Homer Foundation support appreciated
I would like to publicly express my gratitude to the Homer Foundation for awarding me $500 toward continuing to develop professionally as a classroom teacher. Teachers must constantly continue their own education, refining skills and boosting student achievement. This award will help me offset the cost of two courses, Multicultural Education and Alaska Studies, which all new-to-Alaska teachers must complete within the first two years of service in order to maintain Alaska teaching certification.
I am excited to apply the learning outcomes of these two courses to my teaching practice. In doing so, I will be even more equipped to handle the complex needs of 21st century learning. I will chip away at closing the achievement gap, genuinely not leaving any children behind academically, while revitalizing faith and trust in the promises of democracy, equality and justice, building education systems that reflect and celebrate diverse cultural contributions, and providing more robust learning opportunities for all students in my classroom.
The Alaska Studies course will enable me to more deeply examine the interaction of the social, economic and political histories of Alaska with educational practices. This insight will help me be a more effective teacher as I will be able to bring a more reflective and informed perspective to the classroom regarding the roles that society, economy and politics play in the lives of my students and their families.
The Multicultural Education course will focus on the interaction between culture and education in the unique cultural landscape of Alaska’s schools. Culturally responsive teaching practices have a profound impact on the effectiveness of a classroom teacher, and this course will enable me to respond more positively and constructively to the complex dynamics of society and the diverse needs of all the learners in my classroom.
Once again, thank you to the Homer Foundation for awarding me this grant to continue to develop and grow professionally as a teacher.
Respectfully,
Stephanie Zanati, West Homer Elementary
More appreciation for the Homer Foundation
I would like to say a huge thank you to the Homer Foundation and the supporters of the Educators Professional Development Fund! I am honored and grateful to be the recipient of this scholarship award of $1,000, which goes toward my continuing professional education. I am currently enrolled in a Library Media Certification program through Montana State University with a goal of working in a local public school library.
I love the course work and have a goal of completing the program this summer. As a community member since 2002, I have witnessed the incredible philanthropic and charitable activities of the Homer Foundation. The mission of the Homer Foundation makes our community stronger in so many different ways. I am personally grateful to receive this award and also thrilled to know that the Homer Foundation supports our local public school educators in this way. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Deb Curtis
Grateful for Ptarmigan Arts scholarship
As a kid, I always had aspirations of going to college and studying the “subject of my dreams.” In middle school, it seemed like such a far-away concept. Yet, here I am, a graduate, and a mere few months away from beginning that new chapter of my life. As both an artist, and a devoted academic, I look forward to the rigor that college can offer. However, without the deeply generous Ptarmigan Arts Visual Arts Scholarship of $1,250 from the Homer Foundation, this dream of mine would simply not be possible.
Their passion for the arts and encouragement of youth art in our own wonderful small town is inspirational. I want to send my deepest and truest gratitude to the Homer Foundation for creating this opportunity for aspiring youth, such as myself, to achieve their goals in secondary education.
Vianne Sarber
Kachemak City park festival was a success
The Kachemak City Park Revitalization committee would like to thank everyone who attended our festival on Saturday evening. It was a huge success. We want to thank our bands, Atz Lee Kilcher and John Cottingham, Greenstone and our sound man, Mike Hayes. The Kachemak Bay Lions club donated and served over 225 hot dogs, and Kary Brinson made delicious chili, which Fannie Downes kept simmering hot.
L&R services donated the bouncy house, and the Homer Library bookmobile were both big hits with families, along with the face painting and kids games. The Homer Volunteer Fire Department gave tours on the Kachemak City engine and had the ambulance crew on hand. The pickleball teams were busy with their exhibition. Our pie auction with auctioneer Ernest Whipple (Greenstone lead singer) was a hit, and we thank everyone who donated.
This party would not have happened without the leadership of our committee chairman, vice-mayor and Greenstone drummer Bill Fry. He also donated a custom built fire pit to our highest donor at the party.
We plan to begin demolition on the 1970s-era tennis courts in August and will have a new multi-use pickleball, tennis and basketball court. The crew will start on The Pump Bike Track in July.
We thank the Homer Foundation for joining our park vision with their fiscal sponsorship. It’s not too late to make a tax deductible contribution at the Homer Foundation, designated for the Kachemak City Playground Fund.
Connie Isenhour, Kachemak City Council & Park Revitalization member
Another brilliant move from Sen. Murkowski
Dear Editor,
Last Thursday Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced her support for Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. She was quoted as saying this bill is good for Alaska, as she had arranged for it to include $7.5 billion to fund electric-powered ferries here. You are probably wondering that if it is too cold in the Alaska winter for electric cars to be reliable, how is an electric ferry going to work out?
You are also probably wondering what the benefit of an electric ferry is when the electricity in some small towns served by the ferry is provided by diesel generators. It would seem to defeat any benefit of having an electric ferry run from Homer all the way down to Sand Point, Chignik or Cold Bay if the batteries must then be charged with the diesel-powered generators there.
Perhaps this is like the “Bridge to Nowhere” from several years ago, where we got to keep the money but never got the bridge. Whatever her plan is, I am going to email the senator to let her know what I think about her electric ferry idea and also her support of Joe Biden’s wasteful, pork filled, inflation causing, infrastructure bill. I would encourage other like-minded Alaskans to do the same.
Respectfully,
Greg Sarber
The epitome of enlightenment
Four Trump years and two campaigns later were an adventure in fear for the American people.
But the upside is that we now are aware that America has 70 million racists, insurgents and anti-Constitutionalists, as well as an equal number of voter suppressionists, all of whom own one or more firearms per household.
Their very charismatic leader, Donald Trump, is a man who exemplifies the essence of the term, “Stay constantly vigilant, observing all that takes place within sight or hearing.”
John A. Anderson, Kenai
