E Coosh EEWA: The way it is Letters to the editor Firefighters Memorial Parade Warm Springs Fire Man- agement would like families and friends to take part in this year’s Firefighter Memo- rial Parade coming up this Saturday, October 9 starting at 11 a.m. Line up will be on campus. The parade will go down to the Community Center for a loop around the Pi-Ume-Sha Grounds. From there they will go up to Fire Management. Ev- eryone is welcome to partici- pate in honor of a wildland firefighters, and the commu- nity is welcome to come out and enjoy the parade. Warm Springs Fire Manage- ment. Casino hours Indian Head Casino has announced its new hours. The casino is now open Sun- day through Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. Indian Head is closed Wednesday and Thursday. Births Gunner Allen Gilbert Daniel Gilbert and Aja Maldonado of Simnasho are pleased to announce the birth of their son Gunner Allen Gilbert, born on September 21, 2021. Gunner joins brothers Keiko, 7, and DJ, 2; and sis- ters Kalia, 7, and Avariyona, 12. Grandparents on the father’s side are Allen Gilbert Sr. of Simnasho, and Evelyn Gilbert. Grandparents on the mother’s side are Willard Maldonado and Tanya George of Toppenish. Navy Alice DeVore Timothy Allen DeVore Jr. and Jasmin DeVore of Ma- dras are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter Navy Alice DeVore, born on September 23, 2021. Navy joins brother Timo- thy Allen III, and sister Char- lotte. Grandparents on the father’s side are Timothy Allen DeVore, Denise DeVore, and Cindy DeVore, from Madras. Grandparents on the mother’s side are Marie P. Hernandez of Madras. Public safety (Note: This letter is shared regarding recent actions at the Jefferson County, city of Ma- dras and 509-J school board local governments.) My mother taught me to not say anything unless you say something nice. Sorry Mom. ‘Godsmacked’ is the only word I have for our Jefferson County and Ma- dras city elected leaders who absolutely refuse to solve or address our issues with Covid-19. Repeatedly, they each pro- pose clever dodges to avoid compliance with masking and distancing mandates. Our county issues an emergency disaster warning. Our Sheriff threatens to release prisoners because their staff is only 40 percent vaccinated. Employees threaten to re- sign if they must be vacci- nated. I say, ‘Goodbye.’ Many refuse to wear or enforce masks and distanc- ing in public buildings and spaces. From the City Council agenda: “Due to governor mandates, masks or face cov- erings are required in City Council chambers and there are no social distancing re- quirements at this time. “It’s important to note that masks may be removed for speaking into microphones for the purpose of improved communication. “As always, if you are not feeling well, or feel more comfortable staying home, please take advantage of the Zoom offering.” And yet photos show that four on the City Council dias were never masked during the recent meeting. Nor was it enforced inside the cham- ber. Lead and be a role model we would wish for our chil- dren and community. Care for our community. Enforce civility at public meetings. As a retired teacher in 509-J, I would not tolerate such behavior. (Threats, intimidation, exclu- sion, insensitivity, inequality, non-transparency.) Let City Council, County Commissioners and School Board greet the public at the door and hand out masks and sanitizer. There are signs posted, but not enforced. Encourage leaders to wear a mask if for nothing else to show they care. Do what you want in private, but we are talking about public spaces here—For the public. The recent actions at the school board, county and city meetings were inexcusable and embarrassing. It’s like you folks believe that we do not care. We are saying to you: “We want to feel safe and protected in this town.” We depend on the city and county and school district to Spilyay Tymoo Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo October 6, 2021 How to tell if you need another covid vaccine Did you receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine? If yes, then you may be eligible for a booster vac- cine, if you are one of the following: Sixty-five years or older. Eighteen years and older with underlying medical conditions (all intellectual and developmental disabili- ties are considered under- lying medical conditions in Oregon). Eighteen and older and live or work a high-risk setting. You can get a Pfizer booster at least six months after your last dose. Are you immuno-com- promised? If you answered yes, and you received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine: You need a total three doses of the same mRNA vaccine, either Pfizer or Moderna. You should get a third dose of the vaccine at least 28 days after your second dose. All three doses count as your initial vaccine series. If you get a third dose, you do not need a booster shot (only available in Pfizer). keep us safe. Public safety is not a mat- ter of personal choice. You took an oath. The State Eth- ics Commission refuses to act. We will continue filing OSHA complaints until some consequence occurs. Fines are not a great answer, because it takes away pre- cious money from the city, county and school district. But maybe it’s what we need to do. Idaho, Alaska and Wash- ington state are needing to triage their ICU patients. Bend how has a refrigerated morgue wagon. Judy Barker You can check in at the front gate at the Health and Wellness Center. They will direct you where to park and someone will come out to give you the flu vacci- nation. Water is Life The Water is Life Aware- ness Prayer Relay is coming up this Friday, October 8 starting at HeHe with run- ners going through Simnasho, Indian Head Canyon, Wolfe Point, Sunnyside, Upper Dry Creek, KWSO and ending at the Pavilion behind the Com- munity Center. Healing Hearts Healing Hearts with Good Medicine is coming up on Friday through Sunday, October 15-17 at the Old Elementary School and the lawn in front of the Behav- ioral Health Center. Healing Hearts with Good Medicine will start at 3 p.m. on Friday, and