“Voice of the Unconquered”

Presort StandardU.S. Postage Paid

Lake Placid FLPermit No. 128

Fitness CelebrationThis year’s Health and Fitness celebrationfeatured Mitchell’s birthday.

page 4

Youth Fishing TournamentTribal youth were taught the basics of fishingethics.

page 6

Golden AnniversaryDan and Leoda Osceola celebrate their 50thWedding Anniversary.

page 3

50¢ www.seminoletribe.com Volume XXIII • Number 6 April 26, 2002

Inside This Issue . . .Letters/E-mail ...................................2

Community News .............................3

Sports.................................................6

Announcements ................................9

Columns...........................................11

Remember When?..........................12

By Elrod BowersHOLLYWOOD—At its wrap-up meet-

ing for the recent 2002 Fair, the Tribal FairCommittee learned that the Fair lost approximately$40,000.

Although $12,000 more in advertisingwas spent this year in an effort to attract more visi-tors, it was the consensus of the Committee thatrain on the Saturday and Sunday of Tribal Fairweekend adversely affected the bottom line.

“It was the law of averages, we’ve hadgood weather all these years,” said Sandy Selnerof the President’s Office.

The admissions income dropped over$13,000 dollars, and approximately 1,100 lessadults and 200 less children attended the Fair thanin 2001.

Board of Directors Chief FinancialOfficer David Zacher presented the financial reportto the Committee. Zacher told the Committee that,when compared to the 2001 Tribal Fair, this year’sevent income dropped $38,000 while spending$9,000 more in expenses.

Much of the discussion about what mayhave hurt the Fair’s income centered on the rainyweather.

Buster Baxley, who headed the 2002Tribal Fair Advertising Committee, said about$28,000 was spent on cable television alone.Gloria Wilson added that a page had been set upon a popular powwow website and ads placed inIndian newspapers.

Baxley said that the focus on cable televi-sion was because the cost of running ads in localmainstream newspapers and placing commercialsduring local morning television shows was veryexpensive. Wilson agreed and added that, ideally,“advertising should be about one-third of the budg-et.”

Presently, the powwow prize fund consti-tutes almost one-third of the Tribal Fair budget.

Selner questioned the use of late nightcable television spots. She spoke in favor of theexpensive, but highly visible, print ads and televi-sion commercials.

“It’s worth it, because people see it,” saidSelner, “why spend $3,000 here and $3,000 therewhen nobody’s going to see it?”

“You can advertise all you want, but if itrains, no one’s going to come,” countered Zacher.

However, Committee Chairman,Hollywood Board Representative David Dehass,was bouyed by the attendance figures for the firsttwo days.

“Thursday and Friday, we did good, but itwas the rain that killed us,” said Dehass.

At the meeting, Gloria Wilson, who hadbeen on the 2002 Tribal Fair Program Book,Entertainment and PowWow Committees,announced her intention to retire from the TribalFair Committee.

Meetings for next year’s Tribal Fair willbegin in June.

Stormy Weather:Tribal FairCommitteeFaces Loss

By Alexandra FrankTAMIAMI TRAIL — On Mar. 13, seniors

from the Seminole Tribe came from four reservationsto get a jump start on Easter festivities at an eventhosted by the Miccosukee Tribe.

The event, held at the gymnasium, featuredan Easter motif throughout the building. The seniors

were treated to door prizes and bingo games.Of course, there was the “Easter Egg Hunt,”

which tested a person’s sight and speed in order tocollect the most eggs so that the one with highestnumber of eggs would win a cash prize.

President/Acting Chairman Mitchell Cypressmade an appearance to event and made the rounds tovisit with the elders to talk and take photos withthem.

After the “Easter Egg Hunt” and bingogames were finished, it was time for lunch andbelieve me everyone was ready to partake of the care-fully catered lunch of ham, stew beef and rice, corn,yams, and salad.

Of course, there were scrumptious deserts,such as a sheet cake with a holiday theme, and pies ifyou didn’t like cakes. Everyone seemed to enjoy thespread and even took some of the delicious foodhome for later.

The seniors seemed to enjoy the event and itshowed on their smiling faces. A special thanks wentout to the Hot Meals Staff, the caterer and the waitstaff who were ready to serve the needs of the seniorsand any other visitors to the event.

And as Mitchell Cypress expressed with afew words to the seniors, it is events like this one thateveryone should partake in so that they can gettogether with other seniors and share good times andenjoy each other’s company.

Here the top three winners of the Easter EggHunt: 1st Place – Angelita Estrada, 2nd Place – MaryKelly, and 3rd Place – Louise Motlow. MaggieOsceola of Hollywood won the Grand Door Prize thatconsisted of a beautiful white satin patchwork jacket.

There are many more events planned for theupcoming months, so look at your notice board at theHot Meals building for future events.By Elrod Bowers

HOLLYWOOD—On April 12, both theTribal Council and the Board of Directors met todiscuss Tribal issues.

The day kicked off with a special Councilmeeting. The Councilapproved the employ-ment contracts forEdward Jenkins andJames F. Allen, whoare slated to overhaulthe Seminole GamingDepartment.

According toRoss Holzman of theLegal Department,Jenkins will “run the[Gaming] Departmentand help to reorganize

it and Tribal gaming.”Holzman noted that Jenkins had a back-

ground in investigations, casinos and backgroundinvestigations, as well as former FBI experience.

Allen had originally been hired by the

By Janice BillieBIG CYPRESS — The blazing sun and

Florida’s well known humidity did not keep the cow-boys, cowgirls and visitors down on the farm. Theycame to Big Cypress to ride the trail from the reser-vation’s West Boundary Road to the Junior CypressRodeo and Entertainment Complex at the easternend of the community.

Over 150 participants took to the saddle toremember Junior Cypress and the other Seminolecowboys who pioneered the Seminole Tribe CattleProgram in the 1930’s.

It is the hope of the Tribe’s present day cat-tlemen that the hard work and dedication of men likeJunior Cypress, Morgan Smith, Barfield Johns,Jimmy Cypress, Johnson Billie, Albert Billie, WillieFrank and Lilly Fewell will never be forgotten.

It was these cowboys, along with LittleTigertail, Junior Buster, Billy Johns, Frank Billie andothers that worked towards developing what hasbecome one of the largest cattle operations in thestate of Florida.

Board of Directors President MitchellCypress, Big Cypress Board of Directors

Representative Paul Bowers, Sr., Assistant NaturalResource Director Richard Bowers, and MosesJumper, Jr., put their time and hearts into establish-ing and furthering this event.

It is a memorial drive for the cattlemen whoare no longer with us and a tribute to those still liv-ing.

Junior Cypress was the foreman for the BigCypress Cattle Program for over 30 years who alsoworked as a cowhand for the neighboring McDanielRanch in his teenage days. His contribution and life-

By Alexandra FrankBIG CYPRESS — When I first meet Mr.

Howell at the B.C. hangar on April 12, the firstimpression I got was of a busy, serious man. By theend of the interview, I had a new view of Mr. Howell:the busy, serious man has a sense of humor and isdown to earth.

Mr. Howell is 63 years old and recentlypassed his physical with an A, he alsopassed his Flight Safety Recurrence inMarch. Howell is originally fromNorth Carolina, where he lived untilhe joined the military when he turned18.

He served 20 years in theU.S. Army, and spent at least 14 yearsas a pilot. Howell flew both helicop-ters and F-16 fighter jets, he spent twotours in Vietnam, where he saw com-bat. Howell won a few air confronta-tions and received gold medals andPurple Hearts during his time.

He also received a SilverStar, a Bronze Star and the distin-guished Iron Cross. He retired fromthe military in 1976, and started work-ing for Gulfstream, which was locatedin Savannah at that time. He was atest pilot and flew G-1’s, G-2’s, andG-3’s.

Mr. Howell worked atGulfstream until 1983, then heworked at a private company, the

International Brotherhood of Teamsters. They hadgotten out of the airplane business and had sold theirplanes in 1982, which meant they did not need anypilots.

Mr. Howell then went to Europe, where heworked for over eight years in the country ofLuxembourg in an international operation where he

By Ernie TigerHOLLYWOOD — Mercedes Osceola,

daughter of Seminole Ambassador Joe DanOsceola and Virginia Osceola, was selected to theelite All-Broward County Girls’ Basketball Team.

Chosen by coaches of the 1A-3A Divisionbasketball, she was named All-County 1st Team inBroward. She was also selected for honorable men-tion for All-State team.

Osceola was a five year starter and fiveyear Most Valuable Player for Sheridan Hills. Shewas also voted as Most Valuable Player in theConference for five consecutive years and wasnamed captain for the Sheridan Hills Sharks thispast year.

Mercedes, who is finishing her final yearat Sheridan Hills, has led a very interesting careerwhile playing basketball for the Sharks at theGuard and Forward positions. She maintained anaverage of 15.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

This year, she helped her team compile a17-9 record before losing in the DistrictTournament. She ended her career with 41 3-point-ers and finishing her average at 18 points. Off thecourt, she served as the vice-president of theNational Honor Society and was featured in the“Who’s Who in American High Schools.”

“We’re more than overwhelmed to see ourdaughter accomplish this goal. She just sets hermind to something and she has always excelled inwhatever sport she takes up,” said proud mother,Virginia Osceola.

This was not the first time Mercedes hasmade headlines in the local newspapers. She alsocompeted in the State High School Cross Meet,where she placed 28th out of 158 participants.

Also, she has spent a great deal of time ingiving back to her community, she was named Jr.Miss Seminole from 1999-2000 and is the currentreigning Miss Seminole Indian Princess 2001-2002.

Each year, one female Tribal member isselected after three grueling days of interviews anddinners where the judges critique their everymoment from beginning to end.

The judges then pick one individual torepresent the Seminole Tribe, among other respon-sibilities, where she spends time educating youthand others on Seminole heritage to help preservethe traditional culture for the future.

Osceola’s future goals are to attend col-lege for pre-law. She plans to earn a law degree.

6th Annual Junior Cypress Cattle Drive

Seniors Observe Easter at Miccosukee Reservation

See Cattle, page 12

Mercedes Osceola NamedTo All-County Team

Robert Kippenberger

Less Howell: Aviation Director At Your Service

Doubleheader:Board, CouncilMeetings

Less Howell, Aviation Director and a muscle car he’s building fromscratch.

See Profile, page 2

See Meeting, page 10

flew all over the world.He has logged over 17,000 hours

of flying, in the Gulfstream he has about11,000 hours. He became acquainted withthe Seminole Tribe when Virgil Wolf con-tacted him. Howell had gone into semi-retirement because he was tired of work-ing in Europe.

He returned to the United Statesto have a back operation, which wentwell. He was back in the consultant busi-ness when Virgil Wolf called on him.Wolf asked Howell if he would not mindworking with the Seminole Tribe.

Mr. Howell at first did not wantto do much work, he just wanted to doconsulting work for awhile and go backhome. Currently, his wife lives inRedondo Beach, CA. She is the headnurse at orthopedics at UCLA and still hasa few years before she retirees.

Mr. Howell does not care to livein California, he wants to see the sun inthe morning and Florida is the right spotfor that. He re-married his current wife inDecember of 1999. This is his secondmarriage, and the relationship is great, heis looking forward to her moving here.

Mr. Howell said that his wife hadshown an interest in volunteering her timetowards a nursing school. She’s aRegistered Nurse and has a BA inBusiness Administration, she is lookingforward to volunteer work.

He meet his wife in Italy in1995, they dated until 1999, and then tookthe “big step”. He feels he has lucked outin this area in his life.

As for working for the Tribe, hehas found it to be interesting, he startedworking here under the management ofVirgil Wolf back in September of lastyear. He worked under Wolf untilNovember and then he was approached byTribal Counsel Jim Shore to take the joband Howell agreed to do so.

Mr. Howell’s main objective is toput everything into perspective, whether itbe with finances, that all the out-flightsare accounted for, or that in-house mainte-nance procedures are followed instead ofhaving to get outside help for every littlething.

Mr. Howell wants self-contain-ment in the maintenance field, and also inthe flying field, rather than bringing peo-ple in. So far its working out well. Atfirst, there have been some ooh’s andaah’s, but what they are doing there seemsto be working out very well.

