sNok signflz
MAY 1, 2020
3
Tribe extends 80 more PTO
hours to its employees
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
May
• Sunday, May 3 – General Council meeting, 11 a.m. Tribal members
can participate remotely through the Zoom website. 503-879-2304.
• Wednesday, May 13 – Tribal Council meeting, 4 p.m., Governance
Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304.
• Monday, May 25 – Memorial Day. Tribal offices closed.
• Wednesday, May 27 – Tribal Council meeting, 4 p.m., Governance
Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304
(Editor’s note: All events are tentative depending on the sta-
tus of the Tribe’s COVID-19 coronavirus
response going into May and June.)
Grand Floral Parade postponed
PORTLAND – The Spirit Mountain Casino Grand Floral Parade has
been postponed from its Saturday, June 6, date.
“The health of our community and our friends around the world is the
most important thing,” a statement at www.rosefestival.org says. “We
have postponed but not canceled the 2020 Rose Festival. We’re hopeful
that eventually we’ll all come out the other side of this pandemic, healthy
and happy – and ready to celebrate together!”
The Spirit Mountain Casino, which is current closed, has been the pa-
rade’s sponsor for nine years. n
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
Comments Requested on Plans
for Grand Ronde Veterans
Memorial Improvements
The Grand Ronde Tribe’s Veterans Memorial was built in 2001 and a
couple of the four service branch pillars are running out of space. The
Tribe is planning on acquiring two more pillars and incorporating them
into the current memorial in a complementary manner. If you would like
to comment on this planned project, please contact Tribal Council. You
may e-mail them through Shannon.Ham-Texeira@grandronde.org. You
may also call Tribal Council staff at 503-879-2301. The Oregon Parks
and Recreation Department has a Veterans and War Memorial Grant
program. The Tribe is applying for funding to help afford the cost of the
needed expansion. n
Official Tribal Facebook pages
•Smoke Signals: www.facebook.com/SmokeSignalsCTGR/
•The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde: www.facebook.com/CT-
GRgov
•Spirit Mountain Community Fund: www.facebook.com/SpiritMoun-
tainCommunityFund
•Grand Ronde Health & Wellness: www.facebook.com/
GRHWC
•Grand Ronde Station: www.facebook.com/Gran-
dRondeStation
•Grand Ronde Royalty: www.facebook.com/CTGRRoyalty
•Grand Ronde Education Programs: www.facebook.
com/CTGREducation/
•Grand Ronde Community Garden: www.facebook.com/GrandRonde-
CommunityGarden
•Grand Ronde Food Bank: www.facebook.com/GrandRondeFoodBank
•Grand Ronde Youth Council: www.facebook.com/CTGRYouthCouncil
•Grand Ronde Social Services Department: www.facebook.com/CT-
GRSocialservices/
•Grand Ronde Children & Family Services: www.facebook.com/CT-
GRCFS/
•Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department: www.facebook.com/
Grand-Ronde-Tribal-Police-Department
•Grand Ronde Cultural Education: www.facebook.com/
Grand-Ronde-Cultural-Education
With the partial closure of the
Grand Ronde Tribal government
and total closure of Spirit Moun-
tain Casino stretching into May,
the Tribe announced on Thursday,
April 23, that it will grant all em-
ployees another 80 hours of paid
time off.
After another meeting between
the Grand Ronde Tribal Council
and Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc.
Board of Directors held Wednesday,
April 22, it was decided to grant
more hours to ensure employees
continue to get paid into May.
Tribal Council initially autho-
rized 120 hours – three weeks – of
paid time off for all casino and
government employees. For casino
employees, the Tribe is paying their
standard rate with additional con-
sideration for tips.
On Wednesday, April 1, it was an-
nounced that all Tribal employees
would receive another 120 hours
to compensate for the continued
closure of the casino and partial
closure of the Tribal government.
With the additional 80 hours, em-
ployees have been granted a total
of eight weeks of paid time off since
the closures started in mid-March.
Tribal Council members and
Tribal administrators have con-
sistently stated that the Tribe will
take care of its Tribal family, which
includes casino and governmental
employees, through the trying
economic times caused by the
COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
“We continue to work closely with
our board of directors and Grand
Ronde Tribal Council to monitor
the ever-changing situation and
have begun the process of preparing
a detailed re-opening plan,” said
Spirit Mountain Casino General
Manager Stan Dillon. “This plan
will include extensive sanitation
best practices while ensuring the
outstanding guest service we are
known for is intact for all aspects of
the guest experience in all venues
once we are able to open our doors.”
Tribal General Manager David
Fullerton announced the additional
PTO hours to governmental em-
ployees in an e-mail on Thursday,
April 23, and added that the goal
is to open the Tribal government
sometime in May.
“We are moving from managing
this event to preparing to open,” he
said during a Wednesday, April 22,
Facebook Live event.
There has been no announced
target date for re-opening Spirit
Mountain Casino.
In an unprecedented move, the
Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde announced an initial two-
week closure of its primary eco-
nomic engine, Spirit Mountain
Casino, beginning at 11:59 p.m.
Wednesday, March 18, to help
combat spread of the coronavirus
in Oregon.
Preliminary estimates projected
having the casino and its approxi-
mately 1,100 employees being idle
beginning at midnight Thursday,
March 19, through Wednesday,
April 1.
After a meeting between the
Grand Ronde Tribal Council and
Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board
of Directors on Wednesday, March
25, it was decided to keep the casino
closed until at least Thursday, April
9. After another meeting, it was
announced the casino would remain
closed until it was safe to re-open.
However, the number of coro-
navirus cases in Oregon and the
United States continues to increase
unabated and suggested national
social distancing guidelines were
extended through the end of April by
the federal government. Government
estimates say that hundreds of thou-
sands of Americans could die from
the virus if stay-at-home and social
distancing recommendations are not
followed. The nationwide death toll is
currently more than 50,000.
Spirit Mountain Casino opened
in October 1995 and has been the
primary funding source for Trib-
al governmental operations and
myriad benefits to Tribal mem-
bers, including health care, Elders’
pensions, per capita payments and
educational funding. It also was
Oregon’s No. 1 tourist destination
for a time and became one of the
largest employers in Yamhill and
Polk counties. n
Grand Ronde
Housing Department
Board seeks community input
The Grand Ronde Housing Board is inviting Tribal members and
Tribal housing residents to provide input to assist its members in
carrying out its advisory role to the Housing Department and Tribal
Council regarding policy guidance. The Housing Board meets at 3
p.m. the third Thursday of each month in the Housing Department
conference room, 28450 Tyee Road. Its chair is Simone Auger.
For more information, contact the Housing Department at 503-
879-2401. n
