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COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
This is the second of two photos taken at the former Copper Valley School (CVS) boarding school site after we finished our bike ride. I attended CVS during its final two years of operation, when I was a freshman and a sophomore. Those two years remain among the most memorable of my life.
See the following article for more information about the school.
The Copper Valley School’s legacy continues
By Elizabeth Klemm, Stephen Gemmell, Brandon Boylan
Updated: February 1, 2021
Published: February 1, 2021
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Copper Valley School, the first integrated boarding school in Alaska. Located near Glennallen, “Copper,” as many referred to it, aimed to prepare its students to become the next generation of leaders in Alaska.
In a time when Alaska village schools were understaffed and high school availability was limited, many parents chose to send their children away from home for a high-quality education. Both Native and non-Native, Catholic and non-Catholic, village and city students attended Copper. While schools throughout the country were still grappling with integration, Copper welcomed Aleut, Athabascan, Iñupiaq, Yup’ik and white students, as well as several students from Africa. To this day, several alumni claim that the merging of cultures was a success of the school, allowing students to learn to appreciate other backgrounds and cultures and work with one another in collaborative ways. One former student recently described the school as a “mini-United Nations.” Many students made lifelong friendships, and the school’s alumni organization, the Copper Valley Student Association (CVSA), continues to connect former students.
The school had a remarkable beginning. In the 1940s, Father Buchanan, a young Jesuit priest, began serving in western Alaska. As he traveled throughout his 74,000-square-mile parish, he realized the need for a Catholic school in the area and dreamt of opening a school that would prepare Alaska Natives for leadership positions. As his vision attracted attention, the U.S. Congress provided a land grant of 460 acres at the junction of the Copper and Tazlina Rivers, south of Glennallen, for educational purposes. A Jewish architect provided plans for the school without charge. To help with the school’s construction, a variety of businesses donated materials or provided them at cost. Donations came from throughout the country. Even Bing Crosby donated a truck to the school.
On Oct. 13, 1956, Alaska Airlines launched Operation Snowbird, an effort to ferry students from Holy Cross, the site of one of the original Catholic missions and home to a closing Catholic school, to Copper. Holy Cross students joined others from across Alaska at the newly opened school. Seventy students and staff were at the school in its first winter, living and learning in the unfinished facility. Upon the school’s completion several years later, Copper featured classrooms, dormitories, staff quarters, a cafeteria, a gym and a chapel. Enrollment peaked at more than 150 in the late 1960s.
The school offered a rigorous Catholic education, led by the Sisters of Saint Ann and Jesuit priests, Scholastics and Brothers. Lay volunteers from throughout the country rounded out the staff -- filling teaching, administrative and maintenance positions. Educational expectations were high: Teachers challenged students to build their art, mathematics and writing skills. Students from Copper regularly participated in academic competitions, such as debate tournaments, with other regional schools. Each weeknight, students had mandatory study hall, with individual tutoring available. The boarding school environment also served to build community as the students worked together on school tasks.
In addition to schoolwork, each student had assigned chores: washing dishes, peeling potatoes, plucking chickens, hunting and butchering caribou (and the occasional buffalo), cleaning bathrooms, buffing floors, hauling garbage or unloading coal. The school also offered a variety of extracurricular activities, including Civil Air Patrol, basketball, track and skiing. Students could join various organizations such as Sodality of Our Lady of Sorrows, Glee Club, Library Club, Hobby Club, Movie Club, Pep Club and others. When they needed to escape, students took long expeditions on trails through the school site’s hundreds of acres, walked the mile to Brenwick’s store to buy candy and sodas, or took weekend expeditions, trekking the six miles to Rosent’s at the Hub if they craved a hamburger and milkshake.
The school closed in 1971, owing to a combination of financial struggles and shifts in diocesan priorities. In the environment of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971, parents had also begun to question the value of sending their children away to boarding schools and were working to establish village high schools (a right later affirmed in the “Molly Hootch” case in 1976), reducing the need for boarding schools across the state. After the school’s closing, the church explored several options for the massive facility. The diocese eventually sold it at auction to a group of local businessmen, who were considering turning the facility into a shopping mall before the school burned down in 1976.
Copper students’ experiences were not universally positive. One study found two incidents of abuse. The rigorous Catholic education allowed little room for traditional Alaska Native education; as a result, several Native students struggled to maintain their connections with their Native cultures, a problem some alumni continue to grapple with today. Students wrestled with homesickness and loneliness.
Nonetheless, Copper’s focus on education and the strong community of both students and staff provided a protective layer for most students. Many alumni think highly of the Copper Valley School, stating that their education and experiences at the school prepared them for their future careers in the military, education, politics, nursing, corporate management, and other professions. Some Native graduates went on to serve as leaders within the state, their village communities, and the Native Corporations established by ANCSA.
Students made lifelong friendships during their time at the school, not only among the students but also between the students and staff. In an effort to foster these friendships, in 1985, Theresa “Tiny” Demientieff Devlin started an alumni newsletter called “The Scuttlebutt” in honor of the school’s newsletter of the same name. In 1986, alumni organized to meet for a reunion, a tradition that carries on to this day. Alumni have come from across Alaska, Canada, the Lower 48, and Australia. The annual reunion has served as a forum for friends to reconnect, sit around a bonfire, reminisce, share a meal and remember those who have passed away. Former staff also attend these reunions, and alumni often thank them for their teaching, dedication and inspiration. In 1993, alumni formed the nonprofit Copper Valley School Association. The association has supported scholarships and raised funds to bring guests, such as former teachers, priests and students, to reunions.
Believing that the school holds an important role in Alaska’s education history and has had a significant impact on Alaska’s history in general, CVSA is sponsoring two research projects at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The Arctic and Northern Studies (ACNS) program at UAF is an interdisciplinary program that studies the history, policy, culture and other issues related to the Arctic and the Circumpolar North. CVSA is sponsoring a graduate student researcher in the ACNS program. This student, Elizabeth Klemm, is currently researching Copper’s legacy and will write a historical narrative of the school. CVSA is also working with UAF’s Alaska and Polar Regions Collections and Archives (APRCA) to archive documents related to the school.
If you attended Copper Valley School or otherwise have information about Copper that you would like included in the history, please contact Elizabeth Klemm at CVSlegacy@gmail.com.
Elizabeth Klemm lives in Anchorage and is a graduate student in Arctic and Northern Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Stephen Gemmell lives in Fairbanks and is the president of Copper Valley Student Association. Brandon Boylan, Ph.D., lives in Fairbanks and is an associate professor of Political Science and the director of the Arctic and Northern Studies Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.
Ref: www.adn.com/opinions/2021/02/02/the-copper-valley-schools...
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
Lt. Governor Rutherford Tours the Easton Utilities USDA Reconnect Grant Project by Joe Andrucyk at Triple Creek Winery, 11138 3 Bridge Branch Rd, Cordova, MD 21625
March 25 2010
Trying to re-connect with myself through this journal…
It’s feels good to re-read and review them..
As one blog stated …
Journal writing allows us to deal with the issues in our life in a more observant and less frantic perception.
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Administrator Andrew Berke and RD Montana State Director Kathleen Williams visits an InterBel broadband communications site in Eureka, MT, on August 21, 2024. They are celebrating a ReConnect groundbreaking that marks the milestone of a major advancement in expanding broadband access to rural communities.
The ReConnect program provides loans, grants, and loan-grant combinations to bring high-speed internet to rural areas that lack sufficient access to broadband. ReConnect program funds can be used to pay for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service.
The ReConnect Program encourages private-sector investments in broadband infrastructure to deploy high-speed internet service to rural homes, businesses, and essential community facilities that support public safety, health care, schools, libraries, business and industry, and agricultural operations.
To learn more about the ReConnect program, go to www.usda.gov/reconnect.
USDA media by John Ciccarelli.
Early in the morning at Coachman Park, a wheeled Anon with a copy of Dianetics someone had given him, on which he wrote "LIES" over the cover. Wheeled Anon rocked!
Learn more about the third straight month of global Anonymous protests against the scientology cult here: www.whyweprotest.net
And Educate yourself about what TIME Magazine called "The Cult of Greed and Power"
During the presentation in the Royalty Theater by ex-scientologists speaking out against the cult's family destroying policies, scientologist Paris Morfopoulis seen here was making a fuss with the two officers in front of the theater then got on his cell to home base.
Learn more about the third straight month of global Anonymous protests against the scientology cult here: www.whyweprotest.net
Ex-scientologist Mike Henderson's heartbreaking and courageous speech about the cult's disconnection policy is here:
Part one: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8GgpBgzF5c&feature=related
Part two: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkxHIr66Aeg&feature=related
Part three: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjxDTYeHOe4
And Educate yourself about what TIME Magazine called "The Cult of Greed and Power"
Me and my baby sister Krista, who is 19.5 years my jr. She was born while I was serving a mission for my church, I returned when she was 1.5 years old and lived at home for 20 days before going off to university and then getting married.
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COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
Part of a set of images taken at "Reconnect" - the Zíta Rá woodcarving sculpture exhibition and installation located in the Tunnel Road Sand Caves and Mines, Reigate, Surrey, UK - hosted by the Wealdon Cave and Mine Society.
Obvious scientologist or cult hired P.I. strolls in to the early Coachman Park gathering of Anons. On the off chance he's an innocent, I've blurred his face. Learn more about the third straight month of global Anonymous protests against the scientology cult here: www.whyweprotest.net
All faces of those unmasked are blurred to protect them from the cult's "Fair Game" policy of harassing it's critics. These are brave people of all ages and walks of life, standing shoulder to shoulder with ex-Scientologists to bring the truth TO YOU.
