KWSO News Fri., Jun. 4, 2021

On May 9th Warm Springs Tribal Council approved a resolution that would increase the Tribe’s ownership in the Pelton Hydroelectric Project.  In 2000, Tribal membership voted to acquire a 1/3 interest in the Pelton Project from PGE.  This was to address the use of the lands needed to generate power on the Pelton Project.  Federal law requires developers, like PGE, to compensate Tribes for land use and inundation of land for hydroelectric use.  The Tribes purchased the initial 1/3 interest to compensate for the land use and inundation of land.   Revenue from the1/3 interest of energy sales has exceeded the amount of revenue that would have come though rent payment on the Tribal lands used by the Project.  The Tribes now have an opportunity to purchase an additional 1/6 interest in the project with a projected increase in revenue.  Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprise will seek financing to acquire the additional interest in the project with a new agreement starting in 2025 and additional revenue expected by 2026.  You can read more details in this Spilyay Tymoo website ARTICLE

Boarding School Applications for the new school year this fall are ready to be picked up at the Education Building in the old boys dorm.  You can find them upstairs in Carroll Dick’s office.  The Early Deadline date for Chemawa is June 15th (it’s June 10th for returning students).  For Riverside in Anadarko Oklahoma and Sherman in Riverside California – the deadline is July 30th.  Students will need to provide a copy of your: certificate of Indian Blood, birth certificate; social security card; list of immunizations; and school transcripts.

A drought is forcing Oregon to consider major changes to how it stocks fish in bodies of water across the state and to bag limits for fishermen. The drought could also prompt the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to release hatchery-raised fish earlier in the summer so they have enough water to survive. Officials say stream flows are at 25% of normal and migratory fish like salmon and steelhead will be most affected. Oregon Public Broadcasting also reports that fishermen may be required to fish earlier in the day and use barbless hooks so already-stressed fish can be released quickly.

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Oregon early Friday, and the aftershocks included another 5.9 quake. But the U.S. Geological Survey says there’s no threat of a tsunami or damage to the coast. The first 5.9 earthquake struck at 12:52 a.m. Pacific time 98 miles west of Gold Beach, at a depth of 5.6 miles. The next struck at 1:17 a.m., slightly deeper and closer. But both quakes and more aftershocks through the night were far enough from land that they were hardly felt.

Madras High School with have a new but familiar face leading the White Buffalo athletic department in the 2021-22 school year. Daniel Barendse has accepted the position.  He has been serving as an interim assistant principal for the high school since November 2020.  Barendse brings 18 years of experience as a head varsity high school basketball coach. In 1993, he led the Tigard Tigers to a state title in 4A, the largest classification in the state at the time. He also has volunteered as a baseball coach for several years.  Barendse also brings experience with him as a teacher and administrator having worked for the North Clackamas School District in Milwaukie for 14 years with other time spent in the Hillsboro School District and the Tigard-Tualatin School District.

Madras Girls basketball beat North Marion last night at the Buffalodome 59-31 and on the road the boys dropped their contest with the Huskies at North Marion 53-33.