In view of the Homer City Council’s recent budget meetings and need to allocate limited funds, here are my thoughts on the question. First, thank you for supporting the needs assessment allocation; and second, please reconsider the cuts made to the Pratt and the Homer Foundation. 

I also would suggest that the arts and culture of Homer are not frills but integral parts of the fabric of our community. There is more to Homer than the view and the fish. We are known as a center, a haven, of arts and culture. It brings visitors to town; it puts us on the map; it attracts new tax-paying residents. Think, for just a moment, what your town might look and feel like without the art and culture we’ve come to take for granted. 

Please also consider that art and culture are not only wholesome recreation; besides  being an economic engine, they also are a matter of health and safety. Keeping our young people engaged and creating, and recreating, can only benefit us all. I hope you all got to experience the Quixotic shows that HCOA recently brought to town, with Mica Thomas, their associate artistic director and an alumnus of Pier One’s youth theatre and technical programs. 

Homer, I think we can all agree, is a very special place. Thank you for continuing to help keep it special. 

Ken Landfield 

(longtime Homer resident, Pier One Theatre board member and HACA partner)