WPBA Pool Players Tour Big Cypress

Transcription

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www.seminoletribe.com
Volume XXV • Number 17
December 17, 2004
Tribal Council Meets,
New, Improved Okalee Village Opens
Welcomes New Employees
By Iretta Tiger
HOLLYWOOD — On Nov. 11,
the tribal council held their regular
monthly meeting on the Hollywood reservation. However, before the council got
down to business, several new employees
were introduced.
These employees will be working for the Seminole Police Department
plaques.
The first things to be discussed
were the new items on the consent agenda; they are items which have been previously discussed by the council. Executive
Administrator Ken Fields read from the
agenda and the items were passed in one
general vote. These items included homesite leases for the reservations and liquor
licenses for the various clubs
and restaurants in Seminole
Paradise.
Next were the new
items on the regular agenda.
The first resolution on this
agenda is to set aside 13.096
acres for the Big Cypress
Rehabilitation Center on the
Big Cypress reservation. No
date was given as to when
the center will open.
Another resolution
of interest was to renew the
Iretta Tiger
Florida Power & Light
New members of the department of emergency serv- (FP&L) company contract
ices stand by as Lieutenant Stokes presents a plaque
for the right-of-way land for
the transmission lines on the
of appreciation to Vice Chairman Moses Osceola.
Hollywood reservation.
However, one condition of the renewal is
(SPD) and the Seminole Emergency
that FP&L would have to bury the lines.
Medical Services (EMS) Department.
Burying the lines would allow more land
Among the new recruits for SPD were a
for more houses and the trailers on 29th
few tribal citizens, including Vincent
Street would become permanent homes.
Micco, whose story appeared in the Nov.
Before council could vote on this
5 issue of The Seminole Tribune.
resolution, tribal citizen Carl Baxley
To show their appreciation for
the support they have received, both EMS
See COUNCIL, page 4
and SPD presented the council with
City of Hollywood Presents
Diamond Award to the Tribe
Iretta Tiger
Cutting the ribbon to open the Seminole Okalee Indian Village (L-R): Johnny Jones, David DeHass, Roger Smith, Max
Osceola Jr., Carol Cypress, Moses Osceola, William Osceola, Elaine Aguilar, Sally Tommie, and Buster Baxley.
By Iretta Tiger
HOLLYWOOD — “This is a
dream come true for us,” said tribal citizen Vincent Micco from the Seminole
Police Department and emcee for the
ribbon cutting ceremony at the grand
opening of the Okalee Village on Nov.
23. The village is located in Seminole
Paradise at the Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino.
“Our aim is to bring back some
of our culture to our visitors” said
Seminole President Moses B. Osceola.
Osceola also shared a story
from his youth when he first began to
work for the village.
Hollywood Council
Representative Max Osceola, Jr. worked
with Osceola at the village; they would
perform Pow Wow dances. Also present
at the grand opening ceremony was Key
Biscayne Mayor Richard Ederr, and
Hollywood Mayor Mara Guilianti.
Buster Baxley, village director,
welcomed everyone and described the
layout of the village. Baxley described
the layout of the village as “the tribe as
they were in the late 1800s.”
See OKALEE, page 8
WPBA Pool Players Tour Big Cypress
Adelsa Williams
(L-R) Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti and Hollywood Business Council
President Dennis Giordano presents the Diamond award to Hollywood Council
Representative Max B. Osceola Jr. and Gaming CEO Jim Allen.
By Adelsa Williams
HOLLYWOOD — The
Hollywood Business Council has awarded
the Seminole Tribe of Florida with the
Most Notable Overall Economic Impact
Diamond Award for the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino. The award was
presented at the Nov. 17 city commission
meeting that took place at the Hollywood
City Hall.
Hollywood Council
Representative Max B. Osceola Jr. and
Gaming CEO Jim Allen accepted the
award that was presented by Hollywood
Mayor Mara Giulianti and Hollywood
Business Council President Dennis
Giordano.
The city of Hollywood had previously planned to present the award during a Hollywood business appreciation
event that took place on Oct. 26.
However, due to scheduling conflicts, the
award was presented during the city commission meeting.
Giordano presented the award
saying, “The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
& Casino is an investment made by the
Seminole Tribe of Florida of over three
hundred million dollars. They will employ
over three thousand people and we feel
that they are a major economic contributor to the city of Hollywood, so we asked
Max Osceola and Jim Allen to please
See DIAMOND, page 6
By Nery Mejicano
BIG CYPRESS — On
Monday Nov. 30, some of the
world’s best female billiard players visited the many attractions
offered by the Seminole Tribe on
the Big Cypress reservation. The
players were part of the Women
Professional Billiards Association
(WPBA) Cuetec® Cues Florida
Classic tour, hosted by the
Hollywood Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino, Dec. 1–5.
Twelve of the players visited the Ahfachkee School and had
the opportunity to speak to the students about motivation, hard work
and the importance of education in
their life, regardless of their choice
of profession. The students were
very attentive and their talk generated several questions.
After leaving Ahfachkee,
the players were treated to a nice
lunch at the Swamp Water Café,
where they sampled some of the
fares that their palates have never
tasted before, such as frog legs
and alligator tail.
Next, in a day full of
activities, the players attended the
Critter Show at Billie Swamp
Safari. It was a fun, entertaining
and educational show presented by
Swamp Safari employee Ray
Becerra. He made the players
laugh, and at one time almost cry
when a skunk he was showing
appeared to spray the visitors.
Becerra actually had a water gun
under the critter.
The WPBA players then
went on a swamp buggy tour of
Billie Swamp Safari. Tribal
Chairman Mitchell Cypress was
the tour guide and as a treat, he
introduced them to Superman, the
largest alligator in captivity, measuring 15 feet in length. Upon their
return, they had a chance to
“wrestle” an alligator, as all the
cameras were flashing; closing
this experience they will never
forget.
Following the swamp
buggy tour, the players enjoyed an
airboat ride, followed by a visit to
the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. They
learned more about the Seminole
Tribe, its history and traditions.
The trip was supposed to
end at 4:30 p.m., but ran a little
late and the tour group got back to
the Hard Rock at 7:30 p.m. At the
conclusion of their Big Cypress
experience, the most often heard
comment was, “this was the most
fun we had in a long time!”
Nery Mejicano
Ga Young Kim, the eighth ranked billiards player in
the world, tries her hand at alligator wrestling.
Ribbon Cutting at BC Water NTRL Comes to Youth & Livestock Ranch
Treatment Plant
New plant is equipped to service more
than 1,000 Big Cypress residents
By Jaime Restrepo
BIG CYPRESS — It was day
to celebrate in Big Cypress; a special day
that puts to rest years of anticipation,
because now the Big Cypress community
has a brand new water treatment plant.
Residents, tribal officials and employees
were on hand to witness the momentous
occasion. The ceremony took place on
Monday, Nov. 29 with a ribbon cutting
ceremony and luncheon, complete with a
tour of the new facility.
Director of Utilities Susie
Kippenberger gave a brief introduction on
the water plant and a narrative on the history and scope of the project. The overall
project included not only the water treatment plant, but a waste transfer facility as
well as a fuel station, water supply wells
and a waste treatment plant.
The water plant was designed in
2000 by Jordan, Jones and Goulding.
Construction commenced in 2002 with
Winter Environmental as the contractor
and a planned completion date in
November of 2004–a goal date they met.
Tribal officials were present for
the ribbon cutting, including Big Cypress
Council Representative David Cypress,
President Moses Osceola, Brighton
Council Representative Roger Smith, Big
Cypress Board Representative Paul
Bowers Sr. and Tribal Treasurer Mike D.
Tiger. Each spoke of the days when they
were young and water was a rare commodity.
“It was a long time in coming,”
said David Cypress. “If you have been
living in Big Cypress for the past 25
years, and been drinking the water, you
must have cast iron stomach.”
“Water is gold,” he added. “Now
we have it.”
Moses Osceola congratulated
David Cypress, Mitchell Cypress and
Kippenberger for working extremely hard
on the project and making the water treatment plant come to pass.
“Back in the old days when we
were growing up, all we had were handpowered wells,” said Osceola. “That was
our water supply. We drank whatever
See WATER, page 7
Judy Weeks
Seminole roping legend Rudy Osceola (left) and Ronnie Keel (left) wait their turn to
ride against the pros at the ISY&LR.
By Judy Weeks
IMMOKALEE — Immokalee
Seminole Youth and Livestock Ranch
(ISY&LR) was the host of the National
Team Roping League on Saturday Nov.
13 at the John Jimmie Memorial Arena.
The numbers roping included five, seven,
nine and eleven and 11 United States
Team Roping Championship (USTRC)
rated entries in addition to the open event.
National Team Roping League
(NTRL) President Jeff Motes was on
hand to oversee the undertaking and coordinate the event. Operations Director
Michelle Burns traveled all the way from
Arrington, Tenn. to handle the paperwork
and record the results in the league
archives.
Ropers were offered the opportunity to enter five times, pick or draw, in
each category in accordance with their
USTRC standing. Cash awards were presented to all winners. In addition, the first
place winning teams received NTRL saddle pads.
For roping enthusiasts, it was a
very exciting day as they had the opportunity to meet several champions. Jimmy
Tanner came all the way from Tifton, Ga.
See NTRL, page 13
The Seminole Tribune
2
2005 Seminole Tribal Calendar
December 17, 2004
Christmas Message from President Moses Osceola
To our tribal members, friends, and employees, I wish you a Merry
Christmas and a very successful New Year! Seems 2004 just got underway, and
here we are at the door of a brand new year!
I hope that we will all remember the reason for the season, and that
God Almighty gave us the greatest gift possible through the birth of his son
Christ Jesus, who was of course born on Christmas Day. That gift is everlasting
life when we accept Jesus as our lord and savior. It is also because of God that
our tribe has been blessed as it has been. Let’s give thanks always for this and
use our blessings wisely!
I hope that your Christmas will be a joyous one shared with family and
friends. If we see someone in need however, let us do what we can to help. Also
pray for each other and the families that have lost loved ones recently. The
Christmas season is without a doubt a very special time–winter setting in,
Christmas lights, Christmas carols being sung everywhere praising God, and
people showing love and care for each other in ways not done during the rest of
the year! Imagine how the world might be if the Christmas spirit was exhibited
every day!
As you celebrate the New Year, I hope you will do it safely. Again, I
hope that Christmas will be a great time of fellowship for each of you. Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The new 2005
Seminole tribal calendar is
almost here! This year’s
theme is “Honoring Our
Preschool Graduates” and
showcases the 2003–2004
tribal preschool graduates.
In past calendars, Seminole
elders, both men and
women, were prominently
featured.
The calendar is
free to all tribal members
and can be picked up at the
communications
department located on the
second floor at the main
tribal office. Those
interested in purchasing the
calendar should call The
Seminole Tribune at (954)
967-3416, or visit the
Seminole Tribe of Florida
website at
www.seminoletribe.com,
under Marketplace.
Correction
Christmas Message from
Chairman Mitchell Cypress
A cutline was inadvertaently ommitted from a photo appearing in the last
issue. It should read as follows: Coleman Josh with his ex-wife Dorothy,
Victoria’s mother.
Attention Tribal Citizens
All tribal citizens of The Seminole Tribe of Florida
who live out of state are eligible to receive a
free subscription of The Seminole Tribune.
Please fill out the information below and mail to:
6300 Stirling Road, Room 235 - Hollywood, FL 33024
The holidays bring to mind many childhood memories…
When I was a youngster, we never had a Christmas tree.
Our family would go to the Big Cypress Baptist Church and
celebrate Christmas. The late Reverend Crenshaw came to the
church and we had dinner and he would pass out fruit and candy.
One year, when I was about seven years old, the late
Willie Frank gave me a double barrel toy shot gun. It had corks in
the barrel that would pop out when you pulled the trigger. I was so
happy. It was the best gift I ever received.
I loved that shot gun and had it for many years to come.
Willie was my mentor and he told me about becoming involved
with the workings of the tribe. Many say that Willie “shot” my
way into the world of politics.
The best present we could have today is a safe holiday.
Don't drink and drive so we can look forward to the New Year.
To all my people… may the days ahead bring many
blessings to you. Let us all rejoice and celebrate the spirit of
Christmas.
Mitchell Cypress
Chairman
Name
Please send all letters to 6300 Stirling Road, Hollywood, FL 33024 [email protected]
Tribal Roll Number
Address
City
State
Zip
Phone
E-mail
Additional Info
As soon as we receive this information, your subscription will
be mailed to you. Thank you very much.
f you need a reporter or you would
like to submit an article, birthday
wish or poem to The Seminole
Tribune, please contact the editor,
Michael Kelly at (800) 683-7800, Ext.
I
he following deadlines apply to
all submissions for inclusion
into the Tribune:
T
Issue: January 14, 2005
Deadline: December 31, 2004
Issue: February 4, 2005
Deadline: January 21, 2005
Issue: February 25, 2005
Deadline: February 11, 2005
Please note: Late submissions will be
posted in the following issue.
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Advertising rates along with sizes
and other information may be
downloaded from the internet at:
www.seminoletribe.com/tribune.
Postmaster:
Send Address Changes to
6300 Stirling Road
Hollywood, FL 33024
1267. E-mail [email protected],
fax (954) 967-3482, or mail to: The
Seminole Tribune, 6300 Stirling
Road, Hollywood, Florida 33024.
Editor-in-Chief:
Virginia Mitchell
Editor:
Michael Kelly
Assistant Editor:
Shelley Marmor
Business Manager:
Darline Buster
Graphic Designer:
Melissa Sherman
Graphic Design
Assistant:
Stephen Galla
Reporters:
Iretta Tiger,
Adelsa Williams
Photo Archivist:
Felix DoBosz
Receptionist:
Sherry Maraj
Contributors:
Alexandra Frank, Emma Brown
Judy Weeks, Kenny Bayon, Gary Bitner,
Nery Mejicano, Susan Etxebarria
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Or subscribe on the Internet at
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© Seminole Tribe of Florida
Dear Big Cypress Campground staff,
After many years of camping in
your Big Cypress Campground, we found
ourselves there again, but this time as
evacuees from our home in Indian River
County due to Hurricane Frances.
This letter is to say a very big
thank you to Campground Manager
Barbara Salyer and her husband Bill, who
went out of their way to help us by taking
our little dog Misti into their living
quarters when we were told to stay at the
community center shelter. Also, Center
Manager Jack was a very helpful and
gracious host. He and Ron showed
genuine interest in us.
We are very grateful for the tasty
meals served as we did have two dinners
there. And to everyone else who
performed their job there so very well.
Thank you,
Chris and Libby Julien
Dear Ms. Virginia Mitchell,
I would like to thank you for
your presence, contribution, and support
at the Sixth Annual Crystal Vision Gala.
The event was truly incredible, and it was
obvious much time, talent and effort was
put forth to make the evening
extraordinary.
The honor of being awarded the
2004 Crystal Vision Award has been a
humbling experience. Looking out at the
crowd and seeing so many who have
consistently supported our efforts,
confirmed once again we could not
accomplish what we have without each
person’s assistance, input and follow
through.
With your support children and
those young at heart are given an
opportunity to learn and express
themselves through the visual and
performing arts at the Art and Culture
Center of Hollywood. I am privileged to
be the Hollywood’s City Manager, and I
am thankful for the opportunity to serve
in this capacity.
I thank you again for being a part
of such a wonderful evening.
Sincerely,
Cameron D. Benson
City Manager
Dear Editor,
I am looking for info,
suggestions on past history on Seminole
food and housing. I want to set up a menu
with a picture of a home to go with my
report. Thank you
Elizabeth Ann Wright
Dear Ms. Wright,
Thanks for writing to us for
your third grade project. Seminoles
traditionally lived in thatched roof
dwellings called chickees. The dwellings
were constructed out of cypress wood
and palmetto fronds, both plentiful
throughout the Florida landscape.
The Seminole villages consisted
of multiple chickees and they were used
to house extended families, cooking
areas, storage, sleeping accommodations
just to name a few. As far as food is
concerned, fry bread, a drink called
sofkee and venison topped the most
commonly prepared and consumed food.
Hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Tina M. Osceola
Executive Director
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum
Dear Editor,
Is the casino open on Christmas
Day and Christmas Eve?
To whom it may concern,
Yes. The casino does not close
for any holiday.
Sincerely,
Edward Jenkins
Director, Compliance and
Regulations
Gaming Department
Dear Editor,
I’ve been told that you have a
public motorcycle track at Big Cypress
Reservation. Is this true? Where? ATVs
allowed?
Thanks,
Robert Dzwonkowski
Mr. Dzwonkowski
ATV’s are welcome. We host
tribal citizens only on Mondays. For
more information on Seminole
Motocross, please visit
http://www.seminoletribemotocross.com.
Thanks,
Jack Gorton
Motocross Director
Dear Editor,
Are your airboat and /or swamp
buggy tours being held on Christmas or
Christmas Eve?
Sincerely,
Kathy Green
Sales Coordinator
Rudolph Research Analytical
Dear Ms. Green,
Billie Swamp Safari is closed
every year on Christmas day. It is the
only day of the year it is closed. I would
advise coming out Dec. 23 or any time
after Christmas day.
Thank you,
Lucy Evanicki
Marketing Director
Florida Seminole Tourism
Dear Editor,
We’ve kind of heard that you all
are doing a celebration around New
Year’s time. Can you give me any info?
We’re looking for a Pow Wow or
something for New Year’s Eve. We live in
Ocala, Fla.
Thanks,
Dee Westphal
Dear Ms. Westphal,
Thank you for your inquiry
regarding the New Year’s Eve
celebration at the Tampa Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino.
Guests to the casino can enjoy
the festivities through out the weekend,
starting with the open party on the
casino floor with our “Cash in the New
Year” promotion, complimentary noise
makers and a champagne toast at
midnight. We will also have a fabulous
New Year’s Eve dinner in Floyd’s, a pool
party, special Bingo session and, of
course, Floyd’s late night. There are also
two private parties for Players Club
members.
The fun doesn’t stop on Dec. 31.
You can watch all of the Bowl games in
Big Joes Sports Bar or play in the New
Year’s Day expanded Bingo on Saturday.
We also have Frank Sinatra Jr. in
concert on Sunday evening and again
for a Monday matinee.
Please feel free to contact the
casino at (813) 627-ROCK (7625) for
more information on any of these events.
Or simply contact my office and I’ll be
happy to go into more detail for you.
Wishing you a happy and
healthy New Year,
Doug Hoppe
Director of Marketing
Tampa Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino
(813) 627-7707
3
December 17, 2004
New Resident Moves Into Okalee Village
Trish Ready
Billy Micco (left) and Virginia Yarce (right) registering two Rottweiler puppies.
Free Tags, Rabies Vaccinations at Pet Fair
By Virginia Yarce
HOLLYWOOD and BRIGHTON —
Momma Kitty, Gizmo and Cotton joined 17 other
Seminole cats and dogs to update their rabies vaccinations on Saturday, Nov 20 at the Hollywood
Health Center.
ReRe, a Pit Bull, could not be vaccinated
because she was pregnant, and one of the cats put up
a feisty struggle and almost escaped his vaccination.
Each of the pets received free tags and a free one
year rabies vaccination.
In Brighton, more pets gathered on Tuesday,
Dec. 7 at the Brighton Rabies Clinic, coordinated by
the Seminole health department’s environmental
health program employee Billie Micco. A number of
cats and dogs came out for the event under the large
oak trees at the Brighton Gymnasium parking lot. Pet
owners did a great job of keeping their dogs and cats
leased or restrained while they registered and waited
for their turn. There were no incidents at the
Brighton Rabies Clinic.
Rabies vaccinations are very important
because rabies, while rare, is very real in Florida, and
quite deadly. In 2004 alone, there were more than
190 confirmed cases of rabies in Florida, mostly
found in the wild raccoon population. When any
mammal is exposed to a scratch or bite from a rabid
animal, the virus can be passed on to another mammal by means of the saliva.
If post-exposure treatment is not done, the
rabies virus is almost always deadly. That’s why it is
so important to call the Seminole health department
any time an animal bite occurs, whether it is a pet,
stray or wild animal.
Billie Micco, Patrick Peck, Trish Ready and
Virginia Yarce from the environmental health program worked alongside veterinarians from Clewiston
Animal Clinic and Aycock Veterinary Clinic, who
donated their time to help the tribe protect their pets
and the community from the risk of rabies.
Momma Kitty, Gizmo and Cotton won’t
need another rabies vaccine until next fall, but any
pets who missed the pet fair and are not vaccinated
should take the time now to get their pets’ vaccines
updated at a local veterinarian.
Also, watch for the upcoming pet fairs from
the Seminole health department in the early spring of
next year, as we anticipate the tribe’s new animal
ordinance beginning in 2005, which will require registration of pets on Seminole reservations.
If you would like to be on a courtesy call
list for the next pet fair, contact the environmental
health program at (954) 962-2009, Ext. 126.
By Felix DoBosz
HOLLYWOOD — On
Friday Nov.19, Superman, the
huge 15-foot alligator that formerly resided at the Billie
Swamp Safari in Big Cypress,
was moved to the new Okalee
Village alligator pond on the
northeast side of the Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
According to Mike
Bailey, curator and gator wrestler
extraordinaire, this reptile is
approximately 80-years old and
weighs an estimated 1,700
pounds. He had been held in captivity for many years at Billie
Swamp Safari and was always a
major tourist attraction.
It took about a dozen
strong construction workers to lift
this big creature off the truck and
carried by hand about 100 yards
to its new habitat. The men had
to stop several times to catch
their breath after lifting this great
Felix DoBosz
Mike Bailey (left) and James Peacock (right) lead the way in transporting Superman, the 1,700 pound alligator.
behemoth and walking only a few yards.
As the men struggled to get the gator past
the narrow entrance towards the village, Bailey
kept shouting to clear the walkways and help him
lift the big reptile. After about half an hour, they
were able to get the old alligator into his new habitat for all to view.
Along with the new surroundings, the carlengthed reptile will be renamed. Perhaps a naming
contest for the gator formerly known as Superman
is in the works. Stay tuned.
The new Okalee Village opened to the
general public on Tuesday Nov. 23.
Trish Ready
Christopher Olivarez and his dog Heckle.
Felix DoBosz
Felix DoBosz
Mike Bailey coaxes the gator into his new habitat.
Superman feels “super” in his new home.
Trish Ready
Robert North Jr. carries Cotton to the Pet Fair.
Drawing by David Grist
Artistic rendering of the new Big Cypress Landing, slated to open in March 2005.
Update and New Name for Well-Known Store
Trish Ready
Momma Kitty rests after getting her rabies vaccine
and new tag as owner David Anderson Jr. attends
to her.
Trish Ready
Dr. Loduca vaccinates Gizmo, a black chiuaua.
By Janice Billie
became a cornerstone for the Big Cypress communiBIG CYPRESS — An unmistakable sign of ty. The store is open seven days a week, 365 days per
progress has come to the
little convenience store
and souvenir shop known
as Big Cypress Arts &
Crafts, located on the
south end of the reservation. December marks
the third month of construction on a new building that will be re-named
Big Cypress Landing.
