The Ojibwe News (Bemidji, Minnesota), 1991-04-17

              Can the Red Lake School Board continue as a going concern?
By William J. Lawrence
Can the Red Lake School Board
continue as a going concern? That is
the question posed to the Red Lake
School Board by the C.P.A. firm of
McGladrey & Pullen of Duluth,
Minnesota, in a Financial and
Compliance Report dated November
1, 1990. The report, which was
undertaken at the request of the Red
Lake School Board covered the
1989/90 school year, which ended
June 30, 1990. The 43 page report,
which is similar to an audit, cost the
Red Lake School District $45,000.
Perhaps, the most informative part
of the report, despite its numerous
disclaimers is the three page
schedule of findings. The most
serious of the findings are as
follows: material weaknesses in
internal control, duplicate payments
to vendors, incomplete
documentation supporting
disbursements, lack of an inventory
listing of fixed assets, incomplete
personnel files, the district's
statutory operating debt liability,
lack of collateralization of some
deposits, the school budget not in
accordance with Uniform Financial
Accounting and Reporting Standards
(UFARS), a non-accountable policy
for travel reimbursements, and
salary advances to employees in
violation of state law.
As a result of the McGladrey-
Pullen Report a team from the
Minnesota Department of Education
met with the Red Lake School
District Administration to discuss
the audit report and the district's
financial situation. Items discussed
include the following:
• Interest free loans made to
employees from General Education
Aid - the amount has been as high
as $180,000, and is now down to
$30,000.
• Checks in the amount of
$533,315 without vendor names
have been issued by the district.
• Capital Expenditures have been
made from the General Fund to
purchase modular housing to be
used as facilities.
• At least $750,000 outstanding
bills that have not been paid under
the prior administration.
• Most records were missing or
unable to be located.
• Three employees were terminated
due to the misappropriation of funds.
• At least two fiscal year 90 end
year categorical reports had not been
submitted to the Department of
Education for reimbursement.
• Red Lake's expenditures
exceeded revenues almost double
from fiscal years 1989-90. The
deficit went from approximately
$499,000 in FY 89 to approximately
$937,000 in FY 90.
• Transportation aid receivable had
been incorrectly calculated as to
overstate the prior year receivable
by approximately $99,000.
• Capital expenditures for fiscal
year 90 were not recorded on the
UFARS system properly. If not
corrected in a very short period of
time, over $291,000 of revenues
already recieved would be reduced
from the current year's allocation.
According to Norm Chaffee,
Manager of the Minnesota
Department of Education's District
Support Services Branch, current
estimates indicate that Red Lake
School District could be as much as
$2.5 million in the red by the end of
the current year, June 30, 1990.
Chaffee also told the News he had
lifted the March 1,1991 deadline for
the Red Lake School District to
submit a plan to eliminate the
statutory debt by June 30, 1993.
Cass Lake Clean-Up Week set
The Cass Lake City Council, impressed with citizen comments
on the need for sprucing up the downtown, has declared April 27 -
May 4 as Clean-Up Week.
On the 27th, trees will be planted along Highway 371. The day
starts at 7 a.m. with breakfast at the Legion Club for participants.
Money is welcome, too. People are urged to volunteer in a
city-wide trash pick up.
Once all is planted, picked up, and painted, workers are invited
to a community pride potluck, tentatively set for the afternoon of
May 5. This is an impressive way to live and celebrate Earth Day.
Congratulations ahead of time to those who volunteer.
Redby man dead after shooting
Martin Robert Czeck, 27, of Redby, was pronounced dead Monday
at 8:02 a.m. at North Country Hospital, after being shot outside the
Bemidji VFW Club at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
Craig Vincent Sayers, 20, also of Redby, is in custody at the
Beltrami County Jail, charged with one count of homicide, one
count of first-degree assault, as well as two counts of second-degree
assault.
Sayers was apprehended at the VFW by a patron and two
bartenders who chased him and tackled him. The suspect alledgedly
threatened them with a 9 mm pistol, the supposed murder weapon.
A second man, Myron Cobenais of Redby, was also shot at, but
the bullet went through his jacket, missing his body. Apparently the
shooting was the result of a long- standing feud.
Fairbanks assumes duties April 22
Michael Fairbanks will assume the duties of Assistant Director of
Administration in the Minneapolis Area Office on April 22, 1991.
Fairbanks is a member of the Red Lake Bank of Chippewa and has
over 20 years experience with the BIA. He is transferring from the
Pine Ridge Agency, where he has been superintendent. He has also
been superintendent at the Blackfoot Agency in Browning, Mont,
and has held various law enforcement positions.
