Turning Tragedy Into A Positive
(from left) Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr., Ku'uleialoha Johnson, Wanda Shibata, Mary Nakamura, Kahu Mokihana Ka'auwai, Nalani Mahelona, Samuel Magasiny, Cindy Duterte and Manulele at the celebration of the Ahupua'a Moving Mural Project. Photo from Mary Daubert
It’s always moving to see the community come together, especially when it comes in response to tragedy. Kukulu Kumuhana O Anahola has recently transformed the Anahola Clubhouse into a cultural and educational mural. For those who might not know, KKOA is a community organization formed in late 2008 shortly after the loss of three Anahola teens to suicide. KKOA continues to do its work in their memory, and board members B. Manulele Clark, Carla Hart, P. Ku’uleialoha Johnson, Dr. Samuel Magasiny, Nalani Mahelona and Mary Nakamura have shown outstanding commitment to getting people involved in embracing and strengthening our youths.
Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. commended the project, which got under way in July 2010. Mahelona said in a prepared release that the theme, “Anahola Ahupua’a: from the mountains to the sea,” included several collaborative ideas and that the project “turned out more beautiful than anyone had imagined with each artist contributing his or her own ideas and mana’o.” Oahu artist (and part-time rodeo clown) Patrick Ching painted serene koi, while Anahola’s Uilani Kuhaulua made images of fishnet and imu to show keiki of future generations how to feed themselves. She also included the handprints of her 11 grandchildren.
Project sponsors include the Hawai’i Community Foundation/Annie Sinclair Knudsen Trust, Young Brothers Ltd./Kaua’i Barge, Queen Lili’uokalani Children’s Center, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Ka Hale Pono, County of Kaua’i Department of Parks and Recreation, Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative, Ace Hardware Lihu’e, Hawai’i Video Creations, Home Depot, Naturally Hawaiian, Olena Media, Pacific Coats Hawai’i and Puhi Paint. To learn more, go to kkoafoundation.org …
In these tough economic times, DIY (do-it-yourself) attitudes abound, and it’s encouraging that it doesn’t just apply to households, but legal issues as well. Having just opened officially last week, the courthouse in Lihu’e is now home to the first fully functional self-help center in the state of Hawaii, thanks to the willingness of pro bono attorneys from the Kaua’i Bar Association and Legal Aid Society of Hawai’i. The center will serve as a resource for self-represented litigants who can’t afford an attorney in the areas of family court (divorces, TROs) and district court (civil matters and small claims only attorneys won’t be assisting with criminal matters). The center will be open Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, with the chance of augmenting hours later …
(from left) Danillo Abadilla, Uli`i Castor, Athena Abadilla (winner) Savita Agarwal and Susana Abadilla. Photo courtesy County of kaua‘i
Congratulations to St. Theresa School eighthgrader Athena Abadilla, winner of the Kaua’i County Committee on the Status of Women essay contest. The theme of this year’s contest was “Educate Women and Change the World,” and was open to girls in grades 6 through 12. Abadilla, daughter of Susan and Danillo Abadilla, won a trip to O’ahu to attend the eighth annual International Women’s Leadership Conference, where she had the opportunity to hear inspiring stories shared by women leaders. Among the list of conference speakers were former Gov. Linda Lingle; Elim Chew, president of 77th Street, a leading fashion and accessories retail chain in Singapore;
Michelle Kristula-Green, global head of people and culture for Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide, a multinational advertising agency; and Lesley Jane Seymour, editor-in-chief of More magazine. Abadilla said the most important lesson she learned from the conference was to never give up, no matter how hard things may become, and to always do her best. She says she plans to go to college like her sister Natasha, who is a sophomore at Stanford University. Let’s wish her well. For more information about the Kaua’i County Committee on the Status of Women, go to kauai.gov…
Kudos to Garden Island Resource Conservation & Development Inc., which was just named a Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Annual Grants recipient. The money will support the Koke’e Resource Conservation Program aimed at restoring habitat for Hawaiian native birds in northwest Kaua’i. The project includes volunteers who work to rid Koke’e of invasive plant species and heighten awareness of the need for community-based land management. To learn more about Koke’e Resource Conservation Program, go to krcp.org and gircd.org or call 335-0045 …
In case you haven’t yet hear the buzz, the Kaua’i Beekeepers Association, in partnership with Kaua’i Community College’s Apiary Program and the HDOA State Apiary Program, is pleased to announce the first in a series of beekeeping courses for those interested in the practice and apiarists who want to learn more about honeybee management for honey production, hiverelated products or pollination services. Advanced courses also will focus on queen rearing, preventative measures and best practices to ensure healthy and vibrant honeybee health.
The first beekeeping course will address bee biology, colony management and the use of hive boxes, tools and equipment for apiary development and management and will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 and 28, and at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 29 at the KCC Apiary. For more information, contact Jimmy Trujillo, KBee chairman, at jtrujill@hawaii.edu or 346-7725, or Dr. Francis Takahashi, KCC Apiary coordinator, at francist@hawaii.edu or 2458219. Also, the next KBEE meeting will be open to the public and takes place from 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Kaua’i Community College Technology Building. For more information, go to kauaibuzz.blogspot.com.
