OR. COLL.
E
75
.S68
v. 6
no. 21
October
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
SI-KIAI.S )i:i'T.
KNIGN'N.IHRARY
1 299 UNIVERSITY OF OKIXiON
LUCiiCNi:, OR 97-103
Cbyofe News, esf. 1976
U.S. Postago
Bulk Rate Permit No. 2
Warm Springs, OR 97761
News from th
arm Springs Mian Reservation October 18, 2001 Vol. 26, No. 21
35 cents
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An unofficial estimate on
Wednesday of this week
indicated that the adoption
election turnout did not reach
50 percent. If this estimate is
certified as conclusive by the
Tribal Council, then the Oct.
16 election was not valid.
The unofficial estimate was
provided by reliable sources.
However, no official statement
regarding the vote will be
available until Tribal Council
meets and certifies the results
provided by the Election
Board. There is a very outside
chance that the election did
meet the 50 percent
requirement.
Nevertheless, at about 8 p.m.
on election day, the unofficial
tally indicated that the turnout
was 100 or more ballots short.
In the photograph, tribal
members fill out ballots.
Photo by Dav McMechan
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Ballots in
mail for
school
Students support money for schools
levy
By Dave McMechan
Spilyay Staff -
Tribal voters within the week
will receive ballots for the upcom
ing Schobl District 509-J school
improvement bond levy.
The levy would provide the dis
, trict with $15.8 million, mainly for
improvement and expansion of
Madras High School.
"I'm encouraging all voters to
support the bond levy for the ben
efit of the children," said tribal
member Jim Manion, who serves
on the 509-J district board.
In requesting approval of the
bond levy, funded through prop
erty tax within the district, 509-9
is facing two hurdles.
The district must win a major
ity of votes in favor, and also must
see a turnout of 50 percent of reg
istered voters at the polls.
This second requirement may
prove to be the hardest part of gain
ing approval of the bond, said
Manion.
For this reason, he said, people
should make the extra effort to vote
by the deadline, Nov. 6.
Julie Quaid, director of Warm .
Springs Early Childhood Center, "
said, "We should all vote, and vote
yes. In Warm Springs, there is no
reason to vote no."
For most people in the district,
passage of the bond would result
in an increase in property tax. No
such financial impact would hap
pen to Warm Springs residents,
removing the only reason for a
person to oppose the bond pro
posal, Quaid said.
For Warm Springs, this is a win
win proposal, Quaid said. "Voting
yes is a way to show support for
improved facilities for our students
who attend school in Madras."
In the 509-J district, there are a
total of 5,600 voters.
Of those, 700 live on the reser
vation. The voters on the reservation
are of great importance for advo
cates of the 509-J levy.
Continued en Page 8
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Madras High School class officers Cyrille Mitchell, Prenincia VanPelt, Laritta Greene and Scott Kalama (from
left) encourage parents to support the upcoming bond proposal.
Many parents in School
District 509-J are encouraging
voters to support the Nov. 6
bond levy request.
v Jtudents at Madras High
School alo think the $15.8
million bond proposal Is a
good idea.
, "It's for a good cause, a bet
ter future for your kids," said
Prenincia VanPelt, sophomore
class president at Madras High
School.
"Do the right thing and
vote yes," added Cyrille
Mitchell, sophomore class vice
president.
, Scott Kalama, president of
the junior class, said that prob
lems facing the high school
include crowded classrooms
and a crowded cafeteria.
: The cafeteria problem be
came acute beginning at the
start of the 2000 school year,
when MHS adopted a closed
campus policy. :
Rather than leave for lunch,
students now must stay and
eat on campus, which has led
to long lines and crowded
tables at the cafeteria.
Continued on Page 8
THbes
eye gas
generator
As a possible means of generat
ing revenue, the tribes are in the
early phase of considering the po
tential development of a gas-powered
electrical generating plant on
the reservation.
The preliminary site under con
sideration is the Metolius Bench
area above Round Butte dam. The
company that has indicated an in
terest in developing a gas-powered
plant is Mid Atlantic Energy, based
out of the East Coast.
The Tribal Council requested
Warm Springs Power Enterprises
to develop a report on the poten
tial of constructing a combined
cycle combustion turbine plant on
the reservation.
The plant could generate as
much as 400 megawatts of power.
The facility would cost in the range
of $400 million.
Mid Atlantic would make
money by selling electricity. The
tribes could profit by leasing wa
ter rights to the company, and by
leasing land.
The developer would also be
required to compensate the tribes
for environmental impacts from
"the" plant; said Jim Manion, of
Warm Springs Power Enterprises. "
An agreement between the
Confederated Tribes and Mid At
lantic could also include an option
for the tribes to eventually acquire
an ownership interest in the plant,
Manion said.
The report by Warm Springs
Power Enterprise to the Tribal
Council indicates that a gas-powered
plant on the reservation could
provide the tribes with annual net
revenue of between $2.5 million
'and $4 million per year.
The discussion between tribal
and Mid Atlantic officials regard
ing the proposal began during the
early part of this year.
Tribal Council reviewed the
preliminary information during
the summer, and then directed
Power Enterprises to develop a re
port detailing the various aspects
of the project.
Manion estimated that in about
six months he may have the nec
essary material for Tribal Council.
Continued on Page 8
Volunteers the driving force
behind reading program
By Selena Boise
Spilyay Staff , ' '
Once a volunteer reader for Metolius school,
Sandy Griggs became SMART Coordinator for
Warm Springs Elementary School last winter.
Warm Springs Elementary School had been
without a SMART coordinator since Wanda
Bushlach left in the spring of 1999.
Griggs became involved with the SMART
Program by a suggestion from the wife of her
husband s coworkers. She heard that there was
no coordinator at the Warm Springs Elemen
tary and decided that she could do it
She is working to increase the volunteers for
SMART in the Warm Springs Elementary.
Last winter the program was reading to kin
dergarten classes once a week because of the
lack of volunteer readers. This year's goal is to
have one volunteer to each reader.
There are 40 children that need to be read to
this year, and the volunteer list is at about half.
All volunteers will read one hour (or more)
a week for one SMART school year, October
through May.
SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) is
an early literacy book and reading program for
children in kindergarten through third grades.
The mission is to enhance the reading skills,
attitudes and life prospects of children who need
assistance, and to enable adult volunteers and
communities to experience rewards of enrich
ing young lives.
If you can read, you already have what it
takes to be a SMART volunteer.
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bnn-ived on: 10-25-81
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SMART coordinator Sandy Griggs shares a story with Warm
Springs Elementary School student Jamie Halliday.