Tag: Tulalip

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

Tyler Fryberg takes the gold, qualifies for Special Olympics State Tournament

Killian Page, Isaiah Pablo, Tony Hatch, Tyler Fryberg, Drew Hatch, Donovan Hamilton
Killian Page, Isaiah Pablo, Tony Hatch, Tyler Fryberg, Drew Hatch, Donovan Hamilton

By Tony Hatch, Tulalip Tribes

May 5th, 2013 was a rewarding day for many.  Tulalip Tribal member, Tyler Fryberg swept all four of his events, qualifying him for the Special Olympics State Tournament. Marysville Pilchuck produced just about 100 student athletes to volunteer with this years’ Special Olympics, Regions/State Qualifier.

The boys volunteered to help every athlete, but had a special interest in fellow Tulalip athletes, Tyler Fryberg and Bruce Williams (not pictured). They were really happy to be there to help, but the amount of intensity that comes along with these athletes is amazing.  They take their events serious and train very hard to compete and hopefully make it to the State Tourney, held at Fort Lewis. Tyler is not only a hero for people of Tulalip, but his fellow athletes, their parents and coaches make if clear that they enjoy watching him compete.

Tyler competed in four events Sunday, the Shot Put, 400-meter run, 100-meter, and the 400-meter relay.  He swept all four events, bringing home four gold medals.  Although, Tyler had his own cheering section of Tulalips, crowds would gather when it was his heat to race.  Tyler pretty much dominated all of his events with the exception of the 400-meter sprint.  This was very intense, as he was in second place for most of the race, but coming into the home stretch, Tyler turned on the afterburners and closed the gap on the leader, and with about 20 feet to the finish line, he passed the leader and won the race.  This was a great finish to a great race and the crowd went crazy.

Bruce Williams also qualified for State, winning a gold medal in the 200-meter sprint, where he blew away his competition, by 40 feet or so.  (Sorry Bruce, my phone went dead before I could get pictures of you, but we are very proud of you as well!)

We as fellow Tulalips are very proud of these guys and of course their fellow athletes for their heart and dedication.  You are definitely an inspiration to the Tomahawk Athletes who were there, showing that with drive and determination, we can all be great. When 1 Tulalip succeeds, all Tulalips succeed.

Tyler Fryberg on top of the podium
Tyler Fryberg on top of the podium

Thanks you guys, for the great day, and good luck at State.

Go-Go’s, B-52’s kick off Tulalip concert series

Source: The Herald

Once again, the intimate and local Tulalip Amphitheatre — a 3,000-seat venue — has packed its 2013 Summer Concert Series with national stars that we the audience don’t have to travel far to see.

The series lineup:

Go-Go’s and B-52’s: July 6. You’ll have the beat listening to one of music’s most successful female rock bands and you’ll hear “Rock Lobster” “Love Shack” and other hits by the new wave B-52’s. Tickets start at $25

Gretchen Wilson: July 21. Wilson’s a country music singer who won a Grammy with “Redneck Woman.” Tickets start at $25.

Peter Frampton and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. July 28. The musician who talks with his guitar joins up with Shepherd, known for his “Blue on Black” hit. Tickets start at $30.

Sammy Hagar: Aug. 15. The Red Rocker brings his classic rock to town. Tickets start at $35.

Melissa Etheridge: Aug. 18. This raspy rock singer and activist is renown for such hits as “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One.” Tickets start at $25

Foreigner: Aug. 25. The fantastically successful Foreigner created smash hits like “I Want to Know What Love Is” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You.” Tickets start at $30

Doobie Brothers and America: Sept. 7. American rockers the Doobies brought us “Takin it to the Streets” and “Minute by Minute” and are joined by folk rockers America of “Horse with No Name.” Tickets start at $35

Doors open for all shows at 5 p.m. and concerts start at 7 p.m. All shows are at the Tulalip Amphitheatre, 10400 Quil Ceda Blvd., Tulalip.

Artists and dates are subject to change.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com. Must be 21 and over to attend concerts. For more information go to www.tulalipresort.com/entertainment/tulalip-amphitheatre.aspx.

