Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
June 3, 2020
Graduation ceremony June 13
The 200 seniors of
the Madras High School
and Bridges High School
graduating classes will
take the stage in a non-
traditional fashion on
Saturday, June 13 at the
high school. The gradu-
ates will be broken into
eight groups, in alpha-
betical order. Beginning
at 9 a.m., each group will
have a designated time
to arrive.
To maximize the
number of supporters
for our graduates, the
graduation ceremony will
be conducted in a drive-
up fashion. Each gradu-
ate is allowed one vehicle,
passenger car or pickup,
to attend the graduation cer-
emony.
To that extent, they are
able to bring as many family
and friends as can ride along
with them in their one ve-
hicle. The school district is
continuing to examine ways
for additional viewing by ex-
tended family.
The school district hopes
that graduates and their sup-
porters will take pride in ap-
propriately decorating their
graduation transportation.
“This was the safest way
to enable seniors to walk
across the stage while also
having their loved ones wit-
ness this special event with
them,” said Brian Crook,
Madras High School princi-
pal.
Graduates will receive
their diploma on stage
where a professional
videographer and photogra-
pher will be capturing the
event. Each graduate will
also have their photo taken
at the MHS White Buffalo
prior to leaving the cer-
emony.
While all commence-
ment speeches and perfor-
mances will be pre-recorded,
Madras High School would
like to recognize this year’s
graduation ceremony speak-
ers:
Madras High School
Principal Brian Crook; Ma-
dras High School Vice Prin-
cipal Mark Stewart; Bridges
High School Principal Jay
Weeks; Madras High
School staff speaker Me-
lissa Wheeler, 2019-20
Valedictorian; Kelsey
Olivera 2019-20, Salutato-
rian; Kelly Huang and
Emily Plant.
As a result of Covid-
19 and current social dis-
tancing requirements, this
year’s g raduation cer-
emony will not be open to
the general public.
After the event, the
school district will have the
complete ceremony avail-
able electronically for com-
munity members to enjoy.
As more information and
details develop, it will be
provided.
Traffic enforcement on the reservation
The Warm Springs Tribal
Police Department would like
to advise the public that over
the last few months, due to
the Covid-19 outbreak, law
enforcement has been re-
tasked to handle demands
placed on it by the pandemic
and stay at home orders.
However, as the stay at
home orders are lifting in
some areas, we are once
again patrolling the reserva-
tion for traditional viola-
tions, including traffic.
In general, the public
should be congratulated for
their observance of traffic
laws and rules of the road
during this time.
But as the level of traf-
fic has been increasing, law
enforcement has been re-
ceiving an increasing num-
ber of citizen complaints
concerning people blatantly
exceeding the speed limit,
and driving in a reckless
manner on Highway 26 as
it crosses the Warm Springs
Reservation.
These types of actions
create a public safety con-
cern for the citizens of the
reservation, and so the the
Police Department will be
increasing its presence on
the roadways traversing the
reservation, and issuing ci-
tations to offenders.
In addition, the public is
advised that the closures,
and other restrictions to ac-
cess that were put in place
as part of the tribal and
state emergency declara-
tions are still in effect, and
those found in violation will
be citied for criminal tres-
pass.
William Elliott, Warm
Springs Chief Of Police.
Fire season begins with added precautions
This week marks the be-
ginning of the 2020 fire sea-
son. So far this season there
has been only one small wild
land fire on the reservation,
an acre in size, caused by
lightening over the weekend.
The projection at this
point is for a hot and dry
summer, meaning the risk
of wild land fire is elevated.
This season will see
changes in the way crews
respond to fire events, as
there is the added hazard of
the Covid-19 virus. The job
of fire fighting can be dan-
gerous, and the virus is an
added challenge that the fire
professionals must contend
with.
One measure that fire
crews can use is to limit the
number of personnel in the
fire vehicle, while other crew
members can follow in sepa-
rate vehicles. This will be
an added cost; however,
safety is the priority.
Fire camps generally in-
clude many people in a close
area; so social distancing,
hand washing and health
monitoring will be more im-
portant than ever.
Warm Springs Fire Man-
agement, like other tribal, fed-
eral and state agencies, has
been planning since March on
Covid-19 prevention.
An added complication is
that Warm Springs fire fight-
ers often travel out of the
area to assist other agencies;
and outside crews can arrive
and assist during an incident
on the reservation.
Jurisdictions have different
regulations regarding the
coronavirus. Coordinating
among the agencies, out-of-
state and locally, will be a chal-
lenge.
As fire season begins this
week, the public is asked to
be especially careful about ac-
cidental fires, as the crews are
at an added health risk.
Page 3
Housing help
for seniors
The Warm Springs Housing Authority has re-
ceived funding for privately owned housing senior
home emergency repairs.
Each home owner can receive a one-time emer-
gency home repair not to exceed $3,000.
Applications will be accepted from through June
30. Applications can be picked up at Housing, or
emailed by request.
Each application must be fully completed, includ-
ing all income verifications and returned to the Warm
Springs Housing Authority no later than June 30.
This is limited funding, so only the completed
applications will be screened and prioritized for
health and safety issues.
The Native vote 2020
The National Congress of American Indians Native Vote
effort held a ‘Virtual Rally’ to kick off voter registration
drives and citizen engagement in the voting process, across
Indian Country.
Mark Trahant of Trahant Reports was one of the par-
ticipants, commenting as follows:
It is really extraordinary to be having an election during a
pandemic and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Two years ago was one of the most remarkable elections
in history. Native Americans elected the first two Native
women to congress, the first Native won as a state lieuten-
ant governor, and dozens of candidates elected to state and
local offices, the most ever.
Two years ago there were nine Native candidates for Con-
gress, this year at present there are 13 candidates running
for the House and three more for the United States Senate.
There are more than 70 Native candidates running for
state legislatures, county commissions and city councils.
You can register to vote online.