A warm and golden summer evening set the perfect stage for semi-pro playoff football at Quil Ceda Stadium on Saturday, June 14, as the Everett Royals clashed with the Federal Way-based King County Jetts. Over 60 fans filled the bleachers under the Marysville-Pilchuck sunset, cheering for a game packed with grit, heart, and late-game heroics.
The game opened with nerves on both sides. The Royals fumbled on their first possession, handing the Jetts early momentum. What followed was a defensive slugfest, featuring a staggering six total turnovers in the first half alone. The Jetts finally broke through to take a 6-0 lead—one they carried into halftime as both offenses struggled to find rhythm.
Tulalip Tribal member #16, Timothy Hill Thomas, made an early impact, recovering a fumble and recording a pair of first-quarter tackles to help keep the Royals within reach. Fellow tribal member #56, David Enick, contributed with a couple of assisted tackles leading to stops on downs.
After a slow offensive start, the Royals began to show life in the second half. A deep 45-yard touchdown strike tied the game at 6-6 midway through the third quarter. Despite multiple quarterback changes, Everett’s offense started clicking, capitalizing on a key turnover with short, smart passes to grab a 12-6 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Jetts weren’t done yet. With just 25 seconds remaining, they pulled off a miraculous 30-yard touchdown catch to knot the score at 12 apiece, setting up what seemed like an inevitable overtime showdown.
But the Royals’ return man #23 had other plans.
Fielding the ensuing kickoff, he sprinted 75 yards to the house, bursting through multiple tackles. The Royals’ bench erupted, waving goodbye to the stunned Jetts as their season faded with just 15 seconds left. Everett’s defense sealed the deal on the final possession, securing the 18-12 victory in dramatic fashion.
After the game, Royals head coach Boyd Demus reflected on the hard-fought win. “We could have played way better,” he admitted. “It was a hard fight, but we came out with the win. The defense gets an A, the offense pulled it together in the second half, so I’d give them a B. Overall, I’d say it was a B+ effort from my guys. All the hard work paid off.”
Looking ahead to next week’s playoff showdown, Demus acknowledged the challenge ahead. “We face the undefeated Grit City Knights again. Last time we held them until the fourth and just ran out of gas. This time, we’re healthy and ready. We’re looking forward to this match.”
Linebacker Timothy Hill Thomas shared his excitement about advancing. “It feels good to be playing again,” he said. “It’s been a long time. I held it down and we got the dub. We’re ready for what’s next.”
Defensive tackle David Enick added, “I had lots of fun out there. It was awesome. I can’t wait for next week—we face the undefeated team and I think we’ve got them this time.”
The Royals now prepare for their rematch against the formidable Grit City Knights at Franklin Pierce Stadium on Saturday, June 21, at 5:30 p.m. With confidence surging and momentum on their side, Everett will look to dethrone the unbeaten powerhouse and punch their ticket to the championship.
Andrew was adopted to Virgil and Evelyn Johnson shortly after birth and was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Royal City, WA. He served his mission in North Carolina, and after returning he moved to Moses Lake, WA, where he met his wife and had two daughters.
After the death of his adopted mother, he started his journey to find his heritage of which he found and was enrolled into the Tulalip Tribes. In 2003 he moved to Tulalip, WA, where he lived and worked until his incarceration in 2018.
He is preceded in death by his parents and siblings. He leaves behind his wife, daughters, and grandson.
A graveside service for Andrew will be held Monday, June 16, 2025 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Mission Beach Cemetery, Mission Beach Rd, Tulalip Bay, WA 98271.
“It’s with an appreciative heart that we are here today to celebrate the completion of Fern Lodge,” said Chairwoman Teri Gobin at June 6’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This behavioral wellness center is a model of collaboration and is intended to increase access to much-needed health care for our Snohomish County communities. There is a lack of mental health resources nationwide. Facilities, like Fern Lodge, are important tools to help those in need during a mental health crisis.”
Fern Lodge Behavior Wellness is a 16-bed in-patient facility that will offer around-the-clock care to its court-ordered residents during their 90- or 180-day treatment plans. This rehabilitative treatment facility will serve individuals who are not involved in the criminal court system and do not need to be hospitalized, but still require additional support to prepare for living independently in their communities.
Built by Tulalip, on land owned by Tulalip in Stanwood (kitty-corner from the Healing Lodge), this $35 million qualified capital investment will be operated and maintained by the Washington Health Care Authority. Fern Lodge’s completion represents completion of the final legally required step by the Tribe in order to collect 100% of taxes generated on the Reservation beginning July 1, 2027.
“The Fern Lodge conversation started from negations to settle litigation on a tax-sharing lawsuit between the Tulalip Tribes and the federal government versus the State of Washington and Snohomish County,” explained Chairwoman Gobin. “This dates back to 2019 when then-Governor Jay Inslee requested we negotiate via mediated settlement. A tax-sharing compact was developed that covers the Tribe’s business developments created on our lands. And so today, we celebrate a win-win for Tulalip, Washington State, and the people in our local community.”
A first-of-its-kind facility in Snohomish County, Fern Lodge comes as a response to not only Jay Inslee’s 2018 behavioral health transformation plan, but also to meet the demand for accessible, non-hospitalized inpatient care options, particularly beyond urban hubs.
Snohomish County is one of the largest counties in the state, yet does not have adequate capacity to serve community members with behavioral health needs. As of November 2023, there were only six beds in the county contracted to provide this type of treatment. Now, thanks to Tulalip, there are 16 additional beds committed to the cause.
No Usage Rights Without Written Authorization from Aaron Locke
In attendance to celebrate Fern Lodge’s completion and his 1-month anniversary on Tulalip’s Tribal Council was Ryan Miller. In his previous role as Director of Treaty Rights, he played an instrumental role in getting state law changed and House Bill 2803 passed so that the Governor could enter into tax-sharing compacts with the Tribe.
“I want to acknowledge all the past leaders who committed so much time and energy, really putting their hearts into making this possible. It took decades and decades of fight to get to where we are today, and even this was a compromise,” reflected Ryan. “Ultimately, this is a great example of government-to-government relations and reflects forward-thinking leaders from both the State and the Tribe who came up with this great idea to help deal with the mental health crisis that our communities and country as a whole is facing.”
This facility is for all Snohomish County residents, 18 years and older. However, Tulalip tribal members will be given admission priority. Treatment interventions can vary based on an individual’s need, but in general may consist of one-on-one and group therapy, peer counseling, case management, medication management, and skill building.
“There is a tremendous need for resources to help us heal from intergenerational trauma, so that we, as a people and a society, can embody health and wellness in truly a good way,” said Board of Director Deborah Parker. “Any day we can come together to wrap a relative in care, in love, in deep respect, is a good day. I hope the development of Fern Lodge becomes a model for others to come and visit and to learn from as our Tribe, county, state, and nation continue to address mental health for the benefit of all our relatives.”
Sixteen pharmacies across the region are taking part in a new campaign led by the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA). This includes the Tulalip Clinical Pharmacy, one of two reservation-based pharmacies, the other is Kirk’s Pharmacy in Puyallup. The campaign is known as ‘Starts with One’ and is part of the HCA’s new Pharmacy Safe Storage program. Starts with One aims to prevent the misuse of prescription drugs and opioid overdose by providing lockable canvas bags to patients of the participating pharmacies.
Said Tulalip Clinical Pharmacy Director, Kelvin Lee, “We enrolled in the department of health’s program where they provide free bags to the pharmacy, because they found that more than half of the people who abuse narcotics start off by using someone else’s prescriptions. So, the whole idea behind the program is to give our patients lock bags so they can secure their prescriptions and protect it from other people’s access, so they don’t have the chance to try it. I think it’s a wonderful program.”
