President:
Nancy Wang
576-0533

Vice President:
Mary Lowe
528-8712 x132

Treasurer:
Hsiu-Chuan Armstrong

Recording
Secretary:
Judy Cheung
528-0912

Corresponding
Secretary:
Mark Heydon
575-9541

Newsletter,
Scholarship:
Mirin Lew
545-6173

Social Director:
Mary Lowe

Membership:
Judy Cheung

Ways and Means:
We need someone!
535-0985

Building Committee:
Joe Wang
576-0533

Youth Group:
Mark & Azy Heydon
575-9541

Board Members:
Kevin Ablett
Sandy Bartholome
Shirley Brummell
David Chung
Irene Fong
Winston Lee
Frances Lok

NEWSLETTER

WE DID IT! The most monumental event in our RECA history took place at this year’s Chinese New Year Celebration and Fundraiser: we broke the record for attendance and fundraising. Thank you to everyone who helped with their ideas, their planning and their hard work during our event for community outreach and service. 

Even our City Council honored us with a special reading by Mayor Bob Blanchard himself of a proclamation honoring our New Year Celebration and RECA’s ongoing community service. We are very honored. Be sure to look at the article and pictures in this newsletter telling about this prestigious event. 

Joe and I accompanied Mayor Bob Blanchard and members of the Santa Rosa City Council to Jeju Island, South Korea, as part of the Sister City Committee. After formalities on Jeju Island, we all went to Taipei where we had a good visit with their City Council and the Mayor’s Office. There, we visited the Taipei Wastewater Treatment Facility at the request of Mayor Bob Blanchard. It was very modern and extremely interesting. It provides sanitation for the two million people of Taipei. Of course, we also had fun sightseeing.

Coming up are two annual big events, Day Under the Oaks and the Rose Parade. Day Under the Oaks is May 6. Meet us at the fountain at SRJC at noon. Be part of the procession to the outdoor stage near Bailey Hall. Then watch or participate in our cultural presentation. See you all there. The Rose Parade is May 19th and will feature our magnificent dragon. It takes 27 people to move it plus alternates for the long parade route. Please call me if you are interested in being part of the “dragon legs” for this event. 

Our summer camp is around the corner. Families with pre-teen kids, don’t forget to sign them up. See the article inside for details. Tell your friends, cousins, nieces and nephews all about it so they can enjoy also. Each year, we have a waiting list, so please sign up early.

Again, thank you, thank you, for all the help in presenting our Chinese New Year Celebration and Fundraiser and all of the other events in our busy RECA schedule.

Coming up fast is the Santa Rosa Rose Parade on Saturday May 19th. Our 250 foot long dragon is one of the main features of this local extravaganza. It is now one of the Rose Parade’s traditions, having been a part of the parade for the last 14 years. In addition, our lions and cultural dancers will be marching. 

Along with the regular performers, RECA needs people to carry the RECA banner, be water runners, photograph the event and to be the legs of the dragon. It takes 27 people to move the dragon. The parade route is long enough to require a number of relief “legs” so that those who need a rest can trade off. No experience is needed. You have to be strong enough to run with a 5 foot tall pole with the dragon segment that is attached and to follow the person in front of you. The head, tail and “gate” will be practiced performers who will lead those with less experience. 

If you would like to be part of this exciting cultural phenomenon, call Nancy Wang, 576-0533. A rehearsal time will be set before the date of the Rose Parade.

Our dragon usually comes out only twice a year: once for the Chinese New Year Celebration and once for the Rose Parade. It needs at least 30 sets of legs to let it run in the Rose Parade. Please let Nancy Wang know if you can provide one set of dragon legs.

RECA LANGUAGE CLASSES AND SUMMER CAMP
By Judy Cheung

Our language classes have had another great year with students learning to speak and improve their Chinese from beginning children through fluent adults. On May 19, everyone will be in the Rose Parade. If you do not march, please attend as part of the audience. Our dragon and cultural dancers will be the RECA representatives this year. 

Saturday, May 26 will be our last day of classes. The pre-school class, because they started so late, will have their own last day on June 23. 

