Regarding "living" Christmas Gifts

Winner sets example for giving season

IN MEMORIAM: Bill Roberts, 1938 — 1999

A Christmas Story

THE STATE THEATRE:

Downtown Arts Project, Inc. and The State Theatre: a Marsena Buck interview
65-year-old State strives to be community’s theater
State Theatre welcomes new director

BOOKS & READERS:

On the road again: traveling the highways and biways with books on tape
Deck the halls with books for teen readers
The Twain that most Americans never meet — Norman Solomon
Yes, Virginia, there are still a few independent bookstores

Johansen Human Relations Commission aims for respect for all

Local high schools observe second annual Day Of Respect

"Not in our town" contest seeks anti-hate symbol

COMING EVENTS

African-American Community plans Kwaanza celebration
NAACP to discuss goals, accomplishments
"WINTERMEZZO: Songs for a Small Planet"
Students will talk about their lives in Croatia and Serbia
Glenna Anderson art show
MILLENNIUM HAPPENINGS: "Let It Be" 2000 and Beatlemania

Folk dancers need venue for dancing lessons

LIVING LIGHTLY:

By S.E. MEARS

I remember not so long ago, a friend telling me (even after my long lecture about spaying and neutering their pets) that he still wanted his full-breed dog to have at least one litter of puppies, so his children could experience the miracle. I held my tongue making no mention of the fact that for that one event there were some other things he should think about; like finding good homes for all the puppies, all the attention needed for this new family and most importantly — what about the millions of dogs and cats put to death every year because someone got tired of them, the dog barked too much, or they were moving etc.?

We no longer live in an age where population growth is a great thing — yes, that is unfortunate, but his children, and so many others will have plenty of time to experience the miracle of childbirth. Right now the best life lesson they can learn is to be responsible for their actions including the responsibility they took on when they decided to own a pet. Pets can be a most rewarding gift — they become family, and they love you unconditionally.

This is my plea: this Christmas think before you buy a living gift for someone. Many times the recipient cannot or will not care for the animal. This is when the poor thing winds up miserable with no attention, runs away, or a final destination — the pound. If giving a pet is the right thing to give, then go to the pound, not pet stores that sell animals like puppies from puppy mills, or exotic pets such as chameleons and parrots which are imported very brutally, and in the capture and transport, usually die on their way here. Also, many exotic pets are already sick, or the conditions in this country are not right , and they may end up to be a very short-lived gift.

Puppy mills are places where female dogs, penned up, are kept in an almost constant state of pregnancy. When she has ran her ‘course’, she is usually sold to a laboratory or simply destroyed. These puppies are taken from her very young, unbonded to her and separated from its siblings to be sold to pet stores. Instead, why not treat yourself to a gift and save a life — buy a pound pet, and get it spayed or neutered. It costs less than a night out for two. And the rewards will come back to you ten-fold.

Peace, and Happy Holidays!!

By TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL

Members of the Stanislaus County African-American Community will celebrate Kwaanza once again Thursday December 30 from 3 to 8 p.m. in the King-Kennedy Memorial Center, Martin Luther King Drive in Modesto.

The African-American celebration, the brain-child of a California State University professor to raise self-esteem and self-awareness within the African-American community, will focus on the contemporary holiday’s seven self and community affirming principals.

The local celebration will begin with African arts and crafts, drumming and dance workshops from 3 to 5 p.m. The community program, beginning at 5 p.m., will include the lighting of the Kwaanza Kinorah or seven branched candelabra representing the seven principals, the Imani (faith in Swahili) family dinner and youth skits to illustrate the principals.

ACTION: The African-American celebration is open to the community. For information contact 577-5355 or 577-5442.

Winner sets example for giving season

The recent winner of the Thomas Downey High School Marching Blue Knights Thanksgiving shopping spree at Save Mart in Modesto's Lincoln Center exemplifies the true spirit of giving. The winner, who chooses to remain anonymous, chose only a turkey and a ham for his or her own family’s Thanksgiving dinner, then donated the remainder of the $278 worth of groceries to Interfaith Ministries for distribution during the holiday season. Although the person understandably does not seek recognition for this generous deed, we at Stanislaus Connections feel the story is an inspiration to others and merits printing during this time of thankfulness and giving.

By SANDY SAMPLE

Bill Roberts - - what a colossally colorful character! He was lively, compassionate, and irreverent, with a quick wit, open heart, generous spirit, and deep commitment to peace and justice. His death dims the level of light in our community and world, and we will miss him.

Bill grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, NY, and always maintained a certain brash, close-to-in-your-face personal style. But no one who encountered Bill for more than a few minutes failed to see the softness, caring and compassion beneath his bluff and bluster.

Everything Bill encountered became food for story – and he had a storyteller’s gift for stretching a kernel of truth into an outlandish tall tale that might well grow bigger and bolder each time it was told.

Bill remained proud of his youthful service in the Air Force even after he and his wife Pat became strong opponents of the war in Vietnam. He could weave equally-embellished stories about the exploits of his Air Forcer buddies and the efforts of the folk he encountered in the peace movement. All were colorful characters to Bill, and were worthy of the honor of being featured in a story that might just stretch the facts a bit, but usually made an important point.

Among Bill’s favorite peace-related stories was one about the unofficial contingent of city fathers in Ripon who, when Pat displayed a large Another Mother for Peace sign ["War is Not Healthy For Children or Other Living Things"] on their garage, approached them with one clear message: "It’s all right to have opinions, but you’d best keep them to yourselves." Not one to be easily silenced, Bill turned that incident into a lively story, along with others about the characters he and Pat hosted who passed through to organize or participate in various peace and justice events/demonstrations. Such as the time they took a Congregational youth group to Ripon to distribute peace flyers at the Almond Blossom Festival.

Bill had a way of cutting right through personal arrogance and political rhetoric. Most of his views and many of his friends were clearly of the locally unpopular, left-of-center variety, but among his crazy mix of friends were some of a decidedly conservative persuasion, and he was thoroughly at home and completely himself in either group. Bill never watered down his opinions in order to fit in, and he made fun of pomposity and pretension wherever he saw it. Though we of the liberal persuasion might like to believe he made fun of us less than he did those of a conservative bent, I suspect it came out fairly even.

During the 10-year-reign of Bill and Pat’s memorable Family Kitchen restaurant, Bill greeted and schmoozed with flair and boisterous charm, and took credit for far more of the cooking than he ever really did. The Family Kitchen hosted unforgettable fund-raising dinners and receptions for the Peace-Life Center, Friends Outside, Head Rest, NOW and various political issues and candidates. Bill hired several parolees and developmentally disabled workers, and cheered them on for many years, even after the Family Kitchen closed. Bill and Pat contributed energy, enthusiasm, and fine food for many a Pancake Breakfast, Harvest Supper, fundraiser, and informal potluck occasion.

Bill was ever opinionated, ever the witty tease, ever one to try to figure out what made people tick, he also loved to gossip, argue, and dispense sometimes-unrequested advice. Much of his humor was on-the-edge inappropriate and quite politically incorrect. Strangely enough many of us let him get away with it, choosing to see it as part of an essential crustiness masking a very tender heart.

Even when Bill’s health declined and he faced increasing disability, Bill often joked about his condition. When he was soliciting pledges for last year’s CROP walk, he issued this challenge: "Go ahead! Take a chance on a ol’ blind guy in a wheelchair pushed by a coupla senior citizens. This crew might not even make it all the way to the finish line, and who knows, you might not have to pay up." After his foot was amputated, despite his anger he still cracked jokes about his condition, calling himself "footless and fancy free."

In the early 70’s when Bill and Pat Roberts moved from Ripon to Modesto, the local peace community swelled from "37 liberals" to 39. The Roberts family brought a much-needed dose of humor and a lighthearted, positive spirit that brightened many a thankless task and lifted weary spirits. As we continue "keep on keeping on" with peacemaking work that we often approach with sober determination, we will miss Bill’s laughter, irreverence, playfulness, wide-open heart, and generous spirit.

By WILLIAM E. BISHOP

Just in time for the holiday season we now have Judge Thomas P. Jackson’s Findings of Fact for United States et a. v. Microsoft. Space and editorial patience do not permit a complete reprinting of the document, so I’ll just pass along a few tidbits. First, however, let me point out that what follows is not guesswork or speculation. As the title states, this is a finding of fact. These things really did happen and the court has the evidence.

Some of the facts as Judge Jackson found them: Microsoft successfully ruined Netscape's browser market, killing competitive innovation in that market; Microsoft forced

Intel to kill their Native Signal Processing (NSP) software project, one that promised to substantially improve graphical performance for everybody using Intel processors; Microsoft harmed Apple's efforts to bring out QuickTime=AE, a competing standard for multimedia content; Microsoft coerced IBM to suppress their competing products: Lotus SmartSuite and IBM OS/2.

A lot of this is really esoteric. "Like, what does this have to do with me?" But anyone who uses a PC clone to surf the Net has been significantly harmed: that is, your surfing could have been much easier and faster than what it is today. So could any other graphical application you might use. But far more important is the fact that Microsoft has done all of this damage by employing tactics which few can pass off as simply the shrewd tactics of an astute businessman.

Particularly questionable are the events which led to the death of Intel's Native Signal Processing (NSP) project. NSP was Intel's attempt to raise the technological standards for interactive graphics – the display of pictures on your video display. To this purpose they added features to their processor chips which helped them to more quickly perform the type of tasks that graphics required. Intel didn't think that Microsoft's software advances in these areas were sufficient so they started their own project. Microsoft looked at this as a competing innovation that had to be stopped.

Microsoft started by complaining about some technical matters. There was concern that Intel could not complete NSP by the time Windows 95 shipped to OEMs. Microsoft was also concerned about quality assurance. Under ordinary circumstances, this would have been a legitimate communication. However, in May of 1995 Microsoft raised the profile of its complaints by sending some of its senior executives to Intel to discuss the latter's incursion into Microsoft's platform territory. In direct meetings between Andrew Groves, CEO of Intel, and Bill Gates, Gates pressured Groves "to basically not ship NSP." Gates attempted to convince Groves to reduce the number of software development employees at Intel. Microsoft pushed forward with their own version of the NSP functionality while pressuring OEMs to not install NSP on their machines. Denied a channel to distribute their software, Intel had no choice but to stop actively supporting NSP.

But that wasn't enough. The two CEOs met again on August 2, 1995. Gates told Groves that he had a fundamental problem with Intel using revenues from its microprocessor business to fund the development and distribution of free platform-level software. Gates said Intel could not count on Microsoft to support Intel's next generation of microprocessors as long as Intel was developing platform-level software that competed with Windows.

This was enough to kill all such software development at Intel. Bill Gates later related these events to other executives at Microsoft, saying "Intel feels we have all the OEMs on hold with our NSP chill. This is good news because it means OEMs are listening to us. Andy [Grove] believes Intel is living up to its part of the NSP bargain and that we should let OEMs know that some of the new software work Intel is doing is OK. If Intel is not sticking totally to its part of the deal let me know."

When one company monopolizes an entire market, it has the power to do just about anything it wants including asking another company to kill innovations the monopolist views as a threat. The size of the competitor doesn't matter; it can even be an Intel or an IBM. Judge Jackson summarized the Intel matter as follows:

"Microsoft subsequently incorporated some of NSP's components into its operating-system products. Even as late as the end of 1998, though, Microsoft still had not implemented key capabilities that Intel had been poised to offer consumers in 1995."

One guess as to who loses. It’s just not easy to say how much damage has been done simply because innovation has not progressed at a pace not to Microsoft’s liking. I recommend that anyone with more than just a passing interest in the matter find a copy of the Judge’s finding, and read it to their family instead of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Merry Christmas to all. That’s one thing that Mr. Gates cannot hog.

By SANDY HART GROLL

Quietly touring the planet since 1965, James Durst has shared his songs with audiences in some 40 countries. He will be doing a benefit concert sponsored by Heifer Project International and International House Programming at CSU Stanislaus on Thursday, December 9th at 7:00 p.m. at CSUS in the Event Center.

Durst draws from an eclectic repertoire of original and traditional songs in more than 18 languages that reflect a global perspective and underscore the sense of interconnectedness we share with all of life. He engages his audience in a participatory journey distilled from his travels and life experiences, bringing us closer to our world and each other. The interplay of his skillful, rhythmic guitar playing and strong, expressive voice provide a colorful palette which he uses to paint compelling musical pictures that encourage individual empowerment and compassionate relationships, while helping us to feel more hopeful about ourselves and our place on the planet. Durst's performances are spirited, relevant and often humorous.

By MYRTLE OSNER

Incidents in the schools last year were the impetus which alerted people to the need for positive steps to be taken . A succession of harassment of minorities, especially gay students, triggered discussion before the Modesto City School Board. The School Board passed a policy to help schools to deal with human relations in a more positive way.

There are commissions in human relations in all five of Modesto's high schools.

I spoke with Tom Hoberg, one of the leaders of the Johansen High School Human Relations Commission, which has about 45 active members. He explained his view of the need for implementation of the policy which had been adopted.

One of the major needs, in Tom’s view, is improvement of teacher-student relationships. "Although flyers are issued to all teachers, it doesn’t do any good just to post it,": he says. He believes that people need to understand that people can be different from each other and to celebrate diversity, rather than putting down others. If people are non-violent and non-abusive, even if you don’t agree with them, we have to accept them and respect their beliefs. Tom pointed out that there are wide differences in religious beliefs and some racism on the campus, as well as a great deal of homophobia. Tom wants to be able to encourage teachers to be aware of the way in which people, including both teachers and students, use language and attitude and body language to put down others. Although religious and race attitudes are up front and open, he thinks teachers generally do not notice homophobic comments and therefore do nothing about them.

Some of the goals that Tom would like to see implemented by the Human Relations Commission are to have a Day of Respect at Johansen, modeled after the event held at Modesto High School for the last two years. Freshmen, in particular, should be targeted to attend, giving them a solid foundation for their four years of high school in attitudes of respect.

The group plans to have activities centered around discussion of stereotypes. Students have discussed doing some kind of service project. They also would like to visit the Tolerance Museum in Los Angeles. Teacher Dori Griffin is advisor at Johansen High School.

More than that, Tom has a vision of unifying the work of the human rights clubs in all five high schools. Tom thinks big: they ought to do some serious service together in order to create a stable foundation for the entire city.

By KATHLEEN GOOCH

Reprinted from the Modesto Teacher’s Association newsletter for November .Much of the development and work for Day of Respect was done by the Modesto Peace/Life Center.

Last year Modesto High School English teacher Sharon Froba had enough of watching students be cruel to others and seeing those who are "different" being discriminated against. Looking for a solution to the problems in her own school, Froba came up with the idea of a Day of Respect. Last year more than 70 volunteers spoke to the school’s English classes. The Day was so successful, Beyer High School will have the program on March 1. Jeannette Rosenthal is in charge of the Beyer event. Downey H.S. is planning to have a Day of Respect but the date for it has not yet been set.

This year, more than 75 volunteers at Modesto High explained to students how it feels to be the recipient of personal discrimination.

The keynote speaker Monday at Modesto High was Michael Lee, who is blind, accompanied by his aide dog, Filbert. Lee explained to students he sees his blindness as a challenge—not a handicap.

Froba praised Lee and other volunteers for being brave enough to share their stories. Froba pointed out that the decision to talk to students meant they "…had to be willing to be vulnerable" when they stepped into the classroom "…and revealed their humanity."

Froba commented. "The volunteer speakers spoke honestly about what they have witnessed, experienced and suffered because of the intolerance of others. Teenagers heard life stories of real people and learned how casual comments and insensitive deeds can cause lifelong pain."

In her roll book, Froba carries comments from an unidentified school principal quoted in Between Teacher and Student. "I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness. Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and killed by high school and college graduates. So I’m suspicious of education. My request is: help your students to be human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, or educated Eichmanns. Reading and writing and spelling and history and arithmetic are only important if they serve to make our students human."

Speakers were in classrooms on Wednesday with their personal stories

"As surely as intolerance exists in our world, it exists in our schools and I plead for a kinder and gentler classroom," Froba said. "We hope Modesto High’s Day of Respect, and the Storytellers will be able to do what literature and teachers strive to do: replace ignorance with knowledge and intolerance with compassion.".

Submitted by Don Lundberg

Two more opposite points of view could probably not be found speaking at the same meeting. The United Nations Association has invited three young people to tell Americans in Modesto what it is like in Europe where they live. The discussion will take place on Wednesday evening, December 15, at the Church of the Brethren in Modesto, corner of Rosemore and Woodland Avenues.

Karlo Kovacic is from Croatia. Ana and Katarina Miletijev are from Serbia. They are all students at Modesto Junior College and plan to return to their countries when they have finished their education. Each express the viewpoint that the intense propaganda war is such that each ethnic area gets a completely different story. And that affects their points of view about what is happening there.

"Not in our town" contest seeks anti-hate symbol

Individuals of all ages are asked to submit symbols depicting intolerance of hate crimes in the "Not In Our Town" art contest, sponsored by the Stanislaus-Modesto Chapter of the National Advancement of Colored People, City of Modesto, Modesto City Schools, and the Modesto Bee.

Art work can be in any media that is simple and easily recognizable. All entries should have a 6 inch wide or deep symbol on a white background and should be no larger than 7 inches square. Submissions are due by December. 6 at the Central California Art Center, 1402 I St., Modesto, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Promoters are hopeful the contest will foster feelings of peace, unity and respect for all in the community.

