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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2021)
sNok signflz MARCH 15, 2021 5 Tribal vaccination effort reaches booster stage By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Contributed photo from the University at Buffalo Willamina High School graduate Jordan Reyes, top, finished his second season wrestling for the University at Buffalo, a Division I university. He went 3-3 during the abbreviated Mid-American Conference season that was affected by COVID-19 cancellations. Reyes wrestling as a sophomore for University at Buffalo Bulls By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal member Jordan Reyes, a two-time Oregon state champion in wrestling at Willamina High School, experienced a better year wrestling at the 125-pound weight class at the University at Buffalo in New York, a Division I school. During his freshman year, Reyes started 16 duals and went 4-23 overall and 2-15 in duals. He was 1-9 in Mid-American Conference duals on the season. This year, however, Reyes went 3-3 and 2-2 in duals. He recorded 12 takedowns, seven escapes and improved his career collegiate record to 7-26. Reyes recorded wins against opponents from Southern Illinois Uni- versity-Edwardsville, Northern Illinois and Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania this season. During the 2020-21 wrestling season, the Bulls experienced five consecutive meet cancellations in January. The team finished 4-3 overall and competed in the Mid-American Conference Champion- ships Feb. 27-28 in Lawrenceville, N.J., qualifying one wrestler for the NCAA Championships that are slated for March 18-20 in St. Louis, Mo. Reyes won his second Oregon state wrestling championship in Feb- ruary 2019 as a senior in the 106-pound weight class and accepted an athletic scholarship from the University at Buffalo. He also won the state title during his junior year in the same weight class and finished second during his freshman and sophomore years. He went 122-10 during his four years of wrestling at Willamina with six of his 10 losses occurring during his freshman year. To follow Reyes’ college wrestling career, visit https://ubbulls.com/ sports/wrestling. Grand Ronde Housing Department Opportunity for comment on 2020 Annual Performance Report (APR) for Housing & 2020 Cares Act (APR) Under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will provide grants to eligible Indian Tribes/Indian housing authorities for the development and operation of low-income housing in Indian areas. To be eligible for the grants, respondents must submit an Indian Housing Plan that meets the minimum requirements of the Act, and also submit an Annual Performance Report to HUD and maintain records for HUD monitoring. The Tribe, through the Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Department (GRHD), received multiple grants under this program that were active during 2020. Comments on the Annual Performance Reports are welcome and copies of these reports can be obtained at the Housing Department office or by calling 503-879-2401 or 1-800-422-0232, ext. 2401. Comments must be submitted in writing to GRHD no later than 5 p.m. Monday, March 22. All comments will be incorporated into the final report submitted to HUD. The Grand Ronde Tribe’s effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations to the membership and communi- ty has reached the booster stage, Health Services Executive Director Kelly Rowe said during a Wednes- day, March 3, Facebook Live event. “Being able to have the vaccine and get it out is a proactive ap- proach for us, which is something we have not been able to do since the beginning of the pandemic” Rowe said. “It feels good to finally be in that spot.” While Rowe was speaking, people who had received their first dose of the two-dose Moderna vaccine were returning to the Tribal gym to receive a booster. The first shots were given Feb. 3-4 to more than 1,600 people. Previously, she add- ed, about a 1,000 second doses had already been given. “We’re really excited to get people to that next level and then the im- munity that comes with it,” Rowe said. Rowe said the Tribe’s Health & Wellness Center has distributed al- most 5,800 vaccine doses since the end of December and about 3,200 of those have gone to Elders 55 and older. She added that approximate- ly 800 Elders have received their second-dose booster. The Moderna vaccine is estimat- ed to have an effectiveness rate in preventing COVID-19 in the 95 percent range. Rowe said the Tribal clinic is still conducting COVID-19 testing. So far, the clinic has tested 1,833 people with 69 positives for a 3.7 percent positivity rate. There were seven active COVID-19 cases that the clinic was tracking in early March. “When you compare us to other communities and certainly other Tribal communities, we’ve been able to really get our arms around it and stop prolific spreads so that we don’t end up with any mass exposures,” she said. In response to question, Rowe said she was unsure if the Tribe will re- ceive any of the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine that was recently approved by the federal government for emergency distribution. The Facebook Live event was the 16th held since the Tribal gov- ernment shut down in mid-March 2020 because of the pandemic. Approximately 140 people logged on to watch the event, which was interrupted by computer issues for about five minutes. In addition to Rowe, General Manager David Fullerton said the Tribal government is in the process of going from phase two to phase three of its re-opening plan, mean- ing more staff members will return to work with fewer work-from-home situations. However, guests still will be discouraged from visiting Tribal offices without making an appointment first. “Hopefully with increased vac- cines and continued rapid testing, we will be able to move back to al- lowing guests on campus to receive services,” Fullerton said. Tribal Council Vice Chair Chris Mercier announced that the new Tribal Loan Program was sched- uled to start on Monday, March 8. The program will allow Tribal members to borrow up a $1,000 from the Tribe and have two years to pay it back. ‘It is not time to be careless with our interactions and precautions’ PHASE 3 continued from front page The Tribe started delivering the two-dose Moderna vaccine in late December and has vaccinated more than 5,800 people since then. Finally, the Tribal government staff and community are currently negative for COVID-19 cases. The relaxed rules will allow more than one employee to occupy common areas as long as masks are worn and physical distancing is observed. Em- ployees also can meet in person fol- lowing the same requirements. Daily temperature checks will remain for the foreseeable future. There also will be a partial open- ing of department programs and services, but visits must be sched- uled and employees and external guests must wear protective masks. Finally, outside gatherings and sports and recreational activities are allowed with a maximum of 50 participants and social distancing guidelines must be followed. Big Buck campground, however, will remain closed. “Our organization, community and nation are moving in the right direction,” Mercier said. “How- ever, we are still monitoring the situation carefully to keep you, the workplace and our community healthy and safe.” She warned that if demand for testing supplies outstrips avail- ability or COVID-19 cases start affecting Tribal staff, the re-open- ing could be scaled back to Phase 2 restrictions. “While moving to Phase 3 is good news, we want to stress that it is not time to be careless with our interactions and precautions,” Mer- cier said. “Continue to wear your protective masks, sanitize car, home and workspaces, wash your hands frequently and socially distance at work and outside of the workplace.” She also advised that receiving a COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory for employees and that Tribal staff should not put undue pressure on co-workers to be vac- cinated.