Big Brothers Big Sisters would like to thank the Homer Foundations’ Youth Advisory Committee and the Ashley J. Logan and Sheldon Youth-to-Youth funds for awarding our program an activity grant. These funds will be used by our Bigs and Littles to attend activities such as outdoor programs, sports and art classes that would otherwise be cost prohibitive.  Thank you, YAC for Starting Something Big and supporting mentoring in our community.
Jenny Martin
Big Brothers Big Sisters

Check index to check oil facts

The Alaska Oil and Gas Association has been running ads stating “Alaska has the highest oil tax in North America.” As seen in an Index to Oil Taxes Around the World, Texas and Alaska are tied for fourth and fifth place among North American oil tax regimes.
AOGA’s statement is false, and they know it, but they’re seldom confronted – so they do it anyway.
According to the U.S. Department of Interior, the worldwide average tax on a barrel of oil is $79 and Alaska’s oil tax is 3 percent below the international average. (For conformation, google: “Average Government Take, PI, and IRR Indicator” and view pages 60 and 62 of the government report.) BP produces Iraq’s largest oil field and Iraq pays BP less than $2 per barrel for the service. BP, Exxon and Conoco report making 10 times as much profit for producing Alaska’s oil and they complain.
Why would any Alaskan believe an industry that has been repeatedly caught lying about oil taxes and repeatedly caught bribing legislators to lower them? Ten years ago, there were over a million barrels per day coming through the pipeline but, because Alaska’s tax on oil was a tiny fraction of the world’s norm, Alaska’s budget was in the red. In 1999, to head off looming deficits, deficits that might have caused Alaskans to demand their fair share, Veco spent over $700,000 on advertising, a proposal to tap your PFD and shackle you with an income tax. Accepting that we started getting our fair share in 2007, not much has changed. Many of the people who hit the speaking trail for Veco then, are hitting the speaking trail for Parnell today. Lower taxes didn’t work then and it won’t work today.  If you value your Permanent Fund Dividend, and don’t want to be hit with a big fat tax, you better be asking your candidates where they are getting their money and where they stand on this issue.
Ray Metcalfe, chairman
Citizens for Ethical Government

E-Recycling saw great cooperation

Cook Inletkeeper would like to thank all the participants of the Seventh-Annual Electronics Recycling Event and congratulate them on yet another successful collection effort. More than 100 households and 30 businesses and nonprofits demonstrated their commitment to protecting and preserving our environment by keeping unwanted electronic items out of our local landfills. We collected more than 18,000 pounds of e-waste this year, an effort that included the second year of participation from the villages of Seldovia, Port Graham and Nanwalek. Over 112,000 pounds have been collected since electronics recycling first started in Homer.
Cook Inletkeeper would also like to thank the dozens of individuals and businesses that make this popular annual event possible. Special thanks to our underwriter partners: Total Reclaim, Kenai Peninsula Borough, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Spenard Builders Supply — as well as to all of our financial and in-kind sponsors and supporters — Alaska Marine Conservation Council, Fat Olives, HEA, Kachemak Bay Conservation Society, Kar-a-Van Transfer, Loopy Lupine, Mako Haggerty, Safeway, Save-U-More, Spencer Allen, Tech Connect, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, and Two Sisters Bakery.  And, last but certainly not least, to the most dedicated and hardworking crew of volunteers, a huge thank you and cheers to another great year.
Dorothy Melambianakis
Community Outreach assistant
Cook Inletkeeper

Homer Foundation benefits nonprofits

Recently, the Homer Foundation administered the City of Homer Grants Program and awarded funds to nine Homer non-profits to support operating expenses.
Non profits are guided by a mission and driven by the passion to sustain or improve our quality of life, whether it is about protecting the environment, feeding the hungry, building a playground, providing health care or opportunities to participate in the arts. This community demands a quality of life that has created a large non-profit sector. We rely on grants, sponsorships, donations, memberships, fundraisers, and endless hours of staff and volunteer time to meet our missions. Without all of this, the cost of projects, classes, and events would be exclusive if not prohibitive. Many services would not be available.
Homer Council on the Arts would like to thank the City of Homer and The Homer Foundation for their support and the recognition that the arts are as important to the health and vitality of our community as the Food Bank, Hospice, the environment, our land and the trails to enjoy our land.  All of these facets of our community meet the many needs of Homer and support a quality of life that we cherish.
Gail Edgerly
Executive director

Appreciation on behalf of Rosana

Friends of Rosana and Charles Moyer, together with Kachemak Kids Early Learning Center, held a Children’s Art Show and Silent Auction to help them pay for medical costs while fighting breast cancer.
Rosana, a preschool and art teacher extraordinaire, is fighting the battle with so many others. As Homer is known for doing, the community came out in full support. We would like to thank the business’s and artist who contributed: Sasquatch Alaska Adventure Co., Don Henry, Fresh Catch Cafe, Darcy Mueller, Diane McBride, Bunnell Street Gallery, Fireweed Gallery, Ptarmagin Arts, Pam Nustvold, Karin Holbrook, Blackberry Bog, Northwind, Jan Peyton, Beverly Macy, Renee Janke, Jean Steele, Christine Kulcheski, Kari Multz, Susannah Webster, Hanna Johnson, Shelly Fraley  Pratt Museum, Bob McEchern, Rosemary Welz, Yolanda Ochoa, and Min Hui Cui.
If you would like to donate to support the Moyer’s, a donation account at Wells Fargo is open. For questions, contact KKELC at 235-2205.
Emilie Otis
  

Rural students helped by YAC

I am writing to offer our thanks to the Homer Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) with funding support from YAC’s generous donors and the Ashley J. Logan and Sheldon Youth to Youth funds for their contribution on behalf of our 2012 Summer Institute and Middle School-High School Bridge programs. These programs will run concurrently in May and June in Homer. 
YAC’s donation will be of great help as we welcome students from seven rural GRAD schools, who will participate in activities designed to enhance their educational experience and prepare for the transitions from middle school to high school and from high school to college.  Summer Institute allows GRAD students to be on campus and get a feel for challenging and enriching curriculum in a nurturing environment. 
We appreciate YAC being a part of the support base as we work to assist students in achieving a rewarding and successful educational experience. 
Mike Petersen
Executive director
     

Quilters grateful for participation

Thanks to everyone who attended our 28th annual Kachemak Bay Quilters’ quilt show last weekend. We had great attendance and lots of appreciation for our works of art. This was our first year to participate in the Shorebird Challenge, an opportunity to create a wall hanging depicting birds in and around Kachemak Bay.  Alice Krivitsky’s sandhill cranes wall hanging, Mrs. Kramden and Sprout, was voted first place; Kathy Pankratz’ Chickadees took second place in the challenge, and Ellen Halseth’s flying geese migration, North with the Sun, took third place.
Voting by attendees at the quilt show determined all our awards.  The Best of Show award winner was Nebula, a swirling wall quilt designed and created by Beth Christensen. 
Bed quilt winners were first place:  Mirage in colors of green, red, and black by Carol Renfrew; Pam Troughton’s Glacier Star in shades of brown featuring the American Beauty pattern, second place; and Peggy Parson’s interpretation of sea life in Under the Sea was awarded third place. 
Attendee votes for wall hangings selected first place:  Pam Troughton’s Christmas Celebration in magenta with a round star in the middle of the hanging; second place Fractl designed by Beth Christensen using, among other embellishments, copper wire;  and third place Barb Steckel’s My Lone Star in shades of greens and blues.
In the “Other” category, which included wearable art, table runners, and anything that was not a wall hanging or a bed quilt, viewer votes awarded first place to Enid Keyes for her table cover Sunny Morning in My Kachemak Bay Kitchen, second place to Linda Tennison for her blue jacket and cap, and third place to Ellen Halseth’s Fiesta! table topper.
We would especially like to thank Merry Gregg at Ulmer’s and Neline VanDyke at Sewciable Quilts for their continued support of our quilt show. 
Margaret Lau
Kachemak Bay Quilters
 

Coming soon

The Builderburg meets again at the end of this month. I suppose they’ll decide who Mitt Romney’s running mate will be. It was not long ago that no one believed there was such an organization making America’s agendas/wars behind closed doors. Hilary and Obama attended one year. 
New news for political dissidents: there are new leaked memos about the Government Re-education Camps planned for Americans. America is being set up like pre-World War II Germany. I hope you all are paying attention. Ron Paul is drawing crowds of thousands, growing delegates, too, despite obvious media blackout.
Other news: there’s a giant sunspot happening these days. Fukashima may be about to blow again, even worse. Small farmers are really taking a beating around the nation. Some small farmers face millions in fines for chicken and rabbit offenses or three years in jail for selling raw milk. 
Rev. Richard Olson

On Thursday, I submitted a report where I said that I saw no surfbirds on the Homer harbor jetty, even though I saw at least 150 there the day before. Last Friday was another turnabout.  I was at the harbor about an hour and a half after high tide and a large flock of shorebirds landed on the outside jetty.  I counted about 350 surfbirds, 64 Dunlin, and one Black Turnstone. It was truly amazing. 
Wanting to get some good photos of this, I walked past the security fence and went out on the Deep Water Dock about 25 feet where I had a great view of the birds.  After spending about 10 minutes getting some good shots, this official-looking guy comes up to me and says that if I stay there I’m going to jail.  I thought, hmmm, then I would be able to add jail bird to my list.  But, not wanting this for a lifer, I decided to leave, trying to explain to this guy about all the surfers I was looking at.  He just looked and saw the Coast Guard ship in line with where I was aiming my digiscope.  I thought this was one of those situations where explanation just makes things worse, so I quickly left. But I got some good shots, I mean photos. 
Moving on, I headed down the Homer Spit and saw four Pacific Golden-Plovers by the small parking space at Louie’s Lagoon.  The sun was just right, and I got some good photos of a nearby female. Two flocks of about 20 birds flew by which I think were also Pacific Golden-Plovers. 
From there I went to the Green Timbers parking area and saw 10 Pacific Golden-Plovers foraging in the high grass.  At tideline was a mixed flock of about 180 Western sandpipers, a couple Dunlin, and 16 Black-bellied Plovers. 
By the time I got to Mud Bay, it was about three hours after high tide and all the shorebirds were way out there. There was a large flock of about 1,500 that I assume were Western Sandpipers.  I got an e-mail from Aaron Lang who was at Mud Bay before high tide. He estimated there were 1,800 Westerns and 150 Dunlin.  In addition, he had 15 Short-billed dowitchers, six Whimberl, one Marbled Godwit, one Semipalmated Plover , and 20 Lease Sandpipers. He also saw about 1,000 Surfbirds fly down the Homer Spit. 
Saturday, we have scheduled monitoring. Should be a great day if you can stay out of jail.
George Matz
 

It takes a community

The Homer Playground Project slogan is, “It takes a community to build a great playground.”
Taken a step further, I would say, “Show me a great park system, and I’ll show you a great community.” Homer has that potential. You can show the greatness of Homer as a community by being part of building a new playground at Karen Hornaday Park the week of May 20. Sign up now to volunteer – www.homerplaygroundproject.org
Jack Wiles

