Pan Pacific and Asian American Forum (PPAAF) is offered freely to our friends, faculty, advisors, among others of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) for presentation and performance. This Forum is a daily publication on WBTI website at http:/communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti by WBTI through the Community Link of Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Forum is a non-profit and non-partisan effort and contribution of you and WBTI to our community with both a philosophy and spirit of service about self by modern information management and effective technical methodology through multimedia. In management, our efficiency is "do the things right" and our result is "do the right things." The commentaries and opions expressed in this Forum are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ownership and management.

Welcome your articles, literatures, photos, campaigning speeches, etc. on the basis of righteousness that they may contribute to make Nevada a wonderful place for home living and business development. Hope our efforts together may help improve the quality of life of all our residents and visitors of Nevada! Thank you very much.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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Drs. Mark Denton and Valorie Vega appointed Vice Presidents of Washington Business and Technology Institute (Modified Edition)
By Mark Denton, Valorie Vega, and Tiffany Chang

"On December 3, 2003, Drs. Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega were appointed Vice Presidents of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) by our President Dr. Tony Lei. This has been arranged appropriately in meeting the need of retirement of our previous Vice Presidents Drs. Sherman Wu and Robert Ni," Dr. John Wang, Spokesman of WBTI, announced on December 5, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada, U. S. A..

Mark R. Denton received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in 1976. He was raised in Boulder City and graduated from Boulder High School in 1969. In 1973, Mark graduate with disinction from the University of Nevada, Reno. He completed ROTC and received a commission in the U.S. Army as reserve officer. While in college, Mark spent his junior year in Paris, France through an affiliate of UNR at the Universite de Paris.

Prior to his appointment to the bench on August 19, 1998, Mark had extensive judicial experience. He served as municipal court judge in Boulder City for seven years. He was an arbitrator under the Court Annexed Arbitration Program of the Eighth Judicial District Court since its inception in 1992. He was an alternate Juvenile Court Referee and a Nevada Supreme Court settlement Judge. Currently sits as a civil judge on the Eighth Judicial District Court, Mark has been re-elected in the general election of November 5, 2002.*1 Vice President Mark Denton and his wife 27 years, Alice, have four children: Leslie Marie, 24, Marianne Yvette, 20, Jacqueline, 16, and Patrick, 11.

Valorie J. Vega is a holder of Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Southern California's Law Center. She received a Bechelor of Arts degree from CSU Northridge. She received her graduate studies certificate in International/Translation from UC Santa Barbara.

Vice President Valorie Vega was appointed on February 21, 1999 by Governor Kenny Guinn then had her winning as District Judge of Nevada on May 15, 2000. She has over a dozen years of experience as a jurist prior to which time she practiced in both criminial and civil law arenas. She was appointed to Municipal Court in 1989 and was retained and re-elected by the voters until her resignation in 1999 to accept the District Court appointment. She is a former Clark County Deputy District Attorney from 1984 through 1989, procecuting felony cases, and was instrumental in implementing the office's first Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team.

Disrict Judge Vega is involved in her profession and community. She is a Board Member of the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Southern Nevada as well as the Latin Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Bar Association. She is a member of the American Judges Association, the Nevada District Court Judges Association, the Nevada Supreme Court's Committees on Public Trust and Confidence, Hispanics in Politics, among others. Valorie was honored with the 1992 "Women of Achievement Award" from Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and recognized by the Latin Chamber of Commerce as the "Hispanic of the Year" in 1995.*2 Vice President Valorie Vega is married, has one child and has been a resident of Southern Nevada since 1978.*3

A celebration Dinner Party was held by President Dr. Tony Lei of WBTI to welcome Drs. Mark Denton and Valorie Vega as Vice Presidents of the Institute on December 8, 2003 at the Steak House of Binion's Horseshoe Club in Las Vegas. "Washington Business and Technology Institute has contributed already very much to help improve the quality of life of all our residents and visitors of Nevada since its establishment on January 8, 1996. As one of the Vice President of this Institute, I'm challenged to integrate my best knowledge and professionalism for its development and prosperity . I'm very appreciative to have this position appointed by Dr. Tony Lei, since it will undoubtedly provide me with avenues for exploring improvements in public and community services to which I'm most dedicated. Encouraged by the steadily increasing value of the faculty and advisory members of WBTI, we need to put more efforts and wisdom into realizing the affirmation and creed of this Institute for our people, community, and country," said Dr. Valorie Vega excitedly in the celebration Party at the 26th floor of the Club with a vivid bird's-eye view of the splendid and elegant night scene of Las Vegas.

