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

November 2007

Contents
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
SCHOOL REPORT
CULTURAL DANCE CLASS
SEE SANTA AT OUR HOLIDAY POTLUCK
CLEAN- UP DAY
TAI CHI INSTRUCTIONS
SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS PERFORMANCE
RECA ANNUAL PICNIC
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OFFERS FREE CITIZENSHIP HELP
RECA AND THE SANTA ROSA COALITION MEETINGS
FOLLOW UP FOR THE COALITION MEETINGS
A NEW ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY
RECA AT THE DANCING POETRY FESTIVAL
SANTA ROSA CULTURAL DIVERSITY CELEBRATION, FINLEY PARK
KYOTO RESTAURANT’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY
2008, YEAR OF THE RAT
RECA DUES ARE DUE
RECA's GENERAL CALENDAR OF REGULAR ACTIVITIES


PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
By Nancy Wang

RECA has never had such an eventful year as 2007. We had more performances, more cultural presentations, more special guest discussions and more social activities than ever before. We have given our youth and adult performers a schedule that was nearly impossible, yet they came through with applause from all who saw them. 

I would like to thank everyone for all they have done. Since we had nearly 100 people participating in our programs, I can not acknowledge each one separately, so I will list our groups. Thank you to: RECA's Lion Team, Aborigine Dancers, Xin Jiang Dancers, Young Fan Dancers, Adult Fan Dancers, Flower Drum Dancers, Ribbon Dancers and our Adult Chorus. I also thank our soloists who make our wonderful programs even more spectacular and unique. In addition, thank you to all of the unsung support people who have worked behind the scenes with back stage needs, costuming, publicity, printing, communications and, of coarse, our active Board of Directors who have the honor of approving all of the activities that we do. I would also like to thank the organizers of some of the special events throughout 2007. We appreciate the invitations to perform for at the China Camp State Park Annual Heritage Day in Marin County, the Dancing Poetry Festival in San Francisco, Kyoto Restaurant in Rohnert Park and for the finale performance of Crossing Borders Merging Cultures with the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. Also, thank you for the ongoing invitations to perform by such organizations as G&G Markets, The Santa Rosa Rose Parade, Santa Rosa’s Racial Equality Day, the various Sonoma County Schools who ask for our services and all the other businesses and individuals who give us venues for sharing our culture.

2008 is fast approaching. To maintain our hectic schedule, we need the support of all of our members and new people. We need your support for help in our activities and in the form of donations and sponsorships. Also, dues are due. Don’t forget to send in your 2008 dues. See the last page for information and the form to help us keep your information up to date. 

Thank you all, Thank you all. I hope to see you at our upcoming Winter Social.

SCHOOL REPORT
By Judy Hardin Cheung

Our language classes have resumed for this school year. We still have room in all classes for a few more students. 

We have split the youngest group into two classes so that those who began last year may continue to progress without going over the same material as they did last year. Our youngest beginners are in a separate class now, and meet once a month with the pre-school class to share the fun and games of learning with the tots. Kitty Elliott is the teacher for these youngest students. She was last year’s pre-school teacher, so she is familiar with RECA's format of having fun while learning.

Last year’s beginning class is now our young advanced-beginners class under the guidance of Cathy Ringstad. This class continues to focus on building interest and basic vocabulary through games, songs and language videos.

Our intermediate class, taught by Hsiu Chuan Armstrong, includes those who have graduated from the "little kids" class. It also has beginning teens and adults who want to learn, but are too old for the "coloring" classes and not ready for our advanced class. We have one father-daughter team in this class. Ages range from about 8 through elder adults. Focus is on learning vocabulary and putting words together into conversation. Writing is also practiced.

Our advanced class is where functional skills are honed with the help of Lily Chang. Students, can function in Chinese--either fluently or haltingly. Lessons involve how to buy things in stores, how to put together reports and displays, poetry, jokes and individualized lessons for special needs such as, "I am going on a business trip to Hong Kong," or "I am going to pick up my adopted child in three months."

A new program is being developed by David Chung in coordination with the Adult Literacy Program of Sonoma County. For anyone interested, he will provide English as a second language classes and how to improve your reading skills for adults who might want to improve their ability. Class will be from 10:30-11:30 each Saturday at our Center.  If you are interested, please call David at 707-538-4926. 

Music and Drum classes are given informally by Bob Yee and Judy Cheung during recess and after class.

CULTURAL DANCE CLASS
By Judy Hardin Cheung

After language classes, we have our dance classes where students learn the cultural dances from China. The reward for learning these dances is the opportunity to perform. Our first major performance has already taken place with the Sebastopol Center for the Arts where the cultural dancers joined with the Lion Dancers and our Adult Chorus and put on a magnificent performance for an appreciative audience in Sebastopol.

