Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current, September 01, 1992, Page Page 11, Image 11

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    Smoke Signals
September 1992 Page 11
-Economic
Development Hires
New Staff
ELAINE MOORE
Elaine Moore was hired back in February as the
Economic Development Specialist. She has skills in fiscal
management, accounting, bookkeeping, and tax
preparation. Elaine has also been providing accounting
and bookkeeping technical assistance to tribal member
businesses.
Ms. Moore has a BA degree in Business and
Public Administration from Evergreen College in
Washington. She has completed a fifth year of college and
received a certificate in Human Resource Management.
Her most recent job before joining the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde was as General
Manager of the Lower Elwha Tribe in Washington. She
held that position for five years. Before that she worked for
the'Squaxin Island Tribe in Washington for ten years as an
Office ManagerCommunity Services Administrator.
Ms. Moore has three adult children and has been
skippering her own fishing boat since 1975, out of Neah
Bay, Washington.
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Elaine Moore
DEBBYCHILDERS
Debby Childers, an enrolled member of the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, was hired as the
Secretary in the Economic Development Department last
April. She worked in that position on a temporary basis
since November of 1991. Debby is the "front-line" staff
member in Economic Development. She is the one clients
meet and speak with first. Clients and associates appreciate
her helpful attitude, willingness to assist, and her
responsibility.
Before working for the tribe, Debby worked for
Spirit Mountain Corporation as a flagger and a pilot car
driver. She also worked in the Spirit Mountain Store in
Grand Ronde. She attended Western Oregon State College
and Chemeketa Community .College.
Debby has two children and is engaged to be
married July 3, 1993 to Rock Braithwaite.
Economic Development Focuses
on Tribal Businesses
Saturday, July 25, Economic Development held
an Open House to provide tribal members with information
about the current and future services to be offered through
the Economic Development Department. Participants
provided guidance and input into Department activities
through a "Community Decision Making" process that was
used at the community health clinic meeting.
Overwhelmingly, money was the most crucial
factor in beginning a new business. Some participants
suggested a tribal loan program to assist them in their
business interests. Other suggestions were: provide tax
information, on-going technical assistance in business
management, a legal advisor, assistance with writing a
business plan, and a trading post arts and crafts cooperative.
Production of a catalog featuring "Made in Grand Ronde"
items was presented as a marketing idea.
Interestingly, of the needed services already being
offered (management, business planning, accounting, and
bookkeeping) the main areas of development addressed
were providing low-cost financing and working with arts
and crafts people to provide a source of lower cost supplies
and an adequate market for their goods.
A reminder to anyone who attended the Open
House and borrowed books or magazines: Please return
them!
In July, the Economic Development Department
sent out a survey about tribal member business, future
businesses, and folks working on increasing income from
their hobbies. Data collected from this survey will be used
to plan new department activities and assistance. VERY
IMPORTANT! We are currently collecting data on tribal
member-owned businesses to produce a brochure or
handbook of various products and services offered to
Grand Ronde Tribal Members. To be included in the
publication, you must fill out the survey and return it .
There was a drawing for those who returned their surveys
by August 7. The winner was Marie Logan, who received
$50.
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Winner Marie Logan with Mitch Conley and
Shelley Hanson
October 16, 1992 is Minority Business
Opportunity Day. The Oregon Convention Center
in Portland will be hosting a trade fair which
brings many businesses and purchasers together
to learn more about products and services. There
will be many exhibit booths and business
networking. If you are interested in participating
in the fair's activities, call Economic Development
for more information.
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Spirit Mountain Store, and its owner, Ed Larsen
Ed LarsemTribal Member in
Business for Himself
SMOKE SIGNALS has begun a monthly column
about tribal members who have started their own businesses
and how they did it. We would like to cover all types of
businesses in the newsletter, local or in some other state,
family oriented or individually operated. It is our hope that
tribal members who have been successful can give advise and
wisdom to those interested in pursuing their goal to be in
business for themselves, while providing an interesting stor
to the readers of SMOKE SIGNALS. We begin this month
with Ed Larsen .owner of the Spirit Mountain Store in Grand
Ronde Agency.
Anyone will tell you that Edward Larsen is a
respected member of the Grand Ronde community. He
should be-he's very active within the Tribe and he and his
wife Shirley own their own business. The business is Spirit
Mtn. Store. The Larsens bought the store about seven
years ago. They had to take a second mortgage out on their
home, and have been in business ever since.
Ed Larsen grew up in the Grand Ronde area, and
went to Willamina High School. He works part-time as a
logger and says it's his wife, Shirley, who really runs the
store.
"Shirley really wanted to work, but we wanted to
be in business for ourselves," he said.
The patrons of Spirit Mtn. Store are a combination
. of tourists, who are interested in the gift shop, and local
people who live in the area.
"Pow-wow is the busiest time of year for us," said
Larsen.
Larsen knows a significant number of his
customers. Once they come in, they usually return.
Larsen is planning on making some changes on
the store in the near future. They have plans to expand the
gift shop, put in a full-service deli, provide more parking
and seating, and even createing a little garden area. The gift
shop has lots of Indian art and jewelry, and operates on a
co-signment basis with Native American merchants and
craftspeople. Larsen says the biggest drawback from
owning the store is that people want to get merchandise on
a credit basis.
When asked what he would like to tell future
entrepreneurs about owning their own business he replied,
"Be ready for a lot of hard work and long hours."
Debby Childers