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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2005)
Smoke Signals 3 General Council And Community Meeting Held In Grand Ronde Breakout sessions cover all the big issues. MAY 15, 2005 By Ron Karten The May General Council meet ing was held on Sunday, May 1, at the Tribal gymnasium. Here are the highlights: Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy called the meeting to or der. Tribal Elder and Council member Jan D. Reibach offered the invocation. Tribal Planning Manager Kim Ray Rogers summarized Tribal ac tivities over the last year. These Rogers also summarized the Tribe's top priorities, culled from suggestions and comments made at last year's three community meet ings, including consideration of changes to the Tribal Enrollment ordinance, increase in non-member insurance coverage, long term care for Elders, more communication with Tribal Council, an increase in Tribal member employment and more recreation options for the com- O w ... ;v 30 ft 7-C' '1 toward the end of the session showed that the greatest concern was over an enrollment issue re garding direct descendents listed on "any original roll," economic devel opment proposals, including one for a local swimming pool and another for a local golf course, as well as cov erage for non-Tribal spouses, and continuing the practice of DNA test ing. A summary of the results of this year's four com munity meetings will be available at the Special General Council meeting for Tribal Council nominations scheduled for June 26. Tribal member Michael Bolton contributed to the Tribe one of his paintings, . " i ;. sH and said that he , V had a big supply A ' 4 ' incontinence ,,5S , 'C: sunnlies that he X Resourceful Tribal General Manager Cliff Adams, left, and Tribal Council Member Jack Giffen Jr. led one of the break-out groups at the Community Meeting in Grand Ronde on Sunday, May 1 where the Planning Department solicited membership input on many issues. The Tribe also hosted Commu nity Meetings in Portland, Eugene and Tacoma, Washington. activities included evaluations of each department, health plan meet ings, Spirit Mountain Lodge ex pansion, building of a warehouse and archives building, improve ments to the telephone system, the building of a day park and a play ground at the family housing com plex, the continuing construction of three adult foster homes as well as the opening of satellite offices in Portland and Eugene. In 2006, said Rogers, grant fund ing will pay for the completion of three adult foster care homes now under construction, an Elders Com munity Center and Phase One of the Grand Ronde Road expansion. munity. Planned into the General Coun cil meeting was time for a commu nity meeting structured with small groups, each with facilitators, to discuss issues in each of five areas: enrollment, economic development, communications and public infor mation, Tribal health insurance and "other." Ideas were all written on large sheets of paper and posted on the gymnasium walls. After the discus sions, each Tribal member pasted any of seven adhesive dots on the sheets next to the issues that most concerned them. An unscientific look at the pages supplies that he offered to give away to any in terested Tribal members. He also has horses that others may wish to ride free of charge. Tribal Elder Nancy Coleman said on her retire ment as Chairwoman of the Elec tions Board that it was "a pleasure to serve." Tribal Elder Monty Parazoo pointed out a poster board in the reg istration area outside of the gym. The poster board included photo graphs along 'with descriptions of individuals who have been denied Tribal membership or told that they may soon be removed from member ship rolls. The point of the display that he put together with his daughter's help, he said, was to put a human face on these individuals. Tribal member, Public Informa tion Officer and Smoke Signals QamfiD (kHTfTMTtaiD flHTTh rvmrng) cap m i i n ioi Editor Brent Merrill said that the recycling center next to Grand Meadows, where he lives, is a mess and bringing down home values. Tribal General Manager Cliff Adams said that the Tribe is plan ning on moving the recycling cen ter to the newly acquired HR Jones property, although still under con sideration is the possibility that "we will get rid of it altogether." Merrill also said that the High way 18 entrance ramp next to the Tribal convenience store is danger ous, and that an accident there not only will hurt the individuals in volved but also potentially, the im age of the Tribal casino. Tribal member Rod Bly asked for regular updates on casino rev enues. Tribal Chairwoman Kennedy said that the Tribe has in the past made these updates on an annual basis, but noted that to date this year the casino is exceeding the profits earned last year. Drawings were held: Tribal Elder Rebecca Crocker won a Pendleton blanket; Social Services Manager Dave Fullerton won $100. Tribal Elder Bernice Jensen, Tribal mem ber Regan Reichle and Noreen Bolton each won $50. Tribal Council nominations will be June 26 at 11 a.m. at the Tribal Community Center in Grand Ronde. The next General Council meeting is scheduled after the sum mer break for September 11,11 a.m. at the Community Center. '1 I k i-X 1 5
