The workshop costs $50 and is limited to 25 participants. See details or register online at http://bit.ly/ces-workshops. To fully participate, students’ computers must have a microphone and camera. For more information, contact Idzorek at 907-474-5391 or kjidzorek@alaska.edu.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will offer three-day training sessions for pesticide applicators in April.
The session will be offered by videoconference April 25-27 in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Soldotna, Palmer, Delta Junction and other communities as requested. Classes will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an exam scheduled after the training. Extension agents and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation personnel will teach the classes.
The state requires certification for anyone who uses or sells restricted pesticides. Certification is also required for anyone who is a pesticide consultant, engages in the commercial or contract use of pesticides or supervises their use at a public location.
The training costs $55 and includes the exam and necessary study materials, which are available at Extension offices or by mail. Register for either class online at http://bit.ly/ces-workshops or at local Extension offices. Participants are encouraged to become familiar with the materials and math needed prior to the training.
For more information and to request another training location, contact Janice Chumley at 907-262-5824 or jichumley@alaska.edu.
Business announcements may be submitted to news@peninsulaclarion.com. Items should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.
