Many Make Marathon A Success

What an inspiration it was to run the Kaua‘i half marathon in Po‘ipu Aug. 2 — 13.1 miles was enough for me, thank you. What a beautiful morning it was, complete with rainbows, misty mountains and a glorious sunrise. Just the blessing alone before the start gave me chickenskin, but so many little details of the race made it absolutely charming. The sound of the pu being blown just before sunrise, and runners starting out of the gate through two burning tikis. Also beautiful was the opportunity to see firsthand all of the camaraderie and support — particularly sweet was seeing one husband who had finished running come back through the course to join his wife. Also heartening were the dozens of adorable keiki dancing hula and cheering on participants, along with the talents of Chiefess Kamakaheli Middle School, whose drums grew louder toward the finish line. Po‘ipu residents held signs with supportive messages, too, and even shared freshly cooked bacon to encourage runners to keep going. But the spirit stick award, in my humble opinion, has to go to all the volunteers (some of whom pulled all-nighters) who helped make the event an enormous success. Marathon promoter Robin Jumper tells me there were 1,829 runners representing 45 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., and 15 countries — and that 553 were Kaua‘i residents. Way to rally, Kaua‘i! …

I’m so honored to say I’m a part of the next Leadership Kaua‘i class, and I want to welcome the rest of the adult class of 2013, who received an amazing program orientation by executive director Sherri Patrick Aug. 31 in Hanapepe. A particular highlight was when Patrick shared a mo‘olelo (tale) about the tradition of making pa‘akai (salt) on Kaua‘i. It’s a tale that she says shows Pele‘s compassion, something she likes to highlight, as many give Pele a bad rap. Patrick prefers to think of Pele as a goddess of extremes, by all accounts. As the legend goes, Pele saw a woman on a beach crying next to an abundance of caught fish. When Pele approached her and asked why she was crying, she told her the kupuna would be angry with her for overfishing and catching more than was needed. Pele then said she would tell the girl a secret that would solve her problem, and she took her to Kunaka‘iole where the salt pans at Salt Pond are located, and showed her how to preserve fish with pa‘akai. It was following that mo‘olelo that Patrick and Thomas Nizo, whose family has a long tradition of salt-making, took our class to the pans and taught us about harvesting. Mahalo nui for an amazing experience …

Speaking of harvest, National Tropical Botanical Garden nursery manager Ashly Trask will lead a workshop, titled “From Seed to Salad,” Sept. 26 from 5 to 6 p.m. at NTBG headquarters in Kalaheo. The workshop will focus on small-scale sustainable gardening. Jon Letman tells me participants will learn how to get the most out of a vegetable garden, and how to start and save seeds. The fee includes a small bag of organic fertilizer, and class size is limited to 25 participants ($5 fee payable at the door). To sign up or for more information, call 651-5907 or email propagate@ntbg.org …

Kaua‘i Rotary Clubs’

Humanitarian Awards nominations are being sought for the categories of health care worker, social worker, water safety officer, fire-fighter, police officer, and homeless care worker through Oct. 5. Those making nominations are asked to include a completed form and an essay of 250 words or less explaining why the nominee should be selected. Successful nominees are individuals who deal with problems/conflicts professionally, contribute to colleagues’ growth and development, and who “show aloha.”

The six clubs on Kaua‘i — Hanalei Bay, Kapa‘a, Kalepa Sunrise, Kaua‘i, Po‘ipu Beach and West Kaua‘i — will honor those selected Oct. 18 with a dinner at the Courtyard by Marriott Kaua‘i at Coconut Beach …

On the topic of humanitarianism, Kaua‘i United Way’s 43rd annual Walk-A-Thon is coming up Oct. 27. Speaking with Scott Giarman, I learned that any (yes, any) nonprofit can participate. (This includes hula halau, canoe clubs and the like). Nearly 100 Kaua‘i nonprofits earned thousands of dollars in last year’s walk. Pledge forms are available at the Kaua‘i United Way Office located at 4374 Kukui Grove St., Ste. 201, Lihue (same building as Hawaii Care and Cleaning and Nancy Budd’s offices) For more information, call 245-2043 …

In other odd news, I was taken aback recently by a release I received regarding a Waimea Middle School student bringing a knife to school. According to the state Department of Education, the student was upset by the alleged theft of a personal item on Wednesday, and brought a knife into the classroom the next morning, making verbal threats. The student was later released to authorities …

Just a reminder: Please send me your engagement and anniversary announcements, as well as school reunions and new work hires …