Cousin appreciates support for Berg family
I was 9-years old, living in Ghana, West Africa where my parents were working at the U.S. Embassy. I remember the excitement when the package arrived from Homer. My parents brought it home from the Embassy mail room and we all gathered around to open it together. Inside was a beautiful cloth book, a dress for me and an outfit for my baby brother, all hand-made by my cousin Duffy. Outside our house there were coconut trees and 100-degree heat, but when we opened the package we were momentarily home in Alaska with our family.
This package was one of many Duffy sent us when I was growing up overseas (sometimes in difficult and dangerous conditions) and they all meant so much to me. They were typical of Duffy’s kindness and love of children.
My cousin, Duffy Murnane, has been missing since Oct. 17. From my many visits to Homer growing up, I know how kind people can be, and I have been so appreciative, but not surprised, by the outpouring of support and help from the Homer community for our family.
Thank you also to the Homer Police and Lt. Ryan Browning for his diligence and hard work on Duffy’s case.
Mary Byrnes , Cousin of Duffy Murnane, Providence, Rhode Island
Share the Spirit thankful for support
Our thanks go out to everyone who contributed to our successful 2019 Holiday Program. You are the reason we have been able to continue this program for 27 years. Many of you are anonymous donors and a special thank you goes to each of you. In addition, we would like to recognize and thank AJ’s Steak House, Alyeska Tire, Annette’s Creative Cooking, Bear Creek Winery, Beyond the Ocean Leatherworks, Boy Scout Troup 555, Car Quest, Central Charters, Christian Community Church, Church on the Rock, Classic Cook, Cosmic Kitchen, Damselfly, Don Jose’s, Duncan House, Faith Lutheran Church, Forget Me Not Flowers, Fritz Creek General Store, Homer High School Kitchen, Staff and Swing Choir, Homer Animal Friends, Homer Bookstore, Homer Elks Lodge, Home Run Oil, Homer Theater, Homer Thrift, Homer Ukulele, Chef JB, Kachemak Bay Marine Detachment, KBBI, Land’s End Resort, Laura Norton, Linda Etzwiler, Linda Skelton, Little Dipper Designs, Lotus Condon, Maria’s Massage, Marie Herdegen, Nancy Johnson, Northwind, Oodalolly, Otter Room, Print Works, Salmon Sisters, Salt Pine, The Center, Top Shelf Storage, Two Sisters, and all the amazing volunteers.
Whether a monetary donation, a donation in kind or a donation of time, your generosity makes it possible for this organization to continue to provide much needed food baskets and much appreciated gifts for households in our area. This year your help provided Christmas baskets to 309 families, totalling over 1,000 individuals.
As we go forward into this new year, we ask that you remember to donate money, food and time to any or all of the agencies in our community that do similar work year around. Some of these are the Homer Community Food Pantry, Anchor Point Food Pantry, Flex School Food Closet and the Salvation Army Commodities Program. Call them and ask how you can help.
Again we thank you all and of course, we ask that you please, always remember to … Share the Spirit.
Kelly Glidden and Shari Daugherty, co-chairs, Basket Program; Jayne Locklar, President; Jonathan Adams,Vice President, Share the Spirit
Thanks to Methodists for Angel Tree program
There are so many ways this community comes together and takes care of each other. I wanted to say thank you to the Homer Methodist Church for thinking of our students during this holiday season. We had 16 students at West Homer Elementary and Fireweed Academy receive presents because of the Angel Tree program at the HMC.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity.
Laura Peek, school nurse
HMS Huskies need ski equipment
To all parents: Did your child ever attend Homer Middle School, and/or was on the Homer Middle School Ski Team? If so, I know that you must have a pair or two of skis and boots in your garage or basement or shed or mud-room. Please, please, please go out there right now — I mean right now — and get them and drop them off at the Middle School. Or call, or text, or email me and I will pick them up. Ski season has started and there are kids that need your gear.
Mike Gracz, Coach, Homer Middle School Nordic Ski Team
Nominate for Women of Distinction
The 2020 South Peninsula Haven House Women of Distinction nominations are being accepted through March 2 and I am encouraging all community members to nominate a woman to honor who has made an exceptional contribution to our community. The form can be requested at admin@havenhousealaska.org and our event will be held March 27 at Alice’s Champagne Palace.
Thank you,
Sherry Stead
Support Women’s March
This January and across the nation the Women’s March will be celebrated. So too are we. The Women’s March on Homer 2020 will be celebrated on Saturday, Jan. 18. The event will begin at the HERC parking area and finish at WKFL Park. Gather at the HERC parking area at 11 a.m. with speakers at 11:30 a.m. The march begins at noon followed by a group photo after the march.
Post-march activities are 1 to 3 p.m. at the Kachemak Bay Campus. The theme this year is “Women Rising” and the 100thyear of women’s right to vote will be celebrated. If you would like to add fun to the festivities, feel free to dress as a Suffragette. We hope that you will join us for this event.
Sandra Garity
Jet Skis affect salmon, other fish
In the heated debate over opening Kachemak Bay to Jet Skis, one piece of information has been overlooked, and I’d be honored to set the record straight.
Anyone who has ever snorkeled in Jet Ski territory knows that Jet Skis are loud, disturbing, annoying and can be heard up to a mile away, and virtually all animals hear better than humans.
What effect does intrusive noise have on wildlife? When you open your squeaky back door, birds at your feeder instantly flee. Every hunter and photographer knows the first rule of stalking prey is to “be quiet.” Any sound will cause your target to instantly flee.
The overlooked piece of information is that Fish Can Hear. Professor Google will tell you Fish Can Hear. Peer-reviewed scientific literature tells you Fish Can Hear. My own 30-plus years of studying marine life on coral reefs conclusively shows that Fish Can Hear.
When any fish including salmon hear a loud or disturbing sound, they instantly flee. Fish spend most of their time feeding, but the survival instinct always overpowers feeding. When fish are fleeing for their lives, they are not feeding.
The conclusion is inescapable: Less feeding time will result in less salmon being caught by fishermen. It may be slightly less, and it may be significantly less, but fishermen will catch less fish if Jet Skis are introduced into the environment.
Fish and Game’s own Sport Fish Survey shows that over 40,000 anglers fish Kachemak Bay. The number of Jet Skiers will be far, far less.
Does it make sense to diminish the satisfaction of over 40,000 anglers in order to enhance the enjoyment of a few dozen Jet Skiers?
So far, I haven’t found anyone who thinks this proposal makes sense, but I have to admit that I haven’t yet asked the Governor.
Mr. Whitekeys, Spenard
Town Hall was disrespectful to Vance
Passion has its limits in politics. Often, individuals advocating for public funds become so wrapped-up in their perspective that they deny the right of others to have a competing vision.
Attendees saw that demonstrated, once again, at Rep. Sarah Vance’s Town Hall meeting at the college last Saturday when several individuals insisted on being demanding and confrontational in their interaction with Rep. Vance. They simply couldn’t accept her answer to their question, but insisted on badgering her to conform to their expectation for access to extremely limited public funds.
I have to concur with Randy Arndt’s statement: Whatever a person thinks of Rep. Vance’s policies and positions, she has shown a rare willingness to abide by her campaign promises.
Those who disapprove of her principled stance will have, as Rep. Vance herself noted, the opportunity next fall to vote otherwise.
Larry Slone