McCoy will impart real-world perspectives in MPA program

Lawmaker, a long-time Native-American leader and economic-development/high-technology trailblazer, is named an adjunct professor at The Evergreen State College

Source: Office of State Rep. John McCoy

OLYMPIA — State Rep. John McCoy has already worn more hats in his personal and professional lives than about anyone else you could name. Don’t look now, but he’s about to don yet another impressive piece of headwear.

McCoy has accepted an opportunity to share his real-world knowledge and experience in the upcoming 2013-2014 academic year with students at The Evergreen State College (TESC). The veteran lawmaker, and Tulalip-tribal and Snohomish County community leader will teach as an adjunct professor in Evergreen’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) Tribal Concentration program.

“I am very honored and very grateful for this chance to work with men and women who are obviously very committed to lives of public service,” said McCoy. “I know that I will be learning every bit as much from them as I hope they will be learning from me.”

Lee Lyttle is Evergreen’s MPA Director and a faculty member. He said that TESC “is terrifically privileged to welcome and embrace in our college family a man possessed of Representative McCoy’s background and widespread acquaintance in ‘Indian Country’ issues and management.

“John McCoy’s ‘skill set’ in our 20th century and 21st century life and times is simply unmatched; there’s no other way, really, to put it,” Lyttle emphasized.

“The intersection of his diverse experiences in Indian Country — both in his pursuit of economic and community development and in his working with all levels of the business community and local, state and federal governments — will make Representative McCoy a singular, extraordinary participant in our program.”

McCoy represents the Everett, Marysville, and Tulalip communities and neighborhoods of Snohomish County in the House of Representatives. First elected to the Legislature a little more than 10 years ago, he now chairs the House Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs Committee. He is vice chair of the House Environment Committee, and he also has a seat on the House Education Committee.

McCoy served in the United States Air Force for 20 years, retiring in 1981 with extensive training in computer operations and programming. He worked as a computer technician in the White House from 1982 to 1985. Then he came back home to Tulalip, Snohomish County and the state of Washington. Very soon after returning home McCoy championed the bringing of computers, the Internet, and all that that entails to the Tulalip Tribes.

McCoy and his wife, Jeannie McCoy, make their home in Tulalip. They have three daughters, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

The new professor will be visiting the TESC Tribal cohort on May 24. In the fall he will be teaching Tribal Economics and during the winter session he will be teaching Tribal Policy.

Lyttle said that McCoy’s classes will include as many as 30 MPA students, who themselves will bring a tremendous range of personal and professional knowledge to the academic table. Most but not all students in the program are Native American, and they come from different communities all across the land.

Evergreen’s MPA Tribal Concentration program right now represents the nation’s only such program placing strong emphasis on tribal-governance.

“With that in mind,” says the program website, “the Tribal Governance Concentration focuses on structures, processes and issues specific to tribal governments. It provides current and future tribal leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to work successfully in Indian Country. The Concentration is also appropriate for those working with governmental or other organizations in a liaison role with tribal governments. Students go through the entire program as a cohort and finish in two years in this structured program.”

 

Sheldon presents ‘State of the Tribes’

Kirk BoxleitnerTulalip Tribal Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. speculated that the economy might be on its way back during this year’s State of the Tribes address to the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce on April 26.
Kirk Boxleitner
Tulalip Tribal Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. speculated that the economy might be on its way back during this year’s State of the Tribes address to the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce on April 26.

By Kirk Boxleitner, The Marysville Globe

TULALIP — Tulalip Tribal Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. expressed optimism for the future, both in the short term and the long run, as he delivered this year’s State of the Tribes address to the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce on April 26.

“This was one of the strongest economic regions of the pre-Columbian era, and it can be so once again,” said Sheldon, citing the Native American tribes’ commerce in this area, even well before white settlers had ever arrived. “We offer gaming, retail and entertainment to visitors.”

Sheldon summed up the results of the recent Tulalip Tribal Board of Directors election by noting that he, Vice Chair Deborah Parker, Treasurer Chuck James and Board members Glen Gobin and Marlin Fryberg Jr. had all been reelected, while Marie Zackuse was elected back onto the Board as secretary, and Theresa Sheldon was elected to her first term on the Board.

“Deborah Parker has really led the charge on the Violence Against Women Act,” Sheldon said. “It’s a monumental achievement on behalf of Indian Country and all women.”

Sheldon also praised Ken Kettler, president and chief operating officer of the Tulalip Resort Hotel and Casino, for the roles that he and his staff have played in the Tulalip Resort’s host of awards over the past year, including being named “Best Casino of the Year” by KING-5.

“This place is a destination,” said Sheldon, who cited the number of organizations that take advantage of the hotel’s conference rooms. “We’re 100 percent occupied during the weekend and 80 percent occupied during the week. You can build something like the Taj Mahal casino, that people will visit once and then never again, or you can do what we did.”

While the Tulalip Resort is set to add Asian fusion cuisine and sports bar restaurants this summer, the Quil Ceda Creek Casino is due for $15 million worth of remodeling.

“There’s been rumors for a while that we might be adding a new hotel wing, and the truth is that we’re always having conversations about it,” Sheldon said. “If we’re at 80 percent of our total occupancy during the week, we could probably stand to expand.”

Although Sheldon praised the Tulalip Amphitheatre as an intimate outdoor venue for entertainment and various community events, he acknowledged that the Board has asked itself whether there should be a larger capacity events center as well. And with the Tribes meeting their budget projections, Sheldon speculated that the economy might be on its way back.

“Tulalip dollars stretch a long way,” Sheldon said. “Seventy percent of our work force lives off the reservation. We pay out $120 million in annual wages, and most of that money stays in the local economy. Last year, Quil Ceda Village paid $40 million in state sales tax.”

Sheldon touted the past year’s openings of Cabela’s and the Olive Garden, and anticipated the impending completion of 90,000 additional square feet to the Seattle Premium Outlets. At the same time, Sheldon was quick to share credit for the Tribes’ successes with its partners in the cities of Marysville and Everett, Snohomish County and beyond.

“Marysville’s got a great mayor whose work will benefit this community even long after he’s gone,” said Sheldon, who mentioned Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring’s lobbying against the traffic impacts of increased coal trains as but one example, before he directed his comments to outgoing Marysville School District Superintendent Dr. Larry Nyland. “From our hearts, we thank you. We’ve always trusted you. We’re blessed with great leaders all around. If we want a strong economy, we need to keep working together.”

Tulalip Tribes’ cultural director lived for preservation

Mark Mulligan / The Herald File, 2011Hank Gobin, museum director at the Hibulb Cultural Center, listens at the grand opening of the center in Tulalip.
Mark Mulligan / The Herald File, 2011
Hank Gobin, museum director at the Hibulb Cultural Center, listens at the grand opening of the center in Tulalip.

By Bill Sheets, The Hreald

TULALIP — Hank Gobin lived to see his dream come true: the creation of a museum to serve as the focal point of local tribal history and culture.

Gobin, 71, cultural resources director for the Tulalip Tribes, passed away Thursday — a little more than 1½ years after the Hibulb Cultural Center was dedicated in August 2011.

While the museum may be the most tangible testament to his legacy, his role in preserving tribal culture runs much deeper, tribal members say.

“Our community mourns the loss of a truly great man,” Tulalip Chairman Mel Sheldon said in a written statement.

“He was a prolific artist, activist and traditional scholar, who worked in the areas of art, education, language revitalization, museum studies and traditional foods research.”

Gobin was a force in starting the tribes’ cultural resources program in the early 1990s. This included a program to teach Lushootseed, the Puget Sound tribes’ unwritten native language, to help save it from extinction.

“He was one of the key advocates who pushed for the creation of the Lushootseed program,” said Natosha Gobin, a language teacher for the Tulalips.

The language program has grown from its fledgling origins to a year-round course in Montessori school, along with kids camps in the summer and an annual eight-week workshop for families.

“He’s always been a huge advocate for cultural preservation and bringing it all together,” Natosha Gobin said.

Her father, the late Bernie Gobin, was Hank Gobin’s first cousin.

“It was a hard loss,” she said of Hank’s passing.

Henry Delano Gobin was born in 1941 and raised on the Tulalip reservation. He left at age 21 to pursue an education and studied art at several colleges in the West, including the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M. and the San Francisco Art Institute. He received a master’s degree in painting at Sacramento State University and later taught art and ethnic studies.

Gobin returned to Tulalip in 1989 and quickly began working on preserving tribal culture, including pushing for the museum. Finally, after a long haul, the tribal board in 2005 approved the building, which opened in 2011.

Gobin used his artistic talent and education to closely supervise the design of the cultural center. The day the $19 million building opened, Gobin recalled a conversation he’d had years earlier with the architects.

“One of the things I want you to do,” he told them, “is to capture the light.”

The 23,000-square-foot building’s main corridor is equipped with skylights. The museum houses traditional tribal cedar baskets, tools, clothing, canoes, totem poles and other items, some of them hundreds of years old. Many of the items had sat stored away in people’s homes on the reservation. Lectures and other programs are held at the cultural center as well.

The museum’s grounds at 6410 23rd Ave. NE are home to a native plant cultivation and harvest program in which young people learn traditional tribal culinary ways.

“I think it’s an exciting time for the Tulalip Tribes and Tulalip people,” Gobin said shortly before the museum’s opening.

Gobin also was instrumental in reviving the annual tribal family canoe journey and setting the traditional protocol for the event, according to an obituary issued by the tribes.

“His spiritual beliefs were a prominent aspect of who he was; and it was this spiritual way of life that enabled him to carry out his responsibilities to protect his people’s cultural and environmental interests,” the obituary read.

“Everything about Hank was genuine and his magnetic personality touched the lives of all those who he crossed paths.”

Gobin is survived by his wife, Inez Bill-Gobin; two sisters and three sons. Services were held Monday.

Cultural awareness award for school

Quil Ceda-Tulalip Elementary is recognized for incorporating Native American practices in plan to raise academic achievement.

By Sharon Salyer, The Herald

MARYSVILLE — The staff of Quil Ceda-Tulalip Elementary School has received a cultural awareness award from the Washington Education Association for its efforts to use Native American cultural practices as part of its plan to increase academic achievement.

The award was presented Thursday at the education organization’s annual convention in Bellevue.

Quil Ceda-Tulalip Elementary School has 540 students in kindergarten through fifth grades.

Arden Watson, president of the Marysville Education Association, nominated the school for the award, citing its dedication for integrating Tulalip and American Indian culture and academic improvement.

The program for integrating culture with increased emphasis on academic achievement was funded through a federal School Improvement Grant. The grants were awarded to low-achieving schools in each state, as measured on statewide tests.

While the school was under pressure to made big academic gains, “the staff did not bend from their core belief that culture matters,” Watson said.

“They have been intentional about weaving in Native American culture in their school and in doing so that empowered kids to feel like they can be successful,” Watson said.

Irene Bare, an academic support coordinator at the school, said that initially the staff’s focus was to have the students believe in themselves. “That work transferred to us,” she said.

Staff has seen the results of their efforts, she said. As one example, last year about 5 percent of entering kindergarten students knew 12 letter sounds. By the end of the school year, 95 percent of students had reached that goal, she said.

The result, she said has been “a turnaround wave” of progress. “Sometimes it might not show up on the state assessment tests right away, but we can see the kids have grown,” she said.

Anthony Craig, co-principal at the school, said that each day starts with a morning assembly lasting seven to 10 minutes.

There’s traditional drumming and singing led by students, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Many students who aren’t members of the Tulalip Tribes participate in the drumming, too, he said, “learning from kids who do this every day.”

Craig said he also likes to deliver a daily message to the students, such as perseverance when things get hard.

Manya McFarlene, a third grade teacher, said that when the school’s assemblies were first begun, only a few students would step up to join a teacher who was a member of the Tulalip Tribes leading the daily singing.

“Now our students are leading the assembly,” she said. “The girls are dancing. It’s beautiful to see. The older ones are showing the way.”

McFarlene said she’s also seen a difference on how students prepare for testing. Pre-test drills used to upset students. “They knew that they didn’t know the information,” she said.

Teachers responded by telling the students that they understood that they didn’t know all the answers. The pre-test drills were to help teachers identify what specific problems the students were having.

“Now you see the smiles,” McFarlene said. One third grade student wrote on her pre-test drill paper: ‘I don’t’ know this yet, but I will know it after you teach it to me.”

