Homer

Homer (Dena'ina: Tuggeght) is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Long known as the "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World", Homer is also nicknamed "the end of the road", and more recently, "the cosmic hamlet by the sea" Homer is located at 59°38'35" North, 151°31'33" West (59.643059, 151.525900). The only road into Homer is the Sterling Highway. The town has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66 km²), of which 15 square miles. (39 km²) are land and 10.5 sq km² are covered by water. Homer was named for Homer Pennock, a goldmining company promoter, who arrived in 1896 on the Homer Spit and built living quarters for his crew of 50 men. The Cook Inlet Coal Fields Company built a town, dock, coal mine, and railroad at Homer. It is estimated that 400 million tons of coal deposits are still present in the area. Homer co-hosted a 2006 Arctic Winter Games. The Alaska Maritime Maritime Maritime Refuge and the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve are located in the Homer Peninsula. There is a cultural museum called the Alaska Islands and Oceanitor Center, and a historical museum is called the Pratt Museum. The Homer Spit is a narrow 4.5 mi (7.2 km) long gravel bar that extends into the bay, on which is located the Homer Harbor.

Geography

Homer is the primary city name, but also English Bay, Fritz Creek, Halibut Cove, Kachemak, Nanwalek, Port Graham are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Homer. Homer is on the shore of Kachemak Bay on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its distinguishing feature is the Homer Spit, a narrow 4.5 mi (7.2 km) long gravel bar that extends into the bay. The town has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66 km²), of which 15 sq miles (39 km²) are land and 10.5 sq km² are covered by water. Homer is located at 59°38'35" North, 151°31'33" West (59.643059, 151.525900). The only road into Homer is the Sterling Highway. Much of the coastline sank during the Good Friday earthquake in March 1964. After the earthquake, very little vegetation was able to survive on the Homer spit. The annual snowfall averages 50 inches (127 cm) per season, falling primarily from November through March, with some accumulation in October and April but rarely in May. Homer receives only about 25 inches of rainfall annually due to the influence of the Chugach Mountains to the southeast, which shelter it from the Gulf of Alaska. Seven days have a minimum 0 °F (18 °C) or below annually, and Homer falls in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6a and 6c. The average January high is only slightly below freezing, with the average February high only slightly above freezing. The city has a moderate subarctic coastal climate (Köppen Dsc), which causes its weather to be moderate.

History

Homer was named for Homer Pennock, a goldmining company promoter, who arrived in 1896. The Cook Inlet Coal Fields Company built a town, dock, coal mine, and railroad at Homer. Halibut and salmon sport fishing, along with tourism and commercial fishing are the dominant industries. Homer co-hosted the 2006 Arctic Winter Games. The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve co- host a visitor center with interpretive displays known as the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, and a cultural and historical museum there is called the Pratt Museum. The Homer Spit was once home to the Alutiiq people, but their villages were on the far side of Kacemak Bay. It is estimated that 400 million tons of coal deposits are still present in the area. The town of Homer is located on Alaska's Kodiak Island, north of Kodiak, and south of the Alaska Peninsula, on the Alaskan mainland. It has a population of around 2,000. The city's population was 3,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, and is expected to grow to 4,000 by the end of the century. The population of the Homer Spit is about 1,500, with the majority of that population living in the Homer area of the Kodiak Peninsula, which is on the Alaska mainland. Homer's population is about 2,200. The area's population peaked at 3,500 at the start of the 19th century.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,003 people, 2,235 households, and 1,296 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 89.3% White, 4.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 0.4% African American,0.6% Pacific Islander, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 2.1%. The median income for a household was $52,057, and the median income. for a family was $68,455. The per capita income for the city is $32,035. About 3.8% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 1.4%, of those age 65 or over. The city is located on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers's Pacific Coast Highway, which runs through Homer. Homer is the only city in the state of Alaska that is not on the National Highway System. Homer was founded as a village in the 19th century. It was incorporated as a city in 1964, and is now a suburb of Anchorage. It is home to the University of Alaska, Anchorage, which was founded in the early 20th century as a college town. Homer has a population of 5,000. It has been named after Homer, the son of Homer, who was killed in World War II.

