McNeil students write
Editor’s note: The following letters are from McNeil Canyon Elementary Students in grades 2 and 3.
Littering is not only bad for humans, it is also bad for animals. In my opinion people should stop littering. Littering could hurt animals. If they eat the trash, it could choke and die. They can also get tangled in it. Humans should stop littering because trash will fill the streets and it will start smelling. Littering is also a fire hazard. If something that can cause a fire does not go in the trash, it will burn all the litter and cause a gigantic fire. This is why you should not litter. I hope this will change your mind.
Kimberly Donyes, grade 3
In my opinion I think that people should not smoke in stores, cities or wherever they are. I think that people should not smoke because it will make them sick and sometimes pass away too. Another reason is that people can hurt their lungs by the stuff that is all sticky and sort of like earwax but a black color. It clogs your lungs and you won’t be able to breathe that well. Last but not least, when you are smoking and you have a child, the smoke from the cigarette can pollute their lungs too. Kids aren’t allowed to smoke because they can get sick and throw up. In conclusion, people should not smoke and these are my three reasons why.
Ella Rainwater, grade 3
Here are reasons why people should not steal. In my opinion people should not rob others. First of all, the person will be sad and can’t trust anyone. Secondly, the person will probably call the police and get you arrested. Last but not least, you would get in a very bad habit for robbing people. This is why I think people should stop robbing.
Gryffyn Linder, grade 3
Did you know a lot of people have been kidnapped? I believe that kidnapping is illegal. Do you realize that more people are getting kidnapped? Secondly, sometimes people are kidnapped for three months. For an example there was a girl that was kidnapped for three months. Finally, parents of the kid will be very disappointed. In conclusion, no one should get kidnapped.
Eli Weisser, grade 3
Everyone should be nice to one another. I think that everyone should be nice to one another because some people are not treated nicely. Secondly, everyone should be nice to one another because a lot of people are poor and not treated very well. Finally, everyone should be nice to one another because it is very nice to be nice to each other. That is why you should be kind to one another.
Emma Fisher, grade 3
How would you feel if I said that kidnapping is not okay? I feel like people should not kidnap because it is a scary moment for parents and kids. The parents could get scared if their kids get stolen. Secondly, people should not kidnap because you would go to jail for a while. It is technically stealing. In addition, kidnapping is not good because some people don’t give food or water so the person could die of thirst. Clearly, kidnapping is not OK to do at all.
Faith Overson, grade 3
Have you heard you should not steal? Do you realize America’s community is going down because of stealing? Do you realize people each day steal? Last but not least, people should not steal because a lot of cops will be after you. This is why people should not steal.
Jace Nordstrom, grade 2
I think road kill can be really bad because people and animals get hurt. First of all, road kill can be really bad because they can hurt people and cause a crash with a moose, a bear, or any animal. Secondly, road kill is a bad thing because if you aren’t paying attention to the road you can crash into an animal. Finally, if you crash into an animal, your body or the animal can get really bloody and you can get hurt really bad. This is why road kill is bad.
Ruby Guess, grade 2
Ghosts of legislatures past
“We demand Trump’s tax returns along with the full Mueller report” — and the White House says, “Not ever,” and there is nothing that the legislature can do about it. The answer is self-evident. The politicians in D.C. have spent nearly 200 years passing bills into law that contain built-in insurance policies for the protection of the very people that passed the bills in the first place.
Any bill passed by the U.S. Congress is impregnated with enough vagueness, loopholes, twisiting of the English language and innuendo to make them unenforceable on their faces, which was the intent of the politicians who voted them into law.
Just two of the demands made by the legislature recently asking for Trump’s tax return and the full Mueller report would take years of judicial review by the federal district, appellate and the Supreme Court prior to any possibility of a ruling being made, and by that time there will have been another presidential election.
If not re-elected, Trump will have had ample time to take care of any dirty laundry that may have been lying about, and a distracted America can go on living on the Internet where they have resided for the past two decades.
John A. Anderson, Kenai
Stars are connected
The electric universe is a fresh view of space. Stars, here, are transformers, not fusion furnaces. Celestial bodies are interconnected by current through the medium of space rather than gravitational force. Check it out — a real revelation in astrophysics. Black holes and dark matter are out. Space is of primordial matter called plasma, and it’s conductive. The key is conductivity. Electromagnetic fields are the connectivity of our universe. Magnetohydrodynamics is a name for this new and ancient cosmos.
Respectfully,
Tod Tenhoff
Cowboy Cabaret was successful
The Kachemak Bay Equestrian Association had another successful Cowboy Cabaret Fundraising Roundup for Cottonwood Horse Park. The Master of Ceremonies Mark Marette rode in from the Head of the Bay. We so appreciate his talents. A big thank you to Alice’s for supplying the corral and to the generous businesses and community members who donated the goods for the live and silent auctions. Thanks to all the KBEA Board Members who made this shindig a grand event. The Homer Ukulele Society brought the “Old West Songs” alive. The poets and musicians entertained us around the campfire. This “Thank You Pardner “ wouldn’t be complete without a “Hoot and a Yip” to all the cowboys and cowgirls who rode in off the range to make the roundup complete. Happy Trails.
