VOL 38 NO 38 | SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA

VOL 38 NO 38 SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 FREE 37 YEARS YOUR VOICE

Iron Chef Morimoto opens Momosan Seattle in the ID

Vigil for missing boaters

Photo provided by Momosan

Photo by George Liu

By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Supporters toast Morimoto

Spread of dishes at Momosan Seattle

By Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The excitement of the Iron Chef and of cutting edge Japanese cuisine has come to Seattle in the form of

Momosan Seattle, a new ramen and sake restaurant located in the International District. Chef Masahuru Morimoto, known to the world as the Iron Chef since see MOMOSAN on 10

Keiro goes with Transforming Age, say former board members

RENTON, Wash. — A vigil on Sept. 7 for a man and woman missing from a boat on Lake Washington was cut short due to the thunderstorm that evening.

At about 10 p.m. on Sept. 2, on Labor Day, Mercer Island police received a complaint from a resident about loud music coming from a boat in the 7700 block of West Mercer Way. The Mercer Island Police Department Marine Unit found an adrift red, 20-foot ski-type boat on the water. Music was still

Vanna Nguyen (left) and James Le

blasting and food, alcohol, two cell phones, and the IDs of James Le and Vanna Nguyen had been left on the deck. Police also said the two drinks found open were still cool on board the boat. see BOATERS on 15

Alibaba founder Jack Ma steps down as chairman

By Mahlon Meyer NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Keiro Northwest building

see KEIRO on 12 Jack Ma dressed up as Michael Jackson, singing on stage

Seattle lightning Did you catch the lightning show on Sept. 7?

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Seattle, the region saw more than 2,000 “cloud to ground lightning strikes” during a five-hour period ending at 11 p.m. that evening.

The Husky game against the Cal Golden Bears was delayed, and at McCaw Hall, Northwest Asian Weekly staff members watching the Butterfly Lovers performance had to leave the auditorium because of the thunderstorm. After a delay, the show continued.

■

Screenshot from YouTube video

Photo by John Liu

Former Keiro board members are suspicious of the organization’s recent decision to end negotiations with Aspen Skilled Healthcare and what they allege is a move to bring back Transforming Age as a partner.

Keiro Northwest announced back in May that it would close its nursing home due to financial difficulties.

The community-based nonprofit was Seattle’s largest and oldest Asian-Pacific Islander senior care facility.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kevin Freitas posted this photo on Twitter

BEIJING (AP) — Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma, who helped launch China’s online retailing boom, stepped down as chairman of the world’s biggest e-commerce company on Sept. 10 at a time when its fast-changing industry faces uncertainty amid a U.S.-Chinese tariff war.

Ma, one of China’s wealthiest and best-known entrepreneurs, gave up his post on his 55th birthday as part of a succession announced a year ago. He will stay on as a member of the Alibaba Partnership, a 36-member group with the right to nominate a majority of the company’s board of directors. see MA on 11

412 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104 • t. 206.223.5559 • f. 206.223.0626 • editor@nwasianweekly.com • ads@nwasianweekly.com • www.nwasianweekly.com

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asianweekly northwest

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

37 YEARS

■ NAMES IN THE NEWS Seattle donates parcels to develop affordable housing

staffer members to Seattle’s Chinatown on Sept. 6. We some of them picking trash along Maynard Avenue.

They collected a total of 20 bags of garbage. 

Photo by Assunta Ng

Photo by Assunta Ng

Take Your Dog To Work Day

Gary Locke, Deputy Consul General Zou Yonghong (second from right) and Wei Xia Fang (right).

Chinatown cleanup

Employees with their fur babies on Aug. 16.

PRC 70th dinner celebration

Close to 500 people attended a dinner at the House of Hong in Seattle, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Sept. 8. The 70th anniversary falls on Oct. 1.

Among the attendees were the Deputy ConsulateGeneral of the PRC San Francisco office Zou Yonghong,

Photo by Assunta Ng

Mayor Jenny Durkan signed into law her new housing legislation on Sept. 6. The legislation allows the transfer of a City-owned surplus property on Yakima Avenue South in Seattle’s historic Central District to facilitate the development of housing for homeownership. This land transfer will be made at no cost to Homestead Community Land Trust, whose office is in Chinatown, in exchange for 10 permanently affordable homes catering to homebuyers at or below 80 percent of area median income, $88,250 for a family of four, and six homes at market rate.

All net proceeds from the market rate homes will be used to subsidize the cost of the affordable homes. 

former Gov. Gary Locke, former Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Seattle Deputy Mayor Mike Fong, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Steve Hirjak, Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scroggins, and King County Councilmember Larry Gossett. 

Photo by Assunta Ng

Kathleen Hosfeld (front, second from left) holding up plans of proposed homes.

Seattle U. staffers picking up trash in Chinatown on Sept. 6.

“Take Your Dog To Work Day” was organized on Aug. 16 for employees of a Chinatown building at 505 5th Avenue South. Employees were welcome to bring their dogs to work. The event was originally created nationwide in 1999 to celebrate the great companions dogs make and promote their adoptions. The organizers were managers of the building. 

A Day of Service at Seattle University brought 13

10th Annual Ethnic Media Candidates Meet n Greet with local ethnic media and multicultural business leaders

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

YOUR VOICE

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■ COMMUNITY NEWS Judge rules against proponents of affirmative action Referendum 88 A Thurston County Superior Court judge dismissed a challenge on Sept. 5 by the Initiative 1000 campaign contending that affirmative action opponents are making false claims about the new law in voter-pamphlet language for the Nov. 5 election.

I-1000, which the Washington Legislature passed this past spring, restores affirmative action after a 20-year

Night Market returns to Chinatown-ID SEATTLE—Seattle’s ChinatownInternational District night market returns on Sept. 14 with a focus back on traditional Night Markets found across Asia, but with a Seattle flair.

Starting on the intersection of 5th Avenue South and South King Street, underneath the historic Chinatown Gate, the C-ID Night Market will feature food vendors and trucks, along with local Chinatown-International District restaurants, including Uwajimaya,

voter-approved prohibition on the practice.

Opponents of affirmative action this summer gathered enough signatures to put the new law on the November ballot as Referendum 88.

The I-1000 campaign brought the challenge, claiming the Referendum 88 campaign included misleading and false descriptions of the new law in the pamphlet that will be mailed to voters before the election, such as saying the law would harm veterans and reinstate racial quotas.

Crawfish King, Seattle’s Best Tea, Luosifen, Bun & Oc Restaurant, Dough Zone Dumpling House, and a new mochi-donut shop, Dochi.

This year’s event includes music performances from Battalion Entertainment, a mini fashion show highlighting API designer such as Urbn Panda, All Style Sweet 16 dance battle organized by Outshine Productions, an energetic beatbox performance by EVMB The Beatbox Panda, and DJ Magic Sean.

The night market runs from 4 p.m. to midnight. It is free and for all ages.  For more information, visit cidbia.org/night-market or facebook.com/nightmarketseattle.

The Referendum 88 campaign is arguing, however, that the new law allows preferential treatment and would also end preferences for veterans.

Judge James Dixon dismissed the lawsuit on Sept.

5, saying that Washington law regarding defamation challenges to voter pamphlets focuses on how it applies to candidates, not people working on ballot-measure campaigns.

The hearing comes as part of what could be a bitter fall campaign over issues of race and equity. 

John Choe admits selling meth, heroin, cocaine TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — The owner of a Puyallup bar has pleaded guilty to a federal charge that he sold drugs from the establishment.

John Chong-Hun Choe ran Johnny’s Bar and Grill. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for western Washington says that early this year, he sold cocaine four times to a police informant. He also admitted selling meth, heroin and other drugs. The state suspended the bar’s liquor license in June.