The airplane has remained up todate, they were a little bit behind before,but now they have caught up.

Currently, there are 4 other pilotsbesides Mr. Howell, at least one fire pilotfor the Forest Fire Prevention, one dis-patcher, Pedro Musaka, and two othermechanics. One is a pilot who also main-tains the planes, and the other maintainsthe helicopter.

The operation has been in effectfor about 11 years. It is a nice operation, avery clean operation and hopefully theycan serve the people of the Tribe the bestway possible. Mr. Howell wants to keepup the four-star services as well, provid-ing a service extended to all Tribal citi-zens within the guidelines set.

Mr. Howell stated it well, “thereason we are here is because you arehere.” He does not want to go on thepremise that they are still around anduntouchable. He has stressed the thingsthat were mentioned before that the equip-ment they have is Tribally-owned andshould be used for Tribal purposes only.

Mr. Howell mentioned that theremany opportunities that can be extended,such as programs to teach Tribal citizens,such as teens interested in flying, the

basics to obtain a license. They can eventeach adults, both men and women, howto fly. In the aviation industry, there arewomen now flying commercial jets.

Mr. Howell asked the question,“why can’t it be a Tribal citizen?” If aTribal citizen has an interest in flying,there are seats up front, come out and fly.

They do not have enough of aprogram to say they have a trainingschool, but it isn’t that far-fetched. Theydo not have the staff to offer a programlike a training school, but if someonewere to put a training school on the agen-da, they could have a program for Tribalcitizens.

If there are high school studentswho are serious about taking flying les-sons and progress to a career in aviation,they can offer a program to get theminterested in all aspects of aviation. Thisis how you build interest in a personabout flying. Anything is possible, noth-ing is farfetched.

Mr. Howell took the time toexplain the new guidelines that wererecently placed on the AviationDepartment. All Tribal citizens who wantto schedule a trip have to go through theTribal Councilman on their respectivereservation. Executive Administrator KenFields, of the Operations and Complianceoffice, will finalize the trips.

Mr. Howell stresses a profession-al atmosphere within his program andwants all his employees to be courteoustowards Tribal citizens in all aspects ofservice from the Aviation Department. Ifsomeone is not up to par, Mr. Howellwould like to be the first to know about it.

A car buff, Howell also spoke ofa program he would like to foster in thenear future. The program would beextended towards individuals who have aliking for “muscle cars”. The programwill be headed under the guidance ofHowell and George Grasshopper.

I thanked Mr. Howell for histime and hope that you, the reader, havegained some insight into the AviationDepartment and its newest member to theTribal employee circle. I would like toextend a belated “welcome” to Mr.Howell and I hope he stays a part of theTribal circle for some time.

Letters & E-mail6300 Stirling Rd. Hollywood. FL 33024 tribune@semtribe.com

The Seminole Tribune 2 April 26, 2002

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© Seminole Tribe of Florida

SeminoleTribune

Editor-in-Chief: Virginia Mitchell

Editor: Elrod Bowers

Designers: Stephen Galla, Melissa Sherman

Reporters: Alexandra Frank

Archivist: Ernie Tiger

Contributors: Janice Billie, Marlin J. Billie,

Lucy Evanicki, Michael James,

Bob Kippenberger (Photos),

Nery Mejicano, Robin Osceola,

Gary Padgett, Benny Secody, Patsy West,

Dr. Patricia R. Wickman

Cartoonist: Brian Vavra

What a great web site. I wasdoing research on The Cultures ofImmokalee and came across your website. Very informative and colorful. I willadd it to my list of resources.

Lucy Ortiz in Immokaleesoylcsw@msn.com

Dear Editor:Is there a way for non-Native

Americans to help or support to maintainSeminole and Miccosukee culture andsovereignty? I would like to contributetime, effort, and a voice to support ourFirst Americans in Florida on their ownterms and was wondering how I couldhelp. Please let me know.

Thanks,Roger Geertz Gonzalezrgeertz@aol.com

* Dr. Dean ChaversThe scariest night I ever spent was in the belly of a B-52

over South Vietnam. Because of it, my pilot got a reprimand, SACheadquarters sent a team of investigators from Omaha, Nebraskato look into the incident, and our whole crew was punished for therest of our six-month tour.

It happened on my first tour overseas in 1966. Mysquadron from Turner Air Force Base was in the third group of B-52 squadrons sent to Andersen AFB, Guam for a tour of sixmonths.

I had stood on the sidewalk at Mather AFB in 1965 andwatched the first squadron leave on the first tour. The sight ofevery plane on the base leaving one after the other scared all of us.We were in bombardier school at Mather at the time. We thoughtit was the beginning of World War III.

But we learned before the end of the day crews had got-ten their orders the day before. They were told to go home andpack enough clothes for 30 days and be back at the briefing roomat 5:00 the next morning.

They had no idea where they were going. PresidentJohnson had decided to bomb the Viet Cong back to the StoneAge. They sent two squadrons of B-52s to Andersen for sixmonths. They were followed by two other squadrons for sixmonths. Then it was our turn.

We went in 1966. Since our pilot, Dale Christian, was aLead Pilot (the second highest rank), we were assigned to be lead-ers of the second cell.

Normally 15 crews would fly out of Andersen every dayin five cells of three aircraft each. So the leader of the second cellwas in effect the second in command. Our bombardier, TomJohnson, was a super aviator, as was Joe Mobry, the co-pilot. Dalehad been a Stand Board pilot (the top rank) in B-47s before he wastransferred to B-52s.

In that capacity, he had to evaluate the other pilots on hisbase once a year. W e could see the stars on his shoulders in thefuture. We could even see four stars, and the top position as the topgeneral in the Air Force—Chief of Staff. Dale was that good.

Before Easter of 1966 we had been checked out and wereflying 12-hour missions every other day. On this particular night,the day before Easter, we were going to fly for the first time intoNorth Viet Nam.

The area around Hanoi and Haiphong was the most heav-ily defended piece of real estate in the history of the world. Everyfarmer, we were told, had a shotgun armed with slugs that couldknock an aircraft out of the sky if it hit a fuel tank.

We flew north, dropped our bombs on a heading of 350degrees, and made a left turn of 180 degrees and headed south. Assoon as we rolled out of the turn, Bill Grissom, our tail gunner,called out over the intercom, “Pilot, we have a fighter at sixo’clock.”

Everybody tensed up, to say the least. “How far back ishe, Gun?” Dale asked.

“He’s about a hundred yards,” Bill responded.“Hang on, crew,” Dale said. “Tighten up your lap belts

and harnesses.”Dale firewalled the engines and nosed over and made a

sharp left turn. The old B-52 screamed as it went from Mach .77to about Mach .88—the fastest that airplane had ever been, I bet.We dropped from 35,000 feet to 33,000 in a matter of a few sec-onds.

Dale asked Bill, “Where is he, Gun?”Bill said, “He’s sticking right with us, he’s still in the

same position.”Dale then went into a climbing right turn, still with the

throttles to the firewall. He topped out at 37,000 feet. The fighterstayed right with us. It was no match.

A fighter is very nimble compared to the B-52. A B-52needs 18 miles to turn around and go back the other way. It takesa lot of sky to fly a B-52.

The fighter, on the other hand, can turn around in six oreight miles. In a contest of maneuverability, the fighter wins with-out trying.

It was about 3:00 in the morning, and pitch black outside.Bill could not see a thing except stars, planets, the moon, and theexhaust of the fighter.

Dale did three maneuvers trying to get away from thefighter, turning, diving, and climbing. At the end of the thirdmaneuver, he asked Bill, “Where is he now, Gun?”

“He’s right in the same position,” Bill answered. I wasready to bail out any time.

We thought the fighter was a MIG-21 or MIG-23. The 21was awesome, and we knew the North Vietnamese had them. Wealso knew they had some 23s as well.

The 23 was even more awesome than the 21. It could out-climb, outmaneuver, and outrun anything the U.S. had at thatpoint. Its top speed was Mach 3.0 or higher—over 2,00 miles anhour. We were scared of it.

“Fire a warning burst at him, Gun.”“Yes, sir,” Bill answered. He pointed his four 50-caliber

guns down and fired them for a few seconds. They lit up the nightsky like a torch. The fighter dived, backed away, and we lost him.He never fired at us.

But he climbed back into the next cell and played withthem for awhile.

When we got back to base, the two-star general wasgoing to give Dale a court martial. It turned out the one of the spe-cial instructions they gave us was a directive saying that only thethird aircraft in a cell could fire if under attack. We had clearlyviolated that directive. But nobody remembered it when the fight-er caught us.

The briefers had gone out of their way to tell us about thefighters, the interceptors and the missiles that the NorthVietnamese could fire at us. All of us had pictures in our minds ofsome MIG-23 coming down from Hanoi at treetop level, gettingunder us, then turning on the afterburner and reaching us unde-tected in less than a minute. If that happened we would be sittingducks.

Dale got off with a reprimand, and never had to go totrial. But the reprimand definitely hurt his chances of higher rank.

One of the other crew members said something abouthaving urinated in his flight suit. Another smart aleck said “That’snothing, I crapped in mine.”

Since the whole thing was taped, the investigators fromSAC headquarters had a field day with the tape. But they neverdetermined who said what.

We all got punished. Instead of being the lead aircraft inthe second cell, the general stuck us for the next four and a halfmonths into the position of the last aircraft in the last cell. Thatwas the worst place to be. It was like a little puppy trying to fol-low a bunch of big dogs around.

Dale took his reprimand as best he could. He flew B-52sfor another few years, then got transferred to South America as anAir Attache in the U.S. The rest of us crew members only sufferedfrom fright.

— Dr. Chavers is Director of Catching the Dream, anational scholarship program for Native students. He can bereached at Nscholarsh@aol.com.

My Scariest Night

ProfileContinued from page 1

* Virginia MitchellNo matter what you’ve experienced, when you are in

the wrong there is always someone who will give you advice andhope. Even as an adult, when anyone takes the initiative to com-ment on what you did, take the courtesy to listen.

Maybe an uncle, aunt or even grandfather has spokenwith you to take better precautions and beware of the outcomethat might have occurred. I’ve even seen an older man, beingaddressed by an individual that might not even be older than he,being disciplined.

Never be hasty in evaluating someone because of his orher age, they may have experienced more than you know. Then,after your lecture, you should spontaneously end with an “ok”and accept the suggestion given to you. Remaining as fearless aswhen you had your little episode.

This type of disciplinary procedure has always beenperformed amongst our tribal people for years on end. It wasnever considered being nosey or prying for one to give advice toanother.

Most of the time, this was done out of consideration forone another, to correct as you went further in life. Not as a formof criticism, so you would be able to listen, swallow and acceptthe recommendation. And not to judge whomever is giving youtheir opinion.

Nowadays, you see many overreact and go off the han-dle, many being hypocritical in their reaction.

“Who do you think you are, telling me what to do!”“You’re not a real good example” and “I don’t have to listen toyou!” are but a few words exchanged when confronted.

This is not the type of behavior you should be actingout; this type of behavior is not very respectful to you or the one

speaking with you. We all would like to be respected one way oranother, so show respect and you will receive it.

Then, as time rolls on, and you are given enoughrespect to have someone care enough to give you good advice,you will feel more certainty within yourself.

After all, when you treat someone as you would like tobe treated, the positive meaning will always prevail. You thenwill recognize more of us communicating better and willing tohelp each other in any type of situation.

Child, teen or adult, they all can be given the same typeof consideration when being spoken to. For the love of your ownfamily, clan or in-laws, you must be sincere when approachingindividuals.

Sometimes, the younger ones can grasp faster than anolder person can, but thank God, someone is grasping. Many ofus will continue to get our message across to others, so they toomay nurture from all the attempts given.

The consistency of your attempts to get messagesthrough to an individual shows that you care for them, althoughmany times you’re treated as if you just gave them the plague.

Sure, there are those who are so consumed with them-selves that they can’t get their heads out of the smoke. For those,we will continue to pray for and will again attempt to approachin another manner.

