Month: September 2015

October is Farm to School Month

F2S Month Interior

 


By Elisha Smith, elishas@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

 

October is National Farm to School month (#F2SMonth). “Farm to School” refers to schools serving local, farm-fresh foods ranging from fruits and veggies to honey and meat.
 
The more local foods we serve our kids, the better. One-third of U.S. children are obese or overweight, and only 2% of children get the recommended serving of fruits and vegetable each day. Farm to School programs increase students’ daily fruit and vegetable consumption significantly.  
 
Moreover, each dollar invested into Farm to School stimulates an additional $2.16 of local economic activity. In Maine, shifting 1% of consumer expenditures to direct purchasing of local products was shown to increase incomes of Maine farmers by as much as 5%.  And each new Farm to School job contributes to the creation of addition 1.67 jobs. 
 
Often schools incorporate curriculums that help students learn about nutrition, agriculture, science, math and the path that food takes from the farm to the table as well as creating experience-based learning opportunities by visiting farms and participating in gardening, recycling, and entrepreneurial programs.

The Farm to School concept is simple: bring tasty, nutritious food from the people who grow it to the school kids that want to eat it. The details involved in making this a reality can be daunting, however. With that in mind the Center for Rural Affairs has put together a Farm to School Month Starter Kit, guide and several other resources to help wade through all the complexities.  Visit http://www.cfra.org/f2s.

$5.3 Million Awarded to Help American Indian Youth Become College-, Career-Ready


U.S. Departments of Education, Interior Partner to Announce Important Funding for Investments in Native Youth Success
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Education today, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Interior, announced the award of more than $5 million in grants to help Native American youth become college- and career-ready.
Under the new Native Youth Community Projects (NYCP) program, the Department of Education is making grants to a dozen recipients in nine states that will impact more than thirty tribes and involve more than 48 schools. These awards are a demonstration of President Obama’s strong commitment to improving the lives of American Indian and Alaska Native children and a key element of his Generation Indigenous “Gen I” Initiative to help Native American youth.

“These grants are an unprecedented investment in Native youth, and a recognition that tribal communities are best positioned to drive solutions and lead change,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “These grants are a down payment on President Obama’s commitment last summer at his historic trip to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota to create new opportunities for American Indian youth to cultivate the next generation of Native leaders.”

“The investments we’re announcing today underscore the Obama Administration’s commitment to self-determination by putting tribal communities in the driver’s seat for developing a strong and prosperous future for Indian Country,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, who joined Education Secretary Arne Duncan in announcing the funding awards today and is responsible for the management of more than 180 Bureau of Indian Education Schools, three of which are recipients of these Native Youth Community Projects program grants. “These grants provide tools to tribes to not only assist in the transition from federal to tribal control of school operations and management but also ensure college-readiness for the next generation of Native American leaders.”

Each grant will support a coordinated, focused approach chosen by a community partnership that includes a tribe, local schools, and other organizations. For example, the program allows tribes to identify culturally-appropriate, community-specific supports for college and career readiness – whether it’s early learning, language immersion or mental health services.

The President’s FY 2016 budget proposal calls for increased investments across Indian Country, including a total request of $20.8 billion for a range of federal programs that serve tribes – a $1.5 billion increase over the 2015-enacted level. The budget proposal includes $53 million for fiscal year 2016 – a $50 million increase from this year’s budget – to significantly expand the Native Youth Community Projects program.

For more on the Administration’s investment in Native American issues, visit www.whitehouse.gov/nativeamericans.

Among the projects:

Alaska Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc., $600,000 – The Cook Inlet Tribal Council, in partnership with the Anchorage School District, will administer Journey Ahead, a middle-school intervention designed to improve the college and career readiness of Alaska Native and American Indian students in Anchorage. The project will stress outcomes key to developing college and career readiness, including academic achievement, attendance, and a respectful school climate with caring adults.

