V0l. 5, NO. 37 \;
Your Community Newspaper
' February 24* 1955
Alaska
30x 20
Jmeau<
itori,
CSC REPORT
Homer's school was the center of at
tention at last Friday's CSG meeting
with Mrs* John King. Merrill Hatcher,
and Rev. Nelson Moyer, all speaking on
the subject.
Merrill Hatcher, school superin
tendent, spbke of the great need for
more high school courses, and for more
rooms in fihicb to teach these courses,
'^here is no music, he said, no art, no
vocational courses, and practically
no science or math. There are 44 high
school pupils now, Hatcher said, but if
the grade school continues to grow the
territory may discontinue the high
school. The Territory is not obligated
to support a high school, according to
H&tcfier.
Hatcher spoke also of a school tax
plan originated by the University of
Alaska, designed to elimiuate some of
the present inequities in school taxes*
Under this plan a uniform .mill levy
would be placed on real property. Three
different levies were suggested, all of
which were below'eight mills.
Mrs. Harry Gregoire mentioned the
rural school tax presently being con
sidered in the Territorial Legislature,
and said that she fplt the tax would
apply to Homer. This tax was a one
percent, or ten mill, levy on real pro
perty. It was the Opinion of several
participants that the tax fids‘a measure
to farce areas such as Homer to incor
porate into school districts,
Don Smith, CSG president, stated**
that a 2% sales tax had at one time
been proposed in order to finance a
school district in Homer. *' Si-fit hr* -said
that it had been estimated at that time
that-.about, $25,000 a year could be
raised by such a tax.
Hatcher pointed out that it costs
the Territory $73,000 a year to operate
the Homer school. If Homer were a
school district it would be required to
pay 20$ of this, or about *14,000 just
to maintain the present school. The
Education Committee of the C3G was then
asked by the group to look into the
matter further, and to follow the cur
rent legislation.
Rev. ^elson Moyer spoke of the Homer
school from a parent’s point of view,
stressed the need for education today,
and said that the community’s most val
uable asset i3 its children.
Mrs. John King gave a resume of last
year’s Education Committee report, end
stated that the situation had improved
slightly from last year, but that great
needs still existed.
PUD NOTES
Howard Wickershom was awarded the
job of replacing the three pilings at
the Homer dock and setting in a.new
mooring post, at the meeting of the
board of directors of the FUD Monday
night. His bid was $170. Seven bids
in all ware handed in to the .board with
the high bid of $396.16. Submitting
bids were Killen, Leo Rollins, Eight
Ball Construction, H. L. McCain, DuFour
and Woodman, Gjosund and Newman and
Wickersham.
A small amount of correspondence was
answered by the directors after the
BOAT' BASIN
Collections for the small boat basin
are progressing as rapidly as possible,
according to Bill Eklof,.. president of
the Fishermen's Association, rath rail
over $3000 in the bank ‘ as of last Fri
day« ' . ;
Eklof, speaking at Friday’s C3G mee
ting. stated that the actual start of
construction would be dependent on both
the weather and the progress of collec
tions < All money collected will be
placed in escrow, Eklof said, and re
ceipts will be given. If-the boat har
bor should never materialize, all mon
ey will be refunded. '
Lots 2$ and 26 on the Spit are in.
the process of being purchased by the
PUD. The cost will be $80, and the PUD
will be reimbursed this,, amount by the
Fishermen’ Assn.
WEATHER
February 17
February 18
February 19
February 20
February 21
February 22
'■.r
High
38
36
: 39
38
3$
38
CIVIL DEFENSE
Lot:
30
29
26
27
24 ■ '*
28
16
Henning vJohnson, director of Civil
Defense for the greater Homer ere a, has
■ announced that he is initiating plains
to organize the area.
4 Three sub-districts will be set up,
he says. The sub-districts will be An
chor Point,, Homer and Fritz Creek.
Chairmen will be appointed to direct
Civil Defense activities in each area
and as rapidly as conditions permit,
supplies will be stockpiled in each of
the areas.
