3
Security Guard training graduates third class
January 6, 1997
SMOKE SIGNALS
The third Security Guard Academy
class graduated on December 17. Gradu
ation included a meal for all the grads and
their families as well handing out their
certificates, with speeches from several
of the instructors and Education Division
manager Dean Azule.
This class was a smaller class, with six
graduates. The Security Guard training
class requires participants to conform to
a rigorous schedule four hours on
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday eve
nings, plus eight hours every Saturday for
three months. All of the participants
worked full time in addition to this class
schedule, caring for their families, and
travelling to Portland's Clackamas Com
munity College where class was held.
They should all be commended for this
outstanding achievement. Congratula
tions, and good luck in finding employ
ment! The graduates are: Glenda Lytle, Lila
Musso, Jesse Robertson, Jr., Mary
Waggoner, Nathanial McGee, and Duane
Manyhides.
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THE THIRD GRADUATING SECURITY GUARD CLASS. From left: Lila Musso. Duane Manyhides. Glenda Lytle, instruc
tor J.D. Wiseman, Mary Waggoner, Nathanial McGee, Jesse Robertson, Jr., and instructor Larry Dexheimer.
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The last edition of Smoke Signals introduced the Tribal and
Casino mission statements, and explained that future edi
tions would contain articles that explained the four key prin
ciples contained within the Tribal mission (Building Com
munity, Individual Responsibility and Self-Sufficiency,
Stewardship of Resources, and Preservation of Culture).
This, and future articles will give specific examples of how
Casino revenue is allowing the development of programs
projects that are consistent with the key principles. The
focus of this article will be on Building Community.
The first element of Building Community is:
Strengthening the center at Grand Ronde begins with al
lowing tribal members the opportunity to move back to the
area. Construction has begun on Grand Meadows, a manu
factured housing park, located near the tribal headquarters..
The park will contain 38 units and provide much needed
housing to the area.
The second element of Building Community is:
f&cvtttU tkoX allow a catvthMAiy to
Revenue from the Casino has enabled ihe Tribe to begin
construction on facilities that not only allow the commu
nity to interact and grow, but also help in building the spirit
of community and strengthening the center at Grand Ronde.
The Tribe has begun construction on a 28,500 square foot
Health and Wellness Center that will provide two full time
physicians and a nurse practitioner. The facility, which is
open to the entire community, will provide much needed
medical care to an area where the closest comparable facil
ity is 30 miles away. A Life Flight helicopter landing pad
will also be built near the Center, allowing Life Flight the
ability to land in the area in various weather conditions.
In order to be able to build the facilities and housing men
tioned above, the Tribe has assisted in substantial improve
ments to the area's water and sewer systems. Through rev
enue from the Casino and federal funding, the Tribe built a
500,000 gallon water tank in an area that was not allowing
new water hook-ups due to lack of adequate water storage.
The Tribe has assisted the Grand Ronde Sanitary District
through studies to improve the system, and with the ad
vance purchase of several hook-ups that helped the sani
tary district out of financial difficulties.
The tribal organization is in charge of managing the facili
ties in the community, making sure they function properly
and are taken care of. A critical element in managing the
facilities are the systems they operate with. Revenue from
the Casino has given the tribal organization the ability to
improve its accounting and communications systems. The
tribal organization has installed a new accounting and pur
chasing system that allows for better tracking of budgets
and better controls on the purchasing of goods, services,
etc. They have also expanded their computer systems by
networking all of their facilities together, eventually includ
ing the Casino. This will give the organization the ability to
share information, and to communicate by computer with
co-workers. Efficient systems within facilities lead to more
efficient organizations and better service to tribal members.
The final element of Building Community is:
Spirit Mountain Casino, in an effort to increase
communication and participation among tribal members,
has specific tribal events showcasing the Casino and Legends
grand openings, and Native American holidays. The Casino
has added Tribal Services to the Human Resources
Department and Public Relations to the Marketing
Department in an effort to increase communication with
the Tribe and tribal members.
Tribal Services' main goal is to assist Grand Ronde tribal
members with the hiring process including the gaming
licensing process, available positions, and the interviewing
process.
Public Relations deals specifically with tribal issues
concerning Spirit Mountain Casino including tribal events
and regular meetings with Tribal Council. Public Relations
is one of the first contacts for tribal employees who may
have questions about Spirit Mountain's policies and
procedures. Future articles will cover the three other
key principles of the Tribe's mission.