This is my response to the query about life in Pinole, CA for StoryWorth. This is an excerpt from Chapter 10 of my autobiography.
My Picture was used by Stauffer Chemicals to advertise the Richmond Research Facility. Part of the wordings in the brochure reads, "At our Richmond Research facility, more than 300 scientists helped develop new agricultural products for the growing hungry world-products which help nature improve the yield and quality of vegetables, fruits and grains. Stauffer Chemical Company is a pioneer in products for agriculture. Over the years, company researchers have developed a remarkable number of successful farm products. But more importantly, the measure of our work at Stauffer is how well we improve the quality of your life....and that of our neighbors and around the world."
When Shell Development Company closed in Modesto in the summer of 1974, I was forced to look for another job. At that time job was plentiful for those who have doctorate degrees. I have several offers both from the Federal government and private industry. During this interval of my professional life, I did seriously considered working for the federal government because of stability concerns. However, compared to private industry, the wages offered by the government was about 10% less than the corresponding salary in private industry at that time. Since my family is on the stage when I will need extra money for their education, I chose to work for Stauffer Chemicals in Richmond, California. I started as a Research Chemist and after 10 years (1984) reached the position of Principal Research Chemist. This is the highest technical position ( without supervisory duties) attainable in the company. In 1986, a mass of layoffs occurred at Stauffer Chemicals. The company was getting out of the pesticide business. I was one of 60 employees relieve of our duties after just one day of notice. I just can not described the feeling of being laid off after 12 years of service and good performance. You feel betrayed and unappreciated, and envious of the other employees not fired. How I wish I took the Federal job offered to me at the time when I accepted the position at Stauffer. But they say “No crying over spilled milk”.
The Chevron Chemical Company in Richmond. I was hired in their Ortho Research Division also in Richmond, CA.
After recovering from the shock of getting laid off (with 90 days severance pay),I started contacting my network of friends including friends in church, and in the community. A week later, I have a job offer from Chevron Chemical Company also in Richmond. I guess, GOD was guiding me. My new supervisor is a friend I met at our church. We both are parish council members and also Eucharistic ministers for the St. Joseph Catholic Church. This is an example, that developing a network of friends is very important. You never know when your network of friends could help you.
Macrine and I also got involved with the Filipino-American Association of Contra Costa County. One of our activities was published in the local paper, The Independent and Gazette, dated July 21, 1976. An excerpt of the article is as follows:
“A Filipino dinner, fashion show and program of community singing and folk dancing will be hosted for the public by the Filipino-Americans of Contra Costa, Inc. Donations is $4 per person and proceeds will go to St. Joseph Catholic School. Prior to the dinner, there will be a 5:30 PM mass. Part of the mass will be in Tagalog, the filipino national language. Dr and Mrs David Katague of Pinole and Mrs Oty Balagot are in charge of the liturgy. Mrs. Macrine Katague will sing “ Ave Maria”.
Menu for the dinner is lechon (roasted pig), chicken adobo, lumpia ( the filipino version of the Chinese eggroll), pancit ( similar to Chinese Chow mein). There will also be salad and dessert.
The article had three photographs of Filipina dresses to be modeled and picture of the Katague's dancing the Dance of the Lights.
Pre-event parties are being planned throughout the East Bay in anticipation of "You..and... The Night and the Music”, the grand evening of dancing and entertainment being planned by the Hemlock Branch of Children's Hospital this Saturday from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM at the Hilltop Mall.
Mr. and Mrs Jeffrey Blumenfeld of Orinda, owners of Jerri B's , will entertain a group in their home before the night's festivities begin. Mrs. Blumenfeld is a director in the Hilltop Merchants Association.
Another lively group promises to be those arriving from Mr and Mrs Steven Johnson's pre-party in the Napa Valley. Home-made Won-Ton soup will be the menu at Dr. and Mrs. David Katague's of Pinole.
This article in the same subject was published in the Independent and Gazette, September 27, 1978. The title of the article, CHAMPAGNE KICKOFF TO HEMLOCK GALA
Hemlock Branch that rising star among fund raising auxiliaries of Children's Hospital Medical Center, will hold its champagne kickoff for “You.....the Night and the Music” and has been themed “ An Evening in Paris” this coming October 14.. About 2,000 guests are expected at the spectacular evening of dancing, entertainment and hearty feast of hors d'oeuvres catered by Narsai's of Berkeley.
