Waha Nui
A celebration of life for Kaneohe’s Joe Kaapuni (aka Uncle Joe, Mr. Aloha), 82, was held last Sunday at KEY Project. Joe was a man who made a 30-year career out of greeting folks at the entrance of Varsity Theatre. He also was a regular volunteer at KEY and 15-year member of Hope Chapel Kahaluu. “Now he’s a supreme usher,” says Pastor Eldean Kukahiko. “We called him Sweet Lips.” Rest in peace, Uncle Joe …
Let there be light. A magnificent lamp at Town Restaurant – designed by Kailua artist Mark Chai – was pictured above chef Ed Kenney‘s head in Sunset magazine’s April story about “The New Taste of Hawaii.” According to Mark’s wife, Makana Risser Chai, his lamps popped up in the May issue of Travel + Leisure as well …
Kailua artist Karen Kiefer has her paintings up May 27-June 21 at Gallery on the Pali (595-4047). Among many notable milestones, Karen is a former student of Maunawili art teacher Daunna Yanoviak. She went on to be an art teacher herself at Le Jardin for 12 years and also teaches at the Boys and Girls Club Windward Clubhouse … Kualoa Ranch has promoted Billy Williams of Kaaawa to customer service manager, and hired two new sales managers: Brandi Peralta of Kaneohe and Trina Rogers, former MidWeek sales rep for Windward.
Gary “Ises” Lipman will manage diversified ag for the ranch … Want to see the rich giving to the poor? It still happens, with no help from Robin Hood. Billed as a Kailua millionaire, real estate investor Marc Paskin stars in a KFVE TV reality show as “Uncle Kokua” at 7 p.m. every Tuesday, finding local folks to share his fortune with …
Kailua High senior Asia Di Antonio will be heading to WCC with a $2,500 Employee Scholarship from McDonald’s. Asia works at the Enchanted Lake restaurant and won her award for academic, service and on-the-job performance … Jarrett Keohokalole of Kaneohe is one of three inaugural summer interns picked by the Native Hawaiian Legal Defense & Education Fund. A Richardson law school student, he’ll conduct outreach on a variety of issues
