Happy Camper for Monday, January 3, 2022

The world around Kress Street in Lihu‘e takes on an entirely different sense on New Year’s Day when businesses surrounding the street are closed for the holiday and parking lots sit empty to expose the obstacles they conceal when at work.

Happy Camper for Sunday, January 2, 2022

Congratulations, Mike Tresler and the Kapa‘a High School Warrior football team, on earning the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II state championship following an exciting (Coach Orlando “O” Anaya was so excited about that 98-yard up-the-middle touchdown by Solomone Malafu!) 61-7 win over Kamehameha Schools-Maui on O‘ahu!

Happy Camper for Friday, December 31, 2021

Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen” was supposed to meet up with Princesses Mirabel Madrigal (she’s so new from Disney’s “Encanto,” Macee Martinez had to make up her costume) and Anna from “Frozen.”

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Kudos to Hank Zevaat for making all those kadomatsu, or New Year’s decorations, for the Pau Hana Market (Wow! Kaua‘i Churros is back for all those shoppers who came to get their kadomatsu!) at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e.

Happy Camper for Monday, December 27, 2021

Paul Iloreta said he got called into work on Christmas Day at the Sheraton Kaua‘i Coconut Beach Resort (kudos for taking care of the first responders’ holiday meals!) and wore the red holiday aloha shirt because there wasn’t enough time to do laundry before going off to work.

Happy Camper for Friday, December 24, 2021

Kudos to Holly Van Every and Michael Jay Schoenfeld In Bliss who made their first appearance Tuesday for the dinner crowd at the Kukui Grove Center food court. They got the full light treatment from Josh Pajella who now knows what can be done outside the box with the stage lighting.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Tiffany Sagucio (she came out of hiding Sunday!) said the Kaua‘i Filipino Community Council is recruiting girls for the next Miss Kaua‘i Filipina scholarship pageant after she’s retained the crown and honor for nearly three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Happy Camper for Monday, December 20, 2021

Ferdinand Dosono of Kaua‘i Kim Chee (he’s just the chef now) was thrilled when offered a Vicky Cayetano face mask Saturday during the Grove Farm Market in Puhi.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Happy birthday, Ed Kawamura Sr.! He got a special Tire Warehouse face mask delivered by Sharron Weber, who made a special trip to get the mask and deliver it to Ed, who was busy working on chainsaws (we had a lot of wind and rain over the past couple of weeks!) at M. Kawamura Farm Enterprises in Lihu‘e.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 12, 2021

Happy birthday, Torie Ho‘opi‘i of Missing Polynesia. Missing Polynesia came back as a pop-up (yes, she had the new stuff promised during her last trip here) at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e.

Happy Camper for Friday, December 10, 2021

Mana Kennedy didn’t want his antlers installed by Santa, but by Belle of “Beauty and the Beast” Wednesday during the Princess and Superheroes night at Santa’s House at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 8, 2021

“The weather outside is frightful,” goes the line of a popular tune of the season. And yes, it was frightful with all that wind and rain, but mahalo to all the farmers who braved the elements to have the Pau Hana Market at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e (even if it was just for an hour), and mahalo to all the shoppers who stopped by for their fruit and vegetable needs.

Happy Camper for Monday, December 6, 2021

And where was the Ninja Bread at Made In Hawai‘i? Ann Hashisaka of Kaua‘i Kookie brought the gingerbread people (minis and big guys) for Made In Hawai‘i, where she joined her sister Ruth Hashisaka, who came down special to help Ann and June Ikemoto at the Grove Farm Market craft-fair component Saturday in Puhi.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 5, 2021

Happy Born (that’s Lexi Jones’ terminology) Day, Krystl Apeles, who spent her day working on getting the Alakoko Store ready for some Kaua‘i Made vendors to occupy when the Downtown Lihu‘e Night Market unfolds on Dec. 11 from 4 to 8 p.m. on Kress Street.

Happy Camper for Friday, December 3, 2021

Kudos to Emilia Knudsen and Erik Burton of The Kaua‘i Store for establishing the Second (Erik said they had one last year so this is the second) annual (and now it becomes annual because they plan on doing it next holidays) Great Toy Exchange in the Kaua‘i Community Food Pantry space.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Congratulations to Waimea football coach Kyle Linoz on the honor of having daughter Kyrie Linoz be selected as the Menehune homecoming queen. When was the last time a football coach had to skip halftime to escort his daughter?