20 years ago

Homer Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bob Painter received the Nichola Rosecrans Award for Painter’s efforts in establishing the Kids Don’t Float child safety program. The Rosencrans award was named after a 2-year-old boy who fell into an unfenced swimming pool and drowned, and it honors work by EMTs to eliminate preventable injuries of children.

Painter started Kids Don’t Float after he realized drowning prevention programs often looked at recreational drownings and not accidents that happened around homes. Working with the Safe Kids Coalition, Homer Community Schools and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Kids Don’t Float created educational packets and also put up kiosks with child personal flotation devices to loan at 10 Kachemak Bay sites.

— From the issue of Jan. 30, 2002

30 years ago

Halibut Cove artist Alex Combs’ foray into advertising drew criticism for his painting of a musher hauling a sled with a giant bottle of Absolut vodka. Absolut commissioned art works from artists in every 50 of the United States. A sale of 300 lithographs of the art was expected to raise $4.6 million, with the funds donated to Design Industries Foundation for AIDS.

Alaska Native leaders objected to the painting because it sent a harmful message to rural Alaska, where alcoholism contributes to death and destruction.

— From the issue of Jan. 70, 1992

50 years ago

The Jan. 27, 1972 issue is missing from from the Homer News archives.