Yesteryears -- Feb. 15, 2017

2012 – Grand Ronde Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy testified before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in support of a bill that would amend the 1988 Grand Ronde Reservation Act to streamline how the Tribe takes former reservation land into trust.

2007 – A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Spirit Mountain Casino’s expansion project. The South Expansion Project will add 135,196 square feet and include a new, larger buffet, as well as a two-story events center, conference rooms and internal office space.

2002 – Marine Corps veteran Steve Bobb Sr. started a walk from Table Rock near Medford to Grand Ronde on Feb. 23 to raise awareness and money for a planned Veterans Memorial in Grand Ronde. Bobb walks almost five miles daily on his lunch hour.

1997 – Gayle Patterson, managing attorney at Grand Ronde Legal Services, reported that she has received 279 requests for legal assistance in the last eight months. She said the program has “exceeded all our expectations and projections.”

1992 – Myrna Brandon won a $50 gift certificate from Fred Meyer for submitting the name for the Community Council’s project to obtain input concerning Tribal health care needs. The name of the project was “chee mamook,” which is Chinook jargon for “new beginnings.”

1987 – Greg Archuleta joined the Tribal staff as the Hunting & Fishing/Newsletter employee. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a degree in journalism. His first day on the job was Jan. 19.

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