Flourishing artist programs

Picture a perpetual Artist in Residence Program, enhancing community creativity and vibrancy for Alaskan artists and the community of Homer with artists talks, exhibitions and workshops. It’s gaining momentum! Bunnell Street Arts Center is pleased that our Artist in Residence Program has grown, thanks to Homer Foundation’s grant of $2,000 in 2011, with support from the Jensen Fund. This program brightened Homer for two long, dark winter months. In January, Alaskan mixed media artist, Sandy Gillespie, enlivened our main gallery with a body of work in progress for exhibition at Alaska State Museum. She also instructed a workshops on combining visual art and writing for adults as well as a two-week Artist in Schools unit at West Homer Elementary. In March, local artists of all ages enjoyed Seattle-based graphic novelist, Jim Woodring as he discussed and embellished his Homer Sketchbook and provided presentations and workshops on cartooning for youth. We have big goals and a lot of room to grow our Artist in Residence Program. Special thanks to Homer Foundation for fueling the vision this winter.
Asia Freeman
Executive/artistic director
Bunnell Street Arts Center

Ron Paul asserts individual rights

I was privileged to be a delegate for Ron Paul at the Republican convention in Anchorage last week. In the Constitutional Rights committee, I’m pleased to report, there was a lot of freedom and liberty being spoken. We would have abolished corporate personhood, thrown out the Transportation Security Agency, reinforced rights against unlawful search and seizure, reinforced Posse Comitatus, made industrial hemp legal, among other big issues. One should have guessed, the rooted controlling members would find a strategic way to avoid confronting these issues and keep them from coming to the main floor by running out of time when they got to our committee.
I proposed, to clarify certain matters, that the legal definition of the word “person” shall be: A living, individual, human being of flesh and blood.
Rev.Richard Olson

Hockey team scores support

On behalf of Homer Hockey Association, we’d like to say thank you to this generous community. HHA held our most successful raffle yet this winter and we sincerely appreciate all of you who supported the hockey players and Kevin Bell Arena by purchasing raffle tickets.
We’d especially like to recognize Homer Saw and Cycle and the Save-U-More Deli for generously donating prizes for top selling players.  We are grateful for the businesses that kindly offered space for teams to sell tickets; including Ulmer’s, Spenard Builder’s Supply, Safeway, and Save-U-More. 
Finally, thank you to the parents, managers, coaches and family members who put in tireless volunteer hours to make hockey a positive, healthy activity for so many players. 
Karyn Noyes, Nyla Lightcap, Heidi Stage, and Kim Duggar
HHA raffle committee

Wonderful Week of the Young Child

The week to celebrate young children in Homer (April 22 -28) flew by with a flurry of fun events for young kids. Many people contributed to making it a successful week, many organizations hosted special events, some agencies highlighted the great things they do for young children on a regular basis, and numerous individuals volunteered to share their talents. What a wonderful community we have. The list is just too long to name each individually, but we thank you all for caring about kids.
The week’ events culminated on April 28 when a dynamic group of Homer citizens met to talk about families, parenting and young children. An exciting, positive conversation led to visioning an even better place for young children to grow up. Again, many people helped make this “Community Cafe” a success: Thanks to the Christian Community Church and Kachemak Kids Early Learning Center for the space and child care providers. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch of sandwiches donated by Subway, beautiful salads and desserts by Two Sisters Bakery and coffee from Captains.
Our facilitator, Charlie Johansen-Adams helped us make the most of our time together. Finally, Jenny Martin deserves a special big thank you for all the work she did. The Week of the Young Child and community cafe were sponsored by Families First: A Best Beginnings Partnership which includes Sprout’s “Strengthening Families” project.
There will be more opportunities in the near future to get involved in projects that make Homer the wonderful town that it is. Remember to save the date: May 18 for the upcoming MAPP meeting where we will hear how those community working groups are progressing and help set the path for moving forward.

Lolita Brache and Bonnie Betley,
Co-chairs for Families First

Project Grad gains critical support 

Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula would like to acknowledge and thank the Homer Foundation’s Choices for Teens Fund for its generous support of our 2012 Middle School-High School Bridge Program. 
These funds will allow students from seven rural Kenai Peninsula schools to gather in Homer and participate in a variety of activities aimed at developing a broad base of support for students at a critical time in their lives. 
We are grateful to the Homer Foundation and the work they do to reinforce the sense of community we are all fortunate to have in Homer. 
Mike Petersen,
Executive director

Happy trails with cowboys, girls

The Kachemak Bay Equestrian Association gives a huge thank you to all the cowboys and cowgirls who made our 5th Annual Cowboy Cabaret a wonderful success. Alice’s Champagne Palace served a great Chuck Wagon Supper; the Dessert Auction & Silent Auction brought in much need funds for our $30,000 annual payment. As usual the generosity of the business and private donors was awesome.
We couldn’t have done it without Cowboy Mark Marette, Emcee Extraordinaire and exceptional poet. Tim Quinn’s music experience; Jackie Eisenberg, Cindy Birkhimer, Chris Day, Sandy Arndt, Renee Eidem, Katie Matthews, and Lynn Patton’s work on the silent auction; Jeanie Fabich’s help collecting the money; and the list goes on to all who helped to bring KBEA’s biggest fund raiser of the year together.
We especially enjoyed the Homer Ukulele Society’s renditions of favorite Western music. Of course it couldn’t be a Cabaret without the incredible poets and musicians. These funds go to the purchase of the land for beautiful Cottonwood Horse Park at 1.7 mile East End Road. Join us for our annual Memorial Day Celebration of horses and riders on May 28.
Happy trails!
Roberta Highland, president
Kachemak Bay Equestrian Association

A little clean-up pride

I first want to say how proud I am to be part of a community that participated so well in Clean Up Day this past Saturday! It was a phenomenal success! I am proud to say we brought in a whopping 1,338 bags of trash, nearly twice as much as last year. Some 239 of those bags were recyclable materials, which is nearly three times as much as last year.
It was great to see the amount of people, adults and especially kids who were out picking up trash at various places around town.
As with every year, not only was there great participation in cleaning Homer but we got an amazing amount of donations from local businesses and people alike to show their appreciation for those who were out cleaning.
We had over $3,000 worth of donations! My heart is warmed with the generosity of the people in Homer. Those donors include many Homer businesses.
Hot dogs were provided by Kachemak Bay Lions, who also generously donated four bikes for kids that were participating in Clean Up Day.
Kachemak Bay Rotary volunteers manned the dumpsters and volunteer Dale Banks of Loopy Lupine Distribution organized and manned the recycling operation with his volunteers. Alaska Waste, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Homer Landfill, and Moore & Moore Services donated dumpsters, recycling containers and delivery of both.
Again, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who was involved in making this years Clean Up Day a huge success!
Nyla Lightcap
Clean Up Day coordinator

One of my favorite signs of spring is the street sweeper with the big, goofy smiley face painting. Thank you to the City of Homer, along with the borough and state for doing such a great job during an unusually snowy winter. An extra thank you for getting the task of grit and sand removal off to a good start.
This spring’s thaw and melt revealed just how much sand had to be used to give us traction to get through the winter. The deep accumulation of sand in the road gutters and on the shoulders, along with extra build up on street corners, makes cycling a dusty and unpredictable undertaking.
As Homer Cycling Club encourages all area cyclists to celebrate that May is bike month, it’s awesome that we don’t have to deal with the worst of the dust and debris. Keep up the good work.
It’s lovely out. Get out and ride, and share the road.
Catriona Lowe

Thanks to VISTA’s many roles, supporters

Sitting in the Homer Theatre a couple of weeks ago surrounded by Homer Farmers’ Market supporters and watching a movie about farmers on a sunny day – I couldn’t love this town more. Spring has been very good to us this year, dropping the snow levels at a stunning rate and promising a bountiful gardening year. The air is abuzz with thoughts of growing things. People are getting excited about high tunnels, growing their own food and the Farmers’ Market is growing.
And every day I get to work with the Farmers’ Market VISTA, Bronwynn Kelly. She is tracking this growing enthusiasm, working with producers, gardeners, educators, local organizations and agencies around the state on this local food topic. She has been helping with grants, helping with gardens, helping with networking on a larger scale. My office might be one of the most optimistic, enthusiastic, productive places I know thanks to Bronwynn’s work.
As a VISTA, Bronwynn’s monthly paycheck is diddly. In order to get her here, I needed to show that the community would support a VISTA. Thanks to the donors of the Tin Roof Fund at the Homer Foundation, Bronwynn gets a stipend toward her housing costs. You can’t imagine what a weight has lifted with that generosity. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Seeing all the supportive folks at the Farmers’ market movie or community high tunnel meetings that Bronwynn has organized, seeing all the food that the market vendors have given her, seeing how many different people drive her to the office in the morning when she has been walking to work, I couldn’t love this community more. Thanks to everyone for your support of the local food movement and this keystone facilitator, the Farmer’s Market VISTA.
Kyra Wagner
Director of Sustainable Homer
Homer Farmers’ Market’s biggest fan

Generous hearts saved a heart

My husband, John, had a coronary bypass and aortic valve replacement on March 7. John and I would like to thank everyone who poured out their generosity during this time. This community has been and continues to be such a wonderful, outreaching and generous community. It is what helped us decide to stay here 33 years ago. Thank you, all you wonderful people who reached out and helped!
John and Betts Callahan

Emergency dock repair help thanks

The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies would like to extend its sincere thanks and appreciation to the Tin Roof and Cottonwood Funds, donor advised funds of the Homer Foundation, for their financial support for the building of a replacement floating dock for the Peterson Bay Field Station. We would also like to thank Petro Marine Services for allowing us to use the area near their storage shed by the deep water dock to stage our project. Use of this area allowed us to build four 10-by-20 frames which were then moved down the barge ramp, floated and linked together to make our finished 20-by-40 floating dock. We were not anticipating having to build a new floating dock this season, but the extreme snow load coupled with ice and tidal influences caused our existing floating dock to collapse and be determined unsafe for continued use. This unexpected discovery came just two and a half weeks before our first large school group was scheduled to arrive at the Peterson Bay Field Station for a 2-day Alaska Coastal Ecology program. In addition to the financial support of the donor advised funds of the Homer Foundation, hours of volunteer labor, including foreman-type oversight by Bill Wells and design work by Dave Beck and Ben Gibson, and many other community members lifting and pounding, we were able to complete the project in an amazing short time span. Folks at local businesses, such as Wakeen Brown with Spenard Builders Supply, Shea Robinson with Alaskan Coastal Freight, Lance Haggerty with Mako’s Water Taxi and Brian Hawkin’s with the City of Homer Harbormaster’s Office, went above and beyond to help get materials in a speedy fashion and solve many logistical puzzles.
CACS greatly appreciates such an outstanding show of community support for our organization, allowing us to not miss a beat in delivering a wonderful spring program season to hundreds of school children and their teachers and chaperones from around the state.
Beth Trowbridge
Executive director, CACS

Arts generate important revenues

According to Americans for the Arts, the nonprofit arts industry (museums, theater and dance companies, performing arts centers, orchestras, arts councils and others) generates $29.6 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues annually. By comparison, federal, state, and local governments combined spend less than $4 billion on support for the arts each year.
The financial return on government’s investment in the nonprofit arts is, therefore, more than seven times the investment annually. Bunnell Street Arts Center is a case in point. The City of Homer Grants Program through the Homer Foundation is the lever we use to grow our foundation of support on all levels. A dynamic formula of complementary funding sources fuels this Art Center’s stability.
City support is the keystone, a critical feature of every grant we write, every sponsor we attract. Private funders, especially foundations, look to the level of City Support this Arts Center receives when making funding determinations. City support leverages nearly 400 percent more in total, when all grants are considered.
We thank the City of Homer and the Homer Foundation for their visionary partnership in fostering  our cultural and economic ecosystem.
Asia Freeman
Executive Director Bunnell Art Center

Is this justice?

