Spurr in spotlight as volcano shows signs of possible eruption
their business operations, schools and lives. Spurr, one of more than 50 active volcanoes in Alaska, is located about 61 miles away from Kenai and 117 miles away from Homer.
Mount Spurr has been gaining attention over the last few months, as community members and municipal governments consider the effects a potential volcanic eruption could have on
Matt Haney, scientist-in-charge with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said in an interview Monday that Spurr first started showing signs of unrest about a year ago, with increased earthquakes and ground surface displacement pointing to increased underground activity.
Last summer, ice and snow near Spurr’s summit melted, creating a small lake in a crater where previous eruptions have occurred. Haney says recent data from March 7 and 11 show “anomalous gas emissions” from the volcano, with elevated levels of volcanic gases at both the summit and Crater Peak.
The volcano has been listed by AVO under a yellow advisory since October. Haney said there will be an orange watch and red warning if Spurr’s activity continues to grow, but for now, it’s still only at
an advisory level.
Haney said if seismic stations on Mount Spurr begin to measure a type of seismic signal — called a volcanic tremor — that would point to an increase in eruption possibility. Unlike a smaller earthquake, a volcanic tremor is individual and lengthy. Haney says they haven’t seen one yet, but that’s one example of an event that would raise the advisory level to an orange watch.
Spurr previously erupted in 1992 and 1953. Both times, Haney said, the eruption emanated from
Weimann wins fishing tournament championship
celebration. The chamber annually organizes the tournament, a feat that involves about 40 volunteers and chamber staff, Anderson said.
The Deep Water Dock on the Homer Spit was hopping Saturday afternoon during the 31st annual Winter King Salmon Tournament, with anglers coming off the water for weigh-in and community members enjoying the food trucks, beer garden and live music.
Homer Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director Brad Anderson thanked those who turned out for the tournament and the following
“What a phenomenal day to be out on the water, enjoying everything that’s special about Homer,” he said. “Thank you for coming out and enjoying this event with us … and making it special.”
This year’s tournament saw 1,235 anglers competing on 373 boats, which Anderson said was one of the best event participation in recent years. The chamber also awarded an estimated $198,526 in prize money and more than $15,000 worth of merchandise prizes, a March 24 press release announced.
Zach Weimann, fishing on the Profishunt, took this year’s championship with a king salmon weighing in at 30.66 pounds. The last time the winning fish broke the 30-pound mark was in 2015, caught by Mike Olsen and weighing 30.4 pounds. Weimann’s king was also the largest caught in the tournament since 2013, the release said.
Between his first-place earnings and side tourney bets, Weimann won $84,207.50 in total.
Second place went to Dustin Klepacki, from team 289, with a fish weighing 24.74 pounds.
Kim Weimann, also on the Profishunt, took third place with a king weighing 23.88 pounds.
This year’s Top Youth Angler
prize went to Madelyn Challans, 12, on the Kachemak Jack with a fish weighing 15.36 pounds.
“We’re really proud to have youth out here,” tournament committee member Anders Gustafson said Saturday. “It’s really important to get that next generation out here and falling in love with this sport of trolling.”
Jack Heimbold, who took seventh place in the tournament with a fish weighing 22.44 pounds, also won a prize for catching a white king.
The Scott Ulmer Award was presented on Saturday to longtime tournament angler Larry Cabana, who Ulmer called “an
Crater Peak, a flank vent located 2 miles south of the summit and about 2,500 feet lower in elevation. Haney said that if an eruption does happen, scientists consider Crater Peak to be the most likely culprit, rather than the summit, which scientists suspect has not erupted in as many as 5,000 years. In 1992, Spurr erupted three separate times (June 27, Aug. 18, and Sept. 16-17), coating Anchorage in ash and shutting down the
Vance calls on board of fish to clarify stance on Cook Inlet commercial fisheries
By
Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, on Friday sent a letter to the State Board of Fisheries “demanding” it “clarify its stance on the future of our drifter and setnet fisheries in Cook Inlet.”
The move comes after what she describes as “alarming” recent actions at meeting of the board in Anchorage this month where they declined to support a proposal by local setnetters to fish with beach seines — the group has in recent years been wholly restricted for fishing amid low king salmon abundance — and one member said he wanted to see no setnets or drifters operating in the inlet at all.
Brian and Lisa Gabriel, setnetters from Kenai, last summer operated a test fishery for set beach seines that they said were able to operate without killing any king salmon and while catching enough sockeye salmon to be economically viable. They successfully petitioned the board to hear their proposal out of cycle — Upper Cook Inlet fishing issues aren’t set to be heard by the board until 2027 — but the motion was failed by the board on March 15. Before failing on a 3-3 vote, members of the board authored new language and amended the proposal to replace setnets in the current management plan with
Kenai Peninsula heritage area faces uncertain future
A national heritage area that provides education and resources to the Kenai Peninsula is among the local organizations feeling the effects of a federal funding freeze instituted earlier this year by the Trump administration.
According to Executive Director Rachel Blakeslee, the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area lost all appropriated funding and subsequently
A ceremony in its honor was held Friday, March 21.
By Chloe Pleznac Homer News
A decommissioning ceremony was held on Friday, March 21, for
regained access to about half of it.
The status of their future funding is unclear.
“We are now bracing for the possibility of a significant or complete loss of future federal support, including grants, contracts and appropriations,” Blakeslee wrote in a March 5 email newsletter. “Compounding this uncertainty, several of our open, privately funded, non-federal grants are now under review for alignment with recent Executive Orders.”
the former U.S. Coast Guard cutter Naushon.
Friends and family members of the crew, along with curious community members gathered at the very end of Freight Dock Road on the Homer Spit for a sunny ceremony interspersed with birdsong and a warm spring breeze.
The vessel served 39 years in Alaska and has been stationed in Homer since 2016. The crew, led by Lt. Ross Markham, was commended on Friday for their dedication and achievements, including more than 8,000 hours
If these private grants are deemed “out of compliance,” they could be terminated, requiring the already allocated funds to be returned.
This puts the organization’s actively planned initiatives at risk. Blakeslee said this includes year-round education initiatives that serve more than 1,000 children, annual events that engage hundreds of people, and key partnership projects “in trail maintenance, environmental stewardship, and cultural
of patrol time, 900 law enforcement boardings, and the completion of 50 search and rescue missions.
In a speech on Friday during the ceremony, Homer Mayor Rachel Lord said she was delighted to learn that the Naushon began its service in Key West, Florida, which happened to be where her own father, a “proud retiree of the Coast Guard” began his service as well. She said that as a Coast Guarddesignated city, Homer is proud
interpretation.”
National Heritage Areas are designated by an Act of Congress, and funding is supposed to be provided by the National Heritage Area program through the National Park Service.
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area is known for its expansive program offerings for Alaska youth, including Alaska Outdoor School and SnowSchool, events like the Backcountry Film Festival and Mineshaft Grinder (a fundraiser for the
K-12 school that serves Hope), and grant opportunities for projects that steward the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the heritage area. Over the last 15 years and counting, the organization says it has invested more than $1.5 million into its operating region, which NPS describes as “the mountainous region of the Kenai Peninsula that runs north/south from the communities of Bird/Indian and See KMTA, Page A6
DELCENIA COSMAN/HOMER NEWS
Tournament champion Zach Weimann holds up his first-place trophy during the 2025 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday.
Naushon
Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion
VANCE, Page A2
SPURR, Page A2
The volcano erupted in 1992 and 1953.
By Chloe Pleznac Homer News and Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion
The 31st annual Homer Winter King Tournament saw high turnout Saturday.
By Delcenia Cosman Homer News
By Chloe Pleznac Homer News
2:31am(19.5) 8:32am(-1.2)
2:42pm(20.0) 8:49pm(-2.5)
3:05am(21.0) 9:13am(-3.2)
3:27pm(20.8) 9:27pm(-2.5) Saturday First 3:40am(22.0) 9:54am(-4.5) Second 4:11pm(20.8)10:06pm(-1.8) Sunday First 1:58am(17.7) 7:51am(1.3) Second 1:57pm(18.7) 8:12pm(-1.8) Thursday
Micciche reports back on Southcentral Mayors’ Energy Coalition
By Jake Dye
“The time is now for action.”
That’s what Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche said on Wednesday, March 19, as he reported on the findings of the SouthcentralMayors’EnergyCoalition. In the face of a looming shortfallofnaturalgas,“wecannotafford to wait.”
The coalition was formed in late 2023 and operated throughout 2024. It was initially started by former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson but has been chaired by Micciche since last fall. The group also includes mayors from Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Seward and beyondintotheMatanuska-Susitna Borough.
A report collated by that group has been presented by Micciche and others multiple times in recent months, around the state — including to the Alaska Legislature. On Wednesday, he delivered the presentation during a joint luncheonoftheKenaiandSoldotna chambers of commerce.
The purpose of the group, Micciche said, was to develop an understanding of the current energy situation, explore solutions
From Page A1
the beach seines, while retaining a policy that would keep the local commercial setnet fishery from operating even with the seines.
Area Management Biologist Colton Lipka confirmed that, if enacted, the proposal would strip setnets from the currently enacted action plan entirely, meaning setnets could not be used until
Spurr
From Page A1
Ted Stevens International Airport for 20 hours during the August eruption.
Haney said that the speed and locations of ash arrival will depend entirely on wind direction at the time of eruption. Regardless, community members should have at least two hours between the eruption and ashfall arrival, if the winds even push ash toward populous areas at all.
“I’m looking at the ashfall forecast on our website right now, based on current meteorological conditions,” Haney said Monday. “If Spurr were to erupt right now, which it’s not, it would go to the northwest, so actually, away from both Anchorage and Homer.” Getting ready for an eruption
In preparation for a potential ashfall event, you should check
“that will keep the lights and heat on” and then use advocacy to overcome roadblocks. The mayors, he said, bring an “agnostic” approach to energy — prepared to explore gas, renewables, and any viable solutions.
“Our priority is local production,” he said. But there are challenges with timing that the group says make importation of natural gas necessary in the short-term.
The discussion around importation, Micciche said, was among the roadblocks that the mayors’ coalition tackled.
Federal legislators, he said, formerly stood in staunch opposition to the concept — saying “over mydeadbodywillLNGbeimported to Alaska.”
“Over our dead bodies should we allow people to become cold and dark,” he said. “We are going to need an interim solution. Imported LNG, at low volumes, likely temporary—that’smyhopeandmypriority is Alaska gas as well — is going to be a necessity.”
There’s an estimated 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas still in Cook Inlet. That gas, Micciche said, is “technically” recoverable, but perhaps not “economically.” Major entities in the oil and gas industry
Kenai River kings were declassified as a stock of management concern.
Board member Greg Svendsen said in advocating for the move
“I do not want to see setnets in the inlet again — if I had my way, there’d be no setnets in the inlet period, drifters or setnets.” Svendsen in an email to the Clarion on Sunday reaffirmed that he does not support gillnetting.
“I’m all for dip netting and voted to increase their days,” he wrote.
“I’m all for beach seining with
doorways and windows in your home for seals. Haney said instead of scraping ash off of vehicles during cleanup, try using water to gently wash the ash off. You’re less likely to damage the paint if you use water.
According to the Municipality of Anchorage’s Office of Emergency Management, ash particles are very sharp and can cause damage if inhaled, especially in small children and those with existing respiratory illnesses. An ash cloud may also reduce sunlight, potentially causing the sky to unexpectedly darken during an eruption event. It’s important to remain calm, as ash is also extremely slippery, complicating both driving and walking.
Anchorage OEM stresses that it’s importanttostayindoorsuntillocal health officials advise it is safe to go outside. In the interim, you should wear long-sleeved shirts and pants to protect your body, goggles to protect your eyes, and a dust mask, preferably with a filter on it, like an N95. If you don’t have a mask, try holding a damp cloth over your
have left — “they’re not coming back.”
The amount of gas being produced is set to fall below the demand for heating and power generation in the coming years. Thosereports,sinceHilcorpin2022 told local utilities that they couldn’t rely on production beyond existing contracts,ledtotheformationofthe working group and other moves in recent years to seek a way forward.
“We know that by 2027 — and potentiallyaverycoldwinterin2026 — could start challenging supply.”
There are several solutions in development to both bring more natural gas to the area and diversify thesourcesofenergy,Miccichesaid. Those are the two levers for countering the shortfall — both bringing in gas to meet demand and seeking other options to reduce the need.
The report he presented on Wednesday was compiled before projects like the Puppy Dog Lake solarprojectinNikiskiwerestymied lastmonthbychangestotherenewable tax credits.
Other projects in development, including the proposed “Phase One”AlaskaLNGProject,theDixon Diversion at Bradley Lake and others aren’t projected to coalesce until 2030 or later at the soonest.
more information on mortality along with releasing the kings and silvers. I’m against gill netting as it is indiscriminate and kills most of the fish that contact it.”
Brian Gabriel told the Clarion last week that the “whole point of the exercise” was to see opportunity for his fishery, and that he wanted to see the proposal killed after it was changed to cut setnets from the plan.
Fishers, including in the coastal communities of the lower Kenai Peninsula who are represented by
face to protect your lungs. Wearing eyeglasses, rather than contact lenses, is also suggested to prevent the transfer of sharp ash particles to your eyes.
Brenda Ahlberg, the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s emergency manager, said Tuesday that residents should always be evaluating theirpersonalrisksandwhichsteps they’re taking to mitigate it. That’s true for a possible volcanic eruption, as well as for the upcoming wildfire season or any other natural disaster.
Resources on the borough’s Office of Emergency Management website, info.kpb.us, describe what to do before, during and after an eruption. That information is all informedbyreputableagencieslike the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the National Weather Service. Thoseguidesdescribeexamining home systems to see whether they pull air from outside, and avoiding driving in the case of local ashfall. A home emergency supply kit good for any emergency would include food, water, various tools and other essentials. All of this information is
Ifeveryoneoftheproposedalternative energy projects were realized — a “best-case scenario” that already has proven unattainable — Micciche said they would only delay the energy shortfall into the late 2030s. More gas is going to be needed.
Much attention has been paid in recent months — including by U.S. President Donald Trump — to the Alaska LNG Project, which would connect the North Slope to Southcentral Alaska and provide natural gas.
“PresidentTrump’sinfluenceand bullishness may result in forward motion, but that’s yet to be seen,” Micciche said. “When it comes down to it, if the economics don’t work,thatprojectisgoingtoremain challenged.”
Even if it isrealized, the projected first gas delivery in 2031 might be “rosy,” Micciche said.
So, imports will be necessary in the coming years, he said. There are two proposed projects that would bring imported natural gas to the region. New York-based Glenfarne Group proposed the first, seeking to construct an import terminal that would later be used for the Alaska LNG Project if it were realized. Hilcorp-affiliate Harvest
Vance, she writes, see their “livelihoods, heritage, and very identity” tied to the local commercial fisheries. She specifically targets Svendsen’s call to eliminate setnets and driftnets from Cook Inlet — “not just a personal opinion; it was a public gut punch to the families I represent.” In the letter, she asks the board to publicly state it doesn’t intend to shutdown the commercial drift and setnet fisheries in Cook Inlet.
Alaska more recently announced the other to redevelop the Kenai LNG Terminal currently owned by Marathon Petroleum Corporation into an import facility. The latter, Micciche said, has some unique opportunities for savings by using existing technology and infrastructure, but he said he remains open to either. He said that discussions about the possible cost of gas are “heavily influencedbycompetitiveinterests,” and that he thinks gas could come to the area at a price “competitive to Cook Inlet’s current production costs.”
He also cited gas storage facilities operated already by Cook Inlet Natural Gas Storage Alaska and proposed by Hilcorp as potentially providingsomedownwardpressure on rates.
“We have to bring the cost of energy down,” he said. “We have to usethetoolsthatareavailable,push thepoliticsasideanddowhat’sright for our constituents.”
A full recording of the presentation is available at “Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center” on Facebook.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob. dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
“The people of Homer, Kenai, Kasilof, Ninilchik, Voznesenka, and beyond have a right to hear, in no uncertain terms, that their way of life is not being targeted for extinction,” Vance writes. She also encourages the board to support “innovative” proposals like the one brought forward by the Gabriels.
also provided in a checklist format in the “Pocket Preparedness Guide,” compiled by the office and available at their website.
The borough will also communicate during any emergency using its KPB Alerts system, which residents can enroll in at OEM’s website to receive text message alerts. AVO also has a system for reportingvolcanoalertsthatpeople can subscribe to with an email address — including setting notifications only to the Cook Inlet and Southcentral region volcanoes.
Ahlberg said that if there is an eruption, and if there is ashfall on the peninsula — which AVO mappingcurrentlyshowsisunlikely —therewillbesomehoursbetween when the eruption occurs and ash could arrive on the peninsula. A volcanic eruption, like any other disaster, she said, is something that may or may not come and something that residents can prepare for.
“This is a natural phenomenon that we may or may not get to witness,” she said.
Because of the AVO’s modeling, and because the Kenai Peninsula
As of Monday evening, Board Chair Märit Carlson-Van Dort did not respond to a request for comment emailed Saturday. Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob. dye@peninsulaclarion.com.-
is so far away from Mount Spurr, Ahlbergsaidthatifanyashdoesfall on the Kenai Peninsula, it will most likely be comparable to springtime dust that people will need to clear away and be mindful of. The City of Homer has resources online for emergency situations under their public safety and emergency information webpages. The webpage includes a PDF guide on buildingaseven-dayemergencykit from the Alaska Division of HomelandSecurityandlinkstoresources on disaster planning for your pets from the American Red Cross and the Humane Society of the United States.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District released a letter for parents and concerned community members on March 20 regardingthedistrict’sSpurrpreparedness plan in the case of an eruption. You can find the letter online at kpbsd. org/kpbsd-mt-spurr-preparednessletter-to-families/. In the event of an eruption, you can tune into your local public radio station, KBBI AM 890, for timely emergency updates.
Peninsula Clarion
Early fire season begins with 2 small blazes reported and controlled
By Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion
In the first two weeks after the State Department of Natural Resources announced an early start to the wildland fire season, two fires have been reported and contained on the Kenai Peninsula.
A March 6 public order says that warm temperatures and low snowpack “raise the risk of wildland fire ahead of the statutorily designated fire season,” which usually starts April 1. That order was effective for much
of Southcentral and Southeast Alaska, including the Kenai Peninsula. Set to be effective on March 17, the order means that burn permits are required for all state, private and municipal lands. Though local fire season began, per the order, on March 17, the first local fire was reported on March 13. According to the Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska Interagency Coordination Center Dashboards, the “Venture” fire was reported just off the roadway near Milepost 141 of the
All occupants of Sunday evening plane crash rescued
By Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion
The three occupants of a plane reported missing Sunday night were rescued Monday morning from the wreckage of their plane on the frozen surface of the glacial outwash lake near Tustumena Lake.
A dispatch by Alaska State Troopers on Sunday says they were told first around 10:30 p.m. that a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, a single-engine aircraft that seats three, was overdue. A search for the plane was undertaken, troopers said, by the Alaska Army National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alaska Rescue
Coordination Center and good Samaritan aircraft. Sunday morning, one of those good Samaritan aircraft located the wreckage. In a photo shared with the Clarion, the three occupants can be seen atop the wing of their plane sitting on the ice. The body of the craft was submerged. At around 10:30 a.m., troopers say, the National Guard was able to rescue the adult male pilot and two minors from the area.
All three were taken to a nearby hospital “for treatment of nonlife-threatening injuries.”
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion. com.
Sterling Highway. That’s located near Stariski Ridge Road on the southern peninsula between Happy Valley and Anchor Point.
A State Division of Forestry and Fire Protection engine responded, the report says, but the fire had been contained and controlled by Western Emergency Services before their arrival.
The second fire, called the “Scout Lake” fire, was reported around 5 p.m. on March 17. It was located near the intersection of West Scout Lake Loop and Lou Morgan Road, between Soldotna
and Sterling. Responding vehicles from the division found “five unattended burn piles, smoldering with some escapement into the wildland.” The fires weren’t declared contained and controlled until around 8 p.m.
Both fires were reported to be very small, around a tenth of an acre.
Small-scale burn permits can be acquired online from dnr.alaska. gov/burn. At that site, information can also be found about local conditions and restrictions.
A small-scale burn is a burn
of one brush pile, the use of one burn barrel, or the burning of maintained lawn, the release said. Larger burns would require a large-scale permit, which requires site inspection, additional people, water or heavy equipment. Those permits can be acquired by contacting the Division of Forestry at forestry.alaska.gov. For more information about local wildfires, visit akfireinfo. com.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
Soldotna teen killed in Saturday avalanche
By Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion
A Soldotna teenager was killed in an avalanche while snowmachining in Turnagain Pass on Saturday.
According to a dispatch by Alaska State Troopers, they were told at around 2:30 p.m. of a fatal avalanche in the pass. A group of snowmachiners was riding on the backside of Seattle Ridge, between the Kenai Peninsula Welcome Sign and Bertha Creek Campground, “witnesses stated,” when an avalanche was triggered.
The body of 16-year-old Tucker Challans was recovered by the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group the next morning.
A report from the Chugach
Deadline approaches to apply for PFD
By Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion
The deadline to apply for a permanent fund dividend is fast approaching, with applications open online or by mail through Monday, March 31.
As of Tuesday, around 545,000 people had applied, according to data from the State Department of Revenue. Applications can be filed online through myAlaska, or by visiting pfd.alaska.gov.
Paper applications can be
found and filed at distribution centers around the Kenai Peninsula. Legislative Information Offices in Kenai, Homer and Seward are all locations where applications are available. In Kenai, applications can be submitted at the City of Kenai building, the Nikiski Senior Center and the Kenai Community Library. In Soldotna, the Soldotna Public Library and the Soldotna Senior Center are both distribution centers. Independent Living Center facilities in
Homer and Seward are registered locations, as are the Homer Public Library and the Seward Senior Center. Payments will begin to be disbursed in October. Those who file online with a direct deposit method will receive the PFD at the beginning of October, the department says, while those who file online with a check payment method or those who file a paper application will see money at the end of October.
To be eligible for the 2025 PFD, an applicant must have been an
National Forest Avalanche Information Center says that Challans had been buried 10 feet deep in an avalanche “approximately 500 feet wide.” The center says a layer of “surface hoar” buried around 2-feet deep is easily disturbed by people and can cause avalanches from below, above or from the side of the avalanche area. That’s what happened Saturday, the center said. In recent weeks, the center has reported several avalanches triggered in that area by snowmachines and snowboarders. The avalanche danger is currently reported at “Considerable” both in the treeline and alpine altitudes, and a forecast reads that “the Turnagain Pass snowpack is dangerous and unstable despite
Alaska resident for the duration of 2024, must not have claims of residency in any other state since Dec. 31, 2023, must not have been sentenced with a felony or incarcerated as the result of a felony conviction, and must not have been absent from Alaska for more than 180 days.
A budget proposal by Gov. Mike Dunleavy describes a nearly $4,000 dividend, while leaving the state facing a $1.5 billion deficit. That total is unlikely to make it through the Legislature, which is working to address the state’s budget deficits amid calls to increase education funding.
As reported by the Alaska Beacon, a budget scenario
calm weather.”
That weak layer of snow, between 2-3 feet deep, exists in much of the area. The forecast recommends avoiding travel on or below steep slopes.
“Unfortunately, we continue to see people triggering really big avalanches on that layer,” Andrew Schauer, lead avalanche specialist, said in a video of the site on Sunday. “The conditions are going tocontinuetobedangerousforthe foreseeable future.” Challans was a Soldotna High School hockey player, and the team on Facebook called for sticks to be left outside for his family and friends, a hockey tradition to show respect for the loss of a player. Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob. dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
presented to the Alaska Legislature earlier this month describes the $1,000 per student increase in education funding recently approved by the Alaska House of Representatives and now being considered by the Alaska Senate. With that increase and a dividend of $1,419, the state would face a more than $440 million deficit next year. Another scenario shows that, to eliminate the deficit only by cutting the PFD while maintaining the education funding increase, it could total around $740 per recipient.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion. com.
Alaska House asks for cooldown in Trump-triggered US-Canada trade dispute
By James Brooks Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House of Representatives is asking the Trump administration and Canadian government to step back from a brewing trade war.
In a 33-4 vote Monday, the House approved a resolution saying that state lawmakers oppose “restrictive trade measures or tolls that would harm the unique relationship between Canada and Alaska or negatively affect our integrated economies.”
If approved by the Alaska Senate, the resolution would be sent to national officials in both the United States and Canada. Monday’s vote comes amid continued threats by the Trump administration against the government of Canada, including claims that Canada should be “the 51st state.”
The Trump administration has prepared a large number of tariffs against Canadian imports, and
the Canadian government has preemptively enacted retaliatory measures.
In British Columbia, the government has introduced legislation that could lead to tolls on traffic traveling between Alaska and the
Lower 48.
“In a time when there’s much global uncertainty, Alaska is speaking with the voice that is — in one sense pleading between our two greatest powers, our government — the United States — and
the Canadian government, to come together, to work together amicably, to resolve thetariff situationinawaythatshowstherespect for territorial sovereignty of both nations, and in a way that recognizes how urgently we need this relationship,” said House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage.
Alaska annually exports almost $600 million in goods to Canada while importing more than $750 million from the country, the resolution states. At least 20,300 Alaska jobs rely on ties to Canada, it says.
Rep. Andi Story, D-Juneau, noted that Alaska and Canada have social and cultural ties that predate the creation of either country, with Indigenous communities stretching across what is now an international border.
“If we take care to acknowledge — if we continue to exercise mutual respect, support and cooperation, we can more easily resolve the disputes that might arise, and continue to enjoy the manifest benefits of our relationship
between Alaska and our good neighbor, Canada,” said Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River. None of the lawmakers who voted against the resolution spoke on the House floor about their decision. After the vote, Rep. Bill Elam, R-Nikiski and one of the “no” voters, said he didn’t think it was appropriate for a state legislature to be dabbling in foreign affairs.
HJR 11 has not yet been set for a hearing in the Senate; a similarly written companion resolution is in the Senate Rules Committee.
James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon. com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.
of its deep and enduring relationship with the USCG.
“This designation is not just the title,” said Lord. “It is a reflection of the mutual respect, the partnership and the gratitude that we share with the men and women who have served here. The Coast Guard has been and continues to be a vital part of the fabric of our community and the Naushon has played an essential role in that story.
“Since her arrival, Naushon and her crew have stoodwatchoverourwaters, our Mariners and our fisheries. The Naushon has been a symbol of not only steadfast service and vigilance but also partnership and community. Today, as we gather to honor the years of service, we also honor the people who have brought her to life, the officers and enlisted personnel who have served on her decks, maintained her readiness and carried out permissions with professionalism, courage and care. It is your dedication and sacrifice that we also recognize today.”
to serve 10 years. Nearly 40 years later, it stands as an example of its crew’s dedication. Lt. Markham said that while the Naushon is no longer commissioned, the value of endurance will
Rear Adm. Megan Dean, commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, was in attendance at the ceremony as well, honoring Lt. Markham with a commendation medal for “outstanding achievement, unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership” while serving as commanding officer of the Naushon from June 2024 to March 2025. Lt. Markham was noted for resolving more than 150 overdue maintenance discrepancies, enabling two successful 1,200-nautical-mile transits across the Gulf of Alaska, and leading a 20-hour search for four boaters lost in Kachemak Bay. During his speech, Lt. Markham spoke on endurance and highlighted the fact that originally the Naushon was only expected
continue to remain a staple on the ship during the next few months, with its upcoming voyage of more than 7,000 nautical miles to South America.
“I give you a challenge today,” said Lt. Markham, on Friday. “That as you proudly honor this vessel’s tried and true history, you also aim to face future periods of uncertainty head on with an unrelenting
devotion to duty.” The cutter will not be directly replaced. Instead, its former service area will be covered by a fleet of three, 154-foot cutters based out of Kodiak.
PHOTO BY JAMES BROOKS/ALASKA BEACON
House Majority Leader Chuck Kopp, R-Anchorage, speaks on Monday, March 24 in favor of House Joint Resolution 11.
Trickle-down illiteracy
This letter is to let the Homer community know that our Homer Public Library is at financial risk, at both the federal and state levels.
The State of Alaska normally receives $1.2 million annually for libraries from the federal IMLS (Institute of Museums and Library Services). This institute, a lifeblood for Alaska and all 50 states, is being eviscerated by the White House’s executive order of Friday, March 14.
The IMLS funds target each community’s unique needs. In Alaska it goes to support vital library services: improving internet access and speed; summer reading programs; early literacy development; STEM programs; homework and research assistance; programs for veterans, businesses, entrepreneurs, and employment assistance; access to interlibrary loans, etc.
All of these benefits are orchestrated by 75 employees, for services used by more than 1.2 billion in-person patrons and many, many more participating “virtually.” All this for just $0.003% of the federal budget!
If you, your family, friends and neighbors have benefited from our Homer Public Library, now is the perfect and vital time to voice your support! Letters, postcards, phone calls to Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, to Rep. Nick Begich and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, are all important.
How can they know what you want, if you don’t tell them?
Kate Finn Homer
Ice-skating field trip offers healthy activity for youth
The Homer Hockey Association partnered with the YAC (Youth Advisory Committee) Fund at the Homer Foundation to provide 458 students with a no-cost skating experience. Eleven schools on the lower Kenai Peninsula enjoyed a free ice-skating field trip to the Kevin Bell Arena. This program exposed children to a fun recreational activity and familiarized them with our community ice rink. The Kevin Bell Arena’s programming is welcoming to all, supporting physical and emotional wellness and overall health.
Recreation helps families address ongoing concerns about rising rates of obesity, substance misuse, excessive screen time, all in an atmosphere that emphasizes safety, fun and sportsmanship.
The Kevin Bell Arena was excited to host so many children in the pursuit of a wholesome and healthy activity. We
appreciate the significant support from the YAC Fund at the Homer Foundation for making this opportunity possible. Justin Adams Homer Hockey Association vice president
Dear fellow citizens,
Ever since the meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, I have been thinking about Trump’s accusation that the Ukrainians are going to start World War III. The president may be right about the possibility of a bigger war but not who would be at fault. You could blame Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he’s not doing anything that was unexpected. The people who Trump should be looking at are himself and his advisors … and his enablers in Congress.
Ukraine has been a sovereign nation since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and has a freely elected president and parliament. As such, it has the right to protect itself from foreign invaders. It is a small country compared to Russia. The Russo-Ukrainian War started in 2014 when Russia
Climate change is a hard reality
By Penelope Haas
The chair of the Homer Planning Commission at a regular meeting this month called into question the science of climate change. That’s a problem, because the climate is changing, with real negative effects for Homer and Kenai Peninsula. We are seeing big effects related to bluff erosion, landslides, water security, fire regimes, fisheries and more.
The Kachemak Bay Conservation Society has a recent blog post up on our website detailing the breadth of the climate issues we are facing, but here’s a few
IBy Emmy Brooks
highlights:
■ Over the past half-century, annual available water has declined 62% on the western Kenai Peninsula.
■ There is a projected 66% increase in the estimated value of human structures (e.g. homes, businesses) that are at risk to fire in the next half century on the Kenai Peninsula. ■ Erosion rates on eastern shores of Cook Inlet are 1 foot per year, and 2.3 feet per year in the western Homer area — erosion here is normal, but the rates of erosion go up when we get more rain events (think January 2025).
