Sand Point, Shumagin Islands, Popov Island, Alaska.

Pride 1977 - A yearbook for the Aleutian Region School District

I learned my yearbook skills from Bob Cochran. The philosophy was to develop a "snapshot" of the community, not just the students, activities or school. Each year between 1973 and 1976, a theme was selected - jobs in the community, history of the community/area (1975), natural beauty of the community/wildlife/area (1976), etc. and the school was shown as a part of it.

There were individual pictures of the students and staff, sports, school activities - all the things you find in a "normal" yearbook - but there was much more. Items of community interest such as the TV station, the radio station, the boat harbor project, and the restoration of the Russian Orthodox Church were featured. Custom ads were developed for community businesses that documented the growth of the town.

When the Aleutian Region School District was organized it included the communities of Atka, Akutan, Cold Bay, False Pass, Nelson Lagoon, Nikolski, Squaw Harbor, and Sand Point scattered over 800 miles of the Aleutian Peninsula, Eastern Aleutians, and Sand Point. I don't remember how it happened (I probably volunteered. . .), but I was selected as the editor for Pride '77.

The challenge was to select a theme that fit the region, balance the layout of the black and white / color pages for the eight schools/communities, and allot the 128 pages in a fair way. Oh Yessss - how to get the photos, captions and stories in a part of the world where mail or travel could take weeks between communities.

I traveled for the district to Akutan, False Pass, Squaw Harbor and Cold Bay to take pictures. The principal teachers and some district personnel took pictures at Atka, Nikolski, and Nelson Lagoon. Finally, individuals from all over the district contributed pictures - they were familiar with the Pride series of yearbooks and wanted their photos included.

The theme selected was fishing and covered commercial salmon, crab, halibut, and shrimp fishing as well as some candid shots of sports fishing. Everyone in that area was involved in some way in fishing - lots of shots of fishermen, the fish companies, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Sand Point High School Aquaculture Program, and the construction of the "Eagle" - a 28' St. Pierre Dory in the boat handling class.

The book was presold by subscription. I can't remember how many copies were made - 1,500 to 2,000. In the end, they all sold - fishermen from the "lower 48" bought many of them - there were 16 pages devoted to commercial fishing with 76 photos.

There is some beautiful photography in that book. I worked two months into the summer to finish the layout and get the book off to the publisher. The publisher sent back the proof sheets after the book was publish - with a post it note that said "Neat book!" I would love to duplicate the book on the web - but there are 128 pages and there are probably other issues to consider. . .

PRIDE 1977

Aleutian Region School District

Dr. Dick H. Bower
Superintendent

Board of Directors
John Farley, Chairman
Cold Bay, Alaska 99571
Barbara Dirks
Atka, Alaska 99592
Peter Kust, Clerk
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska 99695
Stanley Mack
Sand Point, Alaska 99661
Diane Wildes
Sand Point, Alaska 99661

Editor

William R. Eubank

Photo Contributors

Tim Joyce, Mary Jackson, Jenny Bjornstad, Agnes Holmberg, Jason Huntress, Andrew Gronholdt, Oliver Felton, Jack Prince, Lyle Hansen, Pacific Pearl Seafoods, Sverre Iversen, G. McCandless, Steve Martin, Allen Kuchenoff, Tony Browning, William Eubank, Bruce Gallien, Thomas Crandal, Dennis Ward, Gilda Shellikoff, Joan Leone, Eugene Ploeger, Kathy Isacson, Joseph Reeves, Diedre Olson, Amy Foster, Inge Martinsen, Richard Foster, Sherry Spitler, Richard Anderson, Dick Bower, Pat Bower, Robert Cochran, Julia Galovin.

Processing

Tim Joyce, Mary Jackson, Arlene Nielsen, Marlene Nielsen, Amy Foster, Donald Eubank, Thor Plumlee, Jay Plumlee, Karen Ludvick.

William R. Eubank
1632 Burcham Drive
East Lansing, Michigan 48823
United States of America

wmeubank@yahoo.com