By DENNIS DAHLIN

It's an ill hurricane that blows no one good, and this aphorism was evident in the Nicaraguan countryside. In a nation where more than half of the people are unemployed, the infusion of post-Mitch aid has brought temporary benefits. The Pan American Highway and major routes in many areas were humming with activity as workers repaired bridges and roads.

In addition, private investors were busy in Managua, which was spared most of Mitch's wrath. Destroyed in the 1972 earthquake, the center of the doughnut-shaped capital has remained a pockmarked void of vacant land, dominated by the damaged hulk of the abandoned cathedral. Around this hole in the city, though, new shopping malls and Holiday Inns were sprouting, and some sections were beginning to look like a seedy version of Miami.

Away from the cities and highways, the countryside presented a different picture. Campesinos had lost their crops to the hurricane, and food reserves were running low. The Catholic Church was delivering food shipments to distribution centers, but it was difficult for remote rural villagers to transport this aid back to their homes.

I was visiting Nicaragua as a volunteer with El Porvenir, a non-profit organization helping villages with clean water projects. In place of their customary work, El Porvenir staff members were delivering food supplies. Day after day, they were driving over remnants of roads, dodging boulders and skirting landslides to bring bags of beans and corn to communities in need.

The Leon region of Nicaragua had suffered the worst damage in the nation, including a tragic mudslide that killed more than a thousand people. This part of the country was a particularly bad place to be in a hurricane, because the nearly-level land provided no place to run from the relentless rain and raging waters.

Ominously, this area of greatest need was suffering from neglect. The president had declared the mudslide area a "national cemetery", but reportedly the government was doing little else. International aid workers said that wrecked roads and bridges sat untended, and they were concerned that devastated villages would be cut off when the rains return in May. In the absence of other assistance, Save the Children staff members were doing what they could to help hurricane victims.

At the time of my visit to the Leon area, the tropical sun beat down on dry riverbeds, with only the specter of uprooted trees testifying to the hurricane's recent wrath. Traveling with Save the Children workers, I arrived at an open field near the community of Minvah. Here, a group of sixty refugee families had gathered to ask for assistance. Save the Children was planning a home-construction blitz, racing against time to provide shelter before the rains returned in May, and the refugees were urging El Porvenir to help provide water for the new community.

As the meeting began, a dark cloud coalesced overhead. The refugees' careworn faces looked anxiously to the sky as scattered raindrops spattered the soil, triggering memories of the recent deluge. There was hope in the air, however, as people eagerly described their dreams of a new community. Against all odds, resilient children smiled and played in the dust, as their parents patiently waited for a better future.

ACTION: Find out more about El Porvenir online at www.elporvenir.org, join a brigade of volunteers to work on village water projects, or send contributions to El Porvenir at 2508 42nd St., Sacramento, CA 95817.

Former Stanislaus County resident Dennis Dahlin recently visited Nicaragua as a board member of El Porvenir, a Sacramento-based organization assisting villages with clean water and sanitation projects.

Nicaragua trip is planned

Around the Center

We welcome the new Modesto Peace/Life Center board members accepted at the Center's annual meeting February 27th: Sandy Sample, David Rockwell, Dan Onorato, Tom Hampson, Jim Costello with John Frailing as an alternate. Louise Weaver, John Lucas, and Jim Higgs continue their terms. Deborah Roberts, Sam Tyson, Jean Enero were reelected. Many thanks to Renaldo Raeheim for his service on the board, especially his work on Modesto High School's Days of Respect.

Monthly meetings have been moved to the fourth Tuesday of the month.

It was standing room only at the 1999 Peace Essay Contest Awards Reception March 19th. New committee members needed for the 2000 PEC; to volunteer, call the Center at 529-5750.

Deborah Roberts has been testing recipes for a commemorative pancake the 25th annual Pancake Breakfast on June 8th. Blueberry, Scotch Oaties, and buttermilk will be there too, of course. To help plan, call the Center at 529-5750.

Peace Camp is shaping up. This is a camp for people of all ages and the planning committee welcomes people of all ages as well. Next meeting: March 31st, 6:30 p.m. at the Modesto Peace/Life Center, 720 -13th Street.

By DAN ONORATO

Peace Camp in the high Sierra each June offers a wonderful blend of friendship, fun, delight in nature, and thoughtful reflection. To stimulate thought this summer, media critic Norman Solomon is the camp's main speaker. We are very fortunate. For the last three years Stanislaus Connections has frequently run Solomon's tart media critiques, so many people know his name. Now you can meet the person. Don't miss the opportunity. (His article on Culture Wars is in this issue, click here to go to it)

Solomon writes in the tradition of George Seldes, the fiercely independent father of American press criticism. Like Seldes, Solomon is passionate in exposing the abuses of power, and fearless in detailing how the media, as an integral part of corporate America, distort reality and often pay mere lip service to democracy.

Solomon is a nationally syndicated columnist on media and politics. His articles have appeared in many newspapers including the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsday, New York Times, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, USA Today, Baltimore Sun, International Herald Tribune, Canada's Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. He has appeared on many TV and radio programs such as ABC-TV's "Good Morning America," C-SPAN's "About Books," CNN's "Crossfire," and NPR's "All Things Considered" and "Talk of the Nation." In addition, Solomon has written nine books, seven of which focus on the media.

With roots in the major protest movements of the last forty years, it's no wonder Solomon has become one of this country's leading media critics. Living in Calcutta, India, when he was eleven helped shape his social conscience. Several years later in Washington, D.C., he was inspired by the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement and joined his first demonstration against segregated housing. The Vietnam War had a profound impact on him, and he learned a great deal from many anti-war activist friends. His eyes also opened to the way media reporting misrepresented what was really happening.

In the 1970's, living in Oregon, he participated in the anti-nuclear movement and later helped protest the White Train that carried finished warheads from Amarillo, Texas, to Bangor, Washington. He also worked in non-commercial radio and turned again to writing. Earlier he had written for WIN, a popular journal during the 60's featuring nonviolent protest and philosophy. In the mid 80's at the invitation of the Peace/Life Center, he visited Modesto in his capacity as Disarmament Director for the Fellowship of Reconciliation.

In 1982 Solomon launched his book-writing with Killing Our Own: The Disaster of America's Experience With Atomic Radiation. Columnist Jack Anderson wrote that this book helped "lift the veil of secrecy surrounding another great cover-up." Solomon's other non-media book, published in 1994, was False Hope: The Politics of Illusion in the Clinton Era, co-authored with Jeff Cohen. A few years earlier Cohen had started FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, with its excellent publication of EXTRA! for which Solomon has frequently written since it began.

With his 1990 publication, with Martin Lee, of Unreliable Source: A Guide to Detecting Bias in News Media, Solomon broke into the national spotlight as media critic. The book is a first-rate guide for reading the media. It also helps readers understand how the media have sacrificed truth-telling and news as they, like the rest of large U.S. corporate culture, have become more concerned with profits than the public good.

In 1992 Solomon came out with The Power of Babble: The Politician's Dictionary of Buzzwords and Doubletalk for Every Occasion. The National Council of Teachers of English nominated the book for its 1992 George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language.

Solomon co-authored his next three books with Jeff Cohen: Adventures in Media Land (1993), Through the Media Looking Glass: Decoding Bias and Blather in the News, (1995), and Wizards of Media Oz: Behind the Curtain of Mainstream News, (1997). This spring he will publish his ninth book, The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media: Decoding Spin and Lies in Mainstream News.

Norman Solomon is both social observer and activist, critic and guide. He will bring to this year's Peace Camp his gentle friendliness, playful wit, and passion for honesty and truth. He will also share a wealth of helpful suggestions on how we can more intelligently read or view the media and join in the effort to effect reform.

Sierra beauty, clear mountain air, radiant night skies, relaxed conversations, a rousing sing-a-long, a stimulating discussion about the media--Peace Camp offers it all.

By BARBARA DENLIS

The Third Annual Bike to Work Day celebration will be held Thursday, May 20, 1999. Registration forms will be available around the first of April.

