What's Happening in San Jose Vietnamese Community & Interested News:

Jun 27, 1999: Beauty--and Politics --in Eye of Beholder in 'A Winding River'hen the smoke clears, the art remains. "A Winding River: The Journey of Contemporary Art in Vietnam" is a meander through the last 70 years of Vietnamese art, and despite well-publicized protests by anti-Communist Vietnamese activists. The exhibit includes some 75 works from 53 artists in a range of media--from ink on paper or silk to woodblock prints to oil paintings. It's easy to pick out the Asian elements--a tendency to render people and objects in a flat, unmodeled style--as well as to see, especially in the painting, the influence of 19th century French schools. There are portraits, narratives, landscapes and village-scapes, and even a few abstracts. Full story LA. Times.

Demonstration: Crowd--nearly as large as number to view exhibit-- peacefully criticizes Vietnamese art as being Communist propaganda. The flag is just cloth, red with a yellow star in the middle, but to Nguyen and his wife, An, and all the others there with them, it is a symbol of a corrupt bureaucracy. Bowers museum officials have said the reason they chose the exhibit was, in part, to serve Orange County's Vietnamese emigre population of 200,000, the largest in the country. But many in that community responded angrily over what they saw as sympathetic depictions of Communist Vietnam. They also were angered by the fact that the museum reversed a decision to remove one of the pictures. "Like the soldiers in the south, they died for their country," Binh said. "They probably didn't even know what communism was". Full story LA. Times.

Vietnamese art has loud debut. SOCIAL ISSUES: Patrons pass shouting protesters to view the controversial exhibit at the Bowers Museum. The protest kept others away, including some Santa Ana council members, who told curators that they would stay home on opening day. The patrons who turned up surpassed the Bowers' average Saturday attendance of 80 to 100 people. The protest kept others away, including some Santa Ana council members, who told curators that they would stay home on opening day. The patrons who turned up surpassed the Bowers' average Saturday attendance of 80 to 100 people. " We are not censoring art the way the communist government censored us," explained Kinh-Luan Tran, an attorney working on behalf of the demonstrators. If paintings, music or literature from communist countries such as China, Cuba or parts of Europe were on display, he said, protesters would oppose them as well. "We are against communism as a whole. It is about destruction and violation of basic human rights. That is the same everywhere," Tran added. "But obviously, when the materials are from our own country, we feel more passionate about it." Full story OC. Register.

Protesters drawn to Vietnamese art show for personal reasons. PEOPLE: Three observers see the exhibit at the Bowers as more than art or a philosophical debate. What drives their anger? K-18: 'RE-EDUCATION CAMP' Alan Hoang hesitated when asked to be photographed. "I fear for my safety," he said. "The communists might hunt me down and finish me off. "Nobody around him laughed or mocked. They had heard, or even lived, his story of fear.He took off his cap to cover his face. Too late. Tears had already streaked past the rim of his sunglasses.

RED WITH RAGE. "I can never do enough to fight communists," she said. "What they did to my sister ... if I could, I would kill them for revenge." The youngest of five children, Nguyen grew up near Hanoi. Before her family could flee south when Ho Chi Minh took over the north in 1954, her eldest sister was kidnapped at age 16. For 21 years, Nguyen thought her sister had died."I also lost two brothers to the war," she said. "When I read newspaper reports and saw the red in those Bowers paintings, I thought of their blood. I remembered the blood millions shed for Vietnam. And I grieved for the blood people still lose to communist dictatorship."

HAUNTING IMAGES. If Robert Schueneman had the chance to create an art exhibit, his would differ radically from the "Winding River" display at the Bowers. Rather than colorful paintings, he would compile a collection of horrific photos: bodies riddled with bullets, ground stained with pools of blood, soldiers' faces twisted in mourning for their dead compatriots. These are the images that remain ever so vivid in Schueneman's mind. He shot thousands of them as a military photographer in Vietnam from 1970-73."Americans wouldn't have the same nonchalance about the Bowers' art if they could view the war photos I took," he said. "I have tried and tried to block them out of my mind. But once you've seen them, you can never forget. You can't forget." Full story OC. Register.

Jun 26, 1999: Protesters greet crowd at Vietnamese art preview. EXHIBIT: Police, activists and Bowers officials work together to keep things peaceful. About 80 protesters waved anti-communist signs and slapped an effigy of Ho Chi Minh against the ground Friday night outside a private viewing of the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art's new show on Vietnamese contemporary art. "Don't go in" and "Boycott the show," they pleaded with more than 200 museum members who passed through the crowd. Jeers were reserved for fewer than 20 members of the Vietnamese community who attended by invitation of the Bowers. Earlier, police, museum staff and the anti-communist activists met to work out a script that would keep emotions in check. Hundreds more are expected to protest today. As they gather outside, representatives of all sides will staff a command post to communicate with one another, the crowd and the media. Bich Lien Nguyen, an Irvine doctor,  walked out to jeers as protesters cursed her in Vietnamese, calling her a traitor. Full story OC.Register.

