Letters – Jan. 27

Pandora’s Box
It’s a mistake to allow halibut charter permits to be limited and transferable. Skippers about to retire will reap a bonus, courtesy of the government, while any young entrepreneur with hopes of starting their own operation will see those hopes placed beyond financial reach.
This system will move business away from owner-operators, concentrating it with large outfits able to pay the highest price when permits come up for sale. Future skippers, unless lucky enough to inherit a permit, will end up working for someone else instead of for himself.
If it’s necessary to reduce the charter-fleet catch (the fact that commercial by-catch is the biggest impact on halibut stocks is a separate argument), then set limits for areas, and then close those areas when the biomass goal is met. Meanwhile, let supply and demand determine the size of the fleet. Catch limits can be adjusted as needed, but once our public permit system is privatized, there will be no getting it back.
I am currently Outside in the Lower 48 at sportsman shows. I recently got word of the Charter Fleet Moratorium being passed by NOAA. I also read the article from Mr. Murphy and Mr. Ward. My question is, does NOAA, Rex Murphy and Bob Ward really believe “It is just that easy”? They are not “Freezing the fleet at its current size” as quoted in the newspaper, they are reducing it to their set predetermined “control date.” They are actually forcing established charter owners who have been fishing the last four to five years to close their doors.
As I see it, next comes the “Class Action Lawsuit” against NOAA, NPFMC and those individuals who pushed written drafts and lobbied for the moratorium as it is written today. This suit will be for violation of our constitutional rights to free enterprise by shutting down established businesses and also will be for a monitory amount of lost revenue for the next 20 plus years for each “established business” that has had to shut down due to this ruling. I am relatively positive that each and every operator that gets shut down will be signing onto the lawsuit.
Then from there, of course, will come the lobbying and a push for a “one fish limit” for all of South Central as they have already done in the South East. Those of us shut down by the moratorium definitely want the fish to actually benefit from this moratorium. A one-fish limit per angler will guarantee that this moratorium that they want will actually benefit the fish. Those of us shut down will be pushing for this, guaranteed! I am sure any court will see it as discrimination for the State and Feds to reduce the limit to one fish in South East and not in South Central when the fishing pressure is the same. The one thing to remember is that the people that are shut down all have voices, votes and can lobby just as well as those who did for the moratorium. We will be sure to put the fish first.
Let’s all see where this “Pandora’s Box” goes from here.
John W.S. Johnson

Endangered human species
Next week we have a hearing scheduled on an unnecessary critical habitat for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale, next the Polar Bear. We are already saturated with endangered species and critical habitat mandates covering everything from snail darter, mice, moose, spotted owl, Kachemak Bay and many others.
It is about time we establish a critical habitat for the human species while we still have some space left.
Roy E. Hoyt Jr.

Take my Netflix
It seems that I am not alone in my displeasure with our postmaster. Is it really too much to ask to have my Netflix DVDs mailed back and forth through my residential mailbox?
When my husband called the postmaster today he was told that they were not required to take the outgoing mail. According to the USPS publication: “A Customer’s Guide to Mailing, Sending Mail” you can send mail by, dropping it into a blue collection box; leaving it in your home mailbox; taking it to a post office.
“If your mail item weighs 13 ounces or less, and you have affixed correct postage, you can drop it into a blue collection box. If your item weighs more than 13 ounces, and you have affixed postage stamps, you must take it to the post office.”
Sounds simple enough to me. I live in the middle of town on a street with one of those metal, multiple family mailboxes. We used to have a special slot for outgoing mail and this was not an issue. When they removed it, I asked the mail carrier and I called the postmaster to find out what we were supposed to do. They said to leave our outgoing mail in our box, pushed toward the side the mail carrier accesses and it would be collected. So, why then is my mail carrier leaving my outgoing mail in the box? Would anyone like to join me in making a complaint?
According to the DMM section 6.1:”Consumer Complaints and Inquiries” any postal customer may complain or inquire about postal products, services, or employees at any Post Office or directly to the USPS Consumer Advocate (see 8.1 for address). A complaint or inquiry may be made in person, by telephone, by e-mail, or by letter.
(Section 8.1) Consumer Advocate
US Postal Service
475 L’Enfant Plz SW
Washington DC 20260-2200
If the local postmaster is not going to be helpful, then we must reach above his head. We are the customers here and we deserve to be treated as such.
Heather Petrino

eScrip Program helps our kids
We the members of West Homer Elementary Parent Teacher Organization would like to take this opportunity to thank Safeway of Homer and all of the participating families for your support of the eScrip program.
The eScrip program is a wonderful way for our school to receive funding. This supports our school programs like Artists in the Schools, new library books, athletic and music programs, and class field trips. Thank you for supporting our school community.
Melody Martin and the WHE PTO

Like minds
I would like to thank the Homer Council on the Arts for honoring me with the 2010 Arts Leadership/Advocacy Award. I am delighted to be recognized in this way by HCOA, and by my community. It brings a smile to my heart. Thank you.
I feel grateful that Homer and other communities have supported me in developing leadership skills in collaborative art facilitation. Our community co-creations have been remarkable, meaningful and at times heroic. I am learning, along with you, that when it comes to imagination and creativity the teacher and the pupil are located in the same individual.
Thank you, Homer Council on the Arts, for all the exciting programs you present that connect and engage our community in the arts, and to the members who support these efforts. All forms of art have power, have impact, and can affect change. We are blessed to be part of an amazing, unique community that holds high value for the creative process.
Creative self-expression is necessary in our individual lives and for our world. I look forward to facilitating future community interactive art projects, impermanent and otherwise.
Mavis Muller

The Metropolitan Opera in Homer?
Yes! Thanks to our local Homer Theatre about 50 people were able to watch and enjoy an actual production of Puccini’s Tosca by the Metropolitan Opera Company. This opera was beamed live to over 44 countries in October, and sent this past week to our local movie house on two hard drives.
Our local theatre’s computerized audio and video systems were fully capable of providing us, in high definition, with a quality reproduction of the actual event. What a joy to the opera music lovers of Homer. The Met’s rental price is high and the Homer Theatre is not making any money on this venture except for the selling of refreshments. My ticket cost was low, certainly lower than the $25 I paid last year to do the same in Anchorage. I urge all music lovers in this town to come watch at least one of the upcoming operas, Der Rosenkavalier, Aida, Les Contes D’Hoffman and Carmen.
My plan for the next opera on Feb. 7 is to do an early brunch and then head on over to our local Homer movie theater. Thanks, Jamie Sutton.
Mary Schneider

Keeping the couch at bay
My sincere thanks to the Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce and the citizens of Anchor Point who chose me as the Senior Citizen of the Year 2009.
My reason for doing what I do, and why I do it, are a little selfish in that I do not want to be a couch potato in my later years. With the help of God, doctors and the Anchor Point Senior Center, I have a way to keep my mind and body active.
Thank you again. I will try to earn the right to this award.
Vi Hall

Staying toasty
On behalf of Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, I want to thank the Homer Foundation for its grant to help us implement the energy audit recommendations of Bill Steyer, of The Energy Saver. Our office is much warmer now that the work has been completed, and we are using less energy.
Thanks also to Bill for donating his services to perform the energy audit for our offices, the former “Poopdeck” Platt cabin.
Marie McCarty

Closet computers
Now that the holidays are over and you are replacing old electronics with the latest version you received for Christmas, remember to put the old ones in storage until the Electronics Recycling Event in April.  
This year’s event is scheduled for April 24 at Spenard Builder’s Supply.
So, do like Andy Rooney of “60 Minutes” does, put your old stuff in the basement or closet and don’t throw it away.  But, take the next step that Mr. Rooney has not yet taken – bring your old electronics to be responsibly recycled this spring.
Nina Faust
Electronics Recycling coordinator
A project of Cook Inletkeeper

Blown away
Sometime in December a small film was shown at the Homer Theatre. A lot of work from a lot of people had to be put into that film in order to have it shown there. The awesome amount of support from the community shown by simply the number of people that attended gave purpose to all that work. It’s really something when work pays off in the end, when you can leave a project knowing that it’s creation brought people together and entertained them. It’s movie magic, I suppose.
I would like to thank everybody that supported us and I am proud to say I am from a town as unique and vibrant as Homer, a place where a movie as unique and vibrant as “The Contract” could come into form.
Thank you everybody, it’s been a blast.
Clinton Edminster