Daily Mining Gazette/Layla Aslani Sarah Sargent Paine Historical Research Center member Donald Heikkila and Jeffers High School Principal Tim Keteri (hat) look at old photographs in the school’s gymnasium Friday morning. Jeffers High School alumni celebrated the school’s 100th anniversary this week.

PAINESDALE — This week commemorates the birth of America, but it also celebrates the 100th anniversary of Jeffers High School. People from across the nation descended on Painesdale for the annual all-school reunion, which started Thursday and ended Friday night with a dinner. Class alumni activities continue throughout the weekend. Friday morning, Jeffers High School Principal and Alumni Association President Tim Keteri said over 300 people had signed up for the dinner. The school hosts an all-school reunion each year, but dinner attendance is up by about 100 people this year due to the commemoration, he said. Keteri said he expects next year’s event to have even more people in attendance because it will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first graduating class. Keteri said perhaps the oldest attendee this year is Jean (Aro) LaMachio, a graduate of the class of 1932. LaMachio traveled from the Carolinas to attend the event, he said.