Tag: Tulalip

County Council votes to seek Reardon’s replacement

Likely nominees are: Sheriff John Lovick of Mill Creek; state Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip; and Everett attorney Todd Nichols

By Noah Haglund and Scott North, The Herald

EVERETT — Weary of waiting for Aaron Reardon to submit paperwork formalizing his plans to resign as Snohomish County executive, the County Council voted 4-0 on Monday to start the process of identifying his replacement.

The council took the step to ensure a timely transition for the next executive to assume office, County Council Chairwoman Stephanie Wright said.

The council hopes to begin interviewing candidates by June 3.

“I think that it’s important that we end the speculation and confusion about the process,” Councilman Dave Somers said.

“We have to do the business of the people of Snohomish County,” added Councilman Brian Sullivan. “We represent over 700,000 constituents.”

Reardon in late February announced plans to step down May 31, promising to assist in a smooth transition for his successor.

Aside from sending out a Feb. 21 press release containing the text of his resignation speech in front of business leaders in Everett, Reardon did not provide any other written notice.

That left other county leaders in limbo. By law the County Council is required to pick Reardon’s replacement. He never answered a May 2 letter from the council asking him to submit a more formal, written resignation.

The motion approved on Monday points to Reardon’s February speech as his notice to the council, noting Wright was in the audience that morning.

The county council “wishes to formally accept the Executive’s (Feb. 21) tendered resignation,” the motion reads.

Reardon’s spokesman, Christopher Schwarzen, said there was “nothing that has prevented the Democratic Party or the County Council from putting together a list of three names as required by law.

“There is nothing in the County Charter or state law that requires a letter of resignation,” Schwarzen wrote. “People want to suggest that this office has held up the process, but that is not true.”

That differs from what Reardon said in March, when asked about the uncertainty surrounding his resignation. “I plan on sending a letter as required,” he wrote in an email to The Herald.

Reardon’s resignation announcement came a day after the County Council voted to strip him of authority to manage the county’s public records and computer system. The council also called for an independent investigation, now being pursued by the King County Sheriff’s Office, into evidence linking two people then on Reardon’s staff to a series of anonymous public records requests, attack websites and other activities targeting people considered the executive’s political rivals.

As The Herald reported Feb. 14, those on the receiving end believed they were being subjected to attempts at harassment and surveillance.

Because Reardon is a Democrat in a partisan elected office, the law says it’s up to Snohomish County Democrats to pick three nominees to replace him. The county party’s central committee will forward the names to the County Council. The council then has 60 days to agree on a successor. If that proves impossible the choice would fall to Gov. Jay Inslee. In the meantime, the county charter says that the deputy executive under Reardon, Gary Haakenson, would assume the responsibilities of the county’s top elected job.

Some in the community had urged Reardon to leave office earlier, giving voters a chance this fall to weigh in on his replacement. With filing already closed for this fall election, that option has passed. That means the person appointed to be the next county executive will serve unchallenged at least into November 2014, when results are certified in a special election expected next year.

An election for a full, four-year term is expected in 2015.

Snohomish County Democratic party leaders have scheduled a formal vote to nominate three candidates for the executive appointment at the Everett Labor Temple on June 1.

“Clearly the council’s motion today expedites our process,” said Richard Wright, the chairman of Snohomish County Democrats and the husband of Stephanie Wright.

The likely nominees are: Sheriff John Lovick of Mill Creek; state Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip; and Everett attorney Todd Nichols, a longtime Democratic Party leader at the state and county level. Lovick is said to have locked up support from a majority of local Democrats.

“While clearly there’s a frontrunner in this group, I think this is a good group of nominees,” Richard Wright said.

County Councilman Dave Gossett was on vacation Monday and did not cast a vote in the Reardon resolution.

Help students develop financial literacy

Junior Achievement is hosting its first Radiance in the Shadows event on June 8

By Marci Larsen, Superintendent of the Mukilteo School District

Junior Achievement in Snohomish County empowers young people to own their economic success by providing in-class curriculum that focuses on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and work readiness. In Snohomish County, JA reaches over 14,000 students in a variety of public and private schools. With the help of 485 volunteers, JA students develop the skills they need to experience the realities of the real world. Thousands of local students are being exposed with age appropriate integrated curricula for grades K-12, designed to help them understand the world of economics and help to prepare them for lifelong learning and achievement.

JA Success Skills, a curriculum which is taught at several local high schools, allows students to learn the process of obtaining a job (including mock job interviews) and becoming a stronger employee for our local businesses. The students are taught by business professionals who share their expertise in their respective fields as it pertains to workplace protocol, ethics, and financial responsibility.

Another curriculum being taught, JA Personal Finance introduces students to the importance of making wise financial decisions. The program demonstrates the value of planning, goal setting, and thoughtful decision making within the context of personal finance. Junior Achievement in Snohomish County is providing real world learning experiences to students of all ages so they can be better prepared for their future and be informed citizens in the community.

