Koponen Homestead development
If you are looking for information on the new Koponen Homestead development, it can be found at http://koponenhomestead.com
Continue reading →COVID-19 Impacts
The Koponen families are sheltering in place at their various locations in Alaska and New England in defense of the COVID-19 virus. Joan will be 89 this month, still at the homestead house, so extra precautions need to be taken … Continue reading →
Fire safety on the homestead
Chena has mobilized the clearing of trees, especially flammable spruce, around the homestead and Brown’s houses for fire safety. This past summer wasn’t a high fire season, but who knows for the future?
Continue reading →Nonni in town
Nonni came into town in August and September for a few weeks to work on the cabin he built to get out of the house when he was 17. Various folks had lived and worked on it since, including a … Continue reading →
Newman for GVEA
Chena’s husband Gary was re-elected to the Golden Valley Electric Association Board of Directors June 2018. It was a close election, winning by just 5 votes. His opponent Frank Eagle, co-owner of Lavelle’s Bistro, ran a negative, falsehood filled campaign … Continue reading →
Thanksgiving 2017
Most of the family, save Nonni and Dane, joined us at Thanksgiving.
Continue reading →Sanni moved back to Fairbanks
Last year, we reported that older sister Sanni was still back in Ontario. However, since then, she sold her horse farm there, purchased a 24′ box van to put in all her desired worldly possessions and drove with sister Chena … Continue reading →
What’s New?
There haven’t been a lot of posts as of late. Koponen folks are plugging along. Joan is still on the Homestead with help from the in-town kids. Heather seems involved with her social causes and spends time in Manley and … Continue reading →
Happy holidays
It’s been 2 years since Niilo died and the family is carrying on. Joan still lives at home, supported by her Fairbanks based kids. Anyone in the area is welcome to call up (in the phone book, remember those?) and … Continue reading →
Niilo would be proud
Niilo would be proud that his son-in-law Gary (that’s me) won his first election to the Golden Valley Electric Cooperative board of directors. This was a spirited campaign with a well known Fairbanks businessman who was a one term incumbent … Continue reading →
Kids Gathered and Books
The 5 kids (now grown-ups) of Niilo and Joan gathered at the homestead for a couple weeks earlier in March to go over the 1000 or so books and journals that Niilo had collected over the years. They selected some … Continue reading →