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President: |
The Chinese New Year Celebration is over and we have started the Year
of the Dog. Attributes of people born this year are loyalty, honesty,
generosity and working well with others. These are all the qualities
that make RECA a successful organization, so we should do very well
this year.   RECA LANGUAGE SCHOOL REPORT By Judy Hardin Cheung Our RECA language classes are
running full
tilt towards the end of the year. We are concluding another successful
year with many students of all ages learning to speak, understand, read
and write Chinese. Our last regular day of classes is May 13 (May 17
for our Wednesday class). On Saturday, May 20, everyone is
invited to watch the Santa Rosa Rose Parade. This year, only our dragon
and banner will be in the parade, but everyone is invited to be part of
the Rose Parade audience. May 27 (May 24 for Wednesday) is our last day
of school. This is usually a wrap-up session and a party day. Don’t forget to put it on your calendars: August 19, 12:00-4:00 pm, the Multi-Cultural Poetry Reading. Each year RECA joins with Sonoma County’s Poets of the Vineyard and San Francisco’s Artists Embassy International to put on the Multi-Cultural Poetry Reading. Usually, about 25 people come to our Center from all around the Greater San Francisco Bay Area to participate in a unique event featuring food and poetry from around the world. With English as our common language, we have poetry, translations and discussions in many languages. In the past, we have had classical, modern and original poetry read in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Tagalog, Papangan, Filipino, Italian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Come and bring a dish to share for the potluck. Also bring your favorite poems to read. They may be your original work or works of other poets that you want to share. Translations are not necessary. We have found that a discussion of content, form and meaning is more stimulating that listening to a translation. Be prepared for discussion of your work and the work of others. This is a unique event. We hope to see you there. Our 2006 Year of the Dog Chinese New
Year Celebration and Fundraiser was, as always, the best ever. Our
attendance was good—again, filling the Santa Rosa Veterans
Memorial Building with celebrants from all over the Bay Area.
L-R: RECA Pres. Nancy Wang and her grandson Alex, Santa Rosa City Council member Bob Blanchard, MCs Don Taylor, Elee Tsai, and Mary Lowe. This year, our Member of the Year is Frances Lok. She was honored for
her long and diligent service to RECA in many ways. One of her
contributions was the red aprons worn by the kitchen and serving staff.
Another is the curtains on our Center’s windows. A few years
ago, Frances was our Cantonese teacher. She is also a diligent member
of our RECA board of directors. She and her family have donated a lot
to help our Center be a comfortable, enjoyable, successful gathering
place for our members.
Frances Lok (center), RECA Member of the Year for 2006, chats with Dr. Carl Wong, Sonoma County Superintendent of Public Schools, and his wife, Vivian Wong, public school principal. Our RECA Chinese New Year’s Committee worked from September
through February and on into April and May to prepare, present, and
then wrap-up our event. Entertainment arrangements and general
coordination of all aspects were done by Nancy Wang. Beverages were
dispensed by Li Feng Yu and Zhao Qing. Supplies were counted, purchased
and transported by Judy Cheung and Nancy Wang. Publicity was headed by
Mary Lowe. Set-up and clean-up was done by the RECA Youth Group and
many additional volunteers. Food preparation and food service was done
by Kevin Ablett, Wai Ming Law, Jean Gee, RECA Youth Group and Carl
Wong, Sonoma County School Superintendent, and other volunteers. RECA
display tables were organized by Lily Kwong for Chinese art; Judy
Cheung with volunteers for children’s activities and school
display; Shirley Brummell and Sandy Bartholome for the trinkets sales
table; Josie Lee oversaw the shoebox raffle table; and Families With
Children From Asia had a display table. Decorations were done by
Winston Lee and his family, and Judy Cheung and the RECA language
classes. Raffles were obtained and organized by Mary Lowe and
volunteers. Our program was assembled by Reed Walker. Security was
provided by David Chung and Mark Heydon. Reception was Mirin Lew and
Irene Fong. Don Taylor ran the silent auction. Ushers were Hsiu Chuan
Armstrong, Ying Grebe and the RECA Youth Group. Thank you to
David Chung and Century 21 for providing us with a truck to move our
dragon and other equipment.
Our Chinese New Year fundraiser was
a success, not only because of businesses that advertised in the
program brochure, but also because of donated prizes to our raffle and
silent auction which brought in over $3700 this year. We thank these
merchants and individuals and ask that you patronize them for their
generous support of RECA. They include: Don Taylor’s Omelette
Express, Wonderful Buffet, King Buffet, Jojo Sushi, Kirin, Kyoto,
Osake, China Palace, Coco’s, East West Café, El
Coronel, ABC Café, and China Palace restaurants, Ravioli
Deli, G&G Foods, Trader Joe’s, Dry Creek Inn, Osmosis
Enzyme Bath & Massage, Special Effects for Hair Salon, Marine
World and Disneyland. On March 19th, 2006, Santa
Rosa’s elite gathered at the prestigious Santa Rosa Golf and
Country Club to celebrate people who have been exemplary in successful
business practices promoting ethnic diversity. South and West Area
Business Association sponsored this magnificent dinner and awards
ceremony. As co-sponsors of the event, RECA joined with the Self-Esteem
Living Foundation, Wal-mart Stores, Clem Carinalli, the North Bay
Business Journal, Data Corr.com, PG&E, Christopherson Homes,
Simon & Brecht, Trumark Companies, Amy’s Kitchen and
ZAP!
Email
Addresses Needed!
Adults attended the reception table while teens, dressed in their finest, ushered prestigious guests to their tables. 
L-R: RECA members Carl Wong, Joe Wang, and Elee Tsai chat with Santa Rosa District Attorney, Stephan Passalacqua.
