Smoke Signals
4
Dear Editor:
I would like to express to the Tribal Council our appreciation for the em
ployment opportunities provided through the casino.
As a tribal member employee, I would like the Council to know that I sup
port the management and uphold the policies and procedures that have made
us the 1 casino in Oregon. As a proud tribal member I expect to be treated
like any other Spirit Mountain employee, and recognize the value of the
internal mechanisms to deal with disputes and employment issues. The
Council's role in the casino is overseeing and strategic direction, rather than
running the day to day operations.
Please consider your current involvement with casino employment issues
carefully as they affect all of us. Each of us has a commitment to this orga
nization and a great deal of pride in our role in Spirit Mountain Casino.
Council interference in employment matters affects our ability to work effec
tively with management and our co-workers here at the casino. Please allow
Spirit Mountain's directors, managers, supervisors, and staff to do the job
they were hired for. Please allow the grievance process, and the Internal
Review Board systems, (all developed with employee involvement), to re
solve individual employment matters.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to this message, and thank you for
your role in making Spirit Mountain Casino the 1 tourist attraction in the
Pacific Northwest.
J. Ken Gregg
Roll 208
Dear Editor:
In looking back over the year 1999, 1 note with great pride the monumen
tal tasks that have been performed by our Tribal Council with the support of
the general membership of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
Our Elder housing is progressing rapidly. New homes continue to arrive at
Grand Meadows. Landscaping activities have taken place at the Grand Ronde
Health and Wellness Center, Governance Center, Natural Resources facil
ity, and the pow-wow grounds. The Community Center remodeling has taken
place. The Cultural Area was approved, signs put up, and picnic tables, a
barbecue pit, and arbor built. Paving improvements were completed in sev
eral areas.
Our members' services continue to expand and more people are being served.
We have held General Council meetings in our beautiful Governance Center
and there is room for all who wish to attend.
We were able to expand educational opportunities for tribal members. It is
with education that our tribe will continue to enjoy growth and prosperity.
Our Spirit Mountain Casino was voted the 1 attraction for the Northwest
an accomplishment we can appreciate.
We, of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, can express our thanks for
the blessings we have and will continue to work for in the next millennium.
We appreciate those outside of our community, who continue to help the sur
vival of our tribal identity.
Sincerely,
Claudette Velma May Parazoo
Roll 2923
Dear Editor,
The following is information for the tribal members who are interested in
tracing the Pepin dit LaChance family history. This letter concerns Pierre
Pepin's mother, Catherine Gendron. If you go to the Internet and type in
the following address: Httpiwww.genforum.com, you will go to a geneal
ogy site that you can check out all the different family surnames you want to
research. In the search box at GenForum, type in the surname of Pepin or
Gendron and you will find the names and e-mail addresses of many genealo
gists from all over the world who are searching for information on the same
family name as you are. You can post a question you have or write to them
personally. You can read the queries they have. Through GenForum, I was
able to meet three cousins who have been so helpful and sharing. They
have the Catherine Gendron family back to France in the 1600s. The
GenForum site is free and fun to visit.
Another web site to visit is http:www.ancestory.com.
At this site, you can visit as a guest without paying for it, or you can sub
scribe to it. You can conduct a search for the name you are looking for by
typing the name in the search box.
If you have any questions or problems, feel free to write to me and I'll try to
help.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Jameson, Roll 883
4255 Thomas Road, Freeland, MI 48623
jamesonrmindnet.org
SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of
Oregon, is published twice a month. We have established an Editorial Policy to encourage input from
readers about stories printed In SMOKE SIGNALS, and other tribal issues. However, all letters must
be received at the newspaper office with author's signature, address, and phone number in order to be
considered for publication. SMOKE SIGNALS reserves the right to edit any letter for clarity and
length, and to refuse publication of any letter or any part of a letter that may contain libelous state
ments or personal attacks. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Published
letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, tribal employees, or Tribal
Council.
5:00 p.m. Meeting called to order by Kathryn Harrison, Tribal Council
Chair. All Council was present.
Ed Pearsall moved, Bob Mercier seconded to approve the previous Novem
ber 3, 1999 Tribal Council meeting minutes as submitted. Motion carried.
LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE
O Request Application for P.L. 477. Bob Haller moved, June Sell-Sherer
seconded to approve the development of a plan for using P.L. 477 in Commu
nity Resources Division (CRD), combining employment, emergency assistance
and general assistance. Motion Carried by a vote of 7-0-1. Reynold L. Leno
abstained.
TRIBAL GOVERNMENT, MANAGEMENT &
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE
D Commission on Indian Services Delegate (CIS). Val Grout moved,
June Sell-Sherer seconded to adopt Resolution No. 135-99 appointing Ed
Pearsall as the official representative for the Tribe to the Legislative Com
mission on Indian Services and to request that the Senate President and
Speaker of the House of the Oregon State Legislative Assembly to ratify this
appointment. Motion carried 7-0-1. Ed Pearsall abstained.
Q Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Government (MWVCOG) Del
egate. Bob Mercier moved, Bob Haller seconded to adopt Resolution No.
136-99 appointing Earl "Butch" LaBonte as delegate to the Mid-Willamette
Valley Council of Governments Board of Directors. Motion carried 7-0-1.
Butch LaBonte abstained.
fl Spirit Mountain Community Fund Delegate. Val Grout moved, Ed
Larsen seconded to adopt Resolution No. 137-99 appointing June Sell
Sherer to the Board of Trustees of the Spirit Mountain Community Fund.
Motion carried 7-0-1. June Sell-Sherer abstained.
D Per Capita Distribution. Bob Haller moved, Bob Mercier seconded to
adopt Resolution No. 138-99 declaring December 15, 1999, as the Pay
ment Date for purposes of per capita distribution. Motion carried 8-0-0.
D Withdraw of Petition for Self-Regulation of Class II Gaming. Ed
Pearsall moved, Val Grout seconded to adopt Resolution No. 139-99 with
drawing the petition for self-regulation until the Tribe determines that it
meets all the National Indian Gaming Commission's requirements for ap-1
proval. Motion carried 8-0-0.
D Restoration CY1999 Budget. Butch LaBonte moved, Bob Mercier sec
onded to approve the proposed budget of $4,000 as presented by the Royalty
Advisory Board for the CTGR Restoration Celebration scheduled for Sunday,
November 21, 1999 at the Grand Ronde Elementary School. Motion carried
8-0-0.
0 Portland State University (PSU) Institute of Tribal Governance
Donation. Ed Pearsall moved, June Sell-Sherer seconded to contribute
$5,000 to Portland State University Planning grant to establish the Institute
of Tribal Governance. Motion carried 8-0-0.
D Lincoln County Shrine Club Donation. Val Grout moved, Ed Larsen
seconded to approve a donation of $600 towards sponsorship of 150 special
children to attend "A Holiday Winter Carnival'' as presented by "The Tears
for Joy Theatre" on Wednesday, December 16, 1999 at the Newport Perform
ing Arts Center. Tickets will be given to Grand Ronde families also. Motion
carried 8-0-0.
D Tina Miller Teen Center Fundraisers Donation. Bob Haller moved,
June Sell-Sherer seconded to approve a donation of $100 toward the fund
raising efforts of the Tina Miller Teen Center as brought forward by Tribal
member, Diane Lane. Motion carried 8-0-0.
fl Youth Activities Donations. Ed Larsen moved, Bob Mercier seconded
to approve a $300 donation to: 1) Willamina High School Wrestling; 2) Nique
Olson; 3) Kristy DeLoe; and 4) Joseph Linton for support of miscellaneous
youth activities. Permanent policies for future requests will be developed by
Chris Leno, Deputy Operations Manager and then brought forward to the
Tribal Council for final approval. Discussion followed. Motion carried 7-0-1.
Val Grout abstained.
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