Loved the 50th Anniversary issue of the Homer News. What a huge job, to go through all the old papers and print that wonderful history. It was a book. It was fantastic.

I do have one observation, that I hope is not entirely lost in the history books. In 1982, not one, but three of people from Homer were elected to the school board. At that time, school board members were elected at large, as the mayor is today. It was always a challenge to get southern peninsula representation. I put more than 3,000 miles on my car that year, lobbying for the bond that would build our high school, and campaigning, and somehow managed to get elected, probably on the coattails of well known and admired local pastors Wayne Kessler and Keith Wise. 

It was a first, and will never be repeated. The bond passed, too. And we managed to get a lot accomplished for the Southern Peninsula. Sadly, Keith had to resign in June as he was moved to Fairbanks.

As a member of the assembly, in 2002, I strongly supported the school board go to districts as the assembly does, and that did pass. It guarantees that we will always have two members from the Southern Peninsula on the school board, and they do not have to campaign borough wide.

1982: Those were halcyon days when the state, and district were blessed with a lot of money. And Wayne came to a budget meeting, with chainsaw in hand, to cut.  Of course, there was little cutting needed. In1982 the district hired Mary Sanders to teach computer skills to staff. And  Mary negotiated with Apple for the first Mac lab in the nation, for the new Homer High School. We have come a long, long ways.

Thanks for listening. I hope and pray the Homer News does continue for many more years.

Milli Martin