Chambers set schedules
■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce meets at noon today at Froso’s Restaurant in Soldotna. The speaker will be Karina Wentworth with Get Real Financial Reality Foundation. The group partners with Credit Unions to put on fairs in local high schools that simulate real life. RSVP to 262-9814.
The Kenai Chamber of Commerce will meet Wednesday at noon at the Kenai Visitors Center. A presentation from Alaska’s Future on Creating a stable economic foundation for Alaska is planned. RSVP to 283-1991.
■ The Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce will host a joint luncheon at noon on Thursday at the Kenai Visitors Center. Gov. Bill Walker will discuss the state’s fiscal situation. RSVP to 262-9814 or 283-1991.
■ The Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center’s 32nd annual Beer and Wine experience starts at 5:30 p.m. April 16 at the Old Carr’s Mall in Kenai. This year’s theme is “Adventure to Neverland.” The event includes live and silent auctions, the Wall of Guns, and raffles. For more information, call 907-283-1991.
Alaska LNG to discuss summer plans
A “Coffee with Alaska LNG” community meeting is planned for April 14 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center. The Alaska LNG project plans to conduct geophysical and geotechnical surveys onshore in the Nikiski area and offshore in Cook Inlet. The project team will be discussing the 2016 field work program with the community and answering questions from the group. For more information call 855-550-5445 or visit www.ak-lng.com.
HEA board candidates announced
Four candidates will be on the ballot for the Homer Electric Association (HEA) Board of Directors’ 2016 election. The deadline to apply for a seat on the board was March 4.
HEA directors are elected by the members in their respective district, with members voting only for the candidates residing in their district. This year, the following candidates are seeking election to the HEA board:
— In District 1 (Kenai – Nikiski- parts of Soldotna area), the candidate is incumbent Dan Chay of Kenai.
— In District 2 (Soldotna – Sterling – Kasilof), the candidate is incumbent Ed Oberts of Soldotna.
— In District 3 (Kasilof south to Kachemak Bay area), the candidates are incumbent Bill Fry of Homer and Stephen J. Pollack III of Seldovia.
The 2016 ballot will also include six propositions. Proposition 1 and Proposition 2 would change the wording in the HEA bylaws and Articles of Incorporation from “husband and wife” to “married couple” to allow same-sex couples to hold a joint HEA membership. The proposed change is based on recent legal rulings regarding same-sex marriages. The remaining ballot propositions are aimed at clarifying language and intent in several sections of the bylaws. A complete rundown of the ballot propositions along with candidate information is available on HEA’s website (www.homerelectric.com).
Ballots will be mailed to HEA members on April 1. Completed mail-in ballots must be received in the mail by May 3 for validation. If HEA members are unable to complete a mail-in ballot, members will also have an opportunity to vote at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Members, which will be held May 4 at Kenai Central High School.
For more details about the election and the Annual Meeting of the Members contact HEA’s office at 800-478-8551 or HEA’s website at www.homerelectric.com.
Applications for refuge special use permits 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.
Safety workshop for commercial fishermen
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) will offer a Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor Workshop in Seward on April 18 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. at AVTEC, 809 2nd Avenue. This workshop will cover cold-water survival skills; EPIRBs, flares, and maydays; man-overboard recovery and firefighting; immersion suits and PFDs; emergency drills, helicopter rescue, life rafts, and abandon ship procedures.
The workshop meets the training requirements for drill conductors on documented commercial fishing vessels operating three or more miles offshore. It is offered to commercial fishermen at no cost, thanks to support from the United States Coast Guard, the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The cost for all others in $175 and all mariners are welcome. Interested mariners may register online at www.amsea.org or call AMSEA at 907-747-3287.
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.
