Homer Tribune » Opinion

Drug violence hits Homer hard

Editor — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:52:21 +0000

By Sean Pearson
It’s finally here.
The violence associated with hardcore drug-trafficking has finally hit Homer — and it has struck with a vengeance. Just Saturday, another possible drug-related stabbing occurred off Jenny Lane, bringing the summer total to two. A recent shooting in Soldotna that left 23-year-old Brandon McGee dead is also reported to have ties to recent violent drug activities in Homer.
More letters and phone calls came into the Homer Tribune this week in response to the recent stabbing of a local high school senior. However, none of the callers or writers wanted to provide a name to go along with their comments for fear of retribution.
And, not so much for themselves, they say, as much as for their children.
How sad is that?
One mom says she is terrified to send her daughter to high school, while another reports watching drug deals go down at Karen Hornaday Park, Bishop’s Beach and Pudgy’s Parking Lot. Another indicated she was aware of young teenage girls going to extreme measures to get drunk — without being detected.
Just what kind of wake-up call do we actually need at this point?
If you ask youth around Homer what the problem is, they will tell you they are bored.
“There is nothing to do in Homer.”
We’ve certainly heard that complaint before as a community. In response, some really motivated teens worked toward and obtained funding to build a skatepark for Homer’s youth.
Then we built an ice rink.
Homer Community Schools programs offer a variety of activities and sports, with Little League Baseball and Little Feet Soccer available to the younger set. And we’ve even made some relatively decent attempts at establishing a teen center in Homer.
But it’s never enough.
I’m not blaming the kids. It’s not their fault they have been raised in a society of instant gratification. And I’m really not sure how we could ever go about shifting their thinking at this point.
So now we’re faced with the issue once again. And I seriously doubt it will ever go away.
More than 4 years ago, the Homer community was shocked and saddened by the death of 19-year-old Bethany Woodworth from a meth overdose. We vowed to look at the problem “head-on.” We held drug-awareness meetings and forums, we held brainstorming events for youth, and we even decided it was crucial that we should have a drug dog on the lower Kenai Peninsula.
We got one. He’s gone now.
Just a few years ago, while speaking with various students at the high school, I was told that a number of peers leave school during the day to go get high in the woods. I heard talk of students stealing liquor from their parents and drinking alcohol for breakfast. The general goal was just to “maintain a nice buzz” throughout the school day.
I chose to write something about those things I was told, and received more than one letter and/or phone call in response. One was from a teacher who scolded me for telling such lies about students, indicating that there are absolutely NO drug issues at the high school.
I’ll still have to beg to differ on that one.
Our kids are out there trying everything under the sun, much of it dangerous, unknown and toxic. More of them will die.
It’s no longer just a matter of recognizing the problem. Regardless of the fact that there are still those out there who will continue to stick their heads in the sand and just hope the problem goes away, the rest of us have got to start looking at long-term solutions, or our children will just keep dying.
There are those of us who will rise up to take back what is our Homer.
There are those who will just sit back and watch it all happen.
Which one are you?
Stay involved in your child’s life. Don’t stop checking in with your kids, and checking up on them. Kids are sneaky, and they will say or do anything. Check out who their friends are, where they are going and what they will be doing. Do random room inspections, check their text messages and monitor their e-mails.
They will hate you for it, but at least you will know you are doing something right.
As one mom put it, “As far as I’m concerned, my kids can have their privacy when they move out of my house.”
Let’s just hope we can keep them alive long enough to get there.

Parents are not an ‘intrusive mandate’

