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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2006)
OCTOBER 1,2006 DOIMAL -4 "V MEE A Publication of the Grand Ronde Tribe www.grandronde.org mm y An. x U , V if C fit V sW H Tribal Council members Valorie Sheker (I to r) and Cheryle Kennedy, and Tribal Council Secretary Jack Giffen, Jr. take the oath of office for new three-year terms. Sheker was re-elected after a year's hiatus, while Kennedy and Giffen were re-elected. Former Tribal Council Secretary Chris Mercier replaced Kennedy as Chair. Tribal Council Winners Sworn In Familiar faces renew their vows. By Ron Karten Familiar faces returned to Tribal Council this year. Former Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy and Tribal Council member Jack Giffen, Jr. rode back into office without missing a step, and new Tribal Council member Valorie Sheker returned to the council after a re-election bid came up short last year. "The year off that I took was good," said Sheker after the swearing in. "It was educational. I needed that year to take care of some things. Now, I feel strong." Sheker a new grandmother with the birth of Tribal baby Ethan Eric-Alton Sabin, child of her son, Tribal member Eric Sabin and Tribal member Hope Lafferty received 49 percent of 1,231 votes cast in the election. "I had an overwhelming support group through the Elders," she said. "They asked if I would run and I said I would give it a try." "I'm just thrilled and excited right now," she said. Cheryle Kennedy, who served as Tribal Chairwoman, polled the high est among nine seeking office. She received 56. 1 percent of votes cast. "We're on course and we've been on course for at least five years," she said. "I just expect that the members will be pleased or at least satisfied in the decisions to come. Things are going to work out." Giffen was re-elected with 51 per cent of votes cast. The 1,231 ballots cast in the 2006 election represented 53.9 percent of the Tribe's 2,283 registered voters and 36.2 percent of all 3,424 eligible voters. In 2005, 1,296 of 2,229 registered voters and 3,834 eligible voters cast ballots. In 2004, 1,342 of 2,128 registered voters and 3,294 eligible voters cast ballots. That was 63 of registered voters and nearly 41 of eligible voters. In 2003, 1,178 of 2,020 registered voters and 3,206 eligible voters voted: That was 58 of registered voters and nearly 37 of eligible voters. Tribal member CeCe Kneeland con gratulated Sheker after the swearing in. "Seems about right," she said. fjS Confederated Tnbes of the Grand Konde uwnnunny of uregon 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID SALEM, OR PERMIT NO. 178 OR NEWSPAPER PRO J. UO LIBRARY SYSTEM PRESERU uNn.nRsiry or o&exzon EUGENE OR PF-IOS-ISOS "I think it's a great day for the Tribe," said Tribal Elder Val Grout, herself a former member of the Tribal Council. "I just came for the cookies," said Tribal member Lonnie Leno. New Officers Elected During a Tribal Council meeting on September 13, council members elected Chris Mercier as Tribal Chair and Jack Giffen, Jr. as Secretary. Tribal Council Vice Chair An gie Blackwell retained her posi tion because her term in office is not up this year. Technically, the Secretary posi tion was not up for re-election, but when Merci er, who had been Tribal Council Secretary, won the vote for Trib al Chair, that opened up the Secretary posi tion. Here's how the voting process went: Tribal Council member Wesley West nominated Tribal Council member Kathleen Tom. Tribal Council member Wink Soderberg seconded. Tom accepted. Tribal Council member Reyn Leno nominated Tribal Council Chairwom an Cheryle Kennedy. Tribal Council member Valorie Sheker seconded. Kennedy accepted. Tribal Council Vice Chair Angie Blackwell nominated Tribal Council Secretary Chris Mercier. Soderberg seconded. Mercier accepted. The first vote went two votes for Tom, four for Kennedy and three for Mercier. A majority of five votes is required to elect a Tribal Council member to one of the officer posts. After a few recesses, the council started over. Blackwell nominated Mercier. Soderberg seconded. Mercier ac cepted. Leno nominated Kennedy. Sheker seconded. Kennedy accepted. Mercier re ceived the required five votes this time. Voting for Mercier were Blackwell, Soderberg, Tom, West and Mercier. The remaining Council mem bers Leno, Sheker, Giffen and Kennedy voted for Kennedy. Mercier thanked Ken nedy for her years of ser vice and said that he would do his best to uphold the high bar that she set. Tribal Council Secretary nomina tions went as follows: Soderberg nominated Tom. West seconded. Tom accepted. Sheker nominated Kennedy. Leno seconded. Kennedy declined. Blackwell nominated Giffen. Shek er seconded. Giffen accepted. Giffen received the required five votes. Voting for Giffen were Leno, Blackwell, Kennedy, Sheker and Giffen. Voting for Tom were West, Mercier, Soderberg and Tom. X Tribal Chair Chris Mercier
