Affordable housing: an oxymoron in California?

Beyond Tolerance seeks to inspire acceptance, unity and tolerance through the arts

Haven Women’s Center Seeks Dedicated Volunteers

Where Do We Go From Here?

More Things to Do This Summer

By SCOTT ANDERSON

Executive Director, California Council of Churches

California’s booming economy has created an affordable housing shortage of crisis proportions. In some parts of the state, housing at any price is in short supply. Rather than helping to make housing affordable, the strong economy has exacerbated the state’s housing problems.

According to a recently issued report from the nonpartisan California Budget Project, three factors are at the heart of California’s housing crisis:

1. In the 1990s, California cities and counties issued half as many building permits for housing as in the 1970s and 1980s. Multifamily housing accounts for the majority of the state’s production gap, particularly housing that is affordable to low income families.

2. Job growth has exceeded housing growth in nearly every part of the state since the economic recovery began in earnest in 1994.

3. California’s system of local government finance limits the amount of revenue generated by housing and encourages local communities to favor sales tax revenues from retail development.

Beyond Tolerance seeks to inspire acceptance, unity and tolerance through the arts

By JIM JOHNSON,

Dean of Arts, Humanities and Communications Modesto Junior College

In December 1997, I attended my first meeting of the Yosemite Community College District Quality Staff Resource Team (QSRT). As a new administrator, I was drawn to serving on this committee because of its mission to seek out and recruit a diverse pool of historically underrepresented applicants for teaching and staff positions in our district. When I was handed the agenda, my eye was immediately attracted to item C: Tolerance Training at the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance. The Museum of Tolerance is a high tech, hands-on experiential museum that focuses on two themes: the dynamics of racism and prejudice in America and the history of the Holocaust-the ultimate example of man's inhumanity to man. Venesse Metcalf, YCCD Staff Diversity Director, informed members of the QSRT that we were invited to undergo two days of tolerance training at the Museum of Tolerance. And so, in January 1998, I joined eighteen staff members in a remarkable experience that has had a significant impact on the thinking and actions of the Yosemite Community College District.

Since the first group journeyed to the museum, the college district has supported numerous trips in which over three hundred employees have experienced tolerance training. The training involves touring the interactive museum with a trained facilitator, meetings with a Holocaust survivor, a former neo-nazi skinhead and one of the nine African-American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Each session included a question and answer period and an opportunity for each of us to reflect on our own biases and prejudices. I view myself as a very tolerant person, and yet, as a parent I began to question my own attitudes toward freedom of expression issues as I listened to the insidious communication methods used by neo-nazi's to lure young people into their culture of hate.

The experience included interactive programs in which we were asked to pass judgment on scenarios in which hate speech, stereotyping and scapegoating were key elements in the drama that unfolded. We viewed a huge map of the United States titled THE OTHER AMERICA, documenting the more than 250 hate groups in the United States. One of those hate groups is located in Stanislaus County. We also watched videos of man's inhumanity to his fellow man in countries such as Rwanda and Bosnia where ethnic cleansing is a part of government policy.

At the end of the first day I left with two haunting images. The first was a video on Nazi atrocities against Jewish children. The second was of a 16-year-old American girl posing for her birthday in full Ku Klux Klan dress with a swastika in the background. The juxtaposition of these two images was profoundly disturbing. And yet, as disturbing as these images were, our discussions gave me hope that tolerance training can help us overcome the hatred and hate crimes that are so much a part of contemporary society.

The impact of training at the Museum of Tolerance has led the YCCD to undertake an initiative we are calling "Beyond Tolerance," a program geared toward "going beyond" the training we received to incorporating it into our workplace, our society and our lives? Response to the training has taken many forms including staff development training with Dr. Terry Roberts, recent recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his role in integrating Central High school, tolerance related topics incorporated into college curriculum, meetings with staff and students on tolerance related issues and an institute day devoted to tolerance and diversity.

I speak with great pride at the manner in which the MJC Division of Arts, Humanities and Communications has worked to prepare a major series of events for the 2000-2001 school year supporting the BEYOND TOLERANCE initiative. The five disciplines within the division - art, music, speech, theatre and mass communications - have all contributed to these events, which are designed to celebrate and affirm the commitment of the Arts division to diversity, tolerance and understanding.

"Beyond Tolerance in the Arts" will be a yearlong program of concerts, plays, exhibits and symposiums (see below) created to inspire acceptance, unity and tolerance of people and ideas within the individual, college and greater community through exposure to a variety of viewpoints, information, experiences and cultures in order to promote community participation, awareness and reflection on diversity and tolerance through the arts . These events will be supported by two special classes: Humanities 120: Diversity, Culture & Tolerance in the Arts (Thursdays 6:00-9:00 p.m., Auditorium 130, K. Gyuran), and Film 198C: Moving Pictures: The Human Experience on Screen (Tuesdays 6:00-9:00 p.m., Forum 110, L. Paull). To register for these classes, check the Fall catalogue, which comes out this summer.

BEYOND TOLERANCE IN THE ARTS

Calendar of Events FALL 2000

Aug. 31-Sept. 21: "The Art of Tolerance": an exhibition of artwork dealing with tolerance issues. MJC East Art Gallery Free.

Sept. 1: A Town Hall Meeting on the dangers of hatred and hate crimes in Stanislaus County. A former recruiter for the Neo-Nazi Skinhead movement will tell his story on how he became a violent racist and how he found a better path. 7:30 p.m. MJC East Gymnasium. Free.

