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<DIV>This is extremely disappointing and tragic for Pine Hill.--Dale<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<DIV>Dale C. Alverson, MD</DIV>
<DIV>Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and Regents' Professor</DIV>
<DIV>Professor, Health Sciences Center Library and Informatics Center</DIV>
<DIV>Medical Director, Center for Telehealth and Cybermedicine Research</DIV>
<DIV>University of New Mexico</DIV>
<DIV>Health Sciences Center</DIV>
<DIV>1005 Columbia, NE</DIV>
<DIV>Albuquerque, NM 87106</DIV>
<DIV>Office: (505) 272-8633</DIV>
<DIV>e-mail: <A href="mailto:dalverson@salud.unm.edu">dalverson@salud.unm.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV>Web: <A href="http://som.unm.edu/telehealth">http://som.unm.edu/telehealth</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>>>> Richard Lowenberg <rl@1st-mile.com> 10/25/2013 2:12 PM >>><BR><BR>-------- Original Message --------<BR>Subject: Community Connect Grants<BR>Date: 25.10.2013 10:13<BR>From: Les Matthews <les@mesacapitalpartners.us><BR><BR>As you are aware the USDA/RUS announced yesterday $20.3M in Community<BR>Connect Grant Awards for 2013 to 14 recipients. Once again New Mexico,<BR>despite having one of the poorest rankings in rural broadband<BR>penetration in the nation was left out. The last time New Mexico<BR>received one of these awards was in 2009. Since that time at least 6<BR>applications have been denied.<BR>This years snub was especially painful. It was for the Pine Hill-Ramah<BR>Navajo areas. The application covered 1,700 residents that have NO<BR>access to broadband. The only internet available to this community is<BR>satellite internet, which doesn't meet the USDA/RUS definition of<BR>broadband, and costs $80.00/mo. This community, according to the 2010<BR>census is the poorest community in the state. It has 70% unemployment.<BR>This grant would have been a lifeline to them. I would have created<BR>jobs, and online educational and employment opportunities.<BR>The community contracted out the engineering and grant writing of this<BR>grant to ACRS in Oklahoma City. ACRS's clients over the past 10 years<BR>have been awarded over 50% of all Community Connect Grants, so a weak<BR>grant application wasn't one of the problems here. Even a commitment of<BR>matching funds in cash was provided ($180,000). The application was<BR>accompanied by letters of support from the entire New Mexico<BR>Congressional Delegation, The Ramah Navajo Tribal Council, Several<BR>tribal/community leaders, over 200 residents, and NMDOiT.<BR>This year, due to the short timeline for grant submissions after the<BR>posting of the NOFA, a smaller number of applications was received by<BR>the USDA/RUS for these grants. The USDA dispatched their local GFR's to<BR>the field to confirm broadband availability for about half of the<BR>applications. This application didn't even make that cut. Why is that<BR>New Mexico keeps being ignored by the USDA/RUS for these important<BR>grants?<BR><BR>Les Matthews<BR>505 690 0207<BR><BR>-- <BR>----------------------------------------<BR>Richard Lowenberg, Executive Dir.<BR>1st-Mile Institute, 505-603-5200<BR>P.O.Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504<BR>www.1st-mile.org rl@1st-mile.org<BR>----------------------------------------<BR>_______________________________________________<BR>1st-mile-nm mailing list<BR>1st-mile-nm@mailman.dcn.org<BR><A href="http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/1st-mile-nm">http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/1st-mile-nm</A><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>