North Dakota (Wahpeton) Circle of Nations School, $440,217 – The Circle of Nations School Native Youth Community Project will improve education indicators for college and career readiness through a community-wide approach providing academic, social, health, and other supports promoting school engagement and commitment to learning, which the project partners identified as the primary barrier among students at the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education-funded boarding school that serves students in grades 4-8.

New Mexico Native American Community Academy Foundation, $472,806 – The Native American Community Academy Foundation (NACA) will expand its network of high-performing schools dedicated solely to Indigenous education in Northwest New Mexico. Following a 3-year piloting phase, the NACA-Inspired Schools Network emerged out of community efforts to establish the first network of high-performing schools that seek to reimagine what Indigenous education and the school experience can be for Native students by creating schools of academic excellence and cultural relevance

Northwest Drought Likely To Extend Into 2016

A lack of water has left apple trees in Benton County dry and brittle as severe drought conditions persist across 68 percent of Washington State.Courtesy of Washington Department of Ecology
A lack of water has left apple trees in Benton County dry and brittle as severe drought conditions persist across 68 percent of Washington State.
Courtesy of Washington Department of Ecology

 

by Cassandra Profita, OPB/EarthFix

 

Don’t be fooled by the recent rain and cooler temperatures. Most of Oregon and Washington are still experiencing severe or extreme drought.

With many of the region’s reservoirs and streams still far below normal and a warm winter on tap, experts are predicting this year’s drought will likely continue into next year.

On a conference call Thursday, Washington Department of Ecology Director Maia Bellon said her agency is preparing for the worst: another year of drought that will take hold earlier and take an even bigger toll on the state.

“This historic drought is not over, and we’re already planning for next year,” Bellon said. “We face winter with a huge water deficit. Rains are desperately needed to recharge these reservoirs and even that won’t be enough to get us through next summer. We need winter snowpack – what we call our frozen reservoir – and there’s growing concern we may not get it.”

 

Projections for this year's winter temperature and precipitation relative to normal conditions from 1981-2010.Projections for this year’s winter temperature and precipitation relative to normal conditions from 1981-2010.

Courtesy of Washington Department of Ecology

Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond said there’s a 10- to 15-percent chance this winter will be just as warm and devoid of snow as last winter.

“There’s been recently some rain and cooler temperatures, but are we out of the woods?” he said. “The answer, I’m afraid, is no. El Nino is rearing its ugly head in the tropical Pacific. It’s of the magnitude and type that is strongly associated with warmer than normal winters around here, and warmer ocean temperatures off our coat, the blob, will be a contributing factor. All in all, the odds are strongly tilted towards another toasty winter.”

Oregon’s outlook is much the same, according to Kathie Dello, associate director of the Oregon Climate Research Institute.

“Nothing is pointing to us having a great winter,” she said. “The warmer-than-normal temperature prediction is the most disconcerting.”

With so many low reservoirs and rivers, Dello said, even slightly below-average precipitation this winter would leave the region with a water deficit going into next year.

Cecil Lacy Jr.

Lacy_Cecilcopy_20150923

 

Cecil Lacy Jr., was born June 10, 1965, in Everett, Wash., went to be with his Dad and sister “C.C” on September 18, 2015.

Early on in life Jr’s intellect revealed itself, school was as simple as showing up. Without even cracking open a book he earned A’s and B’s. Jr then became a commercial fisherman; he loved to be on the water. He also worked with Tulalip Recreation for several years; He enjoyed taking the kids on trips to the rivers and mountains; Jr always made time for our youth. Jr’s passion for free speech was evident throughout his life; he was a published writer and poet. Jr used his strong writing skills to help community members who suffered from injustices.

Jr leaves behind his wife, Sara Lacy; daughters: Monique Lacy, and Cecile Lacy; sons: Ian Cooper, Tim Anderson, Trevor Anderson; grandchildren, Jonny and Caitlin; mother, Joy Lacy; sister, Shelly Lacy; brother, Harvey Eastman; aunt and uncles: Stan and Joanne Jones, Virginia Lartenter, Dawn and Glen Simpson, Alpheus and Millie Jones, Dale and Barbara Jones, Marvin Jones, Richard and Gloria Jones, Delmar and Bev Jones, George and Sadie Lacy, Maxine Jackson (Texas); sisters, and brothers-in-law: Laura and Bruce Fall, Kristen and Mark Stout, John and Sandra Cooper; nieces and nephews: Jerad (Virginia) Eastman, Marysa (Adam) Eastman, Joylee Lacy, Jacob Fall, Rebecca Morales, Daniel Stout, Eric Fall, Laura Stout, Leah Walker, Johnathan Cooper, Emma Cooper.

