Waha Nui – 5/28/14

Cameron Cole

Mililani’s Elane (Yamada) Kato is one of three former Pan Am stewardesses (so known back in the day) who created the new Pan Am cookbook, A Touch of First Class, complete with stories, photos and 443 recipes. Visit panam-cookbook.com to see if any copies remain. All profits go to Pacific Aviation Museum at Ford Island … Waimea Valley recently dedicated its renovated amphitheater to the late Rudy Mitchell, the park historian whose cultural contributions spurred much of the area’s improvements. A plaque is now in place between the amphitheater and the Hawaiian Games Site for Uncle Rudy …

In its recent coffee promo, McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii gave away 220,000 cups of its “newly enhanced” Royal Kona Blend to customers around the state, and 14 of them randomly won a year’s worth of McCafe coffee – that’s a total of 5,110 cups, or 365 to each drinker. Possibly a little jumpy nowadays are Deborah Sales, who won at the Mililani Mauka outlet, and Waialua’s Mel Valmoja, who collected his prize at the Waipio outlet …

Mililani’s Lauren Luke, an Oregon State senior, made the winter term honor roll with a straight-A average. Other busy Beavers on the list were Mililani’s Erin Ichimura, Melanie Katsura and Tyler Suwa, and Wahiawa’s Merri Lewis …

Cameron Cole (Mililani 2011) has graduated with distinction from Air National Guard basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas … Leilehua junior Maxwell Mulbury will see his design stenciled on all of the helicopters in the Army’s 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 25th CAB. Schofield soldiers invited the high school students to think up what represents the spirit of their unit, and Maxwell created a logo with simple lines of a spear-throwing Hawaiian warrior … Waialua’s Hunter Nery placed third (among 16 rivals) in the 12-17 division of Polynesian Cultural Center’s recent fireknife dance championships …

Waialua Bandstand park had a little help from its friends earlier this year when the grass had turned to prickly weeds. With a grant from First Wind and help from its staff, and from City Councilman Ernie Martin and his staff, the area fronting the stage has been restored to a soft green grassy carpet for hula dancers. According to John Cutting, the park is about to be “adopted” as well. Meanwhile, come over this Sunday at 4 and enjoy the show