Category: News

New support for moms-to-be

Dan Bates / The HeraldAisha Bone, 25, reads "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to her daughter, Paige, who turned 1 on Friday. Bone is expecting her second baby in December and became interested in Providence Regional Medical Center Everett's new prenatal program offering support and education.
Dan Bates / The Herald
Aisha Bone, 25, reads “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to her daughter, Paige, who turned 1 on Friday. Bone is expecting her second baby in December and became interested in Providence Regional Medical Center Everett’s new prenatal program offering support and education.

By Sharon Salyer, The Herald

With her second child due in December, Aisha Bone is something of a veteran when it comes to pregnancy and delivery.

Yet the Everett mom, 25, was quick to sign up when she heard about a new group being formed for expectant mothers.

The Centering Pregnancy program provides moms the opportunity to attend 10, two-hour sessions where they can spend time with a nurse midwife.

It substitutes the typical prenatal office visit of about 15 minutes with a two-hour session each time the group meets. Moms can ask questions and learn from each other, said Jamie George, a certified nurse midwife who will lead the group.

Over the course of the pregnancy, that adds up to about 20 hours of personal attention.

“That’s a huge difference in the face-to-face time you have with your provider,” George said.

The ongoing series of classes begins June 18 at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. Moms join when they’re about six months from their scheduled delivery date.

New groups are scheduled to start each month. The groups are kept small, with about a dozen members, so that each woman can get personal attention. The group meets monthly for four months, then every two weeks after that.

Over the next year, the classes, which are covered by insurance, could serve up to 400 women. Services also will be provided on a sliding-fee scale. No one will be turned away for lack of ability to pay.

Moms practice the breathing techniques used during birth and get questions answered about topics such as the aches and pains of late-term pregnancy and tips on breast-feeding.

“I think it opens your mind up to different things that you may not have thought about compared to if it was just you and the midwife,” Bone said. “If someone else has a question, it may make you think about something you may never have thought of before.”

There will be belly checks to monitor the baby’s development, checks of the mom’s weight and blood pressure, and listening to the fetal heartbeat.

The sessions also will provide friendship and emotional support for mothers. This can be especially important for women who don’t have family nearby or those who are separated from their spouses through military deployment.

“It can be a scary thing if you’re pregnant to be alone,” Bone said. “To have that support system is good for the mom as well, not just for the child.”

For this reason, contacts are being made with Naval Station Everett to inform women about the program. Information also is being provided to the Tulalip Health Clinic. The Tulalip Tribes are the state’s second largest tribal group.

The program was begun in Everett through a $20,000 grant from the March of Dimes. The goal is to reduce premature births and low-birth weight babies, who can develop physical and developmental problems.

In Snohomish County, nearly 9 percent of all babies are born prematurely and nearly 5 percent have lower that normal birth weights, according to the state Department of Health.

A birth is considered premature if it occurs three weeks before the typical 40-week pregnancy.

Infants born prematurely often have compromised lungs, problems with feeding and other medical problems, said Lori Wilson, a physical therapist at Providence Children’s Center.

The babies also are at higher risk for developmental problems.

Everett joins Centering Pregnancy programs that are now offered in nearly every state. In Washington, Madigan Army Medical Center has been offering the program for a number of years, said Gina Legaz, director of program services for the March of Dimes.

The state chapter began offering start-up grants for Centering Pregnancy programs in 2011, including one to the Columbia Health Center in South Seattle.

Bone said she was familiar with the Everett hospital’s midwifery program, where her first child, Paige, was delivered by a midwife.

“I liked the idea of having the best of both worlds,” she said. “The midwives were respectful, but in the off chance that something did go wrong, I would be at the hospital and have great health care resources.”

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.

Centering Pregnancy

The first Centering Pregnancy group begins June 18 at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. New groups are scheduled to start monthly, with the next beginning July 15. For more information, call 425-303-6500.

Outlet mall expansion to open June 20

More than a dozen new stores to be added in Tulalip

M.L. Dehm / For The Herald Business JournalThe expansion to the Seattle Premium Outlets was designed to ensure a new promenade would meld with the original 2005 structures.
M.L. Dehm / For The Herald Business Journal
The expansion to the Seattle Premium Outlets was designed to ensure a new promenade would meld with the original 2005 structures.

By M.L. Dehm, The Herald Business Journal

TULALIP — Several retailers in the Seattle Premium Outlets‘ new promenade expansion are scheduled to open for business on June 20, with additional retailers following in the coming months.

