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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2001)
MARCH 1, 2001 Smoke Signals 3 ALL "GRAND RONDE Vote for New Water Association Board Members on March 8 Since the effort toward restoring the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde began, we have been a Tribe that has placed emphasis not only on re establishing our identity, but also in revitalizing the community in which we live. We are facing complex issues regarding water and infrastructure in our area. We need your help to support community members that are will ing to take a responsible role in finding solutions for the future of our com munity. So come out and vote for new Water Association Board members at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 at the Grand Ronde Elementary School. We want to invite you to a lasagna dinner just before the election on March 8th, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Grand Ronde Community Center. Please come as our guest to enjoy a meal and visit with the candidates that will help guide our future. Shuttle service from the Community Center to the El ementary School will be available. 0 RESPONSIBLE GROWTH As our community continues to grow and Tribal members return home, we have a responsibility to contrib ute to the infrastructure for the Grand Ronde area. As the largest employer in the area we also recognize the need to find creative solutions to accommo date sustainable growth. 0 HISTORY The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde have worked very hard over the past 20-plus years to create a solid community envi ronment in Grand Ronde. These are lands the Tribe has developed a great affinity for over the years, and has always been a place of history, culture and tradition. 0 COMMUNITY The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com munity of Oregon have always believed in a strong community. A community that provides for all of its citizens and works in partnership with local governments and all constituencies in a unified effort for problem solv ing and for providing services necessary to the area. 0 EDUCATION As our community continues to grow, we need to be able to provide ample services for our future children, both Tribal and non-Tribal. We need to contribute to the building blocks of our community and that is done through providing essential education services to the chil dren living in and around the Grand Ronde area. 0 HOUSING As the need for housing within the Grand Ronde com-, munity continues to rise, we need to tackle complex problems about fulfilling the need for water and infrastructure in the area. We need to estab lish leaders in our area that are willing to face these complex problems, and roll up their sleeves to work hard to find solutions for the entire community. 0 PARTNERSHIP The Tribe recognizes its obligation to be an active partner in managing growth in our community. Tribal contributions to the Grand Ronde Community Water Association have reached nearly $4 million dollars to date. These contributions include construction of a 500,000 gallon storage reservoir, installation of 2,400 feet of 8-inch water main and tank improvements to the Rowell Creek reservoir system, installation of over three miles of needed 12-inch transmission main, fire hydrants and spring improvements. It is worth noting that prior to these improvements, the com munity was facing a complete development moratorium due to lack of stor age and there was virtually no fire fighting capabilities. Wew Education! Building 001 the Works 'l "' Adult Education Head Start 1 Preschool 1 Youth nftClkV SvV Governance Center Educatto SJr Grounds X.7T GymnasiumVV. ' c , Auditorium yJ Ji1 Health Clinic 1 By Chris Mercier For Education Manager Marion Mercier, this project has been a long time coming. "You know, I'd say since 1993 we've been talking about getting a new education building," she said. "I'm happy for this." April looms as the probable start date for construction of the Tribe's latest architectural advent, a nearly 25,000 square foot complex consist ing of four buildings. Including site work, infrastructure and furnish ings, the total project will cost ap proximately $6.8 million. The layout will sport four struc tures of various sizes. Youth Educa tion will have a nearly 3,800 square foot building. A second, nearly 6,500 square foot building, will house the Tribe's Preschool and Head Start programs. The third will house Adult Education, a roughly 11,500 square foot building, with a library and classrooms. Plans for three buildings have been in the works since Tribal Council ap proved the project in late 2000. The project expanded in January when council approved a fourth building. The addition of a 13,000 square foot GymnasiumAuditorium may delay the start date, yet sources are opti mistic site work will begin this spring. Eric Scott, Director of Public Works, noted that consideration was given to moving forward with the original plans of the first three buildings, and simply beginning the fourth under a separate time frame. But ulti mately, it would be more cost-effective to include the architectural and engineering design and site work for the Gymnasium along with the other Education buildings. Scott, like Mercier, is genuinely ex cited, as the project has been a true collaborative effort, involving archi tects, the Education department, and of course the Public Works department. "This is definitely a team effort," Scott said. "It reflects everyone's input." If everything goes according to plan, that collective input will spawn some eclectic results. Scott hopes for designs that would be "in harmony with cultural functions," structures that are spacious, earthy, and above all unique. The design team envi sions cedar siding, earth tones and timber posts. The interiors will fea ture "Earth Smart" design concepts such as natural day lighting, wood products from certified sustainable forests, materials made from recycled products, and energy efficient heat ing and mechanical systems. And on the exterior of the Adult Education building, one wall will be left bare for a Native artist to get creative. The complex will be located across from the Tribal Governance Center so as to preserve the large common space used for pow-wows, rodeo and other events. The parking lot, when finished will provide 120 spaces that can be used for other cultural events. The Gym nasium likewise will be a multipur pose facility available for use by all Tribal programs and functions. "You've got to like the value that Council and Tribal membership as a whole place on education," Scott said. Mercier concurred. "We need to recognize Tribal Council's generosity," she said. Tribal Council member Ed Pears all expressed similar sentiments. "This is the most important thing we've done in recent years," he said. "It will make a difference in people's lives for years to come." Pearsall has spent seven years as the Council liaison for the Education Committee, and even after this, he said, education will continue to be a priority for the Tribe. "I think it's safe to say this shows the commitment Council's making toward the Tribe's future," said Pearsall.
