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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2008)
4 JUNE 1, 2008 Smoke Signals Tribe hires Younger as Public Works manager Tribal member transfers over from casino after nine years, hopes to spend next 15 years at Tribe By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The Tribe's new Public Works manager is a man who believes in many things, including family, church, commitment, loyalty, edu cation for all Tribal members and economic diversity. He also believes in the life lesson contained in a "Calvin & Hobbes" Sunday cartoon panel that hangs on his office door. Life is a series of choices, and one is faced with myriad choices based on those individual decisions. "I believe people are basically good," says Tribal member and Elder Lewis Younger, 55, who took over the Public Works Department on April 24 after having worked for the last nine years at Spirit Moun tain Casino as Facilities Mainte nance manager. "They make the choices based on the information they have. My re sponsibility is to give them the best information possible so they can make the best choice possible." Although he enjoyed working at the casino, Younger says his ulti- mate goal was to work for the Tribe after he returned to Oregon in 1999 to help care for his mother, Etta. "The casino is a great place, a great opportunity," Younger said. "The casino is a perfect place to un derstand the business side of things. You learn so many things." But he had expressed his interest to Tribal Director of Development Pete Wakeland and Director of Operations John Mercier about working for the Tribe "a long time ago." Younger, an Umpqua descended from Louis Nipissing, was born . in McMinnville in 1953, the sixth child of Richard and Etta Younger. 1 le was raised in Willamina, gradu ating from high school in 1971 and Name: Lewis Younger Age: 55 Tribal position: Public Works manager Family: Married to wife, Anita, for 36 years; six children, nine grandchildren Activities: Family, church, chess Quote: "I spent the last nine years working for the casino, and hope to spend the next 1 5 working with the Tribe." Contact information: lewis. youngergrandronde.org; 503-879-2099. marrying his high school sweet heart, Anita. Almost immediately after gradu ation, he was drafted and promptly enlisted in the Air Force, where he trained in electrical engineering at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss., and then stationed in Great Falls, Mont. He honorably left ac tive duty in 1974 and served in the Oregon Army National Guard for an additional six years. He subsequently studied through the University of Oklahoma and re ceived in 1992 a design certification in fire suppression technology. "I've always been into hydrau lics," Younger says. "The flow of fluids." He moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where he worked for a friend's fire suppression company as a design engineer. He found himself criss crossing the country's largest state, installing fire suppression systems at military bases, on the Alaska pipeline and at restaurants. The latter prompts Younger's most memorable Alaska story. "It was Christmas Eve and I was installing a fire suppression system if J""':;;.''' II-"f I '.-! ,, rSMV .f I tm,m. 'JwMMMH 'ii '5i i r II I v vy 1 i -- . Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal Elder Lewis Younger is the Tribe's new Public Works manager. He was : the Facilities Maintenance manager at Spirit Mountain Casino for the last nine years. On the wall behind him are professional certifications he's earned from Building Owners and Managers Institute International. in a restaurant in Glennallen (189 miles northeast of Anchorage)," Younger says. "It was 104 degrees in the kitchen and minus 45 de grees outside, and my truck was 114 yards down the driveway. "I needed some nozzles and I thought I could make it to my truck and back only wearing a T-shirt. I froze in place. It took me three days to recover from the hypothermia." Younger said the Tribe's Public Works Department is still mor phing because the Tribe is still young. "We have a great facilities orga nization," Younger said. "We need to take a look at the future ... our properties, tying the infrastructure together. Nothing is set in stone." In addition to facilities, Younger oversees Tribal security, the Polk County Sheriffs Office substation and the Inspection Department, as well as cemetery maintenance, grounds keeping and housekeep ing. When he is not working, Younger said he enjoys spending time with his family, which includes six chil dren three boys and three girls. The eldest is 34 and his youngest, Jenaya, is 11. He also has nine grandchildren, is active in his church and plays a "good game of chess." He lives in Willamina. His brothers and sisters include current and former Tribal employ ees Cassandra Scott, Jessica Brann, Stephanie Grim, Mary Leith and Cecelia Bissonette. His brothers, Rich and Ed, are a teacher and consultant, respectively. Younger said the Tribe should not have to look for another Public Works manager until 2023. "I spent the last nine years work ing for the casino, and hope to spend the next 15 working with the Tribe," he said. B i2JBE iJUh-EIi New nannies Sam Bronleewe, owner of Oregon Memorials, sandblasts new names into the West Valley Veterans' Memorial In Grand Rondeon Monday, May 19, in preparation for the Memorial Day ceremony. Photo by Mkhelle Alaimo V Tin- '3J W - : ; i F ,3Q' . mi"
