PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
Membership
briefed on clinic
improvement
— pg. 15
APRIL 15, 2015
Food Bank
holds grand
opening
Eggs scramble
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
A
lthough it has been distrib-
uting food since December,
an official grand opening
event for the Grand Ronde Food
Bank – iskam mfkǚmfk haws (“The
house where you get food” in Chinuk
Wawa) – was held on Thursday,
April 9, to commemorate the new
partnership between the Tribe and
Marion-Polk Food Share in building
and operating the site.
The Tribe built the new Food
Bank structure, which includes
3,300-square-feet of space to store
produce, canned goods and frozen
foods, at 9675 Grand Ronde Road.
Construction was funded by a
$500,000 Housing & Urban Devel-
opment block grant and a $204,179
Indian Housing block grant.
Marion-Polk Food Share, which
before only supported its partner
agencies by distributing food to 48
sites in the two counties, agreed
IRUWKHÀUVWWLPHWRRSHUDWHDIRRG
pantry and hired Tribal member
Francene Ambrose to coordinate
activities in Grand Ronde.
The new Food Bank is located
near Tribal housing, making it
more convenient for Elders and oth-
er Tribal residents than previous
locations. Currently, food distri-
butions occur four times a month.
The grand opening started with
Land and Culture Department
See FOOD BANK
continued on page 11
Elvin Butler Jr. helps his 1-year-old son
Ukiah collect Easter eggs during the
Tribe’s annual Easter egg hunt held at
Tribal Housing on Saturday, April 4. The
event was sponsored by Tribal Council.
Trudy Sylvia, left, hands her
granddaughter Marley Smith, 2, a piece
of candy from the basket as Marley
visits with the Easter Bunny, aka Tribal
Elder Steve Bobb Sr., during the Tribe’s
annual Easter
egg hunt held at
Tribal Housing on
Saturday, April 4.
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Another gem
Opal Davidson to become Tribe’s second centenarian
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder Opal
Davidson will turn
100 on Sunday, April
19. She is the second
oldest living member
of the Tribe and
is proud to be the
eldest Mercier.
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
S
ince Tribal Elder Opal Davidson
was born on April 19, 1915, in
Grand Ronde much has happened.
Like the terms of 16 presidents.
Two world wars.
Twenty-two summer and 22 winter
Olympics.
As well as 36,525 days passing that
amount to more than 3.155 billion sec-
onds ticking off a clock.
When Davidson entered the world,
Babe Ruth was 20 and starting his second
season with the Boston Red Sox. Charlie
See BIRTHDAY
continued on page 5