Koloa’s Motooka (left) vies for Mr. All American Man www.kauaicountyfarmbureau.org • www.facebook.com/KauaiCountyFarmBureau
SATURDAYS 9:30am –1pm On the Kauai Community College Campus
Chocolate lovers, Get your Chocolate Brownies from Miguel Chrisman at Theo’l Lady From Farmers Market to Farm Fair The Kauai County Farm Bureau Supports Agriculture
Week of Friday, August 31, 2018 | Vol. 6, No. 35
Grinds & Da Kines For Your Weekend Check da Scene
MORE THAN MUSCLE MEN
2 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, August 31, 2018
TOP PICKS FOR THE WEEK FRIDAY
OHANA NIGHT 4 to 7 p.m. Grove Farm soccer field, off Puhi Road Join Kamehameha Schools for an evening of food, fun and music. Help with applications, more. HAWAIIAN SLACK-KEY GUITAR AND UKULELE CONCERT — HAWAII’S COWBOY MUSIC 4 to 6 p.m. Hale Hanawai Hanalei Family Community Center Tickets $10 to $25. Info: www.McMasterSlackKey.com WILCOX HEALTH SPORTS AND FITNESS EXPO 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Grant Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa ballroom Kauai Marathon race packet pickup and last-minute registrations available. Marathon logo merchandise available alongside several other active lifestyle vendors from Kauai, Hawaii and the Mainland. SATURDAY
9TH ANNUAL KAUAI MARATHON FUN RUN 7:30 a.m. at the end of Poipu Road just past the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa 6TH ANNUAL KAUAI MARATHON KEIKI RUN 8 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. run, far west side of the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa There is a 100-yard toddler trot for 2-4-yearolds, a quarter-mile run for 5-7-year-olds and a half-mile run for 8-12-year-olds. To register: www.thekauaimarathon.com
WILCOX HEALTH SPORTS AND FITNESS EXPO
9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Grant Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa ballroom Kauai Marathon race packet pickup and last-minute registrations available. Marathon logo merchandise available alongside several other active lifestyle vendors.
MR. KAUAI GOES TO VEGAS
Kauai’s Kiamo Motooka, a competitor in the Mr. Hawaii Competition, next sets sights on Mr. All American Man title
KAUAI ISLAND SINGERS SHOWCASE 7 p.m. All Saints Church gym, Kapaa Songs that sizzle with summer, heat and excitement. Suggested donation $10. Info: www.kisskauai.org SUNDAY
KAUAI MARATHON 6 a.m. Poipu Full marathon and half marathon. MONDAY
40TH ANNUAL LABOR DAY BREAKFAST 7 to 10 a.m. Lihue United Church Parish Hall, 4340 Nawiliwili Road., Lihue Scrambled eggs, sausage, rice, pastries, fresh island fruit, coffee, live entertainment and fellowship. Suggested donation: $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 5 to 11, and free for those 4 and younger. Proceeds benefit Kauai Economic Opportunity and maintenance of the church’s historic properties. Tickets are available from church members, at the office and at the door. Info: 245-6253 THURSDAY
BEGINNING QI GONG CLASS 1 to 2 p.m. Lihue Neighborhood Center Free for all ages. Promotes balancing the body for greater health, increasing vitality and radiating more energy. Info: 635-0306
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Bill Buley | bbuley@thegardenisland.com | 245-0457 ADVERTISING: displayads@thegardenisland.com | 245-0425 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: tgiclassified@thegardenisland.com | 246-0325
Photos (cover and above) courtesy Napua Duncan
From left are David Campos Linhares, Kaimo Motooka, Royce Enos, Dominik Lagatutta and Juliano Lomeli, all off to Las Vegas to compete for the Mr. American Man title. On the cover from left are Motooka, Lomeli and Enos.
BILL BULEY TGIFR!DAY
K
iamo Motooka has a message he wants the world to hear. Thanks to dedication and belief in himself, he’ll be delivering it this weekend.
