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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2021)
sNok signflz JULY 1, 2021 3 Tribe drops mask mandate, temperature checks on campus July • Monday, July 5 – Tribal offices closed in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. • Wednesday, July 14 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Tribal Council Chambers, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Saturday, July 24 – Youth Vaccination event on Tribal campus put on by the Health & Wellness Center. 11:30 a.m. meal followed by other activities at 1 p.m. 503-879-2008. • Wednesday, July 28 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Tribal Council Chambers, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, July 28 – Tribal Council Candidates Forum, 6 p.m., via the Zoom teleconferencing program. 503-879-2304. August • Wednesday, Aug. 11 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Tribal Council Chambers, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, Aug. 25 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Tribal Council Chambers, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. September • Monday, Sept. 6 – Tribal offices closed in observance of the Labor Day holiday. • Wednesday, Sept. 8 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Tribal Council Chambers, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Saturday, Sept. 11 – Tribal Council Election Day. Ballots are due by 6 p.m. to be counted. • Sunday, Sept. 12 – General Council meeting, 11 a.m., Community Center, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. • Wednesday, Sept. 22 – Tribal Council meeting, 10 a.m., Tribal Council Chambers, 9615 Grand Ronde Road. 503-879-2304. (Editor’s note: All events are tentative depending on the status of the Tribe’s COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic response.) OFFICIAL TRIBAL FACEBOOK PAGES Smoke Signals: facebook.com/SmokeSignalsCTGR The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde: facebook.com/CTGRgov Grand Ronde Health & Wellness: facebook.com/GRHWC Grand Ronde Children & Family Services: facebook.com/CTGRCFS Grand Ronde Royalty: facebook.com/CTGRRoyalty Grand Ronde Education Programs: facebook.com/CTGREducation The Tribe will no longer require masks being worn on the governmental campus and will end temperature check stations in all buildings starting on Thursday, July 1, General Manager David Fullerton announced via e-mail on Tuesday, June 29. “Although we remain in an active State of Emergency due to the global pandemic, we recognize the accomplishments and the results of all the effort and work our staff and community have done to minimize the im- pacts of COVID-19,” Fullerton said. However, he added, specific work areas and duties might continue to require masking due to the nature of the job, such as health care workers in the Health & Wellness Center. Fullerton said the Tribal government will continue to limit onsite visitors and meetings, and re-evaluate campus access on Aug. 1. “Most importantly,” he added, “we ask staff to stay home when sick.” Casino changes: Buffet closing, youths allowed in lodge By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed one more victim in Or- egon: the Cedar Plank Buffet at Spirit Mountain Casino. In a press release on Tuesday, June 29, the casino announced the buffet, which had not been self-service for many months be- cause of the pandemic, will serve its final meal on Sunday, July 11. “The classic buffet model has become outdated and unwork- able in the current climate,” the press release stated, citing health concerns and the chal- lenging labor market. After reopening in June 2020 after the casino’s 74-day closure, the buffet went from self-service and myriad dining options to offering customers a list of en- trees they could order that would be delivered to their tables. In addition, seating was limited to ensure social distancing. “We will have no layoffs as a result of this change. All of our existing buffet employees will be offered positions in our other casino restaurants, which will enable us to reopen and even expand the services our other restaurants provide to our gam- ing guests.” Tribal Council member Kath- leen George, who sits on the Spirit Mountain Gaming Inc. Board of Directors, said during the Wednesday, June 30, Tribal Council meeting that the buffet was always thought of as a loss leader, but Coyote Club statistics found that buffet customers pre- dominantly do not gamble. “We would have to charge $60 per person to break even,” George said, adding that the new concept will increase casino profits by about $5 million annually. What will replace the buffet? The casino said it is in the final stages of concept planning and will release details of the new food options “soon.” In addition, the casino also announced that guests younger than 21 are now allowed to stay at Spirit Mountain Lodge. Those under 21 were banned in 2020 because of the pandemic when the casino and lodge reopened on June 1 after the 74-day closure. “For the safety of minor guests, they will be limited to our lodge area only,” the casino said in an- other press release. Youths will not be allowed to dine at casino restaurants, but guests 21 or older can pick up to- go orders and take them to minors staying in the lodge. In the second press release, the casino characterized the food op- tion that will replace the buffet as a “new multi-outlet food service area” that people under the age of 21 would be able to patronize. George said that whatever the new dining concept, Tribal El- ders will still be able to get their free Monday evening meal at the casino. Grand Ronde Youth Council: facebook.com/CTGRYouthCouncil Grand Ronde Station: facebook.com/GrandRondeStation ENROLLMENT ORDINANCE OPEN FOR COMMENT Grand Ronde Social Services Department: facebook.com/CTGRSocialservices Grand Ronde Food Bank: facebook.com/GrandRondeFoodBank Spirit Mountain Community Fund: facebook.com/SpiritMountainCommunityFund Grand Ronde Cultural Education: facebook.com/Grand-Ronde-Cultural-Education Grand Ronde Community Garden: facebook.com/GrandRondeCommunityGarden Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department: facebook.com/Grand-Ronde-Tribal-Police-Department Grand Ronde Employment Services Facebook.com/EmploymentServices Ad by Samuel Briggs III The Tribal Council is considering amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance. The proposed amendments were given a First Reading at the June 2, 2021, Tribal Council meeting. The proposed amendments will add a provision for a one year loss of membership moratorium. The proposed amendments will not prevent disenrollment of a member who is dually enrolled in another Tribe in violation of the Tribal Constitution. Tribal Council invites comments on the proposed amendments to the Enrollment Ordinance. For a copy of the proposed amendments, please contact the Tribal Attorney’s Office at 503-879-4664. Please send your comments to the Tribal Attorney’s Office, 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347 or by e-mail to legal@gran- dronde.org. Comments must be received by July 15, 2021.