20 years ago

Homer High School math instructor Dotti Harness came up with a new idea for teaching geometry: quilting. Harness realized quilting concepts could be used to teach math when she took a quilting class from Marilyn Reeves. For one project, she had to enlarge a pattern and realized she used math skills to do so. For her math class, Harness had students enlarge a pattern of triangles and other geometric shapes using mathematical formulas. The students then chose fabric and created the pattern in a quilt square. Under a Homer Community School grant, Reeves also taught the students how to quilt and sew.

Some students donated squares for a quilt to be given to a retiring custodian. Others entered their squares in the Kenai Peninsula Borough juried art show.

“This is the first time I’ve entered student art work,” Harness said.

— From the issue of March 15 2001

30 years ago

Storage of bags of sulfur on the Homer Spit raised a stink when a Homer man spoke to the Homer City Council about them. About 7,000 bags of sulfur got moved to the Spit after North Kenai residents earlier complained about the odor. A state environmental specialist said the material probably was not a hazard. Sulfur was not classified then as a hazardous material by state or federal agencies, and transport of sulfur was not regulated.

The sulfur was produced at the Tesoro plant in Nikiski and was purchased by Altex Distributors in North Kenai. Altex moved it to Homer after North Kenai residents complained. Altex planned to move the sulfur from Homer in December of 1990, but shipment was delayed, with a new planned date set for April 15. Homer City Manager C.E. Swackhammer put Altex on notice that it had to be removed by a certain time or the city would take action.

— From the issue of March 14, 1991

50 years ago

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