December 2019| No. 47 LANAKILA KŪPUNA NEWS Inside This Issue: Spreading Christmas Cheer Message from Susie 2 Cultural Club Updates 3-5 Mahalo to our Donors 6 Holiday Messages 8-10 Schedule of Clubs & Classes 11 Upcoming Events Calendar 12 Mahalo Stephanie and Pauline for making these beautiful cranes for our anniversary celebration A program of Catholic Charities Hawai’i funded in part by the State of Hawaii via contract with the State Executive Office on Aging (EOA) and the C&C of Honolulu, Elderly Affairs Division, and a Persons In Need grant from the May Templeton Hopper Fund and Minnie K. Fund via the Hawai`i Community Foundation. A MESSAGE FROM SUSIE From All of Us at Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center, we wish you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays! We dedicate this newsletter to all those who have been a part of our 50 Year History and thank you all for making this senior center a very special place for so many. Please enjoy the cultural clubs and classes and their holiday messages to you. Me ke aloha pumehana (with warmest love), LMPSC Staff – Cookie, Iris, Lodi, Riva and Susie, Ben and Our Many Volunteers Mahalo to our 50th Anniversary Special Guests, Donors, and Volunteers U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono represented by her Deputy Chief, Kehau Yap, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, U.S. Representative Ed Case, and U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard Govenor of the State of Hawaii, the Honorable David Ige and First Lady Dawn Amano Ige Lt. Govenor Josh Green Senators Karl Rhoads, Sharon Moriwaki, and Donna Mercado Kim Representatives Takashi Ohno, Sylvia Luke, Scott Saiki, Romy Cachola, John Mizuno, and Daniel Holt City Council Members Carol Fukunaga, Joey Manahan, and Ann Kobayashi City Council Members Carol Fukunaga, Joey Manahan, and Ann Kobayashi City and County of Honolulu Elderly Affairs Division Director Derrick Ariyoshi Acting Catholic Charities Hawaii Acting CEO Stella Wong, Vice President of Philanthropy Mary Saunders, Vice President of Mission Integration Tina Andrade, and Community and Senior Services Administrator Diane Terada Participant Advisory Board Chair Mark Yoshida, Vice Chair Pastor Aaron Tsang, and PAB Community Representatives Alda Mae Takabayashi, Brandon Mitsuda, Pauni Nagaseu-Escue, Kerry Higa, Randal Lau, Doug Maynes, Brandon Mitsuda, Carole Ka’apu, and Jack Katahira Past executive directors and program coordinators, who served Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center over the past 50 years: Former Executive Director’s Charles Amor and Helen Richardson. Former program coordinators Diane Terada; Drusilla Tanaka; Jan Yokota; Dianne Lim and her husband, Gil Tam; Yuet Mui Kong, Florence Calderon, Kristy Watanabe, and Jill Takaezu. Shizue Ishihara, who is the longest serving member at Lanakila, 37 years and 10 months Thelma Wong, who is the second longest serving member at Lanakila, 37 years and 9 months, who also has the longest length of volunteering at Lanakila. David Young is the second longest serving volunteer at Lanakila and has put in the most hours of volunteer service at Lanakila for over 28 years! Those who contributed generously to our 50th Anniversary: Eric Woo and Randall Chun from Eric Woo Design, who did a beautiful job designing the 50th Anniversary Souvenir Booklet. Evan Ching, who contributed most of the fantastic photos in the souvenir booklet. Jean Sugihara, Mary Sueda and Lou Maynes, who made the beautiful lei that were presented to all members. Leahi Recreational Therapy Department’s Senior Residents, Valari and her son Kyle Sumida, Jan Tateishi (Amy Tari’s daughter), Mary Sueda, Jean Sugihara, and Doug and Lou Maynes for providing the materials for the lei making. Stephanie Underwood and Pauline Baba for making the 400 swans that adorn your table. Sue and Wally Yashima and Lanakila’s 3-D origami class for making the beautiful center piece vases. Iris Hiramoto, Brigid Nakamura and Mae Hong for making the lovely flowers in each of the vases and donating the butterflies and bees. Clarice Kumura, Jean Sugiyama, Alicia Nagasawa, Rose Yanagawa, and Jeanette Shiohira for the lovely stage decorations. Phil Chun for the beautiful orchid plants nestled in the restaurant's rock wall. The Asian Lion Dance Team for donating their time to bring wishes of good luck, prosperity and long life to the event through their performance. Alice Kotake and Jack Katahira for the beautiful bamboo for the Lion Dance. Lei Jayne Moy for preparing the bamboo with the lisee for the lions to bring good fortune to our senior center for years to come. Big City Diner, Don Quiote & Marukai, Pagoda, Representative Takashi Ohno, Dianne Lim, Diane Terada, Mary Sueda, Janet Ito and the Sewing by Nakasone Class, Ben Asato, Nancy Hirano, Mark YoshidaTorno, and SCSEP Worker Ben Domingo. , and Dorothy Mau for the door prizes. Obun Hawaii for printing the souvenir booklet and Henry Ribac from Heather’s Inflatables