i = ' A r *'* L ea teams I.J  - '==" " i I , then ta . i;5, ,- ruse above I II (e _" I e== ,',,-, , =. -- e t " "*° '=  $500,000 Ch t ey I L". o- ; eck • , = , ourn ' = '-° _i ' • - See Page 10 I Page 5  ge 11, 12, 13 and 14 ....--- . ...... ... ::.::ii!!iiii! i .......... ,k  ,  . Rolla, North Dakota 58367 II II I =;:",' Group urges tribe to Slash speed limit on reservation By Logan Davis For The Star The Turtle Mountain Tribal Coun- cil held its monthly open public meet- ing last Thursday. The agenda included the Turtle Mountain Safety Clan Coalition request to collect data for a new Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) prevention plan for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. The Safety Clan also wants to reduce the speed limit on a busy and danger- ous section of U.S. Highway 5 that runs through the reservation. Currently the Safety Clan is fo- cused on many safety issues, but the heavy traffic and poor road condi- tions combine for a hazardous drive The group is seeking to bring the speed limit down to 55 mph as soon as PoSsible. along the state highway that traverses west-east through the reservation, said Dave Garcia, Safety Clan Presi- dent. The current 65 mph limit is too fast for the conditions of the roads, added James Dobb, Indian Health Service Environmental Health Engi- neer. The grpup is seeking to bring the speed limit down to 55 mph as soon as possible. In their proposed ATOD plan, the Safety Clan would promote positive messages through a mass media cam- paign through radio ads, brochures and booklets. The group further wishes to conduct compliance checks to make sure that the local retailers of alcohol and tobacco products are not selling to underage individuals. The data collected by the Safety Clan is regarding 5 primary areas and was compiled through a Community Readiness Survey in 2009. Since the Safety (Continued on Page 2) School's enrollment jumps 25, percent By John Rosinski Of The Star Students headed back to school last week, and in some instances, more students than in years past are occupying the halls. Nowhere is that more evident than in Rolette. where enrollment numbers have increased by as much as 25 per- cent the last two years. According to Superintendent Wade Sherwin, enroll- ment in grades K-12 is approxifiaately 155, up from the 140 last year. "We had a pretty sizable increase two years ago, and this year, the increase hasn't been quite as large, but we are continuing to grow." Sherwin said The 155 student are the largest for the district in at least 10 years. Sherwin said at the end of the 2009 school year, there were five classes that featured single-digit en- rollment. Now. the only single digit class is the first grade, and even that class is on the rise Last year, the school year started with five kindergarteners, but that number increased to seven, and this year. a total of nine first-grfdefs are iri school. "Our kindergarten teacher came into my office when she saw the count and couldn't be- lieve it." Wade Sherwin, Rolette Public School superintendent "'It's been a nice change that we're quite happy with," Sherwin noted. Why the sudden increase? Sherwin said a variety of factors have contributed to the surge. Those factors include people moving into Ro- lette and surrounding communities, the open enrollment of approximately 10 students from either the Turtle Mountain School or Ojibwa Indian School. and some Enrollment (Continued on Page 2) Jarrin Benson, a graduate of Bisbee-Egeland School, at the MLK National Memorial, where he has been one of the main people in charge of preparing for the dedication ceremony. Bisbee-Egeland graduate part( : ar,.=am ' dedication By John Rosinski Of The Star A hurricane affecting the East Coast, and the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial ceremony, are both impacting a local graduate. Jarrin Benson graduated from-Bisbee-Egeland High School in 2000, and has been on the go ever since. He first moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he lived for 10 years, honing his craft of providing sound, lighting and other technical aspects for various events. Earlier this year, Benson moved to the heart of the na- tion; Washington D.C. Benson currently works for Innovate Event Produc- tions (IEP), and spent the last week working on the MLK National Memorial Dedication ceremony, which was scheduled for August 28, the 48th anniversary of the march on Washington and his famed "I have a dream speech." "I am the producer for my company, and we are in charge of all sounds, lights and video for the event. Being a stage manager, I'll oversee the technical aspects on and Dedication (Continued on Page 9) The class of 2023 Students and teachers came back to school last week, with all area districts in Rolette County beginning classes. School began in Rolla last Thursday, and for the lucky kindergartners, the first day marked the beginning of a 13-year journey towards graduation, set for the spring'of 2023. (Photo by John Rosinski) Area's young people focus of $1.4 million grant By Logan Davis For The Star Young people of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa will be the focus of a three-year grant designed to strengthen the youth, and provide a variety of services for all at-risk youth and their families. The grant was allocated to the tribe because of the high-risk factors for suicide, such as depression, chronic poverty, alcohol and substance abuse, violence, and other negative factors within the tribal community, explained tribal officials. The Youth Suicide Early Intervention and Prevention Program grant is funded by the Substance Abuse and Men- tal Health Administration (SAMSHA) in the total amount of $1,426,251. Each year of operation for the grant will be funded at $475,417. The program will target youth between the age of l0 and 24 years old. The unique and multi-faceted program will be head- quartered in Dunseith at the Tu.rtle Mountain Community Youth Outreach Office. With both high poverty rates and social stresses rising once again to extreme heights, the pro- gram is definitely needed, said Tribal Chairman Merle St. Claire. "The grant is for our youth and their families to help give them the kind of inner strength, positive self-image and sense of hope we all need. So many of our,people will benefit from this grant. The family and community can all be involved with these activities and services for the young people of our community. I'm real confident that the grant will help guide our youth away from negative influences," stated Chairman St. Claire. The grant will implement two evidence-based programs (Teenscreen and American Indian Life Skills Development Curriculum) and two practice and culture-based programs (Gatekeeper Training and Sources of Strength). The pro- gram will serve at least 5,250 youth and additional family Grant (Continued on Page 9) ROLLA IMPLEMENT 1201 Main Ave • 477-3116 Husqmrna Zero.rum Hewers Starting as low as Sizesrange $3999 from 48"to 61" All in-stock mowers ON SALE// Valvoline Oil & Filter Specials 19 99 349 Rain-X Windshield Washer Fluid x 6s8o Limit 1 Free Unit 3F