PETER’S PATTER – November 2014
Bridge Generation News
Dedication of the Roy Flores Wellness Center — A proud crowd of family, friends, and colleagues attended the dedication of the Roy Flores Wellness Center at North Seattle Community College on November 15, 2014. The honoree — the late Filipino American Bridge (i.e.: second) Generation Roy Flores who served NSCC with distinction for 25 years as dean and vice president. The unveiling of the dedication plaque was accomplished by Roy’s family: his mother Josephine Flores, his wife Angie Flores, his daughters and grandchildren. Roy’s dedication plaque reads:
My philosophy of life is to treat others as you would like to be treated and to never forget my roots. My goal in life is to make Seattle a better place for the “have-nots” of society to have opportunities to better themselves. I believe EDUCATION leads to EMPLOYMENT which leads to ECONOMICS which leads to EMPOWERMENT. In terms of work philosophy, it is “THINK STUDENT….THEN DECIDE”
The dedication ceremony included opening remarks by North Seattle Community College President Warren Brown; Vice President of Student Services Marci Myer who described Roy as “….the heart and soul, the conscience, of NSCC…”; former Washington State Community College Board member Pio DeCano who recommended Roy to NSCC; and ended with poignant personal recollections by Roy’s daughter, Marisa Flores Harvey.
After the ceremony, attendees were treated to a scrumptious lunch of American and Filipino delicacies followed by a basketball game (Roy’s favorite sport) of former NSCC players. To end the celebration program, Roy’s grandsons entertained the crowd by engaging in a fun-filled three point shoot-out.
Visitors to the Wellness Center are in for a treat. Not only does the dedication plaque grace the Center’s entrance, but the Center also holds a modern basketball facility, accommodates most indoor sports, and boasts the latest in exercise equipment. A fitting tribute is the beautiful mural depicting Roy’s varied interests that covers one whole wall of the Center’s main hall. The mural comes courtesy of Filipina American artist and close friend Jeannette Tiffany and her son Shelby.
Did you know that Danny Inosanto, the martial arts guro, introduced Bruce Lee to escrima (Filipino stick fighting)? Escrima was later featured in two of Lee’s most popular movies, “Enter the Dragon” and “Game of Death” in which Inosanto can be seen fighting Lee with double sticks…….Happy birthdays to Abe Amen of Stockton who turned 86 and new octogenarian Art Suguitan of Palm Desert CA……Joe Bataan of New York City, the “King of Latin Soul” whose “Gypsy Woman” and “Ordinary Guy (Afro Filipino)” were megahits during the 1960s-70s, continues to perform. He recently appeared in San Francisco, thanks to Carlos Zialcita of SF Filipino American Jazz. The musician’s given name at his birth in NYC in 1942 was Bataan Nitollano, presumably after the Filipino and American World War II heroes of the Battle of Bataan…..WWII veterans Alex Aguinid of Sacramento and Maurice (Baby) Arteaga of Hawaii received recognition awards at the Filipino American National Historical Society’s National Conference for their participation in the documentary “Untold Triumph”………According to Terry Bautista, that wonderful Oakland source of little known Filipino American history — in 1716, a portion of what is now Texas was called New Philippines…….Good to see that Ernie Cabreana of Santa Maria is still tooling around in his beloved side car motorcycle.
Pinakbet – Filipino American News Across America
In an impressive academic ceremony, Dr. Concrado Gempesaw was installed as President of St. John’s University on October 24. The prestigious New York City university, established in 1870, has a current enrollment of 15,800 undergraduate students…….Among Northern California Filipino Americans elected to office on November 4: Alameda State Assemblyman Rob Bonta, Mayors Christopher Cabaldon of West Sacramento and Pete Sanchez of Suisun City, and Mike Guingona and Ray Buenaventura of Daly City…… U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Bette Bolivar, perhaps the highest ranking Pinay in the US Navy, recently assumed the position of Commander of Joint Region Marianas (Guam). A native of Hawaii, Real Admiral Bolivar is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Her father was a career navy man, beginning as a steward’s mate and rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer…… Master of the kulintang Muslim instrument of the Southern Philippines, Danongan “Danny” Kalanduyan, the only Filipino American recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship for Traditional Arts, is still going strong. He recently performed with the San Francisco based Kulintang Ensemble…… The Singing Priests of San Francisco, the latest incarnation of the famous Singing Priests of Tagbilaran, Bohol, are on nationwide tour of the U.S. to raise relief money for the damage created by the October 2013 earthquake in Bohol and Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Central Visayas just weeks later. The Singing Priests are highly entertaining with their renditions of religious, jazz, pop, and Filipino songs in Tagalog and Cebuano as well as in English.