Page 8
September 21,1979
Spilyay Tymoo
Wilderness Program
opens its doors
(Upper right) The first residents and Wilderness Program
employees gathered on the porch are (from left) Fred Muniz, the
two clients, Mark McKenzie, Bev Snow, Don Moccasin and
Leona “Sweets” Boye. N ot pictured is counselor Austin Smith.
(Above) One of the new clients has discovered that splitting wood
is good exercise. Wood splitting is a daily chore shared by all at the
ranger station since wood is their only heat source.
Spilyay Tymoo Photos by Rangila
Kah-Nee-Ta renovations
asked to stay on and assist with
the special work and the limited
daily operations. The rest,
about 65% of the staff, would
have to make other arrange
ments.
“Finding a job will be a
pretty damn tough thing to do
at that time of year,” said one
employee. Pauli described
some of the alternatives he is
exploring, such as absorption
of laid-off workers into Tribal
and Madras payrolls. He plans
to approach contractors about
hiring from the Kah-Nee-Ta
staff and look into the
possibility of a CETA training
program to occupy employees
during the lay-off. Unemploy
ment benefits will be available
with waits no longer than a
week, said Pauli, who has
alerted the State Employment
Office to the potential claims.
Some may simply opt to
enjoy a two-month holiday,
said Pauli, adding that he could
not force anyone to come back
to the resort when it reopens.
A lth o u g h he h a d n o t
considered it previously, Pauli
answered a question about
housing and rent by saying, “I
believe th at I owe every
c o n s i d e r a t i o n to e v e ry
employee affected by this.” He
expects to adjust rents based on
each individual’s change in
income.
Apart from their concern
about employment, Kah-Nee-
Ta staff seemed to share Pauli’s
Enthusiasm for the renovation.
Representatives of various
departments cited problems
they were having that might be
solved by updating, replace
ment or conversion. “Overall
it’s a damn good idea,” said one
em ployee, w hile a n o th e r
added, “I think it’s a great idea,
Mr. Pauli. I hope you get the
money.” One staffer even
r e m a rk e d , “ Y o u ’re n o t
thinking big enough.”
“The need is now”
The proposed renovation
comes—rather unexpectedly—
at a time when Kah-Nee-Ta’s
year-old Board of Directors is
beginning to wrestle with a long
term direction for the resort.
The board was to come up with
recommendations for Tribal
Council to consider by mid-
1980, but Pauli and board
members feel that the million
dollar improvements for early
1980 would be compatible with
any course charted for Kah-
Nee-Ta. In fact there is a sense
of urgency about the project.
“The need is now,” said
Miaullis, indicating that some
repairs and replacements coul J
not be put off much longer
w ith o u t c o sts b e c o m in g
prohibitive. The. short term
goal in his mind is to “bring the
occupancy level up and sell that
which we have to sell,” before
any expansion is considered.
Pauli concurs, adding, “We
have to maintain our image as a
first class resort....we have an
in v e s tm e n t to p r o t e c t .”
E n te r p r is e m a n a g e r Ed
Manion, who once headed up
the resort, said, “Something
should have been done with the
Village a long time ago,” but
m o re p re s s in g fin a n c ia l
problems at the Lodge received
first priority.
Hungry and thirsty guests
Pauli' and the board hope
that changes at the Lodge will
in c r e a s e n o t o n ly th e
occupancy rate, which has
slacked off at a 3% yearly rate,
but also the food and beverages
revenues, which have suffered
because of inadequate space.
The problem has been with the
seating capacity and turnover
rate of the Juniper Room and
overcrowding in the Eagle’s
The first clients of the Tribes’
Wilderness Program settled in
at the Schoolie Ranger Station
last week, and the place is
beginning to look like a
homestead. Stacks of split
wood and a pile of rounds to
fire the woodstove greet the
visitor, as well as four cats and
13 R h o d e Is la n d R eds
(chickens).
Designed to help kids who
are in trouble, the Wilderness
Program offers clients a place
to stay for 90 days while they do
some serious thinking about
themselves and their lives.
Program head Don Moccasin
remarked that it’s good for the
kids to be away from their peers
and their reputations. “They
can be themselves here and
respond to us and new
situations in their own way,” he
said.
One of the clients, a teenage
girl, is warming up to her new
surroundings and lifestyle.
Although she isn’t used to
going to bed at 10 p.m. or rising
at 7 a.m., she said she kind of
likes it out there. Eyesshining,
she said that Mark (one of the
counselors) is going to teach
her to cross-country ski this
winter.
