by Tina Woo

On this afternoon we were greeted with dark grey skies, occasional downpours, and a winter advisory watch over the mountain summits!  However, this did not deter 20 avid Nisei Ski Club skiers and dancers  from the inaugural tea dance held on May 19, 2019 in Cupertino.  The group gathered at 2 pm and participated in some line dancing: the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle. This was just the warm up!

Sandy Kiyomura introduced the group to three dances: Cha Cha, East Coast Swing and Night Club Two- Step. She provided a brief history about the origins of the dances. Club members were very receptive and enthusiastic about learning the basic patterns, practicing as well as getting refresher tips. Sandy provided both the “leader” and “follower” patterns and encouraged dancers to rotate partners.  Not only were we challenging our brains but also burning calories – approximately 500 during this event! Sandy has shared an article on the anti-aging benefits of dancing and mental exercise: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/well/move/health-benefits-dancing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share.   A big “thank you” to Sandy for providing us with these dance lessons.  

Let’s review what we learned:

Cha Cha: Basic pattern, crossover breaks with follower spot turn, and Chase turns. 

East Coast Swing: Basic pattern, throw out, outside and inside turns. 

Night Club Two Step: Basic pattern, open break with underarm turn, opening outs

Kathy Fang and her friend Jeff Wright assisted Sandy in teaching the dances and provided a demonstration of the very romantic  Bolero. They drove all the way from Berkeley and we appreciated their assistance. 

Club members brought refreshments and finger foods to share. We were treated to David Tom’s Pistachio and Chocolate Fudge bars, Jackie Maruhashi’s jello mochi, Janet Ngai’s banana, pumpkin seed and chocolate bread, David & Peggy Hori’s wontons and eggrolls and Sandy’s mochi, to name a few. (See the new Recipe Corner).

Following the dance lessons, we had a chance to socialize, get to know NSC board candidates, discuss future ski trips, and more.

A fun time was had by all. Perhaps this is a prelude to future dance events? If you have ideas for future get-togethers, please let anyone on the board know!

Squaw Valley will be open until July 7, Friday through Sunday, 8-2. They are offering a special $5 Friday pass, proceeds of which will benefit the Tahoe Fund. You must purchase the tickets 48 hours in advance. Check it out!

contributed by Tina Woo

Sunnyvale Art, Wine & Music Festival 

The Sunnyvale Art & Wine Festival is happening June 1st & 2nd from 10am-6pm in Downtown Sunnyvale at historic Murphy Avenue. Stroll the streets during this two-day event including more than 350 of the nation’s best artists, live music, ice cold margaritas, champagne, sangria, quality beers, and carnival rides for the kids too! http://www.svcoc.org/index.html

The Stern Grove Festival takes place at Sigmund Stern Grove located at 19^thAvenue & Sloat Boulevard  in San Francisco.  Free concerts start at 2 pm and usually end between 4:30 – 5:30 pm.  Arrive early for best seating, first come, first served. Hand-stamping at the entrance begins at 10 am.  Stern Grove is celebrating its 82^nd season and the lineup follows:

Sun, June 16: Digable Planets, jazz and hip-hop

Sun, June 23: Los Van Van, Cuban combo of rock and jazz

Sun, June 30: Galactic, vibrant funk R&B and jazz

Sun, July 7: San Francisco Symphony

Sun, July 14: Mitski, indie-rockers

Sun, July 21: Toots and the Maytals, reggae and funky soul

Sun, July 28: San Francisco Ballet

Sun, Aug 4: The Psychedelic Furs, punk music

Sun, Aug 11: Pink Martini, international jazz, swing, world music, cabaret

Sun, Aug 18: The Big Picnic/Isley Brothers, R&B

Free Shakespeare in the Park

For the 37^th season of Shakespeare in the Park, SF Shakes will present a production of “As You Like It.”

Admission is free. For more information, call SF Shakespeare Festival at 415-558-0888 or visit the website. Below are the performance venues.

June 29-July 14, Saturdays & Sundays @ 7pm, Amador Valley Community Park in Pleasanton

August 10-August 25, Saturdays @ 7 pm, Sundays @ 4 pm, Sequoia High School, Redwood City

July 20-August 4, Thursdays, Fridays Sat & Sun @ 7 pm , Cupertino Memorial Park

August 31-September @ 2 pm, San Francisco Presidio

9/19, 9/20, 9/21 & 9/22 – 10 am & 2 pm,  Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre, Golden Gate Park

Bay Area Dragons

Free Dragonboat Lessons Meetups on Saturdays at 10:30 am at the Foster City Boat Dock, located at Foster City Blvd & Bounty Drive. Lessons end by noon.