Summer Camp begins in July. Due to our overflowing enrollment each year and our regret over the waiting lists that have not been served, we have decided to break our Children’s Chinese Culture Camp into two sections this year. The first section will be July 9-13 for 9-12 year olds. The second section will be July 23-27 for 5-8 year olds. Each section will have an enrollment of up to 15 students, allowing us to offer camp to 10 more students than ever before. If you have two kids from the same family but of different ages, and you want them to attend together, let us know so special arrangements can be made. Cost will be $150 per camper. Please download and fill out the enrollment form from here and send it and a check for the tuition to RECA Center, 3455 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95407. First come first served, so send your enrollment form and registration fee early to be sure your kids are included.

Our staff will be Cathy Ringstad, Jean Walker, Nancy Wang, Judy Cheung, David Chung and guest art teacher Lily Kwong. Parents are welcome to participate as assistant staff members. All family members are particularly invited to join us in Tai Chi each morning from 9-9:20. Also, we will have a big family party and performance on the last afternoon of class. Be sure to join us for tai chi, cooking, language, art, fun, games, songs and just a lot of summer fun.

Don't bring a lunch to camp; you get to cook your own food. Won tons, pot stickers, chow mein, chow fun and many other exciting dishes are on the menu as part of our camp program.

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISER
By Judy Cheung

The Year of the Pig: a year for chivalry, truthfulness, trust and confidence; a year when our celebration was the most successful fundraiser in the history of RECA. On February 24th, the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building overflowed with people waiting at the door, trying to get in, expecting to buy a left over ticket at the last minute--but there were none. We accommodated as many as we could squeeze in. We were a packed house!

2007 was also the first year we asked for corporate sponsors in addition to donations. Wal-Mart is a 2007 Jade Sponsor. North West Insurance and Sonoma County Office of Education were 2007 Pearl Sponsors. We received many donations, the largest from River Rock Casino who has been a supporter of RECA for the past few years. We want to thank everyone who gave a sponsorship donation, a special donation, a regular donation, paid for an ad in our program, bought an entry ticket, raffle tickets or participated in our silent auction. It is because of all of you together, supporting RECA, that we have the finances for another successful year of cultural service to our community. 

Please see section CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION for photos of the event.

RECA HONORED BY SANTA ROSA CITY COUNCIL
By Judy Cheung

As part of the Chinese New Year Celebration, RECA usually has a Mayor’s Proclamation read to the audience after dinner during the introduction ceremonies. This year, Mayor Bob Blanchard could not wait to honor us. On February 13, the mayor invited us to the City Council Chambers and read a proclamation honoring RECA for our extensive community service. We are now entered into the official records of the City of Santa Rosa as an organization with distinguished service. Thank you Mayor Blanchard for this honor.

To thank the City Council, RECA presented a lion dance. Our intermediate lion team and the beginning drum team gave a loud and rousing performance to chase away all the evil spirits from the city. 

We also want to thank Eric Wan, father of beginning drummers Jessica and Brandon Wan, for taking the pictures of this event. Also, thank you to Joe Wang who played our gong and Azy Heydon who played our cymbals for us. Congratulations to Chris Holland and Brandon Wan on their first public performance. And of course, thank you to all of the parents and support people who came to this great honor in our Santa Rosa City Council Chambers.

Two lions and two Happy Buddhas danced for our City Council. With no children to dive for the candy, Nancy Wang and David Chung had to pick it all up.

Under the leadership of Judy Cheung (head turned away) was our beginning drum class in their debut performance with RECA cultural dancer Jessica Wan, center; Brandon Wan, right; and Chris Holland, left.

  


RECA INTERVIEW WITH POLICE
By Judy Cheung

Not all of RECA’s work is filled with celebration. After the death of Meng Yao (May) Zhou, a student from Stanford, who was found in her car on the SRJC campus, many people called various board members of RECA asking what could be done.

On February 13, 2007 at 9:00 a.m., Nancy Wang, David Chung and Judy Cheung met with Santa Rosa Police Chief Edwin F. Flint and police investigators Paul J. Henry and Elisa Johnson in the Chief of Police’s office to discuss the controversies regarding the investigation. The Police Chief let us know this was a highly unorthodox meeting, but because of RECA’s reputation for cooperation, he granted us the interview.

Police Chief Flint and the two investigating officers were very cooperative in telling us all that they could about the investigation up to that morning’s findings. At that time, no conclusions had been made. All leads were being followed. They were working for Meng Yao Zhou to find the truth about what had happened to her. 

RECA wants to thank Police Chief Flint and investigators Henry and Johnson for their openness and cooperation in helping us to let our members know what path they have taken to find the truth about the unfortunate happening. Although it appears that the death was by her own hand, the Santa Rosa Police are pursuing every piece of information to be sure they have the truth before reporting any final conclusion.

