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Food is focus at multicultural event
Base's 15th annual festivities aim to foster understanding
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Mati Waiya of Malibu gives a Chumash cleansing blessing Wednesday for Multi-Cultural Day at Bolles Field in Port Hueneme. Rob Varela / Star staff
Rob Varela / Star staff Seabee Lisette Leguizamo tries lychee fruit served at the Asian Pacific American booth Wednesday at the naval base in Port Hueneme.
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More from Local NewsThe engineers working at the Naval Surface Warfare Center were onto something Wednesday, but it had nothing to do with national defense.
Laboring over hotplates and a grill, they were focused on half-crescent pieces of cheese and onion-stuffed pieces of dough.
"We won last year, and we're pretty much doing the same thing," said Michael Kress, a civilian engineer who is part of the Network and Digital System Division.
His team was dishing out pierogies to hungry Navy and civilian employees who showed up at Naval Base Ventura County's 15th annual Multi-Cultural Day at Bolles Field in Port Hueneme. The event — this year's theme was "Unity in Motion" — is meant to foster better understanding of the diverse makeup of the civilian and military workforce on the base.
A few hundred people showed up for the lunchtime event, including base commander Capt. Brad Conners, who helped judge the food booths with Capt. Stephen Huber, the retiring commander of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Joining the two were Rich and Judy Keer of Oxnard, who run the Natural Group beverage company.
The pair described themselves as equal opportunity eaters as they eyed a group of Greek dancers warming up near the Mardi Gras booth.
"We're food freaks," said Rich Keer, adding that he was looking for food that didn't just taste good but also looked good and embraced the multicultural theme of the day.
"Originality and presentation," he said. "And, of course, it's got to taste good."
Kress, of Polish descent, got that message last year. His group hit on the idea of making pierogies because the dumpling-like food is found in several Eastern European countries and also shares similarities with Italian ravioli and Japanese gyoza.
Those working the booth embraced that kind of cultural smorgasbord. Jason Hawley, who is of Scottish descent but helped cook the pierogies, came wearing a green Irish soccer team jersey and carrying a Hawaiian ukulele.
Posted by Scapegoat on August 21, 2008 at 9:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Multi cultural hokum. Can't we all just get along? Do we really need words like multi cultural? Shelve it along with anything pc.
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