iPods pair young with elderly for scientific study
Homer seniors got a helping hand on Thursday from three high school students and their wrestling coach, who gave the seniors iPods and showed them how they work.
Homer Senior Citizens are one of only 15 nursing home facilities in the nation to take part in this study, called “Well Tuned: Music Players for Health” by the Atlantic Institute on Aging. The iPods were purchased through a grant to Homer seniors.
“They want to see if it’s true that music improves cognitive capacity for seniors,” Executive Director Keren Kelley explained to the seniors. “Each one of you will get your own iPod, this little thing here, which holds 200-400 songs.”
Old record player consoles provided a handy contrast. Kelley asked, “How many remember the old record players? You couldn’t take that phonograph with you… but you can take this everywhere you go. Welcome to the 21st Century and the world of the iPod shuffle.”
Young GED grad’s paths converge on brighter life
Graduations are a springtime celebration for entering a new season in life, a time when a task has been accomplished, and it’s time to move on to new goals.
That couldn’t be more true for Jessica Inman, a 21-year-old woman who completed her general education degree. She walks the commencement path Wednesday with about 14 other GED graduates.
“Yea, I did it!” she said moments after instructor Jan Payton announced she had passed all her tests with high scores.
“It took me over two years with a lot of other things getting in the way but finally, I did it.” It was no easily-won accomplishment.
Former council member sues City of Homer
The owner of the Auction Block, Kevin Hogan, filed a lawsuit against the City of Homer and the port alleging that the city cost him $682,114.83 through an unfair competitive advantage it gives to Icicle Seafoods.
Hogan served on the Homer City Council until his abrupt resignation during the close of a council meeting on March 12. It was at that time, he said he would be going into a lawsuit with the City of Homer and could no longer serve on the council.
Both the Auction Block and Icicle Seafoods are wholesale buyers of fish, but the Auction Block processes some of its salmon, halibut, rockfish, crab and other seafood. Icicle buys seafood from Homer docks, but sends the products to Seward for processing.
Earth Day: Seeing the Peninsula from space
The celebration of Earth Day is a time to think about the planet, the ways it may be changing and what those changes mean to its inhabitants — humans not excluded. Here on the Kenai Peninsula, many transformations are taking place with the flora and fauna, and while sometimes difficult to observe from a ground-eye view, the patterns of change are a bit easier to understand when seen from above.
To illustrate this concept, John Morton, supervisory biologist at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, presented “The Kenai Peninsula at 30,000 feet,” as part of Kenai Peninsula College’s Earth Day celebration last week.
High school students saved from an earlier bell
High school students can breathe a little easier if they were dreading an early start to their school day when bells ring this fall.
The Kenai Peninsula School District made the decision that the Southern Peninsula bus transportation will remain single tier for the 2012-2013 school year. The result: in the fall of 2012 school start and end times will not change due to rising transportation costs.
That means, high school starts at 8:30 a.m. instead of at the proposed 7:40 a.m. And it will let out at 3:15 instead of at 2:15 p.m. The proposal was to begin some schools earlier in order to send buses out on two routes rather than just the one they currently run.
Tsunami Debris: Center prepares for beach cleanup
The problem with marine trash is the tragedy it causes marine life when a bird plucks a morsel that is actually styrofoam, or when a seal gets strangled by fishing nets.
If there’s a good side to the massive patch of Japanese tsunami debris en route to Alaska, it’s the awareness brought to the problem. People will meet the trash on the beach, and clean it up before it can trap unsuspecting animals.
Homer beach monitors have been at it for a few months now, eyeing the tidelines and removing garbage, said Patrick Chandler, the special programs coordinator at the Alaska Center for Coastal Studies.
Planning for organic gardens of abundance: Getting started
Inside Eve Matkin’s high tunnel greenhouse 11 miles out East End, the ground has thawed and warm moisture from the ceiling drips on fresh soil soon to be put to the rototiller.
It’s 33 degrees on Thursday morning, rising to 50 by afternoon. Inside the 32-by-70 foot structure, it’s a good 70 degrees and rising. Time to get the first plants in the ground, although it is only mid April.
“Having this high tunnel extended my growing season by weeks on each end,” Matkin explains. “If it weren’t for this, we wouldn’t be planting until three weeks to a month from now.” Matkin operates a Community Supported Agriculture service, providing weekly boxes of fresh produce to families, under the name of Steller Gardens.
Gasline slides into third base: Governor’s signature needed to bring it home
The governor told reporters Monday the Homer Area Natural Gasline passed budgetary guild line hurdles and he feels favorably toward signing the appropriation for $8.5 million to fund it.
Gov. Sean Parnell said he was pleased that legislators stayed within his ceiling limit on spending for the state’s infrastructure projects.
In the final hours of the Alaska Legislative activity this weekend, Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer managed to get the project as a line item into the $2.9 billion 2013 Capital Budget. He said he had the cooperation of Co-chairs of the House Finance Committee Reps. Bill Stoltz, R-Chugiak and Bill Thomas Jr., R-Haines.
“It is more difficult to insert if the major project isn’t in when it comes over from the Senate. It took a lot of time and effort and co-ordination,” Seaton said. “There were lots of conversations to make sure everybody understands every part of it.”
Conservatives gather in Kenai to plot course ahead
Announcements for Saturday afternoon’s “Celebrate America” rally at Kenai’s Leif Hansen Memorial Park did, indeed, specify 2012, though much of the proceedings would have been right at home in the 2010 election season, or even the 2008 presidential campaign.
Among the attendees were supporters of Texas Congressman and current presidential candidate Ron Paul, who also ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 against Sen. John McCain. Standing at the park’s frontage with the Kenai Spur Highway was another reference to the 2008 presidential election — a man bearing a homemade cardboard sign that read, “Where’s the real birth certificate?” and, “Obama is a fraud,” with a Washington, D.C., phone number for Rep. Don Young.
XtraTufs and sequins: Homer’s version of Mrs. Alaska
Vicki Sarber is still trying to absorb the fact that she won the Mrs. Alaska pageant on March 31, and now will represent the state in the coming Mrs. America contest.
The Homer mother has had some experience with pageants. She was the 1995 Miss Fur Rondy, and went through college on scholarships won at pageants.
“I had just turned 40, and Alaska has been good to me. I’m happily married. I’m in a good place in my life right now, and I thought this might be fun,” Sarber said. “When I’m 80, it’s something I might wish I had done, and I won! I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that.”
This time, Sarber said the “Mrs.” part of the title is what appeals to her.