The present organization of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) has been featured for the desire to excel by the outstanding professionals of the followings: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors of the Advisory Board. U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Chairperson; Dr. Tony T. Lei, President; District Judges Drs. Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega, Vice Presidents; Dr. William N. Thompson, Director of Public Administration Institution, Drs. E. Lee Bernick and G. Keong Leong, Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration; Dr. Sue Fawn Chung, Director of Culture Institution; Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC); District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young, Chairmen of CCDAPCC.*4

The above list of leaders and officers of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) was announced and installed also by Judge Mark Denton, District Judge of Nevada, at the Dinner Party held by WBTI at the Binion's Horseshoe Club on December 8, 2003 in Las Vegas.

"It's very impressive and elegant! By beeing the vistor's number at #40,847 of the WBTI website, I recognizes what John Keats said about 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever.' The WBTI website is brought to you by 'Las Vegas Review-Journal' and lasvegs.com through http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti," said Judge Valorie Vaga, District Judge of Nevada, on January 4, 2004 in Las Vegas.

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References

*a. Thanks to the telephone call from Dr. Robert Ni about the plan of a National Reunion of the First Class of Tunghai University in Las Vegas. Our apology is the mistyping of Dr. Robert Ni to Dr. Toni Ni at the first paragraph of this feature article on December 9, 2003.
*1. Vega, Valorie; Young, Bill; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Mark Denton appointed Adjunct Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration by WBTI,' "Newsbrief of WBTI," (September 26, 2003), p. 1.
*2. Chang, Tiffany. 'District Judge Valorie Vega honored as a Fellow of WBTI,' "Nevada Examiner," (June 9, 2000), Las Vegas, Nevada.
*3. Secretary of Judge Valorie Vega. 'Biography of Valorie J. Vega,' "Fax to Dr. Tony Lei from the Office of District Judge Valorie Vega," (December, 2003), p. 1, Las Vegas, Nevada.
*4. Reid, Rory; Denton, Mark; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Effort and Cooperation will bring us a peaceful, happy, and prosperous community,' "Newsbrief of WBTI," (September 19, 2003), p. 1.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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Silver Words of Wisdom
By GSBPA, WBTI

The following are silver words of wisdom, which are worth of reading, collected by the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI):

***"The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more." --- Jonas Salk, MD
*** "Those who trust us, educate us." --- George Eliot
***"Art is the signature of civilizations," --- Beverly Sills
***Jesus said, "Everyone who bears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." --- Matthew 7:24-25 "The Holy Bible"
***"A book is a sucess when people who haven't read it pretend they have."
--- Los Angeles Times Syndicate
***"Anything you're good at contribute to happiness." --- Bertrand Russell
***"He who never made a mistake never made a discovery." --- Samuel Smiles
@*****
***If you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for bidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come
knowledge and understanding.
--- Job 28:28 "The Holy Bible"
***"Reserach is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose." --- Zora Neale Hurston
***"The naked truth is always better than the best-dressed lie." --- Ann Landers
***"Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." --- Oprah Winfrey
***"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." --- Albert Camus
"The only way of discouvering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible." --- Arthur C. Clarke
"No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap." --- Carrie Snow
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." ---- Galatians 6:9 "The Holy Bible"
***Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness
shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."
--- Psalm 37:5-6 "The Holy Bible"
"Laughing is the sensation of feeling good all over and showing it principally in one spot." -- Josh Billing
"The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit." -- Moliere
"The best mirror is a friend's eye." -- Gaelic Proverb
*******************************************************************
Some of the significant idea from the letters to Dr. Tony Lei:
"Please know that I irrevocably stand by my personal commitment to diversity issues in this state and that my sense of patriotism and faith in America stems from its embrace of that diversity." -- A. William Maupin
"As Mayor, I will continue to devote my energies into the preservation and improvement of the standard of living enjoyed here in the City of Las Vegas." -- Oscar B. Goodman
"It is only with the dedication and commitment of good people like yourself that I will achieve my goal of becoming Governor of this great state. Dema and I can't thank you enough for your assistance and your positive activities in the community." -- Kenny C. Guinn

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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Some introduction about Dr. Tony Lei
By Jessie Walsh and Cheryl Moss