The Family Cycling Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 22, 1999 in downtown Modesto. This year's event will be even bigger and better than before. A Junior Criterium, sponsored by Velo Promo, is for kids of all ages. Other planned activities include: a "Cop"etition - a bicycle competition between the bike patrol officers from various jurisdictions, Save Moves city - a bicycle and pedestrian safety obstacle course, the Modesto Police Department's Bicycle Obstacle course, Effective Cycling for Adults, bicycle repair clinics, demonstrations, best decorated bike contest, and more.

Last year approximately 500-600 people attend this event. An even bigger turn out is expected this year. This is a real opportunity to demonstrate how big cycling can be in this County.

By NANCY DIMOND

When I went to Europe back in '88 one of my favorite foods was the moussaka in Greece. A friend of mine in Colorado makes this vegetarian version which is every bit as good as the meat filled version. Hint: read the entire recipe to coordinate preparation and assemblage. Thanks, Colleen!

Country Style Moussaka

Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered 30 minutes.

Custard:

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk, heated
2 egg yolks, beaten
pinch of nutmeg

Heat milk. In separate saucepan, melt butter then stir in flour until smooth paste is formed and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in hot milk. Whisk until a smooth, thick sauce is formed. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes prior to adding egg yolks and nutmeg. When adding egg yolks, stir constantly to prevent curdling.

Filling:

1 large eggplant
2 large potatoes

Slice the eggplant in 1/2" rounds and potatoes in 1/4" rounds. Place eggplant slices on oiled baking sheet, salt lightly, cover with foil and bake at 375¡ for 1/2 hour. Boil potatoes for 10 minutes and drain thoroughly.

Other ingredients:

1 cup grated feta
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
freshly grated parmesan
fresh chopped parsley

Assemble:

Preheat oven to 375¡. In 9 x 13 oiled pan, layer 1/2 of each in order given: sauce, eggplant, potatoes, feta and bread crumbs; repeat. Then top with the custard, then parmesan, then parsley.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow moussaka to sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

By VASU MURTY

A popular Christian bumper sticker reads: "No Jesus -- No Peace. Know Jesus -- Know Peace." Its message is clear: peace is impossible without Jesus. Vegetarians have long taught that peace is impossible as long as humans shed the blood of animals. "I personally believe," wrote Isaac Bashevis Singer, "that as long as human beings will go on shedding the blood of animals, there will never be any peace. There is only one little step from killing animals to creating gas chambers a' la Hitler and concentration camps a' la Stalin -- all such deeds are done in the name of 'social justice.' There will be no justice as long as man will stand with a knife or with a gun and destroy those who are weaker than he is."

Are the beliefs of the Christians and those of the vegetarians really so dissimilar? According to the Bible, the only times humanity is ever at peace is under a vegetarian diet. The Bible begins (Genesis 1:29-31) and ends (Isaiah 11:6-9) in a kingdom where violence is unknown. "Not until we extend the circle of compassion to include all living things shall we ourselves know peace," taught Dr. Albert Schweitzer, one of the 20th century's leading Protestant theologians. When a man questioned his philosophy, saying God created animals for man to eat, Schweitzer replied, "Not at all."

Some of the most distinguished figures in the history of Christianity have been vegetarian. These include: Clemens Prudentius, Origen, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, St. Benedict, Aegidius, Boniface, St. Richard of Wyche, St. Filippo Neri, St. Colomba, John Wray, John Wesley, Joshua Evans, William Metcalfe, General William Booth, Ellen White, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, and Reverend V.A. Holmes-Gore.

Thomas Tryon (1634-1703) warned the first Quaker settlers of Pennsylvania that their "holy experiment" in peaceful living would fail unless they extended their Christian precepts of nonviolence to the animal kingdom. "Does not bounteous Mother Earth furnish us with all sorts of food necessary for life?" he asked. "Though you will not fight with and kill those of your own species, yet I must be bold to tell you, that these lesser violences (as you call them) do proceed from the same root of wrath and bitterness as the greater do."