Roberta Highland, President, Kachemak Bay Equestrian Association
Tidal Wave Books helped Rotarians
Angela Libal of the Tidal Wave Bookstore, the Rotary Club of Downtown Homer thanks you for your generous book donations to refill our book nooks in Homer. They are emptied quickly by avid readers and frequently more books are needed, especially the ones at the airport and hospital. We hope the readers will continue to replace books, too. Again Tidal Wave we appreciate your contributions to keep Homer reading.
Fran Moore, for the Downtown Rotary Club of Homer
Legislators should follow mandate of Dunleavy voters
To all Legislators:
Approximately 145,000 Alaskans voted for Gov. Mike Dunleavy because we believed in his message: Balance the budget by cutting spending. Take pro-growth measures to improve our economy. Return our PFD formula and protect it by policy. Fix our “education” system. Restore the stolen PFD to the people. This is the mandate.
We also voted a majority of Republicans to both House and Senate. Unfortunately, House members lied to constituents about their party affiliation and have violated their trust relationship with their constituents through their dishonesty, and ignored this mandate.
It is not true our budget reached the levels it is at through a slow, incremental growth.
This is the fifth year you have been sent to Juneau to deal with our over-bloated budget, which puts us back to 2014. Tracking backward through annual state budgets shows a dramatic uptick in spending, starting in 2006, not on needs but wants. That means it took only eight years to get to this level. The problem is you were tying spending to revenue, which was oil that peaked at $140 per barrel. As long as it was going up, you were covered. But you broke the relationship when oil prices started going down, reaching $25 at its lowest. This means the quickest way to fix our budget short term is to simply roll back our spending to 2006 spending levels.
It is also a lie to suggest implementing taxes will solve our problem. It will only exacerbate our problems, which is indisputable.
Enough already. Get your heads out of your ideologies, stop “special interest” wants, and get to the business of managing the people’s affairs in a common sense, logical, long-range thinking way. You have wasted enough of our future with your shenanigans and boondoggles. $180,000 a year for a Dairy Inspector? Seriously.
Duane Christensen, Anchor Point
Kate Mitchell of Nomar, please accept our deep gratitude for your generous gift of time, labor and materials to complete the peace banner project of the Rotary Club of Downtown Homer. The banners were made by our local students and will cross borders and be exchanged with students in other countries to promote good will and contribute to world peace.
The community may view the banners on display at the High School
Commons during the Community Peace Concert in May.
Again, thank you Kate Mitchell and Nomar. We are also grateful to many others in the schools and community who worked to produce these banners to promote peaceful relationships in the world.
Fran Moore for The Rotary Club of Downtown Homer.
Homer Council on the Arts is grateful for the generosity of Spenard Builders Supply; their recent donation of materials for our workshop “Welcoming Home Our Birds!” made it possible for budding local bird lovers to create and take home a nesting box of their own. We also extend our sincere thanks to Abe Abrahamson for his time preparing the houses! After a fun-filled afternoon learning about birds and paint techniques, there are now 20 beautifully decorated houses around town awaiting spring swallows. We couldn’t have done it without your support!
Analise Hartnett for the Homer Council on the Arts
I just wanted to take a moment and thank the students of McNeil Canyon who wrote letters to the Editor. You all wrote very impressive letters, good job!
Amy Williams
Recently, I learned that the Alaska’s budget-strapped Department of Natural Resources issued a preliminary decision to approve vacating a pedestrian section line easement up near Dorothy Drive. This easement goes between the property of Zac Brown and his neighbor.
This is the publically-accessed pedestrian easement allowing us to keep the Mary Lane Trail alive. Mr. Brown posted “no trespassing” signs on a portion of this historic trail that cuts through his property last year. The Mary Lane Trail allows one to hike between Bear Creek Drive and Skyline Drive. Because part of the original trail is now closed, a new workaround trail was created on the public pedestrian easement being petitioned.
The country western singer and the other petitioners are claiming they have experienced “serious stalking and threats of potential criminal trespass” from the access of this section line. Although we have written to Mr. Brown several times to hold a conversation, stalking isn’t in our communications plan.
Options abound for privacy and security instead of denying the public to a pedestrian easement. Select a house site in which your football field-sized parking lot does not edge the section line easement. Build a fence. Hire a security guard for your vacation residence. Install a locked gate and security cameras. Take the “ZB” logo off your private jet when you fly into our hamlet.
Here’s my call to action. Please oppose the vacation of this pedestrian section line easement that keeps the Mary Lane Trail alive.
Send your comments by May 9to:
• Joseph Poydack, DMLW, 550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 650 Anchorage, AK 99501-3576
• You can contact Mr. Poydack at 907-375-7733 or joseph.poydack@alaska.gov
Should you have any questions or need information, feel free to email me at susie.amundson@gmail.com.
Let’s keep our pedestrian easements and trails open for the entire community’s recreation and enjoyment!
Susie Amundson