Over the years
the current facility has
grown desperate for
modernization. Under the
direction of Sadie
Cypress’s two daughters
Carolyn and Janice
Billie, planned an expansion of the Big Cypress
Arts & Crafts shop.
The new facility
will include a convenience store, a small grill
for hot prepared foods
Janice Billie
with seating and an area
The Big Cypress Arts & Crafts shop has been a reservation mainstay for neardedicated to arts and
crafts. The new facility is ly three decades.
slated for completion in
March 2005–which will
not come a moment too soon.
year, from 7 a.m.–11 p.m. The store has become a
As a means of providing income for her
reliable source for basic convenience items like
family Sadie Cypress, herself a longtime artist and
drinks, breads and other food items. It also serves as
craftswoman, saw the potential to sell handmade sou- an outlet to sell arts and crafts purchased from people
venirs to tourists, as well as cold drinks and snacks to on other reservations as well as Big Cypress commuthe locals. In December 1979, Cypress and Tommie
nity members.
Billie founded the Big Cypress Arts & Crafts shop on
It has always been Cypress and Billie’s
the reservation.
dream to build a spacious modern store to better
For the next 24 years, the Big Cypress Arts
serve the Big Cypress community and the tourists
& Crafts shop, known to the locals as Sadie’s shop,
that travel there year round.
4
December 17, 2004
Iretta Tiger
Mitchell Cypress was the keynote speaker at the U.S. Southern Command’s Native American
Day/Veteren’s Day event.
Chairman Speaks to Department of Defense
By Iretta Tiger
MIAMI, FL — Last year tribal citizen
Steven Bowers received a call from the U.S.
Southern Command (USCS) asking the tribe to
participate in an event to commemorate the veterans. That event finally came to fruition on Nov.
16. Coincidentally, November 2004 also happened to be Native American Heritage Month.
Representing the Seminole Tribe at the
event were: Chairman Mitchell Cypress,
Seminole Color Guard members Clyde Tiger and
Steven Bowers, Ft. Pierce Liaison Sally Tommie,
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum Development and
Promotions Coordinator Tom Gallaher, and
Seminole Tribune Reporter Iretta Tiger.
The focus of this presentation was not
only on Seminoles in the military, but also about
Seminole culture. In his introduction speech,
Captain Jackie Parker, from the USCS, quoted
from President George Bush’s proclamation:
“As the first people to call our country
home, American Indians and Alaska Natives have
a noble history in this land and have long shaped
our Nation. During National American Indian
Heritage Month, we celebrate our commitment to
respect and preserve the rich Native American traditions and cultures.”
Cypress was the invited keynote speaker
for the seminar and received a standing ovation as
he made his way to the podium. Cypress gave a
unique perspective of what it’s like being a
Seminole, being in the military, and what is was
like being a part of those different worlds. He
pointed out that the tribe has been fortunate to
never lose a Seminole in a foreign war.
Cypress also shared the podium with fellow veteran Steven Bowers. Bowers spoke of his
experience in the military. Sally Tommie also
shared the stage and gave a brief on the history of
the tribe.
USCS Chief of Staff General Michael
Lehnert presented Cypress with a plaque as a
token of their appreciation of the service of the
Seminole veterans.
A special lunch was prepared in honor of
the Seminole tribe that included frog legs and
gator ribs, which were really beef ribs. Several
other Native American dishes were prepared such
as Cherokee pepper soup; fliers with information
about the tribes and the food were also available.
Gallaher set up a museum display especially for the USSC. Many people came to talk to
everyone from the tribe. There was a lot of interest and curiosity about Seminole culture.
The gathering was so amiable that if felt
as if we were leaving old friends. Thank you
USCS for your outstanding hospitality. Hopefully
we won’t have to wait a year to see you guys
again.
Remembering Our Troops This Holiday Season
noticed some of the soldiers in his platoon receive
By Adelsa Williams
HOLLYWOOD — Tis’ the season to be little support, if any at all.
He encourages any person interested in
jolly. Celebrations such as pot luck holiday luncheons, company Christmas parties, sipping egg nog writing to the soldiers to express their support–a
kind word of encouragement in a letter is all it
while putting up the Christmas tree, decorating
takes. Any way you may want to contribute, espeyour home, and many more other ways that make
cially during this holiday season, helps.
up the holidays, brings us together with our coThe harsh reality is that our country is at
workers, our closest and dearest friends and most
war and regardless of our political preference, it
importantly our family.
affects us all. War in it self, is not prejudice. To
Whether it's Christmas, Hanukah,
Kwanzaa or any other way
we celebrate this season, we
like to do it in the best of
company. Unfortunately,
many families will be missing the company of their
loved ones that have been
deployed overseas. For our
troops, it is hard for them to
say that this season will be
jolly. Christmas is the most
difficult time for the soldiers
to be away from home and
their families.
While some of our
troops may stay close in
touch with loved ones, others may not. The saddening
truth is that some troops
receive little support that
encourages them to be
strong.
Back in March,
during the grand opening of
Photo courtesy of Juan D. Maya
the Tampa Seminole Hard
“The Wolfhounds” stationed at a Forward Operations Base in
Rock Hotel & Casino, U.S.
Southern Afghanistan.
Army Sergeant Juan Maya
and his wife Anika were
special guests of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to
attend the celebration. Two days later on March
13, Maya was deployed to Afghanistan.
Since his deployment, Maya has written
to The Seminole Tribune to express his thanks to
the tribe for the invitation and warm welcome he
received while touring the Seminole reservation.
Through a recent fund raiser, the tribe
and the law offices of Miller, Schwartz and Miller
have helped raise funds to send holiday packages
to Maya’s platoon. Packages included homemade
cookies, candy, hickory farm gift sets, and other
goodies.
For Maya, the melancholy feelings have
always stayed close at heart thanks to the abundance of sentiments, gifts and caring actions of
his family, especially his wife Anika. However, he
our native and non-native readers alike, please
remember our military men and women. They are
the ones that answer the call to defend our freedom, they are human beings that love, yearn, free
and comfort the oppressed, fight with honor and
sometimes die. Show them that we are indeed
with them.
You may address your contributions
directly to Maya and he will make an even distribution of anything received among the platoon.
Wolfhound Soldier
C/o Maya, Juan D.
Aco. 2/27th, T.F. 2/27, 3BCT
APO AE 09354
There are many other ways to show your
support. For a site full of options please visit
www.hereinreality.com/supportourtroops.html.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida Presents
A hfachkeke M usic Festival
FREE ADMISSION TO
ALL
SATURday, January
Hurricane Relief Benef
John A nderson B ellamy B rothers
Jesse & Noah B ellamy
C owbone B and S moken
John Anderson
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bellamy Brothers
41
Florida Sons and
Native Sons
Neighbors Helping
Neighbors
Cowboys and Indians
Production
Raffle*
98
80
80
441
833
29
27
1
75
95
75
Council
75
84
EXIT 49
41
84
29
Continued from page 1
demanded that the issue should be brought before
the people. It was not, and went on to pass unanimously.
Item number 41 on the agenda was a resolution transferring ownership of the Coconut
Creek Smoke Shop, the Big Cypress citrus groves
and the Brighton citrus groves from the Seminole
Tribe of Florida tribal council to the
board.
The last resolution was the
formation of Renegade Barbeque, LLC
by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc.
and Cleveland Baker Jr. The restaurant
will be located in Seminole Paradise.
Both this and the previously mentioned
item passed unanimously.
This concluded the open session of the council meeting they then
went into closed session. The next
council meeting is scheduled for Dec.
10 in the Hollywood auditorium.
Gates open 10 a.m.
Children’s Village
Bounce House
Slide
Snow Cones
Popcorn
Clown
Picture Taking
Fun Fun Fun!
McDonald Pony Rides
Mechanical Bull Riding
41
1
Iretta Tiger
Some of SPDs newest members at the meeting.
Free parking.
No alcoholic beverages or coolers
allowed, not responsible for lost or
damaged property.
Directions:
From Naples or Ft. Lauderdale
take I-75 to EXIT 49, then 16 miles
north on Snake Road (County
Road 833).
*Raffle for Gooseneck Brand Multipurpose Aluminum Trailer, 300 tickets $100 per ticket.
Vendor Space Available (561)308-0101 For Booth Space
Big Cypress is a Alcohol and Drug free community.
5
December 17, 2004
Inaugural Tribal Wealth Management
Conference Held at Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino
Photo courtest of AMERIND Risk Management Corporation
Joel M. Frank Sr. (center) received this high honor at the 18th Annual AMERIND Meeting and Expo.
Seminole Named Chairman of AMERIND
Risk Management Corporation
Submitted by AMERIND Risk Management
Corporation
NASHVILLE, TN — On Thursday Nov.
18, the tribal membership of the only self-insured risk
pool serving Native America has selected a member
of the Seminole Tribe of Florida to serve as
Chairman of the AMERIND board of directors. The
AMERIND board of directors oversees the
AMERIND Risk Management Corporation, a consortium of tribes helping tribes improve living conditions in Indian Country.
The director of the Seminole Tribe of
Florida grants and government relations department,
Joel M. Frank Sr., was picked among three candidates
during the final general session of the 18th Annual
AMERIND Meeting and Expo held Nov. 16–18.
Frank serves Indian Country by holding
oversight on several boards including the Indigenous
Language Institute, which collaborates with indigenous communities to revitalize and perpetuate the
languages and culture of the original inhabitants of
the Americas.
The 54-year-old chairman is not new to
Indian sovereignty issues. Frank served on the
National Indian Gaming Commission as commissioner from 1990–1993. He has worked in housing for the
Seminole people from 1994–2003.
According to the results, 140 tribal votes
were tallied and Frank was the victor beating out the
two other candidates. By public vote, the tribal housing professionals present tapped Frank as the next
chairman to guide the AMERIND board of directors.
The meeting welcomed 422 attendees representing tribal communities and Alaska Native villages. The self-insured risk pool learned about the
new service called the Tribal Employee Injury
Protection program. This product will ultimately
branch away from the other traditional housing products by serving and protecting the entire workforce
located in Indian Country.
Currently, casinos are trying to tackle the
issue of employee benefits including workers compensation while circumventing the issue of unions
and tribal sovereignty. The affordable alternative
would be AMERIND’s TEIP Program.
AMERIND’s humble beginnings began to
fill the needs of Indian housing professionals in
Indian Country. Facing an insurance crisis in 1986,
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, the National American Indian Housing
Council and 175 founding Indian housing authorities
created a plan of self-insurance as an alternative to
purchasing traditional insurance. Since 1986, the
AMERIND self-insurance plan has paid more than
$135 million in Indian housing losses while at the
same time saving tribes and the federal government
more than $100 million in insurance costs.
AMERIND is all about protecting lives with
its home, fire and safety educational endeavors that
aim to teach children about the dangers of playing
with matches and other maladies. AMERIND has
been proactive in ensuring homes have fire extinguishers and working smoke detectors.
AMERIND continues to explore ways to
make kitchens in Indian Country safer by installing
range hood canisters, which are mini-fire extinguishers that are activated by flare-ups. By taking care of
each tribe’s risk management needs, those tribes can
focus on their immediate goals in education, health
and the spirituality of each family.
Today, AMERIND Risk Management
Corporation is a not-for-profit self-insured risk pool
serving more than 270 members representing housing
for more than 500 tribes. The risk pool protects more
than 61,000 Indian homes totaling more than $6.9
billion in replacement value.
For more information about the most successful corporation in Indian Country, contact Risk
Management Director Tom Gillespie or Member
Communications Director Nancy Gray at (800) 3523496.
economics at the University of Minnesota. For more
information, call Chippewa Partners at (770) 7721621.
In addition, presenters encouraged tribes to
work with financial firms who are committed to
working with native communities and native people.
Specifically, Hugh Lordon, chief financial officer for
the Oneida Nation of New York’s Turning Stone
Casino encourages tribes to “know who you are
doing business with.”
This is important in order to help tribal governments maintain and retain their economic revenue
stream as many of the panelist presenters instilled
into the minds of those in attendance. Many tribes
have already obtained their fair share of economic
success by their involvement in the gaming industry.
“I know how to make money, I’d like to
keep my money,” said Notah Begay III, a member of
the Navajo Nation, a successful PGA Tour
Competitor, and keynote speaker. “It’s not about
making money, it’s my money making money for
me.”
So how do tribes and individuals retain their
wealth? In the future, Indian gaming will not be generating the plethoric wealth it presently does–a common theme throughout the conference. Many factors
contribute to this. Bryan Mercier a member of the
Confederate Tribes of the Grand Ronde
in Oregon and a legislative associate
for the National Congress of American
Indians, presented the following suggestions on fostering economic growth
during his speech on the first day of
the conference:
Political influences–i.e. U.S.
elected officials–because it changes
constantly. So whoever is in office has
a tremendous impact on tribes; the
economy because what people are buying now could change later; the financial future of the Indian casinos and
gaming is uncertain, “it will eventually
go away,” said Chairman of San
Manuel Band of Mission Indians in
California Deron Marquez, so tribes
need to diversify their resources.
Therefore, many tribes needed to look
into investing for the future.
Tribes need to diversify their
Andrea Holata
revenues and use the success of gamKeynote speaker Notah Begay III from the Navajo Nation.
ing revenues to invest into other ventures that would bring in just as much
profit for the tribes as gaming does. So what can
The conference kicked off with a golf comtribes do to continue generating revenue through tribpetition at the Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club in
al resources? Several advisors suggested tribe’s
the morning hours on Monday, Nov. 15. As the coninvestment into mutual funds or real estate to
ference began, the room full of financial advisors,
strengthen economic development within the tribe.
investors, and consultants, and the large number of
In addition to diversification, tribes should
vendors on the premises such as Victory Capital
be able to understand the financial market and learn
Management, Merrill Lynch, Denali Advisors, and
to expand their financial portfolio. Many of the divermany more did not go unnoticed.
So what were they here for? Native America sifying investments by other tribes include natural
resources, banks, hedge funds, and tribal owned
has sought to buy into the American dream and
enterprises.
Indian gaming is paving the way. Several presenters
On Nov. 17, the final day of the conference,
emphasized the promotion and protection of tribal
Seminole tribal citizen Allan Jumper was the keynote
sovereignty as an essential part of wealth managespeaker. Jumper, a tribal gaming employee for 25
ment. Ironically, the sound of video game tunes rang
years, spoke to the crowd on the successes of the
into the ears of participants on each day of the contribe as well as its history of accomplishments and
ference from the nearby casino floors.
thanked those in attendance in wanting to learn more
“Tribes are in the middle of a changing
about finance relating directly to Indian country and
financial market, changing legal and regulatory enviissues.
ronment, changing conditions and expectations on
Here some tips for selecting a financial advitribal lands, and influential educational programs and
academic research,” said Gantam Vora, a professor of sor: When selecting an advisor, there are several
finance at the University of New Mexico pointed out. things tribes and individuals need to consider before
selection. Not only do tribes need to consider the
Tribes need to self-manage their finances
future of their nation, but individuals themselves need
rather than contracting out for services. Therefore,
to think about their future. Future generations need to
there is a need to educate more Natives in accountbe considered with the success tribes are experiencing, finance, and wealth management to maintain the
ing now. Everyone should think about the future,
“balance between tribal ways and culture and the
future generations, seven generations from now.
ways and culture of society at-large,” according to
What can individuals do to enhance and
Vora.
improve their current economic status and keep a
More tribal members need to “understand
comfortable life for themselves and many generations
the capital market so they can continue to manage
after them? There are several questions tribes and
their own and their tribe’s wealth therefore strengthindividuals who are looking to work with a financial
ening tribal sovereignty and economic sovereignty,”
advisor should ask themselves: How much will sovsaid Thomas Steier, a member of the Tonawanda
ereignty allow tribes to do within the financial marBand of Seneca in New York.
ket? What is the financial firms’ experience in workHe urged tribes to acquire the skills to be
ing with tribes, native communities, and native peoable to maintain and manage their own tribal assets
and resources. Steie said tribes need to keep econom- ple? And tribal issues? Does the firm understand the
social environment of tribes? Will the firm be able to
ic power with the tribes and within the reservations
meet our needs? Will the firm be able to adjust two
boundaries, “keeping developments in Indian counor fours years from now? And will they still be able
try... keeping money in [tribal] pockets.”
to meet our needs? How creditable is the firm? Can
Just as important is understanding unity
we/I build a long term relationship with this firm?
among tribes because “tribes should work together to
Now that wealth has been obtained through
expand and protect sovereignty,” according to Chief
gaming revenues by many tribes across the U.S. to
Executive Officer of Viejas Tribe Economic
better fund their governmental operations, provide for
Development Enterprises Frank Riolo.
the general welfare of the their members, and to proDean T. Parisian, a Chippewa from the
White Earth Reservation and Chairman & Founder of mote tribal economic development in accordance
with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, we need to
Chippewa Partners Native Americans Advisors, Inc.
learn to maintain the revenue stream by taking initiaprovided an insight on how tribes should look at phitives in the financial arena so we can retain wealth.
lanthropy efforts. Parisian currently has established a
scholarship for native students studying finance and
By Michele T. Jones
TAMPA — Since the beginning of bingo
halls on tribal reservations, gaming has found a
prominent place in the Indian way of life. Tribal casinos have become the new breadwinner of Indian economic development and have moved tribal government from economic poverty to an economic boom.
This is Native America’s industrial revolution.
It may as well be a rags-to-riches fairy-tale
story but, what do you do with new found wealth and
how do tribes retain it? With the overwhelming success of the Indian gaming industry, money management and finance have become the newest and hottest
reservation gossip since bingo.
However, many Native tribes with economic
success may need a crash course or two in wealth
management because; “if people never had money,
how do you expect them to know about money management?” asked John Beirise, president and CEO of
Native American Bank, NA in Denver, Colo.
To help answer this small missing piece of
the puzzle was the Inaugural Tribal Wealth
Management Conference sponsored by the
Information Management Network held Nov. 15–17
at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in
Tampa. Attendees included influential representatives
from all across Indian Country.
6
Tax Assistance Available to Tribal Citizens
By Marie Trabulsi
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has arranged
for RSM McGladrey, Inc. to assist tribal citizens in
the preparation of their 2004 individual income tax
returns. The tax accountants will be at
each reservation per the following
schedule:
Hollywood: Jan. 31–April
15, Monday, Wednesday and Friday,
Big Cypress: Jan. 31 and March 1,
Brighton: Jan. 31, Feb.1 and March 1,
Immokalee and Ft. Pierce: by appointment.
RSM McGladrey, Inc. is
pleased to announce that electronic
filing will be available for the majority of the 2004 tax returns. RSM McGladrey, Inc. estimates that the majority of returns will be completed
and mailed, or electronically filed, within 3 to 5 business days.
Please bring the following information that
pertains to your tax return with you when you meet
with the accountant: a copy of your 2003 tax return,
the 1040 form, if we did not prepare your 2003 tax
return, any correspondence received from the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) during 2003–2004, W-2 form
from all employers, a. list of children (dependents)
with their birth dates and social security numbers,
your 1099 form showing income
received during 2004 from the
Seminole Tribe of Florida, the 1099R
form if you are receiving any funds
from a pension plan, name, address,
and tax identification number of the
person or company to which you paid
child care expenses, the 1098 form
showing the amount of interest you
paid to a bank or mortgage company,
your social security statement, if you
are drawing social security, a list of
charitable contributions, property tax bills, daytime
telephone number and any other documents that pertain to your income tax return.
Tribal citizens will be assisted on a first
come first serve basis on the scheduled days. If you
have any questions you can contact Tina McGrath or
Marie Trabulsi of RSM McGladrey, Inc. at (561)
697-1785.
December 17, 2004
Ten Things You Must Know
About Keeping Your Home Safe
Submitted by the Seminole Police Department
1. Lock all your doors 24/7: Most unlawful
entry is thru doorways. And about half of those are
through doors left unlocked. An unlocked lock is not
a lock. Fifty-one percent of break-ins occur during
daylight and 49 percent occur after dark. There are
8,600 break-ins a day which translates into one every
13 seconds.
2. Deadbolt all exterior entrances: Most burglaries are the result of forcible entry. Every exterior
entryway into your home needs a deadbolt with a full
one inch throw bolt. Treat the door from garage to
inside the house as an exterior door. Exterior doors
should be solid, one-and-three-quarter inch secure
frames.
3. Intruders fear the spotlight: An intruder’s
greatest fear is being seen. Don’t give them a place to
hide. Good exterior lighting around your perimeter
creates a psychological barrier. Consider motion activated light fixtures. All porches and other entrances
should be lit with at least a 40-watt bulb. Trim overgrown bushes, trees limbs, or landscaping to the
height of porches or windows.
4. Glass can shatter your security: Locks less
than an arm’s length away from glass panels and
sidelights require glass brick, grates or grills. Where
building codes allow, install double cylinder.
Deadbolts that need to be opened with a key from the
inside as well as the outside are best. A sliding glass
door is lifted into position when installed and easily
lifted out if you’re not careful. Adjust screws in the
door track to limit clearance. Add a wooden dowel or
broom handle too. Retrofit ground floor windows
with locking hardware.
“While you’re on vacation, I’ll just let
myself in:” Maintain the appearance of occupancy at
all times. Use automatic timers to turn on different
lights at different times. Have a trusted neighbor or
friend pick up your mail and newspapers and occasionally use your garbage cans. During the spring or
summer arrange to have your lawn maintained. Most
break-ins occur between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Put a
radio or a TV on a timer. Turn the ringer on the telephone down.
6. Start a neighborhood watch: Neighbors
watching out for each other are the most effective
method of crime prevention. Host a neighborhood
watch and get started meeting for your block, and
invite a police department representative to assist
with planning, education, training and prevention
techniques.
7. Remember that key you thought you put
under the mat? Never hide keys under a mat, or taped
above a door jamb–burglars know these places. Leave
a key with a trusted neighbor or friend. Don’t place
information tags on your key or key rings.
8. Help the police help you: House numbers
should be at least 4–6 inches high, reflective and visible from the street. Numbers should be illuminated at
night. Report strangers running through private yards,
alleyways, or anyone looking into windows of houses
or parked cars. Call the police. Don’t worry about
false alarms. Better to be safe than sorry. Call 911 if
an emergency threatened human life or property. If
not an emergency, call your police department directly.
9. Burglars prefer cash: Burglars want cash
or items easily fenced for cash, such as small electronic equipment, computers, cameras, jewelry, and
hand guns. Don’t make it easy. Empty stereo and television boxes in the yard so burglars resist the strong
temptation to “inquire within” about these valuables
Hide your valuables or keep them under lock and key.
Engrave your valuables with “This is the property
of…” and include your driver’s license number.
Marked property is difficult to fence and easier to
recover.
10. Gone in 60 seconds: Research by the
National Crime Prevention Institute shows 60 seconds is usually required for a burglar to obtain entry.
For more information on home safety call
Sergeant Al Signore with the Seminole Police
Department’s Crime Prevention Unit at (813) 6235748.
How to Select the Right Person to
Prepare Your Tax Return
By Marie Trabulsi
The U.S. Treasury published several bulletins warning taxpayers against tax preparers who
may take advantage of them. The treasury has published a list of helpful hints you should keep in mind
when choosing a tax return preparer.
