TAKING NOTICE

Honors earned

Honors recently went to these island residents or groups:

These Boy Scouts have been promoted to the highest rank of Eagle Scout: Gordon Z. Deng of Honolulu, chartered by Maryknoll's Sacred Heart Church; Joel H.K. Nakila Jr., Kailua-Kona, Latter-day Saints; Reid T. Uyetake, Kaneohe, KEY Project; Devin Higa, Laine Murakami, Blake Kajiwara, Ken H. Kakesako, Honolulu, Noelani Elementary School PTA; Justin Haruki, Jared Lee, Brandon Nohara, Matthew Okazaki, Ethan Shimokawa, John Teruya, Honolulu, Manoa School APT.

Francis K. Aiu III of Honolulu, Ryan McCormack of Waimanalo, and Ryan M. Miyamoto and Todd Poliahu of Kaneohe have been promoted to the highest rank of Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America.

Kuakini Health System's subacute rehabilitation therapists and staff have been certified for two years by the Uniform Data system for Medical Rehabilitation for patients who need one to three hours of rehab per day.

Kenneth Kui Min Ling, director of Family Court since 1995, has been chosen the 1998 Men's March Against Domestic Violence Distinguished Citizen by the Men's March Against Violence. He has also received the Judiciary Distinguished Service Award for his work as a strong advocate for victims of domestic violence.

Al Rodrigues has been named Professional of the Year for 1998 by the Hawaii Chapter of the Public Relations society of America. He is president of Al Rodrigues & Associates LLC, a strategic planning and marketing communications company.

The Estate of James Campbell has been awarded the Financial Executives Institute's 1998 Deal of the Year award for its development of Kapolei. The FEI also recognized U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye for his help in ensuring the USS Missouri found a permanent home in Hawaii.

The Oahu Filipino Community Council has honored former state Rep. Jake Manegdeg and Filipino Coalition for Solidarity president Zachary G. Labez for promoting cultural pride and political empowerment among its 52 Filipino civic clubs.

Shirley Ikehara, a personal financial adviser with the American Express Financial Advisors, has been appointed a select member of the company's Advanced Advisor Group.

Aquasearch Inc. has become a "Gold" industry member of a new Marine Bioproducts Engineering Research Center (MarBEC), based in Hawaii, which entitles it to obtain exclusive rights to new microalgal technologies.

State Rep. Cynthia Thielen has been elected to the board of directors of the North American Industrial Hemp Council. The Kauai County Council supports research into developing a hemp crop to revitalize the island's economy, she said.

Pacific Business Center Program's ornamental aquaculture project has been chosen the winner of a national Project of the Year award by the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers.

The Hawaii Aloha Chapter of Certified Residential Specialists is the 1998 recipient of the "Chapter with a Heart" and "Diamond Chapter" awards from the national organization.

Leslie Fujiwara and Nancy Shigeoka of Hawaii are two of 26 winners nationally who have been recognized as caregivers by National Parkinson Foundation Inc. with the SmithKline Beecham Caring Hands Award.

Hyatt Regency Kauai has recognized employees Gregory P. Grohowski, executive sous chef, as Manager of the Year and Tina Malabe, a front office clerk and cashier, as Employee of the Year.

The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts has awarded seven $5,000 Individual Artist Fellowships to Celia A. Chun, a dancer; Elmer T. Kudo, chamber music composer; Herbert K. Mahelona, Hawaiian music composer; Lynne Y. Nakasone, ethnic choreographer; John F. Signor, musician; David A. Ward, modern choreographer; and Harry L. Wong III, a theater director. All are from Honololu except Ward, who is based in Makawao.

Cara Owada, a kindergartner at Mauka Lani Elementary School in Makakilo, is one of 20 national prize winners in the Oscar Mayer Talent Search 1998. She became a "Top Dog" for her rendition of the "Oscar Mayer Bologna Song."

Dr. Agnes M. Niyekawa and Walter Masao Saito have received the Order of the Sacred Treasure awards from the government of Japan. Niyekawa is a former professor of Japanese and professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii. Saito was the former chairman of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce and president of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.

Steve Fleming, senior sales specialist for Dow AgroSciences, has received the 1998 Distinguished Service Award from the Hawaii Pest Control Association.

Kahuku Wastewater Treatment Plant has been chosed the best treatment facility of its type in the country by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Michael P. Matsumoto, president and chief executive officer of SSFM Engineers Inc. of Honolulu, has been installed as a Fellow of the American Consulting Engineers Council.

The Hawaii Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties has presented awards for commercial real estate excellence to the Estate of James Campbell (Developer of the Year, national winner); Victoria Ward Ltd. (Renovation of the Year); First Hawaiian Bank (Project of the Year); Randolph Moore of Kaneohe Ranch (Lifetime Achievement Award); John Child and Company (Member Company of the Year); James K. Mee, Esq. of Ashford & Wriston (Individual Member of the Year); Hawaii Chapter NAIOP (Membership).

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Do you have items about Hawaii residents earning
academic or professional honors, winning scholarships, awards or elections
to professional or civic groups? Please send them in writing for "Taking Notice" to:
City Desk, Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802. Thank you.