One recent fine evening, while enjoying a casual bike ride on a city road, a vicious-appearing dog from a nearby house suddenly rushed out at me in a very aggressive manner.
In response to this physical threat, I immediately felt an adrenaline rush as my body’s instinctive “fight or flight” self-protective systems kicked in. During this mode, my dominant emotions were, in sequence: Surprise and fear, followed by anger at being so suddenly and arbitrarily threatened. Then came a compelling desire for revenge against the threat.
This is the same sequence of emotions felt by man since time immemorial, when suddenly threatened, and it has served as the basis since then for men’s efforts to protect their families, friends or groups (“remember Pearl Harbor”) from physical threats.
Panic is the flip side; the result of acceding to the “flight” aspect. “Fight or flight” is one of the most powerful and culturally necessary instinctual modes possessed by humans. One interesting feature of the mode is that, while it can be activated almost instantly, it does not recede as rapidly. It diminishes slowly and can linger for an extended period of time. Again, I emphasize its instinctual source; the result of a million years of evolution.
Fast forward one day to the sentencing of Mike “Spoonman” Glasgow for apparently threatening to assault the owner and young son of three large unleashed dogs immediately after the dogs had unexpectedly rushed him while he was cycling home on East Road bike trail.
No person was injured or even touched. Did the experience traumatize the boy? The father says so. But what provoked Mr Glasgow’s instinctive “fight or flight” response? Given the situation’s context, I believe the dog owner’s lack of responsibility set events in motion toward the predetermined end.
For his action, Mr. Glasgow has been sentenced, among other requirements, to incarceration. Under the circumstances, I find it absurd that the justice system has allowed this unsatisfactory ending.
Larry Slone

Support natural breast cancer prevention

Research now links vitamin D deficiency with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. So, why don’t more people understand this and take simple, natural steps to reduce their risk?
Vitamin D is made naturally and abundantly when skin is exposed to sunlight. Because sunshine is free, there’s no marketing department to promote this valuable information.
Humans today spend more time indoors and less time in the sun than at any point in history, thus vitamin D levels are declining and more than two out of three North American women are vitamin D deficient, unnecessarily putting millions of women at an elevated risk for breast cancer.
 Since the stakes are so high — 200,000 women will be told they have breast cancer in North America this year, and 45,000 will die – I am proud to be supporting the Natural Breast Cancer Prevention Campaign, an effort to fund education about vitamin D and other lifestyle choices proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
The research on vitamin D and breast cancer prevention is impressive.
• A 2011 study published in Anticancer Research linked natural vitamin D levels with a 50 percent reduction in breast cancer risk.
• A 2006 paper published in Anticancer Research established that women with higher vitamin D levels are 50-70 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.
• A University of Toronto study found that women with vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/l) at time of breast cancer diagnosis had half the 12-year all-cause mortality rate of those with less than 10 ng/ml (25 nmol/l).
• A 2007 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology reported that women with high sun exposure levels—the most natural and abundant source of vitamin D—had half the risk of developing breast cancer.
• A 2007 paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women with high vitamin D levels have up to a 77 percent reduction in overall cancer risk—including breast cancer.
• A 2002 paper in Occupational and Environmental Medicine established that women who received regular sun exposure were less likely to die from breast cancer.
The Natural Breast Cancer Prevention Campaign is being supported in the month of May by small businesses across North America. Patrons are being asked to donate $1 to $10 to support vitamin D breast cancer research. Visit Stay Tan-Homer’s Midnight Sun to show your support for natural breast cancer prevention education.
Carol and Fred Kaatz
Stay Tan-Homer’s Midnight Sun

Tonight, Wednesday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m., the Port and Harbor Advisory Committee will be conducting a public hearing on $400,000 in annual rate increases. Concerned harbor users need to be there to testify. For those that would testify and leave, my advice is to stay and look them in the eye while they vote on whether or not to pick your pocket. At the harbor rate hearing last Thursday, the fact that Seward has a head tax was used to justify such a tax in Homer. Seward is an embarkation port where cruise ships drop off one group and pick up another. Seward had 52 landings last year with 146,000 passengers crossing the dock. Homer is a port of call. We had 14 landings last year with 14,600 passengers. We have one tenth the cruise passengers that Seward does and the outlook is for less cruise ships coming to Homer, not more. Our visitors come and stay for a few days in local hotels and bed and breakfast’s. Our visitors get on small water taxis and ferries to visit Seldovia, Halibut Cove and Kachemak Bay State Park.  My point is, that a head tax in Homer will fall on the backs of many small businesses, not a few large corporations.   
The Legislature just passed a $450 million dollar bond issue for ports and harbors statewide. Seward got $10 million included in this bill. Their project was included before the bill was even submitted. Homer scrambled, unsuccessfully, to get some monies included at the very end of the session. Had we gotten monies included in this statewide bond issue, our oil wealth would have paid for the harbor projects. The Kenai Peninsula has 8 percent of the state’s population.  The monies for Seward represent 2.2 percent of the statewide harbor bond. Getting our harbor included should have been a slam-dunk but our administration remained singly focused on the gasline to the point of not even asking for our share of the $450 million in harbor funding. Homer is going to get the gasline and harbor users are going to pay for it.  Be there. Testify. 
Brad Faulkner

Electronics recycling: A precious metal mine

Mining companies are opening new mines for precious metals to make things we want, especially electronics – new computers, iPods, and of course, cell phones.  Every year, all across the world horrendous piles of electronics are dumped into landfills, burying all the precious metals used to manufacture these items.
Consider this. According to a 2009 article in Science Daily, 6,000 cell phones, or one ton’s worth, contain 7.7 pounds of silver, 11.99 ounces of gold, and 286.6 pounds of copper. Roughly, one billion cell phones are manufactured annually. This is just one small electronic device. Think of all the other electronics we consume.
If all electronics were recycled, many mines, like the proposed Pebble Mine, would not be needed.  By recycling all electronics we could save wilderness, reduce landfill use, protect clean water and air, and contain the toxins in electronic devices that are currently being thrown into landfills.
Homer has made a great effort during the past six Electronics Recycling Events.  Get together with your neighbors and clean out your closets and garages.  Bring a car load of household electronics to Spenard Builders Supply on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. 
Nina Faust

Diabetes class greatly appreciated

We would like to thank the South Peninsula Hospital Foundation for their generous donation to the South Peninsula Hospital Diabetes Education Program. Their grant allows us to provide classes to those clients who could not otherwise afford them. Learning to manage their diabetes greatly improves patients’ chances for long and healthy lives. The SPH Foundation grant is a gift that will touch many lives in our community.
PeggyEllen Kleinleder, RN, BSN 

Thodos provided Fireweed outreach

I had the fortunate opportunity of attending Thodos Dance Chicago a few weeks ago at the Mariner Theatre. Anyone in attendance, would certainly agree that it was a phenomenal performance and I am so grateful to the Homer Council on the Arts for bringing such a professional group to our town. I had a conflict that night and almost did not go. But you know what cinched my decision to attend the performance? The outreach that Thodos provide to Fireweed Academy and West Homer Elementary students. As with many professional groups who come to perform with grant assistance from the WESTAF Foundation, outreach is a required component of the tour. I have been to many such events and never have I seen one more exciting, professional and at the same time absolutely accessible to  young kids. For a full hour 300, 3rd-6th graders were completely spellbound, learning about dance modalities, engaging with the dancers and having the opportunity to watch polished performance pieces. The talk in the halls after the outreach performance was all about what they liked best, what kind of dance they would like to learn, how cool the costumes were. The kids (and teachers as well) really connected with the dancers. I bought my ticket right away.
My sincere thanks to the Gail Edgerly and Homer Council on the Arts for hosting the Homer tour, Melissa Thodos and Thodos Dance Chicago for making the trek to Alaska, and to the students for being so interested and enthusiastic.  Truly a job well done by everyone.
Janet Bowen
Fireweed Academy

Trouble in America

America has failed as a Democracy. It may soon be mandatory for our cars to wear the bumper sticker, “Be nice to America or WE will bring democracy to YOUR country.”
The Federal Reserves took up residence in the U.S. in 1913, and the political elites have represented and supported only the powerful special interests groups and corporations ever since. These invisible special interest people write the country’s laws in exchange for funding the political campaigns of the “lawmakers.”
To divert attention from their failures, American elites point fingers at external scapegoats. We believe it is more scandalous for the Secret Service to be caught with (baby girl) prostitutes in Columbia than it is for our Marines to piss on dead corpses in Afghanistan or to be photographed with dead body parts. When Obama tells the news reporters “This is not who we are,” it’s actually just the opposite: “This is exactly who we are.”
U.S. citizens are continually trained to ignore government abuse. Right down to our (tax supported) city governments, we have thieves, cheaters, and liars leading us to the pits of nowhere as they reap the spoils of thievery. Church-going leaders will cheat on paying their own taxes while over taxing the public that supports them. This somehow makes Jesus a joke. The governments of this country have mocked and desecrated every component of human decency. They coerce us to pay for THEIR security while they bomb the rest of the world while in anticipation of our own nuclear reactors melt downs.
Through this so-called Democracy we have given our souls over to corporations who kill and destroy everything in ITS way. Folks, we have lost our way as human beings; 2012 is here. Where are we?
Maka Fairman

The closure of U.S. oil refineries

I recently wrote a letter on exported fuels by U.S. oil companies who reap higher prices paid overseas.
Another reason for our high gasoline prices is the closure of U.S. oil refineries and the movement of our oil overseas to foreign refineries, “Sunoco is closing two refineries in July 2012 in Philadelphia and Marcus Hook, Pa.  Conoco Phillips announced the closing of two plants in Trainer, Pa. and Bayway, NJ, and is closing its facility in Alaska.  Hess is closing the third largest U.S. oil refinery, laying off 2,000 workers and impacting 950 contractors.”
The oil companies, with profits of tens of billions of dollars each year, are closing U.S. refineries due to environmental and other government regulations and union demands.  Refineries are being built in Columbia, Mexico and Brazil due to low construction and operating costs.  Plus our government unconsciously promotes this construction by providing foreign aid to the countries.
Hopefully, it isn’t too late for our government and the unions to wake up and evaluate the impact of their policies and decisions on the oil refining industry. Otherwise we will continue to see rising fuel prices that could reach historic highs, including gasoline at or above $5 per gallon. 
Donald A. Moskowitz

