Spilyay Tymc
January 3, 2008
Coyote News, est. 1976
P.O. Box 870
WarmSnrin—
^7761
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Warm Springs, OR 97761
Vol. 33, No. 1
50 cents
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Developments
encouraging for
casino application
Fish passage at Round Butte
B y L eslie M itts
S p ilyay T ym oo
New developments indicate that In
terior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne will
agree to move the Warm Springs tribes’
application for a resort hotel and ca
sino to the next step after increasing
pressures and public criticism.
This will allow Oregonians to make
public comments on the D raft Envi
ronmental Impact statement (DEIS),
which evaluates the environmental ef
fects o f a resort hotel and gaming fa
cility in the city o f Cascade Locks.
Warm Springs has received support
from officials o f the City o f Cascade
Locks, the Port of Cascade Locks and
Hood River County, who last week made
appeals to Kempthorne’s assistant secre
tary, asking for immediate action.
In addition, Gov. Kulongoski’s legal
advisor has spoken with Kempthorne’s
legal advisor to demand the secretary
follow the laws.
The Friends o f the Gorge, a con
servationist group, recendy filed legal
action against the Secretary o f Interior.
The group opposes development in
the Gorge, but filed action acknowledg
ing that K empthorne is required by
federal law to move the DEIS to the
public comment phase.
Recent news articles have painted
the Bridge o f the Gods casino in a
negative light and suggested that devel
opment is unlikely.
Tribal officials, however, say that is
not the case.
See CASINO on 6
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Construction team works on a part of the tower project at the dam.
B y D ave M cM echan
S p ilyay T ym oo
The Confederated Tribes’ Warm
Springs Power and W ater E nter
prises, and Portland General Elec
tric are constructing a large tower at
Round Butte dam that will address
the migrating fish passage problem
at the dam. The 273-foot tall selec
tive water withdrawal tower is sched
uled to be completed in 2009.
T he problem at Round Butte,
constructed in 1964, is the lack of
sufficient current in Lake Billy Chi
nook, the reservoir behind the dam.
Juvenile salmon and steelhead that
try to migrate downstream are un
able to find their w äy through the
lake because o f the w eak dow n
stream flow on the lake surface.
Warm Springs Power and Water
Enterprises and PGE are co-man
agers o f the dam, and as part o f the
federal re-licensing of the facility, the
parties have agreed to address the long
standing fish-passage issue.
Through the re-licensing agreement,
Power and Water Enterprises and PGE
agreed to fund the construction o f the
$90 million tower. The hope is that this
substantial investment will reopen 226
up streanymiles. to, salmon, and steelhead
migration.
The project will help the return of
spring Chinook and sockeye salmon to
the Metolius River and steelhead to the
Crooked River to Bowman Dam, and
the Deschutes River to Big Falls near
Redmond.
According to plan, in the spring of
2009 the new water withdrawal tower
will begin collecting migrating fish. They
will be collected by a screen on the sur
face, piped to a fish handling facility,
and then transported downstream of
the project where they’ll swim to the
ocean. The Water from the tower will
separately pass through turbines at
the base of the dam to generate elec
tricity.
In the long term, biologists pre
dict that at least 96 percent o f the
juvenile fish collected at the water
withdrawal tower will be safely trans
ported downstream of the project.
|||.ALo...the mwe^ dra w o L ^ y p a ^
watef off the surface o f Lake Billy
C hinook w ill keep the reservoir
cooler in the summer, creating a
healthier environment for fish.
The tower also has an intake near
its bottom, so it can draw cold w a
ter during summer and fall to mix
with warmer surface water. This will
maintain appropriate downstream
temperatures in the lower Deschutes
River. The modified reservoir envi
ronm ent should provide an even
better habitat for bull trout, kokanee
and the rearing of juvenile sockeye
salmon.
Kibak Tile features
Lillian Pitt collection
Kibak Tile, a Warm Springs Ventures
subsidiary, is currently selling tiles de
signed,- by Warm Springs artist Lillian
Pitt.
The collection is the result o f a
project that began in 2006 when Susan
Kibak-Redfield, the president o f Kibak
Tile, worked w ith Pitt to create the
collection of tiles.
The Lillian Pitt collection includes the
mask collection: 8 inch square tiles in
cluding “She Who Watches,” “Coyote,”
“Spiderwoman,” and “Featherwoman.
The collection also includes tiles created
in the summer of 2007, the stick people-
collection, featuring six designs.
The stick people collection includes
the “Ancient Couple,” “Fish Woman,”
“Shadow Spirit,” “Wind Spirit,” “Moon
Mother,” and “The Dreamer.”
Tribal member Alberta Comedown, a
Kibak employee, chose the colors for the
most recent mask collection and also does
most of the painting for this collection.
A cco rd in g to San d ra D an zuka,
Warm Springs Ventures Administrative
Officer, “They’re amazing; the pictures
don’t do them justice,”
Kibak tile is sold in high-end show
rooms across the U.S,
“Lillian Pitt produces beautiful art
work,” Danzuka said. “Through their
collaboration they have produced a high
quality, unique tile and our goal is to
find an outlet.”
See TILES on 6
Taco Express open for business in Warm Springs
B y L eslie M itts
S p ilya y T ym oo
Hungry community members have
another option with the addition of a
new local business.
Taco E xpress is owned by Eloy
Pacheco and tribal member Elbrosia
Eguizabal.
The vending truck is located in the
parking lot for White Horse Adven
tures on H ighway 26. Pacheco and
Eguizabal have owned the business for
four months.
Owning the business is a step for
ward for the Eguizabal and Pacheco.
“We started selling tamales out of
thè back o f our car and then we got
this,” Eguizabal said. “Some people
know us from selling tamales.”
Pacheco’s brother used to own Taco
Express, but sold the business to them
after deciding to open a restaurant in
Culver.
Eguizabal had wanted to open some
type o f business, Pacheco said, and
when they learned about the opportu
nity to buy Taco Express is seemed like
the ideal option.
W hile Taco Express used to be lo
cated in Madras, Eguizabal said, they
made the move to W arm Springs after
buying the business-—and that’s made
Leslie Mitts/Spilyay
Taco Express owners Elbrosia Eguizabal and Eloy Pacheco.
it m ore conven ien t for the W arm
Springs customers.
“His brother did have a lot o f cus-
tomers from Warm Springs,” Eguizabal
said.
Pacheco cooks very similar to his
brother, she said, and is no stranger to
the kitchen.
P rio r to b u y in g TaCo E x p ress
Pacheco worked as a cook in restau
rants like the Apple Peddler in Madras.
“I have quite a bit o f cooking expe
rience,” Pacheco said.
T he Taco Express menu currently
offers a v ariety o f tacos, burrito s,
tortas, quesadillas, zarapas, chicanas,
fajitas, drinks and sides.
M any dishes are available, w ith a
choice between chicken, steak or pork
and can be ordered in either a small or
a large.
Prior customers shouldn’t worry—
Pacheco is using the same family reci
pes that his brother used; so the dishes
are very similar.
However, he added; they aren’t sell
ing everything his brother used to sell
and do plan to change the menu around
depending on customer requests and
their level of business.
“If we get more than two requests
then we change it,” Eguizabal said. “As
business picks up then w e’ll be able to
get a better menu.”
That could possibly include a visu
ally improved menu, as Eguizabal said
they hope to offer a m enu that fea
tures pictures of the dishes they serve.
Taco Express is open from 10 a.m.
until 7 p.m. In the future, Eguizabal
said, they, m ay even stay open later if
business increases. :
Currently the business is open about
six days a week, and they are working
to establish which days and hours are
the busiest in order to stay open for
the ideal amount o f time to serve cus
tomers.
Phone in orders are welcome, and
customers can call (541) 460-3343 or
(541) 460-3340.
Eguizabal also said there is a possi
bility that they- m ay offer deliveries in
the future, but for now they are w ait
ing to see how business increases.
B ut for right now, Eguizabal said,
that would put too much of a strain
on the person left taking orders.
“Since thete is only two of. us we
get really busy,” she explained.
Another potential change could in
volve the name o f the business.
Because Taco . Express is the name
that came with the business when they
purchased it, Eguizabal said they’ve
talk e d ab o u t th e id e a o f a n am e
change— but not until the business is
well established, she said.
A nd establishing the business is-
something Eguizabal and Pacheco hope
to be able to do, as they said they would
continue with their business “as long
as possible.”