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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2021)
sNok signflz FEBRUARY 1, 2021 5 Tribal Council approves Yoda logging unit By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez Progress has been made at the Chemawa Station property in Keizer, which is co-owned by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. A contract has been signed with 7-11 to build a convenience store at the almost 16-acre site and Chick- fil-A is looking at the location for a fast food restaurant. Chick-fil-A eyeing Chemawa Station for new eatery KEIZER – Georgia-based fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has filed an application for a master plan amendment that would permit it to site its seventh Oregon restaurant at Chemawa Station, which is co-owned by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. Keizer Interim Community Development Director Shane Witham mentioned the restaurant chain’s plans during the Jan. 13 Keizer Planning Commission meeting. Public comment on the master plan amendment is being accepted and the Keizer City Council plans to discuss it on Monday, Feb. 1. Chick-fil-A is looking to locate a restaurant in the almost 16-acre Chemawa Station property directly across from Keizer Station. Com- pany representatives filed the master plan amendment on Dec. 17, just a few weeks after a Chick-fil-A Food Truck PDX started making near-weekly visits to the Salem area. The plans filed are only the first in a multi-step process to open a restaurant at Chemawa Station. There are currently two Chick-fil-A eateries in Beaverton and one each in Hillsboro, Bend, Medford and Clackamas. The restaurant chain specializes in breaded, boneless chicken sandwiches with two buttered buns and has more than 2,400 outlets in 47 states and the District of Columbia, according to its company website. In January 2020, the Grand Ronde Tribal Council approved a lease with 7-11 Inc. to build a convenience store at Chemawa Station. The Federal Highway Administration transferred ownership of the 15.7-acre property to the Grand Ronde and Siletz Tribes under the Indian Self-Determination Act in 2002. Ground was officially broken on the site in December 2019. Tribal Council agreed with the Tribe’s Natural Resources Depart- ment in telling the membership “May the forest be with you” in approving the Yoda logging unit during its Wednesday, Jan. 27, meeting. The logging unit, named after the wise, diminutive green Jedi master from the “Star Wars” movie franchise, drew comment from Vice Chair Chris Mercier. Senior Forester Andrew Puerini said that Forester Lucas Hunt saw the face of Yoda in a map of the myriad cutting blocks that com- prise the logging unit. “And he’s a ‘Star Wars’ fan,” Puerini said about Hunt during the Tuesday, Jan. 26, Legislative Action Committee meeting. Mercier, who also professes to be a “Star Wars” fan, also couldn’t help but mention that Hunt’s first name is Lucas, the last name of “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. All kidding and science fiction movie references aside, Puerini said the Yoda logging unit will feature 10 cutting blocks totaling 127.6 acres with an estimated yield of 6,403 million board feet, which is about 90 percent of the Tribe’s planned timber cut for 2021. The estimated net revenue from the unit is slightly less than $2.45 million. The Tribe’s Timber Committee approved the Yoda logging unit during its Jan. 20 meeting. Applications accepted September 1, 2020 Includes information from the Salem Statesman Journal LISTEN TO SMOKE SIGNALS 75 PODCASTS Purpose: Tribal Funding allocated to assist families with high costs of child care through a partial reimbursement program through the Social Services Department. illioo Native Theatre with Tracie Meyer and Marta Clifford The briefing on the Yoda logging unit also featured two new Nat- ural Resources employees. Colby Drake, who was Silviculture and Fire Protection manager, is now serving as interim manager of the department after the Jan. 15 retirement of Michael Wilson and Michael Karnosh is the new Timber Resource Program manager after having previously served the Tribe as Ceded Lands manager. In other action, Tribal Council: • Approved the agenda for the Sunday, Feb. 7, General Council meeting, which will feature a program report from the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center. The February meeting, which is usually held in Clackamas, will be held once again using the Zoom teleconferencing application be- cause of the COVID-19 pandemic; • Approved an application for $100,000 in Statewide Trans- portation Improvement Fund grant monies that will be used to further fund a proposed public transit route between Dallas and Grand Ronde and create a local Grand Ronde circulator route between those trips; • And approved the enrollment of two infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements out- lined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance. To view the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Government tab and then Videos. This is a first come first serve program Full applications and supporting documents must be received to process application Approved applicants will receive the reimbursement September 1 through August 31 of the current year Smoke Signals con- tacted Grand Ronde Tribal members Marta Clifford and Tracie Meyer to ask them about the illioo Native theatre group. Clifford and others recently launched the Native theatre with a virtual show where she read Meyer’s spoken-word piece to an audience of about 150 people. If you are interested in getting involved with illioo, you can email mclifford@gcap.org and like them on Facebook. www.facebook.com/illiooNativeTheatre For more information, contact Kamiah Koch at 503-879-1461 or kamiah.koch@grandronde.org VISIT SMOKESIGNALS.ORG AND CLICK ON PODCAST Each household will receive up to a $100 monthly reimbursement per eligible child Social Services will maintain a waiting list based on date/time of application in the event that approved applicants become ineligible at any point during the current application year Eligibility: The child receiving childcare must be a Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR) member and 12 years old or younger Child must attend a Certified Licensed Childcare Facility Parent (s) / Guardian must be currently employed at least 20 hours per week or more and /or attending school as a part-time student minimum Two parent/guardian household, both parents/guardians must be working or attending school Household must meet the income criteria of 185% of Federal Poverty Level Documentation required: Completed Application Verification of child(s) residence or custody agreement (ie. 2019 Taxes, Rental Agreement, Snap report etc.). Copy of childcare facility license Release of Information for the childcare facility Copies of wage stubs for the past 30 days and current classroom schedule. For two parent/ guardian households, both parents must provide documentation Contact Social Services at (503) 879-2034 Ad by Samuel Briggs III