4 February 8, 2001
Warm Springs, Oregon
Spilyay Tymoo
E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Light snowpacks
and small trees
Didn't hear if the Ground Hog saw his shadow or not,
because the weather certainly is very warm and mild up until
now. We've had no measurable snow pack around here this
winter to speak of. Just up in the high mountains there has
been some snow fall but far below normal and the reports are
that there isn't nearly enough snow as compared to the past
years. We really do need some snow fall in the mountains or
we will end up with a big drought in the summer time. We do
still have a month or so to see of there will be a snow fall in
the high lands to have enough moisture during the summer
months. We don't want to have a drought on our hands which
is bad for everything, live stock and wild life as well. This
could effect the Huckleberry crop if there is not enough
moisture in the grounds in the highlands.
Considering the fact that snow brings hardship during
the winter months it is really necessary to build up the
moisture for all plant life. These past few days it seems like
spring has sprung, with the weather warm and comfortable, but
we do need the snow fall to help the plant life for all the fruits
and vegitables for everyone. The livestock need a good stand
of green grass to live with.
With this warm spell and weather could put all the
woods crews to work much sooner than usual. Depending on
what the allowable cut is and in what areas. Don't know just
how the market is in the lumber industry today if it is
profitable to harvest or not. There are times when the market is
very slow, and again there times when it is booming, no one
never knows just what to expect from year to year.
At one time Japan was buying all kinds of logs, even
from the cull stacks, because they find ways to utilize what
ever they have.
Today the timber is getting smaller and smaller all
across the country because of the logging operations. And now
the trees are so small they call them Woodpecker Poles.
' Several years ago when you'd drive up highway 4, on . .
the Tenino Bench you couldn't see very far because of the 1
dense and huge timber, where the tree butt would measure
from 5 to 6 feet across. Many times Choker Setters had to
Halter the butt end of the logs because they were too huge for
one choker. Those ole big D-9 cats just chugging away trying
to get a load of logs to the landing, with the roll up cat behind
pushing the load along. Even the loaders had a hard time
picking up those big logs and many times they had to buck
those logs in half in order for the loader to pick them up.
In them days a crew behind one big D-9 could skid just
as much board feet as it takes a crew to skid in a month today.
The woods used to be full of logging companies and camps,
and today all those logging camps are all gone as the timber is
dwindling away from being harvested year after year. We had
a large logging camp here at first it was called Old Mill and
after a while it was called Camp A. Today just a skeleton
remains where the camp once stood.
Today the mountains and forest lands are full of bald
spots from clear-cut logging which stand out clear. Yep! Them
days are all gone and the trees are getting smaller and smaller.
Letters to the editor
To the editor,
The Warm Springs water
treatment plant construction
started in the fall of 1980. The
water treatment plant is located on
the lower Dry Creek area. The
source of all raw water entering
the treatment plan is the Deschutes
River. With completion of the
plant and operation began in May
1982. The treatment plant pro
vides all potable water for the
community of Warm Springs and
Kah-Nee-Ta.
The purpose of the water
treatment plant is to remove ob
jectionable or detrimental materi
als and produce a high quality safe
water for domestic consumption.
This is accomplished by provid
ing facilities for coagulation, sedi
mentation and filtration of the
water and chlorination to remove
any harmful bacteria, virus and
giardia.
When Congress passed the
1996 Safe Drinking Water Act
amendments the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) was
given the mandate to require all
public water systems to provide
each customer with a water qual
ity report (The Consumer Confi
dence Report) every 12 months.
This report is designed to in
form you about the water quality
and services we deliver to you
every day. Our constant goal is to
provide you with a safe and de
She married several times seek
ing love and affection. But the
adversity of her life was there to
rob her of her happiness. She
made friends and enemies in her
lifetime but due to this misfortune
this too stole what she had. Joyce
sought treatment in many of these
areas.
In the years I knew her, she
was always open for new change
and direction. And then she was
hit with Breast Cancer. All the
years of living a hard life took a
toll on her body. Joyce had a mas
tectomy last April, 2000. During
this time she fought so hard to live
and endured excruciating pain.
She was then put on a lifetime
drug called Tamoxafin which
caused her more troubles. The
medication changed her hormones
causing severe hot flashes and de
pression. Today when I think
about it, I believe this is what hurt
her spirit - the depression. She
fought so hard to live but some
times the depression was over
whelming for her.
Joyce wasn't always de
pressed. She had a grand sense of
humor. I remember we were al
ways laughing and joking around.
