Waha Nui
KEY Project honored Charlie Toguchi in a surprise ceremony at its ninth annual Koolau Ohana Festival Oct. 20, when the former Kahaluu lawmaker and schools chief received his own poi-pounding implements, designed by Kane-ohe’s Daniel Anthony. Charlie, who recently stepped down from KEY’s board of directors for family reasons, was surrounded on stage by some of his old “gang” at the Legislature – Clayton Hee and Ben Cayetano. Tributes also came in on the video screen, including comments from Gov. Neil Abercrombie – but that’s when the sound went out …
Hiroshi Tagami and Michael Powell hold their final art show together Saturday and Sunday at La Pietra (922-2744) as Hiroshi is retiring in Hawaii Kai. Michael continues to teach private painting lessons at the couple’s Kahaluu gallery and garden – a peaceful, landscaped retreat that Hiroshi established with the late Richard Hart in 1960 …
Kailua Realtor Diane Pizarro has graduated from Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties’ New Agent Training Office and joined the firm’s Windward office … Funeral services are at 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. George Catholic Church in Waimanalo for beloved kumu hula Ellen Castillo, 74, who taught thousands of students (including my daughter Kelly) over four decades on the Windward side via her Pukaikapuaokalani Hula Halau …
If you look really closely, you may spot my other daughter, Elina Wells (Erin Chang, Castle 1996), in a couple scenes of Chasing Mavericks, the Gerard Butler surfing film that opened last weekend. They picked her to play an island girl singing and strumming an ukulele … Richard Ricciuti (Kalaheo 2004) has graduated with distinction from Air Force basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas. His Kalaheo High classmate Tanner Meyer (Chaminade 2009) also graduated from the course …
Kaneohe Realtor Renee Yamada has joined the Windward office of Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties … Trinity Christian School has received a 2012 Best of Kailua Award in the Elementary Schools Category from the Kailua Award Program for exceptional marketing success