Choe pleaded guilty on Sept. 6 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The crime can carry a fiveyear mandatory minimum sentence, but

Photo by a Yelp reviewer

By Staff NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

John Chong-Hun Choe

prosecutors have agreed to apply a “safety valve” provision in federal law that allows for lesser sentences for nonviolent drug offenders with little or no criminal history.

Judge Benjamin H. Settle scheduled sentencing for Dec. 16. 

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

37 YEARS

■ NATIONAL NEWS Cause of Chinese ASU students’ denial into US still unknown TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona State University officials are continuing to sort out why several students from China were denied entry into the U.S. The Tempe university confirmed on Sept. 3 that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not yet shared any information.

In addition, letters sent to the secretary of state and

the acting secretary of homeland security have not gotten any response.

The school announced on Aug. 30 that nine students traveling to Arizona had been detained at Los Angeles International Airport.

Customs and Border Protection said in a statement they were “deemed inadmissible’’ based on information

discovered during an inspection.

University officials say all the students were academically eligible to return to school and the U.S. under their visas.

The students are studying online. Officials aren’t ruling out the possibility that they could return. 

Chinese woman accused of Mar-a-Lago trespass set for trial

By TERRY SPENCER ASSOCIATED PRESS

Yujing Zhang

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The upcoming trial of a Chinese national on federal charges that she trespassed at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and lied to the Secret Service is potentially a circus wrapped in mystery.

Rejecting the strong recommendation of U.S. District Judge Roy Altman, Yujing Zhang fired her public defenders in June to act as her own attorney—a longshot

move the 33-year-old Shanghai business consultant has struggled with during pretrial hearings.

Zhang often frustrates Altman by ignoring his questions or answering with non sequiturs. At times she replies in near-fluent English and insists she understands complex legal concepts, but will then say she doesn’t understand a simple question and turns to her Mandarin translator.

“I know full well that you understand what I am saying to you both in English and in Mandarin,’’ Altman told her during an August hearing. “You are trying to play games.’’

If that weren’t enough, prosecutors have filed under seal secret evidence that they say has national security implications, even though Zhang is not charged with espionage. The Secret Service said when agents detained Zhang at Mar-a-Lago she was carrying a computer, a hard drive, four cellphones and a thumb drive containing malware, although agents later recanted that accusation.

Agents said Zhang told them she brought the electronics to Mar-a-Lago because she feared they would be stolen if left at her nearby hotel, but in her room they allegedly found a device to detect hidden cameras, computers, $8,000 in cash plus credit and debit cards, all in the open.

Attempts to contact Zhang in jail, where she is being

held without bail, were unsuccessful, and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment. The U.S. attorney’s office in Miami declined comment. Zhang could get six years if convicted.

Her former public defenders are on standby in case she changes her mind about representing herself. They have said she appears mentally competent, but she wouldn’t speak to a psychologist. They said Zhang’s Chinese relatives told them she has no mental health problems.

Zhang was arrested March 30 after she allegedly lied to get past a Secret Service agent guarding Mar-a-Lago, saying she was there to use the pool. She made it to the lobby where she told a receptionist she was there for a United Nations friendship event that night and had come early to take pictures. That event had been canceled and prosecutors say Zhang had been informed. The president was staying at Mar-a-Lago that weekend, but was at his nearby golf club when Zhang arrived.

While there are no statistics, it is rare for defendants charged with serious felonies to represent themselves — go “pro se’’ in legal parlance—and that’s particularly true in federal court. Even with an experienced defense attorney, federal acquittals are rare. According to the see ZHANG on 13

Madison, Andersen, & Bunting Awards Breakfast Friday, September 20, 2019 Washington State Convention Center

705 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101

James Madison Award Winner Judge William Downing

Room 602-604, Level 6

James Andersen Award Winner Elly Walker

Kenneth F. Bunting Award Winner Eli Sanders Special thanks to our sponsors:

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To register or for information www.washingtoncog.org | info@washingtoncog.org | (206) 782-0393 Published as a community service

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

YOUR VOICE

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■ WORLD NEWS China says Trump’s claims about fentanyl origin are false

By YANAN WANG and FU TING ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIJING (AP) — China said that it’s not the source of the fentanyl that’s killing Americans, contrary to President Donald Trump’s recent tweets blaming China for the drug deaths.

At a briefing for the National Narcotics Control Commission, China reiterated that it is making extensive efforts toward controlling the synthetic opioid and should not be labeled the main origin of fentanyl to the U.S. The drug often comes through the mail or across the Mexico border. It can be stronger and more lethal than heroin and is responsible for tens of thousands of American drugs deaths each year.

Amid the latest round of tariff increases between the two countries last month, Trump blasted China in a Twitter thread in which he vowed to order all postal carriers to “SEARCH FOR & REFUSE all deliveries of

fentanyl from China (or anywhere else!).’’

“President Xi said this would stop — it didn’t,’’ Trump added, referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“What Trump said is completely groundless and untrue,’’ Liu Yuejin, the narcotics commission’s vice commissioner, told reporters on Sept. 3.

In a sweeping change in May, China began regulating all fentanyl-related drugs as a class of controlled substances with the aim of curbing illegal drug trafficking. No fentanyl smuggling cases have been discovered between the U.S. and China since the new measures were implemented, Liu said.

Yet law enforcement officials in Virginia said last month that China was linked to a seizure of enough cheap fentanyl to kill 14 million people. One of the 39 people charged in the multi-state drug ring is accused of ordering fentanyl from a vendor in Shanghai.

“The illicit fentanyl that’s coming in, the vast majority is from China and a lot of it is coming in through the

Utah woman arrested at Manila airport with newborn in bag

mails,’’ G. Zachary Terwilliger, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said at a news conference.

Liu noted that U.S. fentanyl deaths continue to rise despite increasingly strict controls on the Chinese side, which he said was an indication that the drugs were not coming from China.

Liu also accused “a few politicians’’ in the U.S. of misleading the American public on China’s work to help the U.S. with its opioid crisis. Chinese and U.S. authorities are working together to handle drug crimes, he said, adding that cooperation on fentanyl has no bearing on ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries.

Trump complained about China’s alleged inaction on fentanyl as part of a four-tweet thread last month accusing China of stealing U.S. intellectual property and ordering U.S. companies to “immediately start looking for an alternative to China.’’ 

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — An American woman who attempted to carry a 6-day-old baby out of the Philippines hidden inside a sling bag has been arrested at Manila’s airport and charged with human trafficking, officials said.

The Philippine officials said Jennifer Erin Talbot was able to pass through the airport immigration counter on Sept. 4 without declaring the baby boy but was intercepted at the boarding gate by airline personnel.

Talbot was unable to produce any passport,

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boarding pass or government permits for the baby, airport officials said.

Public records indicate she has been living in Utah. Philippines officials previously said Talbot was from Ohio, and records indicate she has family connections there.

Property records obtained show Talbot owns a home in a suburb of Salt Lake City, and she got a traffic citation see NEWBORN in 14

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asianweekly northwest

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

37 YEARS

■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR SEP 12

WSCRC MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL SOCIAL Davis Wright Tremaine, 920 5th Ave. #3300, Seattle 5-7 p.m.

Free but registration is required.

RSVP deadline: Sept. 10 info@wscrc.org

13 CHILDREN’S MID-AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL Donnie Chin International Children’s Park, 700 S. Lane St., Seattle 4-6 p.m.

PHNOM PENH POP-UP LUNCH Tougo Coffee, 1410 18th Ave., Seattle 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

14 JAPANESE BAPTIST CHURCH 120TH ANNIVERSARY LUNCHEON Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, 1053 Lake Washington Blvd N., Renton 10:30 a.m. $25-$50 jbc120.brownpapertickets. com C-ID NIGHT MARKET 2019 Seattle’s C-ID 4 p.m.-12 a.m.

