Waha Nui – 10/1/14

Steven Lai

Kailua’s Paul Sibley, who is CFO of Retina Institute of Ha waii, knows running and he knows cancer, being a survivor himself. So after meeting his nephew’s ailing 5-year-old friend, Paul was inspired to run a 135-mile race from New Orleans to Baton Rouge (in 36 hours) in July to raise money for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. It honored the memory of Paul’s little friend Trevor Sim, and helped fulfill Trevor’s last wish before he succumbed to cancer in 2013: Feed the hungry …

Kaneohe artist Michael Furuya has his new works on display through Nov. 9 at Second Floor at Cedar Street Galleries (589-1580) … Castle High’s STEM Club will introduce 3-D printing and its new officers at the next meeting, says adviser Jenny Yee. That’s how to recruit new leadership … Windward Rep. Cynthia Thielen is keynote speaker at the Energy Storage North America Conference Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in San Jose, getting them up to speed on Hawaii’s Clean Energy Initiative …

Communications Pacific has hired Kaneohe’s Steven Lai as controller. Not a bad choice, considering Steven’s past work with A&B Hawaii, Monroe & Friedlander, General Growth Properties and Easter Seals. And he plays golf … Three area students have won $1,000 scholarships from Safeway Hawaii Foundation, which rewards outstanding employees or their children: Waimanalo’s Brittany Correa (UH Manoa), and Kaneohe’s Gabriella Kuoha (Hawaii Tokai International College) and Jaylin Kuoha (Windward Community College) …

Graduating HPU nurses wore white coats for the first time at Sept. 29 ceremonies at Hawaii Loa, funded by Arnold P. Gold Foundation and American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Dean Lynette Landry says it’s meant to instill role development and commitment to quality care …

Erin Chang Wells (Castle 1996) now lives in Chino, Calif., near some of the state’s prisons. That helped inspire The Message Project, which she, spouse Tyrone and others started in their area. They recorded “inmate mommies” reading from donated books and giving a positive message to their children on DVDs. “These loving mothers longing to speak to their kids on camera brought out unspeakable joy, compassion and tears from all involved,” Erin says via Facebook … Kristen Kadooka (Kalaheo 2014) has enrolled at the U.S. Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, RI & & & cchang@midweek.com