Editor — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:50:33 +0000

By Barnabas Firth
Let’s suppose some 12 year old — we’ll say J.S. in order to protect the identity of this imaginary character — wins $100,000.
J.S. gets wide eyed and wants to dash for the nearest retail outlet — not a home improvement store like his Dad would probably choose. But Dad sits down with J.S. and tells him about saving and making decisions that will pay back in the long run. J.S. listens, and in 10 years, he returns to thank Dad.
Now suppose the government decided that J.S. should really spend the money as he wants, with no advice from Dad. They set up special, secret accounts for kids who win big, just so the kids can spend all the money on whatever they wish without anyone knowing.
We all recognize that children are born immature and depend on others for protection and guidance until they are old enough to care for themselves. It is self-evident that the way to perpetuate a free society is by parents exercising their rights as guardians of their children and bringing them up to be responsible adults. This is the basic function of the family unit; the basic building block of a society.
Sadly, government activists stepped in with an agenda in 2007, when the Alaska Supreme Court struck down Alaska’s Parental Consent law. This law, passed by large margins, required parental consent in the case of a minor’s abortion.
In response, tens of thousands of concerned people across Alaska pulled together to get a parental notification measure on the ballot. They seek to affirm parental rights and protect the young people left vulnerable by the court decision.
Opposition to this initiative is being led and heavily funded by Planned Parenthood. They and their allies have and will, in the following weeks, raise some objections which must be seriously considered by each of us.
Their major argument is that most minor girls do communicate with their families, and that if a minor chooses not to, this is likely an indication of a bad home environment, in which opening up about the crises in her life could be dangerous. They argue that this hypothetical scenario proves why every girl of any age should, in this one case, be allowed to make a serious medical decision without her parents knowing. They admit that it would be a very rare case where the girl’s safety and well-being would depend on secrecy. It is not a baseless objection, but consider this:
After the court struck down our law, any girl, regardless of age, can walk in anytime, or even be brought to the clinic by anyone without parental knowledge. Friends, school administrators and even sexual predators could bring a young girl in, having convinced her that this is the right option. It seems the court decision actually serves to help keep potential bad situations secret. This court ruling is not adding to the minor’s safety by any stretch of the imagination, and has created a serious potential for harm. It has made it so that the people who are legally responsible to care for the minor — to protect her and raise her, the ones most able to guide her through the situation, help her seek better options and support her through it — are given no say or authority. If this initiative is adopted, it will strengthen protection for at-risk minors, making Alaska the state which has taken this issue most into consideration. The initiative will allow a minor to obtain permission to bypass the parental notification measure if an adult sibling or connected adult, such as a social worker, verifies that the home situation is dangerous. The idea is that a closely associated adult would still be involved in the girl’s crisis, while making her safety a prime consideration. If a dangerous environment is identified through this provision, the law instructs that authorities be informed. Thus the initiative goes beyond parental notification, in that it also actually seeks to help minors in dangerous situations. Those concerned for the well-being of children in dangerous home environments should rightfully support this. Another objection is simply that it is a new government mandate. Actually, it is the people of Alaska coming together to support a law that was struck down by out-of-touch judges. Affirming parents’ right to be the central influence and authority in their child’s life, and protecting vulnerable minors, is the opposite of an intrusive mandate.
Who is really lining up to defend young girls in crisis? Planned Parenthood — who is pouring their money into defeating this initiative, knowing that they stand to reap great financial profits from young girls disconnected from their parents; or the tens of thousands of our fellow Alaskans who put their signatures to this initiative simply because they believe in it?

Barnabas Firth is a local guy who calls himself a sourdough and proves it to himself by pursuing his outdoor astronomical studies on clear winter nights. He firmly believes that our nation’s founders knew what political freedom means and is dedicated to the recapturing and preservation of their vision. You can send him your thoughts and input at icefield76@gmail.com

Gov’s veto denies healthcare to vulnerable

Editor — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:40:21 +0000

By Bettye Davis
Gov. Sean Parnell’s veto of Senate Bill 13 was at the expense of Alaska’s most vulnerable citizens. Going against the overwhelming bipartisan support of 52 of 60 legislators in favor of the bill, his veto was shortsighted, socially and fiscally irresponsible and denies an additional 1,277 poor children and 218 pregnant women eligibility to health insurance under Denali KidCare. The irony is that SB 13 simply re-establishes the income eligibility to the level it was 10 years ago, raising it from 175 percent to 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline. Alaska remains only one of four states in the United States below 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline for its State Children’s Insurance Program, which is 70 percent funded by federal matching funds.
The governor claims he did not know the federal Medicaid/Denali-KidCare program funded reproductive counseling and services. While it might have been anticipated that a few more unavoidable and medically necessary induced terminations of pregnancies allowable under the law would be funded under SB 13, he must have known that all state Medicaid programs must continue to pay for public health, nutritional and reproductive counseling and medical services for pregnant women. This is not new information.
Medicaid finances 51 percent of all births in Alaska, and at least four in 10 of all births nationally (see “Medicaid’s Role for Women,” Kaiser Family Foundation, October, 2007). Worse, the veto shreds a federally funded nationwide health safety net which will cost the state $1.6 million in lost federal matching dollars in 2011 alone; $23.7 million over the next 10 years.
Gov. Parnell’s veto — which denies comprehensive health insurance to additional children and pregnant women under Denali KidCare — will force many of these individuals to seek medical assistance in largely uncompensated emergency rooms or other service agencies where the follow-up is negligible. The veto denies routine checkups at doctors’ offices, prenatal, dental, vision, mental health, speech, physical and occupational therapy services, as well as substance abuse treatment.
Parnell’s veto of SB 13 was not about money and it clearly was not about family values, because it harms those among us who are least able to protect themselves. His veto has exacerbated early detection of health problems among the young, inflicted greater financial burdens on individuals, families, hospitals and the state, and has resulted in a loss of the public trust. In his self-described act of conscience, Gov. Parnell’s veto does not seem like the decision of someone who purports to be a public servant for all the families of Alaska. No bill was ever more pro-family, pro-life, and pro-Alaska than SB 13.

