VOL 34 NO 41 OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Fortune cookie says: Good luck and longevity

Photo from Seattle Fire Department

Duck boat/bus crash devastates

A&E Butoh comes to Seattle » P. 9

Critics say duck boats are too dangerous for city streets

‘Wounds in our heart’: Seattle College mourns 5 students

By Phuong Le and Martha Bllisle Associated Press

By Martha Bellisle Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the deadly crash of a duck boat and charter bus is the first time

SEATTLE (AP) — Students and faculty, some arm in arm, filed into a private memorial service in a lecture hall at a Seattle college on Friday to

{see DUCK BOAT 1 cont’d on page 15}

{see DUCK BOAT 2 cont’d on page 4}

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

Devestation from the fatal Duck bus collision on the Aurora Bridge

Keeping productive seems to be the key to success... {Read the article on page 10}

Alibaba creates sports group Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba announced in early September that it is opening a sports division. Alibaba seeks to reshape China’s sports industry through

■

the Internet.

Company founder, Jack Ma, stated that it has set up Alibaba Sports Group together with Sina, a China Internet news site, and Yunfeng Capital, a Ma-backed investment firm. Financial details weren’t disclosed and information about what Alibaba Sports Group

will do has not been revealed. Alibaba Sports Group will be the majority owner in this venture.

The creation of a new business entity comes at a time when investors are concerned with the growth {see ALIBABA cont’d on page 15}

Photo by Reuters

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly

Alibaba will acquire 50 percent of Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club

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asianweekly northwest

2

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

■ names in the news A gift from President Xi

Rita Meher

performances. 

South Asia.

“It’s an honor to have my work recognized,” says Meher. “It is still so important to bring attention to important social issues and spark conversation in the community through artistic expression.”

Tasveer’s mission is to cultivate the artistic work of South Asians through films, forums, visual art, and

AP Photo

100 women, 100 miles Chinese President Xi presents redwood tree to GIX

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented the gift of a dawn redwood tree to the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX), a new partnership between the University of Washington and Tsinghua University, during a ceremony at Microsoft headquarters this past week.

Xi presented UW Interim President Ana Mari Cauce, Tsinghua President Qiu Yong, and Microsoft President Brad Smith with the tree, which is native to China and will be planted at the new GIX facility upon its completion.

Established with foundational support from Microsoft, GIX will bring together students, faculty, experts and entrepreneurs in a project-based, globally focused learning environment. This hub for innovation will be located at a new facility in Bellevue’s Spring District. 

Meher honored Rita Meher, co-founder of Tasveer, a Seattle-based South Asian cultural organization, was honored Sept. 26, 2015 as Globalist of the Year by Seattle Globalist at their 3rd annual Globies.

Meher co-founded Tasveer (meaning “picture” in Hindi and Urdu) in 2002 with Farah Nousheen. Since then, the organization has grown to affect the broader Northwest community in its work of fostering, developing, curating, and displaying thought-provoking work from and about

We Belong Together is a campaign of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, with the participation of women’s organizations, immigrant rights groups, children, and families across the country.

Walking 100 miles!

100 women are walking 100 miles, starting from a detention center in PA to the Nation’s capitol in Washington DC, where they greeted and brought stories of human suffering to the Pope when he was speaking in Congress. 

Inslee names Fukutaki to Bellevue College Board of Trustees

Richard Fukutaki

AWARD GALA

King County Superior Court Judge John Chun swore in new lawyers September 23 at the King County Courthouse.

The new lawyers, included one of his first externs (from earlier this year), Sho Ly. “Congratulations to all the new admittees to the Washington State Bar,” Judge Chun stated.

Chun also recently taught at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s program on deposition skills. 

October 9, 2015 6pm — no-host cocktail 6:45 pm — program & dinner China Harbor Restaurant, 2040 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle Sula Kim — Master of Ceremony King 5 & NWCN Anchor SPONSORS:

HONOREES

Sarah Baker President-elect Japanese Americans Citizens League

Chun swears in and congratulates new lawyers

Judge Chun swears in new lawyers

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has named Richard Fukutaki, of Bellevue, to the Board of Trustees of Bellevue College. In this role, Fukutaki will participate in the sixmember board that oversees college operations and finance.

Fukutaki is the managing

Visionary

Presented by

director of the SunBreak group, which he co-founded in 1999, working with organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to help launch a program designed to help excite young people about science and math learning as well as careers in those fields. As an active member of the community, Fukutaki serves on the board for Bellevue Girl’s Lacrosse Club, is a Service Day volunteer at Jubilee Reach Center and leads Sunday school classes at Bellevue Presbyterian Church.

Fukutaki earned his associate’s degree from Pasadena City College, his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his MBA from the University of Southern California.

He will be serving a four-year term, running through September 2019. 

Chera A mlag & Geo Quibuyen Food & Sh*t Pop Up

Lorraine Yu President Sirius6 Corporation

Dwayne Clark Founder/Chair Aegis Living

OCA Asian Pacific A merican Advocates Greater Seattle

REGISTRATION $75 before October 5. $80 after October 5. $90 walk-ins. $40 students with I.D. $50 student walk-ins. $800 to sponsor an individual table of 10. $900 for a corporate table of 10, with the corporate logo To purchase tickets, call us at 206-223-0623, or email rsvp@ nwasianweekly.com. To purchase tickets online, go to http://vision2015.bpt.me. Please notify us if you’re a vegetarian.

HONORARY COMMITTEE: Ador Yano, Ben Zhang, Bill Tashima, Steve Boyer, Kiku Hayashi, Buwon Brown, Seungja Song, and Walter Tiang To reserve your space, fax this form to 206-223-0626 or send a check to Northwest Asian Weekly by October 15: Northwest Asian Weekly, Attn: Visionary, P.O. Box 3468, Seattle, WA 98114 Name: ___________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________

Patsy O’Connell Founder/Chair Asia Pacific Cultural Center

Asia Pacific Cultural Center

Michael Verchot Director UW Consulting & Business Development Center

R avi R amineni Sports Science Analyst Sounders

Telephone: ________________________________________________ Fax: _____________________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________________ Organization: _____________________________________________ Title (if applicable): _________________________________________ Name of guests: ___________________________________________ _________________________________________________________  Mastercard

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ visionary profiles

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

3

Ravi Ramineni Dwayne Clark Sounders find strength in numbers

Photo provided by Sounders FC

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly

Ravi Ramineni working in the field

Three years ago, seeking to network and find like-minded people with a love of numbers and soccer, Ravi Ramineni traveled cross country to Boston to attend the MIT Sloan Analytics Sports Analytics Conference. This year, he found himself speaking at the conference.

The former Microsoft program manager, Ramineni is a Sports Scientist and Performance Analyst with the Seattle Sounders where he uses his background in data analytics to help the Sounders win.

Originally from Tenali, India, Ramineni came to the U.S. to obtain a Masters in Computer Science. Ramineni chose Clemson University in South Carolina.

After completing his degree in 2002, he obtained a job at Microsoft where he worked on a variety of projects. One of his first for the company was building the original Xbox gaming platform. He also

worked on Bing in fraud management where he would determine potential online dangers from the data the company obtained.

“I always wanted to work in soccer, especially on the number side,” said the 38-year-old Ramineni. “I played a lot of cricket, but always loved watching soccer.”

Seeking a jump-start to finding a career, he went to the MIT conference in 2012.

The widely popular conference which sells out each year discusses the increasing role of analytics in the sports industry.

Ramineni met with data companies and obtained soccer data which he analyzed and posted results on his own personal blog, AnalyseFootball. The blog was a way to put himself out there and display his work. The blog started slowly according to Ramineni. “I wanted to put up two (blog) posts every week,” he added, “then I realized that once I started doing bigger posts it took me two to three weeks for research.” But, Ramineni soon realized that some of the data research and analysis projects were time consuming. He decided to quit Microsoft and dedicate his time to analyzing soccer data. He gave himself until the following Sloan Conference to find work within soccer before he went back to regular work.

A meeting with Sounders’ Dave Tenney opened the door to Ramineni’s future.

Through his fiancée, he met Tenney after a Sounders game. Tenney, who is the {see RAMINENI cont’d on page 5}

Serving seniors

By Peggy Chapman Northwest Asian Weekly Dwayne Clark, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aegis Living, a leader in senior housing, credits his mother for his success and his devotion to helping seniors.

Raised by his single mom, Clark states that “she was the driving force in my life. She made me believe you could be whatever you want to be.”

With more than 25 years serving seniors, Clark is an expert on aging issues. He has been involved in the development, construction and/or management of over 200 senior housing projects.

Clark has a blog about his mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s (http:// mymothermyson.com/). Not only does it offer personal narrative on the traumatic effects of the disease, but it is an excellent resource for his insights on aging. Along with his blog Dwayne has written two additional books about his mom and her journey with Alzheimer’s, My Mother, My Son and Saturdays with G.G. So what has Clark noticed about aging and the Asian American community?

Surprisingly, he states that Chinese Americans are actually healthier compared to Caucasian seniors. Chinese American seniors have approximately 1-2 falls per month while Caucasian seniors have approximately 30-40 falls a month. Falls are a concern and a big health risk for seniors, since when there is no movement, there is more of a chance of developing pneumonia.

Dwayne Clark

So what can explain this large discrepancy?

A lot of Asian American seniors practice activities like Qi Gong and Tai Chi, which help the core and balance, thus less falls.

Clark also states he has noticed Asian Americans tend to be mentally active, which can help ward off dementia-related issues, which tend to approach around 85 years. He notes that Asian American seniors participate in brain workouts.

These include activities like mahjong, {see CLARK cont’d on page 13}

asianweekly northwest

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OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

■ business

Top financial tips for seniors

By Sue Yoon Special to the NW Asian Weekly

1. What mistakes do most seniors make about finance?

There are a lot of Sue Yoon things that come to mind, but to sum it up, I’d say the lack of a comprehensive plan with a trusted advisor. When you aren’t working with a financial advisor, I find that many decisions are made quickly due to either lack of planning or urgent needs. Working closely with an advisor can help you plan for these unforeseen events, prioritize your expenses, and educate you on various options that you may not have considered.

Here are a few tips to help you with your plan for retirement: Organize your resources By the time you retire, you may have a number of retirement accounts at former employers and across multiple financial institutions. It may make sense to consolidate your retirement savings with one provider to

ensure your investment plan is coordinated, and to make it easier to track your savings.

Get serious about your retirement paycheck Refine your plan for how you will generate a reliable income stream from your savings and other resources.

At this point, you will want to carefully determine the expenses you will need to cover and how and when you will withdraw money from your retirement plan account(s).

Take steps to ensure you’ll be able to cover essential expenses Depending on your situation, you may want to convert a portion of your savings into an annuity to help create a guaranteed income stream.

Contact a financial advisor to determine if an annuity is right for you.

2. How would you advise them so they don’t feel overwhelmed?

I would advise them to prioritize their goals and revisit them often. Coming up with a comprehensive financial plan doesn’t always happen in one day. Take things slowly and work forward from today.

{DUCK BOAT 2 cont’d from page 1} honor five international students killed when their charter bus was struck by an amphibious tour vehicle.

“There are still wounds in our heart,” North Seattle College President Warren Brown said later at a news conference. “For someone to come from another country, to learn here, to be excited about an opportunity ... and to have this tragedy occur, is painful.”

The students who died Thursday were identified as Privaudo

Consider these questions; be honest and open about your answers: · What do you want to do in retirement? · What is most important to you? · Who do you want to spend time with? · Where do you want to live? · Would you like to continue working in retirement, whether it’s a part-time job, a second career, or your own business? · How do you see yourself supporting family members (parents, children, siblings) in the future? · How will you balance your travel or entertainment needs with other expenses like food, housing, and health care?

3. What’s your financial advice for rich and poor elderly?

Whether you are well off or not, it’s important to plan for contingencies.

Retirement often brings unexpected challenges and opportunities. When you experience the unexpected, it helps to have your finances and financial documents in order. Do you need — or have — the following financial tools in place?

An up-to-date will — in some states, it

Putradauto, 18, of Indonesia; Mami Sato, 37, of Japan; and Claudia Derschmidt, 49, of Austria, who was in Seattle with her 15-year-old son. Brown did not name a 17-year-old girl from China because she is a minor, but her family has been notified.

All were new to the college. They and dozens of other students were on a tour of city landmarks, such as Pike Place Market, before classes were set to begin Monday.

A so-called duck boat was ferrying tourists across a crowded Seattle bridge Thursday when the vehicle suddenly

may also be necessary to set up a trust.

Appropriate updated beneficiary designations on insurance policies and retirement accounts — these designations take precedence over wills.

A financial safety net to care for a surviving spouse or partner — in many cases, pension and Social Security payments are reduced when one partner dies while expenses remain about the same.

Durable powers of attorney for your finances and health care — these documents ensure that someone you know and trust is appointed to make decisions for you when you are unable to do so.

Trusts established to address special issues like blended families, caring for family members with special needs, or charitable giving.

Secure, easily accessible storage for important documents — such as tax documents, trusts, and insurance policies — to give family members the peace of mind that comes from knowing copies of all your documents are in order.  Sue Yoon is a Wells Fargo’s Private Banker.

swerved into the students’ oncoming charter bus. The crash also injured dozens of people.

Student Sandra Miller, who carried white carnations into the memorial, said the accident was “sad, especially for the parents in other countries.”

The accident had shaken the diverse school of about 14,000 students, Brown said.

“It’s particularly painful for us knowing that the students who were on the bus were just about to start the school year Monday,” he said. 

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ WORLD NEWS

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

5

Gunmen abduct 3 foreigners from Philippines resort

By Oliver Teves Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Gunmen abducted two Canadians, including a former mining company executive, a Filipino woman and the Norwegian marina manager at an upscale resort complex on a southern Philippine island, sparking an air and sea search by authorities, officials said Tuesday.

At least 11 men armed with pistols and two rifles arrived on two motorboats and entered the Holiday Ocean View Samal Resort before midnight Monday on Samal Island off Davao City, military and police officials said, citing witnesses and a security video that captured part of the kidnapping.

The gunmen attempted to seize an American and his Japanese companion on one of the yachts docked at the marina, but the couple resisted and escaped by jumping off the boat. The two suffered minor injuries as they struggled

to break free from the kidnappers, police said.

Amid the commotion, Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and the Filipino woman, Teresita Flor, rushed out of their yacht and were taken. Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, who was the resort’s marina manager, was seized when he approached to check what was happening, said Senior Supt. Samuel Gandingan, the police chief

India clamping down on critics of Modi, activist groups

By Muneeza Naqvi Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — It takes courage to accuse a powerful politician — a man who would go on to become India’s prime minister — of encouraging riots against a minority. Police officer Sanjiv Bhatt did just that. And he says he is paying the price for it.

Bhatt was arrested months after he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in 2011, alleging that Narendra Modi incited antiMuslim violence that killed more than 1,000 people in the western state of Gujarat. At the

Narendra Modi

allowed.

time, Modi was the chief minister of the state, and Bhatt was an officer of the police intelligence.

Then, earlier this year, Bhatt was fired after 27 years on the job for taking more leave than he was

{see NEW DELHI cont’d on page 12}

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Davao del Norte province, which includes Samal Island.

Government forces later heard of the abductions and began a search.

“Unfortunately, the lead time that the abductors had and the darkness of night were able to cover the retreat of the abductors,” military spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla told reporters in Manila.

Government forces on planes and helicopters were scouring the waters and coastal areas in the Davao Gulf.

Two motorboats were found in nearby Davao Oriental province and authorities were trying to ascertain if they were the boats the kidnappers had used, Gandingan said.

Norwegian officials said they have been notified about the reported abduction but have yet to independently confirm it.

“We are obviously very concerned now,” Olav David Sekkingstad, the father of the abducted Norwegian, told

{RAMINENI cont’d from page 3} Sounders’ Sports Science and Performance Manager, needed someone with the technical background to figure out the data the team compiled and break it down so that the players and coaches could use the findings.

Over a series of meetings where Tenney provided Ramineni with data for him to synthesize into findings, Ramineni showed his worth. Tenney was impressed with Ramineni’s work and offered him a position with the team.

Ramineni joined the Sounders in 2012. It took less than a year for Ramineni to find his dream job with the Sounders. His role has expanded since he started.

Currently, he oversees practice by outfitting players with global positioning system (GPS) and heart rate monitors to monitor performance. Once practice ends, Ramineni downloads and processes the data and publishes the reports for coaches and players to review. Based on the input from coaches, Ramineni’s reports grow. “New questions always pop up,” said Ramineni of the reports provided to coaches and players.

In his first season with the Sounders, Ramineni built the analytics platform for this work so obtaining and downloading the data has been streamlined over the years.

Still, Ramineni is usually the first one on the practice field setting up the technology and the last one leaving.

The Sounders focus on three aspects of analytics: descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive. Ramineni helps facilitate this through the gathering of data from players.

Data gathering includes performance data and tactical data. The performance side

{see MANILA cont’d on page 13}

relates to a player’s physical conditioning. The tactical information relates to team strategy as well as acceleration, decelerations, change of direction, and other Ravi Ramineni movement on the field.

Sports analytics is only growing according to Ramineni. “One thing is that there is ‘low-hanging fruit’ that people can take care of with analysis,” explained Ramineni of the importance of data analytics in evaluating and addressing strategy and performance in sport.

Baseball is known for its use of data analytics. The book, and subsequent movie, “Moneyball,” documented the Oakland A’s and its use of data to field a winner with less of a payroll. “I think right now at least seven or eight (MLS) clubs have performance side and tactical side (analytics),” said Ramineni.

He notes that the Sounders’ staff has grown as well which now includes four full-time employees and two interns. Ramineni cited the Sounders organization for its forwardthinking in this area. He credits Adrian Hanauer who is big on data. “We want to be the most innovative sports franchise in North America,” said Hanauer, the Sounders co-owner to a gathering of fans at a prematch meetup this summer.  For reservations, call 206-223-0623 or email at rsvp@nwasianweekly.com.

Jason Cruz can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

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OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

■ PROFILE

■ COMMUNITY calendar THU 10/1

TUE 10/6

WHAT: 2015 API Candidates & Issues Forum WHERE: ACRS, 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle WHEN: 5:30-8 p.m.

INFO: mbjumpstart@msn. com, 206-293-2951

WHAT: Startup to Big Business: Making the transition with Samir Bodas, CEO Icertis WHERE: Blue C Sushi, 503 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue WHEN: 5:30-8 p.m.

WHAT: “Forward Looking & Beautifully Timeless,” Opening Gala WHERE: King Street Station, 3rd floor WHEN: 5-9 p.m.

COST: Free admission

THU 10/8

FRI 10/2 WHAT: Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce luncheon with Mary Knell WHERE: New Hong Kong Restaurant, 900 S. Jackson St. # 203, Seattle WHEN: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

COST: $20

WHAT: Event to support King County Assessor Lloyd Hara WHERE: O’Asian, 800 Fifth Ave., Seattle WHEN: 5-7 p.m.

SUGGESTED DONATION: $100 RSVP: citizensforhara@ comcast.net, 206-726-8053

MON 10/12 WHAT: “Safety for Women in Modern Cities,” with Kalpana Viswanath, Co-founder of SAFTIPIN Mobile App

WHERE: Parrington Hall Forum, UW Seattle WHEN: 3:30-5 p.m.

RSVP: brownpapertickets. com/event/2189143 WHAT: Department of Amerian Ethnic Studies celebrating 30 years of Academic and Community Engagement WHERE: UW, Padelford B-503 WHEN: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

RSVP: by October 2, 206543-5401, aes@uw.edu

THU 10/15 WHAT: King County Assessor’s Office to demo new community data portal WHERE: Hing Hay CoWorks, 409B Maynard Ave. S., Seattle WHEN: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

INFO: 206-296-7300

■ briefly

On Sept. 23, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) held a Community Open House and Public Safety Meeting. Seattle Police Department Assistant Chief Robert Merner and Deputy Mayor Hyeok Kim provided information regarding the on-going Donnie Chin investigation. Two groups were identified to be involved in the shooting of Donnie Chin.

The city’s strategy is to work with other police units in different cities and arrest members for unrelated crimes associated with the two groups and then try to get them to talk. One concerned citizen inquired about the poor video surveillance in the area and if anything can be done about it. Merner explained much video is privately owned so the contents cannot be disclosed. State Rep Sharon Tomiko Santos expressed concern

Photo by John Liu/NWAW

Update: Donnie Chin murder

Deputy Mayor Hyeok Kim addresses community

that not enough was being done in the investigation to find Donnie’s killers. Merner answered that he’s attended at least seven community meetings and doing all he could regarding the investigation and was willing to organize more community meetings in the future. 

A conversation with Sidney Rittenberg

Part 2 of 3: The powerful Xi Jinping

By Wen Liu Special to Northwest Asian Weekly Many China watchers say that Xi Jinping now has become the most powerful leader since Deng, if not Mao. He is the Party chief, state president and chairman of the military, and head of the “overall reform” and “national security” leading groups. There is talk of his autocratic role and less collective leadership, even a new cult. Do you see this tendency?

Sidney Rittenberg: Obviously now we have one great authority, one great leader, which we didn’t have before since Deng.

Even Deng, he refused to become chairman or premier or any of that. Vice premier was highest he ever got. He used to brag about the national chairman of the China Bridge Club. That was one job he was proud of.

But what I think happened… the economic reforms that are starting now… actually the Party central committee took the decision to do these things 13 or 14 years ago, and it was published. In the report to the 16th Party Congress, I forgot which one, Wen Jiabao was premier. He said very plainly that the present model of economic growth is not sustainable. We cannot go on like this. We have to make drastic changes. Specially he named three things: one, we have to go from a state-invested economy to an economy that depends on the capital markets, on investors, not state; two, we have to go from an export pulled economy to one that depends on developing the domestic market, consumer market; and three, we have to not pursue speed for speed’s sake, but speed only on condition that it helps the environment, that it produces good quality, and that it makes life better for the people. Hu Jintao also said something very similar, 13 or 14 years ago.

But they couldn’t do it. They were too weak.

I don’t think Hu Jintao ever had reliable majority in the Standing Committee of the Party. He had people like Zhou Yongkang and others. They weren’t able to do it.

So now, when it came to the 18th Congress,

Sidney Rittenberg

I think they made a decision: if we don’t reform, we are sunk, China. But the only way we can reform is to establish a powerful authority, with concentrated power that could break through the logjams and see to it that it is done. And I think they decided to build Xi Jinping up as that kind of man. One reason that I think this is we know something about Xi Jinping before he became all of these things. He was a man that was known to be a nice guy, easily approachable, easy to get along with, good listener. We went to Fujian, we went to Zhejiang, we went to Shanghai.

They all said the same thing. We went to Hangzhou and we wanted to see him. And he was traveling. So he sent his secretary to bring us Longjing tea. But they told us that we have never had a leader that visited every singly county in Zhejiang province.

That’s what he does. He goes around the counties, talks to the people on the ground to see what their problems are. Also he was known for something very praise-worthy, he didn’t harass people. He wasn’t mean to his opponents. So everybody thought OK now he is going to be Party secretary. You know he will spend two years consolidating his power and gradually we’ll see what he really wants to do, but not at the beginning, instead of which he comes out of his corner like a prize fighter and starts slugging {see RITTENBERG cont’d on page 14}

King County Invitation to Bid Project: Solid Waste Division Work Order Asphalt Services 2015, C01001C15 Sealed Bid Time/Date: 1:30p.m., Tuesday, October 13, 2015 Location Due: King County Procurement & Contract Services Section, Contracts Counter, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 Engineer’s Estimate: Not to exceed $500,000 Scope of Work: The work under this contract shall consist of furnishing all labor, materials and equipment necessary to perform asphalt overlay and patching maintenance installation and repair; sub-base repair/stabilization; removal and placement of sub-base material; roadway surface striping on a work order basis.

Work site: Various Solid Waste Division facilities located throughout King County, Washington.

The work performed under this Contract shall not exceed $500,000.00 and the initial Contract Time shall not exceed 365 calendar days from the date of Contract execution by the County. The County does not guarantee any minimum amount of work or that the dollar amount of the Work Orders issued will total $500,000.00 during the duration of this Contract. At the County’s sole discretion, this Contract may be extended for up to one additional

year, or until the Not to Exceed Contract Price is reached, whichever occurs first. In no event shall the Contract Time be greater than two years from the date of Contract execution by the County.

Contact Information: Tina Davis, 206-263-2939, TTY Relay: 711, Fax: 206-296-7675, or tina. davis@kingcounty.gov. A bidder may be asked to put a question in writing. No verbal answers by any County personnel or its agents and consultants will be binding on the County.

Pre-Bid Conference: Friday, October 2, 2015, 1:00 p.m., 3rd Floor, Bidding Room, Chinook Building, 401 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA. A site tour is not scheduled.

Subcontracting Opportunities: Asphalt Paving; Grinding and Prep Apprenticeship Requirements: No minimum Apprentice Utilization Requirement.

SCS Utilization Requirements: The Contractor shall ensure that at least five (5)% of the total price for all executed work orders shall be performed by King County Certified SCS Firms over the life of the Contract.

Bid Bond: Not less than five percent (5%) of the Total Bid Price.

Bid Documents: Electronic copies of the plans,

specifications, reference documents, and any addenda for this solicitation are available on the King County Procurement website shown below.

Printed documents may also be ordered by contacting United Reprographics at 206-382-1177.

Copies of documents are not available for purchase from King County, but are available for review 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M thru F. at the Contracts Counter: Chinook Bldg, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue Seattle, WA 98104.

To receive email notifications of addenda or other important information concerning this solicitation, you must register to be a planholder under the “Solicitations” tab at the following internet link: Website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/ procurement/solicitations This information is available in alternate formats for individuals with disabilities upon advance request by calling 206-263-9400, TTY Relay: 711.

Notes: Bids received after Sealed Bid Time will not be considered. Bidders accept all risks of late delivery, regardless of fault. King County is not responsible for any costs incurred in response to this Invitation to Bid.

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

■ on the shelf

7

Cops, Boys, and Chinkstars Reading recommendations for the new season

By Samantha Pak Northwest Asian Weekly

Murder on Bamboo Lane

By Naomi Hirahara Berkley, 2014

By Jenny Han Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2014

In her room, in a teal hatbox, Lara Jean Covey has a box of love letters. But these letters are not sent to her. They are letters she has written to the boys she has loved.

There are five in total. She doesn’t write the letters to be sent to the boys in question.

The letters are just for her — a way for her to get over them and move on with her life.

But then, the letters get sent out by mistake and before she realizes what’s happening, Lara Jean — who is half Korean and half white — is dealing with confused boy after confused boy as they confront her about the letters.

Needless to say, things begin to spin out of control and hilarity ensues.

Despite the title and premise of the book, “Boys” is not all about Lara Jean going boy crazy. In addition to dealing with all these boys who never really noticed her before

By Jon Chan Simpson Coach House Books, 2015 Run does not have the best relationship with his older brother Kwong. In fact, there are moments when things are downright hostile between them.

Kwong is the “founder” of Chinksta (Chinese Canadian) rap in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Run is not a fan of the genre. But on the night of what is supposed to be Kwong’s crowning performance in their hometown, Run makes an appearance, knowing how important the show is to his brother. Only Kwong doesn’t show up.

There seems to be something more to Kwong’s disappearing act as threatening messages are left on his family’s home answering machine and Run and Kwong’s Chinese mother is shot with a bullet meant for Kwong. This leads their Scottish father on a determined rampage to find who is behind the act.

And before he knows what’s happening, Run — a senior in high school — finds himself in the middle of a violent battle between Red Deer’s rival gangs, the Apes and the Necks.

Set to the backdrop of an unstable underground hip-hop movement, “Chinkstar” breaks the mold of both the stereotypes associated with that particular

sibling myself, I know what it is like to look up to your older sibling and just wish they thought you were just as cool as you thought they were. Throughout the story, it is clear Run feels this way, even when he complains about Kwong and his so-called greatness.  Samantha Pak can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

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culture as well as the stereotypes associated with Asian Americans — or in this case, Asian Canadians. And just like Run, Simpson will have readers reevaluating what they think it means to be Asian.

In addition to delving deep into the hip-hop scene, Simpson also focuses on Run and his relationship with his family.

I particularly enjoyed the dynamics between him and Kwong. As a younger

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

suddenly taking an interest, her older sister Margot has just moved away to Scotland for college. Suddenly, Lara Jean finds herself in a more motherly role, taking care of her younger sister Kitty as well as their father — a role Margot assumed after their mother died when they were younger.

Family plays a large role in this story and Lara Jean’s life and I really enjoyed that as it showed that she was more than a silly teenage girl. It made her struggles and triumphs more realistic as teenage girls are multifaceted and multidimensional.

Han shows her readers that it’s also okay to be the kind of girl who prefers staying home on the weekend to going out and partying as Lara Jean is more on the quiet and introverted side. But just because she prefers keeping to herself, doesn’t mean Lara Jean isn’t strong or that she doesn’t know how to speak her mind. She does.

And when she does, watch out.

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Ellie Rush is a bicycle cop for the Los Angeles Police Department. And while she just wants to help those who need it, with a half-white, half-Japanese background but looks that can pass for white, she is not always welcome in the ethnically Los Angeles diverse communities she polices.

Although she has ambitions to become a homicide detective, she still can’t help being disturbed when she comes across her first dead body — a former college classmate.

At the request of her Aunt Cheryl, who is the assistant police chief, Ellie finds herself embroiled in the investigation. She receives help (and interference) from her nosy best friend, an over-involved ex-boyfriend and the good-looking detective leading the investigation.

Hirahara’s writing will have readers constantly guessing who the killer is as she provides us with a number of possibilities that have Ellie riding around in circles on her LAPD-issued bike. But Ellie proves to be up to the challenge as she follows the various clues and does her best to earn possible witnesses’ trust and get them to talk to her — using her just-out-of-college youth and mixed background to her advantage.

In addition to the mystery of “Bamboo Lane,” Hirahara also showcases the diversity that exists in Los Angeles. In addition to Ellie and her biracial family, the story’s remaining cast of characters all have different backgrounds — from her Cambodian American best friend, to the murder victim’s Peruvian roommate, to various members of the local Vietnamese community.

And while highlighting these diverse characters was great to read, Hirahara’s writing also adds nuances with the way they interact with each other that could only come from firsthand experience. As an Asian American, I was able to see myself in various characters at points in the stories and was even able to recall when I have had similar conversations with my family and friends as Ellie and her inner circle has throughout the book.

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asianweekly northwest

8

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

■ sports

The Layup Drill

Pan wins tourney, an upset in rugby, and more as we head into fall

By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly

16th.

The sport of Rugby isn’t foreign to Japan as it was introduced to the country at the turn of the 20th century. However, it has not gained the notoriety or popularity as other sports in Japan.

Notably, Japan will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this month’s edition, we check on CT Pan, Jordan Clarkson, a couple huge wins for Japan, and a new venture for Alibaba.

Pan wins 2nd pro tournament

Former UW Husky men’s golf standout C.T. Pan won his second professional tournament this month as he won the Canadian Cape Breton Celtic Classic in Nova Scotia, Canada. Pan won a two-hole playoff to win the tournament. After graduating from the University of Washington this past June, Pan turned pro and started on the MacKenzie Tour/PGA Tour Canada this summer.

With the win, Pan earned $31,500 and moved into second place on the tour’s order of merit with the win. Over the summer, Pan has earned $78,448. He also has earned status on the Web.com Tour for 2016. The Web.com Tour is the developmental tour for the PGA Tour. The tour gives golfer’s the opportunity to earn their PGA “tour card.”

The card allows golfers to regularly play in all of the big golf tournaments organized by the PGA tour. Good luck to Pan as he continues to rise up the ranks in the world of golf.

Japan Rugby team upsets South Africa in World Cup

In what the BBC called “the biggest upset

Japan wins 2015 Little League World Series

C.T. Pan

in rugby union history,” Japan stunned South Africa in the first game of round robin play at the Rugby World Cup in England on September 15th. While Japan is a dominant force in the sport against other Asian nations, it has not done well against non-Asian nations. Rugby is a popular sport in South Africa and won the World Cup on two occasions. Japan had only one once in seven World Cup. It was clear that they were considered a heavy favorite against Japan.

The Japanese team is coached by Eddie Jones, the former coach of the national team for Australia. Jones took the helm in 2012 and vowed to take Team Japan to the top 10 on the international rankings. The upset moves the team in that direction. After the win against South Africa, Japan moved up to 11th in World Rankings. Notably, South Africa was the 3rd ranked Rugby team in the world at the time they played Japan.

For those wondering, Team USA is ranked

In addition to a great upset in rugby, the Japanese little league team defeated the U.S. team 18-11 in the annual late August Little League World Series from Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The kids from Tokyo, Japan were down 10-2 in the game before a flurry of home runs helped the team surge back and right past the team from the U.S. The teams combined to set a record for most runs in a championship game. The team from Japan defeated a team from Mexico to make it to the final.

The loss had to be a heartbreaker for the kids from Lewisberry as many of the 42,000 in attendance came to cheer on the team that lived a short-distance from Williamsport. In the end, they could not hold off the offensive display put on by Japan.

Team Japan has won 5 out of the last 7 Little League World Series. {see SPORTS cont’d on page 13}

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

■ arts & entertainment

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

■ community news

9

Cheung wins double titles Breathtaking (and gravity-breaking) Butoh for Miss Chinese Seattle

Photo by George Liu/NWAW

Sankai Juku comes to Seattle

Dawn Cheung poses for pictures as the new 2015 Miss Chinese Seattle Queen

By Andrew Hamlin Northwest Asian Weekly “I was born by the sea,” recalls Ushiro Amagatsu, leader and choreographer of the butoh ensemble Sankai Juku, when asked about his formative experiences. “The boundary between land and sea, shoreline, a changing color from dawn to a blue sky, on the contrary, from red sunset to blue that is further darkened deeper, and the repetition of them that we may call ‘eternity’. . .these impressions still dwell upon my mind.”

Sankai Juku comes to the Meany Hall For The Performing Arts in early October, presenting the North American premiere of a piece called “Umusuna: Memories Before History.” “Umusuna,” explains Amagatsu, is

■ travel

an ancient Japanese word that means a place of one’s birth. When I apply this word to the whole [of humanity], the earth itself becomes Umusuna. I believe that the relationship between the place of birth and people is always deeply affected by a certain natural element, and I don’t think this relationship doesn’t change at present, and in the future as well, as it didn’t change in the past. This is my motif...I present nature with its four compositions: land, water, fire, and wind.”

Butoh is a style of Japanese dance and performance which arose after World War II and embraces the anger, pain, and absurdity of that war, along with the shame of Japan’s defeat. It is historically difficult to pin down, {see JUKU cont’d on page 13}

By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly Dawn Cheung, a social worker, captured the 2015 Miss Chinatown crown on Sept.

20 at the Bellevue Meydenbauer Center, beating nine other contestants, seven of them University of Washington students.

A graduate of the University of Washington (UW), Cheung, 24, works for the Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), as a case manager for youth.

Cheung also won Miss Congeniality. (In the past, there were contestants winning dual titles such as Miss Talent and 1st or 2nd princess; Miss Chinatown and Miss Congeniality).

Olivia Ding won 1st princess; Lucy Meng, nd 2 princess. Ding, 19, a UW student, mixed kung fu with ribbon dance. A reporter for

AAATV, Meng sang.

A crowd of 600 was treated to a variety of performances. Although American-born, Cheung demonstrated Chinese calligraphy of her Chinese name, “Rising Star, Phoenix,” and also articulated the meaning behind the name. Since 1981, the Asian Weekly has covered many Miss Chinatown pageants. This is an original talent. Other talents featured singing, kung fu dance, Chinese zither performance, drama, piano performance, and even a basketball show.

Another UW student, Jessica Angela Lee, 20, won Miss Talent. She played the piano. A new category was added to the contest—the highest ticket sales. Sarah Liu who sold the most tickets for the pageant, received the Miss Spirit award. {see CHEUNG cont’d on page 15}

The Village Report Bugged in Phnom Penh

By Dipika Kohli Northwest Asian Weekly “That was what I was most worried about when we got here,” Bicycle (yes, that is his name) confessed tonight, up on the terrace.

“Every time you go to an insectarium, you know, there are those huge ones, those really, really giant bugs—and then you look to see where they’re from, and ALL the scarylooking ones have signs that say, ‘Indonesia,’ or ‘Thailand.’ It’s like it’s always Southeast Asia.”

“You were worried about bugs?”

“Yeah.”

“I guess in Seattle that was the thing we never had to worry about, huh. ‘member?”

We are on this topic because we’ve just been visited, four flights up, sitting out on the open-air terrace, a giant―what? “I don’t know.”

“What IS that… um.”

We are not quite sure how to receive this thing, which is of a form and variety both of us are completely unfamiliar with. This thing—it’s like a cross between a cockroach and a bat. It looks like it eats rats.

Naturally, we will ignore it. This is the agreement that no one has to state any terms of; it’s just there, like the bug is just there, hanging between us with its own form and logic, its own primitive thirst for basic survival and possibly, if we could know it better, its own form of ennui. You just don’t know, right? If inanimate objects can have con-

sciousness, then surely— “Yeah,” Bicycle says, resuming our earlier conversation, “So in the book, this is about a social scientist...and he translates something to me from its native Japanese.”—I mean, he’s really well-read, but it’s just… it’s just obnoxious, you know?”

My eyes are trained on the bug, who has remained transfixed. It seems calm. That’s weird, since it had just shown up groping about as though it had been in a terrific jam of bugs and cacti, and had escaped, unscathed, a miracle!, and dizzyingly took the giant leap and zipped itself up not one, not two, not three, but yes, the said FOUR flights of stairs, and smashed into the ceiling here, or floundered in the rails of the railing between our space and the airy empty where only flying things can venture. Then it had rammed itself into the white tile of the far wall, and somehow, come to rest there.

Everything is grand, but… there’s this dude hanging out here. From the corner of my eye, I note Bicycle’s pose is also fixed pointedly on the guest.

Now that the thing is still, I get a better look. It’s sizable. Maybe the size of a human palm? It’s got... antennae, and lots of legs, and wings that are shaped like little kites, the box kites like you see in old films that are supposed to make you feel nostalgic and like the world was way better when people {see TRAVEL REPORT cont’d on page 14}

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asianweekly northwest

10

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

■ business

Fortune cookie says: Good luck and longevity Henry Louie has both

The oldest noodle factory in Washington state, Tsue Chong Co. will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. It produces 80,000 fortune cookies a day.

Yet, none of the millions of fortunes in these cookies could predict that the past three generations of owners have lived and continue to live long lives.

What kind of lifestyle does the 90-yearold CEO Henry Louie practice? What are his special secrets when it comes to longevity?

The business has now progressed to the 4th generation; and his son Tim, is the president.

Born in New York, Louie can speak Cantonese, Toishanese and Mandarin (and of course, English). It’s interesting to see how he shifts between the dialects when he speaks to employees and his wife, when most seniors lose their language abilities. So goes the saying, “…if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Louie, though semi-retired, still spends at least three or four hours each day at the factory. He wears no glasses, needs no walker, and greets 40 of his employees with a smile and knows their names. He told the Asian Weekly that he is needed to solve problems on machines and human affairs.

Photos by Assunta Ng/NWAW

By Assunta Ng Northwest Asian Weekly

Henry working on calligraphy

Manufacturing cookies

Staff making noodles

With his degree in industrial engineering, he knows everything about the machines in his plant---the mechanics, production quantity, and quality. That involves running around the factory, upstairs, and downstairs through an elevator. He has found his purpose.

“I want him to feel needed,” said Tim who has taken over the business. “I want him to come here every day.”

Louie has his own office at the factory with stacks of books, papers, and photos lying around. He was responsible for expanding the products to 17 different kinds of noodles

and building a new factory with his deceased brother Kenneth.

Aside from giving advice whenever he is asked, Louie also wraps wonton skin and folds boxes a day for the noodles. Seniors using their fingers often, have less problems in arthritis and rheumatism, and could also stimulate their brain. When interviewed, there were already dozens of boxes.

Louie said he practices his Chinese calligraphy in his spare time. The fact is, he doesn’t only do it in his free time. He practices it almost every day.

When he was four, Louie went back to China with his family to escape the depression. During the Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s, he and his family returned to Seattle.

What keeps Louie joyful and peaceful is his religion, he told the Asian Weekly.

Tim confirms his father’s ardent faith as a Christian. For 53 years, Louie has been a member of the University Presbyterian {see TSUE CHONG cont’d on page 14}

Congratulations to Dawn Cheung for winning Miss Chinese Seattle 2015 We are proud of you!

Gary Tang Insook Kim Jocelyn Lui Junko Yamazaki Saul Tran Cornwall

33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

11

OPINION

■ commentaries

Photo by Rebecca Ip/SCP

Dear Mayor Murray: Herrmann Scholbe Please support our neighborhood advises bus crash victims

Charles Herrmann and John Scholbe

Seattle attorneys Charles Herrmann and John Scholbe announced that several family members of victims of the horrific Ride the Ducks bus crash have contacted their firm for legal advice. “The first thing I tell them is not to talk with representatives of the tour bus or the Ducks companies, their associated travel agencies, and especially their insurance companies.

Regardless of how nice or helpful they may seem, the harsh truth is that part of their job is to minimize claims of the victims. Naturally, everyone ought to talk freely with their doctors, the investigating governmental authorities, their families as well as lawyers they may retain, but then no one else,” Herrmann warned.

“Every survivor should have their injuries photographed immediately and throughout the course of their healing in recovery. Graphic pictures revealing the appearance of their wounds and their suffering will prove extremely valuable later when their claims are presented. We can secure copies of medical and financial records later, but missed photos are gone forever. Take many detailed photos now,” attorney Scholbe strongly advised.

Attorney Scholbe continued: “With the number of people killed and injured another concern will be whether these companies were carrying enough insurance to adequately compensate all of the victims. Given the number of deaths and horrific injuries in this accident, the $5 million insurance required by law may prove woefully inadequate to fully compensate all victims. Some victims may have their own underinsured motorist coverage that may provideadditional compensation shouldthese companies’ insurance prove inadequate.There may be

others who share in the fault.”

Herrmann cautioned, “While it is too early to reach firm conclusions, we know the Duck Boat crossed over the center line to crash into a Bellair tour bus traveling in the opposite direction.The Duck 6 driver evidently attempted to change lanes into the left/inside lane closest to the oncoming south bound lanes. It was at this point that he lost control of Duck 6. His vehicle began to slide sideways and crossed over into the southbound lanes where it struck the driver’s side of the Bellair tour bus.

The roles of the drivers of the Duck boat, the tour bus company, and the other two cars involved must be examined. If there were any mechanical failures, their maintenance and management must also be reviewed.

Eyewitnesses report that the left front wheel of the Duck Boat malfunctioned. An eyewitness following Duck 6 gave the following description of what he observed: “The duck boat was signaling to enter the left lane.

As it was making its turn to enter the left lane, it seemed to lurch suddenly. I saw a bunch of smoke and what appeared to be the front, left wheel pop off. It clipped a smaller SUV and basically almost t-boned into the oncoming bus and spun around.”

Other witnesses said the left front wheel broke off from Duck 6 and that red fluid appeared to coming out of that wheel well. The NTSB spokesperson confirmed that the left front axle had been sheared off, although they could not yet determine whether it was broken prior to, or during, the accident.

The Duck Boat is a WWII amphibious landing craft (DUKW) originally designed to deliver troops and supplies from large ships onto beaches as part of military invasions. Duck 6 was 70 years old, manufactured in 1945. It was not originally intended to be driven on crowded urban streets.According to information we have developed, Ride the Duck performs its own maintenance on its fleet of 20 such Duck vehicles and would most likely be held responsible for any mechanical failure on a 70 year old converted landing craft like Duck 6.

Critics have also complained that the Duck drivers are assigned too many tasks. They are not only drivers, but they are also function as tour guidesentertaining {see HERRMANN SCHOLBE cont’d on page 15}

TAITUNG

Chinatown International District is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the modern era of the city of Seattle. Uwajimaya has been a constant in the neighborhood, doing our best to be a relevant retailer and a valuable asset to the downtown core. We participated in the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle and since have been a popular destination for visitors and the many living in the Northwest. We do all that we can to help our district—but we are losing the battle. Every day we deal with aggressive panhandlers, drug dealers, and drug users and their discarded needles, prostitution, and the mentally ill. We lost one employee who was beaten up by three young adults. You are aware of the mental health issues expressed in our store last year with the disturbed individual who spread human feces across whole aisles in our store, another person who entered our loading dock with a knife and stabbed our truck tires multiple times. Our security team faces an ever increasing theft and combativeness issues in the downtown store. Benito Enriquez was killed by blunt force trauma on Weller Street in front of our food merchants in Uwajimaya Village.

Seattle store employees are asking what is going on with the marked increase in street issues. Donnie Chin’s presence is no longer felt on the streets.

If we can help one person at a time like Donnie Chin did, then our city will be better, but as you know, the numbers are overwhelming.

Mayor Murray, we are a working class neighborhood with many elderly living in the district. Despite the low income per capita, elderly volunteer to walk the streets, we organize, we fund a public safety director. Direct support goes a long

way here.

Mayor Murray, help us move forward with: — The commitment to the apprehension of Person Responsible for the murder of Donnie Chin.

Equitable allocation of city and policing resources—including police response to hookah clubs after hours; good community police officers, the CID being in one precinct — Commitment to police storefront/public safety locations in the neighborhood — Commitment to park ranger office for Hing Hay Park — Having a human services focused strategy for the neighborhood — Protection of low income assisted living facilities (removal of King’s Hookah Lounge) — Operational work group with Mayor’s office—to talk about a different approach to policing, constant issues in the neighborhood, etc.

— Evolving data reporting—911 data is not reflective, should not be a benchmark — Funding in 2016 city budget for a neighborhood plan — Immediate program investments in youth, young adults, and senior programs Mayor Murray, as you have seen, we love our city and our district.

As demonstrated by Donnie Chin’s ceaseless work here we what we can and then some. Again we need help from the city. The city’s return on investment here can be tremendous but we need that investment.  Respectfully, Alann Hamada Store Director, Uwajimaya Inc. Seattle

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asianweekly northwest

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OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

{NEW DELHI cont’d from page 5} His dismissal comes amid the stiffest crackdown in decades on critics and activist and aid groups perceived to be undermining India’s image and interests.

Since Modi took office last year, more than 9,000 humanitarian and human rights groups have lost their registration to receive foreign funding, effectively shutting many down, and dozens of activists have been threatened with arrest.

“Governments in general don’t like criticism,” said Teesta Setalvad, an activist fighting for the survivors and victims of the Gujarat riots who has been repeatedly harassed by authorities. “This particular government, from all its actions it is clear, is especially intolerant of any criticism.”

Setalvad, a vocal Modi critic, had her home and office raided in July by investigators searching for evidence of embezzlement, and one prosecutor has called for her arrest, describing her as a threat to national security.

The government denies efforts to silence dissent. Nalin Kohli, a spokesman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, says that cases such as Bhatt’s are for the courts to decide.

But the government has made clear it views aid organizations, particularly foreign ones, with deep suspicion.

Authorities started imposing restrictions after a government intelligence report last year said that local activists were working on the orders of foreign powers to undermine India’s economic growth. The report said India lost up to 3 percent of GDP when groups like Greenpeace rallied communities against polluting industries.

Greenpeace India said its bank account has been frozen for months, and in January one of its activists was barred from boarding a flight to London, where she was to tell British lawmakers about a coal mining project in India, after she was told she was on a list of people not allowed to leave the country.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government’s restrictions on humanitarian groups and their

“donor-driven activism” were merely to hold them accountable.

That has had a chilling effect.

Three humanitarian groups interviewed by The Associated Press refused to speak about the crackdown on the record for fear of government reprisals. All three said their projects, ranging from health to women’s empowerment, are being closely scrutinized by authorities and negative publicity could jeopardize them.

“Any kind of organized or institutional protest or criticism is clearly under greater threat under this government. There’s no doubt about that,” said Mukul Kesavan, a historian at New Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University.

Modi, however, enjoys wide support among Indians. He led his party’s landslide victory in general elections in 2014, and has an almost cult-like status in the country. Most of his supporters do not see the crackdown against the critics as a problem, and many are supportive.

Part of Modi’s persona, and that of his party, is built around Hindu nationalism, which appeals to fundamentalists and radicals. Modi’s election encouraged and gave voice to such groups, who until then had remained on the fringes of politics in the largely secular country. Today, few people among his supporters are willing to believe that Modi was complicit in the 2002 riots, citing the fact that no court has found him culpable.

Bhatt, however, says he has no doubts about Modi’s involvement.

2002 RIOTS Bhatt was an officer with the intelligence bureau in the western state of Gujarat in 2002 when a train filled with Hindu pilgrims was attacked by a Muslim mob in a small town. A fire erupted under mysterious circumstances and 60 Hindus burned to death. In retaliation, Muslims were attacked across the state, and more than 1,100 people — mostly Muslims — were killed in ensuing riots.

As investigations into the violence dragged on for years, Bhatt felt compelled in 2011 to go to India’s Supreme Court. He submitted a sworn affidavit saying that shortly

after the train fire, Modi told a meeting of top police officers and administrators that Muslims needed to be “taught a lesson” and the state’s Hindus needed to be allowed to “vent out their anger.”

Modi has never directly addressed Bhatt’s claims and no evidence directly links him to the violence. He has dismissed all allegations that he or his government had any role in the riots, and he has not been charged with any crime.

Bhatt, a Hindu, says the violence changed “everything I stood for until then.”

“I’ve seen riots before. Two sides fighting each other,” he said. “2002 was different. The police and the state connived in the destruction of Muslim life and property.”

Modi’s supporters reject Bhatt’s claims, saying that it’s just his word against the prime minister’s. They deride him as a front for the political opposition, noting his wife once ran for election representing the opposition Congress party.

Five months after he went to the Supreme Court, Bhatt was arrested for fabricating evidence. His arrest came after a policeman who assisted Bhatt recanted testimony that Bhatt had been present at the 2002 meeting of government officials. Bhatt, who was freed on bail 17 days later, says the policeman recanted under government pressure.

The case against him has been put on hold by the Supreme Court.

Bhatt acknowledges that he did take extended leaves of absence to appear before government commissions investigating the riots and his allegations and for court appearances, but says that dismissing him on those grounds is politics.

He says the threats and firing haven’t surprised him. “That’s just the kind of person he is,” he said, referring to Modi.

Modi was guilty of administrative lapses if not criminal charges,” she said. “But then we were taking on one state government.”

She says that witnessing Modi’s rise to national power has been “Kafkaesque and quite bizarre.”

Since taking on the riot-related cases, Setalvad and her organization have been also been accused of receiving funds illegally, breaking foreign exchange laws and coaching witnesses. Setalvad has denied all charges and hasn’t been formally charged with any wrongdoing.

In July, the Central Bureau of Investigation raided her home and office in Mumbai looking for evidence that Setalvad and her husband siphoned millions of rupees from her organization for big salaries and splurges on luxury items.

Soon afterward, a government prosecutor asked that she be arrested to investigate whether her organization misused funds it got from the Ford Foundation. She was granted anticipatory bail by a court and has managed to avoid jail.

The Ford Foundation, one the U.S.’s largest philanthropies, has given Setalvad’s organization hun-

dreds of thousands of dollars in funding since 2004. In April, India’s Home Ministry ordered that the foundation get government clearance before giving funds to Indian partners.

The restriction, rare in India, prompted the U.S. State Department and American ambassador to express concern publicly.

Kohli, the BJP spokesman, denied that the government is targeting Setalvad, saying that if she has nothing to hide, then she has nothing to fear.

Setalvad said the crackdown on activists comes at a time when crucial cases from the 2002 riots are about to come before the Supreme Court. “The state is making every attempt to subvert the process of justice,” she said.

Kesavan, the historian at Jamia Millia Islamia University, described the steps authorities have taken against Setalvad’s organization as “incredibly vindictive.”

“What we’re seeing here,” he said, “is an attempt to push the envelope on what the state considers the boundaries of free speech.” 

TAKING ON THE STATE Setalvad’s organization, Citizens for Peace and Justice, was formed after the Gujarat riots to help families of victims navigate India’s daunting and glacial justice system.

She and her colleagues felt a sense of fear as soon as they got involved in the riot cases, she said.

“We were very clearly saying that

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■ astrology

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

13

For the week of October 3–October 9, 2015

By Sun Lee Chang

Rat — Are there some upgrades that are causing concern for you? Give yourself time to get accustomed to the changes.

Dragon — While you may be impatient to see immediate growth, there are some things that you will just have to wait for.

Monkey — Growing bored with your current look?

Do a little research, then put together a style that is decidedly different from the one you have now.

Ox — Too many people trying to run the show could be a recipe for chaos. Divide up the duties upfront, to minimize conflict.

Snake — Grabbing the closest available option isn’t necessarily the best course of action. You might have to go a little further to come up with the right choice.

Tiger — You are trying on a new role that you haven’t had before. Ease in gently at first, and then go all in when you are comfortable.

Horse — Don’t expect to be able to do everything on your itinerary. Leave some room for flexibility, just in case something really catches your fancy.

Rooster — Until recently, you thought that subtle signals would get your message across; however, a lack of response is a clear indication you should change your approach.

Rabbit — Ready to go, but is someone else holding up the show? Helping them could put you on the road faster.

Goat — Have you agreed to an assignment that is more than you can handle? It probably makes sense to ask for additional time or assistance.

Dog — Avoiding a vice can be quite a tough task. Give yourself some distractions to help keep your mind off of whatever you are trying to stay away from.

Pig — Short term rewards can be appealing, but accepting those could hinder your progress toward your real goals further down the road.

What’s your animal sign?

Rat 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 Tiger 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 Rabbit 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 Dragon 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 Horse 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 Goat 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 Monkey 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004 Rooster 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005 Dog 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 Pig 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

{SPORTS cont’d from page 8}

{MANILA cont’d from page 5}

Clarkson off of Team Philippines for FIBA Asia Championships

the Bergens Tidende newspaper in Norway.

Ridsdel is the former chief operating officer of mining company TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of Canada’s TVI Pacific, where he is still a consultant, a company officer said.

There were no immediate booking cancellations and departures of tourists on Samal island although resort operators expect a drop in the number of visitors once news of the abductions spreads, said Araceli Ayuste, who operates two resorts.

No group has claimed responsibility. Muslim and communist rebels, al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants and criminal syndicates have been active for years in the restive southern region due to weak law enforcement in rural areas despite years of onand-off government crackdowns.

Communist New People’s Army guerrillas are active in the hinterlands of the Davao region, about 975 kilometers (610 miles) southeast of Manila, where they have denounced foreign mining

Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson had thoughts of representing the Philippines in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship starting September 23rd. Clarkson, whose mother is Filipino, visited the Philippines in the off season and was impressed by the immense and intense following by fans. The Lakers were fine with Clarkson playing in early tournament games but the Philippine Basketball Association indicated that they were not able to “beat the deadline to secure the necessary clearance on time.”

Clarkson wanted to play for the Philippines in early tournament games but would have to leave early for Lakers training camp in Hawaii as the NBA season is set to begin next month. Former NBA player Andray Blatche will play for the Philippines once again this year. You might recall (if you follow international basketball) that Blatche was granted Filipino citizenship last year so that he could play in the FIBA championships last year. It paid off as Blatche was the star player for the national team.

The winner of the FIBA Asia Championships gets an automatic berth into the Olympic Games. The last time the Philippines national team made it to the Olympic Games was 1972.

Alibaba opens sports division

The Chinese ecommerce company, Alibaba, has set up a new sports business this past month. Details are vague as the company, which has an office in Seattle, continues to expand into areas beyond e-commerce.

According to a press release, Alibaba Sports Group “expects to integrate e-commerce, media, marketing, video, home entertainment, cloud computing and other Internet-enabled technologies to form a sports platform that will participate in different aspects of the professional sports industry, including sports copyrights, sports media, events, ticketing, etc.”

Is that a broad enough statement?

It was originally thought that Alibaba would set up its U.S. headquarters in Seattle. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case. With the economic growth concerns ongoing in China, the opening of a new division could be a risky move or a wise decision. We shall see what they decide to do.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@ nwasianweekly.com.

operations and military counterinsurgency assaults.

Abu Sayyaf militants are notorious for kidnapping foreigners and Filipinos for ransom in the vast Mindanao region. In 2001, Abu Sayyaf militants tried unsuccessfully to seize hostages from the Pearl Farm Beach Resort south of Ocean View during a ransom-kidnapping spree.

The Abu Sayyaf abducted 21 people, mostly European tourists, from a diving resort in neighboring Malaysia in 2000, then abducted three Americans and 17 Filipinos the following year from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan province southwest of Manila.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen are still holding other hostages, including two Malaysians, a Dutch bird watcher kidnapped nearly three years ago, and a town mayor. All are believed to be held by the militants in their jungle bases in southern Sulu province.  Associated Press writers Jim Gomez in Manila and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed to this report.

{JUKU cont’d from page 9}

{CLARK cont’d from page 3}

but white full-body make up is common, along with slow movements, and extreme, sometimes dangerous, performing environments. Sankai Juku actually lost a dancer in Seattle—Yoshiuki Takada, who fell to his death in 1985, performing a piece that required him and other dancers to dangle from a building.

Asked to explain butoh, Amagatsu calls it “A dialogue with gravity. That is not repulsion to gravity, but is more close to conformity with gravity. Therefore, a little careful way of corresponding with gravity is necessary. In this view, some people may say our dance is slow-motion, but it’s not. It is a result of careful correspondence with gravity.”

“For me,” Amagatsu continues, “the thing more important is my concentration for the piece to be presented, rather than expecting some [artistic] reputations. I think that the impressions of audiences can vary from one another.

“Since the first European tour in 1980, I have been subject to other cultures than my native one.

Then I learned that each culture is different and the differences make a culture, and that there is something common, beyond the difference of cultures, which can be called universality. So, from the reason that many cultures allow me to notice something common exists, I can say I have influences. Not by a specific culture, but by the shower of many cultures.” Asked about his plans for the future, Amagatsu reflects: “My curiosity and interests on how people stand, walk, and move never run out. The process of [how] people come to stand is common beyond cultures or human races. And people will repeat it for over millions years from now on, too. The relationship of people and nature (environment) there, too, are interesting for me.” 

practicing calligraphy…even being a part of the cultural community helps the brain stay active.

As for the business model Clark has developed, his success is impressive.

According to the Aegis website Clark “grew Aegis Living from a dream to a company that has over $1 billion in real estate assets, over $150 million in operating revenue, nearly 2,200 employees and is one of the most sought after operators in the country.”

King 5 (Seattle television station) rated Aegis as the best company to work for in the sector.

Along with his other books, he also authored “Help Wanted: Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining Exceptional Staff,” which reflects his work principles and his continued business success.

Clark was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007. He

Sankai Juku presents “Umusuna: Memories Before History” October 1st through October 3rd at the Meany Hall For The Performing Arts.

was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from Senior Services. There is a program at Bastyr University named the “Dwayne J. Clark Healthy Aging Program” –Clark was granted the Bastyr University Mission Award.

Aegis Living was also named Best Retirement Facility by 425 magazine three years in a row.

What is next for Aegis? There will be $50 million in development and the company will be hiring approximately 700-plus new staff.

Clark’s dedication to his mother, seniors’ issues, and his staff is certainly visionary.  For reservations, call 206-223-0623 or email at rsvp@nwasianweekly. com.

Peggy Chapman can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

asianweekly northwest

14

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

{TRAVEL REPORT cont’d from page 9}

{TSUE CHONG cont’d from page 10}

flew kites, but no, this bug, no, it’s not got all the structural parts you would need if you were really a box kite and not a—what. I’m not sure. I squint and see he (she?) is brownish-grey, but that might be the yellow-tinge of today’s choice of lighting.

Bicycle points out accurately that if the bug were more cockroach-looking, we would have moved inside long ago. We move pretty quickly, switching off the lights, letting the bug linger. A philosophical reverie, perhaps, you just never know. The miracle of existence! All the multiplicity of forms of being!, how intriguing—with our various styles, shapes and kinds. 

Church. He enjoys group meetings with church members.

“We like to share, inspire, and encourage each other,” Louie said.

When asked about the secrets of longevity, Louie said, being “low-key and humble” are key factors. “I don’t like publicity. I like spending time in churches. We need spiritual nourishment and engagement so we can feel at peace. And I feel fortunate in my life.”

Louie also eats little meat and more veggies in his diet. “I am very careful with what I eat. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I am comfortable without having them.”

His favorite activity is to spend time on the computer every night, surfing the Internet, not to play games, but to learn.

{RITTENBERG cont’d from page 6}

Mao. Not anything else really. If you look at it, first of all, his thunderous campaign against the corruption, he does not allow it to become a mass movement. But with Mao, he emphasized mass movement. Mao’s method of operating was to sic the masses on the bad guys, let the masses expose them, struggle with them. Xi doesn’t allow any of that. If you try to start that kind of activity, they won’t allow it. So it’s very different, it’s opposite from Mao really. Mass line, not Maoism. Mass line simply means you make policy by going “to the masses and from the masses” when you are a policy making body. Before you make your policy, you listen to what people are demanding, what people need. So that’s “to the masses” and then you go “from the masses”.

You bring their needs and demands up to your center and you form a policy based on that. Then you take it back to see how it works. If it’s not working, it probably won’t work

immediately. I don’t think that was against Hu Jintao or Wen Jiabao. I think they had agreed with this approach to begin with.

Not only powerful, Xi Jinping has also revived some Maoism, or Mao’s practice, such as the “mass line,” “criticism and self-criticism,” his own version of Yan’an Talk on Literature and Art that art should serve the people and socialism, and his statement that one should not negate the first 30 years of the PRC, which included the Cultural Revolution. Do you see Mao in Xi Jinping?

Sidney Rittenberg: No, only in one respect: dialectic materialism. If you read the things he wrote when he was provincial leader, he always stressed theory, especially stressed dialectic logic. On that I think he is a student of

“There are so much new things to learn and many interesting ideas,” Louie said. “Internet is an encyclopedia.”

Every day, he exercises for one hour to strengthen his heart muscles since he had major heart surgery before. And he walks a lot to breath fresh air in the morning.

The other tip for longevity is regular check-ups. “I have three doctors, family, heart, and eye. Anything I don’t feel right, I don’t wait. I see my doctor right away.”

Louie’s grandfather died when he was 85.

“Let’s see if he (dad) can beat his own dad who lived till 97,” said Tim. “He already beat his mom (who died at the age of 85).”  Assunta Ng can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly. com.

perfectly, so you revise it as you go along. That’s all the mass line is. It’s not about class struggle. Really it’s got nothing to do with Mao’s ideology. I don’t think it’s anything like in Mao’s days. I think Xi Jinping went through a period when he had provincial leaders and so on going on TV. Really painless self-criticism, just very superficial things they talked about mostly. Why did he do it? I think the reason he did it was at the 18th Congress, when they took a decision to crackdown on corruption, it says that the corrupt cadre who tell the truth and change up to a certain time, I am not sure how much time it was, would not be punished. I think he was giving them an opportunity to get right before the crackdown.  Wen Liu can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

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33 YEARS YOUR VOICE

{DUCK BOAT 1 cont’d from page 1} the agency has looked into a land crash of the amphibious vehicles critics say are too dangerous for city streets.

The agency has scrutinized the military-style vehicles several times when they’ve been in accidents on water, board member Earl Weener said at a news conference Friday.

Four international students died in the crash Thursday after witnesses said the duck boat veered into the oncoming bus on a Seattle bridge.

A team of investigators arrived Friday and would spend a week or more on site. A typical investigation lasts a year, Weener said.

Even before the crash, calls had emerged for greater oversight and even an outright ban on the military-style vehicles that allow tourists to see cities by road and water.

Critics say the large amphibious vehicles are built for war, not for ferrying people on narrow city streets.

“Duck boats are dangerous on the land and on the water. They shouldn’t be allowed to be used,’’ Robert Mongeluzzi, a Philadelphia attorney, said Friday, renewing his call for a moratorium on their operation nationwide.

His firm represented the families of victims in a deadly 2010 crash near Philadelphia. A tugboat-guided barge plowed into a duck boat packed with tourists that had stalled in the Delaware River, sinking the boat and killing two Hungarian students.

“They were created to invade a country from the water, not to carry tourists,’’ said Mongeluzzi, whose firm now represents the family of a woman killed in May by an amphibious vehicle in Philadelphia.

Some attorneys also question the focus of the drivers.

In Seattle, tours are complete with exuberant operators who play loud music and quack through speakers.

“This is a business model that requires the driver to be a driver, tour guide and entertainer at the same time,’’ said Steve Bulzomi, the attorney for a motorcyclist who was run over and dragged by a duck boat that came up behind him at a stoplight in Seattle in 2011.

Brian Tracey, president of Ride the Ducks Seattle, which is independently owned and operated, said Thursday it was too early to speculate about what happened. “We will get to the bottom’’ of the crash, he said.

Tracey said the captains are certified by the Coast Guard and licensed as commercial drivers, and they are required to take continuing education once a month.

State regulators last conducted a comprehensive safety inspection of the Ride the Ducks fleet, including driver qualifications, employee drug and alcohol testing, in 2012. They issued a satisfactory rating. The company operates 17 amphibious vehicles and employs 35 drivers, according to the state review.

{HERRMANN SCHOLBE cont’d from page 11} the passengers with describing points of interest and regaling them with anecdotes, folklore and humor.

The roadway itself may prove critical. Was it designed properly? Were the lanes too narrow? Should there have been median barriers? The State of Washington is responsible for the roadway. Many times an accident is the result of a combination of errors or failures on the part of multiple parties. It is often not the result of just one cause.

In this regard we note that the Aurora Bridge was built 83 years ago (1932) when traffic in Seattle was far lighter.

It bears 6 lanes of travel – 3 in each direction at a speed limit of 40mph. These lanes are the narrowest of any 6-lane bridge in the state. While the standard lane width is 12 feet, on the Aurora Bridge, the center northbound lane is 9 feet, 3 inches wide. The other lanes on the bridge are 9 feet, 6 inches wide to 9 feet, 8 inches. There is no median barrier to prevent vehicles from accidently crossing over into opposing traffic.

Washington Department of Transportation (WDOT) years ago recognized that this stretch of highway has one of the highest rates of accidents in the state. In 2003, WDOT proposed that the sidewalks be placed under the bridge roadway to widen the lanes and to install a median barrier to prevent this kind of accident.

Duck 6, the one involved in this accident was refurbished in 2005 with a new GM engine and chassis by Ride the Ducks International the parent company. Further, the NTSB had learned that Ride the Ducks International issued a warning in 2013 about potential axel failure that needed to be repaired or monitored closely. It is unclear if the local franchise Ride the Ducks Seattle received this warning from Ride the Ducks International. This Duck is over 8 feet wide, nearly the width of the lanes.

All these questions present lines of inquiry to be pursued in the ongoing investigation. While some of the pertinent facts are already known, a thorough investigation will most

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said Ride the Ducks Seattle has voluntarily sidelined its vehicles for the time being.

The amphibious boats are remnants from when the U.S. Army deployed thousands of amphibious landing craft during World War II. Once the war was over, some were converted to sightseeing vehicles in U.S. cities.

Ferndale, Washington-based Bellair Charters, which owns the bus involved in the crash, was last inspected by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2013 and received a satisfactory rating, state regulators said.

About 45 students and staff from North Seattle College were traveling Thursday to the city’s iconic Pike Place Market and Safeco Field for orientation events when witnesses said the duck boat suddenly swerved into their oncoming charter bus.

The driver of the charter bus reported that the duck boat “careened’’ into them on the bridge, Richard Johnson, president of Bellair Charters, said Friday.

Authorities say it’s too soon to determine what caused the crash that killed five students including those from Austria, China, Indonesia and Japan.

Weener, from the NTSB, said federal authorities’ goal is to prevent future accidents. “We’d like to find out what... the industry can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again,’’ he said Friday.

Katie Moody, 30, from Fremont, California, was among 36 tourists aboard the duck boat when it crashed.

From her hospital bed, where she was recovering from a broken collarbone, she broke into tears Friday as she recounted the accident.

“I just remember it felt like we lost control, and I looked up and saw the bus headed toward us,’’ Moody said. “Hearing the impact, that was the scariest part.’’

“Our hearts go out to those injured, many of whom came from countries around the world to visit or study in Seattle,” said Mayor Murray. “For many of these families, the long-term medical expenses will be considerable, not to mention the immediate needs associated with hospital stays and travel expenses. As a compassionate city, this community is already coming together to provide muchneeded support.”

Because of the outpouring of support and requests to make financial contributions, the Foundation for the Seattle Colleges has set up a fund to aid North Seattle College students and staff in need. To make a financial contribution to this fund, please visit the North Seattle College or Seattle Colleges websites. All proceeds will go directly toward helping the students and those involved in the accident.  Associated Press writers Gene Johnson, Lisa Baumann, Donna Blankinship and Manuel Valdes contributed to this report.

likely take several months to a year to complete. However, nearly all of the evidence is being preserved. Videos and/ or photos of the actual crash will eventually be available.

All causes will be determined once the investigation is completed.

The law firm successfully represented numerous victims of the Mi Joo bus crash where the tour bus driver lost control causing the bus to plummet off a cliff near Pendleton, Oregon in 2012.

Attorney Herrmann gained an international reputation successfully representing 89 Korean Victims in the shoot down of Korean Airlines Flight KAL 007 in 1983. In that case he recovered $10 million U.S. Dollars for one family alone. He and his team of lawyers went on to recover in excess of $150 million for 118 Korean victims of Korean Airlines accident in Guam in 1997 and more recently Air China’s crash near Gim Hae in the Spring of 2002 as Korea was co-hosting the World Cup. In that same year, Herrmann took on representation of 62 Taiwanese victims of China Airlines flight CI 611 that exploded over the Strait of Taiwan while in route to Hong Kong. The firm is currently representing victims of the crash of Asiana flight 214 at San Francisco in the summer of 2013.

“The suffering of these victims in this bus crash is terribly similar to those in the Mi Joo bus crash. Not only have they sustained serious physical injuries, the psychological trauma can also be devastating. My heart goes out to all of these victims and their families. It has been a horrific tragedy.”

The attorney concluded: “Finally, one of the problems these victims will face in presenting legal claims for compensation lies in Chinese and American cultural differences. There exist many differences such as roles in family like the head of family, the oldest son, taking care of the elderly, even business customs, how salaries and fringe benefits are paid; the list is long. All these Chinese cultural aspects must be effectively communicated to American judges and juries. So, victims need to retain not only

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

15

{CHEUNG cont’d from page 9} The women needed to compete in Chinese evening gown and personality, talent, and showmanship, form and fitness (through a swimsuit competition, speech, and a separate interview with a panel of judges).

The question-and-answer competition was worth 50 out of 200 points, a significant portion of the contest. Cheung, a communications major, was asked how she could integrate between Chinese and American culture. Cheung was able to win the judges over by sharing her identity conflicts being a Chinese American when she grew up. She was able to use her experience to relate to youth and immigrants, who have been going through the same ordeal at ACRS. Due to the language barrier, many contestants had asked the judges to repeat the question two to three times. The judges were Vi Mar, Kim Vu, Joe Gong, Janet Spangler, and Bruce Locke.

Cheung will receive a $5,000 cash prize. Her sponsor is Katie Au, a State Farm agent.

Organized by the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the scholarship pageant was founded more than half a century ago.  Assunta Ng can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly. com.

{ALIBABA cont’d from page 1} of Alibaba after a world-record U.S. IPO last September. As of September 2015, the stock has lost half of its value and is trading below its $68 IPO price.

But, with the new sports division, there is hope that it may revive the current business climate. “Alibaba Sports Group aims to transform the China sports industry through the use of Internet-based technologies to bring greater and better products and services to consumers, sports participants and sports fans alike,” said Alibaba Group CEO Danial Zhang.

Sports are a big area of focus for Chinese Internet companies as U.S. and U.K. basketball and soccer leagues look to expand into Asia.

There is no word where the sports group would be located.

Alibaba has an office in Seattle. It was rumored that the company would make the region its U.S. headquarters but that speculation was quashed this summer.  Jason Cruz can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.

Want to become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter? Visit www.nwasianweekly.com. highly competent American lawyers, the attorneys must also be thoroughly familiar withChinese culture”  Anyone seeking more information can visit http://hslawfirm. comwhere we will be posting information and more detailed advice; or contact Holly Li on her cell phone: (206) 369-4611 or her email: holly@hslawfirm.com.

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asianweekly northwest

16

OCTOBER 3 – OCTOBER 9, 2015

On Behalf of Katie Au State Farm, CONGRATULATIONS to Dawn Cheung for winning 2015 Miss Chinese Seattle Queen and Miss Congeniality!

We couldn’t be more proud to have been your sponsor.

You represented State Farm and our culture wonderfully!

Katie Au, Agent

951 6th St. S. Kirkland, WA 98033 Bus: 425-827-2138 Katie@katieinsurance.com