Kauai’s Laysa Turner and Kapaa’s Hiilei Hamberg battle for ball control midfield in the first half on Wednesday during the Kauai Interscholastic Federation soccer games played at the Bryan J Kapaa’s Welina Carvalho-Brede heads the ball upfield over the efforts of Kauai’s Kyla Pereira in the first half on Wednesday KAPAA — Waimea High School soccer took both its matches over Island School and Kauai High School girls kept its season record clean on Wednesday during the Kauai Interscholastic Federation soccer matches that were contested at the Hanapepe Stadium and the Bryan J Despite the rains that have been showering the island for the past week the Kapaa High School varsity boys eked out a 3-1 edge over the Red Raider boys in Kapaa Braden Bermoy and Nalu Geer found the net for Kapaa who came from a 1-0 halftime lead to its eventual 3-1 victory Kobe Claussen found the net for the Kauai High School boys (function(d,s,n){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];js=d.createElement(s);js.className=n;js.src="//player.ex.co/player/bdc806f4-0fc1-40a1-aff0-a3d5239c169c";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}(document,"script","exco-player")); On the girls’ field that started play under no rain for the first 20 minutes Kauai High School girls’ Coral Turner found the net in the first eight minutes of play followed by Keira Caoagas nailing a near-40-yard boot with 32 minutes remaining in the half that gave the Red Raiders a 2-0 edge Kauai’s Aileah Villatora highlighted the second half scoring with a hat trick Carlee Dusenberry and Bella Nakaahiki also found the net in the second half Waimea took both ends of their series against the Voyagers as Kendra Knapp scored twice and Kailea Itamura found the third net in the Menehune’s 3-0 win over the Voyager women Waimea’s Shayden Ranis Alameda Dela Cruz found one goal and Makaio Hickson found the second goal in the Menehune’s 3-1 win where the third goal was an Island School own goal Kerry Hunter scored the Voyagers’ goal that prevented a shutout The next KIF soccer games take place on Saturday when Kauai faces Waimea at the Hanapepe Stadium and Kapaa takes on Island School at the Voyagers’ field in Puhi The Junior Varsity boys start with a 10 a.m kickoff in Hanapepe followed by the varsity girls playing at 11:45 a.m Wear a Lei was the theme of this year’s annual Kauai Museum Lei.. Members of the Waimea High School girls football team arrived home on Sunday from the 2025.. Whether it's cleaning up the overgrown Coco Palms site or promoting Polynesian values through his nonprofit Children of the Land Phil Villatora says it's all about serving and preserving the land Whether it’s cleaning up the old Coco Palms site or teaching folks to play the traditional nose flute through his nonprofit Children of the Land it’s all about serving the ‘aina for Phil Villatora Gnarled branches and mangled weeds are thinning out at the dilapidated Coco Palms The Kaua’i native has been voluntarily clearing out some of the debris that has plagued the defunct hotel since Hurricane ‘Iniki pillaged the island nearly 20 years ago Though it’s a job the current owner has less than a year to complete Villatora couldn’t stand to watch the beloved site continue in its current condition and decided to do something about it “Let your actions speak,” he says Villatora has been doing as much as he can to physically maintain the property for approximately three months after he was given permission by the owner Though the ultimate task will require more labor than one man can do transforming the area into a Polynesian/Hawaiian cultural center is what Villatora would eventually like to see happen It’s something he has already accomplished elsewhere The 1983 Kaua’i High School graduate helped found the nonprofit Children of the Land (Na Keiki ‘O Ka ‘Aina) approximately two years ago to perpetuate the arts of Polynesia and ancient Hawai’i which is located at Kaua’i Village Shopping Center has amazing artists who share their talents on a regular basis One talent Villatora likes to share with others is the creation of nose flutes – an instrument that he says was used for healing purposes in Polynesia “You get to feel versus think,” he says about playing the instrument Phil shows off one of his favorite instruments - a nose flute “They harvest their own and connect with it,” says Villatora who also teaches Tahitian drumming three days a week Folks also can be entertained by classes in Samoan fire knife dancing and poi ball spinning as participants perform outside on the stage adjacent to the building As many as 100 people are estimated to walk through the center’s doors each day but making it come to life wasn’t easy at first It took a lot of effort to transform the space into a community hub “It took a lot of vacuums and a lot of hard work.” says Villatora One such volunteer who was particularly helpful is Ray Harris Harris appreciates the knowledge Villatora is sharing with the community His granddaughter Mattie attended Children of the Land’s six-week summer camp with Villatora they visit many places across the island and learn what the island naturally has to offer “Nature is our teacher,” says Villatora “The arts are beautiful in what they supply us He has always felt that way growing up on the island and immersed in Polynesian culture his grandparents were the first generation to arrive on-island during the plantation era and taught their children how to live off the land “We never really needed much,” he says about his six brothers and sisters who grew up raising animals and maintaining gardens we always asked permission – from using rocks or wood to burn or to even swimming in the ocean,” explains Villatora who was responsible for collecting coconuts for his family “It was the protocol on how to give back to the land first We were always aware of giving to Kaua’i because the land had always fed us.” Villatora teaches a keiki how to husk a coconut Staying close to the land is the message Villatora still carries into the teachings at the Children of the Land But a Polynesian cultural center wasn’t always his passion where he became a security guard for the San Francisco 49ers “That was beautiful,” he says about the games at Candlestick Park The mass amount of people – that’s the entire (population of) Kaua’i in one stadium.” “Sports was my main thing,” he says His stay on the Mainland didn’t last long send them to Kaua’i and they would bring back photos,” he says It made me question what I was doing there.” Villatora teaching keiki ti leaf weaving at Children of the Land found other ways to share the island with visitors who had a dancing gig at the Lawai Beach Resort introduced him to fire dancing and drumming It helped inspire Villatora to create