Smoke Signals 3
FEBRUARY 1,2009
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Photos by Michelle Alalmo
Tribal Elder Betty Lambert, middle, Is given a Pendleton blanket by
Tribal Secretary Jack Giffen Jr., left, and Tribal Council member Steve
Bobb Sr. during a retirement party for her in the Governance Center
on Friday, Jan. 16. It was Lambert's last day as the Natural Resources
Division secretary. Below, Tribal Elder and the Tribe's Wellness
Program Manager Bonnie Mercier, right, talks with Betty as Lamberts'
husband Carl listens in.
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CULTURAL GATHERINGS
FEB. 28: CHEMAWA INDIAN SCHOOL 129TH BIRTHDAY POWWOW. School gymna
sium, 3700 N.E. Chemawa Road. SALEM, OR. 503-399-5721, ext 260 or ext 269.
If you or anyone you know has Information on cultural events happening. Smoke Signals
would be glad to list It In our Cultural Gatherings. Please e-mail news9grandronde.org or
write to Smoke Signals, 96 15 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde. OR 97347.
6-12 am tanrUaU to & m t
(S BRedl floor Woinrneirn
eweirati on Felb. 5
The annual Go Red for Women event, where people are encouraged to
wear red to show their support of women's heart health, will be marked
from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, in the Governance Building Atrium
with free blood pressure checks.
Snacks will be provided for blood pressure participants.
For more information, call Stephanie Grim at 503-879-2078.
The Tribe's Wellness Program sponsors the event. O
West Valley veterans sought
Veterans from or currently living in the West Valley area Wil
lamina, Sheridan and Grand Ronde are being sought to have their
names engraved on the West Valley Veterans' Memorial.
Veterans can be either Tribal members or non-Tribal members.
Veterans who would like their names etched on the memorial
should submit a copy of their discharge papers to Tribal Elder Gene
LaBonte and his wife, Billie, by calling 503-879-5342.
New names of veterans will be added to the memorial in April.
Food Bamk seeks help
The Grand Ronde Community Resource Center is seeking additional
part-time volunteer help at the Food Bank in Grand Ronde.
Help is needed in various activities, such as unloading freight, stocking
and labeling shelves, food distribution activities and clerical work.
Duties will be assigned based on volunteers' skills and abilities.
If you have the time and would like to volunteer a few hours per week,
call the Resource Center on Monday or Friday at 503-879-5731 for more
details or to obtain an application. D
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CLINIC continued
from front page
1,900 square feet to the current
dental clinic and provide room for
six more dentist chairs, two con
sultation rooms and three dentist
offices.
Johnston said the need for the
dental clinic expansion originated
in an assessment by the Dental
Support Center from the North
west Portland Area Indian Health
Board. The Dental Support Center
report said that the Tribe needs at
least five additional chairs to "fully
meet the dental needs" of its cur
rent client population.
In 2008, the Dental Clinic saw
3,240 patients who accounted for
5,452 visits.
"Based on our number of pa
tients, we were significantly short
of chairs," Johnston said. "A lot of
folks in need of dental care were
unable to access it."
Currently, the Dental Clinic
books appointments six weeks in
advance.
Johnston said he expects 2009 to
involve planning and design of the
expansion with construction occur
ring in 2010.
Opening of the expansion could
occur in fall 2010, but would more
likely happen in Janunry 201 1, he
snid.
The expansion will require the
hiring of another dentist and assis
tant, and maybe another hygienist,
he said. The Dental Clinic currently
employs two dentists, two hygien
ists, three dental assistants and a
secretary.
"Patients will see shorter waits
for appointments and easier ac
cess," Johnston said.
The Tribe will match about
$200,000 of the projected $800,000
project. Johnston said it is highly
likely that the Tribe will receive
$82,314 from Indian Health Service
to purchase medical equipment for
the expansion.
The expansion will elongate the
dental wing on the northeast of the
Health & Wellness Center, but not
include a second story.
"This facility was designed to ex
pand the wings or build in between
the wings," Johnston said.
Johnston said construction will
not hinder access to the current
dental clinic and that the expan
sion will hopefully pay for itself,
partially by providing more space
to prep patients while dentists are
seeing other patients.
"Preliminarily, the expansion
will allow for more efficient use of
current staff time, coupled with
added resources from the new stuff,
producing larger revenues with
a goal of a program that pays for
itself," he said.
Johnston added that the Tribe
continues to look for other grants
from Indian Health Service and
private foundations to "enhance
the project." B