Reverend Basil Wrighton, the chairman of the Catholic Study Circle for Animal Welfare in London, wrote in a 1965 article entitled, "The Golden Age Must Return: A Catholic's Views on Vegetarianism," that a vegetarian diet is not only consistent with, but actually required by the tenets of Christianity. He concluded that the killing of animals for food not only violates religious tenets, but brutalizes humans to the point where violence and warfare against other humans becomes inevitable.

"Who loves this terrible thing called war?" asked Isadora Duncan. "Probably the meat-eaters, having killed, feel the need to kill...The butcher with his bloody apron incites bloodshed, murder. Why not? From cutting the throat of a young calf to cutting the throats of our brothers and sisters is but a step. While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered animals, how can we expect any ideal conditions upon the earth?"

U Nu, the former Prime Minister of Burma, similarly observed: "World peace, or any other kind of peace, depends greatly on the attitude of the mind. Vegetarianism can bring about the right mental attitude for peace...it holds forth a better way of life, which if practiced universally, can lead to a better, more just, and more peaceful community of nations."

In a letter to a friend on the subject of vegetarianism, Albert Einstein wrote: "Besides agreeing with your aims for aesthetic and moral reasons, it is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."

Our nation's moral institutions, both secular and religious, should begin to seriously address the issues of animal rights and vegetarianism.

Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center needs your help

The baby birds are on their way...doves, meadowlarks, jays, mockingbirds, barn owls, kestrel hawks....and we need your help at the Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center in Hughson.

We are an all volunteer, non-profit rehabilitation center dedicated to helping California native wildlife survive in a growing urban environment. We need volunteers to help us four hours a week or two days a month feeding baby birds, washing dishes, preparing food/formula, etc.

Age requirements are as follows: None for those over 18; ages 16-17 must have an adult volunteer mentor (should not be a problem!); and 15 and under must have a parent or guardian to work with him/her. This is a great way for a parent and child to spend some positive time together.

ON THE LINE

sunny day
wet clothes in a basket
I reach up to pin them on the line to dry
a hawk wings wide glides overhead to rest above me
a lizard skitters suns itself on a rock somewhere nearby
a rabbit waits along the fenceline watching listening
all of them are dressed well for the occasion
while I have spent time and money and
not a little futile consternation for
the distinctly human practice
of hanging clothing out to dry
instead of simply
hanging out
on such a
sunny

Sheila Landre

Molly Ivins looks at the 60s Culture War

An alternative theory is that the cultural war dates back to the 1960s, and this is where I get totally lost reading right-wing cultural interpretations. The old joke is that the sixties were about sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll and that if you can remember it, you weren't there. (I think that's a P.J. O'Rourke line.) I was there and I can remember it.

I remember the decade as being about the Peace Corps, the civil-rights movement, and the anti-war movement. As Margot Adler writes in her memoir of the period, Heretic's Heart, it was quite possible to be an activist in the sixties and miss sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll in their entirety. "We Shall Overcome" remains the song of the decade for many.

That is, until 1968, the year of assassination, when it all turned very, very dark.

I could be wrong, but I still think the more berserk element of the 1960s was largely the consequence of Vietnam -- the drugs, the craziness, the feeling that the world made no sense. And that war was not the fault of those who fought it or opposed it. Your famous World War II generation presented that little gift to us: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Long time passing.

--from "A Toast to the Sixties" by Molly Ivins, The Progressive, March 1999.

By NORMAN SOLOMON

Creators Syndicate

You may be tired of hearing about a "culture war," but such talk is just getting started. On the media battlefield, righteous warriors are lining up to fight the infidels in the first big political conflict of the 21st century.

With the 2000 presidential campaign beckoning, some conservative crusaders see a new chance to sweep aside ambiguities and clearly divide friend from foe. "Culture war" could be an effective slogan, especially if the goal is to escalate arguments that can gain media attention while polarizing American society.

News outlets -- especially TV networks -- often welcome a simplistic fight. The real world is filled with contradictions and dilemmas that don't fit very well between commercials. Why explore the complexities of issues by including dozens of perspectives when it's easy to feature a dramatic clash between "both sides"?

