Over 1,000 attended Tribal B-I-N-G-O

Photo/Micheal Rios
Photo/Micheal Rios

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

 

On Monday, April 25, the Tulalip Tribes held their 15th annual Tribal Bingo Celebration. Tribal citizens who live locally on or around the reservation were joined by their fellow Tulalip members who travelled from Seattle, Bellingham, and Tacoma to join in on the festivities and try their luck to win high-end prizes and fill their pockets with cash.

Like he has done in years past, Chairman Mel Sheldon ‘rained’ supreme on the mic as the MC for each bingo session. Mel kept the atmosphere lively and upbeat while wearing a super fancy purple blazer in honor of the late, great musical icon Prince.

 

Photo/Micheal Rios
Photo/Micheal Rios

 

“We are honored to host our tribal bingo while bringing fun and excitement to the membership for 15 wonderful years now,” said Tammy Taylor, Tulalip Bingo Director. “The beautiful part of our tribal celebration is it’s a fun time for our people to enjoy each other’s company. During any one of the three sessions you could feel the happiness, feel the positive spirits, and see the beautiful smiles of our elders. Every year it’s so wonderful to see our elders come in and have such a great time.”

This year’s event was heralded as unique from previous years, as Bingo staff did their best to make the 15th annual celebration one to remember. First of all, instead of having only two sessions like years past, there were three sessions; held at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. Adding an extra session made seating more comfortable and gave a slight bump to everyone’s chance of winning prizes and cash. Secondly, the door prize drawings were held in a different fashion. Tribal members who were lucky enough to have their ID called would make their way to the front and choose from a number of tribally designed cards (provided by our very own Hibulb Cultural Center), and then on the back of the card would be their door prize. Prizes ranged from a trip voucher to a Vizio 60” flat screen TV to a washer and dryer set to various amounts of everyone’s favorite, cold hard cash.

Spanning each session were 14 games of bingo, plus an all-new Wild Goose Chase pull-tab game. For each session there was just under $17,100 in total cash prizes awarded to the winners.

The 10:00 a.m. morning session was most popular with 420 tribal members in attendance, followed by the 6:00 p.m. evening session with 394, and lastly the 2:00 p.m. session had 277. All in all there were 1,091 Tulalip tribal members who took part in this year’s bingo celebration.

“Our Bingo team did a wonderful job of preparing for each session and executing as a team,” added Tammy. “There were virtually no lines, whether it was getting the membership in the door and finding a seat or getting a plate of food. Our Deli team cooked and prepared more than enough food for the breakfast, lunch and light dinner we provided. From our Bingo team members to the Enrollment team members, everyone did a fantastic job start to finish.”

 

M-PHS Commons Groundbreaking, April 29

Please join Marysville School District staff, teachers, students, and families for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the beginning of a fresh start for our students and community.

M-PHS Commons Groundbreaking
Friday, April 29, 2016 at 1 p.m.
Marysville-Pilchuck High School
5611 108th St NE, Marysville, WA 98271
Event will be located between gym and stadium
*Parking is available in front of gym and pool

 

MPHS-web

Climate Change and Health: What Everyone Needs to Know, May 14

 Dr. Ken Lans will speak about global climate change and its health effects at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 14, 2016 in the Everett Public Library Auditorium, 2702 Hoyt Avenue in Everett. 
 
Lans argues that we are already seeing health (and monetary) costs from heat waves and storms and from their resultant fires, floods, and droughts. He will also explore less-obvious health dangers like spreading infectious diseases, conflicts arising from food and water shortages, movement of climate refugees, and air-pollution’s role in aggravating existing conditions like heart disease, asthma, and other respiratory illness. He will end his presentation by talking about how concerned citizens can help forestall these dangerous health threats by aiding efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. 
 
Ken Lans, MD, MBA is a retired general practice physician and founding board member (in 1979) of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR), an organization of healthcare professionals committed to enhancing socially just and life-enhancing policies regarding nuclear issues, climate change, environmental toxins, and other risks to human health. He is a Climate Leader with the Climate Reality Project, a non-governmental organization whose mission is  to “catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society.”
 
