Thanks to the volcanic activity of the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras the many islands that makeup Okinawa Prefecture share an interesting topography About one-third of the prefecture is composed of Ryukyu Limestone studies by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment have determined Due to the presence of this prehistoric limestone you’ll find many caves to explore on the main island many welcome tourists with illuminations and walkways Some caves even offer opportunities to try your hand at spelunking or cave exploration These caves are on the island’s eastern coast in the same municipality which hosts Camp Hansen and Camp Schwab training ranges Matsuda Shonyudo is appropriately advertised as “a big adventure to an underworld” and offers something different than the usual water activities and popular attractions Okinawa is known for Before I could make my way down into the depths of the caves I first had to stop at the Matsuda Koryu Taiken Center Reservations are required in advance; visitors must check in at the center to enter English-speaking tour guides are available Despite having a knowledgeable guide who knows the neighborhood and caves inside and out Before a safety briefing by two center employees The employees advised me to stay hydrated and to avoid touching fragile stalactites I had to leave my camera behind as they warned that it could get damaged in the wet cave then led me on a 10-minute walk from the center to the entrance of Uunumee Do which stands for “cave in front of plantains.” It was a steep entry to the cave and required a careful climb down a ladder to the rocky ground It looked like a bank of a river with the water flowing underneath No illumination was installed inside the cave so it would have been pitch dark without headlights and a flashlight A small creature with many legs caught my eye as I turned my head to look around the rocky cave walls you are lucky; we don’t see Oogeji (cave centipedes) very often,” Jahan said with excitement Though I am no fan of centipedes or millipedes the unexpected encounter did brighten my mood The tour guide kindly offered to take a photo of me near the creature to commemorate the moment may not have been camera-shy but was likely not used to intruders and scampered away We continued our walk into the depths of the cave and after about five minutes or so we entered an open space with several large stalactites hanging from the ceiling we took another ladder down deeper to a limestone pool I could see the water’s lightly rippling surface and the smooth texture of the surrounding limestone compared to the rugged texture of the cave’s walls and I felt a little more relaxed in the dark cave The cave adventure had provided quite a workout but it was far better than being out in the sun Some of the cave’s stalactites looked like curtains others reminded me of goya bitter melon because of their long shape and green color the color difference can be attributed to how each stalactite is formed stalactites will be white if they contain lots of limestone or red if clay was present during formation is because bacteria on the surface of the forming stalactite We continued our walk and stopped at another cave room where we could see many bats perched on the ceiling or flying around When we were moving onto deeper parts of the caves some bats flew close to us as if to check on the unexpected company the bats of this cave migrate to Itoman for childrearing and then return to Ginoza Village in August These bats had just made their way back when I visited like in all caves where bats live — watch out for the bat guano we also spotted a layer of limestone stacked on metamorphic rock which is thought to have originated in the Eurasia continent I was not expecting to see a sign of the dynamic geographical history in this cave the cave branched off at one point to a smaller route we turned off our lights so I could experience complete darkness the stillness and quiet made me feel at peace and we made our way through the main route down a steep left corner We passed the exit and took several stairs to the last portion of the cave where a thin channel runs through like a small river prawns were swimming through the shallow water The route to the exit had many ups and downs We made a stop from time to time to observe thin stalactites called “straw” or to knock on thick ones to experience their “sounds.” Jahana had forewarned me that there had been poisonous Habu snake sightings in the exit area in the past ensuring no snakes were lurking in the shadows It had been shy of two hours of exploring the caves when we made it back to the center I was drenched in sweat but happy I’d tried something new Though I regretted not being able to take photos of the beautiful prehistoric limestone Matsuda Koryu Taiken Center (tourist reception center for the cave tour) GPS Coordinates: N 26.4931709 COFFEE & BREAK GINOZA FARM LAB After a few hours of exploring I knew a good place for energy replenishment nearby I took a five-minute drive to a roadside station to grab a bite at Coffee & Break Ginoza Farm Lab The eatery is on the second floor of Ginoza Roadside Station It is known for its delicious homemade hamburgers and a superb view over the east coast I ordered a classic burger (1,080 yen) and an iced coffee (280 yen) and sat near the terrace and their hamburger had definitely left a good impression the last time I was here I found it hard to stop chomping on the savory and juicy hamburger with its delicate sweet buns my fatigue might have played a part in making the burger taste even better KATABARU TIDELAND Not quite ready to call it a day I made my way north for a stop at the Katabaru Tideland after lunch Tidelands are pieces of coastal land or islands that flood during the high tide and appear for a short window at different points of the day so I wanted to check this out since it was only a 10-minute drive from the restaurant the Katabaru Tideland’s reddish sands spread wide and far Here they can spread up two kilometers max in low tide I was expecting white sand but was surprised that the composure of the sea bottom here had created this color I walked down the seawall stairs to step onto the tideland where many creatures started to wriggle around the closer I got I realized these were crabs walking sideways in a group toward the ocean as soon as I was within several meters of the herd the tiny creatures upped their speed and scattered away I gave up trying to get close and sat to enjoy the superb view Just me and the crabs (at a safe distance) taking in the serene landscape and sounds of the ocean as long as I didn’t make any sudden movements I carefully pointed my camera at them for a quick pic As soon as the group I photographed made their way into the water tired but relaxed from experiencing a side of Okinawa thousands of years in the making KATABARU (TIDELAND) GPS COORDINATES: N 26.504510 E 127.991574 *No parking available around the area Read now > Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan By Leila Fujimori Editors' PicksEducation The state Supreme Court made an appearance in the Mililani High School gym on Tuesday to hear the case of Blosson Bell v Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii made an appearance in the Mililani High School gym on Tuesday 2024 to hear the case of Blosson Bell v Hawaii Public Housing Authority Deputy Attorneys General addessed the court Devens and Mark Recktenwald were greeted by high school students and participated in a post-proceeding interview Annabel Fong and Catherine-Desneiges Zozo Lauzon gave their impressions of the proceedings Students listened Tuesday to the case held at Mililani High School gym of Blosson Bell v Hawaii Public Housing Authority before sitting state Supreme Court justices Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading Radford and Waipahu high schools packed the stands Tuesday at the Mililani High School gymnasium to witness a powerful “visiting team” in action The full “team” of the Hawaii Supreme Court’s five justices dazzled the audience on a stage — also dressed in black and elevated off the hardwood gym floors but actively questioned oral arguments made by real attorneys in an actual case was the highlight of a learning program begun in 2012 by the state Judiciary called “Courts in the Community,” and was designed to bring the court system to the people and give hands-on experience in how Hawaii’s judicial system works Mililani High School junior Catherine-Desneiges Zozo Lauzon said: “I do mock trials but I’ve never seen a Supreme Court case carried out and I thought that was really interesting I liked how they asked questions and they got to clarify things because oftentimes it’s something that gets lost “I think it’s really important that ‘Courts in the Community’ exists and that they go to public schools all over the state.” She added that it’s particularly important in