Join the Nation’s First Co-ed Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Team, Live Love Survive. Saturday practices from June 1-September 21, 10:30am to 12:30pm at Oyster Point Marina Gate 7, South San Francisco.  For more information contact Jennifer Eng at 415-465-0085 or jennengfitness@gmail.com.

San Jose Taiko

Friday, June 21 @ 6:30 pm – Make Music Day, San Jose Japantown

Saturday & Sunday, July 13-14 @ 4:30 pm (Sat) and 3:30 pm (Sun), San Jose Obon, Japantown

Saturday, July 20 Lesher Family Festival @11:30 am & 1:30 pm Walnut Creek

Sunday, August 4 @ 5pm – Palo Alto Obon
Check out www.taiko.org for complete listings.

by Judy Bracken

We skiers know Park City as a top ski and summer resort and one of the venues for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. But long before it became a resort destination in the 1960s, it boasted a colorful history as a boom town for silver mining from about 1870 to 1950. As the silver boom tapered off and a tragic fire burned over half of the town structures, the city struggled to survive and the population waned. But once the idea of skiing began to take hold, change was abreast.

Growing up in Salt Lake City, I witnessed Park City transform from a sleepy ghost town to a glamorous ski area attracting movie stars and people from all over the world. I skied the mountain with my family when it was first open (passes came to a grand total of $30 for 5 kids and 2 adults!) and continued to take lessons at the Park City ski school for several years. There was a day that was so cold my nose turned blue. When I was in junior high, our parents would drop me and a few friends off for the day to ski…we experienced our first taste of ski freedom and joy as we explored the runs and powder spots. I remember when my dad broke his leg on the last run of the day skiing “Payday.” It was a spiral fracture and required him to be in a full leg cast for six months! And it was at Park City that I had my one and only ski theft in my lifetime so far–my nearly new Head 360 skis were on the rack while we were waiting for our ride, and a thief decided to pick them up. I was so heartbroken!

My family had some history with Park City, as my father helped orchestrate some of the legal work involved with the resort, and my grandfather actually worked briefly as an engineer for the mines. Recently, I came across some old ski passes, as well as some old maps showing where the many mine shafts are under the valley that is now covered with homes and ski runs. There was a time when you could board an underground mine train near what is now The Canyons, clad in skiwear and lugging skis, travel through tunnels turning every which way, and in about 40 minutes be at the base of the Thayne’s lift where you started your day of skiing. It was quite an adventure! Park City has changed a lot since then, but the adventure still exists at this world class mountain resort.

Editor’s Note: Please feel free to submit recipes for this new section in the NSC newsletter. Send to jwaldobracken@gmail.com

Sandy’s Banana Bread, from Sandy Kiyomura

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cube butter

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 bananas (mashed)

½ cup milk

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, soften butter and mix with sugar. Add in the eggs, milk and bananas. Add this wet mixture to the large bowl and mix well. Put in a “bread” baking dish and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees.

Mochi Cake, from Sandy Kiyomura

1 package (16 oz) Nor Mei flour (sweet rice flour)

1 ¾ cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ cups milk

½ cube butter

Parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients together (except butter and Parmesan cheese). Stir well until smooth. Pour into a 9” X 13” greased or non-stick pan. Remove from oven. Put melted butter on top, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for another 30 minutes or until done. Cool. Cut cake into bite size pieces and serve.

Believe it or not, May is just about here, along with the newsletter. Below you will find the following articles:

President’s Message, by Armand Gutierrez

Fog City Band with member Dave Schultz

Spring Social Dance and Greet the Board Candidates

Membership Drive by Tina Woo

Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic by Karen Soo

Boots for Sale

by Armand Gutierrez

May is here and that means it’s time to bring an end to the NSC 2018-2019 season. Like last year NSC had a pretty good season highlighted by a variety of accomplishments and events:

·     Annual Luau and Membership Picnic

·     Volunteer participation at the annual Obon Festival in Mountain View

·     NSC 60^thAnniversary Dinner

·     NSC Bocce Ball Event

·     Warren Miller Film @ Heritage Theater, Campbell

·     NSC Pre-Season Potluck Dinner

·     A most fantastic ski week at Big Sky

·     Various members went on the FWSA Niseko/Hakuba Ski Trip

·     NSC Weekend Ski Trips

·     NSC Tea Dance/Potluck (coming in May-see more below)

June marks the start of the NSC 2019-2020 season, and beginning this month you can take advantage of the $5 membership discount if you sign up and submit your membership form before May 31^st. Please submit your application to Tina Woo (Membership Chairperson).

