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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2009)
Smoke Signals 9 SEPTEMBER 1,2009 Employee recognition Woman delivers child at Spirit Mountain Casino ' I r -i ' "''4" Photo by Michelle Alaimo Patsy Pullin, Tribal member and the Tribe's 477 Employment & Training and Vocational Rehabilitation supervisor, hugs Tribal member and Director of Development Pete Wakeland during the second quarter Employee Recognition Ice Cream Social in the Tribal Community Center on Wednesday, Aug. 1 2. Pullin has worked for the Tribe for 1 0 years. USDA food distribution The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde's Social Services Department has been meeting with the USDA program from the Siletz Tribe. In an attempt to provide better service and meet the specific individual 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 eli gible for the program and would utilize it here at Grand Ronde. We will need your name and address to meet program guide lines. Please contact Social Services at 503-879-2034 or 1-800-242-8196. B By Ron Karten Smoke Signals staff writer It was quiet at the main entrance of Spirit Mountain Casino on Sun day, Aug. 9. Security officer Veronica Langlois remembers, because at 9:45 a.m., when a tan Ford Explorer pulled up with a baby about to be born, they had the covered area pretty much to themselves. The family, not identified for pri vacy considerations, included mom in the passenger seat, husband driv ing and 6-year-old son in the back seat. They had been at the Oregon coast. They were just on this side of the forest corridor when mom's water broke, and as soon as they came back into cell phone range, they called 911, Langlois said. Emergency operators called Lan glois with the news that the Explor er was arriving with an expectant mother onboard. "They were hoping they could make it to the hospital," said Lan glois, a first responder who also took the call at the casino's Dispatch desk. . "I got my supervisor, Neil Jacox, to take over at Dispatch," Langlois said, "and went down to the main entrance to meet with the couple." When they arrived, Langlois was right there. At the casino entrance, she said, she worked as part of "a team effort" to deliver the casino's first baby a fresh faced boy. "(The mother) didn't look like she was in very much pain," Langlois said, "but she said she was in pain, so I asked her to lean her (car) seat back. "Everyone (in the car) looked a little scared." The young boy wanted to know what was going on. "I told him everything would be OK, and not to worry," Langlois said. "I asked (the mother) if I could examine her. She motioned that it was OK, and when I first examined her, no head was crowning. "She gave a good push and I told the Security officers (including Johnny Morales, Monique Cas tillo and Marty Niles, along with Floor Security Supervisor Robert Chaussee) to get a gurney for her. I thought we'd have enough time," she said, but when she looked back, the baby was coming. "I told Monique to update Dis patch that we would be delivering a baby." Two more pushes and the baby arrived at 10:45 a.m., but not breathing. "I wiped him off and cleaned him up. I rubbed his foot to stimulate breathing. It seems like it took a long time," she said, "but it wasn't very long at all until he started breathing. "I placed him on the mother's stomach and by then, West Valley (Fire and Rescue) showed up and took over." They placed the baby on oxygen, and because he was six weeks pre mature, ultimately transported him McMinnville and then to a Portland hospital, where the family has re portedly been doing fine. "She's a trained first responder," said Tribal member Joann Mercier, Security director for the casino, "and she did an outstanding job." Langlois, herself the mother of two, said it is much easier to deliver a baby as a first responder. B QoaesftDOinis thfoti a wMe cramige tf snalbjjectis FORUM continued from front page Mercier recruited Tribal member Promise Rimer, 10, to pick the ques tions from the Plexiglas spinner to speed up the process a little. Mak Mek Haws provided lunch before the event. Manager Chris tian Tinney, assistant manager Marge Holmes, Tribal member and kitchen supervisor Steve Holmes and staff member Micayla Rock served deli sandwiches, potato salad, drinks and dessert. Questions hit a wide range of subjects. One focused on how the candidate would make budget decisions and another asked for the candidate's experience in making budget deci sions. Questions asked about Tribal efforts in regard to environmental, economic, housing and enrollment policies. A number of questions centered on Tribal Council prerogatives: Should council members show up for work more? Have more accountability? Answer phone and e-mail requests more regularly? Continue the cur rent level of travel? Fly first class? rtn Photo by Ron Karten Tribal member and Tribal Director of Operations John Mercier served as master of ceremonies and advised the audience about the Importance of Tribal Council to the Tribe's future. Questions were asked about better serving Tribal Elders and youth, providing services to Grand Ronde descendants and the election process itself. "It's good to see that we have such a diversified variety of Tribal mem bers that are ready to step up and serve," said Tribal Elder Jolanda Catabay. "It's not a matter of (winning or) losing (for incumbents). (Even if they lose,) we want to see them come back, not just disappear with all the knowledge they've acquired. It's more a matter of sharing and teaching new members to represent our Tribe." "It was pretty informative," said Tribal Elder and former Tribal Council member Margaret Provost, "but it could have been better with more information." "It was a beneficial sharing of opinion and information," said Tribal Elder Dan Stroebel, "but I wish more members would have attended." "Good questions. Good respons es," said community member Tony Selwyn. "I like the way it was presented," said Tribal Elder Laura Gleason. "It answered some of the ques tions about people that I wanted to know," said Tribal member and former Tribal Council member Larry Brandon. Tribal Elder and former Tribal Council member Bob Haller recom mended the timing of the forum be changed to "right after nomina tions." "Now," Haller said, "everybody's already voted." There are 18 Tribal members run ning for three seats on Tribal Coun cil, including incumbents Cheryle A. Kennedy, Valorie Sheker and Jack Giffen Jr. Challengers are, in alphabetical order, Michael Bolton, Alton But ler, April Campbell, Shelley Han son, Denise Harvey, Sanda Henny, Stanley Jeffers, Leonard Logan II, Harold Lyon, Deborah Marrington, Toby McClary, Perri McDaniel, Bobby Mercier, Brent Merrill and Jackie Many Hides. The forum was filmed by the Tribe's Publications Department and will be posted on the Tribal member side of the Web site. To see just who said what, tune in to the Tribal Web site at www. grandronde.org, go to "Video" and "Log In." Ballots for the 2009 Tribal Coun cil election were mailed July 29. Tribal Election Day is Saturday, Sept. 12. D