This year, we are enjoying our cleaned-up garage as our new dance studio. With a new coat of paint, mirrors on the wall and a floor made for dancing, donated by Yu-Shi Weber, we can learn so much better and faster than before.

Anyone interested in learning cultural dances of China, drop in 11:30 a.m. to noon any Saturday that we have school. Kids and youth usually rehearse at this time. Adults can find out when and where adult dance practice and lessons take place. 

Our best wishes and prayers go out to Meiji Chou, our dance teacher and choreographer who is fighting breast cancer. She is undergoing chemo-therapy at this time. In her absence, Nancy Wang and Meesha Heydon lead the dance instruction with the assistance of Jasmine Elliott, and Judy Elliott. 

At this time, we are working on the Chinese Fan Dance, Taiwanese Aborigine Dance, Xin Jiang Dance with tambourines, Ribbon Dance, Flower Drum Dance, Modern Fan Dance, and we enjoy developing new dances to enhance our repertoire of Chinese culture and display the talents of our dancers whether young, youth or adults.

SEE SANTA AT OUR HOLIDAY POTLUCK

Please come to our RECA Center on Saturday, December 1, Noon, to help with our routine maintenance needs. We have just finished a long series of performances and a summer of remodeling. We need to straighten every thing out to be ready for the new year. Thank you for your assistance in this necessary duty.

Everyone joined in for the 2006 Clean-Up Day. Fun, hard work, social enjoyment and keeping our Center as a place where we can all enjoy our activities. We need you to help make this your Center and your organization. Come and join us December 1 at Noon.

  


TAI CHI INSTRUCTIONS

RECA will start Tai Chi instructions every Saturday morning from 9:00 to 10:00 am. David Chung will provide the instructions starting Oct. 27,2007. People of all ages are welcome to attend.

David Chung has been our Tai Chi instructor for RECA’s Children’s Chinese Culture Camp for the past few years. His classes are active, instructional, easy enough for every one to participate and good for your health.

Crossing Borders Merging Cultures was the theme of an 8 week multi-cultural program series put on by the Sebastopol Center for the Arts on Depot Street in Sebastopol. Following weeks of Cajun Zydeco, Mexican music, Swedish fiddles, Cuban entertainment, Italian music and more, RECA presented the Grand Finale of the series with an extravaganza of dance and music.

All of our cultural program participated, including some solos. Nancy Wang and Judy Cheung MC’ed. Parents of students in our Mandarin classes worked backstage. Other members were diligent in getting performers lined up for entering and seeing that our equipment was working well.

All who saw the program were ecstatic. Comments ran from "wonderful" to "amazing!"  We were told it was informational, entertaining, fun, lively, so diverse, and "so much talent and happiness was shown by all of the performers."

We all want to thank the Sebastopol Center For the Arts as we give ourselves pat on the back for a job so magnificently well done.
Thank you to all our backstage crew, especially Judy Elliott, Linda Ibitz and Luke Leung who kept everyone going on and off stage in a timely manner. Also thank you to Dr. Robert Yee for use of his PA system. Also, thank you to our accompanists: Lisa Gardener on accordion, Helen Kopriva on piano, Sally Wei, piano and Bob Yee on guitar. We had one a capella song by our chorus, the rest were all accompanied.

Again, we thank the Sebastopol Center For the Arts for this wonderful opportunity to perform. Their theme, Crossing Borders Merging Cultures is what RECA stands for in our thoughts and hearts.

Judy Cheng and Nancy Wang began the evening at 6:30 pm with a talk describing concepts of Chinese culture throughout the centuries and giving a brief intro to each of the members that were to be performed.

Our Lion Dancers opened the show with Bryce Heydon and Alex Dang as the lion. Meesha Heydon was the Happy Buddha. The lion drummers were Judy Cheung, David Quach and Wilson Quach.

This Aborigine Dance from Taiwan jingled its way into the hearts of the audience.

Tang Dynasty Fan Dance: Taylor Wang, Yulan Raineri, Emily Mangis, Savannah Heydon, Maya Ibitz, Ellen Hickman, Connie Wu, Stacy Wu.

Helen Kopriva and Shirley Hsu performed a modern version of the Fan Dance, spanning history by showing how old leads to new and modern.

Flower Drum is always a favorite with Shirley Hsu and Helen Kopriva.

The Xin Jiang dance was scintillating with Savannah and Meesha Heydon.

Directed by Lisa Gardener, our RECA Adult Chorus was our main feature.

Meesha Heydon soloed, giving us geometric artistry with her Ribbon Dance. Usually, she dances with others, but many of our acts were reduced in size due to the small staging area.

