Margery Gunderson Field

By Frank Iritani

Another non-Nikkei friend passed on Thanksgiving night, November 25, 1999. Margery was 74 and had heart and kidney problems. She was born in Valley CitY, North Dakoia, a graduate of UC Berkeley, and was a public school teacher.

Her father and mother, Martin and Margaret Gunderson, helped the internees at Tule Lake. He was the school superintendent and Margaret was a very dedicated camp high school teacher. Margery had to attend the Caucasian high school outside of camp. She understood the plight and injustices suffered by the Japanese Americans.

As a senior at Tule Lake High School, she wrote an English composition dated March 5, 1943, "With Liberty and Justice for All," in which she mentions "internees not receiving voters ballots for which they applied; of having to sell their property at drastically reduced prices, hate is dangerous; anyone who hates a single person or race, hates everyone including himself."

Kinya Noguchi, former Tule Lake internee, and I attended the simple celebration memorial service at the Lodi Funeral Home, December 1, 1999. A floral tribute was made on behalf of Tule Lake Japanese American friends.

Margery Fie]d is survived by husband Wayne of Lodi, son David of Elverta, California, daughter Deborah of Folsom and several grandchildren.

CCLPEP GRANTS

By Joanne Iritani

Are you a potential grant applicant or interested in obtaining informatio31 on the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program CCLPEP? Now, there is a Website with a Question and Answer Section, www.library.ca.gov/cclpep. This has been added so that commonly asked questions at the CCLPEP Informational Meetings can be addressed and answered for those who are unable to attend the meetings. Also, individuals are able to post their own questions on the website and they will be answered online.

On January 5, 2000, there will be a Grant Writing, Workshop at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, from 2-4 p.m. The workshop is free to the general public. To register, please call and leave a message at 916-653-9404. FAX 916-654-5829. E-mail: dmatsuda@library.ca.gog.

The Grant Writing Workshop should be of use to anyone who is interestcd in applyincg tor future funding. whether it is through a state agency or a private source of funding.

The Infomational meeting will be at Colonial Heights Library, 4799, Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95820, Tuesday, December 21, from 5-8 p.m. This Discussion session will be followed by a Drop-In session on December 22, from 2-5 p.m.

CCLPEP was created in 1998 by legislation sponsored by assemblyman Mike Honda, "to sponsor public educationa activities and to develop educational materials to ensure that the events surrounding the exclusion, forced removal and internment of civilians and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry will be rememberedd, and so that the causes and circumstances of this and similar events may be illumnated and understood."

The deadline for applying for a CCLPEP Grant is January 31, 2000.