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Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo
May 16, 2002
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Letters to the Editor
mem
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to vote
By Tina Aguilar
and Selena Boise
Hey Selena, are you going to be
voting for the Referendum on gam
ing set for Tuesday, May 21? It sounds
like a lot of the people were pretty
well informed at all the home-based
meetings Rudy
Clements and
Uren Leonard
were holding. Do
you realize how
much it costs for
It's
only our
opinion
the tribe to set up
a vote? I get so upset when the Vital
Statistics and other departments go
through so much trouble (and
money) to get this going then not
enough voters turn out.
Selena: Yes Tina, I will be there at
the polls to vote yes or no. I know
that it takes a lot to prepare the bal
lot and print all the ballots for the
voters to read and then cast their vote.
It's not as simple as copying it in the
copy machine. Since the print shop
is not operating the printing expenses
are paid to another print shop, so the
cost could vary up or down.
Tina: I was just talking to
Madeline of Vital Statistics and she
said there are 2, 230 voters eligible to
vote. This referendum will need 743
voters to become valid. She also said
that there were 615 absentee ballots
sent out. When you look at the fig
ures and add the cost of the "small"
things, it all adds up. Each time a ref
erendum is set for a vote, it takes
money. I've heard talk about more
bonus andor per capita, but when
we don't get out to make a referen
dum valid, that money comes out of
some fund to cover all the costs. If
that fund doesn't have the money
then it has to be found from another
fund. The adoption could have been,
validated if enough people voted.'
That would have eliminated the ex
tra cost of another referendum.
Madeline also told me it takes roughly
$3,000 for each referendum. Now I'm
not a mathematician but even I know
that takes from the fund(s) that could
be applied to a "bigger bonus". We
aren't hurting anyone but ourselves
when we don't vote.
Selena: Yes, that is a lot of money
to spend on something that doesn't
get enough response. It seems the
only reasons not to vote is that voters
don't have time, or they forgot, or
why bother. When the bonuses come
out in the mail, you see a lot of people
making the time to pick up their
checks from the post office, and they
don't forget the date set for bonus day.
Seems as though these people could
make the time to make their mark
and be counted as a yes or no vote.
There could be opinions about the
casino heard all around and yet not
enough people to make that opinion
known with a yes or no vote. It would
save money that would have to be
spent on another election, if it turns
out invalid due to lack of voters.
Tina: I wonder what would draw
them in. Remember last year they
handed out those cool Pi-Umc-Sha
cups. Maybe if they found some funds
they could do something like that
again. Hopefully, people would make
it a point to vote one way or another
because it is so important.
Toe Ness
A young brunette goes into the
doctor's office and reports that her
body hurts wherever she touches it.
"Impossible," says the doctor.
"Show me what you mean."
So she takes her finger and pushes
her elbow and screams in agony. Then
she pushes her knee and screams,
pushes her ankle and screams and so
it goes on, everywhere she touches
makes her scream.
The doctor says, "You're not really
a brunette, arc you?"
"No, I'm actually a blonde," she
replies.
"I thought so," says the doctor.
"Your finger is broken." Yikcsl
Yes on casino
Dear tribal friends and mem
bers, I hate the thought of having to
advocate for the building of a ca
sino, because as a Christian I am
enlightened to the evil that accom
panies gambling.
I am amazed at the gambler
calling the drunks and drug fiends
down, when they ask themselves
the same question "how am I go
ing to pay the light bill?" When I
worked at the casino when it first
opened in 1995, I watched people
cash their pay checks on pay day
and go home broke, asking that
particular question. Some of them
had kids. I used to wonder "what
are your kids going to eat?" Also,
I know of three fatal auto acci
dents coming from the casino.
The reason I am addressing the
gaming issue is that I know we
need the revenue the casino can
bring us. I have been watching the
tribes go into the red. It has been
inevitable, because our tribal en
rollment keeps growing; manage
ment keeps adding on new pro
grams that we don't need; the tim
ber industry is hurting; and our
rez trees keep getting smaller and
smaller.
When the tribes go into the red,
the first to suffer is the lower staff.
The brainstorm that management
comes up with is to downsize our
personnel staff. Lay off, in other
words. As a result, nepotism and
favoritism rear their ugly heads,
and you get a job by who you
know, rather than your skill level.
What the tribes really need and
continually ask for is jobs, jobs,
jobs. If the casino is the revenue
resource needed to make us a
profit, then so be it. Profit can
help keep our existing jobs, and
be used to create more jobs and
be available to finance more rev
enue building ventures.
