S moke S ignals
JULY 1, 2015
Revved up
Photos by Brent Merrill
Tribal Elder Steve Bobb Sr. acted as host of the 2015 Spirit Mountain
Casino’s Roll the Dice Veterans’ Car Show on Saturday, June 20. The
show featured more than 300 hot rods, rat rods and custom cars. Cars
were judged in the categories of best of the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s,
’70s and 1980s to present day. There also were best in show categories
for Mustangs, Corvettes, Tri-Five Chevys, imports and trucks.
Above is one of the classic flamed-out hot rods featured at the Roll the Dice
Car Show on Saturday, June 20, in Grand Ronde. The car show, which was
put on by the Grand Ronde Veterans Special Event Board, featured more
than 300 cars, vendors, music and food. Host Steve Bobb Sr. said 10 boxes
of food were gathered and more than $6,000 was raised to help veterans.
Elders’ phone numbers wanted
The Tribal Elders Committee is compiling a volunteer phone list of
Elders. If you would like to submit your phone number and address to
be available to other Elders, send it to elders.committee@grandronde.
org or leave a message at 503-879-2231. n
11
Food Bank starting budget-friendly classes
The Grand Ronde Food Bank, 9675 Grand Ronde Road, will hold its
first in a series of classes called “DIY: Budget-Friendly Tips, Tricks and
Ideas” at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 9, with Kimberly Lane teaching how to
make your own powdered laundry detergent.
“If you have an idea, or budget-friendly tip or trick, please send it my
way,” said Food Bank Coordinator Francene Ambrose. “I want these to
be community members sharing ideas with our community. If you have
something like make your own laundry detergent, I would love to feature
it in an upcoming class.”
For the first class, the Food Bank will provide a list of necessary supplies
and Lane will demonstrate how to make it and save money on detergent.
The recipe can be tailored for skin sensitivities as well.
If you are interested in attending, contact Ambrose at 503-879-3663 or
send an e-mail to fambrose@marionpolkfoodshare.org. n
Groups form
Helping Hands
The Clothes Closet, iskam mfkhmfk haws and A Cause For Paws
has started a small ad hoc group called Grand Ronde Helping Hands
and is inviting community members to join the effort of supporting
local families.
“The goal is to bring those of us together who are supporting fam-
ilies in Grand Ronde to share the services and resources we provide
and create a resource guide we can all use,” said Food Bank Coordi-
nator Francene Ambrose.
The group will hold a meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 14, at the
Food Bank, 9675 Grand Ronde Road.
“If you provide any types of services to families in our community,
please consider attending,” Ambrose said. “We are looking for meal
site calendars, food box sites, clothes closets, showers and laundry
service. We are asking churches, church groups, departments and
support groups to share with us. We are also collecting items for
homeless families in our area, items for camping, bed in a bag, re-
usable water jugs, silverware, plates, etc.”
If you are interested in joining the effort, contact Ambrose at 503-
879-3663 or at fambrose@marionpolkfoodshare.org. n
St. Michael’s offers brunch
St. Michael’s Catholic Church offers an open house brunch every
Sunday following Mass. The brunch is free to the community.
Brunch begins at about 11:30 a.m. following the 10:30 a.m. Mass.
Mass attendance is not required for brunch attendance. For more
information, contact Janelle Justen at 503-550-0923. n
Younger has plan to stay healthy
YOUNGER continued
from page 10
“We just believe your commit-
ment to the job and to your ability
to do the job is much higher if you
are healthy,” Dempsey said.
Younger, a chess enthusiast as
well, decided he had been a pawn
in his own life game of health and
wellness for too long. It was time
he took control and started making
moves that would bring him added
life and all the things that come
with being a husband, a father of
six and grandfather of 12.
Younger said he will never look
back and that he has a plan for
staying healthy in the long run.
“I’m running now,” said Younger.
“I’m exercising more. I feel good
about myself. If everybody would
give it a shot for one week, maybe
two, I think they would catch on. I
really do.” n
Lillard still moving forward
Tribal Elder John Lillard wants everyone to know
he is “still moving forward.”
Lillard, who was the subject of a feature article
about weight loss in Smoke Signals, is doing well
and he is as active as ever walking every day along
Grand Ronde Road. Lillard, like Lew Younger, has
undergone an incredible, tangible weight-loss trans-
formation that has changed his life and garnered
the attention of his family, friends and community.
“Before (the weight loss) I wasn’t going anywhere,
I was just existing,” said Lillard. “It wasn’t much of
a life.”
Like Younger, Lillard had an epiphany that he
remembers well.
“One morning I just said ‘This is it!’ ” said Lil-
lard. “It was June 1, 2005. I realized I weighed 441
pounds and I had to do something.”
He shed 37 pounds the first month.
“That was a good start,” said Lillard. “The follow-
ing year (2006), I lost 117 pounds in 12 months. Once I
started doing it, it became a habit, not just something
I did once in a while. I learned very quickly to stay
away from processed foods. The basic thing is fresh,
fresh vegetables and a lot of water.”
Lillard, 66, said it wasn’t anything magical that
helped him transform his life, it was something more
practical.
“First step … attitude,” said Lillard. “And the sec-
ond step was I grabbed my garbage can and threw out
everything I shouldn’t have or did not need, including
my skillet.”
Lillard said he changed his shopping habits to fit
his new lifestyle.
“Everything for me is either baked or boiled, no
more fried stuff,” said Lillard. “I shop differently
now. I like to go to the local farms for fresh produce.
I think any person any age can do it.”
~ Brent Merrill