Sen. Bettye Davis represents District K – Anchorage, and currently serves as Chair of the State Health, Education and Social Services Committee.

Letters – July 28

Editor — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:36:04 +0000

How about a new city logo?
A number of years ago, I suggested the city logo be changed to three scrolls representing a petition, an environmental impact statement and a feasibility study. I now find that a fourth scroll should be added representing a 501(C)3 authorization.
Since the city seems to shun real economic development and lays out the red carpet for nonprofits — of which we have a super saturation — perhaps we should consider renaming Homer 501(c)3ville.
Roy E. Hoyt, Jr.

Voices that need to be heard
I am wondering how a person involved in a community event can take it upon himself to announce and acknowledge groups of participants while appearing to ignore only one: The PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) float in the July Fourth parade. Isn’t this particular holiday all about liberty and equality for all?
I suggest the microphone be passed along to someone who is able to serve all without bias.
Rachel Bilbo

HCOA thanks AASB and ICE
Last spring, Maddie Bowen gifted friends and family with a piano recital for her 16th birthday party, held in the Homer Council on the Arts Gallery. The experience was so satisfying, she came to me the next day wanting to help organize a program that will allow young musicians to perform in the gallery one Sunday afternoon each month.
“We are too young to perform in bars, but there are many of us who want to perform,” Maddie said.  
Her initiative and desire catalyzed a process that is now supported by a grant from the Association of Alaska State School Boards and the Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement. This grant supports projects that encourage youth and adults to work together to build healthy relationships in a healthy environment creating “concrete, common sense, positive experiences and qualities essential to raising successful young people.”
Starting in September, a group of students (ages 13-18) coordinated by John Bushell and Maddie Bowen, will begin an eighth-month journey together with adult mentors to develop performance skills as musicians. Each student will perform in the HCOA Gallery, as well as in the community. They will be guided, supported and critiqued by a group of adult mentors and peers, learning how to receive and give constructive feedback. And each student will join the peer/adult support group for the performances and feedback sessions of their peers. Applications to join this journey are due Sept. 10, and can be downloaded from the HCOA website or picked up at the office.
Homer Council on the Arts thanks the Alaska Association of School Boards and the Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement for their support, allowing us to assist in the development of our youth through music. For more information, visit www.homerart.org
Gail Edgerly
Executive director
Homer Council on the Arts

Doing it for the students
It was another remarkable night in our community when 30 professionals volunteered their time to provide mandatory physical exams for high school students. In just over two hours, we were able to provide low-cost exams for 88 students (an event record) and raise $880 for the Homer High School Booster Club.
Big thanks to the many who volunteered their time for this amazing event. Special thanks to the physical therapists, nurses, CNAs and administrative staff from South Peninsula Hospital for volunteering their professional time and support. Thanks also to Cherish McCallum for her help at the event.
And kudos to the seven providers who volunteered their time to provide the exams: Bill Bell, MD; Rene Alvarez, MD; Margit Sheinmel, DO; Heather Tonga, PA; Carol Klamser, DNP; Gayle Claus, FNP; and Brad Mangum, Student FNP.
What a great team … and a great service for the community. Here’s to a great 2010-11 athletic season.
Derotha Ferraro and Torrie Morrison
Event coordinators

Thanks from Homer Senior friends
A huge thank you to Homer Senior Citizens, Inc. for sponsoring Friendship Center Adult Day Services’ anniversary celebration. And, thank you Homer Theatre Manager Robin Dougherty for the use of Homer Theatre and for having your concession stand open to our audience. Grandma’s Hope Notes were wonderful, and we were pleased and honored to have them as our main feature. They sound better and are more professional every time we hear them.
Thank you Homer Senior Citizens, Inc. We at Friendship Center appreciate your support of our efforts to provide respite for caregivers and have a place where seniors can come and spend the day having fun, relaxing and enjoying new friendships.
Mary Jo Gates, assistant manager
Friendship Center Adult Day Services

Scholarships forge the future
I would like to thank all those who contributed to and/or served on the committee for the Aleutian Harvester Memorial Scholarship for selecting me as recipient of this prestigious award. I will use the money toward tuition expenses at Pacific Lutheran University next year.
There, I hope to learn all that I can before making a career decision. My goal is to have a positive influence on the people around me through my job, and it’s entirely possible that could end up in some form of maritime-related profession.
No matter what, my journey as a commercial fisherman in the Aleutians will stay close to my heart.
And, thank you to the Homer Ministerial Association and everyone else who contributed to the Ken Fisher Memorial Scholarship. It is a tremendous blessing to have been chosen for this honor. I promise to use the money for the purpose of seeking to serve God with my life. I plan to obtain a college education and discover a career in which I can best use my gifts to glorify God and be a blessing to others.
Thank you for believing in me and supporting me in my efforts to run the race with perseverance.
Peter Hendrickson

