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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2017)
6 S moke S ignals AUGUST 15, 2017 Public Notice Open For Comment Photo by Dean Rhodes As seen from Fort Yamhill State Park on Wednesday, Aug. 2, a smoky haze settled in the Grand Ronde Valley during a triple-digit heat wave during the first week of August. The smoke originated from wildfires burning in British Columbia, Canada, and prompted a health advisory. Grand Ronde experiences heat, smoky haze in early August By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Grand Ronde endured triple-digit heat and smoke from British Co- lumbia wildfires on Tuesday, Aug. 1, through Thursday, Aug. 3. According to temperature gauges in cars parked at the Governance Center, the heat reached as high as 107 degrees on Wednesday, Aug. 2. In reaction to predicted hot tem- peratures, the Tribe opened a cool- ing center in the Tribal gym for the entire week. Chairs and tables were set up in the front lobby and water and snacks were available. Recreation Specialist Harris Rei- bach said three people – a mother and her two children – took advan- tage of the cooling center. Facilities Manager Tyson Mercier said the cooling center also came in handy for the K-2 program when the air conditioning unit serving that classroom stopped working, needing a new condensing fan motor. On Wednesday, Aug. 2, the Na- tional Weather Service issued an air quality alert for most of western Oregon, including Grand Ronde. Smoke from wildland fires in British Columbia moved south- ward and engulfed most of western Washington and Oregon in a haze. “Basically, with this heat wave we have lower pressure over Or- egon, which produces a north to south pressure difference, creating wind from the north and north- east,” Silviculture & Fire Protection Program Manager Colby Drake said in a government-wide e-mail. Pollutants in smoke can cause burning eyes, runny noses and aggravate heart and lung diseases. People were encouraged to limit outdoor activities and keep children and the elderly indoors. Health Services Director Kelly Rowe said no one visited the Tribal Health & Wellness Center regard- ing symptoms related to either the heat or smoke. The triple-digit heat wave broke on Friday, Aug. 4, as temperatures moderated to a more tolerable 90-degree range in western Ore- gon and an on-shore flow started pushing the haze out of the Grand Ronde Valley. The Grand Ronde area experienced similar conditions in August 2015 when fires burning in eastern Oregon and Washington state blanketed the Willamette Valley in a smoky haze. 'Everything is self-serve' E-MAIL SERVICE continued from front page cia Hernandez said if interest in the service is great enough, more lists will be added for different areas of Tribal business. LISTSERV is an industry stan- dard e-mail list management soft- ware that manages opt-in e-mail lists, including e-mail newsletters, announcements, discussion groups and e-mail communities. The Tribe’s Information Systems Department has installed a trial copy of the software, which will be used until the end of the year. If the Tribe decides to purchase a middle-range software package that would handle 20 separate lists, it would cost $5,000 initially with a $1,000 annual renewal fee. “Everything is self-serve, mean- ing you can sign up and maintain your subscriptions without having to call anyone,” Hernandez said. Tribal members can visit the website listserv.grandronde.org to sign up. Tribal Council unanimously ap- proved Finance Officer Chris Leno and General Manager David Ful- lerton researching the establish- ment of a Tribal member listserv in an authorization to proceed dated March 23. This is a Public Notice for Comment on the Grand Ronde Tribe’s application for 2018 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Funding. The Grand Ronde Tribe obtained a LIHEAP grant last year from the Division of Energy Assistance within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This grant program assists income eligible Tribal members with energy assistance (utili- ty bills, fire wood, etc.), crisis energy assistance, and weatherization (e.g. furnace repair, caulking, insulation). The Tribe’s LIHEAP service area includes Polk, Yamhill, Marion, Multnomah, Washington, Tillamook and Clackamas counties. If you are interested in obtaining services from the current program please contact Social Services at 800-242-8196 for energy assistance and Tribal Housing at 503-879-2405 for weatherization. The Tribe is taking public comment on the 2018 LIHEAP applica- tion and plan and the associated policies which are to be submitted by Sept. 1, 2017. The Tribe is looking at adding a cooling component to this year’s application. The latest draft will be available for review at the Social Services department at the Community Center starting Aug. 18, 2017. It will also be available at Tribal Housing’s booth at the powwow starting Aug. 18, 2017. You may also call the Planning & Grants Development at 503-879- 2250 with your comments on the plan or to obtain more information about the plan.
