West Oahu Roundup
Here’s a brief look at what some of your neighbors have been up to recently.
Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer Sherman Quarles may live in Honolulu, but he has been recognized for his commitment to the BBBS program at Pearl Ridge Elementary. Quarles has been a Big Brother since 2008, and he recently was recognized as Big Brother of the Year for the 2012-2013 school year.
According to Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, Quarles is a caring and committed volunteer who constantly encourages his Little Brother. He was presented with his award at a surprise ceremony in front of more than 200 of his fellow Coast Guard members.
Speaking of area residents doing good deeds, Pearl City residents Yumi Laney and Christina Laney Wycheck have created a new service to help seniors. Along with their co-workers at Kahala Associates, the real estate agents devised Senior Concierge, a full-service, customized senior lifestyle transition assistance program. The program provides referrals, seminars and more for seniors. For more information about the program and upcoming seminars, visit kahalaassociates.com/senior_concier ge_services.
This isn’t the first time the mother-daughter team has helped the community. They also coordinate a neighborhood food drive in Pearl City each year, where they collect thousands of pounds of canned goods for Hawaii Foodbank.
One proud mother was happy to reunite with her three sons – all Aiea High School graduates – for a family reunion last month. Malia Elliot – one half of the educational singing duo Leon & Malia – shared an update on her sons:
The oldest, Koa Siu, graduated from Aiea High School in 1996. After a stint in Australia, he recently returned to the Islands and now serves as the worship pastor at Hope Chapel West Oahu. He most recently spearheaded the church’s first live worship album, which was nominated for the 2012 Hoku Award for the Best Religious Album.
Britton Brooks graduated from Aiea High in 2000. After graduating from UH Manoa, he was the recipient of an International Rotary Scholarship that took him to Cardiff University to earn his master’s degree.
He currently is working on his doctorate in medieval literature at Oxford University.
After graduating from Aiea in 2005, Cody Brooks attended film school. He currently lives in Los Angeles and is the lead singer of rock band Mother Zero. He also works as a writer for AND Magazine.
One Ewa Beach resident is spreading the word about the power of the sun to all his friends and neighbors. After installing a photo-voltaic system from SolarCity in his home recently, Edwin Smith has saved an estimated $230 per month on his electric bill – which will add up to nearly $3,000 per year.
Smith, who works seven days a week as a radio technician for TheBus, has been enjoying being able to relax in his cool home.
“Having solar energy means being able to afford to live comfortably in my home, which I’ve been struggling to do since I purchased my house seven years ago,” Smith said.†
“It also means I’m doing my part in using clean and efficient energy (at a great price). I’d also like to say that from the day I met with SolarCity, they have been fantastic, from the customer service department to the crews that install the system. The level of service that’s second to none.”
And speaking of SolarCity, Daniel Aiu of Ewa Beach recently was promoted to regional operations manager for Hawaii. After working as an electrician for more than a decade, he joined the SolarCity team about a year ago as lead electrician. In his new role, Aiu is responsible for overseeing residential operations and