Toss a coin

Heads, the fascists and the 1 percent win. Tails, everyone else, ie. The 99 percent, loses. Since 1981 the Bush-Reagan hard-core fascist criminals have been waging class warfare. They have done this with fascist propagandists on Murdoch’s Fascist obnoxious extremist (FOX) network, Limbaugh, the NRA, etc., together with the five fascist prostitute Justice majority US Supreme Court that gave us Bush v. Gore, Citizens United v. FEC and likely will invalidate all or part of the Affordable Health Care Act.  
For anyone who thinks “fascist” is too strong a word for the sexist, racist, bigoted fanatics, see “Fourteen Characteristics of Fascism,” by Dr. L. Britt and “American Fascists” by Chris Hedges. The robber barons, fascist fat cats and plutocrats buy fascist politicians to do their bidding, giving pennies in campaign contributions to get millions and billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies.  
If you are ready to return fairness and Democracy to Alaska and the US, and defeat the fascists and their prostitute politicians, vote for me for US House on  Aug. 28  and Nov. 6.
Frank Vondersaar, Candidate US House

Recycle: Make mines unnecessary

By the end of the electronic recycling event on April 28, Homer will have recycled approximately 100,000 pounds of “stuff” over the last four years. That’s about 40 cars, piled one on top of another. 
Much of that is copper, lead and some gold – metals that were extracted somewhere in the world and have now reached a mid-point in their useful life here in Homer. Fortunately, these metals can be recycled.
In fact, the U.S. currently recycles approximately 1.5 million tons of copper each year, which compares favorably to Pebble Mine’s planned estimated production of only 0.7 million tons per year. Of course, Homer by itself can’t pretend to recycle enough copper to eliminate the need for an open-pit mine in Bristol Bay, but we can do our part, and perhaps the rest of the U.S. can recycle enough to make such a mine unnecessary. So, I will be in the short line Saturday, recycling my electronics in a responsible way.
See you there.
Robert Burns

Alaska needs tax compromise

For the second time in two years, oil taxes have prompted a special session of the Alaska Legislature. Or, to put it another way, State Senate leaders outsmarted themselves and were unable to get to the negotiating table with their counterparts in the House during regular session.
Here is what happened. In March of last year, the House passed an oil tax reform bill to roll back some of the most damaging aspects of the ACES tax increase of 2007. That bill, HB110, has since been languishing in the Senate, bottled up in committee. In two sessions it has not been given a floor vote or even amended in committee more to the Senate’s liking. Usually, amendments are how compromises get started.
Not this time. Senate leaders spent two legislative years, untold hours of hearings and big bucks on consultants coming up with a different bill that, in the end, could not draw enough votes in their own 16-of-20 super majority to pass. One reason for the failure was that their bill, SB192, was too clever by half. It had been given a ridiculously long, two-page title that prevented much compromise under the rules of the legislature. My way or the highway, in other words.
When that failed, Senate leaders who had been lecturing anyone who would listen on the virtues of going slow and being cautious, pulled an obscure bill out of legislative oblivion, grafted certain sections of SB192 onto it in a single committee meeting, rammed it through the Senate a few hours later, then sent it back over to the House for action with only a day left. To their credit, House leaders were not stampeded. Hence, the special session.
All the trickery aside, what matters most is what happens next. There is still an opportunity to get this right.
The bill that the Senate rushed over to the House has constructive relief for new oilfields, a step in the right direction. However, it is far too narrow. It leaves Alaska with a Chilkoot Charlie’s tax policy – “we gouge the other oil field and pass the savings on to you.” The private sector is generally not fooled by such trickery. Today’s new oil will become tomorrow’s old oil, in annual peril of being “reclassified” by politicians hungry for more pork to hand out.
A good compromise bill will have two simple elements to it. First, it will alleviate the extreme progressivity that causes Alaska government “take” to become confiscatory as oil prices climb. This is important. Oilfield economists know that prices go up and down over time. They assume that high profitability during periods of high prices offset losses when prices are low. Any taxing region that takes away the upside for industry will find itself underperforming, as Alaska has.
Second, a good bill should not try to skim off the vast majority of profits from existing fields. At today’s oil prices or higher, the incremental government “take” on existing oilfields is between 70 and 90 percent. That is too greedy. It reduces the incentive to invest in existing fields, which is where most easily recoverable oil lies. The old Chilkoot Charlie’s joke is just that, a joke. It is not wise tax policy.
In order to address this issue successfully, our State Senators must do what successful policy makers have always done: don’t be greedy, set aside the trickery and negotiate in good faith. The next generation of Alaskans is counting on it.
Scott Hawkins, president of Advanced Supply Chain International, an oilfield services firm headquartered in Anchorage
Scott Hawkins

On establishing a justice commission  
Recently, we wrote letters to the editor about police abuses.  Many people came forward to tell us of their experiences. We heard numerous serious allegations. 
We propose that the Homer City Council establish a Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission. The Commission’s first task would be to listen to citizens who have experienced police perjury, harassment, unfair/unconstitutional treatment at the hands of the justice system, police discretion applied unfairly, unethical/illegal prosecutorial behavior, arrest/incarceration when no crime was committed, police intimidating and/or disrespectful behavior, ineffective public defender counsel, unreasonable fines, police behavior causing shame and degradation in the course of arrest/incarceration, and cultural discrimination. The Commission would make recommendations to police, local courts and the city. The overall goal of the Commission would be to air and repair serious matters currently the subject of rumor, conjecture and public anger.
At this time in America when the Supreme Court has decreed that police can strip search anyone stopped for any reason, Homer needs open public discourse on relations between police and citizenry. Homer is a great community. Homer deserves a principled, respectful, protective police and justice system, not the current predatory system. In the spirit of Brother Asaiah, Homer needs a protective venue where folks can tell the truth about these matters without being punished.
The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission could include a Homer police officer, a representative from Homer’s city administration, a city council member, three members of the general public, and a wise spiritual counselor.
Bumppo Bremicker and Lindianne Sarno

Where’s free speech?
I am struggling hard to understand the logic of those individuals trying to get Rush Limbaugh dropped from local airing. Whatever happened to free speech? If you don’t agree or like what someone says, change the dial (or the channel). Stifling free speech, due to your definition of appropriateness, is nothing more than violation of free speech.  
Max J. Lowe 

Harbor fees ruin king tournament
I recently participated in the Homer Winter King Salmon derby with four friends from Anchorage and Kodiak. The Homer Chamber and the people of Homer do a wonderful job with prizes and food and everything. It is a real showcase for Homer. In order to keep 200 people from trying to launch their boats simultaneously Saturday morning, the harbor provides free boat launch and a free night in the harbor the day before the derby. Friday night we launched our boat, prepped our gear, salted our bait and dreamed of big fish. The Chamber called a weather delay on Saturday. I am not sure why. It was actually pretty nice. We all decided to stay another day and fished the tournament hard on Sunday. Alas, no fish for us but a great time was had by all. When I got back to Anchorage I received a $29 bill from the Homer Harbor for my 24-ft. boat spending Saturday night in the harbor. I could hardly believe it. I guess the weather delay did not extend to the free night in the harbor. After participating in this wonderful event, the Homer harbor destroyed all the goodwill generated by the Chamber.
I don’t know who runs the harbor but they are seriously out of touch with reality. I have to spend $4 per gallon gas and haul my boat right by the Whittier and Seward harbors to come to Homer. Boat owners willing to haul their boats to Homer in March spend tens of thousands of dollars to participate in this tournament. More than any other group on the planet, we are the people you want to market your harbor to. You will get your $29, but I will not be driving by the Seward cutoff any time soon.
Doug Weimann

How to trust Pebble permitting
Can we trust the Pebble permitting process?
I attended the public presentation given by Pebble Partnership March 28 in Homer. I asked Mike Heatwole, vice president of public affairs, how much public land would be off-limits to hunting, if Pebble is approved. He said this will be “negotiated” with the Department of Natural Resources. 
This gets to the heart of what’s wrong with the State’s permitting process.  Instead of meeting definitive criteria established a priori, important aspects of permitting will be negotiated; in essence being a politically-based call. 
This raises serious concern. Despite all the rhetoric about rigorous permitting, the statutory requirements for DNR’s water rights permit (vital for Pebble) are based on “the commissioner shall consider.” The statute does list several generic concerns, but never defines “consider;” hence, requiring nothing that is technically defensible. 
Apparently, reading a report could qualify. In short, the statute gives the commissioner wide discretion, leaving the door open for lots of private negotiation and judgment about what data suffices, verification, resource tradeoffs, etc.  Is this comforting?  Not to me.   
George Matz

Support a campaign for kids
National Boys and Girls Club Week, April 16 -20, is the time each year when some 4,000 communities across the nation, including our communities here on the Kenai Peninsula, celebrate the important work of their local Boys and Girls Clubs – saving and changing young lives, every day, every week – all year long.
It’s even more significant this year, as our local Clubs undertake a campaign with a special emphasis on increasing support from individual donors in our community. Given the important role of the Clubs, there’s no reason why every caring citizen shouldn’t add his or her name to the honor role of supporters.  
When it comes to our kids, we usually think of the home, with a solid family life and parental guidance, as the answer to nurturing and protecting them.  But, for too many children in America, including our community, there’s a gap.  Research indicates the hours of 3-8 p.m. are the most dangerous time of day for young people – when crime involving youth doubles – as they leave school and return to empty households or neighborhood streets, idle and unsupervised. 
The answer, according to experts, is to provide after-school programs in every community.  In neighborhoods with effective programs, most youth-related problems are minimized. Children are safe, they’re involved in life-enhancing experiences with caring adults and meaningful challenges, and they can better deal with the larger threats and fears affecting our nation and our world.
The folks at Boys and Girls Clubs believe every child and teen should be involved in a safe, structured, supervised after-school program, every day.  As we prepare to celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week with our Club here in Homer, may all parents, educators, caregivers and community leaders stop to consider what more can be done to make this idea a reality.
One tangible step is to support the Clubs’ annual fundraising campaign.  It’s an investment in our community’s most precious resource – our children.
  Natasha Ala, executive director,
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Kenai Peninsula
 
Rotary helped Battle of the Books
West Homer Elementary would like to extend a thank you to the Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary Club as one of the participants that makes it possible for the Battle of the Books program to continue in our school.
A national program, Battle of the Books serves all levels of participating readers from elementary through high school. At West Homer, students in grades 3-4 and 5-6 read a list of fiction and nonfiction books, such as mystery, historical fiction, and science. They meet with volunteer teachers at lunch or after school to discuss facts in each book. Eventually, a team of three students represents each combined grade level to “battle” the facts with other area schools. Winners eventually square off at the State level. Audio-conference equipment allows students to battle from their school sites. When we finish with the competitions, the books become part of our school’s library collection, where they continue to be read by other students.
The above sponsor recognizes that a child who can read well has the best chance for success in life. Children not only learn to understand written information, but they apply what they learn to new situations every day.
This year’s West Homer Elementary 5-6 grade team placed second in the District and the 3-4 grade team placed first, which enabled them to participate in the State Battle of the Books.
Shirlie Gribble), Lyn Maslow, Lisa Whip
West Homer Elementary