Among the rhetorical gunslingers with fondness for cultural shootouts, none is quicker on the propaganda draw than Patrick Buchanan. Despite all his denunciations of news media, Buchanan has found them to be quite hospitable to his bombast. That's why he's now in a strong position to squirt lighter-fluid on smoldering social tensions.

During work stints in the White House, serving the Nixon and Reagan administrations, Buchanan sharpened his media-manipulation skills. He went on to become the first political pundit to appear on national television every day of the week.

Although he has never held elective office, Buchanan ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 1992 and again in 1996. Days ago, he began yet another leave of absence from his job as co-host of CNN's "Crossfire" so he can jump into his third presidential campaign.

It has become traditional for Buchanan's sparring partner to give him a cordial send-off when he leaves "Crossfire" to seek the presidency. In mid-February 1995, his "from the left" co-host at the time, Michael Kinsley, helped Buchanan to hold up a sign that gave his campaign's 800 number.

The on-camera moment was symbolic: While Buchanan and his allies are fierce partisans for right-wing causes, their network-designated "opponents" are wishy-washy liberals who rarely put up a fight for progressive positions.

Recently, Buchanan's syndicated column proclaimed that "in the culture, the left and its Woodstock values have triumphed." According to Buchanan, whose heroes include such dictators as Francisco Franco of Spain and Augusto Pinochet of Chile, "an anti-Western counterculture has completed its long march through America's institutions, capturing the arts, entertainment, the public schools and colleges, the media and even many churches."

Fine-tuning his battle cries for the 2000 campaign, Buchanan is now saying that American culture is a disaster -- and political action is the only way that conservatives can hope to rescue the country. "Politics is the last contested battlefield of our culture war," he declares, "for only through politics can the new cult, a militant and intolerant secularist faith that will abide no other, impose its values on us."

Read back over that last sentence, substituting the word "religious" for "secularist," and Buchanan is aptly describing his own approach.

Actually, war is a misleading metaphor for cultural conflicts in the United States. Often, demagogues are trying to make hay out of diversity that we should affirm rather than deplore. Even when people are at odds over social policies, there are more than two or three alternatives available. Genuine dialogue usually helps, though it frequently seems to be in short supply.

But conservatives aren't the only ones who find "culture war" imagery useful. Liberals often enjoy doing battle with theocratic conservatives like Buchanan and Gary Bauer, the former head of the Family Research Council who is running for next year's Republican presidential nomination. While the Buchanans and Bauers wage holy war, cheered on by true believers, Democratic strategists seem to be pleased -- mindful that such right-wing blather repels most Americans.

Odious bigotry is involved in the "culture war" rhetoric of Pat Buchanan and his ilk, who disparage many people -- including millions of immigrants, blacks, Latinos, independent women, gays and lesbians -- for failing to measure up to some arbitrary yardstick of Godliness.

But no one should be smug about the status quo. After all, we live in a culture dominated by huge media institutions that give top priority to profits while undermining more precious values. If we can overcome efforts to find scapegoats, maybe we can proceed to challenge the centralized economic forces that are doing great damage to this society's cultural environment.

Normon Solomon will be guest speaker at Peace Camp (see above).

By MYRTLE OSNER

Ron Fujiyoshi is a Japanese American, born in Hawaii. He says he's a "Preacher's Kid". His father has been a United Church of Christ (Congregational) minister in Hawaii for his entire career. Ron decided to become a missionary to the Korean minority who live in Japan.

When he arrived in Japan, he was required to be registered as an alien, as a non-citizen, and be fingerprinted.

Ron accompanied Mary Tomita as she visited friends in Modesto the other day. (Mary grew up in Modesto and has told her wartime story in a recent book.)

Beginning in Chicago in the seminary, Ron learned community organizing in the "projects," famous for the work of Saul Alinsky.

Being of Japanese descent but concerned about the oppression of Koreans living in Japan, Ron Fujiyoshi knew that he would not be accepted by this minority. They form the working class at the bottom of Japanese society. Their history is one of being brought to Japan as virtual slaves (many women were in fact sex slaves) during World War II, when Japan occupied Korea.

Ron went to live in the Korean ghettos and worked side by side with them in piecework factories. In this way he gained their confidence and put to use his skills in community organizing.

