LIHU‘E — Louis Almodova, Pedro Patrick Baniaga, Janet Kahalekomo and Joyce Akagi Nagata will be honored Oct. 24 at the Waimea Alumni and Friends Foundation lu‘au and general membership meeting. The gathering will take place at the front lawn of
LIHU‘E — Louis Almodova, Pedro Patrick Baniaga, Janet Kahalekomo and Joyce Akagi Nagata will be honored Oct. 24 at the Waimea Alumni and Friends Foundation lu‘au and general membership meeting.
The gathering will take place at the front lawn of the Waimea High School campus with dinner being served starting at 5:30 p.m., states a release from the Waimea Friends Foundation.
Almodova, recognized by the pseudo-KVB marker outside his ‘Ele‘ele residence, started working for the McBryde Plantation at age 13 and retired 48 years later with a five-year interruption to serve his country.
Coming home from his military tour, Almodova returned to Kaua‘i Electric and McBryde before retiring in 1978. During this time, Almodova also worked part time as a bus driver for Grayline where he thrilled international visitors with his tales and aloha during his drives around Kaua‘i.
Following his retirement, Almodova began cleaning the beach at the Salt Pond Beach Park where, during his tenure of volunteerism for more than 30 years, he earned the title of “Mayor of Salt Pond,” greeting visitors to the park with stories and jokes.
Gathering items from his home and friends, Almodova takes to the road to visit hospitals and homes to cheer up people who are under the weather with his bag of jokes, fresh fruit offerings and personal blessings that he knows when to pass along.
“The best dressed is going to win,” Almodova says during baseball games that he frequents at the Kalawai Park and Hanapepe Stadium. This saying comes from his many years of playing baseball, starting from age 18 and lasting well into his 40s.
When he reached 80 years old, Almodova competed in the Senior Softball World Series as a pitcher and first baseman, helping lead his team to the World Championship in Kansas City, Kansas.
His feats and spirit of aloha that he carries around on a daily basis have earned him numerous awards for community service including the First Lady’s Outstanding Volunteer Award for Litter Control. Other sources of commendation come from the Chamber of Commerce, the Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau and KHNL television where his work at Salt Pond was featured.
Overlapping Almodova on the baseball diamond, Baniaga’s free time was also occupied with the love of baseball and softball for more than 40 years.
The son of Connie and the late Pete Baniaga of Kaumakani, Patrick, or more affectionately, Pat, has devoted countless hours to working with the youth on the Westside.
He was the coach and president of the Kau-Maka Youth Baseball program for 15 years, the Hanapepe Youth Baseball program for three years and the Hanapepe Pop Warner Association for eight years.
Baniaga headed the West Kaua‘i Youth Baseball Association for five years as president and was the Kaua‘i regional director of the Hawai‘i State Protect Our Nation’s Youth Baseball program for 12 years.
The coach of the Waimea High School girls softball team, Baniaga was instrumental in establishing the annual Waimea Invitation Softball Tournament that, in its peak, drew more than 40 teams to Kaua‘i’s Westside parks from various parts of the country and state.
Baniaga headed the Menehune girls softball team for 11 years, taking 10 Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation championships and earning coach-of-the-year honors 10 times.
When not occupied with youth, he spent time working at various jobs including Operations Supervisor with the Bank of Hawai‘i, campus aide at Kaua‘i High School, and recreational leader with the County of Kaua‘i Parks and Recreation Department. This preceded his tenure with the Olokele Sugar Co. where he was the Warehouse/Purchasing Supervisor for 15 years before spending another 15 years with Gay & Robinson.
He stepped in as the League Manager for the Kaua‘i Senior Softball League since 2004 after serving as Chairman of the Kaumakani United Methodist Church Restoration following Hurricane ‘Iniki and is currently a member of the County’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and a board member of the Kaumakani Federal Credit Union.
Overlapping Almodova at the Salt Pond park, Janet Kahalekomo and her family have continued the tradition of salt making in the pans, utilizing this practice to enhance the education of her students at ‘Ele‘ele School where she serves as a kupuna.
All of Kahalekomo’s community involvements are related to her involvement with family and cultural practices, a release from the Waimea Friends Foundation states.
Recently honored by the staff of the Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club for her commitment to the perpetuation of Hawaiian culture, tradition and the spirit of aloha, Kahalekomo served on the committees for Aloha Week and Kamehameha Day.
Kahalekomo is a member of the Cultural Experience Committee at the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa and the Hawaiian Civic Club where she religiously brings her mo‘opuna to attend the annual Prince Kuhio Day celebration.
Her family includes two daughters and a son who have given her 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, many of whom accompany her and participate in her demonstrations of Hawaiian culture and traditions.
Following graduation from Waimea High School in 1958, Nagata attended Northeast Missouri State Teachers College where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Masters of Arts degree in Mathematics.
For the next 37 years, Nagata taught on the Mainland before returning to Kaua‘i in 2000.
Since then, Nagata has continued her commitment to making the world a better place by becoming involved with the Kilauea Senior Center where her parents, Seichi and Hisae Nagata, are members.
Nagata has filled the seat of Secretary for the center since 2003 and reaches beginning ukulele, coordinates the monthly Outreach programs, helps with the Elderly Nutrition Program, worked with Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and represents the Kilauea Senior Center on Na Kupuna Council where she handles the task of treasurer.
Tickets to the event honoring these four alumni of Waimea High School are available by calling Lisa Hiraoka (338-1592), Naoko Ho (338-1877) or Janice Nitta (338-1174).
The Waimea Alumni and Friends Foundation, established in 1982, honors individuals who have contributed to their school and community.
