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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2009)
Smoke Signals 3 MAY 15, 2009 ESfflDsirnsiD ay ifiifi.ES)Bairairadl By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde will host a Memorial Day event at 2 p.m. Monday, May 25, at the West Valley Veterans' Memorial on the Tribal campus. Newly-elected U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (5th District) will attend, and Congressman David Wu (1st District) may attend, said Chris Tinney, a member of the Tribe's Veterans' Special Event Board. In addition, a representative from newly elected Sen. Jeff Merkley's of fice will attend, as will Jim Willis, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs. Tribal Elder Marce Norwest, an Army veteran, will say a few words. The Veterans' Honor Guard will post the colors and a traditional meal will be served at 3 p.m. in the Tribal Community Center, using meats and possibly salmon from ceremonial hunts. For more information, contact Tinney at 503-879-1600. B Future considerations " . ZrSSl- Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal member Justin Cotton talks with Heidi Stowman, director of admissions at Corban College & Graduate School, during the annual Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde College and Career Fair in the Tribal gymnasium on Wednesday, May, 6. Tribal facilities staff disinfected TrobaD offices FLU continued from front page "We cannot emphasize enough that staff should not overreact to these developments. We are just be ing extremely cautious to avoid this developing into a larger concern. As always, the Tribe intends to be prudent in taking the appropriate measures to protect its employees and the Tribal membership." The Tribe, via its Reader Board on Grand Ronde Road, encouraged Tribal members, employees and community residents to "stay home and stay healthy." The toddler's culture was sent to the state Health Department for testing and the Tribe notified the Willamina School District, as well as the Health Departments in Polk and Yamhill counties. The flu threat prompted the Wil lamina School District, which has a middle school in Grand Ronde, to shut down all three of its schools for Friday, May 1. The Tribal toddler diagnosed with flu had been in close contact with two students who at tend Willamina schools. The Tribe's Health & Wellness Center re mained open on May 1 for essential functions only, including screen ings for people with flu like symptoms. Health & Wellness Ex ecutive Director Mark Johnston said 30 pa tients were screened on May 1, and seven met the testing criteria. All were negative for Type A flu. On May 4, five patients were screened and four met testing criteria. All were negative for Type A flu. Over the long week end. Tribal facilities staff disinfected Tribal offices using disinfectant foggers and Virex TD. "Both are certified to kill most germs, includ ing Type A influenza," said Tribal Custodial Maintenance Supervisor Curtis Rentsch. "Be sides their normal disinfectant routines of floors, restrooms and all contact surfaces, the housekeepers will also do extra wipe-downs on chairs, tables, door knobs, sinks and handles. "Also, in critical areas like the pre-school and the exam rooms at the Health Clinic, we will periodi cally do Saniguard foggers at the end of the night shift which covers all surface areas within a room, killing the germs, and then they are picked up in the morning." Other Tribal precautions included rescheduling a May 4 Cancer Sup port Group meeting to protect those with weakened immune systems. On May 4, the Tribe received confirmation from the state that the toddler's flu was not H1N1, but a seasonal strain, and Tribal offices re-opened on Tuesday, May 5. "The medical department went above and beyond the call by de veloping an isolation area to screen patients," Johnston said. "This allowed non-flu symptom patients Postponed General Council mooting now May 1 7 in Bond By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The postponed May 3 General Council meeting has been re scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at the Riverhouse Hotel, 3075 N. Highway 97, Bend. The General Council meeting will be held before the already scheduled Membership Meeting and after the noon luncheon. Mark Barnum of UBS Institutional Con sulting will update the Tribal mem bership on the investment portfolio, financial markets and minor's rabbicustodial trust funds. Barnum also will make the same presentation at the 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, Tribal Coun cil meeting in Grand Ronde. The May 3 General Council meeting was postponed after a swine flu threat hit the Tribal campus on May 1. Tribal Council members, who made the decision on May 7, stressed this is a one-time oc currence due to the unusual circumstances associated with the swine flu threat. The Tribe already scheduled the Membership Meeting, set to start at noon with lunch followed by a 1 p.m. community meeting. The General Council meeting will start after lunch and before the community meeting. The community meeting will focus on the Tribe's draft 2009 Strategic Plan, which is being rewritten for the first time in 14 years. D 1 t Tf'V M t I J 'vyJ!j7V'! : t I i Photo by CynthM lopvt From left Nursing Supervisor and Public Heahh Officer Jennifer Leggett, Certified Medical Assistant Connie Wyngarden and Laboratory Manager Mike Phlpps follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for protecting the community from a potential swine flu outbreak at the Tribal Health ft Wellness Center on Friday, May 1 . to still be seen by their provider and helped reduce non-flu patient anxiety about the H1N1 virus. "I believe it would be important to acknowl edge the efforts of Jen-' nifer Leggett, Nursing supervisor, and all of her staff who worked so diligently late Thursday through the weekend, as they addressed the ongo ing concerns. "Also, the Pharmacy re mained open throughout the closure to meet the needs of our patients." "As customary, the staff did an excellent job in providing closure noti fications to all our fami lies," Campbell said. "I would personally like to thank all employ ees for the patience and understanding during the recent closure of the buildings regarding the swine flu scare," said Tribal Council Vice Chair Reyn Leno in an e-mail on May 5. "I know some departments put in extra time and effort to assist in making sure our buildings were safe and sanitized to work in. I would also like to include those who worked on the emergency plan, which was very smooth and efficient. We never like to have to use that, but this was a perfect example of why we needed one in place. "As always, lam very proud to be part of the staff here, which I feel is more like a big family, and in times like these we all pull together." "I want to thank everyone for all of their hard work during this event," Chris Leno said. "Although everyone deserves some level of recognition for managing through this uncertain time, I would like to give particular recognition to staff in Health & Wellness and Public Works Housekeeping, in particular as not only were most of them not able to leave when the offices closed, but the need for their services increased when the Type A positive was identified.
