S moke S ignals
MARCH 15, 2016
Council approves transportation
fund grant application
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Council approved a Special
Transportation Fund Discretionary
Grant application to the Oregon
Department of Transportation
during its Wednesday, March 2,
meeting.
The competitive grant, if received,
will help the Tribe update its 2007
Transit Plan, said Planning and
Grants Manager Kim Rogers at the
previous day’s Legislative Action
Committee meeting.
The only other item on the agen-
da was approval of the March 6
General Council agenda, which
featured a program report on the
Tribe’s support for appropriate
use of Native American mascots by
Oregon public schools.
Also included in the March 2
Tribal Council packet were autho-
rizations to proceed to:
• Create a full business plan for
creation of a Tribal Competitive
Local Exchange Carrier;
• Allow Natural Resources Depart-
ment Manager Michael Wilson
to purchase a forestry-specific
excavator;
• Nominate Tribal Council member
Brenda Tuomi to the National
Indian Health Board’s Public
Health in Indian Country Capac-
ity Survey Advisory Committee;
• And terminate the Employee
Health Plan Trustees contract
with ELAP because it was learned
that the program “may negatively
impact employees to a greater ex-
tent than originally understood.”
Tribal Council member Jon A.
George joined Cultural Protection
Coordinator Jordan Mercier to per-
form the cultural drumming and
singing to open the meeting.
The meeting, in its entirety, can
be viewed by visiting the Tribal
website, www.grandronde.org, and
clicking on the News tab and then
Video. n
Celebration of a life
Photos by Michelle Alaimo
Tribal Elder Steve Bobb Sr., left, hugs fellow Elder Richard “Mushy” Ray
during a Celebration of Life held for Ray at the
Elders Activity Center on Saturday, March 5.
Ray, 68, has terminal cancer and his wife Kathi
arranged the event. About 300 friends and
family members came to see him.
Council sends Marriage Ordinance
amendments out for first reading
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tweaks to the recently reinstat-
ed Tribal Marriage Ordinance
were sent out for a first reading
during Tribal Council’s Wednes-
day, March 9, meeting.
The amendments would require
that a marriage ceremony occur
on the Tribe’s Reservation and al-
low Tribal Court to file marriage
licenses and certificates with an
appropriate county recorder or
the Oregon Vital Statistics Office.
By sending it out for a first
reading, Tribal Council will be
providing the Tribal membership
with an opportunity to comment
on the proposed amendments
before they are formally adopt-
ed. An announcement about the
amendments and outlining how
to submit comments appears in
this edition of Smoke Signals.
Tribal Council reinstated the
Marriage Ordinance last year af-
ter 10 years of it not being on the
Tribal books and included a briefly
controversial non-discrimination
clause that would allow same-sex
marriages in Tribal Court.
In other action, Tribal Council
approved a non-binding Sunshine
Week proclamation that commits
to enhancing the membership’s
access to Tribal records and infor-
mation, to increasing information
provided electronically and on-
line, and ensures that meetings of
Tribal Council, Tribal committees
and boards are properly noticed to
the membership.
Tribal Council also voted to
approve the enrollment of two in-
fants into the Tribe because they
meet the requirements outlined
in the Enrollment Ordinance and
Tribal Constitution.
Tribal Council member Jon A.
George joined Culture Depart-
ment staff members Bobby Mer-
cier, Travis Stewart and Brian
Krehbiel to perform the cultural
drumming and singing to open
the meeting.
The meeting, in its entirety, can
be viewed by visiting the Tribal
website, www.grandronde.org,
clicking on the News tab and then
Video. n
ATTENTION CTGR TELEPHONE SERVICE
If you have an emergency and need to dial “911” you must first dial
a “9” (9911).
The only calls that do not require that you dial a 9+ are those made
from the CTGR extensions within the CTGR campus and/or those who
use CTGR Tel for their home phone service. n
CPA returns
Doris Rose, a certified public accountant, will be returning to the
Grand Ronde community.
She will be in the Grand Ronde Housing Department office on
Tuesday and Thursday through April 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call 503-293-4128. n
Tribal Council Chair Reyn Leno talks about a necklace he’s gifting on
behalf of Tribal Council to Tribal Elder Richard “Mushy” Ray as Tribal
Council Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr., back left, and Tribal Elder Bob Mercier,
back right, wrap Ray in a Pendleton blanket, which council also gifted
to him during a Celebration of Life held for Ray at the Elders Activity
Center on Saturday, March 5. Ray served on the Timber Committee with
Mercier and was also on the Elders Committee.
Free Playgroup in
Grand Ronde!
*
When: Second and Fourth
Tuesday of each month 10:00 am-
11:30 am
Where: CTGR – Community
Service Center 9615 Grand Ronde
Road Grand Ronde, OR 97347
Who: Parents and caregivers of
children under 5 years.
Why: Come to play, have a snack
and have fun!
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