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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