Students win trip to Japan

Five schools proved their worth in academic competition last month and won trips to Japan in the the 6th Annual Japan Wizards Statewide Academic Team Competition.

Teams from Hawaii Baptist Academy, Kauai High School, Mililani High School, St. Andrew's Priory and Waipahu High School will visit Japan this summer after surviving a day of competition that tested their knowledge of topics such as culture, politics, history, geography, transportation, sports, language, Japan-Hawaii ties and pop culture.

The Japan-America Society of Hawaii sponsored the Valentine's Day competition, involving 45 from 29 schools statewide.

3 free concerts for Big Isle residents

Families on the Big Island are invited to free concerts presented by the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra next week.

The performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. next Wednesday at William Charles Lunalilo Center in Hilo; 7 p.m. March 12 at Kahilu Theatre, Waimea; and on 7 p.m. March 13 at Konawaena High School gym in Kona.

The program includes Barber's Overture to “;The School for Scandal,”; selections from Gershwin's “;Porgy and Bess,”; Yasui's “;Lo'ihi: Birth of an Island,”; Copland's “;Fanfare for the Common Man,”; selections from Bernstein's “;West Side Story,”; Gould's “;Pavanne”; and music from “;Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”;

Reservations are required. E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)with “;Hilo,”; “;Kamuela”; or “;Kona”; as the subject. A maximum of four tickets will be issued per person.

COMING UP

Savor a meal at hands of culinary contest champs

Winners of the 2008 Tom & Warren Matsuda Scholarship Culinary Competition will demonstrate their winning form at a benefit event Saturday at the Sub-Zero/Wolf Showroom at 938 Piikoi St.

Keaka Lee, Tate Nakano-Edwards and Rena Suzuki will each demonstrate a dish, to be served as part of a four-course tasting. Dessert will be from chef Roy Yamaguchi, founder of the competition.

The menu: Butternut Squash Soup with Foie Gras, Nalo Farm Curly Cress Salad, Hawaiian Chili Pepper Vierge Crusted Roasted Colorado Lamb and Roy's Macadamia Nut Tart with Sugar Crust.

Seatings are at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Cost is $30, with all proceeds going toward the scholarship funds. Call 597-1647.

[ MORSELS ]

Imu space for rent to benefit school

If you're ono for imu food, Kailua Elementary can help you find satisfaction.

The school is hosting a fundraising imu on March 20, with students, faculty, parents and community members working to keep the underground heat on.

Rent space in the imu for $14 per tray, to benefit a fourth-grade circle-island field trip.

Bring food in a large, disposable aluminum baking tray, thawed, seasoned and completely wrapped in heavy foil. Appropriate imu fodder includes a whole turkey (one per tray), pork butt or roast, sweet potatoes, taro and luau leaves. Weight limit is 25 pounds per tray of food.

Drop off is from 3 to 4:30 p.m. March 20 near the parking lot at Kailua Elementary, with pick-up from 8 to 9:30 a.m. the next day.

Reservations are required. Make checks payable to Kailua Elementary School and mail to the school, 315 Kuulei Road, Kailua 96734. Write IMU on the lower left corner of the envelope.

Enclose a self-addressed, stamped, return envelope along with payment, and include your telephone number. A confirmation ticket and number will be mailed back to you. Call 728-7389, 389-2173 or 224-5826.

Mail-in deadline is March 13.