8 AUGUST 1, 2009
Smoke Signals
Tribal stoire goes 247 arcd gcreem) in summeir
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
It's 2:30 in the morning and you're
dying for a Skookum burger.
Where do you go?
Earlier in the year, you'd be out of
luck, but with the coming of summer
the Tribal convenience store, Grand
Ronde Station, the only purveyor
of the famous Skookum burger, is
now a lot more convenient, says
General Manager Christian Tinney
(Eastern Cherokee).
Starting in July, Grand Ronde
Station started being open 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. This is
up from winter hours of 7 a.m. to
10 or 11 p.m.
When the C-store had a Taco
Time franchise last summer, it also
remained open 24 hours a day for
the season.
"We were closing at 10 or 11,"
said Margie Holmes, Grand Ronde
Station assistant manager, "and
people kept coming in."
Spirit Mountain Casino employ
ees come in after their shifts for a
bite to eat at the Mak Mak Haws
restaurant, and loggers come in all
night long looking for something
quick, like biscuits and gravy or
cinnamon rolls, Holmes said.
Then, in fall, it's the hunters com
ing in all night, she added.
"The swing shift wasn't getting
out until 1:30 or 2 (in the morning),"
Tinney said.
In the end, the new schedule will
have to pay its own way.
"When sales drop below what I'm
spending on labor," Tinney said, "I
cut it off."
In addition to longer hours,
Grand Ronde Station now is using
biodegradable silverware and to-go
cartons. The to-go cartons are made
from a hardened wheat product
that breaks down completely after
use and the utensils are made with
corn starch, Tinney said.
"The to-go cartons are good in the
fridge and in the oven up to 450
degrees and are fully compostable!"
Tinney wrote in an e-mail to Tribal
employees. "The utensils are thick
er and stronger than the plastic and
will break down rapidly and leave
no traces behind."
Tinney got the idea from Tribal
Council member Chris Mercier,
who said he thought that the Tribe
could be a leader in environmentally-friendly
green practices.
"I told him it's kind of cost-prohibitive,
but we wanted to set the
standard," Tinney said. "It may cost
us a few pennies more per piece, but
I thought, 'Let's do this because it
is the right thing to do.' "
At the next trade show he attended,
Tinney started pricing products.
On the food side, according to
Margie Holmes, Grand Ronde Sta
tion now serves a garlic-and-herb-grilled
chicken, barbecue pork and
Graphic created by Geroge Valdez
new varieties of ice cream.
And for the record book, Holmes
said, more than 150 people have
taken the Skookum burger chal
lenge, and still only one Tribal
member Chris Freeman has
moved the whole thing from plate to
stomach in less than an hour. B
USDA food distribution
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's Social Services Depart
ment has been meeting with the USDA program from the Siletz
Tribe.
In an attempt to provide better service and meet the specific indi
vidual needs of Tribal members, our department is asking if Tribal
members have an interest in receiving USDA distribution of food
here at a local distribution center in Grand Ronde.
We would like to know if there are enough Tribal members to
measure the interest of delivery of USDA once each month.
Please contact our Social Services office if you feel you are eligible
for the program and would utilize it here at Grand Ronde.
We will need your name and address to meet program guidelines.
Please contact Social Services at 503-879-2034 or 1-800-242-8196. D
Attention Tribal members
Copies of Legislative Action Committee recommendations are
available on the Tribal member side of the Tribal Web site. They
are located with the Legislative Action Committee minutes.
These forms are only a recommendation used by the Legislative
Action Committee to move discussion items to a regular Tribal
Council meeting for a vote of the Tribal Council. If you have any
questions, please contact Dakota Whitecloud, Tribal Council Rela
tions Coordinator, for more information. You may reach Whitecloud
at 503-879-1309 or 1-800-422-0232, ext. 1309. D
IFd9 sainrapniragj wnOD lb wDuSibD
POWWOW continued
from front page
Other dance categories will in
clude Golden Age, Adults, Teens
and BoysGirls with first-place priz
es ranging from $1,100 to $150.
Powwow staff will include Master
of Ceremonies Fred Hill (Umatilla),
Head Judge Patricia Ike (Yakama)
and Arena Director Freddie Ike Jr.
(YakamaKock Creek Wasco).
Free camping will be available
at the powwow grounds and a $1
or can of food donation will be re
quested for parking.
No canopies or umbrellas will
be allowed under the powwow
tent and pets, drugs and alcohol
are not permitted on the powwow
grounds.
For those wanting to stay at
Spirit Mountain Casino, a shuttle
will be available to the powwow
grounds.
All dancers will be required to
complete tax forms and a Social Se
curity number will be required. B
. ...... lw. ft'iitw :' "S . . . - 4. , , ' '
9 '
tt photo by MkheHc Aiattno
Danccra participate in an InterTribal Dance after the 7 p.m. Grand Entry during the 200f Grand Ronde Contest
Powwow on Saturday, Aug. 1 6, 200t.