Helpers counted greatly with Math Meet
The seventh annual Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Middle School Math Meet, a joint effort between the Kachemak Bay Campus of the Kenai Peninsula College and Homer Middle School, offered a challenging math experience April 13 to 77 students from 10 district schools. Deep gratitude goes to our prize donors, Homer Electric Association, Sundog Consultants, and Coble Geophysics.
A huge thanks to judges Beth Graber, Karen Weston, Duncan Wanamaker, Eric Fenger, Caroline Venuti; proctors Jay Boyer, Stephanie Carroll, Melody Ramsey, Julianne Super, Ellirene Miller; volunteers Elyse Boyer, Susan Bunting, and school board member Liz Downing; Homer Middle principal David Larson. A big thank you also to the students who helped set up, take down, and participate in the meet.
Jerek Bynagle, Sara Reinert, Suzanne Haines
KPBSD Middle School Math Meet

Support appointment in Service Areas
There are many learning moments when serving on the Kenai Borough Assembly. But, I think the vocal public reaction to Ordinance 2012-07, Service Area Boards from Elected to Appointed, is unfortunate. Yes, anyone who is willing to step up and serve on the Borough Assembly had better have a thick skin, because there will be those who insult you and attack you. It is called, being in the line of fire.
I do support this ordinance. Over the nine years I served on the Assembly, I struggled to find folks willing to serve on the boards year after year. Throughout the borough, there were always positions open, to be filled, by appointment, after the election. And the cost in time and materials to the borough clerk, a.k.a. taxpayers, in gathering election information and printing is huge.
Voter pamphlets that must go to all in the general population, regardless that only 20 percent vote, are much larger than they would be, because of the Service Area Seats up for election. It had been my intent to bring this issue forward some years ago because of that cost, however, I simply ran out of time. So, I welcomed this ordinance.
Sometimes we tend to overlook history. Back in the 1980s, when the Four-Roads Service Areas were formed in the borough, those roads’ boards consisted of elected positions. In 1991, three of the four elected service area boards, asked the Borough to form one unified road service area, for efficiency. Ordinance 1991-18, passed by the assembly in August, 1991, did exactly that. It also went from elected boards to one board, all members appointed by the mayor, and those appointments confirmed by the Assembly.
Alaska Statute 29.35.450 allows for the “establishment, operation, alteration or abolition of service area boards, by the Assembly,” which is what was cited in the Ordinance. That Alaska Statute also gives the Assembly the authority now to act, if that is in the best interest of the public. Considering the public’s often voiced concern about Borough expenses, you would think it would make sense.
The Planning Commission has always been appointed, again by the mayor, with confirmation by the elected Assembly.
I have not always agreed with the decisions of the various mayors, regarding appointments to the Roads Board and the Planning Commission. And in reality, when the mayor decided to make some changes, I was concerned. But I have found the appointments recommended and confirmed by the Assembly to be effective. Remember, the elected Assembly, has the final decision. Service area boards are advisory to the Assembly in all matters. They may be elected, but it is the Assembly with the final word.
With the amendment that Ms. Murphy proposed, the sitting service area board would also be given the choice of weighing in on recommendations to the mayor, for consideration. I believe that gives them more say of who serves than they have under the current process.

In closing, I sincerely apologize to Ms. Murphy for not being there to voice my opinion sooner. I am so sorry for that. She deserves a heck of a lot better than what she has gotten, and I commend her for bringing this forward.
Milli Martin

Energy efficient help from Lentfers
The City of Homer’s Port and Harbor department would like to express its appreciation to Jack and Mary Lentfer for their generous donation to the Homer Foundation in support of the City of Homer’s Climate Action Plan. We applied for a grant from the Homer Foundation late 2011 for the purpose of making energy efficiency upgrades to the doors and windows at the Harbormaster’s office on the Homer Spit. The project was completed in March of 2012.
These upgrades will help to lower operating costs at the harbor office, which benefits the Harbor Enterprise. Lowering energy consumption benefits the environment, and keeping the drafts outside where they belong benefits the staff. That’s a win-win-win if you ask me.
Bryan Hawkins
Port director/harbormaster

Let’s spruce up Ben Walters Park
The Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary Club, in the Rotary International tradition of “Service Above Self”, is adopting the Ben Walters Park and will be spending hours there this weekend cleaning, painting and generally working to improve the experience of park users. If you have some time, and would like to help, please come by Ben Walters Park any time on Saturday or Sunday! Community is what makes Homer such a special place, come and help us add to it!
Monty Davis

Too many rights chipped off
What about the ‘no fly’ list? No trial no jury, don’t know how you got on the list or how to get off it. No notification. Don’t even know you are on it until you have purchased your nonrefundable ticket and about to get on the plane. This turns our natural right to travel into a privilege. It could revoke your passport because you owe the IRS (Federal Reserves debt collecting agency for foreign banks and Goldman Sachs). This is co-joined with the ‘No buy” list, no trial no jury, no notification when going to buy a fire arm. What’s next? An implanted chip, that may be shut off if you are politically incorrect. Turn it into a ‘no job’ or ‘no money’ list. We have already accepted the total government spy grid. How would grandma have felt if it was accepted/allowed for government to open her personal letters? Oh, you’ve got nothing to hide?  Me thinks our country is in trouble.
Rev. Richard Olson

Fossil fuel energy is a global market and prices will be determined by supply and demand, not what is good for Homer. Our supplier, Enstar, is owned through a Michigan-based holding company, owned by a Wall Street equity firm whose senior partner is a senior partner at Morgan Stanley. Will they make decisions based upon what’s best for Homer?
Natural gas extraction has a high percentage of probability for contaminating water tables. From every drill site seeping “just a little” to total destruction of an area’s water supply. The natural gas industry has a track record, to date, that shows profit is far more important than the environment or its customers financial well being. Based upon 2010 rate of consumption, an 11-year supply of gas is currently proved. The rest (decades) is speculative.
Currently, operators need $8-9 per thousand cubic feet (mcf) to break even. The  price this week is $2.089 (something will have to change for the industry to be profitable, hmmm extraction technology or price?).
A number of gas companies have applied for gas export applications with the federal government, which will account for approximately 19 percent, or almost one-fifth of total U.S. gas consumption today. If approved, this will impact domestic supply with studies showing the more gas we export, the higher prices go domestically (Read item no. 1, ie. energy is a global market. Is there a possibility of even more companies filing applications?).
I would like to see someone step up and guarantee decades of cheap natural gas with no environmental mishaps. Then convince me that we human beings (a group that has historically been reactive on just about everything) will suddenly become proactive and put alternative and sustainable sources into place while the cheap natural gas is flowing.
Kevin Kreitz

Making the respectful choice

I want to thank the thousands of Alaskans who participated in Choose Respect rallies and marches last week; thank you for speaking out and standing up against domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse.


The First Lady and I are especially grateful to the amazing hosts and communities for their hospitality extended to members of my administration. We are rebuilding the importance of the traditions of respect, and by doing so we will end the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault. Together, we will create a stronger, healthier Alaska.
Gov. Sean Parnell

First amendment rights

I feel compelled to publicly add my voice to the “Rush Limbaugh controversy.” I found the reasoning of Dave Becker’s March 28 opinion to be rather interesting. He starts his piece with an admission of Limbaugh’s “crass and inappropriate” comments, but summarily dismisses the issue because he “apologized” and goes on to admonish other “Left Wing operatives” for their comments about female politicians and social commentators. Are we supposed to think that what he said is OK because other people say bad things, too? Let’s stick to the issue of Limbaugh and not divert anyone’s attention from who is fully responsible for the foul name calling that took place.
I do not question Limbaugh’s First Amendment right to say what he wants. My question is: should we support his platform to say it? Limbaugh’s comments served no productive purpose. They were base and disgusting. Expressing his desire to see a video of Ms. Fluke having sex because he felt he “paid for it,” because he’s a citizen, and may require health insurance carriers to pay for birth control? You tell me. Is that the kind of language that promotes civil discourse?
Ms. Fluke was simply exercising her rights under the constitution to testify before a governing body. She is not a politician or a social commentator who chooses to put herself in the limelight every day for political or financial gain.
I sponsored a petition recently which simply said, “We, the undersigned, want to keep Homer’s airways free of hateful, prejudiced, incendiary language. We are asking KGTL to remove Rush Limbaugh from your programming.” It was signed by almost 200 people. I assure you that no “left wing political activists” contacted me or are using my name to promote any political agenda. I started the grassroots, local petition because I feel strongly about the rise in disrespectful, hateful discourse in this country. Sorry, Mr. Becker, but I am not party to a conspiracy.
Speaking out against vile and disgusting discourse does not make someone a “left wing operative.” I think our Founding Fathers would agree.
Maureen Moore

Pick and clicking generously

The filing period for the Alaska Permanent Fund closed on March 31. We have already learned that over 23,000 Alaskans pledged $2.2 million through Pick.Click.Give. in 2012.  This represents an increase of nearly 50 percent over last year’s total. 
The PFD charitable check-off program has grown each year and is really starting to have an impact on the nonprofit sector.  Locally, fourteen organizations, including the Homer Foundation, garnered $49,350 through Pick.Click.Give.  These organizations enrich our community in many ways, from feeding our hungry to feeding our souls. Thanks to the Pick.Click.Give. program for providing a safe and easy way to support the causes that we care about in our communities, and thanks to the 66 individual who chose to support the Homer Foundation.  We won’t know who any of these generous donors are until PFD checks are mailed in October.  Until then, thanks to everyone who participated.
Joy Steward,
The Homer Foundation executive director

‘Into the Woods’ with appreciation

It takes a community to put on a high school musical with 94 students.  “Into the Woods” was the latest of many powerful Broadway musicals over the years. 
Dr. Allen Gee, Doug Waclawski and the Homer High School staff gave their support to the musical team as they give their support to all the sports teams and extracurricular activities.
Thank you, teachers.  Thank you, coaches, for graciously releasing students for the last two weeks of daily and nightly rehearsals, just as students are released for your away games. 
Parents were hugely supportive of their students’ crazy schedule: rehearsing until after 9 p.m., (have to be picked up); still have homework, and getting up early to get back to school to do it again.  Parents also donated food for rehearsal and performance breaks for two weeks under the leadership of Kira Stuart; and helped with costumes, make-up, hair,  props, set building, ushering, monitoring back stage, etc. (and really, it’s fun.) 
Kira received generous, yummy  donations from local restaurants for the 12 days of feeding the cast.  Thank you especially Two Sisters, Fritz Creek General Store, Fat Olives, Cosmic Kitchen, Don Jose’s, AJ’s Old Town Tavern, Save-U-More, Safeway and Subway.
Finally, there were the 94 singers, who have been developing their voices and their experience in music (from middle school to Swing Choir solos).  They applied what they have learned vocally, to include dancing and acting and group performance. To back them up, JulieAnn Smith was the phenomenal rehearsal accompanist and keyboardist (J) for the wonderful 18-piece orchestra in the pit.
Thank you, Homer, for being the town where our high school musicals always receive support and attendance.
Barbara Petersen for Pier One Theatre and the Homer High School Choir program

Towing in the thanks

The Kachemak Ski Club would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to the Homer Theatre and ERA Aviation for their support of the Ohlson Mountain Rope Tow. Though we are overdue in expressing our appreciation, we have not forgotten how generous Robin Daugherty and the Theatre were in donating several punch cards at the Warren Miller Fundraiser, along with ERA Aviation, who donated several round trip tickets to Anchorage.
While many folks can’t wait for all the snow to melt, this is the time of year when the spring skiing gets better and better, with longer daylight hours, afternoon sunshine on the slope, and warmer temperatures. There is still a lot of snow, so remember us on Sunday afternoons, and we hope to see you on the hill!
Nell Gustafson

Good advice to follow

I was down at Two Sisters Bakery. I was taking a walk and then I stopped and looked around. There was garbage all over the place. I ran back to the bakery and got a Safeway bag and went down the road picking up garbage.
When I got back to the bakery, the Safeway bag was full to the top. My mom was so proud of me that she took my picture. Then, I got a paper bag and cleaned up around the bakery! And, I want to say that people should pick up a bag of trash a week or every day. The community is packed with litter, and I am here to help! 
Liam R. James, 8 years old

Editor’s note: Following are some of the letters we received regarding PacRim’s plans to develop the Chuitna coal deposit by surface mining the Chuita River.