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“It’s uncomfortable for sure, but it’s something that needs to be addressed,” he said. “It can’t be ignored.” Motooka will be giving a presentation on teen suicide, as well being interviewed and posing in
Speedos, when he travels to Las Vegas with other men from Hawaii to compete in the Mr. All American Man title, under the direction of Jenna Yap. The 27-year-old recently SEE MOTOOKA, PAGE 3
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Motooka Continued from Page 2
won the titles of Mr. Kauai and Mr. West Coast in the Mr. Hawaii Competition, which was created to help elevate men to further their educational goals and give them a platform to encourage change. Next up is the Mr. All American Man competition on Sunday. Motooka left Tuesday and is at once excited, anxious and motivated to do his best. “I want to see our young people more focused on what they have in their future, not focused on how they can end it,” he said. “Be comfortable with who you are.” Winners of the Aug. 13 Mr. Hawaii Competition are: Mr. Kauai and Mr. West Coast — Motooka Mr. North Shnore and Mr. Pacific Region — David Campos Linhares Mr. Oahu and Mr. Aloha State — Royce Enos Mr. Makena and Mr. Pacific Coast — Dominick Lagatutta Mr. Maui and Mr. Hawaii — Juliano Lomeli Motooka, who lives in Koloa and is a graduate of Baldwin High School on Maui, likes this competition because it based more on what you can bring to your community, what you can do for others. “That kind of sold me on it,” he said. Motooka doesn’t just talk. He went into the community and did community service, building awareness of who he is and what he stands for. He
TGIFR!DAY | Friday, August 31, 2018 | 3
visited kupuna, spoke at Maui schools and participated in fundraisers like Relay For Life. He has long been an advocate to create awareness of teen suicide and the mental struggles young people can face, often without telling anyone of their fears and worries. Teen suicide is not just a problem on Kauai, he added, but worldwide. Yet, it is a topic not often discussed. “It should be,” he said. At the Mr. All American Man competition, participants will be interviewed by judges about their platform, and give a short presentation of about three minutes to the audience. It’s about your heart, your head and your appearance, inside and out. “For everyone to believe in you, you have to believe it,” he said. “Talk about what you believe in.” He also created a costume for the event that represents his home state, and hopes to surprise people with his imagination. Part of the competition is testing how well each person can handle themselves in different situations, and can they teach others to do the same. Motooka has enjoyed the journey so far and expects that to continue to Vegas this weekend. He expects it to be a bit of a chaotic, fun atmosphere, and camaraderie, too, as the contestants encourage and help each other along the way. The Mr. Hawaii Competition might sound cheesy, Motooka said, but it’s not. The other men in it, he said, “are honestly such
cool dudes.” When he won the title of Mr. West Coast in the Mr. Hawaii Competition, Motooka attributed that to old-fashioned hard work and a willingness to test himself. “I honestly was so proud of myself,” he said. “I was completely out of my comfort zone.” But it gave him the opportunity to speak on teen suicide awareness, and he delivered a strong performance. He connected with the audience. Later, people praised his efforts and his message. “There were a lot of turning, nodding heads, and wiped eyes,” he said. The physical aspect of the Mr. Hawaii Competition isn’t based strictly on body building, but on overall health. They also pose, shirtless in surf shorts or Speedos (Motooka went with Speedos). It looks at how each person stays in shape, how they present themselves, are they comfortable with how they look while walking down a runway with hundreds of people watching. Motooka, a trim 5 foot 8 inches and 135 pounds, runs, swims, surfs, hikes, and visits the gym a few times week. “Cardio is my life,” he said. While he’s good with himself and posing for this competition before crowds, for others there’s an adjustment period. “The first time my dad (Bert) ever saw me in a Speedo, he did a double-take,” Motooka said, laughing.
He is looking forward to representing Kauai, and plans to give it his very best.
“You only live once,” he said. “Let’s do this, do it to the fullest.” •••
Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@ thegardenisland.com.