The project is anticipated to bring more visitors to a complex that already draws more than 6.5 million annually.

“We are excited to welcome wonderful brands and stores that have proven to be so popular in other centers of ours,” said Mark Johnson, general manager of Seattle Premium Outlets.

Those stores include the Armani Outlet, Max Studio, The North Face, Clarins, Vince, Diane Von Furstenberg, American Eagle Outfitters and Forever 21. Existing stores that will be relocating from the original 2005 wings into the new promenade are Coach, Columbia Sportswear Co., DKNY, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Bahama.

“Additional stores joining the center, in the suites of the relocating stores, include White House Black Market, Saucony, Sperry Top-Sider, Swarovski, Victorinox Swiss Army and Disney Outlet store,” Johnson said.

He anticipates that the addition of those stores will satisfy shoppers’ demands for greater selection, more brands and the chance to find more deals.

The expansion added more than 100,000 square feet of retail space to the approximately 400,000 existing square feet that opened near Quil Ceda Village and the Tulalip Resort Casino in 2005. A parking garage opened in 2012 on the east side of the mall.

“Being next to the Tulalip Resort and Casino is a great complement to our shopping options and a benefit to area visitors,” Johnson said.

Tourists spent about $876 million in Snohomish County last year, and being near other tourist destinations is a bonus for Seattle Premium Outlets as it tries to capture tourist dollars.

Simon Property Group, the S&P 100 company that owns the complex, stated that the property was producing sales in excess of $700 per square foot before the start of the expansion.

Last quarter, the company posted a 5.3 percent increase in tenant sales per square foot overall in its family of outlet malls.

Simon Property Group owns 77 outlet malls worldwide, including 63 of the fewer than 200 facilities in the United States. That makes the organization one of the largest outlet mall groups in the world. The company holds a long-term lease on the Seattle Premium Outlets’ land owned by the Tulalip Tribes.

There were always tentative plans for a possible expansion of the Seattle Premium Outlets that preceded the official opening in 2005. However, the current expansion wasn’t actually announced until August 2011 and work did not begin until 2012.

“Our growth began with the completion of the new parking garage in late 2012 and continues with the opening of the promenade,” Johnson said.

The parking garage compensates for the areas of parking that were lost with construction on the expansion. During the last holiday season when expansion construction was in full swing, the outlets made a point of letting shoppers know that the parking garage was available and that stores were open for business.

According to Johnson, the parking garage has been working out well since it opened. Some shoppers seek out the lower, sheltered level of the garage in inclement weather.

The soon-to-open expansion, which is the new face of the facility as seen from I-5, has been built to complement the original site both in appearance and convenience. Director of marketing Michele Osgood pointed out the way in which similar structures and materials were used to offer a seamless feel to shoppers coming to the Outlets.

A new visitor would probably not notice the subtle differences between the new promenade expansion and the original buildings. Both areas feature wood elements and rock facings. Colors and landscaping are similar and the hardscape under foot at the entrance is the same.

Benches have been added at intervals along the front of the structure and secure locker rentals are available outside the management office at the northwest corner of the facility so shoppers don’t have to go all the way back to their car to stow purchases.

Many of the shoppers who visit the outlets come from Canada. They stay at one of the hotels, such as the Tulalip Resort Casino, or make the visit a day trip from Vancouver, B.C.

“The center serves area residents, both locally and regionally, and area visitors from all over the world,” Johnson said. “Our goal is to meet the needs of a wide range of shoppers.”

The more than a dozen shops opening on June 20 should help to do that. There are no plans for further expansion of the property, Johnson said.

Heritage High School graduation photos

Herald staff

Heritage High School of Tulalip held its graduation for the class of 2013 on Saturday. Click here to see a gallery of photos from the ceremony.

More graduation photos
Herald photographers are shooting photos from most Snohomish County high school graduation ceremonies this year. Look for more on our graduation galleries page.

Share your photos
Taking your camera to graduation? We’d love to see what you’ve got. Share your photos and see what others have posted in our reader galleries.

Teens making films ‘on the fly’ out in Indian Country

 

Credit Josh Marshall / Josh Marshall PhotographyRaven Two Feathers of Seattle directs a short documentary about the Suquamish Indian tribe as part of the 2013 SuperFly Filmmaking Workshop.
Credit Josh Marshall / Josh Marshall Photography
Raven Two Feathers of Seattle directs a short documentary about the Suquamish Indian tribe as part of the 2013 SuperFly Filmmaking Workshop.

