View of glacier taken

I thought you might want to know that someone swiped the Grewingck Glacier yesterday. Yep, I looked out the window this morning and there was a second-story roof section right where the Grewingck had been the day before.

This little scene has been developing for months down here in the Virginia Lynn Subdivision. Back in April we received notice that there was a variance request in the zoning to subdivide a lot suitable for a single-family home. We pulled out the copy of our subdivision covenants and found this would not be allowed because of the small size of the lot, drainage to Beluga Lake and impact of surrounding property values to include quality of life/density issues.

Some of us tried to respond to the notice citing the points above as stated in our covenants. When these materials were submitted to the Planning Department, it was suggested we secure the services of an attorney and only extenuating circumstances would turn variance requests around. We even received some advice from our friendly neighbor/developer. “You should have had the foresight to buy these lots up before someone like me came in.” I can assure you that was not high on the list of possible impacts eight years down the road.

The lesson presented here demonstrates that when buying a lot for your home, buy up everything around you so someone won’t come in and swipe your glacier. When the strips of surveyor’s tape begin blooming from your neighboring alders, ask questions then. If you wait for the official notice, your glacier is as good as gone.

Thanks again for the “fresh” view.

Howard Hedges

‘Quick connect option’ needed

Independent Living Center and Visually Impaired Persons’ Low Vision Resource Group in Homer are writing this letter in support of an advocacy campaign initiated by ILC low vision consumers and staff in Soldotna. Consumers and ILC staff want Alaska Communications Systems to know there’s a legitimate need for “quick connect option” on the Kenai.

We’re asking ACS to add “quick connect option” to its directory assistance service and to offer it at no charge to consumers who experience any disability that may appropriately qualify them. There are a significant number of consumers throughout the Kenai Peninsula with blindness or physical impairment that makes dialing difficult. For them the benefit of “quick connect option” goes without saying.

ACS currently offers a wonderful program whereby qualifying consumers in our area may apply and receive “exemption from local directory assistance charge.” This is a generous program and we applaud ACS for it. We’re asking them to augment their system with “quick connect option” and offer it free to qualifying consumers.

It’s easy to participate. Address a letter in support of this action to: Alaska Communications Systems, Customer Service Department, P.O. Box 72215, Fairbanks, AK 99707. If you’d like suggestions for composing a letter to ACS on this subject, you may obtain a sample letter from the Independent Living Center at 3953 Bartlett St. in Homer. The ILC office is generally open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Angela Elling

IL specialist and vision services coordinator

Independent Living Center

UA should keep senior tuition waiver

The University of Alaska is considering abolishing the senior tuition waiver because of lost revenue. I believe this is incorrect for two reasons.

First, this tuition waiver does not mean that a senior taking a class for free displaces a “paying” student. Seniors can take a class only when there is space available, registering after regular students have enrolled. Instead of empty seats in a classroom, a senior gets to take the class. This does not cost anyone anything. Actually seniors pay all other fees, purchase books, pay parking on larger campuses, etc.

Second, most seniors on a fixed income face increasing costs for fuel, housing, food, medical expenses, etc., and would probably not be able to afford to take a class. Current undergrad tuition for three credits is $327 with a 20 percent increase to be in effect soon.

Why are these classes important to many seniors? Health experts universally recommend keeping our minds active by learning new things, getting out and meeting new people, challenging ourselves with goals, etc. These are very important.

In addition, I have a problem with the university president’s suggestion that seniors could just apply for financial aid like anyone else. Very few seniors if any, I believe, would be willing to accept financial aid if it would mean that a young person would lose out. That’s just not right.

A decision on this matter is going to be made at the Board of Regents meeting in Anchorage on Sept. 20-21. If you believe this waiver should be continued, please sign the petition (which is at the senior center, at Smoky Bay Natural Foods, Sundog Consulting and on the community bulletin board in the university building) or write directly to the Board of Regents at the university.

Lani Raymond

Donation boxes pulled temporarily

The Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10221 has decided to pull the “Support Our Troops” donation boxes for the time being. We would like to thank everyone for the wonderful donations that we have already collected, and all of these donations will be shipped off to our troops. We feel with the destruction and devastation from Hurricane Katrina we all need to focus on the help that is so needed there. Our prayers are with everyone involved with this horrific tragedy.

