4
S moke S ignals
MAY 1, 2016
Special Notice
2011 – Camas, lamprey, salmon, deer and elk were among some of
the food items to be discussed during Tribal Government Day to be
held at the State Capitol in Salem on May 13.
2006 – Willamette Univer-
sity repatriated a 2.2-pound
piece of Tomanowos, the
Willamette Meteorite, to
the Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde. The piece
was found in a supply clos-
et in the school’s Olin Sci-
ence Building. “The piece is
home,” said Tribal Council
File photo
Chairwoman Cheryle A.
Kennedy.
2001 – Representatives from the American Museum of Natural
History in New York City visited Tribal Council and members of the
Tribe’s Education Committee to discuss the Tribe’s planned visit to
Tomanowos, the Willamette meteorite. The Tribe signed an agreement
with the museum in June 2000 that gave Tribal members private
access to the sacred meteorite.
1996 – General Council was briefed on the progress of the new
health clinic. Frank Whalen, health facility architect, said construc-
tion documents and legal review should be complete by June and
groundbreaking should occur in August. “We are still within the
budget of around $3.5 million,” he said.
1991 – Grand Ronde Tribal Health Director Cheryle A. Kennedy
received the 1991 Minority Health Conference’s Outstanding Individ-
ual Award. She was nominated for the honor by the Tribe’s Health
Committee. She has been director of the Tribe’s Health Program since
October 1984.
1986 – Tribal Council and Tribal staff received two W2 forms for
income earned in 1985. One was for income earned while working
for the corporation, a 501(c)(3) nonproit, and the other was for when
the Internal Revenue Service issued a new identiication number for
Tribal Council, which is a sovereign government recognized by the
federal government. “All that occurred was technical house cleaning
which had been overlooked,” the general manager reported.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in ive-year in-
crements through the pages of Smoke Signals.
Notice to parents, guardians or custodians of minor and incompetent
members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of
Oregon and Tribal members 18 to 20 years of age – Regarding the Rabbi
Trust Fund and Minors’ Custodial Trust Fund investments.
• This is to inform you of the upcoming annual election opportunity
to recommend an investment option that best suits your tolerance
for investment risk for your child’s accounts in the Rabbi Trust and
Minors’ Custodial Trust. The election deadline is May 24, 2016, and
the investment period will be effective from June 1, 2016, to May 31,
2017. The Investment Risk Recommendation Form packet is available
at the regular Tribal Council meetings on May 4 and May 18, on the
Tribe’s website and through the Member Beneits Department at 800-
422-0232.
• If you have investment questions, you may speak to the Tribe’s In-
vestment Consulting Team by contacting the ofice of Joseph S. Hoon,
Robert W. Baird & Co., at 877-792-3667 between the hours of 8 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Casino hires new
director of gaming
Spirit Mountain Casino has hired Lon O’Donnell as
the new director of gaming. O’Donnell brings 24 years
of gaming experience to Spirit Mountain, having spent
15 years managing slot departments for MGM, includ-
ing the Edgewater in Laughlin, Nev., Circus Circus in
Reno, Nev., and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
He also spent several years working as a casino consul-
tant. He managed the Enterprise Solutions department
for IGT from 2011-14, where he focused on consulting
Lon O’Donnell
about analytics, marketing and operations for Tribal
casinos nationwide. He also owned and operated a consulting irm called
CasinoAnalytica. O’Donnell said he strives to better understand games and
gaming, wanting to learn more about what makes Paciic Northwest residents
play certain games and what they love about those games. He said he hopes
to use that knowledge to build the very best mix of games for Spirit Mountain.
He said he is excited to join the casino staff during a pivotal time with the
possibility of a Cowlitz casino opening next year and the current remodeling
project occurring. “I look forward to watching the casino morph into some-
thing new,” he said. O’Donnell added that he has always dreamed of living in
the Paciic Northwest. He said he enjoys taking his wife and two daughters
camping and ishing. “I have the perfect job in the perfect place,” he said.
VETERANS SUMMIT
Gathering of Warriors IV
July 8 - 9, 2016
LOGO CONTEST
This year’s Veterans Summit, the fourth consecutive
one to be held in Grand Ronde, has a theme
of “Connecting Veterans with Services.” The
organizers of this year’s summit are seeking logo
designs that embody this theme. The winner of the
contest will receive $50 and a Pendleton blanket.
Deadline for submission is Friday, May 20, 2016.
Submissions should be e-mailed to Rhonda Leno at
rhonda.leno@grandronde.org.
Hosted by The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and supported by the Ofice of Tribal Government Relations
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