the official newspaper of the port gamble s’klallam … · that future fish will be safe. the new...

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBE | WWW.PGST.NSN.US | 360-297-2646 | OCTOBER 2020

Red Cedar Housing Development Breaks Ground

The new Red Cedar housing development is taking shape! Most of the activity this summer has been installing wa-ter and sewer lines in Little Boston Road. In the next couple of months, a new loop road will be built within the subdivision itself to provide access to the new lots.

The tribe has contributed $2.3 million for clearing and leveling the Red Cedar project. This funding guarantees that the lots will be level, well drained and ready to build on. The additional tribal funding has also helped extend water and sewer for serving another planned subdivision on the north end of the reservation.

The subdivision is unique in that tributaries to Ship-builders Creek wrap around it. Just to the north, a new wide culvert is planned under Little Boston Road that will allow fish to reach Shipbuilders creek and its trib-

utaries. Buffers and drainage features were incorporated into Red Cedar to protect these tributaries and ensures that future fish will be safe.

The new Red Cedar subdivision includes wide sidewalks and a recreation area. A walking/bicycle trail is planned to be constructed along Little Boston Road in the near future which will give residents additional recreation op-tions as well as the ability to walk or bike to the tribal center.

Timber for wood cutting is still available on the south end of the subdivision!

~Red CedarContinued on page 5

The cleared site for the Red Cedar Housing Development

| OCTOBER 2020 | PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS

Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe31912 Little Boston Road NE

Kingston, WA 98346Telephone: 360-297-2646

Fax: 360-297-7097Website: www.pgst.nsn.us

Email: [email protected]

Tribal CouncilJeromy Sullivan, ChairmanChris Tom, Vice Chairman

Renee Veregge, Councilman

Matt Ives, CouncilmanJamie Aikman, Councilman

Donovan Ashworth, Councilman

Entity Directors

• Kelly Sullivan, Executive Director • Betty Decoteau, CFO• Audrey Gugel, Administrative Director

of Tribal Government• Kara Wright, Administrative Director

of Tribal Services• Chris Placentia, Chief Executive

Office, Noo-Kayet

• Sam Cocharo, General Manager, The Point Casino

• Nic'cola Armstrong, Executive Director, Tribal Gaming Agency

• Joan Garrow, PGS Foundation Executive Director

• Craig Dougall, Port Gamble S'Klallam Housing Authority Executive Director

PGST Vision StatementOur vision is to achieve the full potential of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal sovereign nation to be self-sufficient, proud, strong, healthy, educated and respected.

PGST Mission StatementThe mission of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe is to exercise sovereignty and ensure self-determination and self-sufficiency through visionary leadership. We will ensure the health, welfare and economic success of a vibrant community through education, economic development, preservation and protection of the rich culture, traditions, language, homelands, and natural resources of our Tribe.

This newsletter is a product of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe. For advertising inquiries or to submit items for publication,

please contact Sharon Purser at [email protected] or Ginger Vaughan at [email protected].

PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS | OCTOBER 2020 | PAGE 3

Important Phone Numbers and Contact GuidelinesGeneral Inquiries: 360-297-2646

Elders Liaison: Alena George at 360-337-9935 or 360-297-9689Elders should not be leaving their homes or going into public at all. Please call Alena for any needs.

Medical Clinic: 360-297-2840 (M-F, 8 am-4:30 pm)360-200-1386 (after hours and on weekends) Please call before coming to the Clinic for any need.

Dental Clinic: Open for emergencies only. Call Emergency Operations.

Wellness Clinic: 360-297-6326Running on limited staff during regular business hours. Please leave a voicemail and someone will get back to you. The Food Bank is also open.

Natural Resources: 360-516-3206

The Noo-Kayet Development Corporation has an-nounced new appointments to their Board of Directors. A long-time Board member, Misty Bowechop has been named Board Chair. Previously serving as Board Vice-Chair, Misty is an enrolled member of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. She has 25 years experience in Human Resources, including at the director level. She is a certified Human Resources Profession-al, certified Tribal Human Resources Professional, a member of

the Society for Human Resource Management, and holds several certifications related to FEMA Emergency Response Management. She previous-ly served as a Gaming Commissioner.

Richard Baze is a new appointee to the NKDC Board and comes with over 20 years of experience as a leader in the retail financial services industry. A graduate of the University of Washington, he grew up in North Kitsap and has previously held positions with the Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes. He is driven by a passion for delivering high level customer service, staff de-velopment, and relying on data to drive the deci-sion-making process.

NKDC Board members serve three year terms. They may serve up to two consecutive terms. Board members apply for their positions and are judged based on their experience and performance during the formal interview process. The Board makes recommendations to Tribal Council, who choose new members.

NKDC’s latest Board members: Misty Bowechop and Richard Baze

NKDC Announces New Board Members


Flu Season is Coming: Get Your Shot!

With COVID-19 still very much a reality, the probability of two pandemics at once is making everyone nervous.

Getting a flu shot is EXTRA important this year, because: • The healthcare system is likely to be very stressed and diffi-

cult to access.• If you get flu symptoms, you’re going to be very worried

that it’s COVID-19 (coronavirus). Your coughing will make people worried at work and about town.

• Catching one while you’re recovering from the other could make for a bad month.

Can I get a flu shot as soon as possible?Pharmacies like SavOn already have the vaccine available. The immune response to the vaccine wanes over time, especially for elders. Early vaccination may result in suboptimal immunity before the end of the flu season. That’s why we typically start vaccinating in October. We’d like to get everyone vaccinated by early November—and at least by Thanksgiving. Remember: the vaccination takes a couple weeks to start working, so don’t wait until the flu is already here! In the past, it has come as early as December.

Does the clinic have the vaccine yet?Yes!

Will the clinic have mass vaccina-tion events? Yes. Drive through vaccinations! These will be advertised widely when they occur. For people who don’t feel safe leaving their home, there will be limited access to at-home vaccina-tions by visiting medical staff.

With all our masking and social distancing, will a flu pandemic still happen?We didn’t stop COVID-19, so we probably aren’t going to stop the flu. We did, however, keep COVID-19 from overwhelming us. And the same

things that slow down COVID-19 will slow down influenza. How bad will it be? Nobody knows!

When the flu hits, will the clinic test for both flu and COVID-19?Yes. In fact, they are developing tests that will look for both at the same time. We hope to get these new tests--if they work well.

What if I have more questions?Call the clinic to speak with a triage nurse.

Watch the memo for more information about up-coming drive through flu shot clinics.

How to reach the PGST Clinic: Main Number: (360) 297-2840

Wellness: (360) 297-6326

After Hours: (360) 200-1386


The Planning Department would like to thank every-one for their patience during the construction process. We know it has been noisy and inconvenient during road closures, but things will get back to normal soon.

And finally, and just a reminder, please do not drive on the development site with off-road vehicles. The land has been carefully leveled and surveyed. Any distur-bance to the ground will require the tribe to pay for additional repair time.

Red CedarContinued from Page 1

Final plans for the Red Cedar Housing Development

All About Voting in Washington StateWashington is a vote-by-mail state. This means ballots are sent to the homes of every registered voter at least 18 days before each election. Your packet will include a ballot, a secrecy envelope or sleeve, and a return envelope with pre-paid postage. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by election day, which is Tuesday, November 3. You can also return your ballot to a voting drop box. These are located all over the state. The ones closest to the reservation in North Kitsap include:

Indianola Tennis Courts20761 Greenwood St. NE; Indianola

Village Green Park10810 NE West Kingston Rd; Kingston

North Kitsap Fire & Resue26642 Miller Bay Rd NE; Kingston

North Kitsap Vote CenterPoulsbo Fire Station911 NE Liberty Rd; Poulsbo

Suquamish Tribal Council Building18490 Suquamish Way NE; Suquamish


Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020. There are a number of local, state, and federal races on the ballot that will determine the direction of government for, at least, the next several years.

