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3TuesdayFebruary52013HEARTHEALTHFebruaryisHEARTHEALTHMonthChooseMOREOftenFATTYFISHSalmonmackerelsardinestunatroutPLANTOILSFATSbutternon-hydrogenatedmargarinessofttubNUTSSEEDSHIGHFIBREFOODSFruitsandvegetablesLOWERFATMILKPRODUCTS2milkorlessandyogurtLOWSODIUMLESSPROCESSEDFOODSThemorenaturalthebetterChooseLESSOftenHIGHFATMILKPRODUCTSFullfatcheesesicecreamcreamcheeseLARGEPORTIONSOFMEATBUTTERLARDSHORTENINGHYDROGENATEDMARGARINEFOODSCONTAININGTRANSFATSPackagedfoodssuchascrackersFROZENPROCESSEDFOODSBreadedchickenfrenchfriesPACKAGEDPASTANOODLEMIXESMr.NoodleSidekicksKraftDinneretc.CANNEDSOUPSSOUPMIXEScontacttheFortSmithHealthandSocialServicesAuthorityat872-6200.EatSmartforaHealthyHeartPoitrasresignsasSaltRiverFirstNationchiefTheyarelookingforascapegoatasSRFNalwaysdoesPoliticsFirstNationsByMEAGANWOHLBERGDavidPoitrasresignedsuddenlylastweekfromhispostaschiefofSaltRiverFirstNationaftercouncilreportedlyhammeredhimwithaccusationsoffinan-cialmismanagementandpoorcommunicationwithcouncilandmembership.IcouldntgetawordinedgewisePoitrassaidre-gardingtheJan.26meeting.Finallytheywereaccus-ingtheCEOofhidinginfofromthemandhestatedWellImayjustaswellhandinmyresignation.Hehassinceresigned.Toobadhewasaveryhardwork-ingandcommittedperson.AtthispointIgotsofrustratedthatIstatedImayaswellresigntoo.Ileftthebuildingandtheyimmediatelyconvenedameeting...andtheyacceptedmyverbalresignationandtookittoanassemblythenextday.Theyacceptedmyres-ignationsoquicklythatIsawtheyhadnointentionordesiretoworkwithme.Theywantedmeoutheadded.ThoughPoitrasreceivedarequestfromactingchiefConnieBenwelllastweektosubmitawrittenresig-nationspecifyinghislastdayPoitrassaidhehasnotdonesoandwillnotuntilhisnameisclearalthoughheconfirmedheissteppingdown.CEOJohnCartermain-tainshetoohasresignedbutaccordingtopolicyhemustgivethreemonthsnotice.ActingchiefBenwellremainedunavailableforcommentatpresstime.PoitraselectedchiefinDecember2011andagainbyacclamationlastOcto-bersaidheisbeingpar-tiallyscapegoatedforafinancialcrisiscausedbymismanagementoftheFirstNationoverthepastfiveyearsandwillgodownswingingtomakesureheisnotwrongfullyblamed.Iampreparingtoshowanenormousspendingspreethatbeganin2008thathasfinallycaughtupwithSRFNPoitrastoldTheJournalinanemail.Hecitedaccumulateddeficitsfrompastcontractsincludingaone-seasoncon-tractwithNTPCforclear-ingbrushthatlastedthreeseasons.PoitrassaidthecosttoSRFNwasatleast500000overthebidpartlyduetothepurchaseofnewsnowmobilesandshreddersfromHighLevelinthewinterof2012-twoyearsaftertheoriginalcon-tractwasawarded.HesaidhedidntknowatthetimetheywereinthethirdyearonthatcontractbecausetheFirstNationsformerchieffinancialof-ficerCFOStevenWyliewasunabletodothejob.wasdowntobetween5-700000andtherainydayaccountwasdownto3.5millionwiththeNTPCproj-ectstillgoinginitsthirdseasonPoitrassaid.Partofthelosscanbethelimitofsixpermonth300foranydevelopmentcorporationmeetingsandhonorariafortraveling.NotoneredcentwasstolenbymyselforanycouncillorPoitrassaid.OurTLEcelebrationlastsummerwasbudgetedat50000butoneoftheper-sonscurrentlyoncoun-cilConnieBenwellwasresponsibleforanoverspendingofapproximately40000.ThecouncillorandtheCFOwereunabletomanagethistinybudgeteffectively.Justanotherex-ampleofwhatIamsayingofpoormanagementandalackofaccountability.Hesaidhetransferred455000tothegeneralac-countfromthereservestopayforoperations.Thoughhehadtheauthoritytodothisaschiefheadmitteditwasamistaketodoitwithouttellingcouncilimmediately.SinceNovemberIhavesaidtocouncilthatweneedtocutspendingasIhadnoideaofourfinancialstatus.Theychosenottohearmehesaid.Poitrassaidhewillonlytakeresponsibilityforhisactionsandnooneelses.TheyarelookingforascapegoatasSRFNalwaysdoeshesaid.IwillnotpassthebuckandIwilltakeresponsibil-ityformypartandonlymypart.Allpastchiefsandcouncillorshavebroughtusasanationtowherewearenow.Andyesmis-takesweremadebyallandmaybenowistimeforallofustomoveon.Councildidnotgivemetimetogivethemthestatusofournancialsituation.TheyaresayingIhidthisfromthemhoweverIwasjustbeginningtomakesenseofitmyself.TherewasaverygoodreasonIredourpastCFO.Hetotallymessedupournancialrecordsandwethoughtwewerenebutsadlywewerenot.DavidPoitrasPoitrassubsequentlyfiredWylielastNovember.Councildidnotgivemetimetogivethemthestatusofourfinancialsit-uation.TheyaresayingIhidthisfromthemhow-everIwasjustbeginningtomakesenseofitmyself.Therewasaverygoodrea-sonIfiredourpastCFO.Hetotallymessedupourfinancialrecordsandwethoughtwewerefinebutsadlywewerenot.Poitrassaidhehasdocu-mentsshowingthatin2008theFirstNationsrainydayaccountcontainedwellover9millionandthein-frastructureaccountover7millionbutthosewereseverelydepletedbythetimehecameintooffice.BythetimeIgotintheinfrastructureaccountattributedtoa1.2millionpayouttoapproximately10membersofSRFNanda600000payouttoformerchiefFriedaMartselosforhardshipsufferedPoitrassaidalongwithatleast4millioninlegalexpensessince2008.Hesaidintotalnearly30millionwasspentdur-ingthelastfiveyears.AllthatSRFNhastoshowforitistwohousesattheSaltRiversettlementthatareusedonceortwiceayearahomelessshelterthatcostsSRFN250000ayeartooperateabandofficeandfourhomesthatwerecompletedthisyearwithadeficitofapproxi-mately400000.Councillorsarepaid36000perannumplus300foranymeetingsoverPhotoMeaganWohlbergDavidPoitrassaysheisbeingblamedfornancialmismanagementattheFirstNationstretchingbackveyears.