Santa Rosa City Council member Lee Pierce, City Council candidate David Poulsen and his wife Christina, and RECA member Joe Wang. Photo provided by Joe Wang. On February 18th, in the pouring
rain, over 200 people including the mayor of Santa Rosa, Janet Bender,
came to see and participate in the cultural presentation at the
downtown Santa Rosa branch of the Sonoma County Library, presented by
RECA. Nancy Wang, Mayor of Santa Rosa Jane Bender, and Mei Jung Shih stand in front of a traditional worship table. Mei Jung Shih, a new RECA member, is owner of the Wonderful Buffet and is well versed and active in promoting traditional Chinese culture. 
Our teens gave a magnificent, flying performance of martial arts.
RECA members wrote people's names in Chinese. 
After the performance, parents and grandparents, with the help of RECA members when necessary, had an opportunity to help children play the Chinese drum and Chinese gong. Hands-on music uncovered some surprising talent in the audience.
RECA member Anita Kwan and her business, Kwan Import, are offering special-priced ink and toner cartridges to our members. In addition to below retail discount prices, RECA will receive a 5% donation from each purchase. Items can be picked up at RECA on Saturdays: May 6, May 13, and May 27. Please look at the bulletin board at the center for the items you need and contact Anita Kwan by e-mail: akwan@vom.com or call 707-953-0647 for further information. I cannot imagine what it would be like not to be a pupil
at the Santa Rosa RECA. My name is Rena Wang, and going to
the RECA has helped me not only with the language I learn there every
Saturday, but has aided me substantially with my successes in other
places. I believe there is no price to put on my greatly
beneficial experiences with the RECA! Rena Wang, 13 year old RECA member and student in the
RECA Saturday Advanced Mandarin class, has been awarded a full
scholarship to study this summer at the University of California at
Berkeley. Rena, we are very proud of you.
The 2006 RECA Scholarship Committee is being organized by Mirin Lew. We
have three $500 scholarships to award this year. In addition to the
$500 scholarship from RECA funds, Annie Wong, owner of Kyoto
Restaurant, has donated $500 for a second scholarship to be granted
following the same criteria used for the RECA scholarship. In addition,
David Chung, realtor, has also donated a $500 scholarship. This one
will focus more heavily on community involvement and contribution to
RECA, with secondary emphasis on scholastic achievement. We are sad to announce the passing of RECA member Sean Shu Ren Wang. He died in February of pancreatic cancer. He leaves behind his wife, Shirley Li, and two daughters, Rena, 13 and Taylor, 7. He first opened the Mandarin Restaurant in Bennett Valley Shopping Center, and then he opened the Happy Garden restaurant on Old Redwood Highway in Cotati. Sean Shu Ren Wang and his family are active in RECA. He greatly loved his family, his business and America. RECA extends our condolences to the Dang family for the loss of Calvin Dang, who passed away while on a trip to Beijing, China on April 28. 2006. Calvin and his wife Phi Phi have been active members of RECA for many years, and many RECA children know Calvin from the tai chi lessons that he taught during our summer Chinese cultural day camps. Calvin performed recently with RECA’s Singing Group at the Chinese New Year celebration. He is survived by his wife Phi Phi, children John, Ta and Tom; and grandchildren, Alexander, Benjamin, Dylan, Elani, Derrick, and Terri.
Call (707) 869-9454 or email chanlena@yahoo.com.
Much to the delight and surprise of shoppers, our Lion Team, including our Happy Buddha dancers and our percussion band, danced inside and outside of G&G Markets in both Santa Rosa and Petaluma in celebration of Chinese New Year. (Judy Cheung)
On April 14, our performing youth took their lunch time to perform at the multi-cultural day at Sonoma Country Day School off Airport Drive between Santa Rosa and Windsor. Children, staff and parents were wide eyed and smiling as our lions pranced onto the stage, came down into the audience, then back on stage for their dance. Our ribbon dancers also danced and we had two martial arts demonstrations. (Judy Cheung)
Cultural dancers also performed at the Marin Chinese Cultural Club to celebrate Chinese New Year on February 4th. Pictured are the aboriginal dancers and Xin Jang tambourine dancers. (Photos by Joe Wang)
The RECA Youth Group sold cold drinks with money going to their projects and activities fund. No, Clo did not bring milk to sell. She brought ice cream for dessert instead. The Youth Group also did set-up, clean-up and many other jobs.
Everyone enjoyed the kid's arts and crafts table. Older kids and parents helped younger ones. We also had a display of student's work from our language classes. Special thanks to Eric Wan and his son who assisted old and young alike.
After sinuously dancing its way through the audience, from front to back then up to the front again, our 250 foot long dragon, which takes 27 dragon dancers to mover, gave a memorable performance on stage.
Led by teacher Cathy Ringstad and assisted by Dr. Robert Yee, the Beginning Mandarin Class sang some Chinese New Year songs. Led by Teacher Cathy Ringstad, the Wednesday Intermediate Mandarin Class sings some Chinese folk songs.
Our Fan Dance Troupe of intermediate aged girls gracefully performed this popular Chinese dance.
Our RECA Adult Chorus sang Chinese classical folk songs despite the microphone batteries going dead. We commend them for a beautiful performance, despite the technical difficulties.
This year our big lions were joined by a baby lion.
High School student Wanda Wang graced us with three classical Chinese songs played expertly on the gu jin.
Loud, exciting, energizing, invigorating; how can we describe on paper the sound and dynamism of the Sonoma Taiko Drummers? They were wonderful!
Redwood Empire Chinese Association |
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 © Copyright 2002 Redwood Empire Chinese Association |