COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
ANSWERS QUESTION OF R-TA
Don Dafoe» Territorial
commissioner of education,
was the guest of the local
f-TA last Friday night and
spent an hour and a half an
swering questions addressed
to him by the audience and
explaining the operation of
hie office.
After an introduction by
Home r Thompson, pa st -pre s i
ient of the P--TA, Dafoe be
gan by stating that Homar was
me of the top three Terri*
torial schools in line to re
ceive new rooms to take care
of* recent growth. He said
that the expansion program
depended on Congress appro
priating funds.
The Territoiy has in mind
for Homer a separate building
that would be used for a high
school, he said.
He explained the use of
Alaska Public Works funds by
saying that the federal funds
are sought for all projects
over $200,000, and that Ter
ritorial appropriations are
sought for programs costing
under that amount.
He was asked how much it
cost the Territory to operate
the local school for one year
and he stated that it has
been estimated that the year
just closing will cost about
164,000.
ystjaa asked how much it
would have cost the local
t * —» ■■ i m limn tmmmm *
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
ffcekly pickups made
Phone 255
Or ee* Lonnie Seroggs on
Ohison Lane
Za business for over
Three years*
L 6 W TRANSFER
people had the school been
operated by an independent
school district, he said that
the best estimates set the
figure at ^12,000, based on
last year’s costs. He said
that the Territoiy provides
75, 80 or 85 percent of the
operational costs depending
on the district, Homer, he
said would be in the 80 per
cent group.
Dafoe noted that there is
a law on the books which says
that #ien a school has over
100 enrollment the Territory
can give 6-months notice that
they will discontinue support
of the school. The law has
never been invoked, however,
because it doesn’t say what
is to happen if the area re
fuses to incorporate into a
district. He added that the
legislative council will make
a study during the next two
years that will lead to re
codification of all school
laws. He stated that he felt
that a Territory-wide tax
equalization program is need
ed. . , ■
The Conmiss loner commended
the local Citizen’s Study
Grroup for their complete
study of the local schools.
The question of school ac
creditation was brought up by
Paul Choquette and Dafoe ex
plained that the 'Territory
does not attempt to bring its
high schools up to the stand
ards of the Northwest Assoc
iation of Secondary and High
er Schools. He explained
that there are too many lo
calities lacking any kind of
facilities for the Territory
to spend its funds providing
the curricula, facilities and
teachers to bring existing
schools up to the highest
standards.
'Then asked about setting
up a school in the East End
district,' Dafoe said that he
has reoonmended against it
and the board of education
supported his recommendation#
He said* that he felt that
there was ample transporta
tion to and facilities in
the Homer school and that it
would be wasteful to set up
small schools when larger and
better schools were access
ible.
Homer, the commissioner
thought, would be getting two
more teachers next year plus
some part time clerical help
for the office and increased
custodian assistance#
’Than asked about a history
book for Alaskan students,
Dafoe said that funds had
been given by the Carnegie
Foundation for such a book,
but the author completed
about half of the book and
the funds ran out# An en
deavor is now being made to
raise money to complete the
book# '
Dafoe was accompanied to
Homer by Arnold Granville,
supervisor of education and
C# W. Krasinski, maintenance
supervisor for the department
of education. The three men
drove frem Anchorage, stop
ping at other Territorial
schools along the way#
BEE STIN3 CLOSES EYE
Kenneth Crockett of the
Alaskan Christian Children's
Home suffered a bee sting on
his right eye Sunday which
completely closed the eye#
Crockett recently imported
two swarms of bees from the
states#
HENNING N. JOHNSON
A
Registered
Land Surveyor \s/f %/
Subdivision planning y
Construction Surveying^?'
Topographical Surveying
QXJ JCE ROCKS mm
A short but sharp earth
quake jolted Homer Saturday
morning,, shortly after 2:30,
awaken iiig many residentSo
Plates and dishes rattled but
little actual damage was re
ported#
The earthquake was unoffi
cially estimated to haw an
intensity of 5 in a scale in
which 1 and 2 are scarcely
felt, 3 is a mild tremor,’ 4
and 5 are more severe but not
damaging, 6 causes moderate
damsge, 7 heavy damage, 8 and
9 extremely heavy damage and
10 represents complete des
truction*
SEA SHELL RESTAURANT
Has good OPENING DAY
Lydia Shelford’s new res
taurant, The Sea Shell, drew
large crowds to the Spit last
Saturday to give it a good
opening day* It . had been
planned to close the seafood
house at 10 p,m«, but the
hungry patrons kept it open
until after midnight#
T~o attractive signs, made
up by Frank Campbell, hive
been put up. One of the
signs is located across from
the Heady hotel pointing the
way to the Spit and the other
is at the restaurant*
T
SINGER,
' THE NAME
YOU KNOW
' tour SINGER SEWING MACHINE
representative will be in
Homer of each week for
sales and service* Eor
further information write
RICHARD ANDERSON, Singer
Sewing Machine, Box 255
Hoi?£r, Alaska*
JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON
AND DO ®LT ALL SMART,
UP-TO-DATE ALASKANS
ARE DOINOJ
BUILD YOUR OM COMMUNITY, NOT SOIVIEONE ELSE*3,
BY TRADING AT HOME.
«a live in Homer, not Seattle, or Chicago, or Minneapolis.
So good Alaskans wonder why we should support those cities.
TRADE AT HOME MERCHANTS
YOUR
TERMINAL OIL SALES
UMINSKI’S
PIONEER HARDWARE
DON E. SMITH, INS.
I r
BANK OF HOMER
BAY CLOTHIERS
INLET SERVICE
VERN MUTCH DRUGS
INLET SPORT SHOP
REX’S METAL VJOBKS
HOfiER FOOD CENTER