KWSO News Aug. 29, 2018

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council took formal action Tuesday to close the Kah-nee-ta Resort & Spa effective September 5th.  The closure includes the Lodge, the Village, and the golf course. The closure announcement follows nearly 2 years of efforts to identify ways to make Kah-Nee-Ta profitable following its separation from the Warm Springs Gaming Enterprise.  An unmet goal was to find capital investment for much needed infrastructure and other improvements. In the coming week, Kah-Nee-Ta staff will finalize inventory of assets and turn them over to the Tribes. The Secretary Treasurer/CEO and Chief Operations Officer are responsible for integrating the closure costs into the tribal budget and managing the assets moving forward. Residents of the Hamlets have been informed that their housing is secured through December 31st. For more details – you can read the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Press Release on the tribal website.

The Warm Springs Community Action Team is encouraging folks who are interested in starting their own business, to take the next step. Small Business Coach Dustin Seyler says there are Individual Development Accounts (IDA) available for Small Business. These accounts allow an individual to save $1200 that will be matched after a year with $6000 for a total of $7,200 that can be used for your small business. The next set of classes required for IDA participation will begin on September 4, 2018. The Warm Springs Community Action Team is located at 1136 Paiute Avenue on the campus, their phone number is 553-3148.

The Warm Springs Dental Department will have its Summer Break Kids Day tomorrow. Children ages one to eighteen can get dental exams and fluoride varnishes without an appointment from 8-11am and 1 to 3pm. Be sure to check them in at patient registration and the dental front desk.

Yakama Tribal members, scientists with Yakama Nation Fisheries and officials from the Bonneville Power Administration were on hand last week to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Melvin R. Sampson hatchery complex. The hatchery’s namesake is a tribal elder, former tribal chairman and program director for the Yakama Nation Fisheries. He was in attendance to celebrate the event. The complex located in West Ellensburg is expected to be complete in 12 to 15 months. The hatchery is being built on land purchased by the tribe in 2005. The complex will take up about one acre on the 70-acre property. The rest will be restored to a native riparian environment. The project is funded entirely by the BPA as part of the Columbia Basin Fish Accords.