Some changes or habits are quite hard to break, butthere comes a time when we all need that extra attention to helpalong the way. In your haste, don’t condemn those only trying tohelp. One day, that help may not be there when you really wantit!

Peace will prevail, let’s not give up on it or each other.Peace

We All Want To Be Respected

Don t ForgetMother s Day

May 12!

Attention!On Jan. 1, 2002, the sub-

scription rate for The SeminoleTribune increased to $30 a year.Order or renew your subscriptionnow! Make checks payable to TheSeminole Tribune, 6300 StirlingRd., Hollywood, FL, 33024.

Waachate’ ennetage eloochches temaachah — Don’t forget Mother’s Day!

By Alexandra FrankFORT LAUDERDALE—The Radisson

Bahia Mar Beach Resort served as the site for theFirst Annual All Things Are Connected a confer-ence dealing with issues arising from AmericanIndian and Alaskan Native HIV/AIDS andSubstance Abuse.

The purpose of the conference is to dis-cover and to put into effect ways to better guidethe rising number of native people infected withHIV/AIDS or overburdened by substance abuse.

The conference is also a step in armingthe present health care environment and healthprofessionals with the knowledge of the scientificfacts of HIV/AIDS infections and substance abuse.

The goal is to improve health care prac-tices towards American Indians and AlaskanNatives with the information blended in with anunderstanding of their tribal cultural issues.

The main focus of the conference is toserve as a forum for health care professionals andcaregivers and to highlight how science, technolo-gy, and culture can work in unity to provide a pos-itive impact in controlling HIV/AIDS and sub-stance abuse.

The conference also provides an ideal

forum to discuss and debate issues with some ofthe best and the brightest from the medical, social,behavioral, and cultural communities.

The structure of the agenda is to createthought provoking plenary sessions, interdiscipli-nary workshops, and informal gatherings that offera chance for both educational and interactive expe-riences.

Attendees of the conference spent 2 daysin plenary sessions, Question and AnswerSessions, and Breakout Sessions.

On April 11th, the first evening of theconference an awards dinner was hosted on theBahia Mar property. The conferences planning

committee held the dinner to honor sponsors of theconference.

There were 10 sponsors of the conferencethey are: Health Resources and ServicesAdministration, University of Florida, FloridaInternational University, National Library ofMedicine, Seminole Tribe, Miccosukee Tribe,North Broward Hospital District, Focus HealthcareAt High Point, Baptist Health Systems of SouthFlorida and Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

President/Acting Chairman MitchellCypress was on hand to extend a welcome remarkto the conference attendees. Cypress hoped thateveryone was enjoying themselves here in Floridaand congratulated them on the work they are par-ticipating in that will be a positive influencetowards native peoples health and their communi-ties.

Mr. Cypress was given a certificatemounted on a plaque in honor of the SeminoleTribes sponsorship towards the conference. Theplanning committee also honored numerous indi-viduals who have sacrificed time and energy tobring to their communities solutions toHIV/AIDS and substance abuse problems.

The evening also showcased a nativedance and drumgroup. The WilliamCypress Dance andDrum Group consistsof 5 Native Americandancers performingdance and music rep-resenting pow wowcompetition dancing.

The confer-ence the first of itskind will most likelybecome a positiveforce in the on com-ing crisis ofHIV/AIDS and sub-stance abuse inNative American life.With only 2.5 millionnatives in the U.S. asof the year 2000, theproblems ofHIV/AIDS and sub-stance abuse couldprove to be detrimen-tal to the future ofnative peoples.

With theefforts being made towards native people’s healthcare, these professionals working to obtain andincrease their knowledge of fusing together scien-tific facts, technology and culture, to improvehealth care practices for American Indian andAlaskan Natives affected by HIV/AIDS and sub-stance abuse.

Many of these native peoples will have afighting chance to obtain and live as normal a lifeas possible. This type of conference will also with-out a doubt increase awareness of the devastatingeffects of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse fortoday’s generations and for the future generationsof tomorrow.

By Alexandra FrankHOLLYWOOD—On Mar.

21, family and friends of Dan andLeoda Osceola gathered at the HotMeals building to help celebrate thecouple’s union of 50 years.

When the couple arrived,everyone present stood up and gavea round of applause to the surprisedguests of honor. Their eldest daugh-ter, Vivian Delgado, welcomedeveryone and thanked them for com-ing out to help celebrate the specialevent.

Vivian said that if anyonehad any words of congratulations,they were more than welcome tocome up and share them with every-one present.

At this time, Max OsceolaJr., nephew of Dan and Leoda, spokeabout the couple. He remarked that,when he was younger, he thought 50years was a long time but, since heis fifty-one, now he feels it is not solong.

Max said that the dinner tocelebrate Dan and Leoda’s anniver-sary said a lot. It shows that they arestrong in family and this helps tomake the tribe and other familieswithin the tribe strong.

He thanked everyone forcoming to the dinner and remarkedthat it is good to see everyone comeout to celebrate this special event.Max also said the two still look like

their photos of their wedding dayand remarked, “it is not how old youare, but how young you feel.”

He commented on the factthat they have grandchildren and thisevening is a result of love and workthat stays together.

David Dehass also shared afew words with the couple and theguests. Dehass said that 50 years is along time, and it shows the strengthof their marriage and family. Hecongratulated the couple on thisaccomplishment in their lives.

The next speaker was LauraMae Osceola, who was once Dan’ssister-in-law. Laura claimed that theromance started at her house. Leodawould come over to watch her son,Max Jr., who at the time was oneyear old. Dan would come by tovisit his brother, Max Sr.

This, she believes, was thestart of couple’s courtship. Soon, therelationship blossomed and eventu-ally led to marriage. They still con-tinued to watch Max Jr., until theystarted their own family.

Laura is glad to still bearound to help celebrate theiranniversary. She remarked that 50years is a long time to stay together,but they did and it was worth it.

Carol Crenshaw also con-gratulated the couple’s long lastingunion. Crenshaw said that she doesnot remember the couple’s courtship,

but she does remember theirpresence at the Baptist Churchfor many years.

Their belief in God and histeachings have seen the couplethrough both good and bad timesin their relationship. Many of thespeakers commented that theirChristian beliefs have given themstrength to be a strong family.

Dan thanked everyone forcoming out to celebrate the spe-cial evening. He said that mar-riage is a lot of work and under-standing, and couples must havethe will and strength to face any-thing that comes their way inlife.

Dan thanked God for pro-viding all the important ingredi-ents the years he and Leoda havebeen together. Communicationwas another important factor intheir lasting relationship. He alsoremarked that having a strongfamily was very helpful.

Leoda stood up and spokeabout the institution of marriage.She said that many people toldher “you have to work at a mar-riage.” She agreed, and said thateven if you get mad at each otheryou can’t say, “Oh, I’m leavingand I’m not coming back.”

“You can’t do that, I foundthat out,” said Leoda.

She said that couples haveto work out their problems, andquoted a verse from the weddingvows.

“For better or for worse,you have to believe in that.”

This was what Leoda hadbeen thinking about on this specialday. She commented on her hus-band’s strength at not getting angrywhen she said something out ofanger and was thankful to be withhim on this special night.

The evening was both ahumorous and inspiring look at acouple that has weathered hardshipsand enjoyed good times. They havebeen blessed with 5 children, 10grandchildren and 1 great-grand-child.

The gifts and cards theyopened, with the help of Vivian,Chuckie and Jackie, were both heart-felt and touching. The evening was atestimony to their strong familybond and closeness with the commu-nity and other Tribal members.

I want to congratulate bothDan and Leoda on their fiftieth yeartogether as a couple. I hope theyhave many more years and goodtimes to share, not only with theirfamily and friends, but with every-one who is fortunate enough to meetthis special couple.

The Seminole Tribune 3 April 26, 2002

Community News v

All Things Are Connected

GOLF TOURNAMENT

MONDAY MAY 27

ORANGEBROOK GOLF AND

COUNTRY CLUB

REGISTER BEFORE 8 A.M.

SHOOT: 8:15 A.M.

$20.00 ENTRY FEE

BUFFET SERVED DURING

AWARDS CEREMONY

POOL

8- BALL SINGLES

HOLLYWOOD DOG TRACK

FRIDAY MAY 24

REGISTRATION: 10 - 11:30 A.M.

SHOOT: 12:00 P.M.

$10.00 ENTRY FEE

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S DIVISION

8-BALL TEAMS-4 PERSONS

HOLLYWOOD DOG TRACK

SATURDAY MAY 25

REGISTRATION: 10 - 11:30 A.M.

SHOOT: 12:00 P.M.

$40.00 ENTRY FEE

SUNDAY MAY 26

9-BALL SINGLES

REGISTRATION: 12 - 1 P.M.

SHOOT: 1:30 P.M.

$10.00 ENTRY FEE

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S DIVISION

RODEO

HOLLYWOOD

TRIBAL FAIR-

GROUNDS

SUNDAY MAY 26

FREE

3RD ANNUALBOWLING

TOURNAMENT

MAY 24 - 27HOLIDAY BOWLING

CENTER

Mail entries no later than May 15, 2002.

Early entries will be given first, sec-

ond, or third choice of squad times. All

hand carried entries received one hour

prior to squad times will be accepted,

provided space is available.

No entry will be accepted unless

accompanied by total fee. Entries must

have complete addresses and tele-

phone numbers. Make cashiers check

or money order payable to: Seminole

Tribe of Florida

Bowling Tournament

No personal checks accepted. For

more information, contact: Jack

Gorton at Big Cypress Recreation

(863) 983- 9659.

THURSDAYMAY 23

HOLLYWOODDOG TRACK3RD FLOOR

7-9 P.M.EVERYONE WELCOME TO ATTEND

DINNER AND BEVERAGE SERVED

ALL PARTICIPANTS INVITED TO THE OPENING RECEPTION

Dan And Leoda OsceolaCelebrate 50th Anniversary

Dan and Leoda are all smiles as they get ready to cut the cake and open gifts.

Mitchell Cypress accepts an award from John Lowe for helping to sponsorthe All Things are Connected conference.

For More Information, visit: http://www.seminoletribe.com/calendar/sports/index.html

Alexandra Frank

Alexandra Frank

The Seminole Tribune 4 April 26, 2002

Health and Education v

By Kenny BayonFunny ... here I am writing about

“sleep deprivation” on a beautiful sunny after-noon and all I’m thinking about is turning outthe lights and plopping into bed. Of course, Ihave only myself to blame for staying up lastnight until 2:00 a.m., then forcing myself out ofbed at 6:00 a.m. this morning for a long gruel-ing work week. I’m zonked, but I’m not alone.

According to Dr. Leonard Cosmo ofSleep Disorders Consultants in Tampa, sleepdeprivation is the most common cause of day-time drowsiness in the U.S.

We’re not talking about the aftermathof a night full of tossing and turning or count-ing sheep. The topic here is the voluntary neg-lect of the body’s need for shuteye, somethingmany of us ignore all too often in our constantquest to balance work, play and home life(sound familiar, casino workers?)

Ironically, although we tend to respectsleep no more than the speed limit, it’s proba-bly the integral ingredient for maximum pro-ductivity.

“I think the problem is a lot of peoplesee sleep as the obligatory end of the day, and[that] it’s a nuisance,” says Nick Hall, directorof the wellness center at Tampa’s SaddlebrookResort.

“People have to do view it as theessential beginning of the day because theamount of quality sleep you get is going to setthe stage for how the entire next 12 hours isgoing to be.”

WHY SLEEP? Although no one iscertain why we need sleep, it appears to be cru-cial for physical and psychological restoration.

During sleep, most physiological func-tions such as body temperature, blood pressureand breathing rate decrease. Growth hormone issecreted and memory is consolidated.

Lack of sleep has been linked to anxi-ety and irritability; immune system and hor-monal problems; and an impaired ability to per-form tasks involving memory, concentrationand quick reflexes.

Drowsiness can also lead to more trag-ic consequences: The National Highway TrafficSafety Administration has estimated that morethan 200,000 fatigue-related auto accidentsoccur in the U.S. each year.

“In the majority of jobs you can func-tion on three cylinders instead of four and getaway with it,” Hall states. “If you are an airtraffic control tower worker, a race-car driver, apilot, you can’t, and the degree of consequencewill vary depending on the task that you’redealing with.”