■ Current trends indicate that the southern Kenai Peninsula will lose 10-20% of our snowpack by 2030-2059. You can listen back to Chair Scott Smith’s comments at minute 3:49:08 of the meeting recording for March 19 on the City website. Hearing people’s responses is also worthwhile. Having someone who calls into question climate science is a problem because the planning commission has a lot of power. They get to say what goes where in Homer, what lands get developed and which do not, and what kinds of development go in.
invaded Ukraine and annexed the Crimean Peninsula. The conflict escalated when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2024, which included bombardment of civilian infrastructure and killing civilians. The Ukrainians, to a lot of people’s surprise, fought back. What would be our reaction in similar circumstances? Knowing the American people, I believe without a doubt that we do the same thing. In the 1930s, Adolph Hitler thought that parts of Czechoslovakia should be part of Germany. After a few days of military conflict, an emergency meeting was called for the European powers, and Hitler convinced the leaders of France, Italy and Great Britain to sign an agreement to allow Germany to annex the territories. You know the rest; Hitler continued his conquest of bordering countries and after the invasion of Poland, World War II started.
Putin is not Hitler, but his agenda does looks similar. It appears that the current administration does not want the United States to offer Ukraine any further aid and yet, the Russians are getting support from North Korea, Iran, and
In fact, Chair Smith made these statements as he was advocating removing the concept of human-driven climate change or climate action from the Comprehensive Plan. He was advocating overriding the 63% of residents who think it is important to prepare for and address the effects of climate change, per robust Comp Plan public surveys. He was advocating undermining the 74% of the public who think it is important or very important to invest in renewable energy.
The chair’s denial of reality, and his denial of the basic premise that he is there to represent the will of the public is unacceptable. It is, however, how this planning commission has been operating recently: ignoring important environmental
constraints, and acting like the Comprehensive Plan (the document that tells the commission how to interpret our laws) has no bearing on their decisions. It is not good to have someone in climate denial as chair of the planning commission, even if he’s a nice guy. Perhaps it’s a good time to consider how these commissioners get appointed (talk to the mayor and to council). If you have any spare time and care about public service, please consider putting your name in the hat to serve on this commission. Now is an especially important time, because Homer is in the process of rewriting city code.
Penelope Haas is the vice president of the Kachemak Bay Conservation Society.
For those unfamiliar with the way the funding works for homeschool families, an allotment amount (currently under $3,000 per year, per child), is available for the family to use toward educational expenses. This money is either paid “vendor direct” (the district pays a tutor directly, using the student’s funds) or it is reimbursed to the parent after qualified receipts are submitted. It is NOT a blank check, nor is it a check made out directly to the homeschooling parent to be used for random purchases.
Mr. Waltenbaugh, through his opening analogy, implied that “families are given state funding” and since they have “no curricular requirements … they can spend the money on virtually anything they want.”
This assertion is simply false. Families are reimbursed for tutoring sessions, music lessons, educational supplies, IF the expenditures are approved by the families’ advisors. I know of specific examples where advisors declined requests
n response to Eric Waltenbaugh’s recent letter, published in the Homer News on March 6: As a member of the local homeschool community, I feel compelled to respond to some of the points made by Mr. Waltenbaugh. I have lived in Homer and worked with this homeschool community since 2007. Working as a tutor with both the Connections and IDEA programs, I have instructed numerous students from dozens of families. The insinuation that those choosing to homeschool their children are not fit because there is no required training is insulting to most of the parents I have known over the years. Of the families I have worked with, 77% of the mothers hold at least one college degree. Of these, 14% even currently hold or previously held teaching certificates. Regardless, I don’t believe that is what qualifies someone to teach effectively. Under normal circumstances, parents are the first teachers their children meet. I believe that to be an effective educator, you must genuinely care about your students. Who cares more about their own kids than parents?
for reimbursements, believing the expenses were not in line with the goals of the ILP (individualized learning plan).
Speaking of ILPs, each year an advisor with the homeschool program helps parents generate these forms. They list the specific courses to be studied, along with the curriculum to be used. There actually are requirements (for instance, how many “core classes” must be taken). At the end of each quarter, progress is checked with reports listing the chapters and projects completed or the skills gained.
With the IDEA program, actual work samples are submitted for each quarter, for each class, to track progress. Could a parent lie on these reports or fabricate work samples? Yes. But to do so would be to harm one’s own child. We can safely assume that doesn’t happen very often. Although different from the format in the public school, there is an accountability system in place for homeschoolers in Alaska.
Back to the funding issue, it seems like Mr. Waltenbaugh believes that these homeschool
families are somewhat motivated by the money they receive in the form of allotments. Again, we are talking about less than $3,000 per year. If they actually received that money in a lump sum, to be spent at their pleasure, that would equal about $15 per day during the school year. Could that possibly be the motivation? Turning down free day care (i.e. sending your child to public school) for a mere $15 per day? Of course not. Besides, I have already explained that the money must be put toward actual education expenses. Choosing to homeschool is a sacrifice. Moms and dads are giving up job opportunities — they’re giving up their own free time — and often, they’re paying out of their own pockets to educate their children because $3,000 doesn’t go all that far anymore. If these parents’ children aren’t draining resources in the school building or on the school bus, why shouldn’t the state help them with some of the costs they incur to educate them?
With roughly 20% of Alaska’s students enrolled in homeschooling programs, we must ask, why?
Why would so many people choose to make this sacrifice, to take on this extra responsibility, when the government is offering to educate these children?
Many reasons come to mind, based on the families I have worked with, and there are certainly other, unique, reasons. At the top of the list is the quality of education. Parents appreciate the ability to choose the curriculum their students will use, to protect their kids from political propaganda and sexualization, and to teach practical, daily skills along with core subjects. For some, physical safety is a motivating factor. For others, it’s a desire to prevent bad influences from corrupting their children at such vulnerable ages.
Generally speaking, these parents choose to homeschool because they genuinely believe it is the best choice for their family. Whatever their motive, I can assure you that it is not the allotment amount!
For Mr. Waltenbaugh’s assessment that “homeschools are in
Freeing states from the ‘stranglehold’ of the U.S. Department of Education
By Gov. Mike Dunleavy
As a former educator for over 30 years, I welcome the news that President Trump has signed an EO significantly decreasing the power and authority of the U.S. Department of Education. Since its creation in 1980, despite spending several trillion dollars of taxpayer money, student outcomes continue to fall, at risk students continue to be trapped in failing schools, and the reading and computing ability of American students is dismal compared to their international peers.
While the original intent of the U.S. Department of Education was noble, forcing it to release its grip on education is necessary because it failed in its primary mission, to ensure that every child has access to a quality education. Like all large, centralized departments and programs, it pilfered tax dollars to support a large bureaucracy, which became increasingly inefficient. As it metastasized, the Department
took billions of dollars out of state and local economies to create regulations and pay employees, and the financial resources that it provided to the states, was a fraction of what was taken.
The USDOE has also been captured by a political ideology that has been harmful to education in America. The United States was founded on the principals of freedom, risk taking, and hard work. Being rewarded for excellence fueled American ingenuity and economic growth. However, the Department of Education has worked every day to thwart our merit-based system, by rewriting history and promoting DEI in primary, secondary, and postsecondary schools.
The Department has also become a tool of the education establishment. While education associations, such as the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) claim to support the education of America’s youth, they do not. Instead, they use dues
a race to the bottom,” I couldn’t disagree more. Many of the students I have worked with over the years are so advanced by high school that they can successfully take advantage of the Jump Start Program (where high school juniors and seniors earn dual credit at the local community college). Others have graduated early and gone on to start their own businesses. Homeschooling offers great flexibility to meet the educational needs and satisfy the intellectual interests of students.
Are there homeschooling parents who are not taking their responsibility seriously or who are doing their job poorly? No doubt.
China. And the thing is, we, the United States, will be the backstop to any major aggression in the world and we will get involved, sooner or later. Just look at the last two world wars. It’s a lot easier to contain the war in Ukraine by supporting the Ukrainians in defending themselves than trying end a war when the whole world is involved. Refusing them aid is just repeating history and a surefire way to let the conflict to get out of control and spread. So, what do we do? Nothing, if you think things are cool, but if you agree with me call your senators and representative. Let them know what you think. Tell them to support the underdog. Tell them to fund the Ukrainian defense effort. Americans don’t like bullies, so let’s prove that to the rest of the
taken from hard-working educators to lobby for education policy that directly undermines the values of our country and promotes harmful political ideologies that do not reflect the values of families in our country. The inability of a large bureaucracy to improve educational outcomes should have been predicable when the department was established. Parents are the best judge of what their children need to thrive and learn. Families working with local educators, within local districts, and with state oversight know how best to prepare students for success as adults. Onesized-fits-all, top-down education policy created in Washington, D.C., thousands of miles away from Alaska, never had a chance to provide the flexibility to meet the unique needs of children in my state or any other.
Rigid federal regulations and overly complex funding rules stifle innovation, making it difficult for states like Alaska to address critical challenges such as rural
But in the end, they are hurting their own children if that is the case. I believe this scenario to be very rare.
Mr. Waltenbaugh states that “(he) see(s) the majority of students that enroll in neighborhood schools after homeschool need significant remediation due to a lack of state-provided structure.”
I wonder, how many students are we talking about here? How many students who have been in public education their entire lives, at similar grade levels, still need significant remediation or intervention? It would be interesting to know the details.
Alaska’s school testing results are available online. Many of the public schools are failing. Mr. Waltenbaugh, principal at West Homer Elementary, is proud of his school’s “success,” with a score of 67.8 and a statewide ranking of 51st out of 173 elementary
world. I know we all have busy schedules, but a big war will really mess that up — if not directly, in lots of little ways. It doesn’t take much time to send an email or make a phone call. All contact information is available online.
David Stutzer Homer
Local support helps foster inclusivity and advocacy
On behalf of Homer Pride, I am thrilled to share that we were awarded a $2,500 grant from the Homer Foundation to support Homer Pride Outreach. This funding has helped us expand efforts to foster inclusivity, education, and advocacy in our community.
education, workforce development, and achievement gaps. The Trump Administration’s plans for the department will give states greater flexibility in using federal funds. For example, a block grant approach will empower states to invest in workforce readiness programs, technology integration, and targeted literacy interventions that align with their unique priorities. Innovation thrives when states have the freedom to experiment. Instead of filtering decisionmaking through the Department of Education, Congress should shift authority directly to state governments, allowing them to lead in funding allocation, curriculum development, and school accountability. The federal government should step back from unnecessary oversight and instead serve as a limited partner, ensuring compliance with broad national goals while deferring to state-driven solutions.
Critics of the EO argue that it will increase disparity and
schools. He argues that his score has been brought down by previously homeschooled children who have enrolled in his school.
Is it also possible that some of these children did extremely well on the standardized tests and actually inflated his school’s score? I would be interested to see the school’s score with all former homeschoolers’ results removed from the average. In my years working with children, the only person I’ve ever known to earn a perfect score on the standardized test was a homeschooled girl. And her mother didn’t spend the year coaching her on how to take said test. I encourage the families I work with to take the state’s standardized tests, so we have more statistics to prove the success of homeschooling.
True, Connections students are not forced to take these tests, so participation rates are
With these funds, we updated technology, hosted game nights and organized a special winter gathering at the Methodist Church. For the first time, we offered winter activities, creating vital opportunities for connection and support during an often-isolating season.
We deeply appreciate the City of Homer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and welcome opportunities to collaborate further.
A heartfelt thank you to The Homer Foundation and its generous donors for making this work possible. Your support strengthens our community and ensures everyone in Homer feels valued and included.
Thank you for supporting all who call Homer home.
Jerrina Reed and the volunteers of the planning committee Homer Pride
discrimination, but this action by President Trump does not change national education laws. Federal statutes related to special education and disabled students, and civil rights are still on the books. Both the federal government and states have the legal and moral obligation to ensure, and will, that all students have access to educational opportunities that enable them to be productive citizens of the United States.
As the governor of Alaska, I celebrate President Trump’s EO to free states from the stranglehold of the U.S. Department of Education. Education is most effective when tailored to local needs, not dictated by Washington. By prioritizing state leadership and removing federal roadblocks, we can better utilize federal education dollars and unlock the full potential of America’s schools to ensure that every student receives a high-quality education.
Mike Dunleavy is the 12th governor of Alaska.
low. However, of the students that did take the tests in 2024, Connections had an average score of 62 and ranked 66 out of 173. That isn’t far behind West Homer. When you consider how much money we spend to earn that 67.8 at West Homer (at least $15,000 per student) and compare that to how much the homeschooler in Connections is receiving to earn a 62 (less than $3,000), it really doesn’t seem too bad! But I would argue that there is room for improvement in both cases, as I don’t accept any score in the 60s as “passing.” If Mr. Waltenbaugh and everyone else working to educate our children could focus on doing just that — educating our children — perhaps all of them would benefit.
Emmy Brooks is the owner and instructor at Schoolhouse on the Ridge in Homer.
An overdue thank you to SpitWSpots
Last month SpitWSpots sent out an email regarding its program “Keep Alaska Connected.” Reading it made me aware that our little church, St. Augustine’s Episcopal, is not the only recipient of SpitWSpots’ generosity in providing no (or low) cost internet service. We are overdue to thank them for this. While many churches have abandoned Zoom post COVID, we continue to provide hybrid services, reaching out to those who are homebound, live too far away or are otherwise unable to attend in person. This means more than words can convey. We are truly grateful.
Thank you, SpitWSpots.
Nell Gustafson
absolute legend in Homer.”
“This man schooled the commercial fishing fleet for decades and humbled a lot of people in that industry, and as he gravitated over to the sport industry, he’s dominated there even more,” he said.
This year’s John Hillstrand award was presented to Doug Weimann, the captain of team Profishunt.
A complete summary of the 2025 tournament results can be found at www.homerwinterking.com.
2025 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament Results — Top 10 Place, Angler, Weight in pounds, Boat, Earnings, Side Tourneys
1. Zach Weimann, 30.66, Profishunt, $35,197.50, $49,010
2. Dustin Klepacki, 24.74, 289, $18,525
3. Kim Weimann, 23.88, Profishunt, $14,820
4. Jace Power, 23.52, Sea Predator, $12,967.50, $12,220
5. Jeff Laughlin, 23.48, Peacekeeper, $11,115, $4,875
6. Jeffery Anderson, 22.72, Wicked, $9,262.50
7. Jack Heimbold, 22.44, Ak 0148l , $7,410.00
8. Brandon Kosht, 22.42, Sweet T, $5,557.50, $4,095 9. Kendall Soares, 22.24, Double Time, $3,705.00 10. John Raymond, 22.22, Callie Girl, $1,852.50
Students smile from atop a mountain peak while engaged in KMTA’s Pathfinders program. The program fosters environmental literacy and lifelong learning using an experiential, inquiry-based teaching model and helps expose students to the rich histories, environments and recreation opportunities available in the KMTA.
KMTA
From Page A1
Girdwood, through Moose Pass, to the City of Seward including Cooper Landing, Sunrise, and Hope to the west, and Portage, Whittier and the waters of Prince William Sound to the east.”
Blakeslee said in an interview with Homer News on Friday that most of the area’s programs were created to grow with demand. While she says the demand is there, the ability to offer programs at low cost is diminishing; without federal subsidies, the families of children interested in participating would have to pay the extra costs, out of pocket instead.
“The programs themselves are designed to not be cost-prohibitive,” said Blakeslee. “They’re supposed to be accessible; they’re supposed to be low cost. We’re not in the business of making money. We’re a nonprofit that is supposed to benefit the public. But now we’re having to look at our revenue models in the future and decide whether or not we’re going to have to substantially increase program fees.”
Blakeslee said KMTA has been asked to rewrite and resubmit grants they were already selected for, planned on receiving, and, in some cases, had already spent money from. They’re not the only organization that’s been asked to do this, either.
“You’re sort of stuck in this process of rewriting grants that you already received, which is taking time away from being able to apply for new funding, and now we’re in this increasingly competitive funding landscape,” Blakeslee said. “Because all these nonprofits across the state are feeling the same stresses, and because our state is still reliant on federal funding for all sorts of services, including our nonprofit organizations, we’re all competing that much more for a very limited pool of private wealth.”
The impact of mass federal layoffs across departments has created tension among remaining federal staff and barriers to communication with outside organizations. Blakeslee said this can make it difficult to maintain partnerships between public and private entities, something she worries stems from fears of retaliation among federal
staff members working in a quickly changing landscape.