light of laws recently being overturned such as in Roe v that people understand how the court system works The program was also livestreamed on the Judiciary’s YouTube channel and broadcast live on ‘Olelo Community Media Television “Courts in the Community is one of the Judiciary’s foremost programs to educate students and the public about the rule of law and the role of the courts in resolving disputes in a democratic society,” Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said in a written statement “This program takes them beyond the textbooks and enables them to see for themselves that the courts provide a process with integrity one that’s designed to get to the truth That understanding is vital to the future of our democracy.” the program began weeks in advance in the classroom They followed a curriculum developed by the Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center and the Students for Public Outreach and Civic Education of the University of Hawaii’s William S The students familiarized themselves with the case a 41-year tenant of public housing in Pearl City who was evicted because her guest (her son-in-law) attacked and seriously injured another resident (her downstairs neighbor) The eviction board determined she violated her rental agreement by her guest’s actions Bell had been an exemplary tenant since 1981 with only a single violation in 2020 for nonpayment of rent was visiting his minor daughter at her home when Bell’s downstairs neighbor began spraying water into the gutter to get rid of mynah birds Lambert left that day and never returned to the property Attorneys from the Hawaii State Bar Association also volunteered to work with the high schoolers to prepare for mock trials in which the students argued the case Mililani AP government and politics and AP history teacher said the students had two lawyers come in and debrief them about the case and the students participated in a moot court after reading the case He said the justices were played by the lawyers They were very impressed how fast they caught on.” “I thought it was a really good opportunity to see how the justice system works I feel like it’s really beneficial when we start talking about the judicial system a little bit more and I can refer back to this.” she imagined it being held “in a courtroom setting but the gym was just a little bit different because normally there’s like sports games,” she said with a laugh said the case was released to students in November as part of an extracurricular activity in mock trials They create arguments and lines of questioning beginning in January before a real Circuit Court judge Students will compete for the state championship it gives an outlet to a lot of kids who I know who tend to be considered kind of nerdy in school but get to have that shine in an extracurricular activity.” Mililani senior and president of the school’s mock-trial club “Even those who aren’t interested in pursuing law for their future careers — if they’re into acting or any other activity like that — find themselves really enjoying mock trial because they prepare themselves for this role So for all these people that don’t really have another outlet they are able to convene and become a big part of this process.” Following Tuesday’s oral argument portion of the program students were treated to two half-hour question-­and-answer sessions (without media presence) One was with the attorneys — Nicholas Severson and Cynthia Moore of Legal Aid Society of Hawaii the petitioner/respondent appellant-appellee and Deputy Attorneys General Klemen Urbanc and Craig Iha for appellee/appellant Hawaii Public Housing Authority The other featured Reck­tenwald and Associate Justices Sabrina McKenna Recktenwald said after the oral argument portion of the program that the justices would begin discussing the matter as a group the following day The case has gone from a grievance hearing to the eviction board back to the eviction board and back to the Circuit Court which reinstated Bell’s rental agreement in September 2023 But the HPHA appealed the matter to the Intermediate Court of Appeals and it was transferred to the Supreme Court The high court has not yet rendered an opinion on the case LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With the start of the school year around the corner thousands of returning and new teachers are eager to welcome students back to the classroom "They don't have to love the books I teach them Austin was an intern for CCSD and later became a teacher in Lyon County but decided she needed a change and made the move to Las Vegas. ​"Since the pandemic I think all school districts are scrambling trying to figure out how to bridge some of the education gaps and some of the challenges in Lyon County was just a lot so I decided I needed a change so Northwest CTA seemed like a really great place to go," Austin said RELATED STORY | Valley law enforcement to increase patrolling during start of school year She said the current pay increase new teachers would be getting — thanks to the latest contract signed last December with the teacher's union — was a big reason for her move the new entry-level salary for teachers is roughly $54,000 which is about $4,000 more than the previous year "The cost of everything has gone up so much like rent and everything…and so I was like I can actually afford rent now," Austin said that has had a positive impact​," said Jason Ginoza Ginoza said the increase in teacher pay along with other recruitment efforts helped the district fill many teacher vacancies in the district "We are 150 hires ahead of where we were last year," Ginoza said you have to remember that CCSD has more than 18,000 teachers in the district That's about three vacancies for every 50 teachers CCSD said that they will continue to fill those positions we are continuing our efforts to recruit teachers A spokesperson said that the district also has roughly 5,000 substitute teachers ready to fill in when needed Meantime Austin said she is eager to start providing an exceptional education to our valley kids "We want them to know that they are capable Report a typo congratulates the two new Associate Justices Lisa Ginoza Devens were sworn in today as Associate Justices of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court by Chief Justice Mark E The Supreme Court courtroom was filled with proud family and friends of the new Associate Justices while others watched in an overflow room and on the Judiciaryʻs YouTube channel Chief Justice Recktenwald presided over the ceremony which included the announcement of commissions by Governor Josh Green Green nominated Ginoza and Devens in October and they were confirmed by the Hawaiʻi State Senate in November The speakers in order of appearance were Hawaii State Bar Association President-elect Mark M Hawaiʻi State Trial Judges Association President Judge Kirstin M Judicial Selection Commission Chair Kamani B The new justices also made remarks after being sworn in expressing deep appreciation to those who nurtured them and supported their careers throughout the years Ginoza was appointed the Chief Judge of Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals in 2018 She joined the ICA as an Associate Judge in 2010 she was First Deputy Attorney General of the Department of the Attorney General from 2005 to 2010 Ginoza was a litigation attorney at McCorriston Miller Mukai McKinnon Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Devens is the founding partner of the Law Office of Vladimir P Devens is a graduate of the University of California Associate Justices Ginoza and Devens will each serve 10-year terms from Jan For more information, contact the Communications and Community Relations Office at 808-539-4909 or via email at pao@courts.hawaii.gov Subscribe to the Hawai'i State Judiciary mailing list for email notification of press releases and other announcements eCourt Kokua: For access to Traffic cases; District Court and Family Court civil; Land Court and Tax Appeal Court; and appellate court case information Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use  |  Accessibility Information  *The Hawaii Judiciary is not affiliated with Sustain Technologies which is a registered trademark of Sustain Technologies Powered by Tyler Hawaii Investigative stories and local news updates Coverage of the Hawaiʻi State legislature in 2025 Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox Lisa Ginoza and Vladimir Devens advanced to a final vote by the full Senate on Tuesday Backed by overwhelming public testimony in support of their nominations the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday voted unanimously to approve Lisa Ginoza and Vlad Devens to serve on the Hawaii Supreme Court The nominees await a full 25-member Senate vote Tuesday that is likely to be a formality who currently serves as chief judge for the Intermediate Court of Appeals received 45 letters of written testimony strongly supporting her elevation to the high court Much of the testimony came from past and present members of Hawaii’s legal community who currently serves as principal at the Law Offices of Vladimir P received a similar volume and level of support Backers included a half dozen major labor union leaders and only a single person testified in writing against him Both nominees were deemed “qualified” for the high court by the Hawaii State Bar Association and both were hailed for their local roots on Oahu.  