2019 KIN ON SENIORS’ DAY Eastside Baha’i Center, 16007 NE 8th St. Ste. 100,

MOCHI MADNESS The Works Seattle, 151 12th Ave., Seattle 2:30-4:30 p.m. theworksseattle.com

Bellevue 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

DROP-IN SESSION: INVESTMENTS COMING TO SOUNDER SOUTH King Street Station, Seattle 10 a.m.-12 p.m. soundertransit.org/soundercapacity

15

VASHON JAPAN FESTIVAL Mukai Farm & Garden, 18017 107th Ave. SW, Vashon Island 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL MELODY 2019: CELLIST KAI CHEN & ORCHESTRA SEATTLE Meydenbauer Theater, 11100 N.E. 6th St., Bellevue 3:30 p.m. $30-$100 https://mooncello.bpt.me

MANKA DHINGRA’S ANNUAL BOLLYWOOD EVENING Redmond Ridge Community Center, 10315 Cedar Park Crescent NE, Redmond 7-10:30 p.m. act.myngp.com TONY ISHISAKA MEMORIAL CELEBRATION Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, 5011 Bernie Whitebear Way, Seattle 1-5 p.m. eventbrite.com

16 NWAWMBA SEATTLE - EAT, DRINK, MEET & GREET WITH LEADERS AND RECRUITERS Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Bellevue 5:30-8:30 p.m.

18

CIE/USA-SEATTLE 2019 CONVENTION The Westin Bellevue, 600 Bellevue Way N., Bellevue 1-4:30 p.m.

EHC’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY Svea Room, Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle 2-5 p.m. rsvp@ethnicheritagecouncil. org

FILIPINO COMMUNITY VILLAGE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY Filipino Community of Seattle, 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., Seattle 4-8 p.m.

RSVP at https://bit.ly/2ZeYk8o

■ COMMUNITY NEWS Volunteers sought for clinic As Seattle/King County Clinic prepares to open its doors for a sixth year at Seattle Center, Feb. 13–16, 2020, organizers have an ambitious goal of recruiting 1,000 volunteers for each of the four days of this immense undertaking.

Their hope is to provide over $2.5 million in dental, vision, and medical services free of charge to people in need.

KeyArena was home to the Clinic in its first five years of operation. Although Arena construction put the fate of the Clinic in doubt, the community rallied to make it happen.

“Finding a temporary home for

something of this scale and complexity is challenging,” said Seattle/King County Clinic Director Julia Colson. “We explored numerous options and were

about to give up when we discovered one week of potential availability in five Seattle Center facilities. By a stroke of luck, all of the healthcare equipment was also available. So, thanks to the tenacity, flexibility, and efforts of many, we are holding a sixth Clinic.”

The Clinic needs healthcare professionals and general support volunteers to fill a broad range of functions and shifts. It also seeks volunteers for the days before and after the fourday event to help with preparation and wrap-up. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Individuals may register at

seattlecenter.org/volunteers.

Seattle/King County Clinic is the largest event of its kind in the state of Washington. In its first five years, it provided $17 million in direct services to 20,000 patients who came from over 260 unique zip codes and spoke more than 50 primary languages.  For more information about Seattle/King County Clinic, visit seattlecenter.org/ skcclinic or call 206-684-7200.

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YOUR VOICE

■ SPORTS

asianweekly northwest

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The Layup Drill

By Jason Cruz NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Jeremy Lin finds new team in China

Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. This month is filled with big news as we head into fall.

Joseph Tsai becomes first Chinese owner in NBA

Jeremy Lin and brother

After 9 years of putting together an NBA career, which includes winning a championship, Jeremy Lin is moving on.

Lin signed with the Beijing Ducks of the

Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

You might have seen this happening given Lin’s annual summer trips to Asia and his fondness for his fans in the region. Despite winning the NBA title with the Raptors this year, Lin didn’t feel like a part of the team and didn’t believe any other team in the league wanted him. In a surprising scene of emotion before his fans at an event in Asia, Lin broke down in tears describing the scrutiny and stress he’s been under while playing in the league.

Instead of being an afterthought, sitting at the end of the bench in the NBA, Lin will be the focal point of the Beijing franchise and a role player for many in the league considering he’s the only one with an NBA Championship on his resume.

In a Twitter post, Lin thanked his supporters. “Will always cherish being able to rep Asians at the NBA level. Excited

for the next step with the Beijing Ducks.”

The post included a congratulations to his little brother, Joseph Lin, who is playing for the Fubon Braves of Taiwan’s Super Basketball League.

Lin stated that he’s known his path “would go through the CBA…solely because I knew how much of an honor it would be to hoop in front of all my Chinese fans. I’m here now, and there is more history to be made.”

The move is bittersweet for most Asian American fans of basketball. Lin had been relegated to a bench role and rarely played for the Raptors during the team’s run to the title. Playing for China and fans who adore him is a nice consolation for one of the most popular players among Asians in recent times. Lin has recognized that see SPORTS on 15

Joseph Tsai

Alibaba co-founder Joseph Tsai became the majority owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets when he purchased the controlling interest of shares from former owner Mikhail Prokhorov in August. In addition, Tsai purchased full ownership of the Barclays Center, where the Nets play.

The 55-year-old was born in Taipei, Taiwan and sent to study in the United States at the age of 13. He attended Yale College, where he played lacrosse and received a bachelor’s degree in Economics and East Asian Studies.

He then went to Yale Law School. Tsai followed in his father’s footsteps as he also attended Yale undergrad and then received a research doctorate in law from Yale Law School. Tsai’s father was the first person from Taiwan to receive such a degree from Yale.

Tsai started practicing as a tax lawyer in New York and then he switched to private equity. Through this line of work, he met Jack Ma in 1999.

Impressed with Ma and his idea for the company that would become known as Alibaba, Tsai left his $700,000 per year job to work for almost nothing with Ma until the company was up and running.

Tsai was able to build Alibaba’s financial and legal structure since he was the only one in the company to have experience in venture capital and law. As a result, he became the second-largest individual shareholder of Alibaba after Ma. Tsai purchased 49 percent of the Nets in 2017 for $2.3 billion, which came with an option to buy the remaining stake of the team. He did so last month.

In addition to the Nets, Tsai has purchased the New York Liberty of the WNBA, a lacrosse team in San Diego, and explored being a member of an investment group to purchase the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. With the purchase, the value of the Brooklyn Nets is at $2.35 billion and set a record for the purchase price of a sports franchise.

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

37 YEARS

■ AT THE MOVIES Abbas Kiarostami Retrospective

By Andrew Hamlin NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The master Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami (1940-2016) stuck to his filmmaking ways, even through his final illness, spending as much time as his health permitted on an abstract, feature-length project.

While that final project, “24 Frames,” is not part of the lengthy Kiarostami Retrospective playing across four Seattle theaters, the program of seven features (plus four shorts) does offer an expansive overview of his works over four decades.

“My first exposure to the films of Abbas Kiarostami came at what was arguably his introduction to most American art house

viewers,” recalled Nick Bruno, SIFF’s Public Cinema Programs Manager and one of the programmers for the Kiarostami RetroSpective. “‘Taste of Cherry’ had won the Palme d’Or at Cannes earlier that year. I remember being blown away by the simple premise, the streamlined presentation, the humanism and poetry intertwined in its plot, and the abrupt shift in visual presentation that takes place in the last sequence of the film.

“To my eye, it’s still a masterpiece to this day… it served as my introduction to the films of the Iranian New Wave.”

“Taste of Cherry,” from 1997, did indeed launch the director into international fame.

Kiarostami granted interviews to promote the film, and even cracked a few jokes about Quentin Tarantino, who’d been famous for a

few years longer.

But as the series illustrates, “Taste of Cherry” was hardly the work of a fledgling talent. Kiarostami started out as a painter and commercial illustrator in his native Tehran. He first got behind a camera to shoot commercials for Iranian television. He also created credit titles for other filmmakers.