May Lee Leung gave a thrilling performance of Tai chi with sword.

Wanda Wang gave us two fabulous solos on the GuZheng.

Meng-Chi Su and his wife, Sukha Chan, gave a stunning performance of “Sunset on the Fishing Boat, accompanied by Lisa Gardener on the accordion.

Christine Sisson crossed borders and merged cultures with Schubert’s "Serenade" in Mandarin.

David Chung and Judy Huang gave a powerful rendition of “Man Jiang Hong,” about a general agonizing over the horrors of war.

Shu-Qing Yang soloed with the sweetness of love in "Embroidery of Hebao."

Sandy Sullivan in "Clap Your Hands," an audience participation song from 1970's Taiwan.

"Thread in Mama's Hand" was poignantly sang by Ai-Chu Wu and Phi Phi Dang.

Accompanied by Bob Yee on guitar, Helen Kopriva sang of a young girl’s infatuation.

An Ensemble, conducted by David Chung, sang of a shy, young girl who mistakes the breeze for the sound of her boyfriend's arrival.

Thank you to Joe Kopriva for taking pictures of this event.




RECA ANNUAL PICNIC

A cold August morning found RECA members scurrying around Finley Park gazebo area preparing for the annual picnic. Red table cloths were spread. Photo displays of past and recent activities, raffle prizes beverage station and the BBQ pit were all prepared. About 75 people showed up to eat the chicken generously donated by G&G Market. After lunch, the weather warmed up and we enjoyed the entertainment of games lead by teens and by our MC, Mary Lowe. We also enjoyed all the donated raffle prizes, making nearly everyone a winner for this lively, annual, social event.

Phi Phi Dang presents a pyramid of rice while Kevin Ablett and Norman Lai prepare the BBQ pit.

Irene Fong and Joyce James sell meal tickets and raffle tickets.

Eric and his Mom check out a photo display with their picture.

A family, newly arrived in Santa Rosa, enjoy their first RECA social.

Teens took care of distributing sodas, watermelon, cutlery, etc.

MC Mary Lowe officiates the jump rope contest as teens man the PA system.

Judy Cheung pulls the rope while Li Fong supervises the piñata line.

Are you sure she’s over 21 to win this raffled wine?

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OFFERS FREE CITIZENSHIP HELP

Thanks to a state grant, Catholic Charities Immigration Services is providing free citizenship services beginning November 1, 2007 for the next few months to help individuals apply for U.S. citizenship. The office is located at 987 Airway Court in Santa Rosa. A scheduled appointment is needed to give applicants the necessary paperwork in advance. A $10 fee will be charged for photos. Applicants must be prepared to send out the application fee of $675 to “Department of Homeland Security.” Call 578-6000 to schedule an appointment.

If you are interested in becoming a trained volunteer, call Naturalization Supervisor Mary Lowe at (707) 528-8712, ext. 132. 

RECA AND THE SANTA ROSA COALITION MEETINGS

One of the many advantages of belonging to RECA is having support and contacts to participate in our local government as people of value and importance in our community. Santa Rosa has many violent teen gangs. RECA teens are sometimes not treated with the respect that they have earned because they wear red shirts--gang colors as defined by our law enforcement. Wearing a red shirt, as were most RECA members who attended, Cynthia gave a moving talk, ending with the statement, “If you give gangs the power to dictate that we can not wear red or blue, maybe we should make it illegal to wear red or blue anywhere on the streets of the United States.” Her talk was met with thundering applause. Other issues discussed at the meetings included the need for an Independent Citizen’s Review Board for law enforcement agencies and improving conditions in our local jails and mental health care facilities. 

Many additional RECA members attended, including Elee Tsai, member of the Santa Rosa Design Review Board; Judy Cheung, David Chung, and the entire Heydon family.

FOLLOW UP FOR THE COALITION MEETINGS

One of the stated goals of the two Coalition Meetings was to have some definitive action taken on the problems identified. During the first meeting, the public was invited to speak on issues identified from complaints. This was not to be a dead-end airing of personal grievances, but a forum for positive action. The meetings were to have people in authority look with new eyes at Sonoma County and improve on the good that we have.

After her talk, Cynthia was surrounded with people from various agencies and organizations wanting to help her move forward on her concerns. Among other things, both the Santa Rosa Police and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department will come to the RECA Center and speak to the Youth Group and all interested people in early 2008. Check your email for exact times and dates so you can participate. Other follow-up groups have met to discuss various specific actions. Meetings have involved Nancy Wang, Elee Tsai, Judy Cheung, Sandy Sullivan, Cheryl Brown, David Chung, Anna Kong, Azy Heydon and many other RECA members. 




A NEW ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY

As of this writing, the Shen family is in China, bringing Mark home.

