Page 6
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
Unforgettable relay for Road Warriors
Y vette Leecy and her
Road Warriors team had
run in the Cascade Lakes
Relay each summer for
the past four years.
She was hoping the
team would run the 217-
mile relay again this sum-
mer. But she was facing
some serious challenges.
All eight of her previ-
ous team mates were not
able to run this year.
Some had injuries that
prevented long-distance
running. One team mate
was sick. Some could not
take off from work, or
were out of town.
And about that time
Yvette suffered a loss in
her family. Meanwhile she
had her work obligations
at Forestry. So it would
have been easy not to
make the relay this year.
But she had become
dedicated to the race, and
to the Road War riors
team. She started asking
people she knows if they
would like to join the team
this year.
Through various con-
tacts she assembled the
nine-member team, some
runners coming from
Portland, some from
Yakama, and Madras and
Warm Springs. Except for
Yvette, all of the team
members were new to the
Cascade Lakes Relay this
year.
As race time came,
Yvette was having second
thoughts. She was dealing
with the loss of a grand-
child, and was maybe not
September 3, 2014
Fall hours starting soon
at Boys and Girls Club
The Warm Springs Boys
and Girls Club is closed this
week, and will re-open on
Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Club hours will be from
after school until 5:30 p.m.
The program is for youth
5 years of age and older. The
fee is $25 for the school year
per child. Parents will need
to register their child for the
new school year.
If you have any questions,
or need more information
please call the club at 541-
553-2323.
A thank-you to summer workers
Courtesy photo.
The 2014 Road Warriors: Doug Rector, Brittany Smith and Sky Hurtado (front from
left); Crystal Buck, Melanie Widmer and Yvette Leecy (middle row from left); and
Kyle Spencer, JVon Smith and Adam Haas (back row from left).
at her best for a long relay.
But her new team mates
rallied. “We’re not quitters,”
Adam Haas said.
The Cascade Lakes Re-
lay took two days and one
night. The team had two
vans, with some of the run-
ners resting while others
were running. They ran in
the heat of the August af-
ternoon, and in the cooler
hours at night.
The Road Warriors not
only finished the relay, they
made a good showing. In
the Open Mixed division,
they finished twenty-fourth
out of 96 teams. The young-
est runner on the team, J’Von
Smith, finished fifth in his
division out of 84 runners.
More than anything,
though, the experience was
a great one because of the
team work among people
who had never run a relay
together. “I really feel like I
owe them,” Yvette said.
“Thank you for your
dedication to the Road War-
riors and the Cascade Lakes
Relay,” she says. “I enjoyed
the two days spent together,
the great attitudes and memo-
ries. Way to show faith and
endurance.”
The 2014 Road Warriors
are: Van 1: Adam Haas, Port-
land; Sky Hurtado, Warm
Springs; Melanie Widmer,
Madras; and Douglas Rector,
Portland.
Van 2: JVon Smith, Warm
Springs; Brittany Smith, Ma-
dras; Kyle Spencer, Yakama;
Crystal Buck, Yakama; and
Yvette Leecy, team captain,
Warm Springs.
The Boys and Girls Club
appreciates the summer
youth workers.
We would like to thank
Khayree Smith, Kyeowna
Miller, Julius Bagley and
Mitchell Lira for working at
the club this summer.
It was challenging at
times, but we are glad you
stuck it out with us.
We hope it was a good
learning experience for you
all. Thank you for being
there every day, and having
the patience to work with dif-
ferent aged youth with a va-
riety of personalities.
We truly appreciate your
willingness to be role models
for our community youth.
They look up to you and we
hope you’ve built lasting re-
lationships. We wish you suc-
cess this school year and be-
yond.
Thank you again for help-
ing us out at the club. We
appreciate you.
Club staff June, Mariah
and Triston
A Look Back
Dave McMechan
Courtesy photo.
Team members in the back row include Delson Suppah
Sr., Tony “Big Rat” Suppah an dJim Wyatt; and in the
front at right is James Adrian “Stinky” Smith.
Events to mark for FASD Awareness Day
Tuesday, September 9, will
be Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder Awareness Day.
Everyone is welcome to
come learn more about
FASD, the Warm Springs
FASD Coalition, and the coa-
lition mission, vision and val-
ues.
Most importantly, you are
invited to come share each
other’s company and recog-
Community Wellness exercise schedule
The Warm Springs Com-
munity Wellness Program is
hosting fitness classes in the
morning, noon and after-
noon.
The morning class on
Mondays is Senior Fitness,
from 10:45-11:45 a.m. at the
Senior building.
The morning class on
Wednesdays is Water Aero-
bics, from 9:15-10:15 at Kah-
Nee-Ta. There is also Senior
Fitness on Wednesdays from
10:45-11:45 a.m. at the Se-
nior building.
The Friday morning class
is Senior Fitness at 10:45
a.m. at the Senior building.
The Monday noon class is
Functional Fitness, at 12:10
p.m. in the Aerobics room.
There is also Pi-Yoga at 12:10
in Pod A at IHS.
