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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2020)
PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO. 700 Happy Holidays Lush-tfNtfN lepHet december 15, 2020 Community Fund nears $85 million mark in giving Blue Heron fire By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer pirit Mountain Community Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, has awarded millions in nonprofit grants since it was formed in 1997. In total, the Community Fund distrib- uted $697,323 in grants to 15 nonprof- its and to eight of the nine Oregon Tribes for the Michael Cherry fourth quar- ter, bringing the total giving in the past 23 years to $84.97 million. In accordance with the Tribe’s gaming compact with the state of Oregon, the fund awards 6 percent of net income from Spirit Mountain Casino in grants. It is governed by an eight-member Board of Trust- ees. The number of grants awarded since 1997 is 2,908. Grants have been distributed to nonprofit orga- nizations in 11 northwest Oregon counties for the purposes of sup- porting education, health, arts and culture, environment, historic pres- ervation, public safety and problem gaming, and to the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon under a Tribal Grants program. Due to the pandemic, the in-per- son check presentation ceremony on the Tribal campus has been canceled until further notice. Com- munity Fund Director Michael Cherry has said she is confident that the giving will continue in 2021, although it may look differ- ent due to Spirit Mountain Casino being closed for 74 days in 2020. The casino sets aside a portion of its annual earnings for charitable donations through the Community Fund. Going forward, the focus of the Community Fund and its board is on marginalized communities who already faced struggles and lacked access to services before the pan- demic hit, although it will continue to provide support to nonprofits responding to challenges created by or worsened by the pandemic. S See FUND continued on page 3 Man arrested for allegedly starting blaze By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor O REGON CITY – Less than 24 hours after a three-alarm fire started at the former Blue Heron Pa- per Mill site on Saturday, Dec. 5, police made an arrest. Enrique Omar Mejia, 29, was booked on three counts of felony second-degree arson and misdemeanor disorderly conduct and trespassing. He is being held on $100,000 bail. Oregon City police were called to the vacant property around 1:40 p.m. Saturday on a report of trespassing, law enforcement officials said. The initial report was of a person throwing items from a window of a Blue Heron build- ing. When officers arrived, they also saw items being thrown out and soon smoke was coming from the same area. The Grand Ronde Tribe- owned site was the scene of intense firefighting activity on Saturday, Dec. 5, as fire crews sprayed a large volume of water to stop the fire from spreading. Contributed photo Firefighters used large aerial ladders to fight a blaze at the Blue Heron Paper Mill site in Oregon City on Saturday, Dec. 5. Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez See BLUE HERON continued on page 8 Smoke rises from one of the buildings on the Tribally owned Blue Heron Paper Mill site on Sunday, Dec. 6. Tribal Council OKs budget to buy property adjacent to Blue Heron By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor ribal Council approved a fifth supplemental budget for 2020 during its Wednesday, Dec. 2, meeting that will allocate $1.235 million to purchase an approximately half-acre plot adjacent to the Blue Heron property in Oregon City. T See PROPERTY continued on page 9 Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez The Grand Ronde Tribe is in the final stages of closing on the property located at 450 Main St. in Oregon City.