Vietnamese Activists Protest at Bowers.The protest comes a day after museum officials decided to restore a controversial painting to the exhibit, which they had originally planned to hold out of the show because they felt it might offend members of the Vietnamese community. Orange County is home to the largest Vietnamese emigre population in the country--about 200,000 people. But protesters said the larger point was that the artwork, a traveling exhibition displayed at museums across the country in the last 18 months, portrayed the nation's Communist government in a sympathetic light. Meanwhile, Keller reflected on the irony of the museum's current predicament:The Bowers had only been interested in hosting the exhibit as a way to serve the large Vietnamese American community in Orange County. "Because of the significant numbers of Vietnamese in this area, one of our highest priorities since 1992 was to develop an exhibition on Vietnam," he said. Full story LA. Times.

Buddhist Church to Celebrate he Hoa Hao Buddhist Church of Santa Ana will celebrate the 60th Hoa Hao Buddhism Foundation Anniversary at 10 a.m. Sunday. The event will feature a traditional Hoa Hao Buddhist ceremony and stories of the faith's origins, as well as speeches by guests Sen. Joseph Dunn and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. The event will end with a free luncheon at 12:30 p.m. Hoa Hao Buddhism was originated in 1939 by prophet Huynh Phu So in the southern Vietnam village of Hoa Hao in the Mekong Delta. Its members hold the basic Buddhist tenets of nonviolence, moderation and vegetarianism. The event will be held at the Southwest Senior Center, 2201 McFadden Ave., Santa Ana. The temple is at 2114 W. McFadden Ave.

Jun25, 1999: Bowers won't pull Vietnam art after all . The decision stunned Little Saigon activists, who predicted that huge crowds of protesters will gather at the museum opening day to demonstrate against works they believe were not painted freely and have communist ties. Janet Baker, Bowers curator of Asian art, announced Thursday afternoon that the collection of 75 pieces will be shown — including "Young Woman Forging Steel, " which initially was excluded because of community concern. It portrays a girl in a uniform similar to those worn by communist soldiers. Protest organizers, who were pleased that the one painting had been excluded but continued pressuring the Bowers to remove others, had expected about 500 demonstrators. But as news spreads via Vietnamese radio and word of mouth that the controversial pieces will be displayed, those numbers will swell, they believe. Full story OC. Register.

While earlier Bowers decided to pull at least one. Art: The Santa Ana museum says it wants to be sensitive to community concerns. But free speech advocates see a troubling precedent. In 1990, for example, the city-run Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton pulled a photograph of rock star John Lennon--in the nude--and his wife, Yoko Ono, that had run on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. "In many ways, that organization never recovered from that incident," McGee said. "It's a tough thing. It's something you want to avoid if at all possible."  Museums do have alternatives that allow them to preserve artistic integrity while responding to a community's concerns, McGee said. Such steps could include opening up exhibit space for alternative works or creating a forum for the public to speak out.  The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, for example, answered outrage over sexually explicit photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe in 1990 by showcasing the objectionable works separately with warnings for the viewers. Full story LA. Times.

Productions Flee to Canada, Study Shows, Hollywood: About $2.8 billion of film, TV projects went to countries where costs are lower. $2.8 billion in lost production spending is 16% of the $17.6 billion Monitor says was spent on U.S.-developed TV programs and films in 1998. About 26% of all U.S.-developed TV and film productions now shoot outside the country specifically to save money, the study found, nearly double the percentage that did so in 1990. One of the year's biggest hit films, Warner Bros.' "The Matrix," cost about $62 million to make in Australia. Had it been shot here, executives estimate, it would have cost roughly 30% more. Television movies, whose profit margins are even thinner, are by far the most affected genre, with 45% of TV movies developed in the U.S. now shot elsewhere.

Nine out of 10 of those are fleeing to Canada, where a weak Canadian dollar, a growing number of skilled production workers, a large infrastructure of companies serving the needs of entertainment firms and aggressive government incentives have lured Hollywood productions to such busy centers as Vancouver and Toronto. Last year, the study notes, 285 productions fled the country for economic reasons. That number could rise to a range of 327 to 476 by 2001.Tax rebates from the Canadian federal government and individual provinces lop off even more. According to the study, a hypothetical television movie with a $2.9-million budget can be made in Canada for 26% less with the reduced costs and tax breaks. A $20-million feature film can be made for $14.8 million, the study concludes. Full story LA.Times.

Jun 24, 1999: Study: Women attracted to more manly faces when ready to conceive. When a woman is ovulating, or ready to conceive, she is likely to prefer men with more masculine features. When she is menstruating, or least likely to get pregnant, she is apt to prefer softer, more feminine looks.That's according to a study conducted by Scottish and Japanese researchers and published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. The researchers believe this is not a matter of fashion or a 20th century standard of beauty, but something that is inborn, or instilled by evolution for sound biological reasons: In the animal kingdom, masculine looks denote virility, and thus the ability to produce healthy offspring. Researchers note, of course, that biology is not the only thing that governs our choice of a mate. Social and cultural factors do, too: earning power, common interests and similar backgrounds, for example. The findings suggest at least one piece of practical dating advice: A man who gets rejected by a woman might have more success if he asks her out again in a week or two. ``They should at least try for four weeks on the run,'' Perrett said. ``It does imply some persistence is a good strategy for males.'' Full story SJMN.

Museum taking heat for heeding Vietnamese activists' objections. The museum Tuesday pulled "Young Woman Forging Steel" from a touring exhibition of contemporary Vietnamese art because leaders of the Vietnamese community said that by depicting a woman in uniform, it endorses the communist regime. At least two other paintings may be excluded from the exhibition, which opens Saturday. "It has become clear to us that virtually everyone in the Vietnamese community agrees that painting would be very sensitive," said Janet Baker, curator of Asian art at the Bowers. "That one seemed to be pretty clear-cut, so we felt it was an appropriate action to exclude it.

