| PRESS
RELEASE
POC:
CRST Public Relations
Jessica
D. Kennedy
(605)964-8308
For
immediate release March 21, 2005
Tribe Receives
$1.5 Million to Pave and Curb China Town Street
A new road for China Town is long over due. There
are many pot holes and breakage on the current
street that causes the road to be a road less traveled,
except by the residents.
Dakota Longbrake, Director of Transportation,
has many projects lined up and China Town will
be one of the first to receive improvement. The
street will be completely paved and curbed from
beginning to end. The Tribe acknowledges Bear Creek
and Dupree Road as priority roads on the Reservation.
1.5 million would merely dent the two road projects
and China Town falls right under the amount we
received. Lobbying efforts for 2006 were made by
Chairman Frazier and Dakota Longbrake. The Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe (CRST) is just beginning to see
the positive outcomes of that lobbying.
President Bush in the Administration Budget, has
over 139 million plus in cuts. This is a very hard
hit to Indian Country. Herseth, Thune and Johnson
have been more then cooperative with our appropriations
requests. President Bush intends to cut the budget
in half by 2010. All tribes, especially the CRST,
must be at the table armed with the best budget
information and data to be included. It is very
important we participate and be active at meetings
so we are at the top of the list when it comes
to receiving funding.
The transportation funding was secured through
the efforts of Representative Herseth in HR 3,
as amended by the House Report 109-12. This is
a report accompanying the “Transportation
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users”. The money
will be used to pave and curb Rt. 900, China Town
Streets. Unless this is challenged in the Senate,
the earmark should stand once the final bill is
passed. Chairman Frazier stated, “Thank you
Rep. Herseth, the CRST, Department of Transportation
is well prepared to begin construction on the new
road.”
| 
