Category: News

Bringing Culture to the Classroom

Tiyanna Bueno, a second grade student at Immaculate Conception Catholic School teaches her 
classmates about traditional Native American culture and cedar weaving with the help of Tulalip
educators, Malory Simpson and Maria Martin.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

During a recent in-class lesson, 2nd grader Tiyanna Bueno sat at her desk inside Immaculate Conception Catholic School reading about a Native American rug weaver from New Mexico. Suddenly, inspiration struck the 8-year-old Tulalip tribal member and she yelled out excitedly, “My mom is a weaver! She weaves with cedar.”

A dash of persuading here, some finagling there, and Tiyanna had whipped up an hour-long session for her mother Malory Simpson and Lushootseed language teacher Maria Martin to be guest presenters in her Everett classroom. The idea was to teach the 2nd grade class about local Native American culture while giving a cedar weaving lesson in the process. Fancy that: actual Tulalip culture taught by actual Tulalip educators. 

“We want our Native kids from Tulalip to feel like they are represented as an important part of our school,” explained 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Hegg. “Our school’s values are enhanced by promoting the cultures of our students. It’s vibrant, it’s beautiful and goes well with our shared teaching to be good stewards of the Earth.”

1st grade teacher Mrs. Weatherbie gets cedar weaving instruction from Tiyanna.

So on a Friday afternoon in early May, Tiyanna, wearing a traditional cedar hat, beamed with pride as she introduced her fellow students to their special guest presenters. Malory and Maria brought in a treasure trove of cedar along with their life-long experiences from being Tulalip citizens.

“We come from the Tulalip Tribes, live on the Tulalip Reservation, and wanted to talk to you all about cedar and what it means to our culture,” said Miss Maria. “I’ll be reading the story Her First Basket. If you listen carefully, you’ll come away with a few lessons that are meaningful to us.”

Coast Salish tribes believe the Creator gave their people cedar as a gift. Traditionally, a prayer was offered to honor the spirit of the tree before harvesting its bark, branches and roots. Their ancestors taught them the importance of respecting cedar and understanding how it is to be used, so it will be protected for future generations. 

Cedar was the perfect resource, providing tools, clothes, baskets and carvings in addition to having medicinal and spiritual purposes. The highly sought after golden inner bark is separated into strips or shredded for weaving. The processed bark is then used like wool and crafted into clothing, baskets and hats.

Those same traditional teachings are practiced today, along with many others, and passed down to the next generation. While Malory and Maria shared their stories and personal experiences through cedar teachings to the attentive group of youngsters, an ecstatic Tiyanna embodied the spirit of her ancestors by not being afraid to express herself culturally and modelling a variety of cedar creations.

  Traditional knowledge was shared and memories made, especially when the trio of Tulalip culture bearers gave a hands-on lesson via cedar rose making. They not only received 100% participation from the students during the activity, but after explaining its tradition to give away your first creation, the 2nd graders quickly got to work making a second and, in some cases, even a third cedar rose.

“[Cedar] smells like nature’s perfume,” described one eloquent kiddo. While another quick learner insisted, “Cedar roses are better than real flowers because those die. These ones will live for 1,000 years!” 

A definite highlight was when the students asked how to say ‘cedar’ and ‘thank you’ in Lushootseed. After getting the pronunciations down, they were heard using their learned Lushootseed over and over again amongst each other. 

“It felt so good to be able to share a piece of our culture,” said Miss Malory, Native Education Advocate. “It makes my heart happy to see the students being so welcoming and eager to learn about another culture. Tiyanna is such a free spirit and takes pride in being open to share about herself, her family and our culture.”

Reflecting on an afternoon she got to bring her Native American lifeway into the classroom, 8-year-old Tiyanna shared, “My favorite part was showing off the cedar hats, cedar headbands, and a cedar heart. I liked showing these things to my class because they remind me of my home in Tulalip.”

Mrs. Hegg’s 2nd grade kids received hands-on teachings with cedar weaving, learned how to say ‘cedar’ and ‘thank you’ in Lushootseed, and, most importantly, learned about a local Native culture not from a textbook, but by living, breathing Tulalip educators. 

