By The Way

Waikiki businesses have united to sponsor the annual Waikiki New Year’s Fireworks Display, according to Rick Egged, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association.

”We are extremely grateful to our membership for generously sponsoring this event for the past 16 years,” said. “Tens of thousands of our local residents and visitors from around the world look forward to the show each year, so we make sure it is worthy of a world class destination.”

The aerial extravaganza will start at the stroke of midnight off Waikiki Beach and continue for 10 minutes into the New Year, featuring 840 shells and special effects. The Grand Finale will feature a spectacular 225-shell display of bursting barrages and a star break of spectacular color that fills the sky.

The barge providing the platform for the fireworks will be centrally located off Waikiki Beach for great visibility throughout the area.

 

AWARDS&ACCOLADES

Nine Hawaii writers have been named winners of the Second Annual O’ahu Arts Center (OAC) Writing Competition. The contest was open to all Hawaii and South Pacific Island residents and was sponsored by Castle & Cooke Homes, Dr. Phil Bohnert and Elsha Bohnert.

The first place winners are Rob Taylor of Honolulu for Fiction: “Migrations”; Timothy Lee Denevi of Honolulu for Non-Fiction: “The Wolfman in Barry Bonds”; and Sandra Krawciw of Kailua for Poetry: “Black Cat Cigarettes.”

The Oahu Arts Center is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization composed of community members and leaders who share a vision to plan, design, and raise funds to build a first-class arts education and performance center in Central Oahu to attract residents of all ages island wide.

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Three Hawaii teachers have been named state finalists for the 2005 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation’s highest honor for K-12 teaching in these fields. Loren Ayresman, a Mathematics teacher at King Kekaulike High School in Pukalani; Sandra Nakagawa, a Science teacher at Moanalua High School in Honolulu, and Jeanine Nakakura, a Science teacher for the McKinley Complex in Honolulu.

Established by Congress in 1983, and administered for the White House by the National Science Foundation, the Presidential Awards allow for each state to select up to three mathematics and three science teachers as state finalists. Recipients of the 2005 Awards will be announced in March in Washington, D.C.

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Honolulu Symphony Maestro Matt Catingub arranged and performed the music, and even wrote an original song, for the soundtrack of George Clooney’s critically-acclaimed film “Good Night and Good Luck,” and has been nominated for a GRAMMY award in Jazz Vocal Album category.

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The Honolulu Board of REALTORS® handed out the Academy Awards of Oahu’s real estate industry honoring its top professionals at the Eighth Annual Aloha ‘Aina Awards held last month. Joel Criz of A. Joel Criz & Associates was honored as the Honolulu Board of REALTORS® 2005 REALTOR® of the Year.

 

GIFTS&GRANTS

Oahu high schools had the opportunity to earn a share of $100,000 worth of free athletic equipment and uniforms from Adidas and Wilson Sporting Goods in the Times Super Markets and Kraft Hawaii 2005 Shop and Score competition. Rounding out the top five points earners were Castle High School, Kaimuki High School, McKinley High School, Kalani High School and Aiea High School.

As the top points earner, Castle High School will receive more than $10,000 worth of sports equipments and uniforms.

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Kraft Foods’ Crystal Light soft drink presented the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Tour de Cure in November. The cycling event, featured 25K, 50K and 85K races, and enabled ADA to further its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of all those affected by the disease. ADA will use funds raised by cyclist registration fees, participant pledge collections and corporate sponsorship to support local programs and services as well as national research and advocacy initiatives.

 

WORTH NOTING

The Sisters of Saint Francis, Syracuse, New York and the Board of Directors of Saint Francis School are rethinking the concept of a single gender school, Both the Board and the Sisters have decided that a co-ed school is the best direction for Saint Francis. For an effective transition, Saint Francis School will open a co-ed Kindergarten in the 2006-2007 school year with the intent of phasing in a new co-ed grade each succeeding year. All currently enrolled students will graduate as single gender classes.