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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2014)
Spilyay Tymoo December 10, 2014 Coyote News, est. 1976 Vol. 39, No. 25 high school, she said. The school district once a year holds the Impact Aid hearing in Warm Springs. Impact Aid is money the federal government provides to school districts that have non-tax- able lands, such as the Warm Springs Reservation. Impact Aid to the 509-J district was about $2.6 million in 2011-12; and about $2.9 in 2012-13. For the 2013-14 school year the Impact Aid is currently at $1.58 million. But the district is expecting to receive more of the funding at the completion of an audit, said district superintendent Rick Molitor. When that happens, the amount for 2013-14 is expected to be com- parable to the previous years, he said. For comparison: Property taxes for the district general fund in the most recent three school years was about $3.8 million. This does not include taxes levied for construction projects, such as the Warm Springs Academy and Madras High School performing arts center. The Confederated Tribes are Student makes place on rugby team M erlin Tom is working toward his Master Automotive Techni- cian Certification at Central Or- egon Community College. When he completes the pro- gram, “I’ll probably try to get on at dealership,” Merlin was saying last week. Earlier this year, Merlin be- came a student-athlete at the col- lege, joining the COCC Bobcats rugby team. Merlin played football at Ma- dras High School. He was a line- man on both offense and defense. His decision to try rugby was a little unexpected. His mother was concerned at first, as rugby is known as a rough sport. The players wear no pads or helmet like in football. “It can get pretty rough,” Merlin says. “And there is some risk of injury, mostly cuts and bruises.” He became interested in play- ing when friend Gabe Swazo Photos courtesy of Gina Rickets and the COCC Broadside paying for half of the construc- tion cost of the $20 million Warm Springs Academy. And the tribes pay property taxes on off-reservation tribal property, such as the land at the Madras industrial park. At the Monday hearing, the school district chief financial officer provided an analysis of school district direct expendi- tures for Native American stu- dents. See IMPACT AID on 6 mentioned Merlin might be good at it. Rugby requires more all-around conditioning, where football often requires physical size, Merlin says. There are no breaks in rugby, as there be- tween downs in football. On the Bobcats, Merlin plays forward and loose head prop, mainly defensive positions. The team is part of the Pacific Northwest Small College Men’s League. During the fall they played teams such as Reed, OIT, Se- attle, Gonzaga, the University of Puget Sound and Oregon State. The Bobcats had a great sea- son, going undefeated in league play. Merlin is looking forward to playing when the next season be- gins in the spring. He grew up in Warm Springs. He moved to Madras during his senior year at Madras High School. His mom is Mabel Jack- son, and his dad Merlin Dean Tom. Since Merlin started play- ing rugby for the Bobcats, his family members have become fans of the game. Merlin at the match against OIT (top); and the team after taking the win (left). Changes coming up at health care program Some important changes are coming up in the area of healthcare coverage for tribal employees. The Confederated Tribes are a self-insuring organization, and for the past several years have used Shasta Administrative Services as the third-party administrator in bill- ing matters. This is changing, as the tribes will be using HeatlhComp Third Party Administrators for this service. The decision to change third- party administrators came after a lengthy and detailed evaluation pro- cess, said Elizabeth Asahi Sato, di- rector of tribal Human Resources. The decision was based on the best interest of the tribal employ- ees and their families, she said. HealthComp is dedicated to cus- tomer service, the guiding principal ECR WSS Postal Patron U.S. Postage PRSRT STD Warm Springs, OR 97761 50 cents December – Nch’i-An - Winter - Yiyam Parents, school board meet on Impact Aid The need for greater Native cul- tural presence at Madras High School was a suggestion at the Jefferson County School District 509-J board meeting on Monday. “Talking as a parent, the school doesn’t reflect any Native Ameri- can presence,” said Warm Springs Academy teacher Gina Bluebird Stacona, whose daughter attends the high school. “I think that contrib- utes to the dropout rate.” Some Impact Aid funding should be used to increase the Native American cultural aspects of the P.O. Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 at Human Resources, Asahi Sato said. Enrollment deadline Another important change com- ing up is the end of the rolling open enrollment policy. The Confederated Tribes have allowed employees to enroll for health coverage at any time of the year. They could also disenroll at any time. This is inefficient, and not the usual practice among tribes or or- ganizations, said Asahi Sato. For tribal employees, the last day this year to enroll for coverage will be December 17. After that, the next enrollment time will be in June. There will be two enrollment times in 2015, in June and then again later in the year. Christmas Bazaar on Saturday The Thirty-Ninth Annual Warm Springs Christmas Bazaar is set for this Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Community Center gym and social hall. Find those perfect gifts for the family, while enjoying the home- made goods. The bazaar is spon- sored by the Recreation Depart- ment. The Warm Springs Elders Holi- day Lunch will be on Thursday, Dec. 18. Warm Springs Recreation will present Christmas Indian Night Out on Monday, December 22 at the Community Center. Bring your favorite dish for a 5:30 potluck with the social dance and drummers Jam starting at 6:30. The Warm Springs Presbyterian Church is holding their Christmas bazaar this Friday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Baked Goodies, Handmade Items and Gifts. Also food beginning at 11:30. Everyone is welcome. The Community Christmas Dinner at the Warm Springs Bap- tist Church is at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13. Everyone is welcome to attend. Indian Head Casino in Decem- ber is hosting a toy drive on Mon- days. You receive a $10 bonus slot play if you bring a toy in between 9 a.m. and noon on a Monday, and $5 bo- nus if you bring donate a toy be- tween noon and midnight. The toys will be given to Children’s Protective Services. KWSO radio and the Spilyay Tymoo are sponsoring a toy drive for Warm Springs kids this holiday season. Donations are being accepted now through Friday, Dec. 19. You can bring donations to the Warm Springs Media Center. Power & Water continues renewable search With 2014 almost in the books, Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises continues to search for viable renewable energy projects. One of the difficulties for tribes across the country is utilizing the incentives that are available, said Jim Manion, general manager of Power and Water Enterprises. The current structure does not favor tribes when it comes to ad- vancing projects on their lands, he said. The federal and state tax credits are not useful to tribes: Tribes don’t pay taxes, therefore a credit adds no value to tribally built project. So the Power and Water has been working with developers who can utilize them. “Ideally, we propose to structure the lease for the developer to build, and over time transfer the project to the tribe,” Manion said. Most utilities in the region have satisfied their renewable energy re- quirements, as required by state laws. So the Power and Water is looking at the next cycle of require- ments that will bring back the in- centive. “In Oregon the governor has made it clear he wants to see 25 percent of generating supply come from renewable sources by 2025,” he said. “We think utilities will be looking for renewables to fill that need.” Power and Water has been ex- ploring the wind resource on the reservation, and found the highest potential is in the Northeast corner, up near Mutton Mountains. “The resource appears to be real close to a viable commercial scale project, Manion said, adding that there is plenty to do to get from po- tential to an actual project. “We have been working with a large developer who is very experi- enced wind developer,” he said. “They want to install a few more monitoring towers in 2015 and verify wind data.” If positive, the findings would be presented to Tribal Council, with a proposal to advance to the next step. That step would a commitment to the developer that the tribes will advance, if all things clear the re- view. There would be a community- wide review, environmental clear- ances, and cultural review. If find- ings are promising, the development could happen in 2016 or 2017. Geothermal Power and Water has also recently been awarded a $320,000 grant to continue the effort in exploring for geothermal potential on the reser- vation. See POWER & WATER on 6
