20 years ago

The Homer City Council voted that it was in the best interest of the city to put some leases on Homer Spit city land back on the market rather than renew them for the current lease holder. That infuriated the lease holder whose three leases were set to expire. The council considered a motion to extend for six months any leases coming up for expiration, but that died on a 3-2 vote.

Homer Mayor Jack Cushing criticized the attempt to revise city lease policy, saying council members had not done their homework. The city discussed lease policy in 1994 and 1995. The council also had given the lease holder a 20-year extension in 1998, and required the business owner to provide a plan for improvements. However, no one had informed him of that. Because he didn’t prove up, his leases were expiring.

— From the issue of Feb. 28, 2002

30 years ago

The Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery faced renewed uncertainty after officials with Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, which took over operations in the summer of 1991, said an anticipated low pink salmon run might not provide enough revenue to run the hatchery. Unless CIAA got a big chunk of money from the Alaska Legislature, CIAA would return operation of the hatchery to the state, said CIAA director Tom Mears.

In 1991 the Alaska Legislature appropriated $400,000 to CIAA to cover its operating expenses. Mears said he expected about $50,000 to $100,000 would be left over, and that he didn’t anticipate more operating funds from the state. It cost about $400,000 a year ($811,000 in 2022 dollars) to run the hatchery.

— From the issue of Feb. 27, 1992

50 years ago

The Feb. 24, 1972 issue is missing from the Homer News archives.