Sandwich board signs can stand for now
For now, business owners protective of their sandwich board signs will be able to keep them within certain established limits, after contentious testimony at the Homer City Council meeting called into question a constitutional issue.
If Homer sign rules were to change, favoring real estate agents and nonprofits, but not allowing a cafe to broadcast its soup du jour – would it amount to stifling speech and enterprise?
In the end, the council voted unanimously to send sign changes back to the Homer Advisory Planning Commission for more tweaks. …
What time should area schools start?
The day hasn’t fully awakened yet when, in the dark, children at Paul Banks are dropped off by their parents for kindergarten through second grade.
These tender years, parents can be seen walking their children to class and every bus is met by Principal Benny Abraham or staff, ready to offer a hand for the district’s littlest students.
“We start at 8:30 a.m. It would be hard for us to start much earlier,” Abraham said. “I would rather keep our start time where it is at, though we may …
Tusty 200 adds two new Homer checkpoints
Volunteers are the staple for dog mushing check points along the trail, which includes Homer at McNeil Canyon School this weekend for the first time.
For Kasilof resident James Banks, being a volunteer for the Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race seems more like fate than a choice. Growing up in Michigan, dogs were a part of his daily life for as long as he can remember, but these were family pets or bird dogs used for hunting, not the powerful pulling huskies of the north.
“I’ve always had dogs …
On the wings of Homer’s Sandhill Crane migration
In 2008, working in cooperation with the International Crane Foundation and crane biologist Gary Ivey, Kachemak Crane Watch funded a satellite banding project to determine where Homer’s Lesser Sandhill Cranes migrate to spend the winter. Homer’s Sandhill Cranes go to the Sacramento area in California where they feed and roost with the valley’s Greater Sandhill Cranes.
Jan. 6-9, Edgar Bailey and Nina Faust, co-founders of Kachemak Crane Watch, went to Sacramento, to meet with crane advocates who founded Save Our Sandhill Cranes, a nonprofit organization …
Art Brief – Jan. 25
Call for artist submissions
The Kachemak Bay Science Conference planning team is requesting artist’s submissions for a conference logo-design competition. The selected logo-design would have all or parts of the design used for conference outreach such as flyers (header design and/or background), newspaper ads, conference banner, website header, and additional conference materials.
The ideal design will be based on the Kachemak Bay coastal ecosystem, terrestrial and/or marine, and will be used for both present and future science conference outreach. The winning artist will be awarded $200.
Please submit …
Art Briefs – Nov. 23
Ptarmigan Arts fundraiser runs Nov. 4-28
Stop by Ptarmigan Arts for its annual Arts and Silent Auction Fundraiser. Each year Ptarmigan Arts invites local high school students to apply for a visual arts scholarship, totaling $500-$600. This sum is collected as an annual fee from each Ptarmigan artist.
In May, the students present their art and discuss how they plan on pursuing art post-high school, either through college courses, workshops or private lessons. During the past few years the arts co-op has also offered the scholarship as …
Sports Briefs – Jan. 25
Mariner hockey struggles to score
After logging a few wins on the road last week, the Homer Hockey Team struggled to score against Wasilla, falling 0-5 in conference play. Five different Wasilla players were able to push the puck past Homer goalie Alex Sanarov for the shutout on Friday. The Warriors outshot Homer 44-9 in the game. The Mariners look to pick up a few more goals this weekend as they travel to face Soldotna on Thursday, and return home to face Kenai on Saturday for Senior …
Warriors rumble, but fall short of tourney title
The future of Warrior basketball is alive and well in Nikolaevsk. The proof of this lies not only in the consistency of guidance from coaches Steve and Bea Klaich, or the powerful din of cheers in both English and Russian that echo off the walls of the tiny gym.
No, the future of basketball is thriving in the village because members of the small community support the teams and promote the sport as a positive outlet for youth.
That investment seems to be paying off.
Nikolaevsk boys and girls teams …
Women battle on the ice for hockey bragging rights
After spending some time watching the Homer Winter Jamboree Women’s Hockey Tournament over the weekend, I’ve determined there is a significant difference between men’s and women’s hockey.
Men’s hockey is all about speed, testosterone and burning through copious amounts of adrenaline. Women play the game with a little more style, finesse and imagination.
Men rely on hard-hitting, ice-crunching body checks, while women use more intelligence and creativity, often adding a little flair to a pass, or toe-point to a shot on goal.
The breathing space around the women’s …
Mariner hockey comes home after 3 wins on the road
Homer hockey traveled north over the weekend to wage a frigid fight on the ice against teams from North Pole and Hutchison. The team was originally scheduled to play Delta on the road trip as well, but the game was canceled due to the cold.
“I was so sad when they canceled the Delta game,” said Mariner Hannah Baird. “I was honestly extremely excited to play in -45 degree weather. No doubt we would have been frozen solid by the end of the game, but it would have …
Dolma receives Girl Scout Gold Award
Katherine Dolma achieved her Girl Scout Gold Award, scouting’s highest recognition, for her community work on reusing and recycling.
In working toward the award, Dolma completed 80 hours of service work based on the education and implementation of recycling for schools and businesses. This involved making presentations to school children, helping to change habits at her own school and helping with the Ecological girls’ annual fashion show that features clothing from recycled products.
“It’s a fun way to get people to think about recycling,” Dolma said, speaking of …
Rare smarts show up in ‘Raven Paints the Birds’
A long time ago, birds were colorless, a dull gray that displeased Raven and his friend Jay. Ever industrious from his lofty perch, Raven finds a colorful river bank, plucks a feather from Jay and sets to solving the problem.
The result, based on an ancient Athabascan story, is retold by retired Paul Banks Elementary teacher Dorothy Cline, who many will know as Dotty. The seeds of the story published in “Raven Paints the Birds” came to her four decades ago while working in the village of Tanana. …
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