Over the next couple of pages, please find a list of can-didates in races that impact us locally. To help you make your decisions, noted in bold and with a * are the can-

didates that Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Council en-dorses, if any, in each race. For more information on each candidate, go to the campaign website noted. You can also find details about each candidate in the Voters Guide, which will arrive with your mail ballot.

You can also visit www.votewa.gov to view the Voters Guide online and check your voter registration status.

Federal: President/Vice President• Joseph R. Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D)www.joebiden.com• Donald J. Trump/Michael R. Pence (R)www.donaldjtrump.com

Federal: Congressional District 6—U.S. Representative• Derek Kilmer (D)*www.derekkilmer.com• Elizabeth Kreiselmaier (R) www.cleanupthehouse.com

WA State: Governor• Jay Inslee (D)* www.jayinslee.com• Loren Culp (R)www.culpforgovernor.com

WA State: Lt. Governor• Denny Heck (D)*www.dennyheck.com• Marko Liias (D)www.markoforwa.com

WA Secretary of State• Kim Wyman (R)www.kimwyman.com• Gael Tarleton (D)www.voteforgael.org

WA State Treasurer• Mike Pellicciotti (D)www.electmikep.com• Duane A. Davidson (R)www.davidsonforwa.com

WA State Auditor• Pat (Patrice) McCarthy (D)www.patmccarthyauditor.com• Chris Leyba (R)www.leybaaudits.com

WA Attorney General• Bob Ferguson (D)www.bobferguson.com• Matt Larkin (R)www.mattlarkinforag.com

WA Commissioner of Public Lands• Hilary Franz (D)*www.hilaryfranz.com• Sue Kuehl Pederson (R)www.citizensforsue.com

WA Superintendent of Public Instruction• Chris Reykdal*www.chrisreykdal.org• Maia Espinozawww.maiaforus.com

WA Legislative District 23—State Senator• Christine Rolfes (D)*www.electchristine.com• Pam Madden-Boyer (R)www.pammaddenboyer.com

WA Legislative District 23—State Representative Pos. 1• Tarra Simmons (D)*www.electtarrasimmons.com• April Ferguson (R)www.ballotpedia.org/April_Ferguson


WA Legislative District 23—State Representative Pos. 2• Drew Hansen (D)*www.drewhansen.com• Elaina Gonzales-Blanton (R)www.egblanton4staterep.com

WA Supreme Court—Justice Position #03• Dave Larsonwww.larsonforwa.com• Raquel Montoya-Lewis*www.justicemontoyalewis.com

WA Supreme Court—Justice Position #06• Richard S. Sernswww.ballotpedia.org/Richard_Serns• G. Helen Whitener*www.justicehelenwhitener.com

Kitsap Superior Court—Judge Position 1• Tina Robinsonwww.voterobinsonforjudge.com• Lynn Fleischbeinwww.lynnforkitsapjudge.com

Kitsap Commissioner District 1• Robert (Rob) Gelder (D)www.robertgelder.com• Scott Henden (R)www.electscotthenden.com

Kitsap Commissioner District 2• Oran R. Root (R)www.electoran.com• Charlotte Garrido (D)www.charlottegarrido.com

Other Washington state candidates endorsed by Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Council• Beth Doglio (D), Washington House of Representatives, 22nd District• Debra Lekanoff (D), Washington House of Representatives, 40th District (Member of Tlingit tribe and second tribal woman to serve in the Washington state House)• Laurie Jinkins (D), Washington House of Representatives, 27th District• J.T. Wilcox (R), Washington House of Representatives, 2nd District• Drew MacEwen (R), Washington House of Representatives, 35th District• Dan Griffey (R), Washington House of Representatives, 35th District• Mari Leavitt (D), Washington House of Representatives, 29th District• Tom Dent (R), Washington House of Representatives, 13th District• Noel Frame (D), Washington House of Representatives, 36th District• Strom Peterson (D), Washington House of Representatives, 21st District• Brian Blake (D), Washington House of Representatives, 19th District• Lillian Ortiz-Self (D), Washington House of Representatives, 21st District• Joe Fitzgibbon (D), Washington House of Representatives, 34th District• Tana Senn (D), Washington House of Representatives, 41st District

