OR. COLL.
E
75
.S68
v. 27
t no. 2
October
3. 2M2
P.O. Box 870
urn Springs, OR 97761
ECRWSS
Postal Patron
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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vn sua
U.S. Postage
Bulk Rate Permit No. 2
Warm Springs, OR 97761
October 3, 2002 Vol. 27, No. 20
Coyote News, est. 1976
50 cents
Spilygy
1
509-J cuts
may delay
new school
By Shannon Keaveny
Spilyay Tymoo
Although statewide school districts
have "dodged most of the bullets," said
509-J school district Supt. Philip Riley,
there still will be budget cuts.
He said that legal negotiations for
the Warm Springs school lease will con
tinue, but a payment cannot be made
until March 2003.
With Gov. Kitzhaber's veto on pay
ment shifts overridden, and with the
passing of Measure 19, schools in the
509-J district are anticipating cuts
amounting to $77 per student. The to
tal loss will be approximately $316,000.
The veto override allows the district
to borrow money for teachers' sum
mer paychecks next May, and defer that
payment until the next year. Measure
19 allows schools to borrow bond
money from future tobacco tax rev
enue. The passing of Measure 19 on Sept.
17 saved the district $230 per student '
incuts.
Riley said with the present situation
no staff will be cut but other projects
will be put on hold, such as mainte
nance projects, technology projects, the
roof at the middle school, the purchase
of one school bus, and funds for the ;
new school at Warm Springs.
"These financial obligations are fro
zen or on hold but if we get more
money, we'll go ahead with our plans,"
explained Riley.
In late spring, due to cuts and other
financial savings, the district anticipates
having $1.4 million as a financial cush
ion to use for delayed projects.
"We're keeping the brakes on and
being conservative." said Riley.
See SCHOOL on page 3
Another good run...
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Shannon KeavenySpnyay
Julian Scott pulls in a fall Chinook at Sherar Falls. The salmon turned
out to be a fiafive species that Scott, of Warm SpriiigsT threw back;
The 500 fish harvest cap for fall Chinook salmon at Sherar Falls is only
for hatchery fish. Like last year, the best year since 1938, salmon
rung are up on the Deschutes River. See story on page 10.
Restoring Pine
Qeek
Ranch
In the center of the
ceded lands the ranch
is an example of
stewardship rooted in
a people
By Shannon Keaveny
Spilyay Tymoo
Pine Creek Ranch is part of a large
effort to improve watershed and wild
life habitat throughout the John Day
basin. The ranch's striking canyon set
ting and budding wetlands will provide
valuable resources for tribal members
who continue the cultural practices of
root digging, hunting and fishing.
The tribes purchased 'the 34,000
acre ranch two years ago, with funding
provided by the Bonneville Power Ad
ministration (BPA).
"A lot of people who visit the ranch
are surprised to learn how much work
the tribes do to protect natural re
sources throughout their ceded lands,"
said Mark Berry, manager of water
shed and wildlife restoration at the
ranch.
Recently, tribal officials and other
employees toured Pine Creek Ranch,
located on the John Day River.
Among those on the tour were Tribal
Council Chairman Olney Patt Jr.,
Councilman Ron Suppah, anil Secretary-Treasurer
Charles Jackson.
Berry was enthusiastic in sharing in
formation on the ranch restoration
project. In the last few years, he said,
many tribal members have enjoyed the
benefits of this land.
"Lots of tribal members already
have taken advantage of the hunting
opportunities. This year, alone, we is
sued 70 elkdeer hunting permits for
tribal members."
Future projections foresee summer
steelhead eventually recovering to the
point where they are no longer listed
as threatened.
Currently, the fishing season on the
John Day is catch and release for all
wild, native steelhead. Some hatchery
strays from other rivers can be kept.
Through current restoration efforts,
the John Day basin may some day sup
port a native fishery.
The property arrangement between
BPA and Warm Springs is at no cost to
the tribes. This is true because federal
law requires entities (such as BPA) re
sponsible for fish and wildlife loss due
to dams to compensate.
BPA paid the original purchase price
of $5.6 million. Today, the agency con
tinues to provide operation and man
agement funds for the project. A grant,
known as the CREP Riparian Buffer
Project, covers the property taxes.
The project is moving along in ac
cordance to the management plan
agreed upon between Warni Springs
tribes and BPA in 1999.
See RANCH on page 3
Two enter
guilty pleas
in murder case
Two young men charged last year
in the death of Michael Saluda have
pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
The sentencing date for Angelo Fuentes
and Ronald McKinley is set for Nov.
26.
The U.S. Attorney's office is recom
mending to the federal judge in the case
that Fuentes be sentenced to 40 years
and McKinley to 30 years.
