Happy Camper for Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Now that the New Year’s festivities are done, sports returns full blast with a week full of activities, including the opening of the Kaua‘i Senior Softball league on Saturday with the opening ceremonies starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Pat Baniaga Field in Hanapepe, said league President Eric Sakazaki (who does he play for?).

Happy Camper for Monday, January 2, 2023

Roseanne Jones of the Kaua‘i Society of Artists said people have until Jan. 6 to enjoy the Small Works exhibit that is open daily from noon at the KSA gallery at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e.

Happy Camper for Friday, December 30, 2022

Liliana Estep of Shell of a Lifetime (what? Limited time, free paintings?) was decked out in lei, Thursday during the weekly Aloha Market at the National Tropical Botanical Garden South Shore Visitor Center. Liliana said it’s not her birthday; she’s going traveling for a while, leaving her accounts to be cared for by “good people.”

Happy Camper for Monday, December 26, 2022

Mahalo, Kaua‘i Krush softball Menehune (nobody wanted their names out there) for collaborating with the Kaua‘i Senior Softball League’s Hanama‘ulu Hillsiders and the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation to improve the softball field at the Peter Rayno Sr. Park in Hanama‘ulu.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 25, 2022

Ella Dela Cruz of Ellaments is just an eighth grade home schooler, and already launched a great line of gyotaku note cards and hand-stamped fabric art (so good, even Sheri Sanchez Holcomb, the organizer from Marriott’s Kaua‘i Vacation Club of the Children’s Miracle Network Craft and Products Fair, had to get some pieces).

Happy Camper for Friday, December 23, 2022

Congratulations, Salomone Malafu on signing with the UCLA Bruins! Mahalo, Greg Gonsalves and Tommy John Cox on coordinating the lunchtime gathering where Salomone’s family and friends could celebrate the big occasion.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Mahalo, all, especially Tom Freestone and all the hands of Timber sResort and The Ocean Course at Hokuala, for providing an opportunity (Hawai‘i News Now’s Guy Hagi said it never rains when you invite a weatherman to play golf!) for people to do something to have fun with (mahalo, Hokuala, for sponsoring Bart Thomas and a Kaua‘i veterans team — whoa, Ron Wood got to golf even when Wailua Golf Course was rained out!) in all that inclement weather on Sunday!

Happy Camper for Monday, December 19, 2022

Keiko Takahashi and Ryo Takami came all the way from Yokohama, Japan to be part of the Ka Pa Hula o Hinano recital, and got a special treat on Saturday when the pair got to see Kumu Hula Troy Hinano Lazaro and the Kaua‘i halau perform during the “grand reopening (that’s Kumu Troy’s term)” of the ‘Ele‘ele McDonald’s restaurant that was met with “Chee-hoo!” from motorists sitting at the red light on Waialo Road, and horn honks from cars passing by.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 18, 2022

Congratulations, and mahalo, Chip Bahouth and the Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort, on all the holiday benevolence and aloha — more than 1,100 pounds of food for the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank, and about 200 toys for the Toys For Tots program that was picked up by The Salvation Army Hanapepe Corps’ Lt. Jose Gonzalez and Lauren Starner!

Happy Camper for Friday, December 16, 2022

Faith Campbell of the Wilcox Health Center said everyone is invited to view the Christmas trees and vote for their favorite (hopefully, she’ll send along the results, too) tree that’s on display in the hospital’s lobby (you can even stop at the cafeteria for a healthy pick-me-up at the same time). This is the first time the hospital’s put this on since the pandemic.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 12, 2022

Go, Kaysha Mata (she was at the Little Pea Holiday event last week with mom and Randon Welch) of Kaysha Designs, who was part of that full house of vendors at the Aloha (imagine the island of Kaua‘i in place of the “o”) event on Friday at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center. Kudos to all those creative minds from the Kekaha School and the landfill!) where Hoku’s had a long line for the prime rib special!

Happy Camper for Friday, December 9, 2022

Mahalo, Kaua‘i Police Department Chaplain Jade Wai‘ale‘ale Battad (KPD Blue is a nice change of pace from white) for inviting the Kaua‘i County Council in total (how come Billy DeCosta kept trying to hide behind Mel Rapozo?), and Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami to join her in singing the doxology following the blessing for the new police officers (and the seven promotion candidates and the four retirees!) during the KPD graduation on Wednesday.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Talk about your Hawaiian blessing. Geraldine Baniaga of Mom’s Filipino Comfort Food (yep, they have some desserts, too, and how about those pineapple juices and lemonade?) was in a downpour during the Pau Hana Market at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e on Monday. It was raining so hard Laurie Ho had to use an umbrella while moving the parking cone for Amy Chun. Welcome to the Pau Hana Market, Geraldine and ‘ohana!

Happy Camper for Monday, December 5, 2022

Kylie Kuhlmann (remember her from Kaua‘i High School soccer? That started on Saturday too!) and Donya McKnight of Little McKFarm said the plushes are “just for Christmas,” on Saturday when more than 50 other craft vendors joined the regular vendors at the Grove Farm Market in Puhi.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 4, 2022

Dick Olson of the Rotary Club of Kaua‘i said, “It’s all your fault!” Friday night as he and Tom Lodico (remember the Koloa Sugar Mill Run?) directed the Sons of Hawai‘i/Grove Farm Museum multi-vehicle units at the corner of Rice and ‘Eiwa streets.