I am deeply distressed by the current recall effort. The city council is a legislative body responsible for advocating for the health and well-being of the city as a whole. Part of this process is to propose and discuss resolutions and ordinances, including those brought to them by individual community members.
I would like to relay my disappointment in the Homer City Council regarding their lack of support for the commercial fishing industry in recent years. I have expressed this very same discontent at Port and Harbor meetings in years past over harbor rate increases; however, I believe it may fall on deaf ears and is never relayed up the ladder.
Just say no to recall
I’m a 60-year-old lifetime Alaskan and remember paying my state income tax.
An Income tax is the only way we can get a contribution from the workers that take 25 percent of oilfield money out of state while only buying a beer at the airport in Anchorage as a contribution to our state’s economy.
I was in favor of re-instating it until last week, when I discovered the “Bait and Switch.”
That oversized Homer Electric Association envelop you got in the mail? Relax, it’s not an extra bill. Six good folks are running for three seats on the HEA board of directors and that envelope contains your ballot.
Kudos if you already marked your choice and sent it back.
This year’s Homer High School “Enchanted Forest” prom on April 15 was a rousing success. Heartfelt thanks goes first to the group of students, led by Samantha Moonin and Mychaela Pitta, who worked so hard on all the details of organizing this major public event.
My extended family includes people from across many political and religious spectrums. We include liberals, libertarians, and conservatives, Christians of various types, pagans, and non-believers. Many of us are activists working on opposite sides of causes about which we care deeply.
Just a thought on the recent recall effort of the Homer City Council members that is now resulting in a special election. I have read both sides of the issue and wanted to chime in. It’s interesting that myself looking at the email chain and somebody on the differing side of the issue have such a wide divide. To me, it shows that there was a personal motive for this initially being brought up.
Whether you are in favor of the state income tax or not, you should be aware of what appears to be a “bait and switch” by the elected proponents in state government.
They sold us a simple small percentage of fed tax bill, and delivered us a bill that is not fair to all Alaskans. They did not have the current proposal published during elections last fall.
I don’t like to be duped and deceived, and it is more upsetting that it comes from someone I respect and have supported in the past.
My wife, Faith, and I created three children. As they grew, they occasionally objected to our parental authority. (Especially in their teenage years.) As good parents, we never allowed such behavior. They would fully understand we are the parents and they are the child. They were pulled back to their natural place, as children, listening to their parents.
We, the people of Alaska, created our government. The people are the parents and government is the child. Today, the government in Juneau has stood up and opposed our parental authority.
The staff and especially the K-2 students of Fireweed Academy would like to thank Bunnell Street Arts Center and the Alaska State Council on the Arts for continuing to fund the Artist in Schools program. Courtesy of this program, local ceramicist Jeff Szarzi spent a week at Little Fireweed, presenting an interactive “Myths and Legends in Clay” program with our younger students. The kids spent time interacting with Jeff and each other as they explored the ever changing world of clay, creating pinch pots and pendants and experiencing a Raku firing on the playground.
This past Wednesday a group of high school kids and a group of elementary kids got together to have fun practicing soccer skills, and to support a fellow teammate and neighbor, all “Kickin’ it for Hoxie.” (See photo on page 17.) Thanks to a flexible and willing crew, 92 elementary kids participated in the fundraiser for Hoxie Parks, and the mini-camp exemplified the best of what positive things our small town can do when called on to contribute. The event was hosted and supported by Homer Parks and Recreation and Homer High School.
We’d like to thank everyone in Homer for the support we have received since our son Hoxie was diagnosed with cancer just a few weeks ago. It’s not easy being away from home while he receives treatment in Seattle but hearing of all the wonderful activities and events you have all held for him keeps some smiles on our faces.
The South Peninsula Haven House Board of Directors and staff would like to thank the community of Homer and surrounding area for your generosity in helping make our annual “Women of Distinction” event an overwhelming success. You truly opened up your hearts and generously parted with your hard-earned cash — through the gentle encouragement of Gary Thomas, our auctioneer extraordinaire.
Those in attendance helped us celebrate, and honor the contributions of Kelly Cooper, Lyn Maslow, Casey Marsh, and Donna and Bernie Gareau.
Homer Kachemak Bay Rotary Club invites you to apply for a mini grant that we are offering to a few local entities. These are for local projects that will benefit the community and or its children, and will range in amounts up to $1,000, depending on the scope of the project, value to the greater Homer area and availability of funds.
We are especially interested in projects where our members can also be involved.
Please email Milli Martin at millimom@xyz.net for application forms.
I’m greatly disappointed that the effort to recall city council members is proceeding to a vote. Recall is an extreme act, meant for removing from office before the end of a term an official for “misconduct in office, incompetence, or failure to perform prescribed duties.”
The Alaska Dispatch News ran a survey this past winter to find out how Alaskans felt about climate change. Here is what they discovered: 24 percent of Alaskans worry “a great deal” about climate change, 26 percent worry “not at all” and the rest of the respondents fell almost equally into the “worry some” and “don’t worry much” camps. This timely poll helps inform Kachemak Bay Conservation Society’s Alaskans Know Climate Change education campaign.
I want to express my deepest appreciation and respect for the commitment and hard work our three Homer City Council members, Catriona Reynolds, Donna Aderhold and Dave Lewis have given this community. I have worked with each of them over the years in circumstances both in and outside their council positions and have always regarded their efforts highly.
I want to express my appreciation for the often thankless work that is done to benefit our community by city employees and elected officials, in particular the three council members who are currently under attack for having brought forward a resolution to reaffirm Homer’s commitment to tolerance, inclusivity, and safety for everyone. Although an early draft of the resolution produced controversy, I believe the final draft would have spoken well for Homer.
Within any group of people there will be differing opinions. The people that volunteer to be city council members ideally will represent all of the people in our community. This would include not only those who oppose Resolution 17-019, but also, all of those citizens who were in favor of the resolution, as well.
