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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2020)
sNok signflz MAY 15, 2020 3 Tribal Council to OK another round of virus relief payments By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor May • Monday, May 25 – Memorial Day. Tribal offices closed. • Wednesday, May 27 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Governance Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. June • Wednesday, June 10 – Tribal Council meeting, 4 p.m., Governance Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, June 24 – Tribal Council meeting, 4 p.m., Governance Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Sunday, June 28 – Tribal Council nominations, 11 a.m., Community Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. (Editor’s note: All events are tentative depending on the status of the Tribe’s COVID-19 coronavirus response into May and June.) Celebrating salmon Tribal Council will vote on Thurs- day, May 21, to approve a second $1.9 million supplemental budget that will send another virus relief payment to adult Tribal members to help them deal with the finan- cial toll the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is having on them indi- vidually and as families. The second round of virus relief payments will once again send $400 to each adult Tribal member. “We recognize that many of our Tribal members are struggling during these challenging times,” said a Tribal Council statement posted on the Tribal government’s Facebook page on Thursday, May 7. “The Grand Ronde family is not limited by state or national borders. Our goal is to get assistance to Trib- al members no matter where they live and we hope that these actions will help our membership navigate these uncertain times.” Tribal Council discussed the second round of virus relief payments during a Tuesday, May 5, meeting and the proposed supplemental budget was posted at the Governance Center the following day. Proposed supplemen- tal budgets must go through a 15-day comment period before being voted on by Tribal Council. Finance Officer Chris Leno said that the checks and direct deposits will be distributed on Thursday, May 28. Tribal Council approved the first supplemental $1.8 million budget on April 23 and $400 payments were mailed out and deposited directly into Tribal members’ ac- counts on April 29. The additional $100,000 in the second supplemental budget will be earmarked for the Social Service Department’s Emergency Assis- tance Program that provides emer- gency rental/housing assistance and emergency utility assistance to Tribal members. Because of the pandemic, the Tribe has made some exceptions to its normal policies regarding assistance. Tribal members in need should contact Administrative Assistant Tammy Garrison at 503- 879-2077 to discuss their situation to receive assistance or guidance. Grand Ronde Housing Department Contributed photo The annual First Salmon celebration traditionally held in May along the banks of the Willamette River was scaled back this year because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Only 10 Tribal members participated in the event held Friday, May 8, at the former site of the Blue Heron Paper Mill in Oregon City. Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy said the event was held on a “beautiful day” and Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier said Tribal members practiced social distancing and wore face masks except for when they had photos taken. The event was by invitation only and attendees included Tribal Council Secretary Jon A. George, Tribal Council member Denise Harvey, Cultural Advisor Bobby Mercier and Cultural Policy Analyst Greg Archuleta. 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. 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 Ad by Samuel Briggs III