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AUGUST 1, 2021
Leno wins horseshoe
pitching championship
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
Tribal Goundskeeping Supervi-
sor Greg Leno won the Mens D1
horseshoe pitching championship
on Saturday, July 24, during the
annual World Horseshoe Pitching
Championships put on by the Na-
tional Horseshoe Pitchers Associa-
tion in Winnemucca, Nev.
Leno, 53, competed against 15
other men whose ringer percentage
average was between 30.92 and
28.89. Leno’s average entering the
competition was 29.76.
For comparison, men who com-
peted in the A1 division boasted
ringer averages of between 90 per-
cent and 62.5 percent.
Competitors played five games
daily between Thursday, July 22,
and Saturday, July 24, tossing
horseshoes that weigh 2 pounds,
10 ounces 40 feet into a clay-filled
pit. A ringer, worth three points, is
when the horseshoe lands around
the spike sticking out of clay.
Leno finished with a 13-2 record,
said association Fourth Vice Pres-
ident Barbara Carson, who was in
charge of keeping the statistics.
Leno then faced off against Ron-
nie Miller of Georgia, who also
finished the tournament with a
13-2 record.
Leno said he and Miller met
earlier on Saturday. Miller was un-
defeated at 10-0 and Leno was 9-1.
Leno won and went 4-1 on the final
day of competition while Miller lost
once again to finish with two losses.
Leno won the championship game
44-9 and finished the tournament
with a 34.69 ringer average, tossing
640 horseshoes and racking up 222
ringers.
“I had one of my better games,”
Leno said about the final match.
“He (Miller) was pretty much worn
out by then. I had 14 ringers and
he only had three.”
Leno received a trophy in what
was his first appearance in the
National Horseshoe Pitchers Asso-
ciation event.
Leno is a three-time Oregon
state champ, which qualified him
for the national event. He decid-
ed to attend because the drive to
Winnemucca is only about nine
hours from Grand Ronde.
Leno is well-known around the
Grand Ronde Tribal campus, often
practicing horseshoe throwing
during lunch at the pit in the
southeast corner of the campus. He
also competed often in the annual
Monte “Mouse” George Memorial
Horseshoe Tournament formerly
hosted by Tribal Council member
Steve Bobb Sr. and at myriad
horseshoe competitions held in the
West Valley.
Contributed photos courtesy of Kelly Leno
Greg Leno prepares to toss a
horseshoe 40 feet during the
2021 World Horseshoe Pitching
Championships held in Winnemucca,
Nev. Leno won the Men D1
competition with a 14-2 record.
17
Interior updating
Graves Protection Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior announced
Thursday, July 15, that it will conduct consultations with Native
American and Native Hawaiian community leaders as part of an effort
to update the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation
Act’s regulations.
Enacted in 1990, the act provides a systemic process for the dispo-
sition and repatriation of Native American human remains, funerary
objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony back to lineal
descendants, Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations.
“I’m hopeful this process will eliminate unnecessary burdens to the
repatriation process and allow Indigenous peoples greater access to
their ancestors’ remains and sacred items,” Interior Secretary Deb
Haaland said.
Since 2010, the Department of the Interior has received repeated
requests for updates to the regulations. Based on community input
and previous consultations, the department prepared a draft proposal
that seeks to simplify and improve the regulatory process for repatri-
ation of Native American human remains and cultural items, rectify
provisions that inhibit and prevent the respectful repatriation of hu-
man remains and cultural items, remove the burden on Indigenous
entities to initiate the process and streamline existing requirements
by eliminating ambiguities, correcting inaccuracies and removing
offensive terminology.
Both the draft proposed text and current regulations can be found
at the National Park Service’s website. Following consultations, the
department plans to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in Oc-
tober.
Police Department has
nonemergency text line
The Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department has a nonemer-
gency text line at 541-921-2927.
“If you have a nonemergency situation or question, feel free to
contact my officer via text through this line,” said Grand Ronde
Tribal Police Chief Jake McKnight. “When one of my officers
receives the text, they will call you back when they have time.”
McKnight said that emergency situations still require calling
911.
For more information, contact McKnight at 503-879-1474.
On Saturday, July 24, Grand Ronde
Tribal member Greg Leno won a
horseshoe pitching title at the
2021 World Horseshoe Pitching
Championships.
He said he started playing more
than 40 years ago with family and
friends while growing up in Grand
Ronde.
His secret? “I just try to stay
focused in the moment and I don’t
like to lose,” he said. “I just want
to thank everyone for the support
… I really do appreciate it.” Leno
also thanked Bobby Mercier for
designing the shirts worn by Leno
and fellow horseshoe pitcher An-
thony Henry and Tribal Council for
supporting them.
Next up for Leno is the Oregon
state singles competition being held
Sept. 4-5 in Oregon City.
Optometry hours
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday
• 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday (no eye exams, optical only)
Please call to schedule your appointment
at 503-879-2097 or 800-775-0095.