Since it’s the end of the ski season it’s time to start having our spring NSC events. Coming up we have a Tea Dance/Potluck event on May 19^th. Sandy Kiyomura will provide dance instruction so be sure to wear your dancing shoes. In June our annual Post-Season Annual Membership meeting and picnic on Sunday, June 9^th. Take a look at the article in this month’s newsletter for details. 

Board Nominations & Elections

The nominations process has been completed and the next step is elections. The elections chairman tells me there were several nominations therefore the slate consists of the new nominees and incumbents, and we’re fortunate that everyone on the board has agreed to serve again. However, voting is important and although there were few nominations you can still vote for a write-in candidate. Whether you’re voting for the incumbents, nominees, or a write-in candidate, it’s important that you do vote. Your vote tells the board that you do appreciate the volunteer work performed by members of the board, so please take the very short time needed to cast your vote. You will be receiving an email informing you to vote online using SurveyMonkey.

Whistler/Blackcomb Ski Week 2020

A number of members have all ready secured their Epic Passes for the Whistler trip, but it’s not too late to get yours if you haven’t done so yet. Final total price for the trip has yet to be determined (still waiting on air fare) but look for details in June or July.

For 2019-20 Whistler/Blackcombwill be on the Epic Pass, and is also good for Northstar, Heavenly Valley, and Kirkwood. Here is what you need to know about the Ikon and Epic Passes for the Whistler/Blackcomb trip:

·     Purchase the Ikon Base Pass(Squaw/Alpine) from Sports America and receive a $30 discount on the Whistler/Blackcomb trip. However, the Ikon Pass cannot be used at Whistler/Blackcomb. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/ikon-nisei

·     Purchase the Epic Local Pass(Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood) and receive a $30 discount on the Whistler/Blackcomb trip. The Epic Pass can be used at Whistler/Blackcomb for up to ten days. Go to this link to purchase: www.sportsamerica.com/epic-nisei

If you have any questions about either of the passes then drop me a line at president@niseiskiclub.org.

One of our members, Dave Schultz, is a member of this band and wanted to share this with you:

San Jose’s own 9-piece band with three horns, a rhythm section, and two singers. Playing danceable funk-rock hits by Tower Of Power, Earth Wind & Fire, Bruno Mars, Huey Lewis, Commodores, and many others. Definitely be ready to dance … consider it your Monday night workout!

When: Monday, April 29, 2019 from 7 PM – 9 PM

Where: El Taurino Vip Restaurant 95 South Market St, Suite #170, San Jose, CA 95113

Cost: $10 cover

Summer picnic menu: Tacos – Hamburgers – Franks

Parking: On street or garage at San Pedro Square Come out and enjoy the great music. And thanks in advance for supporting the Fog City Band !

by Tina Woo

The ski season is almost over (except for Squaw, Alpine and Mammoth) and it’s time to put away the equipment until next year.  

SAVE $5!  How?  By renewing your Nisei Ski Club membership.  The annual membership dues are discounted to $25 until end May. Beginning June 1, the membership fees will increase to $30. Sign up and learn about the fun activities taking place this summer, balance of the year and the week-long trip to Whistler in February 2020.

Here are some testimonials from members about their membership experience:

Having been a member of Nisei Ski Club for over 25 years, I’ve served on the board as membership chair and other positions, and enjoyed volunteering and organizing events.  Because of this club, I’ve been able to participate in river rafting, kayaking, deep sea fishing, hiking, horse racing, ballroom dancing,  learning to play bocce ball, in addition to skiing.  

Greg Wong

I first skied with Nisei Ski Club around 1974, when I took a trip to Aspen with the group. After that trip, I “unjoined” for 25 years while I raised three children who were on the Squaw Valley Freestyle team. I have been with Nisei for the past 20 years, serving as Trip Director and Board member at various times. I’ve also led some bike trips, recently across the Bay Bridge to Treasure Island. On May 19, I will be teaching dance lessons at the post season social. Please come and join me. 

Sandy Kiyomura

I joined NSC in order to go on a ski trip with my friend Sandy to Aspen. That was three years ago, and I’ve been on trips to Vail and Big Sky since then. I hope to go on many more with NSC, in addition to the trips offered by Far West and Bay Area Association Ski Clubs. I find the members warm and welcoming, besides being tons of fun to ski with.

Judy Bracken

So, please send in your membership forms.  Join the club and have fun. This marks the 61^st anniversary of the club.