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-
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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
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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
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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.
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