Slack key guitarist-singer Makana gave a free hour-long concert for Kalaupapa residents and visitors last Saturday. He played at a luau lunch that followed a service rededicating the land where 8,000 Hansen's disease patients have been buried. He also did “;Kanaka Wai Wai”; at the service in the tiny Siloama Congregational Church which patients built in 1871. The place was packed for the service with descendants of people who died in the settlement. Speakers included Catholic Bishop Larry Silva, whose great-grandfather is buried there, the Rev. Charles Buck, head minister of the United Church of Christ in Hawaii, Arnold Wunder, head of the Maui stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Rev. David Kaupu, retired minister of Kaumakapili Church. A notice on the bulletin board at the Kalaupapa store says that there is a gasoline ration in effect, five gallons per week. It's because there was a problem when the annual barge delivery in July offloaded all the heavy materials for the year and an 8,000-gallon fuel tanker could not be unloaded. Gasoline is $4.96 per gallon for state workers and National Park Service official and private vehicles but the few remaining Hansen's disease former patients living there are not charged ...

Makana

Lorraine “;Laurie”; Bachran, still a beauty at 79, is a finalist in the nationwide contest for the AARP 50+ Model Search for 2008. Laurie, of Kaneohe, was Mrs. Hawaii in 1963. She is the wife of Bill Bachran, 82, an independent public relations and media consultant for golf tourneys. “;Today the face of 50 plus is full of life and vitality,”; Laurie said. “;I believe we can all age gracefully and healthily without relying on prescription drugs. My husband and I have six grown children and 10 grandchildren, and soon will welcome our sixth great-grandchild. Bill and I have been married for 59 years and are still working. I serve as a wellness consultant and as an associate pastor for New Life Church Honolulu. Today we are more aware of anti-aging health programs, and are embracing each other and life more fully with vigor and joy and love.”; You can vote for Laurie at http://modelsearch. aarpmagazine.org/index_vote.php and find her photo/essay and click on it. Voting ends Oct. 27 ...

Lorraine “;Laurie”;
Bachran

Hawaii Public Radio topped its fundraising goal of $741,000 by pulling in $743,747. The 10-day drive ended Friday with $21,000 needed to hit the goal. So the drive was extended into an 11th day and the goal was topped in 2 hours and 10 minutes on Saturday ... Families staying at Ronald McDonald House now have access to free cellular phones provided by Mobi PCS. Mobi had 20 cellular phones dropped off for families staying at the house to use. The families care for their seriously ill or injured children at the house ...