S moke S ignals
AUGUST 1, 2016
5
Forum attracts eight of nine candidates
By Brent Merrill
Smoke Signals staff writer
Slightly less than 40 Tribal mem-
bers and eight of the nine Tribal
Council candidates attended the
Tribally-sponsored Tribal Council
Candidates Forum held at the
Tribal gym in Grand Ronde on
Wednesday, July 20.
After Tribal member Veronica
Gaston gave the invocation, the
forum started when Tribal General
Manager Dave Fullerton explained
the ground rules.
Fullerton announced that he,
Tribal Council Chief of Staff Sta-
cia Martin, Enrollment Specialist
Jolanda Catabay and the candi-
dates present met before the fo-
rum’s beginning and determined a
random order to respond to ques-
tions.
Fullerton said that only enrolled
Grand Ronde Tribal members
would be allowed to submit ques-
tions for the candidates and that
each candidate would begin the
forum with a three-minute intro-
duction. All submitted questions
needed to include the member’s
name and roll number to be verified
by Catabay.
Fullerton said that no questions
deemed to be personal attacks
would be allowed and that ques-
tions submitted had to be some-
thing that could be answered by all
candidates; there were no questions
directed specifically at an individu-
al candidate.
Candidates were allowed two
minutes to respond to each ques-
tion and could address other issues
if they had time left over at the end
of their answers.
After a sandwich bar dinner, each
candidate took turns answering
three rounds of questions provided
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Molly Leno listens and takes notes during the 2016 Tribal Council Candidates
Forum held in the Tribal gym on Wednesday, July 20.
by the membership and then each
candidate was given two minutes
to deliver a closing statement. The
forum took more than an hour and
a half to complete.
Candidates focused mainly on
their backgrounds and professional
and cultural qualifications for a
position on Tribal Council in their
opening statements. Candidates
spoke about the importance of
culture, the importance of making
sound business decisions and how
they saw themselves fitting in at
the council table based on their
vision for the Tribe and their back-
ground and experience. Other than
the two incumbents – Vice Chair
Jack Giffen Jr. and Denise Harvey
– each candidate is seeking their
first term on council.
Questions from the membership
centered on enrollment, consti-
tutional elections going forward,
youth activities in Grand Ronde,
casino improvements, the future
of the gaming industry and the
funding that comes with that
business as well as involving the
membership on decisions about
important issues.
Membership asked questions
about how candidates felt about
mandating educational accom-
plishments to be part of deter-
mining trust fund distribution for
young Tribal members who gain
access to their accounts when they
reach 21.
Members wanted to know how
candidates felt about the possibility
of the Tribe getting into the mar-
ijuana business, how candidates
feel about participating in tradi-
tional ceremonies, how important
working relationships with the
Willamina and Sheridan school
districts are to them and how can
families keep their young people
from being dependent on the Tribe.
Audio Visual Network Technician
Wendell Olson filmed the event for
broadcast on the Tribe’s website,
where it can be viewed at www.
grandronde.org under the Video
tab.
The nine Tribal members run-
ning for council include Giffen and
Harvey, and challengers Jason
Darcy-Chantel, Penny DeLoe,
Kathleen George, Monty Herron,
Michael Langley, Lisa Leno and
Jackie Many Hides. Darcy-Chantel
was the only candidate not present
for the Candidates Forum in Grand
Ronde.
Ballots were mailed to voters with
verified signatures on Wednesday,
July 27, and are due back by Election
Day, which is Saturday, Sept. 10.
Tribal members must be regis-
tered to vote and may register by
creating a verified signature card
at any time up to and including
Election Day.
The Election Office, which is
located in the Tribal Community
Center, is open Monday through
Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
and closed for lunch from noon to
12:30 p.m. on those days. The Elec-
tion Office can be reached by phone
at 503-879-2271.
Tribal members may vote for up
to three candidates to fill three
positions on Tribal Council. The
top three vote-getters will serve
through September 2019.
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.
Hunting & Fishing
Lifeways of the Grand Ronde People
Who: All Grand Ronde Tribal members.
BARIATRIC SUPPORT
GROUP
EVERY 1 ST AND 3 RD WEDNESDAY
STARTING SEPT. 7 2016
5:30-6:30 P.M.
LOCATED UPSTAIRS IN THE GRAND RONDE CLINIC
IN THE MOLALA ROOM.
If you are thinking about surgery, or have had surgery in the past, or even
have had a family member that has had the surgery, come listen and or
share your experience. Help support as we all go through this life changing
experience.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT : MESSAGE KANDEE LITTLE ON FACEBOOK OR
JAN KASCHMITTER AT 503-879-2067
What: We would like to record your family’s hunting and
fishing stories for inclusion in the Tribe’s cultural
and historical collections.
Where: Chachalu: Tribal Museum and Cultural Center
When: Starting September 1st, 2015
How: Contact Stacey Runningbird @ 503-879-2381