The party is expected to raise over $10,000 for CHMC, topping by $2000 proceeds from the same event, launched for the first time last year. From 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, guests may dance to Ernie Heckscher's Fairmont Hotel orchestra, imbibe at our no-host cocktail bars, disco with “Disco Don”, and enjoy such hors d'oeuvres as prime rib sandwiches, crab puffs, teriyaki chicken, pate and eggplant with caviar wrapped in pita bread.
Chairmen Mrs Goy Fuller and Mrs. Albert Toretta, both of Pinole, said there will be a complete theatrical production featuring French songs, mime and Can Can dancing. Tickets ( $17.50 per person) may be obtained by sending checks, payable to Children's Hospital Branches, Inc or to Mrs..Torretta..etc.
UP ALUMNI SPONSOR KULINTANG ARTS CENTER
Berkeley, Ca- Dr. Dave Katague, president of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association, Berkeley Chapter, announced the opening of the Mindanao Exhibit of the Philippine Kulintang Center on June 4, at 3:00 PM at the 5th floor of the Philippine Consulate Building, 447 Sutter St in San Francisco.
Some of the interesting pieces on the exhibit will be the “ULOL” or canopy under which weddings and other joyous occasions are held; the intricate and geometrically designed “pis” and the “banig” or mat woven by the Tausugs of Jolo. Highlights of the afternoon's program will be the performance of ethno
musicologist , Danongan Kalanduyan on the kulintang (musical instrument) accompanied by Musiban Guiabar on the dabakan (drum). The article contained four photos of the exhibits, myself and other officers.
On September 5, 1989 the Philippine News published an article on my induction as president of the UPAA. In the article is a photograph of the incoming officers. A Hawaiian Luau held in my rambling house in Silvercrest Street was the setting of the induction ceremony. An excerpt of the article titled
HAWAIIAN SETTING FOR UP ALUMNI CHAPTER INDUCTION
Pinole, California—In colorful Hawaiian setting, the new officers and board members of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association , Berkeley Chapter will be inducted on September 9, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
Consul Teresita V. Marzan of the San Francisco Philippine Consulate will be inducting officer of the affair which will be held at the lovely garden of the residence of incoming president Dave Katague, at 2638 Silvercrest in Pinole.
Serving for the calendar year 1989-1990 are the following:
President: Dave Katague
Vice President: Charito Rosete
Secretary: Norma Villarente
Treasurer: Andrea Las Pinas
Auditor: Edna Victorino
Parliamentarian: Cleotilde Balagot
Appointed members of the board are: Minda Azarcon, membership chairperson, Charito Rosete, program/protocol officer, Norie Villa and Cora Yabut, Public and Press Relation Officers in charge of Newsletter. The permanent board of advisers are: Dr. Mellie L Lopez, founder, Atty Juan G. Collas, Jr, legal counsel of the UP Foundation and past president, Cleotilde Balagot.
Dear Dr. Katague:
The Commission on Filipino Overseas acknowledge with thanks the donation of five boxes of technical journals to the Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines.
During this time, we were not only active in the community but also in the parish school (where our three younger children were attending),as well as our church. I was elected to the Parish Council representing the Filipino-American parishioners. Macrine and I joined the choir and were also Eucharistic ministers.
In early 1990 Chevron Chemicals announced the closing of the Agricultural Division. The company gave us six months to look for another job. This time I swear, I will never work in private industry. I have two choices, work for the State or the Federal government.
On the first week of May, I received an offer to work for the Food and Drug Administration as a Review Chemist, Center for New Drugs, Division Of Anti-Infective Drugs in Rockville, Maryland.
On May 22, 1990, I received a farewell note from our parish priest, Rev Fr. Paddy Bishop and all the members of the St. Joseph Parish Council. The letter made me shed a tear or two. It reads:
Dear David,
It is always difficult and emotional to bid adieu to a friend and fellow laborer in the “vineyards”. In your case, it is doubly hard for you have been such an active participant in the affairs of the Parish of St Joseph.
The Council will miss you. You have been a source of ideas and suggestions vital to the functioning of a body such as this. We were gratified when you made a commitment to serve the council. We are sad you are leaving us.