A few tips include: avoid tax preparers who
claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers, use a reputable tax professional that signs
your tax return as a paid preparer and provides you
with a copy for your records and consider whether
the tax professional offers electronic filing options
and other payment options that you want.
You should also consider the following:
Consider whether the individual or firm will be
around to answer questions about the preparation of
your return, months, even years, after the return has
been filed. Consider whether the tax professional can
represent you if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
audits your return.
As members of the Seminole Tribe of
Florida, you should be aware of tax issues specifically relating to you. The Kiddie Tax, for instance,
affects all members under the age of 14 and is a complex tax matter that is not fully understood by many
tax preparers. If a tax preparer files your return incorrectly, you could personally face a large bill from the
IRS requesting repayment of any refund received,
plus interest and penalties.
Why should you use tax preparers sponsored
by the tribe? Why pay over $250 of your money to
receive a refund loan when they can prepare your
return without any fees to you and you can receive
your refund in as little as eight days? They are qualified to assist you with complex tax issues.
If you decide to have your tax return prepared by someone other than the tribe sponsored preparer, please make sure that your preparer meets all
of the qualifications mentioned.
Six Safety Tips for the Holidays
By Al Signore, SPD
1. When in a public facility always supervise
your child, and always accompany young children to
the restroom. Make certain your children know to
stay with you at all times while shopping and always
check with you or the person charge before they go
anywhere. It is important to know where your children are and whom they are with at all times.
2. If older children become separated from
you while holiday shopping, have them meet you in a
predestinated spot such as the sales counter of the
store you were in or the mall’s information booth. For
younger children teach them to look for people who
can be sources of help within the store or mall such
as a uniformed security officer, salesperson with a
nametag, the person in the information booth, or a
uniformed law-enforcement officer. They should
never leave the store/mall or go to the parking lot to
look for you or your car.
3. Make visits to the mall opportunities for
your children to practice these safe shopping skills.
Teach them how to use a public telephone; locate
adult sources of help within the mall or a store; and,
for older children, go to the restroom with a friend.
Practice having them check with you before going
anywhere within a mall or store. Leave clothing with
children’s names displayed at home, as it can bring
about unwelcome attention from inappropriate people
who may be looking for an opportunity to start a conversation with your children.
4. Parents should not leave children alone at
public facilities such as video arcades, movie theaters, or playgrounds as a convenient “babysitter”
while they are holiday shopping. Never leave children in toy or specialty stores expecting store personnel to supervise and care for your children. They are
not trained in this role, and it is not a function of their
employment.
5. If you allow your older children to go to
the mall or other activities without you, they need to
take a friend. It’s more fun and much safer. Older
children should check in with you on a regular basis
while they are out. Make certain a clear plan is in
place to pick them up including where, what time,
and what to do in case of a change in plans.
6. Nothing takes the place of your supervision when you are in a public place with your children. If you are going holiday shopping and feel that
you will be distracted, make other arrangements for
the care of your children. It’s easy for you and your
children to get distracted with all the sights, sounds,
and crowds of the holiday shopping, so make certain
they stay with you at all times.
For more information on child safety call
Seminole Police Department Sergeant Al Signore
with the Crime Prevention Unit at (863) 623-5748.
Diamond
created, and the millions of goods and services from
thousands of Florida vendors the Seminole gaming
establishment has purchased, the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino contributes significantly not
only to the city of Hollywood, but also to the state of
Florida and continues to rock on with the new
Seminole Paradise entertainment venture scheduled
for its grand opening this month.
accept this award.”
Osceola and Allen came up to the podium to
accept the award, followed by a thank you speech by
both.
“Thank you mayor, city commissioners. We appreciate this award
and I accept it for all of our tribal
members and tribal council,” said
Osceola. “When we thought about
improving our reservation, we also
wanted to do something that will
impact the whole community and for
the tourists. The Seminole Tribe has
been dealing with tourists since 1492
when we found the first tourist on our
shores, Christopher Columbus, so this
is something we’re going to cherish.”
Allen followed, “On behalf
of our over 6,000 employees
employed in all of our Seminole casinos throughout the state, it is an honor
to accept this award.”
“When the tribe hired me
they said that they wanted to build a
world class facility and we were not
able to do that obviously, without the
support of the tribal members and
tribal council,” Allen said.
Both Osceola and Allen
announced Dec. 16 as the grand opening date of Seminole Paradise during
the meeting.
Adelsa Williams
With the thousands of job
(L-R) Jim Allen and Max Osceola Jr. display the Diamond award.
openings the new establishment has
7
Swamp Safari Gears up
for the Tourist Season
By Cindy Malin
BIG CYPRESS — The staff at Billie Swamp Safari
is preparing for company for the holidays–and lots of it.
“The day after Christmas and the subsequent nine
days after that are the busiest of the year for us,” said Park
Director Ed Woods. “Visitors from all over the country and
all over the world come to experience all that Billie Swamp
Safari has to offer. The parking lot is full and the parking lot
at the entrance to Safari which is slated for the new welcome
center will be used that week and throughout the season. The
crowds are huge.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Visitors are at their highest numbers from the day after Christmas through Labor Day
weekend.
A majority of U.S. visitors to Billie Swamp Safari
come from Florida, California, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Michigan, Illinois and other states. The majority of international visitors come from England, Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, Canada, Latin America, France and Holland, among
others.
“It is great to see people appreciating what the
Seminole Tribe has to offer,” said Marketing Director Lucy
Evanicki. “We look forward to another record breaking
year.”
Jaime Restrepo
The Swamp Water Café looking festive for the holidays.
December 17, 2004
filters, it is treated with sulfuric acid and antiscalant.
The filter banks do
the hard work of taking out
the solid impurities. The filcame up from the ground. The smell of the water
tered water is further treated
could knock you out.
with sodium hypochlorite and
“The Big Cypress community is growing fluoride to kill any bacteria.
and the water supply is important. There is future
The quantities used are minidevelopment planned," added Osceola.
mal thereby eliminating any
Paul Bowers Sr. recalled his childhood
funny taste in the water.
with his grandparents and how they procured
Additional treatment
water by cracking cap rocks and extracting the
includes implementing two
water that came out.
forced air degassifiers to
“Now there is clean water and maybe
remove hydrogen sulfide and
now we can soften up our stomachs,” Bowers
carbon dioxide. By the way,
said.
hydrogen sulfide is what gives
Tribal Treasurer Mike Tiger opened by
water that egg smell. The subsaying the new plant will lead to “quality water.”
stance, in gas form, is
He continued, “Big Cypress has done
extremely dangerous. The
without quality water for many years. The previplant is fed by three wells,
ous treatment facility was outdated, with a filtraeach about 75 feet in depth
tion system that was not maintained and did not
with a capacity of 225 gallons
have sufficient capacity.”
per minute, per well.
Tiger spoke about the capacity of the new
As for the end prodJaime Restrepo
system and how it can serve the current populauct, pure water, Walker said,
Freshly
bottled
Big
Cypress
water.
tion with plenty of room for expansion. While
“That would be the same thing
serving as Area Director in Nashville, Tenn. for
as you would get from a bottle
the Indian Health Service (IHS), Tiger monitored
of DASANI, a brand of botwater per month.
the project and helped get funding for the facility
tled water.”
The new plant is integral to the waste
from the IHS.
Walker also said that presently 250,000
treatment plant because waste water from the
“It gives me great honor to see the
gallons are treated per day, adding that the plant
water plant must be treated prior to its return to
fruition of hard work of people like David
design will accommodate “future growth and
the ground. There is also a network of infrastrucCypress and Susie Kippenberger and everybody
capacity needs.”
ture, including water mains and pumps, to mainwho has been involved in this facility,” said Tiger.
This equates to one bank operating each
tain water supply and pressure throughout Big
“The plant is just as good, if not better than any
day instead of two. The plant alternates filter
Cypress. Behind the new plant is a storage tank
other plant around the country. We drank well
banks each day. In the event of severe demand,
with a capacity of one million galwater; drank out of cisterns and
lons.
cap rocks. We would dig a hole in
Other storage tanks include
the ground and come back an
a 400,000 gallon ground storage
hour later to drink the water that
tank located on West Boundary
had filtered into the hole. Now
Road, as well as the signature water
we have quality water. We have a
tower, with a capacity of 100,000
facility we can be proud of.”
gallons. All three tanks are interconAll five officials, along
nected. Water can flow back and
with Kippenberger, assembled
forth among the three tanks.
behind the ceremonial ribbon
The water tower is used to
painted with Seminole colors,
maintain water pressure in addition
with a huge pair of scissors. The
to a series of water pumps, includscissors were large enough for all
ing fire demand pumps that will
to grasp as they cut the ribbon,
automatically activate as needed to
officially opening the water plant.
supply water for fire fighting. The
Plant Supervisor Donnie
system configuration ensures an
Walker said, “The plant can
ample supply of water, even if
process up to one million gallons
demand spikes due to fire fighting
of water per day. Eighty percent
or other emergency.
of the water is drinkable while
“There is even an emerthe other 20 percent is waste
gency
generator
system to keep the
water, used to eliminate all the
pumps running in the event of a
impurities removed from the
power failure,” said Walker.
other 80 percent that is piped to
Operating and controlling
the community.”
the
plant
is automated. The plant
When asked about the
Jaime Restrepo
boasts a state of the art computer
waste water Walker said, “The 20
The new million gallon water storage tank in BC.
system that monitors the status of all
percent is sent to the waste water
components, water flow, water prestreatment plant for further treatsure and demand. The operators can
ment, before it is returned to the
track vital functions via computer displays.
ground.”
the plant can run both banks simultaneously, 24
Quality and capacity were critical factors that
The heart of the plant consists of two
hours a day, seven days a week. In the event
went into the design and construction of the Big
banks of filters, also referred to as “skids,” that
demand exceeds the plant’s capacity, the plant was Cypress water plant.
treat the water via nanofiltration. That is, the fildesigned for the addition of a third bank of filters.
Given the future growth and development
ters have special membranes that filter out the
Presently, the plant can service in excess
that is slated for Big Cypress, the plant in poised
tiniest particles from the water as it is pumped
of 1,000 families. This assumes that the average
to satisfy the future needs of the community and
from ground wells. Prior to the water reaching the family of four consumes about 2,000 gallons of
then some.
Water
8
December 17, 2004
Chance of a Lifetime To Star
in a Major Motion Picture
Searching for newcomers: a 10–12-year-old
boy and a 14–16-year-old boy to play lead
roles in a Hollywood feature film
Submitted by Emily Schweber, Casting Director
LOS ANGELES, CA — For the character Edgar, we are seeking a boy who is small for his age, sensitive, intelligent, innocent, but a
survivor, with inner strength. Edgar is an orphan who survives an accident, a coma, and a life of being shuffled from place to place as he seeks
out the answers to his past.
Cecil is his 16-year-old friend, who doesn’t say much, but uses
his large size and intensity to protect Edgar from the bullies at reform
school.
Experience is not necessary. Our director, Michael Cuesta,
found 15-year-old Paul Franklin Dano, cast him in “L.I.E.,” and went on
to win film festival awards all over the world. Young people working
with Cuesta will experience a creative and nurturing intro to the world of
film.
Do you have a kid in mind? Parents, grandparents, siblings,
teachers and friends forward your snapshots immediately with name,
phone, age and height to Edgar Mint Casting, United Artists, 10250
Constellation Blvd. T-9092, Los Angeles CA 90067, or e-mail
[email protected].
Filming will take place in 2005. The film is based on the novel,
“The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” by Brady Udall.
Iretta Tiger
Ahfachkee students entranced by the deepwater alligator wrestling
show at the grand opening of the Seminole Okalee Village.
Okalee
It’s funny that gator
wrestling for tourists was once a
source of income for tribal citiContinued from page 1
zens. With the financial success of
the Seminole Tribe, you couldn’t
There will be many anipay a tribal citizen to wrestle an
mals to see; the highlight will be
alligator. All wrestlers at the vilthe Florida black bear and there
lage are non-natives.
will also be a petting zoo.
Alligator wrestling never
Tribal officials, along
ceases to amaze Seminole children.
with Carol Cypress, cut the ribbon
All the students from the
and everyone made their way to
Ahfachkee School were entranced
the village and to the 750 seat
during their special
private tour of the
village before everyone else got to go in.
“It’s great. I
really liked it” said
Bianca Acosta,
Ahfachkee student.
“My favorite is the
alligator.”
Along with
the gator wrestling
show was a birds of
prey and snake show.
The AhTah-Thi-Ki Museum
is to be a part of the
village and is scheduled to open in
February 2005, just
in time for the
Seminole Tribal Fair.
The museum is a
branch of the AhTah-Thi-Ki Museum
in Big Cypress,
while the village version of the museum
will have a classIretta Tiger
room for educational
Okalee’s General Manager Buster Baxley
and cultural presentaspoke at the museum’s grand opening.
tions.
The original
Okalee Village first
opened in the 1960s and was locatopen-air amphitheater. Many
ed where the southeast Hard Rock
stopped to see the animals, but
parking lot is now.
what everyone was anticipating
The Seminole Okalee
was the deepwater alligator
Indian Village is open
wrestling show.
Tuesday–Sunday from 9 a.m.–6
In deepwater alligator
p.m. Admission is $12 for adults
wrestling, the wrestler goes into
and children 12 and older, $10 for
the water and uses an unusual and
seniors age 62 and older, and $8
very dangerous technique to find
for children ages 6 to 11. Children
the alligator. The person dives
5 years old and younger are free.
underwater and secures the gator’s
For more information, call
mouth shut. Then the person carthe Seminole Okalee Indian
ries the gator to the shore where
Village at (954) 364-4221.
gator tricks are then performed.
Tickets for Frank Sinatra Jr. on Sale
Iretta Tiger
Some of the first Okalee guests make their way through the gates.
Christmas Celebration
Everyone Invite
Nancy & Michealene’s Camp
Dec. 18, 2004
Andy Buster’s Band
West Boundary Road
Cowbone Island Rd East
Iretta Tiger
Wrestler Mike Bailey brings ashore his capture as part of the deepwater alligator wrestling show as James Peacock looks on.
Seminole Tribe Events Calendar
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
WPBA Cuetec Cues Florida Classic held at Hard Rock
December
WPBA Cuetec
Cues Florida
Classic held
at Hard Rock
Last Quarter
5
6
Pearl Harbor
Remembrance Day
7
AIDS Awareness Day
Chanukkah
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
Hollywood
Christmas
Party
New Moon
12
John Sr, &
Louise Billie
Christmas
Party
19
13
Immokalee
Community
Christmas
Party
20
Hollywood Bingo
opens, 1979
First Day of
Winter
Pilgrims Landed,
1620
14
Sitting Bull killed,
1890
21
15
22
Boston Tea Party,
1770
16
Wright Brothers
Day, 1903
17
Ethel Osceola Tribal Office
Closed
Huggins
Christmas
Party
23
24
Tribal Office
Closed
Full Moon
26
27
Attack on Major
Dade, 1835
Second Seminole
War begins, 1835
28
Massacre at
Wounded Knee,
1890
Frank Sinatra Jr., son of the legendary entertainer of the same
name will play two shows in the Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino Ballroom. The first show will be on Sunday Jan. 2, 2005 at 7
p.m. and the second is Monday Jan. 3, 2005 at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $50 and go on sale Friday Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. at the
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Retail Store and all TicketMaster
outlets. Purchase by phone at (813) 287-8844 or (727) 898-2100 and
online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information call (813) 627ROCK (7625).
29
30
First Battle of the
Withlacoochee,
1835
31
Winterfest Boat
Parade
Miccosukee
Christmas Party
Nancy &
Michealene’s
Christmas Party
First Quarter
Christmas Day
Battle of
Okeechobee, 1837
18
25
9
Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc.
Invests In Chicago Heights Casino
Iretta Tiger
(L-R) Chicago Heights Mayor Anthony DeLuca and Hollywood Board Representative David
DeHass.
By Iretta Tiger
powerful stance to take.”
HOLLYWOOD — On Nov. 17, memThe delegation from Lac Du Flambeau
bers of Seminole Tribe, Inc. met with represenwas not authorized to make an official decision,
tatives from the Lac Du Flambeau band of Lake
but they did report their findings to the rest of
Superior Chippewa Indians and delegates from
their council.
the city of Chicago Heights, including Chicago
Soon after reporting to their council,
Heights Mayor Anthony DeLuca. The meeting is the Lac Du Flambeau officially agreed to the
a final discussion between the groups about a
casino partnership with the Seminole Tribe and
joint venture into building a casino in Chicago
the city of Chicago Heights. For now, there is no
Heights, Ill.
further information to report, but stay tuned in
The proposed casino location will be
the months to come for updates.
located in Chicago Heights,
which is not a reservation or
Indian land of any kind. The
Lac Du Flambeau Band had
tried in the past to open a
casino on their reservation in
Wisconsin, but was stopped
by the governor.
Hollywood
Seminole Tribe of Florida,
Inc. Board Representative
David DeHass asked DeLuca
if it would be possible to find
out what the taxes from the
casino would be earmarked
for. DeHass and the Lac Du
Flambeau group expressed
their concerns and emphasized the importance of the
money going towards local
schools.
“I’m glad to see that
the Seminole Tribe and the
Lac Du Flambeau are proeducation because schools in
Iretta Tiger
Illinois are severely underBoard Representatives David DeHass (left) and Johnny Jones
funded,” said DeLuca. “It’s a
(center) look over the fine print for the casino.
December 17, 2004
Eight Tips to Stay on Track
These tips will help
you maintain a long
and healthy lifestyle
By Kenny Bayon
1. Get On a Program. Have
and obtain realistic short term goals
while always striving for long term
dreams of living and long and healthy
life. Instill an eight week program
which includes 3-4 days of weight
training.
The American College of
Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of eight to 12 exercises involving the major muscle groups–arms,
shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, hips,
and legs–performed two to three days
a week. A minimum of one set of
eight to 12 repetitions, to the point of
feeling muscle fatigue during the last
few repetitions, should be sufficient
for most participants.
For older or less fit people,
10–15 repetitions may be appropriate
before moving up to the next weight
level. Add one or two days of a sport
activity such as playing on a basketball team or having fun on the court
playing tennis or an active hobby to
keep one self fit. This will help keep
the motivation as well as keeping it
fun.
Remember without fun, it is
very difficult to want to do it. This
brings us to the next tip, fun.
2. Have Fun. If there was
one that should be on top of the list it
would be this one. Half of all people
who start an exercise program drop
out within the first six months. So
what keeps the other 50 percent in the
gym? No one magic method can keep
you involved in the process.
As researchers say, strong
determinants of continued participation are self motivation, behavioral
skills, spousal support, available time,
access to facilities, perception of good
health and high risk for heart disease.
Yet one element remains prevalent
throughout-enjoying what you do.
3. Diet. A person can train
very hard, hit the weights, run up and
down mountains and still not lead a
healthy lifestyle. Why, because diet is
the key. Proper nutrition is essential
to improving your health.
You need to be aware of
what you are putting into your body.
You are limiting the benefits of exercise if you eat poorly. Remember, you
are what you eat! Try to stay with the
basics. Alcohol, smoking, and drugs
also greatly reduce the benefits of
exercise.
The U.S. government has
established a set of dietary goals to
improve the health status of
Americans. The goals include:
increasing carbohydrates to 55 percent–60 percent of total calories,
decreasing fat intake to 30 percent of
total calories, with saturated fat being
only 10 percent, decrease dietary cholesterol to 300 milligrams per day,
reduce sugar consumption to 15 percent of total calories, and decrease
salt consumption to about 3 milligrams per day. This also means that
protein should provide 10 percent to
15 percent of total calories per day.
If one of your goals of
beginning a fitness program is to lose
weight, including proper nutrition into
your program is essential. When you
exercise, you will burn calories, but if
you consume more calories than you
burn during a day, you will gain
weight. The only way to lose weight
is to burn more calories than you consume.
Dieting alone will not help
you with long-term weight loss, keeping the weight off for the rest of your
life. The most successful studies in
terms of weight loss have been those
that combined diet and exercise to
optimize caloric deficit, i.e. burning
more calories than you consume.
The main message is to eat
properly balanced meals and reduce
high fat and high cholesterol meals.
When you begin exercising, you may
find your appetite changes and you
may be hungrier during the day. This
is normal. Just remember to make
smart decisions regarding what you
eat. If you exercise and then eat a
high-fat, high calorie meal, you will
be not taking full advantage of the
benefits of working out. Enjoying life
is important, but as long as you are
going to begin exercising, you should
approach health from every angle, not
just from an exercising angle
4. Convenience. Let’s be
realistic; after working an eight hour
day, then to try to get to a gym which
is miles out of the way does not make
sense. A common reason for people
not to exercise is the lack of convenient facilities.
If you try to commute to
your gym and it’s a journey, then it’s
more likely that you will make excuses not to go rather to just get there
and get the workout done. Just like
you must be wary of limited hours or
that the fitness center gets to crowded, time and convenience must be
addressed.
5. Keep a Record. Try and
keep a record of what you do and
what you have accomplished. The log
can contain start-up information such
as bodyweight, girth measurements,
resting blood pressure, cholesterol
level, daily calorie intake and resting
heart rate.
Training specifics include
distance or time doing cardio work;
weights, reps and sets lifted; time
spent cross training, etc. This self
monitoring technique helps you stick
to your program and gives you visual
feedback as well as an accurate
record of your progress toward your
goals.
6. Stay Focused. As we all
know, life is all about choices and the
ones we make can outcome how our
lives are lived. Exercise is a choice
and a very important one as well. Not
only will this affect you but the loved
ones that surround you.
Living a healthy lifestyle,
eating well and training are all important choices that have to be made so
that you can live a long and happy
life. Remember, its not all physical,
mental stress can be a downfall as
well, that’s why it’s important to stay
positive and keep a clear state of
mind.
7. Be Realistic. They are
everywhere, whether its magazines or
television ads, they are filled with
high expectations that are hardly
attainable to the average person. If
you’re a beginner, you can expect
your initial experiences to be a bit
uncomfortable. Meaning, you’re putting your body though activity probably never done before and there will
be some awkwardness doing exercises.
Soreness is to be expected,
even if you’re just stretching or walking on the treadmill. Never doubt
yourself or the reasons for doing it
because in the long run it will pay off.
Remember, you are only rich if you
have your health!
8. Stretching. In all the talk
about resistance training and cardiovascular fitness, the third essential of
fitness–flexibility–can get lost. The
importance of flexibility prompts disagreement in the exercise field. But
the idea of stretching has been recently endorsed by the American College
of Sports Medicine, and growing evidence seems to indicate that a proper
stretching program can increase flexibility around a joint, also called range
of motion, and reduce frequency and
intensity of injuries.
A good five to 10 minute
warm-up and again at the end of your
exercise session will be sufficient. If
you only have time for one stretch
session, do it after cooling down,
while your muscles are still warm.
Hold each stretch for up to 30 seconds while breathing naturally.
Stretch your legs, lower back, calves,
arms, shoulders, chest and neck.