“We’re very reliant on those public-private partnerships, and that includes all other federal employees, many of whom have now been laid off. Those that are remaining are being directed that they’re not allowed to take meetings with us or with their partners without lots and lots of layers of approval first,” Blakeslee said Friday. “A standard meeting you might have with a grant contact or your partner organization to talk about a project you’re working on now has to go through all these steps just to get approval to have a meeting. The remaining employees are sort of stuck and operating in limbo and not really able to even move the work forward.”
Blakeslee said she’s reached out to Alaska’s congressional delegation for help but received little in the way of a response.
“I’ve heard back from (Sen. Dan) Sullivan’s office, from (Rep. Nick) Begich’s office, but really just an acknowledgment that they received my letter, my plea for help,” said Blakeslee. “We provided a lot of information about the effectiveness of our organization, not just in terms of the intrinsic value of programs and services that we provide to communities, but also around the economic impact of our organization. We generate almost a three-to-one match for every federal dollar that we spend. We generated over a million dollars in non-federal matches with the limited appropriations we received. We have not received any appropriations for FY25 nor guidance on if we will receive any or how much that might be.” Blakeslee noted that KMTA is over halfway through their fiscal year, which runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2025.
She said the only office that has been mildly receptive has been the office of Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
“When our funding first froze, I was able to speak with some of her (Murkowski’s) staffers, her director of education, her state director and a few of her staffers on the appropriations team. And I will say, I haven’t had a meeting since then, as things keep changing, but I would say that typically, I am more successful in getting a response from Sen. Murkowski’s office.”
For more information about the Kenai MountainsTurnagain Arm National Heritage Area, visit kmtacorridor.org.-
PHOTO COURTESY OF KMTA
Schools
School board says no cuts to Homer Flex
The KPBSD Finance Committee on Tuesday recommended not making reductions to or closing Homer Flex High School at this time.
By Delcenia Cosman Homer News
During the Finance Committee meeting Tuesday, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District leadership said that they aren’t planning on implementing any reductions to Homer Flex High School for the upcoming school year.
“The recommendation from the district, after reviewing everything — comments and the student numbers — was that we do not change anything at Homer Flex,” KPBSD Superintendent Clayton Holland said.
He noted that Homer Flex’s numbers have been consistent over the years, and previously heard public testimony highlighted the positive impacts that the school has had on their students.
Homer Flex currently serves more than 30 students, according to Holland. It is also the only alternative school serving the lower Kenai Peninsula, and one of two alternative schools — alongside Kenai Alternative High School — serving the entire district.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is currently facing a $17 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1.
The KPBSD Board of Education Finance Committee released earlier this month three draft budget reduction scenarios that all described significant cuts to staff and programming, even with
“I think we’ve all received very compelling testimony about the impact that that program has made on youth, that there was a reason they left Homer High School to attend (Homer Flex) and how they found the supports they needed,” Holland said. “So that came through loud and clear to me.”
the most generous possibility of state funding. Discussion on school closures began in February, with nine schools throughout the district originally selected for potential closure — six of which have already been removed from consideration. Nikolaevsk School, Sterling Elementary and Tustumena Elementary are still being explored as options for closure.
The decision to explore closing alternative schools in the district came up at the Board of Education meeting held in Homer on March 3, when the board asked district administration for information about closing Homer Flex and Kenai Alternative High School. Public testimony heard
Bringing back music education
Tustumena Elementary students get lessons from Artist-in-residence Delana Green.
By Jake Dye Peninsula Clarion
On Friday, at Tustumena Elementary School, Delana Green asked a group of around two dozen kindergartners if they had ever had a music class before — in or out of school. None raised their hands.
“Zippo,” she said. “Well, that’s even more special. I get to be your first music teacher.” Green, through her own music education program Greenhouse Music, is teaching music at Tustumena three times a week through the end of the year. Her first day at the school was March 19. Friday, March 21, was her first time working with Tustumena’s youngest students in kindergarten and first grade.
Bringing Greenhouse into local schools has been a long-term goal, Green said Friday. It started a few years ago when one of her students asked her to teach at their school, because there wasn’t any music there anymore.
At that time, when Green looked at music programs in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, she saw six open music teacher positions.
This week, only seven of the 22 elementary schools in the district listed a music teacher in their staff directory — those teachers located in Kenai, Soldotna, Homer and Anchor Point. KPBSD administration did not respond, as of Tuesday evening, to a request for information about music staffing on Monday.
Green wants to see music back in local schools and back before children.
“We’ve had less music programs,” she said. “We keep losing it and these kids are thirsty for it. They’re the ones that are asking about it. They’re the ones that are begging for it.”
Green has been seeking an arrangement to bring music into a school, “even if it was once a week.” It was Tustumena Principal Devin Way who reached out and made it happen. Tustumena receives federal funding as a Title I school, and that funding is often used to bring in an artist in residence for art programming. That’s the same arrangement being used now to get Green in the classroom.
On Friday, Way said, she’d already heard from parents excited about music education. The call to hire a music teacher has been heard for a while, she said, but “tough” amid larger staffing challenges. In only a few days of music education, she said she’s seen students engaged and excited about the program.
Only the oldest students at Tustumena, in the sixth grade, said they remembered taking music classes before, Green said, and they’d only had it in kindergarten themselves.
Because many of the students at Tustumena have had none or very little dedicated music instruction, Green said they’ve started “very basic,” with concepts like rhythm and percussion. There are “layers,” she said. Students started last week with simple ideas like rhythm and repetition. Over the coming months, they’ll be learning songs to perform at a yearend show in May.
Some of the challenges with a lack of a musical foundation, Green said, extend far beyond Tustumena’s walls. When teaching music, she always must approach with “no assumptions.” Today’s students aren’t necessarily even familiar with popular nursery rhymes, as a decline
LocalWorshipServices
at the March 3 meeting leaned heavily in favor of keeping alternative schools like Homer Flex open, as they serve students who would otherwise “slip through the cracks” in traditional high schools, the Peninsula Clarion previously reported.
Homer Flex Principal Christopher Brown also posted on social media, following the March 3 meeting, asking for community support in advocating for alternative schools. He told Homer News on March 14 that Flex’s lower student-to-teacher ratio, comfort of familiar surroundings, and trauma-informed and aware approach to teaching all create a learning environment that supports area students.
A full recording of the March 25 BOE Finance Committee meeting will be available at the KPBSD’s BoardDocs website.
in preschool programs means they aren’t learning them.
On Friday, Green’s kindergartners began with egg-shaped shakers, following along with rhythms led by their teacher and singing along. One of the first concepts Green said she approaches with her classes is following along with a director — who provides important cues like “what to play, when to play, how loud, how fast, how soft and how slow.”
The kindergartners also used their own bodies as an instrument, clapping their hands and stomping their feet in time with the music playing.
A group of second graders who had class with Green the same day similarly explored ideas of rhythm, volume and tempo, but in another way. Students passed a ball across the room, playing a variety of percussive instruments with that ball as a conductor — stopping it stopped, playing slow when it moved slow or playing rapidly as it moved more quickly across the room.
The older students also began to explore different tones, noting the difference between low-pitched bass clef notes and higher pitched treble clef notes.
Green said she grew up in the district and learned music herself in local schools. She’s been teaching music since 2013, as Greenhouse since the early 2020s. Music is important for brain development, she said. It’s a “whole body experience” that stimulates a student physically while also engaging concepts analogous to math and reading.
Students are learning to express themselves and challenge themselves in a way that they wouldn’t otherwise.
“There’s so many benefits, therapeutically and educational and sensory and socially,” Green said. “It’s, across the board, something that benefits and enriches a child’s life.”
There were “bumps” to surmount in working out the details of bringing Green in as an artist in residence, Way said. Parents and teachers asked for the very solution that was implemented, relying on Title I funds and an artist in residency to provide the programming, but it took some time to get from an idea to hosting Green in a classroom. Hopefully, Way said, they can “be the pilot program” before other schools follow suit.
Green said she developed her lesson plan
CHURCHONTHEROCKHOMER 1061EastEndRoad,Homer,AK.99603 235-2689cotrhomer.org office@cotrhomer.org Day:Sundays Location:HomerHighSchool (600E.FairviewAve.) Time:10:30am CHRISTIANSCIENCE SOCIETY 3774BartlettStreet christianscience.com •ServicesSunday10am Allarewelcome. ECKANKAR EVENT SpiritualDiscussion AwakentoHigherConsciousness TuneintotheSoundCurrentwithHU Sunday,April13th,9:30-10:30am ToreceiveaccesstothisZoomeventplease send an emailtoseeker@eckalaska.org and putSpiritualDiscussion in the subject line “Seekthehighestandtherestoflifewill fallintoplace.” SriHaroldKlemp TheAwakenedHeart For moreinformation:www.eckankar.org
to bring music into a school, even when she’s not there. Some teachers at Tustumena are already doing what they can to integrate music into their lessons, and Green said she wants to supplement that work. Way said some of Tustumena’s teachers have music background and are already bringing some of those ideas into the classroom “with the time that they have,” but there’s space for more music in the students’ days.
“I didn’t want to create a program that was going to end up being a burden on teachers and ask more of them,” Green said. “I wanted to create something that’s woven into what they’re already doing.”
Green says she wants to see the model for providing ad hoc music education that she and Way have developed at Tustumena expanded within the district and within the state. There are many schools, she said, in need of music education. With the model now designed and implemented, it’ll be more “simple” to repeat the program at Tustumena or at other schools.
This model, she said, is an answer to bringing music back to elementary schools. Without it, as students reach later in life before being exposed to music education — learning basics in middle or high school — Green said she worries those more advanced programs will begin to wither away too.
“We’re going to lose it, and this is the way to try to get it back, I believe,” she said. “That’s my big vision.”
Amid questions surrounding school funding at the state and federal level, Way said Tustumena will continue to use the resources available to provide the best education to its students.
“We still have Title I funds, and we will continue to use them to bring in music in residency and art in residency,” she said. “We’ve had such wonderful feedback from the kids and from the parents that I don’t want to see it go away. If that’s how we have to get it done, we get it done that way.”
“I’m just really grateful that I get to do this,” Green said. “This means that 200 kids get to have music, for the rest of the year, that didn’t have it. That’s a miracle.”
For more information, find “Tustumena Elementary” on Facebook.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
EPISCOPAL St.Augustines’ EpiscopalChurch 619SterlingHighway 235-1225 www.staugustineshomer.org staughomak@gmail.com Sundayworship:11am Allarewelcome. ToattendviaZoom,calloremail foraninvitation.Outdoorlabyrinthis openfor individualmeditation/prayer. FAITH LUTHERANCHURCH Corner of Sterling Highway andSoundviewAvenue (acrossfromWestHomerElementary) 235-7600 (office) WorshipServiceSaturdayat6pm, Sundayat10:30am SundaySchoolandBibleStudies, Sept-May,Sundayat9:30am www.faithhomer.org HOMER FRIENDSMEETING (UNPROGRAMMED QUAKERS) Sunday10amatHCOA (355WPioneer) Call(907)235-4226forinfo PrayforPeace!
ORTHODOX AllSaintsofAmericaOrthodox Mission(AntiochianOrthodox ChristianArchdiocese) WoodmanLane (offEastSkylineDr.) 235-8871 •Worship10amSunday •Vespers5pmSaturday ForDivineLiturgyandotherservices, checkourwebsite:homerorthodoxy.org
ROMANCATHOLIC St.JohntheBaptistCatholicChurch Allarewelcome! 255OhlsonLane (acrossfromFatOlives) 235-8436 stjohnthebaptistcatholicchurch.org Pastor:Fr.JojappaChinnabathini •Tues,Thurs,FriDailyMass12:00pm •SaturdayMass5pm •SundayMass11am •FaithFormation:Sept.-May St.PetertheApostle 16150SterlingHwy (nexttofairgrounds) Ninilchik: SundayMass8:30am DailyMass,Wednesday,10am SaturdayMass(summeronly)7:30pm 907-567-3490
SENIOR PORTRAIT: CAITLYN ROGERS
Caitlyn Rogers has lived in Homer her whole life. She has made her way through Paul Banks Elementary, West Homer Elementary, Homer Middle School and will graduate from Homer High School with the class of 2025. Over the years, she was involved in Bruins Basketball, Little League Baseball and Girl Scouts, eventually playing volleyball for the Mariners.
Caitlyn is very involved in school activities as a member of National Honor Society, senior class president with Student Council, student representative on the Port and Harbor Commission, manager of the girls soccer team, and editor-in-chief of the Mariner Logbook. Her favorite classes at Homer High were APUSH and AP GOV classes with Mrs. Borland, because “Mrs. Borland blossomed her interest in government and how to look at it.” Caitlyn isn’t sure where she’s going to school, but plans to study political science. Caitlyn’s favorite memory from high school was the “Mobster” themed dinner her friends had where they all ran around with Nerf guns screaming, “Where’s my money!” For underclassmen, Caitlyn says, “Don’t be afraid to branch out and meet new people, and don’t get stuck in the ways of Homer.”
SEVENTH-DAYADVENTIST 210E.PioneerAvenue 235-4240 LayLeader:JudithJames 907.399.8234 *Saturday1pm-Biblestudy UNITEDMETHODIST HomerUnited MethodistChurch 770EastEndRd. 235-8528 homerumcalaska.org Pastor:LisaTalbott AdultSundayschoolmeetsat9:45am Worship Sunday@11am Masksare optional. For moreinformation pleasevisithomerumcalaska.org
PHOTO
OF LISA LINEGAR Caitlyn Rogers.
JAKE DYE/PENINSULA CLARION
Delana Green teaches music to kindergartners at Tustumena Elementary School in Kasilof on Friday, March 21.
We’ve officially passed the spring equinox! You might not know it, though, just by looking out the window. As you brave the unpredictable weather and venture out for events and activities this coming week, take a look at these Best Bets for news on what’s happening around town!
BEST KNOW YOUR LAND BET: Join Kachemak Bay Campus for the next Know Your Land seminar!
On Thursday, March 27 at 6 p.m., Homer Soil and Water Conservation District experts Monica Kopp and Victoria Monsaint-Queeney will present “Soil Testing 101,” where they will discuss the basics of soil testing. All Know Your Land talks are free, held hybrid in-person at the KBC’s Pioneer Hall in room P202, and livestreamed via Zoom. To attend virtually, register for the Zoom here: bit.ly/KnowYourLand2025. 533 E. Pioneer Ave.
BEST BRIDGE CLUB BET: Join the Kachemak Bay Bridge Club to learn how to play bridge in just two lessons! Learn the basics in two free session on Thursday, March 27 from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, March 29 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. If interested, call 907-299-5050 or email francieroberts@gmail.com to RSVP. 533 E. Pioneer Ave.
BEST JOB FAIR BET: Are you looking for summer employment
or a new job altogether? Don’t miss the Homer Job Fair, happening this Friday at Homer High School! Fair attendance is “students-only” from 1:45-3:45 p.m., then it opens to the public from 4-5 p.m. Come see what opportunities local businesses are offering! 600 E. Fairview Ave.
BEST PUBLIC WORKSHOP BET:
The City of Homer has been working with the Kenai Peninsula Borough and other cities on the peninsula to complete a Comprehensive Action Plan with a goal to help reduce serious injuries and traffic fatalities on local roads. Planners have arrived at preliminary recommendations and they want your feedback! The public is invited to a Virtual Public Workshop where borough representatives will share key findings and recommended countermeasures or solutions, explain the next steps in the plan process, and share how you can see the plan and provide comments. Two virtual public workshops will be held on Monday, March 31— the first will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the second running from 5:30-7 p.m. For more information and to find the Zoom links, visit www.cityofhomer-ak. gov/communitydevelopment/ kpb-comprehensive-safety-actionplan-virtual-workshop-march31-1130-am-530-pm.
BEST HEALTH AND WELLNESS
BET: Join South Peninsula Hospital for Wellness Wednesdays, a free evening of health education, food and yoga held weekly on Wednesdays at Kachemak Bay Campus from 5:30-7:30 p.m. On April 2, Christine Kulcheski, RN, Joe Marx, RN and Dr. Joe Llenos will present on foot health, diabetic foot care, what to do and not do at home, common foot problems, and when it’s time to visit the clinic. Following their presentation, Kate Henry will lead a Qi Gong movement session. For more information, visit the SPH Facebook page or contact wellness@sphosp.org or 907-235-0285. 533 E Pioneer Ave.