A great deal of history unfolded before us as Ron told his story. As part of his support of the Koreans, Ron refused to be fingerprinted, since this was one of the Koreans' hated symbols of oppression. As time went on, more and more Koreans defied the fingerprint law.

After 14 years of going through the courts, Japan has largely abandoned the compulsory fingerprinting system. To make this more clear to you, you should know that Koreans were required to be fingerprinted. Even though they were born in Japan, some are fourth generation, they could never become citizens, unlike our system here in the U.S. It is estimated that close to a million Koreans live in Japan. Their fate is not well known outside of Japan. It is discouraging to know that racism thrives in other countries besides our own. (but not surprising).

It's good to know that, now and then, there are courageous individuals who buck the system and win a few victories. I can tell you only a very small part of Ron Fujiyoshi's work, which has spanned several decades.

At this time Ron Fujiyoshi ministers to a small church of native Hawaiians on the Big Island and spends most of his time ministering to the "houseless". He says "These people (Hawaiian natives) say 'We're not homeless. This is our home.--we just don't have any houses'"

Hawaii turns out not to be such a paradise after all, if you're poor.

Study trip to Spain planned by MJC

Modesto Junior College is offering Summer Study in Salamanca, Spain through the Northern and Central California Community College Consortium from June 25 - August 7, 1999. The trip is designed as "a living lesson in how to 'decode' a culture, i.e., how to make oneself at home in the world, how to immerse oneself in what is foreign and assess it fairly," explains MJC trip coordinator Laura Paull, MJC journalism instructor.

"Language, of course, is a part of that," she adds. "So many people here have studied Spanish and never successfully 'crossed over' into being able to communicate meaningfully with native Spanish speakers. Learning how to 'cross over,' to enter other cultures, is key to world peace."

Paull and Matthew Kennedy, cultural anthropology instructor at City College of San Francisco and Skyline College in San Mateo, will instruct courses in the study of the Spanish Language (Spanish 1 or 2) and Cultural Anthropology. The integrated total immersion six-week study course, based in Salamanca, Spain will include classes Monday through Thursday and weekly guest lectures on Spanish life and culture.

Students will be housed in private homes in Salamanca, where they will share family meals. Excursions are planned to Madrid, Seville, Segovia, Avila and other nearby communities. Cultural activities will include cooking lessons, museum visits, the Cinema and sporting activities.

ACTION: To learn more or obtain an application, call Paull at 575-6224 or the MJC Instruction Office at 575-6894. Applications deadline is April 15.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

Stanislaus County's yearly Cinco de Mayo celebration will be greatly enhanced by dividing it into two celebrations: a parade with an added Cultural Faire and the new, improved Festival at Tuolumne River Regional Park.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Stanislaus County is working hand in hand with the Stanislaus Arts Council to insure a fun, FREE, family oriented celebration of Hispanic culture.

Modesto, May 1st, 1999: The Chamber and the Stanislaus Arts Council along with local Spanish language media proudly present this year's Cinco de Mayo Parade and Cultural Faire with it's theme "Youth, Culture & the 21st Century"(Y2C). The parade will feature the honorary Grand Marshall Dolores Huerta of the United Farm Workers, celebrities from Mexican soap-operas and cultural representatives from many local businesses and schools. Local high schools will have the opportunity to win up to $5000 in scholarships in a competition sponsored by local Spanish language radio stations. The parade will be followed by a Cultural Faire with arts and crafts for children, mariachi singing contests, dance competition, information from local non-profit organizations and more.

• The parade will begin at 11:30 am. running from 15th and J Sts. down to 10th St. and then back up I St. to the county courthouse.

• The Cultural Faire will follow immediately afterward in and around the courthouse lawn.

Modesto, May 2nd, 1999: The Chamber, along with local businesses, continue their annual celebration of Hispanic culture in a FREE, family-oriented event at Tuolumne River Regional Park. The festival will feature a stage for cultural performance by professional and youth groups from throughout the area, a soccer tournament, a children's area with arts and crafts provided by Stanislaus Arts Council, food, musical entertainment provided by local Spanish language radio stations and more. The festival will open at 10:00 a.m. continue until 5 p.m. Attendance is normally close to 10,000 people.

