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Excavator accident takes local man’s life

Excavator accident takes local man’s life

A Homer man has died in a construction accident off West Hill Road Friday when an excavator he was operating flipped and crushed him.
David William Boone, 57, was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:07 p.m.
The Homer Police Department received the call to Rebar Road off West Hill on Friday afternoon. First responders from the Homer Volunteer Fire Department found that Boone had been pinned by the equipment and could not be revived.
Boone’s son, Corey, said his dad was helping a friend. “His friend …

May 9, 2012 | 5 comments | Read More »

Shorebird Festival launches a flight of its own

Shorebird Festival launches a flight of its own

When the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival was conceived, Homer was only a few seasons outside the doldrums of the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.
It was a time of concern about the future of Mariner Lagoon, the habitat where shorebirds rested and ate – locals talked about filling it in for a park.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service occupied offices in the small mall by the Best Western Bidarka Inn – it lacked the presence of the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center that later, once constructed …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

Kenai Peninsula School District won’t see red after all

Kenai Peninsula School District won’t see red after all

As Kenai Peninsula Borough School District funding settles into a rosier outlook than expected, the district is hoping to get its expenses squared away in its budget, as well, before the 2012 fiscal year calendar turns a page to 2013 on June 30.
A big part still up in the air is ongoing negotiations with employee unions over three-year contracts to start in fiscal year 2013.
Negotiation teams for the district, the Kenai Peninsula Education Association and Kenai Peninsula Education Support Association, meeting since January, had not come …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

HoWL DiRtBaGs Clean Up Homer

HoWL DiRtBaGs Clean Up Homer

They’re dirty, they’re stinky, and they’re picking up your trash. For six days, the HoWL DiRtBaGs have been wading through ditches and trudging through town, picking up litter to raise money for their HoWL summer camp scholarships.
The DiRtBaGs picked up 4,444 pounds of trash this year. They took home the top prizes at the Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Clean-Up Day for both litter picker-uppers and recyclers. The DiRtBaGs hauled in 386 bags of trash, 66 of which were just recyclables. They also rolled over two dozen abandoned …

May 9, 2012 | 1 comment | Read More »

‘Good Dog’ weds science, music

‘Good Dog’ weds science, music

What happens when a science educator and a music teacher write songs together? The result is “another angle on learning” taken by Good Dog to educate children about marine life.
On Friday, Good Dog is performing “original nature songs aimed at teaching basic ocean literacy” said co-founder Jim Pfeiffenberger.
Good Dog uses scientific accuracy, “one guitar and two voices” to illustrate the adaptations of maritime mammals, birds, and fish.
Trained vocalist Liesl Davenport-Wheeler and Jim Pfeiffenberger formed Good Dog over a dozen years ago in …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

Shorebird Festival: 20 birds for 20 years

Shorebird Festival: 20 birds for 20 years

In honor of its special 20th anniversary, the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival presents “20 Birds for 20 Years,” original watercolor paintings by Homer artist Carla Stanley, exhibited at the Homer Council on the Arts for the month of May.
“20 Birds for 20 Years” paintings will then be available for bidding during a silent auction that runs May 4-12, and during the live auction event “The Big Year, The Big Night,” on May 12. The exhibit opens with two receptions: Friday 5-7 p.m. for locals …

May 2, 2012 | Comments Off | Read More »

Shutout ends Lady M’s 5-game losing streak

Shutout ends Lady M’s 5-game losing streak

Lady Mariner Mady Gerard scored four goals on Thursday to lead Homer to a 5-0 victory over visiting Houston. Maggie Koplin picked up the fifth goal in the win that snapped a five-game losing streak.
“Our girls are playing extremely tough, with a never-give-up attitude,” said Homer Head Coach Mickey Todd. “We struggle putting the ball in the net as we figure out how to move together as a team.”
According to Todd, with the toughest part of their schedule behind them, the Lady M’s are hoping to …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

Lady Mariners hope softball history repeats itself

Lady Mariners hope softball history repeats itself

Homer High softball coach Bill Bell can see the big picture. He’s seen it before. Bell captained a cohesive team of very talented young athletes to a state softball title in 2006. They were focused and committed — and had a lot of fun playing softball together.
Have you seen this year’s Lady Mariner Softball team?
“It’s deja vu all over again.” (Yogi Berra, circa 1961)
These Lady M’s are a definite force to be reckoned with. Powerful pitching and brawny bats help round out a squad of otherwise …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

M’s remain undefeated following 5-1 Kardinal crushing

M’s remain undefeated following 5-1 Kardinal crushing

The Homer boys soccer team extended its season record to 7-0-2, following a 5-1 win over the Kenai Kardinals on Monday. The Mariners are now 3-0 in the Northern Lights Conference Southern Division.
The M’s had little trouble on offense against the Kards, grabbing goals from Lennart Von Schlicting, Mario Glosser, Vegard Unhjem and Cole Krikac.
Kenai’s lone goal found the back of the net after glancing off a Mariner defender.
The Mariners spread the scoring around fairly evenly against Houston on Thursday, picking up goals from six different …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

Sports Briefs – May 9

Sports Briefs – May 9

Tracksters shine at Boroughs
Senior Travis Smith earned the lion’s share of his team’s points with strong finishes in both sprint and field events at the Kenai Peninsula Borough Track and Field Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Mariner team placed fourth overall, edging Soldotna by one point.
Smith placed second in the long jump, stretching out to a length of eight feet, 6.5 inches. He also delivered solid sprint performances, turning in a time of 12.06 seconds for fourth place in the 100-meter event, and third in …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

Author Mark Obmascik talks about ‘The Big Year’

Author Mark Obmascik talks about ‘The Big Year’

It’s always interesting to Kachemak Bay Shorebird Coordinator Christina Whiting to hear what a person’s lifetime bird is.
“A woman told me the other day what she really wants to see is a Yellow-billed loon, and I was able to tell her, well, there’s one in the Barge Basin right now,” Whiting said. “For others it’s the warbler or eider or a Sandhill crane.”
Which fits in perfectly with one of the big name attractions to the festival: Mark Obmascik, the author of “The Big Year” a bestselling …

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

Three Homer teachers sweep BP awards

Three Homer teachers sweep BP awards

Homer Language Arts Teacher Sean Campbell won BP Teacher of the Year Award 2012 for the Kenai Peninsula, and two other Homer teachers were also named for the honor.
Melissa Cloud and Shellie Worsfold, both West Homer 4th grade teachers, were honored as was Patrick Nolden, a teacher at Soldotna High School.

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

More News

Community News – May 9

Community News – May 9

Cash prizes come in as $Homer Bucks$ A new Homer Chamber of Commerce campaign enters into a new practice of giving...

May 9, 2012 | 1 comment | Read More »
More than 18,000 pounds kept out of landfills

More than 18,000 pounds kept out of landfills

On Saturday, April 28, dozens of local citizens, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies came together to participate in the Seventh-Annual Electronics...

May 9, 2012 | No comment | Read More »

Columns

This Mother’s Day, think of lifetime financial moves to help kids

If you’re a mother, you’ll probably get some nice cards and flowers on Mother’s Day....

May 9, 2012 | Financial Focus | Read More »

What should you do with a 401(k) when leaving a job?

In the past, many people stayed at one job, or at least one company, for...

May 2, 2012 | Financial Focus | Read More »

Even with low rates, you can invest for income

Not long ago, the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced that it plans to keep short-term interest...

Apr 25, 2012 | Financial Focus | Read More »