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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 1996)
v Li LI JJ li iL& .06 COG ; July 15, 1990 1 Vi:I': 3 Smoke signal:; 'jtj 8 Illlj fen' mm t T V - .,.,.'4 , T: I he new steakhouse and lounge, kid's SuperPlay area, and banquet rooms show all the signs of being as popular as the Casino has proven to be. The Fourth of July grand opening celebration held July 4-7, was met with weekend visitors who gathered for food, fun, and en tertainment. On Friday many were serenaded by the na tional a cappella champs, the singing group M-PACT. Special prizes were given away all four days to visitors, who enjoyed dining and gaming. Crowds gathered every 20 minutes for a chance at the cash wheel offering cash prizes up to $500. There were four lucky big prize win ners: Thursday Season tickets to the Portland Trailblaz ers; Friday Tickets to the 1 997 Superbowl; Saturday An all-expense paid trip to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta; and Sunday A brand new Chevy Blazer. Legends opened for a special day to tribal members and their families on Saturday, June 29. Members were invited to enjoy a sit down lunch of their choice in the restaurant. Randy Duggcr, Food and Beverage Manager at the Casino, said, "This was really our first chance to cook and serve food at the restaurant, and we appreciated the consideration and patience of everyone. This was a great opportunity for our new employees to interact with the tribal community." Kids were able to play in SuperPlay at no charge. (More grand opening festivity photos on pagelO.) Supplemental Budget adopted; includes membership investment program By Tracy Dugan On June 26 Tribal Council adopted the Supple mental Budget which was discussed at the May General Council meeting, and in various tribal mailings. The budget includes allocations of Casino and timber dollars into various special programs de signed for the benefit of tribal members. As described in previous issues of Smoke Sig nals, these programs include; a health security package; an Elders' pension program; educa tion services enhancement; an Investment Ben efit program; and Trust Fund allocations into housing, education, and health. The projected timeline for the implementation of these programs is as follows: HEALTH SECURITY PROGRAM Currently, tribal Elders are being interviewed and setup with a comprehensive health secu rity package which is designed to fit each person's individual needs. Each Elder has been invited to attend an enrollment meeting or given instructions on how to enroll via telephone. Af ter tribal Elders are enrolled in the Health Secu rity Program, the rest of the membership will be included. This is scheduled to begin this year, and tribal members will be kept informed through the Smoke Signals and other tribal mailings as to how and when they should sign up for the program. ELDERS' PENSION PROGRAM The Elders' Pension Program will be completely setup in July, and tribal Elders will be receiving their pension payments this month. The program calls for each Elder 55 years or older to receive a monthly benefit of $100. The pension will be ret roactive from the first of this year, so the first check will be in the amount of $700. INVESTMENT BENEFIT PROGRAM For 1996, each tribal member will be allotted a $1,000 investment sum. This program is targeted for implementation in September. Although this money is in each member's name, the $1,000 will not be automatically mailed to each member. Ev ery tribal member will have to request the money, and speak with an investment counselor. The Tribal Council adopted this program to encourage tribal members to leave the money in the account for their futures, rather than spending it right away. They encourage tribal members to discuss their in vestment options with the investment special ist the Tribe is hiring before requesting withdrawl of funds. Remember, this money is not guaranteed to be allotted every year. Tribal Council will consider the amount and feasibil ity of providing other investments to tribal members on a year-to-year basis. A trust fund will also be implemented for those tribal mem bers under the age of 21, so all tribal children will have those dollars collecting interest in an account until they reach adulthood. It should be noted that this fund is being provided through timber revenue, not Casino revenue. EDUCATION SERVICES Tribal Council allocated $500,000 to the Education Division for the purpose of Higher Education, Adult Vocational Training, and other educational programs for youth. TRUST FUND ALLOCATIONS The Supplemental Budget calls for ten per cent of all Spirit Mountain Casino revenue to be applied to programs in health, housing, and education, in addition to funding these programs already receive.