He was preceded in death by his dad, Cecil Lacy Sr.; sister, Cecile Eastman; father-in-law, Jim Cooper; grandparents: George and Luella Jones, George and Maggie Lacy, and Cecil Lacy; special aunts: Lippy and Laverne; and his daughter Monique Lacy’s mother, Kate.

Visitation services will be held Thursday, September 24, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. at Schaefer-Shipman. Funeral services will be held in the Tulalip Gym on Friday, September 25, 2015, at 10 a.m. with burial to follow. –

Tribal Court in good hands

pouley

 

Judge Theresa Pouley  leaves Tulalip to teach

By Niki Cleary

“Judge Pouley has been one of the most influential, prolific and iconic tribal judges of our time,” said Tulalip Court Director Wendy Church. “She holds three things very dear to her heart: her tribal court clients, the tribal court and tribal sovereignty. In the six years I’ve had the pleasure of working with her, I’ve seen her commitment and passion for those three things over and over.

When Tulalip’s longtime Chief Judge Theresa Pouley hears the accolades, the down to earth grandmother of two just chuckles and gives the credit to those around her.

“Tulalip was changing the face of Indian Country and asked if I would help do that,” she reminisced. “What an amazing journey for all of us. It’s like a whole new historic era. Never have Indian people been given the opportunity to determine their future more than in the last five years, and Tulalip is really responsible for that. Tulalip shared their economic advantage and programs they had, they were willing to put their name and their tribe on the line for the benefit of all Indian Country. They did it for everybody.”

Judge Pouley pointed out the Tribal Law and Order Act, the tribal provisions of the Violence Against Women Act and Tulalips ongoing commitment to restorative justice.

“I remember in 2005 we were starting to build a wellness court here and Maureen Hoban had a snippet out of a treaty that said what a peaceful and generous people [the ancestors of contemporary] Tulalips were, I’ve witnessed that first hand.”

Teaching and family, two of Judge Pouley’s great passions in life, will be her next adventure.

“I’m going to be teaching law, intro to law, contracts and civil procedures. I’ve applied for this job at Edmonds twice before. My appointment [as Chief Judge] is up in 2016, so it came at just about the right time. I’ll be working 170 days a year and I get every summer off and the whole month of December. I have my second grandbaby on the way, and more time with grandbabies is always good,” she grinned.

Even though she won’t be here to watch over it, Judge Pouley isn’t worried about the future of Tulalip Tribal Court. She sang the praises of her replacement, incoming Chief Judge Ron Whitener.

“Judge Whitener is up to the task,” she affirmed. “What an amazing thing to be able to take a professor from the University of Washington (UW) and recruit him to want to be a tribal court judge. He was part of the Attorney General’s advisory committee on youth violence, he has academic ties and a wealth of knowledge from working with the Attorney General. He is a Squaxin Island [citizen]. We’re really borrowing the best and brightest from the UW to take over as Chief Judge, it’s a testament to the forward progress of tribal courts that we can attract that kind of talent.”

Judge Pouley joked, wiggling her petite feet, “He has really big feet, so he’s not going to have any trouble filling these shoes.”

Although she’s leaving Tulalip Tribal Court, Judge Pouley said she’s not giving up all her ties to Tulalip. She is, after all, a resident of the Tulalip Reservation.

“Did you see Jon Stewart’s goodbye?” she asked, referencing the farewell speech of the late night comedian and host of The Daily Show. “It’s really hard to let go, but you should just view it as a long conversation, that way you never have to say goodbye. I feel that way about Tulalip. Our conversation is going to take a little pause, but it’s not the end of the conversation. I have clients here that know and respect me. There are lots of people that I’ve met and I’m grateful that they’re in my path and I can count them as my friends. I’ve seen Tulalip grow and become such a safe place.

