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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2006)
Smoke Signals 5 Fate Of Casino's Bingo Hall Is "Yet To Be Determined" Planned closure of popular area brings capacity crowd on final day. FEBRUARY 1, 2006 By Toby McClary As of Friday, January 27, Spirit Mountain Casino's Bingo Hall is closed. Despite recent news reports stating that the area will become occupied with slot machines, the future for the Bingo Hall has yet to be determined. There are several options for this area," said Greg Fritz, Marketing Manager for Spirit Mountain Ca sino. "After 10 years, the area is in need of a facelift and we will begin a remodel in the near future." Fritz said that one of the many op tions for the bingo hall is an increase in non-smoking gaming due to com plaints from non-smoking patrons. "With all things considered," said Fritz, "we will do what is best for our customers as well as the casino itself." The removal of bingo will have an effect on many community mem bers as well as employees. On a positive note, BingoKeno Manager and Tribal member Jon George is happy to see the changes. "This will create many opportuni ties for me as well as the casino," said George. "Now I will be able to focus more on all aspects of the gam ing industry rather than devoting all of my time to bingo." BIB".,,... ""'..--, mc - - - '. ,..,. 4 f) 1 y -j Binno Closes ILy ' rJit January 27th I J3 " ... - I ... i ..A' m U 7 -7 7X V- BingoKeno Manager and Tribal member Jon George George will continue working as ments throughout the year are cur- Spirit Mountain filled all of the 850 the Keno Manager and explained rently being discussed. seats and was held on Thursday, that ideas of holding bingo tourna- The final session of bingo for January 26. Doernbecher Children's Safety Center Opens CENTER continued from front page long time in prevention." He pointed to smallpox and other child hood diseases that now are substan tially eradicated. But in this instance, said Nicholson, "We'll never know which children are saved by these efforts." During the Grand Opening of the Doernbecher Children's Safety Cen ter at Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, Nicholson also offered a message of thanks to the Spirit Mountain Community Fund and other donors who "joined in with the vision." The Community Fund has been a long time contributor to Doernbecher projects. Last year, it contrib uted $38,000 to the new Safety Center, or half of the first year's anticipated operating expenses. In 2002, the Community Fund pro vided $150,000 for the expansion of the hospital's Cancer Center. And at the recent celebration honoring $20 million in giving, the Community Fund presented the hospital with a gift of $5,000. Pediatrician Scott Shipman M.D. arrived at Doernbecher three years ago with plans to prevent childhood accidents. Shipman now is Medical Director of the Safety Center as well as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Oregon Health Sci ences University. On Tuesday, January 17, Shipman's efforts were rewarded as the Center officially opened for business. Portland General Electric (PGE), with a significant safety program of Think First Oregon and the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. The first group aims "to reduce the incidence of brain and spinal cord injuries and fatalities in Or egon by providing age-appropriate injury prevention education to youth in kindergarten through 3 ...... ; r""" " ,""T T m m " ' '-m ' mj v 0 rtv jT ' 0 - Jf "Thank you" Tribal Council member Kathleen Tom, Pediatrician and Director of the Safety Center at Doernbecher Scott Shipman M.D. , Executive Director of the Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation Sue Nicol, Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Shelley Hanson and Tribal Vice Chair Angie Blackwell pose for with a "Doernbecher Hero Award." its own, and Scottsdale, Arizona based Discount Tire, with 20-plus stores in Oregon and Washington also contributed to the effort. For months already, though, the work of the Safety Center has been in motion on the Doernbecher Children's Hospital's seventh floor and with outreach. The work goes through two subsidiary groups 12th grade," according to the pro gram brochure. The second group runs the Safety Center at the hospital and reaches out to groups to talk about safety around school, playground and windows, among many areas. In addition to outreach, the Safety Center pulls in kids and families through the recommenda tion of physicians throughout the hospital. Once there, families receive not only the education but also such safety products as car seats. The products are provided at a discount or free to families that cannot af ford them. "What the dental industry did with fluoride in the 1940s, we want to do with preventable accidents," said Sue Nicol, Executive Director of the Doernbecher Children's Hospi tal Foundation. "One of the things we appreciate about Doernbecher," said Commu nity Fund Director and Tribal mem ber Shelley Hanson, "is that you're an innovator." Also on hand for the event were two characters in cartoon cos tumes: PGE's Mr. Lightbulb and Doernbecher's Mr. Fish. Mr. Fish apparently couldn't see very well through those fish eyes and was led shuffling carefully into the atrium by a land-savvy assistant. The characters' proximity to safety displays enabled them to pitch electric and water safety. But neither had the following of PGE retiree Don Selden, who oper ated a board wired for about eight potential electricity disasters. "How about the car hitting the light pole," said Seldon to six-year-old Justin Leyva, who smiled like it was Christmas morning. "Yeah," said the boy, and he ran the car into the pole again. "Zzzzzzt, said the board. Then they turned to the guy with the power saw who gets the power surge when he accidentally cuts through a power line. "Cool," said Leyva. "When he uses the saw Zzzzztl"