Dear Manager Sandra, In response to your request for an introduction of Dr. Tony Lei to the voters and homeowners of South Shores Community Association, Dr. Lok had U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley the following paragraphs for her to introduce Tony from our Institution in the Event and Dinner Party for a Special Tribute to U. S. Senator Harry Reid.*1 **********************

Dr. Tony Lei is the President of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) and Chairman of Chinese American Academic Association of Nevada (CAAAN). He received his M.B.A. and Doctor of Education in Institutional Management degrees from Pepperdine University in 1969 and 1980, respectively. He had been an Associate Professor of Information Management of the Graduate School of Business Administration of National Chunghsing University and a Fallow of Management of Pepperdine University from 1985 to 1991 and 1991 to 1996, respectively. He has completed numerious scientific papers, text books, best selling books, and research projects during past 30 years in universities and academic institutes. Dr. Lei's dedication and performance in academic research are indicated by the acceptance of his papers continuously for presentation and publication by the International Conference on Technology and Education (ICTE), International Information Management Congress (IIMC), and Science Engineering Technology Seminars (SETS). His famous publications of "Modern Business Management," "Information Management," "Management Behavior," "The Art of Leading," among others have been adopted by many universities and colleges as textbooks. During his three year term from 1997 to 2000 as a Director of the Las Vegas Senior Citizens Advisory Board, he had enhanced its social and educational value of the activities and programs of the Board. As the Exective Vice President of Seniors United in 2000, he modernized its management with non-partisan and educational advancement for our Nevadan seniors. As Director of the Board of South Shores Community Association (SSCA) since 1993, Dr. Tony Lei's knowledge, wisdom, and talent have contributed to the SSCA's being one of the best community in the United States of America for many years. He is now the Senior Advisor of U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley; Clark County Assistant District Attorney Office; Raleigh, Hunt, McGarry & Drizin, P.C.; and Constable's Office, Las Vegas Township.

Dr. Tony Lei has published 82 books on business management, marketing, and information magement. He has also published more than 276 papers on business administration, information management, and computer education. Many of them were presented by him to famous international conferences in business, information, and educational management. A paper entitled "The Impact of Appropriate Use of Computer Learning on Mathematics Scores," was published by the 11th International Conference on Technology and Education (ICET) in 1993 at London, England. He presented a paper entitled "Enhancing Mathematics Learning with Computers," at the 12th ICTE in Orlando, Florida.*2 At the same time, he was the first presider of the conference on educational multimedia and computing in the 15th Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC) in Orlando, Florida. In 1996, he presented and published "A Study of the Implementation of Computer Education in Public Schools" at the 13th ICTE in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In January 2000, Dr. Tony Lei and Dr. William Thompson established the Public Administration Institution (PAI) for WBTI. It has Dr. Thompson as its Fellow and Director; and Nevada State Senator and Professor of UNLV Dina Titus, Justice of the Supreme Court Nancy Becker, Former Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, District Judges Mark Denton, Valorie Vega, Michelle Leavitt, Jennifer Togliatti, Jessie Walsh, and Dr. Archie Chang as its Fellows. Dr. Tony Lei is also the Honorary President of Great Wall College and Xaimen Straits Foreign Language College. He is the Contrbuting Editor of "Nevada Examiner." He has creatively led WBTI as an non-profit organization dedicated to the encouragement and promotion of academic research, community service, and humane spirit for all of our residents and visitors of Nevada.

On March 11, 2003, Dr. John Wang, Spokesman of WBTI, announced the appointment of Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong as deans of WBTI's Public Administratioon Division and Business Administration Division of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (GSBPA) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI)*3 Faculty members of the Graduate School include Drs. Harry Reid, Shelley Berkley, and Dina Titus as Professors of Administrative Strategies; District Judges Mark Denton, Valorie Vega, and Nancy Saitta as Associate Professors; among others. Coordinated with the faculty members, Dr. Tony Lei has designed educational programs of the CPM and MBA/PKE with Dr. Keong Leong; the CMPA and MPA/SME with Dr. Lee Bernick; and the CEH with Dr. William Thompson for the GSBPA of WBTI.

The Institute, WBTI, has been honored to have Governor Kenny Guinn as its Chairman, and U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign as Vice Chairmen, U.S. Representatives Jim Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman as Executive Advisors of its Advisory Board. It has also the following faculty members: District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega, Vice Presidents; Dr. William N. Thompson, Director of Public Administration Institution; Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong, Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration; Dr. Sue Fawn Chung, Director of Culture Institution; Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC); and District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young, Chairmen of CCDAPCC.

On September 28, 2001, WBTI established Pan Pacific and Asian American Forum (PPAAF) to pay a special tribute to U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. The Forum has been published as one of the famous sections of WBTI website. It is bought to you by Las Vegas Review-Journal and lasvegas.com through http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti. On March 4, 2002, WBTI received a Congrssioal Recognition Award from U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley for its outstanding accoplishment of the presentation and publication of PPAAF. Secretary Chao has been recommended by many high-ranking officials, educational administrators, business owners, and community leaders of Nevada to be honored as the Chairperson of WBTI.

Dr. Tony Lei and WBTI have been continuously awarded, in the recent ten years, by Governor Kenny Guinn, U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, U.S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, Clark County Commission Chairman and Commissioners, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, among others.

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References

1. Moss, Cheryl. 'Some introduction about Dr. Tony Lei,' "Letter to Albert Chang, Esq. -- President of NCAAPB," (August 12, 2002), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
2. Sechrest, Thomas; Thomas, Michael; and Estes, Nolan. "Leadership for Creating Educational Changes: Integrating the Power of Technology," (February 28 -March 3, 1995), Orlando, Florida: 12th ICTE.
*3. Walsh, Jessie; Moss, Cheryl; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Drs. Lee Bernick, Keong Leong appointed deans of GSBPA of WBTI,' "Nevada Examiner," (March 28, 2003), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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New Year Message from the President of WBTI
By GSBPA, WBTI

It is our pleasure to deliver up the 2004 New Year Message of our President, Dr. Tony Lei, to our friends as in the following:

Following the inspiration of the past many years of the accomplishment of Ms. Elaine Chao's contribution of humane spirit to our society, we have the persistense of Wou Shien's spirit for education here in America. If a coolie and hard woker like him could dedicate to eduction by offering all his income and life to build a school for children in his village, what should not for us to offer our efforts for our community? We agree with a District Judge of Family Court who points out that our Institute has worked for our community in Southern Nevada more that eight years based on our belief that "By the act of love itself, we are enriched. Love in action is service above self. Make service a part of our characters and experience the abundant reward that comes from serving others. Let our heroes be the great servants who have given all for the betterment of others' lives. Let our candle fuel a fire that will fan out an ever-increasing circles. With these circles together we can close our eyes and evision a community that is safe, peaceful, and healthy." By loving the God, we love the atmosphere here, we love the environment here, and especially we love the people here in our community.

For our people and community, our talent and power are very limited, but our mission and dignity are large and high. We will never regret that our efforts and wisdom dedicate to the promotion of the quality of life of the residents and visitors of Nevada are encouraged by many officials, business, multimedia, among others, but without a penny through them because we did not ask for money. For many years, we taught people successfully to make money through the modern knowledge of organization and management in business. For the years to go, we will continue to encourage our friends to love the God, and our people, professionalism, community, and country.

In this 21st Century new era and society, we need economic growth and personal prosperity, but we need also to establish and promote creativity, fairness and justice, serve and love, educational knowledge, and spirit engineering. We wish that a pure fountain may prosper and enrich our splendid and silver country through: the power of public service that based on knowledge is the power of rightousness; the advancement of technology, entreprenueship, and innovation; and the spirit that knowledge calls, ultimately, for a life of service.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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My (Governor Kenny C. Guinn) Message for December 31, 2003*1
By Kenny Guinn

Following September 11, 2001, when it appeared for a time that northern Nevada had suffered an anthrax attack, we learned that our state is not immune to a potential terrorist attack. In response to this, I formed a Joint Information Center (JIC) within Nevada・s Division of Emergency Management (DEM). The JIC is a working group of public information officers (PIOs) from virtually every state agency, who are called into service during a time of crisis so that state government can respond quickly and effectively to catastrophic events in our state.

During a crisis or disaster, communicating accurate and timely information to the public can and does save lives. When I activate the JIC, my office and other agencies will have the ability, through the PIOs, to work productively with outside agencies to receive and disseminate information regarding these events. The JIC will work to ensure that information is accurately gathered and effectively disseminated to enable our citizens and governments, at all levels, to counteract effects of the crises.

