To the editor:
My name is Tina Baldomaro-
Bearshield. I’m an enrolled member of the
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. I moved to Port
land, Ore., from Rapid City, S.D., in 1986.
I personally owe a great deal of grati
tude to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz
Indians (CTSI) with special recognition to
the Portland Area Office (PAO), which pro
vided and continues to provide assistance to
this Portland resident for the last 25 years.
In my early years in Portland, the
Urban Indian Council closed and the
Siletz office was basically the only
American Indian agency where any
Native person living in the city sought
and received assistance.
I’ve benefitted from almost every ser
vice provided by the Siletz Tribe to Native
people, beginning with JTPA (thank
you, Kelly Brugh), 477 Self-Sufficiency
Program/Work Experience/OJT (thank
you Jamie Mason), TANF (thank you
Verdene McGuire, Anna Renville and
Jenifer Metcalf), LIEAP (thank you
Connie James and Sherry Addis), coun
seling advice/ICWA (thank you Lauren
Patterson and Alan Nelson), Siletz Head
Start and JOM, including sound advice
regarding my personal education (thank
you Katy Holland-Sipes).
I also enjoyed the benefits from tak
ing gardening and cooking classes (thank
you Lori Johnson, Verdene and Sherry).
Courtesy photo by Cindy Hanson, Oregon Coast Aquarium
Aquarium volunteer Michele Partridge tells visitors May, Chris and Mary
Thompson about tide pool critters at the Oregon Coast Aquarium's touch pool.
The aquarium has opened enrollment for its 2011 Volunteer Spring Training.
Aquarium opens volunteer training
NEWPORT, Ore. - The Oregon Coast
Aquarium has opened enrollment for its
2011 Volunteer Spring Training. In addition
to interpretive volunteer training, volunteer
positions are being offered in facility
maintenance, the aquarium gift shop, spe
cial events, exhibits and administration.
The training begins April 2 and con
tinues each Saturday through May 7 from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers working in
positions other than interpreters attend
the April 9 date only.
Interpreter training teaches volunteers
about the history of the aquarium, animal
care, coastal habitats and animal biology
through lectures and hands-on activities.
“Each training session brings in
wonderful new volunteers with a zest for
learning and a strong sense of commit
ment,” said Carmen Morgan, manager of
Volunteer Services. “It is so rewarding to
see new volunteers mixing with current
volunteers and developing friendships
through their passion for the ocean and
its inhabitants.”
Morgan said the training offers people
an opportunity to share the aquarium’s
mission of educating the public about the
coast and its animals and efforts to protect
and conserve marine habitats.
Earn College Credits: College
credits are available through Oregon
Coast Community College for volunteers
in the aquarium’s interpreter program for
an additional fee of $40, completion of
the classes and meeting all requirements.
The volunteer training gives in-depth
information about marine animal species
exhibited at the aquarium and an overview
of the natural history of the Oregon Coast.
Once training is completed, volun
teers are assigned to an intern position
in available areas or they become inter
preters and share their knowledge of the
coastal environment with visitors for a
minimum of six months.
Cool Benefits: Benefits include
discounts in the gift shop, free member
ship (after serving 50 volunteer hours),
aquarium passes, invitations to special
events and evening enrichment pro
grams. Volunteers have the satisfaction of
expanding their personal marine knowl
edge while giving something back to the
community by supporting the aquarium.
Find Out More: The aquarium asks
for a one-year commitment of one half
day shift each week or a half day every
other week for people with special needs
or who commute long distances.
A $35 fee is required for materials for
interpreter positions. A $20 fee is required
for volunteers working in other positions,
which covers a uniform piece and materi
als. Participants must be 18 years or older.
For adult volunteer training informa
tion, contact Morgan at 541-867-3474, ext.
5315, orcarmen.morgan@aquarium.org.
For more information on the Oregon
Coast Aquarium, visit its website at www.
aquarium.org or call 541-867-FISH.