His first serious film was a 12-minute short from 1970, showing a confrontation between a boy and a vicious dog. He laughed years later that the boy and the dog were equally un-cooperative, and his cinematographer grew quickly frustrated.

Despite this, he remained fond of child characters, and cast young performers to show life from their point of view.

“The Traveler” (1974), the earliest film in the program, follows a 12-yearold boy through 71 minutes, and his determination to attend a soccer match even though he has to lie, cheat, and steal before he’s through. With a humorous tone, and an affirmation of the Iranian mania for soccer, overlie a brooding tone about the temptations toward bad behavior in life.

The series also includes three films referred together as the “Koker Trilogy” (after the films’ settings in and around Koker, a small village in northern Iran).

These films all accentuate country life, the physical conditions and beliefs that exist in such places far from big cities.

“Where Is The Friend’s House?”

(1987) renders moral choice and moral steadfastness through a seeminglysimple tale of a young boy who struggles to help a classmate who’s accidentally misplaced a crucial notebook. “And Life Goes On,” filmed in 1992, finds Kiarostami returning to Koker after a deadly Iranian earthquake, determined to find the boys who starred in “Where Is The Friend’s House?” and check in on them.

The Koker Trilogy concludes with 1994’s “Through the Olive Trees,” a self-

referential tale of a young film actor who, in the process of filming a feature in the countryside, falls in love, both on and off the set, with the young woman playing his wife. Complications and confusion follow both of them.

Kiarostami enjoyed meta-levels, twisting the strands of real life and made-up life, as his 1990 feature “CloseUp” demonstrates vividly. It starts out from a real-life story: Hossain Sabzian, a young Tehran movie buff, convinced a small family that he was actually the famous director Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and persuaded them to star in a film he was allegedly shooting. “Close-Up” goes through the entire story with the real-life protagonists playing themselves — to the point where the judge in the resulting fraud case, plays himself.

“The Wind Will Carry Us” (1999) accentuates the unseen as much as the seen. Set once more in a remote village, it concerns a television crew from Tehran who wants to film a rare, distinctive funeral ceremony—but becomes stymied when the old lady who’s supposed to be buried, refuses to die. With a main character who spends the entire movie out of sight in a deep hole, and a few sequences filmed deliberately in low light, the story challenges the viewer to slow down, concentrate, and dwell on what does and does not lie under personal control, or even societal control.

The program entitled “Problems With Many Solutions,” gives us four Kiarostami shorts filmed between 1976 and 1981. These find the director once again playing with expectations (one film is almost entirely in close-ups), and more moral dilemmas. Do we hurt our fellow humans simply because we can? Do we inform on others to authority if that’s what authority demands? And why, or why not?

“In terms of film artists from Iran, I personally find Kiarostami’s work to be the most reflective of Iran’s deep tradition of poetry,” concluded Bruno.

“You’re not going to engage with one of his works without being challenged to view the world differently than most other artists are drawn to present it. None of his films are about just one thing and all of them are deeply rewarding of multiple viewings.”  The Kiarostami Retrospective plays Sept.

14–Oct. 6 at the Northwest Film Forum, SIFF Film Center, the Grand Illusion Theatre, and the Beacon, all in Seattle.

For more information, visit nwfilmforum. org/series/collaborative-kiarostamiretrospective.

Andrew can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ PUBLISHER’S BLOG

asianweekly northwest

9

Photos by George Liu

The giant behind the giants, Seahawks

By Assunta Ng NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY The Seahawks’ home opener on Sept.

8 reminded me that I was there recently at CenturyLink Field on a bright summer day, meeting some of its giants, literally and figuratively. I’m not kidding. When I stood next to them, I was like an eager snail, trying to push my head high enough to ask for autographs.

The Seahawks are the most famous neighbors of the International District (ID). It took me only five minutes to walk across the bridge on 4th Avenue South, from Chinatown to CenturyLink Field. I wasn’t going there for a game or a concert, but something which occurs only once a year.

It’s the first time I got invited to the 30th annual Pacific NW Football Hall of Fame.

Friends who know me would probably laugh.

“Girl, you don’t know anything about football.” Being a publisher of two small ethnic newspapers, sports are not my expertise. Thank God, my husband and sons know a lot more about sports, especially the Seahawks.

The Hall of Fame program revealed my ignorance, or weakness, depending on how you look at it. Of the five inductees, I recognized only the late Seahawks’ coach Chuck Knox, and Vice President of Community Relations, Mike Flood, the person who invited me. I must confess I didn’t know the other three reputable inductees: Seahawks’ Shaun Alexander, Huskies’ Mark Bruener, and high school football coach Tom Moore.

But I am a Seahawks fan, not because my family members are fans, but because the team is Seattle’s pride. It impacts the ID’s economy. In the past, Chinatown businesses were not thrilled as fans took away most of the parking spots in the ID during games.

Patrons avoided coming to the area. Lately, the Seahawks have set up programs to invite ID restaurants to sell food inside the stadium during games.

Things changed when the Hawks won the Super Bowl in 2014, and many community members are proud fans. To my surprise, an immigrant who lives and works as a street cleaner in the ID bought his kids Seahawks jerseys that year. And oh, he wore one, too.

Those jerseys are not cheap. Their outfit, including hats and scarves, would have cost the family hundreds of dollars. But they were so excited in celebrating the Seahawks’ win. Dim Sum King and T&T Restaurant, advertised in the Northwest Asian Weekly, congratulating the Seahawks’ victory. It never happened to us before for any local sports team.

To meet the demands of hundreds of thousands of fans going to the games, Metro has organized tons of double-decker buses from all parts of town to come to the ID, before and after the games.

I have noticed a rising number of Asians going to the games. The number of fans patronizing Chinatown restaurants and other businesses have also grown immensely, especially after home games.

My husband and I were over the moon

Mike Flood

Mike Flood and family

attending the Hall of Fame induction.

We knew that there would be a lot of celebrities in the room. Instantly, I remember Jerry Lee’s clever plan. Lee

and his wife Charlene are long-time Hawks fans and premier season ticket holders. (Lee said it costs $25,000 for the premier seats.) Whenever there were

Share a Cultural Connection Rich in culture, tradition, and a sense of belonging.

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Some of these autographed balls could fetch as much as $1,000 or more. see BLOG on 16

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asianweekly northwest

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

37 YEARS

Photo by Assunta Ng People waiting in line on grand opening day, Sept. 5

So what exactly is his culinary style?

Morimoto said, “The style of my cooking is rooted in classic Japanese styles and cuisines, but with my own signature twists I have added throughout my years of travel as a chef. I try to stay true to myself and the type of food that I like to cook and what my guests have liked in my restaurants. For me, it is all about using the best ingredients possible, and preparing them with respect and passion to create a delicious dish.”

According to information provided

Slicing open a big tuna fish

in conjunction with Momosan Seattle’s opening, “noodles are front and center, highlighting Morimoto’s varieties of Japanese-style flavor forward ramen, ranging from a dense and silky tonkotsu to a lighter Tokyo chicken, as well as tsukemen, tan-tan, duck, and butabara ramen options. The menu also includes a variety of grilled dishes and Japanese bar snacks, all with Morimoto’s signature twist, along with a selection of sushi.”

Dishes served will reflect upon the variety of our community and Morimoto’s own extensive background.

“From my experience of having restaurants worldwide and with the mindset of having Momosan Seattle located in Seattle’s International District, the menu naturally covers cuisines from different regions around the world,” said Morimoto. Examples of the ways in which the menu covers ground internationally range from the many types of Japanesestyle ramen and Japanese bar snacks, to spicy wonton in Szechuan sesame chili sauce or duck fat French fries. Morimoto assured the Weekly that Momosan Seattle will “work with local vendors and source local products wherever possible.”

Why Seattle? Morimoto has strong ties to the Emerald City and its citizens.

