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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2020)
6 DECEMBER 15, 2020 Smoke Signals Tribal member Troy Douglass opens second basketball store By Danielle Harrison Smoke Signals staff writer Grand Ronde Tribal member Troy Douglass has opened a sec- ond store dedicated to his love of basketball. Ball Was Life, 3405 S.E. Haw- thorne Blvd. in Portland’s Haw- thorne district, is open from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and noon to 7 p.m. Friday and Sat- urday. “Our mantra is, ‘I may be past my prime, but I'll still give you buckets,’ ” Douglass says. “We offer anything and everything basketball: Dennis Rodman dolls, Damon Stoudamire jerseys and Portland Fire collectibles. The employees can even play basketball. We'll take on any storefront staff in the city. I'm not saying we'll win, but we're not afraid to play anybody.” Douglass says the store is off to a good start, given what he calls Portland’s love affair with basketball culture. Douglass founded the Cultural Blends brand in 2011 and opened his first storefront in Lloyd Center in November 2018. He says he hopes to continue growing a repu- tation for not just providing warm, top-of-the-line customer service, but also a unique experience. Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez Spirit Mountain Casino remained open for business after Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City closed for two weeks on Tuesday, Dec. 1, due to an increase of COVID-19 cases in Oregon Contributed photo An unidentified customer holds up a Kobe Bryant T-shirt inside of Grand Ronde Tribal member Troy Douglass’ new basketball- oriented store Ball Was Life located in the Hawthorne district of Portland. “That's where I see retail go- ing in the next five to 10 years,” Douglass says. “It's those that know how to create that amazing experience. For us little guys, that's everything. You get to share a little piece of your heart and soul with your customers.” For more information, call 971-279-5003 or follow Ball Was Life on Instagram at ballwaslife- dotcom. Afterhours health line Tribal members can contact the Afterhours Health Line for questions about health care concerns they may have when the clinic is not open. You can reach the Afterhours Health Line by calling 503-879-2002 and follow the prompts. The Afterhours Health Line will coordinate care and communicate with Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center providers. Pictures with Santa Date: 12.17.20 Time: 12-2:30 p.m. Location: Grand Ronde Apartments We know that with COVID many places are not able to do photos with Santa and getting a picture with Santa has become a favorite tradition for families. We have made a way to get a picture with Santa that is safe and follows the current guidelines. We have a sign-up sheet to get a time slot for your picture. We will be doing 5 min time slots from noon to 2:30pm and will add more time if necessary. Please email kanumaustcommittee@gmail.com for a time slot. We hope this brings some holiday cheer to the community! Organized by Kʰanamakwst Committee Spirit Mountain Casino remains open during COVID-19 surge By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Unlike the Siletz Tribe’s Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, the Grand Ronde Tribe’s Spirit Moun- tain Casino remained open during a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Oregon. “Spirit Mountain Casino has no plans to deviate from our health and safety plan,” said Marketing Director Shawna Ridgebear on Friday, Dec. 4. “We will continue with our limited business hours and increased sanitation plans, much of which exceeds the Centers for Dis- ease Control recommendations. Our full plan is available on our website at www.spiritmountain.com.” Spirit Mountain Casino, the Grand Ronde Tribe’s primary eco- nomic engine, closed for an un- precedented 74 days in mid-March through May 31 when the coronavi- rus became a public health concern in Oregon. Upon re-opening on June 1, the casino instituted several public health practices, including check- ing customers’ temperature before entering, requiring that all guests be 21 and older, abbreviated busi- ness hours to allow for facility cleaning and mandating the wear- ing of face masks by customers. Most recently, the casino made the entire facility smoke-free. Chinook Winds General Manager Michael Fisher announced the two- week closure of the Siletz Tribe’s gaming facility at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1. On Dec. 10, the Siletz Tribe announced that the casino would remain closed through the end of the year. “The safety of our team members and guests is our top priority,” Fisher said. “Team members will be paid through the tentative two- week closure.” Fisher said that Chinook Winds will use the time to deep clean and sanitize the property. The Siletz Tribe also closed its hotel and golf operations as of Wednesday, Dec. 2. Lincoln County has reported 770 COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths attributed to the virus. Oregon has seen more than 93,000 cases with more than 1,100 deaths. Spirit Mountain Casino straddles the line between Polk and Yamhill counties, which have seen 1,582 and 2,169 COVID-19 cases and 24 and 19 deaths, respectively. Gov. Kate Brown instituted a two-week freeze in Oregon to curb the spread of COVID-19 that ended on Thursday, Dec. 3. In its place, a four-tiered system based on how each of Oregon’s 36 counties is do- ing was put in place. Polk and Yamhill counties were deemed to be “extreme risk” while Lincoln County was deemed to be “high risk.” The Grand Ronde Health & Well- ness Center reported that it has logged 40 positive COVID-19 tests as of Monday, Dec. 14. The Cowlitz Tribe’s Ilani Casi- no 16 miles north of Vancouver, Wash., also remained open with public health guidelines suggested by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Wash- ington health authorities.