Today, the last of September, I was interviewed over the phone by the Santa Maria Sun. The Sun and the Lompoc Record will be attending the pre-Launch Party Saturday afternoon.
Also, Marian Konishi, whom some of you knew as Hatsue Nishimura, e-mailed to say she is coming to Lompoc to the pre-Launch Party! Her father, George Nishimura, was a Hawaii native, and thus a U.S. citizen, who served as signatory for many of the Issei families in Lompoc when they sought to purchase land. He became one of the largest Lompoc farmers this side of Guadalupe Produce and was even invited to join the Lompoc Rotary Club. He was one of the founders of the Lompoc Vegetable Union and his black-and-white hunting dog, Grit, was pictured on the LVU vegetable crates. And Marian has a great memory!
She joins Kaoru Bill and Lucille Honda, Katie Inouye Kayser, Kuni Inouye Omura, Chiyo Iwamoto Kobayashi and her son James Kobayashi, Michi Hozaki Mori and her son Mike Mori, and Tets and Joan Furukawa, all of whom have memories of pre-1942 Lompoc.
If you are in Lompoc Saturday, come on by-- 3 p.m. at Valley of the Flowers United Church of Christ, 3346 Constellation Road in Vandenberg Village.
John
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
October 16 is Set
Hi Everybody:
This all may end tomorrow, but today it’s getting exciting.
Mike Mori has set up the October 16 book launch party for at the Montrose-Crescenta Library in Montrose. The address is
2465 Honolulu Avenue , Montrose 91020 (Directions-- Montrose is north of Glendale Honolulu
Not only that, Mike has contacted four local newspapers. Not only that, he is bringing his mom, Michi Hozaki Mori to Lompoc
Michi’s father, Todoroki Hozaki took the photo (at the Lompoc Fourth of July parade in 1933) that Jeremy Bartic chose for our book cover.
The other news? UPS sent an e-mail saying the books have been shipped!
Thanks for reading,
John
Monday, September 27, 2010
Amazing
Amazing. Today is Monday. This site has been up for only three days. I do not yet have a copy of the book in my hand.
And yet today we have a tentative site for a gatherng October 16 in Los Angeles, we made contact with the Rafu Shimpo, and one of the stars of the book has committed to coming to Lompoc for our Pre-Launch Party on Saturday October 2. All this for a book about a little town whose name nobody can pronounce. And all three of these steps toward telling the story of Vanished: Lompoc's Japanese were taken by sources who tell their story in the book, and members of their families. Not me.
First of all Mike Mori e-mails me regarding his search for a location for a gathering in the Los Angeles area on October 16. He thinks he has just the place: a library. Great. We will publicize it as soon as it is confirmed. Thank you, Mike. Mike's grandfather, Todoroki Hozaki, took the photograph that is used on the cover of our book.
Then, another e-mail shows up, this one from Janet Kawahata Saisho, her father was the leader of one of the "voluntary" evacuation groups which left Lompoc in March 1942. Janet took the initiative to track one of her old friends who writes for the Rafu Shimpo. She found herself talking to an editor who said she would like to know more about the book. I have a phone number here to call tomorrow morning. Thank you, Janet.
Then, the phone rings. It's Chiyo Iwamoto Kobayashi. She has a church retreat scheduled for October 16 so she cannot come to the gathering that day. So instead, she and her son James are driving all the way from Los Angeles to Lompoc this Saturday, October 2!! Wow. Not only that, she is making spinach and cream cheese pinwheels to bring! Isn't this amazing. That brings the list of ex-Lompocans to four including Katie Inouye Kayser, whose quote appears here on the front page of the web site, Kuni Inouye Omura, Lompoc Flower Festival Queen of 1963 who is quoted in the book, and Koaru Bill Honda, the Iwamoto Store bookkeeper who was the Lompoc Yawaragi club's basketball and baseball coach and was one of the founders of Lompoc's JACL chapter. Not to mention his wife, Lucille.
Like I said, amazing.
John
And yet today we have a tentative site for a gatherng October 16 in Los Angeles, we made contact with the Rafu Shimpo, and one of the stars of the book has committed to coming to Lompoc for our Pre-Launch Party on Saturday October 2. All this for a book about a little town whose name nobody can pronounce. And all three of these steps toward telling the story of Vanished: Lompoc's Japanese were taken by sources who tell their story in the book, and members of their families. Not me.
First of all Mike Mori e-mails me regarding his search for a location for a gathering in the Los Angeles area on October 16. He thinks he has just the place: a library. Great. We will publicize it as soon as it is confirmed. Thank you, Mike. Mike's grandfather, Todoroki Hozaki, took the photograph that is used on the cover of our book.
Then, another e-mail shows up, this one from Janet Kawahata Saisho, her father was the leader of one of the "voluntary" evacuation groups which left Lompoc in March 1942. Janet took the initiative to track one of her old friends who writes for the Rafu Shimpo. She found herself talking to an editor who said she would like to know more about the book. I have a phone number here to call tomorrow morning. Thank you, Janet.
Then, the phone rings. It's Chiyo Iwamoto Kobayashi. She has a church retreat scheduled for October 16 so she cannot come to the gathering that day. So instead, she and her son James are driving all the way from Los Angeles to Lompoc this Saturday, October 2!! Wow. Not only that, she is making spinach and cream cheese pinwheels to bring! Isn't this amazing. That brings the list of ex-Lompocans to four including Katie Inouye Kayser, whose quote appears here on the front page of the web site, Kuni Inouye Omura, Lompoc Flower Festival Queen of 1963 who is quoted in the book, and Koaru Bill Honda, the Iwamoto Store bookkeeper who was the Lompoc Yawaragi club's basketball and baseball coach and was one of the founders of Lompoc's JACL chapter. Not to mention his wife, Lucille.
Like I said, amazing.
John
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Initial Feedback Encouraging
Hi Everybody:
Two days after unveiling our site the feedback could not be better. Let me count the ways.
Katie Inouye Kayser and Kuni Lorraine Inouye Omura are coming to Lompoc all the way from Orange County for the October 2 party. Wow, what a commitment. They will see Kaoru Bill Honda and his wife Lucille Honda who are coming from Santa Barbara. Tets Furukawa, whom many old Lompocans met at Gila River, now lives in Santa Maria. He called to say he will be coming too. George Yoshitake will be making sushi.
The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles has asked for us to send a copy of the book as soon as we get one. They want to consider it for placement in their gift shop!
Michael Mori, whose grandfather Todoroki Hozaki shot so many of the photos we show in the book, has offered to help find a place for the October 16 gathering in LA. Thanks, Mike! Janet Kawahata Saisho wrote to say she plans to come to that October 16 event.
Cheryll Arnold has placed the first "searching for" comment on the BLOG page. Cheryl is daughter of Marian Konishi (once Hatsue Nishimura). She is looking for Shizue (Doi) Nishimura. I think this website may be able to assist a LOT of people in connecting to old friends.
Kay Sakanashi in Richmond sent along very kind comments about the website. Thank you, Kay. I look forward to meeting you late in October or early November.
Finally, Myra Huyck Manfrina, the Expert #1 of the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, e-mails the following:
"I just finished reading every inch of the website -- absolutely fantastic -- so well done." Thanks, Myra. The book could not have been written without the active assistance and support of the Historical Society.
Like I said last time-- thank you, thank you, thank you. John McReynolds
Two days after unveiling our site the feedback could not be better. Let me count the ways.
Katie Inouye Kayser and Kuni Lorraine Inouye Omura are coming to Lompoc all the way from Orange County for the October 2 party. Wow, what a commitment. They will see Kaoru Bill Honda and his wife Lucille Honda who are coming from Santa Barbara. Tets Furukawa, whom many old Lompocans met at Gila River, now lives in Santa Maria. He called to say he will be coming too. George Yoshitake will be making sushi.
The Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles has asked for us to send a copy of the book as soon as we get one. They want to consider it for placement in their gift shop!
Michael Mori, whose grandfather Todoroki Hozaki shot so many of the photos we show in the book, has offered to help find a place for the October 16 gathering in LA. Thanks, Mike! Janet Kawahata Saisho wrote to say she plans to come to that October 16 event.
Cheryll Arnold has placed the first "searching for" comment on the BLOG page. Cheryl is daughter of Marian Konishi (once Hatsue Nishimura). She is looking for Shizue (Doi) Nishimura. I think this website may be able to assist a LOT of people in connecting to old friends.
Kay Sakanashi in Richmond sent along very kind comments about the website. Thank you, Kay. I look forward to meeting you late in October or early November.
Finally, Myra Huyck Manfrina, the Expert #1 of the Lompoc Valley Historical Society, e-mails the following:
"I just finished reading every inch of the website -- absolutely fantastic -- so well done." Thanks, Myra. The book could not have been written without the active assistance and support of the Historical Society.
Like I said last time-- thank you, thank you, thank you. John McReynolds
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Grand Opening
Hi Everybody:
I just sent out an e-mail to 35 or so folks who have helped with the book, and yesterday 35 postcards went out to people who are not online. All to call attention to the website and the book. It's not exactly the Grand Opening of the West Side Food Center in October 1941, but for me it's a big deal.
I hope you like the website. Beverly Wolf of WolfonWeb has done fantastic work on it, I think. I hope you like the book too. It's about the best I am capable of doing with the resources at hand. I know you will find mistakes and some topics under-represented. We can deal with some of those on the website, and others perhaps in a second edition.
Thank you to all of you for your memories and your patience. Here's an example. Lucille Honda already talked to the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation bookshop about placing the book there, and they agreed, without even seeing it! It is initiatives like that which make me feel good about this undertaking.
As soon as we have books in hand, we'll open up the "Sales" page on the website. The printer assures me that we will have books for October 2 in Lompoc.
Please send us your reactions to the site and to the book. We will post them on the "History of the Book" page. And your suggestions. And your questions. We will have an FAQ space.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
John
I just sent out an e-mail to 35 or so folks who have helped with the book, and yesterday 35 postcards went out to people who are not online. All to call attention to the website and the book. It's not exactly the Grand Opening of the West Side Food Center in October 1941, but for me it's a big deal.
I hope you like the website. Beverly Wolf of WolfonWeb has done fantastic work on it, I think. I hope you like the book too. It's about the best I am capable of doing with the resources at hand. I know you will find mistakes and some topics under-represented. We can deal with some of those on the website, and others perhaps in a second edition.
Thank you to all of you for your memories and your patience. Here's an example. Lucille Honda already talked to the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation bookshop about placing the book there, and they agreed, without even seeing it! It is initiatives like that which make me feel good about this undertaking.
As soon as we have books in hand, we'll open up the "Sales" page on the website. The printer assures me that we will have books for October 2 in Lompoc.
Please send us your reactions to the site and to the book. We will post them on the "History of the Book" page. And your suggestions. And your questions. We will have an FAQ space.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
John
Friday, September 17, 2010
Welcome to the Site
Hi Everybody:
Welcome to our "Vanished: Lompoc's Japanese" website. This endeavor in community-building promises to be an adventure. For people across the nation to come together digitally 68 years after evacuation is truly amazing. Here's a note from Marian Konishi. Some of you may remember her as Hatsue Nishimura.
"I spoke with Katherine (Inouye) Kayser this afternoon and we are planning to have lunch soon. Terry (Wakumoto) Kuzuhara and I were the best of friends and I will try to see her soon as well. Thank you for putting me in touch with all my friends --Everyone thinks it's unbelievable that after 65-70 years, we are connecting again."
For me as the author, I'm so happy that this little book project has grown into something so enjoyable for so many. The forty pages of photos which will be seen in the center of the book have already arrived at the printshop in Colorado. So has the cover. The manuscript is on the way. It should be on the press on Tuesday.
The first Book Launch party will be held on Saturday afternoon October 2 at Valley of the Flowers United Church of Christ in Lompoc. George Yoshitake will be making sushi for the guests and Norma Green will be rocking on the piano. Cover designer Jeremy Bartic will be here too.
I hope to line up similar events in Los Angeles and the Bay Area soon. The book will be on sale here on the website, in selected bookstores in Lompoc, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and on Amazon as soon as I can get to it.
This website will remain up as an information center for the book and the events it generates. Also for corrections and clarifications which we hope you will send in. Despite my best efforts, I guarantee there will omissions and inaccuracies. With your help we can correct them for a second printing. First of all I would love to know the names of the first three girls on the cover. Best wishes, John
Welcome to our "Vanished: Lompoc's Japanese" website. This endeavor in community-building promises to be an adventure. For people across the nation to come together digitally 68 years after evacuation is truly amazing. Here's a note from Marian Konishi. Some of you may remember her as Hatsue Nishimura.
"I spoke with Katherine (Inouye) Kayser this afternoon and we are planning to have lunch soon. Terry (Wakumoto) Kuzuhara and I were the best of friends and I will try to see her soon as well. Thank you for putting me in touch with all my friends --Everyone thinks it's unbelievable that after 65-70 years, we are connecting again."
For me as the author, I'm so happy that this little book project has grown into something so enjoyable for so many. The forty pages of photos which will be seen in the center of the book have already arrived at the printshop in Colorado. So has the cover. The manuscript is on the way. It should be on the press on Tuesday.
The first Book Launch party will be held on Saturday afternoon October 2 at Valley of the Flowers United Church of Christ in Lompoc. George Yoshitake will be making sushi for the guests and Norma Green will be rocking on the piano. Cover designer Jeremy Bartic will be here too.
I hope to line up similar events in Los Angeles and the Bay Area soon. The book will be on sale here on the website, in selected bookstores in Lompoc, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and on Amazon as soon as I can get to it.
This website will remain up as an information center for the book and the events it generates. Also for corrections and clarifications which we hope you will send in. Despite my best efforts, I guarantee there will omissions and inaccuracies. With your help we can correct them for a second printing. First of all I would love to know the names of the first three girls on the cover. Best wishes, John
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