Branch Matthew
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205
Tym oo
Coyote News, est. 1976
September
5,
2012
Voi. 37, No. 18
P.0. Box 870
'arm Springs, OR 97761
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Postal Patron
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Warm Springs, OR 97761
S eptem ber- Wanaq’i - Summer- Shatm
5 0 c e n ts
Wenaha Group to manage school projects
T h e C o n fed erated T rib es o f
W arm Springs and the Jefferson
County School District 509-J Board
o f Directors have hired the Wenaha
G roup as construction project man
ager for the upcom ing district im
provem ents and development.
T he projects include the Warm
Springs k-8 school, a perform ing
arts center in Madras, sports facili
ties im p ro v e m e n ts at th e high
school, and other projects.
T he Wenaha G roup is based in
Pendleton, and is a certified Indian
ow ned business. Rob Q ueam pts,
m em ber o f the Confederated Tribes
o f th e U m atilla, is th e m ajority
owner.
Q u e a m p ts a n d D a v e F ish e l
form ed th e W enaha G ro u p after
overseeing the successful comple
tion o f the Nixyaawii G overnance
Center. T he center is the 100,000-
square-foot governm ent and admin
istration building o f the Umatilla
tribes.
T he Wenaha G roup has exten
sive construction project manage
m ent experience, including w ork on
a num ber o f school projects.
S ig n ific a n t p ro je c ts
th a t
Q ueam pts has w orked on include
the governance center, W ildhorse
C asino and H o tel, th e B enew ah
M ed ical C e n te r, Y ello w h aw k
Wellness Center, and the Coyote
Business Park, am ong others.
Significant projects that Fishel
has w orked o n include th e A.C.
D avis H ig h School, H e rm isto n
S ch o o l D istric t b o n d p ro g ram ,
T o p p en ish E lem entary, T ouchet
School M odern izatio n and Blue
Mountain Community College bond
measure projects.
T he Wenaha G roup this m onth
will assist the C onfederated Tribes
and the school district in choosing
an architect for the W arm Springs
school. T he architect should be on
board by the en d o f this m onth or
early O ctober, said Rick M olitor,
district superintendent.
The group will then oversee con
struction. T h e co n tract w ith the
group will last about 28 m onths.
T he W arm Springs school is sched
uled to open by the fall term o f the
.2014 school year.
T he decision to hire the Wenaha
Start o f
New Season
Dave McMechàn/Spilyay
Tribal celebration at Mt. Hood Skibowl
By Dave M cM echan
Spilyay Tymoo
T h e C o n fe d e ra te d T ribes o f
W arm Springs are guaranteed by
Treaty the right to use the lands at
G overnm ent Camp and Mt. H ood
Skibowl, as part o f the Ceded Lands.
O n S e p te m b e r 29 th e trib a l
horse riders and guests will ride
into the w estern base area o f Mt.
H o o d Skibowl, completing their
three day ride from the northwest
area o f the reservation to G ov
ernm ent Camp.
T here will be a dedication o f
the heritage center, followed by a
salmon bake. T he event will last
all day w ith d ru m s, pow w ow
dancing, a tribal village with m em
b e r s ’ v e n d o r b o o th s
of
beadw ork, basketry arid o th er
Native wares.
Events are free and open to
tribal members. The tribes partici
pate in a num ber o f events at the
M t. H o o d Ski area during the
year, from free ski days to huck
leberry picking. For m ore infor
m ation see: skibowl.com
Road work starting soon at Hollywood-Tenino
T h e W arm Springs C o n stru c
tion E nterprise will begin w ork on
the Hollywood-Tenino intersection
repaving project w ithin the next
few weeks.
“We are currendy waiting for re
view and approval o f project de
sign changes by the BIA in P ort
land,” said Leshe Cochran-Davis, o f
W arm Springs Construction.
The project wiU involve the re
co n stru c tio n an d p aving o f th e
Hollywood-Tenino intersection.
T he section o f road from Shitike
Creek Bridge to the four-way inter
section will be rem oved and recon
structed w ith new road base and
asphalt.
T h e sec tio n of ro ad o n E ast
Tenino-Tenino from ElEot Heights
to the administration building-West
Hills intersection will receive a 2-
inch asphalt overlay.
T he 2-inch overlay will also be
I
■
appEed from K ot-num road to
the HoEywood-Tenino intersec
tion. Sidewalks an d concrete
curbs wiE be repaired or replaced
in v a rio u s s e c tio n s o f th e
project. T he project has an esti
m ated cost o f $594,000.
See INTERSECTION on page 5
1
Tribal Council this week is m eet
ing w ith enterprise and departm ent
managers and directors, the secre
tary-treasurer and chief operations
officer in regard to the 2013 bud
get.
T he Council agenda indicates a
possible proposed budget adoption
on Thursday o f this week, though
the agenda is subject to change at
Council discretion.
This is the m ost challenging fi
nancial time for the tribes in recent
memory.
Unfortunately, 2014 looks to be
as bad, or w orser-said Jody Calica,
secretary-treasurer. “This is the start
ofi several years o f challenging
times,” Calica said.
A num ber o f factors have con
tributed to the current budget short
age. W arm Springs Power and Wa
ter Enterprises, for instance, is able
to provide no revenue for 2013 to
the tribal general fund.
T im ber revenue, once a primary
main source o f funding, is no longer
a significant factor for the general
fund.
Pow er and W ater revenue has
been depressed because o f m arket
factors in the c u rre n t economy.
T he enterprise also has capital ex
penditure obligations, mainly for the
fish passage project at Pelton-Round
Butte.
A n earlier hope had been that
Indian H ead Casino w ould provide
a $4 m illion dividend fo r 2013.
Unfortunately, this has been reduced
to $2 million. Start-up costs for the
casino were m ore challenging than
anticipated. T he highway access
w ork was another factor for the ca
sino dividend.
School BBQ
this Thursday
T he Back To School Barbecue
is this Thursday, Septem ber 6 at the
W arm Springs E lem entary track
area.
T he barbecue and school supply
giveaway will be from 4-7 p.m.
GO FOR A SPIN GIVEAWAY!
Play to win a 2012 Chevy Spark
L
See page 12 for other exciting offers.
L_
— Dave McMechan
2013 budget
work at
Council
The White Buffalos won their
first game of the season, 36-
14 against Staten. They play
this Friday at home against
Redmond. The following
Friday is also a home game
for the White Buffalos,
against Sisters.
The team’s offensive line
this year is mostly tribal
members. In the picture a re *
(from left) Neal Morning Owl,
Devon Thompson, Joe
Hisatake (running back),
Rodney Mitchell, Wyatt
Rodin, Vernon Japkson-
Smith, Merlin Tom, Dylan
Miller, and Triston Smith.
T ribal m em bers this m o n th will
celebrate tribal heritage at the Mt.
H ood Skibowl area.
M embers are planning a three-
day horse ride following the trail
from the reservation to the G ov
ernm ent Camp area.
This event will also include the
grand opening o f the Mt. H o o d
Tribal Heritage Center. T he grand
opening is set for Saturday, Sept. 29.
The Skibowl operators have been
working w ith the tribal Culture and
Heritage D epartm ent on displays at
the heritage center.
T he center is a form er lodge at
the Skibowl area that has been con
verted to the heritage center.
G roup came by recom mendation o f
the tribal-district school projects
committee.
“We felt they w ould be the ones
to get the job done to the tribes’
and district’s expectations,” said
Molitor.
C o n stru ctio n p f thè new $20
m illion W arm Springs school is
scheduled to begin in the Spring
o f 2013. T he 80,000-square-foot
building will bè located on a 20-
acre p arcel at E a s t T en in o and
Chukar.
Indian H ea|J
C A S IN O
Highway 26, Warm Springs