Ginoza has served on the ICA since 2010 and as chief judge since 2018 She was the first deputy attorney general for the state from 2005 through 2010 Her private practice experience includes civil litigation for 14 years with the law firm of McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon Ginoza received her juris doctor degree from the University of Hawaii Manoa William S Ginoza was widely praised by her peers for her character it was apparent that Judge Ginoza operated on a different plane of understanding and knowledge above and beyond our classmates,” testified Peter Kubota judge for the Third Circuit Court on Hawaii island “She could see the ‘bigger picture’ of legal precedent as they were being taught,” he added make her well-suited to serve Hawaii as a Supreme Court justice.” asked Ginoza during the confirmation hearing Friday about her view on impartiality in terms of legislation that might come before her Ginoza noted that judges don’t get to “pick and choose” the issues that come before them it’s absolutely clear our role is to discern the intent of the Legislature in passing this statute whatever statute we may be looking at — or statutes often — and to apply them faithfully to the facts in the particular case before us,” she said Devens earned his juris doctor degree from the University of California He has been a partner at the law firms of Meheula Devens has litigated cases at all levels of the state court system Family Court and federal courts.  Devens’ administrative agency work includes work for the Disability Compensation Division and the Hawaii Labor Relations Board The fact that Devens has never worked as a sitting judge or justice was not seen as a liability but rather an asset “It is unfortunate that some have raised the issue of whether Vlad’s lack of judicial experience becomes a disqualifying factor for a nomination to the state’s highest court,” testified Colleen Hanabusa I believe some confuse ‘judicial temperament’ with judicial experience.” I have concluded that you know when someone has the proper judicial temperament It is defined by the American Bar Association as ‘common sense one of the primary reasons why I believe he should be on the Supreme Court is due to these traits.” testified that other Supreme Court justices without prior or much bench experience include William S James Duffy and current Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald asked Devens how he might address a constitutional amendment that he personally might find “morally repugnant.” Would he enforce it “You’d have to still deal with the issue,” Devens replied And you have to apply the same interpretation principles that were bound to apply that you would be as a judge and you would have to deal with it in the normal course.” “And the difficulty is that we’re required and we have to have the discipline to set aside our own feelings,” he added “You may agree or disagree with a law but if it passes all the tests and the muster Green chose Ginoza and Devens from a list of six people recommended by the Judicial Selection Commission they will replace former Associate Justices Mike Wilson and Paula Nakayama who retired earlier this year upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 There are five members on the Hawaii Supreme Court Green will have the opportunity to name her replacement to lead the ICA Unfortunately, being named a finalist for a Pulitzer prize doesn’t make us immune to 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The fact is, our revenue hasn’t kept pace with our need to grow, and we need your help Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism. Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. The state Senate unanimously confirmed Judge Lisa Ginoza and attorney Vladimir Devens on Tuesday to serve as associate justices on the Hawai‘i Supreme Court. Ginoza and Devens were chosen from a shortlist of six nominees put forward by the Hawaiʻi Judicial Selection Commission. Gov. Josh Green said his nominations served to ensure diversity beyond just gender and race, but also background and experience aimed at balancing the court. Ginoza most recently served as chief judge on the Intermediate Court of Appeals for the last five years of her 13-year tenure on the court. Prior to that, she served as deputy attorney general from 2005 to 2010, and worked in private practice for some of Honolulu's top law firms. Ginoza is a product of Hawaiʻi’s public school system both as a graduate of Kailua High School as well as the University of Hawaiʻi William S. Richardson School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree from Oregon State University. Devens comes to the high court with labor experience from 25 years in private practice. Devens said his diverse background and experience in his legal practice and community work will be a helpful addition to the five-member Supreme Court. He graduated from Kalani High School and earned his law and bachelor's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. “The two appointees have taken very different paths to the Supreme Court, but they both have rich professional and personal backgrounds that will serve our State well," Sen. Karl Rhoads, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. Ginoza and Devens will fill vacancies resulting from the retirements of Associate Justices Michael Wilson in March and Paula Nakayama in April. Green is expected to have another seat to fill after Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald retires in 2025. Takeo GinozaBirth date: Sep 7 WAILUKU — It was a hello-goodbye weekend for Hawaii Swim Club coach Reid Yamamoto at the 47th Coach Soichi Sakamoto Invitational Swim Meet at the pool that carries the same name Maui High School’s Karissa Ginoza was at her final competitive swim meet after a stellar career that ended with Maui Interscholastic League Girl Swimmer of the Year honors in 2023 and a qualification time for the USA Swimming Futures Championships Ginoza has left competitive swimming in the rearview mirror as she enters a demanding mechanical engineering/pre-med academic program at the University of Southern California but she is leaving a huge legacy in a younger friend and teammate Ginoza was also the MHS female scholar athlete and sportsmanship awards winner and she will take $8,000 per year in merit money with her to USC from five different scholarships she was awarded “I’m really excited because I’ve always wanted to try to be more independent,” Ginoza said “And I think it’s really cool to be able to leave a small island community and be able to venture out to a school like USC What I’m also really excited about is that USC has that balance of athletics and also a social life “I will be able to enjoy myself as a college student and then also excel in academics with the resources that they have “I’ve pretty much been in the water since I was 3 years old and I started competitive swimming when I was like 5,” Ginoza said no matter whether I’m competing or not And as fun as it is to compete it’s also really fun to watch all of my friends compete It’s super exciting to always see her kill it “It’s pretty bittersweet — as sad as it was to make the decision to not swim in college I’m always going to cherish the memories that I’ve made over these past 12 years Swanson was also under strong consideration for the MIL Girl Swimmer of the Year nod as a Sabers freshman this year She has also qualified for the prestigious Futures meet a national-level competition that takes place at five regional sites July 26-29 Karissa is one of my best friends and I honestly didn’t expect to become this close to her coming out of last summer,” Swanson said “Like I thought we would just be mutuals but she became one of my best friends I think I could ever have Having her as a senior was definitely different than having my age friends “I just look up to her so much and I love her so much She helped me a lot because at meets we’ll all be nervous She eases it up and she makes the meet fun.” Swanson showed remarkable versatility as she won the women’s open 400-meter freestyle (4 minutes 1,500 free (18:57.75) and 100 free (1:00.96) and the 13-14 age group 200 free (2:14.31) and was third in the 13-14 200 backstroke (2:47.27) Swanson will be at the Futures meet in Sacramento with a little boost from her mentor with Maui High and Hawaii Swim Club She joins a short list of Maui competitors to qualify for that meet that includes Jasmine O’Brien a champion at the Futures and the first female in state history under 5 minutes in the 500-yard freestyle; Kysha Altura a former standout at Fordham University; Kaimi Cabanilla a former standout at Indiana State; and Ginoza Swanson is the youngest of that impressive list to qualify for Futures it’s going to be the biggest meet I’ve been to so far,” Swanson said but I’m looking forward to it.” When the list she is joining in was rattled off Swanson said: “That’s really cool I’m in shock every time I hear that.” Ginoza blushes when told she is a mentor to Swanson she is just so amazing,” Ginoza said we really only got close last summer after we went to senior champs so it’s kind of a newer friendship and without a doubt Just training with her every day has been such an honor and a privilege but I know absolutely that she is going to succeed in everything that she does.” Yamamoto was emotional as he said goodbye to Ginoza at her last meet and looked forward to preparing Swanson for her next big step “It’s more like a mentor-mentee thing at this point,” Yamamoto said it’s really good to have a mentor like that Aika is lucky to have a mentor like Karissa I’m pretty happy of what’s occurring and but I keep reminding Aika that she needs to be the leader this year going forward.” * Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com Copyright © 2025 Maui News Publishing Company LTD | https://www.mauinews.com | 100 Mahalani Street Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More The Hawaii State Senate this week confirmed Judge Lisa Ginoza and attorney Vladimir Devens as associate justices to the Hawaii Supreme Court.  “The two appointees have taken very different paths to the Supreme Court but they both have rich professional and personal backgrounds that will serve our State well,” said state Sen “I am confident that these two justices will serve with intelligence and integrity Devens and Judge Ginoza will bring their unique skill sets to the Supreme Court and serve with a sense of decorum and responsibility.” Ginoza has served as a judge on the State of Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals since 2010 advancing to the role of chief judge in 2018 Ginoza was the first deputy attorney general for the Department of the Attorney General from 2005 to 2010 Her legal experience includes work in the private sector as a litigation attorney at McCorriston Miller Mukai McKinnon Ginoza is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s William S Ginoza served as the chair of the Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Judicial History Center Board of Directors for the American Judicature Society Devens was the founding partner of the Law Office of Vladimir P He was previously a partner at Meheula & Devens having started as an associate when he joined the firm in 1995 Devens has also represented several labor unions including the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers the Hawaii State Teachers Association and others Devens served as a member of the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaii Supreme Court committee member of Crime Stoppers Honolulu His previous public service roles included membership on the governor’s Hawaii Impaired Driving Task Force in 2013 and service as chair and vice chair of the State Land Use Commission from 2007 to 2011 He was a police officer with the Honolulu Police Department for six years and has continued to serve the Department as a volunteer reserve police officer Privacy Policy | About Our Ads Devens were sworn in as Associate Justices of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court by Chief Justice Mark E Chief Justice Recktenwald presided over the ceremony Green nominated Ginoza and Devens in October and they were confirmed by the Hawaiʻi State Senate in November.   Speakers included: Hawaiʻi State Bar Association President-elect Mark M expressing appreciation to those who nurtured them and supported their careers Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.   Vans has hired an executive with roots in Hawaii and deep connections in the sneaker world to lead collaborations with big name designers and creatives who cofounded Kicks/HI in Honolulu and Saint Alfred in Chicago Nike and Converse and was once named one of the 25 most influential people in sneakers by Complex Magazine Ian has worked on collaborations with brands and designers such as Supreme Jun Takahashi and OFF White by Virgil Abloh “Starting as a sneaker shop entrepreneur in Hawaii Vans was one of the first brands that not only supported my business but also genuinely cared about where I came from and was active in my local community,“ Ian said in a statement it feels like I am coming home and I’m incredibly excited to join the brand and help lead its continued approach to driving brand heat through pinnacle collections and experiences.” Posted in: News Tagged with: Ian Ginoza, Vans editorial@shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com advertising@shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com tiffany@shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com Matthew.Yates@emeraldX.com Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E congratulates Vladimir Devens (left) and ICA Chief Judge Lisa Ginoza after they were confirmed by the Senate as Associate Justices. HONOLULU — Congratulations to Intermediate Court of Appeals Chief Judge Lisa M who were confirmed today by the Hawaiʻi State Senate as Associate Justices of the Supreme Court they are being congratulated by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald For more information, read the news release issued by the Hawaiʻi State Senate Devens will be sworn in on a date to be determined ICA Chief Judge Lisa Ginoza and Vladimir Devens surrounded by Hawaiʻi State Senators after being confirmed as Associate Justices of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court The governor said he looked beyond race and gender to consider background and experience An attorney in private practice with strong ties to labor and a veteran judge on the state’s appellate court have been nominated to serve on the Hawaii Supreme Court Josh Green on Monday named Vladimir Devens a Honolulu lawyer from a prominent political family chief judge of Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals Both nominations are subject to state Senate confirmation a process that is expected to be completed no later than Nov “The nominations have to ensure diversity beyond just gender and race,” Green said of his guiding principles in the search process “It’s also background and experience that I was looking for to balance the court carefully this time These two nominees have very different legal backgrounds and it was their diversity and depth of experience that served as the most compelling reasons to select them.” Ginoza has served as chief judge of the ICA for five of her 13 years with the court She also served as First Deputy Attorney General from 2005 to 2010 Ginoza worked for “some of the top law firms in Honolulu overseeing various types of litigation and handled cases at all court levels,” according to a press release from the administration Devens is principal at the Law Offices of Vladimir P Devens and was formerly a partner at Meheula He is also on the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaii Supreme Court and a director for the nonprofit Crime Stoppers Honolulu Inc and was previously chair of the State Land Use Commission Green noted that both of his nominees are products of the state’s public school system and they attended public universities for undergraduate work and then law school Ginoza is a graduate of the University of Hawaii William S Devens graduated from the University of California, Berkeley law school The governor said that he received multiple recommendations for Ginoza it was almost impossible not to consider her after that much input from her peers,” he said “who is known for his Pidgin-laced intellectual opinions,” Green said the nominee “brought a freshness to the process and I really appreciated the ability to have a choice from an exceptional list that wasn’t only people who are currently on the bench.” The governor said Devens also came highly recommended including from “many former judges,” and he downplayed any notion that it was a political pick “I’m pleased that we have such balance between these two individuals one who’s currently at the top of one of the courts and another who’s at the top of his profession as a litigator,” he said while the governor said he wanted to look beyond gender his office said there are currently 40 female and 41 male judges and justices on the state bench Before introducing his picks at a press conference at the Capitol Green praised the other four names sent to him from the Judicial Selection Commission Calling them “exceptional,” the governor said it is likely that all