Making a grave mistake

The State of Alaska fines people who divert a creek, but the State Department of Natural Resource is considering letting PacRim destroy 11 miles of a salmon stream? This decision to let a coal mining company mine through 11 miles of the Chuitna River is a sham.
There is no evidence anywhere that a  salmon stream can be reclaimed. DNR is supposed to protect our salmon streams, not sell them to the highest bidder.  
This is an incredibly shameful decision and defies the long-standing history in Alaska of carefully safeguarding our fisheries and clean water.  Shame on Gov. Parnell if he does not step up to the plate and keep his word that he would “never trade one resource for another.”
Nina Faust

Coal is nor compatible

PacRim’s plans to develop the Chuitna coal deposit by surface mining the Chuitna River, and the governor’s support of this project, is not compatible with the long-term interests of Alaska, and the people the governor represents.  Alaska represents one of the last places on earth where we can develop our resources responsibly, focusing on balanced outcomes, and provide for a unique, sustainable environment for future generations. 
Coal extraction by destroying eleven miles of a salmon stream, and the burning of this coal by foreign countries with poor environmental regulations is not something Alaska should be associated with and is simply not in Alaska’s long term interest. 
Gov. Parnell’s leadership is needed to build a state for future generations, and put the short term profits of foreign companies aside. That is what his leadership should strive for, and he is in a unique position to help Alaska build toward a sustainable future, benefiting all of the citizens of this state, not just corporations and foreign economies.
I would like the governor to take the long view, and protect our unique environment and resources.  Future generations will thank him for his insight and leadership.
Richard Kenshalo

Very concerned

I am asking you, Mr. Parnell, and your administration to do what you said you would do; never trade one resource for another. If you allow 11 miles of salmon stream to be irreversibly destroyed, what kind of precedent are we setting for the rest of Alaska’s streams?
Lets face it, we cannot, with all our human power, put together a salmon stream’s sensitive ecosystem that has been in the making for thousands of years. It is your job to protect the resources that are sacred and essential to all Alaskans. Please don’t trade a renewable resources for a short term, messing profit. We all know you know better.
No mining through salmon streams; Not now, not ever!
Tiffany Wickenhauser

Choose salmon over coal

 I wrote this letter to Gov. Sean Parnell and I want everyone to know that we Alaskans will not stand idly by and have our beautiful state sold out to the highest bidder.
I asked our governor to please choose salmon streams over coal to China. No mining through Salmon streams – not now – not ever. Testimony on March 2 before the Senate Judiciary Committee concluded PacRim’s plans to re-create a wild salmon stream are “scientifically impossible.”
 PacRim’s mining plan will destroy 11 miles of salmon streams, and the impacts will be irreversible. This is cause for Gov. Parnell to instruct DRN Commissioner Daniel Sullivan to overturn his previous ruling and declare the Chuitna River, its tributaries and riparian zones as unsuitable for surface coal mining per the petition submitted by the Chuitna Citizens Coalition.
Gov. Parnell needs to keep his promise to never trade one resource for another. Mining through salmon streams sets a dangerous precedent – no salmon stream is safe.
Sybille Castro
Nikiski

In the last two years (since our son’s incarceration) we’ve been forced to listen to U.S. prosecutor, Kimberly Sayers Faye, testifying in court that. “We don’t make deals;” however, that doesn’t seem to be the case. We’ve noticed other inmates serve hardly any time at all, and some have even received immunity.
Recently, one of the inmates signed over properties valued at a six figure dollar amount with only 54 months to serve. Money over justice? Does this mean, if a person plays the game, gives up all assets, does a lot of fast talking, that they get all the benefits, including rehab and less time? I ask, what type of contract do these people sign? Does the judicial system own them for the rest of their lives? Does the law serve only those who can afford the assets?
Our son was not alone in Homer’s drug escapades. Some may like the fact that the judicial system played unfair with him while showing favoritism to others, but that doesn’t make it right. They broke our son’s rights. They blatantly slandered our family name in the community (with incorrect stories). Our family earned a humble, but honest, living for 30 years in Homer. Citizens of this country already recognize the judicial system desperately needs fixing. Our son’s dilemma has opened our eyes to the truth and we are learning (with proper procedures), changes can and will happen.
Sign the petition for change: www.change.org/petitions/stop-second-sentencing-double-jeopardy.
Nick and Toy Bairamis

Stop the hunger

There are 22,253 Alaska children going without breakfast each year. By
 providing breakfast, Senate Bill 3, “Funding For School Lunches,” will boost test scores, which would increase school funding under the
“No Child Left Behind Act.” It also would allow for more locally grown food 
to be brought into the lunchroom.
“Funding for School Lunches” is an
 economic and educational benefit to communities around Alaska.
  Yet, this bill is stalled in the House Finance Committee because
 co-chair Rep. Bill Stoltz has yet to schedule the bill for a hearing. Under the current political climate, it appears this bill
 will not move foreword. I strongly urge my fellow Alaskans, especially
those in Rep. Stoltz’s district, to contact their 
legislatures in support of SB 3: “Funding for School Lunches.”
By providing Alaska School Districts with 35 cents for lunch, and 15
 cents for school breakfasts, it will allow for Alaska children to get
 a nutritious start to their day; giving them their best chance at
learning and life.

         
Adi Davis
 

How gas benefits us

Here are some facts about the natural gas transmission line planned from Homer to Anchor Point:
1. The cost of heating your home with natural gas verses oil will save you 62 percent of your present heating costs.
2. The cost of heating your home with natural gas verses propane will save you 80 percent of your present heating costs.
3. The cost of heating your home with natural gas verses electric will save you 78 percent of your present heating costs.
4. The savings to the Kenai Peninsula Borough and us taxpayers on heating costs for the Homer Area Schools and the South Peninsula Hospital with natural gas, verses oil, will be $693,000 per year. This combined with the savings on other federal, state and borough buildings in Homer will amount to a total savings of $1,032,177, annually.
5. The cost savings of heating and cooking with natural nas will directly effect the financial well-being of our Homer area local businesses and enable them to continue to employee our local citizens.
6. Natural gas burns cleaner than oil and requires less maintenance .
7. This state alone has decades worth of proven natural gas reserves to serve our needs till a more cost effective, efficient, and reliable source of energy is available.
How can we not afford natural gas in Homer?
Dave Weber

HEA Day celebrated at Rope Tow

The Homer Rope Tow has provided downhill skiing opportunities to Kenai Peninsula families since the 1950s, and throughout this time, the Homer Electric Association and its employees have been instrumental in making the rope tow possible.  Last week, we celebrated HEA’s contributions with our annual “HEA Day,” where we provided free access to the rope tow for nearly 100 skiers and snowboarders, and HEA’s Joe Gallagher served up some great food on a beautiful, sunny day on Ohlson Mountain.  We also took the time to recognize Bob Moss, Sr., for his visionary role and dedication pioneering the rope tow.  So, a huge thanks to Joe, HEA and Bob Moss, and thanks, too, to Ulmers Hardware for great discounts on needed supplies.  With the heavy snow load this year, we’ll be running the tow every Sunday 12-5 p.m., conditions permitting. Check facebook/homerropetow or call 235-SNOW for weekly updates.
Bob Shavelson,
Homer Rope Tow president

Chuitna coal spawns bad idea

It would appear that under Mr. Sullivan’s “leadership” the DNR is prepared to reduce Alaska to a devastated third-world country in exchange for chump-change from foreign interests (including those from the Lower 48).
Do Sullivan and Gov. Parnell represent Alaskans, or the moneyed “treasure hunters” seeking to profit from the ruination of this state and its renewable resources? The Chuitna River spawning grounds support one of the largest remaining king salmon runs in Alaska, thus it represents one of the largest remaining King Salmon populations in the world. King Salmon are declining everywhere.
Will the Texas speculators bankrolling PacRim lose a minutes’ sleep if king salmon are placed on the endangered, or extinct, species list?  Far more importantly, will Sullivan and Parnell?  It already seems obvious that our elected so-called “representatives” and their appointees have taken their 30 pieces of silver and sold their souls, and our future, to the treasure hunters.
I would love them to prove me wrong. If not, may their political futures die with the Chuitna River water-shed.
Al-Hajj Frederick Minshall

Sea to Ski triathlon rounds out season

Warm weather welcomed athletes this year at the Kachemak Nordic Ski Club – Sea to Ski Triathlon. It’s always one race leg that rears its ugly head and this year it was the bike where athletes were forced to peddle through mash potato snow to complete it.
The KNSC would like to express its thanks to Homer Saw and Cycle for co-sponsoring the race and to all the generous businesses that donated door prizes and helped make the race possible: Captains Coffee, Chain Reaction Sports, Cosmic Kitchen, Cycle Logical, Fat Olives, Homer Saw & Cycle, Kenai Peninsula Suites and Marine Services of Alaska. The City of Homer, Public Works and the Homer volunteer fire department generously provided support for course set up and EMT monitoring.
I would like to personally thank all the many volunteers who helped during the preparation and day of the race. You all made it happen. Lastly, congratulations to all the athletes who participated. The KNSC hopes you had a great race and will come back again next year. Race results for Sea to Ski and all the other races for this year and past are posted at the KNSC website http://kachemaknordicskiclub.org/.
Mike Byerly
KNSC Sea to Ski Triathlon coordinator

Keep promise

Developing the Chuitna coal fields is one of the worst ideas ever to infect resource development in Alaska. Testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee concluded that PacRim’s plans to re-create a wild salmon stream are scientifically impossible. The plan will irreversibly destroy eleven miles of salmon streams. This irreversible destruction is cause for Gov. Parnell to instruct DRN Commissioner Daniel Sullivan to overturn his previous ruling and declare the Chuitna river, its tributaries and riparian zones as unsuitable for surface coal mining, the position expressed by the Chuitna Citizens Coalition.
Gov. Parnell promised never to trade one resource for another, and it is time that he keep his promise. This project sets a dangerous precedent in which no salmon stream will be safe: There should be no mining through salmon streams, not now, not ever.
Rob Lund


I recently graduated from the February 2012 Homer Complete Health Improvement Project. Like my fellow classmates, during the four week course, I lost weight and my blood pressure decreased significantly. As a group of 31, our average cholesterol fell by 14 points (nearly 16 percent) and blood pressure and abnormal glucose levels are normalizing. The average weight loss was 7.86 pounds.  Some lost less than that, but a few of us lost much more. 
CHIP is a lifestyle.  No counting, nor weighing – just eating. As one of my classmates said, CHIP is not a diet. It’s a “live it.”

