3R.CGLL. 75 .sea v. 27 no. 6 M t4 20(92 P.O. Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 SERIALS DEPT. KNIGHT LIBRARY 1299 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON EUGENE, OR 97403 U-S-Postaga Bulk Rate Permit No. 2 Warm Springs, OR 97761 March 21, 2002 Vol.27, No. 6 Coyote News, est. 1976 35 cents Spilyw Tymot Public safety adopts changes By Dave McMechan Spilyay Tymoo staff No branch of the Confed erated Tribes'government has seen more change over the past couple of years than Public Safety. The Warm Springs Police Department especially has seen significant changes, not only in department leadership but also in the way the depart ment interacts with the com munity. The changes, explained Po lice Chief Don Courtney, "are in response to the people's wish that we follow the con cept of community policing." Community policing in volves a partnership between law enforcement and the people of the community. "I would describe this as a softer approach to law enforce ment," said Courtney. Com munity policing, he said, "calls for treating people with respect and dignity, and I think this approach has had a tremen dous, positive impact on the community." Part of community polic ing, he said, includes instilling among law enforcement offic ers a philosophy that on some occasions the officer can help most by not making an arrest or issuing a ticket. Some television shows, Courtney said, create the im pression that police are in an antagonistic relationship with the community. This is not the case. "Rookie officers," he said, "learn there is more to the job than arresting people." Through community polic ing, "you solve problems through communication with Painting with Spirit Artwork by tribal member shows school spirit By Selena Boise Spilyay Tymoo staff If you have been to Ma dras High School and wan dered the hallways, you will see various paintings created by the art students. One of these paintings is a white buffalo painted by tribal member Camillc Clements. She did such a wonderful job that she was asked to paint another white buffalo near the gymnasium for the public to sec when they at tend high school games at the gymnasium. Clements is a senior and will graduate from Madras High School this year. She is the daughter of Rudy George Clements of Warm Springs, and Cassimcra Caldcra of Portland, Or egon. She has four sisters, two brothers and stepmom Sheikh Clements. "She docs an excellent job and I am proud of her. She has also won an Tragic evening in 1998 was turning point Some of the changes that have happened in re cent years in the Warm Springs public safety branch can be traced back to a particular summer night in 1998. That year, on the night of August 4, Luther Danzuka, 42, was walking home from a friend's house. A short distance from the house, Danzuka was bitten by a ratdesnake. The snake, which had been lying near a fence, bit Danzuka on the lower part of the arm. See DANZUKA on 9 the community members." One of the most visible components of the Warm Springs community policing program is Kids First. . Through this program, rep resentatives of the police de partment visit the homes of tribal members. In visiting the homes, the police officers are accompa nied by health and fire depart ment representatives. Last week, the Kids First team went door-to-door, visiting homes in the West Hills area. As the name of the program indicates, Kids First focuses on the safety and health of chil dren in the community, said officer Bob Medina, Kids First police representative. See POLICE on page 9 . 1! '.:-..');. Sttona BotMSpiiyty The white buffalo is on the wall of a hallway at the high school. award for her art pieces in the on attending college and ma past," says her father. )orng in architecture, where After she graduates from she will utilize her skills for Madras High School she plans designing. til; if J ; ( I t RS5 tr-L f TV. sAa! Lroy Allen prepares siding for the outside of Jan-lyC&'la .IfmOQCr'-','tn dining arefi at Kah-Nee-Ta. The resort is Fund helps The problem of stray dogs on the reservation can be a se rious one. People on the reser vation report an estimated 30 dog bites per year, which is well above the average. And the 30 reported bites are just a percentage of the bites that happen on the reservation, as many go unreported. A trust fund established by Jefferson County woman is helping address the problem of currently undergoing a $5 million remodel. control population of reservation dogp unwanted dogs