Shops, Restaurants & Services at Ching Young Village: Activity Shack
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4 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, August 31, 2018
GALA SET TO CONTINUE GANNENMONO CELEBRATIONS Prominent Kauaians to be honored DENNIS FUJIMOTO TGIFR!DAY
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annenmono, or the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese im-
migrants to arrive in Hawaii, celebrations feature a trio of events for Kauai’s people to enjoy on Sept. 21 and 22. “Our signature program is the autumn Matsuri Kauai
festival,” said Jeffrey Kimoto of the Japanese Cultural Society. “This year’s theme celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii, and we will be hav-
Dennis Fujimoto / TGIF file photo
Norman Hashisaka, a WWII Military Intelligence Service veteran, right, watches as Mabel Hashisaka, left, greets U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono following the senator’s town hall meeting at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School cafeteria in Puhi in this file photo. The Hashisakas will be honored with Kansha, or Gratitude Awards, at the Hawaii Aloha Gala Dinner Celebration Friday, Sept. 21, at 6 p.m. at the Aqua Beach Resort near Hanamaulu.
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ing a series of events related to this celebration.” On Sept. 21, the Japanese Cultural Society hosts the Hawaii Aloha Gala Dinner Celebration to set the stage for the Matsuri Kauai that will take place on Sept. 22. The gala dinner will take place at the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort from 6 p.m., and features Hawaii’s own enka singer Terao Hikariyama, who recently performed at the Kauai Soto Zen temple’s bon dance. In addition to Hikariyama, the Japanese Cultural Society will bestow its first Kansha, or Gratitude Awards, including the Kauai no Kokoro (hear) honor being conveyed upon Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., former mayor Maryanne Kusaka, and community business people Norman and Mabel Hashisaka. Kauai no Hosho (star) honor will be presented toDr. and Mrs. Kawani, and the Niji no Kakehashi, or Rainbow Bridge, honor will be pre-
sented to Iwaki City,the Iwaki Hawaii Exchange Association, and Spa Resort Hawaiians. The Kauai Bunka Sho, or culture and the arts, will be presented to the family of Aiko Nakaya, and the Kauai Taiko ensemble who will open the evening with its performance at 6 p.m. Tickets for the gala are available online at www. kauaijcs.org, at Pono Market in Kapaa, the Kauai Museum and Kauai Kookie Kompany in Hanapepe. Sponsorship packages are available for two people up to groups of 10 people. Advertising for the program booklet is also available. On Saturday, the Japanese Cultural Society hosts Matsuri Kauai from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, featuring many traditional and contemporary Japanese performances and demonstrations. These include kimono-dressing, SEE GALA, PAGE 5
Contributed photo
Japanese singing sensation Torao Hikariyama (Tevita Apina) performs at an earlier Kauai Matsuri Festival gathering at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihue.
Contributed image / Bishop Museum Archives
The Gannenmono sailed from Japan to the Kingdom of Hawaii aboard the Scioto (left). Leaving Yokohama on May 17, 1868, and arriving in Honolulu about a month later, on June 19, there were approximately 150 of them in all, including six women and a child.
TGIFR!DAY | Friday, August 31, 2018 | 5
Dennis Fujimoto / TGIF file photo (above)
ABOVE: Volunteers from the Kauai Bonsai Club and Kauai Japanese Cultural Society join Art Umezu, the Kauai liaison for Hawaii Gannenmono, in taking a break during a passing shower at the Isenberg Japanese Garden at Lihue Civic Center that got a cleanup in advance of Gannenmono, the celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. BELOW: Japan’s Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko greet members of the Hawaii Meiji Kai and United Japanese Society of Hawaii who were at Makiki Cemetery in this June 2018 AP photo. The royalty visited the cemetery to pay respects and lay wreaths at the Gannenmono Monument and the Kanyaku Imin Monument. Princess Kiko reached out and patted the shoulder of 1-year-old Hironori Tsujihara, who was in the arms of his mother, Yoshiko.