“I love Seattle and have long-standing relationships with dear friends in the city, including the owners of Uwajimaya market and baseball star Ichiro Suzuki,” he explained. “I have even thrown first pitches three times during Mariners games, which is one of my favorite things to do. I’ve visited Seattle many times over the years, keeping a close eye on the perfect spot to open a restaurant here.”

Momosan Seattle is Morimoto’s 17th restaurant, and he is already on the move again to Kyoto this fall, to open his 18th restaurant—Morimoto Kyoto, in Pontocho Alley, a location that, according to Morimoto, is “considered Kyoto’s top scenic dining destination, and rooted in centuries of history and tradition.”

Next, he will be onto Brooklyn to open his 20th restaurant, and fourth Momosan restaurant, in 2020.

“I travel more than 300 days a year to visit my restaurants around the world,” Morimoto explained. “So, traveling has been a part of business for me. My home base is NYC, though I have homes in Japan and Hawaii. In my limited free time, I love to get out and golf as much as possible. When I travel, if I have an extra day, I will try to get in a round!”

The Weekly asked Morimoto how he honors his original success as a maverick chef challenging traditions, while also respecting those same traditions and yet continuing to innovate.

“I always try to stay true to myself and my cooking,” he answered. “One of the biggest changes was my time on Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, as that introduced most of our guests to my style of cooking and cuisine, so I’m very thankful to have had that opportunity and honored to have the title of Iron Chef.

The majority of my guests still think of me first and foremost as Iron Chef Morimoto, and I love that!”  Momosan Seattle, located at 504 5th Avenue South, in the Publix Building,

Slicing slabs of tuna

Serving freshly sliced tuna

Morimoto and Tomio Moriguchi Photos provided by Momosan

he competed on the Japanese television show starting in 1998, and later on Iron Chef America, talked with the Northwest Asian Weekly about the new venue, why he chose Seattle, and what keeps him motivated and inspired.

“The culinary world is so extensive and I always have something new to discover,” said Morimoto, who started out as a youngster wanting to be a professional baseball player—or a sushi chef.

“When I injured my shoulder early on in my career, I turned to sushi, which was always a very special food memory early in my life,” he recalled.

“I find inspiration everywhere—from ingredients to a street vendor, and cities I have explored, to a book.”

It’s safe to say that Morimoto’s inspiration is nowhere near drying up.

At the time he wowed audiences on Iron Chef Japan, he was already renowned for introducing his signature style as head chef at the restaurant Nobu, in New York City. According to its website, Nobu is “known for its innovative new style cuisine paired with a hip crowd and celebrity following.” This was exactly the case for Morimoto, who challenged tradition by experimenting with combinations of eastern and western cuisine, while staying true to his roots.

During his Iron Chef Japan debut, he was compared to the musician Prince, but for cooking (some of his debut menu items combined ingredients like potato chips and red snapper).

Morimoto now has restaurants in Philadelphia, New York, Napa, Boca Raton, Mumbai, Mexico City, Tokyo, and Maui. He’s got a location at Disney World in Florida, as well as at the MGM Grand in Vegas. Not only that, but he dabbles in the creation of alcoholic beverages.

On the drink menu at Momosan Seattle, you’ll find Morimoto’s own signature sake, Morimoto wine by Mondavi, and three beers he produces in collaboration with Rogue Ales. Interested in shopping for more Morimoto? He’s got his own set of Miyabi Morimoto Edition knives, instant ramen and miso soup, and a cookbook!

Photos by George Liu

MOMOSAN from 1

Spicy wonton

Tan-tan ramen

is now open for dinner nightly from 5-11 p.m., and will open for lunch soon. For more information, including menus, visit momosanseattle.com.

Kai can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

YOUR VOICE

■ EDITORIAL

asianweekly northwest

11

Yang media blackout?

Two NBC News journalists apologized to Andrew Yang on Sept. 6 after the Democratic presidential hopeful called out an on-screen graphic that omitted his name when listing candidates participating in the upcoming Sept. 12 debate.

Yang tweeted an image of the faulty graphic, saying NBC “may have miscounted.”

NBC News senior producer Michael Hopper initially responded to Yang by telling him the image was “doctored.”

However, Hopper eventually realized he was the one who was wrong and apologized.

NBC News national political correspondent Steve Kornacki also apparently responded to Yang’s tweet.

“There’s no excuse for it and it’s my responsibility to check any graphic that I go on-air with, so I apologize for this screw-up...I owe viewers, candidates, and their supporters information that is 100% reliable,” Kornacki wrote.

Yang accepted the apology. He added that though “honest mistakes happen” on occasion, “NBC and MSNBC seem to

MA from 1 Ma, a former English teacher, founded Alibaba in 1999 to connect Chinese exporters to American retailers.

The company has shifted focus to serving China’s growing consumer market and expanded into online banking, entertainment and cloud computing. Domestic businesses accounted for 66 percent of its $16.7 billion in revenue in the quarter ending in June.

Chinese retailing faces uncertainty amid a tariff war that has raised the cost of U.S. imports.

Growth in online sales decelerated to 17.8 percent in the first half of 2019 amid slowing Chinese economic growth, down from 2018’s full-year rate of 23.9 percent.

Alibaba’s deputy chairman, Joe Tsai, told reporters in May the company is “on the right side” of issues in U.S.-Chinese trade talks.

Tsai said Alibaba stands to benefit from Beijing’s promise to increase imports and a growing consumer market.

Alibaba is one of a group of companies including Tencent Holding Ltd., a games and social media giant, search engine Baidu. com Inc. and e-commerce rival JD.com that have revolutionized shopping, entertainment and consumer services in China.

Alibaba was founded at a time when few Chinese were online. As internet use spread, the company expanded into consumer-focused retailing and services. Few Chinese used credit cards, so Alibaba created the Alipay online payments system.

Ma, known in Chinese as Ma Yun, appears regularly on television.

At an annual Alibaba employee

omit” him on a regular basis. Yang sent a series of tweets about the way he’s treated

by NBC News and even included a video with “more examples.”

Late last month, CNN removed a “New Day” graphic of the top-performing presidential candidates in a recent Quinnipiac poll that excluded Yang in favor of a lower-polling candidate. The network showed Rep. Beto O’Rourke polling at 1 percent, but not Yang at 3 percent.

“When the inexcusable graphics were brought to our attention, we immediately reached out to CNN,” said Randy Jones,

festival in Hanzhou, he has sung pop songs in costumes that have included blond wigs and leather jackets. He pokes fun at his own appearance, saying his oversized head and angular features make him look like the alien in director Steven Spielberg’s movie “E.T. The Extraterrestrial.”

The company’s $25 billion initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2014 was the biggest to date by a Chinese company.

The Hurun Report, which follows China’s wealth, estimates Ma’s fortune at $38 billion.

In 2015, Ma bought the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong’s biggest Englishlanguage newspaper.

Ma’s successor as chairman is CEO

Yang’s campaign spokesman. “They responded quickly, pledged to remove the incorrect graphics, and offered a sincere apology.”

The graphic was one of several that prompted Yang’s supporters, known as “the Yang gang,” to use the hashtag #YangMediaBlackout in accusing the mainstream media of conspiring against Yang by not covering his campaign.

According to an analysis by Axios released last week, Yang ranked 14th (out of the field of 19) in terms of articles written about his candidacy and 13th in

Daniel Zhang, a former accountant and 12year veteran of Alibaba. He previously was president of its consumer-focused Tmall.com business unit.

Alibaba’s e-commerce business spans platforms including business-to-business Alibaba.com, which links foreign buyers with Chinese suppliers of goods from furniture to medical technology, and Tmall, with online shops for popular brands.

Alipay became a freestanding financial company, Ant Financial, in 2014. Alibaba also set up its own film studio and invested in logistics and delivery services.

Ma faced controversy when it disclosed in 2011 that Alibaba transferred control over Alipay to a company he controlled

cable news mentions. He ranked fourth overall in Twitter mentions during the first two debates.