Supporting the Kilcher homestead games
On behalf of the Kilcher Family and Kilcher Living Museum Board, I would like to thank the following local businesses for supporting our fund-raising auction through their generous donations: A & M Fabrics, Alaska Wild Berry Products, Crabbies, Don Jose’s, Eagle Eye, Homer Bookstore, Homer’s Jeans, Homer Theatre, Legends Salon, Manana Print, Redden Marine, SBS, Tech Connect, Ulmer’s and Young’s Restaurant.
We also thank the numerous volunteers who made the games a success.
Christine Blanco, caretaker
Kilcher Homestead Living Museum

‘Heartfelt’ thanks for healthy program
Homer High School athletic department and coaches extend a huge and heartfelt “thank you” to the staff at South Peninsula Hospital for volunteering their time and energy for our sports physical night. Derotha Ferraro organized the entire program, and we would love to let her know how much that was appreciated. Everything ran smoothly, and our athletes are now ready and excited to begin their new seasons.
Thank you so much.
Pam Newton,
Homer High School AD

A letter to ‘Scared Mommy’

Editor — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:42:13 +0000

By Sean Pearson
As a policy, the Homer Tribune does not publish anonymous letters to the editor. Letters must include a real name, as well as a phone number by which the author can be contacted. And while this may serve to discourage some writers from speaking their honest opinion, the policy is in place to help keep everyone accountable for his or her words.
That being said, it does not preclude the use of such a letter as a point of reference.
Last week, a concerned parent sent a letter to the Homer Tribune voicing concerns about the increase of drug use and violence in Homer.
“Young adults have died from overdoses, teenagers are making poor choices in regards to sex, partying, and basic disrespect of themselves, their parents and their community.”
I couldn’t agree more.
“Scared Mommy” goes on to explain how she and her husband have found “party spots” along the trails that connect Pioneer to Hazel and travel behind the library, turning up “bottles of narcotics, empty beer cans, little baggies,” and, at one point, a needle.
She said they have witnessed drug deals in the library parking lot, where “baby-faced teenagers pass money and little baggies between vehicles regularly,” and “kids drive erratically up and down residential roads, disregarding stop signs.”
Calls to the police have resulted in a “standstill,” as the trails and wooded areas are considered private property.
It appears that some of that “big-city” sewage we were hoping to keep out of Homer has finally seeped its way in through a crack in our social foundation.
Don’t get me wrong.
There are plenty of kids around Homer who are on top of their game, have found direction in life and are ready to take on the world. This town is full of incredibly talented, creative and remarkable young people, who continue to grow up to be successful overachievers in the world.
Their stories are out there, too. Many of them have even been told right here in the newspaper. Some of you may have read them, but let’s be honest: “Suspects nabbed in knifing” sells a lot more papers than “Local youth wins regional science award.”
So, more than likely, most of you haven’t.
Unfortunately, as in any town, there are also young people in Homer who are struggling to survive adolescence, and no shortage of adults willing to take advantage of them. There are people on our streets — and in our parking lots right now — who are willing to buy cigarettes for a 13-year-old girl. Or purchase a bottle of Jack Daniels for high schoolers, if the money is right.
Understand, parents of Homer, that there are individuals out there in our little Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea right now who are ready, willing and certainly capable of luring our youth down a long, hard road of drugs, unsafe sex and violence.
Sometimes, there’s not even much luring needed.
Via the oft-argued negative impact of violence and drug-use in media like graphic video games, music, movies, Internet and local news, many of our youth continue to be desensitized to violence and blur the lines between what’s real and what’s fantasy.
We have taught our children that instant gratification is to be expected, and that there is very little that money can’t “fix.”
Life is busy. There are hundreds of distractions like e-mail and texting and TV and work and school out there. It becomes easy at times to get lost in the chaos of life among the monotony of day-to-day living. The choices facing our children today have gone way past “concerning,” and have become seriously frightening.
The recent knifing incident involving young men who allegedly used meth points to the hardcore problem of hardcore drugs in our community.
Heroin in Homer is real.
If you do nothing else before the summer ends, find some time to focus on what your kids are doing and where they are. As a community — and a “village” raising children together — it is our responsibility to look out for our young people.
Because, equally as frightening as the future our children face, is the faction of baseness out there who seem to have no problem stooping to new lows to involve our youth in their often misguided and unhealthy adult choices.
And so, I am sorry, “Scared Mommy” that I did very little to alleviate your fears about the future of Homer’s youth. To be honest, I’m pretty scared myself.

