Holiday Spirit Laced With Aloha

Dear Pamela,

I can tell that the holiday spirit is alive and well despite the shaky economy. Today, my fellow seniors and I set out to Target Kapolei to explore and shop. We live at Franciscan Vistas Ewa, and for some of us, it was our first time to Target. I decided to get something for lunch at Pizza Hut in Target. After purchasing the hot meal, I headed out the door to meet my fellow neighbors for the ride back, when I noticed that my hot meal was not on my walker. I went back into Target expecting to find it on the floor somewhere, but it was not there. A lady shopper asked me if I had lost something, and I said, “Yes, my lunch.” She tried to search with me, but the bus was coming back to pick us up. As I left Target, the lady shopper said I could have her lunch. She said it was the same thing that I had ordered, and I asked her if she was sure she wanted to give her lunch away to me. She said she was sure. I told my fellow residents about this generous lady on the ride back, and one of them said that the Christmas spirit was alive and well.

May that lady whom I met in Target be especially blessed this season. If this lady reads the article, I also will try to pay it forward. Mahalo.

Darilyn Morales
Franciscan Vistas

Dear Darilyn,

Your anonymous angel sounds like someone who would continue the Christmas spirit well past the holidays. If she had not appeared, the folks at Target Kapolei Pizza Hut had your back. “We get a lot of senior citizens at our location,” says Roxy Bustamonte, Pizza Hut Service Center manager. “She did not go far from our counter, so we would have been pleased to give her another lunch.”

Aloha Pamela,

I want to compliment the United Airlines ground crew at HNL. In particular, Ms. Nanette Ramos at the UAL ticket counter.

I parked in the airport garage, and when I arrived at the ticket counters, I discovered that my handbag was missing. I returned to the garage and retraced my steps. I checked my car, under my car and the trunk — no purse. This was horrible. No cash and no ID to board the flight — not to mention a host of other issues.

I returned to the terminal and told Nanette Ramos of my plight. My flight to the Mainland was leaving in about 45 minutes! She quickly called security and lost and found, and we worked to rebook me on a later flight. While we were doing this, an officer on a bike came up and presented my purse! A worker in the garage found it and turned it in. If not for the swift action of Ms. Ramos, this could have been a disaster. She then worked to rebook me on my original flight, got my luggage on the plane and called the gate to let them know that I had checked in on my original itinerary.

She ensured that I had Gold Lane access to fly through security and greeted me at the other side, walking me to my gate to ensure that I made the flight — which I did! This was outstanding. Her efforts and ability to handle a stressful situation made a huge difference in my day, my trip and probably my life, as recovering the purse and wallet was vital!

Jean Dickinson
Ward

Dear Jean,

United Airlines is pleased you were able to make your flight after all the drama! Betty Bolton of United Public Relations says an exhaustive search finds that Nanette Ramos was not a United employee and no longer works for the vendor group at the airport.

She thanks you for your letter to the company and hopes Ms. Ramos learns of your appreciation of her efforts in the pages of MidWeek

Dear Pamela,

I was frantic when I couldn’t find my lanyard, which held my bus pass/school ID along with my house keys. I might have dropped it on the bus on my way to school. My heart literally stopped when I realized that everything I needed was possibly gone forever. I quickly called Kalihi Transit Center’s lost-and-found office, described what I had lost, and asked them to call back if anyone turned it in. I had very little hope of getting it back. To my surprise, I got a call from the lost-and-found office saying that someone had turned in my lanyard. I was overjoyed when I heard that news! I want to take this opportunity to thank whomever took my lanyard to the transit center. I only wish I could have thanked you in person.

Kate Hashimoto
Salt Lake

Dear Kate,

The person who found your lanyard and turned it into the transit center office was bus operator Allan Moon. So many riders presume their lost items are lost forever, but you did the right thing, says Michelle Kennedy of TheBus. “Thank you for the words of appreciation,” she says. ” We recommend that everyone who loses their property on TheBus should follow this rider’s example and call the lost-and-found office at 848-4444, to report their lost item(s). This will enable the lost-and-found staff to reunite the property with its owner if it is turned in. Mahalo for riding TheBus!”

pyoung@kitv.com