General Council briefs membership on budget, economic development

Held mostly in executive session, the Nov. 11 General Council meeting in the Tribal Community Center in Grand Ronde briefed the Tribal membership on economic development projects and the preliminary 2013 Tribal budget.

Since the two presentations were held in executive session, Smoke Signals cannot report on the specifics.

Tribal Economic Development Director Titu Asghar briefed Tribal members on three projects currently being worked on by his department during an 11-minute presentation. He fielded three questions from Tribal members and was complimented by Tribal Council Chair Reyn Leno on the work he and his department is doing.

Tribal Finance Officer Julio Martinez then briefed those in attendance about the proposed 2013 Tribal budget during a 30-minute presentation. After the lunch break, four Tribal members commented and asked questions about the proposed budget.

Tribal members have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, to submit comments about the proposed budget, which was detailed in the most recent Tilixam Wawa sent to the membership.

Not occurring in executive session was an honoring of Tribal veterans in attendance since the General Council meeting was held on Veterans Day.

Leno, himself a Vietnam War-era veteran of the Marine Corps, asked veterans in attendance to stand and receive a certificate for a free meal at the Coyote Buffet at Spirit Mountain Casino.

Those honored included Navy veterans Veronica Gaston, Bob Duncan, Wink Soderberg and Gene LaBonte; Marine Corps veterans Alton Butler, Les McKnight, Ken Lafferty and Frank Simmons, who also served in the Army; and Army veterans Jan Michael Reibach and Dwight Colton. Also honored were Leno and Tribal Council members Steve Bobb Sr. (Marine Corps) and June Sherer (Army).

General Council attendees then went outside under threatening skies to watch Leno, Bobb and Sherer place a wreath at the West Valley Veterans Memorial while Reibach played taps on Native flute.

Leno thanked Native veterans for their patriotism and making Native Americans the minority with the highest participation per capita in the U.S. military.

Bobb said that he is often asked why Native Americans volunteer to defend the nation that was taken from them.

"We are descended from warriors," Bobb said. "If someone threatens this nation, they will be met by a fierce fighting force of Native Americans."

Tribal Council member Jon A. George also thanked Native veterans for their service to the country.

Tribal Elder Val Grout asked that her uncle, Eugene Hudson, be remembered as a World War II veteran since he is unable to attend General Council meetings because of health issues.

The next General Council meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, in the Tribal Community Center.

Eric Bernando won the $100 door prize while Les McKnight, Noah George and Kathy Soderberg won the $50 door prizes and Linda LaChance won a necklace donated by Tribal Council member Jon A. George.