Even if a job itself isn’t too challeng-ing, lack of sleep and/or late-night work canplay havoc with the body’s circadian rhythms.Studies indicate that 62% of shift workers havesleep/wake disturbances, compared with the20% of daytime workers. They often live withchronic fatigue and moodiness.

For most people, energy peaks in themorning, then dips and rises throughout theday, followed by a 24-hour low at about 4 a.m.(Hint: Turn off ESPN and go to bed!)

Everyone, however, has varying bio-logical needs. Some people function fine on justfour hours a night (lucky people!), while othersrequire at least a third of the day for optimalperformance. A good measure of your needs ishowever long it takes to wake up naturally –without an alarm clock – and feel refreshed.

Quality, not quantity, is the key to asolid night’s sleep, according to Herb Hamilton,director of the Wellness and Fitness Institute inTampa.

“If you slept 12 hours with the TV onor racket going on, your quality of sleep is notas good as someone who slept with no racketon deep in a darkened room for six hours,” saidHamilton. “You have to get down deep toscrape the barnacles off your head.”

HELPFUL PRACTICES Improveyour sleep schedule with these healthy habits:

*Go to bed and rise at the same timeeach day (even on the weekends, if possible).

*Sleep in a darkened, quiet room. Turnoff lights, radio, TV, phone and answeringmachine (volume only, of course). Use eyeshades or blackout curtains if necessary.

*Keep the bedroom as cool as possible— a decline in body temperature is critical torestful sleep.

*Synchronize your internal clock withthe external world by sleeping mainly duringdark hours.

*If needed, take a short (30 to 40 min-utes) afternoon nap or meditative session.

*Don’t hit the snooze button and goback to sleep; quality sleep has already beeninterrupted.

*Avoid caffeine, alcohol and/or med-ication late at night. “Alcohol gives you greatsleep the first half of the night and very badsleep the second half of the night,” says Cosmo.

*Also, try not to eat much before bed-time because food causes the body’s metabolicrate, temperature and energy level to rise.

*Exercise should promote relaxationand reduce stress, which will always help yousleep better. “People who work out generallyfall asleep faster,” Hall attests, “and becausethey get a better quality of sleep they will oftenget by with less.”

*If deprived during the week, sleep alittle extra on Saturday and Sunday. “You’regoing to have to catch up eventually,” Hallexplains. “It’s just a question of whether you doit on your terms, setting aside the weekend todo it, or whether your body does it on its termsand slaps you in bed with a virus.”

*Relax before bedtime. Try reading,listening to soft music, taking a hot bath, ormeditation. The best advice of all might comefrom Hall, who preaches, “You basically haveto use your body as a laboratory and experi-ment and find out what works best for you.”

*Fitness trainer Darren Liebman con-tributed to this article

By Janice BillieBIG CYPRESS — The Health

and Fitness Celebration is an annualevent organized and presented by theSeminole Tribe Health Department toimpart the positive aspects and benefitsof living a healthy lifestyle.

This year, the event was com-bined with the celebration of SeminoleTribe Board of Directors President/ViceChairman, Mitchell Cypress’ birthday. Acommitted fitness buff and great support-er of health and positive lifestyle pro-grams, Mitchell has adopted the habitsand changes taught by the health and fit-ness community.

The celebration was held at theBig Cypress Senior Center on the morn-ing of April 2. There was a standingroom only for the gathering of communi-ty members, Seminole Tribe officials,employees, and a diverse group of invit-ed guests.

The décor in the large banquetstyle room was tastefully festive. PaulBuster and his band provided theirunique mix of swamp melody andtwang.

In the foyer of the SeniorCenter, the Seminole Tribe HealthDepartment had what resembled afarmer’s market fruit and vegetablestand.

The “stand” contained productsthat were given away to all guests inhandsome commemorative bags that dis-played nutritional information on fiber,fruits, vegetables and low fat products.There were descriptions of each food orproduct and why they are healthy.

The gift bags included yams,oranges, bananas, carrots, spinach,Splenda, Kellogg’s Complete wheatflakes, Baked Lays and Fruit Spread.Splenda is a wonderful new sugar freesweetener, similar to Equal, but all-natu-ral.

Some of the products and theirhealth benefits that were on display, butnot included in the bag were Eggbeaters,Benecol, and skim milk. All these tastyand healthy products can be found atyour local grocer.

The health educators wanteveryone to know eating well is not onlygood for you, it can be enjoyable. At thecelebration, a section of the room wasset aside for seniors to receive new walk-ing shoes. Many were fitted that day andmany received shoes that had been previ-ously fitted.

The goal of this celebration is toempower each person to become the ulti-mate decision-maker, with respects totheir health. Making lifestyle changes,one choice at a time, can improve orresolve many health issues.

The Health and Fitness

Celebration included Mitchell’s birthdaybecause he personifies the transforma-tion of someone who has taken healtheducation to heart. He was featured inHealth For Native Life, a magazine tohelp Native Americans prevent and man-age diabetes, because of his commitmentto a healthy life.

As a person in recovery, hemakes the decision every day to stayclean, takes all his medications, worksout at least every other day and knows to

keep medical appoint-ments.

In addition tokeeping his appoint-ments, Cypress moni-tors his progress andstays on task. He haslowered his choles-terol, triglycerides, andsugar to well withinthe acceptable range.

Mitchell hasnot only set an exam-ple for many others inthe Tribe to follow, hegenerously supportsthe Seminole HealthDepartment’s programsand events like thecommunity weight lostcontests, walk/runevents and the DiabeticDays and Conference.

This year’sfete got underway withopening prayer byReverend SalaawHummingbird.

Welcomingremarks weregiven by theevent’s hostess,Health DirectorConnie Whidden.

SheinvitedCouncilmen MaxOsceola, Jr., JohnWayne Huff andDavid Cypress tosay a few words. They were all infestive spirits, each wishedMitchell a happy birthday andribbed him about making the 55year mark to become an officialSeminole Senior.

“Now you can get thatsenior money, go on trips and getfree hot meals,” joked John Wayne.

After a blessing byReverend Hummingbird, lunch wasserved up. Prepared and served byJoyce Catering of Pompano Beach,the meal was simple in selection

but extravagant in taste. Huge steaks, herbed chicken,

seasoned mashed potatoes, carrots andgreen beans with almonds left nothing tobe desired. Of course, the dessert wasbirthday cake. Owner, Joyce Friedmanand manager, Denise Mercer of JoyceCatering worked very hard to make theirend of the event successful.

After lunch, a succession ofspeakers came up to wish Cypress welland offer words of tribute and thanks.

Among the many that spokewere Immokalee Council RepresentativeElaine Aguilar, Sally Tommie, HeleneBuster, Michelle Thomas, Mary Bowers,Betty Mae Jumper, Agnes Motlow, JoeOsceola Sr., Sadie Cypress and NancyMotlow. Also in attendance with warmwishes were Dr. Van Gelder, Les Brown,Sandi Selner and Hendry CountyCommissioner Bill Maddox.

After an amazing impersonationof Marilyn Monroe singing “HappyBirthday Mr. President,” Sally Tommiepresented Mitchell with a framed seriesof portraits of him during significantmoments of his life. There were gradeschool, high school graduation, enlist-ment, and Color Guard portraits in thebeautiful composition.

Clearly moved by the outpour-ing of accolades and admiration,Mitchell thanked everyone for comingand turned his attention to the many giftspresented to him by family and friends.The program concluded as the guestsreceived their health food bags andMitchell opened his gifts.

Never Enough:Sleep Deprivation

By Alexandra FrankOver the course of four days, five Seminole

students, along with two invited students, spent theirSpring Break visiting two prestigious Florida universi-ties.

The University of Florida (located inGainesville) and Florida State University (located inTallahassee) were the two main destinations of theSpring Break trip. Louise Gopher, Brighton EducationCounselor, organized the trip.

The trip, which Gopher plans every other year,is a way for high school students to gain an interest inhigher education. These universities offer a chance foryoung adults to grow academically and socially.

On April 1 the students took a tour of theUniversity of Florida. The tour began in the Admissionsoffice, where they watched a 12-minute film that high-lighted the university’s history, facility, courses andextracurricular activities.

The advisor’s assistant assignedto us was very well versed on the univer-sity’s history, layout and, most important-ly, the overall cost. She also went overthe requirements for entering the univer-sity, such as the letters that should besent to the admissions office requestingapplications for acceptance and housing.

The students also took a walk-ing tour of the campus, dorms, classroombuildings, Students Life center and theBell Tower. The University of Florida isconsidered the largest in Florida and stu-dents from over 100 nations are enrolledthere.

The university, situated in a sub-urban setting, offers city run buses,which is a convenience for students whohave no transportation or do not want topark their vehicle on campus grounds.

UF is a large university andstrikes some individuals as impersonal. Ifyou are used to the small town atmos-phere, it will take some getting used tothe bustling UF campus.

With the UF visit complete, thestudents hit the road and headed toTallahassee. One thing that UF and FSUhave in common is that both are locatedin northern Florida, which is not a heavi-ly populated area.

Although the cities that the universities arelocated in are growing steadily, the surrounding areasare wooded and consist of ranches and farms carvedinto the gently sloping hillsides.

Once the students arrived in Tallahassee, theywere taken to the FSU’s Doak Campbell football stadi-um. The students watched a scrimmage game of theFSU football team.

Under the watchful eye of Head Coach BobbyBowden and his assistant coaches, the offense anddefense players moved through practice throws andcatches.

Louise informed the students that the nextmorning they would get a chance to meet Bowden, acoach who has had many players go on to greater suc-cess in the NFL.

The next morning, the students once againheaded for Doak Campbell stadium, where they wereushered into a conference room near the offices of theFSU coaches. There, they waited to meet CoachBowden and take photos and ask questions.

Bowden entered and began signing autographs,he signed photos, hats, and miniature football helmets.

Bowden came across as a down to earth person andeasily chatted with the students.

Bowden even took the time to ask each of thestudents if they had a university in mind. He was veryeasygoing and cracked jokes with everyone in atten-dance.

He also took the time for a group photo withthe students. Afterwards, he sized up Jarrid Smith, whois over 6 feet tall and broad across the shoulders.Bowden remarked that it would be great to have stu-dent/football player like Jarrid on the team in the nearfuture.

After Bowden excused himself to attend acoaches meeting, the students visited the FSU trophyroom. The room is impressive, filled with all the acco-lades the FSU football team has garnered over the yearsgone by.

The students had the rare opportunity to enter

and look around Bowden’s office, which is filled withFSU memorabilia and overlooks the football field. Themorning was far from over, the students went to theFSU President’s box, sits on the rim of the footballStadium.

Here, the students were treated to a luncheon,sponsored by the President’s office, and received a wel-come greeting from the Vice President of FSU. The stu-dents were given a brief history of the university andlearned that FSU chose the Seminole as a symbol, not amascot, because they were an unconquered nation.

After the luncheon, the students went down tothe football field, where they took photos and, for abrief moment, probably imagined that they were FSUfootball players.

The day was far from over, the next stop forthe students was the FSU Flying Circus. The FlyingCircus program does not offer any type of credit, justthe experience of being in a circus that offers thechance for lifelong friendships and fun memories.

Joining the circus does not require any partic-ular skill, the program accepts all types. Even if a per-son is not athletic, they can still use people for allaspects of the circus.

One student, Jade Braswell, who is a junior inhigh school, had a chance to walk on stilts. She was abit apprehensive at first, but soon overcame her fear offalling and took the stilts for a walk.

Following the visit to the FSU Flying Circusprogram, the students took a tour of the FSU Campus.They went on a walking tour of the fitness center,which is a three story building and filled with exercisemachines, aerobics classes, a basketball court, andindoor track for both walkers and runners.

The FSU’s admission staff assigned Robin andBrad to our group, which made the experience of visit-ing the university both appealing and comfortable.Everyone gained some insight into how the universitytreats its students.

The administration and students interact like afamily, with a large number of aunts, uncles, andcousins who are there to help you when needed.