on the reserva tion. The Daisy Fund provides funding so that dogs belonging to tribal members, and stray dogs on the reservation, can be spayed or neutered free of charge. The Warm Springs reserva tion is the top priority of Daisy Fund. Last year, 99 stray Emergency rescue crews have busy afternoon Warm Springs' Fire and Safety saw a busy afternoon on Tuesday of this week, March 19. During the course of the day, there were three motor vehicle accidents on the reser vation, two of them within a short period of time. The first accident happened at 10:50 a.m. near the Wolf Point turn-off. In this wreck, a single vehicle with four oc cupants - an adult and three children - rolled over. suspects Tony Gilbert Jr., 19, has entered a plea of guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the death of Michael Saluda Two other suspects in the case - Ronald L McKinlcy and Angclo Fucntcs, both 23 - arc charged with first-degree mur der. As part of his plea agree ment, Gilbert agreed to testify in the cases against McKinlcy and Fucntcs. By pleading guilty to second-degree murder, Gilbert Police investigating death of 3-month old infant The Warm Springs Police Department and the FBI are investigating the circumstances that led to the death during the weekend of an infant child. Dave McMecharVSpllyay dogs from the reservation were caught, spayed or neutered, and then returned to the area where they had been picked up. This was the work of Warm Springs sanitarian Nancy Collins and Kaipo Akaka, who assisted her in the work. Their work prevented an estimated 792 unwanted pup Loose gravel was the appar ent cause. Fortunately, no one . was serious injured. The second accident hap pened at noon on I Iighway 26 north of Warm Springs. A single vehicle left the roadway and came to rest half submerged in Beaver Creek. Upon arriving at the scene, the EMS team found a man shivering and complaining of possible internal injuries. He was flown by Air Life could receive a sentence of 20 years, rather than life in federal prison. McKinlcy and Fucntcs, if convicted of first-degree mur der, would be sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. A trial date for McKinlcy and Fucntcs was set for April 23, but this date may be de layed. Meanwhile, lawyers for McKinlcy and Fucntcs are pe titioning the federal judge in At press deadline this week, the police department was not yet releasing any information, as the matter remains under investigation. The infant that Bridge work to close highway Traffic on Highway 26 through the reservation will be re-routed during weekdays be ginning April 1, through May 3. This will be necessary as the Oregon Department of Trans portation will be working on the Mill Creek Bridge. Passenger vehicle traffic will use Route 3 and 9 through Simnasho. Truck traffic will use the route over highways 97, 197 and 216, through the Maupin area. The Simnasho route 3 and 9 is not suitable for heavy truck traffic, said Danny Martinez, chief of Warm Springs Fire and Safety. Highway 26 through the reservation will be closed for the four-week period from Monday, April 1, to Friday, May 3. During those weeks, the highway will close at 12 p.m. on Monday, and then re-open at 12 p.m. on Friday. The plan is for the highway tb be open during the week ends, said Martinez. ' ' pies for being born, she said. Besides the spaying and neuter ing of the stray dogs, another 283 Daisy Fund certificates were issued last year to dog owners, said Collins. For information on receiv ing a Daisy Fund certificate for a free spaying or neutering of a dog, call 553-4 943. to St. Charles Medical Center. Another occupant of this ve hicle was transported by ground ambulance to Moun tain View. Neither of the people were local residents. This accident caused the high way to be closed for about 45 minutes. Then at 7:10 p.m. on Tuesday, a single vehicle acci dent happened on Highway 3 near the fire hatchery. The woman in the vehicle was not seriously injured. the case to grant them separate trials. This request was pend ing before the judge this week. Gilbert, McKinlcy and Fucntcs were arrested in July of last year on allegations of having murdered Michael Saludu, who was 26. The incident happened at the Lower Dry Creek Camp ground on the reservation. (A letter of appreciation for immu nity support from the Sain Jo family appears on pap 4.) passed away was Lance Jefferson Miller. The mother of the child is Frances Jefferson. The father ii F.mcrson Miller. 3 Spilyay tyioo.