February 1, 1998
3
Local
Area Service Integration Team
helps out during holiday season
By Kim Mueller
The Grand Ronde Service Integration Team held its first meeting of the new
year on January 22. Most of the discussion focused on all the heartwarming
activities that took place in December:
Shop with the Sheriff. This second annual event, which brings together
children and law enforcement officers in a positive shopping experience, was
as successful as the first year. Thirty-eight students from Grand Ronde El
ementary School (GRES) were chosen to participate with off duty, yet in uni
form, Polk County Sheriff Deputies and SALT volunteers.
Toy and Joy Makers donation. This Portland-based organization which
donates toys to children who would otherwise not receive Christmas pre
sents, received a $50,000 Community Fund grant from Spirit Mountain Ca
sino. Out of generosity, they gave back to the Grand Ronde community by
donating a truckload of toys to GRES, which local volunteers and teachers
gave to families in need.
Grand Ronde Food Bank. Holiday food boxes were delivered to 43 house
holds (tribal and non-tribal) in Grand Ronde, Willamina, and Sheridan.
The local Food Bank has existed for many years based out of the United
Methodist Church in Grand Ronde. However, the Service Integration Team
in cooperation with the existing Food Bank and Tribal Council is discussing
the possibility of extending services and availability within this coming year.
If anyone is interested in participating in this planning process, please contact
Nancy Holmes at 879-2401 or Gretchen Bennett at (503) 623-9317, ext. 426.
Grand Ronde After School Sports. Basketball practice began in Decem
ber and will run through February. The response has expressed a well needed
program, which is helping the students of GRES with the fundamentals of
sports and filling a void in the after school hours. The program now has a
practium student to organize and to continue with its success.
Service Integration meets at 2 p.m. on the first and third Thursday at GRES.
The mission of this team is to promote healthy families, coordinate services,
and keep children' in school.
RecentCouncilactions:January14,1998
The meeting was called to order at
5:05 p.m. Val Grout and Bob Mer
cier were excused, all others were
present.
The Government, Management,
and Budget Subcommittee recom
mended the Tribe contribute to Tom
Bunn's campaign. Ed Pearsall
moved, Chip Tom seconded a mo
tion to contribute $5,000 to Bunn's
campaign. The motion carried by a
vote of 5-0-0.
The Timber Committee recom
mended to Council that they appoint
Merle Holmes and Jerry George to
serve as members of the committee.
Mark Mercier moved, Ed Pearsall
seconded a motion to approve these
two individuals to serve. The mo
tion carried by a vote of 6-0-0. (Mar
garet Provost arrived from a previ
ous engagement.)
Shelley Hanson, from Spirit Moun
tain Gaming, Inc. financial depart
ment, asked Council to approve the
purchase of some real estate in
Redmond, Or. This purchase is con
tingent upon approval by Spirit
Mountain Board of Directors. The
property would be used for a retail
center, similar to the property in Sa
lem that the Tribe recently purchased.
Ed Pearsall moved, Chip Tom sec
onded a motion to adopt Resolution
Number 001-98, approving the pur
chase. The motion carried by a vote
of 5-0-1. The abstention was made
by Mark Mercier. (NOTE: This pur
chase has recently been put on hold.)
Announcements: The Tribe is now
a voting member of the Council of
Governments and have asked Mark
Mercier to serve on the Executive
Committee. The consensus was to
approve Mark serving. Mark also
attended a Department of Public
Safety and Standards training. The
department would like citizen input
on this program and encourages
those interested to attend. They meet
once per month in Monmouth.
Council consensus was to contrib
ute $100 to the Gathering of Nations
Pow-wow in Albuquerque, NM.
Grand Ronde Veteran's Royalty will
attend on behalf of the Tribe.
The tribal basketball team requested
$90 to enter a tournament. There are
four tribal members on the team.
Council consensus was to approve
the request.
Tribal member Ron Haller asked if
there was any limit on how much
money the Tribe is willing to invest.
Ed Pearsall stated that the Tribe has
set aside $14 million for investments.
The Council Chair adjorned the
meeting at 5:40 p.m.
Driving tips for freezing weather Labor trends show wage increases
There's a few more weeks of win
ter left, so here's some safety sug
gestions from the Yamhill County
Sheriffs Office.
Headlights on for safety: Low
beams only. Lights are necessary so
that you can see, and that you may
be seen by other drivers. Dense fog
refracts light, so nothing can be ac
complished by driving with your
brights on.
Slow down: Your car travels at 88
feet per second when driving at 55
miles per hour. If there is only a 100
foot visibility due to fog, you will not
see the car in front of you until it is
too late to brake.
Beware of freezing fog: Ground
fog contains a fine mist of water, and
when it contacts rural roads during
freezing nights, it will become ice.
That ice stays invisible until the driv
ers in the morning hours discover it.
Carry chains: Be sure your tires
meet requirements for approved trac
tion devices. Also carry warm, bright
colored clothing and boots in the
trunk of your car, in case you need
to install chains.
Watch out for other vehicles: Give
snow plows and trucks plenty of
room. Remember that if a road is
closed, alternate routes may have
heavy traffic. Keep your speed at a
safe and manageable level.
Always monitor news and weather
reports, so you'll be prepared and
know what to expect on the roads.
Stay warm safely this winter
Never use an extension cord with a space heater, it increases the risk of fire.
A gas range or oven cannot be used to heat a living area; they can produce
deadly levels of carbon monoxide.
Keep trash and combustible storage away from your furnace or heating
system; have your furnace checked regularly by a qualified expert.
Do not attempt to thaw frozen pipes with an open flame; use hot water or
warm towels. Keep windows and doors secure from cold drafts to protect
inside pipes near walls.
Dress warmly in layers. Always wear a hat. Keep clothing dry. Mittens
keep hands warmer than fingered gloves.
Drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages. Alcohol causes the body to lose
heat more rapidly.
Avoid overexertion in cold weather; this adds strain on the heart.
Check on neighbors, friends and loved ones. Make sure they have enough
heat and food.
The importance of education is
clear when considering the region's
new jobs. Half the overall job growth
is expected in occupations requiring
short to moderate length on-the-job
training, just under 80 percent of
these jobs are in occupations with an
average wage under $23,000 per
year. However, over two-thirds of
the nearly 50,000 projected new high
wage jobs are in occupations that re
quire an associate's degree or higher
levels of education. In fact, more
than 60 percent of the new jobs are
projected to be in occupations requir
ing a bachelor's or higher level of
education. More than 87 percent of
the projected new jobs requiring a
bachelor's degree or higher level of
education will be in occupations with
an average wage exceeding $33,000
per year. The average annual cov
ered wage for the six county service
area in 1996 is as follows:
Marion $24,057
Multnomah $30,632
Polk $21,112
Tillamook $20,018
Washington $32,764
Yamhill $23,555
The wages increased between 2.1
percent for Yamhill County to 5.6
percent for Multnomah County.
Overall, Oregon's annual covered
wage for 1996 is $27,027, an increase
of 4.6 percent since 1995.
Thinking about quitting smoking?
"Fresh Start,'' a series of how to quit classes are being offered at the Clinic
to support your decision. These free classes meet one hour a week for four
sessions, and are starting continuously. If you are interested in quitting, please
call Linda Mann at the Dental Clinic at 879-2023.
Mark your calendar for these Grand Ronde summer events: