Happy Camper for Monday, October 16, 2023

The Kaua‘i High School Japanese Club has been busy during fall break, creating fresh floral arrangements (did you check out the ikebana displays at Matsuri Kaua‘i?) as a fundraiser for the club’s anticipated trip to Japan.

Happy Camper for Saturday, October 14, 2023

No, Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami, I don’t think The Happy Camper is related to Suo Oshima Mayor Kiyotaka Fujimoto, who was on Kaua‘i to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Suo Oshima and County of Kaua‘i “sister island” relationships.

Happy Camper for Friday, October 13, 2023

Yikes! It’s Friday the 13th and Tiffany Dick and her Aloha Dance Studio ‘ohana open up the Freaky Friday Spooktacular at Kukui Grove Center starting this evening and continuing for the next two Fridays.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Another big weekend is in store when Mary Lardizabal of the Kapa‘a Middle School ‘ukulele band and choir takes on the fall break movie night on Saturday (Aloha Dance Studio starts its three-weekend Freaky Fridays this Friday evening, too) at Kukui Grove Center, where Kaua‘i Partea will have hot dogs (still haven’t tried the Bubble Hot Dog, Jean Souza said is really good) available for purchase.

Happy Camper for Monday, October 9, 2023

Kudos, Justin Kaeo Kinoshita (Fire Chief Michael Gibson said it’s all him!) and all those volunteers (even Sol Kanoho was there from the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency) on hosting a great Fire Prevention Week launch that had a line waiting for the 9 a.m. start (did the Swim Kaua‘i Aquatics have a break in their swim meet so the swimmers could enjoy some of that educational fun?).

Happy Camper for Friday, October 6, 2023

Happy birthday to Tori Kagawa, who got help from Wayne Doliente (he had the day off) on Tuesday when she spent her birthday working the scorer’s table at the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls volleyball matches at Clem Gomes Gym … Waimea High School is next on the list to get a new gymnasium.

Happy Camper for Friday, September 29, 2023

Yes, Jules from Da ‘Aina is one of the more than two dozen craft vendors (some coming from outside Kaua‘i) that are participating in the Kaua‘i Mokihana Festival Craft Fair that’s squeezed between the Friday night kahiko hula and Saturday’s ‘auana hula …

Happy Camper for Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Kudos to all on a very exciting weekend that centered around the high school sporting world. That includes the opening of the new Kaua‘i High School gymnasium, Kaua‘i High School homecoming week which included a community parade and pep rally, and Waimea High School hosting back-to-back Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation sports events

Happy Camper for Monday, September 25, 2023

What’s with all that colored hair (Mary Ann Ornellas of Malia Kai — it’s upstairs of the former City Liquor building — said the colored eyes and vampire teeth for Halloween are good sellers!) by the scorer’s table at the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation air riflery matches at Clem Gomes Gym on Saturday?

Happy Camper for Friday, September 22, 2023

One of the pleasant surprises at the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls volleyball matches at Clem Gomes Gym (mahalo Coach Jon Kobayashi and the Menehune Athletic Department for the hospitality) was the appearance of Hoku’s food truck, which, according to Joyce Evens, stays for the entire game … makes a great stop for post-match dinner, especially if the match goes five sets.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Kudos to Melissa McFerrin Warrack, Sarah Tochiki, Mary Lardizabal and the Many Hands for coordinating a push for the radiothon that raised funds to benefit the Hawai‘i Foodbank, Maui Food Bank and their help toward relief from the Maui wildfires.

Happy Camper for Friday, September 15, 2023

Melissa McFerrin Warrack, of Kukui Grove Center, said Small Fry, located adjacent to the Kaua‘i Society of Artists gallery, is already decked out in Halloween decoration because an off-island publication wants to interview the owner, who is from Waimea.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Kudos, Jean Souza (do you realize that clouds are good indicators of natural disasters?) and the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery for having the Cloud Charts and free COVID-19 tests (how many people stopped for theirs after the DMV ran out of their supply?) during the 9/11 National Day of Service (and Remembrance).