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Continued from Page 4
handcrafted Japanese soba-making, and recognition of the Kansha Award recipients. Following the Matsuri Kauai, Fire & Rice at Roy Yamaguchi’s Eating House 1849 at the Shops at Kukuiula opens from 6 to 9 p.m. Yokoso, or welcome! The Eating House team takes patrons through a stroll through the streets of Japan on a culinary adventure, yatai style, where Japanese dishes and signature cocktails will be available while enjoying the sounds of the Jon Rivera Trio. Tickets are $108 including tax and gratuity. Coming ahead of the celebration, the County of Kauai Office of Economic Development, Japanese Cultural Society with support from Kukui Grove Center present the Hawaii Nikkei Legacy Exhibit for viewing
CHICKEN & WAFFLES
from Sept. 7 through 23 at the space located adjacent to Regis Salon. The photographic exhibit covers the history and culture of Japanese Americans in Hawaii, and was shown in several locations around Japan in 2017. The narrative texts and captions for the photos are in both English and Japanese. Prominent Japanese Americans from Hawaii are displayed along with the prefectures in Japan their ancestors migrated from, as the exhibit covers the initial immigration of Issei, or first-generation immigrants, in the late 1800s to modern
day Hawaii. It depicts how the Nikkei, or overseas Japanese, in Hawaii have merged their Japanese cultural values with the blend of cultures in Hawaii. The intent of the exhibit is to eduate people on the story of Hawaii’s Nikkei and to promote goodwill between Japan and the United States through deeper understanding of the cross-cultural values and customs between Japan and Hawaii. ••• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.-
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6 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, August 31, 2018
RARE IS FOUND ‘A PERFECT LOVE AND A BLESSED LIFE’ BILL BULEY TGIFR!DAY
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hen I moved to Kauai five and a half years ago, one of the first people to reach out, say hello and welcome me, was Joe Frisinger. He and his wife, Jane, invited me and my wife Marianne out to their home for lunch and to meet their neighbors. We were fortunate enough to spend more time with Joe and Jane at their beautiful Princeville home. When we met them, Jane’s health was failing. She had Alzheimer’s disease and they had an in-home caregiver. She would subsequently succumb to the disease.
Despite the loss of his wife, Joe was and continues to be one of the most gracious, kindest, thoughtful men I have ever known. As my wife was planning a trip to Ireland with her sister, Joe told of his and Jane’s travels there (they loved to travel) and shared many humorous and touching stories of their adventures together with friends and family. One thing that was clear to us, on our visits, was how much Joe cared for his wife of 54 years. He treated her with love and respect, always. He would tell us, in all those years of marriage, they never had a argument, not one harsh word. Such was their love and admiration for each other. When Jane passed away
on June 19, 2014, Joe was heart-broken. It was a difficult time for him and life without Jane has been without the joy they always shared. In what is a tribute to his Jane, Joe writes of their life together in his book, “A Perfect Love And a Blessed Life,” as told by Joe Frisinger
and written by Lynn Thompson, a fine writer and friend to Joe. Joe explains it best as to why he wanted to write this book: “I wanted to tell others — especially relatives and other friends that she knew her — more about her life, how very talented and special she was, and also about our life together.” Joe himself has led an amazing life, did extraordinary things. You would not know this, but he is a humble man who never boasts of himself or his successes. Instead, he points to the successes or achievements of others. And he always did his best to put the spotlight on his wife. This book is a touching tribute not just to Jane
Frisinger, but to Joe Frisinger as well, as we are introduced to the life of a man who, unlike most of us, genuinely cared about others and reached out to them, as he did with me when we moved here. He closes his book with a note to “Dear Friends.” It reads, in part: “I wish I could provide you with a formula for achieving a ‘perfect marriage,’ but I cannot. There is no simple formula. It is something that both husband and wife have to work out together as equals and try to make the other’s needs their own. “In the case of Jane and me, our love for the other and our need for the other increased in inten-
