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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2018)
8 S moke S ignals MARCH 15, 2018 Tribal Council approves $1.1 million lodge remodel loan By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal Council approved a max- imum $1.1 million loan to Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. to fund the design phase of remodeling Spirit Mountain Lodge at its Wednesday, March 7, meeting. The funds will be drawn from the Tribe’s TriState Capital Bank line of credit and will continue Grand Ronde efforts to update and remodel Spirit Mountain Casino in the wake of 2017’s opening of the Cowlitz Tribal casino in southwest- ern Washington state. Tribal Council member Kath- leen George, who also sits on the Spirit Mountain Gaming Board of Directors, said the lodge’s interior remodel will include adding more high-demand suites, updating older lodge rooms, and redesigning and updating the entrance way and Hall of Legends that connects the lodge to Spirit Mountain Casino. George said that many lodge guests are requesting suites when they want to spend a weekend at Spirit Mountain Casino and the remodel will add more of them. “Right now, we don’t have as many suites as we could be fill- ing with customers,” George said during the Tuesday, March 6, Leg- islative Action Committee hearing. “This is really part of our sustain- ability plan at the casino.” The revamping of the 254-room lodge follows the Tribe’s investment of $13 million to remodel the casino in 2016. The Grand Ronde Tribe is in the enviable position of having the financial resources that it can loan Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. the necessary funds for remodeling both the casino and lodge and then Spirit Mountain Gaming pays the loan back to the Tribe with interest. In other action, Tribal Council: • Approved applying for a $312,500 Victims of Crime Act grant from the Oregon Department of Jus- tice. The 30-month grant would fund a full-time victim’s advocate and purchase of a minivan if re- ceived, as well as provide funding for the Court Appointed Special Advocates program. Planning & Grants Manager Kim Rogers said this is the first time there has been a set aside for the state’s nine federally recognized Tribes in the grant program. • Approved applying for a $90,000 First Nations Native Language Immersion Initiative grant that would, if received, fund curric- ulum development, lexicon and dictionary work, as well as up- grading of the existing Chinuk Wawa application and printing Chinuk Wawa educational ma- terials. • Approved applying for a $635,904 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that would, if received, further support the Women’s Transition House, fund develop- ment of a Tribal Wellness/Drug Court and add another officer to the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department for three years. • Approved re-appointing Tribal Council member Denise Harvey as the Tribe’s primary delegate to the National Indian Gaming As- sociation and paying the annual $25,000 in dues. All other Tribal Council members act as alternate delegates. • And approved the enrollment of two infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements out- lined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance. Also included in the March 7 Tribal Council packet were ap- proved authorizations to proceed that: • Authorized staff to proceed with an update of the 2010 Strategic Plan to be presented to Tribal Council by June 1. • Directed Natural Resources to establish and recruit for a resto- ration ecologist position. • Authorized staff to proceed with a Summers Collection Exhibit option with a budget of $337,272 and a projected exhibit opening date of May 31. • And authorized staff to generate an official Tribal membership roll that will include all Tribal members living and deceased, not omit any Tribal members even if requested and be made publicly available. Seven drummers visiting Grand Ronde for the Agency Creek Round Dance performed the cultural drumming and singing to open the meeting. They were led by Round Dance master of ceremonies Dev- on Bellerose and stickman Bobby Mercier. The entire meeting can be viewed by visiting the Tribe website at www.grandronde.org and clicking on the News tab and then Video. Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Social Security Disability Insurance Benefit Advocate Request for Proposal The Request for Proposals (RFP) is being conducted by the Social Service Department for the purpose of obtaining a contractor who has 5-plus years experience in SSI/SSD advocacy/benefit determination and the qualifications to advocate for Tribal members who are seek- ing assistance in the application process. Qualified applicants shall possess the ability to: • Provide general information to Tribal members and make referrals regarding SSI/SSD. • Screen Tribal members who claim their disability does not allow them to work. • Refer members to appropriate physical and/or mental health eval- uations. • Determine the severity of the physical/mental health condition from reports received. Make recommendations and assist Tribal members to develop an action plan. • Assist Tribal members in applying for SSI /SSD. • Assist Tribal members with completing paperwork to file for appeals for denial of SSI/SSD. • Refer Tribal Members to Tribal Member Benefits to apply for Tribal SSI / SSD program. • Serve as a resource to employees when working with clients that may benefit from SSI/SSD. Preference will be given to members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and/or an Indian-owned business registered with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde TERO office. Successful candidates must provide the following Insurance: Commercial General Liability Insurance limits not less than: • $500,000 General Aggregate Limit • $500,000 Personal Injury • $500,000 Each Occurrence Limit Please submit your proposal to Tammy Garrison by 5 p.m. Friday, April 20, 2018. Tammy Garrison, Social Services Department 9615 Grand Ronde Road Grand Ronde, OR 97347 Tammy.garrison@grandronde.org 503-879-2077 Appointments available in Optometry at the Health & Wellness Center • Comprehensive eye exams • Diabetic eye exams • Red eye treatment • Excellent selection of frames Call 503-879-2097 for an appointment. Ash Bark Winnowing Tray Instructors Margaret Mathewson and Greg Archuleta Learn traditional techniques to harvest and prepare Ash Bark for making an Ash Bark Winnowing Tray. WHERE: CTGR Portland Office 4445 SW Barbur Blvd Portland, OR 97239 WHEN: SATURDAY APRIL 14TH, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM SUNDAY APRIL 15TH, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Space is limited to sign -up or for more information contact: Greg Archuleta at: archuletagreg@gmail.com