General Council March 14th

The Annual General Council meeting will be held on Saturday March 14th at the Tulalip Resort Casino. Voting will be held at the Resort and will be open from 7am until 1pm. It is a great opportunity to exercise your Treaty rights by voting in this election. Unfortunately, there will be no raffle prizes this year. In lieu of prizes, we have the next best thing: six candidates vying for your vote. General Council is of the utmost importance to our sovereignty, which is why we really hope to see you there!

Spring Forward & Test your Fire Alarm

It is that time of year again. Time to spring forward your clocks one hour this weekend. And while you are transitioning into spring, now is a great time to check the status of your smoke alarm.

We had far too many fatalities due to residential fires in Snohomish County last year. The most commonly cited cause of nonworking smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries.

Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. Smoke alarm maintenance is a simple, effective way to reduce home fire deaths. Children and senior citizens are most at risk.

Tragically, fire can kill selectively. Those most at risk include:

■ Children — Children under age five are at twice the risk of dying in a home fire. Eighty percent of fatal home fire victims who were children were killed in homes without working smoke alarms.

■ Seniors — Adults over age 75 are three times more likely to die in home fires than the rest of the population. Many seniors are unable to escape quickly. If you have seniors in your life who might not hear as well as they used to, they may not wake to a typical alarm. There are smoke alarms designed for people who are hard of hearing.

■ Low-Income Households — Many low-income families are unable to afford batteries for their smoke alarms. These same households often rely on poorly installed, maintained or misused portable or area heating equipment — a main cause of fatal home fires. Many local fire departments have smoke alarms and batteries available.

With just a few simple steps, you can cut your chances of dying in a house fire by half. Be sure to thoroughly test those batteries this weekend. We care about you!

March Healing Circle

The Healing Circle for the month of March will be held next week on Friday the 13th. Lasting from 9am until 2:30pm, the healing will take place in the South Lot training room. Come be a witness to healing stories about sexual abuse and domestic violence. Tulalip Police Chief Scott Smith will be on hand to present the "Tulalip Domestic Violence" code with a Q&A session to follow afterward. Healing Circles convene every 2nd Friday of each month. For more information contact Helen Gobin-Henson at (360) 716-4022 or email her at hgobin-henson@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

First Time Home Buyer Education Workshop

Interested in purchasing your first home? Now is a great time to buy for Tribal members. Coming up on Saturday, March 7th, the TTHAP's department will put on a First Time Home Buyer Education Workshop. The workshop lasts five hours, starting at 10am and ending at 3pm. The class is designed to explain and clarify the fundamental information that you should know before you purchase a home, such as:

• Why is knowing my debt to income ratio important?
• How does my credit history or credit scores effect my purchase of a home?
• What are the 4 components of a loan?
• Who can processes my loan documents?
  

Purchasing your first home can be a challenge. With workshops like these, the process may seem a little less daunting. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Ilia Brown, Home Loan Specialist.

(360) 716-4821

(360) 651-3662 Fax

The TTHAP’s office is located at 6319 23^rd Ave NE Tulalip, WA. 98271

Tulalip Heritage Boys Take 4th in State

It was an exciting weekend for the Heritage Hawks boys basketball team. In just their second State appearance, the boys finished in 4th place at the 2009 Washington State 1B Boys Basketball Tournament. What a great way to end another terrific season. Congratulations to the players, especially the seniors, the coaches, the parents, volunteers, and to all the community members who helped make this dream a reality. Here is a recap of the tournament results day by day.
Day 1: Hawks defeat Pateros high W 68 - 33.
Day 2: Hawks lose to Almira/Coulee-Hartline high L 50 - 57.
Day 3: Hawks defeat Wellpinit high W 61 - 52.
Day 4: Hawks defeat Sunnyside Christian high W 56 - 52.

Water Line Rupture

On Thursday, February 26 a water line ruptured under Totem Beach road. The rupture occurred in the afternoon due west of the Finance building. Construction crews began replacing the broken water line immediately. For safety, the construction workers had to close down a section of Totem Beach road. In the midst of the rupture, the Community Meeting highlighting the Adult Services department was canceled. A make-up date has not been set, but check back here for more information as it comes in.

Heritage Boys Basketball State Tournament Update

Yakima - The 2009 Washington State High School 1B Basketball Championships began today at the Yakima Sundome . Our beloved Tulalip Heritage Hawks started things off right with a win over their first-round foe, Pateros high. By more than doubling their opponents point total at 68-33, Tulalip Heritage demonstrated that they deserve to play at this level. Up next for the Hawks is round two vs. Almira/Coulee-Hartline High. Tipoff is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, at 5:30pm.

Thanks to all the coaches, chaperones, parents, and community members who traveled to support our team. Go Hawks!