Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
October 15, 2014
Vol. 39, No. 21
October – Anwicht’ash – Fall - Tiyam
2015 budget proposal sees revenue increase
Fund transfers
would help senior
pension, reserve
Tribal Council last week
posted a proposed tribal budget
for 2015. The district meetings
on the proposal are coming up
next week.
The posted budget projects an
increase in revenue from the
current year. This is a welcome
change from recent years of
budget reductions.
For the 2015 budget, Tribal
Council is proposing to transfer
$450,000 to the senior pension
fund, and $450,000 to the rev-
enue reserve fund.
The 2015 proposal is posted
around the community: at adminis-
tration, Warm Springs Market, the
Post Office, the clinic, the Agency
and Simnasho longhouses, the
Seekseequa Fire Hall, and the Three
Warriors Market.
The increase in projected rev-
enue is due in part to Warm Springs
Power and Water Enterprises.
Power and Water for the current
year was able to provide a $1 mil-
lion dividend, while the projection
for 2015 is $4.5 million.
Power and Water is seeing added
value to power sales through “ramp-
ing,” said Jim Manion, director of
the enterprise.
Ramping is the ability to sell
power at a specific time, by draw-
ing down the reservoir at certain
times, like at peak-usage times.
This flexibility is possible with
hydro-power, but not with other
kinds of power, such as wind,
Manion said. And this adds value
to the hydro power, he said.
Indian Head Casino is project-
ing a dividend of $1.5 million. Last
year the casino could not provide a
dividend, as the enterprise was pay-
ing off construction loans.
For the 2015 proposal, timber
revenue is projected at $2,565,000,
and increase from the $1.8 million
this year.
Investment income is projected
at more than $540,000, up from
$80,000 for the current year.
Composite Products is
holding steady with a projected
dividend of $750,000.
Overall, the proposed 2015
budget is about $16.48 million,
compared to this year’s $13.1
million.
The district meetings on the
proposal are scheduled for
Monday, Oct. 20 at Simnasho;
Tuesday, Oct. 21 at Agency;
and Wednesday, Oct. 22 at
Seekseequa.
The date for the General
Council meeting has not yet
been set. Council will not fi-
nalize the 2015 budget until
after the meetings with the
membership.
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
50 cents
Member art
show opening
at museum
The Twenty-First Annual Tribal
Member Art Show will open this
week at the Museum at Warm
Springs.
The opening reception for the
exhibit, Creative Natives, is this
Thursday evening, Oct. 16 at 5:30.
Winner this year of the Judges
Choice Award in the Traditional cat-
egory is Barbara Starr for her
beaded tapstry, “Wolf.” Winner of
the Judges Choice Award Contem-
porary is Owen Wallulatum for his
graphite
drawing,
“Chief
Wallulatum.”
Honorable Mentions go to
Marge Kalama, Terry Stradley and
Charles Littleleaf.
WSFPI plan
at Council
The Tribal Council met last week
with the new board of War m
Springs Forest Products Industries.
The WSFPI team presented a
preliminary plan of operation that
could allow the mill to be profitable.
A key part of this will be the in-
stallation of a small log component,
estimated cost of $1.7 million.
A viable future for the mill would
also include the acquisition of off-
reservation logs, as the allowable cut
on the reservation can no longer
sustain the operation.
WSFPI this year made off-res-
ervation log acquisitions, but would
likely have to increase these acqui-
sitions in coming years.
WSFPI is scheduled to meet again
with Council on Oct. 21.
Fall Fun Trip
Warm Springs Recreation last week hosted a trip to Liepold Farms
at Boring. The kids liked the corn maze (above), and had many
pumpkins, and activities to choose from (right).
S ome great community events are
coming up this Halloween season in
Warm Springs.
The Great Pumpkin Party is on
Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Commu-
nity Center social hall. Carving be-
gins at 5:30 p.m., judging starts at
7:15. The Great Pumpkin Party is
hosted by Warm Springs Recreation.
Bring carving tools and a pump-
kin. Categories include: most origi-
nal, spookiest, best Jack and Sally,
silliest pumpkin, and best Indian
pumpkin. There will be NDN
burgers, mummy dogs, homemade
chili and fry bread.
Land buy-
back outreach
See HALLOWEEN on page 6
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
1-mile radius issue at k-8 Academy
There is no school bus ser-
vice within the one-mile radius
around the Warm Springs k-8
Academy.
It is a 509-J district-wide
policy, based on the state stan-
dard, that school buses serve
the students living outside of
the one-mile radius.
This has led to concern by
parents in the Greeley Heights
area who live within the one-
mile radius of the k-8 academy.
There are about 60 students
who live within that area and
attend the academy, said Laurie
Danzuka, school district board
member.
Some of the students are
kindergartners or first-graders,
walking without an older sibling.
There are no sidewalks, and no dog
control. These are serious safety is-
sues, Danzuka said.
The situation is not good, and
there is no easy solution.
An ideal approach would be to
have a bus pick up the kids and
bring them to school, said Rick
Molitor, district superintendent.
But this would present a budget-
ing issue, as the service would not
be compensated by the state.
And if the district were to pro-
vide bussing at the academy within
the one-mile radius, then fairness
would mean this standard would
apply to all the schools in the dis-
trict.
School district and tribal officials
are meeting to work out a solution.
Superintendent Molitor met with
the tribal Education Committee and
management on Tuesday afternoon
of this week (after print time for
this paper).
Besides bussing, there are other
options that would make for a bet-
ter walk to school.
Construction of sidewalks would
be great, but again the funding ques-
tion comes up.
The roadways could be kept clear
of brush, and maybe closed to au-
tomobile traffic during the times
when students are walking to and
from school.
There could be community help,
such as adults who would serve as
crossing guards. The dogs could be
kept inside or tied up.
There is talk of installing a gate
on the west side of the fence of
the academy, but this opens on
to private property.
Together the tribes and school
district will work to come up with
the best solutions, Danzuka said.
Another student safety issue
regarding the k-8 Academy is
along East Tenino Road.
Earlier this year the tribes in-
stalled the new sidewalk from the
school down to the intersection
at Hollywood Boulevard.
It would a good idea to in-
stall a fence along the sidewalk
to keep kids safe from the
traffic, said Travis Wells, tribal
engineer.
The speed limit on East
Tenino from the school down to
the intersection is 25 mph.
Dave McMechan
Some Warm Springs tribal mem-
bers, or non-member residents of
the Warm Springs Reservation, own
interest in land on the Umatilla Res-
ervation.
Highly fractioned ownership of
these allotments is an obstacle to-
ward reasonable use of the prop-
erty.
To remedy this situation, the
Umatilla tribes are pursuing a land
buy-back program. This will assist
in developing “a stronger land base
for tribal use in farming, expansion
of wildlife or riparian areas, tribal
preservation, access to fee property,
food resources, etc.,”
The Umatilla Land Buy-Back
program will hold information
meetings in Warm Springs early next
week.
The outreach meetings are
scheduled for Monday, Oct. 20,
from 6-8 p.m. at Kah-Nee-Ta; and
Tuesday, Oct. 21 from 9 a.m.-1p.m.
at the Credit enterprise. If you have
questions, call toll free 1-855-359-
7434.
(See page 9 for a full explanation
of the program.)