Yesteryears -- Oct. 15, 2012

2007 - Spirit Mountain Casino interim General Manager Roy Rhode reported that the fourth major expansion will be completed in April 2008 instead of August 2008. The two-story expansion will add 135,396 square feet to the casino and include an events and entertainment center, new buffet, conference rooms and space for Human Resources Department offices. Rhode said good fall weather allowed contractors to get ahead of schedule.

2002 - Progress was being made on the Tribe's new Housing Authority building. Completion is expected in mid-November for the office building, which is part of a larger project that includes 36 apartment units for low-rent family housing. Estimated completion date for the apartments is June 2003.

1997 - The new Health and Wellness Center was dedicated during an Oct. 3 ceremony. Tribal Chair Kathryn Harrison delivered a speech about the importance of health care for Native peoples and Cheryle A. Kennedy spoke about how far the Health and Human Services Division has come since Restoration. Molly Rimer said the Lord's Prayer in sign language and Nora Kimsey gave the blessing.

1992 - Chris Leno joined Spirit Mountain Development Corp. as the business development analyst. He had one term of classes left before receiving a bachelor's degree in Marketing Management from Oregon State University. He is the son of Bob Leno and Janelle Stucky.

1987 - The Tribe mourned the loss of Samson Simmons, a member of one of the original families who traveled "The Trail of Tears." He was the last child born into the William and Suzette Norwest Simmons family. The Simmons lived and raised their family at the base of Spirit Mountain and was one of two families who kept their land in "trust" until Congress terminated the Tribe in 1954.

Yesteryears is a look back at Tribal history in five-year increments through the pages of Smoke Signals.