20 years ago

Biologists from the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge have asked Kachemak Bay residents to be on the lookout for sick, injured or dead seabirds, particularly murres. Verena Gill, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Anchorage, says she has received reports of numerous dead or sick birds in Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay. Live birds have been reported to be lethargic and sick. Last weekend, Gill went to Seward for reports of dead murres and counted about 26 carcasses per mile of beach. She said eagles and other predators were picking off sick birds. The Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward captured some sick birds and has been rehabilitating them, she said.

— From the issue of March 25, 2004

30 years ago

There haven’t been many earth-shattering events in Homer’s history, though changing from a simple rural community to a real live little city might just qualify. Of course, there wasn’t any causal relationship 30 years ago when just four days after the earth shook and the Spit sank in the Great Alaska Earthquake the village of Homer became a city in the eyes of the state. Despite the havoc around them, officials posed, documents were signed and March 31, 1964, marked a new beginning for the fledgling municipality. A lot has happened since then, and on Thursday of next week, Homer celebrates its 30th anniversary with an open house at Homer City Hall.

— From the issue of March 24, 1994