The purpose for the trip wasto give the Seminole youth a chanceto experience the university atmos-phere first hand. The tours were agreat way for them to see what it’slike living at and attending a largeuniversity.

It may seem like a big stepwhen you have to move hundreds ofmiles away from the reservationwhere you have lived most of yourlife. However, the opportunity toattend such a prestigious university,such as UF or FSU, outweigh theuncertainties students feel livingaway from home.

The Seminole youth whovisited the universities were EhrickaOsceola, Jade Braswell, McKenzieJohns, Sherrie Jones, Kyle Doney,Jarrid Smith, and Cochee Tiger.

The attending adults (chaper-ones) were Louise Gopher, JaniceOsceola, Mike Tiger, and AlexandraFrank. Terri Clark from the FloridaGovernor’s Council on Indian Affairshelped in the organizing of the FSUvisit and we are thankful for his helpon this trip.

The Seminole youth werewell-behaved young ladies and gen-

tlemen. One student, Kyle Doney, will attend FSU inthe fall. Good luck to you, Kyle. Another student, whowasn’t on the trip, who will attend FSU in the fall isAndrew Bowers, Jr.

It is great to see so many young Seminolesinvesting in their future, going to a college or universityis a big step, and not to be taken lightly.

With perseverance and support from family,schools, and friends, anyone can accomplish their high-er education goals. All that is needed is initiative andthe drive to succeed.

For those of you debating attending a universi-ty, begin by investigating the tuition cost, housing, jobopportunities and, most importantly, the requirementsfor entering a university.

If you do decide to attend a university or col-lege, look into free tutoring and extracurricular activi-ties that may prove to be beneficial to your job resume.

Lastly, good luck in your endeavor to achievehigher education and a diploma. Educating yourselfpast high school is a huge benefit for yourself, yourfamily and your tribe.

Seminole Students Take A Spring Break Trip

The Spring Break Trip participants front row from left to right: Bob Kellum, FloridaGovernors Council on Indian Affairs, Jarrid Smith, Cochee Tiger, Kyle Doney, andBrad FSU Admissions Assistant. Back Row from left to right: Mike Tiger, EmilyBranch Osceola, McKenzie Johns, Sherrie Jones, Ehricka Osceola, Jade Braswell,and Robin FSU Admissions Assistant.

Commerative bags, containing fruit, vegetables and nutritional information, were givenout to all the guests.

Mitchell Cypress with his plaque, given in appreciationof his many contibutions to the health and fitness of theSeminole Tribe of Florida.

Health And Fitness Celebration Features Mitchell Cypress SSEEMMIINNOOLLEEMMUUSSCCLLEE

Alexandra Frank

By Ken Goosens[Editor’s note. Ken Goosens works for the Tribe inHousing Finance and counsels Tribal members onloans and credit. The opinions expressed in the col-umn are his own.]

Suppose the tax preparers provided free bythe Seminole Tribe show that the tax bill for you,your spouse and young children totals $7,000. Butanother tax preparer says that instead of paying$7,000 in taxes, he can get you a $4,000 refund.What should you do?

Shopping your federalincome tax return, to see whichpreparer minimizes your taxes,may seem like a good idea. Butit can also be a very costly mis-take that amounts to wishfulthinking.

Taxes are not like taking bids on a particularautomobile tire, where to get the same product at dif-ferent prices. You are entitled only to the lowest legaltaxes. When a tax preparer comes with some magicway to save you more on taxes than others, youought to become suspicious that the taxes are notbeing prepared properly.

Here are three questions you can use to testthe legitimacy of any tax return.

1. Was the alternative mini-mum tax computed? Youmust pay the larger ofyour alternative minimumtax or the standard computedtax. The truth is that manySeminoles are subject to thealternative minimum tax andForm 6251 must be used to checkwhether this tax applies. Anylegitimate tax preparercan show you this calcula-tion. The mistake is notto check it.

2. Forenrolled Seminole chil-dren under 14, was thetax rate used based onthe combined income ofthe child, other siblings under 14, andthe parents? This is known as the “kiddie” tax, andthere is no escaping it. The mistake is to base the taxrate for a young child’s income on that child’sincome alone.

3. Was the Indian Employment TaxCredit (Form 8854) used? This tax credit appliesonly to employers and cannot be claimed on the taxreturn of an employee. The “wages” that this taxcredit is based on are not the wages you earn, but thewages you pay to others. This tax credit simply can-not be used by the Tribe, which pays no taxes any-way, and is worthless to employees of the Tribe.Only private, taxable employers who provide servic-es on the reservation might use the tax credit, and,even then, other restrictions apply (e.g. wages paidfor gaming are ineligible for the credit). The mistakeis to use this credit on the tax return of employees.

As you can see, there are three ways that atax preparer can work miracles to dramaticallyreduce your taxes, every one of which is illegitimate.

Even when someone else prepares yourtaxes, you are responsible for the accuracy of thereturn filed. You run two risks. First, if the Internal

Revenue Service finds your return to be in error, youmay owe significantly more taxes in interest andpenalties. Second, errors make your return suspi-cious, which may make you subject to the additionalscrutiny of an audit.

Here are three tests you can apply to helpjudge the trustworthiness of the tax preparer.

1. Will the tax preparer explain the basisfor the tax return, especially any differences if thistax return saves you more money than others?

Don’t accept the excuse thatthey are too busy to explain it.Don’t accept brief hand wav-ing as an explanation. Don’taccept that it is too complicat-ed for you to understand. Ifyou really do not understand

at all, double check with the Tribe’s tax preparers.2. Does the tax preparer provide you a

full copy of the return? Do not sign anything untilyou get this copy. You should see a complete copybefore any return is sent to the IRS. Do not acceptany excuse about not having a printer.

3. Does the tax preparer charge you alarge fee or try to insist on giving you an immedi-ate “refund”? This “refund” is really a loan, more

like a paycheck loan, which usually has a heftyinterest rate. Some check cashing

businesses use tax prepara-tion as a front for makingloans. Tell them you wantto get your full tax refund

from the IRS sent directlyto you.

The tax preparers hired bythe Tribe pass every one of thesesix tests. But does the tax pre-parer you used, including your-self, pass them?

I also checked whetherthe software called TurboTax prop-erly computes taxes for Seminoles,and it does, provided you properlyanswer questions, such as the ageof the child with unearned

income, and properly provide theincome of siblings and parents.What can you do if you filed a tax return

that did not apply the higher tax rate to childrenunder 14, wrongly used the Indian Employment TaxCredit, or had to pay the alternative minimum tax,but didn’t compute this?

You need to file an amended tax return, andpay the additional tax. Otherwise, you are sitting on aticking time bomb, where you will pay much more ininterest and penalties later.

If you find yourself with a large tax bill topay, you have just experienced the reason for taxplanning. This year, you run your taxes for next year,estimating your payments.

If you have a large amount due, you musteither increase your tax withholding or make quarter-ly payments to the IRS for the estimated taxes. If youare significantly behind in paying taxes for two yearsrunning, you will be subject to an additional taxpenalty on top of that hefty tax payment.

In the world of taxes, there are only hardchoices, and the choice you need to make is to pay asyou receive the income.

The Seminole Tribune 5 April 26, 2002

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The Dangers Of Shopping Your Tax Return

By Ernie TigerALLIGATOR ALLEY- The 22nd Annual

Hollywood Recreation Fishing Tournament, sponsoredby the Seminole Tribe of Florida, was held on April 6.The Hollywood Recreation Tournament, which beganin 1980, has lasted into the new millennium with high-er cash payouts than ever before.

In the early morning hours, a cluster of pickuptrucks with trailers filled the newly-constructed boatramp and resting plaza on the Alligator Alley, allattempting to be the first boat to race off to the secretfishing hole.

The morning got off to a great start, with per-fect conditions for fishing that day. A light breezepushed in from the North throughout the day, and thetemperature reach a high of 85 degrees.

A few anglers, whose boats were equippedwith bigger engines for travel longer distances, roaredoff to Holiday Park, where there was deeper water andthe fish might be more prone to feeding during the day.Anglers who were unable to go that far fished thecanals that stretched west and east along AlligatorAlley.

Hearing that only small fish were beingcaught on the alley during the day told me two things:either the fish were on bed or coming off, or they werejust not feeding during the day in that area. To adapt tothose conditions, I chose to fish with a smaller baitthan usual to work the lily pads that day.

Continuous nibbles and aggravating break-offs were the extent of the action that team partnerSteve Young and I encountered that day. Throughoutthe day, we threw everything we had at the fish justshort of dynamite, trying to tempt these fingerlings tobite, but to no avail.

By noon we still had not netted a legal 14-inch fish for weigh-in, so we decided to try the onlyshaded structure in the area that could hold fish duringthe mid day heat. The bridges that ran along the alleywere our final fishing destination on what was becom-ing an aggravating day.

After about an hour of flipping, and failing toland a fish that reached the 14-inch size limit mini-mum, we decided to call it a day with only 30 minutesleft to weigh-in.

The anglers who placed in the top three posi-tions in the tournament fished areas around or nearAlligator Alley. However, they still had to work to landthese 1-2 pound fish.

The anglers who fished these areas said theycaught fish all day long, more so than the others whochose to fish along the alley, but most of their catcheswere just under the 14-inch minimum.

Big Bass and First Place Winners GeorgeGrasshopper and Chris Close chose the Holiday Parkarea as their destination, where they managed to landjust enough fish weight for a number one position inthe tournament.

Anglers Mario Posada and Frank Merie fol-lowed closely behind with a final weight of fivepounds, ten ounces, trailed by Clyde Tiger and SonnyDicarlo, who placed third with a final weight of fivepounds, eight ounces.

Tournament Results: First Place- GeorgeGrasshopper /Chris Close, 5 lbs. 10 oz., 2 lbs. 11 oz.Second Place Mario Posada/Frank Merie, 5 lbs. 10 oz.1 lb. 12 oz. Third Place Sonny Dicarlo/Clyde Tiger 5lbs. 8 oz.1 lb. 7 oz. Fourth Place Allen Ulrici/JasonUlrici 5 lbs. 6 oz. 1 lb. 11 oz. Fifth Place SamNelson/Wayne Nelson 4 lbs. 12 oz 2 lbs. 3 oz.

The Seminole Tribune 6 April 26, 2002

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HOLLYWOOD- Seminole youth, accompa-nied by the Recreation staff and professional fisher-man Mike Tiger, had the chance to participate in anevening fishing tournament, where they were taughtthe basics of fishing ethics.

Each youth that day had a guide to help baithooks and show some fishing pointers on bait presen-tation, choosing baits, and positioning for a cast at thetarget. In addition, the youth were also awarded prizesfor quantity of fish landed and participation.

By Ernie TigerBIG CYPRESS–It was foggy as I made my

way across Alligator Alley and onto Snake Road in theearly morning. A short time later, I found myself on theBig Cypress Hunting Adventures grounds, where theSeminole Tribe of Florida has set aside three thousandunspoiled acres of cypress heads, hardwood ham-mocks, pine islands and wet prairies.

For outside hunters, this is a rare opportunityto hunt the same lands that the Seminole Indians havehunted for thousands of years.

To get an edge on my quarry that day, BigCypress Hunting Adventure Guide and Seminole Tribalmember Lenny Jim said to arrive early in the day inorder to prepare for the evening’s wild boar hunt.

After loading my equipment onto a custom-built swamp buggy around 9:00 a.m., we made ourway deep into the preserve.

The buggy’s elevated height gave me theopportunity to view someof the exotic wildlife thatinhabit the preserve andgrab a few quick shotswith my camera. Thewildlife included Fallow,Axis and Sika deer,Bobwhite quail, and flocksof Osceola Turkey.

“I usually don’tsee this much deer on ahunt. It’s usually hogsinstead of deer, “ said Jimas we passed potential tro-phy white-tail deer on ourway to the first destination.

After arriving atthe first hunting site at9:38 a.m., I decided to findone of the stationary treestands that gave me anexceptional view of a field.

“Where game areprone to crossing duringthis time of year,” accord-ing to Lenny.

My first stop pro-duced only a few sightingsof juvenile hogs, whichonly fueled my ambition tobag a trophy that day. Wedecided to scout the areamore thoroughly on footafter a few hours of hunt-ing the stand.

