Hamakua Lions Annual Pancake Breakfast



It's all about the pancakes at a Pancake Breakfast.  The griddle crew
makes certain that the pancakes keep coming.

The secret to a great breakfast is cracking a few eggs.

The ladies from the Buddhist Women's Association stand ready
to serve the hoards of pancake eating Lions supporters.

The Lion grill crew.

Hilo Jaycees Community Easter Egg Hunt



The Hilo Jaycees sponsored the annual community
Easter Egg Hunt at Wong Stadium on Good Friday.
The Easter Bunny helps spread the eggs across the
field in anticipation of dozens of little feet.



Hundreds of children spread out across the field as the horn
signals the start of the egg frenzy.

Members of the Hilo Jaycees pause for a photograph following the
end of another successful project.

Mark and Rep. Cindy Evans are joined by Mayor Billy Kenoi and Jaqui Hoover (HIEDB) as they present a certificate to Liquid Robotics General Counsel and Vice President of Government Affairs Suneil Thomas.

Liquid Robotics®, an ocean data services provider and developer of the first wave-powered Wave Glider® marine robot, is proud to announce the PacX Challenge Wave Gliders have broken the Guinness Book World record for distance by an unmanned wave powered vehicle. Arriving in Hawaiʼi on the first leg of their 9000 nautical mile journey across the Pacific, they have traveled over 3200 nautical miles breaking the previous world distance record of 2500 nautical miles.

Wave Glider

Launched on November 17, 2011 from San Francisco Bay, the Wave Gliders have survived 8-meter (26 foot) waves in a gale force storm, defied turbulent mid-ocean currents, all while transmitting real time ocean data and staying on course to their first destination: the Big Island of Hawaiʼi. After a short check-up, the PacX Wave Gliders will embark on their final journeys to Australia and Japan. During this portion of the record breaking, scientific expedition, the first team of Wave Gliders will cross the Mariana Trench and battle the Kuroshio Current on their way to Japan. The second team will cross the equator on their way to Australia. It is anticipated the arrivals will occur in late 2012 or early 2013.

“We are proud our PacX Wave Gliders have reached their first destination and broken the world record,” said Edward Lu, Chief of Innovative Applications at Liquid Robotics. “I have no doubt new ocean discoveries, insights, and applications will emerge from the PacX data set. PacX represents a new model for providing widespread and easy access to environmental monitoring of the worldʼs oceans, one in which Liquid Robotics operates fleets of mobile, autonomous ocean robots across previously inaccessible areas of the ocean."

The PacX Challenge Wave Gliders were named to honor famous oceanographers and discoverers. One of the four, Papa Mau or “the Way Finder”, was named after the Micronesian navigator, Pius "Mau" Piailug, famous as the teacher of traditional, non- instrument way finding methods for deep-sea voyaging. True to his spirit, his namesake Wave Glider is navigating to port without instruments, due to a satellite communication disruption. Programmed to go straight to Kawaihae Harbor on the Big Island, he is battling severe currents, yet staying on path using only his original coordinates and the stars!

US Senator Daniel K. Akaka Honored by State House

Big Island Reps with Senator and Mrs. Akaka

United States Senator Daniel Akaka was recognized by the House of Representatives as the recipient of the Harry S. Truman Award.  The Truman Award is the highest recognition given to a lawmaker by the National Guard Association of the United States.

The Harry S. Truman Award, authorized by the NGAUS Board of Directors in 1968, is the highest recognition conferred upon an individual by the Association.  Recipients have made sustained contributions of exceptional and far-reaching magnitude to the defense and security of the United States in a manner worthy of recognition at the national level.

For over four decades, the Truman has been a very distinctive award.  It comprises 13 pewter sculpted minutemen, representing the 13 original colonies.

The individual to be selected should have made sustained contributions of exceptional and far-reaching magnitude to the defense and security of the United States in a manner worthy of recognition at the national level.

The Truman Award is intended for the civilian and military leaders of America at the national level. Although a single deed or action may be considered as qualification for this award if it is sufficient magnitude and significance, weight should be give to sustained contributions.  Past recipients have been Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, Governors and senior general officers.

UHH Distinguished Alumni Dinner



Five honorees were celebrated at the UH Hilo 12th Annual Distinguished Alumni and Service Awards Banquet. From left to right, State Representative Mark Nakashima; UH Hilo Chancellor Don Straney; honorees Jimmy Yagi, basketball coach; Gary Hara, Brigadier General, Hawaiʻi National Guard; Miyoko Sugano, Professor Emeritus; Ross Wilson, Principal, Current Events; Gladys Sonomura, community volunteer; and State Senator Gil Kahele.



First Robotics ReBound Rumble

Kohala High School

 More than 1,000 high school students from around the world will had the opportunity to showcase their hard work after an intense six weeks of designing and building an original robot in the FIRST Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition.  FIRST = For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

Honokaa High School

The 2012 Rebound Rumble robotics game is played between two Alliances of three teams each.  Each Alliance competes by trying to score as many of the basketballs in the hoops as possible during the two minute and 15-second match.  

Congratulations to Kohala High School which represented Hawaii at the 2012 FIRST Championships in St. Louis, MO.  Also representing Hawaii are Baldwin High, Island Pacific Academy, Kealakehe High, Waialua High, and Kalani High.

Hilo High School

Rev. Ryoso Toshima at House Chambers to provide Invocation before House Session