The next CHIP class begins on April 2. The Health Screening is on March 29. An informational (no obligation) meeting is 2 p.m. March 25 at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church at 210 Pioneer Avenue. Call Judith James with questions at 235-2574 or email her at homerchip@acsalaska.net.

If you have, or wish to avoid, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, many cancers, and high blood pressure, CHIP is for you. In a supportive, science-based environment, learn how to be “healthy by choice and not by chance.”
I highly recommend CHIP for everyone.
Kim Burrows

Playground project needs you

What does it take to build a fantastic new playground in only eight days, using almost all volunteer labor? You!
The Homer Playground Project has made some great strides recently, including signing up a core group of “Build Captains” to be the backbone of the new playground Build Week (May 20 – May 27.) Thank you, captains! And we’re still recruiting more. Check out www.homerplaygroundproject.org. We look forward to honoring your incredible commitment to the playground in the weeks and months to come.
In addition, there are many folks to thank for their generous efforts to make the new playground a reality: Judy Foster and Fred Keller with their giant Radio Flyer Wagon, Sunny Bourgeois of Ocean House Inn, Kathy and Evan Vogl of the Mermaid Café, Peter & Erin Micciche and family, Todd Steiner of Steiner’s North Star Construction, surveyor Steve Smith, Fat Olive’s Restaurant, Safeway, Two Sisters, Tia Pietsch (creator of HoPP’s fabulous logo), Gee Denton, and many others. The new playground would still be a hazy dream without the tireless and ongoing efforts of the whole HoPP crew: Glenna Shirts, Larry Shirts, Bekah Pearson, Kara Clemens, Cheryl Illg, Mike Illg, Laura Pomeroy, Rebecca Clarke, Angie Newby, Esther Lowe, Tricia Lillibridge, Corina Hancock, Terry Mayhew, Kate Crowley, Sharon Roufa, Kristen Cook, Jared Cook, Jane Nollar, Erica Marley, Allison Gaylord, Shannon McBride-Morin, Erik Niebuhr, Amy Alderfer, Anne Marie Holen, Carmen Field, Ginger Moore, Jack Wiles, Jeanne Parker, Jonathan Walker, Joy Overson, Robert Archibald, and Tolya Stonorov.
Deb Cox and Miranda Weiss

Grateful for South Peninsula Hospital

I want to applaud the medical staff and the new orthopedic surgeon at the South Peninsula Hospital here in Homer.  I had back surgery back in January of this year.  The surgery was successful and I am nearing the end of my recovery. How awesome to have quality health care here in our community. The new renovations and additions to the hospital were as good as anywhere. The nursing staff was great.
Last summer, I was treated by a spine specialist in Anchorage and had  two cortisone shots ($8,000 each).  After the second shot, the doctor informed me I had a bad back, and would have to live with it the rest of my life.  I was inoperable. Not quite what one wants to hear. And, so, I thought a second opinion was needed.  After learning of our new addition to the medical staff here, I went in for a second opinion. Surgery was very much possible, and after recovery, I should resume a “normal” life.  And, here I am pain free, and nearly fully recovered.  I am grateful to God and the medical staff here for the excellent care I received. 
Again I applaud you all. Thank you.
Alfred Huff

Time to donate to food pantry

In looking back at 2011, the Homer Community Food Pantry has seen gradual changes and a continuous pattern of growth over our 20 years.  Last year, the Homer community gave 45,000 pounds of food which is awesome.  Of our total income, 11 percent comes from fundraisers, 10 percent from grants, but a whopping 79 percent comes from private contributions from our own community.  Isn’t that something.
 We see people from all walks of life get involved:  Delta Kappa Gamma with school supplies, Harvest for H.O.P.E. with vegetables and warm clothing, the Rotary Clubs, Board of Realtors, Senior Center, Alaska USA Credit Union, the schools, the churches, the Girl and Boy Scouts with both food drives and financial support.  The community’s involvement with regard for others is amazing.
For the 15th consecutive year, the Feinstein Grant will divide $1 million among hunger fighting agencies nationwide, using it to raise food and funds.  During the month of March and April, the more donations, both monetary and non-monetary that are made to the Pantry, the larger our share of the grant can be. Our community has partnered with us on the grant for 15 years now.
 Some facts about the Pantry, you might like to know. In 2011:
• We served 27,345 food boxes, purchased an average of $1,000 worth of food for our clients per month, and served three schools healthy snacks. Approximately 25 families received food boxes weekly across the Bay thanks to Homer Air and Smokey Bay Air. Our income was down 13 percent from 2010 and expenses were up 23 percent, and our emergency utilities, gas and fuel expenses were all up. We lost two board members:  Hulkia Strydom and Helene Morawitz. Soon a third, Donnie Campbell, will move.
In 2012: 
• We have seen a significant rise in families needing help with heating costs in January and February, and have helped more homeless individuals by two thirds. We have a need for a fundraising committee, as we lack volunteers to fulfill this need. Any help would be appreciated.
We are all part of the solution to hunger here.  Our “all-volunteer army” wants you to know we see this as a partnership, a collective group who care about their neighbors. Keep up the good work, Homer.
Diana Jeska and HCFP board

The ‘scary stuff’ of global warming

You’ve heard of the Gaia Theory, postulating the earth is alive; a carefully balanced and evolving living organism that creates and maintains conditions suitable to life. Basically, it’s a biological and chemical feedback system that, by actively interfacing with existing life (think genetics, photosynthesis, heat/energy transfers), gradually modifies the whole earth including the thin water, land, and air biospheres where humanity exists. It’s been compared to the human body with its many complex interconnecting systems that sustain human life. Think of how sensitive and reactive you and your body are in any form of physical (or even mental) pain, discomfort, sickness or injury. It’s difficult to believe that Earth’s complex systems aren’t equally affected.
I say this because, while doing Google Earth recently, I happened to notice a vast, Florida-sized, unusual-appearing patch of tan, looking vaguely like a monstrous road-kill, in western Brazil, (type in: Rondonia Brazil, zoom in, or: Urupa Brazil, zoom out) just north, northeast of Bolivia. It appears to be rain-forest area. The rain-forest, you may recall, supposedly is habitat for about 90 percent of earth’s biodiversity.
Check it out and see what you think. I have my own opinion, of course. But, I can tell you that I’ve recently been reading books about global warming. For a good overview I suggest googling “Donald R. Prothero on Anthropogenic Global Warming” or www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/12-02-08/ about one page down, just past “Monsters in America.”
Scary stuff (monsters and global warming). Not for me, so much – but for your kids.
Larry Slone

Cook Inlet needs careful watch

As a new wave of oil and gas development descends upon Cook Inlet, it’s important to recognize Cook Inlet receives considerably less scrutiny from regulators than other oil producing regions in Alaska and beyond.  Buccaneer Energy is a good example.  Buccaneer is the company using State of Alaska funds to upgrade a jack-up drill rig in Singapore before bringing it into service in Cook Inlet later this year. 
Buccaneer has already riled private property owners around the Kenai area, many of whom have refused to grant the company access to their properties for seismic work.  Just this past week, the Army Corps let Buccaneer off the hook for hundreds of violations of the Clean Water Act, after Buccaneer failed to obtain a permit for setting explosives in wetlands.  The Corps issued no fine, and an “after-the-fact” permit for the violations. 
Across the Inlet, the Christie Lee platform – where tankers load crude from the Drift River Terminal and facilities upstream – lost a massive fender needed to dock vessels.  So now, Hilcorp – the Texas independent which bought Chevron’s Cook Inlet assets last year – may very well store oil again as the base of an active volcano (recall last time Redoubt erupted, Chevron left 6 million gallons of crude teetering above our fisheries as massive lahars swept around the Drift River tank farm). 
Finally, at the docks in Nikiski, a tug helping to keep a tanker against the dock during a large tide and ice episode apparently lost power, dragging the tanker dangerously down the dock.  Quick action prevented a major casualty, but we’ve known since at least 1993 those docks are notoriously dangerous, yet we continue to operate right up to the edge of safety.  If these stories were anomalies, it would be one thing.  But they’re not; they’re business as usual in Cook Inlet.  As new exploration and development unfold in Cook Inlet, our politicians and regulators need to treat Cook Inlet like the world-class resource it is.
Bob Shavelson,
director of Advocacy,
Cook Inletkeeper　

On Friday evening, at the Homer Council on the Arts Gallery concert, an audience of enthusiastic and appreciative music lovers gathered. My heartfelt thanks goes out to you for making it such a fun concert for me and the talented musicians I was honored to share the stage with.
My thanks to Sunrise Sjoberg, Tim Quinn, Jenny Martin and Lindianne Sarno for your collaboration and patience. Thank you to the Arts Council for providing the venue and the myriad of behind-the-scenes tasks.
Without the audience’s support and encouragement, events like this would not exist. You are the reason musicians put in countless hours of practice and summon up the courage to perform in public. May you all find that joy in your life.
Cindy McKenna

Writing to enrich lives

What a bountiful weekend for Homer Council on the Arts with writers, readers, singers, drummers, dancers, donors, sponsors, supporters and bidders.
Congratulations to the winners of the Kenai Peninsula Writers Contest, and thank you for reading your winning entries on Friday night. And, thank you to the judges near and far for your time and expertise.
Thank you to Bodett and Company, Homer Foundation and Homer News for supporting this 20- year-old literary tradition.
Thank you to Robin Hopper for the benefit concert she so generously gifted to the Arts Council on Friday night. She is a fabulous storyteller, and so skilled at weaving her stories with her songs. Her workshop on Saturday and Sunday was deeply appreciated by those who participated and the group hopes to have her back.
Thank you Alaska State Council on the Arts, Era Alaska, Ocean Shores Motel and Nomad Shelters for supporting this enriching and inspiring workshop. Despite the wild and windy snowstorm on Saturday night, the Elks Lodge was filled with rhythm and enthusiastic support during the Marimba Madness FUNdraiser.
Thank you to the bands Shamwari, Zuva and Rufaro for a fabulous night of marimba music. The raffles and auctions were quick and mighty with Dave Aplin on the mic. Thank you Homer supporters and those visiting Homer for your amazing bids on the delicious desserts. Thank you to the bakers and thank you Don Jose’s and Fat Olives for your donated pizza.
And to all the Arts Council volunteers, staff and board members who work so hard to support the arts in Homer.
How satisfying it is to see the efforts of our work reflected back with dances, smiles, laughs and gratitude acknowledging how the arts truly enrich our lives in Homer.
Gail Edgerly,
executive director
Homer Council on the Arts