We found anearby area where hogs had recently rooted up theearth and had left a hint of their oversized tracks lead-ing back into a nearby slough. This made me evenmore anxious to at least catch a sighting of one of thetrophy boars.

Lenny reassured me that the hogs do notmove much during the day because of the heat.

“The hogs usually lay up in these hammocksduring the mid-day heat and are usually most active inthe early morning hours or in the late evening,” saidLenny.

After deciding that this would be a good placeto setup for an evening hunt, we decided on a heavilycovered area where the wind would be in our favor toget a shot off.

After deciding on our setup location and hav-ing plenty of time to spare at noon, and with distantrain clouds moving in, we decided to dodge the mid-day heat and rain and get lunch at the nearby BillieSwamp Safari.

The Safari is where the Seminole Tribe hasnow opened 2,200 acres of its most lush lands for visi-tors looking for an in-depth tour of the Seminole peo-

ple’s history and Culture. Where else would you be able to experience

the Seminole culture first hand? Whether on a swampbuggy or airboat ride through the hardwood hammocksand sloughs that surround the safari, or looking into thepast by viewing the Sam Jones Camp, named after theSeminole Medicine Man and Leader who led theSeminoles.

In addition, other attractions, including livealligator wrestling, bird watching, and the snakes in theherpetarium leave one little time to enjoy all of theopportunities at the Swamp Safari on a short visit.

I finished my visit with an enjoyable andinteresting meal at the Billie Swamp Water Café thatmixed American-style foods with traditional Seminolefoods, including fry bread, gator nuggets and frog legs.

After finishing my meal up around 1:50 p.m.,and waiting out the remaining thunderstorm thatevening, it was time to get back to the Hunting

Adventures to set up forthe evening hunt.

Now, much cool-er then before it hadrained, there was a lotmore game visible whenwe entered through thegates. A potential trophywhite-tail eyed us on ourway into the preserve forthe evening hunt.

After making ashort run to the huntingarea we had selected earli-er in the day, Lennydecided that it would bebetter if we parked thebuggy a couple hundredyards away and walked, tolessen our chances ofbeing winded or sightedwhile entering the field.

Once entering thefield, we could see thattwo boar hogs had alreadymade their positions adja-cent to some cabbagepalms near the middle ofthe field. Sizing the situa-tion up quickly, Lennyand I made our way acrossthe field as stealthily as

possible. As we stalked

the hogs, we knew wedidn’t have much time

before the right wind would carry our scent to them.We finally made our way to a more desirable location,where the wind was slightly in our favor, to a positionabout ninety yards from the hogs.

After sizing the hogs up, and deciding whichone to set up on for a shot, I positioned my .308Savage on the chosen hog and squeezed off a round.The shell made quick work out of the hog, he only ranabout twenty yards before falling.

After making a quick observation of the hog,it was back to the meat locker. The HuntingAdventures has on-hand, an expert meat processingstaff to prepare any game taken on the preserve in justabout any way.

After deciding on the Bo’s Special for prepar-ing the 230 lb. hog, it was back to Hollywood with agreater knowledge of the Seminole people and a cam-era bag full of film of the unique trip.

For more information, call Big CypressHunting Adventures at (800) 689-2378 and BillieSwamp Safari at (800) 949-6101. Forward all media,marketing, and PR/advertising inquiries to LucyEvanicki, Marketing Director at (561) 750-1621.

By Alexandra FrankBIG CYPRESS—On April 12-13,

Seminole Tribal citizens once again came together asteams to outplay one another in the 18th AnnualHerman Osceola Basketball Tournament.

There were eight men’s teams and fourwomen’s teams from four reservations competing forthe title of tournament champions. Besides the tour-nament, the Big Cypress gymnasium is also namedin honor of Herman Osceola, who passed awaywhile serving as a U.S. Marine overseas.

Herman was in his early twenties at thetime of his passing, and is the only known Seminoleto have lost his life while serving in the U.S. armedforces. Herman was active in sports, both in schooland on the reservation. He had a love of sports,especially basketball, and this is carried on in thetournament that honors him.

This weekend, there were a few surprises inthe men’s and women’s division. In the tournaments,the favorite is usually the teams representing thetournament site. The favorite for B.C. was Cicero’sTeam, a mix of tournament veterans and newcomers.

Cicero’s Team played against the BrightonMen and the Canes (from Trail) as best they could.Even though they had the support from the commu-nity, they could not overcome the two strongestteams and were defeated by the Brighton 61-60, aclose game.

The Brighton Men then faced the Canes, ateam with a younger line-up of ball players with oneveteran player, Clifton Huggins. Both teams hadstrong players with undeniable talent for shooting 3-pointers and making key jump shots.

Even with the talent shown on this night,the Canes, by a score of 85-55, left behind theBrighton Men. The Canes were crowned the tourna-ment champions.

Another surprise came in the women’s divi-

sion, as the Brighton Women were gaining momen-tum after fighting their way out of the losers bracket.They had to defeat the Lady Seminoles and GoodEnough to face off with Native Honey.

Native Honey had defeated Good Enoughearlier and had to defeat the Brighton Women in onegame. Both teams played well in the first half, bothteams were neck in neck with their scores, butBrighton pulled ahead to defeat Native Honey, 43-37.

Because Brighton had come from theloser’s bracket, and Native Honey lost this round,another game to determine the winner was played.By this time both teams were running on vapors, butthey got back on the court and gave it their all.

It soon became apparent that the BrightonWomen were going to hang on to their winningstreak. They outplayed Native Honey, who had putall they had into the two earlier games. Alas, it wasnot to be for Native Honey, they lost, 35 to 30.

All of the teams showcased great talent andup and coming players who will be hard to ignoreand even harder to play against. This year, the sec-ond place winners received sweatshirts with thetournament logo.

The tournament champions received stadi-um-styled jackets with the tournament logo, handedout by Herman’s mother, Ruby Osceola.

Basketball has become a strong sport toplay in within native country. I hope we can contin-ue to enjoy watching, and help foster growth withinthe younger tribal citizens, an interest in the sport.

Who knows, maybe someday we canproudly watch our youth play in the NBA orWNBA. Congratulations to the Brighton Women andthe Canes on their wins. To all those who participat-ed in the tournament, keep on practicing and play-ing.

18th Annual Herman OsceolaBasketball Tournament

Hollywood Recreation Fishing Tourney

The Brighton Women won 1st Place and received their jackets from Ruby Osceola.

Hunting Adventures staff prepares Ernie’s 230 lb hog.

Big Cypress Hunting AdventuresProvides Trophy Hunting Grounds

Seminole YouthFishing Tournament

The Seminole Tribune 7 April 26, 2002

By Polly HayesBRIGHTON—The 2002 Seminole

Indian Livestock Show and Sale was the largestyet with 25 steers and 67 swine that were soldat the Brighton 4-H Livestock Barn on Feb. 16-18. The three-day show and sale was held inconjunction with the Brighton Field Day.

All of the animals were brought in forthe final weigh-in on Saturday, Feb. 16. Steershad to weigh in at 900 lbs. and swine had toweigh in at 180 lbs. in order to qualify.

The 4-H show was held on Feb. 17, 4-H members groomed and showed their animalsas they were judged by Jeff Vermillion of Citra,FL for steer showmanship. Trina Bowers ofBrighton won in the Senior Division and BennyHernandez of Big Cypress won in the JuniorDivision. Robert Demaree of Bushnell, FLjudged market steer, market swine and swineshowmanship. The swine showmanship waswon by Andrew Bowers, Jr. of Brighton andMyra Bettelyoun of Big Cypress won in theJunior class.

The Grand Champion steer came fromBig Cypress cattle owner herd, Esther Busterand Benny Hernandez walked off with the rib-bons. Jodi Simone of Big Cypress won theReserve champion steer title coming out of BigCypress cattle owner herd, Richard Bowers.Myra Bettelyoun of the Big Cypress 4-H Clubwon the Grand Champion swine and KellieTigertail also of Big Cypress won the title ofReserve Champion. Youth pick steers comefrom individual cattle owners or from cattlebelonging to Seminole Tribe of Florida Inc. fortheir 4-H steer project usually in August.

Special thanks to John Wayne Huff, Sr.for sponsoring the tent and chairs for the“Buyers’ Luncheon” for the sale and to AlexJohns for sponsoring the steaks for the meal.Seminole Indian 4-H would like to tell MaryHuff of Brighton, “You were appreciated”.

Mary assisted with handing out rib-bons during the show and came back the nextday with her special clothes to take pictures ofthe 4-Her and sale animals. Mary is secretarywith the Brighton 4-H steer club and did not getto sell her animal this year but was alwaysready to help out where needed. Mary is aninspiration to all of the 4-Hers with 4-H motto,“Be the best that you can be”.

Grand Champion Steer, BennyHernandez, Buyer: Willie Gopher

Grand Champion Hog, MyraBettleyoun, Buyer: Eli’s Western Wear

Seth RandolphBuyer: Brighton Council

Sonny BillieBuyer: B.C. Board

Christina OsceolaBuyer: Emory Walker

Megan BettelyounBuyer: Izzy Tire Co.

Michael AlvaradoBuyer: Immokalee Council

Mike Billie, Buyer: 1st Seminole BaptistChurch of Big Cypress

Justina BillieBuyer: B.C. Board

Serena GreenBuyer: B.C. Board

Clarissa RandolphBuyer: Brighton Board

Aaron CypressBuyer: Okeechobee Motors

Dayne JohnsBuyer: Big Island Fruit, Timmy Johns

Raymond GarzaBuyer: Immokalee Council

Heather BillieBuyer: Flying B.

Leanna BillieBuyer: Brighton Trading Post

Reba OsceolaBuyer: Tampa Council

Kegan CypressBuyer: Glades Electric

Randel OsceolaBuyer: Brighton Council

Kane BettelyounBuyer: Gilbert Chevrolet

Victoria Hernandez, Buyer: QuickLube Center, Tara Hudson

Gregory Carter, Jr.Buyer: Foster Trucking

Ethan GopherBuyer: 1st Baptist Church of Brighton

Robert TartashBuyer: Coop. Board Acct. STOF

Nathan BillieBuyer: B.C. Board

Hollywood 4-HBuyer: Hollywood Horse Club

Ariah OsceolaBuyer: Hollywood Board

Mark ArsiageBuyer: Immokalee Council

Tina BillieBuyer: 1st Seminole Baptist Church

Kayla BowersBuyer: Big Cypress Board

Terinna CypressBuyer: Emory Walker

Tiffany BillieBuyer: Gilbert Chevrolet

William BeardenBuyer: Brighton Council

Dannae BillieBuyer: Walpole Feed

Ryan OsceolaBuyer: B.C. Board

Reserve Champ Steer, Jodi Simone,Buyer: Flying B.

Reserve Champ Hog, Kellie Tigertail,Buyer: B.C. Board

The Seminole Tribune 8 April 26, 2002

We offer tutoring for allSeminole children after school. Monday-Thursday 3:00-5:00 p.m., second floorroom 220, D.S.O. Building.

Coming Soon This May 14-241st Annual DSO Library

Scholastic Book Fair. All new books andeducational products for sale.

Partial proceeds go to the DSOLibrary, to purchase books, CD-ROMsand art supplies.

Buy a book and help support theDSO Library!

For more information, please callMichael Kelly at the DSO Library (954)989-6840 x1226.

Students Should Register forSummer ACT Exam by May 3 — Thenext Act Assessment will be administerednationwide on June 8, 2002. College-bound high school students must registerfor the college admissions and placementexam by May 3 – the deadline for havingyour registration postmarked. There is alate registration postmark deadline of May17, but an extra fee is charged for lateregistrations.

ACT scores are accepted by vir-tually all U.S. colleges and universities,including all Ivy League schools, and areused by colleges along with high schoolgrade point average and other informationin admissions decisions and to help placestudents in appropriate-level courses. Thetest fee is $24 ($27 in Florida).

Students can register for the Actby getting information from their highschool counselors or by registering onlineat ACT’s website – www.act.org. Thewebsite also has helpful information, sam-ple tests and the opportunity to order testprep materials including an interactiveCD-ROM, ACTive Prep, which containsactual, timed tests and helps studentsbuild a study plan.