BEST SCIENCE LECTURE BET: Join the Pratt Museum on Saturday, April 5 from 4-5 p.m. for “Reconstructing Bering Sea Storms,” a lecture by Arctic Coastal Geoscience Lab Director Chris Maio and PhD student Reyce Bogardus. Maio and Bogardus will discuss the ongoing study of storminess in the Aleutians and the scientific techniques used in the process, which are also currently featured in the museum’s current special exhibition, “Bering Sea Storms: Past to Present.” This event, supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Science Foundation, is free and open to the public; a $5 donation is suggested. 3779 Bartlett St.
-AshleighBrilliant
Wed-Sat10-3 “Theclosestyouwill
DELCENIA COSMAN/HOMER NEWS
A “trolling” sign waves in the foreground as Blackwater Railroad Company play live music onstage at the 2025 Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday at the Deep Water Dock on the Homer Spit.
Arts and artists in April
By Christina Whiting For Homer News
With a mission to spark artistic inquiry, innovation and equity to strengthen the physical, social and economic fabric of Alaska, Homer’s nonprofit art gallery Bunnell Street Arts Center hosts residencies, exhibits, performances and artist funding opportunities throughout the month of April.
Announcing the Ursa Major Fund for Artists
Funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation’s Regional Regranting Program and administered by Bunnell Street Arts Center, the Ursa Major Fund for Artists is intended to support the independent, self-organized work of artists, small groups and collaborators that play a crucial role within Alaska’s cultural ecosystem. According to the Bunnell website, “the grants will provide an opportunity for artists to create artwork that engages their communities and experiments with new possibilities.”
Bunnell will award a total of $60,000 through 15 grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Information sessions about the Ursa Major Fund will run March through the summer, with the submission window open Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. Grants will be decided by a panel of jurors and awards announced in early 2026.
For more information, contact Asia Freeman at asia@bunnellarts.org.
A RuraAL CAP Foundation $10,000 Grant for Community
Workshops
With the award of a $10,000 grant from RurAL CAP (Rural Alaska Community Action Program), Bunnell will facilitate community workshops focused on health, healing and recovery and community engagement associated with Bunnell’s artist residency and exhibits programs throughout the rest of the year. According to the Bunnell website, “Alaskans are struggling to find hope, energy, and vitality and with these workshops, artists will lead as healers through their creations and in celebration of community solutions to express resilience, innovation and adaptation.” For more information, visit bunnellarts.org.
“On this sand (together)” Exhibit
Bunnell hosts Inupiaq artist Jenny Irene and her exhibit, “On this sand (together): A story of place” for the month of April. A body of photographs that showcase Inupiat familial connections to each other and Indigenous lands and waters, Irene’s artist statement says, “The space we knew as our subsistence camp near Nome has been altered by climate change and was washed away by Typhoon Merbok. This work connects past, present and future Inupiat and records our stories from fish camp, recording what climate change hasn’t erased — our ties to each other and the memories of place.”
A photographer whose work is grounded in storytelling, Irene’s portfolio includes work made with sound, video and sculpture.
“I’m inspired by kinship, home and our stories,” her statement continues. “This allows me to further understand my knowledge of self and ways of knowing that have been instilled in me by my family, culture and experiences. The work I make is quiet and explores notions of identity, place, refusal, and access through portraiture and nonhuman photographs. It makes room for Indigenous and queer-centered stories to take shape, to be acknowledged and shared. Photography provides a space for me to practice a form of careful observation that runs deep in the Inupiaq culture I come from. My art practice considers how portraiture can be used to share stories, to remember and how it has been used and is still used as a weapon in the colonial project.”
Irene holds an MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico, a BFA in Photo media and a BA in American Indian Studies from the University of Washington. Her work has been exhibited internationally at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Hause Kunst Mitte gallery in Berlin, Germany, as
well as at the Portland Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, among others.
The exhibit opens on Friday, April 4 with a reception from 5-7 p.m. and an artist’s talk at 6 p.m. Between April 28 and May 2, Irene will travel to Nanwalek as a teaching artist through Bunnell’s Artist in Schools program. Artists in Residence
Bunnell welcomes storytellers Quentin Simeon and Amber Webb as Artists in Residence from April 10-26, including their Yup’ik story sharing on Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at the gallery, entry by donation. During their residency, Simeon and Webb will collaborate to create a stop motion animation about Simeon’s new screenplay about Yup’ik culture.
Simeon is a Yup’ik storyteller who was raised on the Kuskokwim River and now lives on Kachemak Bay. He has worked as an Alaska Native cultural liaison and intercultural communication specialist. Webb is a Yup’ik artist and activist from Curyung/Dillingham whose work through portraiture and textiles visually explores the effects of colonization and the evolution and strength of Indigenous people after genocide and intergenerational trauma, exploring pictorial Yup’ik storytelling to communicate contemporary stories of oppression, historic trauma, resilience, humor, changing climate, motherhood and resistance. Learn more at bunnellarts. org.
Bunnell Arts by Air presents Courtney Rose
On Friday, April 18 at 7 p.m., Bunnell Arts by Air presents Courtney Rose live in performance at the gallery with a live broadcast on KBBI AM 890 at kbbi.org. Community members are invited to join the live studio audience, with seating no later than 6:45 p.m.
Courtney Tatellgaq Rose Griechen is an artist and musician originally from Bristol Bay and now based in Anchorage. Their music is inspired by the honesty in small moments and memories, in the mundane, and life experiences expressed through rhythm bari uke and an indie folk twist. Currently working on a solo project called “Albatross” and looking to release an EP this year, Griechen also plays with a fourpiece folk rock band, Murmur, who formed in 2019 and have spent the last few years playing festivals and venues around Alaska.
Live studio audience tickets are a sliding scale of $15 discount, $20 regular, $30 pay-it-forward and can be purchased at bunnell-streetarts-center.square.site/ tickets-workshops. For more information on Bunnell Arts by Air, contact Brianna at brianna@bunnellarts.org.
Bunnell Presents YogicStatica
On Sunday, April 27 from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m., Bunnell hosts
YogicStatica, twelve hours of multiple styles of yoga led by 12 teachers. Forty-five-minute yoga classes begin at the top of each hour, followed by a 15-minute break to allow transitions between classes. YogicStatica provides an orientation to the many yoga options available in Homer, ranging from yin, restorative, kundalini, vinyasa, acro, yogalates or piloga to fascia flow, while raising funds for the gallery. The event fosters community for local yoga practitioners and a space to share techniques and connections in a fun, healthy, educational and affordable day for the community and is an opportunity for teachers to share their special brand of yoga with those who might be interested in attending their regular classes. This one-day event is open to all for a nominal fee of $15 for unlimited classes. Youth under 15 are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Participants are asked to bring their own yoga mat. Register at bunnellarts.org. Artist in Residence Eve Beglarian
Bunnell welcomes composer Eve Beglarian for a creation residency from Saturday, April 26 through Monday, May 12. According to the Los Angeles Times, composer and performer Beglarian is a “humane, idealistic rebel and a musical sensualist.”
A 2023 winner of the Arts and Letters Award for “a spectacular body of work that innovates and takes enormous risks,” Beglarian is a 2017 winner of the Alpert Award in the Arts for her “prolific, engaging and surprising body of work” and was awarded the 2015 Robert Rauschenberg Prize from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts for her “innovation, risk-taking and experimentation.”
Founded in 2012 by three Alaska-raised musicians, Wild Shore New Music fosters collaborations between living composers, musicians worldwide and Alaska’s creative artists and residents and is sponsoring Beglarian’s artist residency alongside Bunnell Street Arts Center. During her month-long Alaska residency, Beglarian will also travel to Fairbanks, Talkeetna and Anchorage, returning to Alaska in the fall with Wild Shore musicians to premiere the commissioned work.
For more information on all of these activities, visit bunnellarts.org, call 907-235-2662 or visit the gallery in person, located at 106 W Bunnell Avenue, with open hours Mondays to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BUNNELL STREET ARTS CENTER
This photograph by Inupiaq artist Jenny Irene is on display through April in her exhibit, “On this sand (together)” at Bunnell Street Arts Center.
Bunnell Street Arts Center hosts residencies, exhibits, performances, artist opportunities and more.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BUNNELL STREET ARTS CENTER
Bunnell Arts by Air presents artist and musician Courtney Rose, live in-person at Bunnell and broadcast on KBBI on April 18.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BUNNELL STREET ARTS CENTER
Bunnell Street Arts Center will host composer Eve Beglarian for a creation residency from April 26 to May 12.
The Man Called ‘Greasy’ — Part 2
By Clark Fair
AUTHOR’S NOTE: In 1948, after nearly a quarter-century in law enforcement in Ohio, Cecil Miller, his wife Dorothy and their two youngest children moved to Alaska and settled on a large homestead on Stariski Creek, north of Anchor Point.
Two distinct versions of Cecil “Greasy” Miller received the most publicity during his brief tenure on the southern Kenai Peninsula. Oddly, both of them came from the same man — author, Miller neighbor and fellow homesteader Gordon Stoddard.
When he was interviewed by Ella Mae McGann for her history book, “The Pioneers of Happy Valley, 1944-1964,” Stoddard stuck mostly to facts and avoided the caustic characterizations he had used in his own 1957 memoir, “Go North, Young Man: Modern Homesteading in Alaska.”
Stoddard, who met Miller after Miller’s wife had left Alaska and returned to her home state of Ohio, told McGann that he had been hunting for property to buy when he first encountered Miller, who had a homestead on lower Stariski Creek. “I talked to him,” Stoddard said, “and offered to buy five acres from him. He gave me a price to consider. When I went back the next week to talk (again) about the land, he had raised the price.” Stoddard demurred and went looking elsewhere. Ironically, a land locator led him to a man hoping to relinquish his 160-acre homestead, which happened to abut Miller’s own property, just upstream on the same creek.
In his memoir, Stoddard used literary allusions and colorful phrasing and details to paint an unflattering portrait of Miller. His new neighbor, said Stoddard, had shoulders “as broad as a bookcase” and hands “like hams.” He was so large and gruff-voiced that Stoddard said he almost expected to hear him say, “Fe, fi, fo, fum. I smell the blood of an Englishman.” Stoddard also thinly disguised Miller’s identity by referring to him as “‘Greasy’ Grogan.”
After Stoddard bought housebuilding lumber from a nearby sawmill, he said in McGann’s book, Miller hauled the boards in his old truck to Stoddard’s homesite. In his memoir, however, he
added that McGann’s help came at a price: Stoddard had to help Miller and his son, Tommy, pour a cement cellar at Miller’s home.
Although Stoddard lived up to his end of the bargain, Miller only drove the load of lumber, while Tommy and Stoddard did all the loading, unloading and stacking.
To McGann, Stoddard supplied only one explicitly sour note in his description of Miller, involving what Stoddard had taken originally as a kind gift from one of his neighbors. After checking on his trap line one day, Stoddard had returned home to find a “large hunk of frozen meat on (his) doorstep.” It was Christmastime, he said, and he was much pleased by the holiday offering.
“I thawed the meat, cooked and ate it all,” he said. When he mentioned the meat to Miller, however, Miller laughed. He told Stoddard that “it was the hind leg of an old mangy coyote he had left … for me to use in my traps. I almost choked to death while he was talking. I could not eat any meat for several days.”
It was only later, when talking to different neighbor, he learned that Miller had been putting him on. The other neighbor had been the benefactor. He had killed a
young domesticated goat for the holidays and had shared a hindquarter with Stoddard because Stoddard had helped him earlier with a medical problem.
A
cop’s life
Back on June 1, 1923, after working eight years for the B.F. Goodrich Company in Akron, Ohio, Cecil Miller made a career change. He joined the Akron Police Department.
Five years into what would become a nearly 25-year career in law enforcement, Miller was highlighted in the Akron Beacon Journal in a feature called “Rubber City Blue Coats: Brief Biographies of Men Composing Akron Police Force.” Next to a stern-faced headshot of Miller in his policeman’s cap and uniform were the basics of the first 33 years of his life.
Despite the unsmiling photograph, however, much of Miller’s police work that actually grabbed headlines in Akron seemed like part of some madcap adventure.
There was the time a 7-foot black snake curled itself around Miller’s left leg as he strolled through a meadow. Black snakes are non-venomous and subdue their prey by constriction.
“I wrestled with that snake for five minutes,” Miller told the Akron paper, “and for a time it wasn’t any cinch which way the tussle would go.” Finally, he was able to grab the snake by the back of the head and fling it away from him.
And there was the time that a prisoner being searched at the police station snatched Miller’s gun and tried unsuccessfully, twice, to shoot him with it before he was subdued by authorities.
During another prisoner search, Miller plunged a hand into a pocket, only to slice open his right ring finger on the broken mirror the prisoner had been carrying there.
In 1936, while he was off-duty and sound asleep at home, neighbors pounded on his door at 3 a.m. and urged him to hurry to their address to investigate what they were certain were burglars in their kitchen. Miller, according to a newspaper report, “strapped on his gun, picked up his flashlight and dashed for the residence.”
There, he found no intruders, but he did find a culprit — a small, gray mouse with the tip of its nose caught in a trap and frantically banging the device around as it fought to free itself. Ten minutes later, Miller was back in bed. He was also off-duty when another neighbor’s pigs raided his garden and ate a large quantity of his carrots. The swine raid resulted in a court appearance, during which a judge suggested that the neighbor sell the pigs to avoid having them continue to be a public nuisance. Like many careers in law enforcement, tedium and routine were a commonplace part of the job. Because of Miller’s facility with machinery, he was assigned to be in charge of traffic devices
and signals. He supervised the development of safety lanes at crucial intersections, the painting of new traffic signs, and the repairs associated with all this equipment. He received praise from superiors for his mechanical abilities and for his tendency to find money-saving means to accomplish his many tasks.
Also, over his years on the force, Miller’s once-slender frame filled out. Late in his career, he could have been considered stocky — or worse, if one accepts Gordon Stoddard’s descriptions. Stoddard also more than implied that, at least near the end of his life, Miller may have developed a problem with alcohol.
Several brief obituaries — such as the one in the Akron Beacon Journal — pointed to a medical condition as the likely cause of Miller’s demise on June 29, 1951: “Death apparently was due to a heart attack. Mr. Miller’s body was found (in his cabin) by another homesteader. The Miller family here received word of the death in a telegram from (officials) in Anchor Point.”
Stoddard, on the other hand, cast doubt on that diagnosis. The man whom Stoddard called “my giant enemy-friend” had been drinking heavily and acting strangely, he wrote, venturing frequently to Homer “to take on a full load of booze.” At such times, Stoddard said, Miller drove him “to the verge of insanity … roaring and cursing and knocking things down.”
“As far as I was concerned,” he said later, “Greasy was a thorn on the side of the country, and the less I saw of him the less the pain would be.” Still, he professed, he was shocked by Miller’s sudden death.
Near the end his chapter on “Greasy Grogan,” he offered this grim tableau: “Greasy had been doing a lot of drinking … and all of his neighbors had gone out of their way to avoid him. When he hadn’t made an appearance on the local scene for over a week, someone had dropped in to investigate. He was (found) lying on his bunk, an empty whisky bottle in one inert hand. On his chest sat his cat, gazing hungrily into the blank, unseeing eyes…. I had no love for Greasy, but this—” It is uncertain now how much Stoddard may have embellished Miller’s death, but he concluded with this line: “You could hardly say that I mourned the passing of Greasy, but I knew that I would miss him and his own particular Alaskan brand of hospitality.”
When Cecil Miller was a patrolman for the Akron (Ohio) Police Department, he was featured in a brief bio in a 1928 edition of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Cecil Miller took leave from Akron (Ohio) Police Department to join the U.S. Navy Seabees during World War II. When he returned to the force after his military service, he was featured in an October 1945 article in the Akron Beacon Journal.