Kelvin explained that upon filling an opioid prescription, the patients are given a detailed explanation about the program. The patients then have the option to take part, and if they do decide to participate, they must sign a pledge card before receiving their free bag. The bag itself is a medium-sized black zip-up pouch with a lock in the upper left corner. The patient can simply store their medication in the bag, close it, and lock it up. They are given two keys per bag, one to have on-hand and the other to keep in safe location in case of a misplacement.
The campaign officially kicked off at the beginning of spring and according to the HCA website, there have already been 3,255 patients who were informed about the program, of which 1,877 people pledged to lock up their meds, and a total 1,742 bags have been distributed across all sixteen locations over the past few months.
In the latest research conducted by Snohomish County Overdose Prevention, there were 46.1 opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 population in our county in 2023. That is staggering compared to the statewide average of 33.7 opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 people that same year. However, thanks to an increased effort to provide education and resources countywide, much like this new campaign, the preliminary data shows Snohomish County’s death rate by opioid overdose of 46.1 per 100,000 population decreased to 40.6 in 2024.
“This program is focused on patients who are taking narcotics because that’s the biggest category,” Kelvin shared. “It’s not just about addiction or abuse; a lot of people die from overdose because they don’t know what they are taking. They’re just taking their grandma’s prescription or their parent’s prescription and have no idea what it is. And they overdose. The lock bags keep everyone safe. And the best part is it’s free. And we can make a really big impact with this campaign.”
In addition to the black lock bags, the pharmacy also received slightly smaller lock bags from the Tulalip Health Clinic. These bags were purchased with grant funding and are meant to be distributed to Tribal members only, whereas the HCA bags can be dispersed to any patient of the Tulalip Clinical Pharmacy. The Health Clinic’s lock bags are white and feature the Tulalip Tribes logo along with a selection of resources printed on the front, such as the phone number to a crisis team and a substance abuse disorder line, as well as the website address to the For Our Native Lives program.
“We have hundreds of bags, and we are not going to stop providing them until we give them all away,” Kelvin stated. “We want to encourage people to take one, especially elders who are taking a lot of medications so they can secure their prescriptions. We look at this like a community service. We definitely want to offer it to those with a prescription, but also to anybody who needs to secure their medications because any prescription can be dangerous.”
Taking part in the Starts with One campaign is just the latest effort by the Tulalip Clinical Pharmacy to help combat the opioid epidemic on the reservation. Last summer, the pharmacy introduced the first reservation-based Narcan distribution box, which is a success so far and has been utilized regularly throughout its first year.
After thoroughly explaining the campaign and the free lock bags with Tulalip News, Kelvin switched gears before the interview concluded. He used this time to discuss another new program that the pharmacy has recently implemented known as the Over the Counter (OTC) program. Kelvin detailed, “We have a brand-new program for Tulalip members. We had a similar program before called the Nix program. It was like a hidden benefit where we give free lice shampoo treatment to Tulalip members. We just recently expanded the program to include six other items: a tablet cutter, 7-day pill organizer, touchless thermometer, acetaminophen (liquid or tablet), antibacterial ointment, and hand sanitizer. Again, this is only for Tulalip members. We think these are safe enough for everyone, that’s how we decided on this list. So, anyone who needs these items, they can come in and those are free of charge.”
For more information about the Starts with One campaign, the free lock bags, or the OTC program, please contact the Tulalip Clinical Pharmacy at (360) 716-2600 or visit within their normal operating hours.
Chad Orr, 53, passed away on June 4, 2025 from a rare and aggressive cancer, leaving behind a legacy of unwavering love, kindness, and strength. He was a devoted husband, loving father, proud Papa, doting son, caring brother, and a loyal friend to many. To know Chad was to know true selflessness, compassion, and joy.
Chad was born and raised in Arlington and graduated from high school there in 1990. He was a proud member of Tulalip Tribes and enjoyed participating in native traditions. Chad’s friendships and love for people encompassed all aspects of his life, from those he met as a 33-year member of the Local 32 Plumbers and Pipefitters Union to those he was thrilled to see while operating his Boom City fireworks stand. Each and every friendship was special to him.
Chad married the love of his life in 2013, and together they lived a life full of laughter, love, and many adventures. Traveling became one of their favorite pastimes and they were able to explore 25 countries on 6 continents together. He loved his family fiercely, treating his stepchildren as his own and beaming with pride when introducing his grandsons. Being Papa was his greatest joy—he was playful, present, and deeply cherished.
Chad was our rock, our Superman, and our light. He showed us what unconditional love looks like and how to find good even in the darkest of times. He will be missed beyond words and loved passed space and more.
He is survived by his wife Tracy, three children Austin (Dawna) Orr, Kayla Land (Jared Elias), Kyle Land, grandsons Cypress, Cayson, Dawson, Liam, Jo, grandma Beverly Gobin, parents Ted (Pam) Orr, Valda Gobin (Herb Spires), brothers Rick (Sherrie) Orr, Caleb (Branda) Orr, Josh (Crystal) Orr and many aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. He is now reunited with his brother Teddy.
A celebration of Chad’s life will be held at one of his favorite places, Tulalip Resort Casino on Saturday, June 21st at 5pm in the Orca Ballroom. In lieu of cut flowers, please consider bringing a live plant.
Drumbeats of various rhythms and tempos resonated all throughout the Tulalip Amphitheater during the weekend of May 30. Just audible over the dozens of songs and chants being simultaneously performed, guidance came from a pair of giant speakers as event MC, Andre Picard Jr., brought a little organization to the beautiful chaos known as the Tulalip Tribes Annual Stick Games Tournament.
Once a team heard their name called, they packed up their portable chairs and met their opponents on the battlefield, under shade provided by the large tents that were setup at the center of the amphitheater. Placing their chairs directly across from their rivals, the players then brought out all the necessary gameplay items which included their hand drums, large sticks to keep score, and a set of bones.
The sticks and bones are often decked out in Native décor, some hand painted and some beaded with impressive designs. The bones are discreetly distributed amongst the team that is in-play, and a series of songs and hand movements are performed in order to distract the other team from seeing who is in possession of the bones. To win this Indigenous game of legerdemain, the opposing team must correctly guess where exactly the set of bones are located in order to advance in the bracket.
Organized by Carrie Ann Fryberg and family, this is an event that continues to grow year after year, with participants hailing from all throughout the Coast Salish region. In addition to Tulalip, some of the tribes and first nations bands represented at this year’s games included Ahousaht, Cowichan, Skokomish, Tsartlip, Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Lummi, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Swinomish, and Quinault.
According to the ancestral stories, the games have been passed down throughout each generation. Originally, stick games (a/k/a slahal, lahal, or bone games) was introduced to the people by the local Indigenous animals and wildlife thousands of years ago, as a means to prevent warfare and settle a number of intertribal disputes, such as the rights to hunting and fishing grounds.
The tournament is open to all ages and provides an opportunity for multi-generational families and teams to learn, share, and enjoy the traditional game together. This year featured numerous cash prizes throughout the weekend, and the grand prize of $25,000 was claimed by Talon Tohtsoni’s crew, the first-place team in the main bracket.
Well over 100 teams competed for moola, bragging rights, and drums designed by Cy Fryberg. As always, the games extended late into each night, and the visitors were provided space to set up their tents along the Tulalip Resort Casino parking lot in order to get some rest in between their matches.
Aside from the main attraction of the games, a major highlight of the tournament for observers and players alike is supporting a number of Indigenous-owned businesses. Local artists and chefs set up shop at the amphitheater and sold the likes of Indian tacos, kettle corn, hot dogs, caffeinated beverages, smoked salmon, as well as Native-designed clothing, blankets, and jewelry all weekend long. This included a handful of Tulalip vendors like Josh Fryberg and Family, Jared’s CORN-er, TeePee Creepers, Big House of Doggs, Traveler’s Drinks & Grub To-Go, KKONA cedar jewelry, and Captain Kirk’s Smoked Salmon.
