Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
December 6, 2017 - Vol. 42, No. 25
December – Nch’i-An - Winter - Yiyam
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Building removal gives new look for campus Construction
remodeling
CPS building
A n environmental construction
company has started the first phase
of the long-planned downtown
project. Phase one involves the re-
moval of a number of hazardous
properties.
The eight sites include BIA
buildings that contain lead paint
and asbestos. Buildings include the
old clubhouse, the former Victims
of Crime and Spilyay buildings, and
former residences on Wasco and
Warm Springs streets. The Fire
and Safety garages eventually will
be removed, but not until there is
a plan to replace them.
The buildings themselves are be-
ing removed, along with oil tanks
located next to the structures. The
contractor for the project is 3
Kings, based in Vancouver. The
timeline for completion is early
February.
The removal includes the proper
disposal of the potentially hazard-
ous material, which is being trans-
ported to a facility in Prineville.
The removal work, funded
through the BIA, has been a long-
standing project—dating back sev-
eral years—for the tribes.
The next big step for the cam-
pus-downtown area would be the
replacement of the underground
pipes in the area. The piping is sev-
eral decades old, some of it made
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Buildings on Warm Springs
Street were among the first
to come down.
of wood and subject to recurring
leaks.
Like the buildings, the under-
ground infrastructure is property
of the BIA.
Celebrating the return of languages to school
T his year saw the return of the
tribal languages as a regular elec-
tive class during the school day
at the Warm Springs Academy.
The Culture and Heritage De-
partment worked for several
years to bring the languages back
to school, first through Rise &
Shine, then this year as an elec-
tive course.
Now, with the parent’s consent
any student who wishes to learn
one of the tribes’ traditional lan-
guages can take a class. More
than 100 students are enrolled.
The school board and district
superintendent Ken Parshall rec-
ognized the achievement at their
meeting last week.
The tribes’ language teachers
are Roxanne Kelly (Numu), Pam
Cardenas, Redine Johnson and
Rosalynd Johnson (Kiksht), and
Jefferson Greene, Suzie Slockish,
Dallas Winishut and Arlita Rhoan
(Ichishkeen). Teachers at Rise &
Shine are Viola Govenor and
Orthelia Patt.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Culture and Heritage teachers and staff Pam Cardenas, Merle Kirk, Redine Johnson, language
program director Deanie Smith, and Jefferson Greene (back row from left); department director Val
Switzler, Orthelia Patt, Arlita Rhoan, Viola Govenor and Suzie Slockish (front from left), with 509-J
board members Tom Norton, Jamie Hurd and Laurie Danzuka, at last week’s board meeting.
Company exploring solar options on the reservation
Tribal Council approved a pro-
posal to research the possibility of
a large-scale solar power facility on
the reservation. The company
conducting the feasibility study is
Cypress Creek Renewables, which
operates a 10-megawatt solar fa-
cility in the Bend area.
The tribes and Power and Wa-
Warm Springs Construction is
working on a complete remodel of
the Children’s Protective Services
building. The work is part of an
overall new plan for CPS.
The new approach involves the
nearby Vernon Jackson home. This
building also is being remodeled, and
will become a transitional housing
facility for parents working to re-
gain custody of the child.
The CPS building and transitional
home will then be surrounded by
privacy fencing, creating a unique
and secure CPS campus, said Alyssa
Macy, Chief Operations Officer.
“We want a space as safe and pleas-
ant as possible for the children and
families,” she said.
Next year the goal will be to seek
funding for new playground equip-
ment, and a youth garden within the
campus.
The remodel at CPS has been a
longtime need of the tribes. The
original idea, back in 2010, was to
build a new facility. Then-CPS di-
rector Becky Main set aside money
for the project.
This project unfortunately never
came to fruition, Ms. Macy said; so
the question was how to proceed
from here. The team looking at the
question has been current CPS di-
rector Cecelia Collins, Health and
Human Services general manager
Caroline Cruz, Secretary-Treasurer
Michele Stacona and the chief op-
erations officer.
The CPS fund created by Ms.
Main was not sufficient for a new
facility, so the best approach was the
remodel. “Tribal Council has been
very supportive, and gave the final
approval,” Ms. Macy said.
Having Warm Springs Construc-
tion do the work is an added ben-
efit, as the crew can continue work-
ing during the winter months, she
said.
“This was a great opportunity to
keep tribal members employed
through the winter, when Construc-
tion might otherwise have seen sea-
sonal layoffs,” she added.
The remodeling work will take
about four months. During this
time a building at Kah-Nee-Ta is
being used as the temporary group
home.
ter Enterprises sought proposals
from interested companies, and
Council last month approved the
Cypress Creek Renewables submis-
sion. The company is looking at
five sites on the reservation with
the potential for solar power.
Sites up to 500 acres in size are
being considered. Plateaus above
Warm Springs, such as above the
old mill area, are examples of po-
tential solar development sites.
If completed, the facility would
be one of the largest in the state,
said Jim Manion, Power and Wa-
ter general manager. “It’s taken a
lot of work to get here,” he said.
If it happens, the project could
be another three to five years
in development. All of the
tribal land-use and environmen-
tal regulations, and public review
are part of the approval pro-
cess. The biggest challenge in
this type of development is ac-
cess to transmission, Mr.
Manion said.
Parade, fair
coming up
The Warm Springs Health and
Human Services Branch, Native
Aspirations and Warm Springs Rec-
reation are putting on the Cowboy
Craft Fair and Car Light Parade.
The parade is scheduled for this
Thursday, December 7. Line-up will
begin at 5 p.m. in front of the old
elementary school, judging is at 6,
and the parade begins at 7. The
Craft Fair is from 5-8 p.m. at the
Community Center. Dinner will be
served from 5:30-6:30.