Pioneers appreciate garden help

Within the last two weeks,the Pioneers of Alaska were given written permission by Parks Director Matt Steffy to take over maintenance on one of the gardens in Baycrest Overview Park.

I would like to thank the City of Homer, Parks Department, and Matt and his crew of workers for their support.

It was also great that the Soldotna and Homer State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities helped an old lady trying to clean up the curbs around the park. Bless them, they brought the DOT-PF street sweeper. It was done within a half hour. Thank you.

It’s so nice when state and city departments work together for the beautification of our city. After our gales on Sunday night, Aug. 30, all the leaves and branches were all over both the parking lot and sidewalk areas. We will have to see what can be done before Labor Day weekend when our visitors come down from up north.

There are five gardens at the Baycrest Overview maintained by Baycrest Edible Garden; Tracy Asselin and Jeannie McArthur; Homer City Parks Department; Homer Emblem Club (Marion Abeldgaard and friends), and Homer Garden Club, (Brenda Adams designer, garden club members do the maintenance). Pioneers of Alaska, Igloos #32 and #14, took over the fifth just recently to clean and redesign it. Next year, before Memorial Day weekend, we will have a fresh start.

Enjoy our wonderful view of Kachemak Bay before winter sets in. With cooperation, many things can get done.

Lorraine Haas, an old time Alaskan

HMS appreciates Homer Foundation

Dear Editor:

On behalf of the students and staff, I would like to thank David and Mary Schroer for their generous contribution and support to Homer Middle School through the Donor Advised Fund, a part of the Homer Foundation.

Their contribution of $3,000 goes a long way in helping Homer Middle School offer quality athletic programs for our students. This year’s donation enabled the purchase of 45 volleyball uniforms to outfit our A, B and C Teams. Thank you for giving our students the opportunity to play sports and to compete at the middle school level.

Sincerely,

Kari Lee Dendurent, Principal

Alaska veterans denounce Trump’s statements

As Alaska veterans of our nation’s armed services, we are proud to live in the state with the highest per person population of vets in the country, a state which treats its vets with honor and respect.

That’s why we are so disgusted but not surprised by the latest comments from President Trump about America’s vets. According to the Atlantic, Trump called U.S. soldiers injured or killed in war “losers,” objected to wounded vets participating in military parades and cancelled a 2018 visit to a French cemetery because he didn’t care about honoring those Americans killed in World War I and II. As he always says to news reports he disagrees with, Trump called the report “fake news.” But he’s said equally disparaging things about U.S. servicemen and women and vets his whole life.

That’s why America cannot tolerate four more years of Donald Trump. That’s why we’re voting for Joe Biden. Joe and Jill Biden’s son, Beau, served honorably in Iraq. Joe has honored and served America’s men and women in uniform his entire career. He is committed to properly preparing and equipping our troops when they are sent into harm’s way and respecting their service when they return home.

Nelson Angapak, U.S. Army (1969-71), Tuntutuliak; Jim Ayers, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran; Edward Wesley, U.S. Army, Vietnam Era; CW Floyd, U.S. Army (Retired), Vietnam Veteran; Charles O. Degnan, U.S. M.P.C., (1966-68), Unalakleet; Frank Gwartney, U.S. Navy Seabees, Vietnam Veteran; Joelle Hall, US Army (1983-87), U.S. Army Reserves and Guard (1987-90), and military spouse; Ray Johnson, U.S. Army, Disabled Veteran; Danyelle D. Kimp, Captain, U.S. Army (Retired); Elaine Lawrence, U.S. Air Force Veteran; Ronald Leighton, U.S. Army, Vietnam Veteran; Jodi Peterson, U.S. Army spouse; Oliver Schiess, Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps; Gil Serrano, U.S. Army, Vietnam Veteran; Phillip Smith, U.S. Army; John Sroufe, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam Veteran; Mike Szymanski, U.S. Navy, Vietnam Veteran; Major Felisa Wilson, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

Cooper is the right choice for representative

Kelly Cooper will represent our communities well in Juneau, as she has at the Borough Assembly here on the Kenai Peninsula. I have had the pleasure of working with Kelly in a variety of fashions over the last 20 years. Kelly has the passion and drive to improve the health of our communities in every manner possible, from physical and mental health to financial success and preserving our way of life.

I have always been impressed with Kelly’s willingness to both educate and be educated. None of us will find a representative with whom we agree on each and every topic. We do need representatives like Kelly who are earnest in their willingness to listen to additional perspectives, process new information and consider it on the merits, while also respectfully communicating if there are elements where they continue to have disagreement.

Please take the opportunity to meet with and/or have a discussion with Kelly—-you will quickly learn that she has the best interests of our communities in mind, and she will work passionately to represent us.

Thank you.

Mike Dye

Living with bears

Americans really love their animals

There’s hardly a family I know that doesn’t have

a pet cat, dog, rabbit, or even iguana

However, there’s another side to animal lore

that began with our Pilgrim heritage.

The first English settlers found a new world

with abundance of wild game to fill their larders:

deer, bears, hares, wild boars, salmon, even clams.

In England they had rarely had the opportunity to hunt or fish

because the king or the aristocrats owned all the hunting rights.

Alaskan Natives, and then we white folk, have thrived on hunting and fishing.

This year, however, at least on the south side of Kachemak Bay we wonder what to do with the sudden influx of black bears.

There’s hardly a family that hasn’t been visited with a curious and hungry bear.

One faction discusses the best guns and ammunition for shooting, skinning, and eating a bear

Another faction, myself included, is thrilled to keep track of the young mothers and their tiny cubs.

Having once lived in California I find it amusing that the bear on the state flag lasted longer

than the actual bears that once lived there.

But I’d rather argue over bears than upcoming political candidates

So I wish all my neighbors a happy, sunny day.

Diana Conway, Halibut Cove