As we look back on City Manager Walt Wrede’s 12 years of service to our community, I’d like to acknowledge his recent efforts to reduce interpersonal violence in Homer. Mr. Wrede, along with the Homer City Council and Mayor Wythe, has been outspoken in his support for Green Dot Homer. He also took the unprecedented step of ensuring all city employees receive training to learn how to safely intervene when they see a potentially violent situation or “red dot.” 

The reality is that too many of those we know and love are being hurt. It was my privilege as an instructor at one of these workshops to hear Mr. Wrede eloquently speak about the potential to create a community in which violence isn’t tolerated. The Green Dot strategy doesn’t ask us to complete this transformation overnight; it just asks us to consider what we, as individuals, can do to make it less likely that the next act of violence will happen. 

With his support and influence, Mr. Wrede has done just that. He has wielded a powerful green dot. I thank him for his heartfelt dedication to the safety and well-being of all Homer citizens. 

Carolyn Norton and the Green Dot Homer Team