Swimmers score new board

If you’ve been by the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center recently, you may have noticed a change. The pool’s antiquated scoreboard has been replaced by a brand new one.
The Kachemak Swim Club would like to wholeheartedly thank the anonymous donor who made this possible. We are looking forward to trying it out later this month when KSC hosts the March Madness Invitational on March 23 and 24.
This fall, the Mariners will also be hosting the High School Regional competition. The addition of this new score board will help make both of these meets a great experience for our swimmers, coaches and parent volunteers.
Thank you, thank you, thank you from the entire Kachemak Swim Club. We are currently fundraising with our annual Swim-a-thon, so if you see a young swimmer with a clipboard in hand, we hope you will offer your support.
Paul Castellani
KSC advisory board

Bagging a bundle of baby bounty

We would like to thank everyone for celebrating the birth of our son Nicholas, Homer’s first baby of 2012, with us.
We received so many wonderful gifts and cards. This community has blessed us with its generosity many times, and each time it continues to be so truly amazing.
Thank you Kachemak Bay Medical Clinic, South Peninsula Hospital and to all of our awesome nurses for all the great care. Thank you to Timeless Toys. Homer Family Theatre, Bay Realty, Birth 2 Three, Cosmic Kitchen, Curnes, Duncan House, Fat Olives, Helen Jackson, Homer Bookstore, Homer Elks Lodge, Homer’s Jeans, Homer News, Homer Saw & Cycle, Homer Senior Center, Old Inlet Bookshop, Pregnancy Care Center, SPH Auxiliary, SPH Birth Center, Spenard’s Building Supply and Jeanie Aspen for all the fun baby loot.
Jesse and Rhonda Sherwood
and Family

Bringing entertainment ‘Power’ to town

On Friday, Feb. 24, I promoted a concert at the Homer Elks Club. I would like to thank AJ’s Steakhouse, Fat Olives, Lands End Resort, Driftwood Inn, Pepsi, Hand Painted Signs, All About You, and North Wind for their support.
I just started a new business, and am focusing on bringing more live entertainment to the town I grew up in. It was great to see how many local businesses stepped up to support me. The concert went really well, and I look forward to doing it again.
Growing up in Homer, I always remember hearing, “There’s nothing to do in this town.” It’s my hope that I can help change that.
Thank you again to those businesses, and to my family and friends who helped out at the show.
Mathew Plant
Power Plant Productions

Homer is our town. It belongs to all of us who live here. You don’t have to be a business owner or work for the city. If you live here, you are a citizen of Homer. As citizens we have responsibilities – including making sure our justice system is fair and efficient.
Our judicial system has big problems. One friend said she’d served on two juries in Homer that acquitted people she suspected of being guilty, because evidence showed the local police officers had lied, and so jurors didn’t believe the prosecutor’s evidence.
Higher courts have ruled that police officers can lie to subjects when they question them. For instance, an officer can tell a subject, “Your partner told me you committed this crime,” when the partner never said such a thing.  Such a lie may be useful for putting away alleged criminals, but it is equally useful for pressuring the innocent into confessions. 
I feel that police lies lead to many abuses of the justice system, turning it into an injustice system.  The trouble is, lying quickly becomes a bad habit, especially when an officer believes a lie will put away “bad guys.”  I personally have heard Homer police lie to make a better case.  It almost always backfires, however, and results in injustice:  either innocents are convicted or the guilty let go.  Either way, as citizens, we need to protest lying as a misuse of police power.
 A police officer once told a friend of mine that he doesn’t work for the people of Homer, he works for the city administration.  Fine.  The chief of police works for the city manager, and the city manager works for the city council.  The city council works for the citizens of Homer.  We, citizens, have the power and the duty to make justice work in our town.
I suggest, that past lies by the police be forgiven, but that any future lies in police reports or in court testimony result in immediate dismissal of the lying officer.  It wouldn’t take long for such a policy, strictly enforced, to change the culture of our police department and help them do their job of enforcing the law fairly. 
We need a good, honest, police force in Homer, and I think most officers are honest.  But, too much dishonesty has occurred in Homer’s past, and we must demand that it cease.
Bumppo Bremicker

State favors nonresident hunters

Shoot the wolves, bait and trap bears — for whom?
The 2012 hunting season in Alaska is, as always, big business as the deal cut between the big game lobbyists, the governor and the legislature continues to ignore the law of the land.
Once again, more than 400 Alaskan families have lost their sport and meat hunting rights to non-resident hunters. Rights, I might add, which are guaranteed and provided for under the 8th amendment to the Alaska Constitution. This wanton, and deliberate breech of Alaskan’s hunting, brings big license fees to the state as well as millions of dollars for big game guides, creating a privileged class of citizens. Through political greed, wildlife policies perpetuate genocide upon other animal species. All for the protection of continued 19th-century style big game safaris in the 49th state.
Only after every qualified Alaskan has been given opportunity to the right of access to their common sport, or food, should consideration be given to non-resident hunting within the state.
John Anderson

Mariner parent grateful for support

I would like to thank all of the people that came out to the Homer High School gym the weekend of the Wasilla/Homer game and the ones that came back since then.
I saw many familiar faces that I haven’t seen for a while.  It was appreciated that we had many more fans in the gym than our opponents.
Also, a heartfelt thank you to all of you, from all of us, who bought a ticket or an entire book of “cash raffle” tickets in support of the Mariner boys basketball program.  Every year we have to fundraise, fundraise and fundraise some more, in order to travel around the state to get to games.  Without these funds, our program would not survive.  So, thanks a million.  Sometimes the best place for these athletes is on a rickety old bus with no seatbelts, heading to their next sports event.  They love it!  And with all of the many threats of cutting funds and the reality of cutting funds, these dollars go a long way for our programs.
See you next year.
Kim Greer,
parent and fan
 

Ron Paul can make a change

As Rome began its fall, Romans demanded bread and circuses from the government. Also, imperialism and lead poisoning contributed to their fall. History repeats itself.
I believe we, the people, have become over dependent on government. “Government, give me money, government give me food, government protect me from the terrorists, government give me health care.” But where does government get its money, especially if the wealthiest don’t pay their share?
A safety net for the poorest is necessary. I am more concerned with corporate welfare, bankers and war profiteers. 
The shadow government is worse. They have our money, our media, our oil/energy our government. But what is worst, is they have most of our minds. They want to make us a poor nation because we will be more easily controlled. It is in the interest of global elites to destroy our nation and keep us dumbed down, fluoridated and vaccinated.
Truth and transparency have taken a real beating. An understanding, informed public is so important at this juncture in history. I feel like I should have a right to know what crimes my government commits in my name (Manning).
I should be allowed to know if my food is GMO. I don’t want to be NDAA assassinated by my president because of my politics (Breitbart). We have a slight chance to somewhat straighten things out with a game changer like Ron Paul. 
Rev. Richard Olson

Artists inspire student creativity

On behalf of my peers and myself, I would like to thank the Bunnell Street Arts Center for their local administration of the Artist in the School Program.
Specifically, we spent two weeks with Art Koeninger creating our own handmade jewelry pieces. Art taught us to open our minds and be creative, and experiencing his art class will inspire some of us to take our love for art a step further.
His class also has inspired Flex students to keep working on their pieces here, since he left us materials that will let us continue working. This was a great experience for all students involved, and we are looking forward to other art programs to be introduced next year.
Homer Flex High School would like to acknowledge the funders of the Bunnell Street Arts Center: Alaska State Council on the Arts, Jewel, Rasmuson Foundation and Conoco Phillips. We would also like to thank our legislators Paul Seaton and Gary Stevens for continually funding the Alaska State Council on the Arts. Thank you very much.
Jessica Jones,
on behalf of Homer Flex students and staff

Be there, or lose out

At its March 12 meeting, the Homer City Council will, courtesy of Councilman Hogan, revisit and possibly rescind the recent sewer and water cost increase now being applied to multi-plex owners. As an apartment owner, I expect to provide my input. Hope you will, too.
Larry Slone

Playing on the pond

Last weekend, was the first Annual Pond Hockey Tournament in Homer, a fundraiser for Homer Hockey Association. Although the tournament was forced inside due to warm weather and unsafe conditions on Beluga Lake, the tournament was a huge success. Players from Soldotna, Anchorage and Kodiak came down to take part in the action.
We would like to thank all the local businesses that helped to make this fundraiser tournament happen. We are grateful to Beluga Lake Lodge for sponsoring our tournament and allowing us to hold all our post-game events at their facilities. Their food is fabulous and they are always so wonderfully accommodating.
SBS donated wood to make the goals and the Gear Shed donated the “Golden Shovels” for trophies. Cook Inletkeeper allowed the use of their video equipment and Hank’s Water spent countless hours trying to help us get the rink on Beluga Lake going. Owen’s plowing spent hours clearing snow on the lake, as did Travis Brown and Tabor Webb. Thanks for all your help and we can’t wait to do it again next year on the Lake.
Ingrid Harrald, Chris Brown,
Chris Cushman, Pond committee

It’s OK to be ‘fat’ in cycling’s cause

Homer Cycling Club’s first annual Big Fat Bike Festival was an immensely fun success. Fat bikers flocked to Homer from all across the Peninsula and Anchorage, and from as far away as Palmer. There is a good chance that next year’s event will see people traveling here from Outside.
Organizing any inaugural event is a huge challenge, add to that a team of novice event planners and it would seem a recipe for disaster. In reality, sheer enthusiasm and determination were enough to realize our hopes.
We could not have pulled this off without an immense outpouring of support and encouragement from two different communities.
The state and national fat biking community were extremely generous in helping to spread word of the festival, and with auction items. In particular Chain Reaction Cycles, Salsa and Surly went above and beyond.
Our local community came through big time as well. Cook Inletkeeper’s willingness to listen to our proposal and then to support the festival enabled us to highlight an important link between non-motorized enjoyment of the wilderness and beaches and the need to actively work to protect their pristine qualities.
The logistics of transporting 40 bikes to Anchor Point was becoming a nightmare until Homer Brewing Company stepped up to volunteer their van, complete with Steve McAsland as driver. Nomad Shelter Yurts provided the perfect space for the bicycle art show.
Many, many more Homer-area businesses and individuals gave willingly of their time, services and inventory. We appreciate all your generosity, but are not able to recognize you all individually here.
Funds raised will be used to further our mission of promoting cycling as environmentally friendly, healthy and enjoyable.
If you would like to be involved, Homer Cycling Club meets in Room B103 at Homer High School at 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month.
Catriona Lowe
Homer Cycling Club