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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2006)
6 APRIL 1,2006 Smoke Signals Community Fund Gives Away Nearly Two Million in January FUND continued from front page doors," according to the grant pro posal summary of the program. 'This is a real vote of confidence in our work," said Gottfried. The Community Fund gift will enable Gottfried to provide a year's worth of outdoor experiences meant as "alternatives to drug useabuse" to 60 Yamhill County teens. Gottfried said that more than 100 would likely benefit. "The (Tribal) Council is supporting programs from pre-school through universi ty," said Tribal member and Spirit Mountain Commu nity Fund Director Shelley Hanson, presenting a check to Gottfried, "especially for at-risk kids. We're commit ted to supporting programs about the outdoors and the environment." "If it helps just one kid stay in school, it's worth it," she said. At $20,000, this was just a tiny part of the Spirit Mountain Community Fund gifts approved in January. Fund gave away nearly $2 million in grants of about $3.5 million re quested. Of 56 proposals, the Fund filled part or all of 39 proposals and one, a project reaching out to victims of domestic violence and rape, was tabled. Among funded proposals, the Fort Yamhill Interpretive Program, which had an opening ceremony March 26, the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Grand Ronde Reservation, received $50,000 for continuing work on this multi phase project. A joint project between the Oregon Parks Department, the Oregon State Parks Trust and the Tribe, the 55-acre site a half land Children's Museum to help renovate the facility's cafeteria to make room for 150 or nearly three times the facility's current capac ity of 55. Another $50,000 went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium to help develop a new, interactive exhibit called, "Claws!" It will include many species of crabs, lobsters, I t : ' V l-' W M ' V J WhAmCY FUND ,VK I , 4eixTv n III 'I i ---ilC- v' ' - : I Giving Ways Jeffry Gottfried, Director of Educational Recreational Adventures, left, Shelley Hanson, Director of the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, center, and Jackie Leno Grant, Manager of the Tribal Education Division, discuss the Community Fund's recent grant to Gottfried's organization. The mile north on Route 22, just off the junction at Route 18 in Grand Ronde, includes interpretive pan els and kiosks as well as other interpretive events. The Pentacle Theatre in Salem received $25,000 for capital im provements. The Spirit Mountain gift will pay for a remodel of the theatre's lobby. Also among the gifts is a $50,000 grant to the Port- shrimp, isopods and copepods from the around the world. . This exhibit, with interactive graphics and audio-visual media, will open to the public on May 27 with a host of weekend activities. The Willamette Educational Ser vice District received $40,000 for the Willamette Father's Project, a program aimed at new fathers and how to get them interacting and bonding with their babies. Teaching Research received $30,000 for a new intervention for children with autism. Nehalem Bay received $12,000 for the Manzanita handicapped beach access project. From arts and culture to educa tion to environment, from health to public service, the Community Fund continued mak ing a difference across its 11-county area. Education programs received the lar est amount in gifts: more than $500,000. Health was next with gifts worth nearly $280,000. The arts received $175,000 and environmental grants equaled $128,000. Community Fund Trustees award large grants four times each year: in Janu ary, April, July, and October. Deadlines for submitting appli cations are: Febru ary, May, August and November. The Community Fund distrib utes six percent of the casino's net profits, and currently gives away between $4.5 and $5 million in grants each year, said Community Fund Director Shelley Hanson. The Tribe celebrated a Commu nity Fund landmark of $30 million in giving last November (see Smoke Signals, 12105). ! Software Savant Serves Up Computer Hardware Gate's Foundation grant helps Tribal Library keep current with new computer. By Ron Karten The Grand Ronde Tribal Library's share of the Gates Foundation "Staying Connect ed" grant is $1,102.53. "Staying Connected" grants reimburse libraries for buy ing a new patron-accessible computer. The grant also was given to the libraries of seven of Oregon's nine recognized Tribes, though according to the Gates Foundation website, all that provided free access to an internet-connected computer were eligible. "We're very happy to get a new computer here and happy to have a good working relationship with the Oregon State Library," said Tribal Librarian and Tribal mem ber Marion Mercier. "We ap preciate this contribution to our library." 1 a if ,. ..-v. 'I i i h : , J ; A view looking outside into the Tribal Library Last year's work at the State Legislature paved the way. Trib al member and lobbyist Justin Martin along with lobbyists Tom and Dave Barrows advocated for House Bill 2674. "It's a great bill," said Martin. "The legislature thought so and we ended up getting it through. It was a collaborative effort not only with us but with other Tribes as well." The bill added Tribal libraries in the state to the list of librar ies community and college librar ies, for example entitled to be included among grants given by the Oregon State Library. Grants typically come from the federal government or private founda tions. "Marion Merci er did a lot to help get us informa tion and we kind of just went and shopped the con- 1 ! law. I l j " "m iiT m i mm jaimmMl-MiMMwiiiwiWiiiij4 n A new computer at the Tribal Library courtesy of the Gates Foundation. cept around," said Martin. The bill sailed through both houses and was signed by the Governor in May, 2005. It became law on January first of this year, and in March, the Oregon State Library passed along the first of the benefits to the Tribe. The Tribal library has long had two Internet-connected computers for patron use. One that had been around for many years recently was replaced with a new one. B