Recently, the JIC was tested. More than 1,600 responders participated in "Determined Promise 2003", which was a two-week bio-terrorism exercise that involved about 60 agencies, including military units. The JIC oversaw communications for that operation and proved to be an effective conduit for and a valuable source of accurate information for the public and the media.

Greg Bortolin, my Director of Communications, works closely with the members of the center and other federal, state, and local authorities to gather, verify, and disseminate vital facts to the public through the media. Others who play a key role in our JIC include Jerry Bussell, my Homeland Security Advisor; Frank Siracusa from the Division of Emergency Management; Thomas Jacobs from the Department of Motor Vehicles, who is the JIC director; and Kimberly Evans from the Department of Public Safety, who is the JIC deputy director.

For more information on the center, you may visit its Web site at http://nvstatejic.nv.gov/. This site is available to the public during times of crisis.*2

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References

*1. Office of the Governor. 'A Message from Governor Kenny C. Guinn -- December 31, 2003,' "E-mail to Dr. Tony T. Lei," (December 31, 2003), Office of the Governor Kenny Guinn: Carson, Nevada.
*2. Ibid. p.2.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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Las Vegas not a Target
By Tiffany Chang

Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI) received the latest E-mail from the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn by Susan Coates in the evening of December 26, 2003. "Secretary Tom Ridge called me personally Wednesday afternoon to assure us that there has been no specific information about threats against Las Vegas. He said he would call me directly if any information surfaced that would lead officials to believe Las Vegas could be a target of terrorist activity," said Governor Kenny Guinn on the Governor's Press Release.*1 "The Secretary has the best and latest information, and I appreciate his commitment to keep us informed and able to do our best to protect our citizens and visitors."

In meetings and briefings with Homeland Security, FBI and other agencies, it has confirmed Governor Kenny Guinn that Las Vegas has not been identified as a target of any specific threats of terrorist activity.

"A Washington Post report that put Las Vegas in the cross hairs of terrorists who might have planned to hijack recently canceled Air France flights was flatly contrdicted by state and local homeland security leaders Thursday," reported Lisa Bach on the morning paper of Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"It's absolutely false," Clark County Sheriff Bill Young said Thursday. Young said he spoke with FBI sources Wednesday. "We're not being target. I was told they were targeting Los Angeles." *2

According to FBI Special Agent Todd Palmer "There has been no specific information to corroborate recent media reports that Las Vegas may have been a target of potential aircraft hijackings. There are no specific threats against Las Vegas."

Since the elevation of the nations・ threat level on Sunday, December 21, 2003, the state has fully mobilized and coordinated its resources to respond to any credible threat information that could materialize.*3

Jerry Bussell, the Governor's adviser on homeland security, concurred Young 's comment. "I can substantiate that," he said. "The Washington Post is geting information that I can't substantiate."

Governor Kenny Guinn pointed out, "I'm in constant contact with the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and other state and local public safety agencies." "We're working together to analyze all available information, plan our preparedness activities and do our part to be sure that our citizens and tourists feel safe about their holiday plans in Nevada," the Governor continued.

In today's edition of the Washington Post, unnamed U. S. officials speculated that terrorists might have intended to hijack an Air France flight from Paris to Los Angeles and crash it in Las Vegas.*4

In response to recent media reports citing "unidentified government sources" naming Las Vegas as a potential target, the Governor had this to say: "I'd hope that any speculative statements would be confirmed before being reported and repeated in national media outlets. Such unsubstantiated speculation serves only to needlessly worry the public and create confusion." *5

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References

*1. Office of Governor Kenny Guinn. 'Governor's Press Release,' "E-mail to Dr. Tony Lei," (December 26, 2003), Nevada: Office of Governor Kenny Guinn.
*2. Bach, Lisa Kim. "Officials: LV not a target," (December 26, 2003), Las Vegas Review-Journal, p. 1A.
*3. Office of Governor Kenny Guinn. Ibid.
*4. Bach, Lisa Kim. "Officials: LV not a target," (December 26, 2003), Las Vegas Review-Journal, p. 10C.
*5. Office of Governor Kenny Guinn. Ibid.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends!
By Mike Lei*