Education

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District provides primary and secondary education to the community of Homer. The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival is held annually in early May when more than 13,000 shorebirds (also called waders) from 25 different species visit the area during spring migration. The Homer Public Library has enthusiastic support from the Friends of the Homer Library, established in 1948, which raised funds and support for a new library building, opened on September 16, 2006. Some of the birds that can be seen during the spring migration and the festival include horned puffins, sandhill cranes, and arctic terns. Arctic Terns are famous for flying the longest distance of any migrating bird. The year 2022 will mark the 30th anniversary of the festival. The city of Homer is home to the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (also known as the Alaska Island and Ocean Center) and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. Both organizations encourage science education and sponsor many events aimed to teach people of all ages about the ecosystem and conservation. There are many public education programs focused on the environment, including the Kachemak Bay Science Conference and the Shorebirds Sing: Bird Call Contest. There is also a Homer High School that offers 9-12 and Flex High School for high school students and a Homer Flex Middle School for 7-8 and 9-8 students. The school district also provides post-secondary education, as well as ESL and GED training.

Transportation

Homer is the southernmost town on the contiguous Alaska highway system. It is also part of the Alaska Marine Highway (the Alaskan ferry system). The regional airport lies near the coast as well, with local air taxis and regular scheduled commercial flights to Anchorage. The United States Coast Guard currently stations six Island Class cutters in Alaska, including one in Homer. The Coast Guard renewed its lease for 20 years in 2015. The Sapelo is scheduled to be replaced by a more modern Sentinel-class cutter. It was retired early, and was replaced by the Sapelo. Homer erected its first traffic light in 2005. The town is home to the Alaska State Museum, which is open to the public. It also has a museum for the history of Alaska, which was opened in 1881. The Homer Spit is the site of the Homer Spit Memorial, which commemorates the first ship to arrive in Alaska in 1883. The U.S. Coast Guard leases an anchorage on the Homer spit for $1,000,000 per year. It has been assigned to Homer since February 7, 1992, to June 4, 2015, the USCGC Roanoke Island was assigned to the town. The city is also home to a regional airport, with air taxis, regular scheduled flights to Alaska, and a ferry service to the Anchorage area. The airport is located near the town's southern tip, on the Alaska Peninsula, and is accessible by air from Anchorage and the ferry system.

Government

Homer uses a city council consisting of seven members. As of April 2020, the current mayor of Homer is Ken Castner. Homer has a population of 7,000. Homer is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. The city is located near the junction of two rivers: the Little Mississippi and the Little Piney River. It is the largest city in Homer County, with a population in excess of 6,000 people. In Homer, the city is known as "The Homer City" and is home to the Homer High School football team. The Homer City Council has a total of 7 members, with the mayor and the city council making up the majority of the council. The mayor's office is located in the city's downtown area, and the council meets in the Homer City Hall building. The council has a budget of $1,000,000 for the year, with most of its members being paid by the city of Homer. It also has a mayor and city council of seven, with some members elected by the public, to serve a three-year term. The current mayor's term is set to expire in April 2020 and the next mayor will be elected in April 2021. The town's population is 7,500. It has a history of more than 50 years. It was the site of the first U.S. Civil War, which began in 1864. It's the oldest city in the state, and has been home to Homer for more than 100 years.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Homer, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska = 97. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 30. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 89. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Homer = 1.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 5,522 individuals with a median age of 40.2 age the population grows by 4.76% in Homer, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 400.52 residents per square mile of area (154.64/km²). There are average 2.32 people per household in the 1,738 households with an average household income of $50,861 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 11.00% of the available work force and has growths 2.80% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 34.60%. The number of physicians in Homer per 100,000 population = 157.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Homer = 24.7 inches and the annual snowfall = 54.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 143. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 135. 61 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 92, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Homer, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska which are owned by the occupant = 53.59%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 25 years with median home cost = $157,710 and home appreciation of -1.13%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $9.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,031 per student. There are 24.5 students for each teacher in the school, 553 students for each Librarian and 737 students for each Counselor. 5.10% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 18.46% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 10.70% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).