In partnership with the Tulalip Resort & Spa and Long Shadows Winery, we are proud to announce that Junior Achievement is hosting its first Radiance in the Shadows event on June 8. This VIP event will feature an exclusive five-course dinner prepared by renowned Chef Perry Mascitti paired with wines from Allen Shoup, CEO of Long Shadows Winery. In addition to live music in the Oasis Pool area during a hosted cocktail reception, the evening will conclude with a private concert by local musician and national sensation Mycle Wastman, who debuted on NBC’s award winning series The Voice.

With the economic outlook being unsure, it is important to work with our youth of today, so they can be better prepared for the future. Along with many school districts, we support the efforts of JA as they help bridge the gap of financial literacy with our local students. All proceeds from this VIP event will stay in Snohomish County to provide more classroom programs in our schools. It is significant for the community to invest in the success of our students, which is why we encourage others to join us at the first Radiance in the Shadows event on June 8.

Dr. Marci Larsen is Superintendent of the Mukilteo School District; Shannon Affholter, Vice President, Economic Alliance Snohomish County; Ken Kettler of Tulalip Resort & Spa; and William S. Reith, with Hascal, Sjoholm & Company, PLLC

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.

 

 

Trauma therapist guides patients in a path of healing

JeremyFranklin
Mental health therapist Jeremy Franklin, joins Tulalip’s Adult Mental Wellness Team.
Photo by Monica Brown

 

 

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer

TULALIP, Wash. – Jeremy Franklin, the new mental health therapist at Tulalip Family Services specializes in helping those who suffer from trauma and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). He is from Eugene Oregon and brings with him an understanding in various cultures, spiritualities and psychology.

“I became interested in psychology during high school, but it was a journey to decide that I wanted to become a counselor,” said Jeremy. “In this field, you go through some difficulties and going through the journey of wellness was part of the process for me in my decision to become a counselor.”

Jeremy gained a portion of his experience from volunteering as a mentor at Rite of Passage Journeys in Bothell. A rite of passage is a significant moment in a person’s life when they transition from one stage of their life to another.

“Most cultures, at some point in their history, had a rite of passage which helped young people transition into becoming adults,” said Jeremy. A mentoring volunteer since 2003 at Rite of Passage Journeys, Jeremy enjoys going on the retreats and mentoring adults by guiding them through their struggles while backpacking through the Olympic Mountains. Rite of Passage Journeys is a program which trains mentors to honor life transitions through intentional rite of passage so that they may help people of different ages to make life–changing decisions by offering counseling in a dramatic change of scenery and emotional space so that the person can gain clarity and confidence.

 “Sickness, of any kind, is the result of something being out of balance in a person’s life. As a counselor and client, together we can explore and discover what those imbalances are and seek out the way that they can be addressed. When we bring all the parts of our being into balance, we are moving towards wellness and wholeness,” said Jeremy.

For Jeremy, each of his Tulalip clients is different and unique and he is there to help the client on their journey and decide with them the best way they can begin to heal. He offers them a place where they can express themselves and feel confident that they will be treated with positive regard, respect, safety and non-judgment. He is knowledgeable in prayer, cultural and spiritual explorations if the client is interested in using those tools. One of the main tools Jeremy teaches is gratitude work.

 “That is one of the things that helped me the most,” said Jeremy about gratitude work. To explain gratitude work, Jeremy told the story of the two fighting wolves that reside within everyone.

“The grandfather tells his grandson that there are two wolves that live inside of me, the white wolf and the dark wolf and they’re fighting. The white wolf is everything good and positive; its love, hope, faith and the dark wolf is all the things that are hard and hurtful; it’s anger, hate, greed and jealousy. These wolves are in my heart and always fighting. The grandson asks his grandfather, which one will win. And the Grandfather replies, “Whichever one I feed.” Gratitude work is the act of feeding the white wolf and listing the things that you are grateful for in life and looking at each day as a gift.

Jeremy is of Lakota and Irish descent. He earned his Master of Arts in Psychology at Antioch University of Seattle and began his internship in 2012 at Tulalip Family Services. In December he received his degree and in January became a regular employee. His work focuses on those who have suffered trauma and/or have PTSD and the ways they can heal. His hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For more information on scheduling an appointment, please contact Tulalip Family Services Behavioral Health at 360-716-4400

Tulalip woman indicted in daughter’s death

By Scott North, The Herald

TULALIP — A Tulalip mother could spend a minimum 30 years behind bars if convicted as charged in the Oct. 8 neglect death of her young daughter.

A federal grand jury in Seattle on Tuesday indicted Christina D. Carlson with second-degree murder and criminal mistreatment charges. Her arraignment is scheduled May 23.

Federal prosecutors allege that Carlson, 36, all but abandoned her 19-month-old daughter Chantel Craig and her other daughter, 3, in a parked car on the Tulalip Indian Reservation.

Chantel was found dying in a car seat, covered in feces and lice. An autopsy determined she was dehydrated and suffered from severe malnutrition. The older girl also suffered from lack of care and malnutrition.