Sept. 15-16: Storytelling Festival "Tolerance Tales From Around the World" This event will feature storytellers Diane Ferlatte, Olga Loya and Clara Yen. Storytelling concert, Ghost stories and a storytelling workshop for teachers and students.

Sept. 29: Panel discussion on the boundaries of the first amendment. What is the role of Government in regulating freedom of expression? Are hate speech laws constitutional? Panelists representing opposing viewpoints will tackle these controversial issues. 7:30 p.m. MJC East Little Theatre. Free.

Oct. 6-30: "Anne Levine Family Photos": a Holocaust survivors' visual record of her family's Struggle to survive MJC East Art Gallery. Free.

Oct. 20-29: Theatre production: THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK MJC East Auditorium.

Oct. 25: Gloria Lyon: a Holocaust survivor tells her story with video and personal testimony MJC East Auditorium. Free.

Haven Women’s Center Seeks Dedicated Volunteers

Haven Women’s Center is seeking committed volunteers for the volunteer training program beginning July 11 through Aug. 22.

The 75 hour course will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 9:30 pm, plus Saturdays from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, to train volunteers in hospital response to rape and domestic violence, legal counseling, support group facilitating, community outreach and shelter assistance.

By Tina Driskill

An Open Forum with Modesto Mayor Carmen Sabatino, "Where Do We Go From Here?’ will be held July 20 in the King-Kennedy Memorial Center, 601 M.L. King Blvd., Modesto.

The forum and question and answer session is designed to help citizens explore the mayor’s and City of Modesto’s goals and plans for meeting the needs of Modesto’s diverse population.

All interested citizens are invited to attend the free program beginning at 6 pm with a social hour, followed from 7 to 8 pm by the forum. The event is sponsored by the King Kennedy Board and the Stanislaus County Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

By MYRTLE OSNER

Your family may not be interested in the natural world so much as it is in arts, theatre, etc. You may be surprised at how much we have to offer on that scene.

Turlock’s City Arts Commission offers Summer Art Camp under the auspices of the Carnegie Arts Center and the Turlock City Recreation Dept.

The first week runs July 10 to 14 for ages 7 to 12 and is from 9 to 11 am. Art Explorations in this class will explore a different artist each day with a chance to see painting, printing, and sculpture among other art styles There is a $40 registration fee and $10 materials fee for the class.

For ages 13 to 17, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm the same week, a class is about "rubber stamps, prints, n’ awesome beads". Kids will be using recycled materials to create their own pieces of art. This one costs $30 plus a $5 materials fee.

The week of July 17 to 21 features Cartooning. Ages 7 to 12 come from 9 to 11 am The only requirement is an enthusiasm for drawing.

Kids from 13 to 17 can come from 3:30 to 5:30 pm to learn animation of cartoons. $25 registration and $5 materials fee.

Week 3, August 7 to 11 features Multicultural Art History and Projects for the 7 to 12 year olds. Watercolor and Drawing will be taught for the 13 to 17 year olds.

Week 4, August 14 to 18 Have mask making for the younger set and Tie-dying for the older ones.

Classes are taught at the Rube Boesch Center and the Carnegie Arts Center. Scholarships are available thru the Turlock City Recreation Dept. Call (209) 668-5550, Ext 631 to register for classes and get more information.

Another good places to go is Richard’s Gallery and Frame Shop on J St., which has changing exhibits each month.

The McHenry Museum has a new look, what with new stairs in the front and a spruced up display section inside. That is where you can see Stanislaus County history. Did you know that the Museum has a gift store and will order any book you would like to buy? Open Tues thru Sun 1 to 4 pm. Free.

The McHenry Mansion is also in downtown Modesto, furnished in the style of its day, and often used for weddings and other events.

Theatre abounds during the summer

Modesto Civic Theatre has been celebrating its twenty fifth year, and will be performing an unusual play this summer, dubbed "ethnic theatre" by one of the publicity persons. The play has a completely African American cast, including the director, Tommie Muhammad: "For Colored Girls Who have Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow isn't Enuf" by Ntozake Shange. It will be the first venture into African American theatre in Modesto. The State Theatre, on J Street in Modesto is the place, with performances every weekend from June 30-July 1 and the next three weekends at 8 p.m. Matinee is at 2 pm July 9 Tickets from MCT 526-5505 or at the door.

Modesto Civic Theatre has booked four more plays at the State for 2000-2001. It’s a non-profit corporation , as is the Downtown Arts Project in Modesto.

Go to Sonora If you want other theatre (but it is just as hot up there)

The Mountain Actors Conservatory company is doing "Grease" at the Holman Foundry Playhouse in downtown Sonora during July; After that, they have scheduled performances of a "Western version of The Taming of the Shrew" Wonder what that will turn out to be?

Sierra Repertory Theatre is also up there just beyond Sonora, but at deadline we didn’t have any word from them. Also, Fallon House in Columbia State Park usually has performances during the summer, but we don’t know what they are either. All three of these playhouses are only an hour away.

And then there is our own summer musical program, which always does a bang-up job at Modesto High School with its summer youth theatre. Also, the YES company is another youth theatre group you might want to attend. Tryouts are held this summer with performances in August and September. (your child may love acting!)

If your taste runs to opera, Townsend Opera will be doing Great Opera Choruses free in August at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, on St. Paul’s Way and Oakdale in Modesto. They put on a full winter program of opera. And of course we have an excellent Symphony Orchestra which has just hired a new conductor, Darryl One. Season tickets for both the opera series and symphony series are on sale now. The Symphony is usually sold out so start early.