GRIC opens New Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino - Gila River ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Page 4 GRIN November 2009 The Flu Ends with You By Jeri Thomas PHX. A panel of experts from the Centers for Disease Control recently gathered to talk to ethnic media about H1N1 flu vaccinations. Disparities and special factors affect ethnic communities differently. The CDC asked for briefings to get closer and contacted New America Media, host, who has been conducting forums around the country. “This [CDC] is the first government agency who has reached out to ethnic media, said Sandy Close, Executive Editor and Director of New America Media. “Just like Obama and the Indian leaders,” referring to the White House Tribal Nations Conference held on Nov. 4. Dr. Corey Hebert, Chief Medical Editor, WDSU-NBC and assistant professor of pediatrics at Tulane University said, “Black, Asian, and Latino communities have a distrust of government in lots of ways. We cannot allow those things to step in the way of science.” “We have been on a wild ride for the last 7 months. I hear so many untruths about vaccines. We have to be very careful. Vaccines are a good thing when done correctly.” Hebert went on to say that there was a disease called HIB meningitis that ‘died’ at his hospital, due to vaccinations. Dr. Andrew Kroger, Medical Officer, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC, said the H1N1 strain has been detected throughout the world and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on June 11. Since then, mutations of the strain have not occurred. However, a recent new twist is that the illness has been detected in household pets. “Cats, dogs, and ferrets are common hosts. There is no evidence of pets infecting humans.” Kroger went on to say that the efficacy of the vaccine depends on how healthy an individual is. “In healthy people the vaccine is effective 70 to 90 percent and 40 to 50 percent effective in preventing illness complications and death.” Kroger said people with compromised health should be first to get the H1N1 vaccination. The list includes diabetics, asthmatics, or people with chronic heart or lung diseases. Pregnant women should get the vaccine. However, the vaccine is not licensed to be administered to infants younger than 6 months. The CDC estimates the H1N1 strain has afflicted 40,000 people, an underestimate, according to Kroger, and hospitalized 200,000. Statistics show that every year 36,000 people die from complications to the seasonal flu. The goal of getting the H1N1 vaccination is to ward off or prevent complications from the flu. “The seasonal flu is classified as H3N2. There is one little piece of a protein variation that when injected into your body your body may react but it will not get Influenza. The next time your body recognizes the foreign substance you will be immune,” said Hebert. We have been doing this for 30, 40 years, and we do it every year. Hebert went on to say, “This [H1N1] is a new disease. There was no vaccine. Children spread disease like crazy. They are dirty little things. They do not wash their hands, they wipe their runny noses . . . By next year the next vaccine will have H1N1.” Janey Pearl, Public Information Officer and Latino Outreach Coordinator, Arizona Dept. of Health Services in speaking of immigrant day laborers, “Lets face it, employers do not care if you are sick. If you stay home, there are other people lined up on the side of the road for your job.” Arleen Porcell-Pharr, Public Affairs Specialist, CDC, said, “We are asking employers to be flexible. This is all we can do. We posed this same question to the White House. There is legislation currently being proposed for a mandatory 5 days of paid leave. You Pictured Left to Right: Dr. Andrew Kroger, Medical Officer, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC; Dr. Corey Hebert, Chief Medical Editor, WDSU-NBC; Arleen Porcell-Pharr, Public Affairs Specialist, CDC; and Sandy Close, Executive Editor, New America Media. (GRIN Photo - Jeri Thomas) have to cocoon yourself among those around you to keep the virus from spreading.” In obtaining access to the vaccine, an unidentified reporter from Univision Phoenix 33 said people are afraid they will be asked for papers as identification at the County Health Dept., which, according to Pearl, should not happen. “You should only be required to give consent,” she said, which also can pose a problem. Extending the 202 through GRIC By Jeri Thomas The Arizona Republic recently reported that the Maricopa Association of Governments passed a plan to extend Loop 202 through Ahwatukee Foothills and South Mountain Park. Plans for a thoroughfare have been in the works for the past two decades. Strong opposition to the loop continues from many Ahwatukee residents. The proposed loop is designed to relieve congestion on Interstate 10 East, bypassing the Phoenix metro area, and connecting to Interstate 10 West through Laveen at 59 th Avenue. The Gila River Indian Community Council passed resolutions twice against the freeway being located