four will qualify for future lists of court nominees the nomination of Ginoza will open a vacancy on the seven-member ICA Mike Wilson and Paula Nakayama retired from the five-member high court upon hitting the mandatory retirement age of 70 Green will likely have the chance to pick a third justice when Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald turns 70 in 2025 Asked if he would like to see the retirement age for Hawaii judges and justices raised Green said as a legislator he submitted legislation to raise the age to 75 I don’t want to at this point meddle further because whatever governor follows me in the coming years should have the opportunities to do what I have,” he said adding that he would leave such decisions to the Legislature The confirmation process will begin with a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Nov “Being a state supreme court justice is an incredible responsibility and the Senate has the vital constitutional obligation to ensure that these appointees are qualified to sit on the highest court in our state Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads said in a statement Monday afternoon “Between now and the special session in November and I will conduct a thorough review of the appointees.” Hawaii Supreme Court and ICA nominations have sometimes been contentious affairs In 2010, the state Senate rejected by a 14-8 vote ICA Judge Katherine Leonard to lead the court. The Hawaii State Bar Association called Leonard, who was nominated by Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, unqualified In 2014, Circuit Court Judge Mike Wilson was approved by the Senate in a 23-1 vote The nomination of Wilson by Democratic Gov Neil Abercrombie raised concerns about Wilson’s treatment of women and his fitness for the job But then-Senate Judiciary Chair Clayton Hee called the allegations “unsubstantiated.” Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter Maui High School senior Karissa Ginoza and King Kekaulike junior Reese Williams have learned a lot through swimming Those lessons have translated into success in the form of Maui Interscholastic League crowns and the title of Maui Interscholastic League Swimmers of the Year as determined by the league’s coaches As she closes the door on her swim career and looks forward to college Ginoza reflected on how her time as a student-athlete has prepared her for the future “I think the two biggest things were definitely grit and balance,” Ginoza said “The amount that you train and to drop a hundredth of a second is insane I’m a lot stronger than most of my peers and just learning how to balance the school aspect with the swimming aspect … Finding that balance and just staying on top of everything else has definitely been a challenge but I’ve grown and it will help me as a college student and even when I enter the real world in the workforce.” who first started swimming at just 5 years old for the Maui Dolphins the sport showed him what it takes to reach his goals “You can be good at anything you want to be good at you just have to try really hard,” he said “It definitely makes me more competitive with everything I do — not even sports related Ginoza capped her final high school meet as the state runner-up in the girls 100-yard backstroke and finished fourth in the 100 butterfly at the K Mark Takai / HHSAA Swimming and Diving State Championships last month She also anchored the Sabers’ 400 freestyle relay to third place she left the Kihei Aquatic Center with four gold medals winning the 100 fly and 100 back as well as leading her team to victories in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay “I definitely couldn’t have asked for a better way to have ended my season,” she said “It was definitely quite bittersweet because it was a great end I finally got that Futures time I’ve been working for the past three years every swimmer dropped time and our relays did really well but also it kind of made me look back at from a different perspective and realize what I’m leaving behind since I’m not swimming in college so it definitely was awesome just to experience that with my team — just the smiles on everyone’s faces but it also made me a little sad on the inside.” Williams was the MIL champion in the boys 100 free and 100 back and was part of Na Alii’s winning 200 medley relay team he was a bronze medalist in the 100 free and fourth-place finisher in the 100 back there’s always room for improvement and I want to get better next year and improve a lot,” Williams said “The progress is probably attributed to my coaches giving me good workouts and my teammates and friends pushing me every day to work harder and harder Williams said he didn’t take any rest days and was right back in the pool preparing for his senior season “I want to get first in states in as much events as I can and I want to break the MIL record in the 100 freestyle — I’m a couple seconds off of it now,” he said “It’s the best time of the year because it’s not just swimming with the club swimmers your peers — everybody is there having fun swimming After swim meets we all go to the beach and it’s super fun.” Williams is joined on the MIL boys first-team All-Stars list by Maui Prep’s Noah Caiserman and Carter Bozich; Kamehameha Maui’s Ryan Wise; Lahainaluna’s Jake McGill and Maison Alexander; and Maui High’s Niji Wada Ginoza is joined on the MIL girls first team by Maui High teammates Aika Swanson and Charie Salacup; Maui Prep’s Sacha Salem and Yuna Lee; Seabury’s Kalla Pellettieri and Tulip Hori; and King Kekaulike diver Lily Barrett Maui Prep’s Michael “Tex” Ritter who guided Na Pueo to their first-ever sweep of the league team titles Being named MIL girl swimmer of the year “means so much I’ve been swimming for the past 12 or 13 years so to finally get this paramount moment of MIL the Sabers senior said she will be studying mechanical engineering and medicine on the West Coast She plans to come back home during college breaks to visit her old team and help coach it was always the people that made it so enjoyable,” she said “Some of my best memories were from training trips or just swim meets where we just traveled to Oahu … I know that when we’re all going through the same grueling set you have the same mindset and connection that I think I’ll miss when I move on.” * Dakota Grossman is at dgrossman@mauinews.com Intermediate Court of Appeals Chief Judge Lisa M Ginoza talks about the role of the Intermediate Court of Appeals in the justice system on Island Focus this week 2019 on Spectrum Cable channel 53 and Hawaiian Telcom channel 53 and 1053 (HD) It will re-air at 4:30 p.m You can also view the program on-demand at olelo.org/olelonet or on ‘Ōlelo’s Youtube channel two days after the premiere date Mahalo to Chief Judge Ginoza for taking the time to educate our community about the ICA and promote a better understanding of the judicial branch of government Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald led the ceremony Friday at Aliiolani Hale Devens are officially associate justices of the Hawaii Supreme Court On Friday the Supreme Court courtroom in downtown Honolulu was filled with “proud family and friends” of the new justices according to a press release from the Judiciary while others watched in an overflow room and on the Judiciary’s YouTube channel Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald presided over the ceremony Speakers included Hawaii State Bar Association President-elect Mark Murakami Hawaii State Trial Judges Association President Judge Kirstin Hamman Judicial Selection Commission Chair Kamani Kualaau Ginoza and Devens were confirmed easily and unanimously in November by the Hawaii State Senate Shortly after, Civil Beat reported that Devens had served as director for a powerful political action committee that helped elect Green governor — information that was not disclosed by Devens and the governor to the state Senate Ginoza and Devens will each serve 10-year terms from Jan Maui High School senior Karissa Ginoza watched her freshman teammate battle through sore shoulders to a pair of impressive finishes at the K Mark Takai/HHSAA state swimming and diving championships on Saturday After Swanson rolled to lifetime bests in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles Ginoza went out and swam a lifetime best in her final high school individual race finishing second in the 100 backstroke at the University of Hawaii’s Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex “It was so awesome to watch Aika,” Ginoza said via phone from Oahu “I’ve been getting super close to her over the past few years just seeing her do so well at such a young age I’m excited to pass the team down to her and watch her throughout the next three years just kill all of her opponents.” the Sabers pair led the school’s 4×100 freestyle relay to third place in the final girls event of the day while Kaysa Ong and Charie Salacup swam the second and third legs