A Time For Loved Ones And Lights
(from left) Palmer Hafdahl (architect and owner), Andrea Lincoln (architectural designer), Desi Kittredge (office manager) and Jon Lucas (draftsman) with Palms Hawaii Architecture’s new electric vehicle. Photo courtesy Palms Hawaii Architecture
Each Christmas Eve, as a child, after leaving cookies out for Santa and before going to “sleep,” I worried about how Mr. Claus would find his way into my home. This was a concern (and probably still is) for many keiki growing up in Hawaii and often a topic of debate on the playground, since most of us lack fireplaces. But, much to my delight, Jolly Old Saint Nicholas always managed to find his way. I fondly remember those special days full of magic and awe. And while Christmas is still magical for me, I now understand that it means so much more than presents under the tree. I hope you’ll join me in remembering that the true gifts the holidays have to offer don’t come with price tags, like the opportunity to spend time with loved ones. Merry Christmas!
Your last chances to visit the Festival of Lights are Wednesday (Dec. 24) and Saturday (Dec. 27) from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Historic County Building. It’s free to take a tour and delight in the Christmas creations by lateAuntie Josie as well as other Kauai artists. The festival is sponsored by Kauai County, Hawaii Tourism Authority and Friends of the Festival of Lights. You might even get to snag a candy cane or two from Santa’s elves while you take in the beautiful decorations …
Nonprofit Lawai International Center, which protects and preserves the 88 shrines, recently received a grant from Group 70 Foundation. Coco Zickos photo
Palms Hawaii Architecture, a local company committed to reducing its environmental impact, is proud to announce its purchase of a new 2014 Smart electric drive car. The company’s owner, Palmer Hafdahl, charges the car using his photovoltaic system at home, reducing his business’s footprint even further. The two-passenger car is suitably named pH-eV, pronounced “fee-vee.” Explains Hafdahl: “I am trying to support a business that helps achieve Hawaii’s clean-energy future, and transportation is a big part of that.”
Aha Hui E Kala, Lawai International Center, as part of a group of grant recipients, recently was awarded a portion of $65,000 gifted by Group 70 Foundation, sponsored by Group 70 International, a design firm in Hawaii. Lawai International Center is a nonprofit organization responsible for protecting Lawai Valley’s 88 shrines, which are miniature replicas of the 88 temples in Shikoku, Japan, created in 1904 by the island’s first generation of Japanese immigrants. Visit lawaicenter.org for more information about the organization …
Elvrine Chow will demonstrate the art of creating “Heavenly Haku” by wrapping blossoms and other plant material into head lei Sunday (Dec. 28) at National Tropical Botanical Garden‘s Southshore Visitors Center in Poipu. Free demonstrations will begin at 10 a.m. and a workshop follows from 1 to 4 p.m. Registration is required in advance to attend the workshop, and the cost is $40 for the general public or $35 for NTBG members. Call 742-2433 to register.
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