• Steve Tharinger (D), Washington House of Representatives, 24th District• Drew Stokesbary (R), Washington House of Representatives, 31st District• Marcus Riccelli (D), Washington House of Representatives, 3rd District• Sharon Shewmake (D), Washington House of Representatives, 42nd District• Bill Ramos (D), Washington House of Representatives, 5th District• Dave Paul (D), Washington House of Representatives, 10th District• Glenda Breiler (D), Washington House of Representatives, 22nd District• Brian Blake (D), Washington House of Representatives, 19th District• Zack Hudgins (D), Washington House of Representatives, 11th District• Andy Billig (D), Washington State Senate, 3rd District• Mark Schoesler (R), Washington State Senate, 9th District• Derek Stanford (D), Washington State Senate, 1st District• Steve O’Ban (R), Washington State Senate, 28th District• Dean Takko (D), Washington State Senate, 19th District• June Robinson (D), Washington State Senate, 38th District


Around The Rez Opportunities and announcements for the S'Klallam Community

There’s Still Time: Census 2020

As part of its Nonresponse Follow-up Operation, the U.S. Census Bureau is visiting every household that has not already responded to the 2020 Cen-sus to ensure a complete and accurate count.

Census takers will visit non-respond-ing households through October. If no one is home, they will leave a no-tice with information about how to respond online or by phone. As neces-

sary, they will make additional on-site visits.

Census takers will social distance, wear masks, and follow all other state safety mandates.

If you haven’t yet responded to the census, you can do so now online. It’s easy and only takes a few minutes. Go to www.my2020census.gov.

Make Sure You’re Registered to Vote!

This November, it’s important that you vote, but are you registered? The Washington Democratic Party’s Tribal Organizing Committee is making it easy to check your registration. Simply go to www.wa-democrats.org/triba-lorganizing to put in your name and it’ll check your registration status in Washington state.

We’re doing great against COVID-19. Keep going!

• Mask up when in public. This includes inside and outside.

• Stay home when you’re sick.

• Maintain social distanc-ing.

• When you must meet with those outside your household, keep group sizes small.

• Restrict any and all trav-el. If possible, don’t go outside Kitsap County.

And, of course, wash hands frequently. When that’s not possible, use havd sanitizer.

We’re all in this together!


September is Suicide Prevention Month. The PGST Youth Department held a poster contest to help bring awareness to this serious mental health issue.

Mistaya Benefield came in First Place with a poster with a powerful message: “It’s okay to not be okay! You are loved. You are enough. We need you here.”

In Second Place, was Holly Skinner who used the semicolon (;) mark in her poster design. The semicolon symbolizes solidarity against serious mental health issues, including depression, addiction, anxiety, and, of course, suicide.

Randee Fulton’s Third Place poster features a striking sunrise image with a simple, but powerful message: Tomorrow needs you.

“I would like to say congratulations to the winners! We will be hanging their posters, as well as all the others we received, around the campus to remind people that you are not alone,” said Dayna Benefield, PGST’s Young Adult Prevention Specialist.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention states that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in United States. In 2018—the most recent data year—over 48,000 American died by suicide. There were 1.4 million suicide attempts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide disproportionately af-fects American Indians and Alaska Natives and has been increasing since 2003.