Not only has Yang already qualified for the Sept. 12 debate, he has also qualified for the October debate. Despite all of that, Yang is getting far less media attention than other candidates who are polling lower and not making those debate stages. The same Axios report mentioned earlier suggested the same and pointed to the coverage of Donald Trump during the 2016 election.

Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large, wrote, “[Yang] should be getting more attention. If the 2016 election taught us anything, it’s that voters are very sick of the status quo and politics as usual.

Writing off Yang’s candidacy because of his lack of political background or willingness to talk about less high-profile issues isn’t a mistake we should make.”

Yang’s campaign—which rose to prominence largely by gaining support on social media and not by being covered on traditional cable news networks— is maintaining an upbeat and positive message. 

without immediately informing shareholders including Yahoo Inc. and Japan’s Softback.

Alibaba said the move was required to comply with Chinese regulations, but some financial analysts said the company was paid too little for a valuable asset. The dispute was later resolved by Alibaba, Yahoo and Softbank.

Corporate governance specialists have questioned the Alibaba Partnership, which gives Ma and a group of executives more control over the company than shareholders.

Ma has said that ensures Alibaba focuses on long-term development instead of responding to pressure from financial markets. 

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asianweekly northwest

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

KEIRO from 1 Only one of the 115 nursing home residents remains as of press time; all of the other residents have moved out.

Former board members fear that Transforming Age, a Bellevue-based nonprofit, will sell Keiro’s land or fashion its own assisted living and memory care on the site, leaving the fate of Nikkei Manor even more uncertain.

Speaking off the record, for fear of what they described as months of ominous and unspecific legal threats, they said that at a recent board meeting a little over a month ago, a slim majority reneged on ongoing negotiations with Aspen, which manages Keiro Los Angeles, and handed a contract for the closure of Keiro Northwest to Transforming Age. “Basically what happened was they had the votes to override the motion to go on with Aspen and the motion was to give the contract to Transforming Age,” said a former board member. “And so that’s why we lost and that’s why a bunch of us resigned from the board. We felt that the board had reneged on a contract with Aspen.”

Over a dozen board members have resigned in the last six months or been removed.

Earlier this year, the board voted not to affiliate with Transforming Age, fearing that it would eventually shut down Keiro and dispose of its assets.

However, over the past few months, attrition of board members apparently tipped the balance so that a new majority was able to outvote the earlier consensus.

Former board members now wonder if staff and other board members continued to work with Transforming Age clandestinely—or at least to outmaneuver the faction that opposed.

“It was a scheme,” said the former board member. “In other words, the board was not together and my feeling was that the staff and their supporting board members conspired to bring that vote up and we just didn’t have the votes to defeat the motion.”

CEO Bridgette Takeuchi denies any scheming with Transforming Age. Rather, she and the new Keiro board apparently saw the decision to bring in Aspen by the former board members as last minute and in the long run injudicious.

“Aspen was brought in after our closure was announced and notification had been given to the state that our intention was to close our facility,” she and the board wrote in an email. The Keiro website shows one person on the board and four officers.

“The former board chair did initiate discussions with the entity that manages LA Keiro,” they wrote, “and it became clear that a potential deal was not in the best interest of our organization, financially or to fulfill our mission.”

They were referring to Tomio Moriguchi, one of the founders of Keiro, who was brought in as board chair at the height of Keiro’s troubles, in December of last year.

Moriguchi was voted off the board effective Aug 22.

Still, another former board member said that the decision to go with Transforming Age seemed inexplicable.

According to this second former board member, Aspen had promised to pay $8 million or $9 million in cash to Keiro. But Transforming Age, at least in its first offer, had not agreed to pay anything, the former board member said.

The land upon which the Keiro skilled nursing home facility sits is valued between $12 million and $13 million, said the second former board member.

Repeated requests for comment to Transforming Age were not answered as of press time.

A poisonous atmosphere?

The ongoing friction between former board members and Takeuchi and the cur-

rent board members and officers who support her seems emblematic of the poisonous and anguished atmosphere on the Keiro board over the past half year.

Still another former board member said that Takeuchi made threats during board meetings that board members would be subject to lawsuits, without naming specific names. This board member described an atmosphere of “constant disrespect and lack of trust” between different board members and staff.

“I noticed there was a lot of stalling going on, and misinformation being spread, as well as failure to disclose information,” said this former board member, also speaking off the record for fear of legal reprisal.

“I didn’t know who to trust and initiatives were getting delayed and stalled, and any time new information came out, it was undercut. This raised questions about who was benefiting and why, and at least one board member was wondering if there were still negotiations going on with Transforming Age.” Still, this same board member, decrying the secrecy and lack of transparency that pervaded board activities, said it seemed the organization was being handled as if it were a for-profit corporation, rather than a nonprofit.

Takeuchi worked in corporate America for over 10 years before coming to Keiro. In multiple email exchanges with Northwest Asian Weekly, she has consistently stressed that disclosure of information relating to ongoing negotiations may jeopardize those negotiations and harm the interests of Keiro and its stakeholders.

Assuming that it was a single source speaking to Northwest Asian Weekly, Takeuchi wrote that the sharing of information relating to internal board decisions was disturbing and contributed to the spread of misinformation.

“We are disturbed and saddened by your source’s eagerness to share confidential information, intended only for members of Keiro’s Board of Directors, with the media, and by the spread of conspiracy theories that have no connection to the reality of the difficult transition Keiro is currently undergoing,” she wrote.

Critics contend, however, that the board has been evasive even before Moriguchi was voted out as chair over such issues as Takeuchi’s salary.

John Okamoto, the son of one of the founders of Keiro, shared a June 7 email with the Northwest Asian Weekly, which asked Moriguchi for a copy of Keiro Northwest’s 2018 990 report. The 990 report, which he expected to be filed with the IRS on May 15, as of press time was still unavailable on the IRS website.

Okamoto was responding to a series of answers provided by the Keiro Konnector, a community newsletter, issued one week earlier in which those interested in finding the salaries of employees were directed to the IRS website.

“The answer forces the reader to chase the information of top salaries, even though it says it is publicly available elsewhere. If it is public, why not put it out?” wrote Okamoto to the board.

The first former board member, reluctant to name a specific number, said that a compensation committee had initially recommended giving Takeuchi a salary increase to a little under $600,000 with a retainer of over $100,000 should she stay until closure.

In the end, this former board member said the board voted to grant her a salary of $400,000 with a retainer of $100,000.

The annual salary for a nursing home administrator, according to Glass Door, is under $100,000.

That figure, however, did not refer to administrators that were negotiating the closing of an institution, as Takeuchi has been doing.

Indeed, this former board member said

37 YEARS

that the argument was made that she was “doing the work of three people.”

Still, the former board member added, “I felt that we were going to close anyway, so it didn’t matter.”

Takeuchi repeated that her “compensation is publicly disclosed on Keiro’s Form 990 returns.”

“The process for setting my compensation is set out clearly in Keiro’s internal governing documents and has been followed. The numbers you have been given are simply incorrect,” she wrote.

“As of today, the Board of Directors has not offered me a retention bonus to stay through the closure and subsequent transition of the organization,” she added.

Keiro employees

Several former board members said that Keiro staff had been told that even with an affiliation with Transforming Age, they would most likely lose their jobs.

They cited Transforming Age’s record with Vashon Community Care. According to the Vashon Maury Beachcomber, some family members of residents felt betrayed by what they thought were promises by Transforming Age to keep the skilled nursing facility open. Yet last month, almost 700 staff members and members of the community signed a petition asking the board to affiliate with Transforming Age, partly anticipating job opportunities.

It is not clear how effective Keiro’s leadership, past or present, has been in helping employees find new positions.

In another series of emailed questions in June that Okamoto shared with the Northwest Asian Weekly, the current leadership wrote that it had set up a computer lab to help employees look for jobs online, since some did not have access to the internet at home. It also said a coach was brought in to help with resumes.