Quick and kid-pleasing casserole
This wholesome dish is great for busy families and fussy eaters.
When I used to eat my lunches at my desk in the classroom, my colleague’s son would often come in to talk to his mom and sneak a sip of her drink. He would look curiously at my radish kimchi and acorn jelly and ask me questions about what I packed for lunch. He would try to be polite, but a crinkled nose betrayed him when I asked him if he wanted to try it. It would be a stretch for any 6-yearold, especially one who’s not particularly adventurous when it comes to meals. But he approved of some parts of my lunch and would sometimes walk away with a few of my raspberries or a sweet pepper on his way to eat with his friends.
The little hot rod is turning 7 this week. In the year
since we attended his last birthday party, I have watched him grow, and I have been privy to the dramas and stresses of his young life. I have overheard his excited conversations with his friends and witnessed many athletic tricks on the playground. Then one day, I watched a big kid walk into the room and was shocked to see it was him. He suddenly looks so grown up, and is certainly much taller, and it’s such a joy to watch this sweet child become the honest and kind person his parents are raising him to be. I doubt sincerely he
Aging gracefully
Homer News debuts a new column from the former editor-in-chief.
By Michael Armstrong
For the Homer News
About a decade ago at my annual physical, before my beard had more pepper than salt and hadn’t quite turned to snow, my doctor told me, “You’re aging gracefully.” Looking back, I think that meant I’d managed the biggest challenge of my 50s — not dropping dead of a heart attack — and had controlled well the usual life and health issues an asthmatic man faced in the first five decades of his life.
Now nearing the end of
my 60s and having retired two years ago, I’ve been thinking more about what it means to age gracefully. Since I’m a writer and a retired Homer
would even touch most of the meals I make, but I know he loves his mama’s tuna noodle casserole, so I made some for my little boy. This wholesome dish is a quick and easy kidpleaser, great for busy families and fussy eaters.
Tuna noodle casserole
Ingredients:
1/2 box pasta — penne, rotini, rigatoni, or any thick, sturdy pasta
1 12-ounce can of tuna, packed in water
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons allpurpose flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ cup Parmesan
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley (optional)
Directions: Boil your pasta in salted
News reporter and editor, I thought, huh, maybe I could turn this into a column. And here we are.
My cohort of silver citizens makes up a sizable percentage of the Southern Kenai Peninsula population. According to figures from South Peninsula Hospital, of the 15,575 people in the SPH Service Area from Ninilchik south, almost 23% of us are age 65 and older. Include people 55 and older, and that percentage rises to almost 40%, or nearly 6,000 seniors. That’s about the same number of people who live in the city of Homer. We’ve been called the Silver Tsunami because of our economic and social impact, especially in health care. That might explain how the Bartlett Street neighborhood has turned into a medical campus, our own little version of Anchorage’s
MULTIMEDIASALESCONSULTANT-OUTSIDE(JUNEAU,AK)
SoundPublishingInc.isthelargestcommunitynewsorganizationin WashingtonStateandiscurrentlyacceptingapplicationsforafull-time MultimediaSalesConsultant–OutsideSalesatourJuneauEmpirepublicationin beautifulJuneau,AK.
WHATWEOFFERYOU:
•Youwillbepartofanenergetic,results-focusedteam!
•Salaryrangeis$35to$40kbasewithunlimitedcommissionopportunity
•Medical/Dental/Visionplanswithasignificantportionofthepremiumspaidby thecompany
•Life/AD&D/LTDinsurance-paidforbythecompany
•OptionsforVoluntaryLifeandAD&Dcoverage-paidbytheemployee
•EAP&Wellnessprograms
•401kretirementplanwithcompanymatch
•Vacation&Sickaccrual
WHOWEARE: Weareanaward-winningnewsandmediaorganizationbased inthebeautifulPacificNorthwestwithcommunitynewsoutletsinWashington andAlaska.Ourcommitmenttoprovidingpertinentlocalizednewscontentand independent,fact-basedreportingmakeallsubsidiariesofSoundPublishingan inspiringandrewardingplacetowork.
ABOUTTHISPOSITION:
Theprimarydutyofthispositionistogrowandmaintainexistingclient relationships,aswellasdevelopnewclientrelationshipswithlocalbusinesses. Thesuccessfulcandidatewillalsobegoal-oriented,haveorganizationalskills thatenableyoutomanagemultipledeadlines,providegreatconsultativesales andexcellentcustomerservice. Thejobrequires: •Strongsales,customerservice,andphonesolicitationskills
•Regularandconsistentattendance
•AgoodcommandoftheEnglishlanguage
•Theabilitytoreadandfollowwrittenandverbaldirections
•Theabilitytocommunicateeffectivelywithclients,vendorsand co-workersbytelephoneandin-person
•Theabilitytoseewrittenmaterialsinordertohandleallrequired paperworktoensureaccuratedata
•Theabilitytohandlemulti-facetedprioritiesinadeadline-oriented environment
•Mustbehighlyorganized,withtheabilitytoflextonewandvaryingpriorities
•AvalidAKStatedriver’slicenseandvehicleinsurance
•Abilitytocommute/relocatetoJuneau,AK Notaremote-workposition.
TOAPPLY- Toapply,pleasesendyourresumealongwithacoverletter sharingwithuswhyyoubelieveyouwouldbeafitforthispositionto:careers@ soundpublishing.com. BesuretonoteATTN:JUESALESinthe subjectline.
SoundPublishingisanEqualOpportunityEmployerandstronglysupports diversityintheworkplace.Visitourwebsitetolearnmoreaboutus! www.soundpublishing.com.
water according to the instructions until the pasta is almost cooked.
Strain and hold.
Melt the butter in a heavybottomed saucepan then sprinkle on the flour.
Whisk constantly for 2 minutes until the flour has a nutty smell.
Add the garlic powder and pour in the milk.
Whisk continuously while you bring the sauce to a simmer.
Turn the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching the bottom. The sauce should be smooth and creamy.
When you can no longer taste any flour, turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Be sure the cheese is completely melted before continuing.
Taste and season with salt. The cheese may be salty enough to season the sauce, so wait until this stage to salt it.
Pour the sauce over the noodles and stir until thoroughly combined.
Add the frozen peas and mix, then add the drained tuna and gently fold to mix.
medical district. Most seniors now are the Baby Boomer generation, the demographic group that has been wagging the tail of the dog since the 1960s. I know: You’re sick of us.
In looking at the impact of seniors, I think we have to also consider those other 9,000 residents of the southern peninsula. The big dream houses we build for our retirement drive up the cost of housing for less-wealthy neighbors. The jobs we haven’t yet given up slow advancement for workers in their 30s and 40s. Seniors need our younger friends, not just to make our coffee, but to care for us when we’re sick, to stock goods at the grocery stores, to repair our homes, plow our driveways, and do the hard job of keeping this city running.
Oh, and though sometimes there can be gaps
You can try to preserve some chunks of tuna or mix vigorously if you prefer to have a more uniform dish.
Pour into a casserole dish and top with extra Parmesan.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and all the ingredients are
between generations, I’ve come to discover I like being with younger people. Last year I did a mentorship-coaching gig at KBBI Public Radio where one day a week I hung with reporter Simon Lopez and former news director Jamie Diep. Jamie left in late January to take a job with KTOO in Juneau. At a going-away gathering, I told them, “You taught me a lot. Thanks.” I meant it. As this column evolves, I’ll look at issues of aging and talk to other elders about how they’re aging (or not aging) gracefully. First, I want to write about what aging means to me. Here’s the thing that puzzles me: I don’t feel old. Sure, my body feels old. Every morning I wake up with a dozen irritating pains I have to shake off. My mind, the essence of my personality, doesn’t feel old. Sometimes I still
or
think of myself as that 30-something person who has just started to figure out life. I feel like a kid. I see the world as full of wonder and surprise. Nature still astounds me. People still astound me. I find joy in the call of a raven or the glint of hoar frost on pushki. Though I have moments of fuzziness — why did I come into this room? — my brain remains sharp. Sometimes I guess the daily Wordle in two steps. Liberated from the daily grind of writing news stories, my fiction has started to flow. (Like the molasses man, it has taken some time to warm up.) I still haven’t figured out retirement, but it’s starting to make more sense. My stock answer when asked is, “It’s a work in progress.” And yet, I have all these
TRESSA DALE
PHOTO BY TRESSA DALE/PENINSULA CLARION
This tuna casserole calls for peas, parsley and Parmesan incorporated into a sturdy pasta.
PHOTO BY JANET SHOOK/COURTESY Former Homer News Editorin-chief Michael Armstrong poses for a photograph Oct, 26, 2024, in Wilmington, Vermont.
Kachemak Swim Club hosts annual Swim-a-thon
By Chloe Pleznac Homer News
Kachemak Swim Club held its annual Swim-athon on Friday, March 21, at the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center.
The pool was filled with family members, coaches and pool staff there to supporttheswimmers.Kids playedinthebleachersand tables laden with food for hungryswimmerslinedone side of the room.
Thirty-three swimmers participated, swimming a total of 4,717 pool lengths — about 67 miles.
The Swim-a-thon is Kachemak Swim Club’s biggest and primary fundraising event of the year. Swimmers collect pledges from businesses, family members, friends, and neighbors prior to swimming and earn money for their team by swimming lengths of the pool.
Swimmers have a two-hour period to swim a maximum of 200 lengths (5,000 yards) and are divided based on experience, skill, and speed, according to KSC coach Jaime Roth. “We had 11 Smolt this year, compared to four last year,”RothsaidMondayina textmessage.“Tremendous growth!”
As of Monday, March 24, theSwim-a-thonhadraised nearly $15,000 toward its $23,000goal.Swimmerswill continue to collect pledge money until Monday, April 14. Funds raised from the Swim-a-thon help support the operational expenses of Kachemak Swim Club and support swimming scholarships for swim team members in need of reduced tuition. The Swima-thon also keeps monthly dues low and equitable for members.
Smolt
Sienna Rummery, 40; Wilder Roth, 44; Nova Mede, 60; Lincoln Weisser, 80; Timothy Christman, 84; Hailey Fischer, 92; Molly Marden, 102; Zane Poirier, 110; Runa Larson, 114; Chloe Kiesel, 132; Alice Speakman, 142.
Discover
Five percent of the funds raised go toward supporting the USA Swimming Foundation. Roth said the numbers accompanyingthestudents’ namesrepresentthelengths ofthepoolswum.Eachpool length is 25 yards, meaning that if a participant swam the Swim-a-thon’s maximum of 200 pool lengths, they traveled about 5,000 yards. Students are divided intonamed-divisionsbased on experience, skill, and speed. Smolt are generally the newest, youngest swimmers.
Ellowyn Hanson, 60;
Challenge
Dream
Believe
Benjamin
Achieve
LaurelLyn Handley, 106; Thomas Hooker, 137; Mathilde Bynagle, 142; Hannah Hooker, 170; Maggie Maurer, 172.
Cassidy Carroll, 200; Jody Goodrich, 200; Lorelei Kinney, 200.
Xander Roth, 100; AdelaRae Handley, 150; Taylor Dickerson, 152; Sean Johnson, 154; Brady Werts, 188; HamishBartlett,190;Torrin Bartlett, 196.
Overdorf, 200; Anika Sundheim, 200.
Avery Briscoe, 200; Katie Hallam,200;JeremiahOverdorf, 200; Elias Sundheim, 200.
Swimmer Nova Mede stands proudly displaying her swim total on Friday, March 21, at the Kate Kuhns Aquatic Center. Mede is the youngest swimmer on the competitive team.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAIME ROTH
The oldest swimmers of KSC stand together on Friday, March 21, after swimming 200 lengths (or 5,000 yards) at the Katie Kuhns Aquatic Center. From left to right, Jody Goodrich, Avery Briscoe, Katie Hallam, and Cassidy Carroll.
Thursday: Kenai girls lose in 3A semifinals; Kenai boys top Homer
By Jeff Helminiak Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai Central girls basketball team lost to Grace Christian in the Class 3A state semifinals on Thursday at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, while the Kenai boys defeated Homer to move to the fourth-place game.
The Grizzlies girls, the top seed and two-time defending state champs, toppled the No. 5 Kardinals 55-12.
Grace (21-5) finished 4-0 against Peninsula Conference rival Kenai (16-12) this season.
The No. 6 Kenai boys (19-9) topped No. 7 Homer (8-15) 36-34 to end Homer’s season.
The Peninsula Conference rivals played four times this season, with Homer taking the two regular season contests, and Kenai winning the conference tournament title and at state.
Grace girls 55, Kenai 12
The Grizzlies were all business in securing a spot in the final, leading 15-3 after the first quarter, 23-5 at the half and 43-10 after three quarters.
“Honored to have the chance to play Grace for the fourth time this season,” Kenai head coach Jake Songer wrote in a text message. “Proud of our girls for playing hard the whole time.”
The Grizzlies brought their trademark defensive intensity once again. Kenai was 12% from the field, but did well in the turnover battle, losing 18-16. Grace won on rebounds 24-14.
The Grizzlies were 45% from the floor, but the big difference was an 8 of 17 performance from 3-point land.
Willow Graham paced the Kardinals with 4 points, while Bryleigh Williams and McKenzie Spence had 3, and Ellsi Miller had 2. With star point guard Ella Boerger injured, Grace’s Poppy Wiggers-Pidduck did her best Boerger impression.
Wiggers-Pidduck finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, hitting 5 of 8 from the floor and 4 of 7 from 3-point land.
Grizzlies twin towers MJ Van der horst and Sophie Lentfer each finished with 17 points, with Van der horst adding 10 rebounds.
Also for Grace, Molly Schild had 5 points and Reese Van der horst had 2.
Kenai boys 36, Homer 34
The two familiar opponents met in an unfamiliar environment — the big court at the Alaska Airlines Center where the background is different than typical for a high school shooter.
The result was a defensive slugfest, with Kenai shooting 29% from the field and 4 of 26 from 3-point land, while Homer was 35% and 3 of 12 from 3.
“It wasn’t the prettiest basketball, but a win is a win,” Kenai coach Nolan Rose wrote in a text message. “We shot the ball terribly at the rim and at the 3-point line — 4 of 26 from 3.
“We couldn’t throw it in an ocean. It was a rock fight, neither team played well offensively. Somehow we ended up being the fortunate team with 2 more points on the scoreboard and we get to keep playing.”
Wednesday, Homer had an 8 a.m. start in a 61-26 loss to No. 2 Sitka. Mariners head coach Jose Musa liked his team’s energy much better with the 10:30 a.m. start time against the Kardinals.
“I thought our energy was different and far better,” Musa said. “I thought we had a lot of buy-in from the guys.
“I don’t think the moment was too big. Their eyes weren’t huge.”
The Mariners went on a 5-0 run to close the first quarter, with Preston Stanislaw hitting a jumper at the buzzer for a 13-6 advantage.
In the second quarter, Homer took its largest lead of the game when Henry Wedvik had a layup for a 23-13 lead with 0:40 left in the half.
Mason Tunseth laid in a rebound at the buzzer as Kenai trailed 23-15 at the half.
Homer was able to go 3 of 7 from the 3-point line in the first half, but would go 0 for 5 in the second half.
“They were going in for us and they weren’t going in for the boys in red, but we knew that wasn’t going to last forever,” Musa said. “Those guys shoot the twine off the rim.”
The Kardinals never really got their shooting going, but they did get their defense going, holding the Mariners to 8 points in the third quarter and 3 points in the fourth quarter.
“I thought that their
on-ball defense picked up,” Musa said. “I thought that their offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding was a lot cleaner.
“We were getting looks. We weren’t getting as much daylight as before.”
Musa said his squad prides itself on starting the third quarter well, but Kenai flipped the script.
Including Tunseth’s bucket to close the half, the Kards went on a 9-1 run capped by a Reid Titus 3-pointer that cut the gap to 24-22 with 5:05 left in the third. Homer would never lead by more than 5 the rest of the game.
Homer’s last points of the game came on an Einar Pederson free throw with 3:47 to play for a 34-32 lead.
