It’s been a rough week here at our quaint little cosmic hamlet by the sea. With the town in a hullabaloo over some nastiness that
happened last month at a teen drinking party, things have been a bit tense. We’ve held town meetings, written letters to the editor and dashed off screeds online. In between we’ve cried, prayed, hugged and hopefully listened to each other.

Add some typical crummy fall weather and increasing darkness, and folks have been a bit touchy. Nerves are raw. Emotions run high — and low. We’re at Defcon Uh Oh Factor 5, which more or less means nurses, EMTs, cops and firefighters turn their radios a bit louder and prepare for the worst. Not that they expect it, but hey, when people get upset, stuff happens.

Whew. Did the Betster mention tears, prayers and hugs? Yeah. Not a bad idea.

It’s hard to be funny and flip in times like this, although the Betster notes that some of the best humor writing comes out of pain. Pain our town has been going through. How can you laugh at that? You can’t. 

But maybe we can laugh together, not at the situation itself, but at the silly things we see around town — cute babies and funny dogs, say. With all the terrible storms we’ve endured, we know that the sun eventually shines, maybe not warm enough to dry our tears, but maybe warm enough to soften them.

Sure enough, we’ve had crisp autumn days full of yellow leaves, geese flying above, beautiful sunsets and in the clear nights, a mellow waxing moon and arcs of shimmering green northern lights glowing from horizon to horizon.

We’ll get through this. We always have, and maybe this time we’ll emerge better, stronger and closer. That’s the miracle of small towns, where we somehow manage to enjoy life, maybe with some of these Best Bets:

 

BEST BIG THREE-OH BET: Wow. The China Poot Bay Society is all grown up, now called the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, with programs and offices from Peterson Bay to Skyline Drive. Help CACS celebrate its 30th anniversary with a potluck dinner starting at 6 p.m. today for its annual meeting. There will be music and even a few special guests.

 

BEST BIG SIX-OH BET: CACS is just a whippersnapper compared to the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. Started in 1952, and still mostly volunteer, HVFD has a big 60th anniversary party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the firehall on Pioneer Avenue. Enjoy hot dogs, chips and drinks and check out all the shiny trucks.

 

BEST GO BIG BLUE BET: Yeah, the Mariners football team has had a really rough week, but the team remains strong and for the second year plays in the state championships against Soldotna at 7 p.m. Saturday at Chugiak High School. If you can’t make it there, think about them then and wish them well.

 

BEST JUST THE FAQS BET: Have a lot of
frequently asked questions about the Homer Gas Line Special Assessment District? Learn about the process and how it will affect Homer residents in two meetings next week from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in the Homer High School commons.

 

BEST SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE MUSIC BET: It’s the end of an era on Monday when Homer Mayor James Hornaday bangs the gavel for the last time at a special meeting at 5 p.m. Monday of the Homer City Council. He’s calling it his third retirement, after
working as a lawyer and judge. And didn’t he retire twice from the bar? The Betster has lost track. Anyway, say farewell to the mayor and welcome new mayor Beth Wythe as she and council members Francie Roberts and Beau Burgess are sworn in. Don’t miss the ever exciting seating chart shuffle and election of a new Mayor Pro Tem.