You and Macrine have been pillars in our community. We shudder as we contemplate our ministries without you. At the same time, we share in the excitement of your new job and home and surroundings. Our prayers will go with you as you begin this new phase of you journey.
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Pinole, California
Signed by Fr. Bishop, Fr Morrison and and twelve Parish Council members. One of the parish council member is Jim Leary, my supervisor at Chevron and the one who hired me without hesitation, when I was laid off at Stauffer Chemicals in 1986.
Life in Pinole would not be complete, If I do not write about our tennis activities as related to our 25th Wedding Anniversary in 1982. As part of our community activities, Macrine and I played tennis almost everyday after work. On weekends. I also played double with the men's team at Contra Costa College. So, as one of my silver wedding anniversary gift to Macrine, we decided to attend a 3-day tennis academy package at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego.
Our life in US would also be not complete, if I do not discuss our experiences purchasing a vacation time share in Lake Tahoe. Some time in the mid 1990's, Macrine and I purchased a time share at the Five Star, Ridge Resort in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The resort is located at an elevation of 7342 feet above sea level. On the east side of the 8th floor of our 2 bedroom condo unit, you have a view of Lake Tahoe and on the west side the small town of Minden, Nevada.
Another event that I will always remember is an article about my first Christmas in Chicago without my family I titled- A Gift from the Ugly Americans-A true story that was published in our company's newspaper the Stauffer News, Christmas Edition, Vol.14, 1983, page 11.
"December, 1959. It was my first year as a graduate student at the
University of Illinois, Chicago. As a foreign student from the
Philippines, away from home, wife and family, I was lonely, homesick and
almost ready to quit school. However, my burning ambition to get a
Ph.D. in Chemistry and not to be labeled a quitter, forced me to hang on
for another year.
All my co-graduate student assistants realized how much I missed my
newly wedded wife. They had been inviting me to their homes on weekend
and holidays. I wrote to my wife almost every week, but how I wished I
could afford to talk to her via overseas call, even just for 10 minutes.
My stipend as a graduate assistant of $190 a month was barely enough to
pay for my room and board and an overseas call was beyond my means.
Realizing my need, ten of my classmates arranged to pay for a call as a
surprise Christmas gift to me. They organized a potluck party in one of
the assistant's apartment and called the Philippine operator ahead to
arrange for an open line to my wife. In the middle of the party, I was
told I had a telephone call. What a big surprise to hear my wife's voice
after one year of separation. I was dumbfounded.
I stuttered like a three year old kid as tears streamed down my
face-tears of happiness and appreciation of what the group had done- the
best Christmas present I have ever received. I will never forget that
act of kindness and thoughtfulness from people I once called the "Ugly
Americans"**. With that surprise gift, my preconceived ideas that most
Americans were clones of Lederer and Burdick's characters went down the
drain. Gone were my impressions that Americans were imperialists or
colonial pigs, selfish and heartless people.
Today, we have lived in this country for 24 years, and pledged
citizenship in 1972. From the beginning of our time here, we have made
it a family tradition to invite foreign students into our home every
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This is our way of saying "thank
you", to the ten "Beautiful Americans" who gave $2.00 each to pay for
the telephone call so that a poor and homesick student could enjoy the
spirit of Christmas.
Christmas Lantern(Parol) made of Mother of Pearl -a symbol of the Christmas spirit in the Philippines
Note: William Roberts, Manager Employee Communications of Stauffer wrote me a personal note as follows:
Dr. Katague: Your story has been chosen to be published in the 1983
issue of the Stauffer News. It gives me great pleasure to tell you that
you will received shortly in the mail a $75 U.S. Savings Bond to thank
you for sharing your memories with us.
*The term could now be changed to " Beautiful Americans ".
**The Ugly American is the title of a 1958 political novel by Eugene
Burdick and William Lederer. The novel became a bestseller, was
influential at the time, and is still in print. After the book had
gained wide readership, the term "Ugly Americans" came to be used to
refer to the "loud and ostentatious" type of visitors in another
country, rather than the "plain looking folks, who are not afraid to get
their hands dirty like Homer Atkins" to whom the book itself
referred"(source Wikipedia).
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