for donating the paper for the booklet. The Korean Cultural Club and Okinawa Nenchosha Clubs for performing for our pleasure, Helen Katahira for the lovely lei given to Ben Vegas. Riva Torno, who performed a lovely hula dance for us, and the Royal Hawaiian Band Glee Club for their time and beautiful music. Many more hands who helped with the event as volunteers: Our MCs Mahealani Richardson and Diane Ako, The 50th Anniversary Planning Committee Members: Richard Tada, Dorothy Mau, Diana Antonio, Sharon Tulba, Liwayway Asis, Remy Canon, Mary Sueda, Helen Palama, Toni Lee, Jane Higa, and Puna Frank, The LMPSC Special Events Group, Lanakila’s Tech Experts Richard Tada and Frank Toma, Doug Maynes, Harry Nakasone, Betty Kotani, and Yoneko Tsuchiyama, Pat Young, Gil Brown, Gil Olayan, Victor Tangonan, Dexter Maunakea, Clemente Villanueva, Lorraine Chang, Bixby and Brandon Ho, Helen and Jack Katahira, Herbert and Mina Imamura, Amy Tari, Roberta Leong, Lenora Springer , Lei Galang, Dawn Piper, Davin-Jay Cruz, Laura Marquez And, last but not least, the Staff of Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center: Cookie Irvine, Iris Hiramoto, Lodie Tapawan, Riva Welcome New Members! Debra Barnes Alice Kane Lillian Noji Brigitte Castro Isabelle Lahui Katherine O’Connor Wendell Hershman Gerald Leao Cecilia Seabury Carol Ige Young Soo Lee Bong Ki Sung Janice Ige Edward Miyata William Yee 2 Newsletter | December 2019 Some of our special guests stand with our club presidents and representatives at our 50th Anniversary celebration. Photo courtesy of Evan Ching. Cultural Day Christmas Program Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Friday, December 20, 2019 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm 9:00 am – 1:00 pm Manoa Grand Ballroom OKINAWA NENCHOSHA CLUB UPDATE By Irene Yamashita A Historic Event What a wonderful 50th Anniversary celebration of the Patsy Afuso, Paula Arakaki, Pat Davidson, Hazel Ginoza, Ellen Lanakila Multi-Purpose Senior Center on November 1, at the Higa, Lorri Kajikawa, Susan Kanemoto, Alice Masutani, Betsy Pagoda Hotel as we began the holiday season. We looked back Miyahira, Renee Morioka, Hideko Nebres, Miki Nishikawa, at the amazing history, the people who were a part of that history Florence Ogawa, Helen Shimazu, Gail Tamashiro and Miko and the many ways it was funded through the years. Of Timmelmans. The kachashi ended a very enjoyable morning. particular interest for those of us who attend classes or are part of an ethnic Club to “play, Learn & Serve”, is the fact that We celebrated birthdays on Nov. 21 and also observed Catholic Charities Hawaii has managed and operated the Center an early Thanksgiving as we were treated to lunch of a nice for the State as part of its Mission since 1981. Kudos to the Subway turkey/ham sandwich with a slice of pumpkin pie and Planning Committee with our Program Coordinator Susie Chun candy bar, thanks to the generous donations of club members. Oakland and staff who did an outstanding job in planning the Our five birthday celebrants were: Grace Kimura, Dorene Niibu, event and putting together the Anniversary Booklet complete Annie Shimabukuro, Yoshiharu Tengan and Doris Takara. God with pictures of members and a history of the interesting bless each of you with many more birthdays. Special highlights. Mahalo Nui Loa from those of us who attended the entertainment was presented by Hui O Laulima, an special event! Okinawan club of women who call themselves “Churakagi Angwata”. The program was emceed by Paula Kurashige who We played Bingo on Oct. 31 to end the month of explained the variety of dances and solo numbers. Hula October and had only two meetings in November as the UH dancers were: Thelma Arakawa, Pat Enomoto, Ele Hu, Jojo Nursing Health Fair was held on Thursday, Nov. 7, and the last Richardson, Ginny Takara, Judy Tibayan, Janet Toyama, Diana Thursday of the month, Nov. 28, was our Thanksgiving Miyasato and Sherry Nushida. Okinawan dancers were: Gail Holiday. We have so much to be thankful every day and one of Itomitsu, Diane Kawakami, Gerri Maeda, Val Teruya, Joyce our blessings is being able to fellowship at the Center on Yoshida and Wendy Yoshimoto. A lively hula solo by youthful Thursdays as members of the Okinawa Nenchosha Club, the Lisa Inouye (Sophisticated Hula) and karaoke singer Ruth largest culture club. We are fortunate to have many dedicated Kawamoto added to the fantastic program. As with any volunteers and a president who knows our culture well. That is Okinawan program or event, members participated in the an added blessing. kachashi to end the special morning. On Nov. 14 the Paranku Club of Hawaii 12/5- BINGO entertained us. Several of its members were in their 80’s and 12/12-BIRTHDAY/VARIETY SHOW 90’s which was quite impressive. The program of familiar 12/19- BREAK FOR HOLIDAYS Okinawan songs like Nada Sou Sou, Ashibinaa, Mi Fai Yu to name a few, featured these participants in their paranku outfits: 12/26- BREAK FOR HOLIDAYS (Return on Jan.