God bless our troops.

Jennifer Henley

Ladies Auxiliary president

News takes negative twist

It’s too bad that a local citizen honored in this paper one week was the subject of your police blotter highlight the very next. Good people make mistakes; they don’t deserve to be hung out to dry for your headlines.

Sadly, Russell Crowe may be remembered more for throwing a telephone at a New York hotel clerk this year than for his incredible performance in “Cinderella Man.” Given the choice, the media invariably focuses on negative news — and that’s a shame.

The Homer News has proved that it is not above using tabloid tactics like the rest. I personally expect more discretion from our local paper and better treatment of our local people.

Kim Cooney Donohue

Alaskans to blame for devastation

As Alaskans view from afar the physical destruction and social devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, we should be mindful of the distorted priorities promoted by Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens.

While they pork-barreled hundreds of millions of dollars to build boondoggle bridges in Anchorage and Ketchikan to benefit their friends and political contributors, they and their partners in the Bush administration repeatedly cut the funds requested by the Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and state and local governments for projects that could have prevented the New Orleans disaster.

Sen. Stevens and Congressman Young should be ashamed of their greed and corruption that has harmed so many and brought disgrace on our nation. Our entire congressional delegation also has argued on behalf of their energy industry friends against overwhelming scientific evidence of the human-caused global warming that is exacerbating the destructiveness of storms and destroying our fragile Alaska ecosystems.

Alaskans owe an apology to the people of New Orleans, Alaska Native people and the nation for their selfish shortsightedness in sending these scoundrels to Washington and voting to keep them there.

David C. Raskin

Here’s the rest of Greenpeace story

Am surprised Greenpeace wants to revive this embarrassing incident — not really a proud moment in the history of Greenpeace.

Don’t know if Dylan Weiser was here at the time. Many of us Homerites welcomed Greenpeace and enjoyed a tour of the vessel, after which the visitors spread out and severely criticized Alaskans. As I recall, although the Greenpeace folks claimed some type of permit and/or fancy equipment, they never denied the release in the boat harbor. Just because they were not charged with a crime does not make it right.

Keep in mind, our beloved world treasure — Kachemak Bay — is a designated State Critical Habit Area and National Estuarine Marine Reserve. There are active efforts under way to prevent ships from even dumping their ballast in Kachemak Bay.

We expected much better from Greenpeace.

Those of us who are active in a number of local environmental organizations appreciate their local environmental work, as well as the fact that nonprofits are major employers in this area — further proof that good environmental policy is good business policy. These local groups function well without the arrogance of Greenpeace.

I was honored to welcome the young environmentalists to Homer and hope they will keep an eye on the large corporations as well as the large environmental organizations and that they will make up their own minds and not be sucked up into someone else’s agenda. Am sure Greenpeace will be welcomed again to Homer and will not dump sewage in the boat harbor.

No apologies from this end for trying to protect the Homer Boat Harbor, Kachemak Bay and our oceans, our lifeblood. Still waiting a much deserved apology from Greenpeace. As I recall from my fading old coot memory, the closest Greenpeace came to apologizing was a statement somewhat along the lines that the decision to release in our harbor was not the best decision.

Now you know the “rest of the story.”

James C. Hornaday

Death rate in Iraq unacceptable

Here is my open letter to president George W. Bush.

Dear Mr. Bush,

Despite your speeches to friendly audiences most Americans now know that that military and political progress in Iraq is badly stalled. We Americans also know that the death rate is unacceptable and rising, even though you assure us that “It is worth it.”

You have gotten away with these foolish pronouncements because up to now you knew that antiwar protesters were easily called “unpatriotic” and “encouragers of the insurgency.”

Enter Mrs. Cindy Sheehan. She camped near your vacation hide-away and said: “The war is pointless and is killing American kids — my kid, for no good reason.” People were listening and she was unSwift-boatable. She had to be answered.

So you cut short your vacation and said in a public address: “We must not dishonor those Americans killed by pulling out of Iraq until the ‘job’ is done.”

Since there is no “job” — because there is no plan — you are really saying: “Let more Americans die to honor those Americans already dead.”

