Dusty Payne of Lahaina placed runner-up at the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach on Oahu’s North Shore last week Friday. Payne was defeated by Michel Bourez in the final, but his strong result secured his place on the elite World Championship Tour in 2015. A prime-rated event on the ASP Qualifying Series, the contest was the second stage of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. Watch the action live at aspworldtour.com. PHOTO BY ASP/CESTARI.

Hawaiian Music Series to feature Kawika Ho’opi’i & Friends

LAHAINA – This month, Lahaina Restoration Foundation’s popular Hawaiian Music Series free concert will feature Hawaiian Christmas favorites on Thursday, Dec. 18, with Kawika Ho’opi’i & Friends. Join them in front of the Baldwin Home Museum at the corner of Dickenson and Front streets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and watch the stars come out.

From a family deeply rooted in Hawaiian music, Ho’opi’i pays tribute to the traditional style of music that surrounded him in Kahakuloa Valley where he was raised. He has perfected his virtuoso falsetto voice and “cha-lang-a-lang” style of playing the ukulele in performances across the country.

Accomplished musicians Brandon Hirata and Po’okela Wood round out this trio. Ho’opi’i and Hirata recently performed at the Maui Hawaiian Steel Guitar Festival with masters of steel guitar. Wood won the 2010 Festivals of Aloha Richard Ho’opi’i Falsetto Contest. The group will be accompanied by hula dancers for a highly entertaining show.

Blankets, mats and low beach chairs are welcome; a limited number of chairs are provided for kupuna. For more information, call the LRF office at 661-3262.

Toby, a four-year-old black, brown and white beagle, was lost on Nov. 17, in the 1400 block of Front Street. If you have seen him, call (808) 281-4820.

This event is coordinated by Lahaina Restoration Foundation in partnership with the Hawaii Tourism Authority and County of Maui Office of Economic Development.

——————

LAS featuring Leigh’s creations

LAHAINA – Ceramic artist Mary Ann Leigh is the featured artist at Lahaina Arts Society until Jan. 4, 2015.

Enjoy her creations – unusual shapes, hilarious masks and creative glazing of clay – in this show in the Banyan Tree Gallery located in the historic Old Lahaina Courthouse.

King Kamehameha III Elementary School’s P.T.A. organized a five-day food drive for the Maui Food Bank right before the Thanksgiving holiday. In that short time, 1,910 pounds of food was collected by the generous donations of school families. The grade levels competed against each other, and third grade won out with a whopping 557 pounds collected. All four third grade classes will be rewarded with a popcorn party.

Phone the gallery at 661-0111 for information on when Leigh will be demonstrating. Enjoy talking story with her as well as viewing her work.

——————

Share your holiday aloha at Lahaina Gateway

LAHAINA – Lahaina Gateway will host the Lahainaluna High School Concert Band and Concert Choir on Friday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., as they perform beautiful Christmas music.

Monetary donations are welcome at this free event. There will be limited seating; bring your own chairs if you wish. Also bring an unwrapped toy to donate to local charities to enter the door prize contest. Enjoy special shopping and dining throughout the center before or after this wonderful holiday event.

Keith Ideoka recently took eight of his Lahainaluna High School agriculture students for a work weekend in Kahakuloa Valley with Al Nip and Oliver Dukelow. The projects were a huge success. Three new lo`i (taro patches) were opened. Also on hand to help out were Lynn Donovan, Jenny Greene and Sne Patel with his family from LahainaTown Action Committee.

Enjoy a great burger at Teddy’s Bigger Burgers and show your support by donating your kama’aina discount to the LHS Music Performing Arts Program for the month of December.

Share more aloha at Central Pacific Bank and donate to its Salvation Army Angel Tree, which is accepting donations of toys and other gift items for needy children and seniors, by Dec. 14.

Help feed our Hawaii families in need for the holidays with Foodland/Foodland Farms’ Share a Holiday Feast Program. Donate $5, $10 or $20 in the store for the program with the Salvation Army by Dec. 31.

For information, visit www.lahainagateway.com or call Patti Link at 661-3311.

—————-

A book signing event for John Severson, founder of Surfer Magazine and Maui resident, will be held on Thursday, Dec. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Puka Puka in Paia. The gallery has collaborated with art publisher Damiani to produce “SURF,” Severson’s first monograph chronicling 70 years of his work and life in surf films, photography, paintings and Surfer Magazine. Call 579-3080 for information.

Authors to appear at Barnes & Noble

LAHAINA – Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Lahaina Gateway will host a trio of authors on Friday, Dec. 12.

Linda Ballou will sign “Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i” from 1 to 4 p.m.; Toby Neal will sign “Blood Orchids, A Lei Crime Novel” from 3 to 5 p.m.; and Lorraine Holnback Brodek will sign “A NOBODY in a SOMEBODY World, My Hollywood Life in Beverly Hills” from 1 to 4 p.m. Call 662-1300.

——————

Oshogatsu Traditions Dinner slated

WAILUKU – Members and the general public are invited to attend the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui’s Oshogatsu Traditions Dinner on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 5:30 p.m. at Wailuku Hongwanji social hall.

Mochi pounding and sampling will promptly begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and other activities starting at 6 p.m. Ozoni, a traditional New Year’s soup made with mochi and seasonal vegetables, will be served.

Post-dinner activities include sharing of information about other Japanese New Year’s traditions, playing Japanese games and making New Year’s cards and decorative box crafts.

Tickets are $10 for Japanese Cultural Society of Maui members and $15 for non-members. Tickets are available for purchase at Credit Associates of Maui at 1817 Wells St. in Wailuku until Dec. 22. For more information, call 283-9999.

——————

Hula shows held at The Outlets of Maui

LAHAINA – Renowned as the longest-running weekly keiki hula show in the state, the children of Na Pua O Kapi`olani perform traditional hula, Tahitian and a variety of dances from other Polynesian islands at The Outlets of Maui.

Accompanied by a live band and led by Kumu Hula Kathy Ralar, the keiki performers sing, dance, chant and story-tell the memorable stories and songs of Polynesia. Enjoy the show from 5 to 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 19.

Santa will visit the center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12 and 19, and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 20.

——————

Tutoring camp slated

LAHAINA – This winter, Aloha Vacation Tutoring will hold a camp that your children won’t forget! It runs the week of Christmas and New Year’s (not including Christmas and New Year’s Day).

The group will be studying marine biology – that means the whales, the waves and more. Walking field trips and optional beach days will be interspersed with nonfiction reading, writing short fiction stories about the sea, as well as some math so that everyone will stay sharp for the first 2015 semester.

Sign up by calling 214-4684 or e-mailing alohavacationtutoring@ gmail.com.