10
Winter Weight Loss Contest a Success
By Kenny Bayon
HOLLYWOOD — The winter weight loss contest was a success as
everyone is a winner for trying to lead a
healthier lifestyle. The contest began on
Sept. 13 and
ran though
Nov. 22.
It’s
not just about
weight loss,
but about
wanting to
better oneself.
Take the time
to make sure
you’re eating
the right
foods. Staying
committed,
being dedication and not
swaying
towards those
bad habits is
key. It’s taking
25 minutes for
some weight training before work or
during your lunch break. It’s taking a
nice stroll though your neighborhood
before the sun rises or a walk through
the park before the sun sets to walk off
those extra calories.
The key to making this contest
successful is that everyone not only
takes the weight off, but keeps it off as
well. Many of these people I personally
see everyday training hard to better
themselves. It's satisfying as the trainer
to the Hollywood reservation to see so
many people interested in their self
improvement. Let’s keep on the right
track and keep
up the good
work.
Here
are the results,
which are
based on total
body weight
percentage lost
per person.
Tribal
woman: 1.
Yvette Jumper
9.3 percent, 2.
Jeannie
Cypress 9.2, 3.
Missy Tommie
6.2; Tribal
men: 1. Chris
Osceola 4.9
percent, 2.
Tracy Smith
3.3, 3. Joey Micco 3.1; Tribal senior
woman: 1. Elsie Bowers 4.6 percent, 2.
Yvonne Courtney 2.6, 3. Linda Jim 2.2;
Tribal senior men: 1. Truman Bowers
10.2 percent; Tribal employee men: 1.
Fred Spence 5.7 percent, 2. Felix
DoBosz 5.3, 3. Tony Heard 4.4; Tribal
employee woman: 1. Patti Robinson 9.1
percent, 2. Barbara Shavatt 5.5, 3. Cheri
Pakin 5.1.
Dr. Toby Propst Joins the
Seminole Tribe’s Medical Staff
By Jaime Restrepo
BIG CYPRESS
— While Big Cypress
enjoyed a Thanksgiving
lunch at the Herman
Osceola Gym, the health
department staff took the
opportunity to introduce
a new staff member to
the residents and staff
members. Dr. Toby
Propst will be a valuable
addition to the health
department staff as he
practices his specialty,
family medicine,
throughout the Seminole
Indian reservations.
Born in
Pennsylvania, Dr. Propst
has lived in Florida for
many years. He graduated from Uniformed
Services University in
Bethesda, Md. in 1999
and currently lives in Los
Angeles, Calif. Dr.
Propst, however, said he
is “looking to come
home,” which happens to
be South Florida.
Let us all extend
a welcome hand to Dr.
Propst and wish him the
best of luck and success
as he attends to the medical needs of Seminole
Tribe.
December 17, 2004
CPR Classes Help Prepare Seminoles for Emergencies
minute detailed video on the different
techniques used in CPR. This was followed up with a question and answer
session. Everyone grabbed their
dummy and practiced the skills they
had witnessed demonstrated by the
instructor and the training video.
Students practiced successfully the new
life-saving skills on their dummies
repeatedly until they acquired the technique perfectly.
After a break for lunch it was
time to watch another video on the
Defibrillator device. This device also
known as the “shocker” or “paddles”
resuscitates the victim with a lifesaving
jolt of electric
current to the
heart muscle,
causing it to
start pumping
again and bring
the victim back
to life.
The
DeFIBtech
Felix DoBosz
DDU-100
Firefighter/Paramedic Alberto Quinones
semi-automatic shows the students a DeFIBtech DDU-100
external defibdefibrillator machine.
rillator provides the most
person’s individual needs.
advanced treatThese units cost about $1,500
ment for sudden
cardiac arrest. The each and are being seen in more and more
public places, much like how fire extinDDU-100 defibguishers are in all buildings. There are
rillator uses
advanced biphasic several of these units found inside the corridor hallways on the busy floors at
technology
including the most Hollywood headquarter building for emergency first-aid.
studied biphasic
Felix DoBosz
It’s important to learn to use
shock waveform
(L-R) Geneva Shore from the secretary’s office and Lisa
these devices properly in an extreme
and automatically
Mullennix from the executive administrator’s office were
emergency first-aid situation. After all; it’s
adjusts the shock
among several employees who participated in the CPR class.
a matter of life or death.
delivery to the
By Felix DoBosz
HOLLYWOOD — On Nov. 22
at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino hosted CPR, or cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, classes were held for citizens and employees. Instructor Albert
Quinones, a firefighter/paramedic from
the Seminole fire department, taught this
informative life saving class.
About a dozen people had gathered in Ballroom D to learn and practice
the skills required for CPR certification.
Each person had a plastic dummy to work
with which represented the person to be
resuscitated.
Quinones showed everyone a 30
Updated list of Seminole Health Plan Hospitals
Submitted by Health Director Connie
Whidden
The Seminole health department
is pleased to announce that tribal citizens
now have additional hospitals to choose
from when inpatient and/or outpatient
hospital care is needed. The hospitals listed below have recently joined the Beech
Street insurance network and are available
for utilization.
Aventura Hospital and Medical center,
20900 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura, (305)
672-7000.
Columbia Hospital, 2201 45th St., West
Palm Beach, (561) 842-6141.
Kendall Regional Medical Center, 11750
Bird Road, Miami, (305) 223-3000.
Northwest Medical Center, 2801 North
State Road 7., Margate, (954) 974-0400.
Plantation General Hospital, 401 N.W.
42nd Ave., Plantation, (954) 587-5010.
Westside Regional Medical Center, 8201
West Broward Blvd., Plantation, (954)
473-6600.
Cedars Medical Center, 1400 N.W. 12th
Ave., Miami, (305) 325-5511.
JFK Medical Center, 5301 South
Congress Ave., Atlantis, (561) 965-7300.
Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton
Road, Miami, (305) 674-2121.
Palms West Hospital, 13001 State Road
80, Loxahatchee, (561) 798-3300.
University Hospital & Medical Center,
7201 North University Drive, Tamarac,
(954) 721-2200.
The health department encourages all tribal citizens to contact their
local health clinic to coordinate medical
care.
Also, Shands Healthcare is no
longer a Beech Street provider. If medical
care was previously received from Shands
Healthcare and follow-up treatment with
Shands Healthcare is required, please con-
tact Eligibility & Utilization Services
Program Manager Kathy Wilson at (954)
962-2009, Ext. 142 to make arrangements
for alternate treatment.
In addition, effective Jan 1, 2005,
University Community Hospital-Tampa
and University Community HospitalCarrollwood will no longer be Beech
Street providers.
All further questions regarding
participating hospitals should be brought
to reservation patient service coordinators.
The following is a lost of contact persons.
Hollywood health center, Karen
Robinson-Lee, (954) 962-2209. Big
Cypress health center, Wendy Powers,
(863) 983-5151. Brighton health center,
Gail McClenithan, (863) 7 63-0271.
Immokalee reservation, Ana Puente (239)
657-6567. Tampa reservation, Sue Harjo,
(813) 246-3100.
‘Walking Counts’ in Pedometer Contest
Jaime Restrepo
Dr. Toby Propst (right) with tribal citizen Paul
Buster (left).
Understanding Food Safety
This Holiday Season
By Trish Ready, Environmental
Health Program
Holidays are synonymous with
family, friends and food. Frequent visits
to the grocery, preparing large meals,
overstocking the refrigerator, and storing leftovers are all common activities
for the holiday season. Careful planning
for the holiday festivities is essential to
avoiding potential food hazards.
Here are some guidelines to
help you and your family enjoy a safer
holiday season.
Purchasing: When out running
holiday errands, be sure to do your grocery shopping last. Never leave food in
the car. The car can become hot, putting
food in the temperature danger zone–41
degrees-135 degrees. Take food straight
home and refrigerate. Refrigeration
slows the growth of microorganisms
and helps keep them from multiplying
to levels high enough to cause illness.
Never choose meat or poultry
in packaging that is torn, and purchase
refrigerated or frozen items after selecting your non-perishables. Canned goods
should be free of dents or bulging lids.
Check use-by dates and be sure not to
purchase any expired goods.
Storage: Storing food presents
a unique safety challenge as we purchase large quantities of foods during
the holidays. Dry goods and canned
foods should be stored between 50
degrees-70 degrees. Keep cold foods
cold, below 41 degrees, and hot foods
hot, above 135 degrees. Frozen food
must be kept at a freezer temperature of
zero degrees or below.
To avoid cross-contamination,
wrap food properly and store raw meat,
poultry and fish separately from cooked
and ready-to-eat food. Never place hot
food in the refrigerator as this can
warm the interior enough to put other
food in the temperature danger zone.
Prior to refrigerating, cool large quantities of cooked food quickly by either
dividing it into smaller portions, putting
it in shallow stainless steel pans, or
using an ice water bath. If you cannot
use up leftovers within four days, freeze
them.
Preparation: Thawing: There
are three main ways to thaw foods: in
the refrigerator, in the microwave, or in
an ice bath under running water at 70
degrees. Thawing in the refrigerator is
the best method for frozen foods. Meats
should be thawed on the bottom shelf to
prevent juices from dripping onto
ready-to-eat foods. If thawing in the
microwave, you must cook to the correct internal temperature immediately
after.
Cooking: Cooking to the right
internal temperature is a very
Serving: Don’t leave food at
room temperature for more than two
hours. Reheat previously cooked foods
to an internal temperature of 165
degrees for fifteen seconds within two
hours before serving. When serving to
large groups, keep food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming
trays.
Keep food cold by nesting
dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them often.
Remember, you can’t see, smell or taste
harmful bacteria that may cause food
borne illness. Our defense against these
microorganisms lies with following
these essential food safety principles.
General Tips: Wash your hands
for 20 seconds with soap before and
after handling food.
Clean and sanitize all food contact surfaces often. Cool foods to 70 degrees
within two hours, then to below 41
degrees within four hours.
Cooking Times for Holiday
Foods: poultry, 165 degrees; stuffing
and stuffed meat, 165 degrees; ground
meats including beef, pork, meat and
fish, 155 degrees; pork, lamb and veal,
steaks, chops, roasts, 145 degrees; fish,
145 degrees, foods cooked in the
microwave including eggs, poultry, fish
and meat, 165 degrees.
grams being offered by the Seminole health department in an
By Barbara Boling
effort to prevent diabetes and diabetes related complications in
BRIGHTON — On Oct. 19, the Brighton community
the Seminole communities.
joined in with the Hollywood, Big Cypress, and Immokalee
The participants in the pedometer contest here in
reservations on a pedometer journey that would take them across
Brighton weighed in at the beginning and the end of the walking
the state of Florida. The journey was named “Walking Counts.”
contest. These participants lost a total of 98.5 pounds in a five
Forty three participants received their pedometers on
week period. Some of these community members lost as much
week one. They were then encouraged to set a goal for each
as 7.4 percent of their body weight by increasing their daily
week of the journey. The destination for the adult community
members was a distance of 200 miles while the senior communi- exercise. This increased activity lead to participants accumulating a whopping 3,468 miles.
ty members would travel 100
This is the equivalent of walkmiles.
ing across the country from
The journey began at
Los Angeles to New York and
the Seminole Hard Rock
then on to Miami.
Hotel & Casino in Tampa. The
Many of the particivirtual tour guided Seminole
pants stated that the contest
community members along a
was good incentive for them
path from Tampa to Ft. King
to kick start a healthier
in Ocala, and on to Castillo de
lifestyle. Holiday wellness
San Marcos in historic St.
classes are being given
Augustine, Fla. Ft. King
throughout the holiday season
served as the final stop for the
on each reservation and will
seniors, while the adult comroll into the Lifestyle Balance
munity members utilized Ft.
Classes offered by the
King as their half way point
Seminole health department in
along the journey.
the spring of 2005.
Participants were
Congratulations to all
required to check in with the
of the participants. Winners
health educator once a week
are as follows:
to verify their mileage.
Seniors: 1. Mabel
Participants received incenEmma Brown
Haught, 2. Billie Micco, 3.
tives along the way such as
Pedometer contest participants: (front row, L-R) Martha
Martha Jones; Adults: 1.
walking guides and T-shirts.
Jones, Mable Haught, (back row, L-R) Suraiya Smith, Grace
Robbie DeHass, 2. Grace
The pedometer conKoontz, Robbie DeHass and Billie Micco.
Koontz, 3. Nadine Tommy.
test is part of a series of pro-
Walking Miles for the
Pedometer Contest
Submitted by the Health
Department
HOLLYWOOD — The
five week contest wrapped up Nov
22 with 36 participants from
Hollywood walking to win great
prizes. All participants enjoyed the
competition to motivate themselves
to move more.
The adult division walked
200 miles from the Tampa Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to St.
Augustine, Fla. where the Castillo
De San Marcos is located.
The winners are: 1. Yvette
Jumper, who won a Polar Heart Rate
Monitor, $100 Sports Authority gift
card, $50 Publix gift card, 2. Resha
Doctor, who won a Dr. Scholl’s Foot
Spa, $75 Sports Authority gift card
and $25 Publix gift card, 3. Esther
Gopher, who won a $50 Sports
Authority gift card and $10 Publix
gift card.
The Senior Division
walked 100 miles from the Tampa
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino to Ocala, Fla. where Fort
Wins is located.
The winners are: 1. Linda
Jim who won a Polar Heart Rate
card, and $50 Publix gift card, 2.
Mabel Doctor who won a Dr.
Scholl’s Foot Spa, $75 Sports
Authority gift card, and $25 Publix
gift card, 3. Judy Tiger who won a
$50 Sports Authority gift card and
$10 Publix gift card.
The working student division walked 100 mites from the
Tampa Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
& Casino to Ocala, Fla. where Fort
King is located.
The winners are: 1. Happy
Jumper, who won a Polar Heart Rate
Janice Billie who won a Dr. Scholl’s
Foot Spa, $75 Sports Authority gift
Sunshine Frank who won a $50
Sports Authority gift card and $10
Publix gift card.
Adelsa Williams
Health Educator Shannon McKeown (left) with
contest winners (L-R) Janice Billie, Linda Jim and
Yvette Jumper displaying their prizes.
11
Recreation and Health
Departments Team Up for Carnival
By Shelley Marmor
HOLLYWOOD — On
Tuesday evening, Nov. 30, many tribal citizens gathered at the Osceola
baseball field to participate in the first
ever Diabetic Fall Carnival. Coorganizers from the recreation department and health department were on
hand to assist, including Certified
Fitness Trainer Kenny Bayon, who sat
in the dunk tank.
Upon entering the event, participants had to sign in and then they
received a wrist band. They then went
around to all the booths that were set
up to play various diabetic-related
games. After playing each game, the
bracelet was marked off so that everyone only played each game once.
These games at the carnival
included: HbA1c archery, bobbing for
apples and the salt and sugar shell
game.
Shelley Marmor
Nutritionist Doris Mir (right) asks KC Bell (left) which vial contains the amount of sugar in a fast food hamburger in the salt
and sugar shell game.
Shelley Marmor
Tabatha Tsoodle (left), 10, celebrates her victory over
Legus Gangrel Bowers, 17, atop the rock climbing wall.
In HbA1c archery, Allied Health
Manager Suzanne Davis gave participants
valuable information regarding HbA1c, or
hemoglobin A1c, test for diabetes. Davis
then asked participants questions about the
test and they got to shoot a bow and arrow at
a target. The target’s bulls-eye was the goal
number a diabetic would want their Hb1Ac
test to read–less than seven percent–which
Davis called a “controlled level.”
“Even though they have diabetes it's
not hurting them,” Davis said of the keeping
the results of the HbA1c test at less than
seven percent.
In the salt and sugar shell game,
Nutritionist Doris Mir and Dietician Karen
Gauci had vials filled with salt and sugar and
they asked contestants questions that prompted them to select, for example, which vial
contained the amount of sodium in a fast
food hamburger. Tribal citizen KC Bell had a
hard time with that question and selected the
wrong vial.
Gauci said that a fast food hamburger contains about a half-teaspoon of sodium.
She added that this is twice the amount of
sodium a person needs to intake per day.
Several fitness-related activities
were set up for the youngsters to play on,
including a rock climbing wall, bounce
house, large inflatable slide and a football
area. For the younger ones, there was face
painting, a clown handing out sugar free JellO®, pony rides and a petting zoo.
There was a large turnout at the carnival, which Health Educator Shannon
McKeown said was impressive for this type
of “interactive education event.”
December 17, 2004
World AIDS Day Presentation
Impacts Reservation
By Judy Weeks
IMMOKALEE — The horrible virus
AIDS affects us all in some way or another as citizens of the world. International health organizations have designated Dec. 1st as World AIDS Day
in an effort to familiarize everyone with this disease, its serious consequences, preventative measures and contagious elements.
Immokalee family services sponsored an
elaborate program in an effort to achieve these
goals. Family services representative Diana
Rocha and Seminole health department’s
Charlotte Porcaro were very fortunate to
have the assistance and total cooperation of many departments as they
strived for community awareness.
Librarian Cris Marrero and
Education Advisor Norita Yzaguirre
launched the campaign with advertising and flyers. On Tuesday Nov. 30,
Rocha and Porcaro initiated a
Healthy Living and AIDS
Prevention Poster Contest which
encompassed three age groups.
The youngsters gathered
in the gym and using an assortment of art supplies, created a
wide variety of posters to express
their feelings. Rocha and Porcaro
discussed AIDS, its prevention and
major health issues with the group
while they worked. The recreation department graciously
supplied refreshments for the
young artists.
Family services
provided first, second and
third place prizes for each
age group, which included kits of crayons, markers and sharpies. The completed posters were displayed on the front wall of
the gym for the World AIDS
Day presentation. Seminole
Police Department officers provided impartial judges for the contest and
announced the winners at the community pot luck
dinner on the evening of Wednesday Dec. 1.
Winners of the Healthy Living poster contest, ages 5-8: 1. Vanessa Billie, 2. Larissa
DelaRosa, 3. Ethan Aguilar; ages 8-12: 1. Alexis
Aguilar, 2. Julissa Arreguin, 3. Danny Billie.
AIDS prevention, ages 12-18: 1. Josie
Billie, 2. Esmeralda Billie, 3. Cassandra Jimmie.
Family services laid the ground work for
two separate audiences on Wednesday Dec. 1 with
age-appropriate presentations. The seniors and
interested adults were invited to the gym at 11 a.m.
and the community young people followed around
3 p.m.
Angie Arreguin from broadcasting made
phone calls arranging for brochures and a speaker
as well as documenting the event. Family services
acquired additional comfortable seating for the
seniors to supplement the wonderful set-up provided by Recreation. Noella Dwan Nunez of the senior department of family services donated her valuable time at the senior viewing.
Charlotte Porcaro researched and obtained
a copy of the film “The Cure” for viewing at both
presentations. The film deals with the close friendship of two boys, one of whom is living with
AIDS. The afflicted boy eventually dies from
the disease. It was a very emotional movie
and had a big impact upon the audiences.
While the very young soon lost interest,
the teenagers became involved to the
end and then asked some extremely
pertinent questions.
Collier County Department of
Health Representative Kettly Benoit
addressed the groups, offering background information on AIDS, its
symptoms, effects on the immune
system, confidentiality, testing and
prevention. Everyone was offered
an opportunity to ask questions
and receive informed answers.
The afternoon session
stressed healthy choices, proper
nutrition and cleanliness with the
younger participants. Meanwhile,
AIDS prevention and testing were
the keynote with the teens and
young adults.
Cris Marrero and
Norita Yzaguirre provided a
very nice luncheon for the senior gathering. They were joined
by the recreation department for
the second day in a row and supplied refreshments for the afternoon session.
Family services and the
health department placed a great deal of emphasis
on the fact that coming in contact with an AIDS
victim will not give you the disease. If a friend,
family member or co-worker has contracted AIDS,
please do not abandon them. They will need your
friendship, moral support, companionship and love
more than ever. You will be protected from contracting the disease by using common sense and
good health practices.
If you have concerns contact either the
family services department or the health department and they will be glad to help you find the
solution to your problem.
Family Services would like to take this
opportunity to thank the many people and departments, who working together made World AIDS
Day a success. There are no limits to what can be
accomplished when we combine our efforts and
work together.
12
Star Wrestler Places Fourth
in Amando Soto Classic
to escape with an 11-9 victory.
Simmons tasted defeat for the first time
as a varsity wrestler.
His third match was the next
day against Mohammad Mahmoud of
Western High School and the young
man came out wrestling with something
to prove by dominating the first period.
Mahmoud took him with a tuck under
and quickly escaped. Clayton was losing 1-2 going into the second period.
Simmons started the second in
the down position where within seconds
he escaped with a powerful standup.
After trying a few moves, he finally
took Mohmoud down with a double leg
and swiftly put him in an outside cradle for the pin in three
minutes and 23 seconds.
His forth match was
against one of the best
wrestling schools in the country, tough 215 pounder Kyle
Snyder from Easton High
School. The first was a scoreless 0-0 tie. The second was
frantic as Simmons executed a
perfect leg to head and arm
throw to put the giant on his
back for a 5-0 lead to finish the
period.
The third started with
Simmons on the bottom position and quickly escapes with a
spinning standup for an 8-0
lead. The rest of the match was
a power struggle as both
wrestlers were attempting
moves to no avail and the
match ended in Simmons’s
third victory of the competition.
His fifth match was
Kenny Bayon
against Justin Seow of host
Clayton Simmons
school Flanagan High School.
The first period was a struggle
that ended in a 0-0 tie, but
perennial powers St. Thomas and South again excelled in the second. He
escaped, getting out of a head and arm
Dade.
Simmons finished up strong as throw and ducks for a takedown. He
swiftly put on an outside cradle and
he went 4-2 in the tournament; like his
threw Seow to his back to take a 5-0
older brother Keith Mitchell Simmons
lead.
who was the first Seminole tribal citiIn the third, Seow attempted a
zen to win the Florida heavyweight
single leg take down and wound up
state wrestling championship. Keith
underneath as Simmons took him down
didn’t get a chance to wrestle in this
to take a 7-0 lead and win the match to
tournament last year as he was playing
put him in the medal round for third
in the Hillsboro County All-Star
and fourth place.
Football Game in Tampa, Fla.
His sixth and final match was
Wrestling in his first varsity
matches for the defending state champi- against Dan Vanni of Douglas High
ons, Simmons proved he is on his way
for a state championship. Going into the
tournament he had a 15-6 record, mostly in pre-season junior varsity tournaments. He was yet to wrestle major
competition.
His first match was against
Alexandro Plata from Everglades High
in what was to be his varsity debut. He
won on an injury forfeit by Plata. His
second match was against Cory
Lattimore of South Dade High, one of
the toughest schools in the south.
The match started out as
Simmons got caught by an over-under
arm hook throw, which resulted in a
five point lead for Lattimore. Simmons
Kenny Bayon
escaped to be down 1-5. In the second
Star wrestler Clayton Simmons takes
period, Simmons got taken down with a
quick duck under but quickly escapes to down his opponent, continuing the
Seminole wrestling tradition.
be down 3-7.