She was happy to go shopping at
Goodwill and at yard sales. She
enjoyed antiques and everything
to do with them. She would spend
hours in the library researching
various types of antiques and
pendable supply of drinking waf r learning all she could about them,
ter. We want you to understand the She had dreams of moving back
Toe Ness
There were these two guys who were hunting and got lost.. .one said to
the other if we shoot in the air three times and wait someone will come
along. So He shoots three times in the air and they wait. No one comes
along so they decided to shoot three more times and wait, still no one
comes along. Finally the guy said, Someone better come along this time
because these are my last three arrows..YIKESI!l
SSS SSS SSS
The Indians asked their Chief in autumn, if the winter was going to be
cold or not. Not really knowing an answer, the Chief replies that the winter
was going to be cold and that the members of the village were to collect
wood to be prepared.
Being a good leader, he then went to the next phone booth and called the
National Weather Service and asked, "Is this winter to be cold?"
The man on the phone responded, This winter was going to be quite
cold indeed."
So the Chief went back to speed up his people to collect even more wood
to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again,
"Is it going to be a very cold winter?"
"Yes", the man replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter."
So the Chief goes back to his people and orders them to go and find
every scrap of wood they can find.
Two weeks later he calls the National Weather Service again: "Are you
absolutely sure, the winter is going to be very cold?"
Absolutely" the man replies, "the Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"
efforts we make to continually
improve the water treatment pro
cess and protect our water re
sources. We are committed to en
suring the quality of your water.
I am pleased to report that
our drinking water is safe and
meets federal and state require
ments. All our staff are certified op
erators. Each of our operators
must report Continuing Education
Units (CEUs) to the Health Divi
sion once every two years to main
tain their certification.
If you have any questions
about this report or concerning
your water utility, please contact
the staff of the Warm Springs
Water Treatment Plant at 553
1472. Steve Courtney Sr.
Water Treatment Plant
Chief Operator
Dear Family and Friends,
When our beloved Joyce
McKinley suddenly passed away
this devastated her family and I.
The last years I shared in Joyce's
life were very difficult. She
struggled with many hardships
and afflictions in her lifetime. I
recall numerous conversations
with her about her life.
Joyce was very saddened by
her relationship with her children.
She admitted to her children and
others who knew her that she was
not a good mother. She asked her
children for forgiveness but the
damage had already been done.
to Warm Springs and opening an
Antique Shop.
Joyce loved to read and
loved all animals. She especially
loved her dog Girlee. I'm taking
care of Girlee the way Joyce
would have wanted. Girlee has
been very good company and
somewhat healing for me.
I have been back to work and
learning how to cope everyday. I
have a demanding job that re
quires me to remain focused with
very little room for errors. I have
tried to manage the grief on my
own but found I couldn't until I
recently had a wake-up call. So
now I am receiving counsel from
a grief counselor. I not only hurt
for the loss of my friend; but I also
hurt for everyone else that has
passed on who has touched my life
in so many ways. Grief will make
one hard if one doesn't deal with
it. I'm finally learning that.
Joyce was my best friend,
companion and soul mate. It was
very hard to even think of how to
handle the affairs of putting a
loved one away. Then these kind,
caring people stepped forward
without any unselfish feelings and
without hesitation. They traveled
many miles to Klamath Falls to
bring her back home to Warm
Springs. It was very comforting
seeing all these people come so far
and step in to bring comfort.
Words cannot express the
gratitude I have for everyone that
was there for us. I would like to
acknowledge the following
people: Margaret Boise, Leah
Boise-Montiel, Wilford and
Geraldine Jim, Inez and Frank
Mitchell, Iva and Olson Meanus,
Jamie McKinley-Bailey and Fam
ily, Patches, Hazel Wahpat
(Heath), Janice Gilbert, Paula
Wahsise, Charlie Strom, Marga
ret Dearing, Bob Dearing, Chris
Dearing , Janice Miller and Nancy
Merino. Thank you. If I left any
one out, I'm sorry and didn't mean
to. You are, nonetheless, included
in my heart.
Thank you to everyone that
stepped in at the Shaker Church
and helped put things together at
the last minute: to all the cooks
and their helpers, to Neda and
Eliza for making the dress, and to
all of Joyce's family. Thank you
all for being good to me all these
years. For Rueben Garcia, Jake
Sampson and Triva Sampson -your
mother loved you. Remem
ber that, regardless of the past, she
always loved you. For Rosa and
Debbie, please be strong. You will
always and forever be known as
"Legends". To Iva, Inez and
Madelene, Joyce was happy that
she had made amends to each and
every one of her sisters, she had
peace in her heart.
Once again, thank you to all
who were there for the family, you
all know who you are. And for
those who couldn't e there, just
remember Joyce and the good
times you shared with her.
Thank you for letting me ex
press my gratitude.