Ginoza anchored the Sabers’ foursome and said “Just seeing the smiles on my teammates’ faces as I touched the wall for third was just really awesome.” Ginoza was fourth in the 100 butterfly — her 57.83-second time in the 100 fly and 57.34 in the back were both lifetime bests Her time in the backstroke was also a qualifier for the national-level Futures Championships the first time she has met such a standard “I think I surprised myself more in the 100 backstroke just because I have been training really hard in the butterfly and I’ve been posting times that I’m proud of at practice but for the backstroke I’ve just been stuck at that 58(-second) barrier and being able to dip so low under 58 today just in that one swim was really exciting,” Ginoza said “It’s a time I’ve been working for so when I touched the wall and I saw it on the clock I was ecstatic.” Swanson captured the best overall individual finishes collectively for the Maui Interscholastic League with her pair of medals in the freestyle distance races Her 1:53.48 in the 200 and 5:05.46 in the 500 were both personal bests I did kind of surprise myself,” Swanson said I really just wanted to race and focus on racing the people next to me and I was still really happy with my time.” Swanson relished the opportunity to watch her teammate shine the second she touched that wall and we saw her time — I was jumping really high and I was just really excited for her,” Swanson said Ginoza and the relay added up to 19 points which placed the Sabers fifth in the girls team standings Maui Prep’s Noah Caiserman was third in the boys 100 butterfly in 52.18 The sophomore was also fifth in the 100 back in 54.82 going into it I was … I guess you could you could call them low expectations for the race so to see me come out as third was pretty nice,” Caiserman said “But I know I could have gone faster which is the thing that kind of sucks.” Caiserman said the result in the fly will drive him forward “I’m definitely going to focus on the fly more and get that technique down so maybe focus on the 100 fly and that back half of the race … I can’t be mad about the race.” The MIL swimmers all root for each other when it comes to the state meet so I just love being able to represent Maui,” Caiserman said King Kekaulike had a pair of bronze medalists — junior Reese Williams in the boys 100 free (48.20) and junior Lily Barrett in girls 1-meter diving Williams was also fourth in the 100 backstroke (54.20) but next year I’m going to go for first,” Williams said “It motivates me to work out more — next year I’m going to get some golds.” Williams said the best part of the day was the camaraderie among the MIL competitors I was really happy being from Maui,” he said “All the Maui kids were sitting in the same stands and stuff so we were all cheering when we saw a Maui person.” Barrett was leading the girls diving standings until the final of three sessions that include the final three of 11 dives so I was hoping for first,” Barrett said “I was seeded first up until the last day Barrett was grateful to her coaches — Dr “I have incredible coaches who worked so hard with me this year,” Barrett said really hope to just keep being able to work with them.” Other MIL swimmers to score at the state meet with top-five finishes included Maui Prep’s Sacha Salem who was fifth in the girls 200 free and fourth in the 500 Recktenwald congratulates Chief Judge Lisa M Intermediate Court of Appeals; First Circuit Court Judge James H Ashford (far left); and the newest Judge of the District Court of the First Circuit Kevin T The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Mark E Hawaii State Bar Association; Judge Brian A Josh Green has picked Intermediate Appellate Court judge Lisa Ginoza and Honolulu personal injury lawyer Vladimir Devens to fill vacancies on the Hawaiʻi State Supreme Court Ginoza and Devens were chosen from a shortlist of six nominees put forward by the Hawaiʻi Judicial Selection Commission They include state District Court judge Summer Kupau-Odo state Circuit Court judge Catherine Remigio and Intermediate Appellate Court judges Karen Nakasone and Clyde Wadsworth Green said his nominations served to ensure diversity beyond just gender and race but also background and experience aimed at balancing the court "These two nominees have very different legal backgrounds and it was their diversity and depth of experience that served as the most compelling reasons to select them "I think you get in some ways a change agent in Vlad Devens who has such respect in the community and then incredible experience in Lisa Ginoza we’re very proud of these picks and we’ll be humbly be asking for their support." Ginoza has spent 13 years with the State of Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals — the last five years as Chief Judge Prior to that she served as Deputy Attorney General from 2005 to 2010 and worked in private practice for some of Honolulu’s top law firms handling cases at all court levels Green praised Ginoza as a product of Hawaiʻi’s public school system both as a graduate of Kailua High School as well as the University of Hawaiʻi William S She received her undergraduate degree from Oregon State University "I recognize the significant steps ahead and the important role the Senate plays in confirming the nominees and I very much look forward to meeting with as many senators as I am able in the coming weeks as they consider my nomination I really look forward to those discussions with them," Ginoza said "I’d also like to thank the Judicial Selection Commission There really were a number of wonderful applicants I think extremely highly of all of them," she said Ginoza is looking forward to discussing her nomination with as many state senators as possible in the coming weeks has spent the last 25 years in private practice and was chosen over four candidates currently serving as judges Green praised Devens’ extensive labor experience and said his appointment brings a “freshness” to the judicial nomination process because Devens is not a sitting judge Devens said his diverse background and experience in his legal practice and community work will be a helpful addition to the five-member state Supreme Court He graduated from Kalani High School and earned his law and bachelor's degrees from the University of California I am a product of the public school system and I am very thankful of the education that this community gave to me .. I will bring to the court the same hard work excitement and belief in our Constitution and in our court that has marked my decades of work as a litigator," Devens said The Hawaiʻi State Senate will convene a special session to consider the judicial appointments beginning Nov Ginoza and Devens will fill vacancies resulting from the retirements of Associate Justices Michael Wilson in March and Paula Nakayama in April Green is expected to have another seat to fill after state Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald retires in 2025 Business Bank of Hawaii has announced the promotion of one employee and the expanded role of another will take on the expanded role of overseeing audit services YWCA Oahu has announced its four honorees for this year’s LeaderLuncheon: >> Tori Abe Carapelho is president and chief executive officer of Navian Hawaii Angela Pratt works for Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children >> Rachael Wong is the founder of One Shared Future and co-founder of Safe Spaces & Workplaces Matsumoto is executive vice president of human resources at First Hawaiian Bank This is the 44th year the YWCA will be holding the luncheon to celebrate female leaders in Hawaii Become a sustaining supporter of PBS Hawai‘i with a monthly gift or support your favorite programs with a one-time gift PBS Hawai‘i is a top-rated 4 out of 4 star non-profit Perfect 100% in Accountablility and Transparency Perhaps it was growing up in a Lahaina plantation camp that drove retired Maui High School teacher Edwin Ginoza to spend nearly two decades of his retirement tutoring and leading students to national science competitions “We never were able to live up to our potential,” Ginoza said of his Maui school days in the 1940s and ’50s “We never had anybody to help us along.” When a fellow Lahainaluna student made it into Stanford University we don’t look at those high goals,” he said His students have been admitted to prestigious universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology He taught at Maui High from 1972 to 2000 and then upon his retirement coached students in Science and Ocean bowl competitions besting Oahu private school powerhouses like Iolani and Punahou he led a science club and helped students build the first solar-powered car in the state according to the Maui High School Foundation which honored Ginoza with an Inspiration Award in 2011 He was selected Hawaii Teacher of the Year in 1988 the 77-year-old Ginoza said the long hours of tutoring and traveling with teenagers to the Mainland for competitions have become more difficult At the National Ocean Sciences Bowl in April in Boulder Ginoza said he had a “hard time keeping up.” things he hasn’t been able to complete with the preparation needed for mentoring and tutoring He’d like to spend at least a couple of hours in the morning reading and watching science television shows such as “NOVA,” to learn new material and break it down the material so he could explain it to the students he would drive from his home in Kihei to the Kahului campus to work with the students in the afternoon Sessions also would be held on weekends and during school holidays Subject matter would include physical oceanography who had a master’s degree in oceanography wondered how high school students could answer some of the more difficult questions He rounded up several teachers and former students to train and take students to the Science Bowl and Ocean Sciences Bowl competitions at the state and national levels He will continue to lend a hand and will do some of the administrative work to prepare the teams for competition and to get them entered “I don’t want to leave them flat It takes a lot of work,” Ginoza said Maui High School Principal Jamie Yap called Ginoza G,” an “awesome teacher and person” and said that his “character and loyalty is unmatched.” “He was an exceptional teacher here at Maui High and continued to support our students after he left,” Yap said “That really speaks to his dedication of our youth “It is because of his dedication and hard work that we were so successful It will be up to us to carry on with the work he has done to continue to be successful I believe our staff will be up to the task.” At the school’s recognition night in May the school acknowledged Ginoza and his work he made me believe in myself,” said graduating senior Laney Flanagan on Monday Flanagan was shy and didn’t think she belonged in competitions especially with seniors who knew all the answers But Ginoza kept pushing and encouraging her He urged her to take an Advanced Placement chemistry course when she was a sophomore “He really convinced me I was able to do more,” she said “I didn’t think I could handle it I definitely didn’t think I could go to MIT.” The Kihei resident not only got into MIT but earned a four-year scholarship Her accolades include being the only Maui County student this year to win a prestigious $2,500 National Merit Scholarship Merit Scholars are chosen from a pool of 15,000 finalists nationwide and selected for their potential for success in college studies Ginoza said he found delight in teaching and mentoring students “The kids were really easy to work with,” he said “They weren’t difficult at all.” Some of the students would be “a little rascal” during trips “I still see the kids after they come back” from college Ginoza attended Adams State College in Colorado and graduated eighth in his class of 140 students in the early 1960s but because of finances stayed at Adams State He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with minors in physics and math He continued his studies and earned a master’s degree in education and continued to take physics and math courses he chose to go to Maui High and to stay in the public school system “Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox.” “I wanted to go back to public school I always been a strong believer in the public school,” Ginoza told Wilcox “I always felt the public school is where I grew up I felt we need teachers in public school as much as any place else.” He also knew that working for the state would secure retirement benefits That decision to stay in the public schools was a blessing for students at Maui High Ginoza took special pride when his public school students bested Oahu private school students by winning a regional Ocean Science competition in 2013 “I feel that by our winning we have shown what public school students are capable of doing,” Ginoza said “We try to be a model for what is possible and we feel that we have an impact on other schools.” He’s taken his students to national competitions in Wisconsin a shy and bashful youth now headed for MIT on a full-ride scholarship “It is challenging but enjoyable,” he said * Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com A grant information session for Maui County’s recycling grants program will be at 2 p.m In light of increased property values driving up tax payments the Maui County Council’s budget committee has .. Ginoza and attorney Vladimir Devens as associate justices to the Hawaii Supreme Court “One of my guiding principles for judicial nominations is to ensure diversity — in terms of gender and ethnicity yes — but also in background and experience,” Green said in statement released on Monday “These nominees have very different legal backgrounds but the breadth and depth of their experience in different areas of law and practice were compelling reasons for me to choose them.” The Hawaii State Senate will convene a special session Ginoza has spent 13 years with the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals She also served as first deputy attorney general from 2005 to 2010 assisting the attorney general in leading a department of more than 700 employees including 170 attorneys across 16 legal services divisions and five non-legal divisions covering Crime Prevention Criminal Justice Data Center and investigations In private practice with some of the top law firms in Honolulu Ginoza oversaw various types of litigation and handled cases at all court levels Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S Ginoza is a member of the boards of directors of both the Judiciary History Center and the American Judicature Society She chairs the Hawaii Supreme Court’s Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education. A graduate of Kailua High School she received her juris doctor from the William S Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  “I am grateful to Governor Green for his confidence in me and thank him for this opportunity,” Ginoza said  I look forward to meeting with senators in the coming weeks as they consider my nomination I also thank the Judicial Selection Commission for its earlier role in this important process.” He served as lead counsel in the Hawaii Supreme Court’s landmark child abuse decision in Kahoohanohano v has litigated constitutional privacy right cases, and handled significant litigation involving child sexual abuse issues and numerous wrongful death cases Devens serves as a member on the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaii Supreme Court and as a director for the nonprofit Crime Stoppers Honolulu His previous public service roles include participation as a member on the Governor’s Hawaii Impaired Driving Task Force in 2013 and as chair and vice chair of the State Land Use Commission His activity within the legal community includes several roles with the Hawaii State Bar Association since 2011 and he serves as a volunteer attorney with the Access to Justice Center Following a six-year career with the Honolulu Police Department attaining the rank of corporal Devens remains a volunteer reserve police officer Devens graduated from Kalani High School and earned his juris doctor from the University of California “Having been born and raised in this community and having had the opportunity to serve many over the decades through a very diverse legal practice and through work in our community it is an honor to be nominated,” Devens said “And should the State Senate confirm me, I will bring the same values commitment and dedication that has marked my decades of work as a litigator and through my service in the community.” Ginoza and Devens were selected to fill vacancies on the Hawaii Supreme Court resulting from the retirements of Associate Justice Michael Wilson in March and Associate Justice Paula Nakayama in April They were among six recommendations provided to the Governor after a thorough review of the backgrounds and qualifications of all applicants by the Judicial Selection Commission The confirmation process will begin with a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing chaired by Senator Karl Rhoads on Nov The Senate will convene a floor session on Nov to be followed by a separate decision-making meeting of the Judiciary Committee at 11:30 a.m Final Senate votes on the appointments are expected on Nov Rhoads congratulated both Ginoza and Devens on their appointments “Being a State Supreme Court Justice is an incredible responsibility and the Senate has the vital constitutional obligation to ensure that these appointees are qualified to sit on the highest court in our State,” Rhoads said “Between now and the special session in November and I will conduct a thorough review of the appointees.” By Andrew Gomes Editors' Picks were the center of attention Tuesday at the state Capitol after being being confirmed to the