Tulalip marks first Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day with potluck celebration

 

Veterans from all military branches supported each other during the first Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans celebration, organized by Tulalip veteran marine Andy James. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
Veterans from all military branches supported each other during the first Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans celebration, organized by Tulalip veteran marine Andy James.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

by Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP – U.S. Vietnam veterans have been home for more than 40 years, but due to anti-war sentiment with the American public, returning soldiers quietly rejoined their communities without receiving a national welcome home.

In 2011, the U.S. Senate, decided to change this. The Senate unanimously passed a resolution to provide Vietnam veterans a chance to be properly welcomed home by designating March 30, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. The designated day marks the final withdrawal of all combat and combat-support troops from Vietnam on March 29, 1973.

Welcome-Home-Vietnam-Vets-Celebration
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

Although veteran organizations across the nation have been celebrating the day since its passing, only three states, California, Oregon, and Washington, have recognized the day officially, including flying the POW/MIA flag in addition to the U.S. flag and state flags on all government buildings.

Last year Governor Jay Inslee deemed March 30 for Washington State after Rep. Norm Jackson (Yakima) (R) introduced 2013 House Bill 1319 on January 23, 2013.  The bill passed 97 to 0 in the House and again passed 48 to 0 in the Senate and was signed by Gov. Inslee on March 29, 2013.

This year, Tulalip hosted their first annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans celebration in honor of their fellow veterans. Attendees included tribal and non-tribal veterans who gathered at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club to mark the official homecoming.

Tulalip veteran Andy Jones, pictured in cedar hat, served during the Vietnam Conflict with the Marines, organized the celebration. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
Tulalip veteran Andy James, pictured in cedar hat, served during the Vietnam Conflict with the Marines, organized the celebration.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

Tulalip veteran and tribal member Andy James, who served with the Marines during the Vietnam conflict, organized the event.

“I am extremely thankful and grateful for my elders, particularly the ones who put on uniforms in defense of this country before I did. We have one here today that did,” said James, referring to Tulalip tribal member and Korean War veteran Ray Moses (Te-at-mus).

“I wanted to do something to mark this day, so I organized a potluck,” continued James. “I am thankful for every veteran, and we realize it was all for the cause.  We did what we had to to defend our country, and I am glad to celebrate this day and welcome home my fellow veterans.”

 

Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-9135402; bmontreuil@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

 

Traditional Southern Grass dancer Jeff Brown danced for visiting veterans during the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
Traditional Southern Grass dancer Jeff Brown danced for visiting veterans during the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.
Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

 

 

 

 

Free summer meals for kids

Source: Marysville Globe

MARYSVILLE — The Marysville School District’s free summer meals for kids 18 years and younger is already underway at seven locations throughout the town.

Adults may also participate, at a cost of $1 per snack and $2 per lunch, while all children receive their snacks and lunches for free.

Snacks and lunches will be provided Mondays through Fridays, from now though Aug. 23, at the following locations:

• Cascade Elementary, Liberty Elementary and Shoultes Elementary will serve snacks from 9:30-10 a.m. and lunches from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

• The Tulalip Boys & Girls Club will serve snacks from 9:30-10 a.m. and lunches from noon to 12:30 p.m.

• The Beach Avenue Boys & Girls Club in Marysville will serve lunches from 11:30 a.m. to noon and snacks from 2:30-3 p.m.

• The Westwood Crossing Apartments will serve lunches from noon to 12:30 p.m. and snacks from 2-3 p.m.

• The Cedar Grove Apartments will also serve lunches from noon to 12:30 p.m. and snacks from 2-3 p.m., but on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

For more information about the summer meals program, contact the district’s Food Service Department at 360-657-0935, or contact Peggy King by phone at 360-653-0803 or via email at peggy_king@msvl.k12.wa.us.

It’s For the Kids, Auction to benefit Tulalip Boys & Girls Club

For Kids Cover_2013

 

Over 400 diners and auction bidders are expected to fill the Tulalip Resort Hotel’s Orca Ballroom tonight.

