Waha Nui – 8/13/14

Kaneohe’s Maria Zarka plunged her way onto the Tongan National Team, which just concluded swimming and diving events at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. A stand-out diver at Kalaheo High, Maria is part-Tongan. As a sophomore at Kenyon College in Ohio, she’s already claimed NCAA Diver of the Year in Division III, is a two-time national champion on the 3-meter board, and was named to Nike’s Scholar All-American team … Jesse Bukoski (Kailua 2011) has graduated from Air National Guard basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas, and has entered Tech School in Pensacola, Fla. …

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Rich Harter

Kaneohe’s Spencer Weidie, who helped Marcelo Pacleb perfect the dance moves for Paliku Theatre’s upcoming Hairspray musical, is currently at a choreographic conference in Jerusalem, of all places. He reports that life in Israel “is OK and without stress.” See how dancing soothes the soul? …

The Actors’ Group (TAG) presents a staged reading of Kailua playwright Jan McGrath‘s The Parish Saturday and Sunday at Brad Powell Theatre in Dole Cannery Square (722-6941). Among the parishioners are Liz and Kira Stone, Alyse and Alana Glaser, and Alma McGoldrick, all of Kailua, and Rick Crump of Kaneohe (plus some unlucky folks from other parts of the island) …

Laie’s Richard Harter has joined Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties’ Windward office. Richard previously owned a realty office in Alaska and is a VA loan specialist … Where do principals go when they retire? Alexis Kane left Puohala Elementary, but she may do some teaching at Saint Louis School with her husband, also retired. Brad Odagiri, Windward DOE’s compliance performance administrator and former Hauula Elementary principal, will make his first trip to Europe (Helsinki, Finland this month) to confer with his fellow judges. An award-winning breeder of toy and miniature poodles, Brad will be judging dog shows around the world. Castle High’s Meredith Maeda will focus on photography, guitar-playing and grandkids & & & cchang@midweek.com