TRIP TO JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA
By Nancy Wang and Judy Cheung

Joe and Nancy Wang were very honored to go to Jeju Island, South Korea, with Santa Rosa Mayor Bob Blanchard, Santa Rosa City Councilman John Sawyer, Sister City Committee President David Paulson and his wife Christina, and a youth dance troupe from the Santa Rosa Dance Center.

The trip was sponsored by the Santa Rosa Sister City Committee, but all participants paid all of their own expenses. Once on Jeju Island, the South Koreans provided wonderful events and activities, including an unbelievable fireworks display which set a mountain on fire for the event. Quite spectacular! 

About 200,000 people participated in the three-day celebration of January 15 of the lunar calendar. We were pleased to be able to participate because it came this year after our own Chinese New Year. Sister City Committees from around the world also came to participate in this event. 

After the celebrations on Jeju Island, our Santa Rosa Sister City Committee went on to Taipei and visited the Mayor’s office and the City Council offices. We also visited the Taipei Water Treatment Facility at the request of Mayor Bob Blanchard. Their success in water treatment was amazing.

We also visited the National Palace Museum with all of its artifacts from throughout the history of China. They had a special event displaying the Northern Song Dynasty of about 1,000 years ago, featuring bronze and jade work.

We were also able to see the Taipei Lantern Festival with its many floats of gigantic lanterns. After, Nancy and Joe spent some time visiting her mother who still lives in Taipei. 

We are grateful for this marvelous international opportunity to visit South Korea and Taipei in an official capacity.

Nancy Wang, Councilman John Sawyer and Mayor Bob Blanchard point out our Sister City sign at a Fireworks Event on Jeju Island, South Korea.

Two lions and two Happy Buddhas danced for our City Council. With no children to dive for the candy, Nancy Wang and David Chung had to pick it all up.

Joe and Nancy in front of the official welcoming sign from the Taipei City Council.

In Taipei, there was a night time parade of lantern floats that was fun and unique.

Joe, Bob and John in front of the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

The Taipei Foreign Affairs Committee and the Santa Rosa Delegation in the Taipei City Council Offices.

Mayor Bob Blanchard and Joe Wang at the largest Buddhist temple in Taipei.

	RECA wishes to congratulate Rena Wang, who won first prize in the essay contest “Growing Up Asian in America,” grades 9-12 division. The contest is for Asian-American students in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma counties. They were asked to write an essay on the topic of superheroes. Rena
won a $2000 savings bond and received her award at a reception at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco on April 29th. This is quite an honor, and we are proud of Rena.

PLEASE SUPPORT RECA SPONSORS

RECA received generous donations from the following sponsors for our Chinese New Year Celebration. Please show your appreciation by supporting these businesses whenever possible.

Jade Sponsor: Wal-mart
Pearl Sponsors: SCOE (Sonoma County Office of Education), Northwest Insurance
Special thanks to River Rock Casino for their extraordinary support to RECA. 

HELLO MR. KIM
By Winston Lee

(Editor’s Note: This is the second part of an article describing Winston’s trip in 2006. The first part describing his travels in Tibet was published in the November 2006 newsletter.)

Fast rewinding to Dandong in northeast China. It is a city one probably has never heard of until the recent UN sanctions in connection with the North Korean nuclear test. Dandong is a border city along the Yalu River in the Chinese side and many cargo shipments go through here into North Korea to keep the people there from starving and freezing.

There are 1-1/2 bridges linking China and North Korea. The full length one is the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge; indeed it is a friendly one from the North Korean’s perspective. It receives all its supplies from China either free or at a deep discount. The bridge is a real lifeline to North Korea. 

The ½ bridge extending from the Chinese side is the Broken Bridge, remains of a bombed out one during the Korean War that now serves as a reminder of U.S. aggression. Weren’t we there for the noble mission of defending South Korea from tyranny? It has only been 55 years and history is getting confusing. Anyway there is an admission charge to access to this “witness” to history. 

We were in Dandong on Saturday July 1, 2006. It probably was a good day in the Chinese horoscope as many young couples wedded on that day with the brides taking turn renting a qiaoqi for a little proceeding along the promenade, while traditional instruments piping out Chinese wedding music. It was surreal. Several locals spent their day off fishing but with not much of a catch. The hungry Koreans probably had fetched them all. To show the North Koreans that China is a much more open society, quite a number of young couples acted intimately on the benches.

