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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2020)
sNok signflz JULY 1, 2020 3 Tribal Council OKs three more rounds of virus relief payments By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor July • Friday, July 3 – Tribal offices will be closed in observance of the Independence Day holiday. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, July 8 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Governance Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, July 22 – Tribal Council meeting, 4 p.m., Governance Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, July 22 – Tribal Council Candidates Forum, 5 p.m., Virtual via the Zoom teleconferencing platform. 503-879-2304. August • Wednesday, Aug. 5 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Governance Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, Aug. 19 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Governance 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 throughout the summer.) Adult Tribal members will see a series of three virus relief payments totaling $1,800 over the summer. Tribal Council approved a third supplemental budget on Thursday, June 18, that will allocate $8.1 million that the Tribe received in federal funding to pay for the virus relief payments. The approximately 4,500 adult Tribal members will each receive $600 on June 24, July 17 and Aug. 14, Finance Officer Chris Leno said. The funding comes from the Tribe’s share of Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act monies. Although the Tribe has not disclosed exactly how much it has received in CARES Act funding, a Harvard study estimates the amount is ap- proximately $33 million based on the U.S. Treasury’s formula for de- termining allocations to Tribes. The summer disbursements will bring the total number of coronavi- rus relief payments to five and help Tribal members affected by the pandemic and the absence of a June per capita distribution because Spirit Mountain Casino was closed from mid-March through May 31. By the end of summer, adult Tribal members will have received $2,600 in virus relief financial aid, which is approximately 56 percent of per capita distributed in 2019. The payments are classified as general welfare disbursements and are not taxable. 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’ bank accounts on April 29. Tribal Council approved a second $1.9 million supplemental budget on May 21 that sent another $400 virus relief payment to adult Tribal members to help them deal with the financial effects caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. 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 Chil- dren 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 July 21. Walk-ins are welcome between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. For more infor- mation or to schedule an appointment, call 503-879-2034. COMMITTEE AND SPECIAL EVENT BOARD VACANCIES The following Committees and Special Event Boards have vacant positions. Housing Grievance Board – 1 vacancy Ceremonial Hunting Board – 2 vacancies Culture Committee – 2 vacancies Editorial Board – 2 vacancies Enrollment Committee – 2 vacancies Fish & Wildlife Committee – 3 vacancies Powwow Special Event Board – 1 vacancy Please send completed applications to Stacia Hernandez, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 Ad by Samuel Briggs III Ad by Samuel Briggs III