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Riding In selected as
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— pg. 9
october 1, 2021
Demolition time
Casino implements
myriad efforts to
recruit employees
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
K
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez
Tribal Council members, members of the media and others watch as demolition of the former Blue Heron Paper
Mill site began during an event hosted by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde on Tuesday, Sept. 21.
Event marks the beginning of the end for Blue Heron buildings
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals staff writer
O
REGON CITY – The Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde celebrated the beginning of
onsite work at the former Blue Heron Paper
Mill property.
A private demolition event, held on Tuesday, Sept.
21, marked the start of a new era at the site.
“I just want to say about 10 years ago, if you told
me we would hold this property here, I’m not sure I
would have believed you,” Tribal Council Vice Chair
Chris Mercier told a group of approximately 25 peo-
ple who attended. “One thing I really like about this
site is its history. Our roots run deep here.”
Mercier also said that the Confederated Tribes
of Grand Ronde ceded homelands stretch from the
Willamette Valley all the way south to the Califor-
nia border.
Tuesday’s demolition began with a prayer and
See DEMOLITION
continued on page 7
now someone in need of a
job? Refer them to Spirit
Mountain Casino and you
might receive $500.
The referral award is just one of
many efforts being made by Spirit
Mountain Casino to recruit employ-
ees and solve its staffing shortage.
General Manager Bruce Thomas
said during the Thursday, Sept.
9, Facebook Live event that the
casino was short-staffed before the
pandemic hit, remained that way
during the pandemic and is cur-
rently in the same situation as the
Delta variant surge sweeps through
Oregon.
Currently, the casino has more
than 900 employees and has open
positions for 91 people – 78 full-
time and 13 part-time.
Assistant General Manager Ca-
mille Mercier said that if Grand
Ronde Tribal members refer friends
or family members to apply for
employment at the casino and that
person is hired and successfully
completes their 90-day probation-
ary period, the person making
the referral will receive $250 per
applicant. If the employee stays
180 days, the person making the
referral will receive the other $250.
The offer also is good for nonprofit
organizations that refer people to
the casino for employment. The
organization would receive a $500
donation for each employee they
refer who successfully completes
See CASINO
continued on page 5
Tribal member seeks to become Mrs. Oregon America
By Danielle Harrison
Smoke Signals staff writer
T
ribal member Brittny Freder-
ick says she never imagined
being in the running for the
Mrs. Oregon America title.
However, her social media post
about not letting trauma get in the
way of letting your future unfold
caught the eyes of the then-reign-
ing Mrs. Oregon America, Salena
Griffith, who contacted Frederick
and asked if she’d ever considered
doing pageants.
“I was like, ‘No way, I’m a mom,
I’m married and is that even a thing
for us?’ ”
With a husband, three children
ages 11, 3 and 1, as well as a full-
time job, Frederick wasn’t sure
if she could also juggle pageant
obligations.
However, the 32-year-old Beaver-
ton resident agreed to attend the
Mrs. Oregon America statewide
pageant earlier this summer and
see what was involved.
There, Frederick learned about
Victoria’s Voice, an organization
dedicated to keeping teenagers
from drug abuse. It was founded
See PAGEANT
continued on page 8
Tribal member
Brittny Linton
Frederick
was recently
named Mrs.
Washington
County and will
be competing
in the Mrs.
Oregon America
pageant in
the summer of
2022.
Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez