S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 15, 2018
Dog days
Tribal Council OKs
2019 housing plan
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Tribal Elder Frank Norwest and his son's dog Spike enjoyed a quiet
afternoon outside of their Blacktail Drive home on Thursday Oct. 4.
‘It’s been pretty stressful’
PLATFORM continued
from front page 8
City on Wednesday, Oct. 3, to offer
moral support and view the process.
“This platform will be extremely
meaningful to the Tribal members
to be able to catch fish the way our
ancestors did,” Bobb said.
Natural Resources employees,
under the watchful eye of Fish &
Wildlife Program Manager Kelly
Dirksen, began the tedious process
of hauling supplies across the river.
“It’s been pretty stressful,” Dirk-
sen said. “I really care for the crew
that we have and want to make
sure we get them home. I want to
thank Tribal Council because they
have not spared any expense on this
to help us be safe.”
Dirksen and his crew donned dry-
suits to keep from going into shock
should they slip into the river and
they wear lifejackets at all times.
They also wear special boots with
felt on the soles for increased trac-
tion on slippery rocks. Several staff
members also have been trained in
swift water rescue.
On Wednesday, they were joined
by Utility Maintenance Supervi-
sor Joe Loomis, who was tasked
with documenting the process via
photos and videos, as well as Hous-
ing Maintenance Technician Nick
Kimsey.
Kimsey, who coaches his son’s
football team, said that he was
missing team picture day to help at
the falls, but it was worth it.
“My sons will be able to dip net
off this platform someday,” he said.
“My grandpa, Marvin Kimsey, re-
cently passed away and he was one
of the original people who restored
this Tribe. This is my way of doing
a minute amount of what he did for
our people. It makes me feel good
to be here.”
Engineering & Public Works
Department Manager Jesse White
spent the day scaling slick rocks
to scout for the safest route to get
the materials across. The platform,
to be constructed of an aluminum
frame and wood decking, will be re-
movable, but the bolts, to be drilled
into basalt rock, will be permanent.
General Manager David Ful-
lerton, who ferried employees to
and from the site, is hoping the
platform will be completed by the
end of October and that fishing will
commence shortly after.
As of Smoke Signals press dead-
lines, drilling for the anchor sys-
tems had been completed and
installation of the anchors and
baseplates was expected to be fin-
ished by Saturday, Oct. 13.
The platform deck is scheduled
to be erected the week of Oct. 22,
White said.
“Construction is underway and is
progressing very well,” he said.
Health & Wellness Center Entrance
Reminder: The drive-through entrance at the Health &
Wellness Center is for loading and unloading only.
The entrance was built with our Elders and those with mobil-
ity issues and their ease of access in mind.
If you are coming to the center to pick up
prescriptions, please park in
one of our regular parking spaces.
Thank you,
Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center Administration
9
Tribal Council approved the 2019
Indian Housing Plan during its
Wednesday, Oct. 10, meeting that
will bring the Tribe approximately
$6.68 million in federal funds.
During the Tuesday, Oct. 9, Leg-
islative Action Committee meeting,
Housing Department Manager
Shonn Leno and Administrative
Program Manager Joan Dugger
briefed Tribal Council on the fund-
ing plans for 2019.
Among the projects planned for
next year are:
• $107,942 to operate, administer
and maintain 20 Elder housing
units;
• $476,291 to operate and maintain
148 assisted rental units;
• $1 million to build an addition-
al eight one- and two-bedroom
apartments;
• $221,217 to fund 20 Down Pay-
ment Assistance Grants that
average $10,000 each;
• $276,889 to provide approximate-
ly 30 home repair and medical ad-
aptation grants for up to $10,000
each to Tribal members living
throughout the country;
• $210,259 to rehabilitate an esti-
mated 10 housing units contam-
inated by drug use;
• $105,461 to rehabilitate an esti-
mated five rental housing units;
• $250,000 to provide rental assis-
tance to an estimated 25 eligible
families through area public
housing authorities;
• $482,651 to fund student rental
assistance for approximately 150
enrolled Tribal members nation-
wide;
• $55,547 to provide housing ser-
vices to Tribal members;
• $301,564 to fund crime preven-
tion activities in Tribal housing;
• $167,000 to provide a match for
the Behavioral Health Center
addition;
• $167,000 to provide a match for
the Early Childhood Education
preschool addition;
• $1 million for a resident’s center
adjacent to the apartment com-
plex development;
• And $1 million to develop Elders
low-income housing.
Leno said that $1.9 million in
federal housing funds allocated to
the Tribe are distributed directly to
Tribal members.
The Tribe’s Indian Housing Plan
is required by the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment no later than Oct. 18.
In other action, Tribal Council
also approved the enrollment of
seven infants into the Tribe be-
cause they meet the requirements
outlined in the Enrollment Ordi-
nance and Tribal Constitution.
Also included in the Oct. 10 Tribal
Council packet was an approved
authorization to proceed to move
forward with a constitutional amend-
ment vote that would allow the
enrollment of applicants who have
enrolled brothers or sisters by the
same Tribal parent(s) who were
enrolled before Sept. 14, 1999, and
who meet the pre-1999 constitutional
enrollment requirements and meet
the five-year relinquishment require-
ment if enrolled in another Tribe.
During the Sept. 8 Tribal Council
election, voters favored the amend-
ment 839-365, for a 69.7 percent
majority, which is greater than the
percentage needed to successfully
become an approved amendment
to the Tribal Constitution.
The entire meeting can be viewed
by visiting the Tribal website at
www.grandronde.org and clicking
on the News tab and then Video.
You’ve Been Summoned
To Attend Our
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3
10.26.18
5:30 P.M.
Youth Education Building
Light dinner and snack
Costumes required for an extra raffle ticket
Thank you for respecting Grand Ronde’s Tribal Community & Culture by not
displaying gang affiliation or bringing drugs alcohol or weapons to this event.