For further information, please call 425-257-8000.

Children & Youth Mental Wellness Fair, May 7

ChildStrive

 

If you spend any time out in public, you are sure to encounter at least one small child having a huge melt down of emotion.  Some parents feel confused by what is happening for their children in those moments. What is really going on?

Children experience the same emotions as adults do.  Unfortunately, their brains do not yet have the capability to keep those emotions under control or “regulated”.  Emotion regulation is a very complex function in the brain and requires being able to identify what we are feeling, what happened to make us feel that way, and what we can do to bring ourselves back to calm.

Out of all the important life skills parents teach their children, none may be more important than the skill of learning to manage emotions.  This is a skill that supports “school readiness” beyond any skill in reading or writing.  It is also a skill that research suggests can help reduce the onset of some mental health symptoms.

So you may be asking yourself, “How do adults teach this skill to a child?”  Research has shown that when an upset child is in the presence of a calm adult who is trying to understand what the child is feeling, children will be able to use the adult’s sense of calm to help themselves get calm.  Think back to a time when you were overwhelmed with a powerful emotion.  If someone near you was meeting the same intensity of emotion as yourself, you may have found it difficult to get calm.  Children have the same experience!  Only when a child gets to a calm state can they take in information and “learn” from a situation.

In honor of the National Children’s Mental Health Awareness week find out more information on a variety of topics that support children’s mental health by attending the “Youth Mental Wellness Fair” happening on May 7th from 10-4 at Evergreen Middle School in Everett.

ChildStrive (formerly known as Little Red School House) has been partnering with Tulalip families for more than 30 years. For information about your child’s childhood development contact Courtney Miller at ChildStrive at (425) 353-5656 x7145 or Courtney.Miller@ChildStrive.org. More information about ChildStrive can be found on our website at www.ChildStrive.org

 

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On the T.R.A.I.L. to diabetes prevention

Trails_BGC_1

 

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

On the evening of Thursday, April 14, Tulalip Boys & Girls Club held an open registration for its very own T.R.A.I.L. healthy choices program. Its mission? To teach children the necessary steps to prevent diabetes and pre-diabetes.

“We are super excited to offer the community a very special hands-on practical prevention program for the kids at the Boys & Girls Club,” stated Veronica “Roni” Leahy, Tulalip Diabetes Care and Prevention Program Coordinator. “This is the first time a large scale collaboration between health clinic staff and the Trails Program staff has occurred. Together, we are offering diabetes prevention education delivered in a cooking class format with nutrition education geared towards kids!”

From 1990 to 2009 the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Native American/Alaska Native youth increased by 110%, according to the Indian Health Service (IHS). Type 2 diabetes has been reported in Native American youth as young as four years of age, and IHS also reports that mortality rates for diabetes are 1.6 times higher for Native Americans compared to the U.S. general population.*

 

Trails_BGC_4

 

In 2003, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), IHS, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), and Nike, Inc., initiated a prevention program aimed at reducing the onset of type 2 diabetes among Native youth. The program – On the T.R.A.I.L. (Together Raising Awareness for Indian Life) to Diabetes Prevention – is an innovative combination of physical, educational, and nutritional activities.

T.R.A.I.L. is a 12 chapter program that provides youth with a comprehensive understanding of healthy lifestyles in order to prevent type 2 diabetes. The program is presented with four themes: About Me, My Health, & Being Part of a Team; Healthy Eating; Making Smart Food Choices and My Healthy Community.

Woven throughout the program are self-esteem and prevention activities utilized by BGCA, including contributions from national evidence-based programs such as SMART Moves. Club members draw from Native traditions and history to learn about nutrition, food choices, media influences and the impact of type 2 diabetes.

