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Tribal members receive help with down payment
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
Tribal member Kass Ritchey,
24, is now the proud owner
of a house in Tacoma, Wash.,
that has been in his family since his
grandparents, Frank Ritchey and
Grand Ronde Tribal Elder Emma
Riggs, bought it in 1940.
The house was passed down to his
aunt, Becky Walrath, who recently
married and moved.
"She ended up having to sell the
house," Ritchey said. "The family
pretty much dropped it in my lap,
but they said, 'If you want it, you're
going to have to buy it.' "
Ritchey and his partner, Ja
mie Bates, had been renting the
house.
Ritchey has been a carpenter for
seven years and with Bates is the
father of a newborn boy, soon to be
Tribal member Karson. The house,
on 1.5 acres with two dogs running
around, is pretty much made for the
Editor's note: This is the first installment in an occasional series
detailing the many kinds of assistance provided by the Tribal Hous
ing Authority. For more information, contact the Tribal Housing
Authority at 503-879-2401. For more information about the Down
Payment Assistance Program, contact Nancy Holmes at 503-879-2445.
family's current situation.
"My mom (Tribal member Ann
Ritchey) suggested I call the Tribe,"
Ritchey said. "I called and they
were just great. Nancy Holmes
and the whole Housing Authority
people made it easy. I called Nancy.
She sent out the application. I filled
it out. She sent the check to escrow
See HOUSING
continued on page 4
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S .m)in)irsJ
Event welcomes
Francene Ambrose,
says aloha to
Rebecca Knight
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The Hawaiian word "alo
ha," which means hello
and goodbye, seemed the
appropriate sentiment at the
Aug. 14 welcoming of Tribal
member Francene Ambrose,
who will begin working in Or
egon Sen. Ron Wyden's office
this fall as the 10th Hatfield
Fellowship recipient.
Tribal member Rebecca
Knight, the ninth Hatfield Fel
low who recently finished her
nine-month assignment work
ing for Oregon Congresswoman
Darlene Hooley, is off to the
University of Hawaii, where
she will obtain her master's
degree in public health.
Spirit Mountain Community
Fund employees and about .10
other Tribal members, staff
and Tribal Council members
bid Knight, 23, farewell in
the Atrium of the Governance
Center.
Knight also received n fond
farewell from Hooley, who re
corded n DVD played during
the ceremony.
Sec FIXLOWS
continued on page 6
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Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Above, Tribal member Francene Ambrose,
right, talks with Tribal Council member June
Sell-Sherer during a reception to welcome her
as the 2008-09 Mark O. Hatfield Fellowship
recipient In the Atrium of the Governance Center
on Thursday, Aug. 14. At left. Tribal member
Rebecca Knight, recipient of the 2007-O8 Mark O.
Hatfield Fellowship, listens as Louis King, Spirit
Mountain Community Fund Program Officer
and coordinator of the Hatfield Fellowship, says
farewell to Knight as her nine-month fellowship
comes to an end. Knight worked in Oregon
Congresswoman Darlene Hooley's office.