Project CLASS offers Master’sDegree — A national applicant pool isbeing solicited for Project CLASS.Project CLASS is a Master’s Degree pro-gram emphasizing curriculum and instruc-tion targeting American Indians. It isoffered by American Indian Research andDevelopment, Inc. (AIRD, Inc.) throughCameron University (CU). ProjectCLASS is a federally funded programunder the U.S. Education Department,Office of Indian Education, ProfessionalDevelopment Program.

Purpose: To provide AmericanIndians who have earned degrees in non-teaching areas the opportunity to earn asecondary school licensure as well as aMaster of Arts in Teaching (MAT)through Cameron University’s CAM-STEP (Cameron Secondary TeacherEducation Program). This Master’sdegree program will be completed in onecalendar year.

Benefits: Participants in the pro-gram can earn a graduate degree (MAT)within one year of enrolling at CU. Fulltuition is provided by Project CLASS aswell as a monthly stipend, a dependentstipend to qualified participants, and abook allowance.

Overall Outcome: A nationalpool of American Indians will be recruitedtoparticipate in Project CLASS at CU, andwill have the opportunity to enhance theirprofessional credentials to assist them inserving American Indian students aseffective teachers. American Indian edu-cation professionals will enhance theirprofessional credentials and becomeeffective schoolteachers.

Location: AIRD, Inc. is anIndian owned nonprofit organization thathas 19 years of experience in IndianEducation research and program develop-ment. Cameron University is located inLawton, Oklahoma. CU is committed tospecialized education in TeacherEducation and Graduate DegreePrograms.

Applications will be accepteduntil May 3, 2002 and are available onour website www.aird.to orwww.aird.to/class.rtf to link directly to theapplication.

Classes for Project CLASS willbegin in early August 2002. Applicantsmust be willing to relocate to Oklahomafor the training period.

Persons interested in applying forProject CLASS should contact: AmericanIndian Research & Development, Inc.,2233 W. Lindsey, Suite 118, Norman, OK73069. Telephone: (405) 364-0656, Fax:(405) 364-5464, E-Mail: sat@aird.to orsat@coxinet.net for more information.

The Seminole Tribune 9 April 26, 2002

Announcements v Ahnahhegeh v Nakorkerkecetv

Community Members – Beadvised that an animal control ordinancehas been enacted for the Hollywoodreservation. The new ordinance went intoeffect on January 1, 1999.

To be in compliance, you mustfirst obtain a Broward County license, aBroward County rabies vaccination cer-tificate, and a Broward County license tagfor each cat or dog’s collar. You canobtain these at any Broward County vet-erinarian’s office.

Then, you must show proof ofthe Broward County license to theSeminole Health Department and obtain aSeminole Tribe of Florida license. Youcan do this at the Hollywood Medicalcenter.

If you have any questions aboutthe new Animal Control Ordinance,please call Environmental HealthServices at (954) 962-2009.

Tribune Deadlines

Notices

Happy Birthday

For Tribal members on theImmokalee, Big Cypress and Brightonreservations, Corrina Frank can assist youin setting up your computer and peripher-als. Call Mon.-Fri, at (941) 657-6785 toschedule an appointment.

Computer Announcement

JobsEducation Notices

The following deadlines apply toall submissions for inclusion into theTribune:

Issue: May 17, 2002Deadline: May 3, 2002

•Issue: June 7, 2002

Deadline: May 24, 2002•

Issue: June 28, 2002Deadline: June 14, 2002

Chickee Baptist Church64th Ave. and Josie Billie

Hollywood Seminole Reservation

Sunday Morning Worship 10 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship 6 p.m.

Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7 p.m.

Rev. Arlen Payne: Pastor

(954) 894-5651

Currently Held On:Mondays at 5:15 p.m.Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m.Thursdays at 5:15 p.m.

In the Big Cypress Gym

Get in shape for the reservations rally!!

If you have any questions, please contactVicky at (954) 804-4035.

Aerobic Classes

Cash Operations 1 Count Team F/T1 Cashier F/T1 Assistant Cash Ops

Supervisor F/T

Floor Operations 2 Poker Dealers F/T1 Lightning Bingo

Clerk P/T1 TAD Technician F/T

Food & Beverage 2 Food Prep /Cashiers F/T

1 Server F/T

Guest Services 2 Guest Service RepF/T

Security 2 Security Guards F/TFax Resume: (954)970-3270Attention: Human Resources

Happy 4th Birthday on April27th to Lahna and Lanie. We hope youtwo have lots of fun on your special day!Remember ya’ll are big girls now. Welove you girls!

Love Daddy & Momma Mona.

Happy Birthday to our brotherIvess we love you! Love your sis’:Jaryaca Kiylier, Lahna & Lanie &Baby bro Alyke Teico!

Happy Birthday “Golden Boy”Ivess from all your cuz: Justice, Lil Rob,Tyra Blake, Marquise, Alicia, Jaylen,Jayton & Dayton.

Happy Birthday to our twin sis-ters! Lahna & Lanie! We love ya’ll

Jaryaca Kiylier, Ivess & AlykeTeico.

On April 25th 2002 our 1st sonwill be turning two. So Happy 2ndBirthday Ivess Enoch Preston Baker!We love you so much! We know that youwill make the terrible two’s to be all itcan be, but what’s new!! You are truly aspecial baby! Do good in all you trythrough the next years and you will suc-ceed. From Beauty pageants to dirtbikesyou make us proud! We love you baby,Momma & Daddy.

To my son Jonathan Harjo, I know I haven’t been there for

your birthday or to watch you grow For Ithank the Lord for this day For he hasblessed me with a son that was you.Happy Late Birthday, Son. Love fromyour dad, John Harjo

“God’s Creation”All things bright and beautifulAll creatures great and smallAll things wise and wonderfulThe Lord has made them all

For God’s love and careWith his gentle hands he has made youAnd he’ll always be there

I love you Jonathan HarjoLove Dad, John Harjo

Happy Birthday!!! William K.Osceola, May 4, 1984, 18 years old. Ilove you always, Mom.

Happy Birthday May 1st to my babygirl Dominique Sharaine Osceola. Loveyou always, Mom (grandma Doris).

Dom-Dom, I love you big girl! You’vegrown into a beautiful and smart younglady, I can’t believe you’re 15! Hope youhave a great day. Love you always, Bio-Mom (Kim).

Happy 1st Birthday May 1st toour big sister “Otterface” DominiqueSharaine Osceola. You’re 15 now andyou’re the best big sister ever! We loveyou & miss you but we know you aredoing great in school. Love Always, TheOtter Gang; Coowacooche,Melokmehche, Sishe and Huneeyoh.

Happy 1st Birthday Jada SkyHoldiness on April 4. You will alwayshave a special place in our hearts and welove you for it, now and forever. You willalways be our baby girl “Jada Pooh.”Love, Daddy, Mommy, Justin, Mirandaand Angelica.

Cordish Company for the Tribe’s Hard Rock project.With 20 years in operating casinos, Allen is slated tobecome the Director of Operations in the GamingDepartment.

“He will run all Tribal gaming operations,not just Hard Rock,” said Holzman.

The contracts came to the Council with theapproval of Tribal Counsel Jim Shore. The startingdates for both will be tied to the bond deal for theHard Rock, as the funding for their compensationwill come from that source.

“This will give the Tribe two new keypositions,” said Holzman.

The Council also:*Approved a resolution that will prohibit the

dividends of Tribal minors from being used by theirparents, or others, as collateral for loans receivedthrough Tribal programs.

The resolution also made clear that loansthrough Tribal programs must not exceed the legalinterest rate.

*Approved a resolution that woulddesignate a Councilman to chair the Councilmeetings. Hollywood Councilman Max Osceola Jr.was selected to be the first Councilman in therotation.

Osceola will chair the Council meetingsuntil the Council decides to rotate again, and be theCouncil representative that will sign the bond issuefor the upcoming Hard Rock projects. All day to dayTribal operations will still be handled throughPresident Mitchell Cypress’s office.

According to Attorney Eric Dorsky, with theHard Rock project about to commence, the movewould allow Osceola “to stand in the limelight at thatopportune time.” One of the two Hard Rock projectswill be built on the Hollywood reservation.

After the Council meeting, the Board ofDirectors met in a regular session.

The Board:*Approved the negotiation for a Letter of

Intent between the Board and Capital Senior LivingCorporation (CSLC).

The Board, at its January meeting, approveda resolution to investigate a proposal to build anursing home/assisted living facility for profit.

According to Hollywood BoardRepresentative David Dehass, there will be meetingsheld at each of the reservations to answer anyquestions or concerns Tribal members might have.

*Amended the Personnel Policy to includePresidents Day as a holiday with pay, and removeJohn F. Kennedy Memorial Day from the holidayschedule.

The Seminole Tribune 10 April 26, 2002

The hiring of an attorney is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements.

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FORT LAUDERDALE–The Museum ofDiscovery and Science launched their 25thAnniversary on April 11, with a celebration andtribute to those who took the vision that “learningcan be fun” and turned it into The Discovery Centerin 1977. The event marked the beginning of ayearlong celebration, which will include theinstallation of new interactive exhibits, new IMAXfilms and special events.

In attendance were Mayor Jim Naugle,Representative Jack Seilor, Peggy Kiser representingCongressman E. Clay Shaw Jr., Jane Katterhenry,president-elect of the Junior League of Greater FortLauderdale, members of the Broward CountyCultural Affairs Council, Museum Trustees both pastand present, and Museum staff and volunteers.

Mayor Naugle presented the Museum with aproclamation from the City of Fort Lauderdaledeclaring April 11, 2002 Museum of Discovery andScience 25th Anniversary Celebration Day. TheMuseum in turn honored Mayor Naugle,Congressman Shaw and the Junior League for theirkey roles in founding the original Discovery Centerand for their years of support and dedication,including the development of the current Museum ofDiscovery and Science.

Ramon A. Rodriguez, Chairman of theBoard of Trustees of the Museum, introduced Kim L.Cavendish to the viewing public as the newPresident/CEO of the Museum. She providedattendees with her insight on leading the Museuminto the future.

“It is with great pleasure that I return to theMuseum of Discovery and Science in FortLauderdale in its 25th year,” said Cavendish.

“I look forward to building upon theMuseum’s successful history, creating an even moreimpactful future. We will continue to strengthen our

commitment to serve the South Florida community.I promise to always keep the founding vision alive,by providing outstanding learning experiences in anengaging environment.”

Cavendish returns to the Museum afterseven years, during which she held museum CEOpositions in Virginia and Orlando. She previouslyserved the Museum of Discovery and Science forfourteen years in the role of Executive Director andled the transition from the small Discovery Center tothe renowned science center it is today. Theceremony concluded with a choral performance bythe pre-kindergarten class from Jack & Jill Children’sCenter and anniversary cake.

Earlier that day, the Museum hosted ananniversary celebration for the employees andvolunteers. During this event, Cavendish wasformally introduced to the staff and volunteers. LoisWarner was honored as the longest serving employeeand Delaine Blankenship as the longest servingvolunteer. Between the two, they represent morethan forty-five years of service and devotion to theMuseum of Discovery and Science.

Founded in 1973 by the Junior League ofGreater Fort Lauderdale, the Museum opened to thepublic as The Discovery Center in April 1977 in thehistoric New River Inn. In 1992 it transitioned to itspresent location and added the Blockbuster IMAXTheater. The non-profit facility serves 400,000visitors annually. The vision behind this hands-on,interactive learning center has always been toprovide learning in an engaging manner for totalfamily enjoyment.

The Museum is open Monday throughSaturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, noonto 6:00 p.m. The Museum is located at 401 SWSecond Street, downtown Fort Lauderdale. For moreinformation, log onto www.mods.org.

Museum Of Discovery And ScienceCelebrates 25th Anniversary

MeetingContinued from page 1

By Melissa ShermanLet’s say you just got paid, it’s raining,

and your sister borrowed your car. Now you’restuck at home and that money is burning a holein your pocket. What to do?