Simmons then hit a double leg
takedown but gave up the escape to be
School for third and fourth place. In the
down 5-8. Lattimore got hit with a one
first period, Simmons got taken down
point stalling call and Simmons was
by a tuck-under and put in an inside
down 6-8. In the third period Lattimore
cradle to go down by five points in the
hit a takedown and again Clayton
first.
escaped to be down 7-10.
The second and third periods
Simmons then took his opponent down and gave up an escape, to be were just as tough as Vanni put
Simmons on his back a few more times
down 9-11. Following this. Lattimore
with array of cradles to win by a tech
ran for his life as Simmons was putting
fall 15-0.
the pressure on in the waning seconds
By Kenny Bayon
PEMBROKE PINES, FL —
Clayton Simmons showed that the
Seminole Tribe’s factory of wrestlers
are to be feared for years to come as the
190 pound sophomore placed fourth in
the 215 pound category at the Armando
Soto Invitational, arguably the toughest
tournament in South Florida.
It was held on Dec.3–4 at
Flanagan High School. Teams came
from around the country such as Easton
High in Pennsylvania, one of the premier teams in the nation as well as
some of the top wrestling schools from
Dade and Broward County such as
Teamrodeo.com Presents $7,600
to Byron McIntosh
Submitted by Stuart Fox
The founders of Team Rodeo,
Gary, Ralph and Colonel Nolen were all
on hand at the Bergeron Rodeo
Grounds on Saturday Nov. 27 at the
Five Star Rodeo Company’s Bullriders
Challenge to conclude the last leg of a
six month fund raiser for Byron
McIntosh.
Back in May, McIntosh took a
horn for a fellow cowboy. This consisted of a raffle drawing with the top two
prizes being a handmade Seminole tribal jacket, donated by the tribe, and a
Chris Ledoux-autographed Team Rodeo
belt buckle donated by Team Rodeo.
Paul Bowers drew the ticket
and Debbie DeHass was the winner of
the beautiful handmade jacket.
Honduran President and Team Rodeo
sponsor Ricardo Maduro’s sister
Melissa drew the winning raffle ticket
for the Chris Ledoux belt buckle. Lucky
11-year-old Austin Stoppiello of Davie,
Fla. was the winner of this.
Team Rodeo would like to
thank Troy Weekley of the Five Star
Rodeo Company and Fred Gulpa of
RoundUp Country Western Club and
Restaurant who presented us with a
check for $100 to start the permanent
“Help an Injured Cowboy Fund.” We
would also like to thank all the sponsors and individuals who supported this
effort. Without your help we would not
have been successful in raising $7,600
for McIntosh.
Don’t forget to stop by
www.teamrodeo.com to check out
upcoming fundraisers for our “Help and
Injured Cowboy Fund” and other info
on what Team Rodeo is doing.
Thank You
I want to thank the Seminole Tribe of Florida and say that I appreciate
everything everyone did to help me recover from my injuries.
Thank you,
Byron McIntosh
Seminole Tribe of Florida & Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc.: Mitchell Cypress,
James Holt, Paul & Linda Bowers, Clinton Holt, Dave DeHass, Iretta Tiger, Bob &
Agnes Motlow, Shelby & Debi DeHass, Dana & Leoma Poore, Ella DeHass-Shaler
and Rob Smets.
December 17, 2004
Annual Rez Holiday Basketball Tournament
By Kenny Bayon and Carlos Adamson
HOLLYWOOD — The holiday
season was officially kicked off Dec. 3–4
with the Seminole recreation department
hosting its annual Hollywood Holiday
Basketball Tournament. After stuffing
ourselves for Thanksgiving about a week
before the tournament, what better exercise could you get besides a good competitive adult basketball tournament?
All of the surrounding reservations came in support of this year’s
Hollywood Holiday Basketball
Tournament such as Big Cypress,
Brighton, Miccosukee, and tournament
host, Hollywood. The stage was set for
both the men’s and women’s brackets
with seven men’s teams and six women’s
teams. Like any other tournament, the
Hollywood holiday was loaded with highlights, intensity, bloopers, and gutwrenching finishes.
The tournament got underway
Friday Dec. 3 with the men’s bracket. The
N-D-N’s kicked things off taking on Big
Cypress Rec. in a first round match up.
This first round tells the story of the
entire tournament–it was highly intense
and every possession was critical on both
sides of the bracket.
However, in this particular game,
Max Osceola’s N-D-N's team 26 points
proved to be too much for B.C. Rec. as
the N-D-N's prevailed 52-51 in a down to
the wire battle. On the other side of the
bracket, Trail Kings advanced to the second round to take on Kidz Stuff, who
proved to be more than kids by beating
Trail 69-44.
Kidz Stuff was lead by the outstanding play of Pete Osceola who finished with a tournament high 37 points.
Osceola displayed an arsenal of ways to
Kenny Bayon
The Canes reigned supreme. (L-R): Joseph Osceola, Tony Heard, Jerome Huggins,
Carlos Adamson, Marl Osceola, Clifton Huggins, Amos Huggins.
going. However, the relentless defense of
the Canes proved to be too much for Kidz
Stuff late in the half, as they trailed at
halftime 38-24.
Surprisingly, there was no quit in
the young team as they fought to the
buzzer, but came up short in a 64-46 loss.
Kidz Stuff had no time to hang their
heads, because the N-D-N's awaited them
in a semi-final game to play against the
Canes for the championship.
After a physical game with the
Kenny Bayon
The winning Lady Seminoles (L-R, back row): Michele Jones, Dorothia Osceola,
Virginia Osceola, Lila Osceola, Tasha Osceola, (L-R, front row) Mercedes Osceola,
Monica Cypress and JoJo Osceola.
score the basketball, from three-point
shots to driving lay-ups. It was a performance worth watching.
After being extremely hot in the
game prior, there was no time to cool off
as Kidz Stuff had to face the tournament
powerhouses, the Canes. The Canes
seemed to be ready for their match up
with Kidz Stuff after their first round victory over the N-D-N's 60-27. Amos
Huggins led all scores with 18 points.
From the opening tip, Kidz Stuff
seemed to be confident against the Canes
as the teams traded baskets in the early
Canes, Kidz Stuff came out sluggish and
the N-D-N's would take advantage.
Thanks to the performance of Jason Don
Billie the N-D-N's kept the game close the
entire game, Jason Don would connect on
six, three-point field goals and 13, threepoint field goals for the overall tournament earning the name “big buckets” due
to his tournament performance.
With his team down by two and
three seconds remaining Jason Don
missed a three-point field goal at the
buzzer that would have sent his team to
the finals. Jason Don led all scores with
20 points. With a victory over the N-D-
N's, Kidz Stuff found themselves in
another match up with the Canes in the
championship game.
This time the Canes were all
business as they ran past Kidz Stuff 6745. Canes were led by Tony Heard with
26 points, while Huggins added 11 points.
Pete Osceola led Kidz Stuff with 29
points. Here are the results from the men’s
bracket: 1. Canes, 2. Kidz Stuff, 3. N-DN's.
On the women’s side of the
bracket the action remained intense, but
was dominated by the Lady Seminoles.
The Lady Seminoles first test came
against the Miccosukee women in the second round of the tournament. With Tasha
Osceola pouring in 20 points, the Lady
Seminoles were too much for the
Miccosukee women, winning 60-42.
But the story of the game was
the return of star forward Lila Osceola.
After missing several months due to pregnancy, Osceola, after the birth of her
beautiful daughter Staley, returned to
action Friday night and didn’t miss a beat,
contributing nine points and several
rebounds for a Lady Seminoles victory.
Osceola continued to be a valuable asset
throughout the tournament as the Lady
Seminoles stormed to the championship
game in which they defeated the
Miccosukee women once again 58-37.
After leading 22-21 at halftime,
the Lady Seminoles came out firing and
opened up a 20 point lead, and never
looked back. Tasha Osceola led all scores
with 21 points, Lila Osceola contributed
15 points, Mercedes Osceola added 10
points, and Jo Jo Osceola eight points.
Here are the results from the women’s
bracket: 1. Lady Seminoles, 2.
Miccosukee, 3. Sundown.
The Hollywood Holiday
Basketball Tournament was an excellent
way to start off the holiday season, and
with the good turnout, you can only hope
the rest of the year’s festivities are as successful. This is definitely an event worth
looking forward to every year and should
be circled on your calendar.
With the 2004 year coming to an
end, there’s one tournament left on the
schedule. The Seminole recreation department will host the First Annual Randall
Huggins Memorial “Big Ballers”
Basketball Tournament Dec. 17–18. There
will also be a car/bike show competition
on Dec. 18.
Friends Come Together to Help Bullfighter
By Iretta Tiger
all that more than the buckles and awards
income. To help McIntosh out, Team
and the money.”
Rodeo, an organization created to help
DAVIE, FL — An autographed
cowboys in need, organized the auction
Tracy Lawrence guitar, an autographed
As much as McIntosh said he
and raffle. Team Rodeo sponsors and local
Toby Keith tour jacket, a Saddle Barn
loves his career as a bullfighter, he has
businesses generously donated prizes to
Halfbreed Roper’s saddle and an invitadecided not to resume it after he has fully
tion to a private party on South Beach
recovered. Though he has been injured
fit all budgets. In total there were 63 items
several times in the past, this particular
up for auction
with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Sound like a few
The Seminole Tribe of Florida, a
dream items on your Christmas list? They injury was so serious his life was in jeopTeam Rodeo sponcould have been
sor, and the
yours because these
items were up for
Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel &
auction at a benefit
Casino donated sevat the Round Up
eral prizes from
Country and
Seminole jackets to
Western Restaurant
and Nightclub in
a Fender Squire guitar autographed by
Davie.
Trace Adkins.
The benefit
Support
was held on Oct 17
for bullfighter Byron
from the tribe does
not end there as
McIntosh, who was
many tribal citizens
injured in the line of
also attended the
duty. Ironically,
auction. Bob and
McIntosh’s injury
Agnes Motlow won
happened at a benethe dinner for two at
fit rodeo.
the Council Oak,
McIntosh
Debbie and Shelby
started out as a bull
rider, but realized
DeHass won the
autographed
there were very few
acoustic and electric
bullfighters.
guitars and
“I used to
Hollywood Board
ride in the Davie
jackpot rodeo and
Representative
Photo courtesy of Carlos Diaz
David DeHass won
we didn’t have a
(L-R) Ralph Kalar, Angie Fox, Byron McIntosh and Gary Louden display the
the three day huntbullfighter, so I just
$7,600 check, which will help pay for McIntosh’s medial treatment.
ing excursion at
got out there and
Stars ‘n Bars in
started doing it and
Georgia.
then it just escalated
from there and led into a career,” said
ardy. McIntosh has been in recovery for
The raffle and auction has raised
the past seven months with a few more
$7,600 for McIntosh and on Saturday
McIntosh.
months to go.
Nov. 27, Team Rodeo presented Byron
During his 17 years as a bullMcIntosh with the check at the 64th
Bullfighting is not McIntosh’s
fighter, numerous friendships have develSunshine State Championship Bullriding.
oped with the locals in the different towns only business. He also owns a trailer
If you would like to contribute or
he’s traveled to, including the Seminole
welding shop and is part owner of a bull
reservations.
leasing business with tribal citizens James to learn about Byron McIntosh and Team
“The highlight of my career has
and Clint Holt.
Rodeo surf on over to
Anyone who been injured knows www.teamrodeo.com or call (305) 216been the people I’ve met and the places
how medical bills can eat up one’s
1910.
I’ve been to,” said McIntosh “I treasure
13
December 17, 2004
Seminole Cup 2004 Adds Excitement to Golfing
Hollywood team. By the end if the last
captain of the newly restructured team.
By Mitchell Osceola
day which was single match play, team
We made the necessary changes and the
MIAMI, FL — The Seminole
Hollywood had a total point count of 26-5
tournament was still on.
golfing world became a little bit more
for the victory.
I have to thank Charlie for stepinteresting on the morning of Nov. 4. This
Even with the unbalanced point
ping in and taking over the duties of capwas the day that my plan of having a
count, good times were had by all. Team
tain, and I also have to give a big thank
Ryder Cup format match finally materialBig Cypress did play very good matches,
you to all of the devoted golfers who
ized.
better than the scores reflect. Big Cypress’
made this thing happen. Without their
I have always wanted to put on
top player, Charlie Cypress, played very
dedication to this event, it could not have
this type of match play format for our
well during all his rounds, as well did our
happened.
golfing community. The hardest part
top player Marl Osceola. Their match was
This event took three days to
about getting something like this off the
a good one; they battled all the way to the
complete, and the first tee times of the
ground is communication between many
17th hole only to have Osceola sink a 25
day were at 8 a.m. everyday–I say the
factors. It wasn’t easy to get everything
footer for a birdie and dash any hopes for
first tee times because the men had to
lined up and put in place, but with the
a tie in their match. These guys are good!
play two rounds of golf each day, once in
help of key people, we got it done.
Together with the Hollywood
the morning and once in the afternoon,
The first duty was to pick capplayers, we would make a very strong
with little time in between rounds. With
tains for each side. In the past, I spoke
team. So looking forward to next year, we
the short team roster that each team had,
with Allen Huff about putting this event
we all had to pull double duty. I praise the hope that Brighton and Tampa will be
together and we both agreed that we
able to put together a team and join in all
commitment that these golfers have for
would be the captains for our perspective
the game of golf. They played for no prize the fun that the Seminole Cup had to
teams. I was to be captain of the team
offer.
money, only for the pride and tradition of
south, and Allen was to be the captain of
I want to thank the Hollywood
the game.
team north.
recreation department for their part in
At exactly 8 a.m., Thursday
The team south was to be a comsponsoring all the tee
bination of Hollywood
times, as well as the
golfers, Big Cypress
food after the event.
golfers and a few from
Assistant Recreation
the Immokalee reservaDirector Bo Young
tion. The north team was
played an important
to consist of Brighton
part in the organizing
reservation and the
of the Seminole Cup
Tampa reservation
through the recreation
golfers.
department.
Each captain
Another perwould be in charge of
son that played an
gathering up his team and
important part in the
keeping their players
event was Jeremy
informed on what’s going
Harrison. He was crition. They are also responcal as our rules official
sible for the line-up for
for the event. There
their team. The line-up
were many occasions
can prove to be the most
on the course when a
critical part. You want to
ruling was needed and
try and match your playhe was there for those
ers against the opposing
rulings, so thank you
team’s same level of skill
Jeremy. Also thank
golfer.
Jeremy Harrison
you goes out to the
The next item
Cup participants (L-R, front row): Jackie Thompson, Gina Allardyce,
Hollywood Council
was to secure a golf
Bo Young, (L-R, back row): Joe Kippenberger, Lawrence Osceola,
Representative Max B.
course that both teams
Marcy Osceola Jr., Steve Osceola, Kahaine Osceola, Roy Poole and
Osceola Jr.
would consider to be neuMitch Osceola.
I’m glad to
tral. I spoke with the
be a part of this hisMiccosukee golf course,
toric inaugural event for our Seminole
morning, the fist match was underway
and they said they would be more than
golfers. Every year the sport seems to be
happy to accommodate us with this event. with the tee shot of Steve Osceola. The
gaining more and more ground on the
The golf course was in great shape, and at morning sessions were two-man teams
number of Seminoles playing. It is a sport
playing alternate shot. The afternoon sessome times, it would prove to be a diffithat you can play as a child and into your
sions were also two-man teams, but each
cult opponent for some golfers. I would
senior years. In my opinion the fellowship
player playing his own ball and recording
like to thank them for letting us use their
of the sport is one of the best reasons to
the lowest score. The team with the lowwonderful facility.
play the game.
At the last minute, the north team est score wins the hole. Some matches
The teams are as follows:
were over with seven or eight holes to
had to withdraw from the event. This
Hollywood men’s team: Marl Osceola,
play, while others went all the way to the
threw a wrench into our plans to have the
Marcy Osceola, Mitch Osceola, Kahaine
eighteenth green. This type of format is
matches. There were some prior commitOsceola, Steve Osceola, Joe
different from the scrambles that are so
ments on the part of some of the north
common, and the golfers that I spoke with Kippenberger, Bobby Frank and Roy
golfers that they couldn’t get out of.
Poole. Hollywood senior men’s team:
really enjoyed themselves.
Captain Huff had to be at the agriculture
Max B. Osceola Jr., Bo Young, Lawrence
At the end of the first day, the
meetings, being held at the same time at
Osceola and Mike D. Tiger. Hollywood
total points were Hollywood seven points
the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood.
women’s team: Jackie Thompson and
and Big Cypress two points. These points
And a few of his players were already
Gina Allardyce. Big Cypress men’s team:
playing in a tournament in their local area. were a combined effort from the men’s
Charlie Cypress, Cicero Osceola, Mondo
We had to do some scrambling to points, the senior men’s points and the
Tiger, Salaw Hummingbird, Ray Garza
women’s points. Each team had a total of
keep the cup matches from falling apart.
six men, four senior men and two women. Sr., Ray Garza Jr. and Mike Matta. Big
Luckily I spoke with my Big Cypress
contact person, Charlie Cypress, about the All of the golfers played opponents within Cypress senior men’s team: Ricky Doctor,
Matt Tiger, Keeno King and Joe Billie.
their own flight.
changes. This would mean that we would
By the end of the second day, the Big Cypress women’s team: Virginia
have to split our south team to make two
Billie and Loretta Micco (Substitute).
lead increased to 15-3 in favor of the
teams. We agreed that he would be the
NTRL
to compete in the day’s event. Tanner has qualified several times
for the top competitions in the nation. He won the national average twice in a row at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las
Vegas, Nev. The United States Team Ropers Classification as of
October ranked Tanner fourth in the nation on the heading side.
Those who attend the National Finals Rodeo this year look forward to watching Tanner compete one more time.
The 39th-ranked healer Manny Cunde Jr. attended the
Immokalee event too as a partner for his younger brother,
Dustin, who is not yet a teenager. Together they made it all the
way to the fourth round. The competition should keep a sharp
eye on this young man, who is following in his brother’s footsteps. He shows championship promise.
It should be noted that last years seven times World
Champions Rick Skelton, heeler, currently ranks forty-third and
his header, while Speed Williams holds the thirty-eighth slot in
the nation. Comparison wise, this places Cunde in some excellent company.
Celebrities including John Hudson, the well-known rop-
Judy Weeks
4-H Club parent volunteer Kenny Joe Davis prepared some of
the best pork steaks in the world for the team ropers.
ing horse trainer from Ocala, Fla., who also attended the event.
Hudson is a familiar face at most of the top competitions in the
Southeastern U.S. and a very serious competitor. Rudy Osceola,
tribal elder and Seminole roping legend, was on hand to rope one
more time with the pros.
ISY&LR Director Benny Motlow was instrumental in
arranging for the roping and introducing the NTRL competition
to Immokalee. Brad Oxer from North Florida supplied 50 of the
steers required for the event and Randy Rimes officiated as
judge.
Immokalee’s 4-H members and their parents operated
the concession stand and provided a labor force for the day.
Norita Yzaguirre and Jennie Martinez ran the kitchen with the
help of Lazara Marrero and several 4-H youth. Kenny Joe Davis
applied his culinary skills to the barbecue grill producing mouthwatering pork steaks for the luncheon special about which the
ropers raved.
The youth ranch employees were hard at work all day
providing the necessary manpower to make things happen. Greg
Betancourt held the key position at the heading box while
Gabriel Acosta took charge of the cattle run.
Outstanding 4-H youths, Jonathan Rodriguez and Josie
Davis, pushed cattle in the run all day. Lupe Cepeda and Benny
Hernandez made sure there were plenty of cows in position so as
not to hold up the operation. The stripping chute was efficiently
handled by Carlos Alvarado and Eli Venable.
While it was a long, hard day for the workers, they
managed to run things smoothly and the result was a successful
roping competition. There were numerous compliments about the
operation and many of the NTRL ropers look forward to returning to Immokalee.
Open: 1. Judah Fleming and Phillip Kelce, 2. Spunk
Sasser and Kyle Lawrence, 3. Jimmy Tanner and Arky Rogers.
#11: 1. Benny Hernandez and Arky Rogers, 2. Yoel
Urra and Arky Rogers, 3. Chester Rimes and Brad Oxer.
#9: 1. Jeff Motes and Kiki Juvert, 2. Danny Garcia and
Brad Oxer, 3. Dan Wilcox and Arky Rogers.
# 7: 1. Terry Weeks and Kiki Juvert, 2. Pat Gallagher
and Kiki Juvert, 3. Kiki Juvert and Yoel Urra.
#5: 1. Terry Weeks and Josh Weeks, 2. Jason
Richardson and Pat Gallagher, 3. Jason Richardson and Houston
Flint.
Judy Weeks
John Hudson, well-known PRCA roping champion and horse
trainer, competed in the NTRL events in Immokalee.
Felix DoBosz
Championship winner Jeanette Lee “The Black Widow” lines up her shot.
2004 WPBA Finals at the Rock
By Felix DoBosz
HOLLYWOOD — They
started shooting early on Sunday Dec. 5
for the Cuetec® Cues Finals National
Championship at the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino. The Women’s
Professional Billiard Association
(WPBA) classic tour had 64 competitors competing for the top cash price of
$15,000.
Julie Kelly AKA “Motor
Molly,” from Wexford, Ireland, and
Jeanette Lee AKA “The Black Widow”
from New York City, were the only two
competitors left to play for the national
title.
Lee is nicknamed The Black
Widow because of her known ability to
devour opponents, along with her custom of wearing only black during tournaments. According to her website,
www.jeanettelee.com, she was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 13 and now
serves as the national spokesperson for
the Scoliosis Association, Inc.
In the finals, the lead changed
several times during the thrilling 9-ball
match. The Black Widow was ranked
third going into the tournament, against
a sixth-ranked Motor Molly. Lee finally
won the championship by beating Kelly
7-6 after being tied 6-6 in a grueling
12-game match filled with amazing
shots.
A Jeanette Lee, embracing her
baby and husband, said she was thrilled
to win this championship and looks forward to racking up more victories in
future tournament events. She thanked
everyone she could for being there and
sharing her great moment. She even
hugged her opponent Kelly thanking
her for a great, suspenseful match.
Board President Moses
Osceola presented the championship
trophy to The Black Widow as she
clutched her six month old baby in one
hand and held her grand trophy in the
other. President Osceola made a short
congratulations speech praising the
event organizers and the participants.
He also mentioned that next year the
event would be hosted here again at the
Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel.
A photo opportunity and autograph session and souvenirs followed
the finals match to the delight of the
adoring fans.
Although the WPBA event
was exciting and great publicity for the
Seminole Hard Rock, viewing the tense
moments of the tournament was difficult at times.
Seminole tribal citizen and billiards fan Eugene Bowers said “It was
hard to see the full billiards table from
his angle.”
He added that the overhead
camera shot of the pool table action
should have been projected onto the
huge white wall, so everyone could
enjoy watching the entire match with
an unobstructed view like they have in
the Las Vegas area tournaments.
This event was recorded live
in front of an audience for the ESPN
sports network to be broadcast in
January 2005.
Judy Weeks
Youth ranch volunteers Josie Davis (left) and Jonathan Rodriguez spent all day
working in the steer run.