Following this year’s tournament, Andre took to Facebook to share, “This was a very fun weekend! Big thank you to Carrie Ann Fryberg and family for organizing this Stick Games Tournament every year. It is an honor and privilege to MC and to get to speak in front of the beautiful stick game families. Safe travels home to all the stickgamers near and far. See you all soon, love you all!”
“We are proud and excited to celebrate the installation of traditional native artwork on the waterfront of Seattle. We are especially thrilled about the completion of the art project by our treasured Suquamish elder and carver Randi Purser. Her work, that is part of another piece on Bainbridge Island, reflects our ancient presence on the waters between Seattle and the Kitsap Peninsula, named after two of our ancestral leaders.
“We thank the City of Seattle and the Friends of Waterfront Park for their commitment to this project honoring our heritage and traditions and the entire art team for their dedication and creativity.”
Suquamish Chairman Leonard Forsman greets the crowd during the dedication ceremony.
Those words were shared by Suquamish Chairman Leonard Forsman as he joined civic and tribal leaders at an official dedication for a highly-anticipated, publicly-sited art installation that spans multiple blocks along the revamped Seattle waterfront. Flanking the Seattle ferry terminal at Pier 52 are 22 pairs of sculpted Douglas Fir posts and beams representing the skeletal structure of a traditional longhouse.
The eye-catching longhouse installation is intentionally minimalist. With no walls, roof or doors, it serves as a potentially thought-provoking sculptural concept for millions of pedestrians who are embarking or disembarking from one of the terminal’s popular Jumbo Mark II class ferries. That’s not even accounting for all the usual and accustomed tourist foot traffic that routinely floods Seattle’s waterfront.
To Our Teachers spans three Seattle city blocks, from Columbia Street to Spring Street.
The visionary artist behind the installation’s design is Oscar Tuazon. He is known for his use of minimalism and conceptualism in using natural materials to create large scale sculptures in populated urban areas. He’s titled his latest, three-block-long art installation To Our Teachers.
“To Our Teachers is a framework for the future,” explained Oscar, who grew up on the Suquamish Tribe’s Port Madison Reservation. “Welcoming people at the edge of the water, the procession of post and beam frames are the beginning of a structure you can imagine in your mind. Inspired by the living tradition of deqʷaled, the distinctly Coast Salish house post that unites sculpture and architecture, the construction is designed to support the continuous evolution of the artistic culture unique to Seattle.
“Working on this project has profoundly changed how I think about art,” he continued. “The opportunity to work with Randi Purser (Suquamish) and Tyson Simmons and Keith Stevenson (Muckleshoot) and create a structure to showcase their work has really expanded my understanding of what artists are capable of through collaboration. Together we can create spaces for community. This is why I think of To Our Teachers as a structure continuously being built— this is not the final form of the work, it is just the beginning of something bigger than me.”
Seattle is a hub for urban Natives whose roots extend across Washington State reservations and beyond. That spirit of connectedness is represented in this pier enhancing artwork. As Oscar stated, he collaborated with tribal carvers from Suquamish and Muckleshoot. Those carvers created two towering cedar house posts that are seamlessly imbedded into both longhouse entrances. Each house post is filled with deep-rooted significance for not just the artists’ home tribes, but all those urban Natives who call Seattle home.
Tyson Simmons and Keith Stevenson carved the southernmost house post, which they’ve named Honoring Our Warriors. “This warrior figure was inspired by the carvers’ warrior-uncle,” explained the two carvers. “Yet, it represents the valor and sacrifice of all our warriors to secure our land, our salmon, and our native walk of life.
“Our warriors all carried spiritual gifts that cloaked them with strength and protection,” they continued. “Fisher is depicted below the warrior figure to represent our warriors’ myriad powers without disclosing any of their individual powers. We carry the responsibility to remember and tell our stories. The work is guided by our teachings. Our ancestors prayed for us. They didn’t know who we would be, yet they prayed for us.”
