Waha Nui – 1/29/14

Windward Choral Society and its artistic director Susan Duprey will sing Sunday with Japan’s Chorus Without Borders in a concert to benefit that nation’s 2011 tsunami victims. The show starts at 5 p.m. at Hawaii Theatre with 200 musicians on stage performing Beet-hoven’s 9th symphony and much more. The concert is free but donations are welcome (261-9879) … Kaaawa Elementary’s special education class needs a croquet set. To help them out, call Kathie Wells of Community Helping Schools at 225-2621 … Congratulations to (relatively) new Eagle Scout Kawika Macy. The Laie teen organized a paving project last summer to secure the fire hydrant on his street (Moana), making the private hydrant more accessible. Plenty of digging and clearing were required by Kawika and Troop 7 volunteers, says scoutmaster Eric Hammond … High-five also to Kaneohe’s Amanda Jones, Castle High alumna and summa cum laude graduate of the UH law school. She just made partner in the Cades Schutte law firm — after an earlier career as a TV news reporter in Biloxi, Miss. … Hawaiian Airlines has hired Kaneohe’s Chris Radovich to director of IT operations and service management. Chris previously worked for First Insurance and the state DOE … Kailua’s Brandee Goo made the fall dean’s list at University of Evansville, where she’s majoring in neuroscience … Kapunahala and Castle (2011) alumnus Mitchell Fong visits his elementary school this Friday with author Lisa Arakaki to read from her An Astronaut’s Legacy: The Story of Ellison S.

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Onizuka. Now studying graphic design at UH, Mitchell did the vivid illustrations in the children’s book. The pair will also autograph copies. On Jan. 26 they attended ceremonies at Onizuka Space Center on Hawaii island to commemorate the space shuttle Challenger tragedy of 28 years ago, when Onizuka perished ❑❑❑ cchang@midweek.com

Kailua Historical Society will examine its next topic, “Thirsty Crops: Who Gets the Water?,” at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at Trinity Presby-terian Church.

The public discussion is planned in conjunction with World Wetlands Day Feb. 8, also in Kailua. (See separate article on Page 1.)

On the agenda will be past agricultural practices in the Kailua ahupua‘a and the 1895 Supreme Court case, Wong Leong et al vs. W.G. Irwin. KHS president Paul Brennan will summarize the testimony of the 30-plus witnesses before the court, and also engage contemporary farmers in a dialogue about today’s water issues.

Farming has largely disappeared from Kailua, Brennan said, and there are only two farmers left in Maunawili. Where soils were once planted with crops, “they have now been planted with residential lawns, or allowed to grow wild,” he noted. “Consumer needs have shifted the focus from production to consumption.”

The church is on Auloa Road at the entrance to Maunawili. For more information, call 262-7316.