 

Trails_BGC_2_front

 

The program also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and community service. Participants apply decision-making and goal setting skills in the physical activity challenges, and engage in service projects to improve healthy lifestyles in their communities. Community and family members participate in activities with the elementary-aged club members. These motivate members to achieve their goals and promote physical activity. The club sites are implementing the SPARK Physical Education and Nike Let Me Play programs to foster club-wide participation in fun physical activities and games for 60 minutes every day.

T.R.A.I.L. is currently funded at 55 participating club sites located in 18 states. Each of the Native Boys & Girls Club sites received the following to implement the T.R.A.I.L. program:

  • A grant to fund program operations, including a part-time staff person and program training for one year.
  • Evaluated program curriculum, training, and on-going technical assistance.
  •  Access to the SPARK Afterschool Physical Activity Program.

Each club member who registered to participate in the T.R.A.I.L. program received a box of fresh food from Klesick Farms and Haggen Grocery store, and their choice of an apple tree or blueberry bush. These boxes were valued at approximately $50.00 per box.

“The kids will learn how to grow, harvest and preserve fruit, berries & vegetables and we will use them in the meals we prepare together. Plus, they will personalize and develop their own cookbooks with the recipes,” added Roni. “Our collaborative prevention team looks forward to working with your kids and sharing our knowledge and skills with them.”

The T.R.A.I.L. program will hold sessions Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Fridays from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Boys & Girls Club community room.

 

BGCA-TRAILMap-Diabetes-2015-2016

 

 

*source: https://www.naclubs.org

 

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov 

Grand Opening of Tulalip’s skate park and ball field

Photo/Mike Sarich, Tulalip News
Photo/Mike Sarich, Tulalip News

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

A rainy day back-up plan was in place, but unnecessary, as the rain stayed away and Tulalip was gifted a pleasant mid-60s, sunny spring day. The perfect Washington weather to bring the community out in droves to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Debra Barto Memorial Skate Spark and Alpheus “Gunny” Jones Sr. Ball Field on Friday, April 15.

Youth of all ages, adults, and elders took in the good weather, complimentary assortment of BBQ food, and a variety of entertainment now available with Tulalip’s very own skate park and ball field. Those who arrived early enough received a novelty t-shirt with a custom a graphic commemorating the day’s event. The graphic was created by Tulalip artist Ty Juvinel.

 

Tulalip Tribal Chairman Mel Sheldon jumps on board with the skating. Photo/Mike Sarich
Tulalip Tribal Chairman Mel Sheldon shows off his moves.
Photo/Mike Sarich

 

There was a DJ playing hit music, providing the necessary soundtrack for the outdoor festivities. Taking place in and around the skate park were skate board clinics, demonstrations by local professionals, and even a skate competition for 12 & Under, 13-17, and 18 & Up. Members of the Skate Like A Girl organization were on hand with the equipment necessary to teach those with no skate boarding experiences the basics.

Meanwhile on the ball field, the younger kids were playing kickball and t-ball, while the older kids were busy showcasing their athletic prowess in spirited games of flag football.

Bouncy houses, face painting, and henna booths were also available to add in more variety to the grand opening celebration.

Giving even more significance to the day was the fact it was also Debra Barto’s, the skate park’s namesake, birthday. Members of Debra’s immediate family were on hand wearing pink remembrance shirts in her honor.

 

Debra Barto family members. Back row: son Rayvin, daughter Clara, sister Sue, daughter Heather, mother Linda, sister Teddi, and nephews Vincent and Aaron. Front: grandsons Keaganand Cory, nephew Kasidi and niece Kamri. Photo/Micheal ríos
Debra Barto family members. Back row: son Rayvin, daughter Clara, sister Sue, daughter Heather, mother Linda, sister Teddi, and nephews Vincent and Aaron. Front: grandsons Keaganand Cory, nephew Kasidi and niece Kamri.
Photo/Micheal ríos

 

The Tulalip community looks forward to many more good days that see the skate park and ball field being utilized by people, from young kids to adults and elders, with sports, activities and entertainment for all.