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NOVEMBER 1, 2019
Smoke Signals
Food Bank provides
boxes, seeks help
The Grand Ronde Food Bank – iskam mfkhmfk haws – is operated
by Marion-Polk Food Share, which has been leading the fight to end
hunger since 1987 because no one should be hungry.
Recipients of SNAP, TANF, SSI or LIHEAP assistance automat-
ically qualify for assistance at the Grand Ronde Food Bank, 9675
Grand Ronde Road. No one will be turned away in need of a food box.
“We believe that everyone deserves to have enough to eat,” Food
Bank Coordinator Francene Ambrose says. “You are welcome to get
a food box at each of our regular weekly distributions. No one will
be turned away in need of a food box.”
Upcoming food box distribution dates will be:
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov 2;
• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8;
• 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13;
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 (holiday box giveaway).
People must check in 15 minutes before closing to receive a food
box. If you need immediate assistance, call 211 or visit 211info.org.
Those who are unable to pick up a food box can fill out an autho-
rized representative form and that person can pick up a food box on
your behalf. The authorization is good for one year.
In addition, the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center’s Commu-
nity Health Team will be setting up the mobile clinic at the pantry
on the first Friday of every month.
The Food Bank continues to seek volunteers to help with repacking
food, putting food on the shelves, handing out food boxes, end-of-
month inventory and picking up food donations at area stores.
Call to ensure someone is available to assist. People also can sign
up for a monthly e-mail for the Food Bank calendar and events, as
well as follow the Food Bank on Facebook.
The Food Bank is an equal opportunity provider.
Call Ambrose at 503-879-3663 or contact her at fambrose@mari-
onpolkfoodshare.org for more information or to volunteer.
Committee & Special Event
Board meeting days and times
Below is the most current information on the meeting days and times
for Tribal Committees and Special Event Boards:
• Ceremonial Hunting Board meets as needed. Chair: Marline Gro-
shong.
• Culture Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the
month at the Grand Ronde Food Bank/iskam mfkhmfk haws, 9675
Grand Ronde Road. Chair: Francene Ambrose.
• Editorial Board meets monthly at the Chachalu Museum & Cultural
Center conference room, 8720 Grand Ronde Road. Next meeting is
scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8. The public is welcome to attend.
Chair: Siobhan Taylor. Contact: Editorial.Board@grandronde.org.
• Education Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of
the month in the Adult Education building. Chair: Tammy Cook.
• Elders Committee meets at 10 a.m. the third Wednesday of the
month in the Elders Activity Center. Chair: Penny DeLoe.
• Enrollment Committee meets quarterly in Room 204 of the Gov-
ernance Center. Chair: Debi Anderson.
• Fish & Wildlife Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday
of the month at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Chair:
Bryan Langley.
• Health Committee meets at 10 a.m. the second Tuesday of the
month in the Molalla Room of the Health & Wellness Center. Chair:
Bernadine Shriver.
• Housing Grievance Board meets at 3 p.m. the third Thursday of the
month in the Housing Department conference room. Chair: Simone
Auger.
• Powwow Special Event Board meets monthly at noon at the Com-
munity Center. Dates vary. Contact Dana Ainam at 503-879-2037.
Chair: Dana Ainam.
• TERO Commission meets at 10 a.m. the first Monday of the month
in the Employment Services building. Chair: Russell Wilkinson.
• Timber Committee meets at 5 p.m. the second Thursday of the
month at the Natural Resources building off Hebo Road. Interim
Chair: Jon R. George.
• Veterans Special Event Board meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Tuesday
of the month in the old Elders Craft House. Chair: TBD.
To update information on this list, contact Publications Coordinator
Dean Rhodes at 503-879-1463 or dean.rhodes@grandronde.org.
2014 – Tribal Health &
Wellness Business Office
Manager Tresa Mercier
became the Tribe’s first
30-year employee. She
was hired by the Tribe
at the age of 19. At 49,
she was the Tribe’s lon-
gest-serving employee
ever. “I feel like she is the
biggest asset the Tribe
has working here,” said
File photo
Senior Contract Health 2014
Specialist Melody Baker,
who had worked with Mercier for 15 years.
2009 – Grand Ronde Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy was
set to receive the Fran James Cultural Preservation Award at the
Potlatch Fund’s seventh annual gala on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the
Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seattle, Wash. The award was named after
the Lummi Tribal member whose leadership in cultural preservation
revived and continued the traditional weaving and basketry skills
of the Lummi people.
2004 – Mitch Goldstein was named the new gaming director at
Spirit Mountain Casino. He started in gaming 23 years prior as a
dealer in Atlantic City, N.J. He was familiar with Tribal gaming
and had been employed for four years at Prairie Nights Casino in
South Dakota. As gaming director, Goldstein said he was hoping to
look at new and creative ways to expand the business. “I want to
look at upgrading the machines and finding different ways to reach
customers,” he said.
1999 – Cultural Resources Protection Department staff members
successfully reclaimed the remains of 180 men, women and children
who had been taken from their original burial places and placed in
museum vaults. The remains were only a small fraction of ancestors
who still remained in various museums, institutions and private col-
lections across the United States. “Hundreds of thousands of Native
dead were taken from North American Indian graves, burial mounds
and cemeteries,” said Walter EchoHawk of the Native American
Rights Fund.
1994 – The Tribe was establishing a training program through
Chemeketa Community College to enhance members’ work skills and
improve their chances of obtaining jobs at the soon-to-be-completed
Spirit Mountain Casino. All of the employees at the casino, regardless
of job title, were expected to contribute to the entertainment expe-
rience offered guests. With that in mind, the Chemeketa program
was designed to provide training focused on customer service and
work readiness.
1989 – Dana Leno was named an outstanding student for the 1989-
90 school year after she was awarded an Oregon Minority Tuition
and Fee Scholarship to attend Oregon State University. The scholar-
ship provided $1,707 annually for tuition and fees. She received the
scholarship based on academic performance and leadership abilities.
Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year in-
crements through the pages of Smoke Signals.
WIC visits Community Center monthly
Pregnant? Breastfeeding? Does your family include a child under the
age of 5?
If so, you may qualify for the Women, Infants and Children program.
With WIC, people can receive answers to nutritional questions and access
fruits and vegetables, whole grains, eggs, milk, cheese, juice, cereal and
more.
A WIC representative visits the Tribal Community Center on the third
Tuesday of the month, which will be Nov. 19.
Walk-ins are welcome between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 503-879-2034.
Tribal Court is now open
during the lunch hour
As of Monday, Aug. 5, the Tribal Court office will be open Monday
through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including the lunch hour. Tribal
Court also provides notary services. However, to obtain notary services
please arrive before 4:30 p.m.
For more information about Tribal Court and the services available,
contact the court at court@grandronde.org or 503-879-2303.
