Kudos to Kelly Raitz of the Veterans Affairs office on coordinating the service for veteran Kendall Burwinkle, who got to rest in his home on Kauai. Jim Jung was missing the Older Americans festival (kudos to the county Agency on Elderly Affairs, Kukui Grove Center, and the county Department of Parks and Recreation on another great event!) because he helped officiate at the service.
Kudos to Kelly Raitz of the Veterans Affairs office on coordinating the service for veteran Kendall Burwinkle, who got to rest in his home on Kauai. Jim Jung was missing the Older Americans festival (kudos to the county Agency on Elderly Affairs, Kukui Grove Center, and the county Department of Parks and Recreation on another great event!) because he helped officiate at the service.
He was heading to Nana’s House following the service with a truckload of clothes. Jill and Masami Kouchi were also heading west to help set up for the Waimea Shingon Mission rummage sale, but had time to bring Kamala Mersberg (that version of “America the Beautiful” was absolutely chicken-skin!) to pay her final respects.
Ed Kawamura Sr. was reminding everyone of the M. Kawamura Farm Enterprises Expo Friday and Saturday in Lihue, and Andrea Abalos was more concerned about people knowing that the Kauai Veterans Council will host the annual Memorial Day services, Monday, May 27 at the Kauai Veterans Cemetery (great job, Andrea and Junior Leones on salvaging the worn and weathered American flags for proper disposal!).
Samantha Souza is still learning the words (and hula moves), so just enjoyed the Older Americans festival with Wayne Medeiros (how many of those outstanding Older Americans were at the festival, too?) on the sidelines. Melanie Okamoto (she didn’t know about that Friday afternoon pickleball at Kalena Park) said a lot of the resources for the Older Americans festival came from the county Department of Parks and Recreation, and Melissa McFerrin-Warrack (she’s got Mother’s Day happening from noon today at Kukui Grove Center!) was enjoying watching the kupuna enjoy the new facilities at the food court area.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.