Tuesday afternoon clases
are Turbo Kick, 12:10 p.m.
in the Aerobics room; and
Functional Fitness at 12:10 in
the Social Hall.
Wednesday and Friday af-
ternoon classes are the same
as Monday afternoon classes.
Thursday afternoon classes
are the same as Tuesday af-
ternoon.
The Monday afternoon
classes is Low-Impact Func-
tional Fitness at 1:30 p.m. in
the Aerobics room (begin-
ning). The Wednesday and
Friday afternoon classes are
the same as Monday after-
noon.
These classes are spon-
sored by an SDPI Commu-
nity Directed Grant Program.
Project Connect working to
serve low income individuals
Project Connect will be on
Saturday, Sept. 13, at the
Deschutes County Fair-
grounds in Redmond, from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This event gathers to-
gether social service pro-
grams and volunteers to
serve the needs of Central
Oregon’s homeless and low
income community.
Services offered include:
medical and mental health,
dental care, legal aid, birth
certificates, housing and shel-
ter information, financial
counseling, children’s ser-
vices, haircuts, addiction ser-
vices, employment services,
first aid, immunizations,
clothing, veterinary services
and two hot meals – all at no
cost.
To learn more or to vol-
unteer go to:
projectconnectco.org.
nize the strengths we have in
supporting our children and
families.
There will be youth danc-
ers, dinner, presentations,
and opportunities for learn-
ing how to support each other.
Stop by the old Warm
Springs elementary school
gym from 4-6 p.m.
Youth workout at Culture and Heritage
It’s the Rez Dog Dayz of summer for youth gear-
ing up for fall sports, or for students who are just
interested in getting some fitness in.
Meet in front of the Culture and Heritage building
and work out from 9-11 a.m.
Sessions are this Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 3
and 4.
School
(Continued from page 1)
Congressman
Greg
Walden sent the flag as a gift
to the tribes, to mark the oc-
casion of the academy open-
ing.
Chairman Greene thanked
Stan Speaks, BIA regional
director, and Dean Seyler of
IHS, for their help with
school project. The USDA
was also provided critical
help, providing the tribes with
a loan for half of the $20
million cost of construction.
Representing the USDA at
the school dedication last
week was Patrice Kunesh,
USDA deputy under secre-
tary and Lakota tribal mem-
ber. She commended the
tribes for their commitment
to the youth of the reserva-
tion, and future generations.
“This is a unique partnership
in the nation,” Kunesh said.
The academy will be a cen-
ter for the reservation com-
munity, and a place where the
students can thrive. She con-
cluded with a quote from Sit-
ting Bull: “He said, ‘Let’s put
our heads together and see
what future we can make for
our children.’”
Master of ceremonies for
the dedication was Tribal
Councilman Scott Moses. He
introduced the Quartz Creek
Drum, who played opening
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
The academy includes solar panels on the roofs.
songs. He introduced Warm
Springs Chief Delvis Heath,
who gave the opening prayer.
Laurie Danzuka and Stan
Sullivan spoke on behalf of
the Jefferson County School
District 509-J Board of Di-
rectors. They thanked the
voters who made the acad-
emy possible.
They commended the ar-
chitects, Kirby Nagelhout
Construction, and construc-
tion management group,
Wenaha. Sullivan com-
mented that slightly more
than 25-percent of the work
force that built the new
school was Native American.
The Autni Ichishkin
Sapiskwat immersion pro-
gram students gave a dance
performance, including an
eel dance that invited people
from the audience to join in
the dance. Anita Davis said
the Lord’s Prayer, with sign-
ing by Leslie Davis and
Keeyana Yellowman.
J.P. Patt, who served on
the Twenty-Fifth Tribal Coun-
cil, spoke of the challenge the
tribe faced in finding fund-
ing for the school. The idea
for the school had been
around for many years, he
said.
“Many of the students
here today were not yet born
when the work really started
on this,” he said.
It was in the spring of
2012 that the tribes and dis-
trict finally came up with the
funding solution. “So thank
you to the voters on the res-
ervation and in the school
district,” he said.
Recognition goes to Ur-
bana Ross for her part in get-
ting out the vote during the
2012 referendum, J.P. said.
For a project the size of
the Springs Academy, there
are many people who helped
at one point or another. A
partial list includes:
The voters of the tribes
and the school district; the
Tribal Councils and school
board members; secretary-
treasurer Jake Suppah;
former s-t Jody Calica,
Brandi McNamee, former
tribal treasurer controller;
school district superinten-
dent Rick Molitor; the
USDA; Brigette McConville,
artist; Foster Kalama, artist;
Travis Wells, tribal engineer;
Darryl Smith, school district
director of operations; Rob
Quaempts and Dave Fishel
of the Wenaha Group;
Bruce Bischof, school dis-
trict attorney; Douglas Goe
of ORRICK; the attorneys
of Karnopp Petersen; the
BBT Architects.
At the conclusion of the
dedication ceremony, school
principal Glenna DeSouza
and many young students cut
the ribbon, officially open-
ing the building. Students,
parents and other guests
then toured the building.