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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2020)
sNok signflz NOVEMBER 1, 2020 ‘I want to feel a sense of achievement with the Tribe’ 9 Fall planting PROJECT continued from front page Nottingham. He met Ashlee while on an ex- change program at Oregon State University in Corvallis as a junior. After finishing up the year, he interned for the city of Portland that summer and then returned to England, where he completed his graduate degree and was employed by British Waterways. One of his projects included working on the site of the 2012 London Olympics. After he and Ashlee married, they moved back to the United States and now live in Beaverton. Webb worked for the city of Port- land as a civil engineer for almost 10 years before taking the job in Grand Ronde. Some of his projects there included the Northwest Flan- ders Crossing, Rivergate Crossing and the Earl Blumenauer Bridge. He decided to apply for the project manager position in Grand Ronde because of his family’s connection to the Tribe. “I always said if there were op- portunities that met my skill set, I would go for it,” Webb says. “I loved serving the communities and neigh- borhoods in Portland, and working for the Tribe feels like an extension of my family. It was a big motivator for me in applying for this position.” Moving forward on development plans for the Blue Heron site in Oregon City is one of the biggest projects Webb will be working on during his first year with the Tribe. Grand Ronde finalized its $15.25 million purchase of the 23-acre Blue Heron Paper Mill site in Au- gust 2018. Webb’s duties will include man- aging the Tribe’s agreement with the Department of Environmetnal Quality regarding site preparation, coordinating with architects and consulting with Metro, Oregon City, Clackamas County and the state on the Riverwalk portion of the project. Webb also will help create a master plan for phased development of the site. “I really enjoy what I am working on,” he says. “I’m diving right into things and everyone has been very supportive and kind, and it seems like a great place to work. There is a nice sense of community here. The projects I am working on are exciting, challenging, career-defin- ing projects.” Ryan Webb In addition to the Blue Heron site, Webb also is being tasked with the former Multnomah Greyhound Park property in Wood Village, which the Tribe recently announced it is reassessing for construction of a gaming facility. The Tribe purchased the for- mer racetrack in east Multnomah County in December 2015 for $10 million. Other projects include the planned medication assisted treatment clin- ics in Portland and Salem, Elder housing expansion at the southwest corner of Hebo and Grand Ronde roads and the home ownership program in Grand Ronde. “I want to feel a sense of achieve- ment with the Tribe that I have made a difference,” Webb says. “I want to help the Tribe move for- ward in a positive direction. Even a simple housing project can bring a great reward, and seeing that my being here is making a difference.” He says his biggest challenge will be to thoroughly understand Tribal history and culture. “When you have a history as exten- sive as the Tribe does, really under- standing all of that is a challenge,” Webb says. “I’m trying to do things in a culturally sensitive manner.” In his spare time, Webb enjoys woodworking. He creates dining room tables, coffee tables, vanities and coasters. “This started when my wife and I bought our first home,” he says. “We had to remodel all of the rooms and when were through that, I started building furniture for it. Now, it’s a side business.” Webb and his family also enjoy exploring new places in Oregon. Their favorite spot is Sauvie Island. Eventually, they plan to move clos- er to Grand Ronde. “I’m just really excited about being here and being a part of the Tribe’s future,” Webb says. “I’m ready to start working and contrib- uting.” n Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez Tribal Council member Michael Langley, right, and Natural Resources Department Plant Nursery Supervisor Jeremy Ojua plant traditional first foods seeds outside of Langley’s home in Tribal housing on Friday, Oct. 16. The approximately 40-by-4-foot area will be a test garden and also bring first foods to families in Tribal housing. Giant camas bulbs wait to be covered with dirt outside of Tribal Council member Michael Langley’s home in Tribal housing. BTI Heavy Equipment Operator Training Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde This course is for participants that want to obtain valuable training and certifications in operating heavy equipment. Equipment will include the most widely used in heavy highway construction such as excavators, wheel loaders, dozers, and more. Participants will learn, both in our high-tech CAT Simulator mobile classroom and in the field, running equipment side by side with our experienced instructors. In addition to operation, participants will learn safety and preventive maintenance through exercises. such as detailed machine “walk-arounds”. Grand Ronde Tero is seeking applicants for our BTI equipment training course • • • • • 3-week course - some type of construction experience is preferred Must be 18 years of age and enrolled in the Tero skills pool Must sign a contractual agreement that you will complete the course A valid driver’s license is required Some travel is required Orientation: November 16, 2020 7:30 a.m Classroom/Simulation Lab - Tribal Campus 7:30-4:30 p.m. 11/16, 11/17, 11/18, 11/19, 11/20 11/30, 12/1, 12/2, 12/3, 12/4 Land Lab/Equipment Operation - Albany 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11 (Lab time dependent on weather & operating conditions) AMERICAN INDIAN TEACHER PROGRAM If interested contact CTGR Tero at 503-879-2139 or tero@grandronde.org