instruments of his own he was taking his instruments up to Wailua Falls where he would play them for visitors every day “I just went out there knowing that it felt good from my na’au – which is your gut feeling,” says Villatora who would also fill his truck with fruits and vegetables to share He soon landed a job at Kaua’i Hilton the story of a princess dreaming of a voyage to the South Pacific Former Kaua’i Hilton employee Sue Kanoho remembers Villatora there “I’ve watched Phil grow from a focus on drumming to now working to highlight others through Children of the Land,” says Kanoho Kaua’i Visitors Bureau executive director Villatora drumming with nephew Anson Villatora and Paige Wesoloski But it’s at Children of the Land where Villatora invests most of his time and energy these days he actually created a cultural center on his late father’s property many years ago called Vick’s Tropical Garden of Eden “It was the full circle of sustainability,” says Villatora “Everything you needed as a village or community center He takes the same approach at Children of the Land “Phil is a very compassionate and a very passionate person at the same time,” says Children of the Land president Evan Meek When Villatora isn’t spending time with his fiancée Jodi Martin who works in the X-ray department at Mahelona Hospital he is dedicating as much effort as he can toward serving the ‘aina and perpetuating the host culture through his organization and volunteer efforts “I’m giving back to Kaua’i what it has given to me.” By Sean Reilly | 03/22/2022 04:26 PM EDT An EPA official said there are “strong indicators to suggest” that the Limetree Bay refinery in the Virgin Islands which was subject to an emergency shutdown order last May after flaring accidents rained oily mist on nearby residents EPA told the new owners of a shuttered U.S Virgin Islands oil refinery that they may need a new Clean Air Act permit a hurdle that could significantly slow any plan to reopen the plant large industrial operations must get a PSD permit before beginning work on a “major modification” expected to lead to a significant increase in emissions of pollutants like soot and sulfur dioxide Villatora did not spell out why EPA suspects the permit is needed but asked the two companies to reply as soon as possible to a series of questions related to the plant’s brief reopening last year and their plans for its future along with their own analysis of “PSD applicability.” “Given the concerning incidents at this facility that previously endangered the health of the people who live and work in surrounding communities we will carefully review the information we receive and any new plans before determining our next steps in the permitting process,” EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa Garcia said in a statement accompanying the letter’s release A spokesperson for the owners did not immediately reply to emailed questions this afternoon asking if they have a schedule for reopening The standard review period for a PSD permit application is a year although the amount of time actually needed can vary “EPA is concerned that Limetree’s evaluation of corrective actions is inadequate and fails to commit to any changes to avoid future exceedance of the action level,” Patel wrote in the email “EPA expects that Limetree or a new owner will resubmit a proper root cause analysis to identify appropriate corrective actions; EPA strongly encourages that the corrective actions be identified and implemented before any refinery restart.” Request a FREE trial to receive unlimited access to Caylyn Villatora seeks donations to compete in the 2021 Miss Hawaii America pageant in May at the Ala Moana Resort by Mantra LAHAINA — A beautiful Lahaina flower continues to blossom in the person of Caylyn Villatora The Lahainaluna High School and soon to be University of Montana graduate is currently preparing for the 2021 Miss Hawaii America pageant to be hosted and sponsored by the Ala Moana Resort by Mantra in May The daughter of Jennifer and Peter Villatora and twin sister of Caitlin of Lahaina Caylyn will dance ‘auana to “Ke Ao Nani Wonderful World” sung and choreographed by Kamaka Kukona with Halau o Ka Hanu Lehua was born and raised in Lahaina and graduated as an accomplished scholar-athlete on the Lahainaluna golf team She earned a scholarship to attend the University of Montana where she competed on the golf team and will graduate next month with a degree in Communication Studies and Human Resources The former Miss West Maui USA and current Miss Lahaina 2021 for the Miss Hawaii America pageant on May 15 is asking that support donations can be made directly to Caylyn Villatora Contact her at caylyn.villatora@live.com for more information | https://www.lahainanews.com | 143 Dickenson St By: Christine Esposito Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media Photographer Lindsey Villatoro of Lovesong Photography recently did something that is warming the hearts of the entire photo community and beyond: she gave a daughter the surprise of a lifetime when she put together a ceremony where her dying father got the chance to walk her down the aisle — something he very likely won’t get to do again Villatoro is a wedding and portrait photographer who spends her free time working with charities and cancer organizations to give the gift of photography to terminally ill patients and their families has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and so he and his wife Grace scheduled a photo shoot with Villatoro During the shoot she found out that their daughter Josie would be turning 11 on March 14th and so she offered to do something for her as well When she got home she posted the story to her website to see if she could raise some money or gifts for Josie’s 11th birthday This could be the last birthday she gets to spend with her father and Villatoro wanted to make sure it would be extra special Why not give her something every little girl deserves the plan began to take shape: they would create a surprise wedding for Josie so that she could have her father walk her down the aisle Villatoro was able to bring together a wedding dress from L.A There was even a wedding cake and promise ring “she received over $2,000 in birthday presents from my clients,” and not a cent was spent to bring the event together Villatoro didn’t even meet Josie until the day of the wedding. “She was a little bit overwhelmed when her mom picked her up from school and told her,” she tells the Huffington Post ‘This is the best day of my life.’ She was very glad and excited to have these moments.” of photography coming together for a higher purpose Something we’re intimately familiar with To top off the experience, Villatoro also put together a video slideshow of highlights from the full day called “Walk me down the Aisle Daddy.” If you haven’t cried yet Villatoro has said that her goal with photo shoots like this is “to preserve that person Most people focus on the death and not the beauty of that person who they were and the memories that they leave.” but we believe her goal shines through in these photos beautifully This isn’t a photo and video about death About a father who is leaving behind a beautiful memory for his daughter that we’re sure she will cherish long after he is gone (via SLR Lounge) Image credits: Photographs by Lindsey Villatoro/Lovesong Photography and used with permission Become a PetaPixel Member and access our content ad-free Warringah conference president Walter Villatora says: ‘A plebiscite cannot be based on a model that is half pregnant’ Tony Abbott’s local campaign director, Walter Villatora, has called on Malcolm Turnbull to ensure there are genuine plebiscites for all New South Wales party members rather than pandering to lobbyists and party powerbrokers. Villatora, the Warringah conference president who has long been campaigning for changes to the rules governing Liberal preselections, is maintaining pressure following the state council meeting last weekend which saw the prime minister’s motion for wider democratic reforms defeat Abbott’s motion for plebiscites. Turnbull’s motion passed unanimously and resolved to reform the NSW division based on the Victorian branch, which introduced plebiscites. It also resolved to increase female participation, improve training for candidates and improve policy participation. The issues need to be resolved at a future convention in the first half of 2017, according to the motion. Read moreThe fiery state council meeting came at the end of a controversial week in parliament which saw Turnbull, justice minister Michael Keenan and key conservative immigration minister Peter Dutton challenge Abbott’s version of the guns-for-votes deal Villatora said the Turnbull-Mike Baird motion was a big step forward but stressed any convention should be binding “A plebiscite cannot be based on a model that is half pregnant,” Villatora said “We should have genuine plebiscites and not bother pandering to lobbyists and powerbrokers.” The dominant moderate faction in NSW has opposed changes which would allow all members a vote in preselections for MPs The right wing has generally been more supportive of plebiscites though leading moderates Turnbull and Baird are key supporters said after the conference there had to be safeguards on plebiscites to ensure branch stacking did not occur “We need to stop people who will join the party just to influence the preselection never to be seen working on election campaigns and never to be seen again after we have had a preselection,” Zimmerman told Sky News Villatora said he would be looking to the party leadership to ensure the state council motion was not a delaying tactic “The only acceptable model is a true plebiscite not the attempt to maintain the control of lobbyists and powerbrokers of 40% central control and an arbiter to judge other members to determine who is a genuine member,” Villatora said “We continue to look to leadership to ensure that Saturday’s motion was not an obvious ploy to kick the can down the road as another delaying tactic but is a binding convention all genuine members can look forward to one vote” convention that will unite the party.” Villatora described the momentum for change in the party as “unstoppable” “The only reason we have seen this progress is due to the pressure rank-and-file members have exerted on party and the leadership of the prime minister, Tony Abbott and General Major (rtd) Jim Molan,” Villatora said in a statement NSW party president Kent Johns would not comment on issues up for discussion at the convention but he said the resolutions ensured that “everything was on the table” “My job is to arrange the convention and make sure everyone has a say and out of it we will become a stronger party and a better party,” Johns said SURFLINGS: Several Hui Nalu Ocean Club youngsters pose for a photograph during the soft opening of their new SUP paddling shop and club called Work Hard / Surf Hard located in East Agana across from Burger King located in East Agana across from Burger King pose for a photograph during the soft opening of their new SUP paddling shop and club Joe Villatora and his wife Hidemi Villatora have been fostering the development of Guam’s local surfers through their surfing organization Hui Nalu Ocean Club and have now realized a second phase of their dream by opening the island’s newest surf shop in East Agana Bay Late yesterday afternoon Work Hard / Surf Hard had its soft opening with over a hundred guests from the local surfing community in attendance Work Hard / Surf Hard’s official grand opening is scheduled for next month The new shop offers surfboard and stand up paddleboard rentals and sales along with stand up paddle board surfing classes Joe Villatora envisions Work Hard / Surf Hard to operate less like a retail space and be more like a training facility and have a gym-like atmosphere This latest endeavor is a separate entity from the Hui Nalu Ocean Club and initial membership will undoubtedly consist of many of the surfing youngsters the husband and wife team trained over the years at Tamuning’s Onward Resort In addition to the children transitioning from surf camp to the ocean Joe Villatora explained that many parents are expected to train at the new shop “The (Hui Nalu Ocean Club) membership has grown and now that the kids are involved with this whole water movement thing the parents can get involved as well,” Joe Villatora said Seeing opportunity in a market which has grown exponentially over the past several years and citing the increasing numbers of tourists “The (Guam Visitors Bureau) numbers are just magnifying Joe Villatora hopes tourists will make Work Hard / Surf Hard part of their vacation plans With the help of his native Japanese speaking wife Hidemi Joe Villatora said language will not be a barrier for visiting members and guests When the new shop opens Joe Villatora anticipates classes will be intimate and focused on safety “Classes are going to max out at six to eight at a time “Twelve to fifteen (people) a year we are losing people in the water It still bothers me,” Joe Villatora said of water-related fatalities With classes slated to focus on water safety he added “We want to continue to have a safety aspect of knowing the winds Work Hard / Surf Hard is outfitted with showers and SUP cages so members can rinse off after surf sessions and lock up equipment at the store 12-feet and a lot of people don’t want to carry them around,” Joe Villatora said They can be