It will be necessary to set up en
gineering, transportation, communica
tions and health committees in each
area and this will be done as rapidly
as possible.
Some surplus equipment, namely
blankets, has been brought to Homer and
more is expected to, arrive this week
when B. L. McCain returns with, his
truck from that city. {
An endeavor will be made to organize;
first aid classes throughout the dis
trict, Johnson said, and first aid kits
will be distributed as sofon as they are
brought to Homer. ,
The director called for) volunteers
to assist in Civil Defense work, point
ing out the need for proper planning in
case of local or national emergency.
bids were opened.
A letter from Walter Beck of the
Bureau of Land Management in Anchorage -
was noted* Beck suggested that a spec
ial land use peitait might be granted
the PUD for a recreation site on Beluga
Lake providing the CAA gave their per
mission* The land is located on the
lake below the foimer Carl Kifcbey place*
A letter, will be written the CAA asking
their permission.'
(Cont* on Page 4, Col. 1)
According to a story in the ,Tuesday
Anchorage Daily Times plans have been
formulated for a #4,500,000 military
installation at Homer. The story said
that "Bids are to be called for soon on
the Homer project which will be similar
.to other isolated projects set up, as
at Fire Island, in the past several
years#” The above sum represents a por
tion of the 97 million dollars to be
spent by the military in Alaska in 1955
Basis . for. the information on the
Homer project is Col* Carl Y# Farrell
of the Corps of Engineers, according to
the Times* Farrell addressed the An
chorage Chamber of Comnerce on Monday.
Farrell, according to the paper,
also noted that Horner- end Seldovia are
in line 4to receive small boat harbors
costing about #480,000. A similar pro
ject costing about #165.000 will be
built at Ninilchik. No mention was made
of Then these harbors might be built.
4 H PROGRAM
An extensive program fbr 4-H clubs
wes planned at a meeting of 4-H leaders
held Tuesday evening at the* Extension
Office. -
In addition - to the regular program
of baking;-^ewingf" gardening, tractor
maintainance and electricity, 4-H lead
ers plan a combined recreation program.
tAll JWMers from Ninllchik, Anchor
Point' and Homer* are eligible for the
program if they are working on a pro
ject. Mrs* Bill Eklof will be.the rec
reation, leader and will be assisted by
Mrs. lake McLay. They hope to hold the
first recreation? day on a Saturday in
the latter part of March.
Members of the 4-H clubs who are 14
or older, and who have completed at
least 2 years of 4-H work, are eligible
to take a recreation leadership pro
ject, and will assist in the programs*
Alaska participates in a national
4-H program, each year ^bich offers
awards to 4-H workers ?fao are 14-years
old and who have completed two years of
4-H work. The awards are based on the
success of their project. For those
under 14 or tfio have not completed two
years of 4-*H,work, local prizes are be
ing offered this year for the first
time. According to Mary Robinson, home
demonstration agent, 4-H leaders hope
for. at least $80 to be donated by lo
cal organizations and individuals to be
used as awards. v
ai>
xug xiwoxxuau ijcgiuii AUAiixarjrf
their Monday meeting voted to donate
$15 to this program, and Ninilchik has
donated $5# All clubs who would like
to participate in this project are
urged to contact Mary Robinson, Ed Lei
benthal or any one of the 4-H leaders*
Homer leeders are: Mrs* George Law^
ney, Mrs* Gene Lawrence, Mr* and Mrs*
Ernie Carlson, Sr*, Mrs* Jake McLay,
Mrs. Bill Eklof, Mrs. Guy Waddell, Mrs*.
Tom Sheiford, Carl Baier, Mrs* Bill
Jenson, Mrs* Harry Gregoire, Mrs. Gene
Browning, Milton Aim. Ben Bellamy, Mrs.
Louis Gjosund* Anchor Point leaders
are Mrs. Sherman Chapman, Mrs. Fred
Eason, Mrs. George Carr and Mrs. El
liot t.j Ninilchik leaders are Mrs.
St ikes and Mr. end Mrs. Rudy Ogren.
Soldotna leaders are Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Muilen.