With all sincerely,
Noel Dearing and Girlee
Mason
To the editor,
This is a letter of gratitude
that is long overdue. During the
past few years, my travels have
exposed me to the blatant corrup
tion of other communities. This
eye opening experience has driven
my family and me back to our
home reservation. In the process
of our move we had an unfortu
nate accident. Our vehicle with all
our electronics was burned as we
passed through an electrical storm.
Our pet horses almost were casu
alties as the vehicle was pulling
them aforementioned. We were in
the middle of the high desert so
all we could do was unhook the
trailer and watch our belongings
burn. We were fortunate enough
to be assisted by some good Sa
maritans who were willing to pull
the horse trailer to the next city,
which happened to be Burns.
My wife has extended fam
ily there that made a place for us.
I was unemployed at the time so
our insurance was the minimum
required by law. This made the
accident a total loss. Material
things that are easily replaced, at
least my family was safe and we
were all together. But as I've
learned through Faith, there's a
reason for all the things we go
through, good or bad, it is all in
the way we handle the situation
presented to us. Right now I would
just like to take a little of your
space to thank as many people as
possible that made this crisis a
little more bearable.
First I would like to thank
my immediate family. My broth
ers Roger, who dropped his own
busy schedule to come and drive
the U-Haul with horse trailer from
Bend. He even offered to pay for
the rental or anything else we were
in need of, Thanks BRO. Also, I
would like to thank my mother
and stepfather who made arrange
ments for emergency assistance
for my family, and made room in
their already cramped quarters to
shelter us in our time of need. I
am truly indebted to both for life.
Thank you Mom and Dad. Also a
big thanks you to Danny Martinez
for cash donation through your
program. Thanks to the Tribal
Council for their approval of cash
assistance, which made the return
of a borrowed horse trailer pos
sible. Thanks to the Workforce
Development in particular, Carlos
and Marcia. Carlos did the long
distance hiring process of myself,
which nudged me to make this
sudden move of residency. Marcia
is willing to give a person a
chance.
The rest of the staff, thank
you for allowing me the under
standing support to learn at a bear
able pace. Thanks to Mr. Bob
Medina for the clothing and small
home fixtures, which will help in
our bid to regain lost ground. Also
a hid THANK YOI I fn the Hnns.
B - J
ing Department, their understand
ing and efficient handling of my
families needs, please accept my
apologies for the continuous
amount of pestering. Your main
tenance team did an outstanding
job on the renovation of the unit
we were assigned. There is two
very special people who were det
rimental to our well-being, they
are my two dear sisters Aurolyn,
who is always willing to give a
hand whether it be financial or just
for moral support, also to Eliza
"Hut Dawg" Greene who makes
a cloudy day seem like a sunny
day, thank you. Also to my other
brothers, may we all continue to
grow as we grew up
closerthanthis. May God Bless
each and everyone who was in
volved. THANKS AGAIN.
Signed on behalf of my fam-
ily:
Davis Stwyer Sr.
Some thoughts on slanderous words
Editor's Note
Spilyay Tymoo welcomes articles and letters from its readers. All letters, preferably 300 words
or less, must be signed by the author. Letters will not be printed unless signed. Thank you
letters and poetry will be published at the editor's discretion. All letters are the opinion of the
author and do not reflect in any way the opinion of Spilyay Tymoo.
Spilyay Tymoo reserves the right to edit all copy or refuse publication of any material
that may contain libelous or malicious statements.
To the editor,
Hello from Pastor Rick. The
definition of the word "slander" from
the Webster dictionary: A fast report
maliciously uttered and tending to
injure the reputation of a person.
In many past issues of the pa
per there have been articles and let
ters that have had a slightly slander
ous tone to out-right slanderous at
tacks. Now to each side. To be slan
derous is to express your anger with
out reason. Find out the truth. Then
publish. If they will not let you have
information, then publish that fact.
Slander is an evil weapon that can cut
both ways.
Throughout time, slander has
been used to change the course of his
tory; Rome, Hitler, the trials of Jesus
the Christ. If you are on the receiving
end of slander then confirm the truth
to yourself and share it with others.
If the slander does not stop, take the
truth to court. If the slanderer does
not stop, you publish the truth and the
truth about the slanderer. The world
must know the truth about the uncon
trolled lives that black words of an
ger flow. Finally, the God of us all
does not look with favor to those who
twist the truth, or to those who hid
the truth. Do you really want that in
your life?
Well, here we go. ... Hug
someone you love. Hug someone you
dislike. No alcohol or tobacco for
children. One day at a time. Buckle
up the kids and yourselves. Don't hit
or beat on yourself. Pay your bills
before gambling, then stay home.
Read the Bible for its effect on your
heart. Pray to God to the point of your
hearing Him. Honor someone. Love
yourself. Like yourself. See you in
church. 553-1237
rribeiromadras.net
Rev. Rick Ribeiro
VS Presbyterian Church
(on the campus)