Thanks for runner support
A big thank you to the Homer Foundation’s Opportunity Fund from the Kachemak Bay Running Club’s Board of Directors for its recent grant that has enabled the Running Club’s purchase of a custom electronic timing chip printer. While our upcoming running events like the Migration Run and Spit Run appear to be headed the way of “virtual events,” eventually we’ll come out safely on the backside of the COVID-19 pandemic and be out again in groups of happy runners and walkers.
And when we do, this printer will minimize the number of electronic timing chips we print up in advance of a running event and then never use because of a mismatch between anticipated field and actual number of runners showing up on the day of the race. By allowing us to precisely match the number of registered runners’ race bibs and timing chips with the actual number who show up on the day of the event we make our existing race timing system more cost effective and stretch our nonprofit dollars even further. Thanks again to the Homer Foundation.
Randy Wiest, Kachemak Bay Running Club Board Secretary
What about Outside visitors?
The Homer News article on Phase One of the health mandate revisions did not mention the 14-day quarantine for visitors to Home from Outside. Seems like a crucial issue given Homer’s reliance on summer tourism. Why would a visitor come to Homer, say to go halibut fishing, if they had to spend the first 14 days in their hotel room?
John Rogers, Bozeman, Montana
Grace Ridge supports Storyknife
Dana and I would like to thank Sherry and Don Stead of Grace Ridge Brewery and all of the kind folks who donated to the tip jar in March to support Storyknife Writers Retreat. Storyknife is a nonprofit writers residency that supports a diverse range of women writers from all across Alaska, the United States, and internationally. Currently, we’ve postponed residencies until we can assure the safety of our community and the writers.
We had hoped to have an open house in May, but instead, in June we’ll have a streaming event live on our Facebook page. We invite you all to intend “virtually.” We hope that next summer we’ll have the opportunity to give you a tour in person. We are looking forward to showing you the gorgeous quilts donated by the Kachemak Bay Quilters, beautiful art donated by local artists, hand-thrown place settings donated by local potters, gardens donated by Rita Jo Shoultz, and the craftsmanship of Dave and Dan Gerard, as well as the incredible work done by Scott Bauer and all the talented folks who worked to build Storyknife.
Homer is a vibrant community because of the wide-range of nonprofit organizations that give so much to all of us. Thank you again, Sherry and Don, for the way you encourage a different nonprofit each month. And thank all of you in the Homer community for the ways you support the organizations that mean so much to you.
Sincerely,
Erin Hollowell, Executive Director; Dana Stabenow, Founder, Storyknife
Summer@HPL gets big boost
Summer programming at the Homer Public Library has gotten a big boost, thanks to a generous donation from the KLEPS Fund at the Homer Foundation. After our annual fundraisers were canceled, the Friends of the Homer Library were facing reduced funding for the Library’s Summer Reading Program, but the KLEPS Fund has helped turn our summer around. Specifically, the KLEPS Fund is sponsoring the following events;
1. Virtual American Sign Language Club/Class for Kids ages 7-10 (begins May1)
2. Code Club/Class for Teens (begins April 29)
3. Virtual workshops with authors/illustrators— Date TBD
4. The Story Walk — For the entire family to enjoy! Check this out, it changes every month starting in April, running through September
Here is the landing page for Summer@HPL: https://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/library/summer-hpl-2020 or check out the Homer Public Library Facebook website (or their Facebook page) for more information on these great opportunities for kids this summer!
Thanks again to the generous folks of the KLEPS Fund at the Homer Foundation. To steal a quote, “you gotta love this town!”
Sara Reinert, Board Member, Friends of the Homer Library
Wear your face covering
As of this writing, Alaska State Mandates still require wearing cloth face coverings or mask when in places where maintaining a physical distance of 6 feet or more from others is difficult, such as in grocery stores and at the Post Office.
To wear a cloth mask properly is easy, if you follow some simple practices:
• Cover from bridge of your nose to over your chin
• Put it on, adjust to how you want it, and leave it alone
• Remove completely to eat/drink; don’t pull down and back up
• Touch only the ties or elastic straps when removing
• Wash your hands right away after removing
• Wash the cloth masks by hand or machine in hot, soapy water.
Those of us wearing glasses have an added challenge — how to keep our glasses from fogging over. The tighter you can make the fit over your nose/cheeks, the less your warm breath will leak out to cause fogging. Here are a few suggestions to try:
• Add a pipe cleaner or other small, bendable wire into the top edge of the mask
• Pull the mask up under the bridge of your glasses to help make a tighter seal
• Use an anti-fog wipe or spray
• Wear your glasses a little farther down the nose, to allow for more air circulation
• Wash the lenses in soapy water, and allow to air dry. The soap film may help prevent fogging.
Please encourage everyone you know to continue to wear masks in public areas, and when exercising or doing physical activities outdoors around others. If you are sick, isolate and wear a mask at home to protect your family. Continue frequent handwashing, maintain physical distancing, and if you have any symptoms of COVID-19, go get tested!
Donated masks can be picked up outside CycleLogical and Homer Saw & Cycle. Pre-cut masks to sew are available outside Skiff chicks.
We have done a great job in our community; let’s continue to follow Alaska State Mandates to stay safe and stay healthy.
Bonita Banks, BSN, RN, Community Educator, South Peninsula Hospital
Don’t celebrate insolence
Fifty-one years ago I was one of a sizable group of people protesting the Vietnam War on the Boston Common on a cool clear spring afternoon. We were loud but peaceful. A phalanx of Boston’s tactical police squad approached and warned us over a bullhorn that we were involved in an unlawful assembly. Members of our group shouted about individual rights and freedom of speech as the police scattered the mob with an ample supply of boots and billy clubs.
Flash forward to Saturday, April 28, 2020, and Mariner Park here in the Cosmic Hamlet. Clearly an act of unlawful assembly but the police flashed a hook ’em horns hand signal as opposed to the middle fingers and clenched fists that we faced long ago. I continue to be a strong proponent of individual rights, but life has taught me that our rights come with responsibilities.
We are a nation of laws. Lots of our laws limit what I consider to be my individual rights. As part of my contract of citizenship of this great nation I agree to these restrictions to the benefit of all the citizens. The Sons of Liberty, and more specifically the police lieutenant who drove on by while the group blatantly violated a lawful mandate against their behavior, should not be celebrated for their insolence and disobedience of a lawful order.
Bernie Gareau