‘Unrecognizable as human beings …’

Editor — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:38:49 +0000

By Maka Fairman
In my life of changes, the hardest part has always been to say goodbye. Homer has been my small lot of paradise for over 20 years now, and it has equally been my hell. All that gives a soul a real sense of balance. It’s hard to concentrate on living the simple senior lifestyle in Homer when that sense of good balance becomes compromised by scheming wealthy outsiders who bring magic to dazzle our senses with great feats of engineering. Money can put a railroad car and a small ship on the side of a mountain and call them “bed and breakfasts,” but can money give anyone the key to respect and consideration for other human beings? Evil begets evil, and it can make itself look like the frosting on the cake — until we are fooled by the taste it leaves in our mouths.
Our government — to whom we pay allegiance (and our taxes) — the government who supposedly takes care of its people — has decided to change the face of Homer to a more sophisticated design of blatant wealth to attract even more wealth. The Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea is quickly turning into a controlled cash cow for the city, borough and state. And it has no shame in flaunting its vastness in the face of its citizens to accept: keep up, or leave.
I have no money and no promise of money to come in the future. I am a lowly artist. My one little acre in Homer was once most pristine in every way. It was totally wild, until the grinding wheels of corporate progress decided to remove the nature of the land, and all people like me who will soon not meet any requirements for living in Homer. They deplete the land’s resources in every way calling it progress, for only the few to reap the spoils.
In Webster’s dictionary, hate is defined as “an intense feeling of dislike.” Truly, I am not a hateful person by design, nor do I wish to believe others are naturally hateful either. We become hateful by circumstance of dislike for something that’s happened to us, or something that offends us deeply.
I am offended deeply. It is now a crime to dislike being offended. I am offended by people representing themselves as Christian. Christians that will kill other humans are not Christian. Christians who will kill animals when they are not hungry are not Christian either. Let us not be fooled. Now I understand why all religious cultures and sects around the world tell us in ancient records that this world will die and be replaced by a new world. We have become unrecognizable as human beings, living on a planet that we have killed.
Humans don’t deserve the gift of life; the gift of plants and animals to love, to understand and to care for. We are not here to redesign and/or destroy God’s green earth. Much of our planet today is uninhabitable because of mankind’s own destructive energies. Until we can learn to think in higher realms of energy, control what we do to harm the house in which we live (Planet Earth), and care about each other — we are doomed to genocide.

Maka Fairman is a longtime Homer resident.

How we can save our MRI

Editor — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:35:14 +0000

By Milli Martin
What follows is my humble effort to make the South Peninsula taxpaying public aware of a situation brewing on the Assembly level that will impact whether South Peninsula Hospital gets a modern, up-to-date MRI unit, or has to muddle through with one that is outdated and should have been retired last year.
At the July 6, Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting, the Mayor brought forward a resolution requesting sole source approval for the new addition to the hospital to properly house the MRI unit. (This, a full year after the Assembly approved the bid award for a new MRI, fully expecting the new addition to be completed as soon as possible.)
At the finance committee meeting, I gave a presentation that included a history of the new MRI and proper housing for it. I requested support from the Assembly to get the project moving, because of the increasing cost to the taxpayer by not doing so. Instead, the resolution was postponed.
On Aug. 3, 2010, Assemblyman Mako Haggerty will present to the Assembly an alternate resolution concerning the SPH MRI, calling for a change order to the contractor who has been on site throughout the remodeling of the hospital. At the administration’s request, that contractor gave estimates for the construction, making amendments as requested by the administration.
After the July meeting, I was informed that since the first of this year, the Operating Board of SPH specifically asked if a formal bid would be necessary, and up until several weeks before the Mayor came to the Assembly, they were assured by the administration, and the Mayor, that this only required a change order; which it should. That is what Assemblyman Haggerty will present, with the justification and support for it.
In the meantime, I hear that the Mayor’s Chief of Staff has requested a bid package be made ready to put on the street on August 2. Who is supposed to pay for that? Of the money at hand, every penny is dedicated. It would put the current contractor at a huge disadvantage. The Chief of Staff advised she expected the bids to close within two weeks, and have something to the Assembly in September. In the first place, her dates are unreasonable, but worse, it means another construction season lost, and huge increases in costs. The MRI company which was awarded the bid (in July, 2009), has indicated they will only honor that bid until year’s end. And, they require three months to build it. If we lose that bid, it will mean an increase of at least $180,000, just for the MRI. Never mind the $30,000-per-month lease fee now being paid for an outdated MRI. And that money is being paid to a leasing agency with no interest in the community, that should, and could, be going toward the payment of the new, up-to-date equipment. Costs could run up to at least $500,000 more. I look at this and ask myself, “Why does the Mayor want to sabotage this project,” because that is what he and his Chief of Staff are doing. And it is at the expense of taxpayers.
It is my view the Assembly has an obligation to support what the administration has done so far, as well as support the taxpaying public.
I am asking the public to please take a moment and contact all borough assembly members, and the Borough Mayor, to ask for their support of Assemblyman Haggerty’s resolution on Aug. 3. Contact information is online at www.borough.kenai.ak.us/
Thanks so, so much for your help.