Higher education graduates celebrate rewriting a narrative

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

“Every single time a Native graduates, it’s an opportunity to rewrite history. Because for so long we were shut out of environments where we could tell our own stories,” explained renowned author and keynote speaker Gyasi Ross. “This is a powerful moment. The work you’re doing is recapturing our narrative, its reclaiming our story. You all have counted coup on an educational system that wasn’t created for us. That deserves an amazing amount of acknowledgement and respect.”

Gyasi’s sentiments were well received by the class of 2019 higher education graduates during a special banquet held in their honor on May 20 in the Hibulb longhouse. Surrounded by their supporters in an atmosphere of accomplishment, thirty-five graduates received a heartfelt ovation as they walked proudly to the front when their name was called. Vibrant Native Anthro blankets and silver pendants made by local artist Al Charles were gifted to each honoree to commemorate the occasion.

Breezy Distefano, Natosha Gobin, and sisters Malory and Shana Simpson celebrate being four Indigenous educators decolonizing school systems for our youth.

When it comes to being Native American and educated, the common narrative is Natives can’t succeed in a westernized education system. U.S. Census data shows that while more than 60% of high school students go to college, only 17% of Native students are able to continue their education after high school. In a time where education is an important cornerstone for self-sufficiency and quality of life, only 13% of Natives age 25 and older hold a college degree. That narrative is being rewritten by Indigenous scholars who are actively working to decolonize education pathways, not just for themselves but for generations to come.

“My journey started when I had my oldest son, Preston, and I knew that the current education system wasn’t one he should have to go through,” shared Western Governors University graduate Brianne Distefano. “My goal was to create change from within, so I went to work at Quil Ceda Elementary as a para-pro. Now, I’m the Native Liaison. I believe we need as many Native educators as we can get in the school systems because for our kids to be able to dream big, we need to break the mold.”

Brigham Young University graduate, Antonia Ramos.

The class of 2019 higher education grads includes 7 Associate’s degrees, 13 Bachelor’s degrees, 2 Master’s degrees, and one of the most coveted achievements in the academic world, a PhD.

“Essentially, I have spent the last 29 years off and on working towards my PhD,” said newly dubbed Dr. Lena Hammons. “Our history gave us some truly amazing tribal leaders, their struggles, survival, and resilience made them strong. Our ancestors’ stories make our people stronger and the more educated we become helps us to fight the political battles we face every day.”

It’s a longer, tougher road for Native adults pursuing their education, which is all the more reason to celebrate their accomplishments. Sometimes there are even more perilous obstacles on the path to success, like battling addiction. 

“I was in active addiction while going after my GED,” admitted Everett Community College graduate Aaron Pablo. “Something my journey has proved is it doesn’t require someone being clean and sober to put in the work and get educated. I put in the work, reached my goal, and then put my sights on getting clean. Now, I have 4 months and 25 days clean.”

Results of dedication from a lot of long nights and hard work prove what is possible for aspiring Native students everywhere. Fortunately, the Tulalip Tribes offers additional support for prospective and current students via the Higher Education Department and a network of individuals committed to helping. During the evening’s banquet, Valda Gobin, Dawn Simpson, Jeanne Steffener, Norma Comenote, and Margarita Houston received special recognition.

“These ladies were recognized for all of their hard work and care that they put into each student, client, and community member that they serve each day,” said Felicia Stripling, Higher Education Coordinator. “They put their heart and soul into their work and it shows. We wanted to show our appreciation for them and all that they do for our community.”

Tulalip’s Higher Education staff are eager to help new and returning students find their path to success. They can assist with FAFSA and finding scholarship opportunities, while also helping students choose the right school based on personal interests and career desires. For those tribal members who are empowered to continue rewriting the narrative, please contact Higher Education at (360) 716-4888 or email highered@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Roy Robinson Subaru Shares the Love with Tulalip Foundation

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

For the past ten holiday seasons, Subaru dealerships across America collectively raised over $140 million dollars during their annual Share the Love campaign. The event is held during the months of November and December in which the company pledges to donate $250 for each new Subaru sold or leased to a charity selected by the dealership. 

