Happy birthday to Kahu Jade Wai‘ale‘ale Battad, who celebrated her birthday by having all of the Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run runners singing “Happy Birthday” to the birthday girl, who provided the opening aspiration on Saturday after Kaua‘i Police Department Acting Chief Mark Ozaki stepped forward to announce the occasion.
Kudos, Police Chief Todd Raybuck, on passing the Torch of Hope (Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said Hawai‘i is the only state that names the Torch Run to honor a fallen police officer, Troy Barboza, who was a Special Olympics coach) to Special Olympian Jonathan Niau to open the track and field games.
Kawakami (he effectively tied in Earth Day with Special Olympics and the Torch Run) wanted to take in the U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda town meeting, but it was Earth Day, and there were a ton of Earth Day activities that called. Laurie Ho of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau (they had seeds for the special vegetable contest for the upcoming June two-day agriculture event!) broke away from the collaborative Ho‘olaule‘a No Ka Honua (Celebration for the Earth) to give Tokuda a lei while Amy Chun had to singlehandedly handle the table (yeah, Johnny Gordines was at the town meeting, too).
Kudos, Kaua‘i Community College Acting Chancellor Margaret Sanchez and all those partner hands on a great event. Kawakami said he plans to promote it even more for next year.
So, how many had the free chili and pizza that Chef Steven Nakata was pulling out of that Portuguese bread oven?
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
Source: The Garden Island
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