Happy Camper for Friday, March 6, 2020

Congratulations and good luck to Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School media instructor Kevin Matsunaga and his Student Television Network Conference delegates who will leave this weekend for the conference in Washington, D.C.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, March 4, 2020

L. Shannon Graves and Maria were spending their last Island School Gala as its Head of School, and Alan King was glad the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation golf season is yet to open.

Happy Camper for Monday, March 2, 2020

Happy birthday to Bev Pang, who missed being a leap-year baby by just one day. Bev was among the throng of people taking a break from all that wind at the Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day festivities (kudos to Pearl Shimizu of the Kaua‘i Japanese Cultural Society and Melissa McFerrin-Warrack of Kukui Grove Center), where the birthday girl was celebrating with mochiko chicken and nishime.

Happy Camper for Sunday, March 1, 2020

Don Fox of Washington was excited when Rhan Honjiyo asked him to push the buttons and verify the “early overs” (sailboats who cross the starting line prematurely) Thursday during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club’s Shakedown Series Race No. 3 (did he go last week when it was windy and rainy?).

Happy Camper for Friday, February 28, 2020

Memory Robinson was supposed to have her ‘ohana collect at the Menehune Product Fair (Hoku’s is there with his ono local grinds) before they left for the mainland, but not everyone got the memo.

Happy Camper for Monday, February 24, 2020

Kudos and congratulations to Thomas Nizo (yes, he was the dragon!), Puni Patrick, Carrie Newcomb (she took over the Paniolo Hat Lei contest from Aletha Kaohi), and the West Kaua‘i Business & Professional Association (Eric Nordmeier was busy helping the West Kaua‘i Lions with their smoked meat plate, and Esther Estes was in the middle of all those Gather Federal Credit Union people who handled the hydration station) on another great Waimea Town Celebration (Kaua‘i Kim Chee had to forego its appearance at the Kaua‘i Community Market because they needed to be at the ho‘olaule‘a).

Happy Camper for Sunday, February 23, 2020

Willow Spalding said Charlotte Pagel is better with the samples Friday night as Troop 616 of Kalaheo opened the Girl Scout cookie sales at the Safeway store in Hokulei Village Shopping Center in Puhi. Got to see coach Max Manera, who didn’t get cookies but had the new basketball schedule for the middle-school students.

Happy Camper for Friday, February 21, 2020

This is the weekend to finally get to taste those Lemon Ups (it’s the new Girl Scout cookie flavor this year) as the Girl Scout troops set up their market sites (there’s even a cookie finder on their website to help you locate a site where cookies are being sold) starting today. Hurry, when they’re gone, they’re gone (until next year).

Happy Camper for Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Kudos to all those Kaua‘i Community College and American Culinary Federation chefs on another great Breakfast (34 years of great food experience!) where Fred Cowell had his Kaua‘i Coffee Company crew (yes, Darla Domingo is back from her trip, and is wondering about the Workplace Wellness kickoff) on doing the traditional morning brew (they even have it on tap at Wabi-Sabi with Jason Ebesu at the Kaua‘i Community Market).

Happy Camper for Monday, February 17, 2020

What a great weekend for host families to have for taking their Okinawa Christian University students for a taste of a Kaua‘i weekend as Joann Watanabe (she’s been hosting students from when David Iha was the Kaua‘i Community College provost) had her students experiencing the opening night of the Kaua‘i Quilt Show (those Mini Quilt Challenge pieces are absolutely amazing, and you need to check it out before Wednesday, Feb. 26), decorating Valentine’s Day cookies with Melissa McFerrin-Warrack (Jen Ortal was busy setting up the photo booth near the Bandwagon kids doing love music), and visiting with Jean Souza at the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery center, where Mele Kahalepuna Chun had people coming from Maui to help with the featherwork and lei presentations.

Happy Camper for Sunday, February 16, 2020

Alissa Hartmann traded in her skis for a surfboard and was on hand with her seasoned paint supplies Thursday during the Nawiliwili Yacht Club Shakedown Series, Race No. 1, that launched the 2020 season. She was getting help from Del Ford of Washington, who has been taking in the races for the past several decades, and Jeff Dorn was having a blast reuniting with the spectators and sailors.

Happy Camper for Friday, February 14, 2020

OMG! The online auction for John Uyeno’s estate has been posted to Malama Auctions’ website (www.malamaauctions.com) under “John Uyeno Fine Estate Auction” that will take online bids only on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 17 and 18.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Kaimana “Mana” Alquiza just moved his family back from Las Vegas (watch for him on the baseball and softball fields!) and got to have his ‘ohana photographed with Informal Mickey (that’s the name they gave me) and Informal Minnie during the Sunday run of the Gifts from the Heart pop-up at the Kukui Grove Center.

Happy Camper for Monday, February 10, 2020

Andru Alconcel (he was one of the Kaua‘i High School Key Club volunteers) said his arms were so sore they couldn’t move. His competitor, Dalson Cua, agreed, as the pair dueled in ‘uma, or Hawaiian arm wrestling, Saturday during Ka Moku O Manokalanipo Pa‘ani Makahiki Games (kudos to Julie Kaneali‘i…yes, kupuna ‘Ihi Kaneali‘i was there…as was her brother Koko Kaneali‘i…good thing no mo’ anymore Kapa‘a basketball).

Happy Camper for Sunday, February 9, 2020

Faith Campbell and Jane Narimatsu of Wilcox Health got the memo that Friday was National Women Wear Red Day to raise awareness about heart health. How many other people got that memo?

Happy Camper for Friday, February 7, 2020

Kudos to fans of Kaua‘i High School basketball player Easton Luis, who set up a media press box, ESTN, for Easton’s senior night Tuesday (congratulations to Coach Ipo Yoshioka and his team on earning the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation boys basketball title!) at the Kaua‘i High gym.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Happy birthday to Julia Kenton who got to spend her special day at First Saturday with her parents, Jack and Mariella Kenton! She was enjoying listening to Linden Johns (he’s a Kapaa High School talent show winner) on the keyboards at the Bandwagon niche near Pono Market.

Happy Camper for Monday, February 3, 2020

Leaving town early on Friday (just trying to get ahead of those traffic snarls) for the Westside (it was ‘Ele‘ele School STEM Night — kudos to Mahea Contrades-Brun and all those community partners on another great event) has its benefits, like a quick stop at Hanapepe’s Friday Night Art Walk, where they’re starting earlier and earlier. Even Greg Askew of Ono Pops was there early, with some Chinese 5 spice (Pastor Jim Merritt was at Science at the Mall in Kukui Grove Center with the Civil Air Patrol, which had a flight simulator set up, and said the Chinese New Year has been extended to Feb. 14. Yikes, that’s opening night for the Kauai Quilt Show).

Happy Camper for Sunday, February 2, 2020

Niele Carol Texeira (remember that patriotic red, white and blue cake?) is already set for Valentine’s Day (Phil Worwa is still stuck with the Chinese New Year crowd that surged into The Shops at Kukuiula during the last Flavors of Kukuiula) with her cupcake floral package.