20 years ago

The Homer City Council considered several controversial ordinances and resolutions on city water. One ordinance would give the city authority to terminate the sale of city water outside city limits if the council determined that to be in the city’s best interest, such as during a water shortage. Some water haulers sold and delivered water to homes outside city limits. Council member Kurt Marquardt said the language of the ordinance “seems a little too aggressive.”

Homer Mayor Jack Cushing defended the ordinance, saying it might have been better if the city had never allowed sale of water to homes outside city limits. That made development possible in areas with poor water, to the detriment of development of the city’s core.

The council also considered an ordinance and resolution concerning resale of city water. The ordinance would require water resellers to tell the city the number of customers it serves and pay to the city a $10 per month fee for each customer served.

— From the issue of Feb. 15, 2001

30 years ago

Anonymous brochures were left on newspaper boxes in Homer that a Homer News editorial described as “virulently racist.” Claiming to be Christian, the brochures made attacks on Judaism, repeating anti-Semitic slurs and fanning the flames of religious hatred.

“Hatred and bigotry have no place in Homer,” the editorial said. “Hatred and bigotry have no place in any true Christianity and any person masking his biases with a cross needs to be exposed for the hypocrite and charlatan that he is.”

— From the issue of Feb. 14, 1991

50 years ago

The issue of Feb. 11, 1971, is missing from the Homer News archives.