Jesus in Las Vegas

Coming back home to Las Vegas from Dallas this year has been a very meaningful time. I spend much of the time with my parents, encouraging them in the Christian faith. I also went to my mom's church and saw their Christmas play. It's great to see the people who acted in the play actually have real life testimony. One girl was healed of a lung tumor disease. Another actor also had a testimony of God's healing for an illness. The pastor there also shared about the fulfillment of a dream - to have a prayer mountain over Las Vegas. They will have a 24 hour prayer center to pray over Las Vegas. Las Vegas is not abandoned by God. I believe this is actually a place with much grace from the Lord. The bibles says, "But where sin increased, grace increase all the more, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Romans 5:20b-21). The people here has experienced the power of God over sin and death. One time, a youth pastor came and told us that we should not feel bad to be in Las Vegas. Even the town Jesus grew but in was known as a bad town where there are a lot of sins because it was occupied by the Roman soldiers. That's why one of the disciples (before he became one) doubt about Jesus because of the town he came from. "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" (John 1:46). For me personally, I did not believe for 20 years until I came to this desert place - Las Vegas. I am proud I came to know Christ here because this is an unlikely place to be "spiritual". But, I know this is actually a good place to know God. You can see the contrast between the things of the world and the things from God. When people see the things here they know they need forgiveness from God.

One of the things I did this year was to go on the strip and hand out the Gospel of John with a tract to the people who were passing out cards and pamphlets to the tourists. Usually, I would walk far away from these people and look at them with disgust because of the pictures they are handing out. But this year, I feel a compassion for these people. I handed out one book to a young boy and he accepted it. Then, I saw a couple handing out the pictures, and I gave a book to the wife. She thanked me and I said "God bless you" in Spanish. It's something I learned on mission trips to Reynosa, Mexico. Another lady I gave the Gospel of John looked really grateful to me and thanked me. I feel so happy to spread the good news to these people. We are all sinners. Some of us have it better in terms of our social status. We don't have to do those shameful things. But, sin is in the hearts of the rich as well as the poor. No one can say they have not sinned. Actually, if I say I am better than another person, I've already sinned because it showed my arrogance.

I prayed to bless everyone I see as I'm walking on the strip. I did this because I heard from the sunday sermon about the unlimited blessing from God that we can give to others. The pastor encouraged us to bless everyone as much as possible. So, I did that as I was walking on the strip to everyone- small, big, Asian, Middle-eastern, Indian, Caucasian, etc... We can bless everyone. There's unlimited blessings from God we can give to others. I don't have to be afraid others are getting blessed because God's blessings are unlimited. It's not if other's get blessings, then you won't be able to get it. Like a pie that everyone has to share.

For Christmas eve, I went with mom and dad to the Living Word Chinese Church. This is where we got started to be Christians. It's good to see so many new faces. This means the gospel is reaching many new people. It's good to see the new sanctuary, which let people have a better place to worship. The message is about the gifts we can give to Christ. But first, we must understand the gifts God gives us through Christ. These gifts are righteousness, eternal life, and the Holy Spirit. All these are free to receive for anyone who would believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose again and is willing to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Later, the Chinese pastor lead us in a song. The main words are "Come home, come home, to God's house." I believe this is the cry of everyone who knows the gift of God. We want everyone to come home to God's house. We can give the gift to others by telling them how they can come home to God's house through Christ.

Lastly, I was able to catch a wedding. This is a special blessing from God because these two people were from my youth group years ago and they were married. But, they were divorced 1 year later . I was not expecting God to answer my prayers for them to get back together. I thought this was impossible. However, both walked into the youth group meeting and I was just shocked. The guy told me that he has came back to church and started to serve again. I can see God really brought him back. The girl was so happy. I had the priviledge to attend their wedding reception and it was just a joyful time. I know God can do the impossible- not just raising the dead- but restoring broken relationships which human efforts cannot mend.

If you still are struggling in life, I would suggest you come home to Christ. Accept Him as your Savior. Ask Him to come into your life to be your Lord so He can lead you. Ask Him to forgive you of all your sins. Turn from living life your way to start to follow God. He will give you the Holy Spirit to help you. Accept this gift of eternal life so you can be with God forever in heaven. It's a free gift, but had a costly price. This gift was purchased by the blood of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.

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*About the author

Mike serves as a youth deacon at Carrollton Chinese Church. He like to play tennis and jogging. He has been an engineer for 6 years. He currently works at Fujitsu Microelectronics America. He has submitted 6 patents dealing with forward error correction circuits while at Alcatel Telecom. You can reach him at mlei@fma.fujitsu.com.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!*1
By Paul Goulet*2

Dear Partners in Vision,

Greetings in the name of Jesus!