By Florangela Davila

KPLU 88.5 June 7, 2013

 

Each year, 50 teens  from all over the country fly into Seattle to participate in a fast-and-furious film challenge. They have to produce short films in 36 hours, or “on the fly.” Which is why the program is called “SuperFly.”

Most of the participants are Native Americans, creating Native-themed films out on location on an Indian reservation.

Seattle filmmaker Tracy Rector and her Longhouse Media company launched the workshop 8 years ago.

“Growing up in Seattle as a mixed race woman who’s indigenous, I was very aware that there were not representations of people like me. And I often felt very isolated,” she said.

The all-expenses paid workshop, held in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival, brings together a multi-cultural group of youths. And in an effort to demystify Indian Country, the workshops are held on a different Indian reservation each year.

This year, the Suquamish Tribe out on the Kitsap Peninsula hosted the teens and introduced them to their history and culture through songs, dances, teachings, and a feast of traditional foods. They also inspired the subjects for five short documentaries and one animated film. In previous years, the teens have worked off of original narrative scripts authored by a Native writer.

On the beach on a recent day, Raven Two Feathers and Evodie Ngoy helmed the camera to tell the story of Suquamish tribal member Peg Deam.

Deam stirred up controversy a few years ago when she took a canoe from the Suquamish museum and paddled it out on the water. She says it was her way of reclaiming and revitalizing her culture.

Raven, 16, is Cherokee, Seneca, Cayuga, Comanche, and a New Mexico transplant who now attends Ballard High. She said the workshop taught her more about the diversity of tribes in the Pacific Northwest.

She added she could relate to the subject of her documentary: “I feel like you need to take risks cause originally I was super shy as a kid and I had this one teacher that pushed me to get out of my comfort zone.”

When she stood out on the beach, directing, Raven was anything but shy. She shared directing duties with Evodie, a 15-year-old from Baltimore originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“It feels awesome. I don’t know how else to express it. I’m mean, too pumped. Too pumped. Too much joy,” she said about the filmmaking experience.

The teens are divided into teams. They work with professional mentors and professional equipment. They’re fueled by the adrenaline of an intense deadline and the passion of what they’ve already figured out they love to do.

“I heard a great thing from a director once that you don’t say, ‘I want to become a filmmaker.’ You say, ‘I am a filmmaker!’ So I guess you could say I am a filmmaker!” said Raven.

“You are! Did you see what you did today?” said Evodie to Raven.

The SuperFly films, which get screened as part of the Seattle International Film Festival, will also get submitted to other festivals. They’ll also wind up in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Orcas draw crowds in Washington

By The Oregonian The Oregonian
June 07, 2013

 

BREMERTON, Wash. — Eight killer whales that spent about three hours in inland Washington waters near Bremerton quickly drew crowds on nearby shorelines.

Marine mammal biologist Brad Hanson of the National Marine Fisheries Service heard about the orcas and headed over from Seattle in his research boat to check them out Thursday afternoon.

The Kitsap Sun reports that the whales were marine mammal-eating transient orcas, rather than members of three Southern Resident killer whale pods that eat salmon.

Hanson followed the whales into Dyes Inlet and obtained a sample of blubber from a female orca designated as T-65A. She was identifiable by a distinctive notch in the upper part of her dorsal fin. Hanson also was able to identify her three offspring but not the other four whales. The blubber test is used to check for toxic chemicals and to help with genetic fingerprinting.

He says researchers are now trying to learn more about the transient killer whales.

— The Associated Press

PGST Foundation: Helping to foster understanding | Noo-Kayet, Our Village

Over the past decade, there have been a lot of milestones for the Port Gamble S’Klallam. We built the first Longhouse on our Tribe’s land in more than a century. We began to take steps to resurrect our ancestral language. We published our Tribe’s first history book.

By JEROMY SULLIVAN
Kingston Community News Columnist
June 6, 2013 · 3:49 PM

All of these projects would not have been possible without the hard work of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation. This nonprofit’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal members while increasing the understanding of the Tribe’s rich cultural heritage with people who reside in the Puget Sound area and visitors from far and wide.”

The foundation’s successes serve as a snapshot of what our Tribe has done to strengthen community bonds while staying true to our values, including those relating to education, cultural awareness and environmental stewardship.

For example, one of the foundation’s early projects was the capital campaign behind the House of Knowledge project — completed in 2007 — which includes the Longhouse, Career and Education building, Elders Center, and Little Boston Library.

This February, we celebrated the release of “The Strong People: A History of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe,” the first book we feel accurately reflects our Tribe’s ancestral roots. Not only did the foundation oversee work on the book — mostly by volunteers — but they’ve also been in charge of making sure books are distributed to the community, especially to our elders.

The foundation has played an integral role in raising awareness of Port Gamble S’Klallam language and art. They’ve found opportunities to showcase our Tribal artisans, including hosting several art auctions and playing an integral role in the Tribal art showcased at The Point Casino after its remodel. The foundation also works closely with our cultural resources department to help encourage the teaching of the S’Klallam language. At one point, our ancestral language was all but a thing of the past; because of so-called “Indian schools,” few spoke even basic words. Today, the S’Klallam language is being taught in our preschool.

Recently, we opened a new preschool building. It features a living roof, rain gardens, and an old-growth cedar tree stump as the centerpiece between two classrooms. The next stage of that project is a playground and the foundation is selling $100 tiles to help with funding. Support within the Tribal community has been strong; Foundation Director Laurie Mattson told me a story of one man who said he couldn’t afford to buy a tile, but gave the $6 out of his pocket.

The foundation has also been put in charge of the restoration efforts at Heronswood. When we purchased Heronswood last year — while still a beautiful place — it was clear that some time and energy would need to be put toward revitalizing the gardens. Through the hard work of some very dedicated volunteers, Tribal and non-Tribal alike, who have been working almost weekly since late last year, the garden has been cleaned up and is ready for a fresh start.

In addition to helping coordinate volunteer efforts with the Port Gamble Development Authority, the foundation has been responsible for creating events that help open the garden back up to the community. By the time you read this, Heronswood would have had its first Garden Open & Plant Sale in more than a decade. Additional Garden Open & Plant Sale events are scheduled for July 6 and Sept. 7.

The foundation is also setting up opportunities for charter memberships and lecture events. You can find out more at Heronswood.com.

We are very proud of the work being done by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation. They have done a lot to support our Tribal community and now, with projects like Heronswood, are working to create something positive that will touch people throughout the county, throughout the region, and beyond.

You can find more information about the Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation at www.pgst.nsn.us/tribal-entities/sklallam-foundation.

Sauk-Suiattle tribal members murderer pleads guilty, agrees to serve up to 27 years

Nooksack ax murderer pleads guilty, agrees to serve up to 27 years

June 6, 2013

By CALEB HUTTON — THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

LUMMI RESERVATION – A Nooksack tribal member admitted guilt Thursday morning, June 6, to the ax murder of a 68-year-old man on the Lummi Reservation last year.

Kenneth L. Joseph
Kenneth L. Joseph

Levi Eugene Charles, 26, entered the plea in exchange for a recommended sentence of 22 to 27 years in prison for second-degree murder. But a federal judge could give him up to a life sentence at his next court hearing on Aug. 2.

Charles figured Kenneth L. Joseph, a Sauk-Suiattle tribe member, would be asleep when he broke into his house on the night of Oct. 23, 2012. Court records show Charles meant to steal valuables so he could pawn them for cash.

He found a miniature baseball bat outside the home at 4667 Lake Terrell Road. He grabbed it and walked inside, making enough noise that Joseph – who slept with a respirator – woke up. Joseph saw Charles and confronted him.

But Joseph, a much older man in poor health, couldn’t fend off the burglar. Charles bludgeoned him with the bat, according to the plea agreement. To finish the job, Charles grabbed an ax that was by the front door and struck Joseph again and again in the head and face with it.

Afterward, Charles covered the body with a blanket. He shrouded the windows with more blankets. He put the ax back where he found it, near the front door, and left the baseball bat in the woods behind the house. He stole Joseph’s wallet and television. But he abandoned the TV near the end of the driveway.

A few hours later, he used Joseph’s debit card to withdraw $420 from an ATM. He turned himself in to police for an unrelated warrant a few days later. Soon afterward, investigators named him as a murder suspect.

Nobody else has been charged in connection to the murder.

Joseph worked as a math tutor and a fisheries enforcement officer. In an obituary, his family recalled his love for fishing, hunting and riding motorcycles.

Under the terms of the plea, Charles must cover the funeral costs.

Charles had a history of crimes fueled by substance abuse: forging painkiller prescriptions and breaking into a minimart, for example. Once, he stole his grandmother’s debit card to buy $102.80 in minutes for his phone. But he had no past convictions for violent crime.

