2
AUGUST 1, 2025
SMOKE SIGNALS
NOTICE — Monthly Tribal Council Wednesday meetings
DATE
TIME
Wednesday, Aug. 6...............................................................................4 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 20.............................................................................4 p.m.
Please note that these times and dates are subject to change if needed.
Attendance in Tribal Council Chambers and via Zoom.
Tribal election office
open through Sept. 4
The Tribal Election Board office is open through Thursday, Sept.
4. Office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Thursday.
The office is located in the Tribal Community Center, 9615 Grand
Ronde Road. The phone number is 503-879-2271.
Blank signature verification forms have been placed in a hanging
basket outside the Election Board’s office door. Complete signature
verification forms, with a notarized signature or legible copy of iden-
tification including your signature, such as a driver’s license, Tribal
ID, passport, etc. need to be mailed to the Election Board for pro-
cessing. The form will not be processed unless it has been notarized
or includes a legible copy of your ID to match signatures.
To request a signature verification form by phone or email, contact
the Election Board at 503-879-2271 or election.board@grandronde.
org.
Ballots were mailed to voters with verified signatures Thursday,
July 24. Tribal members can submit a verified signature card at any
time up to and including Election Day, which is Saturday, Sept. 6.
There will be a ballot box in the Governance Center during the
election season and one in the Community Center on Election Day
to drop ballots off.
Ballots will be available, as they have been in the past, for Tribal
members who prefer to vote in person. It is the voter’s responsibility
to ensure their ballot is received by the Election Board on or before
Election Day.
Remember, if using the Post Office, all mail must go to Portland to
be sorted before returning to Grand Ronde, so make sure your ballot
is in the mail a few days early. n
Letters welcome
smok signflz, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
Community of Oregon, is published twice a month. No portion of this publication
may be reprinted without permission.
Our editorial policy is intended to encourage input from Tribal members
and readers about stories printed in the Tribal newspaper and current events
happening within the Tribe. However, all letters received must be signed by the
author, an address must be given and a phone number or email address must be
included for verification purposes. Full addresses and phone numbers will not be
published unless requested. Letters must be 400 words or less.
smok signflz reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are
determined to contain libelous statements or personal attacks on any individ-
ual, as well as individual Tribal staff members, individual Tribal administration
members or individual Tribal Council members. Not all letters are guaranteed
publication upon submission. Letters to the editor are the opinions and views of
the writer.
Published letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of smok signflz.
sNok signflz
PUBLICATIONS OFFICE
9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347
1-800-422-0232 • FAX: 503-879-2173
Website: www.smokesignals.org
Email: news@grandronde.org
Email: Editorial.Board@grandronde.org
www.facebook.com/SmokeSignalsCTGR/
www.youtube.com/c/SmokeSignalsChannel
DANIELLE HARRISON
MICHELLE ALAIMO
PUBLICATIONS MANAGER / EDITOR
503-879-4663
danielle.harrison@grandronde.org
PHOTOJOURNALIST / ASSISTANT EDITOR
503-879-1961
michelle.alaimo@grandronde.org
JUSTIN PHILLIPS
SAMUEL F. BRIGGS III
PRODUCTION SPECIALIST
503-879-2190
justin.phillips@grandronde.org
GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST
503-879-1416
samuel.briggs@grandronde.org
KAMIAH KOCH
NICOLE MONTESANO
SOCIAL MEDIA / DIGITAL JOURNALIST
503-879-1461
kamiah.koch@grandronde.org
STAFF WRITER
503-879-1463
nicole.montesano@grandronde.org
KATHERINE WARREN
SECRETARY / ADVERTISING
503-879-1466 • katherine.warren-steffensmier@grandronde.org
DEADLINE DATE
ISSUE DATE
MEMBERS OF:
Wednesday, Aug. 6 ...................... Aug. 15
Indigenous Journalists Association
Wednesday, Aug. 20 ...................... Sept. 1
Oregon Newspaper Publishers Assoc.
Thursday, Sept. 4 ........................... Sept. 15
2022 IJA General Excellence
Monday, Sept. 22 ............................. Oct. 1
2023 IJA General Excellence
EDITORIAL POLICY
Smoke Signals, a publication of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, is
published twice a month. No portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission.
Our editorial policy is intended to encourage input from Tribal members and readers about stories printed
in the Tribal newspaper. However, all letters received must be signed by the author, an address must be
given and a phone number or email address must be included for verification purposes. Full addresses and
phone numbers will not be published unless requested. Letters must be 400 words or less.
Smoke Signals reserves the right to edit letters and to refuse letters that are determined to contain libelous
statements or personal attacks on individuals, staff, Tribal administration or Tribal Council. Not all letters are
guaranteed publication upon submission. Letters to the editor are the opinions and views of the writer.
Published letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Smoke Signals.
2 02 5 Trib a l Co uncil
tribalcouncil@grandronde.org
story ideas?
Do you have Tribal story ideas you
would like to see in Smoke Signals?
Cheryle A. Kennedy
Tribal Council Chairwoman
Kathleen George
— ext. 2305
— ext. 2352
kathleen.george@grandronde.org
cheryle.kennedy@grandronde.org
Chris Mercier
Tribal Council Vice Chair
— ext. 1444
Please share your suggestions
at news@grandronde.org or
by calling Editor Danielle
Harrison at 503-879-4663.
chris.mercier@grandronde.org
Jon A. George
Tribal Council Secretary
— ext. 2355
jon.george@grandronde.org
WWW.SMOKESIGNALS.ORG
Ad by Samuel Briggs III
Brenda tuomi
— ext. 2300
brenda.tuomi@grandronde.org
Matthew haller
— ext. 1777
matthew.haller@grandronde.org
Lisa Leno
— ext. 1770
lisaleno@grandronde.org
Tonya Gleason-Shepek
— ext. 4555
Denise Harvey
— ext. 2353
tonya.gleason-shepek@grandronde.org
denise.harvey@grandronde.org