Spi [yay Tyro
May 29/2013
Coyote News, est. 1976
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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Warm Springs, OR 97761
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Funding approved for school work Council
T he C onfederated Tribes re
ceived w ord that the U.S. D epart
m ent o f Agriculture has approved
a $6.8 million loan guarantee. This
allows the tribes to seek construc
tio n financingj from one o f the
banks that has shown interest in
w orking w ith the tribes o n th e
.school project.
The Warm Springs k-8 school will
cost an estimated $20 million. The
tribes are contributing $3.4 million
from tribal revenue, plus the $6.8
million USDA loan-guarantee fund
ing.
Jefferson County School District
509-J is contributing $10 million
through a bond levy that district
v o ters ap p ro v ed last year. T h e
school district voters also approved
additional funding for a new foot
ball stadium, perform ing arts cen
ter, and other district-wide improve
ments.
T ribal m em bers last year ap
proved a référendum allowing the
tribes to contribute $10 million.
T h e re w as a delay o f a few
months in receiving final word from
the USDA regarding the loan guar
antee. This had the potential o f
c o m p lic a tin g th e c o n s tru c tio n
schedule, but the plan can now go
forward as intended, w ith thé con-
iR 'O 'W ít’W lA •■•7» '
y New Warm Springs
A
K-8 School
KIRBY
S ra ffi
WlNAGElHOUT i
Yvonne Iverson/Spilyay
The building site is at East Tenino and Chukar, at Greeley Heights.
struction. start-date on June 24.
The initial work will involve lev
elling th e ground and other pre
construction activity.
The new school, on East Tenino
and Chukar, is scheduled to open
for the fall term 2014.
Anyone interested in employ
ment opportunities during the con
struction phase should calljob Cre
ation and D evelopm ent at 541-
553-3324.
‘P ersonalized m astery’
T h e d is tric t b o a rd in M ay
agreed to m ove forward w ith a
new teaching and learning ap
proach called “personalized mas
tery.”
The approach has proven to be
a highly successful in other school
districts, said Laurie Danzuka, o f
the 509 J school district board.
■Personalized Mastery refers to
a s tu d e n t-c e n te re d ed u c a tio n
m odel th a t em phasizes in d i
vidual, rather than group, learn
ing. This allows each student to
proceed at his or her own pace,
Danzuka said.
The district board for thé past
several m onths have been study
ing the personalized mastery ap
proach. They visited schools in
districts that have im plemented
the system.
The board then discussed the
subject with parents and staff in
a special work session in May,
and decided to move forward.
P e rs o n a liz e d m a stery in
volves dividing major subjects
like re a d in g a n d m a th in to
smaller units that students have
to m aster before moving on to
the next level. The idea is that
students w ho have trouble will
receive m ore one-on-one in
struction, while those who excel
right away can advance to thé
next challenge.
“This is a student-centered
learning system that is very dif
fe re n t fro m o u r tra d itio n a l
teacher-driven instruction meth
ods,” said dist rict superintendent
Rick Molitor. (M o re school news
page 8 .)
— Dave McMechan
Financial matters the focus at Council
Tribal Council last week called
for a General Council meeting, so
the membership can be updated on
the tribal enterprises.
This came near the start o f a
four-Day Council work session last
week bn the state o f the tribes.
Councilman Carlos Smith made
a m otion that the Cascade Locks
casino negotiating team give an up
date to the community at a General
Council m eeting.
This m otion was seconded by
Councilman Scott Moses. Coun
cilm an S m ith said th a t m o s t
people in the community are no
longer in favor o f spending m ore
m oney on Cascade Locks. T h e
tribes have spent millions on the
proposal and are still spending
money each m o n th on Cascade
Locks, he said.
Others Councilmembers felt the
General Council meeting should in
clude an update from all o f the tribal
enterprises, and not focus just on
the Cascade Locks matter.
C o u n cil C h a irm a n A u stin
G re e n e said th e m e m b ersh ip
should hear from each o f the en
terprises as to why there has been
such a d ro p in revenue. “T h e
people rely on the enterprises, and
they should know why they are
struggling,” he said.
Councilmen Smith and Scott
said the Cascade Locks topic
w ould take up a whole evening
o f discussion; so a better idea
w ould be to address Cascade
Locks by itself, and then meet
at another G eneral Council for
discussion o f other enterprises.
See COUNCIL on .page 12
Social Dance
Reunion
The N ’Chi Wanapum Canoe
Family hosted the Social Dance
Reunion last Friday at the Com
munity Center Social Hall (photo
atright). I
D ances w ere th o se fro m
tim e im m em o rial co m p le-.
m ented by cultural dances o f
today.
The Canoe Family meanwhile
is preparing for the Paddle to
Quinault 2013. The family will
be on the journey from July 17-
August7.
This will be the third time the
N ’Chi Wanapum Family partici
pates in the Native Canoe Jo u r
ney.
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V. f
weighs
election
options
T h e re fe re n d u m on th e
m otorsports idea fell 63 votes short
o f a valid election, failing to meet
one-third voter participation. O f
those w ho did vote, 526 were in fa
vor and 468 were against.
There were 800 ballots cast lo
cally, and 156 from absentee voters.
The process that was used in regard
to the absentee ballots was a m atter
for discussion last week at Tribal
Council.
The election also may lead to a
broader discussion o f Tribal O rdi
nance 44, governing elections, and
w hether this ordinance may need to
be updated. Council Chairman Aus
tin G reene said Ordinance 44 dis
cussion should be added to the
Council June agenda. .
W itness requirem ent
With the motorsports referendum
the tribes for the first time used an
outside company to help with the
election. The tribes contracted with
A utom ated Election Service, based
in Albuquerque, to assist with the
referendum.
A u to m a te d E le c tio n Service
printed the referendum ballots by
•following O rdinance 44, a copy of
which had been provided to them
by the tribes.
The ordinance says that an ab
sentee ballot must include signatures
by two witnesses. This provision has
n o t been enforced in any election in
recent memory. The provision ap
parently dates back to w hen very
few tribal m em bers lived o ff the
reservation.
A utom ated Election Service was
not aware that the two-witness p ro
vision in Ordinance 44 has n ot been
a requirement for some time. So the
m otorsports absentee ballots w ent
out requiring the two witnesses.
This was clearly n o t fair to the
absentees, as there had been no wit
ness requirem ent in any other elec
tion, said Councilman Carlos Smith.
This may have discouraged some
voters from participating in the elec
tion, he said. A nd as the referendum
fell just 68 votes short, the question
is whether there should be a re-vote.
C o u n cilm an O rv ie D a n z u k a
asked Election C om m ittee Chair
w om an Beulah T sum pti how the
num ber o f returned absentee bal
lots in this election com pared with
other elections.
There were 156 absentee votes
in this election, while other elections
m ight see 200 o r above, she said.
Tribal Council elections generally see
a higher return than other elections,
she added.
Yvonne Iverson/Spilyay
See VOTING on page 12
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See page 12 for détails,,