Kenai’s Caleb Litke tied it with a layup with 2:49 left, then Tunseth put the Kardinals up for good with a layup with 1:41 left.
Homer had the ball coming out of a timeout with 20 seconds left, but a swarming Kenai defense didn’t allow a shot.
“I definitely could have called timeout to give us another reset there,” Musa said. “I didn’t do that, and I take accountability for that.”
At the same time, Musa said the final minutes were a good representation of just how close the teams were this season.
Litke paced the Kardinals with 11, while Tunseth and Miles Metteer each had 8 points and 10 rebounds. Kenai won 32-22 on the glass.
Also, Titus had 6 and Riel Castillo had 3.
For Homer, Pederson had 15, while Wedvik had 11 points and 8 rebounds.
Also, Stanislaw had 5, Spencer Dye had 2 and Jamen Anderson had 1.
The Mariners lose captains Wedvik and Stanislaw, plus Pederson, Dye, Anderson and Weston Marley.
“I’m indebted to them,”
said Musa, in his second year as head coach. “I can see that this program is going to be a success, but this could have been a waste of two years.
“We had to meet in the
middle and I thought that was our greatest success. I wanted to play in a certain way, and they had been expecting to play in a different way.”
Musa said it was an up-and-down season, with encouraging wins and losses, and some discouraging
defeats. He said the roller coaster resulted from that effort to meet in the middle. Musa played basketball at Division I Florida International University. He said the challenge for the future is to bring those Division I expectations into the culture of the Homer program.
KLAS STOLPE / JUNEAU EMPIRE
Kenai’s Miles Metteer, Homer’s Einar Pederson (4) and Henry Wedvik (22) and Kenai’s Mason Tunseth (33) battle for a rebound on Thursday, March 20 in their consolation bracket semifinal during the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
KLAS STOLPE / JUNEAU EMPIRE
Kenai’s Mason Tunseth (33) and Homer’s Henry Wedvik (22) and Benjamin Engebretsen (5) reach for a tipped ball Thursday, March 20 in their consolation bracket semifinal during the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
Federal funding released for this year’s operations of Alaska research vessel; future undetermined
By Yereth Rosen Alaska Beacon
The National Science Foundation has provided funding for the first year of activities in a four-year agreement concerning a research vessel operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The funding will pay for this year’s operations of the Sikuliaq, the ice-capable research vessel operated by UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and homeported in Seward, the university said on Monday.
The National Science Foundation owns the vessel. The four-year cooperative agreement, signed in December, includes nearly $54 million in funding for Sikuliaq operations through 2028. This year’s share of that is about $11.4 million, according to the agreement.
Whether the remaining money will be released for the following three years of operations is yet to be determined.
“NSF signed a four-year cooperative agreement with UAF to continue operating Sikuliaq, but only funds for the first year have been appropriated. The intent is
to continue the partnership for four years, but NSF can’t guarantee or obligate funding that hasn’t been appropriated yet,” Jeff Richardson, a spokesperson for the UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, said by email.
A federal law, the Antideficiency Act, bars obligation of funding not yet appropriated by Congress, Richardson added.
The Sikuliaq, commissioned in 2014, is used for annual research cruises in the Gulf of Alaska and in the Arctic. This year, three Arctic cruises are planned, Richardson said. One will study Bering Strait ocean conditions that are causing erosion, flooding, permafrost thaw and other risks, with the goal of better understanding storms that affect Alaska coastal communities, he said. Other cruises will continue past years’ monitoring work in the Chukchi and Northern Bering seas, and the final cruise will be used to help study how landfast ice — a term of ice attached to the coastline or shallow sea floor — forms on the Arctic Alaska coastline, he said.
The Sikuliaq is the only
Thepublichearing willcommence at 6:00p.m., orassoonthereafterasbusinesspermits.Allinterested per invitedto attend themeeting and participateinthepublicdi ssi n.Remote participatio illbe available through Zoom orotheraudio orvideomeans,whenever technically feasible.Zoom meeting ID:835 63583837Passcode:606672 https://yourkpb.zoom.us/j/83563583837?pwd=eTO44Um9ao1JJGaVtBJG86PXlsuNvm.1.To attendtheZoom meetingbytelephonecalltollfree1-888-788-0099or1-877-853-5247andentertheMeetingID:8356358 3837Passcode:606672.Detailedinstructionsonhowtoattendthemeeting,themeetingagendaandagenda items ill llbeposted ontheKenaiPeninsulaBorough mainpagewww.kpb.us Weencourage you submityour commentsin writingthrough either the eCommentportallocatedat https://kpb.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx orbyemailingthem toassemblyclerk@kpb.us Ifyouwouldlike to providepublictestimonyatthemeeting,pleasecalltheClerk s Officetohaveyour nameaddedtothe public speaker s list:907-714-2160. MicheleTurner,CMC
NOTICE OF UTILITYTARIFF FILING
The REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA (Commission) gives notice that Homer Electric Association, Inc. (HEA), filed TA475-32, requesting approval of its curtailment action plan and submitting its member notification regarding potential interruptions of service in compliance with Letter Order No. L2500042 issued February 6, 2025. With TA475-32, HEA submitted proposed tariff provisions governing its curtailment action plan and provided a copy of a notice posted to its website explaining the interruptible nature of its Special Contract Letter Agreement with ENSTAR Natural Gas Company, LLC (ENSTAR) approved in L2500042. HEA also submitted a petition for confidential treatment for its detailed curtailment action plan and submitted the curtailment action plan under seal.
This notice may not contain all requested revisions, and the Commission may approve a rate or classification which varies from those proposed. You may obtain more information about this filing by contacting J. D. Draves, Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Rate Design, at HEA at 3977 Lake Street, Homer, AK 99603; phone: (907) 235-3325. The complete filing is also available for inspection at the Commission’s office, at 701 West Eighth Avenue, Suite 300, Anchorage, AK 99501; phone: (907) 276-6222, or may be viewed on the Commission’s website at http://rca.alaska.gov by typing “TA475-32”in the Find a Matter search box.
To comment on this filing and the petition for confidential treatment, please file your comments by 5:00 p.m., April 2, 2025, at the Commission address given above or via our website at: https://rca.alaska.gov/RCAWeb/WhatsNew/PublicNoticesComments.aspx
Please reference TA475-32 and include a statement that you have filed a copy of the comments with HEA at its address given above. Individuals or groups of people with disabilities, who require special accommodations, auxiliary aids or service, or alternative communication formats, please contact the Commission at (907) 276-6222, toll-free at 1-800-390-2782, or TTY/Alaska Relay: 7-1-1 or 1 (800) 770-8973 or send a request via electronic mail to rca.mail@alaska.gov by March 26, 2025.
DATED at Anchorage, Alaska, this 19th day of March, 2025.
REGULATORY COMMISSION OF ALASKA
John Paul Manaois Engineering Section Manager
ice-capable research vessel in the U.S. academic research fleet, according to the university. Its name comes from the Inupiaq word for “young sea ice,” and the Sikuliaq was designed to travel in and through the edge of the Arctic ice pack.
The ship’s operations support 39 permanent full-time employees and 25 to 30 temporary crew members, according to the university.
News about the National Science Foundation’s support for the Sikuliaq comes as the Trump administration has been slashing jobs and funding from numerous federal science programs. There have been deep cuts at the National Weather Service and other National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration divisions, resulting in interruptions to research functions like fish stock assessments and weather data collecting used for global forecasting.
Among the operations identified as vulnerable earlier this month by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, are the research cruises conducted on two NOAA ships, the Oscar Dyson
REQUESTFORBIDS
and the Fairweather. The Oscar Dyson, homeported in Kodiak, is used by NOAA to gather information needed for commercial fisheries management in waters off Alaska. The Fairweather, homeported in Ketchikan, is used for surveys mapping coastal waters, gathering ecosystem information and conducting other ocean research.
At least half of the crew members of both ships are “probationary” employees, with less than a year’s experience in their current positions.
The Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency project, or DOGE, has fired probationary employees en masse.
A spokesperson for NOAA was not available Monday to comment on the Oscar Dyson and the Fairweather.
This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.
KenaiOfficeSkylightReplacement HomerElectricAssociation,Inc.(HEA)isseekingbids fromqualifiedvendorstoprovidealllabor,equipment and materialstoreplace the existingroofskylighton theKenaioffice building locatedat 280 AirportWay, Kenai, Alaska. Work includes, butisnot limitedto, selective demolitionandreplacementof existing skylightsupports,removalofexistingskylightglazing, installationofnewstructuralsupports,andinstallation ofnewinsulatedmetalroofing.HEAisnotresponsible foranycostsvendorsincurwhiledevelopingabid. AllbiddersmustataminimumbelicensedintheState ofAlaskaasaGeneralContractorandprovideproofof insuranceasfollows:
General(Public)LiabilityInsurance-$2,000,000
AutoLiabilityInsurance-$1,000,000
Workers’Compensation/Employers’Liability Insurance,asrequiredbyStateLaw
Toobtain an RFB package,vendors mustregisterto downloadthe package from HEA’swebsite: https:// www.homerelectric.com/bids/.Forquestionsregarding thisRFB,contactHEAbyemail:Bids@HomerElectric. com. Deadlineforreceiptofbids:3:00p.m.April24,2025.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
In the Matter of the Estate of MALCOLM JAMIE ROSS, Deceased Case No.3HO-25-000010 PR Notice to Creditors
Notice is hereby given that Theresa Ross has been appointed personal representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims should be presented to the personal representaive, Theresa Ross, c/o Lindsay Wolter, 4164 Pennock St., Ste. A., Homer, Alaska 99603.
DATED this 24th day of February, 2025.
Pub:Mar.13, 20 & 27 1010145
Notice is here by given that Marcia F. Patrick has been appointed personal representative of the estate of Patrick Raymond Bates. All persons having claims against the deceased are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the first publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented to the personal representative at PO Box 19, Seldovia, AK 99663 or filed with the Homer Superior Court, Case 3HO-24PR Pub:Mar 29 & Apr 3 & 10, 2025 1010915
years of experience stacked up in my brain. Aging has warped my understanding of time. This may sound weird, but I feel timeless, as if I exist not just in this moment, but in all the moments from birth to the present. It is as if my life is a martini glass, a glass narrower at the bottom then the top, and as I have aged, the vodka of memory fills it up and gets thicker. That glass of memory will overflow some day, and when that happens, well, I will die. Aging gracefully eventually means dying gracefully. The hard truth of being an elder means we have more of our life behind us than ahead of us. I’ll also look at that, because I don’t think we talk about death enough, and I have a few thoughts. So forward, because that’s all we can do, and follow me as I contemplate what I think will become the most amazing phase of my life.
Michael Armstrong worked at the Homer News for 23 years before retiring in 2022. Reach him at wordfolk@gmail.com or follow him on Bluesky at maarmstrong.bsky.social.
CITYOFHOMER PUBLICNOTICEOFMEETINGS ORANNOUNCEMENTS OHLSONLNWBUNNELLAVEROADWAY&WATER RECONSTRUCTIONPROJECT
Tuesday,April1st:BidOpening 2:00p.m.
MeetingsareheldintheCowlesCouncilChambers, downstairsinCityHalllocatedat491E.Pioneer Avenue,Homer,Alaskaunlessotherwisenotedabove.
TheCityClerk’sOfficeisacceptingapplicationsfrom cityresidentsandnonresidentstofillvacanciesonthe followingAdvisoryBodies: EconomicDevelopmentAdvisoryCommission–StudentRepresentativeNeeded • ADAAdvisoryBoard–ResidentorNon-resident Ifyouwouldlikemoreinformationandorapplication fortheseinterestingandawardingopportunities,please visittheCityofHomerWebsiteatcityofhomer-ak.gov/ commissions-boards-committeesorcontacttheCity Clerk’sOfficeat907-235-3130.
ReneeKrause,MMC,CityClerk Ad#25-024Publish032725
Wanted
MARKETING AND EVENT COORDINATOR for Bear CreekWinery in Homer Fun, dynamic, positive environment. Position includes office tasks and tasting room time. $25/hr. plus 401k. louis.maurer@bearcreekwinery.com or 907-318-2470
Pub:Mar.27 & Apr.3 & 10, 2025 1010882
Professional Services
Homer Plumbing
Providing new construction and remodel services, including gas piping, wall heaters and boilers. Bonded and insured, Mechanical Contractor #127730. Call Steven, or email homerakplumbing@gmail.com.
Pub:Mar 27 - May 15, 2025 1011066
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Homer High School class of 1975! July 10-12, 2025, All other classes are invited. Email ASAP to homerclassof75@Gmail.com for info. Pub:Mar.27 & Apr.3, 2025 1010898
About Town Crier
The announcements section of Town Crier is a public service provided to individuals, nonprofit agencies and community groups. Send notices to Homer News, 345 Sterling Highway, Suite 202, Homer 99603, or email to towncrier@homernews.com. Deadline is noon Monday to be considered for Thursday publication.
The Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council’s (CIRCAC) Prevention, Response, Operations and Safety (PROPS) Committee hybrid meeting will be held on Friday, March 28 at 10 a.m. For questions or a meeting agenda please email Candice at candiceelias@circac.org. For more information about CIRCAC, please visit www.circac. org
The Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education will hold a Homer Area Community Forum on Friday, April 4 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Kachemak Bay Campus. This forum is an opportunity for community members to share experiences, celebrate successes and discuss challenges faced by individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, caregivers and professionals. Your insights are crucial in guiding future priorities and enhancing services for those with IDD. The council wants to hear about the successes in your community and any challenges or unmet needs you’ve observed. Input will directly influence the council’s planning. Discussions will explore key areas such as education, healthcare, employment, housing, transportation, recreation and access to services. Find the previous five year plan publication at health.alaska.gov/gcdse/Documents/Publications/StatePlan/2021-2026_StatePlan.pdf. ASL and other reasonable accommodations available upon request by calling 907-2698990, toll-free 1-888-269-8990, or emailing GCDSE@alaska.gov. Requests must be made by March 24.
Homer OPUS presents Sea of Strings 200 string musicians ages 5 to 50+ performing together on the Homer High School Mariner Stage on Thursday, April 10 from 6-7 p.m. This free community concert will feature students from Paul Banks, Fireweed Academy, Chapman School and the Homer Youth String Orchestra Club alongside the Codas adult ensemble, showcasing music inspired by Alaska’s stunning landscapes, including new work by Homer’s very own Johnny B. Homer OPUS is a nonprofit organization that believes that broad access to music education can change children’s lives and transform community. OPUS engages around 250 kids on the southern Kenai Peninsula each year by offering comprehensive string music education for youth in kindergarten through 12th grade, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Community members are invited to come out and support these young musicians. Learn more about Homer OPUS at homeropus. org.
Town Crier
Pratt Museum
Head to Storytime at the Pratt in April and learn more about sea animals! Each week our education staff will read stories, lead themed crafts and guide kiddos through our exhibits for an immersive educational experience. This is a free weekly event geared towards ages 3-10, held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. and is supported by the Institute of Museum & Library Services. Register now for My Coyote Nose and Ptarmigan Toes: Habitat & Adaptation Collage Project Workshop at the Pratt Museum! Children aged 5-10 years old will join author Erin McKittrick for a reading and discussion about habitats and how animals adapt to their environments, followed by an art project with artist and illustrator Valisa Higman. Each participant will draw a habitat and then collage an animal into the habitat, considering the adaptations it needs to live in that specific environment. Workshop will be held in the ownstairs classroom at the museum on Saturday, April 5 from noon to 1:30 p.m. All supplies are provided. $15 per child/$10 per museum member. Learn more and register at www.prattmuseum.org/event/ my-coyote-nose-and-ptarmigan-toeshabitat-adaptation-collage-project-withvalisa-higman-and-erin-mckittrick/.
