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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2015)
2 S MOKE S IGNALS FEBRUARY 15, 2015 NOTICE — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings DATE TIME Wednesday, Feb. 25.............................................................................4 p.m. Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed. Letters Dear Smoke Signals: My family and I want to extend a huge thank you to the Grand Ronde 7ULEDO+RXVLQJ$XWKRULW\:HUHFHQWO\SXUFKDVHGDKRPHLQ.HL]HU with plans of updating it. The Home Repair Grant allowed us to literally make our house a warm and inviting space. We were able to improve the HQHUJ\HIÀFLHQF\RIRXUKRPHE\KDYLQJWKHRULJLQDOVLQJOHSDQHZLQGRZV UHSODFHGDQGLQVXODWLQJWKHXQGHUÁRRURIWKHKRXVH:KDWZDVRQFHGUDIW\ and cold is now warm and comfortable. Loyal Hamilton was great to work with and helped to make the process as easy as possible. He was able to guide us through identifying the areas WKDWZRXOGEHRIJUHDWHVWEHQHÀWWRXVIURPDQHIÀFLHQF\VWDQGSRLQW,NQRZ that the blessing of receiving this grant will continue to bless my family and our guests for many years to come. Thank you to all of those who work to make these and other opportunities available to Tribal members. We are truly blessed by your hard work and generosity. Know that we are truly grateful for the many opportunities and services that are provided to us as Grand Ronde Tribal members. Jeremy Haller 5ROO General Council meeting Sunday, March 1 — 11 a.m. Tribal Community Center Smoke Signals PUBLICATIONS OFFICE 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 1-800-422-0232, FAX: 503-879-2173 Website: www.grandronde.org/news E-mail: news@grandronde.org Twitter: CTGRgov Facebook: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde CHELSEA CLARK DEAN RHODES PUBLIC AFFAIRS/ PUBLICATIONS SECRETARY PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR 503-879-1463 Dear Smoke Signals: It has been several years since we as members have been given the op- portunity to vote on something other than Tribal Council elections. For that we should all be thankful and more importantly give credit where credit is due: to our Tribal leaders for providing us this chance. This is also the opportunity for us to voice our opinions through means other than voting. I hope to see more of you explaining how you are vot- ing and why in this section of our Tribal newsletter. If you are fortunate enough to live near Grand Ronde, hopefully you will take advantage of the General Council meetings and Wednesday night meetings to equally express your thoughts on this matter. That is what democracy is all about: debate and vote. As for me, I would like to take this opportunity to express my own RSLQLRQV5LJKWQRZ,DPXQVXUHZKDWWRPDNHRIWKHÀUVWFRQVWLWXWLRQDO amendment before us, the removal of the Bureau of Indian Affairs oversight from these kinds of elections. Initially, I am skeptical because there didn’t seem to be anything prompting Tribal Council’s decision to propose this amendment. I would think some sort of overly negative event made our Tribal leaders realize this was something we needed. But I haven’t heard RUUHDGDQ\WKLQJ$WOHDVWÀYH7ULEDO&RXQFLOPHPEHUVWKRXJKWLWZDVD good idea and that seems to be enough. Hopefully more explanation will be coming forth because my initial thoughts are it removes a safeguard to changing our Constitution and makes it easier for council to propose changes, but not for us the general membership. Unless better arguments are put before me, at this point I will have to be a “no” vote. The second amendment is a little confusing. I see people calling it “term limits,” but when you really read the language, all this proposal really does is require a sabbatical for council members in between three-term stints. Nine years on, one year off. That is hardly term limits. I understand a VXUYH\ZDVFRQGXFWHGÀYHRUVL[\HDUVDJRDQGWKHJHQHUDOPHPEHUVKLS came out strongly in favor of term limits, but what we are voting on is a far cry from that. I read into that survey as meaning the membership doesn’t want Tribal leaders making lifelong careers out of being on council. Under this supposed version of “term limits,” that is still possible. You just have to take one year off every decade. By supporting this amendment, I would be accepting some weakened and watered-down version of what the members clearly wanted. Very little would really change, which is why at this point I am also a “no.” Thank you for taking the time to read this. Brenda Tuomi 5ROO Lyon's 103rd birthday to be feted The Tribe’s eldest Elder, Pearl Lyon, will celebrate her 103rd birthday during an event at the Elders Activity Center on Friday, Feb. 20. After the Elders’ lunch service, there will be cake and ice cream to honor Lyon, who was born Feb. 20, 1912, in Bay City Hospital in Tillamook. For more information, contact the Elders Activity Center DWQ Tribal Office Closures 7ULEDORIÀFHVZLOOEHFORVHGRQ0RQGD\)HELQREVHUYDQFHRI Tribal Chiefs Day. RON KARTEN STAFF WRITER 503-879-4663 ron.karten@grandronde.org dean.rhodes@grandronde.org 503-879-1418 GEORGE VALDEZ JUSTIN PHILLIPS MICHELLE ALAIMO 503-879-2190 503-879-1961 chelsea.clark@grandronde.org GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST PAGE DESIGNER justin.phillips@grandronde.org 503-879-1416 PHOTOJOURNALIST michelle.alaimo@grandronde.org george.valdez@grandronde.org VALERIE COX SCARLETT HOLTZ 503-879-1446 503-879-1447 CENTRAL PHONES CENTRAL PHONES valerie.cox@grandronde.org scarlett.holtz@grandronde.org DEADLINE DATE ISSUE DATE Friday, Feb. 20 .......................... March 1 Friday, March 6 ....................... March 15 Friday, March 20 ......................... April 1 Editorial Policy SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com- munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission. Our editorial policy is intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers about stories printed in the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be signed by the author, an address must be given and a phone number or e-mail address PXVWEHLQFOXGHGIRUYHUL¿FDWLRQSXUSRVHV)XOODGGUHVVHVDQGSKRQHQXPEHUVZLOOQRW be published unless requested. SMOKE SIGNALS reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are determined to contain libelous statements or personal attacks on individuals, staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Letters to the HGLWRUDUHWKHRSLQLRQVDQGYLHZVRIWKHZULWHU3XEOLVKHGOHWWHUVGRQRWQHFHVVDULO\UHÀHFWWKH opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Members of: Q Native American Journalists Association Q The Associated Press Q Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association 2015 Tribal Council 1-800-422-0232 — tribalcouncil@grandronde.org QReyn Leno Tribal Chairman — ext. 2399 reyn.leno@grandronde.org QJack Giffen Jr. Tribal Vice Chair — ext. 2300 jack.giffen@grandronde.org QToby McClary Tribal Secretary — ext. 4555 QDenise Harvey — ext. 2353 denise.harvey@grandronde.org QChris Mercier — ext. 1444 chris.mercier@grandronde.org QCheryle A. Kennedy — ext. 2352 cheryle.kennedy@grandronde.org QTonya Gleason-Shepek — ext. 1777 toby.mcclary@grandronde.org tonya.gleason-shepek@grandronde.org QEd Pearsall — ext. 2305 QJon A. George — ext. 2355 ed.pearsall@grandronde.org jon.george@grandronde.org