Judy Weeks
Putting it all together (L-R): NTRL Operations Director Michelle Burns, ISY&LR
Director Benny Motlow and NTRL President Jeff Motes.
14
December 17, 2004
Max Osceola Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament
Event Held at the Prestigious Ritz Carlton AKA ‘Rez’ Carlton Golf Resort
By Michael Kelly
department was also on hand videotaping each partic- ments throughout the year, “I
NAPLES, FL — Back in the 1960s Max
ipant. No one came particularly close, although one
consider this to be The
Osceola Sr. decided to try a new sport. Although he’d golfer almost hit the camera man with a slicing drive. Masters [Tournament] of all
been a forerunner in getting Seminole youth into
Although no one won the money hole, guest
of them. My dad would be
sports, especially in Big Cypress, golf was something player Wayne Claw from Arizona, did ace a par 3
proud.”
new. Little did he know decades later his enthusiasm
later in the morning.
Lawrence Osceola
for the game of golf
“I’ve never done
said he greatly appreciated the
would spread to hunsomething like this before,”
large turnout of golfers who
dreds in the Seminole
said an elated Claw. “It
participated in the tournament
Tribe.
feels great.”
and hope they enjoyed the
“My dad was
Nearly 50 people
awards ceremony. Between
known as the father of
braved the thoroughly diffithe golfers and family memgolf to the Seminole
cult Tiburon course at the
bers, there were more than
Tribe,” said Max B.
Ritz-Carlton. Tiburon,
100 people in attendance.
Osceola Jr.
which means “shark” in
“We love to see the
Held on Nov.
Spanish, was aptly named
young golfers here keeping
19–20, at the Ritzas the course seemed to
the sport going,” said Steve
Carlton Golf Resort in
devour golf ball after golf
Osceola. “Our dad was in
Naples and Pelican’s
ball.
construction and the workers
Nest Golf Club in Bonita
One of the most
would call him pops. He
Springs, Fla., the Max
dangerous golf courses
would pull up at work with
Osceola Sr. Memorial
around; the course was
his golf clubs in his truck
golf tournament was
designed by professional
ready to play.”
open to Native
golfer Greg Norman AKA
Steve also said he’d
Americans, Seminole
the white shark. According
love to have the tournament at
employees and friends.
to the Tiburon fact sheet,
the Ritz-Carlton every year.
Eighty-plus golfers
Norman designed the course Mitch added jokingly, “unless
braved the challenging
to play like a British Open,
we get our own course.”
course that in the Nov.
both firm and fast. And with
After complementing
2004 issue of Golf
its sprawling native Florida
the Ritz-Carlton staff and
Digest magazine, ranked
vegetation, the Tiburon has
facilities, Max Jr. said the
Michael Kelly
as the top luxury golf
earned the title of being a
Ritz-Carlton will now be
The power foursome (L-R): Steve Osceola,
Michael Kelly
resort and number 25 in
Certified Audubon
known as the Rez-Carlton, to
Mitch Osceola, Lawrence Osceola, and Max B.
all of North America.
Cooperative Sanctuary.
much applause and laughter.
The late Max Osceola Sr. (second from left) in 1993 with sons Mitch
Osceola Jr.
Dubbed “The
One the second
While many of the
Osceola (left), Steve Osceola (right) and friend Dino Doctor.
Masters” of all Seminole
day, the tournament moved
tribal citizens are fairly new to
Tribe golf tournaments,
to the Pelican’s Nest Golf
the sport of golf, there was an
Seminole citizen playing on the PGA tour. And
the 11th annual tournament brought family, friends,
Club. Playing on the hurricane course, golfers could
abundance of talented players who thoroughly enjoy
maybe some day they can thank Max Osceola Sr.
good golfers, and not so good golfers together to
breathe a temporary sigh of relief, knowing there was the sport. With skill, determination, and now the
Results from the Max Osceola Sr. Memorial
experience the pinnacle of U.S. golf courses.
actual rough on each side of the fairway. However,
financial support, don’t be surprised to see a
Tournament are listed below.
The first day of the tournament was played
there was one treacherous hole which
Top six starter list teams: 1. (59): Kenny
at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, while the second day allowed each player a wonderful opportuBayon, Charlie Cypress, Jimmy Harrison, Josh
was played at the Pelican’s Nest Golf Club.
nity to hit their golf ball in the mangroves.
Harrison, 2. (64): Lawrence Osceola, Max Osceola
Staring down long, narrow fairways, endless
After two days of golf, the memoJr., Mitch Osceola, Steve Osceola. 3. (65): Del Riley,
bunkers, and lots of foliage, inexperienced golfers
rial tournament ended with an awards presGail Boone, Jack Smith, Maxie Tommie, 4. (67): Abe
and seasoned players did their best to keep the ball on entation and dinner. Sons Max Jr., Mitch,
Rockwell, Bob Green, Junior Thinn, Marcy Osceola,
the fairway. Many a golf ball was lost, which was a
Lawrence, and Steve thanked the recre5. (67): Luke Baxley, Richard Reyna, Sandy
shame because each participant received a dozen-plus ation department for putting the tournaPembleton, Sue Wilson, 6. (68): Doug Miller, Jeremy
golf balls, complete with the Seminole Tribe of
ment together, and then reflected on their
Harrison, Lonnie Frank, Regina Thinn.
Florida’s Tribal Board logo, courtesy of Hollywood
late father.
Individual results: Longest drive, Senior
Board Representative David DeHass.
“My dad had such a big heart,
men: Mike Granato Sr., #12; Men: Mike Granato Jr.,
The Osceola brothers, Lawrence, Max Jr.,
and was always willing to help people,”
#4; Senior women: NA; Women: Virginia Billie, #3;
Mitch, and Steve, played as a foursome. They
said Max B. Osceola Jr.
Straightest drive, Senior men: Alan Jumper, #2; Men:
thanked everyone for honoring their late father and
He also recognized his late mothJeremy Harrison, #2; Senior women: Sue Wilson,
wished everyone the best. Golfers young and old
er, Laura Mae Osceola, who played such a
#10; Women: Terry Hahn, #10.
hopped in their carts and headed to their assigned
significant part in his life and the Seminole
Closest to pin: Senior men: Lawrence
holes. Five hours later, players strolled in, joking
Tribe of Florida.
Osceola (ND) #7, Bo Young (ND) #1, Moses Jumper,
about their golf game and looked forward to more
“I’m so thankful for having my
eleven-foot-six-inches, #15, Jim Harrison, sevengolf at the Pelican’s Nest.
dad around,” said Mitch Osceola. “We’d
foot-six inches, #11; Women: Jackie Thompson
Accountant Emanuel Sukhu from the treaplay golf when it got dark at the Oak
(ND), #7, Gail Boone, twelve-foot-ten-inches, #11,
surer’s office had the dubious task of overseeing the
Ridge golf course in Hollywood, which is
Sue Wilson, fourteen-foot-two-inches, #15, NA, #1;
$25,000 hole-in-one par 3. Standing about 20 feet off
where the tribe held their first golf tournaMichael Kelly
Men: Joe Kippenberger, forty-one inches, #1; Mike
the fourteenth hole green, Sukhu observed each
ment ever.”
Like a comet, Jim Harrison hits his golf ball out of the sand
Granato Jr., (ND), #7, Doug Miller, eight-footgolfers’ attempt to hit a once in a lifetime shot and
Mitch added that although the
trap.
eleven-inches, #11, Johnny Boone, two feet, #15.
win a cool $25,000. The Seminole broadcasting
tribe holds many memorial golf tourna-
15
December 17, 2004
JoJo and Tasha Osceola Hold Court
By Michael Kelly
DAVIE, FL — For the first time
in two years, sisters JoJo and Tasha
Osceola teamed up on the basketball court
for the University School Suns at Nova
Southeastern. The two senior players
demonstrated, even in defeat, why the
Suns will be a tough opponent.
Tasha, suiting up for the varsity
team for the first time since suffering an
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in
2003, shook off the rust and displayed the
determination and smarts that have made
her a top basketball player. JoJo, who
plays wing guard, and Tasha, the starting
point guard, were even named team captains, along with Malorie Greenberg.
In the season opener on Nov. 23
against the Florida Christian Patriots, JoJo
led the team in scoring, pouring in 13
points. Tasha, sporting a knee brace,
added 10 points to help keep the Suns
within striking distance. However, the
Patriots pulled away in the forth quarter,
winning 49-32.
To prepare herself for the Suns’
2004–2005 basketball season Tasha participated in Seminole sponsored tournaments at the Hollywood gym. At the
Eighth grader Katie
Tiger starts for varsity
basketball team
recent Cindy Osceola Memorial
Tournament, she was named MVP for her
tenacious play.
Though suffering an ACL injury
last year, Tasha’s hard work and dedication, along with advances sports medicine,
she was able to bounce back after the
injury. Most ACL injuries occur when
playing sports such as football, soccer or
basketball, and are the most commonly
injured ligament of the knee joint.
The Osceola sisters not only
excel on the basketball court, but are
exceptional students in the classroom.
Their parents, Joe Dan and Virginia
Osceola, believe this gives them a competitive edge on the court. The point
guard position requires a player to be fundamentally sound and to call out the right
plays.
Meanwhile, eighth grader Katie
Tiger, daughter of Mike and Judy Tiger,
played her first game for the Suns. Tiger,
who recently moved to Florida from
Tennessee this past summer, was anxious
to make her debut for a varsity basketball
team. This is quite an amazing feat
because most varsity players are juniors
or seniors.
Although Tiger, who plays forward, struggled at times she chipped in
with two points, played hard-nosed
defense, and was fearless under the
boards. She will, be a cornerstone for the
Suns for years to come. Mike Tiger,
Treasurer for the Seminole Tribe, said his
daughter participated in summer basketball camps at Vanderbilt University and
would eventually like to play basketball
for the University of Tennessee.
Even after the opening night loss
the Suns were confident in knowing that
it’s a long season that can only get better.
In fact, Team Captain Malorie Greenberg
is the only returning player from last season and the team has a new coach. With
experience, solid play from the team captains, and newcomer Katie Tiger, look for
the Suns to rise to the top of their division.
Michael Kelly
Down but not out, Katie Tiger (left) and JoJo Osceola (second from left) patiently wait their turn
to get back in the game–and win!
Michael Kelly
(L-R) Megan Osceola, Katie Tiger, Mike D. Tiger and Judy Tiger at the game.
Michael Kelly
Players from both teams fight for the rebound.
Michael Kelly
Tasha Osceola (right) runs the court, showing no affects
from her ACL knee injury.
16
December 17, 2004
Tribal Citizens Join in the 2004 Toys in the Sun Run
By Jaime Restrepo
POMPANO BEACH, FL —
There is always a good reason to ride a
motorcycle. No matter where you go, or
who you go with, and sometimes, no matter what the weather is like, a ride on a
motorcycle is a perfect way to enjoy the
outdoors, the scenic byways, and good
company.
Sometimes a reason may be for
a good cause, such as in helping children.
When that happens, many flock to the
cause. This was the case on Dec. 5 when
more than 30,000 motorcyclists convened
at the Pompano Park Harness Track to
participate in the 17th Annual Toys in the
Sun Run.
As always, each bike had an
unwrapped toy strapped to a motorcycle,
ready for delivery to Markham Park in Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla. The event, organized by
the South Florida President’s Council, and
presented by Rick Case Honda Cars and
Cycles, took riders for 25 miles south on
I-95, then west on I-595.
Both highways closed at 10 a.m.
on Sunday to allow for a safe route for all
the bikers, who ride in one lane, side by
side. Considering the number of riders,
the procession took more than two hours
before the last bike entered the park.
Spectators lined up, sometimes
three to four deep along the parade route
the get a glimpse of the Grand Marshals,
Richie Sambora, of Bon Jovi, and Steven
Tyler of Aerosmith. Broward County
Sheriff Ken Jenne joined the famous rock
stars as they all led the parade.
Other spectators just wanted to
see the many bikes, some custom made,
as they made their way along the road,
rumbling, roaring, and backfiring, espe-
cially as they passed beneath the many
underpasses along the route. Some spectators held up signs or just plain cheered in
salute to the bikers and the good cause
they undertook.
The bikers, in addition to bringing along a toy for the needy children,
also made a donation of $10 per rider just
to participate in the ride and gain admission to the park. Other groups contributed
a little more for the worthy cause, which
benefits the Joe DiMaggio Children’s
Hospital Foundation in Hollywood.
In return, these groups get to ride
a little closer to the front of the pack as
VIP’s. The Seminole Tribe was well represented by its members and employees
with more than 40 riders and their passengers. Sponsored by their respective Tribal
Council Representatives, riders from
Hollywood, Big Cypress, Immokalee,
Brighton and Tampa converged at the
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in
Hollywood early Sunday morning in
preparation for the ride to the Harness
Track.
On the way there, the Seminole
riders stopped by the Aero Toy Store on
Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale
for some coffee, bagels and Danishes.
Long after the arrival of the
VIP’s at Markham Park, riders were still
pouring into the park. The event was open
to all who were willing to donate $10 and
a toy and soon swelled to more than
70,000 people. But no matter what time
the riders arrived, there was plenty of
room for all to enjoy the music, the food,
the shopping and most of all, the beautiful
weather. The nicest thing of all was that is
was all for a good cause.
Nery Mejicano
(L-R) Eric Mendoza, Steven Tyler, Mitchell Cypress, Richie Supa, Richie Sambora, Vivian Villarreal and Max B. Osceola Jr.
Jaime Restrepo
Jaime Restrepo
(L-R) Eddie Trotta, Ashley Smith, Max Osceola Jr., Cory Ness, and Kendall Johnson.
Bikers at the Boys & Girls Club.
Jaime Restrepo
Max Osceola Jr. addresses the Biker’s Bash dinner.
17
December 17, 2004
Chairman Speaks Out on Motorcycle Safety
By Jaime Restrepo
BIG CYPRESS — Chairman
Mitchell Cypress took a moment to discuss
motorcycle safety and the progress he has
made as he recovers from injuries sustained in an October motorcycle accident.
“Doctors expect me to get rid of
the crutches by December 21,” Cypress
said. “All healing is on schedule.”
Though initially confined to a
wheelchair after his accident, the chairman
has made tremendous improvement. He
gave much credit to good physical health
and a positive attitude.
“I feel fine,” he said. “The physical therapy and exercise are doing well and
I am getting around much easier.”
There is truth to those words considering that the chairman was prepared
and properly equipped, including wearing a
helmet, when he was thrown from his
motorcycle while he participated in the
Jerry Micco Memorial Ride on Oct. 16.
The chairman was thrown from his bike as
he and the rest of the riders were touring
through the Belle Glade, Fla. portion of the
ride.
Consequently, Cypress suffered
some injuries that included a couple of broken ribs, a small fracture to his leg, a broken clavicle, and other minor injuries. His
Harley Davidson also sustained injury and
had to be repaired. Fortunately for the
chairman, his helmet prevented any injury
to his head and face and he is going to be
just fine.
Jaime Restrepo
The most important thing was that
(L-R) Fitness Director Vicki Barogiannia, Chairman Mitchell
he was wearing his helmet, and it likely
Cypress and Assistant Fitness Director Carmen Arango.
saved his life. In fact, the helmet absorbed
a hard hit, and though heavily scratched, it
protected his head and face.
He further added, “It’s much like falling off
When asked if he will ride again, he replied
a horse. You fall off and you get back on… Riding is
with a big grin, “Motorcycle riding is like a hobby
to be enjoyed, not feared, especially if you take the
you can’t let go of–there is too much to enjoy.”
proper precaution.”
Cypress emphasized the importance of
motorcycle safety, including
wearing the proper attire
when riding. In fact, the
chairman will mandate that
all participants use safety
helmets and proper equipment on all tribally sponsored motorcycle events. He
credits his helmet for saving
his life and implores all riders to wear theirs.
“It was a hard
learned lesson on motorcycle safety,” he continued.
“No matter how careful you
are, you can get hurt, so
always be prepared with the
proper equipment.”
While many may
think it looks cool to ride a
motorcycle without a helmet, there is no room for
Jaime Restrepo
error when it comes to
Mitchell Cypress’s motorcycle helmet helped save his life.
motorcycle safety.
Nery Mejicano
Musicians (L-R) Pat Travers, Steven Tyler, Richie Supa and Richie Sambora jammed out at the bash.
Biker’s Bash Benefits Local Charities
By Nery Mejicano
HOLLYWOOD — Biker’s Bash, a dinner
and party sponsored by the Seminole Tribe of Florida
to benefit Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and the
Boys & Girls Club of Broward County, was held at
the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Saturday,
Dec. 4.
A successful auction was held in obtaining
much needed funds for these deserving organizations.
A special appearance by Steven Tyler, lead singer of
the band Aerosmith, along with Richie Sambora from
Bon Jovi and musician Pat Travers brought the guests
to their feet.
The bash was a precursor to the bike
builder's show being held at the Seminole Hard Rock
& Casino, where top motorcycle builders exhibited
their incredible machines. This coincided with the
17th Annual Toys in the Sun Run, where more than
35,000 bikers participated to collect toys for needy
children. The Toys in the Sun Run also collect funds
for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and the Boys
& Girls Club.
Last year, the Toys in the Sun Run collected
more than half a million dollars for these non-profit
agencies.
Seminole Hard Rock Hosts 2004 Bike Rally
The Seminole Hard Rock set up tents with
By Adelsa Williams
food vendors as well as Renegade Barbeque. Both
HOLLYWOOD — The Seminole Hard
delighted hungry fans with their specialty of treats.
Rock Hotel & Casino hosted the 2004 Fort
The mixture of live band music playing day and night
Lauderdale Bike Rally from Thursday Dec. 2–5 on
surely turned on the crowd. You could hear rock-nthe east side of the premises, adjacent to the newly
developed Seminole
Paradise entertainment
venue.
Four days of
thrills and excitement were
scheduled free of charge to
the public. All who attended got to see the hottest
custom bikes in the country
on display.
The main attraction featured the 2004 Hard
Rock builders Eddie Trotta,
Cory Ness, Chica and
Kendall Johnson and their
one-of-a-kind Hard Rock
custom bikes. One custom
bike was scheduled to be
raffled during the master
bike builder showcase that
was held at the casino ballroom on Saturday night.
Owner and
Adelsa Williams
President Eddie Trotta of
The staff of the Renegade Barbeque Company is ready to serve.
Fort Lauderdale-based
Thunder Cycle Designs has
been in the business for
roll tunes from Artimus Pyle and The Saturday Night
more than 30 years. His bikes have been showcased
Live band, FUSE and Native Spirit.
on the covers of fifteen national magazines and
Along with the scheduled music entertaincounting. You may visit them at
ment was the Hawaiian Tropic beauty contest, which
www.thundercycles.com
was held on Thursday night and was hosted by
Cory Ness and Chica are both based out of
Ashley Smith, reigning
Miss Hawaiian Tropic
International. Mandy Thron
from Philadelphia, a
TRIMSPA model, age 24,
won the title out of nine
other contestants.
Seminole Tribe of
Florida Chairman Mitchell
Cypress was spotted taking
part in the rally and commented that the event was
great publicity for the Hard
Rock. Cypress seemed to
have been making speedy
progress in his recovery
from a motorcycle accident
he suffered a few weeks
ago.
When asked if he
would ride again and if so
when, Cypress commented,
Adelsa Williams
“Yes, I plan to get back on
Chairman Mitchell Cypress with a display of a custom bike by Kendall
a bike probably sometime
Johnson.
around March or April.
Riding bikes is a hobby like
riding horses; when you fall
California. For more information, you may visit them down, you get back on. It's also like women, when
you really like one, you like her no matter what.”
at www.arlenness.com and
The weekend capped off on Sunday with the
www.chicacustomcycles.com. Kendall Johnson is
25 mile, 17th Annual Toys in the Sun Run.
based out of Salem, S.C. and is best known for his
reliable big-HP motors. You may visit their site at
www.kendalljohnsoncustoms.com.
Other custom bike builders showcased
some of their machines, such as Orange County
Choppers, Thunder mountain custom cycles,
Hollywood Choppers, Big Dog Motorcycles and
Coast 2 Coast Choppers.
Steve Sacra, one of the three partners
that make up Coast 2 Coast Choppers reported to
have sold four bikes during the event and had a
custom order from FOX News to have a firemen
theme chopper especially built for them. He
explained that such a bike can run about $65,000.
Coast 2 Coast Choppers is as brand new
as the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino; they
opened for business in April 2004 and are based
out of Orlando, Fla. Sacra commented that this is
their first year participating in the Bike Rally
event and will definitely be back next year. For
more information, you may visit them at
www.coast2coastchoppers.com.
During the rally, visitors strolled around
the area to shop from vendors selling their goods
that catered to the preference of bike riders. Many
Adelsa Williams
made a stop to purchase sunglasses from both
Coast 2 Coast Choppers owners (L-R) Troy Donohue,
Icicles Eyewear USA and Orange County
Jeremy Rogers, and Steve Sacra show off a custom
Choppers sunglasses.
Solo chopper.
18
The Beginnings of SPD’s Motor Unit
was certified and qualified to operate it on a daily
basis.
The motorcycle unit was introduced as
another effective tool for traffic enforcement. Its main
objective was to reduce speed violators that were
posing a threat to the community on the streets that
run through the reservation. The motor unit was also
used for parades, special functions, and funeral processions.
Today, SPD has four
Harley Davidson police motorcycles in current duty use. The
motor unit continues to provide
services such as funeral
escorts, parades, traffic
enforcement, community
patrol, and other special functions. Along with its special
duties, the motor unit’s operators are also members of the
honor guard.
All members of the
motor unit train extensively on
a monthly basis. In order to be
certified as a motorman, an
officer must past a rigorous 80
hour course, which entails
maneuvering at slow speeds,
turn negotiations, sudden braking, sudden acceleration, and
knowing how to effectively and
safely pick up a motorcycle
after it has fallen. Also associated with the training is defensive driving, and defensive tactics that may be encountered in
a stressful situation.
The current SPD
motorman officers are: Roy
Hadbafnick, James Boudreaux,
James Campo and Daniel
Valdes. These officers continue
to provide uninterrupted and
excellent services to the
Adelsa Williams
Seminole Tribe of Florida tribal
James Boudreaux is one of four officers from the SPD Motor Unit.
citizens and all persons alike.
By Officer James Campo
The Motor Unit’s inception into the
Seminole Police Department (SPD), formerly known
as the Seminole Department of Law Enforcement,
started in 1990 with the introduction of the force’s
first Harley Davidson FXRP police motorcycle. At
that time, there was only one motorcycle officer who
Department of Emergency Services
Swears in New Firefighters/Paramedics
By Armando Negrin
HOLLYWOOD — On Friday Nov. 19, the
Seminole department of emergency services swore to
duty 15 new firefighters/paramedics. The new
recruits were introduced before tribal council, officials, members and employees of the tribe at the regular council meeting.
The recruits presented Hollywood
Councilman Max B. Osceola Jr. and members of the
tribal council with a plaque of appreciation from the
new recruits of Seminole Tribe Fire Rescue Class 0402. The new recruits, all state certified and cross
trained as firefighter emergency medical technicians
(EMS)/paramedics, participated in a three-week
departmental orientation and training program under
the direction of Assistant Emergency Service Director
Manuel Diaz and Training Officers Lieutenant
Charles Smith from Big Cypress and Lieutenant
Bryan Stokes from Brighton.