at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information call Mona Cochran at Behav- ioral Health, 541-553-3205 ext. 0120. Or email: mona.cochran@wstribes.org Flu season In addition to the Covid- 19 pandemic, this is also flu season. You can avoid get- ting the flu bug by being vac- cinated. Warm Springs IHS is of- fering flu shots on weekday mornings (except Wednes- days) 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., and afternoons 1:30-3:30. From Vital Stats Warm Springs Vital Statis- tics reminds tribal members to make sure you have cur- rent address information on file with them. You can pick up an ad- dress change form at the south entrance of the tribal administration building, and return it to the outside drop box or at the front desk. Remember to make sure you contact the person who is renting the P.O. Box you are using, to make sure you are listed for that box with the post office. Attention: Tribal artists The Museum at Warm Springs would like to an- nounce the Twenty-Eighth Tribal Member Art Exhibit will be here soon. Important: The deadline to submit art is 5 p.m. this Thursday, October 7. Please email or call An- gela Anne Smith, museum Curator, if you have ques- tions. The number is 541-553- 3331; and the email: angela@museumatwarm springs.org Applications are available at the museum. LIHEAP help The Low Income Home Energ y Assistance Pro- gram—LIHEAP—for Warm Springs residents as- sists low-income households with heating and cooling en- ergy costs, bill payment as- sistance, energy crisis assis- tance, weatherization and energy-related home repairs. To learn more about whether you qualify for their programs, which includes LIHEAP supplemental funding for repairs to heat pumps, furnaces, wood stoves, heaters or HVAC systems, call 541-553-2590. Also see: wsnews.org/2021/09/low- income-home-energy-assis- tance/ Strength Training and Cardio Class is held on Thursdays dur- ing the noon hour. It’s led by Jennifer Robbins, starting just after 12 in the gym at the old el- ementary school. Helping address veterans homemlessness by Frankie Williams Warm Springs Tribal Veterans Representative Two community groups dedicated to providing housing and other support to veterans facing homelessness and other challenges have joined forces to provide over 100 beds. Veterans Legacy Oregon and Housing Our Veterans joined forces last week, with the signing a memorandum of understanding. Lorie Perkins founded Housing Our Veterans in 2005 to secure housing for veterans facing Post Trau- matic Stress Disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, and other health issues. Veterans Legacy was founded by Dr. John LeBow, and acquired the for mer Lane County Sheriff ’s Forest Inmate Camp in 2016, renaming it Camp Alma. The camp uses “a rural residential set- Frankie Williams, W.S. Veterans Representative ting for care with a multi- faceted treatment regimen,” the group says. According to the Veter- ans Legacy and Housing Our Veterans: Between the two local organizations, over 100 beds will be available for veteran care. Ideally, a veteran in need will begin care and rehabilitation at Camp Alma for an average stay of six months. He would then sequence into the care at Housing Our Veterans for about one year. This time frame coincides with studies that show that an 18-month concentrated care management paradigm results in a vastly improved success rate for reintegration into the community at large. “Shared goals of return- ing veterans in need to the community clean and sober with realistic employment potential, stable housing and the need for indefinite case management made the agreement a natural alliance between the two entities,” the groups said. “While applicable to male veterans only at present, both organizations agree that an appropriate treatment path- way is needed for female vet- erans as well, with develop- ment to begin in the near fu- ture.” Frankie Williams , Confeder ated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Vet- e r a n s S e r v i c e O f f i c e r, 541-460-0605. (Coyote News, Est. 1976) Publisher Emeritus in Memorium: Sid Miller Editor: Dave McMechan Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our of- fices are located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm Springs. Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo should be addressed to: Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 489, Warm Springs, OR 97761. Phone: 541-553-2210 or 541-771-7521 E-Mail: david.mcmechan@wstribes.org. Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00 The booster shot and do I need it? Booster shots have been recommended for some people who received the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. Booster shots are given when the protection from a vaccination begins to decrease. Getting a booster can help people continue their immunity for a longer period. It’s important to know that all Covid-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitaliza- tion, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. Booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine are to be given six months after the second shot. Here’s a list of groups who are eligible for the booster: These groups should re- ceive a booster dose of Pfizer: People 65 and older; people living in a long-term care facility; and people 50- 64 with underlying medical conditions. Those vaccinated with Pfizer who are 18 through 64 years may get the booster if they: Have underlying medical conditions, and are at higher risk of Covid-19 exposure and transmission due to oc- cupational or institutional setting. You can find booster shots at the clinic, and any- where else that Covid-19 vaccine is available. You don’t need to prove that you need the booster. There is enough supply of vaccine, but health care workers are extremely busy. You may need to make an appoint- ment, or wait a while to get in for the shot. But don’t worry, Your current Pfizer vaccina- tion still offers strong protec- tion against serious Covid-19 illness. The clinic number to call is 541-553-2131.