If you ever have thoughts of ending your life, there is help. Call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or live chat at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

The Winning Posters, counter-clockwise: 1st place, Mistaya Benefield; 3rd place, Randee Fulton; 2nd place, Holly Skinner;

PGST Youth Provide Hope Through Art


Happy Birthday! ...to everyone celebrating in OCTOBER

October 1Angela CharlesJaymee JonesJeromy Jones

October 2Julia AndersonJames GreshamAnthony JonesJennifer DeCoteauKyle LoescherAaliyah Sullivan

October 3Lillian CombesKyle JacobsAlexandra RaphaelJaxxon RogersAnn Beckham

October 4Eddie CharlesMarie HebertJaleena WoodruffMaverick Redbird

October 5Candace AguayoGabriella DolemanAbraham JacksonStephanie TaylorAva Williams

October 6Talisha Affonce-CarterDonette FultonKarleigh Gomez

October 7Naciya Knight

October 8Bernett NajeraLeola PurserMakenzie Wellman

October 9 Ruby CrawfordJanet ReynoldsJoshua SutherlandHatsi TrevathanAlisha Williams

October 10Yvette JonesPreston Moran

October 11Austin DeCoteauMatthew PurserJennifer Schneider

October 12Steven FrederickStephanie KeysWendy Roane

October 13Katrina SmartTrisha Sampson

October 14Marc PlankenhornKaliya PurserKathy SullivanMisty WellmanKyle Wellman

October 15Lisa DeCoteauDonovin Opulencia-Rogers

Elaine Schneider

October 16 Bryce BlackTia KnepperJoseph LundGeorge Jerry SparksBrittney StephensonDawn StephensonJolene George

October 17Keanei AshbyMaelynn Ashley

October 20Juan HernandezHannah Leavitt

October 21Maylene AdamsSheila CharlesArmez Jackson

October 22Zachary MoranNevaeh SullivanTyler Hayes

October 23Isaiah JonesMason Purser

October 24Cheryl ArchambaultSena DaileyAnthony SeachordAvery Ives

October 25Virginia BryantJoel JonesBrittnay Sanders

October 26Cynthia SymesValorie Bryant

October 27Cedar CalhounChenoa JonesLexus Jones-HartStephen SchneiderDevin SullivanMarie Donaldson

October 28Danette IvesDelecia JacksonVictoria QuinneyMichael Stewart

October 29Miranda IvesMichelle JonesAaron PurserRalph PurserMila Sullivan

October 31Dadrian ArciagaLance BjorklundKrista Hanna

PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS | SEPTEMBER 2020 | PAGE 11

COMMUNITY NEWS — Kitsap Regional Library is still in the middle of its phased reopening plan.

In Kitsap County’s Phase 2, buildings are not allowed to be open to the public, but the Librarynowofferscurbsidereturnsandholdspickup.

Although the library is still closed and September found us halting curbside service for a few days due to the very poor air quality, we have news about October.

We plan to move our curbside service to the west side of the library beginning October 1, 2020. You can make an appointment to pick up holds online or call us at 360-297-2670. Curbside hours are 10 am-3:45 pm on weekdays and 10 am- 1 pm Saturday.

Our newest service is Book Bundles. Call or gotoKRL.orgtofilloutaformaboutobtainingbooks on any topic. We’ll put together a bag of 5-10 books for you to pick up at curbside. This is especially helpful to students of all ages.

Our book return bins are open, so you can return your library items any time in the bin at theballfieldparkinglotortheoneinfrontofthe library.

Returned items remain in quarantine a minimum of 96 hours, so they will not come offyourrecordforseveraldaysafterreturning

them. With your safety in mind, we have many protocols in place including wearing masks and gloves as we serve you at curbside.

We are not able to accept donations at Kitsap Regional Library locations at this time. We appreciate your support and patience during thisdifficulttime.

Please call us with any questions.

For updated COVID-19 information, check our website krl.org or call

us at 360-297-2670.

Stay safe and we hope to see you soon at the

library!

CHECK IT OUT AT YOUR LITTLE BOSTON LIBRARY

PRSRT STDU.S.POSTAGE

PAIDSilverdale, WAPermit # 111

TIDE TABLES FOR PORT GAMBLE, WASHINGTONOCTOBER 2020

31912 Little Boston Rd. NEKingston, Wash. 98346

the official newspaper of the port gamble s’klallam … · that future fish will be safe. the new...

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