Milli Martin is a resident of Homer and formerly served on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly.

Letters – July 21

Newsroom — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:31:19 +0000

Give it up for CIAA
Reds (sockeye) fill a large part of our family’s annual diet, either in the form of frozen, canned or smoked salmon. The majority of our reds come from dip netting from China Poot across the Bay. These fine fish are in part the product of the hard work of the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, a local nonprofit organization. I would like to thank these men and women who are friends and neighbors for their contribution to our and, I know many other southcentral Alaska larders. If it were not for their effort and monetary contribution via a dockside fish tax, this dip net fishery would not exist. We would have to join the hordes of netters on the Kenai or Kasilof.
These economic times are hard for a lot of us, and that includes the CIAA. So I think it would be a good idea for some of us that use the resource to thank them and to give them a hand keeping this fishery available by a modest monetary donation. The address of the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association is: 40610 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Kenai, Alaska 99611.
(By the way I have no connection to, or with CIAA, other than appreciation of the resource and some of the members are friends.)
Dennis Wade

Turning out for Teshio
I have been involved with the Teshio Sister City program since almost the beginning. It has been a very rewarding and educational experience. I have watched our exchange students grow and become involved in international education and careers. I feel that understanding a culture is a way to get along peacefully and the Sister City program is one way to promote this.
Teshio has now made plans to send a delegation here to celebrate 25 years of this relationship. Two years ago, some of us traveled there for their part of this celebration. As always, they outdid themselves to making it a great experience. They have always been gracious and generous when we visit there. The committee was really hoping to make this an extra-special time for them.
Prior councils have placed $25,000 in a reserve account for this program, so we were shocked and disappointed to find we were refused some of these funds for this anniversary visit. I really hope this decision can be reversed so we can indeed make their visit very special.
Dolores Butler

Sign up for disabilities
The Americans with Disability Act celebrates its 20th anniversary on Monday, July 26. In honor of this landmark legislation, the Independent Living Center in Homer is offering a limited number of “accessible parking” signs to local businesses. These signs will be available for the discounted price of $10 each through Labor Day. This is a wonderful opportunity for Homer merchants to ensure their customer parking is compliant with ADA regulations. For more information, call Patti Boily at 235-7911, or stop by our office at 3953 Bartlett Street.
Patti Boily
Independent Living Center

Getting ice one stride at a time
Two weeks ago, while Hoka Hey Riders were finding their way here, Homer Hockey Association received a great gift and put on a great meal. The gift was from all those who donated time, effort and supplies to put on an Alaska seafood meal. Included in those giving were the chief cooks, Ken Cardwell and Mike Lowe and all their able assistants; Latitude 59 for cookies; Marsha Rouggley for the jams; the Best Western Bidarka Inn and Tim and Jen Heimbold for the venue and tons of hard work; the HHA organizing committee; the bakers and servers and all of you who attended and supported our Homer Hockey Association. Thank you.
I think that is what’s key about hockey and the rink here in Homer. It is ours. We may have to work a little harder to keep it, but maybe we’ll appreciate it just a little bit more as well. Imagine a hot summer day when you can go into the rink and skate a few laps to cool off. It could happen. Four years ago, we didn’t even have indoor ice.
One stride at a time.
From No. 22’s mom,
Melanie Dufour

Hospice thrives on donations
On behalf of Hospice of Homer, I want to thank the Kenai Peninsula United Way for the generous allocation Hospice recently received from them. Also, thank you to all the volunteers involved in the KPUW process, including the Board of Directors and the allocation committees. Anyone who has ever served on a board or a committee knows how much dedication and time it takes. In addition, HOH wants to thank all the KPUW contributors, especially those who designated their monies go to HOH.
As a volunteer organization, donations are extremely important to Hospice of Homer. Contributions allow Hospice to continue to provide quality, caring, free-of-charge services to the southern Kenai Peninsula. In supporting KPUW, you are supporting Hospice of Homer.
Darlene M. Hilderbrand
Executive Director, Hospice of Homer