caged for a small monthly fee.” Experienced and aspiring surfers and paddleboarders alike can look forward to the store’s opening in late February Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: the boys golf team includes (from left) Kaito Nishiji LAHAINA – Despite an off year with limited numbers and inexperienced players Lahainaluna High School’s girls and boys golf teams still managed to find drives of optimism in the 2019 Maui Interscholastic League season the inexperienced Luna lineups advanced through the playoff rounds The state tournament will be held at the Waikaloa Golf Course on the Big Island in early May The boys foursome – all seniors -was led by their only experienced player Matt Ramelb “These guys are all good friends and considering that Matt was the only one with experience they did really well to advance in the team playoffs And Matt will be one of the favorites for the MIL title,” said Coach Sutee It was a rebuilding year for the Lady Lunas and Coach Villatora but the team looked to upstart Gretchen Olson and seniors Ashley Langaman Alanarose Duran and Kirsten Balucan for leadership throughout the season Rounding out the roster were Nolita Samisoni The Lahainaluna High School girls golf team includes (from left): Ashley Langaman Not pictured are Malia Kaugonoga and Alexa Mupas Both Coach Peter and Coach Sutee recognized the Lahaina Junior Golf program for its support of youth players on Maui “Lahaina Junior Golf continues to promote opportunities for younger players to continue in the game of golf and the transition to high school,” said Villatora Ashley Langaman and Kirsten Balucan are our seniors that stuck it out to develop into great young adults prepared to move on to the next level in life: college Our teams had a cumulative 3.7 grade point average – just awesome!” Coach Peter also recognized Kaanapali Golf Director Nitakorn for his support of the high school and LJG programs through allowing the young golfers the opportunity to practice at the world-class Kaanapali Golf Courses as their home venue Coach Sutee also thanked Kaanapali Resort and the Waiehu Wailea and Makena Golf courses for their support of the MIL Support independent journalism, starting from less than $2 a week. By continuing, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy It looks like your email isn't registered yet—let’s get you set up We've sent a code to the below email.  Jason Falinski leaves the Liberal Party preselection meeting on Saturday night The 91 delegates to the Mackellar preselection met on Saturday afternoon at 3pm for more than five hours of speeches Q&As and ballots to determine the Liberal candidate for the seat of Mackellar The venue was the third level of the Dee Why RSL club on Pittwater Road on Sydney’s northern beaches — a modern concrete-and-glass temple to pokies open 24 hours a day An Adele tribute show was playing in the auditorium opposite Such was the interest in the future of the sitting member the streets outside were lined with outside-broadcasting units representing all the TV stations and reporters galore lined the forecourt and even occupied a table at the bottom of the escalators to level three where they could watch the ballot boxes moving to and fro but the first vote was actually the usual ballot as to whether the meeting should proceed to a vote There were a total of seven candidates in the field and in that first ballot three candidates received zero votes Alan Jones’ favourite and former Wallaby Bill Calcraft those with no votes were immediately eliminated and the candidate with the lowest vote On the second ballot saw Villatora lost three votes with Bishop picking up two and Falinski three Such is the far right’s hostility to Bishop it is likely Villatora’s votes leaked to Falinski and Calcraft’s to Bishop At this stage Villatora was eliminated and Twitter was buzzing with reports of a Falinski win the third and final ballot culminated in Bronwyn Bishop being ditched in favour of Jason Falinski by 51 to 39 After the candidates were led back into the room and the result was announced Falinski gave a gracious speech thanking all and sundry as well as paying homage to Bishop’s contribution as member when Bishop was given the opportunity to speak as the retiring member she told the assembly she was privileged to have represented the electorate but was unable to bring herself to mention her replacement by name and could only refer to him as “the winner” All in all, the Mackellar preselection represented a rejection of factional politics in favour of real politics. The majority of federal MPs will be pleased with the result, as is the Prime Minister. Tony Abbott and Mike Baird are offering their support to different contenders. (Supplied: Facebook) Link copiedShareShare articleA fight that has pitted Mike Baird against Tony Abbott, a homegrown local against a powerful party insider, and the moderates against the right, will end tonight when a Liberal candidate for the state seat of Manly is preselected. Tonight's vote for the seat is expected to come down to two candidates: Mr Abbott's former campaign manager Walter Villatora and former Manly deputy mayor James Griffin. Whoever emerges victorious will then vie to take the seat of Manly at the upcoming by-election after it was left up for grabs by the resignation of Mr Baird. The former premier is supporting Mr Griffin — a man considered to be a younger version of Mr Baird who will continue his work in the electorate. Mr Griffin was born and bred in Manly and is considered a moderate without having formal ties to the faction. James Griffin with former premier Mike Baird. (Supplied) He has previously been recognised as NSW Young Businessperson of the Year for setting up a social media consultancy firm and currently works for KPMG. On the northern beaches, one nickname bestowed upon the former councillor is "the spruiker", referring to Mr Griffin's unwavering support for Mr Baird. His challenger — Mr Villatora — is from the right faction of the Liberal Party and is known to be a formidable opponent. He too has a powerful backer — former prime minister Mr Abbott — who has been very vocal about supporting his friend. Ahead of the preselection, Mr Abbott publicly released letters in support of his friend's candidacy saying his position was very clear. It is also the second time Mr Abbott has supported Mr Villatora in a preselection ballot in as many years. Last year, Mr Villatora was one of two challengers in the preselection ballot against federal member for Mackellar Bronwyn Bishop. He and Mrs Bishop were both unsuccessful but Mr Abbott's support for Mr Villatora was further evidence of the bitter rift between the former prime minister and the former speaker. Walter Villatora is powerful in the right faction of the Liberal Party in northern Sydney. (ABC News) Mr Villatora has held several roles within the Liberal Party including president of the Warringah Federal Electoral Conference. He is also a businessman holding several senior management roles across different sectors. The party insider is pushing for the democratisation of the Liberals and he is viewed as a candidate standing up to the Liberal Party establishment, lobbyists and faction warlords. His preselection would also be advantageous to Mr Abbott because it secures the right influences in that area of the northern beaches. The northern beaches is Liberal Party heartland but voters in the Manly electorate are considered more moderate. Mr Baird was a very popular local member but before he was elected, the seat was held by an independent for four terms. Therefore it is a seat that can't be taken for granted by the Liberal candidate. The preselection will take place tonight and the successful candidate will then have less than a month to campaign. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Veteran local surfer Joe Villatora recently took time to speak with members of the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay at the Guam Hilton Resort & Spa regarding his organization’s mission of promoting the true culture of surfing to island youth who along with wife Hidemi created the non-profit organization Hui Nalu Ocean Club recently took time to speak with members of the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay at the Guam Hilton Resort & Spa about their mission of promoting the true culture of surfing to island youth The Villatoras pride themselves through their non-profit club which allows the couple to teach island youth genuine respect for and total commitment to responsible training the island’s pristine environment and surrounding ocean The pair started the non-profit nearly a year ago and currently train a large group of kids ranging from 6 to 16 years old but there’s a big gap between the younger and older surfers I’m trying to bring that gap up to par,” said Villatora a longtime surfer who’s represented Guam in the Pacific Games as a surf athlete and coach for numerous years we’ve had about 400 surfers go through the program.” Villatora has been instilling into youth the basics such as paddling popping up on the board and crucial survival skills such as treading water and underwater swimming – “the first things young surfers must master before hitting the open ocean,” he explained The 50-year-old is part of Guam’s surf contingent at the Pacific Games in New Caledonia as a technical official along with men’s short board rider Cheyne Purcell and men’s long boarder Fred Mendiola Team Guam Surf Coach Andy Lee has said Guam has a good chance of medaling this year due to their strict work ethic For more information about how to support Hui Nalu Ocean Club Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School seventh-graders graders Kaiwi Kamohalii and Caleb Gonsalves hold a giant globe Steven Soltysik holds a wooden Hokule’a replica Maxon Parker and Tiana Kamen share their farm-to-table ideas at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School in Puhi PUHI — Chiefess Kamakahele Middle School celebrated its 20th anniversary with a welcome-back assembly for the students Tuesday PUHI — Chiefess Kamakahele Middle School celebrated its 20th anniversary with a welcome-back assembly for the students Tuesday who traveled three legs with Holule‘a in 1996 and 1997 gave a presentation on the voyaging canoe and its significance Soltysik emphasized principles that call for caring for family and earth “These lessons go further than the canoe,” he said Kamehameha Schools staff was on campus near the band room teaching students how to make kukui toppers you found a team of passionate people teaching students about eating healthy “I was teaching the kids about the importance of growing cooking and eating locally grown foods,” said Farm to Keiki spokeswoman Tiana Kamen Every station had a lesson or fun activity for the students to build curiosity and give them hands-on experience “that could possibly be served for lunch one day,” Kamen said “Maybe the DOE can try to serve one of their recipes.” The Lahainaluna High School golf teams look to qualify athletes for the state tournament that tees off May 1-5 at the Kaanapali Royal Course LAHAINA – The Lahainaluna High School golf program continues to thrive under the dedicated guidance of its coaches and the extreme generosity of the West Side’s world-class resort courses With both the Kaanapali and Kapalua Resorts opening their fairways to the youth of Maui and mentors such as Peter Villatora and Sutee Nitakorn providing guidance and inspiration for the student athletes For first-year Lady Luna coach Peter Villatora and wife Jennifer Lahaina Junior Golf and the Lahainaluna program have provided a pathway in the game for their twin daughters “We want to give back to the community all that the community has given to us,” said Coach Peter last week “It is really cool to see so many kids getting into the game with Lahaina Junior Golf and then moving up to the high school team.” the entire nine-player Lady Luna roster for 2017 is made up of student athletes that came up through LJG The returnees include juniors Hanna Valencia First-year players on the team were Ciana Lins and Sophia Sobel Coach Villatora added that as match play continues through the end of the month several Lady Lunas have a shot at making states “We’ve had a good season as our coaching staff of Lee Lins and Orlino Valencia as well as team supporters Diane Valencia and Jennifer Villatora have been instrumental in the overall team improvement,” he said Kaanapali Golf Professional Sutee Nitakorn and assistant Dandy Don Rosenthal have led the Lahainaluna program for ten-plus years and looked forward to the 2017 season with great anticipation erratic academic performances from key players on the team led to a mediocre MIL run “This has been a challenging year for us,” stated Coach Sutee from his office at the Kaanapali Golf Courses “We had great potential at the start of the year but lost two top players due to grades we worked with the kids on academic responsibility and especially that academics should come first.” The Luna lineup card included seniors Kaimi Kanaha and Antonio Bak juniors Ezra Macadangdang and Jensen Powley Coach Sutee added that both Powley and Ramelb are in position to qualify for the state tournament that tees off May 1-5 at the Kaanapali Royal Course Both Villatora and Nitakorn had high praise for the Kaanapali and Kapalua Resort golf operations for their continuing support for Maui’s youths as well as to Dave Havens and his Spare For Change program that provides refurbished golf equipment for the kids They also thanked LHS Athletic Director Scott Soldwisch and Trainers Jon Conrad and Helen Hetzel for their support NSW treasurer Matt Kean and long-time Liberal activist Walter Villatora call for Deves to be disendorsed Scott Morrison is facing a mutiny over the Liberal party’s controversial candidate in Warringah with intensifying calls for her to be dumped because of “hurtful and divisive” comments about transgender people Liberal moderates have been concerned for some time that Deves’ candidacy would prove damaging to the Liberal party’s standing with centre-right progressive voters in key metropolitan contests Deves is a “captain’s pick” by Morrison to run against the independent MP, Zali Steggall, in Tony Abbott’s former seat of Warringah. Read moreA string of news stories this week have revealed inflammatory comments on various social media platforms including one where Deves equated anti-trans activism to standing up against the Holocaust during a YouTube panel The News South Wales treasurer and high-profile state moderate Matt Kean wants Deves dumped from the federal campaign – a development first reported on Friday night by news.com.au Kean later told Guardian Australia: “This is not the 1950s These kinds of horrendous views are not OK and I’m sure the voters of Warringah agree Time for the Liberal party to beat them to it and disendorse her.” Federal Liberal MP Dave Sharma – who bills himself as a moderate Liberal and is facing a stern contest from independent Allegra Spender in his marginal seat of Wentworth – liked Kean’s statement on Twitter. Sharma would not expand on his views when contacted by the Guardian who fundamentally are seeking for her [Deves] not to be there I suspect because they don’t like some of the things she’s talking about when it comes to women and girls and sport.” Morrison said Deves’ comments had been “insensitive” but she had apologised several times in recent days He suggested Labor candidates had similarly made insensitive comments in the past “I haven’t called for others who’ve said insensitive things who are even in the parliament to be disendorsed “There’s been ways that she’s prosecuted her case of which she’s very passionate about … There are ways that she’s expressed this in the past that she no longer feels comfortable with.” was asked if he thought Morrison should dump Deves and said it was a matter for the Liberal party I wouldn’t have selected her in the first place,” he said Guardian Australia has also obtained an email from Walter Villatora a long-time Liberal party activist in Sydney’s north Villatora says in the email officials and party members are calling for Deves’ resignation “in light of her hurtful and divisive comments that have proliferated the media He notes the NSW Liberal senator Andrew Bragg – who is the duty senator for the Liberal campaign in Warringah – “has publicly voiced his concerns on focusing on these matters instead of what’s important to the community and the Australian people at a time when major challenges are facing everyone particularly in relation to the cost of living national security and post pandemic and flood recovery” The conservative Tasmanian senator has advanced private member’s legislation allowing sporting groups to exclude transgender people from single-sex sports Morrison said initially he would have “more to say” on that issue but after moderates later clarified the Chandler bill was not government policy Colleagues were furious when Chandler on Monday sent out an email to supporters asking for donations to a $45,000 “action” fund that would enable “push back” against “radical activists pushing their gender fluid ideology and silencing women” Chandler declared in the email that Labor and the Greens were “fighting to kill this bill and the mainstream media is misrepresenting it” supporters could “stand up and protect the rights of women and girls by getting the word out so more Australians demand MPs and senators back my Save Women’s Sport Bill” Archer this week restated her view that the proposal was “a vanity bill” and “not government policy”. Archer won her seat in 2019 by 600 votes. Centrist Liberals are concerned posturing by conservatives will erode the chance of holding city seats under threat from the teal independents. Villatora points out in this email the campaign in Warringah still hasn’t been launched. Preselections for Morrison’s captain’s picks, including Deves, were only rubber stamped at the last minute because of open civil war in the New South Wales division of the Liberal party. Read moreLiberal sources have expressed fury this week that extensive checks on the controversial Warringah candidate’s controversial social media history were either not done, or the results of the research were ignored. Villatora points out that Steggall, the incumbent independent in Warringah, will weaponise the comments against Deves in the contest. “The Steggall campaign is in full swing starting with a massive launch.” He notes Steggall has two operational offices in the electorate while the Liberal party has none. “The view of many experienced members is that we would suffer less of a loss without a candidate than a candidate that has brought the party into disrepute to this extent. “Steggall and the media will not let this go. This controversy is hurting the Prime Minister (who is now distancing himself from the controversy) and impacting on our federal electoral prospects, which should be our priority.” He says he has called for Deves’ resignation “in writing”. He says the Liberal party should redirect efforts out of Warringah into the northern Sydney seat of Bennelong. Students who worked on the mural include (from left): front — Toby Manafo, Mike Manafo, Mikayla Head, Abby Sauers and Caylyn Villatora; back row — Jerry Morgan, Emma Scott, Caitlyn Villatora, Brittany Morgan, Tom Scott and Sydney Gilbert. Teacher Kristen Payne and students Nainoa Moore and Tim Lee also participated in the project. Photo by Randy Miller. LAHAINA – For visitors and kama’aina alike, one of the charming aspects of driving through town is the marine mural on the side of the Lahaina Self Storage building at the corner of Papalaua Street and Honoapiilani Highway at Anchor Square. The undersea, three-dimensional artwork has captivated southbound drivers and patrons of Kodac’s Chevron since 1996, when local artist Jerry Morgan created the unique wall piece that has become a landmark in West Maui. But the bountiful sunshine that bathed the wall throughout the years also weathered it, and the vibrant shades of blue had faded to a mist of the original effect. Enter Tom Scott, owner/operator of Scott Brothers Painting, who was contracted to redo the exterior of the entire building at the beginning of December. “I had asked the owners and managers of the building if it would be okay to redo the mural, and they said yes,” said Scott, one of West Maui’s forward-thinking entrepreneurs. “We arranged for Jerry (Morgan) to come over from Haiku and mentor some Maui Prep kids to redo the mural.” Maui Preparatory Academy art teacher Kristen Payne gathered a group of her students to volunteer to work with Morgan to restore the luster of the mural, and from Dec. 10-14, the energetic bunch of seventh- to twelfth-graders completed the restoration project. “The student volunteers ranged in age from middle school to students who are in my AP art class,” said Payne. “It was really neat to see students from all grades working together on one project and watch the whole mural evolve and come together. It was also such a great opportunity for students to work with a local artist, contribute back to the community, learn valuable art lessons and techniques and be able to literally leave their own mark behind.” The Maui Prep students who participated in the effort were seventh-graders Emma Scott and Nainoa Moore; eighth-graders Caitlyn Villatora, Caylyn Villatora and Brittany Morgan; freshman Sydney Gilbert; sophomore Tim Lee; junior Mikayla Head; and AP seniors Abby Sauers and Samantha Castillo. Morgan, a former Lahaina resident who now resides in Haiku and works in various art forms, including painting, sculpture and stainless steel furniture he calls “Fruit of the Room,” said, “I was happy to work with Tom (Scott) to redo this mural, and I was eager to work with the kids and get it done. I think it’s a great opportunity now for all to enjoy the view from the highway.” Copyright © 2025 Hawaii Publications, Inc. | https://www.lahainanews.com | 143 Dickenson St. - No. 203, Lahaina, Maui, HI 96761 | 808-667-7866 James Griffin with former premier Mike Baird Link copiedShareShare articleMike Baird's pick to replace him as Liberal candidate in the seat of Manly in Sydney's north has won preselection with a significant margin Mr Griffin is the former deputy mayor of the Manly Council and was the former premier's top pick for the northern beaches. He grew up in Manly and is considered a moderate with no formal ties to a party faction. Last night he defeated businessman Walter Villatora 71 votes to 32 in a pre-selection ballot. Mr Villatora was former prime minister Tony Abbott's campaign manager, and Mr Abbott had been a vocal backer of him in the contest, posting his letters of support on Facebook yesterday. Liberal party preselection for the seat of North Shore, vacated by former health minister Jillian Skinner, will be held on Wednesday night. Ms Berejiklian has just three weeks left to campaign with her new candidates ahead of the poll on April 8. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time The Liberal Party faces internecine warfare if officials proceed with plans to parachute outsiders into key NSW seats as furious members threaten legal action and a mass boycott of the campaign A branch president in Tony Abbott’s former electorate of Warringah emailed party officials and a senior aide to Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowing “a civil war in the party that will go far beyond Warringah and could potentially derail the Morrison government’s already fragile electoral prospects” Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Credit: Louie Douvis responded to a deal that would install disability campaigner and moderate Liberal David Brady as the candidate for Warringah over the conservative Lincoln Parker as well as management consultant Alex Dore in the seat of Hughes over state MP Melanie Gibbons Neither of the men live in those electorates while of the nine candidates who would be endorsed without local preselections under the deal The federal executive will meet on Friday morning to discuss the proposal which was recommended by NSW division president Philip Ruddock Sources close to Mr Parker – who requested anonymity because party rules forbid them from speaking publicly about internal matters – said the defence analyst would run as an independent if he is not endorsed as the Liberal candidate and would attract support from several branch presidents and a major Liberal donor most senior Liberals have abandoned all hope of winning back the seat from independent Zali Steggall anyway another interested Warringah candidate Katherine Deves and Lincoln Parker Meanwhile, a right-wing member of the NSW division’s executive committee, Matthew Camenzuli, has again engaged barrister Scott Robertson for advice about a legal challenge to the intervention. Last week Mr Robertson, on Mr Camenzuli’s behalf, successfully challenged the party’s legal advice on a separate but related matter in the Supreme Court said Mr Brady was “a nice person by all accounts” but was “unknown” in Warringah lives outside the electorate in Willoughby and had nominated for the Liberal Senate ticket “It is unacceptable to enforce an ineligible outsider to be the Liberal candidate for Warringah,” Mr Villatora wrote in the lofty email that also cited Albert Einstein “Warringah is the home of the democratic reform movement And yet you are proposing to breach the party’s constitution and install a person who’s [sic] first contact with the conference will be on the basis of breaching the rules in contempt of the membership from which he will be seeking support.” Mr Villatora referenced the failed campaign of Warren Mundine in the South Coast seat of Gilmore at the last election Mr Mundine was parachuted in from Sydney’s north shore as a captain’s pick by Mr Morrison “Einstein’s definition of insanity is to repeat the same actions and expect a different outcome - did we not learn anything from the Gilmore debacle?” Mr Villatora wrote local party members “will revolt and simply walk away” there is also anger over the plan to insert Mr Dore a PwC management consultant from Manly and a former vice-president of the Warringah electorate conference Alex Dore is set to be installed as the Liberal candidate for Hughes In his recommendation of Mr Dore, who didn’t nominate for the seat, Mr Ruddock said the people who had nominated were “not suitable” - including Holsworthy state MP Ms Gibbons The deal was voted on by 23 NSW Liberal Party officials on Wednesday That was not enough to formally carry the plan as it required 90 per cent support but the majority view will likely prevail when federal officials meet on Friday Mr Camenzuli warned in his email this would enrage party members “Federal intervention will be incendiary in NSW and will be corrosive to our party’s electoral prospects,” he wrote The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here A branch president in Tony Abbott\\u2019s former electorate of Warringah emailed party officials and a senior aide to Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowing \\u201Ca civil war in the party that will go far beyond Warringah and could potentially derail the Morrison government\\u2019s already fragile electoral prospects\\u201D Sources close to Mr Parker \\u2013 who requested anonymity because party rules forbid them from speaking publicly about internal matters \\u2013 said if he is not endorsed as the Liberal candidate a right-wing member of the NSW division\\u2019s executive committee has again engaged barrister Scott Robertson for advice about a legal challenge to the intervention said Mr Brady was \\u201Ca nice person by all accounts\\u201D but was \\u201Cunknown\\u201D in Warringah \\u201CIt is unacceptable to enforce an ineligible outsider to be the Liberal candidate for Warringah,\\u201D Mr Villatora wrote in the lofty email that also cited Albert Einstein \\u201CWarringah is the home of the democratic reform movement And yet you are proposing to breach the party\\u2019s constitution and install a person who\\u2019s [sic] first contact with the conference will be on the basis of breaching the rules in contempt of the membership from which he will be seeking support.\\u201D Mr Mundine was parachuted in from Sydney\\u2019s north shore as a captain\\u2019s pick by Mr Morrison \\u201CEinstein\\u2019s definition of insanity is to repeat the same actions and expect a different outcome - did we not learn anything from the Gilmore debacle?\\u201D Mr Villatora wrote local party members \\u201Cwill revolt and simply walk away\\u201D - including Holsworthy state MP Ms Gibbons \\u201CFederal intervention will be incendiary in NSW and will be corrosive to our party\\u2019s electoral prospects,\\u201D he wrote The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories Tony Abbott's former seat of Warringah has become the epicentre of a stunning Liberal Party factional battle involving unusual alliances and a bizarre web site that has published attacks on senior Liberal figures As the party begins to consider who is best-placed to win the seat back from independent Zali Steggall former branch president Walter Villatora and his allies are campaigning to install a candidate immediately more than 18 months out from the expected election Walter Villatora at a 2017 lunch with Cory Bernardi at China Doll restaurant in Sydney.Credit: Jessica Hromas Mr Villatora emailed Prime Minister Scott Morrison through his private secretary Yaron Finkelstein claiming the branch had resolved to hold a preselection by the end of the year has voted in favour of a preselection to be held in 2020 as this is considered to be a critical success factor," he wrote in the email "The [branch] needs to unite and delays will hinder that healing." All electorates have similar committees but power actually rests with the conference executive led in this case by Warringah president and former Woolworths boss Roger Corbett Mr Corbett said he had no idea if the committee Mr Villatora referred to actually existed it's not an official committee of the Liberal Party," he said Another Warringah source claimed the committee was "completely made-up" Former Scott Morrison strategist Sasha Grebe has joined forces with several other Liberal figures to spruik the interests of Mr Morrison's former staffer Sasha Grebe who now works for lobbyist David Gazard in his firm DPG Advisory Mr Gazard is often described as Mr Morrison's best mate and confidant Mr Grebe is one of many Liberals eyeing preselection in Warringah state executive member Alex Dore and Menzies Research Centre manager Tim James Last month Mr Villatora hosted an online event with conservative faction senator Jim Molan as keynote speaker It was co-hosted by state member Natasha Maclaren-Jones and Collaroy Plateau branch president Frits Mare The "exclusive" event was organised under the guise of the so-called Northern Forum Speakers Bureau Invitees were directed to contact Freshwater branch president Sean Burke for details Mr Burke runs a news and commentary web site called Politicom which among other features has published attacks on progressive Liberals Party officials are investigating Mr Burke over a now-deleted article titled "The conservatives no-one knew were straight" which reportedly ridiculed Christopher Pyne The investigation is not finalised but Mr Burke will likely be disciplined over the matter Several Liberal Party sources made clear there would not be a preselection in Warringah this year "We're not holding preselections there's no appetite for that," a state executive member said One Liberal who is highly involved in Warringah said choosing a candidate as late as possible could be electorally advantageous Last year the Liberals picked Fiona Martin in the marginal seat of Reid weeks before polling day and she defeated Labor's Sam Crosby who had been campaigning for more than a year "The view that you need a candidate in the field for 12 months or 18 months has proven to be not right All you do is give your opponents ammunition," the source said Mr Corbett said the plan was to start the preselection process this year and choose a candidate early next year Mr Villatora said he could not comment on the matter due to party rules Tony Abbott's former seat of Warringah has become the epicentre of a stunning Liberal Party factional battle involving unusual alliances and a bizarre web site that has published attacks on senior Liberal figures has voted in favour of a preselection to be held in 2020 as this is considered to be a critical success factor,\\\" he wrote in the email \\\"The [branch] needs to unite and delays will hinder that healing.\\\" it's not an official committee of the Liberal Party,\\\" he said Another Warringah source claimed the committee was \\\"completely made-up\\\" has joined forces with several other Liberal figures to spruik the interests of Mr Morrison's former staffer Sasha Grebe Mr Gazard is often described as Mr Morrison's best mate and confidant The \\\"exclusive\\\" event was organised under the guise of the so-called Northern Forum Speakers Bureau Party officials are investigating Mr Burke over a now-deleted article titled \\\"The conservatives no-one knew were straight\\\" there's no appetite for that,\\\" a state executive member said Last year the Liberals picked Fiona Martin in the marginal seat of Reid weeks before polling day and she defeated Labor's Sam Crosby \\\"The view that you need a candidate in the field for 12 months or 18 months has proven to be not right All you do is give your opponents ammunition,\\\" the source said Mr Villatora said he could not comment on the matter due to party rules.