Waha Nui – 6/25/14
A memorial service for longtime Kahaluu artist Hiroshi Tagami is set for 10 a.m. July 5 at Unity Church of Hawaii on Diamond Head Circle. The 85-year-old acclaimed painter and horticulturalist died June 13. His life’s work numbers more than 7,000 vibrant paintings — on view at the lush Tagami and Powell Art Gallery and Gardens on Lamaula Road and all over the world. Hiroshi officially retired to Hawaii Kai in 2012 … Kailua’s Debbie Nakanelua-Richards has been promoted to director of community relations at Hawaiian Airlines, where she has worked for 36 years.
The 1984 Miss Hawaii led the company to start its community giving program Team Kokua, and serves on many boards that celebrate Hawaii and Hawaiian culture. Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu also honored her at its 2014 Holoku Ball … UH astronomer and former Kaneohe resident R. Brent Tully is one of four recipients to share the $500,000 Gruber Foundation Cosmology Prize for 2014 for their role in understanding the structure and evolution of the nearby universe. Their groundbreaking work “has allowed cosmologists to examine the mature universe and work their way backward in time” …
Speaking of things planetary, Kailua’s Anthony Garnett Jr. has joined Bonterra Solar as sales manager, bringing more than a decade of sales experience in the industry … Gov. Neil Abercrombie recently appointed veteran legislative aide George Okuda to Jessica Wooley‘s state House seat through November for 48th District (Kaneohe-Kahaluu). Jessica was named Office of Environmental Quality director in March …
Hauula’s Dan and Carol (formerly Maero) Fetzer have opened Forte Speakers Hawaii, offering new talents and a treasure chest of veteran speakers for your workshops and club events (321-2715) … Kalaheo’s Gabriel Yarbrough and Le Jardin Academy’s Bradley Pierce have been admitted to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, while Le Jardin’s Zachary Moore is heading to the U.S. Naval Academy, and classmate Michael Compton goes to U.S. Coast Guard Academy … And just leaving higher ed, Kaneohe’s Stephen Foster graduated from University of Northern Colorado May 9 with a bachelor’s degree in music and vocal performance. I’ll bet he can sing a decent Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
cchang@midweek.com
