Waha Nui – 4/29/15
Kaneohe Community and Senior Center has produced its second Lei Day Queen in a row for the city, Danielle Pomaika‘i ‘O Keikilani Akiona. Pomai, a Castle graduate and hairstylist, teaches hula at the center and succeeds 2014 queen Louise Alina, her Kaneohe colleague. She will preside over the annual Lei Day festivities Friday at Kapiolani Park and be an ambassador of aloha at many public ceremonies in coming weeks. Her Second Princess is Whitney Miyahira, also of Kaneohe … Thumbs up to Kalaheo High School, which boosted its college enrollment figures by 15 percent from 2012 to 2014 …
Just to make sure you look up in time, the Blue Angels are coming Oct. 17 and 18 for their Marine base air show … Owner Jesse Aguinaldo was happy to open his second Mahaloha Burger April 21 at 143 Hekili St., with a fun menu starring its Original Loco Moco Burger made from Big Island beef and even a lettuce wrap alternative, if you feel guilty about the richer stuff …
Full-time Windward students are doing well at Omaha’s Creighton University. Here’s who made the fall dean’s list: Kailua’s Kelcie Emoto, Matthew Imai, Brandon Iwaishi, Eric Magliulo and Matthew Noguchi; Kaneohe’s Larissa Hamada, Jonathan Santiago and Shawnalyn Sunagawa, and Waimanalo’s Eric Wolfe …
Travis Somera (Kailua 2009), Justin Gachalian (Castle 2006) and Kailua’s Hunter Benson have graduated from Air Force basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas … Servco Lexus has named Kailua High grad (and former McKenna Motors employee) Jameson Delanoza as its service manager in charge of 46 team members, making sure every customer is happy … Kaneohe Elementary made its mark in the Nene Award contests surrounding the naming of R.J. Palacio‘s Wonder as Hawaii children’s 2015 favorite author. Graysen Oumi was a winner in Digital Media, while Honorable Mentions went to essayists Cassidy Furutani and Michael Quinn for their persuasive posters. Even Darth Vader attended the Nene ceremonies April 9 in Honolulu. Wonder is about a boy with extreme facial abnormalities who endures taunting from classmates and struggles to be “just another student” & & & cchang@midweek.com