Walk to honor Mothers
A 5 mile walk is being held on Mother's Day, May 12th,
beginning at 10:00 a.m. to Honor Our Mothers. The walk will begin
at Mahkonce in Naytahwaush. A pot luck feast follows the walk and
we have more plans for the day, so bring your dancing shoesl
Attention: Viet Nam Vets
' VFW Post 1260, Bemdiji, is extending an invitation to you and a
guest to a special evening on Saturday, April 20, 1991. Also invited
are families of those serving in Operation Desert Storm.
Recently the Post purchased a cast bronze replica of the Viet Nam
Memorial. On April 20th, dedication ceremonies for the statue will
be held. The evening will consist of a social hour, a locator book
and map for matching beterans who may have served in the same
areas, banquet, ceremonies, and a dance.
Social hour will begin at 5:00 p.m.; non-alcoholic beverages will
be available. Banquet seating will be at 6:00 p.m.
Child care will be availabe from 5:00-10:00 p.m. Entertainment,
pizza, and pop will be provided by the Turtle River Snapper 4-H
Club.
For more information and confirmation, please call (218)
751-6896.
"Name that Casino" contest
The casino being built in Mahnomen this year needs a name. Thus,
the Reservation Tribal Council is sponsoring a "Name that Casino"
contest. The person who submits the best name, as judged by the
RTC, will receive $100.00. Interested individuals may send their
entries to Jim Foster, Casino Director, Mattson Law Office, P.O.
Box 274, Mahnomen, Minn. 56557. Entries will be received until
Friday, April 26th at 4:30 p.m. No phone calls please.
Run/Walk Relay
The Gitchi Gummi Peace Pipe Runners, a group sanctioned and
sponsored by the nine Ojibwe tribes of the Voight Task Force, is
extending an open invitation to all interested individuals or groups
to join in a spiritual run/walk relay. The purpose of the relay is "to
show unity in honoring and respecting our sacred mother, the earth. .
. to show support for the efforts being made by many to protect and
preserve her."
The relay will begin at the Pipe Stone Quarry on the Lac Courte
Oreilles Reservation near Hayward, Wise, and end on the steps of
the capital in Madison. The four day journey will begin at 6:30 a.m.
April 19th, and finish with a ceremony and rally at noon on Earth
Day, April 22nd. Participants are welcomed for all or part of the
journey. For more information, contact John "Little Bird"
Anderson, P.O. Box 245, Hayward, Wise. 54843 (715) 634-3509.
According to Minnesota Statute, if a
school district has a deficit greater
than 2.5 percent of the fiscal year's
operating funds, the district is in
operating debt. Since June 30,1990,
when the Red Lake School District
had an unreserved deficit in its
operating funds of $617,876 it had
been in operating debt. Chaffee said
that in view of the condition of the
Red Lake School District's books, it
seemed superflous to him for the
district to submit any plan to
eliminate the statutory debt until the
State Auditor completes his audit.
Further exacerbating the Red Lake
School's financial problem is the
report that 59 Red Lake students are
attending school in other districts
under the state's open enrollment
law. Current Minnesota Department
of Education enrollment reports list
Red Lake Schools at 981 students.
The same report cites the per pupil
cost at Red Lake at $8,245.
Another problem that has
compounded the School's financial
situation is the arbitrary withholding
of Johnson-O'Malley (JOM) funds
from the Red Lake School District by
the Red Lake Tribal Education
Director, Vema Woods. See Letter of
termination of Ms. Woods dated May,
1990, and signed by former Red Lake
Tribal Chairman Roger A. Jourdain on
page 4. Estimates are that up to
$250,000 have been withheld from the
school over the past three years.
The News attempted to contact
former Red Lake Superintendent
Burel Block for his comments on the
financial situation but he was not
available.
Acting Red Lake Superintendent
Ed Kroenke appears to have earned
the respect of both the Minnesota
Department of Education and the
Red Lake School staff in the manner
he is going about cleaning up the
financial mess.
Who is to blame?
According to Minnesota law.
Independent District #38 is an
instrument of the State of Minnesota
established to function as an
educational institution. The Board of
Education is responsible for
legislative and fiscal control of the
district. A superintendent is
appointed by the Board and is
responsible for administrative
control of the district. Sometimes
because of personalities and politics
the lines of authority in a school
district become blurred and it is
often difficult to determine who is in
charge. Therefore, accessing
responsibility in the Red Lake
situation could be difficult and will
probably have to wait until State
Auditor, Mark Dayton, completes
his audit.
In the best interests of the Red
Lake community, Dayton should be
allowed to perform the necessary
audit as soon as possible. It is
unfortunate that the relationship
between them is by press releases.
(See page 2 for "Dayton calls for
special audit" and "Red Lake School
Board ojects to conditions" for
examples of this press release
communications.)
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Fiftv Cents
° Copyright, the Ojibwe News, 1991
Chief Bug
Princess &
The annual Princess and
Braves Contest was held on
April 10th at the Chief
Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School,
where 72 students participated
in the powwow.