“I just want to give a heartfelt thank you to all the people who have supported Tulalip Tribal Court over the years,” she continued. “Ten years is a long time. Tulalip has really taken care of me and treated me with open arms. I have so many friends here and I’ve developed knowledge and respect for so many people. I walk with all their prayers and good wishes every day. I feel so privileged to have been here.”

Tulalip’s WIC Program

 

Submitted by Erika Queen, WIC Nutrition Program, Karen I Fryberg Tulalip Health Clinic

Getting to the WIC office is easier than ever. No more paging WIC. The door just past the bathrooms is unlocked. Just come back to WIC and say “Hi!”

WIC gets money from the state and federal WIC budget and provides services to our local community. Women can get WIC services during pregnancy through baby’s first birthday so long as they are is breastfeeding.  If a woman is not breastfeeding, she can get WIC for six months, even after a miscarriage.  Infants and children can get WIC until their fifth birthday.  Call to see if your family qualifies – 360-716-5625.

WIC can help new moms even more

Tulalip Health Clinic WIC clients can now borrow high-quality electric breast pumps, without fees (ask for details).  If you, your family, or friends have questions about breastfeeding, call WIC at 360-716-5625.

WIC is offering painless iron tests

The WIC Program has recently offered a new option for all clinics to provide “no-poke” iron tests for most children and adults.  Not all WIC offices are providing no-poke iron tests.  Tulalip WIC is very happy to provide this painless test to our clients.

WIC started in order to prevent low iron in children. Common signs of low iron may include paleness, irritability, and tiredness.  In little ones, low iron can cause behavioral problems and developmental delays.  If untreated, problems may last into the school years.  For more information, search for “anemia” at kidshealth.org.

 

WIC still gives checks for healthy foods

These checks are to provide fresh produce, milk (lactose-free & soy are available), whole grains, and more. Getting WIC is based on income.  Almost all families/children participating in these programs can get WIC:

  • TANF
  • Commodities/Basic Food
  • Apple Health
  • Infants/children up to age 5 who are placed in the care of others by a court (through the state or beda?chelh)
  • Other families who meet our income guidelines (call for details)

 

Sydney Costello and Erika Queen are honored to partner with the Tulalip community in promoting healthy, happy families for years to come.
Sydney Costello and Erika Queen are honored to partner with the Tulalip community in promoting healthy, happy families for years to come.

 

Meet the staff

Erika Queen has been working with moms and babies for nearly ten years, in WIC for almost 5 years. She started with Tulalip’s WIC program in December 2014. Erika is a Health Educator and served in the US Navy before working with WIC.  She loves working with moms and babies as well as providing families with understandable information about health and wellness. While not at work, Erika can be found volunteering with Search and Rescue, doing anything “DIY,” becoming more familiar with traditional cooking & other traditional health practices, and spending time outside with her husband, Brian, and their two pit bulls, Jessi & Bella.

Sydney Costello has been working as a WIC dietitian since 2001 in Snohomish County. She enjoys the relationships that she has built with families through pregnancy, into breastfeeding and infancy, then into the preschool years. Sydney’s time with Tulalip’s WIC program began in June 2015! Sydney’s husband, Geno, and her daughters Irene (9) & Stevie (7) keep her busy. Geno loves basketball & will coach Irene’s team in the fall. Irene will play soccer with Stevie this fall too! Sydney volunteers with La Leche League of Marysville, MOMS Club of Arlington/Stanwood, North Sound Dietetics Association, and Kent Prairie Elementary PTA.

Erika and Sydney are long-time Western Washington residents who look forward to getting to know everyone here in Tulalip better. They would like to thank Della and Sara for their many years of service, and feel honored to partner with the Tulalip community in promoting healthy, happy families for years to come.

 

In accordance with Federal law and Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Washington WIC does not discriminate.