Not all students reach where they need to be, but they’ve all made improvements, McFarlene said. “That’s what we pay attention to, the growth that’s been made.”

Bare said it meant a lot to have people outside the school recognize what’s been accomplished.

“I wish the whole staff could have been there with us,” Bare said of being in Bellevue to accept the award. “They deserve to have that celebration.”We’re so immersed in the work we often don’t take the time to celebrate.”

Outlet mall on Tulalip Reservation expands

Seattle Premium Outlets, located off Interstate 5 on the Tulalip Tribes Reservation, is opening more than a dozen new stores to attract a growing number of bargain hunters.

By Amy Martinez

The recession brought to a near-standstill all but one segment of shopping-center development in the past few years: the outlet mall.

While developers shelved plans for new full-price shopping centers amid a sharp downturn in U.S. discretionary spending, some stepped up the pace of construction of stores catering to bargain hunters.

Locally, Seattle Premium Outlets on the Tulalip Tribes Reservation soon will unveil a 100,000-square-foot expansion with more than a dozen new stores, including American Eagle Outfitters, Armani Exchange, Clarins, Diane von Furstenberg, Forever 21, MaxStudio and The North Face.

The expansion will give the 8-year-old shopping center half a million square feet and up to 125 stores starting in June. Current tenants Coach, Columbia Sportswear, DKNY, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Bahama also will move to larger space in the new buildings off Interstate 5, near Marysville.

“People are looking for value, and this is what we offer,” said Michele Osgood, the outlet mall’s marketing manager.

Owner Simon Property Group, whose local portfolio also includes Northgate Mall, says its focus for new development is on premium outlets. Indianapolis-based Simon plans to open five outlet malls this year, up from two last year. In total, it has nearly 80 outlet malls in North America and Asia.

Outlet malls originated in the early 1980s as a way for brands to sell surplus stock at lower prices. Today, much of their merchandise is outlet-only, meaning the goods never appear at full-price stores. The change enables retailers to keep a growing number of outlets fully stocked, especially as they use technology to better manage inventory and avoid surpluses.

Analysts say the new frugality, born of the Great Recession, has turned outlet malls into shopping magnets for people who want name-brand merchandise but not at full price.

Sales at outlet stores rose 10 percent for the 12 months that ended in February, according to market-research firm The NPD Group. Meanwhile, non-outlet sales of apparel, shoes and accessories increased only 3 percent.

“The outlet mall continues to grow faster than the traditional retail market,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD. “Consumers, because they’re shopping less often, are willing to spend the day at an outlet mall and make it a longer endeavor.”

Seattle Premium Outlets, located about 100 miles from the Canadian border, is popular with shoppers from British Columbia and Alberta, many of whom stay overnight at the nearby Tulalip Resort Casino or Holiday Inn Express, said Osgood.

“The longer they stay here and shop, the more they can take across the border duty-free,” she said. “So there’s kind of an incentive for them to stay longer.”

But some wonder if a recovering U.S. economy might eventually put a damper on outlet sales.

“In the early 2000s, when the economy got better, outlet shopping plateaued,” said retail analyst Jeff Green. “The question becomes, when the economy gets better, will it plateau again? And I’ve got to believe it might. That’s because it’s the only segment of retail where you’re seeing new development.”

Shopper Evonne Noble, 35, of Seattle, held up a green sleeveless dress Friday during an outing with friends at the Tulalip outlet mall. The dress originally cost $80, but Noble paid $20 at the Banana Republic outlet store.

“I would not come up here without a plan,” she said over lunch at the mall’s food court. “There was this Kate Spade purse I was watching for a year and then I got it here for a few hundred dollars off.

“I hate shopping,” she added. “So I try to do it only a few times a year and be savvy about it.”

Bomb squad destroys suspicious bottle found in Tulalip

Source: The Herald

TULALIP — A bomb squad was called Tuesday night to remove a suspicious bottle found outside the Tulalip Resort Hotel and Casino, officials said.

“We contained and evacuated the area,” Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.

A Washington State Patrol bomb squad, which includes law officers from several local police agencies, removed the bottle and took it to the Boom City parking lot behind the casino.

It was unclear what was in the bottle, Ireton said.

The bottle and its contents were destroyed with a chemical explosive, Ireton said.