6 DECEMBER 15, 2003
Smoke Signals
O Tribe accomplishes many goals throughout the
year. Veterans' Memorial dedicated, 20 years of
Restoration celebrated and new housing opened.
By Ron Karten
In January, the Health Clinic under nutrition
ist Darci Trego started the 10,000 Steps Walk
ing Program. The educational piece was aimed
at helping people understand why it's a good
thing to walk as much as five miles a day.
"Me and the pedometer went all over," said
Dental Assistant Donnette Spalding, who lost
seven pounds and lowered her cholesterol read
ing while on the program.
Dental Hygienist Linda Mann, also a dedicated
10,000-stepper, won an "Award of Distinction"
from GUM Brand and RDH Magazine recogniz
ing hygienists who "achieve high levels of excel
lence and help their patients lead healthier lives
with their approaches to patient education. . . and
community health."
Casino employee Kathleen Salleng's daugh
ter Danyel Leach fought off brain cancer with a
number of operations during the year, and at
years end, she was doing "pretty good," said
Danyel. She was scheduled for cosmetic sur
gery after the first of the year.
Tribal member Amanda Jones Schulte learned
she needed a heart-lung transplant this year,
and began raising
money for the many
extras not paid by in
surance. Willie Nelson and
Crystal Gayle per
formed at the casino.
m 1 1 l t
l rioal memoer dan
Michael Reibach re
leased his first CD of
Native flute music,
followed quickly by
other similar CDs.
Spirit Mountain
Casino, with a grant
of $3,000, purchased
amateur radio emer
gency service compo
nents that will make
the casino the hub of
communications in
the area in the event
of a disaster that ei
ther cuts down or
ties up traditional
communications systems.
Ted Kulongoski was inaugurated as Oregon's
44th governor.
A Successful Fight Night III at the Portland
Rose Garden, funded in part by the Spirit Moun
tain Casino, sig
naled more fights
ahead for the Rose
City.
The Spirit Moun
tain Community
Fund celebrated
$20 million of giving
this year with a big
gala at the Portland
Art Museum, an im
portant recipient of
the Fund's generos
ity. This year's gifts
exceeded $4.5 mil
lion to 123 grant re
cipients. Among
them were Oregon
Public Broadcast
ing, Portland Classi-
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Seventh Generation Tribal children highlighted 2003's Annual Contest Pow-wow in
Grand Ronde. Children dressed in traditional regalia danced and drummed to the delight of
their families and the large crowds that gathered in our community for what has become an
annual family reunion and a showcase for the best frybread in Indian Country.
cal Chinese Garden, the Salem Art Association,
Artists Without Barriers, Young Audiences,
Albina Head Start, Children First for Oregon,
Head Start of Yamhill County and the Oregon
- -A t
.1e
if
It Was Really Cold Up There Smoce Signals Editor Brent Merrill took a
ride in a 1929 biplane in early November to shoot footage for the Tribe's celebration
of 20 years of Restoration video project. Copies of the Restoration video are now
available through the Tribe's Public Information Office.
; "' ',.3
- .2-...i A l-ih
Presence Tribal Elder and former Veterans' Commit
tee Chairman Marce Norwest stepped down from the role
as chairman this year and handed over the reins to Tribal
member Gene LaBonte. Norwest is respected not only for
his generous contributions to the community but also for
leading the Veterans' Color Guard into prominence
throughout the northwest and the nation.
4-H Foundation.
After years of fund-raising, the Veterans Ad
Hoc Committee reached its goal this year with
completion of the West Valley Veterans' Memo
rial, designed by Tribal member and Vietnam
Marine Veteran Steve Bobb.
The nine federally recognized Tribes in Or
egon met in January to talk about improv
ing the atmosphere for economic develop
ment among Tribes.
Later in the year, they met again with hun
dreds of others representing many state
agencies at the 6th Annual Government to
Government summit in Corvallis.
Following a Smoke Signals article on the
subject, the federal Housing and Urban De
velopment Department approved a long
sought regulation allowing the refinancing
of mortgages on Tribal Trust land. Many of
the Tribe's Grand Meadows residents took
advantage of the new rule and lowered their
monthly payments by $100 or more.
The Housing Department opened the
Tribe's newest residential community, a 36
home development for low-income families.
The Department said goodbye to Linda
Layden, its award-winning director of nine
years, and hello to Carina Kistler Ginter, its
new director, who has worked for various
non-profit and low-income housing organizations
for 22 years.
The Tribe's Procurement Department moved
to the old Housing Authority digs on Grand
Ronde Road.
The Tribe offered to fully fund a baseball sta
dium in Portland in exchange for the right to
build a casino in the city, but Governor
Kulongoski nixed the idea.
The Tribe also became an important sponsor
of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a minor league
team in the San Francisco Giants organization.
That led to Grand Ronde Night at the stadium,
where more than 100 Tribal members joined in
the fun.
A Natural Resources crew traveled to
Corsicana, Texas to help with the search for
fallen parts from the crash of the Space Shuttle
Columbia, and later in the summer, helped ex
tinguish the 5,000-acre Clark Fire above the city
of Lowell, south of Eugene.
The department won a "Best in State" award
for its summer youth crew program with the
Oregon Youth Conservation Corps.
The department signed a contract with the fed
eral Forest Service to take on the planning for
6,600 acres of Federal Forest land.
Behavioral Health Manager Dr. Joseph Stone
published a ground-breaking paper tracing the
effects of colonialism on Tribal peoples today.
The Human Resources Department at year's
end initiated a tough new drug-testing policy
unrelated to work performance. The Department
also hired a new manager, Judy Zettergren, with
many years of corporate HR experience.
Tribal member Matt Lux, a hunting guide, fin
ished second at the Rocky Mountain Elk Bugling
Contest held this year in Salem, and earned a
sponsorship agreement with Knight and Hale
Game Calls.
Six Willamina High School wrestlers went to
state this year. Cory Bryant brought home the
state trophy while the team finished sixth.
Bryant then went on to South Dakota State
Univeristy on a full-ride scholarship.
Also on the wrestling front, 10-year-old Tribal
member Daniel Scott won a national wrestling
title at the Reno World of Wrestling Champion
ship while 6-year-old Tribal member Matt
Hofenbredl won the Coach's Award for Outstand
ing Performance and the Rookie of the Year
awards for the area's Pee-Wee Wrestling Divi
sion. In March, the Cultural Resources Department
set up an historically important display of In
dian baskets at the Mission Mill Museum in Sa
lem. As part of an ongoing effort, the department