Smoke signals., November 15, 2011, Page 5, Image 5

Smoke Signals 5
NOVEMBER 1 5, 201 1
2006 Tribal member April Campbell arrived as Education Depart
ment manager after living for a time in central Washington. She was an
education specialist in the department from 2000-05. Campbell earned a
bachelor's degree in Management of Organization Leadership at George
Fox University in Newberg and was working on a master's degree in
Education from George Fox with a specialty in higher education.
2001 Tribal members Jackie Whisler and Bobby Mercier took on
the task of teaching the next generation of Grand Ronde youth Chinuk
Wawa. Whisler left the Executive Office to become a language teacher
in the Cultural Resources Department while Mercier was leaving a job
in the Maintenance Department to teach the Native tongue. Whisler
and Mercier received training that was funded by a $193,000 Admin
istration for Native Americans grant.
1996 The 13th annual Restoration Celebration was scheduled for
Nov. 23 at Grand Ronde Elementary School. Dinner was set to start
at noon with a mini powwow to follow.
1991 Michael Larsen was selected to be a "community encourager"
for the Health and Human Services Clinic. As such, he was tasked
with acting as a liaison between the Tribal community and the Health
Care and Planning departments to find out what kind of care is needed
at the clinic.
1986 Enrollment Clerk Margo George reported that Tribal mem
bership was now 1,983. In addition, she was gathering information on
how to start issuing Tribal identification cards.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year incre
ments through the pages of Smoke Signals.
Heading to the Bay Area
I Cv) I
' I
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Molly Matthews, right, receives a hug from Marion Mercier, Tribal
Librarian and Tribal mtmbtr, during Matthews' going-away party at
the Adult Education Building on Thursday, Nov. 3. Matthews rasignad
har position as Youth Education Program manager after working
for the Tribe for seven years. Her last day was Friday, Nov. 4. She is
relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area (Calif.) with her husband and
their two daughters.
Basketball tournament set for Nov. 26
The Tribe will host a 3-on-3 Open Basketball Tournament starting at
10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 26, in the Tribal gym.
Cost is $10 per player or $35 for a team of four. Hoopla rules will be
used. To sign up, contact Tribal Recreation Coordinator Alton Butler at
alton.butlergrandronde.org or 503-879-1369. B
Restoration group seeks volunteers
The Tribe's 28th Restoration Celebration Committee is seeking volun
teers to help plan this year's event to be held Tuesday, Nov. 22, in the
Tribal gymnasium.
If you are interested in helping, submit your name and contact infor
mation to publicaffairsgrandronde.org or call the Tribe's Public Affairs
Office at 503-879-1418. D
Graves teaching weekly class
Tribal Elder Connie Graves teaches a basket weaving class at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesdays in the Elders' Activity Center.
The class is open to the public.
For more information, contact Tribal Cultural Education Specialist Brian
Krehbiel at 503-879-4639 or brian.krehbielgrandronde.org. B
November flu shot clinics offered
The Tribal Health and Wellness Clinic will offer flu immunizations
every Wednesday in November between 8 and 11:30 a.m. and 1 and
4:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. People should check in at pa
tient registration and complete the paperwork. A nurse will call you
for the shot as soon as she can. For more information, call the clinic
at 503-879-2032. O
Tribe jumped aft opiporftiuimiifty to counttinlbiLatte
BYPASS continued
from front page
$20 million share of the bypass
project.
The Tribe's $4 million pledge
will account for 20 percent of the
required local match that New
berg, Dundee, McMinnville and
Yamhill County must commit to
fix the "transportation nightmare"
in Newberg and Dundee that is
negatively affecting every Oregon
community westward along High
way 18.
"The Tribe is allocating money to
a top priority of the Oregon Depart
ment of Transportation," Kennedy
said. "It will affect a lot of local com
munities. The Tribe is being a good
partner in helping fund this project
with other local governments. ...
We are genuine about our efforts,
and pleased and proud to be part of
this endeavor."
"This is another example of the
true spirit of the government-to-government
relationship," said
Tribal Council member Chris Mer
cier, who represents the Tribe on
the Bypass Advisory Committee.
"Whether we are working with
governments at the local, state or
federal level, we are consistently
looking for ways to collaborate as
partners to find solutions that ben
efit our shared communities and all
citizens of Oregon."
Other Tribal Council members
who attended the City Club meet
ing were Kathleen Tom, June
Sherer and Steve Bobb Sr.
In 2009, the Oregon Legisla
ture adopted an almost $1 billion
transportation package and the
first phase of the Newberg-Dundee
Bypass is its $257 million crown
jewel.
McMinnville attorney Dave
Haugeberg, who chairs the Bypass
Advisory Committee, told about
100 City Club attendees that the
3.5-mile first phase will be funded
with $192 million from state govern
ment, $45 million from the federal
government and $20 million from
local governments. It will create a
transportation corridor with only
two stoplights between McMin
nville and Interstate 5, bypassing
the currently congested downtowns
of Newberg and Dundee.
Haugeberg said the bypass will
take 1,500 trucks a day off the road
way through Newberg and Dundee
and more than 10,000 cars off the
road daily in Newberg and Dundee.
"This is a critical component,"
Haugeberg said, adding that the
Oregon Department of Transporta
tion hopes to break ground on the
project in the summer of 2014 and
finish it by 2017.
Haugeberg said he found the Grand
Ronde Tribe's interest and participa
tion in bypass funding "extraordi
narily refreshing," especially since
the Tribe could have sat back and
done nothing because it was under
no legal obligation to participate.
"We have always been observing
and watching what was going on,"
Kennedy told City Club attendees.
"These are our ancestral home
lands .... and we are very inter
ested in what is happening with
our neighbors. Another principle
that we hold dear is planning for
seven generations. We have been
following what has been happening
and participating, and wondering,
'When is this going to get done?'
"When we see an opportunity
that we are able to assist with,
the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde wants to step up and do what
we can to help. This contribution
will not only assist the Tribe, but
it certainly will help the economy
of Oregon as well.
"We're very pleased we are able
to partner with the local govern
ments, county government, state
of Oregon and all of the interested
citizens. This is a wonderful effort
to get behind and make sure we are
a part of it."
"I think the Tribe always has to
jump at opportunities to be a good
partner," Mercier said. "There is
value in government-to-government
relationships and I am glad
that the Tribe sees that."
"The $20 million match just be
came $16 million for a local match,"
said Haugeberg at the conclusion of
the City Club meeting.
Tribal Attorney Rob Greene said
the Tribe will receive a credit from
the Oregon Department of Trans
portation regarding the highways
18 and 22 interchange for re-allocating
the $4 million to the Newberg-Dundee
Bypass. The Tribe's
contribution cap for the highways
18 and 22 interchange is $9.45 mil
lion adjusted annually for inflation,
according to the compact. B