FEBRUARY 1, 2000
PUBLIC
INFORMATION
OFFICE
9615 Grand Ronde Road
Grand Ronde, OR 97347
1-800-422-0232
Fax:(503)879-2173
TRACY DUGAN
Public Information, Director
Smoke Signals, Editor
879-2254
tracy.dugangrandronde.org
KIM MUELLER
Graphics and Design
879-2264
kim.muellergrandronde.org
BRENT MERRILL
Staff Writer
879-2321
brent.merrillgrandronde.org
JUSTIN PHILLIPS
Program Support
879-2190
justin.phillipsgrandronde.org
Members of:
Native American Journalist Association
Society of News Design
Associated Press
SND
ass
DEADLINE DATE ISSUE DATE
Frl.,Feb.4 FEBRUARY 15
Frl.,Feb.l8 MARCH 1
Frl., March 3 .. MARCH 15
Mon., March 20 APRIL 1
Wed., April 5 APRIL 15
Thurs., April 20 MAY1
Frl., May 5 MAY 15
Frl.,Mayl9 JUNE1
Mon., June 5. JUNE 15
Tues.,June20 JULY1
Wed.,July5 JULY 15
Thurs., July 20 AUGUST 1
Frl., August 4 AUGUST 15
Mon., August 21 SEPTEMBER 1
Tues., Sept. 5 SEPTEMBER 15
Wed., Sept. 20 OCTOBER 1
Thurs., Oct. 5 OCTOBER 15
Frl., Oct. 20 NOVEMBER 1
Frl., Nov. 3 NOVEMBER 15
Frl., Nov. 17 DECEMBER 1
Tues., Dec. 5 DECEMBER 15
Wed., Dec. 20 JANUARY 1
Submissions must reach the Public Information
Office by the deadline dates listed. Please let us
know ahead of time if you will be sending a submis
sion so we can reserve a spot In the layout of the
paper.
B It Is very helpful if you e-mail or supply your
submission on disk (include file name and program
used).
Smoke Signals format:
All copy and headlines in upper and lower case, and
double space after punctuation.
5 Printed on recycled paper.
Dear Editor:
I would like to thank Bryan Langley of the Grand
Ronde Housing program for getting me on the right
track in buying my dream home, and helping me
get into classes at Mortgage Market Co.
It was there that I got to meet Vince Ventura
and his assistant, Carey, who recently assisted me
in obtaining a loan to purchase my home.
Jennine Goldblock of Prudential Real Estate was
my agent. After looking at several homes with
her I decided to start the process of qualifying for
tribal down payment and securing a loan.
During the process, we hit a snag. Two days
before we were to close the deal on our home, we
needed to come up with $2,300. I called Vince
immediately and within several hours he, Carey,
and Jennine had a solution.
Now, I celebrate my home ownership and the
help and generosity of these people, who truly
made my Christmas the greatest Christmas ever
for me.
Not only that, but I am also now a proud foster
parent through the Tribe's Indian Child Welfare
program. I thank everyone for giving me this
chance to make all of my dreams come true.
Dorothy Ann Spivey
Roll 2473
To Human Resources staff and Tribal Council,
I would like to thank the Human Resources staff
for the framed Service Award certificate and the
Tribal Council for the pendleton blanket I received
at the Service Award Ceremony on January 12,
2000. I never dreamed when I came home to work
for the Tribe in 1989 that this would happen.
When I began working for the Tribe, I worked
in the Executive Office and with the Tribal Coun
cil. I have worked with the Legal department as
a Legal Assistant and Tribal Court as a Deputy
Court Clerk. Now, working in the Finance office
I have the opportunity to work with staff through
out the organization.
There have been so many changes and we have
grown so much that it is sometimes hard for people
new to the Tribal organization to understand the
feeling of seeing our 'dreams' of a clinic and head
quarters office come true.
We have gone through good times and some
rough spots, but we always worked together to
reach our goals and I pray we always will. It has
been said that "the greatest honor one can receive
is to be recognized by your own people." I have
had the unique opportunity to work with many
people over the years, that this means more to me
than you can imagine.
Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Dakota Whitecloud
Dear Editor,
We would like to thank Carrie Murray Aaron
for helping us during the holidays. Words can't
define the holiday season we have encountered
with the kind help of her and her department.
Thank you! You are a very sweet and special person!
Genene Fay, Whitney, Sylvia,
McKenna, and Samantha
Dear Editor,
I would like to send out a special thank you to
Karen Peters on behalf of the veterans and the
Tribe for her donation in Mark Cook's name to
ward the Veterans Memorial. The Grand Ronde
veterans and Cook family greatly appreciate the
donation.
Karen and her husband, Ray, were looking for
some way to acknowledge Mark's life and to let
Tammy and everyone know they are thinking of
them.
Thank you again Karen and Ray.
Marce Norwest
Veterans Committee Chairman
i
. y
ttv Lowu Memory
Arthelia Mae Clark
Letter of Thanks
It is with a heavy
heart that I have come
to perform this impor
tant task on behalf of
the passing of my
mother, Arthelia Mae
Holmes (Clark) on
Christmas Day of 1999.
This shall be a day that
will always be regarded with much reflection by
all who knew and loved her.
Her youngest son John and his youngest daugh
ter Racheal were in her company at the moment
of passing for which I can only be eternally grate
ful to both for.
Mom had been a cancer survivor of 21 years, a
sinus cancer which left her physically scarred but
her spirit strong. She loved her family and her
grandchildren were always important to her.
She kept her house well up until a couple of years
ago when she started having many strokes. Yet
in her heart, I know she lived her life as her Mas
ter deemed her to. I know she has earned her
place in the peaceful garden of God's house along
with family long missed.
Among many who attended her memorial on the
day she was also wed to dad 47 years ago, I wish
to thank one lady in particular. One of her most
steadfast friends from childhood always came to
visit her and was in attendance Mrs. Jone Bele
Bainter.
She always looked forward to seeing you and
your Avon. You have no idea of the value of your
presence when you came and administered to her
in your special way. We should all be as blessed
to have at least one friend who would do as much
as you did for her. May you have all of the bless
ings due you and your family. She spoke at great
length of you and your time with her as you grew
up in the community long ago.
To Kathryn Harrison, I personally thank you
for your visits when you had the time to stop in
and speak with her as an old friend. She spoke
highly of you as in the early days of restoration
time was marked by your willingness to speak out
and make your plight known to the public at large.
To those of the tribal staff and the Elders, thank
you for your thoughts and prayers. She also grew
up with many of you and spoke of those times long
gone, now you must go on to bring better life stan
dards to those remaining in all families.
To all the family and friends who came and
walked up the hill to witness the special ceremony
heralded by one of her grandsons, Bobby Allan
Mercier, whom Grandfather aptly named "Bear
Tracks." On this day you walked with the tracks
of the great bear for you have the medicine of your
great-grandfather David Holmes. Thank you for
the blessing ceremony of her home and at the
graveside with your chosen friends who assisted
you in the drum ceremony. Your task was diffi
cult but very much appreciated by your uncles and
your mother, Arlettia. To you of the Drum, many
thanks and blessings upon you and your heirs in
eons to come. You and the pallbearers will be re
membered. Last but not least, to the ladies of the Alter Soci
ety of St. Michael's Catholic Church, many thanks
for your kindness and service to the family and
friends of Mom. May you all continue to enjoy the
many colored and varied blessings of this life.
You're earning your place in the Garden of Life
with all that you do. To Father Neuville, thank
you for the precious service that you performed
and the grace and manner of the ceremony. You
blended the ancient with the new and made the
ceremony a thing to remember for all of the young
and old of the family and the community.
Now, thank you to all, seen and unseen, for hav
ing you there to fill the small church was indeed a
testament to the life of this one woman of the Tribe.
Father Neuville, I too was pleased as I saw the
smile land on your face as you commented on the
act. May the Creator of all bless each according to
His will.
David Lewis Clark