Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Christmas is in the air, everywhere — slow down, drivers! Christmas isn’t going anywhere, fast! Kudos to Esther Estes and her West Kauai Professional and Business Association on braving the threat of inclement weather.

Happy Camper for Monday, December 23, 2019

The weather may have canceled the Kauai Interscholastic Federation paddling and soccer events Saturday (Tori Kagawa said she didn’t get the message so came in all the way from the Westside — good thing the Isle Hoops Holiday Classic was taking place so she could take in some basketball!) — but could not stop the shoppers on the last weekend before Christmas, who flocked to the Kauai Community Market at Kauai Community College (the one in Hanalei was canceled, too), where Jason Ebesu was a hit with his homemade ramen (Elvrine Chow said there was a lot of ono noodles).

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 22, 2019

Congratulations to Stephanie Deng, of Kauai Handmade, who opened the doors to her shop (remember when she and Janath of Janath Collections were vendors at The Beach House craft fairs?) at the Coconut Marketplace just in time for the final weekend of shopping before Christmas descends Wednesday (keeping fingers crossed for nice weather).

Happy Camper for Friday, December 20, 2019

Only four days remaining before Christmas, and things are popping. Tillie Koenig (she was working Sunday, and mahalo, Kevin Matsunaga and the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School media kids and parents, for having that energizing breakfast) was manning the Missing Polynesia pop-up that will is today through Monday at Kukui Grove Center before disappearing until the next time.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 18, 2019

There was no shortage of Christmas wreaths when the Punana Leo school visited the Kauai Community Market (nope, no Sustainable Boost pancake mix this week) for a special group holiday presentation and wreath sales as a fundraiser for the Puhi school.

Happy Camper for Monday, December 16, 2019

Tara Arume-Nitta said for sure next year she’s going to have some of her Japanese items, including those koi nobori, at the Holly Jolly holiday fair where Santa in Paradise had a hard time breaking away from the endless stream of Keiki wanting to visit with the North Pole resident.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Jude Washburn was one of the centers of attentio Sunday when he offered note card sets created using his Go Pro 5 (it’s broken now, he said) after his mother suggested he try and make some money out of his photographic efforts.

Happy Camper for Monday, December 9, 2019

Amazing Grace (yes, that’s his real name), 5, would have had a field day Saturday at the Kauai Community Market at Kauai Communiy College in Puhi, where Greg Anderson, Jonah Nishi and the Kauai High School business management class debuted the Sustainable Boost pancake mix featuring mai‘a, kalo and ulu flours.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 8, 2019

Talk about excitement…Joe Grace and his ohana came back to the parade excitement (no, he wasn’t at the Central Pacific Bank parking; that was for Shaka Burgers), and there was a run on his roast pork plate (Barbara Bloemke and Bev Pang had theirs before the parade) that one surfer described as “da bomb.”

Happy Camper for Friday, December 6, 2019

The battle (Christmas Tree Battle Royale, that is) is on, and people can vote by visiting the trees and casting their choice by dropping non-perishable canned goods in the baskets set up near the trees at 17 participating spots at The Shops at Kukuiula, where the winners will be announced Friday, Dec. 13, during the mall’s Holiday Bash.

Happy Camper for Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo to Father Arlan Intal, Lillian Vierra, Marina Pascua, Shelley Gerardo, and all the St. Raphael’s Church ‘ohana on a great Joy of Christmas experience (hurry, only two more weekends left to take it in!) at the oldest Catholic church on Kauai … it’s amazing how history can become so beautiful.

Happy Camper for Monday, December 2, 2019

Laurie Ho of the Kauai County Farm Bureau said all of the vendors at the Kauai Community Market (and the Kauai Culinary Market) are small businesses. as the market at Kauai Community College joined the rest of the nation in celebrating Small Business Saturday.

Happy Camper for Sunday, December 1, 2019

Hats off to Mary Margaret Smith and all the many hands that came together, including Mark Oyama and the volunteer crew from Mark’s Place and Contemporary Flavors Catering on a great Kapaa Interfaith Association Thanksgiving luncheon Thursday that included an interfaith service at the overflowing All Saints Episcopal Church and Preschool (that’s where the home delivery was taking place, too).

Happy Camper for Friday, November 29, 2019

The turkey is pau (hope there’s some left for turkey sandwiches), and kudos to the Salvation Army and the Kapaa Interfaith Association on hosting great community feeds (Chef Johnny Saguid said the diners were hungry so put a lot on the plate) in Hanapepe, Lihue, and Kapaa (that one was on Thanksgiving Day!).

Happy Camper for Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Chili — choice of beef, vegan, or chicken — with all the dressings make for a wonderful aroma (especially when topped off with a serving of Akamai Juice), said North Shore Lion Gary Pacheco.

Happy Camper for Monday, November 25, 2019

What’s a little wind and rain? At least there was no thunder (that would’ve been disastrous for the First Hawaiian Bank Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II football semifinals) in the National Weather Service forecast for Saturday.

Happy Camper for Sunday, November 24, 2019

The students at Koloa School just “brought what they could” and the students of the Elsie Wilcox Elementary School got help from Vice Principal Deena Fontana and Jonel Elias (how can the water go off right at the start of the collection?) and the student council in sharing food (more than half a ton!) because they are “Grateful” … kudos to Holo Holo Charters (was a nice chance to catch up with Dan Sargent of McBryde Resources and Trinette Kaui of A&B Properties) on their first food drive.