RECA AT THE DANCING POETRY FESTIVAL

September 29, RECA Lion Team opened the Dancing Poetry Festival to a poem by Judy Cheung. This event is held annually in the Florence Gould Theater of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.
RECA received awards for our Multi-Cultural Poetry event.

Lion Dancers on stage were spectacular, opening the festivities with gayety and artistic exuberance.

SANTA ROSA CULTURAL DIVERSITY CELEBRATION, FINLEY PARK

RECA had a table selling food purchased from Go Go Wok. Our table also featured photo displays to inform the public of our many events and activities which involve us in the greater Sonoma County community, and RECA members to chat with the public and invite new members to our organization.

Our entertainment opened with the Xin Jiang dancers. The Lion Dancers brought loud cheers from the audience. The adult fan dancers provided an elegant interlude. Meesha Heydon was our finale with her magnificent Ribbon Dance. 

Thank you to Mary Lowe for coordinating and being MC. Thank you to Azy Heydon for coordinating the entertainment and food and for making the Hong Kong tea with tapioca for our booth to sell. Thank you to Kevin Ablett for being the primary person at the booth. Thank you to all the rest of the members who performed, helped out, met the public and all the other things to make this yet another grand RECA success.

Lion Dancers performed at Kyoto, then rushed to Finley Park for their second performance within two hours.

KYOTO RESTAURANT'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Prior to going to Finley Park for the Diversity Week Celebration, our Lion Dancers performed for the 10th Anniversary of the opening of Kyoto Restaurant in Rohnert Park, owned by RECA member, Annie Wang. Joe Wang was the official opener of the saki keg. Nancy Wang helped out in many different areas. Judy Cheung was one of the photographers. It was a wonderful celebration! After performing, the lion team rushed to Finley Park and performed as soon as they arrived.

2008, YEAR OF THE RAT

Mark your calendars now for the wonderful, extravagant, exciting Chinese New Year Celebration. Bring your family and friends to taste our delicious dinner. See our dragon, or sign up and be one of the 27 pairs of dragon legs that let our good luck mascot enjoy our party. 

To participate in planning, come to our planning sessions the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 at our Center. To be dragon legs or volunteer for the various committees, call Nancy Wang, 707-576-0533.

Through our Chinese New Year Celebration, we have received monetary sponsorships from Wal-Mart, North West Insurance, Sonoma County Office of Education and the mutual benefits of working with River Rock Casino. Please support these organizations with your patronage.

	2007 CNY: Xiang Jiang Dancer; Crowd; Tai Chi
	S.R. Mayor Bob Blanchard;  Dragon;  Lion

RECA DUES ARE DUE

RECA is your organization, so please participate. Our dues, $20 for an individual or $30 for your entire family, is minimal for the benefits you can receive.

RECA's GENERAL CALENDAR OF REGULAR ACTIVITIES

• RECA Language School, RECA Center each Saturday 9-11:30 a.m.. Call Judy Cheung 707-528-0912
  

• RECA Dance classes and rehearsal, RECA Center each Sat. 11:30 a.m. to noon. Call Nancy Wang 576-0533
  

• RECA Adult Chorus, RECA Center each Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. call Phi Phi Dang 707-526-9925
  

• RECA Seniors Mah Jong Club, Rohnert Park Sr. Center each Wed. Call Irene Fong 707-586-1069
  

• RECA Youth Group, RECA Center first Friday of each month. Call the Heydon Family (Azy, Mark, Bryce, Meesha or Savannah) 707-575-9541
  

• RECA Pre-School Play Group, RECA Center each 3rd Saturday, 10:30-11:30 a.m., call Judy Cheung 
  707-528-0912
  

• RECA Board Meeting, RECA Center each 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., call Nancy Wang 576-0533
  

• RECA's Chinese New Year Celebration and Fundraiser planning meetings, RECA Center each 3rd Wednesday, 6:00 p.m., Call Nancy Wang 576-0533
  

• RECA Annual Holiday Pot Luck, Dec. 2, ’07, 6:00 p.m., 4H Center, Rohnert Park, see above section.
  

• RECA’s Annual Traditional New Years Celebration
  RECA Center, call Nancy Wang 576-0533
  

• RECA Annual New Year Celebration and Fund Raiser (see above section)
  

• RECA’s Annual Joint Asian Pot Luck, April 19, 6:00 p.m. Enmanji Temple, Sebastopol.  Call Mary Lowe, 528-8712 ext. 132
  

• RECA’s Annual Multi-Cultural Poetry Pot Luck
  August, RECA Center, call Judy Cheung, 
  707-528-0912

Please join us.  We need you to keep our organization wonderful and growing.

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

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