The Words of the Selle Family
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The Words of the Selle Family |
Father
and Mother are presented with a huge brass plaque commemorating this
special anniversary.
In a section of northern Queens in New York City, where streets are lined with auto-body shops, warehouses, and assembly plants, lies the imposing red-brick bulk of the East Sun building. Next to it is a brand- new two-story facility that is crisp and shining as a phoenix just risen from its rundown surroundings.
It is to this place -- the just-completed News World Communications press building, constructed entirely by members of the II Sung Construction Company -- that Father and Mother came on the cold and sunny morning of December 31, 1986, the tenth anniversary of News World Communications, (NWC).
Gathered in the wintry air were 10- year veterans of News World Communications and its spinoff publications, the present NWC employees, and about 150 Unification Church members, including Korean and Japanese elders. They waited in a yard that houses a 30-foot satellite dish for transmitting the Spanish daily Noticias del Mundo to the West Coast. The dish is surrounded by 35-foot-high cinder block walls as a shield against New York City's heavy microwave pollution.
True Parents and their company arrived at 10:55 a.m. to a rousing welcome and immediately mounted a bunting-draped stage set up on one of the loading docks. With True Parents were Dr. Bo Hi Pak, president of NWC, Rev. C. H. Kwak, and several members of the True Family. Across the open door of the loading dock was a ribbon. At 11:00 a.m. Father prayed to dedicate the building, and then he cut the ribbon amid cheers and applause.
Everyone happily followed True Parents into the $11.5 million press building. The price tag includes a state-of-the-art Goss Urbanite press, a sprawling machine painted taxicab yellow and manufactured in West Germany. The press is a so-called single-width variety, but the building was made extra-large to be able to accommodate a mammoth double-width press in the future. Looking down on the assemblage from a ceiling beam was a huge banner reading "Welcome True Parents," Father, Mother, Dr. Pak, and Rev. Kwak held the edges of a big glass bowl of holy salt, which Father would later use to bless the new building. Father prayed over the holy salt for several minutes.
True Parents were then presented with flowers and a large brass plaque by News World Communications to commemorate this special anniversary day.
Father
presses the button to start the press on its first run.
Dr. Pak addressed the gathering, testifying to the miraculous fact that "in ten years, Father created 10 publications',' among them the New York City Tribune (formerly The News World) (1976), Free Press International (1978), Noticias del Mundo (1980), The Washington Times (1982), the Middle East Times (1983), and the magazines Insight and The World and I (1985).
"Because of True Parents' prayers, vision, faith, and support, News World grew and flourished," he said.
He announced that Rev. Kwak would be taking on a major responsibility at News World Communications as executive vice-president. He, Dr. Pak, would remain president, while becoming involved in other projects in Korea, Japan, America, and elsewhere, he said.
Rev. Kwak then spoke, pledging he would offer his "deepest effort and sincerity" in his new responsibility. "Let's work in the tradition of sacrifice of Father and Mother," he urged.
Letters of appreciation and gifts were then awarded to some of the first leaders of News World Communications: Dennis Orme, Rev. Sung Soo Lee, and Nicholas Buscovich. Stunning gold-and-jeweled watches were given by Dr. Pak to every 10-year NWC member Father and Mother made a careful point of applauding each of the 25 people as Dr. Pak called them up individually.
Right:
The gleaming new Goss Urbanite press.
After further ceremonies, the moment came for breaking in the new press. Father and Mother were given gleaming white hard hats and asked to start the Urbanite on its first run. They stepped over to the yellow control panel, and Father pressed the button. The warning buzzer sounded, gears started meshing, and the press's webbing began to roll. Slowly at first, but then faster and faster, the press ran, the sound of its machinery mounting to a cheerful roar.
Since the dedication day was also the tenth anniversary, the press was set up to print a special New York City Tribune supplement. Father picked up the first copy to emerge and signed it, as he did with several more. Then, followed by all the members, he moved to the automatic newspaper stacker. As the supplements came down an overhead conveyor belt toward the stacker, everyone cheered and applauded. Father again signed the first papers that emerged from the stacker.
The press was now officially broken in and "baptized."
After going on a guided tour of the press facility, True Parents arrived at a delivery-truck area that had been set up as a banquet hall, its walls festooned with red, white, and blue bun- ting. Tables covered in white linen and set with silver and crystal were waiting for True Parents, the Korean and Japanese elders, and the 10-year employees of NWC.
While Pachelbel's Canon played in the background, a heavenly atmosphere surrounded the whole assembly, with True Parents enjoying the food and smiling, and Rev. Kwak and Dr. Pak chatting and sharing laughter together at the head table.
After the luncheon, Father asked a number of people to sing, and the impromptu entertainment was capped with a heartfelt rendition of "O Danny Boy" by In Jin Nim.
Finally, to end the day of celebration and dedication, Father executed a piece of calligraphy on a banner, to be the motto for News World Communications for the next decade. Dr. Pak translated it for everyone as "Leaping Forward to Victory."