But Okamoto asked if a “designated fund” can “be established to accept dona-

tions to assist employees in their employment transition. How can the community be involved in thanking those employees?”

The response was that any funding would be used only for the annual employee picnic—and not for some broader initiative.

“We have asked the Board of Directors to help raise funds ($10,000) in order to fund our annual Employee Picnic. In addition to the employees, our intention is to invite residents, families, vendors, and the Keiro community. This fund has been set up, but again, we’re looking to the Board to take the lead on raising these funds.”

A culture of secrecy

In the end, what seems most frustrating to former board members, as well as many community board members, is a perceived lack of transparency. Whether this comes from internal struggles and infighting on the board or from cultural or even generational differences is unclear. Some community members felt that such lack of transparency stretched back long before the closure was announced, for years.

Summing up the minutes from a family council meeting in May, soon after the closure was first announced, community members wrote, “There did not seem to be a sense of urgency to help inform the public about the dire Keiro NW financial situation.”

Moreover, it is not clear if such opaqueness has increased recently.

“This is a long standing beloved institution in the community,” said the third former board member.

“What we are most concerned about is the lack of transparency. Everything is a secret. Yes, there are things that can’t be disclosed, but the direction needs to be shared.”  Mahlon can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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Steve Wong Joanne Klein Steve Wong Steve Wong

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Office: Office: (206) (206) 725-2077 725-2077 Office: (206) 725-2077

Owner Kirk Wong(206)579-5010 (206)579-5010 Steve Steve Wong (206)794-1343 Owner Kirk Wong (206)794-1343 Owner Steve Wong (206)794-1343 OwnerKirk KirkWong Wong(206)579-5010 (206)579-5010 Joanne Klein (206)579-5006 Joanne Klein(206)579-5006 (206)579-5006 Peter Peter Klein Klein (206)579-5006 Joanne Klein (206)579-5006 Joanne Klein (206)579-5006 Peter Klein (206)579-5006 Peter Klein (206)579-5006 May Wong (206)725-2077 StanleyHo Ho(206)423-6678 (206)423-6678 Stanley Stanley Ho (206)423-6678

2341 15thAve. Ave. S.,Seattle, Seattle, WA 98144 2341 2341 15th 15th Ave. S., S., Seattle, WA 98144 98144

Office Hours 9:30am-6pm,Monday-Saturday Monday-Saturday (Sunday (Sunday by by appointment appointment only) Office Hours 9:30am-6pm, only)

Office Hours 9:30am-6pm, Monday-Saturday (Sunday by appointment only)

YOUR VOICE

■ ASTROLOGY

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

asianweekly northwest

13

Predictions and advice for the week of September 14–September 20, 2019

By Sun Lee Chang Rat — If the overall deal is attractive enough, consider conceding on a minor point that is causing an impasse.

Dragon — An idea you have had for a while has been picking up steam. Get ready for an exciting ride.

Monkey — Is an experiment not going quite as you had envisioned? Don’t be afraid to take what you have learned and try again.

Ox — Some may believe ignorance is bliss, but you are far more comfortable knowing what is out there rather than waiting for a surprise.

Snake — Following your instincts has led to a mixed bag of results. There is much to be said for making the call and doing it your way.

Rooster — Are you one who tends to march to the beat of your own drum? Get ready to stand out from the crowd.

Tiger — In your haste to understand, don’t apply just any explanation. Listen carefully to reasonable voices in whom you have confidence.

Horse — Too inward focused lately? Instead of keeping to yourself, connecting with friends and family could help you to break out of a rut.

Dog — Facing an uphill climb this week? You should be able to come out on top if you get an early start and maintain your focus.

Rabbit — A road not traveled has increasingly been on your mind. It’s never too late to change direction if you are dissatisfied with the status quo.

Goat — When entertaining at home, keep it simple so that you have time to interact and enjoy the company of your guests.

Pig — Is someone pushing hard for their agenda?

If it is not a trusted source, your skepticism is warranted and justified.

WHAT’S YOUR ANIMAL SIGN? RAT 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 OX 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009 TIGER 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 RABBIT 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 DRAGON 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 SNAKE 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 HORSE 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 GOAT 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015 MONKEY 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016 ROOSTER 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017 DOG 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 PIG 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019

*The year ends on the first new moon of the following year. For those born in January and February, please take care when determining your sign.

ZHANG from 4 Pew Research Center , 90 percent of federal defendants pleaded guilty in 2018 and 8 percent had their cases dismissed. Of the 2 percent who went to trial, eight out of 10 were convicted.

University of Florida law professor Michelle Jacobs, a former criminal defense lawyer, and Miami attorney David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor, said Altman’s job will be more difficult because Zhang doesn’t know trial procedure or rules. If she makes a major error that slips by, that could lead to a guilty verdict being thrown out on appeal. Altman will likely slow the trial so Zhang can keep up.

Weinstein said prosecutors will

find the case more difficult because not only do they also have to watch out for reversible errors Zhang might make, their “vanity’’ is at stake.

“It is one thing to lose to a defense attorney; it is quite another to lose a case to a pro se defendant,’’ he said.

Jacobs wondered if Zhang fired her public defenders because she comes from an authoritarian country and thought their job was to help ensure her conviction, even though Altman explained their role numerous times.

“The expectation might be that the state will do what the state does and whether you participate or not,’’ Jacobs said, “the end of the trial is a foregone conclusion.’ 

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asianweekly northwest

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Want to be a part of the NWAW team?

Northwest Asian Weekly is accepting applications for freelance writers. Flexible hours. Journalism degree preferred but not required.

Send resume and writing samples to: Ruth Bayang editor@nwasianweekly.com.

New salon in Seattle looking for reflexology/massage/maniurist. Full Time. Part Time. Will pay guaranteed $700 to $1000 a week + bonuses. Call Jim @ 206531-5899 or 602-350-7011.

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

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Find us on our website nwasianweekly.com and social media: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter.

Advertize in our Service Directory below Just $10 a week! Minimum: 12 weeks for $120. If it fits in a 1in by 1.5in box, we’ll print it. No extra charge for pictures. Call John at 206-223-0623 for more info.

Subscribe to the Northwest Asian Weekly $40 for one year.

Name_______________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City ____________________State________________ Zip Code __________Phone ____________________ Mail to: NW Asian Weekly 412 Maynard Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104 or call 206-223-0623

NEWBORN from 5 there in March. People answering the door in Sandy, Utah, declined to comment to The Associated Press.

Wearing an orange detainee shirt and handcuffs, Talbot, 43, was presented to reporters in Manila on Sept. 5. She kept her head low and wiped her tears at times. When reporters asked her to comment, Talbot shook her head.

Talbot had planned to board a Delta Air Lines flight to the United States with the baby, airport officials said.

“There was really an intention to hide the baby,’’ immigration official Grifton Medina said by telephone.

After discovering the baby, airline staff called immigration personnel, who arrested Talbot at the airport. She was later handed over to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the baby was turned over to government welfare personnel.

The NBI said Talbot presented an affidavit at the airport, allegedly from the baby’s mother, identified as Maricris Dulap, giving consent for the baby to travel to the U.S., but it had not been signed by the mother.

Officials said no government travel approval had

KING CoUNTY, WASHINGToN NoTICe To BIDDeRS Sealed bids will be received by the King County Procurement Services Section, 3rd Floor, 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, until 2:00 PM of bid opening date for the following listed bids.

To download a document, go to our web page at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/procurement. King County encourages minority business enterprise participation. King County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, and employment opportunities.

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been issued for the baby, prompting them to file human trafficking charges against Talbot. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Talbot also violated at least two other laws on child abuse, kidnapping and illegal detention, the NBI said.

U.S. Embassy officials were notified of Talbot’s arrest and told Philippine authorities that she has no criminal record in the U.S., NBI official Manuel Dimaano said.

Dimaano said Dulap gave her baby to Talbot in southern Davao city. He said investigators will try to determine how Talbot brought the baby out of Davao, which requires a city clearance for infants to be transported by a foreigner.

The baby’s parents have been charged under a child protection law but have not been placed under arrest, although the mother has been interviewed by social welfare officers, Dimaano said.

He said Dulap told the officers that she wanted to offer her baby for adoption, and there was no indication that she had sold the baby.

Dimaano said when he and other officials asked Talbot what she intended to do with the baby, she replied that she just wanted to give it “a name and a church blessing.’’ 

SERVICE DIRECTORY Get your Classified Ad! Place a 6 line classified ad for just $30!

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SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

YOUR VOICE SPORTS from 7 he is a role model and while he’s shown emotion over the stress and pressure of holding the moniker, he’s always been professional and thankful for his fans.

Weili Zhang becomes UFC’s first Chinese champion

Weili Zhang

Could Weili Zhang be the next Ronda

Rousey? Zhang defeated Jessica Andrade in Shenzhen, China to win the UFC strawweight title. It took 54 seconds in the very first round for her to become the first Chinese champion in the company’s history.

The win is also a victory for the UFC, as the mixed martial arts company looks to expand its promotion and hold events in China. The company, now owned by multi-media entertainment conglomerate WME, has opened a Performance Institute in Shanghai, China, where it plans to train athletes in hopes of turning them into future UFC competitors.

The 30-year-old Zhang began as a fitness instructor, where she trained in Chinese boxing and kickboxing before Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She then transitioned into MMA, which infuses a mix of martial arts. She began with the UFC in August 2018 and earned the title shot after winning her first three fights. With the win to earn the title, she has won 20 straight MMA fights.

Ronda Rousey stated on Instagram that she felt “like a proud mama” watching the growth of women’s MMA. She noted that Zhang was “a prime example of overcoming adversity—fighting not just through the ranks, but to also get noticed and stand out.” She added, “I’ve definitely

BOATERS from 1 A truck and trailer belonging to Le and Nguyen were located onshore at Gene Coulon Park in Renton. Both were impounded as the investigation continues.

Investigators unlocked one of the cell phones found and scoured the GPS system to pinpoint where the boat traveled.

Mylien Pham, Le’s cousin, is asking for people with lakefront property to check their surveillance footage

asianweekly northwest

15

taken notice and so should you.”

Many people have taken notice as Chinese fans have been on social media praising Zhang and millions have viewed the video of Zhang’s win.

One might see Zhang’s popularity rise as Rousey’s did when she became the first woman UFC champion. Zhang has already lobbied the company for a title defense on pay-per-view in China.

Ohashi’s triumphant return to Seattle Katelyn Ohashi has had a very good year. After a video of the UCLA gymnast’s floor routine went viral, she became an overnight star. Ohashi, a native of the Seattle area, became a social media darling with an energy-infused perfect 10 for her routine, which included an R&B and pop hits medley. She was able to attend the ESPY’s this year and even won her award for ‘Best Play.’ This past July at the ESPYs, she was able to recite a poem she wrote about female stereotypes.

Ohashi’s viral success has also led her to be one of the several athletes chosen to do ESPN The Magazine’s annual Body Issue in which players across various spectrums pose nude.

Although Ohashi may be done with

from Sept. 2 between 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. for any signs of the boat.

On the Facebook page dedicated to the vigil, Shawna Pike wrote, “Just wanted to share that even though the storm cut us short... rain is to be considered a blessing, and the lightening [sic] in the sky was very symbolic to the fact that both James and Vanna brought so much light and love to all of their family and friends.. They were two people who truly made the world a better place.”

Friends and family had originally asked people with

Katelyn Ohashi

gymnastics competitions, she was in Seattle in late August to raise the ‘12’ flag before the Seahawks final preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. A couple days later, she was the honorary “Scarves Up” celebrity before a Seattle Sounders match. She even ended her appearance with some gymnastics flips.  Jason can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

boats to scour the lake for Le and Nguyen.

The Facebook page now states, “[The police] request that we not get on the water as it may crowd the area and interfere with their work. Inexperienced divers advised not to go. It is deep and mucky down there and the silt is easily disturbed.”

Investigators do not suspect foul play.  Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com.

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asianweekly northwest

SEPTEMBER 14 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

37 YEARS

BLOG from 9

Photos by Assunta Ng

What an opportunity! Maybe I should buy a couple of balls and see how many of these autographs I could get.

But a few days before the event, I gave up on the idea.

A graphic artist on my staff designed a congratulatory card for Flood, and I intended to ask VIPs to sign it.

There wasn’t enough time (about half an hour) to accomplish both goals. Multi-tasking would take the fun out of me. I wanted to enjoy the process of meeting outstanding athletes and solely doing it for Flood.

Meeting the players

Who is Mike Flood?

Flood was surprised that he was named a Hall of Famer because he isn’t a player. He was the only one who wasn’t involved on the field. But his contributions to the Seahawks were deeply felt in the room. He makes the players care about the community. That’s how they connect with fans. His community work is expansive and powerful. He organized Seahawks players to do community service, like cleaning up Nisei Vets Hall this summer. Seriously, the players got their hands dirty in cleaning up the place. The Hawks also honor Japanese and other veterans, and other unsung heroes. The players offer summer camps to disadvantaged youth, and are involved with mentoring programs.

As president of Washington Generals Association, a community service organization founded by former Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, Flood was honored as a general himself. Flood’s list of community service goes on and on.

Most might not be aware that he was a roommate of the late Paul Allen, Seahawks owner and founder of many other innovative enterprises in Seattle, when they went to school at Washington State University. Also, Flood worked tirelessly behind the scenes to build the stadium.

Above all, Flood supports many Asian organizations, including sponsoring the Northwest Asian Weekly’s December dinner for the last two decades.

Thank you, Mike, for your support. It was definitely an eye-opening experience, and the highlight of my summer.

The Seahawks beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8 21 to 20. If that win is an indication of something major coming up, it is.

Can the team win the Super Bowl this season? I asked Flood.

“I think so,” he replied without a pause.

Fans, dream big!  Assunta can be reached at assunta@nwasianweekly.com.

Honorees

Photo by Assunta Ng

Messages on the card

Photo by George Liu

I worried what the players would think when I approached them for an autograph. Physically, they were intimidating—towering over me—big and strong like Transformers and with oversized biceps that they might burst the sleeves. Would they think I am too short? Would they test my knowledge of what year they played for the Seahawks? It would be embarrassing if they tested me and I didn’t know the answer. Would they sign and then scorn me, “Here you go, shortie.” My fear was baseless. Everyone was friendly and polite. One even said, “I would love to (sign).”

The trouble was, I didn’t know who the players were.

I was lost in the room of over 200 people, with a sea of unfamiliar faces. Fortunately, teamwork emerged.

My husband cued me by whispering, “You are standing next to…,” “See the tall guy talking to Mike,” “The guy behind you…” Gliding swiftly from one football player to the next, I was having fun. My husband was working simultaneously with his camera to get all the photos of dignitaries not with us, but with Flood standing or chatting to them. My role was to line them up properly so they could all be in the photo. And smiled. And my green and blue (Seahawks colors) felt pens came in handy when asking for autographs. People these days don’t carry pens around because they rely on their phones so much.

Some including Steve Largent, Steve Raible, Jim Zorn, and Curt Warner, took their time and added a nice note for Flood. They had no idea that I needed to get many more autographs. Sometimes, I was about to say, “Can you please hurry up?” No, I didn’t. I learned something. Next time, I would have two cards ready so I wasted no time in waiting for signers to finish. It was fun to meet all the players face to face— they were fathers, husbands, brothers, authors, entrepreneurs and network anchors—they were warm, human, and genuine—not on television with their helmets and uniforms—but as regular folks nicely-dressed for the occasion.