Newsletter - July, Page 01

CIRI has completed final arrangements to become an equity investor in Alaska Communications Systems. CIRI joins the San Francisco-based firm of Fox Paine & Company, LLC and the ACS senior management team in an ownership role, while CIRI President and CEO Carl Marrs will become an ACS board member.

"CIRI's investment in ACS adds additional resources in support of our long-term plans for expansion throughout Alaska, particularly in the area of advanced telecommunications services for our customers," said Charles E. Robinson, chairman, president and CEO of ACS. "We look forward to Carl's active participation on the board as we define and address the telecommunications needs of Alaskans into the next century."

ACS commenced operations in Alaska last month, following the successful acquisition of the operations of Anchorage Telephone Utility and the Alaskan local

exchange, Southeast Alaska cellular, PCS and Internet service businesses of Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. ACS is Alaska's leading full-service provider of telecommunications services, with more than 400,000 customers.

ACS's local telephone subsidiaries, ATU Telecommunications and PTI Communications, are the largest local exchange operations in Alaska, serving Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and 70 other communities. MACtel, the ACS cellular subsidiary, is the largest and only statewide Alaskan wireless company. ACS also owns and operates ATU Long Distance, the state's third largest long distance carrier, and PTINet, the company's Internet Service Provider.

"This investment further solidifies CIRI's commitment to the communications industry, which we see rapidly growing," said Marrs. "We're also proud that we can invest in a locally-owned company that is dedicated to providing the most technologically advanced telecommunications services for Alaskans."

CIRI has been an active player in the Lower 48 communications industry as an investor and business partner in several Lower 48 wireless telephone businesses. CIRI is a partner in

A greater level of respect is among the valuable learning experiences participants of the new Summer Youth Camp are taking away with them this summer.

The Summer Youth Camp, located near Ninilchik, Alaska, is a collaboration of CIRI, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, and Southcentral Foundation to instill cultural learning and pride among Native youth. The camp utilizes cultural traditions such as Native craft-making, dancing, and singing along with Native history as teaching tools. Participants also learn subsistence ways of life from elders and take part in reforesting the land through planting trees.

Upon ending their week at the camp, each participant is asked to share what they have learned during their stay. Camper comments include:

"I learned that respect is very important, especially to the people and things around you."

"I have learned that the earth is precious and we need to care and love it, to live on it for many years to come. When planting, I learned to do it carefully and not to cheat, 'cause you're just cheating yourself."

"They taught me respect for everything, by this I mean the wood for the drum and the leather for the medicine bag. But most of all, I learned to be more respectful to the people around me, of their feelings and the actual person," wrote another camper.

"I learned to care for many things that I didn't even think of. I also learned to respect the nature and the Native ways."

Aside from valuable learning experiences, camp participants receive summer youth employment stipends for their work at the camp, and a half-unit of high school credit.

CITC plans to operate the camp again next summer and will begin recruiting participants in April and May 2000. For more information about the program, contact CITC's Summer Youth Coordinator at (907) 265-5900.