Waha Nui – 7/16/14
Hawaii United Okinawa Association honored Hauula papaya farmer Ken Kamiya and four others with its 2014 Legacy Award at a banquet July 13. Ken’s name is synonymous with the Kamiya Laie Gold papaya. He also checked out some other roots — his Okinawan ones — on a recent trip with wife Pat … Kahaluu’s Angelica Pikula has been honored by the DOE with a $5,000 stipend to support her fine work as data analysis manager of Castle-Kahuku Complex …
Also in the Windward DOE, Jonathan Gillentine has been named a Hope Street Group Teacher Fellow to help lead his HSTA peers in implementing Hawaii Common Core … Catch Lanikai kumu hula Mapuana de Silva and her award-winning Halau Mohala Ilima on Moanalua Gardens’ hula mound at 2:40 p.m. Saturday at Prince Lot Hula Festival (829-5334) … Jim and Emme (Tomimbang) Burns are sad to see Keith Nagano close his Union 76 station in Kailua July 15 after nearly a half-century of family-run service, and more than 30 years with the Burns ohana. They’ll miss his “very personal, hands-on style,” Emme says. “It’s one of the last gas stations with people who look after your car, remind you of your safety checks, etc.” …
Along the same line, Ace Auto Glass has promoted Evan Tamaye to manager of its Kaneohe branch. Evan is the third generation working in the family business … Norman Black recently became vice president of administration at BYU-Hawaii, moving over from director of enterprise information systems. Norman and his family of six, plus four grandkids, live right down the street … Kevin Chang (Castle 1990) is in D.C. this weekend to help present the locally produced film, Na Kupa Mana’olana: Seeds of Hope, at the Living Earth Festival at Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. As one of its executive producers, Kevin says he’ll “say a few words” and keep his ukulele handy …
A lady who calls herself “Kailua Gramma” phoned to tell me that A&B president & COO Christopher Benjamin should be Kailua’s mayor, he’s so nice. “Everybody really appreciated his generosity,” she said, referring to the July 4 parking shuttle provided by his company & & & cchang@midweek.com
