Library gets kids excited about reading

Thank you, Friends of the Homer Library, for obtaining a grant from the American Library Association and Penguin Random House to purchase new books for every student who participated in our summer programs.

Students brainstormed their favorite books and picked one to request. The Friends of Homer Library then ordered the selections and delivered the books, which everyone received in the last week of our summer session. Each child was delighted to delve into reading their new books outdoors on their last day.

We appreciate the library’s support in promoting literacy and making books fun for our youth. They took great care in finding the books that captured the interests of the kids and got them excited about reading.

Rudy Multz, Child & Family Services program manager

South Peninsula Behavioral Health Services, Inc.

Grant supports youth recreation participation

The City of Homer Community Recreation staff, contracted instructors and volunteers would like to express a big THANK YOU to the Homer Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) for awarding a generous grant of $3,500 to Homer Community Recreation. This grant was proposed and approved by the YAC committee to provide funding for local youth who may be interested in participating in Homer Community Recreation programs. While many of the city’s recreation programs are already free for some youth, there are some participation fees required from participants to pay for contracted instructors such as jewelry making classes, basketball camp, dance classes, etc. This grant will help eliminate any financial barriers that may be preventing some from participating in our activities and supports the community’s collective efforts in supporting and expanding healthy, fun and engaging opportunities for our local kids. For more information about this opportunity please contact Community Recreation staff at 907-235-6090.

Mike Illg, recreation manager

City of Homer

Thanksgiving basket program seeking volunteers

It is hard to accept the move into fall after the wonderful summer we had this year. Yet, here we are about to receive our annual PFDs in just a matter of days. It is this time of year that we begin thinking about the holidays ahead, particularly Thanksgiving that is only two months away.

The Kachemak Bay Lions Club is once again coordinating resources for the Thanksgiving Food Basket project for families in need within our community. We are seeking cash donations for the project. We are also in need of volunteers on Nov. 21 and 22 to pack and distribute the boxes of food.

Please consider giving to this worthy project and make a difference within your community. Make checks payable to Kachemak Bay Lions Club and mail to PO Box 1824, Homer, AK 99603. Please call 720-312-5845 or 907-399-1090 if you want to join us in the packing and distribution process.

Thank you for your consideration.

Linda Petkash, community chairman

Fran Van Sandt, finance chairman

Kachemak Bay Lions Thanksgiving Basket Program

Waddell is an advocate for our schools

I attended the School Board Candidate Forum at the Library last Thursday. I was impressed with Ash-Lee Waddell’s depth of knowledge of our school district, especially her understanding of the complexities that exist in a school district with so many diverse and far-flung schools and her comprehension of the educational funding system that now exists in our state. She understands how the funding works, the BSA, etc., including the serious issues with upkeeping maintenance and what that means to student and staff safety.

Ash-Lee would be a good school board member because she does understand all this and also because she is a proven advocate for students, parents, teachers and the administration. She also won the 2025 First Lady Rose Dunleavy Volunteer of the Year award, which shows a deep commitment to our community.

As a footnote, I would like to thank all the sponsors of the forum and am very grateful that it was broadcast on the radio.

Lani Raymond, retired teacher and past school board teacher rep. member, AGSD

Homer

Vote No on Proposition 1

Free, fair and accessible elections are the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. The voter initiative, Proposition 1, on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Oct. 7 ballot, asking voters to do away with voting machines, is misleading and has serious consequences. Voting systems in the Kenai Peninsula Borough and all of Alaska already meet strict standards for security, accuracy, transparency, and accessibility, with paper ballots and audit trails to verify results. (See Borough Code of Ordinances Chapter 4.6 Election Integrity and Security.) The fact is that numerous studies and actual real-world efforts have shown that hand counting introduces a significantly high rate of error. Scraping machines in favor of hand counting undermines election integrity and efficiency, rather than strengthening them. The Kenai Peninsula Borough and the State of Alaska have strong, tested measures to ensure voting equipment is secure. The League of Women Voters stands firmly for secure, modern systems that protect every vote and uphold public trust in our democracy. Vote “no” on Prop 1 on Oct. 7.

