Chambers set schedules

■ The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce meets today at noon at Froso’s Restaurant in Soldotna. A presentation by Soldotna Speakers is planned. RSVP to 907-262-9814.

■ The Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commercewill host a joint luncheon Wednesday at noon at the Kenai Visitors Center. A presentation from Cameron Hunt, Vice President, at the Tesoro Kenai Refinery, is scheduled. RSVP to 283-1991.

HEA board nomination period open

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.

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.

Specialized foods business workshop offered

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.

Small business workshops scheduled

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:

— Feb. 25, Record keeping and taxes for artists and artisans, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

— 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.

Business announcements may be submitted to news@peninsulaclarion.com. Items should be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.