PRESORTED
STANDARD MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PORTLAND, OR
PERMIT NO. 700
JANUARY 1, 2016
Tribe purchases
Greyhound Park
in Wood Village
By Dean Rhodes
Casino elves
Smoke Signals editor
W
OOD VILLAGE – The
Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde is now the
owner of the 31-acre Multnomah
Greyhound Park site in Wood Vil-
lage.
The Tribe closed on the property
on Friday, Dec. 11. The site, which
is no longer used for dog racing, was
listed for sale at $11.2 million in
2015 by owner Arthur McFadden.
Tribal Council approved pursuing
purchase of the site at its Oct. 14
meeting. At the time, Tribal Coun-
cil Chairman Reyn Leno said that
the Tribe is developing a business
plan for the property that would
help diversify the Tribe’s economic
base.
“Economic diversification has
always been a priority for our
Tribe and our membership,” Leno
said. “We have worked hard since
our Tribe was restored to become
self-suffi cient, and to provide es-
sential programs for our members.
Striving toward a diversifi ed econ-
omy is an objective that helps us
prepare for the future.”
Tribal Lands Department Man-
ager Jan Looking Wolf Reibach said
the property is zoned Town Center
by the city of Wood Village, which
allows for a variety of potential uses
including a regional entertainment
facility, commercial retail, housing
and offi ce buildings.
Grand Ronde Tribal members are
familiar with the site since it was
identifi ed as the possible location
for Oregon’s first privately oper-
ated casino by two Lake Oswego
businessmen who sponsored bal-
lot measures in 2010 and 2012 to
See PARK
continued on page 5
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Spirit Mountain Casino Marketing Director Shawna Ridgebear is interviewed by media during the casino’s toy
delivery to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland on Monday,
Dec. 14. This was the eighth year the casino held its annual Holiday Toy Drive that encouraged casino guests to
bring in new, unwrapped toys in exchange for free slot play. Eleven pallets of toys were delivered and they will
be given to children at the hospital throughout the year. In addition to the donated toys, the casino purchased
$6,000 worth of toys, games, books and crafts for the hospital.
Spirit Mountain Casino Marketing Director
Shawna Ridgebear, left, gives Erika Halloran,
a Health Unit coordinator at Oregon Health
& Science University, a basket of cookies at
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland
on Monday, Dec. 14. In addition to the casino
delivering toys collected from the toy drive, staff
members also gave each of the nurse’s stations
at Doernbecher a basket of cookies to thank
them for their hard work. Casino employees also
handed out candy canes to outpatients.
Community Fund distributes $646,429
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
S
pirit Mountain Community Fund, the phil-
anthropic arm of the Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde, continued its quarterly
presentation of grants on Wednesday, Dec. 16,
awarding a combined $646,429 to 30 nonprofi t
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
organizations.
The awards were distributed in the Gover-
nance Center Atrium.
The Community Fund distributes grants to
See FUND
continued on page 18
Torre Chisholm, Chief Development Offi cer for Special Olympics Oregon, talks with Spirit Mountain
Community Fund Board of Trustees Chairman Sho Dozono during the fund’s quarterly grant
presentation held in the Governance Center Atrium on Wednesday, Dec. 16.