8 S MOKE S IGNALS OCTOBER 15, 2014 Employee Breakfast honors 784 years of service Tresa Mercier becomes fi rst 30-year employee of Tribe By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The Tribe’s Human Resources Department honored 65 employees who have a combined 784 years of service, including the fi rst-ever 30-year Tribal employee, during an Employee Breakfast held Thurs- day, Oct. 9, in the Tribal gym. Health & Wellness Business Office Manager Tresa Mercier reached the 30-year mark in Octo- ber. Her employment as a Health Program clerk with the Tribe on Oct. 16, 1984, was noted in the November 1984 edition of Smoke Signals. Mercier also received a Pendleton blanket from Tribal Council at its Wednesday, Oct. 8, meeting in hon- or of her three decades of service to the Tribal membership. She was originally hired by Tribal Council member Cheryle A. Kennedy. Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno, Tribal Council Secretary Toby McClary and Tribal Council member Jon A. George congratulat- ed employees as they received their Years of Service certificate and bonus check. For those hitting the 10-year mark, a Pendleton blanket also was awarded. Tribal Council member Chris Mercier also attended the break- fast. Employees were served make- your-own breakfast burritos, fruit and juice and coffee. Prizes were raffl ed off by Senior Human Resources Generalist Steve O’Harra. Prizes included a Dyson hand-held vacuum, Pyrex bowls, frying pans, luggage, a camp loung- er and wireless speakers, to name a few. Employees honored for their em- ployment anniversaries were: Five years: Kristina Jaquith, Dana Seagrove, Linda Bird, Ardyth Hoffer-Hallicola and Lawrence Schwabe. Six years: Dennis Dinsmore, Michael Boyce, Victoria Jones, Dalette Remington-Nash, Ali Hols- claw, Bradley Leno, Lewis Younger, Adam Leno and Nicholas Bailey. Seven years: Tisha Gleason, Carmen Parren and Jilene Mercier. Eight years: Eirik Thorsgard, Anna Huston, Bryan Fendall, Shelley Clift, Christopher Holliday, Jeremy Ojua, Leanna Norwood, Tanner Fish and Randy Bean. 10 years: Sydney Clark, Laura Mercier, Donna Johnson, Steve O’Harra and Audra Sherwood. 11 years: Candice Olsen, Michael Burton and Colby Drake. Free online learning source The information includes: Everyday life Math and money Computer training Online classes Work and career information Check it out at www.gcfl earnfree.org Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tresa Mercier, right, Tribal Health & Wellness Department Business Offi ce manager, shakes hands with Tribal Council Secretary Toby McClary during the Employee Breakfast held at the Tribal gym on Thursday, Oct. 9. Mercier was recognized for her 30 years of working for the Tribe. Also congratulating her are Tribal Council member Jon A. George, left, and Tribal Council Chairman Reyn Leno, third from left. 12 years: Ron Karten, Roxanne Moniz, Christopher Martin and Larry Leith. 13 years: David Severns, David Fullerton, Mary Leith and Amy Gallant. 14 years: Ben Bishop. 15 years: Melody Baker, Shirley Walkoff and Justin Phillips. 16 years: Shonn Leno, Deneen Aubertin Keller, Kathy Doane and Kristi Petite. 17 years: Darlene Aaron, Wil- liam Kephart, Vikki Bishop, Angela Fasana and Lauri Smith. 18 years: Dolores McKenzie, Lisa Leno and Kelly Dirksen. 19 years: Eric Webster. 22 years: Liz Leno. 23 years: Tracy Biery and Bar- bara Mercier. 24 years: Lonnie Leno. 26 years: Gregg Leno. 30 years: Tresa Mercier. n Land & Culture Department Oral History Project Youth Education’s Annual Fall Community Service Project is here Socktoberfest 2014 In honor of our Tribal Veterans, the Tribe would like to memorialize their stories for our future generations. Who: All Tribal Veterans and their families What: We would like to record your story for inclusion in the Tribe’s cultural and historical collections. Where: We have dedicated a room at Chachalu for recording oral histories. It is set up for both audio only and video recordings. Additionally we have mobile audio equipment for those who wish to participate but are unable to travel to Chachalu. How: Contact Reina Nelson at 503-879-2226 to schedule a time to record your history. Accepting donations through November 20 th Socktoberfest is a youth service project to assist the Grand Ronde Community Clothes Closet Bring your donations to the Youth Education Building, (Mondays through Fridays 8am-5pm) We are in need of new socks for all seasons. For kids, teens and adults, work socks, dress socks, all sizes, styles and colors would be greatly appreciated. Only new items, please. Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Land and Culture Department Chachalu: Tribal Museum and Cultural Center 8720 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, Oregon 97347 Phone: 503-879-2226 Fax: 503-879-2126 E-mail: landandculture@grandronde.org