Previously, the dealership’s choices were between the National Park Foundation, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Meals on Wheels and the Make-A-Wish Foundation; resulting in the protection of over 100 National Parks, the rescue of over 50,000 animals, the preparation of over 2 million meals for seniors nationwide and over 1,800 wishes granted to youth battling life threating illnesses. In 2013, Subaru added a fifth option, affording their dealerships the opportunity to donate to a local charity or non-profit of their choice. After much consideration, the friendly crew at Marysville Roy Robinson Subaru decided to donate their 2018 Share the Love earnings to the Tulalip Foundation.

The Tulalip Foundation is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to empowering the wellbeing of the Tulalip reservation and its surrounding communities. Since 2007, the Foundation has worked with a number of programs to create a brighter future for the Tribe, programs that are based on three important values to many tribal families: culture, education and justice.

Originally, the Foundation began as a way to raise the last remaining million dollars needed to open the Hibulb Cultural Center. Since the museum’s opening, the non-profit has raised money, accepted donations and applied for a number of grants to provide several programs and departments with the funds for events, incentives and services including the Betty J. Taylor Early Learning Academy Parent Committee, Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid (TOCLA), Tulalip TERO Vocational Training Center and the Tulalip Veteran’s Quilt Project. The Foundation also hosts a number of fundraisers throughout the year such as the Hibulb Cultural Center Salmon Bake and their annual Giving Tuesday event.

Last November, Roy Robinson Subaru General Manager Robb McCalmon stated his crew would be hard at work during the holiday season in hopes of delivering a ‘big check’ to the Foundation come springtime. On the morning of April 15, Robb and his team did just that by presenting an oversized check to the Tulalip Foundation Board of Trustees – a grand total of $21, 149. 

The Share the Love event helped improve an already strong relationship between the local Subaru dealership and the Tribe, as well as spread the message about the good work the Tulalip Foundation is doing for the community. Over the next few months, the Foundation will convene and discuss which programs to distribute the donation to, ensuring the efforts made by the Roy Robinson crew are well spent. 

“The Tulalip Foundation was extremely honored to be chosen as Roy Robinson Subaru’s community partner for their 2018 Share the Love event,” expresses Tulalip Foundation Executive Director, Nicole Sieminski. “It was a unique opportunity to share our work with the greater community and their generous donation will do a lot of good work in the Tulalip community.”

For more information, please visit Marysville Roy Robinson Subaru or contact the Tulalip Foundation at (360) 716-5400.

Special Olympian Bruce Williams brings home gold

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

Since 1968, the Special Olympics have been a global movement used to unleash the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports. They empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all.

In Washington State, year-round sports training and athletic competition are provided in a variety of Olympic-type sports for more than 18,000 children and adults who refuse to believe a disability is a limitation. These inspiring individuals are given continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of friendship with their fellow athletes.

Thirty-seven-year-old Bruce Williams is a proud Tulalip tribal member who has competed in numerous sporting events at the Special Olympics for over a decade. Previously showcasing his skills at soccer, basketball and volleyball in years past, Bruce is now focused on track and field. He’s had a long-time passion with running, so it was only a matter of time before he transitioned to track.

Bruce’s collection of previously won medals.

On Sunday, April 28 the Cascade Area Regionals were hosted at Mariner High School in Everett. After months of preparation and sporting his brand new pair of Nike Free running shoes, Bruce was ready to race. His first competition was the 100-meter sprint. In a highly contested dash, Bruce took 2nd place, finishing less than a tenth of a second behind the 1st place runner. For his effort he was awarded a silver medal.

A short while later, Bruce again took to the starting line, this time for the 200-meter sprint. This time he wouldn’t be denied the gold. From the start he jumped out in front of the pack and maintained his momentum all the through the finish line. A huge smile on his face after finishing 1st, Bruce was beaming when he received a gold medal.

The Special Olympian proudly wore his two medals every day the following week. He made time to sit down with Tulalip News staff and share his thoughts about winning gold and silver in his two athletic events. Here are some of the highlights from that conversation:

Q: How does it feel to be a gold-winning Olympian?

A: “Feels great! Very proud of winning. Want to show everybody my medals.”

Q: What was your training routine like? 

A: “Train on the treadmill, do laps at the Marysville YMCA, and lots of track stretches. Very important to stretch.”

