Letters: Thanks to the community for a great 28th Wildflower Run

ear Editor, Members of AAUW-Morgan Hill wish to thank our
community for coming out on a beautiful Sunday morning to
participate in our 28th annual Wildflower Run.
Thanks to the community for a great 28th Wildflower Run

Dear Editor,

Members of AAUW-Morgan Hill wish to thank our community for coming out on a beautiful Sunday morning to participate in our 28th annual Wildflower Run. We appreciate our sponsors and donors for their contributions of cash and prizes. Jamba Juice generously donated hundreds of fruit smoothies that our runners love so much. We thank Family Wealth Consulting Group for their support and South Valley Endurance for providing the chip timing and great suggestions to improve our race.

Our run was possible due to the efforts of the Wildflower Run Team and the help of hundreds of volunteers. We thank you all! Proceeds from the Wildflower Run benefit scholarships for women and girls and our local Tech Trek science camp participants.

Yvonne Duckett, Wildflower Run Director

Where are our transportation policy leaders leading us?

Dear Editor,

If our transport policy makers would stop stealing our gas taxes from motorists and truckers to fund their pet projects and boondoggles like VTA-COG “Mobility Partnership” and fiscal bottomless pits like Lite Rail (HEAVY SOCIALISM) and BART and Caltrain, diverting our money to re-pay their special interest friends in the public-sector unions, then we would (1) have lower gas prices, and (2) have self-sufficient, user fees funded transport as recommended by the Blue Ribbon Commission on transport policy. Where are our transport policy leaders leading us? Same route as taken by the USSR?

Joe Thompson, Gilroy

Local earthquake relief fundraiser unites Japanese community

Dear Editor,

It is human nature as individuals to seek one’s own “space” when solitude and a quiet place is needed from the hectic pace of California’s multitasking lifestyle. With more than 163,000 square miles for 37 million people of California, finding a personal sanctuary is rarely a problem.

However, in Japan with 20,000 square miles less than California but with four times the population, the Japanese have had to devise another means to create one’s own “space.”

The Japanese have created over centuries a complex system of organization and cultural rules which define invisible barriers which they politely observe as this need for one’s space is, as mentioned, an essential human social requirement.

Thus in California, it is common for Japanese American organizations to each have a defined “territory” … only a few of these organizations bridge overlapping territories – clearly a carry over from their cultural past.

Thus, it is amazing that despite each of these Japanese American organizations and churches having their own in house Japan earthquake relief fundraisers, they have all banded together to support a Morgan Hill Japan Earthquake Relief Fundraiser April 30 at the Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center located at 16450 Murphy Ave.

These major Japanese American organizations and churches include the San Francisco based, Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, Silicon Valley Japanese American Citizen’s League (JACL), San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, West Valley JACL, Wesley United Methodist Church San Jose, San Jose JACL, Salinas Buddhist Church, Santa Cruz/Monterey JACL, San Jose’s Yu-Ai Kai, and Watsonville Buddhist Church. Also participating are Morgan Hill’s Service Group, Morgan Hill Buddhist Building Board Morgan Hill Buddhist Community Center and Gilroy’s JACL. Never before have had even a few of these groups banded together for an event.

This Japan Earthquake Relief Fundraiser is also unique in that it will provide the public an opportunity to dispose of unwanted electronic and e-waste items.

In addition to welcoming the entire general public to recycle their unwanted electronic and e-wastes, donations will be accepted at the event or by mailing in advance c/o Dr. Hatakeyama, 370 W. Dunne Ave., Ste. #3, Morgan Hill, CA. 95037. Checks can be made out to: Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund or the “Hongwangi Earthquake Relief Fund.

The leaders of this Japan Earthquake Relief Fundraiser Committee are Morgan Hill residents Jon Hatakeyama, DDS, Rosemary Kamei, and Paul Yoshikawa along with Gilroy’s Mary Ann Mukai, Alan Obata, and Harry Yamane. The city of Morgan Hill will be providing a city proclamation supporting this event at the Morgan Hill City Council Meeting Wednesday, April 20.

For more information, please contact Hatakeyama or Dr. Don Nguyen at (408) 779-7391.

For questions regarding the e-waste recycling process, contact John Varella, director of business development, Pacific Corporate Solutions at (408) 218-9174.

Jon Hatakeyama, Morgan Hill