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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1995)
Page 2 December 1, 1995 - SMOKE SIGNALS Letters to the Editor To the Editor: The reform brought about by Mr. Pearsall, Mr. LaBonte, and Mr. Haller is for the benefit of all the Tribe, not certain individuals. I hope the Council will continue to keep fo cused. I am but a pony in a herd, but without honest lead ers, there is no herd. We are in a rich pasture now. And there will be those with self-interest. The Tribal Council has a great responsibility, they must be the guard and watchdog of all of us. Our ancestors would be overjoyed to see us growing in stature and monetary wealth. The Tribal Council needs to make sure the whole herd gets water and feed. Such a re sponsibility is great and worrisome. We, as tribal members, must stay in contact with the Coun cil. Change for the better is brought about within the Tribe! Let the Tribal Council know your feelings. We are only as strong as our leaders. The Indian way is to be stoic. But in these times of turmoil throughout the world, we need to stand up for our leaders a Tribal Coun cil that cares about the whole Tribe no matter where the trail has led them. Mr. LaBonte, Mr. Pearsall, and Mr. Haller are leaders who deserve praise. They helped open doors that were pre viously closed. I wish to openly thank them. William A. Kellogg Ulysses, Kansas A special thank you to tribal member Pam Warren, who gave us a Thanksgiving Ham. Her donation helped four families have a better holiday. God Bless Her! Marcia Bolton To the Editor: I was stunned by the letter you received from Vonnie Edmondson. Rather than take issue with the points in her letter, I would like to give you my thoughts on the way the Grand Ronde Tribe has been handling various matters. Not only do my children and I take seriously our duty to vote in tribal elections, but we enthusiastically attend tribal meetings held in Portland. We are very pleased with the decision by Tribal Council to hold meetings in Portland, Salem, and Eugene in order to involve tribal members liv ing in those areas. We were impressed with the feedback the Tribe received from members. We discovered that at all meetings the in terest in receiving individual handouts (per capita payments) from casino profits was a low priority for most members. Instead, the members' emphasis fell on such matters as health and retirement benefits for tribal members, housing, edu cation, and endowments to ensure members would receive help as needed in the future. The endowments are intended to make up for cuts the Tribe will face in government spend ing. Tribal leaders then put all the results together in a very readable summary, which Vonnie Edmondson could easily obtain from the Tribal Council. In another positive note, I would like to compliment our tribal leaders for the wonderful job they have done on the Spirit Mountain Casino. My entire family attended the Grand Opening and we were so pleased with the Casino and the way the opening was organized. We especially like the non-smoking casino. ..thank you! Finally, I am very proud of the Tribe for being the first in the nation to receive funds from a major lending institution (John Hancock) for the Casino. The lender was obviously very impressed with the way the Tribal Council researched and planned for the building of the Casino. I'm impressed, too! Yours truly, Marilyn Portwood Roll 2915 Dear Editor: It has been many years since I have been able to say, with pride, the name of my employer, but now I am able to...I work for Spirit Mountain Casino and I am truly proud. I was born inMcMinn ville and shortly there after my family and I moved away. I returned specifically to work at our casino, but more important...I returned home. I have met and re-met more relatives than anyone could dream of. Several relatives dropped by to welcome me and the new ones that I have met have made me feel like I have always lived here. The first thing I did when I learned of our casino was PACK! I was packed and ready to go for almost a year before my plans became a reality. I knew I was going to be a permanent part of our casino from Day One, but it took a little longer for the casino to catch up to my plans. I was determined to be a part of the casino, whether in the Hu man Resources Department, or as a Dealer. I am thrilled to say that I am a part of the Human Resources team. My direct supervisor, Kit Devine, as well as Joe Smith from the Gaming Commission have both taught me so much when it comes to treating people with respect and dignity. My background is in Human Resources, but not in the gaming industry, and not on the volume level of staff that our casino has. I have over 700 co-workers! Trying to remember everyone's name is a personal goal of mine, but fortunately each employee wears a badge with his or her first name on it.. .that's a great help. Spirit Mountain Casino is truly a place to plan your ca reer as well as build friendships. When you hear that "fun" is a part of our work atmosphere, believe it! I am here to stay and thrilled each and every day to get into my car and drive to a place I enjoy spending time. Thanks Spirit Mountain Casino, for choosing me to be one of your team members. Mary Brooks, Roll 48 Human Resources Assistant If you have recently moved or plan on moving, let us know so you won't miss a single issue of your favorite newspaper. Smoke Signals is available to anyone at no cost. Just fill out this form below with your name and address, then mail it back to the Smoke Signals. OLD ADDRESS: I I 1 I I I I 1 I I 9 I I I I CMOKE SIGNAL EiI 9 B3 ESI S3 El EI BI El EI D NEW ADDRESS: 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 ATTN: Kim Mueller I I B I 1 B I I I I 9 B I i a i e3 Smoke Signals is a publication of the Confed erated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. We have established an Editorial Policy to encourage input from readers about stories printed in Smoke Signals, as well as other tribal issues. Letters must be printed or typed, and cannot exceed 300 words. Smoke Signals reserves the right to edit any letter for clarity and length, and to refuse publication of any letter or any part of a letter that may contain libelous statements or personal attacks. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Smoke Signals, tribal employees, or Tribal Council. " ili'i fiiiwfH iilTlfl