A street fair named success
The vision of Homer Council on the Arts is to connect and engage our community through the arts. This Saturday’s annual street fair was truly an engaging and connecting day.
The weather was beautiful, sales were good, spirits were high and community enthusiasm prevailed. Thank you Homer for supporting the arts with your presence and purchases. Thank you to all the vendors for your cooperation and feedback.
Thank you to Cindy Nelson on the HCOA Board for doing such a fantastic job at coordinating the fair.
Thank you performers: Ivan Wolfe and Rosemary, Tim Heimbold, Jordyn Mayforth, Shivering Gypsies, Afton Seekins and her Hip Hop students, Reuben Cash and Nathan Lander. Thank you Rachel Bilbo for coordinating the volunteers. Thank you volunteers: Kyra Wagner, Ken Domela, Gene Schniple, Bob Nelson, Joanna Tornes, Monica, Joyce Robinette, Barbara Kennedy, Ann Nixon, Vicki Deadrick, Brenda and James Dolma, Crista Collier, Kein and Mo Wilkinson, Leah Schofield and Brandon Kincaid. And thank you so very much to Brian Mann for keeping the event all in line. What a wonderful day. Let’s hope the sunny, warm weather returns for the street fair next summer.
Gail Edgerly
Executive Director
Homer Council on the Arts

Working to end partner violence
I would like to thank Peg Coleman, Mercedes Harness and all the staff at Haven House for organizing and presenting the recent advocacy workshops. It was wonderful for the staff of KBFPC to feel so included; we all gained a lot of knowledge about how we can play a role in working to end intimate partner violence, learned a lot about services available at Haven House, and managed to enjoy the time too. I noticed that several others from the surrounding area participated during various sessions. It was a valuable opportunity to share time with the Haven House staff and other neighbors while learning from Linda Chamberlain and Patti Blanding. Collaboration strengthens the community, thanks for providing a venue for coming together around such an important issue.
Catriona Lowe
Interim Director
Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic

Caught without a rototiller
The hostile takeover of our country and government by global bankers and corporate elite continue with their agendas despite growing awareness. There are certain global forces that find it in their interest to destroy the United States of America, their lap dogs are willing enforcers; Strange days indeed. We need permission from the government to protest the government. More than 600 were arrested protesting the G20 in Toronto, Canada. Corporations and government go to bed and have an illegitimate child called fascism. Consider the BP platform explosion killed 11, or 27 dead with Massey energy, but no jail time for any perpetrator. Yet a person unfurls a banner on Capitol Hill and gets 10 years. It’s a federal crime to video record the Gulf spill. Oil dispersants used are more deadly than the oil itself. If the National Guard is used on a spill, is that not at taxpayers’ expense?
Richard Olson

The fate of our fish

Editor — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:32:33 +0000

By Sean Pearson
Every year, thousands of fishing fans flock to Homer to drop their lines in the waters of Kachemak Bay, hoping to land the big one in the self-proclaimed halibut capital of the world.
Campers and vacationers roll onto the Homer Spit, logging hours at the Fishing Hole and teaching young anglers how to bait a hook, cast a line or simply whack a landed salmon in the head with a rock.
Even more look to reel in their first king salmon as they troll the Anchor River, or perfect their fly fishing techniques as they wade into the pristine waters on the southern Kenai Peninsula.
But for how long?
For a number of years now, anglers, commercial fishermen, subsistence users and various state and federal agencies have stepped up to weigh in on Alaska’s fisheries and just what needs to be done to preserve them for future generations. And while it’s certainly understandable that everyone comes with their own agenda, at what point do we really start looking out for each other?
So far this summer, Alaska fisheries — the Kenai Peninsula included — have suffered a few setbacks with the closure of the Anchor River to king salmon fishing and relatively poor returns thus far to the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon. Even Homer’s famous Jackpot Halibut Derby is peaking out so far with a measly 250-pounder.
And while few seem to doubt that nature has its own way of thinning the stocks and healing the earth, figuring out just what impact our human presence has on things is a little more difficult.
With the recent oily devastation in the Gulf of Mexico, and the possible impact of Pebble Mine on Bristol Bay fisheries, it becomes very easy to point the finger at “Big Industry” and corporate greed. But at what point will we look at our own behaviors when it comes to our fisheries?
On yet another occasion over the weekend, I had the opportunity to watch a number of anglers reel fish in hand over fist along the shores of the Spit near Land’s End Resort. And while I dare not speculate again as to just what kinds of fish they were landing that sunny afternoon, apparently very few of them were “keepers.” Angler after angler released his hard-earned catch back into the open waters of Kachemak Bay.
And while I am no expert at catch-and-release fishing — possibly even more forgiving than others when it comes to the complexities of removing a hook lodged in the jaw of a thrashing salmon — there are some things even a dumb ol’ boy from Oklahoma knows.
Don’t hold your prized catch out of the water for 10 minutes while your fishing buddy runs back to the car to grab the camera, and you let everyone and their grandma pose with your fish. What is it about this concept of suffocation you don’t get?
Don’t hold the fish by the hook and furiously shake it to see if it might just fall off. It won’t.
If it does happen to fall off, I’m pretty sure that drop onto the rocky shore some 4 feet below has caused significant trauma.
Kicking your fish back toward the water repeatedly is not considered a form of “catch-and-release” fishing.
Come on people. It’s really not hard to figure out that, if you throw your fish back in the water and it floats to the top — belly-up — it’s dead. There really was no “release” involved, and you are wasting our fish.
I tell myself there were no Alaskans, let alone Homer folks, among those who tossed back seven dead fish in the hour I was there. Perhaps it really does come down to it being nothing more than a matter of ignorance.
So, this is yet another plea to those of you visiting our great state. We love it here, and we love to have you here. But please show respect for all of our natural resources — and play nice with our fish.

