S moke S ignals
SEPTEMBER 1, 2018
Name changes in court
Tribal Court provides both minor and adult name changes to enrolled
members for a filing fee of only $30. If you have any questions or would
like to request a packet, contact Tribal Court at 503-879-2303. n
7
‘At the time, the thinking was to
get that property off the market’
WOOD VILLAGE
continued from page 5
plan to change course and sell the
property seemed like last a last-sec-
ond decision.
“This is about accountability,” he
said. “We have no forum to hold our
Tribal Council accountable.”
Hernandez said the original in-
tention in purchasing the property
was to take it off the market so
private gaming interests wouldn’t
develop a casino on the site, but
after a thorough financial analysis
was conducted it was determined
that profitability would be at least
seven to 10 years away.
“We are hoping to realize finan-
cial gains much sooner than that,”
she said.
Langley, who was elected to coun-
cil in September 2017, emphasized
that the land had not been sold yet.
“We should have a plan before we
buy a property and we didn’t have
that,” he said. “I know we talked
about it being Spirit Mountain at
Wood Village, but if there was a
scenario with a joint casino, the
(potential) impacts would be a
50-percent hit to our current area.”
George said the purchase and
subsequent decision to sell was a
“long process.”
“At the time, the thinking was to
get that property off the market,”
she said. “We explored development
to the best of our ability, but it
would be a severe hit to the casino
here. … We don’t want to leave you
with the impression that we have
left any stone unturned. If we can
take advantage of the (current) real
estate market that is a great thing.”
Leno added that when the pur-
chase was made, there wasn’t time
to put together a thorough plan and
the primary objective was to protect
Spirit Mountain Casino from other
interests.
“I want to make sure people
understand the purchase and its
intent,” he said. n
We Want To Hear From You!
That’s right, the Grand Ronde Health &
Wellness Center Comment Box is
located at the entrance of the Health &
Wellness Center, next to the drinking
fountain. Share your experience, good
or bad with us! We look forward to
hearing what you have to say. n
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