1984-10-30 Char-Koosta News

              CHAR-KOOSTA
Newspaper of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
VOLUME 13     NUMBER 13
THE HUNTING MONTH
OCTOBER 30, 1984
S & K Electronics lands protested $740,000 contract
After two years of not having too much to do, S & K Electronics now finds itself with more than three million dollars' worth of tank heaters to produce, and the promise of more.
Word was received Oct 17, and confirmed by telegram Oct 19, that
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs._
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the fledgling electronics company had finally won a disputed $740,000 Department of Defense contract to build 13,000 tank heaters that the company custom designed
Earlier this year, the firm had learned that it was the low bidder on the three quarter-of-a-million dollar job, but a competitor, IDL of California, protested S & K ETs ability to handle the order.
After study over the last several months, the Government Accounting Office freed the contract by dismissing IDL's appeal, according to S & K E's board of directors chairman Ron Trosper.
Added to a $2.3 million contract to build51,000 tank heaters, a$25,000 job for printed ciruit boards, and an $88,000 order for frame assemblies, the $740,000 job means the newest
Tribal enterprise has over$3 million in sales to boast about
General manager Mike Tarter said he expects to be hiring assemblers early in 1985, and some support personnel immediately.
He points out that S & K doesn't depend on minority business status to bid, but goes into each solicitation with good, solid low estimates, bidding as an equal with its competitors
The plant located two miles north of Tribal headquarters in Pablo, will be expanding its floor space to accomodate the initially unanticipated large influx of business. The enterprise thus will benefit the Reservation economy through construction jobs, in addition to the 20-plus people to be hired in the next few months and the half-dozen now on staff.
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Savik apparently okay
A month-long search for Tribal social worker AnnaBeth Felsman Savik ended with the receipt in Pablo of a Washington state unemployment insurance claim signed by her. If s evident that her disappearance was an unorthodox good-bye to the Reservation
"It looks like everything is above board," Ron McCrea, Tribal Police chief, said, calling off the search
Savik was last seen Sept 19. Her pickup was found five days later abandoned near Perma
St Ignatius man missing
As we go to press Oct 25, a second Tribal member has been reported missing
Mike LaFrombois, 36, of St Ignatius, was reported missing Oct 11 after he left a Poison home Oct 6 on foot according to his wife
LaFrombois is described as 5'8" tall, about 150 pounds, with black hair and dark brown eyes.
Anyone having information on his whereabouts is asked to call Law and Order at 675-4700.
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