 

 

Problem Gambling and Family

Problem Gambling Flyer

 

Submitted by Sarah Sense-Wilson, Problem Gambling Coordinator, Tulalip Tribes Family Services

Problem gambling adversely affects the family of the gambler in a number of ways because of the problem gambler’s altered behavior, dishonesty and manipulation.

 

What can be lost or damaged:

Trust is often the first casualty in the family of the problem gambler. Change in the behavior of the family member is often attributed to many other possible problems before gambling is identified as the problem.

Respect for the problem gambler is generally lost once this problem has been identified. “Why can’t you just stop so the problem will go away?” “You can fix this!” When the gambler can’t, respect for them is lost.

Relationships are built on trust and respect. Without these, family relationships will be weakened or destroyed.

Family Dynamic is dependent on each family member meeting the needs of the others. Problem gambling can destroy the ability of the gambler to do this.Employment can be affected in various ways. The gambler will often neglect responsibilities at work and/or develop an attendance problem as they begin to have less control over their need to gamble. In the worst situation, the gambler will steal from their employer in order to continue their gambling. Any of this can lead to loss of employment and prosecution.

Financial security for the family is often lost as the gambler seeks more and more resources with which to gamble. All of the family’s financial resources may be liquidated without their knowledge. Savings, home equity, retirement accounts, children’s savings, etc may all be lost or damaged.

Reputations are difficult to protect as the gambling problem affects more and more aspects of the gambler’s life and become known by individuals outside of the family.

 

What can result:

Stress is a certain occurrence for all of the family members of the gambler.

Isolation between the gambler and their family generally occurs as their behavior changes.

Neglect of dependents occurs as the gambler losses more and more control of their behavior.

Distrust occurs between other family members as the extent of the problem and the extent of financial loss and the ramifications of this become known.

Resentment/Anger also follows as the gambler loses control and the scope of the problem becomes known.

Domestic violence may result in a family affected by a member with an addiction problem. The family of a problem gambler can be impacted just as easily as that of someone with an alcohol or drug addiction. The problem gambler may be the victim or perpetrator.

Co-occurring disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and other compulsive behaviors often occur as a result of or along with the gambling problem.

 

Other Family Issues

Children of problem gamblers have a higher probability of developing a gambling problem than those with parents who do not gamble. This follows the pattern as experienced by children of those affected by substance and domestic violence.

If any of these signs sound like someone you know, that person may have a problem with gambling.

Help is confidential and it works. Call (360) 716-4304 or 1-800-522-4700. Don’t wait for the problem to get worse!

Debunking 5 myths about the flu

Submitted by Jason McKerry, MD, FAAP, Karen I Fryberg Tulalip Health Clinic

The flu shot doesn’t cause the flu. The shot is an entirely dead virus— it’s impossible for it to replicate in your body and cause infection. The nasal spray is a very weakened strain (imagine a sprinter without legs or a bumblebee without wings) that is unable to replicate in the lungs to cause disease.The most common side effects after the shot or nasal spray are fatigue, low-grade fever, and runny nose (from the nasal spray).

You may feel like you “don’t get the flu.” Well, chances are that you do or you might. Research shows that anywhere from 5% to 20% of all adults get influenza every year. Anywhere from 10% to 40% of all children get it annually as well. Sometimes it’s just a mild infection; sometimes it’s far worse. You may not know you’ve had it unless a clinician tests you.

The flu shot doesn’t work. It does work, but like every shot, it’s imperfect. It is possible for someone to still get the flu after a flu shot, but the infection is far less severe when he or she has had the shot. Each year the flu shot can change in effectiveness due to differing strains that are included in the shot and that may circulate in your community. You need a flu shot every year because the influenza virus mutates while moving around the globe.

I’m healthy, so I don’t need a flu shot. We’re lucky that we’re healthy, but don’t let that fool you. Healthy children and adults die from the flu every year. Often about half of the children who die from influenza (usually a couple hundred each season) are healthy infants and children. About 30,000 people die every year from flu in the United States. The flu shot you get now can help protect you.

