Smoke signals., April 01, 2010, Page 4, Image 4

Smoke Signals
4 APRIL 1,2010
2010TiriIbaQ
MarEteftpllace daftes
April 2-3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; April 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
O May 7-8, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; May 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
D June 4-5, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; June 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
D Aug. 6-7, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Aug. 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
D Aug. 20-22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Powwow
D Sept. 3-4, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sept. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
H Oct. 1-2, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Oct. 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
D Nov. 5-6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
D Dec. 3-4, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dates subject to change due to conflicting Tribal or SMC eients.
Located across from Cedar Plank Buffet. For more information,
contact Buzz Simmons at 971-226 9799.
Unmarked grave sites
If anyone knows the location of an unmarked grave or knows the
name of someone who was buried at the Grand Ronde Cemetery
and their grave has not been marked, contact Mike Larsen, Facilities
Manager, at 503-879-2407. P
Easter Egg Hunt set for April 3
Tribal Housing's annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held 10
a.m. Saturday, April 3, in the Tribal Family Housing covered
area.
Hunts will be separated into the following age groups: 1 to
4 years of age, 5 to 8 years of ageiind 9 to 12 years of age.
The Easter Bunny also will attend.
For more information, call Housing Services Specialist
Deborah Kroeker at 503-879-4522.
Low irDdeirshDp cdDdaOd jeopardize seratae
FREE RIDES continued
from front page
in front of the Tribal Governance
Center at 7:45 a.m. and 5:10 p.m.
There is no weekend service.
Mercier said she is concerned
that low ridership numbers could
jeopardize the service's continued
availability at current service levels
to both Grand Ronde and Salem
residents.
She visited the Tribe in Febru
ary to speak with Tribal managers
about a planned promotional push
in April that is kicking off with the
free fare month.
Other promotional pushes include
articles in the casino's employee
newsletter, touting the service
and featuring employees who ride
the bus to and from work; Tribal
Council member Chris Mercier
her son writing about taking
the bus to Salem for a meeting in
his recent Tilixam Wawa article;
and incentive giveaways for casino
employees who ride the bus to work
during April.
"I really would hate to see this
service fail," Chris Mercier wrote in
his Tilixam Wawa column, "because
it is the perfect example of how the
Tribe can benefit by entering into
partnerships with local businesses
and governments. ... I also like the
idea that community residents who
cannot drive for whatever reason
are just a 30-minute bus ride from
a major city with shopping centers,
movie theaters and a host of other
:f f fif'k jj tP m
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Council member Chris Mercier gets money out to pay his fare as he
boards the Route 2X - Grand Ronde Express bus at Spirit Mountain Casino to
attend a meeting at the Mid-Willamette Area Commission on Transportation
in Salem on Tuesday, March 16.
activities that aren't always avail
able in a historically rural area."
The biggest push, however, will
occur during the week of April 22,
which is Earth Day.
Pat Mercier said she is planning
themed ridership days that week,
with Monday being Tribal Youth
Day, Tuesday being Tribal Elder
Day, Wednesday being Tribal Em
ployees Day, Thursday concentrat
ing on Earth Day events in Grand
Ronde and Friday being Tribal
Members Day.
Pat Mercier stresses the envi
ronmental benefit of riding the
bus, based on her 6.5 years of com
muting between Grand Ronde and
Salem, but also acknowledges the
financial benefits as well.
She estimates that an average
commuter driving 65 miles daily
and averaging 20 mpg with gas at
$2 per gallon will save more than
$1,000 annually, plus the wear and
tear on their vehicle.
Of course, those savings would be
more nowadays with gas averag
ing slightly less than $3 a gallon
in Oregon.
Mercier has estimated that tak
ing hundreds of cars off the road
between Salem and Grand Ronde
could eliminate the pollution equiv
alent of more than 3 million vehicle
miles per year.
Most of the operating costs for
the transit service are being paid
by federal Tribal Transit and state
Special Transportation funds with
fares and the state's Business En
ergy Tax Credit program covering
the rest of the expenses.
Tribal Planning and Grants Devel
opment Manager Kim Rogers said
the Tribe has funding for the current
level of service through June, and
will re-evaluate frequency of trips
if ridership does not increase.
Tribal governmental and casino
employees can purchase month
ly bus passes on a pre-tax basis
through their respective Human
Resources departments. Grand
Ronde-area residents can purchase
monthly passes or day passes at
the Tribal Governance Center front
desk or at the casino, or pay when
boarding the bus.
For more information, check the
Web site www.cherriots.org and
search for the Route 2X Grand
Ronde Express. D
Weekdays (No service on Saturday, Sunday or holidays)
A B C D Eli El F G H l J K
N.E. Rickreall Arrive Leave Tribal Rickreall N.E.
Park& Transit Edgewater Park& Spirit Spirit Governance Spirit Park& Edgewater Transit Park&
Ride Mall Rosemont Ride Mountain Mountain Center Mountain Ride Rosemont Mall Ride
5:10a 5:30a 5:33a 5:50a 6:25a 6:30a 7:00a 7:12a 7:20a
6:30a 6:33a 6:50a 7:25a 7:30a 7:45a 8:15a 8:45a 8:57a 9:05a
7:30a 7:33a 7:50a 8:25a 8:30a 9:00a ' 9:12a 9:20a
1:30p 1:33p 1:50p 2:25p 2:30p - 3:00p 3:12p 3:20p
3:15p 3:18p 3:35p 4:1 Op 4:20p - 4.50p 5:02p 5:10p
3:45p 3:48p 4:05p 4:40p 4:55p 5:10p 5:30p 6:00p 6:12p 6:20p
5:30p 5:33p 5:50p 6:25p 6:30p 7:00p 7:12p 7:20p
8:00p 8:03p 8:20p 8:55p 9.00p - 9:30p 9:42p 9:50p 10:05p
9:00p 9:03p 9:20p 9:55p 10:00p - 10:30p 10:42p 10:50p 11:05p
10:20p 10:30p 10:33p 10:50p 11:25p 11:30p - 12:00a 12:12a 12:20a 12:35a"
Schedule times may change without notice by as much as 3 minutes to adjust to traffic conditions.
' Rt. 17-Market St., has 15 minute service between the N.E. Park & Ride lot and the Transit Center.
Oterriots
8ALEM . KEIZER TRANSIT
Salem to
Grand Ronde
route