The truth about ‘biker’ parties

Editor — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:31:12 +0000

By Valerie DeLaune
I never thought I’d go to a “biker party” in my lifetime. But with all the rumors about the Hoka Hey and whether or not it was a scam, I was curious. I’d had a chance to check these bikers out some; they went to the laundromat just like me, they bought groceries just like me. They didn’t look so scary, they just looked tired.
The event organizers were at the celebration and seemed very sincere to me, as I watched them address the bikers who had made it. They grieved those who had fallen along the way. Jim’s Durham’s grandfather, Chief Red Cloud — who had hosted riders somewhere along the way — said a prayer in Lakota over a Skype call. It was very somber and emotional, and there was clearly a lot of pain. From what I was able to gather from the address, the event was a fundraiser. Money is to go to several projects and organizations, such as bringing water to those who don’t have it on the reservation, and mothers of soldiers who did not come home. I can’t remember the names of the other beneficiaries, but there was ample acknowledgement that the event had concluded with a very high price. They said they had no intention of putting on the event again; from the beginning, it was a one-time thing.
I made a point of talking to the bikers, to see who they were and how they felt about the ride. It turns out, they have day-jobs just like me. But instead of putting on ski goggles and skis in their recreational time, they put on leathers and jump on a motorcycle.
As for the Hoka Hey event, many were riding in memory of fallen war comrades, and for them it was never about getting to Homer first. As to the questions about the route, one rider told me that if a rider followed the maps and checkpoints, he felt it was very clear.
He said, “It was all about integrity,” noting that staff did check ending mileage, riders did take lie-detector tests, and hair samples were taken to make sure riders had not taken amphetamines or other drugs to stay awake. DMV checks are still in process to ensure that riders hadn’t been ticketed along the way. All entrants were well-warned in advance that they needed passports to get into Canada, as well as the country’s strict denial of access to anyone with any kind of legal violations. About 56 riders were turned back at the border.
As I watched riders interact, I could see bonds that had been formed over the course of the ride. There was a lot of hugging going on. Riders kept expressing how wonderful people had been along the way, and how well they have been treated by the people of Homer. They were amazed at how welcome they felt.
As for my fears about going to a “wild biker party,” a few others and I closed the party around 1:45 a.m. Almost all the bikers had either gone to bed or were sitting quietly around scattered campfires near their tents. Most of the remaining crowd were die-hard Homer fans of Three Legged Mule, who had played much later than expected.
So overall, my impression from listening to everyone was that the organizers tried to do a good thing, did their best to anticipate what they could and gave fair warning to riders. It says a lot to me that the organizers completed the ride to Homer, stood before the crowd and acknowledged that some things did not go as well as hoped. The celebratory finish-line party was exactly as promoted. The riders who made it to Homer were glad they did it, and it was a positive experience for them. If it had been a scam, the promoters would not have come to Homer, and the party would have been nonexistent. They would have had nothing to gain by doing anything past the point of promoting the event and collecting the entrant fees.
I do think having the prize money for the first legitimate finisher isn’t such a good idea, because riders will focus on that and drive past the point of safety no matter the rules, which then endangers other people on the highways. And motorcycles are inherently more dangerous to drive than a car; statistically they have more accidents, partially because they are less visible to other motor vehicles. But it appears that to me that the organizers did not deserve to have their integrity attacked.
I felt I needed to speak out as an impartial observer, and I’m glad I went and found out for myself.

Valerie DeLaune is a Homer resident