The City of Las Vegas and Thai Cultural Arts Association (TCAALV) will present Thai Performing Arts Appreciation Day 2004 at Charleston Heights Arts Center on September 15, 2004. It is co-sponsored by City of Las Vegas, Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI), Kids for a Better Society, Asian Leaders, among others. "WBTI website" has functioned as media-sponsor of this dinner and party for many years.
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The 11th Appreciation Day this year will feature: Thai food Dinner-Buffet; No-host beer-wine bar; Thai classical and folk dances performed by the local Thai and American performers; Presentation of Awards, Winner of the Lady in Thai Costume, 3 Door prizes, Learning of Thai folk Dance, and the Social Dance with Super D. J. Mariah until Midnight.
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To a friend's house the road is never long
By Cheryl Moss and Tiffany Chang

It is about two years since the feature article entitled "Judge Kolkoski honors Dr. and Mrs . Tony Lei with reunion dinner," written by Tiffany Chang, was published by "Nevada Examiner." "We always think of our relatives and closed friends when it comes with the festival," is a famous idom in Chinese. A sample of this spirit may be revealled in the letters from Harry, Archie, among others to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei.*1

"Dear Brother Tony and Judy:

Happy Chinese New Year. People are crazy about this Chinese tradition, the new year. This also makes me to recall those bygone days when I was a child. With a mixed feelings, I happy and sad in these days.

We shall be back to the States next month. Until then, let's keep close contact. HNY again. With best regards," wrote Dr. Archibald Chang on the day of Lunar New Year.*2 Archie was many years an achieved Chief Specialist of the U. S. Department of Education in San Francisco, California with Doctorate Degree in Education. He is now the President of Xiamen Straits Foreign Language College. Tony and Archie were classmates in Junior middle school.

Dr. Achie Chang and his newly married wife came to visit Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei in Las Vegas on August 17-21, 2004. A dinner party was held by Dr. Tony Lei to welcome the couple's 'Honey Moon Travelling' from China. The location of the party was Lillie Langtrys of Golden Nugget Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. It was held at the famous Chinese Restaurant on August 19, 2004.*3

We are also pleased to reprint the above article by the Newspaper*4:

The Summerlin of Las Vegas has been elected as the First Place in among 12 ranking communities nationally of United States the ideal and best selling homes for big builders in 2000 again. South Shores is one of the important district of Summerlin together with Desert Shores and Sun City. The beautiful lakes centered in this area are one of the greatest attractiveness of Las Vegas for millions of visitors all around the world. People would enjoy dreamly the sun rising and sun setting of the calm, clean, and nice scenes of these artificial and great work on the lilltle bridges. These bridges are built above the golden and beautiful waves of the lakes which are surounded by elegant residences. People love Summerlin. People love this Las Vegas' mighty fine! Dr. Tony Lei has been re-elected as a Director of South Shores Community Association with the highest poll by voters in last December.

Judge Betsy Kolkoski of Las Vegas Minicipal Court invited Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei with a reunion dinner at Village Pub and Casino in Summerlin on February 28, 2001. Accompanied by her husband to the dinner, the Judge was bright and pleasent. In 1971, Judge Kolkoski graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Law with Juris Doctorate degree. As Nevada's Elder Rights Atnorney, an Associate Fellow of the Culture Institution (CI) and Chairperson of the Aging Services Study Committee (ASSC) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI), she advocated statewide for the legal rights of senior and elder abuse prevention. Her research projects and papers presented together with Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa to the national conferences were publicized by WBTI locally and internationally. CI has been led by Dr. Sue Fawn Chung as its Director and Fellow. She is a professor of History at UNLV. Dr. Chung has been also named recently one of the two Nevada advisors to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

With honor as the Assistant Democratic Leader of U. S. Senate, Senator Harry Reid wrote Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei on January 11, 2001 from his office in Washington, D. C. : "The holiday season is a time for remembering the good things that have happened during the year, for reflecting on the many blessings of our lives, and for renewing the bonds of love and friendship that make our lives special."

The famous political leader from Nevada continued his literary and intimate writing that, "This year has been eventful for the Reid family. Our first child, Lana, and our three grandchildren live in the Washington area. Roary and three more of our grandchildren live in Las Vegas. Leif is in Reno with two more grandchildren and have just told us another is on the way.

Josh just passed the bar, is living in Reno and also has announced our new daughter-in-law is expecting. Finally, our youngest, Key, lives in the Washington DC area with our newest grandchild. So, as you can see, we have the pleasure of grandchildren in each of our frequent stops, Las Vegas, Reno and Washington."

The Bible says: "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6:26) Take what the Senator says to Dr. Lei in his letter that, "On behalf of Landra and our family, I want to thank you thinking of us during this holiday season. Each holiday greeting reminds us that we are truly fortunate to have so many friends and loved ones with whom to share this special time." And if a humble individual like Dr. Lei may be treated so friendly by our Senator Reid, obviously everyone of us in Nevada would be taken care by his extended kindness. And this be our mode: "In God is our trust!"

His love to his family and his friends revealled his dignified and humane spirit through his words in the letter. For a great and powerful person like him to have such a beautiful and kind heart is really the glory of God. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves," says the Bible. (Romans 12:9-10) At the end of the letter, the famous U.S. Senator says that, "The Reid family has been richly blessed and we look forward to the years ahead. I hope that the season brings happiness and good fortune to you and your loved ones. With warmest regards." *5

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References
*1. Moss, Cheryl, and Chang, Tiffany, 'To a friend's house the road is never long,' "PPAA18 of WBTI," (January 23, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*2. Chang, Archibald. 'Happy Chinese New Year!' "An Email to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei," (January 21, 2004), Xiamen, Fuchien: Xiamen Straits Foreign Language College.
*3. Reviewjournal.com. 'Dinner party held by WBTI recently,' "A search of information about WBTI on google.com," (September 4, 2004), U. S. A. : Google.com.
*4. Chang, Tiffany. 'Judge Kolkoski honors Dr. and Mrs. Tony Lei with reunion dinner,' "(March, 2001), "Nevada Examiner," Las Vegas, Nevada: Nevada Examiner.
*5. Ibid.