By KENJI G. TAGUMA
Nichi Bei Times

A recent delegation to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the San Francisco-Osaka Sister City relationship is cause for some optimism for the future of San Francisco's Japantown, said Mayor Gavin Newsom and other city officials at a Feb. 26 briefing at the Kimochi, Inc. board room.

(Bay City News Service) — Asian Week Editor-at-Large Ted Fang on Feb. 28 said the columnist who penned the piece "Why I Hate Black People" last week will not contribute to the free paper's content again.

SAN JOSE (Bay City News Service) — The first name most air travelers see upon arriving in the South Bay is Norm Mineta's, as San Jose's airport is named after him. And now, a group of local legislators want motorists to see it too by naming most of a major highway after him.

By BILLIE LEE
Nichi Bei Times Correspondent

SAN JOSE — "December 15, 2006 was one of the greatest days of my life. and it is a day that I will always remember," said Norman Y. Mineta, the former Secretary of Transportation under George W. Bush. "In the morning, I was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. In the evening, I was presented the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy."

By ROBERT SHINTAKU
Nichi Bei Times Contributor

FRESNO, Calif. — The Day of Remembrance was observed in Fresno with a dinner on Sunday, Feb. 18, followed the next day with the groundbreaking for the Pinedale Assembly Center Memorial. The observance was sponsored by the Pinedale Assembly Center Memorial Project Committee headed by Judge Dale Ikeda.

By ANNIE KIM TOMITA NOGUCHI
Nichi Bei Times Columnist

Nearly two months since my last column (ack!), and I'm still completely immersed in the college application process. Now, however, I've progressed from Personal Essays, test scores, and grades to one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the system — the College Interviews.

By Takaki Tominaga
Kyodo News

LOS ANGELES (Kyodo) — Rinko Kikuchi, who stars in the highly-acclaimed movie "Babel," is the hottest Japanese actress in Hollywood, nominated for an Oscar as best supporting actress in the film and a recent runner-up for a Golden Globe.

By ALEC YOSHIO MacDONALD
Nichi Bei Times Contributor

BERKELEY — With the score knotted at 70 apiece and 28 seconds left on the clock, the USC women's basketball team comes out of a timeout and quickly gets the ball into the hands of point guard Jamie Hagiya.