Elder Randi Purser carved a house post depicting Chief Seattle as a baby being held by his mother Sholeetsa.
At the northernmost entrance is Suquamish elder Randi Purser’s house post. She’s dubbed hers ʔəslaʔlabəd kʷədi bəḱʷ dadatu, which translates to Looking at All Tomorrows. Drawing inspiration from the city’s namesake, which translates to Looking at All Tomorrows. Drawing inspiration from the city’s namesake, Chief Seattle, she paid homage to not just the legendary chief, but his lifegiving mother as well.
“Sholeetsa was the mother of Chief Seattle. Protected within her loving embrace is her son Chief Seattle as a baby,” described Randi to the crowd who looked upon her carving. “On her dress is a design of the unfolding fern, which represents new life. Above her is the moon surrounded by frog heads. The frogs represent a time of change as they sing the winter away and the spring in. As a whole, this carving represents the people of today standing on the cusp of change.”
What’s on the other side of that cusp of change is subjective to any one of millions of pedestrians who every month will assuredly walk on the Seattle waterfront, pass the ferry terminal, and have an infusion of Coast Salish culture enter their peripheral vision.
However, as the artists involved shared, there is a unified desire that the change be reflective of recognizing the past that got us here and honoring still thriving Coast Salish communities in the collective future we all share. In commissioning this layered piece of public work, Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront understood and shared the artists’ vision.
“As we transform Seattle’s waterfront, it has been important to us that we honor its history and move forward with intention,” said Angela Brady, Office of the Waterfront & Civic Projects Director. “We want visitors to remember that Waterfront Park stands on the lands and shared waters of the Coast Salish Peoples, whose ancestors have resided here since time immemorial. The original inhabitants of the region built structures along the shore. These new artworks honor the important cultural history of the waterfront. I hope they encourage visitors to reflect on how we, as a city and a region, hold space for Indigenous communities, not just in our past but in our future.”
Laurie Lynn Cepa passed away peacefully in her home on the Tulalip Reservation, surrounded by family and friends. Born in Seattle, Washington, Laurie was a proud descendant of the Snohomish, Jamestown S’Klallam, and Lummi peoples.
Laurie was a lifelong learner and a passionate hobbyist. She found joy in knitting, macramé, basket weaving, wool spinning, gold panning, baking, and beadwork. She shared her artistic talents with others, teaching beading to members of the Tulalip community to preserve cherished traditions. Laurie also had an appreciation for the outdoors—she loved boating, fishing, crabbing, and camping. She was intrigued by stories of the past, immersing herself in genealogical research to uncover the histories of her family and friends.
Laurie approached her professional life with warmth and dedication. She worked at Seafirst Bank as a Legal Support Clerk then found success as a Real Estate Broker. Known for her kindness and approachability, she was a favorite administrator for students as Registrar at Ingraham High School, Franklin High School, and the Juvenile Detention Center. She retired as an Administrative Assistant at Quil Ceda Casino.
Laurie had a big heart and a sharp wit. She was loved for her friendly demeanor, openness, humor, and the meaningful conversations she sparked with people. To know Laurie was to know laughter, storytelling, and a respect for culture and community.
Laurie was preceded in death by her parents, Larry Cepa (a member of Tulalip Tribes), and Carol (Shiplet) Cepa. She is survived by her siblings, Dennis Cepa of Tulalip, WA and Lisa Cepa of Everett, WA; uncle Larry Trimm of Duvall, WA; special cousins Sherry and Pete Guzman of Tulalip, WA; Godson, Kyle Sommer of New York, NY; beloved cats Baby, Mister, and Peaches; and a large extended family of cousins and friends. Laurie is laid to rest at the Tulalip Tribes Mission Beach Cemetery.
A celebration of her life will be held, Monday, June 2, 2025 at 10 AM at Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home.