NAACP to discuss goals, accomplishments

The Modesto-Stanislaus Chapter of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People invites all area residents to its annual meeting December. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the King-Kennedy Memorial Center on Martin Luther King Drive in Modesto.

The meeting will focus on the organization’s accomplishments during 1999 and its goals for 2000.

Participants are asked to bring a main dish, salad or side dish and their own non-alcoholic beverage to the potluck meeting. Dessert and table service will be provided. Membership in the NAACP is not necessary to attend.

Glenna Anderson art show

Modesto artist Glenna Anderson is having a solo show at Richard's Gallery, at 1323 J St., Modesto of her most recent paintings, from November 27-December 24. Many landscapes in oil and watercolor, such as the "Old Mill Cafe" are being shown with her usual flowers, grapes, and the inevitable rooster. Please come to here reception on Friday, December 3, from 6-9:30 p.m.. Regular store hours: Mon-Fri 10 to 6, Saturday 10 to 4. 579-9913.

By TINA ARNOPOLE DRISKILL

Take the millennium "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Let It Be" 2000, when Downtown Modesto bids farewell to 1999 and lights up a bright hello to the 2 thousands! Teens and adults alike can participate in two well-staged gala parties, and fireworks atop the Doubletree Hotel will usher in the millennium’s birth day.

The New Year’s Eve celebration at the State Theatre will feature conceivably the most popular musical group to come upon the world scene since the current millennium began, none other than the Beatles, or rather The British Invasion, the original Broadway and motion picture cast of Beatlemania, four mop-topped look and sound-alikes. The State event will begin at 9 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and champagne, followed by the Tony Award winning Beatlemania show at 10 p.m.

Beatlemania audience members can join people from the Stanislaus County area for Downtown Countdown, beginning around 11:30 p.m. with a marching band parade. Everyone is invited to the vicinity of the new Tenth Street Place during the eleventh hour to view a grand display of fireworks to be launched at 12 a.m. January 1, 2000 (midnight) from atop the Doubletree Hotel.

The focus is on youth for the Millennium 2000 Teen Party, which will be held from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Modesto Centre Plaza. JM Enterprizes, a company that has produced teen bashes at the Centre Plaza since 1996, is pulling out all the stoppers for this once-in-a-lifetime evening. Teens can blast their eardrums with an entire floor-to-ceiling wall of sound. The venue will include 4 large, separate dance floors, more than 20 disc jockeys and 3 live bands, as well as lasers, visuals and special effects lighting. The latest music hits, including rave, flash house, R&B, Latin/Salsa, alternative and rock, will make for an exciting beginning to the new millennium for area youth.

ACTION: For a safe, sane and exciting start to a new year, a new century and a new millennium, come on out to Downtown Modesto on December 31, 1999. For tickets or information about Beatlemania contact the State Theatre at 52 SHOWS. For the Millennium Teen Party contact JM Enterprizes at 526-3083.

By DON AND JUDY KROPP

For many years we have taught international folk dancing—dances from all over the world. Each year new people discover the pleasure of exercising to music with friendly people. The history of the dances provides understanding of many cultures. The dances are especially appropriate for elementary teachers to take back to their schools for use in the class or to use at multicultural festivals. About 20 people from all walks of life meet at 7:30 every Friday night for beginning lessons with Judy, at 8 pm with Don and at 9 pm with Floyd Davis and Barbara Summers. Charles Milligan often leads us in Greek dances. Also there’s a performance group that practices each week to provide entertainment at festivals.

The teachers do not get paid. We are a non-profit group whose goal is to spread the love of dancing. The $2.00 charge for the classes pays for insurance, rent, CDs, and tapes. A small grant from the Modesto Arts Council pays for live music but is not to be used for rent.

For years we used Sylvan Schools, but they began charging almost $5,000 for the two groups. Modesto City Schools rented us a nice dance studio but there was no place for older members to sit and bathrooms were far away. We are now dancing at the YMCA in a small room but the rent has just been raised beyond our ability to pay. We need a place for 25 to 30 people to dance. Do you know of a room, preferably with a wooden floor, with places for 10 people to sit, bathrooms nearby in a safe neighborhood? We could afford $25.00 a night. We dance from mid September to mid May. Please call us at 847-4439.

The Kropps " leading of spirited folkdancing has been a highlight of many a Peace Camp.