Cathleen Rolph, president

League of Women Voters of the Kenai Peninsula

Labor Day Commemoration showed support for working class

I really appreciated the organizers of the Labor Day Commemoration held Sept. 1 on Labor Day. There were people there of all ages, although most were retirees who know the value of fair labor. I spoke at length to a young woman. We were there to show our support for fair labor practices, for unions, and for the working class. Doesn’t that include all of us? We had to be at the corner of Lake and the Bypass as someone had already secured the WKFL park for another event.

Unfortunately, there were big truck drivers who burned rubber at us going around the corner, even returning to do it again. That was dangerous and I wondered why they wouldn’t be in support of fair labor — fair pay, etc. This isn’t a “liberal” thing, it is a justice that speaks to everyone trying to make a decent living. I’m so sorry for people who tried to frighten the sign carriers. There were lots of flags and since it was a windy day some were having a hard time holding onto their signs! But the sun shined long enough for us to show our support of the working class!

Therese Lewandowski

Homer

Dear Neighbor,

We’re thrilled to invite you to a Frontier Days event hosted by the Anchor Point Food Pantry — where good food, good company and a good cause come together.

Every year, we serve over 6,000 meals, and provide grocery bags to families across Anchor Point, Nikolaevsk, and beyond — from Ninilchik to Homer. We also try make sure kids don’t return to school on an empty stomach, offering free summer lunches and school-time weekend meal packs. It’s a lot of hungry bellies we’re filling. We believe in nourishing our neighbors and stewarding our resources. That means fresh food goes to people, and older food finds its way to animals — nothing goes to waste.

Please join us for Frontier Days — Fall fun that feeds families!

Location: Anchor Point VFW. Date: Oct. 4. Time: 3-7 p.m. Suggested donation: $10 per person | $20 per family (If that’s a stretch, come anyway — Though we may hand you a ladle or a tray).

What’s on the menu: Chili mac, hot dogs, beans, cornbread, spareribs, and dessert.

What’s on the schedule: Hayrides, petting zoo, horses, games, dessert auction, silent auction, and plenty of neighborly cheer. We have a matching grant to double your generosity and a $50 gift certificate for Fat Olives as a door prize! For your convenience, here is a link to donate: www.paypal.com/donate/?business=apfp.266@gmail.com.

Want to lend a hand? We’d love a few extra helpers for setup, games, chili duty and more. Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or just curious, we’ll find a spot for you — and you’ll leave with a full heart (and likely a full stomach).

Would you like to make a dessert for the auction or the meal? Your support helps us continue feeding families, expanding our programs, and building a stronger, more connected community. Whether you come for the chili or the cause, we’d love to see you there.

With sincere gratitude,

The Anchor Point Food Pantry Team

Thank you for barbecue event success

The Paul Banks Elementary PTA would like to thank the Homer community for making our Fourth Annual Outdoor Classroom Barbecue one of our most successful yet.

A heartfelt thanks goes out to the Lions Club, who have faithfully supported this event each year by grilling up family favorites — this year serving 156 free hot dogs and 120 hamburgers. We also deeply appreciate the generosity of our raffle donors. This year our “Peanut Explorer Pack” was stuffed to the brim with goodies from Old Sterling Outfitters, Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware, NOMAR, Kachemak Gear Shed, and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. The raffle raised a record $1,860 for our Outdoor Classroom Expansion Fund!

Outdoor education connects children with the natural world, sparks curiosity, and creates learning opportunities that go beyond the four walls of a classroom. Our Outdoor Classroom is already highly used, and we need more space. That dream is now becoming a reality — something we have hoped to raise awareness for over the past four years through this community event.

Special thanks to our raffle donors, volunteers, and everyone who came out to support this vision. We are so grateful to live in a community that continually shows up for kids. Thank you, Homer!

Paul Banks Elementary PTA

Grant supports early intervention services

Sprout Family Services recently received a Quick Response grant from the Opportunity Fund at the Homer Foundation. This grant will enable us to provide even more early intervention services to families in our community through better screening tools as well as providing parent trainings. We would like to thank the Opportunity Fund at the Homer Foundation for their generosity to our organization and ultimately to Homer and the Southern Kenai Peninsula.

Jon McGhee, executive director

Sprout Family Services