Q: Any special foods you like to have on race day?

A: “Strawberry yogurt is my favorite and lots of water.”

Q: You raced in a pair of Nike Free shoes. What do you like about them?

A: “They make me run fast!”

Q: Were you nervous going into your races?

A: “A little. Lots of people racing, but I’m the fastest one around.”

Q: You’ll be competing at the Spring State Games next month. What are your expectations?

A: “Win more gold, the big one this time.”

Bruce will be prepping over the next several weeks to compete against the best Special Olympians in the state. The 2019 Spring State Games will be held May 31 – June 2 at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Bruce asks that anyone who isn’t busy those days to come out and cheer him on to victory. 

B-I-N-G-O celebration!

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

Local Tulalip citizens were joined by their fellow tribal members that journeyed from as far north as Vancouver, B.C. and as far south as Olympia to fill the seats of Tulalip Bingo on Monday, April 29. The occasion? The highly anticipated 18th annual Tribal Bingo Celebration. 

Bingo Director Tammy Taylor (left) and Board of Director Mel Sheldon (center) were all smiles during the day-long bingo celebration.

“Who is ready to win some money?!” resounded Board of Director Mel Sheldon. Like he has done in years past, Mel reigned supreme on the mic as M.C. for the specialty 10:00a.m., 2:00p.m. and 6:00p.m. sessions. He kept the atmosphere lively and upbeat with plenty of jokes and his witty banter.

Nearly one-thousand tribal members turned into dauber enthusiasts while enjoying the festivities and trying their luck to win high-end prizes or line their pockets with cold, hard cash.

“We are honored to host our tribal bingo while bringing fun and excitement to the membership for 18 wonderful years now,” said Tammy Taylor, Tulalip Bingo Director. “The beautiful part of our celebration is bringing the membership together for a fun time, free of politics and drama. Today really is all about our people enjoying each other’s company, sharing stories, and catching up with friends and family you don’t see often enough.”

Bingo staff did their best to make the 18th annual celebration move along as smoothly as possible. Like the last couple years, the event was split into three separate sessions instead of only two. Keeping the extra third session makes seating more comfortable and gives a slight bump to everyone’s chance of winning cash and door prizes, such as a 75” TV, matching recliner set, and vacation voucher. 

Toneena Gobin (center) celebrated her 20th birthday with a $1,199 cash door prize

The day was especially exciting for Toneena Gobin who kicked-off her 20th birthday by attending the morning bingo session. Fortune favored the birthday girl as she won a whopping $1,199 cash prize.

“I almost fainted from being so excited,” beemed Toneena after collecting her winnings.

Spanning each session were 15 separate games of bingo, including hit favorites like Large Crazy Kite, Indian Star, and Blackout. During each session an estimated $33,000 in total prizes were awarded to bingo and door-prize raffle winners. 

“It’s a time we all come together to celebrate,” reflected Mel following the afternoon session. “Bingo has been a pastime for generations now. Seeing all the first time 18-year-olds who participated today, adding to our tribal family, really makes it worthwhile.” 

 “Bingo started us [in the gaming industry] back in 1983,” added Tammy. “It’s been an amazing journey to where we are now. You could see so many big smiles, hugs being given, and loud laughs shared throughout today. From our Bingo team members to the Enrollment team members, everyone did a fantastic job start to finish.”

Smiles and laughs were had by many of the 970 tribal members who eagerly daubed away at their bingo cards during the two-hour sessions. Some even made the most of a fifteen-minute break to try their luck at the newly installed slot machines. The games of chance paid off big time for a lucky few, especially those who had the golden opportunity to yell out an ecstatic, “BINGO!”

Garden Day promotes overall health and wellness

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

The beautiful and peaceful Wellness Garden Trail, located behind the Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic, officially opened on the morning of April 27, as the community of Tulalip gathered to celebrate the first Garden Day of 2019. After a long, cold winter, the plant beds were ready for a new beginning and approximately seventy-five volunteers arrived bright and early to prune and replenish the garden boxes with fresh soil and new plants. 

Garden Day is hosted by the Tulalip Diabetes Care and Prevention program and is held periodically throughout the year. Participants of all ages learn how to grow and maintain a garden by cultivating a variety of produce, fruit trees and traditional medicinal plants. The crew, equipped with gardening tools, gloves and trash bags, as well as piles of fresh soil, worked hard while enjoying good company and a view of Tulalip Bay on a gorgeous spring day. 

“We’ve been doing Garden Day since February 2011,” explained Diabetes Program Coordinator, Veronica ‘Roni’ Leahy. “It started at the Hibulb Cultural Center and then it moved to the health clinic in 2014. Diabetes prevention is really what it’s all about. To prevent diabetes, we’re looking to promote exercise and healthy foods. If we can achieve 5-7% weight loss by exercise or nutrition, we reduce our risk of developing diabetes by 57%, by just making little tiny changes. The prevalence of diabetes within Native American communities is higher than non-Native communities. For us, the foods we would’ve traditionally eaten are not readily available to us.”

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Indigenous Peoples are at a substantially higher risk to develop diabetes than any other race nationwide. Previous records show that for decades, Native diabetics experienced kidney failure due to complications from diabetes. But because of programs like Diabetes Care and Prevention, individuals are now learning how to properly manage their blood glucose and sugar levels, and therefore the amount of kidney failures amongst Native diabetics dropped by a whopping 54% since 2013. 

During the event, the health clinic provides free screenings for both blood pressure and blood sugar levels as hypertension and diabetes are widespread amongst tribal members. Based on the results, the clinic can offer advice and refer them to the appropriate specialist. Throughout the day, about thirty volunteers took the time to participate in the screening to get an update on their health.

In addition to learning about diabetes and growing plentiful green gardens, participants are also treated to a delicious and nutritious breakfast, snack and lunch prepared by the Tulalip SNAP-Ed program. Traditional foods were incorporated into the meal, including nettles in tasty brownie deserts, as well as fruit-infused water. The event also included a giveaway where prizes were raffled off such as gardening tools, watering cans, children’s gardening kits and seedlings of strawberries, cabbage, peas, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, and cucumber plants. 

“I came out today because Roni inspired me to start my own garden,” expressed Tulalip tribal member, Tempest Dawson. “This is my third year working on my own garden, and I like to come to Garden Day and follow her around because she knows a lot about gardening and I pick up whatever she has to teach me. It’s important to continue to teach our people about the land and that there are natural foods that we can live off of, instead of relying on the grocery store or processed foods.”

Roni explained that five years ago, tribal member Walt Campbell purchased a shovel, painted the tool gold and brought it to Garden Day to gift to the hardest working green thumb of the day. Since then, gifting golden shovels became quite the tradition, adding a bit more fun at the end of each Garden Day. This time around, two golden shovels were gifted; one to Tulalip youth, Cohen Ramsey, the other to Marisol Raza and her children.

“We won the golden shovel award,” Marisol exclaimed. “It’s for being a hard working person, taking part in Garden Day. We’ve been coming for about three years or so and we absolutely love it. Today we cleaned up the plant beds, removed old plants and pulled weeds, as well as added new soil and compost. We planted cabbage and broccoli. Enjoying that final product is going to be awesome.”

Because the gardeners meet up four to five times annually, they’ve developed close friendships over the years. Young Tulalip tribal member, Kaiser Moses, has attended every Garden Day with his mother since its inception and looks forward to helping out at each event as well as visiting with his fellow gardeners. 

“I’ve been participating in Garden Day since I was about four,” Kaiser said. “It feels like old friends reuniting every year. It’s really fun and great for rebooting for your mental stability. As a group, we all work together to make the garden better and plant some new plants in the garden beds. There’s a bunch of friendly, kind-hearted happy souls who come out every time we have a Garden Day.” 

The Diabetes Care and Prevention Program will continue its busy year, promoting overall health and wellness with a number of classes, programs and Garden Days including the new 26-week Diabetes Prevention class, for those who’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. More details will come before the start of the program in June. For more information, please contact the Tulalip Diabetes Care and Prevention Program at (360) 716-5642.

Warm Beach to launch trauma-informed, equine therapy for Tulalip youth

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

Warm Beach is well-known as the home of The Lights of Christmas, a popular holiday festival featuring dazzling light displays. Not as commonly known, however, is the fact Warm Beach has one of Snohomish County’s largest horse herds offering year-long equestrian programs. The dedicated staff of Warm Beach’s equestrian program are currently developing a trauma-informed therapy course designed specifically for Tulalip foster children. The first-of-its-kind course is anticipated to debut in September.

The inspiration for a tribal specific version of equine therapy came about after Rebecca Black (Quinault), who’s been raising two Tulalip children for four years now, participated in a parent/child camp with horses at Warm Beach. While there she couldn’t help but wonder how much more impactful the camp could be if it were designed for tribal youth and geared towards healing historical traumas.

“I grew up around horses and, being in an abusive foster care system as a young teen myself, there were literally times where the horses saved my life,” shared Rebecca, now a licensed foster care provider. “I wanted my two boys and other tribal youth to experience the healing that horses make possible. It’s so important that we intercede at a younger age because the health outcomes in our communities, especially for our kids in foster care, can really change.”

Rebecca met with Warm Beach executive staff and engaged in a series of productive meetings regarding a camp that not only establishes a working relationship with Tulalip, but also would break down barriers of opportunity for tribal youth. Months’ worth of meetings and cultural education led to an application to the Tulalip Charitable Table and a subsequent grant award to develop a prototype version of equine therapy for Tulalip foster children. 

Tulalip Tribes Chairwoman, Teri Gobin

On the morning of April 25, representatives from Warm Beach Horsemanship met with Chairwoman Teri Gobin, Board of Director Mel Sheldon, and Charitable Contributions Director Marilyn Sheldon to thank them all in culturally appropriate way for the grant funds making the innovative therapy course possible. A brief introduction of what’s to come and how the children will benefit was also detailed.

“Our intent is to use the grant to run a three day trauma-informed, therapeutic program that will cater to serving eight Tulalip children currently in foster care,” explained Lisa Tremain, Horsemanship Director at Warm Beach Camp. “Through the use of horses we’ll be doing activities both mounted and on the ground that help walk the children through various stages of their healing journey. Building relationships, trust and confidence are critical pieces to the healing process that equine therapy offers.” 

“In a therapeutic and safe environment, horses provide unique nonverbal feedback that can facilitate social, physical and cognitive skill development in people of all ages,” added Ginger Reitz, Therapeutic Horsemanship Coordinator.

Tulalip Tribes Board of Director, Mel Sheldon

Two therapeutic horses, Mirage and Cameo, wore ‘Lightening Horse’ blankets courtesy of Eighth Generation. After making their introductions with everyone in attendance, the horses’ blankets were used to wrap Board members Teri and Mel. 

“Our hands go up to you all for your good work,” stated Chairwoman Gobin. “We understand how important work like this is to help people, especially our children, heal from their own personal traumas. It’s often not easy to speak about, but it’s essential if we’re to move forward in a good way.”

Tulalip Police Respond to Stabbing at McDonalds

On April 25th, at approximately 8:30 p.m. the Tulalip Police Department (TPD) responded to a call about an assault with a weapon at the McDonalds, 6322 33rd Avenue NE, in Tulalip. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim and administered first aid for stab wounds on the top of his scalp. The individual was later transported to an area hospital. TPD coordinated with Snohomish County and Marysville for dog teams to search for the assailants. The area was contained, statements were taken from witnesses, and the crime scene processed for evidence. TPD Detectives were deployed and conducted the investigation.

After a K-9 track, two suspects were captured and identified. Both suspects, one a Tulalip citizen and one a non-Tulalip, were then booked into Snohomish County Jail for aggravated assault and robbery. We learned that the victim and the suspects knew each other and this appears to be a drug related incident that turned into assault/robbery. There is no outstanding threat to the community. TPD is in contact with the FBI to evaluate if this case will be prosecuted federally or in Tribal Court.

The Tulalip Police Department takes seriously the calls and concerns we receive from the community. We are committed to addressing crime when it happens and working to reduce crime in the future. I commend our officers and detectives for their quick response and dedication to the safety of our community. This is an active investigation, anyone with information about the incident is asked to call our tip line at 360-716-5990.