Booster club support appreciated

The Homer High School Mariner Booster Club would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Schroer for their generous financial support through the Homer Foundation. Your gift assisted us in providing bus transportation for organized sports and activities at Homer High School during the 2022-23 school year. The Booster Club operates as a nonprofit corporation under the Kenai Peninsula Student Activities Association (KPSAA) and the Alaska Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) and advocates for co-curricular activity participation.

Our Mariner teams worked hard during practices while maintaining standards of personal conduct and academic eligibility. Notable achievements in 2022-23 include:

First place at state: football and Nordic ski boys; Second place at state: track and field girls and boys, drama, debate, and forensics; 3rd place at state: cross-country girls and boys, and fourth place at state: soccer girls.

In addition, Homer High students earned numerous individual ASAA recognitions. We are truly grateful for your legacy and continued investment in our youth.

Homer High School Booster Club

Rural communities in Alaska affected By FCC deregulation

I recently learned that the FCC is deregulating the telecom industry, allowing them to shut down old-fashioned copper wire landline service across the country and move their customers to internet-based phone service. I strongly oppose this change and encourage the Homer government to do what it can to save our landlines.

My parents live in a small town outside Homer, and even though they have cell phones, they continue to rely on their landlines. Their cell service is spotty, and their internet goes in and out constantly.

And they aren’t alone. 53% of seniors over 65 still rely on landline phone service. The thought of my parents being stranded without a reliable way to reach family or emergency services during a crisis is profoundly worrying.

While some argue that deregulation promotes innovation and competition, the reality is that telecom companies have little incentive to invest in rural areas. The FCC’s hands-off approach leaves rural communities like my parents at the mercy of providers prioritizing profitability over connectivity.

I strongly urge the FCC to reconsider its deregulation for the sake of the millions living in rural America for whom the landline is a lifeline. The Alaska government should step in and take necessary actions that prioritize the communication needs of seniors in rural communities.

Alex Clarke

Homer