Build the casino away from the
reservation. We can capitalize on
the Robin Hood method, and
steal from the rich (non-members)
and give to the poor (our unem
ployed). I still think we should put a
casino at Bear Springs on the rez
(an hour from Portland), but the
Gorge has been in progress al
ready, and the sooner built, the
better. We need the Revenue, so
when it comes time to
vote... Please vote it in.
R.T. Thompson
Send word
Friends and family of Rodney
LcClaire
I am trying to find out if my
little brother is still alive and well
and if they could at least send me
word of his whereabouts and ad
dress. I would like to write to him.
Please, I love my brother and truly
miss him.
Yours truly,
Tamara Henry
Brother Rodney LcClaire
It has been many years since I
Candidate says, Thank you for the endorsement
Dear Warm Springs Tribe,
I want to thank you for your
wonderful support of my candi
dacy for Superintendent of Pub
lic Instruction, the head post for
our public schools.
Since my first term in the Sen
ate in 1997, I have been a cham
pion for Oregon's Public Schools.
I have also gained a diverse per
spective on education in Oregon
through my work as a journalist,
reporting on our schools prior to
serving in the Senate.
I recognize and value the im
portance of a strong education,
and I will fight to see that all our
children, in every community,
have access to one.
heard or saw you. I am hoping and
praying your alright, and that you
will send me word that your ok and
in good health. If you would just send
me an address to reach you. I love
and miss you, wish I could give you a
great big hug and tell you in person
how much your missed. I love you
so much.
Love your sister,
Tamera Henry
An apology
I was charged with C.A. for put
ting two children in a closest and de
nied doing this but sentenced by T.C.
on April 19.
So I offer my apology to the fami
lies of A.C. and P.H. for all the stress
that they have gone though.
April 29, C.E.W.
J's Prayer
Temptations are knocking
They're outside my door
Lend me the strength
To keep my feet on the floor.
Don't let me surrender
My life for a thrill
Show me that friendship
Doesn't come in a pill
Chase away the people who will
Hand me a line
Help me remember that
My body is mine.
I don't want to inject
And surrender my soul
Don't what the prison
That smoked in a bowl
Don't let me jump 'cause
They say I can fly.
My lifes barely begun
I'm not ready to die.
Jessie. Polk . , ,,
--f- . . .
In memory
Those we love' Remain within us,
for love itself lives on.
Cherished memories never fade,
because one loved is gone.
Those we love can never be more
than a thought apart.
For as long as there is memory,
they live on in our hearts! Amen.
I now have faith, I love the above
poem I will forever and always re
member my father Ab in my mind,
heart. Nothing or no one will take
thoughts of my father out of my
heart, and mind.)
I'm grateful I now have a head in
jury. I don't drink alcohol no morel
I am still alive for some special, un
known reason. '
Evette Patt, 689 W. 13,h Avenue
Apt. 11, Eugene, Oregon 97402
P.S. I laving memory with faith is
just so awesome!
A thank-you
To the editor,
We want to thank the teachers and
staff of 509-J and the community of
Warm Springs for attending the
"Teacher Appreciation" at the
Agency Longhouse on May 3, 2002.
Susan Castillo
I had a very productive meeting
with the lenders of the Warm Springs
Tribe, one that gave mc a chance to
hear first-hand the struggles Warm
1 "3 I
1
The goal of the powwow was to share
with district teachers and staff the
Indian culture and traditions of the
Warm Springs Reservation. We were
very happy to see the large turn out
of district teachers and staff for this
event. Which we believe will foster
better understanding and strengthen
relationships between the District
staff and Warm Springs community
members. We also want to thank
Dinah Merrifield, Rhonda Smith and
Muriel Suppah for the meal they pre
pared for this special event.
Urbana Ross and Martha
Winishut, Warm Springs Education
Committee members
Housing concerns
Tribal Members:
Overcrowding is becoming a big
Issue on the Warm Springs Indian
Reservation. Remember that all
people use a certain amount of air to
breathe in and to exhale. Mold is start
ing to appear in a lot of homes and
rental units in Warm Springs. As a
concerned tribal member I urge the
people to keep their homes clean to
combat this problem. If we just take
the time to clean our houses thor
oughly and keep our yards clean this
would not become a big issue. If you
have a suspicious looking substance
in your home or rental unit, report
it to Fire and Safety. Do not let it fes
ter in your home or it might prove
hazardous to your health. I drafted
this letter as a concerned citizen of
Warm Springs.