The admission price is merely a can of food to be donated to needy families in Stanislaus County.

ACTION: For information, contact the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Stanislaus County, 575-2597.

NAACP focuses on community, diversity

The Stanislaus County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will sponsor a community mixer Saturday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to noon in the City of Modesto Police Department's Northwest Area Office, 2005 Evergreen Ave.

The mixer, intended to introduce area residents to the benefits and opportunities offered through NAACP membership, will be the first of several to be held throughout Stanislaus County.

Gladys Williams, local NAACP president, emphasizes that we are all "people of color," and that the organization honors diversity. She invites people of all ages, ethnicities and creeds to come learn about local NAACP activities and to network with law enforcement in a positive environment.

ACTION: For information about this and other NAACP events, call 549-1991.

As welfare ends, overlooked issues emerge

From the Institute for Public Accuracy

While states across the country reach deadlines to end welfare for large numbers of people, some policy analysts contend that both the White House and the Republican congressional leadership are dodging substantial evidence that many Americans who have been dropped from the welfare rolls are worse off as a result. Among the researchers available for comment are:

LINDA GORDON, lgordon@facstaff.wisc.edu

"The problem of welfare cannot be separated from the problems of the working poor," said Gordon, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin and author of Pitied But Not Entitled: Single Mothers and the History of Welfare. She added: "Numerous surveys have shown that the majority of welfare recipients wanted nothing more than a chance to support themselves and their children with wages. But they are unable to do that because the jobs they can get usually pay minimum wage, provide no benefits and do not give them the flexibility that any working mother needs to be accessible to her children. For example, countless women have lost jobs because their employers would not permit them access to a telephone when their children's schools or day-care provider needed to contact a parent. A realistic program to help women get off welfare would have to provide a much higher minimum wage, public health insurance, child-care subsidies and, in some locations, housing subsidies."

RANDY ALBELDA, albelda@umbsky.cc.umb.edu

Albelda teaches economics at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and is author of the article "What Welfare Reform Has Wrought" in the current issue of Dollars and Sense magazine. She said: "Those who argue that welfare reform is a success point to the large number of mothers who now have paid jobs. What they don't like to tell us is that mothers and their children are still poor."

RUTH BRANDWEIN, rbrandwein@ssw.hsc.sunysb.edu Professor at the School of Social Welfare at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a former county commissioner of social services and author of Battered Women, Children and Welfare Reform: The Ties That Bind, Brandwein said: "According to a number of recent studies, about 60 percent of women receiving public assistance are either current or past victims of domestic violence. This experience can either create a need for welfare or present obstacles to their leaving welfare, completing education/training or getting and retaining employment. Women fleeing violent situations often turn to welfare to provide the financial resources to enable them to leave their batterer. Batterers often interfere with women's attempts to go to school or get a job. Some victims experience long-term consequences of domestic violence, such as chronic health or mental health problems interfering with their ability to leave welfare."

ACTION; For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167

Slide show at MJC: "Forms from nature"

CSUS art professor, John Barnett, will share slides and talk about his artwork as inspired by High Sierra Pack Trips. His compositions of objects including rocks, pieces of wood, small and large things from the forests, lakes and streams, are translated by sculpture techniques into aluminum, bronze or fiberglass to encourage thoughts and feelings about life and nature. John states that his intent is "to stimulate perceptual reevaluation of our environment and of ourselves in relation to our environment."

Plan to join us for this unique program by this local artist whose art has been exhibited all over the West coast. His recent exhibit, "Patterns in Agriculture" drawings and sculpture, was featured at Turlock City Hall from January through March of this year. He will bring several pieces for his Sierra Club presentation.

Join us Friday, April 16 at MJC East Campus- Electronics Bldg. Room 100- 7:30 p.m.

Doors open at 7 pm for refreshments and environmental updates; Program begins promptly at 7:30 pm. (The management committee requests that announcements be limited to two minutes unless the chair has been notified prior to the meeting. We appreciate your cooperation.)