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The ABAS Law Foundation has established a tradition of fine wines, good food, and conviviality at its Wine tasting benefits for law student scholarships. If you went on May 27, 2004, you were part of a growing group, and you attended a great party! Pavilions Shopping Plaza provided its Courtyard and was the Foundation’s host for the event. The Steve Homan Jazz Trio was there courtesy of Pavilions; their music pleased the ear, and did not fight with conversation. The weather cooperated; although rain was forecast, it didn’t rain until everyone had gone home. The food and wine companies dispensed their wares from the Pavilions archways, and guests relaxed at tables shaded by umbrellas. Over 130 people attended, including Presiding Judge Michael Virga and Judge James Mize, both of whom poured wine for the guests; Judges Trena Burger-Plavan, Shelleyanne Chang, Loren McMaster, Cheryl Chun Meegan, J. Allen Sumner, and Brian Van Camp; Commissioner Patricia Wong, and Justice Vance Raye; National Asian Pacific Bar Association immediate past president Ruthe Ashley; Women Lawyers of Sacramento president Grace Bergen; Wiley Manuel Bar Association president Renee Carter; Sacramento CAPITAL Foundation scholarship chair Carole Chong; CAPITAL chair Dr. Sonney Chong; Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation chair Karen Cotton; Sacramento Law Foundation president Tac Craven; Sacramento County Law Librarian Shirley David; County Supervisor Roger Dickinson; Asian-Pacific State Employees Association president Alex Eng, former U.S. Marshal Jerry Enomoto and Human Rights-Fair Housing Commission chair Dorothy Enomoto; City Councilmember Dave Jones’s representative Mardres Story; SCBA president-elect Jack Laufenberg; Center for Youth Citizenship director Joe Maloney; ABAS president-elect Mike Mireles; and SCBA president Joan Stone. The wines came from several boutique Northern California wineries: Bogle Vineyards, Domaine de la Terre Rouge & Easton Wines (Judges Jim Mize and Michael Virga pouring), Jewel Collection (Rod Moniz pouring), Michael-David Vineyards (Kathe Macdonald pouring), Sogno Winery, and Wilson Vineyards (Mark Wilson pouring). Kamal Chandra poured for Chanterelle Restaurant. A last-minute employee injury prevented Alzante Vintners from participating. Extra touches included tasting notes at the wine tables. Food included teriyaki and gyoza from Kyoto Restaurant; Korean style chicken teriyaki from Asia Food Market; fried potstickers from Koreana Plaza; Asian rice crackers from Oriental Food Market; calamari tempura from Seoul Restaurant; and several kinds of cheeses, crackers and bread from Trader Joe’s. Foundation president Yoshinori Himel recognized the generosity of the Sacramento CAPITAL Foundation (charitable counterpart of CAPITAL, the Council of Asian Pacific Islanders Together for Advocacy and Leadership) and its scholarship chair, Carole Chong, for matching over $50,000 in scholarship funds from the ABAS Law Foundation and other organizations, resulting in over $100,000 in scholarships in the Sacramento CAPITAL Foundation’s first year. At the silent auction, guests bid on a Wine Savvy educational gift certificate, a Your Own Wine kit by Mitchell Vineyards, Asian foods and a book in a Chinese steamer basket by Carole Chong, a Vlade Divac autographed jersey, River Cats items, a Spa Gift Basket by Karen Fong Cotton, and many other items of interest. The Foundation’s scholarship recipients include one law student who spent his first 7 years in a refugee camp in Thailand, and who not only worked his way through college but even sent money home to his parents and six siblings as they worked in the fields. Columnist Anita Creamer profiled him in the Bee. Another, as an AmeriCorps volunteer, worked in a clinic with lowincome Spanish-speaking people. Another is the president of the nationwide Asian Pacific American law student association. The ABAS Law Foundation hopes to see you at the ABAS Golf Tournament at Teal Bend this fall, and at the Third Annual Wine Tasting next year!
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July / August 2004