Thanks for Food Pantry support

Dear Editor,

On behalf of the Homer Community Food Pantry board of directors, volunteers and clients, I’d like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Homer Foundation and to the City of Homer for their generous operating grant.  Over the past year with ongoing inflation and delays in SNAP benefits, we have seen a significant increase in the need in our community, and it hits us from all sides — with an increase in families in need, an increase in the cost of food we buy, and a decrease in our donors’ capacity to give.  We are now serving more than 170 families on a weekly basis, an increase of about 20% over last year. Clearly more families are struggling. which has placed stress on our available funds to meet the needs of our most vulnerable. Grants such as this are essential to our survival as they allow us to use the funds for operations rather than a specific project. We are very grateful to the Homer Foundation and the City of Homer for their continued support.

With gratitude,

Cinda Martin, Past President

Homer Community Food Pantry

Homer Cycling Club Thanks Homer Foundation

On behalf of the Homer Cycling Club, we extend our sincere thanks to the Homer Foundation for awarding a $50,000 Community Impact Grant from the Opportunity Fund in support of Phase 2 of the Eastland Trails project.

The Eastland Trails are 11.5 miles of hiking and biking trails being built in three phases in partnership with Alaska State Parks and Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park. Phase 2 will add approximately 4.5 miles of new trail, including an additional multi-use loop trail and four mountain bike-optimized trails. These trails will provide advanced riding opportunities that currently do not exist in Homer, unlike every other major population center in Southcentral Alaska, and include more fantastic hiking opportunities. This project will expand access to year-round, no-cost recreation, support health and wellness, and serve residents and visitors alike for decades to come.

This grant from the Homer Foundation represents far more than financial support. It helps make our community stronger and improves the quality of life for Homer residents of all ages.  We’re deeply grateful to the Homer Foundation and its many donors for the tremendous support for this exciting, generational community project. 

With gratitude,

Derek Reynolds

President, Homer Cycling Club

God’s Face

On Feb. 19,  U.S. Border Patrol agents dropped off Nurul Amin Shah Alam — a nearly blind legal refugee from Myanmar who spoke no English and could not read, write or use electronic devices — miles from his home in Buffalo, New York. They did not notify either his lawyer or his family that he had been dropped off after an interview at a donut shop. His family searched, but he  was found dead five days later on the street in subfreezing temperatures wearing the orange booties issued by the county. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan said that  the Border Patrol’s decision was unprofessional and inhumane. 

I say that federal agents take their cue from the evil wrapped up in Stephen Miller’s callousness and cruelty. Furthermore, I submit that if you don’t see God’s Face on the next person you see, you needn’t look any further.

 Michael A. LeMay

Veterans for Peace

Alaskans are fortunate to have a long history of secure elections. The Alaska Division of Elections, under lieutenant governors of both parties, has been a model of safety, security and integrity. Rare instances of voter fraud in our state have been identified and prosecuted.

The League of Women Voters, nationally and here in Alaska, has long defended secure and trusted elections. That is why we must speak out about the decision in December 2025 to provide Alaska’s confidential voter registration data to the U.S. Department of Justice. The data released — including voters’ full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and driver’s license or Social Security information — raises serious concerns under the Alaska Constitution’s right to privacy and under federal privacy protections. Courts in California, Michigan, and Oregon have already rejected similar DOJ lawsuits seeking un-redacted voter data based on current federal law. 

The agreement signed by the Lieutenant Governor states that the DOJ will review Alaska’s voter rolls and return a list of voters it believes may be ineligible. In other states where federal databases have been used for this purpose, mistakes have occurred, and eligible voters have been incorrectly flagged. Even if voters are placed on inactive status rather than deleted, it means citizens may need to take time and effort to prove that they should remain on the voter rolls.

In the meantime, confidential information about all Alaska voters has been provided to the federal government with no clear limits on how it may be used, where it will be shared, or how it will be protected. Alaska voters deserve answers. Why did the Lieutenant Governor agree to release our confidential information when other states have not? Why was our confidential information released? Who will have access to it? Alaska voters should demand accountability.

Signed by:

Marianne Mills and Pat L. Redmond, Co-Presidents

League of Women Voters of Alaska