Armand Gutierrez, NSC President

Summer has officially arrived and we can now expect warm-to-hot temperatures for the next three months. Our wet winter is behind us and drought conditions are not as much as a concern as last year. However, one year of above-average rains is not going to alleviate the drought problem. Yes, El Niño brought us a good rainy season, but now La Niña is expected to impact our weather system and that could bring us another dry winter season.

Mt. View Obon Festival – July 16th and 17th

This is an annual volunteer event that NSC participates in and is always a fun event. After all, there’s a variety of food, carnival-style games, cultural events, lots of people, lots of food, and the famous Beer Booth. There’s room for a few more volunteers to work the Beer Booth and the new Chicken Teriyaki so look for information in the newsletter or contact Karen Soo tripdirector@niseiskiclub.org.

NSC Annual Membership Meeting and Luau Picnic, June 11th

Once again we had a great turnout for our annual membership meeting and Luau picnic, and the weather was most cooperative. And once again I didn’t win the Left-Center-Right game that Karen sponsored. Congratulations to Rick Dumlao for being the big winner. Even if he had lost, it would have been to his wife Patt because they were the only two left. Thanks to everyone that showed up and had a great time.

Snowmass Ski Week 2017

Applications have been coming in for the Snowmass ski week so if you haven’t signed up yet then what are you waiting for? There are quite a few from Hawaii coming on this trip and I expect it to fill up quickly. Link to the flyer: Snowmass 2017 week trip.

It’s not too late to consider getting the Mountain Collective Season Pass https://mountaincollective.com, which will be good for two days skiing at Aspen Snowmass, plus a third resort of your choice. The Mountain Collective is also good for Mammoth, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.

The Mountain View Obon Festival is July 16 and 17. NSC provides volunteers for beer booth at the Mountain View Obon Festival every year. We need 2 more volunteers for the Sunday noon-3pm shift. If you’re interested in signing up for this slot, please email Karen Soo.

If you want to volunteer for other activities, you can sign-up on the Mountain View Obon volunteer site. Here are links to the various activities that need support:

Pre-bazaar activities (during the week preceding the 16th and 17th)

• preconstruction staging and booth assembly
• manju making
• chicken, vegetable, and beef preparation

Bazaar weekend (July 16th & 17th)

• tempura booth
• udon concession in dining hall
• take out booth
• chicken teriyaki booth

Post-bazaar clean-up (during week following obon and bazaar

• post bazaar deconstruction

The Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one’s ancestors. The festival has been celebrated at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple’s current location since the temple was completed in 1957. The Obon is the Mountain View Buddhist Temple’s biggest event of the year.

Link to Obon information: Mountain View Obon 2016

Rick Dumlao

We had the annual Nisei Ski Club picnic at Las Palmas Park in Sunnyvale. Thanks to the Board members and organizers for picking a perfect warm sunny day. As usual I arrived late for the event. Hawaiian fashions was the theme to wear. I got some flack for not wearing a Hawaiian shirt but the bantering was all in good fun. There was lots of good food to be had on the tables. People brought tasty dishes like couscous salad, grilled asparagus, veggies, and fruit salads. I can’t forget desserts like lemon poppy seed cake, mango cake, fruit cake, banana bread, and on and on. Curtis’ master chef skills at the BBQ rewarded us with great ribs and hot dogs. We had about 33 people which included a few new faces. Everyone enjoying each other catching up in conversations with the upcoming Snowmass trip, a big topic.

The usual highlight of the picnic is the “Left-Right-Center” game, played with 3 lively dice and a few $$$. You never know which way the ebb and flow of money will go. At the end with only two out of twenty one players are left, Patt had 3 dollars in her hand and I had a measly $1 bill — barely surviving. Surely she would out last me. She throws the dice into the pan and everyone peers in to see how it landed. Wh-a-a-a-t . . . no . . . couldn’t be . . . 3 C’s are showing in the pan with a pile of dollar bills! She throws her bills into the pan and I throw my fists into the air with a victorious smile, yes!

The Nisei Ski Club again shows its great sense of community and camaraderie as a club having events like this. Looking forward to other events.