Smoke Signals 3
APRIL 1,2007
TUB Birmmwmf
Tribe gives ABC DaycarePreschool in Sheridan $5,000 for a new driveway.
By Ron Karten
"We've been patching it over for
three years," said Ron Wearner,
Pastor of the Seventh DayAdventist
Church in Sheridan. The church runs
the Adventist Beginning Courtesy
(ABC) DaycarePreschool program
next door, and the asphalt between
the two facilities is crumbling.
Early on Wednesday, March 21,
Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chair
Chris Mercier, and Council mem
bers Wesley "Buddy" West, Wink
Soderberg, Val Sheker, and Reyn
Leno presented a $5,000 check for
resurfacing the driveway.
Before the ceremony could even
begin, the beautiful little voice
of Tribal member Darian Leno,
3, daughter of Tribal members
Shonn and Egypt Leno, and grand
daughter of Reyn Leno, cried out,
"Grandpa" and ran into his arms,
where she stayed for the duration.
Program Director Jeri Nelson,
Teacher Jeri, as she is known to the
children, and the Pastor accepted
the check. Teacher Jeri, who is 75
and not about to retire, said that it
is the work of many that make the
day carepreschool work.
Teacher Jeri has been Program
Director for the day carepreschool
program for 15 years. She invites
parents to drop in and stay with
the children if they want, and she
insists on proper behavior.
Together, the class goes through
the symbolism of the American
flag: the 13 red and white stripes
symbolize the original 13 colonies,
the red represents the blood shed
in the founding of the country, and
the white represents purity.
"Don't tell me that children can't
learn," she said.
Teacher Jeri, an elementary edu-
i "' ii i w pip mm mm mm i n . i- n i .1.11.1,1.-1 1- m.
ill . : ' , J
:' jr- r r
sK - y '; 1 , ' ,- " )
01 At: I
'IV Ml
ii yf ,s.,
shea
Tribal Chair Chris Mercier (I) presented Program Director Jeri Nelson "Teacher Jeri" and Pastor Ron Wearner with a
$5,000 check for resurfacing the driveway at the ABC Daycare in Sheridan. The event took place at the daycare with
the children, staff and members of Tribal Council all present.
cation specialist, knows a lot from
all her years working with children,
but she did not realize until recently
how filled with Indian blessings her
program was. She made a count in
the days leading up to this presenta
tion, and found that 12 of the 70-90
children in the program are enrolled
Grand Ronde Tribal members, and
another six are members of other
Tribes. Mostly Cherokee, she said.
"Stand up tall, like the capital I,"
she told the children. "Stand tall
and proud like an Indian."
Then, she invited the children
to come to the front of the room to
speak, but only if they wanted to.
The kids were asked to come up
front, take the microphone, intro
duce themselves, and tell what they
are most grateful for.
Devon Hallock, 4, was thankful
for Chuck E. Cheese.
Tribal Chair Chris Mercier was
thankful for the sunny day.
Wesley "Buddy" West and Val
Sheker were thankful to meet all
the children.
Reyn Leno was thankful for that
the children have a good school
with good teachers.
"We pride ourselves that we like to
give back," said Mercier, with check in
hand. "And we want to be a positive
influence in the lives of children."
"We're here for the family," said
Teacher Jeri. "Safety is our number one
concern and courtesy is number two."
After the ceremony, Tribal Coun
cil members toured the playground
out back. It was filled with kid
sized houses and swings, all kinds
of tricycles, and a waterfall, all of
which were donated and built by
local businesses and individuals.
Mercier said how appropriate it
was that the jungle gym had been
painted green and yellow (the colors
of the University of Oregon Ducks),
and Leno said how it might have
been more appropriately painted
orange and black (the colors of the
Oregon State University Beavers).
Teacher Jeri noted that they had
been thinking of daffodils when
they came up with the green and
yellow colors.
Sim :a
v Yr W lA- -v'f
1 ' - W V '
for if p
' - : '
' :': ;'' ' 'l5
1
A
1 1
Slam
Members of Tribal Council pose with the children and ABC DaycarePreschool staff in Sheridan on Wednesday, March 21.