Smoke Signals 9
DECEMBER 15, 2010
Casino holding Holiday Toy Drive
For the third consecutive year, Spirit Mountain Casino is holding its
annual Holiday Toy Drive to benefit Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
New, unwrapped toys or games are being accepted at the casino's Coyote
Club desk through Friday, Dec. 17.
In exchange, Spirit Mountain Casino will give $10 in free slot play for
every toy or game donated with a maximum of $30 in bonus play per
person.
This is our third year of helping make Christmas a little brighter at
Doernbecher," said Spirit Mountain Chief Executive Officer Rodney Fergu
son. "Our guests have stepped up in the past, even during tough economic
times, to bring a smile to a child's face and we hope we can replicate last
year's donation, which was our largest number of toys yet."
Last year, a semi-trailer donated by TP Freight Lines of Portland trans
ported more than 50 pallets of toys to the receiving dock at Doernbecher,
the world-class facility that is part of Oregon Health Sciences University
in Portland. B
Attention Grand Rondo Tribal Elders
We stated in the last mail out there would be an Elder Committee
Election at the December Birthday MeetingMeal. Due to our need
to change the bylaws first, the only election will be at the January
General Council meeting. We apologize for any confusion on this is
sue, n
Food Bamk seeks help
The Grand Ronde Food Bank is seeking volunteers to help with pre-as-sembling
and distribution of Christmas food boxes.
The Food Bank plans on assembling Christmas food boxes on Wednes
day, Dec. 15, and distributing the boxes from Friday, Dec. 17, through
Monday, Dec. 20.
To volunteer, call or leave a message for the Food Bank manager at 503-879-5731
or send an e-mail to nancy.holmesgrandronde.org. B
Notice of Availability of Funds and Request
for Comment on Proposed Use
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, as a Special Transpor
tation Fund Agency, has been allocated up to $112,669 in federal
5310 grant funds and $30,000 of State STG funds for the 2011-2013
biennium under the Public Transportation Discretionary Grant
program offered by the Oregon Public Transit Division. The Tribe is
requesting comment on the following project proposed for use of this
funding: A project to support transit operations between Salem and
Grand Ronde and between Grand Ronde, Willamina, Sheridan and
McMinnville through round trip purchased services Monday through
Friday which are open to the general public and lift equipped for the
disabled. At this time the Tribe anticipates renewing intergovern
mental agreements for transit services with the Salem Area Mass
Transit District and the Yamhill County Transit Area.
Both routes are in the Tribe's existing adopted Coordinated
Transportation Plan as a priority service. The Plan was created
with and reviewed and recommended by the Tribe's STF Advisory
Committee and then adopted by Tribal Council.
Additional information is available from Kim Rogers, Planning
& Grants Manager, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, 9615
Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347; 503-879-2250. The
Tribe invites comments on the proposed application by writing to
this same address. Comments should be received by 5 p.m. Jan. 4,
2011. It is anticipated that the application will be reviewed by the
STF Advisory Committee on Jan. 5, 2011. The application may be
revised based on the comments received. B
Need assistance with scholarships?
Are you looking for scholarships and don't know where to start? Do
you need assistance with your scholarship applications andor personal
statements? If so, contact the Tribal Scholarship Office at 1-800-422-0232,
ext. 1345, or e-mail luhui.whitebeargrandronde.org. B
CHRISTMAS BABIES
continued from front page
always had (birthday) cake after
Christmas dinner."
Selwyn, who works at the Tribal
switchboard through the Publica
tions office, also came home from the
hospital in a Christmas stocking.
"I have the stocking I was in
when I was born!!!" she wrote in
an e-mail. "My grandma said I
was on the news in that stocking
because I was the first baby born
at the OHSU hospital in Portland
on Christmas Day 10:46 a.m., 1987.
All she could see was my little head
poking out and my little hands and
my big eyes."
Being born one day later, how
ever, could be an altogether other
story.
"It just kind of stinks a little bit,"
says Jessica Lillard, a member of the
Tribe born on Dec. 26. "I'd always get
one gift for Christmas and my birth
day. I felt like everyone was worn out
from Christmas, and they were too
tired to celebrate my birthday."
A couple days later, and it might
be a different story again.
Kelly Herber, Tribal Procurement
assistant, was born on Dec. 28.
"For me," she says, "I celebrated
my birthdays as usual. It didn't
matter that it was three days after
Christmas. I was treated no dif
ferent." On the other hand, she says, "I
always wanted a birthday in the
summer, so we could have had an
outdoor birthday party, you know
what I mean?"
"It can be a little bit awkward,"
says Cindy' Post Senning, director
at the Emily Post Institute, "but I
1 r - r a
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal member Alicia Selwyn was born on Christmas Day in 1987. She
was brought home from the hospital in this Christmas stocking that her
grandmother, Tribal Elder Marcella Selwyn, has hung on to over the years.
think there's a couple things you
can do that would be fine.
"Sometimes, parents will sepa
rate the day from the holiday,
maybe celebrating a week later.
Some do half-birthdays (by schedul
ing the celebration on June or July
25), but I would always talk with
the child about it.
"For me, I like to think of birth
days as a really special day. In our
home, you got to pick what your
dinner was. Then, it becomes fo
cused on things that are special for
and about that child.
"Christmas is about the commu
nity (instead of the individual), the
family community, and it comes
with traditions that are not about
that individual. It would be hard
on Christmas Day to say, 'What
do you want for dinner?' because
there might be another tradition
in the family."
"The cutest thing," for Marilyn
Portwood, a Tribal Elder born
on Dec. 16, was how her parents
made that day special. "My folks
always got the Christmas tree up
by my birthday." (In those days,
they didn't put them up that early
- usually on Christmas Eve.)
And for her birthday, she says,
"My dad would knock himself
out." The day's activities included
Mickey Mouse cartoons. "My folks
really tried to make it special."
"I just remember basically think
ing that I was going to get twice
as many presents," says Doug
Colton, a Tribal member born Dec.
20, who also serves as the Tribe's
Facilities Maintenance supervisor.
"I usually got more presents. Mom
(Jackie Whisler, a Tribal Elder
who walked on in 2007), and dad
(Doug Colton Sr.) were pretty good
to Mike and me.
"My mom would be right there
making a cake, right up until she
passed away."
To this day, Colton remembers
getting "a whole set of Hot Wheel
cars."
Kassie Simi, a member of the Tribe
born Dec. 29, says, "I really liked
them being close, because I felt like I
got a lot more stuff. I always went to
Skate Palace or Chuck E. Cheese's.
My mom always made sure they
were completely separate."
For Tresa Mercier, a Tribal mem
ber born Dec. 18, "Presents have
never been an issue." Being an
only child, she always felt like she
got plenty, and in fact, she says,
"Sometimes, I feel like my birthday
is in the way."
"When I was just a little tyke,"
Tribal Council member Wink So
derberg wrote in an e-mail, "and
we were so very, very poor, my
birthday present and my Christmas
present were combined because
they were so close together, so to
make up for this great injustice, I
suggest that everybody send me a
present this Christmas, and just
skip the birthday present."
Soderberg was born Dec. 29, but
did not arrive home in a Christmas
stocking. B