Restaurants dot the embankment and high-rise buildings are everywhere in Dandong. The city is bustling. Horde of Chinese tourists boarded boats cruising along the Yalu River wanting to have a peep into the other side. Sadly, there was nothing much to see across the river. And fortunately we only paid RMB10 (US$1.30) each for the 20-minute river cruise. 

In the North Korean side is the outskirt of the city of Shinuiju. There were only a few low-rise buildings, rusting boats, and several idling onlookers in dark color clothing waving back to the Chinese tourists. They were looking into the Chinese side, just like the Chinese looking across the Shenzhen River into the glittering Hong Kong side some 40 years ago. The Koreans probably wondered why Comrade Hu and his people are doing so well economically, even though both countries are under the same Communist banner. It is also interesting to note that both sides were not much of a difference twenty plus years ago, i.e. dirt poor. 

At night, it was complete darkness in the Korean side, as if everyone had turned off the light and went sleep early while the Chinese side glittered. One would want to call Mr. Kim and ask him why. But the public phones in Dandong do not connect to the Hermit Kingdom.

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
Photos and Captions by Judy Cheung except as noted

Our crowd filled the auditorium to capacity. In this photo taken from the stage, in the far left was a corner which displayed exhibits from our various Chinese language classes, and offered arts and crafts plus toys and a place to play for children, and a photo display from Families With Children From Asia. On the far right was an exhibit of original art by Lily Kwong with pieces for sale. In the front, next to the stage, were the boxes for the raffle and items for the silent auction.

Skylar and friend sneak a peek at our special roast pig, part of our feast for the year of the pig.

Our silent auction brought in additional revenue with the sales of ceramic items, a vase, a rug, an inlaid table, and many other items, most of which were accompanied by wine donated by Beringer's Winery.

MCs Don Taylor of Omelette Express and RECA VP Mary Lowe share the honors as Santa Rosa Mayor Bob Blanchard gives RECA his Mayor's Proclamation to RECA President Nancy Wang.

Carl Wong, Sonoma County Superintendent of Public Schools, serves dinner to Santa Rosa City Councilman Lee Pierce. Photo by Pearci Bastiani.

People claimed 2007 served the best food ever. We had rave reviews about how quickly and equitably we served everyone. Our professional security was donated by Eldon Henry, standing on the left in this photo.

RECA Youth had a table to sell cold drinks and have some games such as picking up marbles from a bowl with chopsticks. All proceeds from this table went into the Youth Group coffers and will be matched by the RECA general fund so the Youth Group can have their many activities. Photo by Pearci Bastiani.

After the little lions were put back in the den, the God of Good Fortune (David Chung in a costume donated for the evening by River Rock Casino) appeared to give them all their “lai si” reward for a good performance and good luck in the coming year. Photo by Pearci Bastiani.

Winston Lee, center, joyfully accepts his Member of the Year Award for his many years of service to RECA. He was joined on stage by his granddaughter who had just returned home from Iraq. Presenting the award were MCs Don Taylor, Mary Lowe and RECA President Nancy Wang.

This year, we had a herd of little lions. When the children's Beginning Mandarin class started rehearsing the lion dance as a cultural activity, parents began buying small lions from Chinatown. This year, the stage was filled with baby lions frolicking to the beat of the beginning lion drum team. Photo by Pearci Bastiani.

Xiao Feng Zhang from the Jumping Buddha Orchestra played the er hu for a special cultural treat. Photo by Pearci Bastiani.

Our youngest dancers opened the second part of our entertainment with a Fan Dance from the Ming Dynasty. Notice their new costumes--beautiful pink cheongsams. Photo by Mirin Lew.

Our older girls perform a cultural dance from the far western regions of China with its Middle Eastern traditions being the basis for their desert culture, very different from the Pacific Coast and central Chinese.

Our Adult Chorus is becoming a seasoned act. With their new black sparkly gowns, their performance was spectacular.

After the Adult Chorus sang the Flower Drum Song, our adult dancers danced this traditional number from southern China.

This should have been called the Year of the Lion for all of the lions running loose at our celebration. Our show opened with baby lions all over the stage and closed with a pride of big lions cavorting through our audience. A good time was had by all and there will be no evil spirits in the year 2007. Photo by Mirin Lew.

Redwood Empire Chinese Association
P.O. Box 7854
Santa Rosa, CA 95407

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