The Tulalip Casino Resort hosted a luncheon in honor of tribal elders from the Tulalip Tribes and their neighboring tribal "cousins" on Thursday, May 7. The event also featured the crowning of the Strawberry Festival respresentatives for the Tribes, Stan and JoAnn Jones.

Tribal members from around the Pacific Northwest attended the luncheon, enjoying a chance to catch up on family news. Elders received special blankets from the Tulalip Tribes, and hundreds of gifts were given away during the afternoon.

Chuck James, a member of the Tulalip Tribes' Board of Directors, welcomed neighbors to the new casino, noting that "we wanted to build something really special, to represent us as a tribal people."

James added, "Look around you at the beauty of this place. This is us. We hired architects and designers, but we chose all the details they put in place."

Maryfest's Carol Kapua introduced Stan and JoAnn Jones as royal representatives for the Strawberry Festival, and reigning princesses Azlinn Morales and Rebecca Thomas crowned the pair as queen Shelby Hintze looked on.

Stan Jones has served on the Tulalip Tribes' Board of Directors since 1966. His visionary leadership contributed to the tribes' successful work on the Boldt decision and negotiation of the first state compact for the casino operation. A World War II veteran, Jones was honored with the Wendell Chino humanitarian award in 2001, and in 2007 he received the Tribal Gaming Visionary and Small Business Empowerment Award from the National Indian Gaming Association.

In his welcome to members of the neighboring northwest tribes, Jones called on his business background, urging visitors to "Be sure to check out all the machines before you go home."

The Jones' will be featured along with other selected senior couples in the Strawberry Festival parade this summer.

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