In the hours before Chantel was found, Carlson allegedly was sending text messages, attempting to find drugs, according to court papers. Tests conducted on the older girl’s hair showed evidence that the girl had been exposed to opiates.

Carlson and the girls had for months been the focus of on-again, off-again searches by state and tribal child welfare workers.

An investigation by Tulalip Tribal Police and the FBI determined Carlson and her children had been living in the car since mid-September. The car was tucked out of the way, down a dirt road on the Tulalip Indian Reservation.

The indictment mirrors charges federal prosecutors sought when Carlson’s case was transferred from tribal court in January.

If convicted as charged, Carlson faces a mandatory minimum 30 years in prison for her daughter’s death, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle.

The criminal mistreatment charges are punishable by up to a decade behind bars.

Federal prosecutors allege that Carlson withheld basic necessities of life from her children. She allegedly told police she hadn’t changed the girls’ diapers in four days because she had run out. Police found a full package of unused diapers in the car’s trunk.

The case already has undergone a review by a team of experts who by law were required to examine the circumstances surrounding Chantel’s death. The panel offered recommendations, but found no “critical errors” on behalf of state Child Administration employees.

Since 2001, the Tulalip Tribes have assumed jurisdiction over criminal matters on the reservation involving Tulalip members and other people who belong to federally recognized tribes.

Federal authorities also have jurisdiction on tribal land to investigate and prosecute more than a dozen major crimes, such as murder, rape, manslaughter and felony child abuse or neglect.

Northwest Indian Gaming Conference and Expo

The 2013 Northwest Indian Gaming Conference and Expo will beheld July 15-17, 2013 at the Tulalip Resort Casino in Tulalip, Washington, about 30 miles north of Seattle, directly on I-5 at exit 200.

The Tulalip Tribe’s Resort includes the Tulalip Casino, 378 hotel rooms and luxury suites, casual and fine dining restaurants, the Spa, and 30,000 sq. ft. of conference space. Tradeshow exhibitors will be located in the 15,000 sq. ft. Orca Ballroom.

Our attendees come from the all of the Northwest states, with the largest number from Washington, followed by Oregon, California, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Montana. Save the date!

Our show manager this year is Buss Productions and the contact person is Heidi Buss at (651) 917-2301 or FAX (651) 917-3578 or email at hbuss@msn.com.

Registration Questions? Call Madeline Bahr at Washington Indian Gaming Assoc. 360.352.3248 or email: madelinebahr@reachone.com

Early Bird Discount Registration ends June 14th. Save $50 over the regular registration rate. Discounted Hotel rate is available through June 21st, but don’t wait! Rooms are going fast!NW Indian Gaming Registration Email-1

Housing Hope raising funds to raise some roofs

By Holly Glen Gearhart

Snohomish County’s Housing Hope organization is holding a dinner on May 16 at the Tulalip Resort to raise fund to continue with their mission to “…promote and provide a continuum of safe, decent, affordable housing and necessary related services for very low and low income residents of Snohomish County and Camano Island.”

Begun in 1987, Housing Hope has had a hand in fifty-three housing developments countywide, and currently manages 354 units in 18 housing developments. They have served 238 families who have built and achieved homeownership through the sweat equity program.

Sweat equity is a term coined to express the large participation clients perform to offset the money down to own a home. Simply put, sweat equity comes from a participant literally joining in on the building of the home; a number of hours on the job equals the equity needed to buy the home.

Many of those residents live in the Sky Valley, where Housing Hope is especially active. There are 34 affordable housing units in Monroe alone, with 47 more in the planning stages. That will bring the number of units of affordable housing in the east county to 155, of which 68 are owned homes built through the self-help housing program.

And that is projected to bring $20 million in economic activity to the area.

In addition to housing, Housing Hope provides many of the families and individuals they serve with intensive case management, providing education enhancement, preparation for employment and other life skills through their College of Hope program.

They provide emergency shelter at Windermere Crossroads Shelter in Everett and at Lervick Family Village in Stanwood that can house entire families for up to 90 days. After their time in emergency shelter the family typically moves onto transitional housing.

These programs work to ensure that residents will achieve and become self-sufficient for life once they move off of assistance. Housing Hope helps attend to the causes that forced families and individuals into homeless. Housing Hope works to end the entrapment of the “circle-of-poverty” which often leads to a toxic outcome.

Children receive special needs assessments through the Tomorrow’s Hope Childcare Center at Housing Hope; in turn the child gains assistance from the school liaison program. The program is designed to help the child succeed in class. Each child has individualized attention by a child specialist that serves to ready them for a good outcome in their school years, giving them skills that will be with them for a lifetime.

The fundraising event, known as Stone Soup, will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a program at 6:30 p.m.

Reservations are requested in advance; phone Kelsey Dosen at (425) 347-6556 (ext 279) or email kelseydosen@housinghope.org. The Tulalip Resort is located at 10200 Quil Ceda Blvd. in Marysville.

Proceeds directly support the community efforts of Housing Hope. For more information please visit www.housinghope.org.

Savethedate