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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2010)
SCñ i -4 m Spi lygy Tvmoc December 1, 2010 , 'oyote News est. 1976 Vol. 35, No. 23 Acquisition Dept./Serials Knight Library 1299 University of Oregon Eugene OR 97403-1205 U.S. Postage PRSRTSTD Warm Springs, OR 97761 December - Nch’i-An - Big Sun, or Winter Solstice 50 cents Tribal Council approves reduced budget M em bers By Dave McMechan Spilyay Tymoo The proposed tribal budget for 2011 is now posted, following Tribal Council action on the matter last week. The posted budget calls for a 2.5 percent cut from the current year budget. T he re d u ctio n , to ta lin g about $500,000, is smaller than other options that Tribal Council considered, as Sec retary-treasurer Jody Calica and the Finance staff presented three possible budgets for 2011. One of the alternatives called for an 18 percent budget reduction, which would have required a reduction in personnel. Requiring all employees to take an unpaid day off each pay period was a suggested way to meet this reduction, which Calica did not recommend. “This seems too extreme,” he said. A second alternative called for an 8 percent reduction from the current year budget. However, finding signifi cant savings in the current year, to carry over to 2011, would reduce the 8 per cent cut to 2.5 percent. Council chose the 2.5-percent reduc tion; and department managers are plan ning to meet later this month to figure out where to make the necessary cuts. The budget process this fall was one of the more difficult in recent years, mainly because of an unexpected short fall in revenue from Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises, which provides the largest annual dividend to the tribes. For the 2011 tribal budget, the divi dend from Power and Water is projected to be $2 million, much lower than in other years. The 2011 budget includes $8 mil lion for the Business Investment Re volving Fund (BIRF). This fund is for economic development loans, includ ing loans to tribal members wishing to start a new business. The plan and the hope is that this investment fund will create jobs, and eventually provide new sources of tribal revenue. In related action last week, Council approved funding for the 2011 monthly per capita payments, while also directing the secretary-treasurer to research the possibility in the future of increasing the amount of the per capita. Council also ap proved the special per capita, in creasing the amount by 50 percent. These difficult economic times jus tified the increase, the Council members agreed. The Council action last week in cluded appropriation of $700,000 for post secondary education and vocational education scholarships. This money comes from a self-sus taining fund. Please see BUDGET on page 9 Duran Bobb/Spilyay Museum at Warm Springs gift shop worker Farrellyn Bellanger (right) helps Lucinda Torres with some Christmas shopping at the gift shop. The museum over the weekend hosted a holiday market with about 15 vendors, giving locals and visitors traveling through the area an opportunity to purchase unique items from local artists. CPS seeking winter items fo r youth Child Protective Service employees are preparing for winter but need items to make things comfortable for tribal youth under their care— and immedi ately after youths move in to foster homes. There is a need for socks, mittens, hats and scarves as well as long-sleeved shirts and pull-on sweaters in all sizes. Also needed are teen-appropriate per sonal items, such as soap, deodorant and hair-care products. With the holidays fast approaching, several children are expected to be stay ing with CPS during Christmas. Dona tions of new toys for children ages 5 months to 13 years old would allow the children to know others care about them. Donations of money also are wel come, but must go through a specific tribal delivery procedure. Call CPS at 541-553-3209 for details about how you can help these tribal youths. Parade, Tree Lighting on Thursday By Terri Harber Spilyay Tymoo This year’s Tree Lighting and Car Lights Parade on the reservation will be held Thursday, Dec. 2. The line up starts at 6 p.m. and the parade from Warm Springs Elementary School to the Community Center be gins at 7 p.m. Tribal members and employees are welcome to participate in the parade. Interdepartmental competitions for top prizes are encouraged and often part of the tradition. Contact Carol Sahme at 541-553- 3243 for parade entry details. Parade watchers are welcome to come inside the Community Center for a light and healthy meal, and to enjoy more holiday amusements at an event billed as “Warm Springs Christmas Fam ily Fun.” Things to do at the Community Cen ter will include cupcake decorating, sing ing and holiday coloring. Expect to see such special guests as Smokey Bear, Katie Kangaroo, Sparky the Dog, McGruff the Crime Dog and, of course, Santa Claus. Each tribal department has been asked to donate a basket for giving away to parade entrants. Any leftover baskets will be given away later in the evening to select and lucky attendees. The Community Center activities are being organized by a committee of tribal members and employees as a way to provide and promote wholesome fun for families on the reservation. The goal is “to create an event that would encourage more family atten dance and offer activities that both children and adults would enjoy,” said Caroline Cruz, manager of tribal hu man resources and chair of the event organizing committee, the Prevention Coalition. Encouraging families to have fun The event will end around 9p.m. because Thursday is a school night... also is thought to discourage such problems as gang involvement and substance abuse, she said. Donations and volunteers still are being sought. Call 541-554-3205 for details and to find out how to de liver baskets. The event will end around 9 p.m. because Thursday is a school night, organizers emphasized. Daytime event The Community Center parking lot will be the site for a Best Rez Car competition from noon - 2 p.m. Top winners will receive small cash prizes. The car must be in running condition. This event also is hosted by the Prevention Coalition. com m ent on 2 0 1 1 budget By Duran Bobb Spilyay Tymoo With blizzard conditions outside, tribal members from all districts gath ered at the Simnasho Longhouse last week to present their ideas and con cerns to tribal council. As Chief Delvis Heath opened the meeting, a survey was handed out ask ing four questions: Do you support the 2011 budget as posted? If no, what type of changes would you like to see in governmental services? What projects do you think are criti cal to support our success in economic development? W hat p ro jects are p ro v id in g a needed service to our community? “Funds are running short now,” Chief Heath said during his opening. “It wasn’t like that in the 1950s. People went out and gathered their food... fish, deer, berries, roots. It was there when they needed it. I was quite a fish erman myself. Today, I really don’t have any more authority to decide for our people. That’s why we come to gether to talk about it. We’re here to listen to what you have to say about the budget.” Marcia Macy spoke on behalf of an online community to which she be longs. The group, formed on Facebook, calls themselves “Brainstorming on the FB Rez.” It is composed of tribal mem bers, those married-into-the tribe, res ervation residents, and friends. “We started out on November 1,” Marcia said, “and we now have over 300 members in our group. Together, w e’ve come up with a list of 21 ques tions regarding the budget. We also have compiled a list of 113 business ideas.” Hardcopies of the complete set of questions and ideas were presented to Tribal Council for consideration. The group suggested, among other things, that tribal members be provided with advance printed materials when bud get meetings are scheduled. The group also asked who would be on the Business Investment Revolving Fund (BIRF) Committee, whether or not they are tribal members, their quali fications, and where monies were com ing from to fund proposed businesses. M acy closed by giving examples from the list of business ideas, includ ing bison processing, farming, a truck stop, and a military insignia manufac turing supply center. “Do I support the budget?” Mona Cochran, the next speaker, asked. “No, I don’t. It’s too high for some who don’t do their jobs. There are changes that we’d like to see. Again, I’m going to stress that we need a tribal college on the reservation, an accredited insti tution that would create jobs and en hance our tribal education. Take that to heart, wake up and listen, we live in poverty.” “I hope you guys know what you’re doing,” Milton Sahme said. “I worry for you, and I want to let you know that I pray for you.” “There are different budget sce narios that we’ve been looking at,” Jody Calica, tribal secretary-treasurer said. See BUDGET CONCERNS on 2