on Reservation land. According to the Arizona Republic, approximately two dozen GRIC members appeared at the MAG Transportation Committee meeting held in downtown Phoenix. A few individuals gave testimony in opposition to plans to cut through the South Mountains. After an hour of hearing testimony, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith moved that the Committee approve the plan and said, “None of the solutions are perfect, but as a region we have needs that can’t be ignored.” Although it was reported by the Arizona Republic that prior to the MAG vote to approve the extended loop, Lt. Governor Joseph Manuel, who sits on the MAG “Adverse events are entered into a database,” said Hebert, who is also the Medical Director for the Louisiana Recovery School District, and is responsible to protect children at 50 schools. He said he had a no-adverseevent incident where a child was vaccinated, but the mom did not sign the consent. “She could not read. The vaccine is safe and effective to protect your child.” by proxy, announced that the Community would be willing to consider a proposal to build on tribal land. In actuality, according to MAG minutes, Lt. Governor Manuel replied that the tribe would look at that issue, as it has never been proposed to them. Manuel voted to abstain from the vote to cut funding for freeway expansion work due to plummeting tax revenue and economic downfall. The MAG Regional Council voted to cut its $16 billion freeway-improvement program to $9.4 billion. Many projects were scaled back or shelved. Dennis Smith, executive director of the MAG, said following the meeting, he received a phone call from GRIC Community Manager David White requesting a meeting with BIA, ADOT, MAG and Congressmen Harry Mitchell and Ed Pastor to discuss putting the freeway on Tribal land. Changing the route of the South Mountain freeway to connect Chandler to Laveen is far from a done deal. It will take weeks to organize the gathering. Additionally, ADOT community relations director said, “ADOT officials do not intend to formally look at any potential freeway routes south of Ahwatukee until the Gila River Tribal Council repeals two resolutions it has voted on against having the 202 on tribal land.
November 2009 GRIN Page 5 Per Capita hits GRIC New regulations enforce clean up of Tres Rios Refuge By Roberto A. Jackson GRIN Reporter Mihio Manus/GRIN Sacaton-Shawn Tsinhnahijinnie, D3, (above) was one of many Community members who opted for the pay card in the Community’s inaugural per capita distribution. However, many chose to be issued a live check and waited in line on Mon, Nov. 2, at the Governance Center in Sacaton, Ariz. Tsinhnahijinnie said that she feels the amount given was sufficient for this first payment. “We should all be happy that we’re being given this per capita and that we’re here,” she said. For those who work and support families, Tsinhnahijinnie says this payment is a welcome boost to their income. Although all Community members are entitled to Per Capita distribution, only those adults who applied for it, received it. This first quarterly distribution was approximately $300 dollars and comes at a critical period in the economy of the Community. Many Community members are feeling the squeeze of a down-turning economy while others are dealing with job losses and work furloughs. Christopher Louis Rhodd, D3, is another Community member who has welcomed the additional per capita funds. “They (the tribe) put me through school, any other money they want to give me I’m cool,” he said. For Amber Johns, D2, accepting the payment wasn’t such a black and white decision. “At first I was against it,” Johns said, noting that it would affect several programs. The D2 resident went on to express that she hoped everyone would be smart with the money. It was estimated that 2000 checks were printed by the Per Capita office for those who opted to receive a live paycheck like Kelley Terrazas and Rebecca Moreno (pictured below, left to right). Census Bureau launches Arizona student competition The US Census Bureau is calling on Arizona students to use their creativity to help promote the 2010 campaign. The students can help by participating in the student design contest which will allow the students an opportunity to develop messages on the importance of the census by using posters, T-shirts or video. The students from grades 3 through 12 are asked to come up with ways to say why Census is important to their community. There are 3 separate competitions, which are: 3rd-5th Grade: Poster Design 6th-8th Grade: T-Shirt Logo Design 9th-12th Grade: Video Submission Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 designs/submissions in each group. Debris from polluters lines the banks of the Tres Rios Riparian Refuge at the confluence of the Gila, Salt and Agua Fria Rivers. (GRIN Photo - Roberto A. Jackson) Also, the winning design in each group will be used to assist the Census during the 2010 promotional campaign. Deadline to submit entries are November 20, 2009. All entries must be mailed to: Attn: 2010 Census Arizona Student Design Comp 850 W. Adams Street Suite. 