In my experience, everyone at the PAO is
helpful, always respectful (thank you too
Priscilla!) and I enjoy all the friendships
made through participating in the variety
of events put on by the CTSI-PAO. For me
and my granddaughter, Noni Washington,
who is an enrolled Siletz Tribal member, the
Tribe has been a great resource and support.
Because of the Tribe’s care and gener
osity to help others, I returned to school after
a 13-year absence and graduated in 2009
from Portland State University. Getting back
into the workforce after eight years was
intimidating. The Self-Sufficiency Program
understood that and suggested their Work
Experience program as a way to help me
ease back into the workforce.
The WEX program led me to my
present position as a student support
specialist for Portland Public Schools’
Title VII Indian Education Project. I’m
currently working with Native students
attending high school in Portland Public
Schools and in the process of applying to
the graduate teaching program to become
a full-fledged teacher.
I also want to recognize the CTSI
ICWA (thank you Aline Miller) and Tribal
Court (thank you Honorable Judge Ganten-
bein) for continued support and assistance.
As a Wasco Tribal member from
Warm Springs recently stated to me, “The
Siletz people are the best Tribe around
Oregon! Because they help everyone!
They don’t discriminate.” I agree!
A great big shout out to the PAO and
CTSI for all the help and support you
give! Thank you! Aho, Mi ta ku ya se!
Thank you, my relatives! May God richly
bless you!
Sincerely,
Tina Baldomaro-Bearshield
To the editor:
1 would like to thank you for
coming to the Comfort Zone for your
massages.
I have enjoyed meeting all of you
and I hope to meet more Tribal members
in 2011.
A special thanks to Rhonda Attridge
and Verdene for setting up a very efficient
and cozy way to access the program.
Sincerely,
Jeri Madsen, LMT
Comfort Zone
503-254-4533 or 503-771-1213
Farm Bureau seeks photos for 2012
Oregon’s Bounty agriculture calendar
Oregon’s Bounty is an award-winning
The deadline for entries is Aug. 15.
calendar produced by the Oregon Farm
For photo specifications and other
Bureau that features gorgeous photos of contest rules, please visit oregonfb.org.
agriculture, its orchards, ranches, fields
For more information or to request a
and people.
copy of the 2011 Oregon’s Bounty cal
Images for the 2012 calendar are being
endar, contact Anne Marie Moss, OFB
sought. Farm Bureau invites the public
communications director, at annemarie@
to submit their own photos of Oregon
oregonfb.org or 503-399-1701, ext. 313.
agriculture: the commodities, families,
The state’s largest general farm orga
production, landscape, retail, anything that
nization, Oregon Farm Bureau is a vol
depicts the beauty, technology, culture or
untary, grassroots, nonpartisan, nonprofit
tradition of farming and ranching. Both
organization representing the interests of
close-ups and panoramic views are needed.
the state’s family farmers and ranchers in
Photographers with images selected
the public and policymaking arenas.
for month pages in Oregon’s Bounty
First established in Oregon in 1919,
will receive a photo credit, an item of Oregon Farm Bureau is organized in all 36
Farm Bureau gear and Farm Bureau mem
Oregon counties and has more than 8,000
bership if they have not already joined
member families that are professionally
the organization.
engaged in agriculture.
Siletz News Letters Policy
Siletz News, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, is
published once a month. Our editorial policy encourages input from readers about
stories printed in Siletz News and other tribal issues.
All letters must include the author’s signature, address, and phone number in
order to be considered for publication. Siletz News reserves the right to edit any
letter for clarity and length, and to refuse publication of any letter or any part of
a letter that may contain profane language, libelous statements, personal attacks,
or unsubstantiated statements.
Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Published let
ters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Siletz News, Tribal employees, or
Tribal Council.
Please type or write legibly. Letters longer than 450 words may be edited for
length as approved by Tribal Council Resolution #96-142.
Please note: The general manager
of the Siletz Tribe is the editor-in-chief
of Siletz News.
Editor-in-Chief: Brenda Bremner
Editor: Diane Rodriquez
Assistant: Natasha Kavanaugh
April 2011
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Siletz News
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