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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1996)
10 September 1, 1996 SMOKE SIGNALS Dtim Tribe, Casino provide funding to Willamina school district On Tuesday, August 13, in the main en trance of Spirit Mountain Casino, represen tatives of the Grand Ronde Tribe presented a check in the amount of $16,580 to the Willamina School District to fund the an nual salaries of two half-time instructors for special education services. Mark Mercier presented the donation to Tom Schussman, Chairman of the Willamina School Board and Michaelle Kimsey, Indian EducationLife Skills Coordinator. "The Willamina School District has to stretch their budget much farther these days," notes Art Anderson, Willamina School District Superintendent. "Spirit Mountain's donation will help us keep two positions which provide an enormous ser vice to students in our community." School administrators estimate that the Tribe's contribution will help provide life skills services to four mentally challenged students and special tutoring to 34 students. One position which will be saved by the contribution is a part-time life skills pro gram, which focuses on preparing mentally challenged middle school students to live independendy, preparing the students for the job market and helping them become con tributing members of the community. "The students learn about everyday skills such as money management, shopping, meal plan ning and preparation, basic homemaking skills, appropriate social skills, and appro priate reactions to various social institu tions," notes Michaelle Kimsey. The second position is a part-time tutor who works with the Title IX (Indian Educa tion) Program. The tutor works with stu dents who need additional assistance with regular school programs. The cultural com ponent addresses the students' need for in creased self-esteem and increased knowl edge of their Indian heritage. "The Grand Ronde Tribe and we at Spirit Mountain Casino are proud to be able to assist our local school district in enriching the education and development of our community's children," notes Bruce Tho mas, President of Spirit Mountain. "That these are students who have unique, special needs makes our contribution to their edu cation that much more fulfilling to us." 7 VT . 11 i i W M T ' SI , IS W. . i ill ..,, 't ,. f;. FROM LEFT: Ed Larsen, Tribal Council; Kathryn Harrison, Tribal Council Vice Chair; Art Anderson, Superintendent of Willamina School District; Mark Mer cier, Tribal Council Chairman; Tom Schussman, School Board Chairman; Michaelle Kimsey, Indian EducationLife Skills Coordinator; Dan Knutson, School Board Vice-Chair; Kathy Sumner, Grand Ronde Elementary Principal; and School Board members Jack Bailey, Deanne Werth, and Sally Shenk. Casino Spotlight: Shelley Hanson Another tribal member has been hired by the Casino. Formally of the Tribe's Small Business Develop ment Division, Shelley Hanson be gan working for the Casino last month. A recent graduate of Willamette University's School of Business, Shelley now has her Master's degree and is on her way to a promising career. Her new position as Devel opment Specialist will allow her to receive valuable experience in her field. "I will work part time in corpo rate finance," said Shelley, "and part time in development." She's al ready been assigned some special projects working on the Casino's 1997 budget which must be approved by Tribal Council and Spirit Mountain Board of Directors. She is also reviewing bids for the Casino's insurance package, and working with David Harjo on the hotel and RV park projects. "I wanted a position which would allow me to have a broad overview of the Casino," Shelley said. "There are opportunities for advancement in management, too." Shelley said that her supervisor, Terry Contreras, wants her to spend time in the cashier cages, learning the process of handling money, the gaming laws, and how they might be able to improve their procedures. Coincidcntally, Shelley's first day of work marked her tenth anniversary of working for the Tribe, where she began in the accounting department, and then worked for five years as a Business Development Specialist. But she won't be putting her years with the Tribe completely behind her. She will be teaching ONABEN classes in Grand Ronde this fall, something she enjoys doing. In spite of all her commitments, Shelley doesn't seem to be worried about taking on too much. While she was in school, she managed to purchase her first home, work for the Tribe, and keep up with her daughter Kayla's school and tribal activities. Needless to say, Shelley is not a person to sit on the sidelines of life. Another reason why the Casino is lucky to have her. Bob Watson: Elders' Continued from page 3 In addition to his duties as Chairman of the Gaming Commission, Bob is settling comfortably into his role as Chair of the Housing Authority. The Housing Author ity has been given the task of assessing the housing needs of tribal members, and de termining what types of housing will be con structed in Grand Ronde and other areas. "Last month the Tribal Council approved our Housing Plan," he said. "Council's al ready beginning to build the Manufactured Home Park, but the operation of it will be turned over to the Housing Authority." housing tops the list The Tribe recently received a HUD grant to build fifteen rental units for Elders. "We're currently looking at ways to stretch that money," he said. "We are re viewing different housing designs like du plexes and four-plcxes so that we might be able to build more than fifteen units." Bob said hopefully the complex will be located near the tribal offices, within walking dis tance for the Elders who need tribal services. "Housing has been a concern for a long time," said Bob. "It's a high priority for Tribal Council." TICKETS. ON SALE NOW ipioiut. $tolfi S 8 ftftlil tl j BIS m 3mI fT. WiVi m Spirit Mountain Ticket Sales: 1-800-670-7977 or 879-2350.
