Smoke Signals 9
DECEMBER 15, 2004
New Medic Alert System Could "Save Lives"
By Toby McClary
Beginning in January of 2005
the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde will be offering a medic alert
service for homes in Tribal-spon
sored housing projects.
The offer is open to families
that have either an Elder or
a disabled family member in
the household. Out of the
possible 110 Tribal homes
about 66.are eligible for the
medic alert service.
An information packet has
been sent to each home in
Tribal housing. At press time,
of those homes, three families
had returned an application
to the Grand Ronde Tribal
Housing Authority request
ing the service and 12 had
showed interest and wanted
more information.
"I think it's great," said Hous
ing Director Carina Kistler
Ginter. "We really need to take
care of the Elders."
There were four options of
alert systems available:
Monitronics, Sonitrol, Global
andA.D.T. The Tribe has se
lected to use Global Security
and Communications, Inc. as
medical alert system provider be
cause it has the longest range and
it is the least costly. It has a range
of 500 feet and is easy to use.
There is a choice of either a remote
pendant or a pendant that can be
worn on the wrist or around the
neck. The base unit will hook up to
an existing phone line and a stan-
J
tion option for communication
through a two-way speakerphone.
Both should result in immediate
responses.
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Good Idea Tribal Elder Tony George poses out front of his home in Tribal Elder housing.
George is one of the many Elders that have opted to have the medic alert service installed at
their residence.
dard wall outlet.
Should an emergency arise, one
just pushes the button on the pen
dant and it automatically dials help.
There is also a two-way conversa-
Global Security and Communica
tions, Inc. will provide free instal
lation and a customized calling list
for each family.
"We looked at four options but Glo
bal was the most attractive," said
Tribal Council member Chris Merrier.
Tribal Elder and former council
member Val Grout said that she
plans to have the system put
in her house. She also is
sued a personal challenge to
council at a recent general
council meeting to see how
much progress could be
made on this within 30
days.
"It's been worked on for so
long, it's nice to finally see
some action being taken,"
said Grout. "I'm at home
alone quite a bit. This will
give me a peace of mind in
case something happens."
Tribal Elder Tony George,
61, also plans to have the
system put in his home.
"I'm not in good health,"
said George. "I think this
will be good."
The Tribe plans to set up
a pilot program, or test run,
to see how many families
are interested and to see
how well it works. Plans to
expand this service to more
Tribal families in need are
being talked about. The cost of the
service will be paid for by the Tribe.
"It's a great idea," said Mercier.
"We value our Elders and this will
save lives."
Coyote Joe's Gears Up For Another Great Free Christmas Dinner
Owner Roily Heuser opens his doors to all.
By Ron Karten
Imagine for a moment that you
are homeless, living in your car
with your children and it's Christ
mas morning. No tree. No gifts.
Few prospects.
Last year, this very family, on its
way to the coast, knowing nothing
about a free Christmas dinner,
drove by Coyote Joe's restaurant
in Willamina, saw all the cars in
the parking lot and stopped in.
Coyote Joe's owner, Roily
Heuser, takes it from there: "The
kids were a little cranky because
they were tired and hadn't had any
gifts. After we fed them, the vol
unteers went to the tree and got
them presents and their faces just
lit up. All of a sudden, they were
excited about seeing Santa and
everything else and that's what
Christmas is about."
For the seventh year on this De
cember 25, Heuser and his crew of
16-20 volunteers, opens up Coyote
Joe's from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with
free food, live music, the real Santa
Claus with presents for all sizes,
shapes and tastes and seating for
all who come. Last year, the team
served 435.
And not all of them are poor.
Last year, a Dallas couple left a
note on the table saying if we had
not prepared their dinner, they
would not have had one at home.
They come from Dallas, Salem,
Newberg, McMinnville. It's a big
mix but it's not just the needy. Those
who are by themselves at Christmas
also come in to enjoy the good atmo
sphere."
Because of
Workers Comp
rules, Heuser
has to pay a
number of em
ployees for the
special dinner
and he keeps a
jar by the cash
register for con
tributions to pay
those people,
though he said
that money is not
required or re
quested. The Coyote
Joe's crew is busy
getting ready for
the month before
Christmas.
Heuser still
hadn't contacted
Santa by early
December,
though Bev Wil
liams, a
Sheridan dance
teacher, had
again committed
to play live music for the guests.
The Van Duzer Winery outside of
Dallas usually ponies up a few cases
of wine. A friend from Salem who
works for a cosmetic company, usu
ally brings in all kinds of "cosmet
ics, bath soaps and stuff to be
wrapped as gifts.
Toys stuffed and otherwise
find their way under the tree, as
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It 's All About Giving Coyote Joe 's owner Roily Heuser
is ready to serve up free Christmas dinners for the seventh
year in a row.
do varied presents of all sorts for all
sizes. "They're donated or we buy
them," said Heuser.
So what's for dinner? It's either
a ham or turkey dinner with veg
etable, mashed potatoes and gravy.
There will be a dinner salad and
also a dessert.
"Last year," said Heuser, "we
went through 80-100 pounds of tur
key and 60 pounds of ham."
Volunteers do everything from
making salads and setting up des
sert dishes to taking orders for food
and serving it. Volunteers wrap
presents and give them out. And
then, they bus the tables. "It's a lot
of fun," said Heuser.
One year, volunteer Joyce
Zimbrick waited on a table of an
elderly woman. Zimbrick asked her
if she had family in the area. She
had a son and his wife and two
grandkids, but she didn't have any
money to buy gifts for the
grandkids so she hadn't joined
them. "Joyce went to the tree and
picked her out some gifts and
wrapped them," Heuser remem
bered. "And after she ate, Joyce
gave her the gifts and said, 'Here.
Go and join your family."
On Christmas Day, Coyote Joe's
also does deliveries to shut-ins.
"We'll fix it to go," said Heuser.
Also on Christmas Day, said
Heuser, "I usually open at around
eight or nine in the morning and
have coffee and maple bars avail
able without charge for anybody
who drops in."
"It's one of the busiest days for
the amount of time we are open,"
he added.
So what does this bonanza cost
Heuser: "I'm afraid to look at it,"
he laughed. "I figure probably in
the neighborhood of $1,500."
"I appreciate everybody through
out the year," he said, "and this is
just our way of saying thank you."