Join us for “Reconstructing Bering Sea Storms,” a lecture by Arctic coastal Geoscience Lab Director Chris Maio and PhD student Reyce Bogardus. This free lecture will explore the on-going study of storminess in the Aleutians and the scientific techniques used in the process, featured in our current special exhibition, “Bering Sea Storms: Past to Present.” Saturday, April 5 from 4-5 p.m. in the Main Gallery at the Pratt Museum. Free ($5 donation suggested). Supported by the Institute of Museum & Library Services and the National Science Foundation. Become a Museum Volunteer! We rely on volunteers to serve on our governing board, to help on committees, and support our mission-driven programming. Volunteers are vital to our organization, and we are incredibly grateful for each and every person who chooses to support us in this way. Stop by or visit our website for an application at www.prattmuseum.org/ get-involved/volunteer/.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Registration is now open for the summer semester and classes start May 19. You can pick up a class you missed, get a general education requirement taken care of or prepare for those classes in the fall, or just have fun, all while out on the bay or the trails this summer. Everything is online. Visit the searchable schedule at bit. ly/41kO9CL or call 907-235-7743 to set up an appointment with an advisor. AMSEA is conducting a Fishing Vessel
Drill Conductor class at KBC on Saturday, March 29 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost for the class is free for commercial fishermen and $300 for non-commercial fishermen (AMSEA scholarships may be available). This class meets the U.S. Coast Guard training requirements for Drill Conductors on commercial fishing vessels. Register online at www.amsea.org or call 907-747-3287.
Hands-On Seed Starting — Grow your garden and take home starts! Two different opportunities: Saturday, March 29 from 2-4 p.m. or Thursday, April 17 from 5:307:30 p.m. Ready for spring? Want to start your own veggie and flower starts this year? Don’t know where to start (pun intended)? Join local flower and veggie farmers Carey Restino and Monica Kopp for a deep dive into all the ins and outs of seed starting and go home with a tray of starts and the equipment needed to keep them alive until they can be safely planted in your garden. This beginning-gardener class will cover topics like how to properly time your veggie and flower start plantings, what materials to use, what plants need to be “potted up” and how to care for your starts with appropriate light, temperature and water. Participants will each plant a tray of starts and head home with a set of lights that can be hung on a standard 4-foot-wide metal shelving unit. $50. Includes a tray of starts and lights for growing at home. For information and registration, visit kpc.alaska.edu/communitycourses or call 907-235-1674.
Coastal Navigation — April 8-24, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-9 p.m. Learn essential boating skills to safely explore Kachemak Bay. Covers safety, navigation, anchoring, rules of the road, charting and basic seamanship. $175. To register, visit kpc.alaska.edu/communitycourses or call 907-235-1674.
Deckhand Skills — Friday, April 18 from 5-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn practical job skills for becoming a deckhand on any vessel in one weekend at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer. Includes safety, survival skills, line handling, knots, gear, basic navigation, crew roles, helm, wheelhouse expectations and more. Scholarships are available through the Homer Marine Trades Association. 16 years and up, 15-year-olds allowed with special permission from the instructor. Minors under 18 must have signed parent/guardian permission. Call 907-235-1674 for more information.
Bunnell Street Arts Center
Jenny Irene Exhibit — April 4-30, during normal gallery hours. Artist Jenny Irene shares “On this sand (together),” a story of place, Inupiat familial connections to each other, and Indigenous lands and waters through photography, at Bunnell Street Arts Center. Opening reception is on Friday,
April 4 from 5-7 p.m. with an artist talk at 6 p.m. Free.
Bunnell Arts by Air presents Courtney Rose — Concert April 18, 7 p.m. at Bunnell and broadcast live on KBBI AM 890. In-person audience must arrive by 6:45 p.m. Tickets are sliding scale, $15 -$30. Yup’ik Story Sharing — April 25, 7 p.m. at Bunnell. Join storytellers Quentin Simeon and Amber Webb for their Yup’ik story sharing. By donation. YogicStatica — April 27, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Bunnell. Twelve hours of yoga (multiple styles) by 12 teachers. Unlimited classes available for $15 donation to Bunnell Street Arts Center.
Homer Council on the Arts
Apply now for the Ron Senungetuk Summer Youth Scholarship! Homerarea students currently enrolled in grades 6-11 are invited to apply for summer arts scholarships, due April 26 by 5 p.m. Learn more and apply at homerart.org/ event/2025-youth-scholarship/. Call For Youth Artwork — HCOA is still accepting submissions for the Jubilee! gallery show, featuring preK-12 student artwork from Homer-area youth. The deadline is now extended through Saturday, March 28. Show opens April 4, from 5-7 p.m. Learn more and submit art at See CRIER, Page B8
PHOTO COURTESY OF NOAH GREGOIRE Grace Gregoire.
Grace Gregoire was born on March 23, 2025, at South Peninsula Hospital to parents Molly and Noah Gregoire in Homer, Alaska.
Information about fire, police, and troopers is taken from public records consisting of logbooks and press releases.
Kachemak Emergency Services Area
KESA responded to three Emergency Medical Services and one fire call last week.
Homer Police Department
March 13
At 9:17 a.m., officers assisted medics.
At 10:51 a.m., a caller reported harassment.
At 11:46 a.m., officers provided a civil assist.
At 12:54 p.m., officers served court documents.
At 2:31 p.m., a caller reported their dogs were stolen, which turned out to be a poor practical joke.
March 14
At 2:29 a.m., officers responded to a disturbance.
At 8:07 a.m., officers arrested a 40-year-old Halibut Cove resident on an outstanding arrest warrant for the charge of violating conditions of release on original charges of second-degree misconduct involving weapons, third-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree assault, and violating conditions of release.
At 2:17 p.m., officers responded to a welfare check.
At approximately 4:03 p.m., a caller reported a person burning driftwood.
At about 11:40 p.m., officers responded to a disturbance and arrested a 36-year-old Homer resident for second-degree criminal trespass.
March 15
At 3:01 a.m., officers trespassed a person from camping.
At 12:37 p.m., officers responded to a disturbance and trespassed an
individual from a business. At 12:53 p.m., a caller reported a hit-and-run.
At 4:02 p.m., a caller reported an open door to a business.
At 4:07 p.m., a caller reported a male screaming in the middle of a street.
At 4:56 p.m., officers arrested a 29-year-old Homer resident for second-degree criminal trespass.
At 7:36 p.m., a caller reported a female at a business acting strangely. Officers responded and arrested a 42-year-old Homer resident for second-degree theft and violating conditions of release.
At 8:37 p.m., a caller reported person following them.
March 16
At 12:01 a.m., officers arrested a 31-year-old Homer resident for driving under the influence.
At 3:09 a.m., officers removed people camping in the public restrooms.
At 3:47 a.m., officers removed a camper from private property.
At 8:24 a.m., a caller reported fraud.
At 12:31 p.m., officers served a domestic violence protective order.
At 7:39 p.m., officers arrested a 29-year-old Homer resident for violating conditions of release.
March 17
At 2:55 a.m., officers responded to a motor vehicle collision with moose.
At about 4:30 a.m., officers arrested a 37-year-old Homer resident on an outstanding warrant, charging failure to comply with probation on original charges of driving under the influence, misconduct involving controlled substances, driving while license revoked and violating conditions of release.
At about 7:40 a.m., officers trespassed two individuals from a business.
At 12:54 p.m., officers responded to a welfare check.
At 1:41 p.m., a caller reported a trespasser.
March 18
At 2:02 p.m., a caller reported harassment.
YEARS AGO
20 years ago
Homer’s tourism lodging told Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly members Monday to put a bed tax ordinance to sleep and not add it to the fall municipal election ballot. Monday’s public hearing at Cowles Council Chambers in Homer City Hall quickly turned into a showcase for bed-and-breakfast and hotel owners, who almost unanimously opposed the bed tax ordinance. Comment was restricted to a proposal that could mean a 8 percent bed tax on hotel, motel and bed-and-breakfast rooms in the borough. The proposal is seen as one way to help the borough reduce a potential budget deficit of between $5 million and $7 million next year.
— From the issue of March 31, 2005
Crier
From Page B7
homerart.org/event/2025-jubilee-art/.
Register For Scrimshaw with Conrad Field — Learn scrimshaw carving techniques on various materials, ending with a mounted piece of art on bone or antler. March 31 through April 28 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 5:30-7 p.m. in the back room of the HCOA Gallery. No class on 4/15. Learn more and register at homerart.org/event/ intro-to-scrimshaw-with-conrad-field/. Chinese Brush Painting with Sharlene Cline: Crinkle Landscape — Learn traditional techniques of brush loading, color mixing, and brush strokes. All skill levels are welcome and all
30 years ago
March 19
At 11:23 a.m., a caller reported someone camping on their property. A male was removed and trespassed.
At 12:55 p.m., officers responded to a disturbance.
At 4:42 p.m., a caller reported a person yelling at vehicles.
At 5:39 p.m., officers arrested a 36-year-old Homer resident on an outstanding arrest warrant on the charge of failure to appear regarding second-degree criminal trespass.
At 9:17 p.m., officers responded to a disturbance. Charges of fourthdegree assault were referred to the Kenai District Attorney.
At approximately 10:41 p.m., officers responded to a disturbance.
March 20
At 7:25 a.m., a caller reported a suspicious vehicle.
At 11:39 a.m., a caller reported a scam.
At 1:17 p.m., a caller reported a fight between two high school students. Investigation is pending.
At 3:58 p.m., a caller reported suspected fraud.
At about 4:10 p.m., officers arrested a 35-year-old Homer resident on an outstanding warrant charging him with driving under the influence.
At 8:13 p.m., a caller requested a welfare check.
At 9:42 p.m., officers assisted medics.
March 21
At 2:09 a.m., officers contacted a suspicious person.
At 11:34 a.m., a caller reported an abandoned vehicle.
At 1:24 p.m., a caller reported threats.
At 1:28 p.m., officers arrested a 20-year-old Homer resident for violating conditions of release.
At about 5:20 p.m., a caller reported harassment.
At 9:11 p.m., officers responded to a welfare check.
At 9:41 p.m., officers responded to a disturbance and a 41-year-old Homer resident for fourth-degree assault (domestic violence).
At 11:51 p.m., officers responded
State lawmakers may see wisdom in ripping huge chunks from state grants to public safety, public broadcasting, education and the arts, but their logic was lost on scores of angry Homer-area residents during a teleconference Saturday. Along with those from Homer, citizens from one end of Alaska to the other aired impassioned pleas in defense of those programs and more during a four-hour public hearing held by the state House Finance Committee. That committee and the Republican-led majority coalition are attempting to cut some $70 million from the state’s fiscal year 1996 operating budget.
— From the issue of March 30, 1995
materials will be provided. Friday, April 11 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at HCOA. Register online at homerart.org/event/ chinese-brush-painting-tulip/. Seán Dagher Sea Shanties at the Porcupine — Seán Dagher is an active performer, arranger, and composer, recognized for his recordings in the Assassin’s Creed games and Sea Shanty of the Week videos. Seán’s performance will showcase his deep catalog of traditional sea shanties accompanied by cittern and banjo. Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. at The Porcupine. Get tickets at homerart.org/event/ sean-dagher/.
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Winter operating hours — The visitor
to a single-vehicle rollover.
March 22
At 2:04 a.m., officers responded to a disturbance.
At about 6:50 a.m., a caller reported a damaged road sign.
At 6:54 a.m., officers assisted medics.
At 1:08 p.m., officers began an investigation into violating conditions of release on an individual just released from the jail.
At approximately 2:22 p.m., a caller reported harassment.
At 6:27 p.m., officers responded to a REDDI (Report Every Dangerous Driver Immediately).
At 10:43 p.m., officers assisted Alaska State Troopers.
March 23
At 6:13 p.m., officers assisted medics.
At 7:58 p.m., officers found an abandoned bicycle and got it to the owner.
At 8:42 p.m., officers responded to a reported burglary. Two suspects fled the area, and one was identified by responding officers. Investigation is pending.
Alaska State Troopers
March 19
At 4:06 p.m., Alaska State Troopers received a REDDI report from the staff at the Ninilchik Three Bears store. Troopers located the vehicle at a residence in Ninilchik and contacted a 68-year-old resident. After investigation showed he had driven his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, he was arrested and taken to the Homer Jail, where he refused to provide a sample of his breath as required by law. He was remanded on charges of driving under the influence and refusal of a chemical test.
Court Reports
Information regarding courthouse activity is taken from logbooks and court-issued forms and may not contain all details of the final disposition of each case. All defendants are presumed not guilty until convicted in court.
Case files are available for public review at the courthouse. Disposition of cases can be found at public. courts.alaska.gov/web/scheduled/ docs/crimdisp.pdf.
■ Mitchell Evans, 68, driving under the influence and refusal to submit to chemical test, Ninilchik case.
■ Christine Janice Wilkins, 50, fourth-degree assault (recklessly injure), Homer case.
■ Franklin Keaton Waters, 37, Sept. 14, 2023: knowing false statement/omission on Fish & Game Application; Sept. 16, 2023: two counts of hunting without game tag record in possession, nonresident hunting without resident/guide, unlawful possession or transportation of game, nonresident big game tag, hunting seasons and bag limits for moose; Dec. 15, 2023: two counts of knowing false statement/omission on Fish & Game Application; Sept. 20, 2024: hunting without game tag record in possession, unlawful possession or transportation of game, non-resident big game tag, hunting seasons and bag limits for moose; and Dec. 16, 2024: two counts of knowing false statement/ omission on Fish & Game Application, Homer case.
■ Tiana Sarah Miah Ashepak, 24, fourth-degree assault (recklessly injure), fourth-degree assault (causing fear of injury), and assault when child present, Nanwalek case.
■ Cale Richard Taylor, 41, fourthdegree assault (causing fear of injury), Homer case.
■ Utoq Shawn Moto, 29, seconddegree assault (serious injury, repeated), first-degree assault (serious injury, weapon), thirddegree criminal mischief (damage $750 or more), and first-degree harassment (offensive contact with fluids), Ninilchik case.
■ Nikita Ignaty Basargin, 34, driving under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, fourthdegree misconduct involving weapons (possession while intoxicated), and leaving the scene of an accident (vehicle damage), Homer case.
PET OF THE WEEK: MICKEY
Mickey is quite the character. He loves to be involved in what you’re doing. He’s affectionate and loves attention. Mickey can also get feisty and tell you how he feels. He is a handsome fellow with a big heart and ready to be your best friend. Call us to meet your new best friend Mickey.
To make an appointment to visit the Pets of the Week, call the Homer Animal Shelter at 907-235-3141.
center will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. and closed on federal holidays.
Come celebrate Earth Day at the AMNWR Visitor Center on April 19 from 9-11 a.m. We will start the day off by walking around Beluga Slough and cleaning up litter from the path and around the visitor center. There will be hot drinks, snacks and a fun prize for whoever finds the most unique piece of trash! Email info@akmaritimerefuge.org to register.
Kachemak Bay Recovery Connection
On Friday, April 11, we will host a bonfire at Bishops Beach from 7-9 p.m. Come join us for this alcohol-free and drug-free event. We will have soups, snacks, smores, coffee and hot cocoa. Everyone is welcome. For more information on any of our events, call 907-4350504, email info@kbayrecovery.org, visit our website at www.kbayrecovery.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
South Peninsula Hospital
Wellness Wednesdays are free and sponsored by South Peninsula Hospital weekly at Kachemak Bay Campus, with a
FERRY SCHEDULE
M/V TUSTUMENA: There are no sailings scheduled for the month of March.
health talk at 5:30 p.m., followed by yoga at 6:30 p.m. April is National Foot Health Awareness Month! On April 2, come learn from Christine Kulcheski, RN, Joe Marx, RN, and Dr. Joe Lllenos about foot health, self-assessment, diabetic foot care, what to do and not do at home, common foot problems and when to come to the clinic. Enjoy freshly made soup and bread, and stay for a beautiful Qi Gong movement session with Kate Henry. This free, community-centered event offers an evening of health education, movement, and connection. Contact 907-236-0285 for questions.
Hospice of Homer
Support Groups — Widow/Widowers Group every Tuesday, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Grief and Loss Support Group every Wednesday, 2-3 p.m. Caregiver Support Group, every second and fourth Thursday, 2-3:30 p.m. All support groups meet in the Hospice of Homer sunroom.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOMER ANIMAL SHELTER Mickey, 3-year-old male.