By entering guilty pleas, rather than
going to trial, Fuentes, 23, and
McKinley, 24, may avoid being sen
tenced to life in prison.
A third person involved in the case,
Tony Gilbert Jr., 19, earlier pleaded
guilty to second-degree murder. He had
also agreed to testify, if necessary, at
the trials of Fuentes and McKinley.
The sentencing date for Gilbert is
also set for Nov. 26. I Ie could receive
up to 20 years in prison.
McKinley, Fuentes and Gilbert were
arrested in July of last year on allega
tions of having murdered Michael
Saludo, who was 26 at the time of his
death.
The murder happened in mid July
at the Lower Dry Creek Campground
on the reservation.
The case is being prosecuted by the
U.S. Attorney's Office in Portland. The
office is not yet able to comment on
why the sentencing recommendation
for Fuentes is 40 years, and the rec
ommendation for McKinley is 30
years, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill
Williams.
Proposed budget calls for 7 percent cut
The Tribal Council has approved
the posting of a proposed budget for
2003. The proposal includes a 7-percent
overall decrease in expenditures
from the current year's approved
budget levels.
Tribal operations would see an
overall reduction of about $1 million
under the proposed 2003 budget.
Nearly all departments of the
tribal government would see reduced
budgets under this proposal.
The 7-percent decrease falls about
in the middle of the two scenarios -a
5-percent reduction and a 10-percent
reduction - that department di
rectors and branch managers presented
to Tribal Council last month.
District meetings on the 2003 bud
get are tentatively set as follows:
Monday, Oct. 21, Simnasho District
Meeting, Simnasho Longhouse; Tues
day, Oct. 22, Agency District Meeting
at the Agency Longhouse; and Wednes
day, Oct. 23Seekseequa District Meet
ing at the Agency Longhouse.
The proposed 2003 budget is posted
at the Administration building, the Post
Office, Warm Springs Market, the
Community Wellness Center, and at the
Simnasho Longhouse.
Tribal members will receive a copy
of the proposal in the mail during the
middle part of this month. More de
tailed information on the budget will
be provided at the district meetings.
The 2003 budget proposal includes
a slight increase in the per capita fund:
From $5,144 million this year to $5,272
million next year, an increase of
$128,000.
High Lookee Lodge would also see
an increase in funding by $250,000
under the proposal. Tribal funding for
K-5 school would see an increase of
$250,000, to $450,000, in order to
cover the tribes' anticipated annual
share of building the new elementary
school.
Most other tribal entities - from
public safety and utilities, to natural
resources and human resources -would
see budget reductions.
The primary reason why the reduc
tions are needed is the weak market
for electric power. Revenue from
power is being adjusted downward by
$4 million, based on the weak power
market. Meanwhile, the tribes' Secretary-Treasurer
and Chief Financial
Officer are reviewing all potential new
sources of revenue, including existing
enterprise reserves, as well as additional
grants.
Lmini!
building
By Selena Boise
Spilyay Tymoo
The Tribal Administration build
ing is being refurbished and re
painted on the exterior, because the
last 13 years have left it weather
beaten. It has been that long since the
building, located at 1233 Veterans
Street, was last refurbished.
And the last time, the work was
not done professionally, as the nails
have not been holding, and water
has soaked through the wood, caus
ing it to rot.
The current work includes paint
ing as well as renailing the exterior
wood siding.
I Ierb Graybacl, Warm Springs
Public Utilities Branch Manager,
included this project in his 2002
budget.
Warm Springs Construction was
contracted to do the work, which is
near completion.
"What was thought to be a one
month project turned out to be six
weeks," said Alvis Smith Jr., of
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Adrian Smith works on the east wall of the Administration Building.
Warm Springs Construction. There were also a lot of missed nails
"The work done thirteen years ago not driven in completely.
was done shabbily," Smith said. The rain throughout the years has
The nails were driven clear through soaked through the wood causing it to
some boards and were not holding, rot, so boards had to be replaced.
' What was thought to he
a one-month project turned
out to he six weeks."
Alvls Smith Jr.
The intention was to put two
coats of paint on the building, but
to assist in the preservation the con
struction crew will be applying three
coats.
Their projected completion date
is October 4. The administration
building is the work place of many
tribal employees.
The building houses most tribal
governmental departments.
Offices in the administration
building include Personnel, Com
pensation and Benefits, Finance,
Payroll, AccountsPayablc, Purchas
ing, Vtal Statistics, Office of Infor
mation Systems, Credit, Realty,
Governmental Affairs, Manage
ment, Tribal Council chambers,
Mail and Reception, and the office
of the BIA superintendant.
Spilyay tytoo.