Giving Back, Housing And Whales

It’s time for another KHS Class of 1971 reunion. Photo courtesy Sandra Magnussen

It doesn’t take the designation of “holiday season” for some people to be in the giving mood. Good people give all year. Proof of that is found in Caroline Frederiksen and ernie kanekoa, owners of Kalaheo Steak and Ribs, who hosted “Thanksgiving in June” June 13 for families on the West side. Momi Machado, who works for Child and Family Service and manages a family center called Nana’s House that has a food pantry, donated clothing, parenting classes and case management, says it’s people like Frederiksen and Kanekoa who make all the difference. Mahalo, Caroline and Ernie, Kaua’i is lucky to have people like you …

With so many people becoming more familiar with terms like “underwater” when referring to mortgages, it’s reassuring to see partnerships emerge, such as the kaua’i County Housing agency and kaua’i Board of Realtors, which will co-host the “Home Sweet Home” housing fair from 1 to 8 p.m. this Friday at Lihu’e Civic Center in the Pi’ikoi Building. The fair will include workshops on first-time homebuyer programs, tenants’ rights in foreclosures, insurance policies for tenants and homeowners, rental property management, VA loans and other housing programs. And from 1 to 3 p.m. there will be a tour of Kamamalu at Kaua’i Lagoons, the affordable housing project located at the entrance to Lihu’e Industrial Park phase II …

Kohola Leo (whale voice), a website devoted to whales, will present a free lecture about the most ancient whale alive today hosted by Sue arnold, founder of the Grey Whale Coalition, at 7 p.m. Thursday at Children of the Land in Kapa’a, and at 7 p.m. Saturday at Princeville Clubhouse/Prince Albert Park. The lecture aims to heighten awareness of the whales, whose migration route takes them past one of the most heavily industrialized coastlines in the world, exposing them to pollution, vessel traffic, industrial noise and military and non-military sonar across its entire range. Arnold is hoping the population will be re-listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. For more information, call 640-5761 …

Kudos to photographer and Anahola resident Cordelia Bailey, whose digital images recently placed in two international photography contests. Her “culture clash” earned an honorable mention in a competition sponsored by the Professional Women Photographers organization in New York. This year’s theme was contrast, so Bailey “took a photo of a man in London, and another in Tokyo, and combined them,” she says. Bailey’s second winning image, “missed connection,” won a spot in the Paducah Photo 2011 competition and will be on view from June 18 through July 30 at Yeiser Art Gallery in Kentucky. The Paducah contest is one of the nation’s oldest. The juror was Karen Irvine, curator of the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. Brava, Cordelia …

Speaking of art, I’m so excited to see the work of a group of artists, spouses and friends from Kaua’i, Oahu and California who spent three weeks traveling to Istanbul, Cappadochia and the Mediterranean coast in Turkey. The Turkish-inspired watercolors, oils and photographs include the work of Kaua’i’s Carol Ann Davis, Elizabeth Ferris, Kyoko Ishigami, Andrea Peeler, R. Eve Solomon and Devi Town, who were instructed by painter, sculptor and Hanapepe Artworks owner Siam Caglayan of Princeville while onboard a sailing yacht in the Mediterranean Sea. The show will open to the public from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 1, and will remain open daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. Fridays through July 8. Can’t wait …

Aspiring artists who would like to take into account cultural relevancy should check out a workshop by Patrick Ching of Naturally Hawaiian Gallery on Oahu July 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Frear Center for Hawaiian Culture & the Arts at Island School. To register, call Ching at 271-5350, or email patrick@naturallyhawaiian.com. Cost is $150 and includes canvas, paints and all materials needed to complete a 9-by-12-inch painting. For directions, contact Sabra Kauka at 652-1978, or email sabrakauka@aol.com. The event is a project of HOEAKaua’i … Fun fact: In addition to be an accomplished artist, Patrick is also a top rodeo clown …

Congratulations to Bill and Sea Peterson, whose residence on Laipo Road won the Neighborhood Pride Award for June. The couple will receive their award at the Wailua-Kapa’a Neighborhood Association meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. June 25 at Kapa’a Library. Bill, a retired engineer, and Sea, a retired teacher, have a collection of more than 50 palms and 50 statues on the half-acre lot, which is divided into three distinct areas – a vegetable garden, starfruit (that yields 200 pounds of the pretty fruit each year) and macadamia nut trees, and a coconut wood gazebo. The couple has put at least 20 hours of work a week over the past several years into their tranquil outdoor space. Nicely done …

And getting outside and enjoying some fresh air (while staying fit) has been part of Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho‘s kuleana since he campaigned for office in 2008. That said, it’s time to register for the third annual Mayor-a-thon: a walk, jog, run or bike for two, four, six or eight miles. It starts at 7 a.m. June 25 (check-in is 6 a.m. at Kapa’a Beach Park) and will take place on Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the shared-use coastal path, along phase two from Lihi Park to Ahihi Point. The event isn’t just about the exercise. There are games, door prizes, live music and prizes for the best decorated bike, stroller and participant (plus Sweet Marie’s is putting on the breakfast, so you know it will be yummy and wheat-free). To register, go to getfitkauai.com by June 22 …

Once a Raider, always a Raider. Kaua’i High School’s class of 1971 celebrates its 40th reunion Saturday, July 23, at Lihue Neighborhood Center, 5 p.m. For more information, contact Lisa Otsuka Shimazu at 245-6222 or Ann Shinsato at 392-3649 …