If you don’t “do” flu shots but you now have a child, you must change. Your children, particularly those younger than 4 years, and those infants too young to get a shot (younger than 6 months) are utterly dependent on you getting a flu shot so you don’t bring influenza home to them.

 

Source: Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and Work-Life Balance 

 

 Flu Facts

Why get vaccinated?

Influenza (“flu”) is a contagious disease that spreads around the United States every winter, usually between October and May. Flu is caused by influenza viruses, and is spread mainly by coughing, sneezing, and close contact. Anyone can get flu, but the risk of getting flu is highest among children. Symptoms come on suddenly and may last several days. They can include:

  • Fever/chills
  • Sore throat
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Cough
  • Headache
  • Runny or stuffy nose

Flu can make some people much sicker than others. These people include young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions – such as heart, lung or kidney disease, nervous system disorders, or a weakened immune system. Flu vaccination is especially important for these people, and anyone in close contact with them.

Flu can also lead to pneumonia, and make existing medical conditions worse. It can cause diarrhea and seizures in children.

Each year thousands of people in the United States die from flu, and many more are hospitalized.

Flu vaccine is the best protection against flu and its complications. Flu vaccine also helps prevent spreading flu from person to person.

 

Inactivated and recombinant flu vaccines

The injectable flu vaccine is either an “inactivated” or “recombinant” vaccine. These vaccines do not contain any live influenza virus. They are given by injection with a needle, and often called the “flu shot.”

A different, live, attenuated (weakened) influenza vaccine is sprayed into the nostrils.

Flu vaccination is recommended every year. Some children 6 months through 8 years of age might need two doses during one year.

Flu viruses are always changing. Each year’s flu vaccine is made to protect against 3 or 4 viruses that are likely to cause disease that year. Flu vaccine cannot prevent all cases of flu, but it is the best defense against the disease.

It takes about 2 weeks for protection to develop after the vaccination, and protection lasts several months to a year.

Some illnesses that are not caused by influenza virus are often mistaken for flu. Flu vaccine will not prevent these illnesses. It can only prevent influenza.

 

Above Flu Facts from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Vaccine Information Statements, 2015. The information contained on this site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

 

Lady Hawks unable to capitalize against the Eagles, lose 0-3

Aliya Jones goes full extension in her serving game against the Lady Eagles.Photo/Micheal Rios
Aliya Jones goes full extension in her serving game against the Lady Eagles.
Photo/Micheal Rios

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Lady Hawks played their third straight home game of the young season on Tuesday, September 22. They hosted the Eagles of Grace Academy.

In the 1st game, Grace Academy came out firing on all cylinders and made short work of the home team 25-10. During the short between game intermission, Lady Hawks Coach Tina Brown pleaded with her team to communicate. “Ladies, you have to talk out there. I’m going to keep rotating players until I find that person who is not going to stop communicating and keeping everyone on their toes.”

The 2nd game was highly contested and saw the Lady Hawks play their best volleyball of the season. They seemingly matched Grace Academy point for point and were communicating as a team as their coach had urged them to. Tied 16-16, Grace Academy took a timeout. Following the timeout, the Lady Hawks went back to bad habits of not communicating and gave up some easy points. That made all the difference as they lost the 2nd game 20-25.

The Lady Hawks didn’t respond well to start off the 3rd game and quickly found themselves down 2-10. They hung in there and did their best to keep one another positive. The closest they’d get back in the game was 15-20, as they went on to drop the 3rd game 15-25, and lost the match 0-3.

Following the game, #10 Keryn Parks shared her thoughts on the match. “During practice this week, we’ve been working really hard on our fundamentals; digs, spikes, settings and serves. I think we are improving every game and we are learning from our mistakes.

“I honestly think we are getting better because it’s a competition for us to be on the court playing, we all want playing time and as much time on the court as we can get. So we’re all trying to be loud and communicate and play our best. Going forward we need to work on communicating better and getting our serves over the net. They are just like free-throws, the more practice the better they’ll be.”

 

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov