The Save the Thai Temple crew would like to wish everyone a happy 2010. To start the new year off, we would like to recognize some our very own founding members for their accomplishments in 2009.
Siwaraya Rochanahusdin has been named by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress as the Top #1 Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Unsung Hero of 2009 for her work with Save the Thai Temple, the Asian American Donor Program, 2010 Census and her overall efforts for the progress and de-marginalizaiton of the Thai and Asian American community.
Pahole Sookkasikon was crowned Mr. Hyphen 2009 by Hyphen Magazine. He has been recognized by Asianweek as “breaking the boundaries of Asian American male stereotypes” and has been featured in major news outlets ranging from the New York Times, SFGate to MSNBC. The contest donated $1,000 to the winner’s charity of choice and Pahole chose the Thai-American Scholarship Fund and the Asian American Donor Program.
2009 also marked the inaugural year for the Thai-American Scholarship Fund founded by our very own Johnny Vilaikeo and Virada Chatikul. The annual competition, consistting of an essay and interview process, seeks to provide funds for underrepresented college students of Thai, Lao, Khmer and Southeast Asian decent. The Thai-American Scholarship Fund honored its first recipient, Catherine Le.
We are so very proud of Siwaraya, Pahole, John, Virada and the rest of the STTT crew. We are honored and humbled that their hard work and persevering spirit have benefited and been recognized by the greater AAPI community.
We also want to thank everyone again for helping the Thai Temple secure its place in the heart of the City of Berkeley. This could not have been done without the help of all the letters, phone calls, support of community organizations and the love we have received over the past two years. The journey was a long one, but through the dedication, organization, and hard work or our little band of sisters and brothers combined with the overwhelming support from the community, we were able make a little bit of Thai-American history with nothing more than passion and love for the Thai Temple. With or without recognition, the most valuable feeling that we all share is that we were able to give back to the community that has provided us with so much.
Tonight in Berkeley, the City Council will present a resolution honoring the life and work of Michelle Maykin to her mother, Megan Williams. Maykin passed away on July 25th after a hard fought battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, cancer of the blood. You know her as the inspirational force behind ProjectMichelle.com.
Maykin, a former Thai Cultural Center student could not find a match for the bone marrow transplant. In an effort to raise awareness to Asian-Americans and find a match, she created ProjectMichelle.com, a campaign that organized blood marrow registration drives around the country.
HONORING THE LIFE OF MICHELLE MAYKIN AND URGING PEOPLE TO REGISTER AS BONE MARROW DONORS
WHEREAS, The City of Berkeley mourns the untimely loss of Michelle Maykin, who passed away on July 25th, 2009 after a courageous battle with cancer; and
WHEREAS, Michelle Maykin spent much of her young adulthood in the East Bay – graduating from College Park High School, where she served as ASB president, and later UC Berkeley in 2004; and
WHEREAS, Michelle Maykin enjoyed an active life bicycling across the Golden Gate Bridge, rock climbing, excelling in dance and music at Bay Area Thai Temples, including Wat Mongkolratanaram in Berkeley and volunteering at various organizations, including the Juvenile Detention Center in San Jose, OASES at UC Berkeley and Tzu Chi in San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, Michelle Maykin, who is of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai descent, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in February of 2007; and
WHEREAS, Michelle Maykin’s treatment called for a bone marrow transplant, however, she did not have a bone marrow match; and
WHEREAS, There is a particularly acute need for ethnic minority donors – of the nearly 7 million people on the National Marrow Donor Program, only 8 percent are of Asian ancestry; and
WHEREAS, Michelle Maykin dedicated herself to helping others by creating Project Michelle, a campaign focused on recruiting people to become potential bone marrow donors; and
WHEREAS, In drives around the country, Project Michelle has registered over 18,000 people on the Be The Match Registry, increasing the likelihood that others needing a bone marrow transplant may have a match; and
WHEREAS, Project Michelle was able to help find 4 matches in the Bay Area for patients in need; and
WHEREAS, More than 70 life-threatening diseases can be treated with a bone marrow transplant; and
WHEREAS, Registering only takes 10 minutes and requires no blood, just a simple cotton swab of the mouth. Additionally, if one is an ethnic minority, one can order a free at home test kit; and
WHEREAS, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) website can be used to find the nearest registry drive at http://www.marrow.org.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Berkeley that it hereby honors the amazing life of Michelle Maykin, whose courageous fight has inspired thousands to register to save lives; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Berkeley encourages all people to register to become bone marrow donors and encourages all people to organize blood marrow registration drives in their communities.
Adopted unanimously by the Berkeley City Council on September 22, 2009
Mayor Tom Bates
Councilmember Linda Maio
Councilmember Darryl Moore
Councilmember Max Anderson
Councilmember Jesse Arreguín
Councilmember Laurie Capitelli
Councilmember Susan Wengraf
Councilmember Kriss Worthington
Councilmember Gordon Wozniak
Project Michelle successfully registered over 18,000 people, increasing the likelihood that others needing a bone marrow transplant may have a match. To date four matches have been made. Please help us try to fulfill Michelle’s goal of registering 20,000.
On September 22, 2009 complainants sought to appeal the Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) decision granting Wat Mongkolratanaram (Berkeley Thai Temple) Broader Land Use Permits. In what was considered a stunner, the council voted UNANIMOUSLY (9-0) in favor of the Berkeley Thai Temple.
Though signs pointed we had a strong case, this outcome was a very unexpected and very welcomed surprise.
We would like to personally extend our personal thanks to EVERYONE who has supported our cause. It was your resolve, support, and encouragement that help get us to this point today.
Tonight at we ask that everyone in the Berkeley and San Francisco Bay Area to help support our cause by joining us in front of the Old Berkeley City Hall at 6:30pm (18:30) for the Candlelight Vigil prior to the start of the hearing at 7pm.
We ask that you bring along all your friends and family members to help show the City of Berkeley the support and love for Berkeley’s Thai Buddhist Temple.
For those unable to attend, please continue to call and email the Berkeley City council members to voice your support!
CALL-IN DAY: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2009
TO SAVE THE BERKELEY THAI BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Voice your support for the Berkeley Thai Buddhist Temple!
(Berkeley and non-Berkeley residents both can participate in the call-in day.)
The beloved 28-year-old Sunday Food Offering tradition at the Berkeley Thai Temple is in danger of being shut down once more. In April, three complainants submitted an appeal to Berkeley’s City Council to overturn the Zoning Adjustment Board’s (ZAB’s) approval permitting a Buddhist shrine and the continuation of Sunday Food Offering activities.
The Berkeley City Council will vote whether or not to uphold the ZAB’s decision at a hearing on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 7PM.
Instructions:
Use the sample phone transcript and/or letter of support below
to call and email the Berkeley City Councilmembers.
Mayor Tom Bates
mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us
T (510) 981-7100 | F (510) 981-7199
Councilmember Linda Maio (Dist 1)
lmaio@ci.berkeley.ca.us
T (510) 981-7110 | F (510) 981-7111
Councilmember Darryl Moore (Dist 2)
dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us
T (510) 981-7120 | F (510) 981-7122
Councilmember Max Anderson (Dist 3)
manderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us
T (510) 981-7130 | F (510) 981-7133
Councilmember Jesse Arreguin (Dist 4)
jarreguin@cityofberkeley.info
T (510) 981-7140 | F (510) 981-7144
Councilmember Laurie Capitelli (Dist 5)
lcapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us
T (510) 981-7150 | F (510) 981-7155
Councilmember Susan Wengraf (Dist 6)
swengraf@ci.berkeley.ca.us
T (510) 981-7160 | F (510) 981-7166
Councilmember Kriss Worthington (Dist 7)
kworthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us
T (510) 981-7170 | F (510) 981-7177
Councilmember Gordon Wozniak (Dist 8 )
gwozniak@ci.berkeley.us
T (510) 981-7180 | F (510) 981-7188
Sample Phone Transcript:
“Hello, my name is [your name], and I’m calling to urge the Berkeley’s City Council to re-affirm the Zoning Board’s approval of the weekly Sunday Food Offering activities at the Thai Buddhist Temple. The Temple should be allowed to continue its religious practice of food-sharing and merit-making. I urge you to support this Berkeley tradition because it is vital to our community.
Thank you for your time.”
Sample Email and Fax to Elected Officials:
Dear Councilmember:
I am writing to express my concern at the possible appeal of the Zoning Adjustments Board’s decision of the weekly Sunday Food Offering at the Thai Buddhist Temple in Berkeley. I strongly urge you to support the ZAB’s judgment as well as this beloved 28-year-old Berkeley tradition because citizens like me have benefited from the Temple’s longstanding presence in Berkeley.
1. The Sunday Food Offering activities are an important religious practice for Buddhists.
Food-sharing is an essential aspect of contributing to and receiving Buddhist merit. The practice of creating a space where monks, volunteers, neighbors, and patrons alike can engage in foodsharing is part of merit-earning. The Food Offering activities have become the center of the Temple’s spiritual activities.
2. The Temple has been and continues to be a good Berkeley neighbor.
In the past 27 years, no complaints have been filed against the Temple until the recent months. In light of the recent complaints, the Temple has not only addressed the specific concerns of the complainants, but it also has undertaken efforts to continue to be a considerate community partner through surveys and land use impact studies.
3. The Temple is a critical community institution for the Thai community.
Shutting down the Sunday Food Offering activities would have devastating effects on the Thai community that relies on the Temple as a support network and the center of Thai culture. The Thai community urgently needs places like the Temple to allow the community to grow.
Berkeley is counting on you to save this important and dynamic part of the Berkeley community.
Thank you for your time.
We are pleased to announce that the Thai Alliance in America in Washington D.C. supports our efforts for the Thai Temple.
Quite possibly, one of the first movements of its kind, Save the Thai Temple(STTT), a dedicated group of second generation Thai Americans, are working tirelessly to protect their beloved Wat Mongkolratanaram (Wat Berkeley, CA). What began years ago as Thai summer school has now evolved into a network of Thai Americans from around the Bay Area collaborating to preserve the religious and cultural center that their community elders established. From Thai community elders to surrounding Berkeley neighbors to universities and non-profit organizations, these individuals reflect the diverse and expanding base of support for the public education campaign insisting that Temple’s constitutional and civil rights be upheld.
The rest of the article can be read via the link below.
The STTT (Save the Thai Temple) group would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to every individual and organization who has helped in spreading the word and making our situation known to a wider audience.
Mark your calendars! September 22nd is the date we hope to have a final decision.
The Berkeley City Council is scheduled to decide whether to uphold the Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) decision on Tuesday, September 22, 2009.
The hearing will be closed to public comment. There will be a candlelight vigil in front of the Hall @ 7pm prior to the hearing. Feel free to drop by and show your support. We would be more than glad to see you there.
Michelle Maykin, the person behind www.projectmichelle.com, ended her battle with Leukemia this morning, she passed during her sleep. Michelle was a student at the Wat and often performed for Wat Mongkolratanaram (Berkeley) and Wat Buddahnusorn (Fremont).
When she began her struggle against Leukemia, she started ProjectMichelle, an effort to register 20,000 potential donors and raise awareness in the Asian-American community. Through ProjectMichelle, she was able to register 18,500+ newly registered donors in the bone marrow registry, which resulted in 4 matches to date.
Michelle is an inspiration to people who fight the fight. She showed courage, strength, perseverance, and love. She is a hero and inspiration to our community as she was to countless others. We wish her family our condolences and will keep them in our prayers.
We’re pleased to announce, Catherine Le, as the recipient of the first Thai-American Scholarship Fund for 2009! She is currently a biology major at the University of California, Merced. Based on Catherine’s academic record, compassion to help the community, and perseverance through a challenging childhood, Catherine was an easy choice as the first recipient.
We believe in Catherine and her ability to accomplish all the goals she has set for herself to achieve. We hope the Thai American Scholarship fund will be able to assist other deserving individuals in reaching their college and professional goals.
The entire STTT team wishes Catherine the best of luck.
The Thai American Scholarship Fund was founded by two members of the SavetheThaiTemple group to promote cultural awareness for Thais growing up in America.
The Scholarship is currently funded by private donations and will eventually open up to the public as awareness of the fund grows. Our goal was to plant the seed for an underserved ethnic community and build community awareness. We intend on building a foundation for future Thai Americans to keep our Thai heritage a part of our daily lives and establishing a Scholarship to help students reach their professional goals.
[Berkeley, CA] On April 7, 2009, three complainants submitted an appeal of the City of Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) approval of the Wat Mongkolratanaram Thai Buddhist Temple Broader Land Use Permit. The appeal requests that the City Council reconsider the ZAB 6-to-3 vote in approval of the Temple religious activities.
In the appeal, complainants state that the Temple Sunday activities are overtly detrimental and constitute a chronic nuisance that negatively impacts the value of the properties immediately adjacent to the Thai Temple.However, the appeal fails to bring new considerations that have not already been addressed by the ZAB findings in previous hearings.The ZAB concluded that there were minimal traffic, noise and odor impacts to surrounding residents and that the Temple posed no detriment to the health, safety, peace, morals, comfort and general welfare of the neighborhood. Though the Temple has been practicing its religious activities for over two decades on Temple grounds, the appeal ignores the religious nature of the Sunday Food Offering and makes a blanket assertion that it is not a religious service or accessory rite to a religious institution, It also reiterates the complainants desire for the Temple to decrease the frequency of the Sunday Food Offering when the Temple has already reduced its service by fifty percent. In addition, it makes additional requests such as moving the Sunday activities to an off-site location, asking the City to repeat neighborhood impact studies already conducted and lowering the height of a proposed Buddha sanctuary whose height is already within City limitations for religious structures. The appeal suggests that the Temple religious practices should be curtailed, reduced, and compromised to the point that the Temple religious freedom is threatened.
In response, Temple members continue their public outreach campaign on the Theravada Buddhist tenet of merit-making that is practiced during the Sunday Food Offering and its centrality to Thai Buddhist teaching. The Sunday Food Offering tradition is an essential part of the Thai Buddhist religious practice of communal food sharing, giving Buddhists an opportunity to earn merit by providing their time, service, food and donations to the monks and to the Temple. The Food Offering tradition and the generous donations of its participants, also allow the Temple to sustain its facilities, host five resident monks and two visiting teachers annually, and maintain its Thai Cultural Center. Siwaraya Rochanahusdin, a Thai American who grew up at the Temple, is spearheading the efforts to save the Temple. She said, The Temple offers an invaluable range of services to an otherwise underserved population. Discontinuing the weekly food offering would deny this community access to spiritual and educational opportunities not readily found elsewhere.
Â
A City Council hearing is slated for July 2009 where the Council will decide toaccept the appeal or reaffirm the ZAB decision in support of the Temple.
Wat Mongkolratanaram is located at 1911 Russell Street in Berkeley, California. For more information please contact savethethaitemple@gmail.com or call Virada Chatikul at 510.725.9549. Additional information can also be found at savethethaitemple.com and www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/zoning.
