Did Outhouse cause loss in character?

From the Star/Advertiser: Oct 25, 2016

Hawaii island Mayor Billy Kenoi took the stand in his own defense this morningand teared up as he talked about his humble upbringing in Kalapana, where his family had little resources and were embarrased that friends had to use an outhouse.

He faces five criminal charges over misuse of his government purchasing card. Del Rosario dismissed three counts of tampering with government records Monday due to insufficient evidence.

In all, Kenoi had faced eight counts related to 15 transactions that he charged to his county-issued pCard, or purchasing card, from 2011 to 2014.

The remaining charges include four counts of theft — two of them second-degree felonies and two third-degree — and one count of false swearing or making a false statement under oath.

Kenoi has acknowledged paying the county back $31,000 in unauthorized personal expenses charged on the pCard. Kenoi charged a total of about $129,000 on his pCard, including alcohol purchases.

Mayor Kenoi, we came from the same area…and I too, grew up in a village using  outhouses and let me tell you something…out-houses do not cause a total lack of character, does not develop arrogance, and outhouses are not to be blamed for one’s misdoings. Let’s do a reality check and leave the past out of this. What are we teaching our youngsters? That something or someone is to take blame for our own acts? Something smells here and it’s not the outhouse.

Remember: The buck stops here?

I take full responsibility…?

 

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Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer! Reviewed By Nancy Arcayna

Wordsworth and I made the Hawaii newspaper today:

Honolulu Star/Advertiser

February 9, 2013

“Wordsworth! Stop the Bulldozer!” by Frances H. Kakugawa (Watermark Publishing, $10.95), tells the tale of Wordsworth, a small Hawaii mouse, and a few of his friends who use poetry in their attempts save a koa tree grove.

Wordsworth is troubled when he finds a load of fallen trees on a truck bed and a bulldozer ready to plow down the last remaining tree, the one where he and his best friend, Emily, had carved their initials. As the tiny friends struggle to make a difference and preserve the forest, one of Wordsworth’s poems becomes a rallying point as two groups of adult mice debate the trees’ importance.

The friends find their “Save This Tree” poems taped to pine, mango and coconut trees. Young children might get lost in the words, but the message is endearing.

Tree in a Box kits, which can be purchased at www.bookshawaii.net for $14, include seeds to start a milo tree (a type of tree from the hibiscus family, similar to hau) along with a “Wordsworth” book.The activity of planting a tree may make the environmentally friendly message clearer for younger readers.

Colorful illustrations by Andrew J. Catanzariti bring the tale to life.

Write an ode to your favorite tree . Have a favorite tree that inspires you to write poetry? Watermark Publishing and Hawaii-born author Frances Kakugawa invite keiki in grades K-12 to participate in the “Wordsworth the Poet Poe-TREE Contest.” To enter the contest, kids are invited to follow the example of Wordsworth and write a poem that celebrates their favorite tree. Six prize packages — two per grade division: K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 — will be awarded. Each package includes a copy of the three Wordsworth series books, a child’s gardening tool kit and Koa Legacy Tree from the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative donated by Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods. Download the entry form at bookshawaii.net and click on News and Events. By March 1, send entries marked “ATTN: Wordsworth’s Poe-TREE Contest” via email to wordsworth@bookshawaii.net or to Watermark Publishing, 1088 Bishop St. Suite 310, Hono?lulu, HI?96813. Winners will be notified April 15.

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Kapoho Wins Best Non-Fiction Award

NCPA ( Northern CA Publishers/Authors) Award

When a phone call comes late at night, it’s only natural to think of an emergency. On April 29th, the phone rang

while I was in Hawaii on a lecture/book tour and it was good news. See below:

I received the award from NCPA President Ted Witt yesterday here in Sacramento. What an honor to not only receive this award but

to be in the company of NCPA members who inspire and support writers and publishers in northern California.

This award was generously mentioned in Wayne Harada’s column in the Star*Advertiser of Hawaii:

                                           From Wayne Harada’s SHOW BIZ column on May 6, 2012

“Isle author Frances Kaku­gawa, now Sacramento-based but back for the Hawaii Book & Music Festival this weekend at the Civic Center grounds, had a successful reading of her latest, “Kapoho,” Tuesday night  at Volcanoes National Park. She also participated in a festival panel Saturday — buoyed by good news that “Kapoho” won the best nonfiction book laurels at the 2012 Northern California Publishers & Authors Award banquet a week ago. …

The award validates Kaku­gawa’s accomplishments as a lifetime teacher and poet, and duly recognizes what’s near and dear to her heart: her roots, and her compelling manner in weaving a story.She makes the personal universal, simultaneously enlightening and entertaining the reader. Originally from Kapoho’s volcanic turf, Kaku­gawa is a former Hono­lulu teacher-educator and knowledgeably speaks on care-giving and Alz­hei­mer’s.”

over-bragging and out…..

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