And Educate yourself about what TIME Magazine called "The Cult of Greed and Power":
Matthew Bender presents his thesis entitled The Indistinct Edge: Reconnecting Experience in Nature and Architecture
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
At Coachman Park before the protest marches, this was an epic sign pointing out the now dead scientology cult leader L. Ron Hubbard's written statement which says the best way to make a lot of money was to start a religion. Way to go Anon! Learn more about the third straight month of global Anonymous protests against the scientology cult here: www.whyweprotest.net
And Educate yourself about what TIME Magazine called "The Cult of Greed and Power"
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
1 May 2023 – ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa meets Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, the city hosting the 56th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors.
The event will be held from 2 to 5 May 2023 under the theme “Rebounding Asia: Recover Reconnect, and Reform”.
The meeting is an opportunity to provide guidance on ADB administrative, financial, and operational directions. Over the years, ADB Annual Meetings have become a premier forum for the discussion of economic and social development issues in Asia and the Pacific.
Part of a set of images taken at "Reconnect" - the Zíta Rá woodcarving sculpture exhibition and installation located in the Tunnel Road Sand Caves and Mines, Reigate, Surrey, UK - hosted by the Wealdon Cave and Mine Society.
These guys are apparently part of 'Operation Reconnect' - an operation attempting to shine a spotlight on families torn apart by the Church of Scientology.
"Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion" L. Ron Hubbard. (more)
http://www.xenu.net/
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
Same group heading back out from after a water break at Coachman Park. With temps in the mid-80s and sunny, it was important to be hydrated anonymouses. All faces of those unmasked are blurred to protect them from the evil Scientology cult's fair game policy of harassing & threatening cult critics. Learn more about the third straight month of global Anonymous protests against the scientology cult here: www.whyweprotest.net
And Educate yourself about what TIME Magazine called "The Cult of Greed and Power"
We celebrated the life and times of our old pal Steve Gano in Big Sur with a couple dozen close friends and colleagues. Steve was a gentleman and a scholar, who inspired many of us to create new forms of 'casual multimedia.' I worked closely with Steve at the Apple Multimedia Lab, where we developed many pioneering projects in the late eighties, such as the Visual Almanac and Life Story. He was a wonderful partner, who had a knack for bringing ideas to life through thoughtful designs and prototypes, and was as comfortable with the arts and sciences as he was with technology development. He thought like a journalist, searching for truth in all our projects, and holding us up to a high standard by focusing on the deeper meaning and impact of our products.
He left too soon and we will miss him. For his memorial, I created a video tribute retracing his life story through photos and movie clips that paint a sketchy portrait of an exceptional man. We will miss Steve, but are grateful to have spent so many good years with him. His memorial brought many of us back together, and I hope that we will stay in touch and keep working with each other along the path that he helped pave for all of us.
See more photos of our memorial in Big Sur:
www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/sets/72157680391906858
Watch the video tribute I created to honor Steve:
Learn more about Steve:
One group of Anonymous after marching past the room Lisa McPherson was killed in, at the cult's Fort Harrison hotel. Learn more about the third straight month of global Anonymous protests against the human rights abuses of the scientology cult here: www.whyweprotest.net All faces of those unmasked are blurred to protect them from the evil cult's fair game policy of harassing & threatening cult critics.
Family members of North Carolina National Guard fallen Soldiers and Airmen meet for the Reconnect Survivor Event at the Marriott City Center in Raleigh N.C. Since 2014, the North Carolina National Guard has hosted the Reconnect Survivor Event with donations from the Wakefield Senior Mens Golf Association, the Patriot Military Family Foundation and the NCNG Survivors Outreach Fund. (North Carolina National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens)
Misericordia University's 2019 Alumni Weekend was held May 31st to June 1st. It was full of fun activities for alumni who were able to reconnect with each other while also meeting alumni from other class years.
Highlights of the weekend included a President Botzman led tour of campus, a memorial mass, an exclusive luncheon to honor the 50th reunion Class of 1969 and several other fun and interactive sessions.
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced Jan. 29, 2020, USDA has invested over $55.3 million in four high-speed broadband infrastructure projects in rural Kentucky. These projects, part of the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments, will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for more than 12,250 rural households and nearly 100 farms and businesses across Kentucky and northern Tennessee. (Photo by Greg Thomas, USDA Rural Development)
Family members of North Carolina National Guard fallen Soldiers and Airmen meet for the Reconnect Survivor Event at the Marriott City Center in Raleigh N.C. Since 2014, the North Carolina National Guard has hosted the Reconnect Survivor Event with donations from the Wakefield Senior Mens Golf Association, the Patriot Military Family Foundation and the NCNG Survivors Outreach Fund. (North Carolina National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Stephens)
Sara Pantuliano, Managing Director, Overseas Development Institute, United Kingdom speaking during the Session "Reconnecting Refugees" at the Annual Meeting 2018 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 23, 2018
Copyright by World Economic Forum / Faruk Pinjo
Part of a set of images taken at "Reconnect" - the Zíta Rá woodcarving sculpture exhibition and installation located in the Tunnel Road Sand Caves and Mines, Reigate, Surrey, UK - hosted by the Wealdon Cave and Mine Society.