NOVEMBER 15, 2001
Smoke Signals 7
Culverts
Replaced on
Reservation
Roads
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Photos by Justin Phillips
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TheTribe'sNatural Resourcesdepartmentisfund
ing the replacement of this culvert four miles up
Agency Creek. The Kuri Creek culvert will be 63
feet long and nearly 10 feet wide when completed.
Timber and Roads Coordinator Jeff Kuust designed
the culvert and oversaw the work being done on
the replacement project. Tribal member Mark Mer
cier is pictured here getting the project underway.
-4 This recently completed culvert is eight feet high
and 58 feet long.
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This massive 90-foot culvert is made up of more
than 80 pieces of galvanized steel each weighing between 500 and 900 pounds. The culvert is located one
mile up Agency and will accommodate a 120,000 pound log truck.
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Floy's New Toy - Floy Pepper, the mother
of the late Jim Pepper, made the trip to Grand
Ronde for the tribute concert. Pepper was hon
ored with a Tribal logo blanket the evening's
vocalist Gordon Lee helps Pepper try on the new
blanket.
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Walk This Way Tribal member and Marine Corp. Veteran Steve Bobb will walk from Table Rock
in southern Oregon to Grand Ronde in late February of 2002. Bobb and his wife Connie attended the
Hollis Taylor conceit along with other members of the Veteran's Memorial Ad Hoc Committee to help out
with the event. Connie will be taking time off from work to provide support for Steve's trip. Anyone
interested in making a pledge may contact the Tribe's Public Information office at 503-879-2321.
Despite Taylor's virtuoso demonstration, we
couldn't forget that yes, this event was one for
the Pepper's. And after Floy Pepper delivered a
touching eulogy on behalf of her son, the band
finished the evening off with rousing renditions
of five of Pepper's memorable tunes.
Lee stepped in to sing, or chant, if you will, to
"Remembrance," one of Pepper's later composi
tions, and "Comin' and Goin.'"
"Custer Gets It," before which Lee confessed
that some of his ancestors were part of the
General's unfortunate troupe, featured musical
charges and retreats. "Lakota Song," based on
a song Lakota women would sing to their war
bound men, preceded the finale of "Witchie Tai
To," to some Pepper's greatest contribution to
jazz.
"Of all the musicians I've played with, Jim prob
ably had the most original vision of any of them,"
said Lee, in between songs. "His heritage was
truly compelling."
Few would disagree after this concert.
Yet the evening belonged to philanthropy as
well. Besides being a fundraiser for the Grand
Ronde Veterans' Memorial, proceeds from Jim
Pepper CD sales would go towards the Jim Pep
per Scholarship Fund.
The night would also serve as springboard for
another charitable endeavor. Vietnam Veteran
Steve Bobb and Smoke Signals Editor Brent
Merrill announced their plans to walk from
Table Rock in southern Oregon to Grand Ronde,
a span of roughly 265 miles along a similar route
that Tribal ancestors marched when forcibly re
located by the U.S. Government in the 19th cen
tury.. "We want this memorial to be a place of re
spect, a place of reverence," Merrill said. "Ca
sino dollars aren't paying for this. We are."
February 23 looms as their start date, the ex
act same day the original walk began. Merrill
and Bobb announced they were accepting pledges
per mile, all going to the Veterans' Memorial.
And maybe the subtlest success of October 26
was luring newcomers to Grand Ronde, many
of them from Portland.
One couple drove from Dallas, acknowledging
that aside from Spirit Mountain Casino, they
didn't know much about Grand Ronde.
"Wow. This was incredible, we didn't know
they had all this out here," a young woman said.
"And it's so nice to see a concert not in a smoke
filled room."
One pair of couples made the two-hour drive
from Portland.
"I met Jim Pepper many years ago," one lady
said. "Somebody told me not to go see him. They
said an Indian playing jazz 'that's bad,' which
made me want to go more. I saw him at the
Pine Street Theater. I'm glad I did." B