Reach Caleb Hutton at 360-715-2276 or caleb.hutton@bellinghamherald.com. Read his dispatcher blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dispatcher or follow him on Twitter at @bhamcrime.

Veterans Helping Veterans ride for Hearts Toward Home International June 8

Marysville Globe

SMOKEY POINT — The third annual Veterans Helping Veterans Spring Run will start at Sound Harley-Davidson in Smokey Point and end at the Angel of the Winds Casino in Arlington on Saturday, June 8.

The pre-ride briefing is slated to start at 10:45 a.m., in time for the motorcycles to go out by 11 a.m. The casino will greet riders with a slot tournament, as well as a raffle and silent auction in its banquet room.

“We strongly believe that our community is not just where we live, but is the place we have chosen to make a home for our families,” said Tracy “Chainz” Rowe, president of the Washington State Chapter B of the Warrior Brotherhood Veterans Motorcycle Club. “For this reason, we want to strengthen our ties within our community, and in doing so, provide assistance to the military community, veterans and their families.”

The club is a nonprofit veterans organization, and the annual spring run’s proceeds go to benefit Hearts Toward Home International.

“We have more than 60 items, valued in excess of $5,000, for the raffle and silent auction,” Rowe said. “The more folks we get to attend, the more money we can raise for Dr. Bridget Cantrell, who was appointed the 2004 and 2008 Outstanding Female Non-Veteran, for her service to veterans, by the Governor’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Cantrell is the founder and CEO of Hearts Toward Home International, a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery and reintegration of trauma survivors. Since 2008, Hearts Toward Home International has been received the Best of Bellingham Award, in the Nonprofit Charitable Organization category, by the U.S. Local Business Association for three years.

Construction Workers Unearth Native American Burial Ground

by Rowena Shaddox
Fox 40 June 6, 2013

IONE, CA-

Caltrans workers, widening and repaving a portion of Highway 88 in Ione, unearthed a Native American burial ground.

“They have a monitor come in, and they have to be there to make sure if they find anything, they have to stop,” Amber Guerra, who is married to a Miwok tribe member.

A Caltrans investigator confirmed today, that a monitor from the tribe was already on hand at the construction site, just in case any more remains or artifacts are uncovered.

Out of respect for the tribe, a Caltrans spokeswoman declined comment.

And while the Miwok tribe wouldn’t say specifically where the remains were found, in order to protect the site from vandals, they did say, “The Ione Band of Miwok Indians does everything within its power to make sure all of our Burial Sites, Cultural Sites and Sacred Sites are as protected.”

“It’s just like anyone else. You don’t want someone messing with your ancestors remains. So they do, they take it very seriously,” Guerra said.

Those who live near sacred burial sites, say finding remains isn`t unusual for this area.

“It’s peaceful. It’s a common feeling, especially if you know the background of the culture,” said Amber, an Ione resident who lives near a Miwok burial site.

A culture Amber Guerra has become a part of, married to a tribal member.

“Different times of the season, they walk from here to the Ione reservation, to Plymouth, to Pioneer. all over. So you’ll find all kinds of stuff, everywhere,” Guerra said.

“It’s mainly just the tribal people that are in control of everything that goes on with the reservation. Any type of remains of any sort, they take care of it. We don’t have any access. It’s very sacred,” resident Amber added.

Watch the news coverage here.

Native American 40 Under 40 nominations being accepted

6/6/2013 8:16:09 AM

BY CHEROKEE PHEONIX STAFF REPORTS

 MESA, Ariz. – The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development is accepting nominations for this year’s Native American 40 Under 40 Awards.

The awards recognize 40 emerging American Indian leaders less than 40 years of age who have demonstrated leadership, initiative and dedication to achieve significant contributions in their businesses, communities and Indian Country.

 The awards will be presented at the 38th annual Indian Progress in Business Awards 2013, which will be a part of the Fall Regional Reservation Economic Summit Arizona to be held in October.

 Highlights of INPRO also include the presentation of other business awards such as the Jay Silverheels Achievement Award, the First American Corporate Leadership Award and the First American Entrepreneurship Award.

 NCAIED is also accepting applications for the American Indian Fellowship in Business Scholarship Awards, which is presented annually to several deserving American Indian undergraduate or graduate students majoring in business. The scholarships are awarded to recipients who have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing excellence in academics and giving back to the American Indian community. The scholarship awards will be presented at RES Arizona.

 

The deadline for nomination submissions is Aug. 2. For more information or to download a nomination form, visit www.ncaied.org