The true grit effort by the Lahainaluna High School football team throughout the 2015 season ended last Saturday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium on Kauai, as the Lunas fell to the unbeaten and top-ranked Kapaa Warriors 24-0 in the semifinals of the state Division II playoffs. Kapaa will now square off with the Radford Rams, the top team of the Oahu Interscholastic Association, this Friday evening, Nov. 20, in the D-II championship final at Aloha Stadium. For the scrappy Lunas, the team speed of the Warriors — particularly their defensive front — and the precision blocking of their offensive line wore down the Lunas and paved the way for Kapaa’s eighth shutout win of the season. As it did throughout the season, the Lunas’ offense sputtered for the entire game, and a blocked punt opened the door for the Warrior offense to score its first touchdown. After that, it was just a matter of time before the Kapaa offense wore down the Lahainaluna defenders with a stout running game that netted nearly 250 yards in the game. Lahainaluna had given up only 140 yards per game before last Saturday. When it’s all said and done, however, this Luna team will be hailed as 2015 Maui Interscholastic League champions for the ninth consecutive year and a state semifinalist for the sixth straight time. As co-head coach Bobby Watson said to his staff three weeks ago, “We’ve come much further and accomplished much more than we ever expected to this season. This season is a success, and this team should be happy with what they’ve accomplished.” PHOTO BY GLEN PASCUAL.  

Tommy Sarashina and author Howard Fields to hold book signing

KAANAPALI – Tommy “Tang” Sarashina and Maui author Howard Fields announce the release of “Tommy’s Wars Paradise to Hell and Back” with a book signing at Kaanapali Golf Courses on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Those who had the pleasure of meeting Sarashina as Kaanapali Golf Courses’ player assistant during his 25-year career know that Tommy had quite a story to tell.

Sarashina was born in Lahaina in 1925 to a family whose father was a Buddhist priest. Tommy and his four siblings were sent to Japan before World War II to finish school. Their father remained behind in Hawaii and was imprisoned in an internment camp on the Mainland.

Before he finished school, Tommy was conscripted into the Japanese army near the end of World War II. Tommy would later be held as a POW in Siberia and finally released back in Hiroshima, where his youngest brother had survived the atomic bomb. For another 15 years, Tommy was barred from returning to Maui, but he eventually made his way back to the island. The book tells the story of Sarashina and his family’s life and how they all survived to tell about it.

Lahainaluna High School Health Services Pathway students wear their clinical scrubs to medical activities, competitions, and career shadowing and volunteer opportunities. Pat and Richard Endsley, Evelyn Toba and May Fujiwara of the Lahaina-Honolua Senior Citizens Club help support the funding for these scrubs.

Sarashina said, “I’m happy about the book and the comments from two teachers that read it; they were excited and interested in the book. They said they couldn’t stop reading it until they finished.” He added, “All this for a Lahaina guy.”

Kaanapali PGA General Manager Ed Kageyama commented, “After hearing about Tommy’s interesting life, I always knew someone should write a book about it.

“We were so lucky to have Tommy as a part of our team at Kaanapali for so many years – the guests loved him here and would talk about what a warm and caring person he was. He wasn’t just a ‘marshal’; he was a part of our ‘ohana (family).”

Sarashina is the kind of guy that would bring coworkers a cucumber and cream cheese or PB&J sandwich if he made extra that morning, or leave little treats on their desk.

He would drive the course and see if golfers needed help finding their golf ball, making sure they kept up with the pace of play, and he would also serve Tang to guests.

This Thanksgiving, Hard Rock Cafe Maui in Lahaina will give back to those in need. On Thursday, Nov. 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the 900 Front St. restaurant will provide a free meal to guests that are homeless, hungry or have fallen on tough times as part of its 25th annual luncheon. Free meals will be offered in partnership with Salvation Army, Feed My Sheep, A Cup of Cold Water and Women Helping Women. Musical Quest will perform during the lunch. Hard Rock Cafe Maui is currently looking for volunteers to help with the event; for more information, visit www.hardrock.com/maui. Mayor Alan Arakawa (right) visited Hard Rock Cafe in July, when the restaurant celebrated its 25th anniversary.

With 25 years of dedication and joy he brought to Kaanapali Golf Courses’ guests and fellow coworkers, Sarashina touched the lives of over one million people at the facility.

Kaanapali Golf Courses will offer light refreshments during the book signing. For more information, call 661-3691.

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New writers group to meet on Dec. 10

KAPALUA – Calling all writers! The Hawaii Writers Club, a new group formed to bring writers together to socialize and to network, is holding its first meeting on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 5 p.m. in Kapalua.

The Maui Celebrity Series continues at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, with comedian Louie Anderson (above), with special guests Brian Evans and King Martin, at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. A two-time Emmy Award winner, Anderson is one of the country’s most recognized and adored comics. He was named by Comedy Central as one of the “100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time.” Anderson is currently headlining in his own stand-up show, “Louie Live,” at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Tickets are on sale at HonoluluBoxOffice.com and Expedia.com.

All writers are welcome to come and to meet one another in an informal and relaxed setting. This is not a writing workshop but rather a chance for the Maui community of writers to get to know one another, share their experiences, offer advice, celebrate, commiserate, alleviate cabin fever or just talk with others who do what they do.

If you are an author, a journalist, a blogger or a columnist, if you are working on new material or waiting to be inspired, if you want to be part of a supportive community, the Hawaii Writers Club is for you. For more information, join the Hawaii Writers Club on meetup.com or contact Melissa Crawley at staytuned@outlook.com.

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Survivor Day slated

More than 10,000 loss survivors will gather in 18 countries for International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day.

Legendary blues harpist Charlie Musselwhite and his band will play a concert at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, in the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater. Musselwhite has been inducted into the Blues Music Hall of Fame and received 35 Blues Music Awards and 11 Grammy nominations, with a win in 2014. This American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader has earned legendary status as one of blues music’s most important artists. Tickets are $35, $45, $55 or $65; call 242-SHOW.

Join the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for its Survivor Day 2015?on Saturday, Nov. 21, on Maui.

This year’s Survivor Day events will include a screening of the new AFSP-produced Survivor Day documentary, “Family Journeys: Healing and Hope after a Suicide,” directed by Jeff Gersh of Portland, Oregon-based NarrativeLab Communications. The events are free and open to the public.

“Suicide can tear a black hole of sorrow in a family. But grief can also draw them closer together as they discover new aspects of themselves and their family members,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer of AFSP.

“With our Survivor Day events, people are able to gather to talk about the loss they experienced and find comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone.”

To learn more, visit survivor day.org.

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Aloha Vacation Tutoring to hold camp during holiday break

WEST MAUI – This winter, Aloha Vacation Tutoring will hold a camp that will be focused on teaching students about cultures from around the world through art, dance, food, music, writing, reading and more.

It will be an unforgettable experience for kids across Maui and beyond. Camp will run Monday through Thursday the week of Christmas and the week of New Year’s Day at Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina.

The camp is open to all Maui students in grades K-5 and families with children who are visiting our wonderful island.

There will be special guests and half-day field trips to the beach. For more information, or to register, call Aloha Vacation Tutoring at (808) 214-4684, visit www.alohavacationtutoring.com or e-mail alohavacationtutoring@gmail.com.