Instead of ordering the entireleft side of Wong’s menu, spendyour dough on something thatlooks a lot better on yourhips. So, let’s shop ‘til wedrop, or get knocked off-line, whichever comesfirst.

My favorite place toshop is ebay. In the past, I’vepurchased everything fromcomputer parts to a four-footRadio Flyer Wagon. It is realsimple to do, once you havecreated a user name and apassword, you can place abid on an item.

Jeans are prettyuniversal. If you know yoursize, you probably won’t haveany problems fitting into them.So, I placed a search onwomen’s jeans.

I found a lot ofnew and used namebrand jeans. Myfavorite way to use ebayis to select the button thatsorts the items from the lowestto highest price.

Another great way to sort isby “ending first.” Youcan try to catch an itembefore the auctionends, bid on it,and hopefullyyourcompetitorswon’t havetime toplaceanother bidagainstyours.

If theauctiondoesn’t end fora few days you can watch an item. Forexample, I collect salt and pepper shakers. Ifound a pair that I wanted and the auction wasn’tgoing to end for a few days.

Nobody had bid on it and it was sellingfor only 50 cents. Why place a bid and drive theprice up? So I watched the salt and peppershakers until about a half of an hour before theauction ended, then placed my 50 cent bid, andwon the item.

If someone had placed a bid, I wouldhave received an email notifying me as well, asif I had placed a bid and was outbid.

The jeans I found were Ralph Laurenand, luckily, in my size, I was happy with theprice so I placed a bid. The highest bidder was$9.99 at the time and they were accepting bids inincrements of $1.

I knew I had a nice pair of jeans,because the seller had the product’s picture.Most sellers include pictures, so you knowexactly what you are getting.

You never want to pay too much,because, keep in mind, you still need to pay forshipping and insurance, if you want it. By thetime the auction closed, the price was up to$12.99. Luckily, I was the highest bidder.

You are probably thinking “now, howdo you pay?” The seller always posts which typeof payments they will accept. Most of themaccept something called paypal.

Paypal.com is a website to which yousubmit payment. I have registered with thembefore, they are completely safe. The reason I

know is because they are a secure site (pleaseread the Talking Tech column for more on thissubject).

They accept visa debit and credit cardpayments. I like touse a regular visacard, so that I havesome protection onmy purchase. Youare not protected in

any way when you use visa debits.After the transaction

goes through, paypal notifiesthe seller and they ship your

product. It usually takes afew days for the productto come through the mail.

My goal was tocomplete an entireoutfit, so I went back toebay and found a set ofscarves for $4.99, forwhich I also placed thewinning bid. I didn’tsee any shirts or boots Iliked, so I ventured togap.com.

I found a cuteribbed long-sleeve

sweater top on sale for$9.99. I looked at my scarvesfrom ebay and matched itbest with the oatmeal color.

I still needed shoes.I looked at zappos.com,stevenmadden.com andninewest.com, where I fellin love with a pair of boots.They were priced at almosta hundred dollars, so I triedto find a pair that comparedto them.

Dealtime.com had apair of Candies Totem boots for

$59.95 with free shipping, that were verysimilar. On a whim, I went straight toCandies.com and found the Totem boots

for $29, which Ibought, and paid$4.75 for UPSground shipping.

Altogether, I spent $57.96. Compared toabout $199, not bad for a day’s work. The bestpart, I didn’t have to use a drop of gas.

Since I saved a bundle, I decided to goto more places. I check out the “product of themonth” at www.seminoletribe.com, where I raninto an entire line of beaded items and I pickedup the cutest pair of glass beaded earrings for$22 to complete my outfit.

Don’t forget to visit Proflowers.comand buy your mom a Mother’s Day bouquet.Even though Mother’s Day isn’t for a few moreweeks, you can place the order up to 90 days inadvance.

If you are a procrastinator, you mustplace the order at least 1-2 days in advance, andthey do not deliver on Sundays.

Proflowers.com is very reliable, andalways delivers fresh flowers. The price rangegoes from $29.99 up to $499.99 for 12 monthsof flowers. They send a bouquet every monththat is seasonally selected and you are onlycharged shipping for first bouquet.

Now that you are jealous that yourmom is getting a fresh bouquet, let’s send yourbetter half an “email hint.” Proflowers.comemails playful “HintHint Greetings,” enter in theemail address to whom you want to send the hintto, and either remain anonymous or include yourname. You can choose topics like “birthday” or“I’m sorry,” and they provide the message andemail it out for you.

By Elrod BowersPhotography is no different than many other

pursuits in that the equipment made for professionalsand consumers seem indistinguishable to theuntrained eye.

In past columns,there have been mentionsabout why lenses or otherequipment may look thesame, but have very differentprices, sometimes hundreds ofdollars in difference.

This column will give you an idea of what tolook for when buying photo equipment for yourselfor as a gift for someone else.

Lenses. There are three major factors thatdrive the price up. Focal length, f-stop and brand.

Lenses can be divided into two categories:prime and zoom lenses. Prime lenses have a fixedfocal length, say 50 millimeters. Zoom lenses have awide focal length, say 70-200 millimeters.

So when you have a zoom lens, you couldframe your picture by zooming in and out. But whenyou have a prime lens, you would have to frame thepicture by either backing away or moving towardsthe subject yourself.

The prime lens costs more because itsconstruction is different than the zoom lens. It’s alsobuilt with higher quality materials. The costliestprime lenses are at both ends of the spectrum, a17mm or “fisheye” lens will cost a bundle, as will a600mm sports lens. In contrast, the zoom lens usuallywill not cost as much.

The f-stop is also important. As stated in thepast column, a run of the mill lens with an f-stop off4 will cost much less than a f2.8 lens of the samebrand and focal length.

The f1.8 lens on my Nikon F is of muchhigher quality than the f4-5.6 lens that came with myNikon 6006. I can tell which camera I used just bylooking at the pictures.

The brand is also important. A Nikon lens

will probably cost you more than a Tamron,Quantaray or Sigma lens. It’s up to you to decide ifyou want to pay the extra money for the name.Sometimes, the name is assurance that the lens is firstrate.

Many times, a mixture ofall these factors will accountfor fluctuations in price.

A good way to startthinking about what type ofequipment you want to buy isto research what the

professional photographers are using in the particularfield of photography you want to shoot.

Nature photography is very popular, withbooks, magazines and websites devoted to it. Manyof the pictures in these publications usually includethe exposure and equipment information with thepicture.

There are popular websites like zuga.net andphoto.net that have reviews and most importantly,discussion boards. These boards will have questionsand answers about almost every type of subject thereis in the field of photography, from equipment to howto prepare for assignments, etc.

Usually, the questions are sent in byamateurs, and they are discussed and answered byprofessionals who frequent the boards. If you have aparticular piece of equipment in mind, research it onthese boards and you can see what the professionalsthink about it.

The key to buying the right equipment is tofigure what field of photography you are interestedin. You wouldn’t want, or need, to buy a 35mmcamera with a zoom lens if you want to get intoarchitectural photography, which would require adifferent type of camera.

We will move slowly through the differenttypes of equipment in future columns. If you have aquestion about photo equipment, send it in totribune@semtribe.com.

The Seminole Tribune 11 April 26, 2002

My wife and I shop online all the time. Ihave discovered that you can buy just about anythingthrough the internet, including the kitchen sink. Youcan buy cars and refrigerators, windchimes and catcondos, computer hardware and software, furnitureand plants, things for adults and things for kids. Youcan even do your grocery shopping online, thanks toPublix (what a timesaver).

I have come up with a few things to do ifyou’re not familiar with the process.

Stick with what you’re familiar with. Manyof the popular stores (Target, Wal-Mart, JCPenney,etc.) have websites. Also, there are a few reputableweb-only stores (Amazon.com, Buy.com, etc.) thatyou may consider.

Compare prices ofwhat you’re looking for. Youcan do that at sites such asmysimon.com ordealtime.com. You’ll beamazed to see thedifferences in prices from store to store.

Shipping charges should be considered aconvenience fee. You have to consider that whenyou’re shopping at a store you’re taking time out todrive and walk up and down the aisles, navigating thelittle old ladies. What is that time and effort worth toyou?

Some sites offer free shipping, butsometimes there can be a catch. It may be for ordersover a certain amount, or they may actually raise theprices on their merchandise to cover for it.

Prices for shipping vary greatly from site tosite, so pay attention to your order. Most sites postthe charges with the actual price of the item, soyou’re not left wondering.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)has a rule about when your order shouldbe shipped. If the site says thatyour merchandise will beshipped within a certaintime, the company mustreasonably believe it will.

If the site doesn’tspecify the time withinwhich your merchandisewill be shipped, thecompany must reasonablybelieve that it can beshipped within 30 days ofyour order date. If your itemscan’t be shipped within 30-days, the company mustnotify you and give you a chance to cancel yourorder and receive a refund.

Take a peek at the site’s return policy. If youhave to return something, you will need to abide bythis policy. If you don’t agree with those terms, don’tshop there.

Things to look for: Re-stocking fees. Usually a percentage of

your order total that they keep. Shipping charge refund. Some sites refund

all your money, others keep your original shippingcharge.

How long it takes to refund your money.Do you need a return merchandise

authorization (RMA) number? Can the items be returned to the company’s

store? The larger chains, such as Target, allow this.Privacy policies should not be ignored

anymore. You should read these carefully so youknow what happens to your personal informationonce you submit it. It isn’t uncommon for companiesto sell your personal information. It happens all thetime.

If a site does not have a privacy policyposted, you may not want to do business with thatsite. If it does have a privacy policy, there will

probably be a link to it fromthe seller’s home page, or itcould be included with theLegal Terms.

Pay with a credit card.Credit cards offer moreprotection in disputes. If there

are unauthorized charges, your liability is limited to$50 under federal law. You can also dispute thecompany’s charges if you don’t receive your items oraren’t satisfied.

Make sure your internet connection is securebefore you give them your credit card number. Lookfor an indication in your browser, such as a goldpadlock. The URL should be preceded with “https”instead of the normal “http”. You should also beusing the latest browsers that can support SSL (securesocket layer) and 128-bit encryption.

Keep records of your order or anycommunication with the company. If

you have problems, you will needthis information. If you don’t

keep track, you’ll likely haveproblems getting your situationresolved.

You may want toprint out and date a copy ofterms, conditions,warranties, itemdescription, companyinformation, evenconfirming e-mails, andsave them with yourrecords of your purchase.

Insure the safedelivery of your item. If

you’re concerned about thesafety of the package if there’s no

one home to receive it, ask whetheryou can specify that the shipper must receive asignature before leaving the package. Or, it may besafer to have the package delivered to your office.

Inspect your purchase. Look at yourpurchase carefully as soon as you receive it. Contactthe seller as soon as possible if you discover aproblem with it. Tell the seller in writing about anyproblem that you are concerned with, ask for a repairor refund, and keep a copy of your correspondence.

Send me your questions for future columns.My email address is sgalla@semtribe.com.

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Remember When?The Seminole Tribune 12 April 26, 2002

Rodeo

long dedication to the cattle program areremembered through this event and thededication of the Rodeo Complex in hisname.

The day’s drive began withregistration and a down home breakfastat the Swamp Water Café.

After bellying up, the horsetrailers and riders headed west to thestarting point to await the cows. The

Honorary Trail Boss for this year’s drivewas Billie Johns, one of the original BigCypress cowboys.

Before the arrival of the herd,Mitchell Cypress and Paul Bowers, Sr.,took time to introduce themselves andwelcome all the participants.

Paul commented that, “withoutadvertisement, the event has become apopular regional event and is growingevery year. We are happy to see ourneighbors, as well as visitors from thecity come out and share the day and aBBQ dinner with us.”

Beginning shortly after 10:00a.m., the drive came winding down toan end around 3:30 p.m. After puttingup their horses and washing off sometrail dust, everyone gathered in the showbarn to put away some delicious BBQchicken and ribs.

With the help of John Billie,Linda Bowers, Bobbie Billie, DianeBuster, and Barbara Billie, the prepara-tions and the meal were excellent. Theday’s events ended later in the eveningwith the EIRA rodeo.

CattleContinued from page 1

Robert Kippenberger