"Others were more moderate in their responses. "I understand that these images might be very painful to the Vietnamese community, but I am always saddened to see an institution edit its exhibitions," said Naomi Vine, director of the Orange County Museum of Art. The creator of "Young Woman Forging Steel" is listed as D. Nguyen. Officials at Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C., which organized the exhibit, do not know his whereabouts. "We planned this exhibition two years ago and we really didn't have a clue how sensitive it would be," she said. "It was the event at the video store a few months ago that tipped us off to the sensitivity. We felt that, considering recent events, we had to handle this in a new light.". Full story OC. Register.

A winding road to Vietnamese art .PREVIEW: Bowers exhibit is a glimpse of an awakening artistic life in a troubled     country.'A Winding River: The Journey of Contemporary Art in Vietnam'. What: More than 60 paintings by contemporary Vietnamese artists. When: Saturday through Sept. 30. Where: Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, corner of 20th and Main streets, Santa Ana. Pamela Maslansky couldn't believe her good fortune. "We walked into this one building in Ho Chi Minh City called 'Art Gallery' — it was actually becoming a video store, but the sign still said 'Art Gallery,' and there were all these paintings just sitting all dusty on the floor," she said. "We picked up 10 works for $100, or something like that, really exquisite works, some of the best in the show."

It was three years ago, and Maslansky, along with two other curators, had just embarked on a tour of three Vietnamese cities in search of paintings for the first cultural exchange between Vietnam and the United States since diplomatic relations were established in 1995. Swept up in the rush of this strange city, the chance discovery felt like a magical find. But Maslansky and her associates were soon to realize that their good fortune represented not a stroke of luck, but a fleeting moment in time. The exhibition — part of an exchange that will also send a collection of 78 contemporary American works to Vietnam, China, Singapore and Indonesia — first opened in Washington D.C. in November 1997 and has since drawn both heated reactions and cool appreciation in six U.S. cities. But the political scorn and suspicion the show has stirred toward modern-day Vietnam is far removed from the impressions Maslansky collected during her encounters with a budding Vietnamese art scene she characterizes as Edenic.

Working in the twilight hours of this dawning, Maslansky and her peers collected what amounts to a concise history of 20th-century Vietnamese painting in three chapters. It begins with the Ecole de Beaux Arts d'Indochine, the official school of painting established by the French in 1925, and traces Vietnam's curious dialogue of European styles and East Asian subject matter through its first stirrings of nationalism to the young, stylistically diverse artists working in Vietnam today. "What amazed us the most was that this country had been at war for years and years — they've been at war forever and this was the first time in their history they weren't fighting a war and we saw no bitterness or anger in their work," Maslansky said. "There was a sense of humor, a love of their people. But no grudges." Full story OC. Register.

Jun 22, 1999: Florida governor Jeb Bush's wife fined for Customs violations. ``It is a lot of money,'' said Gov. Jeb Bush -- $23,100 when they add the check that Columba Bush wrote the government for a $4,100 civil fine last week. Bush says he ``never'' has attempted to dodge the Customs declaration when he traveled abroad. His wife, he says, is suffering a ``deep feeling of remorse'' for her encounter with Customs, her receipts from shopping in Paris clumsily tucked in her passport. How the affair at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport might play in the presidential campaign of his brother, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, is beyond the Florida governor's control. Full story SJMN.

IS IT ART OR POLITICS? A debate over an exhibit at Bowers Museum of Cultural Art illustrates divisions within the county's Vietnamese-American community. Art mirrors truth, Little Saigon leaders say. That much they agree on. But some among them, in previewing paintings for a new Bowers Museum show, go separate ways over its imagery.One depicts a country girl — either cradling a gun or a musical instrument, her waist wrapped with a belt or an ammo pouch. The other features a bull, its massive size brushed in bold strokes of red, graced by a nude female form. Still another reveals an old teacher at work on his calligraphy, streams of crimson coloring the scene. Red, in any shade, activists say, symbolizes a government that represses creativity and uses art as a tool to spread socialist ideals.

Dissenters are pressuring museum officials in Santa Ana to remove these works from an exhibit opening Saturday. The drama playing out at the Bowers this past week reflects a larger passion — one that ignites thousands of overseas Vietnamese. This fervor to fight anything or anyone associated with communism fuels so many exiles that it's a challenge for some to work together for the good of the entire community. People see red everywhere.

By this spring, Little Saigon had erupted as thousands of immigrants gathered day and night to protest the display of communist icons in a Westminster store. Museum directors quickly took note. They want to ensure the show's success, while taking heed of cultural sensitivity. So they organized two previews. They invited about 30 community leaders. The factions soon became apparent. Do explained, "is not protesting the physical objects themselves. But we are against the concept of communists trying to infiltrate our community through art and cultural activities."The entire collection of 75 paintings arrived at the museum this past week. Full story OC. Register.

Doughnut shops shifting focus to bagels. Other Cambodian-American doughnut shop owners -- who for years dominated the doughnut scene in the Bay Area and California -- seem to agree. Many are starting to sell bagels along with their doughnuts. Some are even warming exclusively to bagels. While no one knows how many of the estimated 5,000 independent doughnut shops in California are swapping bagels for doughnuts, the shift is about more than changing appetites. Cambodian-Americans, who struck gold in doughnuts -- and who own as many as 90 percent of the state's independent shops -- now hope to do the same with bagels.Most Cambodian doughnut shops are small, family-run businesses that gross about $200,000 to $300,000 per year. For a mom and pop store, this translates into about $48,000 a year after expenses.

The Cambodian doughnut and bagel community traces its beginnings to Ted Ngoy, one of the first Cambodians to break into the doughnut business in 1976 in Southern California. He taught it to hundreds of family members and close friends, and loaned money to get many of them started. In turn, they provided jobs, training and financial backing to other arriving Cambodians.Meanwhile, Sam Tan is about to gamble. This time on bagels. He's now designing and building his own stores and intends to start leasing them. In the past two weeks, he opened a Daily Bagel in Millbrae and another in San Rafael. Tan now has his eye on a bagel shop in San Francisco, a market he's been wanting to break into for a long time. Full story SJMN.

Vietnamese Armed Forces Day Commemoration. On Sunday June 20, over 2,000 people standing side by side attended the musical and commemoration of the Vietnamese official June 19 Armed Forces Day at Overfelt High School in South San Jose. It was so crowded that people had to stay outside the auditorium to listen in. Famous Vietnamese singers performed at the event and free was the best deal for everyone on Father's day afternoon.

June 21, 1999: Debate over dental anesthesia.Two weeks ago, when his parents withdrew him from life support, San Jose teenager Bobby Price became the state's first fatality this year linked to the use of general anesthesia in a dental office.``There is always a trade-off between the remote risk of an untoward outcome and the expense of the procedure,'' said Dr. Norman Rizk, medical director for intensive care units at Stanford University Medical Center and a professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine. ``I'd feel safer to have an anesthesiologist, but only marginally so because oral surgeons probably, in general, do a fine job on this.''Professional guidelines require all physicians, as well as dentists and oral surgeons, to discuss the alternatives and risks of any given surgical procedure or anesthesia.

In oral surgery, that means local anesthesia, usually from a numbing injection, or general anesthesia. Preferred method In most wisdom teeth extractions, Stamper said, general anesthesia is preferred because it allows the surgeon to perform the procedure more quickly, with less anxiety to the patient, and less chance of swelling, discomfort or infection. If you are considering general anesthesia in an oral surgery procedure,

consumer health activists advise these questions first: Does the surgeon have extensive hospital residency training in anesthesia (at least 400 adult and pediatric procedures)? Are they board certified? Do they participate in continuing education in anesthesia? Do they have a permit to use anesthesia? What is their disciplinary record?

The state Board of Dental Examiners at (916) 263-2300 can answer many of these questions. Board certification can be verified by calling (800) 822-6637. What kind of back-up system does the surgeon have in case of emergencies? Is the office properly equipped to administer anesthesia and respond to any problems? Does the surgeon have an arrangement with an ambulance service to move a patient to a hospital? Do they have an arrangement with the hospital? Do they employ a certified nurse anesthetist? Will the nurse anesthetist be present during surgery? Does the patient have any health problems or allergies, any allergies to  medication or any kind of anesthesia? Patients should disclose whether they are taking any medication, including herbal medications. If patients prefer to consult with a board certified anesthesiologist in their area, they can ask their personal physician or call the California Society of Anesthesiologists at (650) 345-3020. Full story SJMN.

Net wealth pushes billionaires club to 465. NEW YORK -- Newly created Internet wealth and a rising stock market have expanded the world's billionaires club to 465 and pushed the collective net worth of the richest 200 working people beyond $1 trillion. Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates, with $90 billion to his name, far outstrips the man in second place -- investor Warren Buffet, with $36 billion. The rankings, released Sunday, appear in the July 5 issue, the 13th annual World's Billionaires list. The magazine said the collective wealth of the Top 200 working rich is more than double the $463 billion that the top 200 billionaires had 10 years ago. Gates alone has as much money as the top 9 on the list 10 years ago. Full story SJMN.

Royal wedding with a quieter touch. ON A PERFECT day to get married, Queen Elizabeth's youngest child, Prince Edward, wed Sophie Rhys-Jones in the simplest and most subdued royal wedding Britain had seen for decades. The 35-year-old groom, who runs a film-production firm, and his 34-year-old bride, a public-relations executive, are both media-savvy, and both media-shy. They thus planned a ceremony and a setting -- Windsor Castle, 15 miles down the Thames from central London -- that would preserve as much privacy as possible for a wedding that was broadcast around the world Saturday. The newlyweds wouldn't even provide the traditional post-nuptial kiss for the cameras.

As a demonstration of the couple's determination to break with the royals' unhappy recent history, two women who would have been expected to join the 550 wedding guests were not invited: Camilla Parker-Bowles, Prince Charles' longtime lover during his marriage to Princess Diana, and Sarah Ferguson, who is the ex-wife of Prince Andrew. Edward's two brothers served as his best men. The two older princes flanked their brother -- wearing a morning suit and a bright yellow waistcoat -- as he walked through the castle courtyard in brilliant late-afternoon sunshine and strode up the 22 steps of the 15th-century St. George's Chapel.

Following royal tradition, Queen Elizabeth II gave the couple new titles: ``Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn'' and ``Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex.''he has started a filmmaking company, and he hands out a business card that reads, simply, ``Edward Windsor.'' The bride says she intends to continue the public-relations business she operates from a small office over a porcelain shop. She reportedly plans to continue using her maiden name, which would be a royal first. Full story SJMN.

Vo has been in the United States since 1989.Sgt. Raymond Powers was just 22 when he stood in the lobby of a restaurant and married the beaming young woman at his side. Tuyet Vo was 20, a native of Phu Tai, site of the Army camp where Powers was stationed as a cook. She worked odd jobs at the post, in Qui Nhon on the edge of the South China Sea in central Vietnam. Powers came back in early 1969 for a second tour, not long after Quyen Vo's birth on April 2. Her large size at birth -- nearly 10 pounds -- hinted at her mixed ancestry, she said. ``I was bigger than most Vietnamese babies,'' she noted. Powers made a third trip in 1970 and promised to return for a fourth visit. While waiting for Powers to come back, Tuyet Vo privately made a decision: When he returned to the States after the fourth trip, she would go with him. ``Mom waited for him,'' Quyen Vo said. ``She never saw him again.''  She's busy, and happy. ``I have my own life,'' said Vo, a medical technologist at Temple University Hospital. ``I'm OK, but I want to see him." Full story SJMN.

Women emerging as leaders of Asian nations. Sri Lanka: Sirimavo Bandaranaike, whose husband was assassinated in 1959, succeeded him as prime minister the following year. Their daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga, is the country's president. Bangladesh: Sheik Hasina Wajed, widow of Sheik Mujibur Rahman, the nation's founder, is the prime minister. India: Sonia Gandhi, widow of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, has emerged stronger than ever after a failed attempt to oust her from her party. With elections coming, she is considered a leading contender to be the next prime minister. Malaysia: Azizah Ismail, the wife of Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister who is now in prison, leads a fledgling opposition party that claims 100,000 members. Full story SJMN.

Jun 19, 1999: Vietnam Armed Forces Day. Commemoration of Vietnam Armed Forces day will be held at Overfelt High School, Cunningham Ave., San Jose, Calif. Time: 11:00 a.m. June 20, 1999. The event is organized by the federation of Vietnamese Armed Forces Veterants Association. While today, the commemoration is also held at 722.N. 9 Street, at 4:00 p.m., San Jose by The Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces of Northern California.

Vietnamese Professional Alliances. Last night more than 400 young professionals attended a fundraising dinner to award scholarships to high school student in San Jose. It was held at Lou's Village 1465 West San Carlos Street, San Jose. The finalists are: Bui Thuy Uyen, Sophmore, Encinal-Ho Wendy, Senior, Silver Creek-Le Lily Nhu, Senior, Fremont-Ly Thi Phuong, Junior, Lincoln-Ngoc Anh Truc Le, Senior, Prospect-Nguyen, Minh Dai, Senior, Milpitas-Nguyen Ryan, Senior, Mills-Nguyen, Tony Huy,   Senior, Mount Pleasant-Pham Can, Junior, Independence-Pham Thuy Mong, Senior, Notre Dame-Ton Cathy-Ha My, Junior, Independence-Tran Rosalyn Le, Senior, Milpitas-Trinh Jennifer, Senior, Independence. The awards were from $200.00 to $1,000.00.

Engaging N. Korea proving to be best policy. Analysis: North tested limits with sea skirmishes before talks. TOKYO -- At first blush, the logic seems utterly incongruous: How could an enigmatic, impoverished North Korean government provoke a tense naval battle with South Korea one day -- then calmly sit down a few days later to conclude a program of humanitarian aid with its longtime enemy? And given North Korea's incendiary actions, including a ramming incident and the exchange of gunfire on the high seas, why on earth would South Korea agree to offer food and money to its famine-withered rival?``But if South Korea shows a combination of military deterrence and conciliation, then in the end the `soft-liners' can maybe win inside North Korea.'' ``The sunshine policy can be defined as a policy to foster a comfortable death, an assisted death'' of a withering government, the analyst said. Full story SJMN.

Agency unable to guarantee charity funds. United Way of Santa Clara County said Friday it can't yet guarantee it will have all the money promised to local charities in the coming fiscal year, despite raising $14.2 million in contributions since its fiscal crisis began in April. Full story SJMN.

Jun 18, 1999: Vietnamese try to keep fires of activism burning. Phuong Le has endured a tough schedule in recent months, sleeping four to five hours a night and eating whenever time permitted. And even if lack of sleep and odd-hour meals aren't selling points, he'll attempt to persuade listeners to get more involved in community affairs. Le will be a featured panelist at the daylong conference convened by the Youth for Democracy at Golden West College to discuss the "hopes and challenges" of Vietnamese-American youth. "They come out but they're not involved with the work," said Huy Bui, chairman of Youth for Democracy. "We (have to) try to slowly mobilize young Vietnamese in the community." "We want a lot of young people to come out and help because if we mobilize them, they will stay out of gangs and drugs," said Bui. "We must tailor our activity to fit the mentality of youth living in America. They need a structure. They need an effective way of doing business. They're more Americanized. I've observed some group meetings last three hours" with no decisions made, he said. Full story OC. Register.

In Memory of Nguyen Thai Hoc. About 50 people represent Vietnamese organizations in San Jose attended the commemoration of the sacrified of Nguyen Thai Hoc and his 12 comrades guillotined by the French Colonial in 1930 last night. The event organized by VNQDD or the Vietnamese Nationalist Party which Nguyen Thai Hoc was the leader and the founder in the Christmas day 1927 in Hanoi., North Vietnam. Vietnamese Cultural Garden in San Jose hosted the event and was one of the many events held across the cities in the U.S. and the world.

It's important to play it safe when your car gets disabled. Thousands of motorists are injured each year when they're stranded on the road. Some are killed. A handful are assaulted by attackers posing as good Samaritans. ``The side of the highway can be a very dangerous place,'' said California Highway Patrol officer Paul McCarthy, who has been struck twice in the past four years while assisting broken-down motorists. ``The No. 1 priority is your safety, not your car's, '' Motorists are far safer in their automobiles than standing on the roadside, where they risk being hit by cars that frequently drift into breakdown lanes.

If there are no better alternatives, police advise people to sit in their cars with their seat belts on. But if there is a barrier or wall along the highway, McCarthy suggests motorists leave their car and wait behind the barrier until help arrives. These barriers usually provide more protection, McCarthy said. The good Samaritan who stops to offer assistance could be a predator intent on taking advantage of a lonely motorist stranded far from help. In this situation, a locked door and rolled up window will not stop a determined attacker, police say. Bennett said he and others now recommend that motorists leave their vehicles and hide near their car if they break down in remote areas. ``Someone may come by and vandalize or steal your car. But at least you will be safe,'' Bennett said. ``And if help arrives, you will see it.'' Full story SJMN.

Jun 17, 1999: Police: Judge who hit tree was drunk.CRIME: Tests put his blood-alcohol level at almost three times the legal limit during the crash. The supervising judge at the Westminster courthouse was charged with drunken driving this week after tests showed he had a blood-alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit when he crashed into a tree, authorities said Wednesday. Huntington Beach police officers found Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Borris sitting on a curb next to his dented 1996 Jeep Cherokee at about 1:25 a.m. Saturday, police said. They arrested him after determining he had been drinking, police Lt. Chuck Thomas  aid.Borris, 45, was held for about four hours at Huntington Beach jail. The judge did not attempt to use his position to influence arresting officers, Thomas said. Presiding Superior Court Judge Kathleen O'Leary removed county judges from the case Tuesday, court records show. The case will be assigned to a Los Angeles judge, said Orange County Deputy District Attorney Ebrahim Baytieh. Arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 6.The judge's lawyer, Edward Munoz, said he does not think the arrest will affect Borris' work. Full story OC.Register.

San Jose Priority: The mayor urges using redevelopment funds in neighborhoods. The six neighborhoods targeted as potential redevelopment areas stretch from a portion of Winchester Boulevard in western San Jose to part of White Road on the East Side. In between, the areas include the Mayfair neighborhood near Interstate 680 and Highway 101; the neighborhood around Five Wounds Portuguese National Church on East Santa Clara Street near Highway 101; the Spartan-Keyes neighborhood north of Spartan Stadium; and North 13th Street from Highway 101 to East Santa Clara. Each was recommended by council members representing those areas based on their assessments that the neighborhoods are ``blighted.'' Gonzales wants to spend $3 million next year on the administrative steps the city must take before those areas can become eligible to receive redevelopment funds. Once they're eligible, the city can use its massive redevelopment budget -- the biggest in California, largely because of the successful industrial development of North San Jose -- on community centers, libraries, parks and commercial properties. Full story SJ MN.

Jun 16, 1999: In Memory of Nguyen Thai Hoc and his 12 comrades sacrified their life for independence on June 17, 1930. Thirteen were were guillotined in the early morning of June 17, 1930, in a small city of Yen Bai, North Vietnam. The executions shocked the country. The revolt failed, but its impacts were forceful in the mind of Vietnameses. The colonialists were frightened, France itself was alerted. The oppressed Vietnamese were awakened to see that the French colonial was not unvanquishable.

The heroic revolt and barbaric executions have inspired many movements against the French colonial. Just a moment before his heroic death, Nguyen Thai Hoc left his famous saying, "If we do not succeed, we would make it the beginning."

Since then, the 13 heroes death went into Vietnamese history book forever and learned by every kids in school. Twelve others were: Bui Tu Toan, 37; Bui Van Chuan, 35; Nguyen An, 31; Ha Van Lao, 25; Dao Van Nhit; Ngo Van Du; Nguyen Duc Thinh; Nguyen Van Tiem; Do Van Su, Bui Van Cuu, Nguyen Nhu Lien(as Ngoc Tinh), 20 and Pho Duc Chinh.

The Viet Nam Quoc Dan Dang, also known as Viet Quoc or VNQDD to every adult Vietnamese, was secretly established on Christmas day 1927 in Ha Noi, North Vietnam, as a revolutionary party. On February 10,1930, a general armed revolt exploded at several provincial towns around Ha Noi. The party members held their positions for a day or two before they were crushed by the French colonial forces. The attacks were the first bold actions against the French since Vietnam was colonialized by the French invaders in the later half 19th Century, and probably the first in all French colonies around the world.

In memory of these thirteen heroic sacrified, please come to Vietnamese Cultural Garden at 599 N. 9 street, San Jose, CA at 6:30 p.m. Thursday June 17, 1999 to pay your homage. June 17 Spirit.

Jun 15, 1999: S. Korea Sinks Northern Boat in Gun Battle. One North Korean patrol boat was sunk and a second was reported sinking today after a gun battle between North and South Korean vessels in the Yellow Sea on the eighth day of a naval standoff over a crab fishing area claimed by both countries. There was no immediate word on the fate of the North Korean crews, but seven South Korean sailors were slightly injured during the firefight, which damaged two South Korean vessels and a total of seven North Korean craft, South Korean defense officials said. The 10-minute firefight also threw into question the fate of a meeting between the two Koreas that is scheduled to be held in Beijing on Monday. In advance meetings, the two sides had reportedly agreed that South Korea would provide about 200,000 tons of fertilizer in exchange for the North allowing reunions among some of the estimated 1 million families that were separated by the 1945 division of the Korean peninsula. Full story LA. Times.

June 12, 1999: Westminster City Council approved plans for a Vietnamese Armed Forces Day celebration at the Civic Center on June 20. The group requesting the permit, the U.S. Army Rangers Assn., had stirred up controversy in April with its request to display South Vietnamese and American flags along city light poles to mark the fall of Saigon, a plan which had local veterans complaining that it was disrespectful to the American flag. But Tuesday night, there were no complaints: The council approved the event by a 4-0 vote. The event begins at 9 a.m. in the Civic Center's Sunken Gardens, 8200 Westminster Blvd.

Little Saigon leader to press Bowers on exhibit. CULTURE: The anti-communism spokesman seeks a meeting with the curator of a Vietnamese art show. The show premiered in November 1997 in Washington, D.C., home of the Meridian International Center, which assembled the collection. It later traveled to Dallas, where outraged immigrants and Vietnam War veterans campaigned against it. About 60,000 Vietnamese refugees live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Many of them believed that the artists might have been ordered to paint the images by the communist government in Vietnam. In addition, all the artists being featured are from North Vietnam, where communism started in the nation. The exhibit moved last August to the ArtCentre of Plano, a neighboring Texas suburb. Vocal opposition and threats of a hunger strike by local Vietnamese caused a postponement. It eventually opened to record crowds of more than 3,000. The collection is being billed as the first U.S.-Vietnamese cultural exchange since the two countries normalized relations in 1995. The debate over freedom of speech and expression, local artists say, illustrates art's power. Full story OC. Register.

Local projects are winners in legislative budget. SACRAMENTO -- Taking a step toward mending their rocky relationship with cities and counties, state legislative budget writers on Friday approved an $80 billion budget that seeks to give local governments more financial independence and plows millions of dollars into local projects, from building a Mexican-American heritage center in San Jose to restoring the 60-year-old Campbell Heritage Theatre. Full story SJ. Mercury News.

Kosovo, Victory, But at a Price. But are the costs really so low? The air campaign added up to little as wars go; around $4 billion. More incredibly, not one American died in combat. But what comes next will not be so cheap. The European Union  has estimated that rebuilding Kosovo will cost at least $30 billion. In addition, Macedonia and Albania, hard-hit by the war and the refugees, hightly expect Western aid. And then there is Serbia. The NATO bombardment has set Yugoslavia back into an almost pre-industrial state. A Belgrade research unit estimates that the costs of rebuilding could run from $50 billion to $150 billion and will take decades. In a post-Milosevic Yugoslavia, Western Europe and the United States would probably end up paying most of the bills. In the meantime, the new refugees will be impoverished Serbs streaming out of their shattered country. Was it worth it? Since this was a humanitarian mission, the test lies in its success on that score. There were 45,000 refugees outside the borders of Kosovo when the war began. Now there are almost 800,000.And the lesson that Europe has taken from this war is that it is too dependent on the United States. Last Thursday, for the first time in their history, the 15 countries of the European Union agreed to  make Europe a military power with independent command, control and troops. Independent, that is, of the United States. Full story Newsweek.

Jun 11, 1999: The Virus outbreak, which reportedly was first detected in Israel this week, has reached at least 12 countries. Worm.Explore.Zip arrives with a friendly message: "Hi (Recipient Name)! I received your email and I shall send you a reply ASAP. Till then, take a look at the attached zipped docs." The message is harmless unless a person opens the "zipped docs," a term referring to a compressed file sent with the e-mail. By opening that file, a person unknowingly activates the virus, which then uses the computer's e-mail software to send a copy of itself to the address of any e-mail that arrives. "This one's coming from someone you know, and in response to an e-mail you just sent them, so it looks safe," said Susan Orbuck, a spokeswoman for Trend Micro, a maker of anti-virus software. Full story Seattle Times.

Jun 9, 1999: Council approves moving City Hall. Downtown S.J.:Civic center will break ground in 2001, cost $214 million. After 40 years on North First Street, San Jose's City Hall will return downtown, the city council decided Tuesday night -- voting 8-3 to spend $214 million to build a new government center. In approving the move to East Santa Clara and North Fourth streets, the council rejected Santa Clara County's 11th-hour demand to postpone creating a new redevelopment area for City Hall -- an abortive effort to protect county tax revenue. Council members voting against the move were Alice Woody of Evergreen, Linda LeZotte of West San Jose and Cindy Chavez, who represents downtown and lives just two blocks from the new City Hall location.

Plans call for ground to be broken in 2001 on a 15-story tower and associated buildings on the south side of Santa Clara Street between Fourth and Sixth streets. In preparation, the redevelopment agency will begin acquiring property and relocating residents and businesses. Critics of the plan included a number of neighbors who fear City Hall and its 1,800 employees will create traffic and parking headaches around their homes. San Jose moved City Hall out of downtown to its current location on North First Street in 1958. Before Tuesday night's vote, San Jose already had spent $5 million on planning and design work for the new City Hall. Long-term plan for the area calls for a rebuilt Lucky supermarket on East Santa Clara with housing above the ground floor and for a major office building on the site of the Chevron gas station at the northwest corner of Fourth and Santa Clara.  Full story SJ Mercury News.

Jun 8, 1999: Vietnamese art show debated .Word is spreading that the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art plans to exhibit ancient artifacts and modern Vietnamese paintings starting June 25. Disc jockey Viet Dzung picked up on it, informing listeners on his popular Radio Bolsa show about its implications. And the buzz in Little Saigon began. Some immediately questioned the organizers' motivation. They want to know: Who is behind this and is it Hanoi?

Bowers officials are trying to assure them. So they have invited community leaders to a preview luncheon and dinner today. That's on top of the minipreview Sunday when two participants — from the older and younger generations of Vietnamese-Americans — came to view a slide show of the work. They both gave a thumbs-up. The exhibit, called "A Winding River: The Journey of Contemporary Art in Vietnam," which is scheduled to run through Oct. 3.

The collection of paintings and drawings, with landscapes as well as abstracts, is among the first cultural exchanges since diplomatic relations were established between Vietnam and the United States in 1995. It will be include lectures on cultural changes expressed in art. The work will be displayed along with prehistoric bronzes, drums, tools and jewelry from the Dong Son era, which flourished from the sixth century B.C. to about 200 A.D. Full story OC. Register.

Jun 7, 1999: All eyes on China trade debate. CONGRESS: At least four O.C. representatives will vote against the annual waiver, but there's little chance. At least four of the county's six members of Congress will vote against continuing normal trade relations with China. It would take a veto-proof two-thirds vote of both houses to do so. And that's not expected to happen this year, either. In 1997, the latest year for which figures are available, worldwide exports from Orange County  totaled $8.8 billion — a 54 percent increase over the $5.7 billion exported in 1993, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. But exports to China totaled only $62 million of that in 1997. Rohrabacher last year helped lead the unsuccessful fight to deny President Clinton his plan to renew what is now called Normalized Trade Relations, or NTR, with China. The anti-NTR vote failed 166-264. Full story OC. Register.

Jun 4, 1999: South Africa: The overwhelming support for the ANC paves the way for the nation's president-in-waiting, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, to succeed his mentor, President Nelson Mandela, who will retire June 16.

The practical man: By 1989, Mbeki had become the ANC's chief diplomat and its public face abroad. During this period, as its "armed struggle" against apartheid continued in its anemic, poorly coordinated way, the ANC realized that settlement through negotiation – not military victory – was the most realistic option.

Mbeki was among the key proponents in this shift, which did not sit well with militants in the movement. He was one of the first to have contact with white business and political figures of the dominant Afrikaner ethnic group – descendents of South Africa's early Dutch and French settlers. In 1987, he and others met a group of about 50 Afrikaner intellectuals at a conference in Dakar, Senegal. Full story Wahington Post.

Jun 3, 1999: Sheriff Berates Lau for Raiding His Ranks. S.F. police chief wants deputies to apply for cop jobs. San Francisco's police chief and sheriff Hennessey conceded in unflattering terms why police work might appeal to deputies. ``With the Police Department offering more money and easier work, we can understand why people might be interested in making a transfer.''  Deputies' pay starts at $35,000 a year and tops out at $58,000 after five years. First-year police officers make $43,000, but with their law enforcement experience, deputies could start at more than $60,000 if they joined the department. Lau is trying to fill 200 openings. It is hard to find suitable candidates -- nine out of 10 wash out before becoming sworn officers. Full story SF Chronical.

Jun 2, 1999: Voter group courting Asians. S.F. agency plans South Bay office. Now, the Berryessa resident, Kansen Chu is the father of two teenagers, owner of San Jose's Ocean Harbor restaurant, a member of the Santa Clara County Health Board and an aspiring candidate for the San Jose City Council. Asian-Americans make up 23.4 percent of the county's population but will squeak past Latinos for the first time next year when they will number an estimated 426,883, or 24.2 percent of the population, according to the state Department of Finance. By the year 2016, the number of Asians is projected to surpass whites. District 4, where Chu hopes to run for city council, has about 80,000 residents and 35,000 registered voters. Asians make up about 68 percent of the community, but only 45 percent of the registered voters, Chu said. Full story SJ Mercury News.

June 1, 1999: S.F. budget hits $4.2 billion. The mayor, who is scheduled to present his fourth budget to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday afternoon, will propose more than 1,000 new jobs at City Hall — including 200 new cops and 250 more Muni drivers and maintenance workers. For the second consecutive year, The City will enjoy a surplus of more than $100 million. Brown's plan, however, calls for spending most of it and devoting $25 million to the general fund reserve. Full story SF Examiner.