1984-10-02 Char-Koosta News

              CHAR-KOOSTA
Newspaper of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
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VOLUME 13 NUMBER 11 THE HUNTING MONTH OCTOBER 2, 1984
Tribal electronics firm gets $2.3 million contract
"Are we happy? Something like that," Mike Tarter said, after receiving word that the Tribes' newest enterprise, S & K Electronics, was low bidder on a $2.3 million dollar contract to build 51,000 tank heaters for the Dept of Defense
The contract will enable S & KE to hire
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs.
20 hourly production workers next January and February, plus an unspecified number of support personnel, all of whom can expect 3V2 years of work The contract has a "200% option clause", Tarter said, which means they can agree to make still more heaters over the next decade. Tarter is the firm's general manager.
The telegram carrying official word of the contract awarding was received Sept 25. Unlike a previously-reported $750,000 contract that is still in limbo, the $2.3
million deal is a sure thing and can't be protested, Fred Houle, Jr., told the Tribal Council Sept 21. Ironically, the protested contract is for 13,000 of the same type of heaters.
Tarter said he has a roster of 80 names on file from which to draw when work is due to begin, but the enterprise is willing to take more applications at its two-miles-north-of-Pablo headquarters Turn west at mile marker 54 or call 883-6241.
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'No progress' talks to resume this week
Three days of closed-door negotiating between the Tribes and the Montana Power Company about the Kerr Dam were called off Sept 19 by both parties' attorneys, who said no progress was being made
Six days later, in FERC judge Bruce Birchman's courtroom in Washington, D.C., the lawyers agreed to "try settlement some more", Poison Council member Teresa Wall reports. Birch-man granted the request for more
time, scheduling another pre-trial meeting on Oct 9.
Asked why apparently stalemated talks were to resume, Wall said, "Everyone has a different perception of progress. 1 think a small bit of progress was made" She wouldn't give any details except to note that both sides were still communicating and "neither side had stormed out" of the first round of talks.
(Concludes on page two)
Quarterly meeting is this Friday
The last quarterly Council meeting for 1984 will take place in Pablo at Tribal headquarters on Friday, Oct 5, beginning at 9 am.
Kerr Dam developments will be
the featured topic.
Everyone is encouraged to attend the meeting and see the Tribal Council in action.
Lunch will be served.