110 Phoenix, AZ 85007 Every student must submit an At Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) NASCAR’s elite race car drivers negotiate thrilling turns on the one mile circuit. Fans enjoy race cars that average over 100 miles per hour from one of PIR’s 70,000 plus seats while the roar of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 can be heard from miles around. Outside the track, authorities are in a heated race of their own to halt illegal activities that are defiling the revitalization efforts of environmental sites. On Oct. 15, 2009 County Attorney Andrew Thomas held a press conference at the confluence of the Gila, Salt and Agua Fria Rivers to outline a plan to restore the Tres Rios Riparian Refuge, a revitalized ecological site in the west Valley which includes a portion of the Community’s Westend. Thomas is aligning with Arizona Game and Fish as well as local law enforcement to put the brakes on activities that range from illicit dumping, trespassing, gang and drug crimes. “We are going to be reaching out to all partners in law enforcement and among the people here in Maricopa County to work together to clean up and preserve the Tres Rios refuge,” Thomas said. “The Gila River [Indian] Community would be an important part of that.” Efforts include increased patrols and investigations into illegal activities as well as a focus on crimes that contribute to the environmental degradation of the Tres Rios Riparian Refuge. “It would be great to have support from your Nation on this when we do a major clean up in March,” said Thomas referring to the role of GRIC during clean ups in the spring at the Tres Rios Festival. The Community is also involved in its own restoration efforts. Projects include the Pee-Posh Wetlands on 91 st Ave north of Baseline and the Gila River Wetlands which is south of the Tres Rios Project. Army Corp of Engineers is working with GRIC to define their own Tres Rios Project along the Westend. The area in and around the Tres Rios area remains volatile due to drug and human smuggling and the firing of weapons. Drug labs were reportedly located in the area where human and animal remains were recovered. The dumping of toxic materials and industrial waste is active as are incidents involving illegal hunting and angling. Through a special grant the GRIC’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was able to remove 86 tons of trash from the Pee-Posh wetlands. Cleaning costs for Tres Rios and surrounding Community sites are in the millions of dollars. In times of recession and cutbacks, there is simply inadequate funding to address the issue in its entirety. Development of adjacent communities brings encroachment issues to the forefront for GRIC. Through funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) a number of gates were installed which proved helpful in keeping trespassers out. The problems in the Tres Rios region barely echo the severity of illegal dumping and misuse of the land located in the expanse of the Community. “Trash grows more trash,” said Corporal Richard Sichling of the Special Services Division/Rangers with GRPD. Typical dump sites include, TVs, tires, wrecked furniture, used oil, cans of paint and other building materials such as concrete dry wall and roofing material. Used oil along with acetone and weed killer has very high drainage potential to contaminate ground water. Large items that are illegally dumped within the Community have a tendency to be used as objects aimed at for target practice. The mercury found in TVs and lead in paint contaminates the aquifer and endanger local wildlife. Similarly, around the Tres Rios Riparian Refuge sewage affluent streams are mistaken for natural rivers. Despite signage, it is very common to see entire families having an outing of swimming, and fishing in sewage. The fish in the sewage are also often consumed as people continue to use streams from the sewer for recreation. A major clean up of the area begins in March of 2010. “My hope is now that we can build on that to preserve the area and clean it up and restore it to its original luster,” Thomas said. entry form along with their designs. The entry form provides the rules and specific information about the contest. To print the entry form and flyers, visit the Census Student Design Competition temporary website: http://azcensus.weebly.com/
Page 1 and 2: ovember 2009 www.gilariver.org/news
Page 3: November 2009 GRIN Page 3 Letters G
Page 7 and 8: November 2009 GRIN Page 7 Councilma
Page 9 and 10: November 2009 GRIN Page 9 TCRP FAQs
Page 11 and 12: November 2009 GRIN Page 11
Page 13 and 14: November 2009 GRIN Page 13 Gila Riv
Page 15 and 16: November 2009 GRIN Page 15 Hallowee
Page 17 and 18: November 2009 GRIN Page 17 Gila Riv
Page 19 and 20: November 2009 GRIN Page 19 New Boys
Page 21 and 22: November 2009 GRIN Page 21 Communit
Page 23 and 24: November 2009 GRIN Page 23

GRIC opens New Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino - Gila River ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?