APRIL 15, 2004
Smoke Signals 3
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Gathering Of The Elders Grand Ronde Tribal Elders were gathered together for a group photograph on Wednesday, March 3 1 . The 60 Elders in the
photo make up about 1 0 percent of today's Tribal Elders. 612 Grand Ronde Tribal members are over the age of 55, the official age of Elder status. Elders have
traditionally been priceless storehouses of traditional culture, wisdom and knowledge.
Casino Reports To The General Council At April Meeting
Story & Photos by Ron Karten
The April General Council meeting
was held on Sunday, April 4, at the
Tribal Community Center in Grand
Ronde. Here are the highlights:
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
Kennedy called the meeting to order;
Tribal Elder Kathryn Harrison offered
the invocation.
A report from Spirit Mountain Ca
sino General Manager Richard Kline
included a look at revenues, net income
and Tribal member dividends esti
mated through the end of March.
Despite two weeks worth of storms
in January, the casino is already ahead
of last year's figures, Kline said, on its
way to reaching this year's goals,
which are five percent above last year's
numbers.
In addition to increasing profitabil
ity this year, 2004 goals include mak
ing sure that the casino gets value for
every dollar spent, managing by ob
jective, increasing mid-week business,
refurbishing the casino's interior as
the lodge expansion moves forward and
reorganizing departments for effi
ciency. Dubbing 2004, a "Year in Transi
tion," Kline also emphasized plans this
year for monthly customer promotions,
a work environment that promotes job
satisfaction, customer service, con
tinuing the successful theme, 'Your
Place to Play,' and a 10-percent in
crease in market share, along with new
efforts to reach Asian and Hispanic
markets.
Kline provided details on the
Lodge expansion. There will be
163 rooms including 12 two-room
suites and 151 regular rooms on
five floors; The lobby remodel will
include a new check-in facility,
gift shop, continental breakfast
setup, small business center, lug
gage room storage and laundry ex
pansion. Completion date for the $19.9
million expansion is March, 2005.
Seattle-based Howard S. Wright
Construction Company, contrac
tor on the project, has made a com
mitment to hire all Tribal mem
bers who are interested in and
qualified to work on the expansion,
according to Kline.
Currently, 35 Tribal members
are registered to work on the
project; and 10 local non-Grand Ronde
Native Americans also are registered.
An outdoor pool and fitness center
along with a 500-room conference cen
ter also will be a part of the current
lodge expansion. In addition, the fu
ture may hold an Asian-themed res
taurant, expanded gaming opportuni
ties and a new parte cochere (overhang
extending from above the door to the
street) at Legends.
Concerns were raised about many
casino employees, including top man
agers, resigning to work at the new
Three Rivers Casino going up now in
Florence.
Some were given professional career
opportunities that they would not be
likely to have here, said Kline. Some
received more money to work there.
"I would never hold anyone back" from
successful career moves, he added.
Kline acknowledged that many em
ployee tracks at the casino leave little
room for employees to move up in a
timely way, but indicated that the ca
sino is "trying to train Tribal mem
bers" so that they are ready to move
up when opportunities present them
selves. "Someday," he said, "I hope you have
a Tribal member as General Manager."
Related to that, Kline indicated how
pleased he was with his new assistant,
Tribal member James Buxman, who
now is working for Kline through the
Tribal mentorship program. Kline in-
r vl
L )i I
SMC General Manager Richard Kline
t S
) W4
Former Polk County
Commissioner Mike Propes
dicated his interest in hiring Buxman
when his stint with the Mentorship
Program ends in August.
And while questions simmered
about these casino programs, poli
cies and issues, Tribal member
Monty Parazoo took the discus
sion in the opposite direction. "A
lot of us have a concern," said
Parazoo. "How long do you plan
on staying? We've had so many
people in your position."
Many Tribal members ex
pressed support for
Kline.
Kline indi
cated that he
and his wife
had just pur
chased a
house in
Salem and
were mov
ing in
"I'll be
here as
long as
everyone in this room wants me here,"
he said. "I'm very passionate about
this property. It's a very exciting time
to be part of this property. I hope I'll
see you all back here in five years."
Former Polk County Commissioner
Mike Propes, who retired last Septem
ber from the County Commission in
response to health problems, attended
the meeting to announce that his heart
surgery had gone so well
that he was running for
his old seat again. Propes
has served in the Com
mission for 15 years.
Tribal member Linda
Olson announced that her
son, Tribal member
Frank Hostler (see story
on page one), "has been in
Iraq and he's home and I
want to say how really
proud I was (that he
served) and how grown up
he's become."
Tribal member Les
McKnight sought clarifi
cation about why Tribal
members need state li
censes to gather in the
Trask area. After some
discussion, Tribal mem
ber Perri McDaniel said that the Tribe,
through the Natural Resources Divi
sion, had licenses that Tribal members
could use.
Tribal Housing Au
thority Executive Di
rector Carina Kistler
Ginter, announced
resident meetings as
follows:
Grand Meadows,
Tuesday, May 1 1 at 4
p.m.; Chxi Musam
HUM (low income rent
als), Thursday, May 13
at 5 p.m.; and Hip
Tilixam (Elder
housing), on
Thursday,
May 20 at 2
p.m. at
Com m u
nity Cen
ter after
lunch'.
Other lo-
cations
to be determined. J
Those interested in a presentation to
help Tribal members prevent identity
theft, can sign up at the Authority of
fice, j
Applications for Tribal housing and
a list for ideas for future housing de
sires are also available at the Housing
Authority office. i
Door prize winners included $50 win
ners: Tribal members Ron Davis,
Donna Stronach and Joannie West; and
the $100 winner was Tribal member
Kathy Tom. 5
Among other announcements: '
The next general Council Meeting
will be May 2 at the Tribal Commu
nity Center; Memorial Day Dinner is
scheduled for Saturday, May 29, 2004
at noon in the Tribal Community Cen
ter; nominations for Tribal Council will
be heard on Sunday, June 27, 2004 at
11 a.m. at a Special General Council
meeting in the Community Center; and
from the prior meeting, it was an
nounced that meetings seeking input
and ideas from the membership will Ixj
held from 6 p.m to 8:30 p.m. on May 4
at the Sweetbrier Inn in Tualatin, May
13 at the Red Lion in Eugene and May
25 at the Community Center here in
Grand Ronde.