Contributions from tonight’s auction will help the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club continue to meet the needs of youth in the Tulalip community. The Tulalip club serves hot meals and healthy snacks to approximately 150 kids each day.

Exciting auction items include Native American art, tropical vacations, sporting events, fine dining and much more.

 

 

Finding the artist within

 

Art and Crafts Specialist, Astrid is displaying a final creation of a eagle hat that kids are making like tribal member Tauveiy Chrismay.
Astrid Holt-Marshall, Arts & Crafts Specialist for the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, is creating  eagle hats with club member Tauveiy Chrismay.

By Jeannie Briones, Tulalip News staff

TULALIP, Wash. –  Art is a broad spectrum of stimulating activities that help kids to grow and expand their minds. Since October 2012, the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club has been offering, “Let Your Art Out,” an art program that is open to all club members, every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Astrid Holt-Marshall, Art & Crafts Specialist for the Club, organized the program with the intent of providing a safe place where club members, families, and friends can gather to experience a wide range of intriguing art projects together.

“I love the kid’s energy,” said Astrid. “It’s nice to be able to teach them how to use the materials, and they can take off from there. They show me new things and it’s totally cool and it helps them with their self esteem.”

Every Saturday club members can enjoy a meal and participate in a themed art project. The kids have participated in a wide range of projects such as, coloring and designing tiles, working with clay, ceramics, paper mache, expressive art, woodcrafting, and painting, along with cultural arts like making dream catchers, weaving, and creating cedar plank masks. The kids also learn basic skills like cooking and sewing.

“It’s inspiring. I can teach my little cousins how to make clay sculptures,” said tribal member Tauveiy Chrismay.

Astrid is always looking for new ideas, like having the kids participate in making theatre costumes. Astrid encourages participants to volunteer their creative ideas, because she feels they can all learn from each other.

What makes Astrid’s job rewarding is when students want to give back by volunteering their time and assisting other kids with their art projects. The Club is open for members to join the community of artists in motion.

For information on the program and to volunteer, please contact Astrid Holt-Marshall at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, 360-716-3400.

 

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Kids explore under world sea life

 

Christina Gahringer, Director of Education Technology educating the kids about under sea exploration.
Christina Gahringer, Director of Education Technology educates kids about undersea exploration.

By Jeannie Briones, Tulalip News staff

TULALIP, Wash. – Every Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, kids ages 8-12  learn about undersea exploration. On January 9th, the kids enjoyed an educational video called the “Return to the Titanic”, which was shown in the Club’s immersion room.

“It’s impressive to see how much the kids remember from lesson to lesson and how much they retain and get excited to come back and share what they remember. Lessons are very different; some are science experiments, art base, and games,” said Christina Gahringer, Director of Education Technology for the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club.

The movie takes place 12,500 feet below sea level and explores the Titanic, whose wreckage was discovered by Dr. Robert Ballard in 1985. Christina showed three video clips, after each clip she get kids to participate by asking questions. The video provides information on how state of the art robots, like the Hercules and Argus, work hand-in-hand, and how Hercules excavates and transmits images back from the site of the wreckage.

The Hercules is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that maneuvers in difficult areas under sea. The ROV has the capability to take images from a high definition video camera and can lift up to 600 pounds.

The Tulalip Boys & Girls Club members participate in an interactive activity.
The Tulalip Boys & Girls Club members participate in an interactive activity.

The Argus is also a ROV and is attached to the Hercules with a 100ft cable. Argus’s primary duty is to provide light to the Hercules. The Argus pumps 1200 watts of light at the bottom of the ocean.

The kids participated in a fun interactive activity using lines of string to demonstrate how information and images are relayed and filtered through the Hercules, Argus, and to surface ship.

For more information about  Tuesday afternoon activities , please contact Christina Gahringer, Director of Education Technology at cgahringer@bgcsc.org.

 

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov