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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2017)
2 S moke S ignals MARCH 15, 2017 NOTICE — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday Meetings DATE TIME Wednesday, March 22.........................................................................4 p.m. Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed. Letters Dear Smoke Signals: My name is Angela Schlappie. I am a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and a volunteer for the Tribal Member Review Board. I always see the recruitment efforts of the court in Smoke Signals and thought I would take the opportunity to share with you the reason why I have been volunteering for this wonderful board since the program began 12 years ago. Initially, I planned to volunteer short-term. I believe the program be- gan with nine volunteers. I hoped to help the program get started and then move on after a few years. Unfortunately, the number of volunteers dwindled over the years and we were left with just four board members and an overwhelming need for volunteers to continue with a successful Tribal Member Review Board program. Upon discovering the personal satisfaction I gained from knowing I was making a difference, I couldn’t bear the thought of quitting. I couldn’t leave my team; even more, I couldn’t leave the families I had grown to know so well. While a lot of our children are placed in familiar homes, some displaced children are very confused and not sure what to expect. I feel grateful that I can be a part of a team of familiar faces to that child and reassure them they are not getting lost in the shuffle. I love telling them that I am a Tribal member and I care. I am proud to serve on a board of resourceful members who offer their knowledge and express their passion to serve our Tribal families. Who can apply to volunteer? The only requirements to volunteer are that board members must be 21 or older, live in the six-county service area and participate in 24 hours of orientation/training in the first year. What does the Tribal Member Review Board do? The panel consists of three volunteers who are assigned to specific cases. These members review cases of children who are wards of the court, attend hearings to review the family’s progress and make recommendations to the family, Social Services Department and the Tribal judge. Feeling like you’re too busy to volunteer? So did I. Anyone who knows me knows I have a hectic schedule! I work full-time while attending college full-time. I’m a mother and a wife, and I still find time to volunteer. The good news is that the Tribal Member Review Board rarely requires more than 20 hours a year. Just think, you could make a difference with just 20 volunteer hours a year. Not only will you be supporting our families and Tribal youth, you will promote personal growth as well as improve your own self-esteem. Volunteering offers the chance to give something back to the community while making a difference in our Tribal children’s’ lives. Be the difference you want to see in our Tribe. Help me show our Tribal families that we care. I remain a volunteer because I believe the Tribal Member Review Board makes a difference. We are committed to the families we serve. I believe the Tribal Member Review Board allows me to be the voice for our families and allows me to ensure the children are getting their needs met. I sincerely hope this message encourages some of you to take time to volunteer. If you’re interested in being a Tribal Member Review Board volunteer, please contact the Tribal Court Programs Specialist, Annie Schmidt, at 503-879-4623. If you want more information, Annie will be holding a volunteer information session on Friday, March 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grand Ronde Food Bank. If the Tribal Member Review Board is not for you, don’t fret, there are other opportunities to volunteer. The Tribal Court is also seeking volun- teers for the Peacemakers and the Court Appointed Special Advocates programs. It’s up to us to be the voice for the future of our Tribe: our children. Have a great day! Hayu masi, Angela Schlappie Roll #2556 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. General Council meeting followed by the Community Input meeting Valley River Inn, Eugene 11 a.m. Sunday, April 2 Smoke Signals PUBLICATIONS OFFICE 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 1-800-422-0232, FAX: 503-879-2173 Website: www.grandronde.org/news E-mail: news@grandronde.org Twitter: CTGRgov Facebook: Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde DEAN RHODES CHELSEA CLARK MICHELLE ALAIMO PUBLICATIONS COORDINATOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS/ PUBLICATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT PHOTOJOURNALIST 503-879-1463 dean.rhodes@grandronde.org Smoke Signals strives for 100 percent accuracy in its reporting. If you see a factual error, contact Publications Coordinator Dean Rhodes at dean. rhodes@grandronde.org or at 503-879-1463. michelle.alaimo@grandronde.org 503-879-1418 chelsea.clark@grandronde.org GEORGE VALDEZ JUSTIN PHILLIPS BRENT MERRILL GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST PAGE DESIGNER STAFF WRITER 503-879-2190 503-879-4663 503-879-1416 justin.phillips@grandronde.org brent.merrill@grandronde.org george.valdez@grandronde.org SCARLETT HOLTZ NOVALEE LANCOUR CENTRAL PHONES CENTRAL PHONES 503-879-1447 503-879-1446 scarlett.holtz@grandronde.org novalee.lancour@grandronde.org DEADLINE DATE ISSUE DATE Monday, March 20 ....................... April 1 Friday, April 7 ........................... April 15 Friday, April 21 ............................ May 1 Editorial Policy SMOKE SIGNALS, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com- munity of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission. Our editorial policy is intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers about stories printed in the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be signed by the author, an address must be given and a phone number or e-mail address must be included for verification purposes. Full addresses and phone numbers will not be published unless requested. SMOKE SIGNALS reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are determined to contain libelous statements or personal attacks on individuals, staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Not all letters are guaranteed publication upon submission. Letters to the editor are the opinions and views of the writer. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SMOKE SIGNALS, Tribal staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Members of: Native American Journalists Association Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association 2017 Tribal Council 1-800-422-0232 — tribalcouncil@grandronde.org Reyn Leno Tribal Chairman — ext. 2399 Denise Harvey — ext. 2353 reyn.leno@grandronde.org Chris Mercier — ext. 1444 Cheryle A. Kennedy Tribal Vice Chair — ext. 2352 cheryle.kennedy@grandronde.org Correction — In the story on the Tribal Court Peacemaker Program that appeared in the March 1 Smoke Signals, it was incorrectly reported that the program is free only to Grand Ronde Tribal members. The pro- gram is actually free to all community members. Smoke Signals regrets the error. 503-879-1961 Jon A. George Tribal Secretary — ext. 2355 jon.george@grandronde.org denise.harvey@grandronde.org chris.mercier@grandronde.org Brenda Tuomi — ext. 4555 brenda.tuomi@grandronde.org Tonya Gleason-Shepek — ext. 1777 tonya.gleason-shepek@grandronde.org Kathleen George — ext. 2305 Jack Giffen Jr. — ext. 2300 kathleen.george@grandronde.org jack.giffen@grandronde.org