The new recruits received training on operational procedures and techniques, conducted daily
physical conditioning and participated in several
hours of tribal cultural education. The new recruits
will be assigned to the Big Cypress and Brighton
communities and are part of the department of emergency services’ expansion of current services. This
expansion will be based primarily on the department's
assumption of all tribal EMS responsibilities in early
2005, along with increased levels of community
based life safety and fire prevention education.
Providing emergency medical services will
be the primary function of these individuals, which
includes the department’s first female firefighter. In
addition, they will be able to fight fires and perform
other fire rescue duties, a task which the current EMS
service providers cannot do as they are sole emergency medical service providers.
December 17, 2004
New Kids
19
Happy Birthday
Poems
We want to congratulate our son
Mitchell Roy Primeaux Jr. for achieving his GED. Also a happy belated
birthday to him on Nov. 27.
Mother, Darline Buster, Bear
clan and dad, Mitchell Primeaux Sr.
Happy birthday to Bonnie
Frank and family.
Love,
Carlene
Happy Birthday to Ryan Bert Osceola
Seminole Hard Rock Smoke
Shop Manager and Grandma-ma Connie
Osceola welcomes to the tribe, her son
Brian and Latasha’s new baby boy, Nigel
Brian Osceola. Born on Oct. 28 at 5:51
p.m. and weighing seven pounds, three
ounces.
Grandma Connie says Nigel is
“our little miracle!” Also, Great
Grandparents Nancy and Sammy Frank
and boys Aaron, Nicholas, Kevin, and
Great Auntie Laurie from the Seminole
Hard Rock Gaming Commission and the
entire Tampa Community also welcome
Nigel to the world.
We want to wish a happy 13th
birthday to my son on Dec. 11. Just
watching you grow and find your own
ways brings us so much joy. You are a
great athlete, a great student and most of
all, a great son and big brother.
I’m so proud of you for making
the basketball team again this year. You
dedicated yourself to being on the team
and through your determination, you
accomplished that goal. Just remember,
any other goals in your life can be
achieved the same way. Keep up the good
work and always remember nothing in
life is easy and through hard work, you
can attain all of your goals.
We love you and hope you have
a great year!
Love,
Your Dad, Brett, Conchade’
and Byron
Robert Gerald Osceola, we are
all very proud of you for your hard work
in your academics and outstanding football and basketball achievements. We
wish you the best on your birthday!
Happy birthday from,
Your Dad, Carolyn, Jaime,
Jermaine and Jessalyn and all your
aunts and uncles
Happy 1st birthday MaKayla
Sky Billie! We love you.
Love,
Mommy (Kyla Jae Billie),
Daddy (Christopher J. Petrillo Jr.,
Grandparents Carl Baxley, Carolyn
Florse, Peter Billie and Karen and
Chris Pertillo
Happy 1st birthday McKayla
“Sweet Cheek!” We love you
Love,
The Petrillo family
Thank You
Chawndra and Jimmie would
like to announce the birth of their daughter Alessandra MacKenzie Cypress born
on Nov. 23 at 5:35 a.m. She weighed
eight pounds, five ounces.
Happy 1st birthday Jahniyah.
I must have done something right to get
such a beautiful gift for life. You’re my
angel.
Love always,
Alex Tommie and Krishawn
I would like to thank all of my
family, friends, cousins, etc. for their support and prayers when I needed someone
to lean on. Just being there showed you
cared. Its been a long time that I wanted
to say these things and I just wanted
everyone to know I appreciate that very
much.
I would also like to wish a very
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to
Max Osceola Jr. and his family. I appreciate everything you have done for me and
my family. David Cypress, Aunt Shirley,
Aunte Laura, Monica, Chass, Tony and
Bree; I love you guys.
Love y’all,
Carlene
For my brother Bronson,
I just wanted to write and let you
know how special you are. Man, not long
ago you were at Riverside tearing it up
and now you have a family. I am so
proud of you, and like I said everything
will work out through good times and bad
times.
I just wanted to wish you, Myra,
Greg, Deforest, Terance and Jet Lee (ha
ha) a very Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year.
Love your sister,
Carlene
Announcing the birth of our son
Derrick Smith Jr., Otter clan. He was
born on Nov. 15 at 8:36 a.m. He weighed
seven pounds, 11 ounces and measures 20
inches. Parents: Tommie Hawk and
Derrick Smith. Grandparents: Larry
Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hawk,
Thomas Hawk and Alana Glover.
We would like to wish our
daughter Corrina Smith a happy 1st
birthday on Dec. 30.
We love you,
Dad, Mom, Maya, Victoria,
and Johnny
To the two ladies in my life,
My grandma Betty and mother
Juanita–thank you for being there when I
needed you both. Words cannot express
my gratitude and appreciation.
Love always,
Carlene
Congratulations to Victoria
Hernandez for finally finishing school
and being officially graduated. Just wanted to let you know we love you, even in
the hard times of your life. We are very
proud of you and just wanted to let you
know that.
Love,
Carlene, B and Jo
New arrival Colton Malcolm
Bert was born on Nov. 13 at Memorial
West in Pembroke Pines. The proud parents are Jody and Pearl Friday Bert. The
paternal grandparents are Minnie Tigertail
Bert and the late Ernie Bert. Maternal
grandparent is Sandy Friday.
Lost and Found
Found: Multicolor beaded barrette. Call SPD Officer Margotta at (954)
967-8900.
December 17, 2004
Confinement
Dayz are long and hot
Nights are just the same
Showers are far and few
A bad dream come true
Food so they claim
Looks to be something of some remain
Anything will pass the time
Concentrate to keep a sound mind
Don’t Ignore the Signs
I remember when the signs first started
showing themselves to me
At first they were subtle like butterflies
flitting about
But soon the delicate butterflies turned
into soaring jet airliners
These signs were telling me “Terrijo, we
won't go away, we won't be ignored!”
I thought about the possibility of returning
to school many times
For more than a year
Finally I convinced myself I still had the
urge to give school a try
Then like Nike says “Just do it”
I did it
That’s where the tribe came in
The Seminole Tribe of Florida showed me
everything they offer a tribal member
They give us unbelievable opportunities
and many resources
The staff of the education department is
great
If they see a glimmer of interest in your
eyes they grab you and fan the flames…
They don’t want to let our fire of desire
go out
Along the way I’ve gotten much insight
into the many possibilities I can create for
myself
The way I see it is that with some degree
Cries and voices speak to self
Some have broke, take them off tha shelf
Feel for the ones who’ve sat longer than
me
I know they need light cause I can barley
see
For now all is silent
Another day in confinement
—Leslie J. Gopher
of maturity comes insight into yourself
I intended to take journalism since my
love of writing has been pretty strong
throughout my life
Some life experiences are lessons we
must learn and share with others
So maybe they might follow a different
path
Some people have said that they’re proud
of me
But I am happy to be able to say that I am
finally proud of myself for something
Whoever you are, whatever goes on in
your life now
You can change your future, make yourself a better person
Our pasts are gone; move on look forward
to a good future
If Terrijo can do it then believe this, anyone can do it
I know what Seminole people are made of
We are strong, determined, creative survivors
We are the unconquered ones
Something within me says push on, don’t
give up, your ancestors didn’t give up
That’s why you’re reading this today
I’m looking forward to my future and
where it's going to take me
Look to the sky
—TerriJo Nelson
I have held you close
But only in my dreams
A father’s love
You will one day believe
A shattered heart that slowly bleeds
An angel’s smile that sets me free
A day goes by to only turn to night
These tears of time is why I fight
Tears of Time
Tears of time separate this pain
A heart of love but its in shame
Lies of youth no one can tell
A soul fights its fears
And the fires of hell
A baby’s born so full of joy
A daddy’s with, a beautiful baby girl
Nights of pain not by your side
Tears of hurt fall from my eyes
From a distance I watched you grow
From four to two, I have no clue
—Lyle Vandell Billie, Panther Clan
Dedicated to my daughters
Brannon T. Billie and Lydia V. Billie
In Memory
In loving memory of Louis Jim Jr. and
Jo Ruth, the twins, Kariah, Tina and
Lenny
By Cynthia Osceola
Yesterday I called home to talk
to family and to hear good things. She
said “Oh mom, she was asking about you
and she says hi.” That made me feel good.
I came back to her with “How’s Jr., and
how’s Lenny? Tell them I said ‘hello.’ ”
I got complete silence on the
other side. I asked “What’s up? What’s
wrong?”
What is wrong with you because
of the way she was silent for a straight
minute. She said “Haven’t you heard; didn’t somebody tell you Jr. died?”
I said no. It was then I heard all
the trauma he went through in 2004. I
said “Why.” I don’t understand. I guess I
just thought you would be there when I
got home.
Today, days later, I still don’t
understand. I know I need to practice
what I preach when it comes to death and
losing a loved one. Death is a time of celebration because he’s gone to a better
place, one we’ve always heard about and
we are stuck in this nasty place suffering
with addictions and tragedies.
He’s in our hearts. So to the family of Jr.–You are all in my heart and in
my prayers and Jr. will always be in my
heart. I write this with much love and
respect.
For Sale
1998 Yamaha Royal
Star motorcycle. 4-Cylinder
1,300 cc with 28,000 miles. This
collector's bike was last manufactured in 2000. Garage kept
and includes all maintenance
records. Has won many trophies
and comes with leather-like
lockable side bags, two seats,
and two windshields. $4,000
worth of chrome! Maintenancefree drive shaft. Black studded
seats, night purple LED lights,
and new tires. $9,800 firm.
Contact Nery at (954) 232-5714.
Big hug and kiss to my two
daughters, Phalyn and Jo. We have been
through a lot together. I just want y’all to
know that I really appreciate you guys
(even when I make little problems, big
problems). You guys will always be my
little girls.
Love,
Mom (Carlene)
We want to wish our son
Brandon a happy belated 10th
birthday. Happy birthday baby boy. How
you have grown into a wonderful young
man. May you have many more wonderful years.
We love you,
Mom (Sherry Maraj) and Dad
(Taz Khan)
2003 Suzuki Hayabusa. All chromed out. Custom paint job. D & D full
exhaust system. Title on hand. Garage kept. Asking $18,000. Call Manuel at (239) 2896788.
20
December 17, 2004
December 17, 2004
21
Tribal Council Liaison Sponsors
Thanksgiving Holiday Feast
forth to assist in serving the dinner,
dug down into her endless bag of ingenwatching youngsters or cleaning up the
ious ideas and came up with the gratitude
dining hall at the end of the evening.
tree.
Assistance was volunteered by members
Assisted by Counselor Diana
of the field office, recreation, education,
Rocha, Nunez enlisted the help of several
library, family
youngsters. They cut colorful construction
services, broadpaper into leaves of many shapes. The
casting, commutrunk and branches of a tree were drawn
nity action
of three pieces of poster board and fasagency and
tened to the wall.
Seminole Police
As the Thanksgiving revelers
Department.
arrived, the children handed out leaves
Aguilar
and pens, asking that everyone write
commented, “I
down those things for which they are
am most grateful
grateful. Then the leaves were collected
for all the good
by the youth and attached to the tree.
people I work
The response was overwhelming.
with each day
Upon examining the tree, it would appear
who help to
that everyone had participated. Some even
make my job eas- asked for a second leaf. At the end of the
ier and provide
evening, reading through the leaves
our community
brought a warm, wonderful feeling inside.
services.”
“It is amazing how much thought
Parent
went into the writing on these leaves. It
Advisory
was from the heart and their effort is
Committee
something to cherish,” said Napper.
Judy Weeks
Advisor Rhonda
Immokalee’s acknowledgment of
Nunez organized
Thanksgiving didn’t begin with the comHungry Immokalee residents helped themselves to food during
a group in the
munity dinner. On Nov. 17, the preschool
the Thanksgiving buffet.
after school profamilies gathered for their holiday supper.
gram. Each parPreschool Manager Michelle Ford said
ticipant wrote a
she was very grateful to the parents who
paper stating what they were most thankgenerously supplied the side dishes to
year. Unfortunately, people sometimes
ful for this year. Then Nunez framed it
accompany her turkey. The result was a
lose sight of the true purpose of traditionwith construction paper and displayed it
wonderful meal, which not only strengthal holidays with the enormous advertising
on the front wall in the gym. A special
ens the preschool program, but means so
and commercialism in our country today.
This was definitely not the situation when highlight of the evening came from family much to the students.
services. Site Supervisor Billie Napper
Immokalee celebrated Thanksgiving.
Council Liaison Elaine Aguilar
sponsored the annual Thanksgiving feast
for the community on Monday Nov. 22.
This made is possible for the celebrants to
spend the actual holiday with their personal plans for immediate family and
friends, which sometimes includes travel.
Aguilar arranged for Alicia’s Catering to
provide a fantastic buffet loaded with the
traditional Thanksgiving side dishes and
desserts, accompanied by eight golden
brown turkeys and three delicious hams.
Food was not the only thing in
abundance. The gym, which had been
attractively decorated in fall colors, was
set up with numerous round table groupings, each having its own centerpiece.
Community members not only filled the
gym, but many of the tables held families
represented by three and four generations.
Chairman Mitchell Cypress and
Big Cypress Councilman David Cypress
came to participate in the celebration
offering everyone a handshake, hug or
kind word concerning our past blessings
Judy Weeks
and bright future.
Aguilar said she was proud of
(L-R) Chairman Mitchell Cypress, Big Cypress Councilman David Cypress and
the general outpour of community spirit
Immokalee Liaison Elaine Aguilar carve up the bird.
as members of various departments came
By Judy Weeks
IMMOKALEE — Its been
nearly 400 years since the Pilgrims first
joined with the Native Americans and
gave thanks for the many blessings of the
Emma Brown
Charlotte Burgess takes aim at one of the ten paper turkey targets.
Turkey Shoot Commemorates
Thanksgiving Holiday
By Emma Brown
gets were placed at the end of a measured
BRIGHTON — The holidays
shooting range and one-by-one, contestare here and once again it is time for all
ants aimed at their target, then fired, hopof the special community dinners and
ing to have the most pellet holes decoratactivities to
ing their paper
begin. With
turkey. After
Thanksgiving
each round, the
quickly passing
winner received
us by, the
either a turkey
Brighton comor a ham.
munity, along
Besides
with various
all of the shootdepartments,
ing that went on
were very busy
at Brighton’s
planning special
turkey shoot,
events for
there was good
members of the
food to enjoy
Brighton reserand 50/50 rafvation.
fles. The
On
Brighton culture
Tuesday Nov.
department had
23, the Brighton
their famous
4-H Program
Indian dogs and
held their annufries; while the
al turkey shoot.
Brighton PAC
Men, women,
shared their
and youngsters
famous hamcame out to join
burgers and
in the fun and
cheeseburgers,
shoot off for
and 4-H was
Emma Brown
either a turkey
selling some
David “Wildman” Snow gets ready to shoot.
or a ham hopdelicious sweet
ing to provide
tea.
one of these
It is
items for their Thanksgiving feast.
always a great family event that is looked
Attendees did not actually shoot
forward to each year by the community.
live turkeys. Rather, ten paper turkey tar-
Seminole Seniors Celebrate Thanksgiving
By Adelsa Williams
HOLLYWOOD —
Cheers of “bingo!” from the
Seminole seniors filled up the
Senior Center, as many gathered
for a day of fun in celebration of
the Thanksgiving holiday.
Festivities took place on Tuesday
Nov. 23.
The department of elders
hosted a morning of bingo for all
the seniors’ enjoyment as they
prepped the turkey for the
Thanksgiving luncheon. Along
with the appealing meal prepared
by the staff, there were various
desserts, traditional Seminole sofkee, and trays of fruit salad and
deviled eggs that were placed on
each table, for starters.
Hollywood Health
Educator Shannon McKeown took
charge of calling out the numbers
she picked out of the bingo ball
cage, assisted by Nutritionist
Doris Mir.
Some seniors sat on pins
and needles awaiting their winning number to be called out, and
from time to time, they were
humored by McKeown as she
hollered, “Around and around we
go, where it will stop nobody
knows.”
In between games, the
two emcees called out a winning
number from the raffle tickets that
were handed out to everyone as
they entered the hot meals center.
There were cash prizes,
gift certificated to Wal-Mart, complimentary goodie baskets from
Hooray’s of Hollywood, and items
such as towel sets, throw blankets,
and Mary Kay gift bags. There
were even goodie baskets that
were donated by some of the seniors. One unique item was a “quillow,” which is a combination of
quilt and a pillow. It was donated
by tribal citizen Naomi Fewell.
Lucky winner, number 183, Annie
Jumper from the Hollywood reservation took the quillow home.
A group of seniors from
the Big Cypress reservation were
transported to Hollywood to participate in the Thanksgiving
luncheon, as well as a few from
the trail reservation.
Special thanks to the
department of elders for coordinating the event that surely entertained everyone. Also, the department made various donations that
were given out during the raffle.
Thanks to all who made donations: Sallie Billie, Linda Billie,
Dorothy Tommie, Priscilla Sayen,
Lawana Niles and Naomi Fewell.
Jaime Restrepo
Adelsa Williams
Kaylan Osceola serves Thanksgiving dinner to her great-grandfather
Joe Dan Osceola.
Adelsa Williams
Hollywood resident Annie Jumper enjoys a game of bingo.
Adelsa Williams
Pete Aguilar from Immokalee was the lucky winner of a gift basket.
Frank J. Billie (left) with Big Cypress Councilman David Cypress during the holiday festivities.
Thanksgiving Lunch on the BC Rez
By Jaime Restrepo
dance was high, as everyone enjoyed their meals, disBIG CYPRESS — On Nov 24, Big Cypress cussing their Thanksgiving plans and how they would
residents and employees got together at the Herman
spend the long weekend with family and friends.
Osceola Gym for
Mitchell
Thanksgiving lunch.
Cypress got a well
The guests were
deserved chance
greeted by Council
to dine with two
Representative
former schoolDavid Cypress and
mates/friends he
Chairman Mitchell
grew up with.
Cypress. Both
David Cypress
wished everyone a
greeted each and
very happy
every senior and
Thanksgiving.
sat down with sevPaul Buster
eral seniors as he
led the gathering
too, enjoyed his
with a blessing and
meal.
gave thanks for good
Being
health, a close knit
that it was the
community, and an
Wednesday before
abundance of food.
Thanksgiving,
Jaime Restrepo
Jaime Restrepo
Buster and his bandpersonnel were
(L-R) Louise Billie and John
Several BC staff members
mates entertained the
dismissed soon
Billie enjoyed lunch.
helped serve the food.
congregation.
after the meal to
Food was in
allow them ample
abundance, with a
time to prepare for
sumptuous selection
their family gathof roast pork, chickerings and plans.
en, vegetables, and of
Some were
course, a delectable
amazed as to how
assortment of cakes
fast the year has
and desserts. Staff
gone by and how
from various departthe Christmas holment including famiidays were just
ly services, building
around the corner.
management, and the
But all
senior center were on
were content to be
hand to serve the
among the family
food.
and friends, fellow
Every table
employees they
was decorated with
work with, and
Jaime Restrepo
baskets of flowers
warm atmosphere
Chairman Mitchell Cypress (left) and Naomi Fewel look
and fruit, along with
to work in.
over some photos during lunch.
traditional cobs of
corn. Senior atten-
22
December 17, 2004
Trail Seminoles Celebrate Thanksgiving
Iretta Tiger
Seminole gymnasts (L-R) Audriahana Sirota, Natomah Robbins, Anissa Osceola, and Leah
Cox line up to begin their demonstration as Coach Gina Allardyze looks on.
Tribal Community Gives Thanks,
Watches Gymnasts Perform
By Iretta Tiger
HOLLYWOOD — Every year the
Hollywood community comes together to
enjoy a great meal and to visit with one another as part of the annual Thanksgiving community dinner. This year was no exception.
This year’s Thanksgiving dinner was
held on Nov. 22 in the Hollywood
Gymnasium, and as part of the entertainment,
the Seminole children who attend Flair’s
Gymnastics in Davie, Fla. performed several
routines.
Performing with the kids from Flair’s
Gymnastics were the Seminole children who
train with Gina Allardyze, Seminole
Recreation. It’s amazing what these kids can
do!
Another special treat was the cater-
ing. Instead of the usual Thanksgiving menu,
the community was treated to soul food from
Betty’s. Don’t get me wrong, there was the
standard turkey, but there were more goodies
to choose from.
After dinner was a turkey shoot-out.
No; not real turkeys, it was an archery contest
with inanimate targets.
The winners are as follows: 14 and
under boys and girls: 1. Brandon DiCarlo, 2.
Darryn Fuentes
3. Bobby Frank; 14 to 17 boys and girls: 1.
Garett Anderson, 2. Casey McCall; 18 and
over women: 1. Wanda Bowers, 2. Mary Gay
Osceola, 3. Barbra Billie; 18 and over men: 1.
Mike Tiger, 2. Travis Osceola
3. Darrin Osceola.
Happy Thanksgiving Seminole Tribe!
Iretta Tiger
Iretta Tiger
By Iretta Tiger
MIAMI, FL — The
gifts were stacked and the
turkey was being prepared as
the band played. This was not
a Christmas party, however, it
was the annual Trail
Thanksgiving feast. The feast
took place on Nov. 9 at the
Miccosukee Resort in Miami.
The gifts were actually door prizes for the raffle.
True to Trail Liaison William
Osceola form, there was an
abundance of prizes including
a grand prize of a television
set with a built-in DVD player
and VCR. The prizes ranged
from smoothie makers to large
George Foreman Grills to a
circular saw.
Paul “Cowbone”
Buster backed by the Billie
North Band and the Andy
Buster Band provided the
entertainment for the evening.
The party for the
Seminole trail citizens was
given by Osceola. He went
from table to table, not only to
greet everyone, but to sit and
chat. The feast was a great
success.
Thank you William
Osceola for your generosity
and hospitality during the holiday season!
Iretta Tiger
Ida F.rances Osceola won the Black & Decker® Lids Off Jar Opener.
Iretta Tiger
Anissa Osceola does a backbend.
Adahma Sirota does a handstand.
The Andy Buster Band entertained the Trail crowd during the Thanksgiving dinner at the Miccosukee Resort.
A Chritstmas message from Frank & Alicia,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May you and your family’s holidays be prosperous
and safe.
December 17, 2004
23
Six Ways to be Happy in Spite of the Holidays
By Mary Olitzky, Family Services Counselor
Handling the stress of extra shopping,
expenses, responsibilities and yes, even holiday parties
can be easy if you follow these simple ideas.
1. Use Humor: So
you think I’m just supposed
to smile when some “enthusiastic” shopper pulls into
the mall parking space I
waited 20 minutes for. Well,
yes! Humor and laughter can
reduce your holiday stress
and get you back in the spirit. Laughter produces endorphins, the body’s “feel good”
chemicals, diminishing physical and psychological pain.
