SECOND IS FIRST? Tina Nguyen of Westminster...

SECOND IS FIRST? Tina Nguyen of Westminster gets calls daily about her Vietnamese language classes, which start again Sunday. And almost all come from young Vietnamese Americans. . . . Many find it difficult to speak with some of their own relatives because they’ve grown up here speaking English (E1) and are weak in their native language. Says Nguyen: “Many of them want to improve their Vietnamese because they’re preparing for a return visit to Vietnam.”

OF HUMAN EVENTS: Ad whiz Sakol Mongkolkasetarin of Fountain Valley was in great demand a few months ago after his one-man company won four prestigious industry “Belding” awards. He was quickly grabbed up by dGWB, a large Irvine ad agency. . . . But big-company life didn’t suit him. He and two co-workers declared--on July 4--their rights include “life, liberty and the pursuit of creative freedom” with their own new firm, Acme Advertising in Newport Beach.

RIGHT TRACK: Lake Forest track star Ashley Bethel, who lost her right eye when she was struck by a golf ball in February, continues her strong comeback. . . . She set a national record for the 13-14-year-old division in the pentathlon at last week’s U.S. Youth Athletic Championships at Knoxville, Tenn. Bethel won the high jump (5-foot-3 3/4) and long jump (18-3 1/4). “I’m still having problems in jumps, but if I keep practicing, it will come,” Bethel says. Next stop: the Junior Olympics July 26-31.

HE’LL BE BACK: Greg Patton, former UC Irvine and Newport Beach Dukes tennis coach, is now coaching Boise State and the Idaho Sneakers, the newest World TeamTennis franchise. Patton took with him to the Sneakers former Dukes Manon Bollegraf and Amy Frazier and Laguna Beach brothers Rick and Jon Leach; the latter recently finished an outstanding four-year career at USC. . . . Patton will bring his new team to Newport Beach’s John Wayne Tennis Club on July 12 to face the Dukes (C4).