The house itself is taking
shape. The k itch en and
bathroom have been re-done,
the shelves are stocked with
food, and the water system
puzzle has been solved. Now
that the mornings are getting
chilly, the woodstove is fired up
every day. In anticipation of
the coming winter, they are
laying in as much wood as
possible since it is their only
source of heat.
There are nine more clients
“on paper”, and in about two
weeks the Wilderness Program
should be up to its limit of 10
kids. Noting that it generally
takes about three years to really
get such programs going.
Moccasin said that right now
they’re just feeling their way
alo n g , ta k in g each new
situation as it comes.
continue to focus on groups
and conventions for the off
season, said Pauli, an effort
that has resulted in “better than
ever” group business this fall.
Local business would also be
encouraged even more.
Rumors that the proposed
January-Februarv shutdown is
the first in a series of annual
c lo su re s, are a p p a re n tly
unfounded. “I don’t envision
it,” said Miaullis, stressing that
this would be a one-time
s h u td o w n f o r s p e c if ic
renovation purposes. But he
did say that the shutdown
could be considered as a “trial”
run, to help determine the
feasibility of a seasonal
o p e ra tio n . “ M any, m any
organizations operate on an 8-
10 month basis,” said the
chairman, adding that a 12-
month operation is preferable.
Savings are not expected to
be dramatic during the closure,
if realized at all, said Pauli.
Kah-Nee-Ta normally loses
$125,000 per month between
November and February with a
reduced staff. This year the
staff would have been further
reduced even without the
shutdown, he said, so payroll
savings would be minimal.
Expenses during the shutdown
will not be a whole lot lower,
and w ith a b so lu te ly no
revenues for two months, the
financial picture looks bleak.
However, Pauli’s new 10-
month operating budget shows
a lower overall loss projection
for 1980. The gain will not be
from increased sales volume
from the closure (“We may
reduce some bills,” said Pauli)
but from increased sales
volume with a minimum of
staff growth as a result of the
conversion and renovation.
Neither Pauli nor Miaullis had
computed the actual financial
impact of their proposed
improvements.
Wheels are rolling
Despite the looming “if ’,
Pauli has started the wheels
rolling and has a tentative
timetable. He is meeting with
architects to obtain their
preliminary thoughts and line
drawings, and has initiated
discussions with his managers
to solicit their needs and
suggestions about both the
aesthetic and practical aspects
of the changes. In two weeks
Pauli hopes to have a “basic
gam e p la n ” w orked up,
o u tlin in g the ta sk s and
sequence of work, to be
accomplished.
The job should go out to bid
by the first of November. By
early December, Pauli expects
to have a good idea as to the
fe e lin g s o f th e t r i b a l
membership and hopes to be
able to sign a contract. “In
theory this all begins January
1,” said the manager, but there
is some preliminary work that
can be done before the end of
the year. However, he does not
want to disrupt the holiday
business which is normally
healthy.
No one dares predict the
ou tco m e o f th e bu d g et
presentation and posting, but
cautious optimism reigns. Ed
Manion feels the people will be
“pretty willing” to spend the
money, especially ir, light of
comments he has heard about
the condition of the facility.
G iv in g t r i b a l m e m b e rs
“something to be proud o f ’ is
one reason for the proposed
plans, said Miaullis. “We need
the reservation people. Unless
the community is behind the
business, it won’t succeed,” he
said.
continued from page 3
N e s t, say K a h -N e e -T a
managers.
On the average weekend this
summer, a little over half of the
Lodge guests’ had dinner in the
Juniper Room. With seating
for 90 and a table turnover
rate of twonours and more, it is
impossible for a full house of
guests to be fed. Guests are also
turned away from the Eagle’s
Nest, either because there is no
room or because they dislike
the lively music. Memories of
being hungry and thirsty in a
$50 room do not promote
return bv ;iness, said Pauli.
Converting the Appaloosa
Room dow nstairs, which
presently serves breakfast,
■unch and an evening barbecue,
w ould triple the capacity of the
bar and enlarge the bandstand
and dance floor. For the
quieter drinkers, a piano bar is
planned for the Juniper Room.
Three meals a day would be
served in the formal dining
room, where “an illusion of
informality” could be created
by day, restoring elegance at
night, said Pauli.
Attempts have been made in
the last year to relieve pressure
on the dining room and bar by
opening a porta-bar on the
p a tio (b o o stin g beverage
revenues by 30%), serving more
banquet-style meals to groups,
and offering an Indian salmon
bake by the pool. Pauli has
preferred not to increase the,
table turnover in the Juniper
Room in favor of retaining a
relaxing atmosphere.
When the house isn’t full
In c re a sin g c a p a c ity is
perceived as the best solution,
even though there are currently
not enough guests mid-week
and in the winter to sustain
larger food and beverage
operations. Advertising will