June 17, 1997
SMOKE SIGNALS
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By Sergeant Jeff Van Laanen
Summer is here. Our schools have let out for the
summer break, and many of us will be taking a well
earned vacation. It is often during this time of year
that burglary and theft rates rise. Past articles have
promoted the values of Neighborhood Watch programs
and have hinted about home security. I would like to
take this opportunity to provide you with some spe
cific, valuable tools that will better help you secure
your home and your valuables.
First, I must reiterate the value of the Neighborhood
Watch program. In my opinion, no other single pre
vention tactic is more valuable, or more successful in
the prevention of burglaries and the apprehension of
burglary suspects than a good watch program. Any
one wishing to start such a program should contact
their local law enforcement agency or Deputy Paul
Box of the Polk County Sheriffs Office for assistance
and information.
There are many things a responsible citizen can do
alone, or in combination with a local watch program,
that will greatly reduce the chances of being a victim
of a burglary. Most burglars are not rocket scientists,
but they are smart enough to tell when you are not at
home and they will take advantage of a home with
weak security measures.
j In most cases a burglar will select his targets with
an eye towards the easiest, safest, and most profitable
locations. After all, if a burglar was willing to do hard
work, he would have a real job and not work as a thief.
HERE ARE SOME IDEAS
TO HELP MAKE YOUR HOME A
"RISKY BREAK-IN" FOR A BURGLAR:
Never announce to a thief that you are not home.
Leave lights and a radio on timers while you are away.
Arrange to have your mail and newspapers stopped or
picked up by a trusted neighbor. Ideally you should
have that trusted neighbor visit your home daily and
alternate turning on lights and opening the drapes or
blinds. Let them park a vehicle in your driveway and
ask them to tend to your lawn while you are away.
Then do the same for your neighbor when they need
you.
Solidly secure your home. Doors should be solid
wood or steel, without thin panels or glass. Effective
locks are a must deadbolt or cylinder locks are rec
ommended for all outside doors. Don't forget your
windows and sliding glass doors! Your local hard
ware store has many locking devices designed to se
cure all types of windows and openings. And always
use the locks. Too many times I have taken burglary
reports where the point of entry had a good, solid lock
that was left unlocked by the home owner. Also, con
trol your keys. Keys should never be "hidden" out
side the home (we all know where you hide them),
and never loan your keys to casual acquaintances.
Locks should be changed when keys are lost or when
moving into a previously occupied home. Alarm sys
tems can be valuable deterrents.
Mark your property and secure your valuables.
Burglars steal items that can be sold for cash or traded.
All "high theft" items (T.V., VCR, stereo, etc) should
be permanently marked with you driver's license num
ber. An engraving tool is recommended and the loca
tion of the mark should be non-removable.
Donna Breneman leaves the Clinic to
pursue missionary work in Africa
By Tracy Dugan
If you recently received a letter in the mail informing
you that you should pick a new primary health care pro
vider, it's because Nurse Practitioner Donna Breneman has
left the Tribal Clinic to pursue her dream of working as a
missionary for her church. Last fall Donna had the oppor
tunity to travel to Kenya, Africa on behalf of her church,
and stay for three weeks. She loved it so much, she now
wants to make a commitment to go back for three years,
and that of course will mean leaving the Tribe.
While visiting Kenya, Donna said that she could see many
of the people were badly in need of health care, and she
believes her background in medicine could benefit the
Kenyan peoples.
"The diseases there are things we in America don't think
about like Typhoid and Malaria," she said. The water is
just not safe to drink without boiling it first, but many of
the people don't do that."
Donna said that there are very few physicians and hospi
tals, and most people don't go to the doctor anyway.
"We are so spoiled here. We go to the doctor to get
medicine for a cold, and these people have to stay at home
even when a life-threatening illness occurs," she said.
Donna said she found the people of Kenya to be warm
and generous, and also very proud. She visited with folks
from the cities as well as the villages, and was greeted with
good food and conversation by those who welcomed her
into their homes. .
HELPFUL JOB HINTS
WORKFORCE FACTS
BOregon bucks the national trend with continued manu
facturing growth. High technology industries are leading
the way.
BMost new jobs between now and 2005 will be in the ser
vice producing sector.
BProfessionaltechnical and service occupations will add
the most jobs.
BBlue collar jobs in construction, transportation, and pro
duction are also growing.
BThe fastest growing occupation in the state is semicon
ductor processor.
HOW TO CHOOSE A CAREER
BAPTITUDES AND ABILITIES are things that you natu
rally do well. People who work in a job where they have
the necessary aptitudes and abilities will usually enjoy their
work and advance in the career field.
BVALUES AND ATTITUDES are formed early in life.
If you value a paycheck you must also have a positive atti
tude about showing up on time for work and being produc
tive. Bad attitudes are one of the major reasons people get
fired from jobs.
BPHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Every job requires specific skills andor education to ac
complish the required tasks. In addition to skills and edu
cation there are certain physical requirements for each job.
If you would like more information on obtaining a job
in your area or choosing a career contact:
SHEILA ELLIOTT Employment and Training Coun
selorJOBS program 879-2024 or 1-800-242-8196
CONNIE HOLMES Employment Coordinator
879-2267 or 1-800-422-0232.
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The Tribe and the Health and Human Services Divi
sion gave Donna a Pendleton blanket in apprecia
tion of the health care she provided to tribal mem
bers during the past couple of years.
Wanted:
a few good workers,
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Do you:
Enjoy working with people?
Like to Smile?
Have good customer service skills?
Want to earn an income?
Know why the coyote is jumping
over the mountain?
Spirit Mountain Casino is looking for qualified appli
cants to apply for positions with Spirit Mountain Ca
sino. If you like to smile and have excellent customer
service skills, you may apply at the Human Resources
building at 28840 SW Salmon River Highway in Grand
Ronde. Tribal members can call Sarah Harvey or Camille
Mcrcier at 1-800-760-7977 to schedule a screening ap
pointment. Tribal members can also request the job
postings in the mail by calling Camille or Sarah at Spirit
Mountain Casino.
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