Winners were Senior Brave
Nathan King, grass dancer;
Senior Princess Josette White,
jingle dress dancer; Junior
Brave Royal Rock, grass
dancer; and Junior Princess
Valerie Foote, jingle dress
dancer.
Melvin Jones opened the
activities with a pipe
ceremony, followed by a n
beef feast for parents, families,
friends, students and staff.
Grand Entry opened the 2 1/2
hour contest.
Chief Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig
School Drum Group hosted the
powwow and were joined by
Mitchell's Drum, Cass Lake
Boys and the Kingbird Singers
from Ponemah.
Judges for the contest were
invited guests Melvin Jones,
Lorena Cook and John
Kingbird, along with visitors
from the community, Lyman
C. Roberts and E.J. Smith.
Runners up were Naomi Blue
for Senior Princess, Chris
White for Junior Brave and
Marian Hardy for Junior
Princess.
A Bi-Monthly Publication
Bemidji, Minnesota 56601
Itasca Park
-O-Nay-Ge-Shig's will celebrate
Braves contest held 100th birthday
Lake Itasca, Minn. - Few people
know Earth Day started long before
1970, in fact Earth Day got its roots,
its stronghold over a century ago
when, on April 20,1891, Minnesota
became the second state in the
nation to designate land as a state
park.
The public is invited to celebrate
die 100th birthday of that designation
of Itasca State Park during
ceremonies slated for 1 p.m. Saturday
at the Park, just two days shy of Earth
Day, 1991. Activities will be held at
the Mississippi headwaters or, in the
event of rain, at Brower Inn.
During the ceremony, visitors will
discover the treasures of Itasca
through living histories, songs,
traditional folk crafts and a hike or
bike ride with a naturalist, according
to a statement from the state
Department of Natural Resources.
The ceremonies begin with a
characterization of Jacob Brower,
the environmentalist who lobbied to
preserve Itasca a century ago. To
commemorate his efforts, Gov.
Carlson has proclaimed Saturday as
Jacob V. Brower Day. Charlie
Maguire, folksinger and songwriter,
will premier his new song about
Itasca, along with other songs.
The statewide Centennial quilt, a
labor of love by hundreds of
volunteers, will be presented. The
quilt, designed by Bonnie Ellis of
the Minnesota Quilters Association,
displays 65 colorful images, each
one representing a treasure found in
state parks.
DNR Commissioner Rod Sando,
along with Sen. Roger Moe,
DFL-Erskine, Sen. Skip Finn,
DFL-Cass Lake, and Rep. Bob
Johnson, DFL-Bemidji, will talk
about "Itasca: The Next 100 Years."
Cake and coffee will be served.
More than 600,000 people visited
Itasca in 1990 to explore the source
of the Mississippi, walk the trails,
watch the soaring eagles, and fish,
camp, and ski under the northern
lights. A park permit is required for
vehicles to enter the state park. The
1991 annual permit features Brower.
The Itasca State Park Centennial
summer guide is available and
contains all information needed to
plan a visit to Itasca during its 100th
year. Regarded as the "jewel of
Minnesota's state parks," Itasca is a
32,000 acre sanctuary where the
Mississippi River begins its 2,552
mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico.
The summer guide is available at
Itasca, or by calling 1-800-652-9747
and asking for the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources
(DNR). The Itasca guide is also
available at all Minnesota Travel
Information centers.
International Conference
to be held in Bemidji
Concerned Citizens Against
Racism and Discrimination will hold
an International Conference May
3-5th at the Bemidji Holiday Inn.
The tentative schedule is:
Friday, May 3
6 a.m.   Opening Pipe Ceremony
9 a.m.    Registration
10-noon   Sam Grant, Institute for
Undoing Racism  and David
Larson, Lower Sioux Tribal
Chairman
1:30- 4 pm Representative from the
Minnesota Department of
Human Race Relations with an
explanation of laws, rights,
and responsibilities
7-9 p.m.  Speakers representing
four races
Saturday, May 4
9-10:30 a.m. Men's and Women's
Circles
10:30- 11 Open Speakers Stand
11- 1 p.m. Alex Spead, Rat Portage
Reserve, Canada, and Bill
Bobolink, Bena
1-3 pm Feast
3-11 p.m. Pow wow
Sunday, May 5
11 a.m.- 1 p.m. Open discussion
1- 6 p.m. Powwow
Closing Pipe Ceremony
For more information contact Joe
Sayers at (218) 759-2022
Earth
1991
The News dedicates this issue to Earth Day, 1991...
We believe that Native Americans should lead any
movement to ensure the safety of Mother Earth; to
guarantee her preservation and maintenance for the future
of all the Earth's people. In this issue we are republishing
an article that appeared in WorldWatch that examines
possibilities we can strive toward for Earth Day, 2030.
See page 8 for our Earth Day featured article.