Jack Quinn, Warm Springs Hous
ing Commissioner, phone, 553-2542
Regarding gaming
To the editor,
Remember people saying "this is
the worst Tribal Council there ever
was?" I remember people saying that
in the 70's. If everybody will think
back, that council called themselves
the "chosen ones". Now they're all
in these top management positions.
The same are head of all "our" Sepa
rate Money Making Enterprises. The
same that has kept hiring more and
more white people with degrees. Be
cause they refuse to train or recognize
Tribal Members who have degrees.
The same that condones the firing of
Indians, by their white cronies. It is
Happy Pentacost on May 19
To fight the rise of beef, chicken,
and fish being bought in America, the
the pork industry came up with the
"other white meat" ads.
Well, in the Christian Church we
have our other white meat. Christ
mas (the birth of Christ) has been
nearly taken
over by Santa.
Easter (the
death and resur
Hello from
Pastor Rick
rection of
Christ) is muddied up with egg lay
ing rabbits. But, now the celebration
of Pentecost. Yes I said Pentecost (the
gift of Christ) has not yet been turned
into a national day of water balloon
Springs children face in getting a qual
ity education.
I look forward to working together
in the future to ensure that these
children's needs arc met as we work
to strengthen the school system.
Our schools deserve a leader who
will work in partnership with elected
officials, parents, teachers and other
community members.
If wc care alxwt our economic fu
ture and our overall quality of life,
then creating a united focus to im
prove schpols must be our highest
priority. These are crucial times, a
time when the children of Oregon
need a strong, focused voice fighting
on their behalf.
I am running for Superintendent
Letters reminder
The Spilyay again would like
to remind readers, please limit
Letters to the Editor to 350
words or fewer.
Letters that are longer than
350 words are cut starting with
the last sentence. Also, individu
als should, absent unusual cir
cumstances, submit one letter
per every couple of months.
just to keep everything for them
selves, by keeping all but a few in the
dark? It's nepotism when they ap
point someone to a top position,
without a GED.
If we are that bad off financially,
how can the Gaming Enterprise take
20 million of our reserve fund. There
hasn't even been a vote. Are they that
confident or are they just going to do
it anyway? Makes me pretty leery of
how the votes are to be counted. If
they wanted to enhance Ka-Nee-Ta
why did the Gaming Board turn
down a half million from a company
that wanted to invest in entertainment
a few months ago? People should be
wondering, if the board and their cro
nies want anyone except the chosen
ones to really know their accounting
methods. Since they won't account
to the Tribal Members, just who and
where are they from? They only seem
to appear when they need a vote.
We have relied on "these chosen
ones" to make decisions for us. Re-
member these "leaders" did not gray
up like the trusted Indian who got
The Reservation started decades ago,
people who consulted and "listened"
to those who elected them. Now, they
only hear the greedy Apples, white
lawyers & consultants, and adopted
breeds.
Their old slogan was, the casino
will be Indian owned, Indian run for
the Indian people which turned out
to be BS. But, what did anyone ex
pect from wannabe politicians who
want to support and train more white
people, when its proven they can't
even run Kah-Nee-Ta as promised.
Was it just to get a vote?
I've heard of people getting away
and leave the reservation to the gangs.
Weren't these the same youngsters
promised to prosper from Indian
Head?
Victor Moses, Tribal Member
fights. You see, for we the body of
Christ we believe in one God and His
three ways of involvement with Cre
ation. God as creator and leader (fa
ther). God is living example of His
plan for creation (Jesus the Christ).
God as guide and mover in creation
within our lives (Holy Spirit). Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. The same one
God for the purpose of fellowship
with His creation, us. The Trinity is
another great example of how much
Love our creator has for us. And how
far I Ie is willing to keep the relation
ship going forward. Happy Pentecost
May 19.
Pastor Rick R. Ribciro 553-1237.
of Public Instruction because I have
a clear vision for our schools and the
experience and commitment neces
sary to make that vision a reality.
This election presents a clear
choice of who will advocate for and
lead Oregon's public
schools. We are at a crossroads and
we must make the decision to stand
behind our public school system and
fight for the highest quality of educa
tion for all our children.
I have released position papers that
you can download off our website at
www.susancastillo.com, or if you
would like to talk to me about the
campaign, you can contact my Port
land office at (503) 232-7223.
Sincerely, Susan Castillo
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