October 15, 1995
ASDE;
1996 Proposed Budget, pages 3-6
Small Business News, page i
Tribal members to get first chance to
pull the slots at Spirit Mountain Casino
Tribal members are invited to enjoy the very first look inside the new Spirit
Mountain Casino, and the first opportunity to try some of the gaming available,
during a special Tribal Open House to be held on Monday, October 16.
Informal tours for all members will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tribal members
over age 2 1 will be invited to stay from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. to try their luck at some of
the gaming available in the casino.
The informal tours of the facility will offer members a look at some of the many
exciting features inside the casino, including the glass-domed rotunda, the soaring 21
foot ceilings and the bronze statue of historic Tribal member Martha Jane Sands, which
will be unveiled during the evening.
Tribal members will also be receiving invitations to the gala evening festivities on
Tuesday, October 17, when the casino is officially opened. Special guests, including
city and county officials, media representatives and others, will also be invited to join
the celebration that evening. The entertainment, including music by the Tom Grant
Band and the gaming will occur following presentations by Tribal Chairman Mark
Mercier and Council Member Kathryn Harrison . Due to the gaming activity, no one
under age 2 1 will be allowed into the casino during the evening festivities on Tuesday,
October 17.
For further information on the Open House or the Opening Night, please call Spirit
Mountain Gaming at (503) 879-2350.
General Council meeting
held at new casino
i2
The second General
Council meeting of the
year was held at the casino,
and tribal members got
their first look at the inside
before the grand opening
planned for next week.
Polk County Deputy
Tom O'Brien gave an up
date of the last few months
patrolling the Grand
Ronde area. He also introduced Officer
Bob Ruark, who patrols the area at night.
O'Brien said that they plan to focus on
enforcing the curfew laws for juveniles
at night as well as traffic violations. The
number for their substation in Grand
Ronde is 879-2420.
In addition to a report from Spirit
Mountain Gaming, the elders held nomi
nations for their committee. Only elders
can nominate other elders, and they must
be present to accept or decline the nomi
nation. There are seven positions open.
Leonette Galligher nominated Ivanetta
:T'" 1 '
- r? ? r- f i
it, -m ink
Bob Ruark and Tom O'Brien
Cook, Marion Forster nominated Dor
othy Lawe, Blanche Lillard nominated
Donna Casey, Dorothy Lawe nominated
Marion Forster, Arlene Beck nominated
Arnold Houck, Mabel Gaston nominated
Arlene Beck, Arnold Houck nominated
Val Grout, and Val Grout nominated
Sylvia Fuller. Myrna Brandon and Nora
Kimsey were also nominated, but de
clined. The Elders' Committee members are
elected for two-year terms.
Casino working hard to place all tribal members
An overwhelming number of applicants,
combined with a limited phone system, is
making it challenging for staff at Spirit
Mountain Casino to respond quickly to all
tribal members, but officials assure Smoke
Signals that every effort is being made to
answer questions and place applicants.
Due to the enormous number of appli
cants, over 3000 to date, many people are
experiencing delays in hearing the results
of their applications, interviews or security
checks. The Human Resources staff is
working overtime to alleviate the delays.
A limited
phone system
is also often
making it diffi
cult for appli
cants to reach
casino staff.
"Our recep
tionists are
working hard
to help every
one who calls
in," notes
Bruce Thomas,
President of
Spirit Moun
tain, "but often puuuJiu.n.u...
they are unable
to spend the amount of time necessary to
personally help everyone follow up on their
application." He asks that tribal members
have patience while the problems are ad
dressed. Although they've temporarily suspended
accepting new applications in order to re
spond to those already on file, Human Re
sources staff assure that many positions are
still available. "We won't have all the posi
tions filled prior to opening," said Kit De
vine, Human Resources Director. "We also
anticipate continuously hiring new employ
ees in the future, as positions need to be re
filled due to personnel turnover or as new
jobs are created."
Spirit Mountain officials are strongly en
couraging tribal members who haven't pur
sued job opportunities at the casino to con
tact the Human Resources Department.
Those who have applied for a position
should contact Matthew Kirkland, Human
Resources Representative. Kirkland is serv-
"Ifa tribal member has skills
that are equal to those of a
non-member applying for the
same position, the position is
given to the tribal member."
Matthew Kirkland
ingas a liaison between tribal members and
the casino. He is available to assist any of
ficially enrolled member of the Confeder
ated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Commu
nity with the application and hiring process.
Tribal status, he notes, will be verified.
As of October 4, 40 of all tribal mem
bers who have applied at Spirit Mountain
Casino have been hired, with another 57
of tribal applications still under consider
ation or pending employment.
The casino follows a policy of, all skills
being equal for a position, giving hiring
preference to
.,a enroC(j mem.
bers of the
Grand Ronde
Tribe first, then
to other Native
Americans of
ficially en
rolled in feder
ally recognized
Indian tribes,
and finally all
other appli
cants. Kirk
land notes, "Ifa
tribal member
vv r has skills that
are equal to
those of a non-member applying for the
same position, the position is given to the
tribal member."
The Spirit Mountain Human Resources
Department is working diligently to place
all tribal applicants. Kirkland points out that
while some tribal members may not have
the qualifications for every position, there
are many other jobs available for which they
may be very well qualified. Several posi
tions require little or no prior experience.
"If a member doesn't qualify for a position
they've applied for, we work with them in
dividually to find positions that are more
appropriate for their current skills and as
sist them in developing the skills necessary
for other positions," he adds.
For more information on positions at the
casino, call Spirit Mountain Development
Corporation at (503) 879-2350 or 1-800-760-7977.
Or drop by their office anytime
Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at
28840 Salmon River Hwy. in Grand Ronde.