sity throughout our entire marriage — even to the last day of Jane’s life. We each realized the great need we had for the other and we could not imagine life without the other. We both knew that we wanted to be with the other forever.” “A Perfect Love and a Blessed Life” shares the story of two rare people who knew the meaning of true love. Such people don’t come along often in life. Joe Frisinger recognizes that, despite the loss of his beloved wife, he is inded a blessed man, and wants to bless others, too. ••• Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 2450457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
LIFESONGS CONCERTS WILL SUPPORT NORTH SHORE FLOOD RELIEF TGIFR!DAY
sent an upcoming concert, LifeSongs, to support those auai is a place for tran- slowly shifting back to normalcy after spring flooding sitions. People come from all over the world on the North Shore. Unity through transition to see spectacular beauty resonates throughout the and realize the island’s concert, performed by local ancient lessons moving in artists Deborah Baumung, their lives. Locals are quick to recog- Liz Hahn and Kamele nize this tectonic shift, com- Woodward, whose original muning in acknowledgment compositions are inspired by stories of change. that all are part of a larger, Performance-goers can subtler transformation, even expect a spectrum of muwhen those evolutions are sical genres ranging from involuntary. gospel to R&B, and entry “Lokahi” is the Hawaiian is a discretionary calabash word for “unity,” and is the donation at the door. totem adopted to repre-
K
This unusual ticketing scheme is what organizer Kathleen Dahill refers to as a “heart donation,” recognizing that it can sometimes be difficult to afford cultural luxuries when families are struggling to get by. “We want everyone to come whether they have 50 cents or 50 bucks in their pocket,” she said. “Whatever your heart tells you, you can put in. Everyone is welcome.” Underscoring this message is the generous pooling of resources coming together to make
the LifeSongs concert a success. St. Michael & All Angels’ Episcopal Church in Lihue is giving space, and an underwriter is helping expense the band. A CD is being compiled for sale at the concert, and all donated proceeds will be given to Malama Kauai to further their flood-relief efforts. “This is a time when the island needs to be uplifted,” Dahill said. “Nothing does it better than music and inclusion.” Contributed images LifeSongs is set for Sept. Deborah Baumung, top, Liz Hahn, lower right, and Kamele 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 23 Woodward, lower left, will perform at flood-relief concerts Sept. 22 and 23 in Lihue. at 3 p.m.
CHECK DA SCENE
TGIFR!DAY | Friday, August 31, 2018 | 7
DENNIS FUJIMOTO TGIFR!DAY
Mark Jones
Sophie Castro, Minda Butac
Maggie Tapucol
Steve Ruiz
Nui Yothachai
Suthat, Pit Dang
Kevin, Sierra Berglund - Minnesota
Milton Chung
Kelley, Dianna Phillips
LET THE SUN SHINE
O
ne vendor lamented the lack of the county’s Sunshine Markets in Lihue for the past two weeks. “In Lihue, we were closed last week because of the hurricane,” the vendor said. “The week before, we were closed because it was the Kauai County Farm Bureau Fair.” Monday, the vendor showed up at the Anne S. Knudsen Park despite the rain falling and the smartphones beeping in symphony as the island was put under a flash flood warning. “I lost too much money already,” the vendor said. “I need to come and sell stuff.” The Koloa location is one of eight hosted by the county for its Sunshine Markets. Tuesday, the Sunshine Market is at the lawn of the Historic County Building in Lihue from 11 a.m., and the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center from 3 p.m. Wednesday market is at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex in Kapaa from 3 p.m., and Hanapepe Park hosts the Thursday market from 3 p.m. The new Kilauea agricultural park hosts its market from 3:30 p.m. The Friday market is at Vidinha Stadium from 3 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. the market is at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center.
Deryl, Michelle Rice; Brian, Rae Pector - Texas
8 | TGIFR!DAY | Friday, August 31, 2018