Norman Cousins
used laughter as a prescription to help him recover
form a serious illness. He called it “internal jogging”
because it massages the heart and internal organs and
relaxes the body. So, when the happy holidays seem to
be more than you can take, watch old Abbott and
Costello movies and have a good belly laugh.
2. Help Others: There’s something magical in
reaching out to someone else that makes us forget all
about our problems. And what better time of the year
than the holiday season?
There are so many opportunities through food
and toy drives, and pleas for help for needy children
and families. Ask anyone who has helped others during this season and they will tell you that nothing
quite compares to this feeling of holiday spirit.
3. Keep proper perspective: We all attach
many expectations of ourselves and others in trying to
create the perfect holiday for our families and loved
ones.
My expectations fell
short last Christmas when Sanaa, the family dog, took
a bite out of my niece’s hand during dinner, and several family members spent the evening at the local hospital emergency room. Ozzie and Harriet, where are
you?
4. Moderation: Just like mom always said,
everything in moderation. The holidays bring with
them lots of food, fun and refreshments. While the initial effects of alcohol may be relaxing, alcohol actually stresses the body as it works to filter the alcohol out
of the system. Sugar produces a burst of energy initially, but adds to mood swings–not to mention the extra
pounds later. Moderation in everything is the key to
healthy, happy holidays.
5. Create new memories: Many of us have
friends of family who have moved away or died this
past year. During the holidays, we are reminded of
how much we miss those missing from the table. It is
important to acknowledge
these feelings of loss and to
share them with someone.
If the emotions
become overwhelming, it
may be helpful to talk to a
counselor or a member of
the clergy. While dealing
with these feelings is
important, moving on is the
key to having balance during the holidays. A friend of
mine suggests that what
works for him is to create
new memories with friends
and relatives. Changing our
actions is a powerful force in chasing away the holiday blues.
6. Paint a positive picture: One of the hallmarks of happy people is that they turn negative experiences into positive ones by changing their attitude.
What if Walt Disney had believed what his
boss did? He fired him because he thought he had no
good ideas. One method I suggest to clients is to turn
a negative into a positive. If you look, you will find
that something good comes out of every bad or unhappy experience.
The holidays are a wonderful, magical time
when we express our love for one another. Make some
happy holiday memories this year.
Healthy Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas
Greatest Gift Ever
She woke me, it was time at
last
Rushed to the hospital almost
out of gas
We made it thru his grace
I could not wait to see your
face
Christmas morning, is not
God so very clever
My thoughts as I received the
greatest gift ever
First baby born Christmas day
in the county of Lee
Leivani, which means heavenly child, your name would be
Forgive my absence as you
grow precious each and every
day
Daddy loves the lil princess
His Beautiful Lei-Lei.
—Leslie J. Gopher
By Kenny Bayon
It’s Christmas time again and one of the
toughest ventures is to find nice presents that our
loved ones can enjoy and use. Are you looking for
something to give a fitness enthusiast or someone that
just wants to get started, but doesn’t exactly know how
go about it? Here are some gift picks at a reasonable
price! These products, in no particular order, are
undoubtedly going to be hot this holiday season.
Yoga Starter Kit:
Yoga is both a means of fitness and relaxation. It
doesn’t cost much to get started. For less than fifty dollars, you
can give all the necessary essentials such
as a mat, belt, and block. These mostly
come with a Yoga video or DVD for those
that are to shy about going to a class and
want to try it out in the privacy of their
home.
NutriCounter: The NutriCounter
makes monitoring your
food intake a snap. You
always know at a glance
how many calories, fats,
carbohydrates, proteins,
sugar, etc. you have eaten
at any time of the day. The
daily totals for the last 30 days are stored into
memory and are available at the touch of a
button.
Rio Forge: This MP3 player can
hold enough music to walk a marathon. This
new 256 megabyte memory, good for about
125 songs, is upgradeable to 512 megabytes,
allowing for more memory to hold more than
enough songs. This player also has an FM radio and
recorder. It has many special extras as well such as an
equalizer and a stop watch to help time those lengthy
walks in the park.
The reason why I can recommend this player
is because it’s made for athletic wear. It’s very small
and light and comes with an elastic armband. It’s very
convenient as well because it doubles as an MP3 player for your car. Buy the extra RCA power cord that
hooks up to your car stereo and shazam! No more CDs
needed. Anyone who runs, walks or does any other
cardiovascular activity would love to have one of these
to download workout motivating exercise music.
Talking Pedometer: The music starts to play
when you start walking or jogging, increasing or
decreasing in tempo along with your walking or jogging speed. At the touch of a button, a voice
announces the number of steps walked, the distance
walked and the current time. It has a built in talking
alarm clock, an easy to use belt clip and it measures in
both miles and kilometers. I happen to own one of
these and they are awesome.
Heart Rate Monitor Watch: The Polar ASeries was designed for the beginning to intermediate
exerciser, new to heart rate monitoring. These models
are designed to be easily integrated into everyday
workouts, featuring a large, easy to read
display, continuous heart rate and easy
“on” starting function. I also own one
of these and they are essential. Try to
buy the ones that are waterproof in
case they enjoy underwater aerobics.
Electronic Body Fat Scale:
Athletic people are more concerned with their body fat percentage than their actual weight.
Here’s an easy, convenient way
to keep track of both.
BowFlex: It’s the perfect solution for home fitness. Get a
complete workout with the BowFlex
fitness machine. Going to the gym is
an adventure. Most people just never
get there. People sign up for gyms
with good intentions, but they never
go.
It’s easy to understand
why. Sometimes we just don't have
time. Let’s face it, an hour and a half
or even two hours is the typical amount of
time you need to drive to the gym, wait for the
equipment, do the exercises, and drive home; not to
mention take a shower!
When you put a BowFlex in your home you
don't have to worry about time. Because your
BowFlex is always there, ready to use and always
open. When it’s there, you’ll use it–probably even
more than you think.
Plus, with BowFlex, you don't need a room
full of equipment. You can do more than 90 gym quality exercises on the BowFlex Ultimate XTLU then
fold it up and roll it away for easy storage when not in
use.
Just remember that this does not take the
place of a personal trainer to overlook a work or a
gym that can supply you with everything needed to get
and maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle.
I also want to wish everyone a safe and happy
holiday!
Dear Santa...
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is a game for my
Game Boy, some socks, and shoes. I know I
haven’t been good all the time, but 99 percent of
the time I’ve been good for my mommy, teachers
and school.
I have milk and cookies for you when you
come.
Brandon Huggins
To my daughter Courtney. Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year. Have a great
time! I love you always.
Love,
Roo Roo and Juliet Jim (mom)
Dear Santa,
I’ve been a good boy all year. All I want
for Christmas is Game Cube games, Hot Wheels
and lots of toys!
Richard Primeaux
Dear Santa,
Please bring me a Barbie doll, a baby doll
and a bicycle. I have been a good girl this year. I
love my mommy and daddy and brothers.
Thank you,
Tsian Khan
I would like to wish a very Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year to Bello, my
everything I could ask for. Also, I would like to tell
him how much and how grateful I am that he is in
my life.
Love,
Carlene
Dear Santa,
My name is James Huggins and every year
I leave milk and cookies for you. All I want this
year is a bike so I can ride to school. I have been
nice this year; maybe a little naughty, but mostly
nice.
Thank you,
James Huggins
Merry Christmas Courtney. I love you.
Love,
Michael Harrell (dad) and Roo Roo
24
December 17, 2004
25
December 17, 2004
Conversations on Higher Education
Seminole students tour Haskell Indian University
By Dora Bell
LAWRENCE, KS — The education department organized a campus
visit to Haskell Indian Nations University,
which took place Nov. 12–14. A group of
Seminoles attended, seven of whom were
high school students. Director of
Education Louise Gopher led the group.
Warmly welcomed by Haskell’s
staff, the group heard presentation about
Haskell's’ educational vision and academic programs. The university began educating native students in 1884. Today,
Haskell has an average enrollment of
more than 900 students, 85 percent of
which live on campus, representing more
than 130 federally recognized tribes.
Haskell offers four bachelor’s
degrees: environmental science, business
administration, elementary education and
Indian studies, and associate degrees in
many more areas. The University of
Kansas and Haskell have an articulation
treaty that facilitates transferring credits.
One of many noteworthy strengths is that
Haskell emphasizes small classes of fifteen to twenty six students.
Haskell athletics also has a long
tradition of excellence. On Saturday afternoon, we attended an exciting football
game. The Haskell team, energetic and
disciplined, showed a great sense of
sportsmanship and determination.
Haskell prepares students for
position of leadership in tribal communities. The school offers opportunities for
networking with future leaders of other
tribes working to protect principles of
sovereignty and self-determination; not to
mention the close friendships among students that last a lifetime.
Adelsa Williams
Seminole McArthur alumni including Max B. Osceola Jr., Mike D. Tiger, Moses “Bigg Shot” Jumper Jr. and Steven Bowers
welcomes McArthur teacher and fellow alumni to the Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Seminole McArthur High Alumni
Gather for Dinner at the Hard Rock
By Adelsa Williams
HOLLYWOOD — The
Seminole Tribe of Florida and its
McArthur High School Seminole alumni
invited retired teachers of McArthur to a
celebration of some of the tribe’s achievements. Hollywood Council Representative
Max B. Osceola Jr. sponsored the dinner,
which was held at the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino’s Ballroom on
Wed., Nov. 3.
As a welcoming statement
Osceola said, “We were thought by our
elders that education is important and we
know that the role you played was important.” Osceola also briefly introduced
himself and the class he represents, the
class of ’68, and then asked all invitees to
join in for prayer given by President
Moses B. Osceola.
All McArthur High School
Seminole alumni were then introduced as
they each stood up to welcome old classmates, teachers and their respective families. Osceola introduced each Seminole
alumnus and pointed out their professional accomplishment and involvement past
and present at the Seminole Tribe of
Florida.
Each shared memories of their
high school days; some humorous, others
sentimental. Some had unique stories to
tell, such as who their favorite teachers
were and what their favorite classes were.
Overall, everyone thanked the McArthur
High teachers for being one of the reasons
Dario Guaico
(Back row, L-R) Sherrelle Brown, Mahala Madrigal, Kim Chalfant, Michelle
Ford, Goofy, Amber Giehtbrock, Leona Tommie Williams and (front row)
Maria Alvarado enjoy some time off from the conference at Disneyland.
Adelsa Williams
McArthur graduates (L-R) Pat Augustus ‘67, Steven Bowers ‘67, Ron Shearouse ‘68
and Sue Shearouse ‘77 enjoy their mini-reunion.
of their success. They also mentioned the
number of children and or grandchildren
they have raised since graduation.
Osceola also told a story about
the origins of the McArthur High School
dinner, crediting his high school friend
Ron Shearouse with the idea. He concluded by thanking the teachers once again.
“This is a reflection of the education we received at home and also at
school,” he said. “You know, education is
very important for the tribe and we know
that parents are prime educators, but during the school years, that’s what you did.
You instilled the willingness to learn and
now you come back and see what we
have today, so I want to say ‘Sho-NaaBish’… in our language that’s how we
say thank you.”
Invitees enjoyed a special film
presentation that started with
an introduction of the
Seminole history prior to
today’s successes and ended
with a dimensional explanation
of the construction and operations of the Seminole Hard
Rock Hotel & Casino.
The former McArthur
Mustangs then enjoyed an all
you can eat dinner and cocktail
reception, shared by many
laughs as they talked about the
fun they had or the mischief
they caused back in the high
school days.
The night’s event
ended as they were all split
into groups for a tour of the
hotel and casino.
Listed are the
McArthur Seminole alumni
and their graduating class:
Priscilla Doctor Sayen ’68,
Judybill Osceola ’60, Eugene
Bowers ’61, Marcellus
Osceola ’64, Clyde Tiger ’65,
Steven Bowers ’67, Moses
Jumper Jr. ’68, Joe Osceola Jr.
’68, Max B. Osceola Jr., ’68,
Adelsa Williams
Moses B. Osceola ’68, Michael
A whole family full of McArthur Mustang pride. Mike D. Tiger ‘68, (back row, second from
D. Tiger ’68, Ruscilla Tiger
left), Ruscilla Tiger ‘70, (second from right), and Clyde Tiger ‘65 (second row, right).
’70.
Preschool Staff Gets Schooled
at Education Conference
By Amber Giehtbrock
ANAHEIM, CA — On Nov.
9, the Seminole preschool staff and Big
Cypress Council Representative David
Cypress flew to Anaheim, Calif. to
attend the annual National Association
for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC) conference. The purpose of
the trip was to help prepare the preschool to be eligible to become an
accredited school. Preschool Director
Leona T. Williams brought eight staff
members to the conference.
Representing the Brighton preschool was Center Manager Mahala
Madrigal and Preschool Head Teacher
Kimberly Chalfant, Center Manager
Shirley Clay and Preschool Head
Teacher Maria Alvarado from the Big
Cypress Preschool, Immokalee Center
Manager Michelle Ford, Preschool
Education Coordinator Amber
Giehtbrock, Sherelle Brown and Dario
Guaico, both Hollywood Preschool
head teachers.
The NAEYC organization is
the most recognized early childhood
organization in the world for children
from birth through age eight. There are
more than 100,000 members. All of the
members work for the rights, needs and
well-being of young children with a primary focus of preserving educational
and developmental services and
resources.
A few of their many mission
goals are to prepare and improve professional practice and working conditions and to achieve a high-quality system exclusively in the early childhood
education programs.
At the conference there were
more than two hundred classes to
choose from. Some of the key topics
were: early language literacy,
infants/toddlers, stress /resilience/ early
intervention, child development and
curriculum. The classes were held at
three different locations Anaheim
Convention Center, Hilton and the
Marriott.
Before each day the preschool
staff would sit down and figure out
what particular classes would be beneficial for them when working with children. The preschool staff gained an
assortment of knowledge to take back
and share with the other teachers.
The conference provided professional development opportunities to
gather and learn. Scholars, practitioners, experts and colleagues from all levels with diverse perspectives participate
and contribute a multitude of ideas for
activities to help in developing our children.
NAEYC’s standards and the
National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education’s (NCATE) accreditation process for early childhood professional preparation offered technical
assistance to faculty and administrators.
At the conference the senior staff and
members of NAEYC’s Professional
Education Panel offered participants at
the workshop guidance on enhancing
their programs, provided orientation to
NAEYC’s standards and the new program report and program review
process and performance assessment.
Working with NAEYC and
NCATE will help the preschool in their
goal for accreditation and to meet the
new NCATE and NAEYC expectations.
26
December 17, 2004
Education, Culture Program Celebrate Christmas
By Emma Brown
IMMOKALEE — It’s time again for all of
the staff parties to be taking place and for departments to come together to celebrate the holidays with
co-workers and friends. On Wednesday, Dec. 8, the
Seminole Tribe of Florida’s education and culture
programs came together in Immokalee to celebrate
the Christmas holiday.
The gym setting that was arranged for the
staff made you feel as if you were walking into an
elegant restaurant with linen table cloths and handmade fruit center pieces that were divine. The centerpieces served as hors d’oeuvres with the main course
being delicious Spanish pork, chicken, rice and
tamales prepared by family and friends of the
Immokalee staff. Desserts were prepared by a local
restaurant and were out of this world.
After lunch the staff exchanged gifts and
played a little humorous gift exchange game provided by the Brighton language staff. The game lasted
for 30 minutes and each person was given a number,
if your number happened to be called, you were to
Emma Brown
Brighton language and culture teacher Jenny Shore.
Emma Brown
Gag gifts: Culture staff (L-R) Judy Jim and Corinna Frank.
go and grab a gift from someone
else. At the end of 30 minutes
whatever gifts were in front of
you were yours to open.
At the end of the game
some people went home with
practical household items such
as plungers, toilet brushes,
toothpaste and while others
went home with beautifully decorated pillows, Christmas glasses, and more. It was a real hoot
to watch everyone fight for gifts
and end up with gag items like
toilet paper or bathroom cleaner.
The education and culture staff had a great time and
much appreciation goes to the
Immokalee staff for hosting
such a nice luncheon for the
department.
Education Department
Welcomes New Bus Driver
Emma Brown
Brenda Askew
By Emma Brown
BRIGHTON — The
Brighton education department
would like to welcome aboard
Brenda Askew as the new elementary bus driver. Askew
comes to the tribe from Hendry
County School Board, where
she previously drove a school
bus.
It is always very difficult to fill bus driver positions
in Brighton because of the
early hours and long distance
to and from the Okeechobee
schools, so whenever we stumble upon good drivers we like
to welcome them with open
arms and treat them with as
much appreciation as we can in
return for a long employment
with us.
Askew has been driving the elementary bus for two
months and is definitely an
employee that we hope will
have a long future with the
Brighton education department.
Welcome aboard
Brenda Askew.
Emma Brown
The 2004–2005 Pemayetv Emahakv student council.
Pemayetv Emahakv Holds
Student Council Inauguration
By Emma Brown
BRIGHTON— The Brighton Pull-Out
Program held their second annual student council
elections in which a chairman and class representatives were elected. A week before the elections were
held, each candidate delivered a platform speech in
hopes to persuade their peers to cast a vote for them.
On Friday Nov. 19, each newly elected
council member was inaugurated under the oak trees
at the education department. Pull-Out’s history
teacher Willie Johns was the emcee and in charge of
swearing each council member into office for the
2004–2005 school year.
Johns shared with the parents and community members attending the ceremony that the election process started with classes being taught on the
history of tribal government to better orientate the
students on the process of government and elections
within the Seminole Tribe.
The following oath was used for the swearing in ceremony: “I, [name of person], do solemnly
swear to be the very best chairman/representative I
can be; to lead the student body by being a good
example, to help improve Pemayetv Emahakv and to
work hard to learn my Creek language and culture.”
The new Pemayetv Emahakv Student
Council is: Chairwoman: Sheila Jones, second and
third representative Louis Gopher Jr., fourth and fifth
representative Lois Billie, first representative
Immilakiyo Osceola, first representative Ashley
Gopher and kindergarten representative Krysten
Smith.
After the swearing in ceremony was completed, each new council member delivered an
Emma Brown
Lois Billie: forth and fifth grade representative.
acceptance speech to their peers, parents and community. The following is the speech of the fourth and
fifth grade representative Lois Billie: “Estonko
Cvhocefkvt Lois Billie: Hello Brighton Community
members. Thank you for electing me
as your council representative.
Brighton reservation has always been
my home. It’s a wonderful place to
live. So I will make sure our class
works together to improve our: education, health and to give you a better
living condition. Thank you/ Mvto.”
Each student did a wonderful job delivering their acceptance
speeches and we wish them all the
best leading the student body of the
Pull-Out program for the coming
year. Brighton Board Representative
Johnny Jones attended the ceremony
and congratulated all of the students
that ran for office. Jones encouraged
each of the students that did not get
elected to “never give up and try
again next year.”
The process of student council elections is the Pull-Out Programs
way of getting a head start on teaching the Seminole children about tribal
politics in hopes to be molding and
Emma Brown
inspiring our future leaders.
Chairwoman Sheila Jones being sworn in by Willie Johns.
Education Department Receives a Facelift
By Emma Brown
BRIGHTON — The Brighton education building recently received a new coat of
paint and landscaping to complete a much needed makeover. The education building started out
as a clinic and community head start center for
Brighton and now serves as the home to the culture and education department.
More than 25 years of history and
memories lie within the walls of this building.
The outside is decorated with bold primary colors and kid friendly designs to be more welcoming to the students. Much appreciation goes to
Jodi Goodman of the maintenance department
for all of her efforts to help restore the building.
Emma Brown
Before: The education building was in need of exterior
repairs.
Emma Brown
After: Renovations on the new building will continue on the interior shortly.
27
December 17, 2004
Let’s Make it a Real Christmas!
and put them on the tree. We also threadBy Paul "Cowbone" Buster
ed popcorn and made string of it and spiThe month of December is the
busiest time of the year: shopping, parties, raled it around the tree. Pine cones were
natural on the tree, as well as anything
family, school, trips and so many more
else that came with the tree.
activities that many times we forget what
Finally, the big day came and
Christmas is really about. There are just
most of the people in the community
too many other things that we try to do
came to church and had the most wonderthat we don’t get the true meaning of
ful time celebrating the birth of Jesus. It
Christmas.
I can remember when I was a lit- was a day long celebration: worship service in the morning, lunch at noon, last
tle boy at Big Cypress, when Christmas
minute preparations in the afternoon, and
time came in December. Some of us kids
supper in the late afternoon. Then, the
would count the days on the calendar. We
Christmas program began. Pastor Henry
were excited about Christmas presents
Cypress would tell about Christmas and
from Santa, but the time seemed to move
have a prayer.
very slowly and we just couldn’t wait.
We had a Christmas play porOn Saturdays, people would go
to Clewiston, Labelle, or Immokalee to do traying the Birth of Christ and if I rememChristmas shopping. It was really exciting ber, I was one of the shepherds in the
play. We all had a good time doing the
to go to town and see all the Christmas
pageant.
decorations on the stores and houses. The
Aftet the play Ke Tesh aa che
feeling of Christmas overwhelmed the
(Santa Claus) would come and bring toys
atmosphere. It seemed like there were no
to children; it was the most exciting time.
strangers; everybody said “Merry
And then, it was time to pass out gifts,
Christmas” to each other. Everybody
fruits and candies. Christmas was really a
would enjoy Christmas in those days.
time of celebrating of the birth of Jesus.
On Sundays, the Lord's Day,
Let us have a real Christmas this
people would go to church; Sunday
year! Merry Christmas!
school, worship service, then after lunch,
— Cowbone
people would decorate the church and
then the Christmas
tree. Some of the
ornaments were
homemade and some
were bought from the
stores in town. The
Very seldom you complained about anything
Christmas tree was
You made the best of any challenges that came your way
cut in the backwoods
and set in the church
Many times you did what you did without complaint
by the brotherhood
When many of us would quit and call it a day
men.
You have seen the times changed for better or worse
Meanwhile,
Time changed ev’rything but your heart remained the same
the time was still
Not many appreciate life
crawling and creeping
You lived yours to its fullest
along at school. If I
remember correctly,
You made music to pass time
we drew names and
Remembrance of you is in summer rain
bought presents for
Your lonely guitar
one another and
It's very sad and melancholy
exchanged gifts on the
Because you’re gone
last day of school
before we went on
Never again to play a Merle Haggard melody
break for Christmas.
Nobody knows how much I miss you
We made our
I miss your goodness and your humor
own Christmas ornaI miss your homespun traditional music
ments and decorated
I will see you later or maybe sooner
the school and
Christmas tree. We cut
strips of paper out of
—Cowbone
different colors and
glued them together
and made a long chain
See You Later
The Round Up is South Florida's
number one country western nightclub
and restaurant. We're open Wed. through Sun., 6 p.m. to 4
a.m., with four full-liquor bars and seven gourmet dinners
served all night.
With good food, great
music, a large dance floor,
the best entertainment,
the most outrageous drink
specials, and rooms
packed full of beautiful
people, a good time is a
sure thing at 'The World
Famous Round Up".
*Free entry with your Tribal I.D. Card
28
December 17, 2004

WPBA Pool Players Tour Big Cypress

Transcription

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