That is a bad reason for dying. There are presently 80 killed per month on an increasing curve. If troops were asked to die to honor the dead then this curve would take on an awful upward (exponential) kink.

Since Iraq and Vietnam both are planless they invite comparisons. Thus: If the Iraq war lasts as long as Vietnam, then there would be 14,000 Americans killed by the insurgency. If in addition to that our soldiers were to die to “not dishonor soldiers already dead” then 27,000 would be killed. Let Mr. Rumsfeld check the math.

Have you asked your daughters to sign up for Iraq? It would be an honorable thing to do.

James Donally

It can’t be said too often: great kids

Our daughter, Ali, attended Homer High for the first semester of her sophomore year. She had spent almost every summer in Homer since she was little and she had played soccer on Homer’s under-16 team, so before school started she knew a few kids but she was nervous — new kid in a new school, etc. At the parent-teacher conference, in front of all of her teachers, Ali told the following story.

“I arrived on my first day of classes with my friend, Elli Matkin. I had just left a big public school near San Francisco which is a little impersonal, and I didn’t know what to expect. Before that day was over, almost every member of the sophomore class came up to me and introduced him or herself and welcomed me to Homer High.”

Remarkable town. Remarkable high school. And, in case folks don’t say it enough, great kids.

Thanks,

Jamie and Lynette Stockfleth Sutton, dad and mom

(and, of course, Ali)

Coastie’s promotion source of pride

I would like to congratulate my husband, Benjamin, on his recent promotion to lieutenant commander in the U. S. Coast Guard. A promotion to this rank deserves a lot of attention. Ben has worked very hard and has done very well in his career to get to this point. I personally think it couldn’t happen to a better Coastie. We are so proud of him. We praise you for your devotion and commitment to the Coast Guard and to your family. Alex says, “Way to go, Daddy.”

Lisa and Alex Berg

Homer Foundation supports youth

On behalf of the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) program, I would like to take a moment to express our gratitude toward the Cottonwood Fund of the Homer Foundation.

The Homer Foundation has been extremely generous to our program over the past three years, helping support a number of valuable education and leadership development opportunities for Alaska's young people. These opportunities include an international Youth Eco-Forum in Hokkaido, Japan, in which two Homer AYEA teens participated and represented Alaska; the Civics and Conservation Summit, in which five Homer AYEA teens traveled to Juneau to learn about government process, environmental decision-making and civic engagement; and most recently, the 2005 Summer Get Together in which 30 teens, including three Homer youth, learned about climate change and options for renewable energy in our state.

We often hear that “the youth are our future,” but it is not always easy to find the funding support to back that notion. The Homer Foundation is an incredible source of inspiration and support for the work we are doing to build the future (and current) environmental leaders of Alaska.

Special thanks to Ken Castner of the Cottonwood Fund and Joy Steward of the Homer Foundation for making so many important opportunities available to Homer teens and other youth across the state.

Polly Carr

Program manager

Alaska Youth for Environmental Action

National Wildlife Federation

Pier One shines again

Spectacular. One laugh follows another from beginning to end in this hilarious “Old Songs and Lipstick” production. It is whacky, it is crazy, it is superb. Congratulations to all who made it happen. I have seen it four times and it never gets old. In fact, I hope to see it again next season. Thank you, Sally and the rest of you zanies, you certainly kept me chuckling for days.

Rachel Bilbo

Wood set aside for needy stolen

During the last week of August, someone stole approximately three cords of birch firewood logs from an East Fairview property. This wood was set aside for some needy people around Homer. It is sad that someone has to steal from those in need. May that person and each of his accomplices suffer a day of sorrow and misery for each piece of firewood they took from those in need, knowing it was wrong to steal. May it haunt them the rest of their lives and may it be a hundredfold on a day when they have something taken from them. Likewise for the person who uses it.

Much of the birch firewood was marked. The bark on 20 of the logs had been peeled for craft work. The small style, light-colored pickup was seen by a neighbor removing one of the loads. So, if you know of this, let’s set things straight lest you become as guilty as the thieves. If you have information, call the Homer Police.

Merlin Cordes

Cordez Sep 06 05