The Goulet family extends our love and greetings to you this holiday season.

We are still trying to get up to speed after our trip to the far east and our intense schedule after our return. This year, we did not have enough time to get our Christmas cards out and our normal mailers. However, we wanted you to know how much we love and appreciate you.

Our Christmas play was a great success. Thousands came to the performances and hundreds gave their lives to the Lord. We give all the Glory to God for this great harvest.

We also want to thank the Lord for the approval of our development in the Northwest. We have great plans to start a Northwest extension, Bible College,*3 and prayer center in the near future.

Thanks also to all of you for your financial and prayer support. 2003 was a great year. We are believing God for DOUBLE in 2004. We know that our impact was great in 2003, but the Lord has so much more for us in 2004. Pray and ask Him for DOUBLE in your life.

We'll see you at the Christmas Eve service on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., Sunday services on the 28th, and our New Year's Stake your Claim service.*4

Denise*5 and I love you and we pray for God's best to you this season and in 2004.

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References

*1. Goulet, Paul. 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!' "E-mail to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei,"
(December 23, 2003), Las Vegas, Nevada: International Church of Las Vegas.
*2. Mr. Paul Goulet is the Senior Pastor of International Church of Las Vegas.
*3. Goulet, Paul; and Goulet, Denise. 'Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!' "Newsbrief of WBTI," (December 14, 2003), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI, pp. 1-2.
*4. International Church of Las Vegas
8100 Westcliff Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89145
Phone: 702-242-2273
Fax: 702-242-5316
Web site: http://www.iclv.com
E-mail: pastor@iclv.com
*5. Denise Goulet is wife of Paul Goulet and the Executive Pastor of International Church of Las Vegas.

Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark R. Denton and Valorie J. Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
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A Message from Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn*1
By Kenny C. Guinn

During this holiday season we should recognize the veterans who have served and sacrificed for our country. Because there are many who will be unable to spend this season with their families, I would like to share with you what Nevada・s Office of Veterans・ Services, headed by Chuck Fulkerson, is doing to help its veterans.

To benefit our veterans, Administrator Gary Bermeosolo and his staff have worked hard to quickly gain full accreditation by federal and state agencies for the Michael J. Hyde Veterans Nursing Home. This modern, long-term skilled nursing care facility in Boulder City is the first veterans・ nursing home in Nevada, and it provides services for our physically frail service members. This 180-bed home is the result of a joint venture, where Nevada provided a third of the $21 million in construction costs, and is expected to reach capacity by early next year. Mr. Bermeosolo comes to us after serving as the Director of Veterans・ Services in Idaho for 19 years, and he has recruited an exceptional team of experienced professionals dedicated to the long-term health care of our veterans.

The Office of Veterans・ Services also assists and counsels Nevada veterans who apply to the U.S. Department of Veterans・ Affairs for service-related disabilities and other benefits. Our state・s veteran service officers, both in Las Vegas and in Reno, provide various services to veterans and their families so that they may obtain public documents needed to support their claims. These activities have been very beneficial. Last year alone, service officers helped our veterans obtain more than $25 million in assistance, which provided benefits for education, housing, and medical care costs.

The state further provides two well-cared-for facilities as a resting place for veterans, at Fernley in the north and at Boulder City in the south, where more than 19,000 veterans are interred. Also, renewed importance is being placed on these memorial parks, and the state has authorized $8.5 million to be spent to upgrade and expand these facilities. To serve the needs of Nevada・s veterans and their loved ones during the next decade, staff at the Fernley site will complete a $3.5 million expansion program, and we are designing a $5 million expansion at the Boulder City location. These and other activities have brought national attention to Nevada and its veteran services. Eric Benson, who is the Veterans・ Administration・s Undersecretary for Memorial Services, referred to these two cemeteries as ：the flagships of the State Veterans・ Cemetery System.；

I wish a happy holiday season to the veterans, their families, and all in Nevada!*2

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References

*1. Office of the Governor. 'A message from Governor Kenny C. Guinn,' "E-mail to Dr. Tony Lei," (December 24, 2003), Nevada: Office of the Governor.
*2. WBTI. "Newsbrief of WBTI," (December 24, 2003), Las Vegas, Nevada: GSBPA, WBTI.