Hawaii Supreme Court State senators filled two vacant seats on the five-member Hawaii Supreme Court in unanimous confirmation decisions Tuesday during a special floor session Josh Green to have Lisa Ginoza and Vladimir Devens fill vacancies created earlier this year when then-Associate Justices Michael Wilson and Paula Nakayama retired because they had reached the court’s mandatory retirement age of 70 a personal injury and labor attorney heading his own private practice received overwhelming endorsements during a public hearing held Friday by the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 5-0 on Monday to recommend that Ginoza and Devens be confirmed relayed the recommendations to his colleagues Tuesday after reeling off numerous accomplishments and highlights during the roughly 30-year legal career of each nominee “Judge Ginoza has guided the ICA since 2018 and prior to that was an associate judge for eight years for a total of 13 years on the appellate bench,” Rhoads (D Nuuanu-Downtown-Iwilei) told fellow senators during Tuesday’s session “Her legal career so far has spanned 34 years.” Rhoads described Devens as an experienced litigator and legal practitioner with 30 years of experience and quoted the Hawaii Bar Association’s written testimony that read in part Devens’ experience — all of which will add to the experience and diversity of the Hawaii Supreme Court.” Ginoza’s testimonial endorsements were largely from members of the local legal community “She would be a great addition to the Hawaii Supreme Court,” Daniel Foley a retired former colleague of Ginoza on the state Intermediate Court of Appeals works well with others and has unquestioned integrity.” Testimony supporting Devens was from a broader spectrum that included representatives of labor unions the business community and the justice system a local civil trial lawyer who has previously served on the Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission said the varied background of Devens — who was a Honolulu police officer for six years is a volunteer attorney with the Access to Justice Center and has litigated child abuse and constitutional privacy right cases in addition to representing labor unions — will be an asset on the court “Vlad’s background I’m sure is going to add tremendously to the court’s depth and breadth,” he told the committee a labor attorney and former Judiciary Committee chair told the committee that some criticism she has heard about Devens not having judicial experience wasn’t a good argument against his confirmation Hanabusa said Devens meets judicial position criteria from the American Bar Association that include judicial temperament Both nominees were deemed to be qualified for the position by the board of the Hawaii State Bar Association told his colleagues during Friday’s floor session that he was impressed that both highly accomplished nominees were graduates of local public schools — Kailua High School for Ginoza and Kalani High School for Devens “We get two public school (products) going to the Supreme Court,” said Fevella (R but they both have rich professional and personal backgrounds that will serve our state well I am confident that these two justices will serve with intelligence and integrity.” Ginoza and Devens join Associate Justices Sabrina McKenna and Todd Eddins on the court which is led by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald The Hawaiʻi State Senate confirmed both Judge Lisa M Devens to the position of Associate Justice to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court but they both have rich professional and personal backgrounds that will serve our State well,” said Senator Karl Rhoads (District 13 – Dowsett Highlands Devens and Judge Ginoza will bring their unique skillsets to the Supreme Court and serve with a sense of decorum and responsibility.” Ginoza has served as a judge on the State of Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals since 2010 Ginoza was the First Deputy Attorney General for the Department of the Attorney General from 2005 to 2010 Her legal experience includes working in the private sector as a litigation attorney at McCorriston Miller Mukai McKinnon Ginoza is a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Ginoza served as the chair of the Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education a member of the Board of Directors for the Judicial History Center and a member of the Board of Directors for the American Judicature Society Devens has been the founding partner of the Law Office of Vladimir P where his scope of practice varies from litigation Devens’ legal experiences go beyond corporate practice including the State of Hawaiʻi Organization of Police Officers Devens served as a member of the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court and as a committee member of Crime Stoppers Honolulu His previous public service roles included being a member on the Governor’s Hawai‘i Impaired Driving Task Force in 2013 and as Chair and Vice Chair of the State Land Use Commission from 2007 to 2011 he was a police officer with the Honolulu Police Department and has continued to serve the Department as a volunteer reserve police officer Hawaiʻi Governor Josh Green has nominated AAPI judge Lisa M Ginoza and fellow nominee Vladimir Devens would fill two vacancies on the court if they are confirmed yes — but also in background and experience These nominees have very different legal backgrounds but the breadth and depth of their experience in different areas of law and practice were compelling reasons for me to choose them,” Gov Ginoza graduated from Kailua High School in Honolulu She earned her law degree (Juris Doctor) from the William S Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa The judge has worked for some of the top law firms in Honolulu Ginoza served as First Deputy Attorney General She currently serves as a judge on the State of Hawaiʻi Intermediate Court of Appeals She has been Chief Judge for five out of her 13 years with the Appellate Court “It is a great honor to be nominated to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court,” Ginoza said in a statement “I am grateful to Governor Green for his confidence in me and thank him for this opportunity I look forward to meeting with senators in the coming weeks as they consider my nomination We are currently funded by our readers and such charitable foundations as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, Report for America/GroundTruth Project & Koo and Patricia Yuen of the Yuen Foundation.’ You can make your tax-deductible donations here via credit card Stock donations and donations via DAFs are also welcomed Contact us at info @ asamnews 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Read our privacy policy for more info general design, a tokyo based firm, has completed a resort complex on the coast of japan images by daici ano secluded from neighboring developments, general design’s structures and plan for the site create an all encompassing experience in which the architecture is integrated into the natural landscape new trees were planted prior to construction to reinvigorate the existing vegetation the chapel is located on the highest elevation on the far side of the site furthest away from the resort entrance to enhance the feeling of an oasis.  the secluded complex’s design emphasizes the tranquility of the seaside’s natural landscape the structure’s point roof consist mainly of large skylights each backed with a grid of aqua-colored glass arranged randomly to defuse the natural light that streams into the interior from every direction the structure’s use of natural light creates a dramatic presentation as the day passes and light and weather conditions change.    the chapel structure is situated furthest from the resort entrance guests are led from the chapel to the banquet hall which maintains the breathtaking views of the pacific ocean the multi-functional space has a similar light and airy feel to the chapel the 4 to 5 meter high ceiling allow for generous amounts of natural light and air to circulate throughout the interior the floor level follows the natural slope of the site  with a 1500 millimeter difference across the space from the entrance side to the ocean side a floor to ceiling window wall creates an easy transition between the beach and interior spaces.  the chapel’s interior is transformed by the light and weather conditions outside scenic paths create easy transitions between the complex’s structures to facilitate the progression of the ceremony additional trees and shrubbery were planted to enhance the existing natural landscape the resort is located in the central portion of the okinawa island in ginoza village the banquet hall’s entrance hall and three banquet rooms have a ceiling height of 4-5 meters the interior embraces the 1500 millimeter natural elevation change on the site seitaro aso / general design construction: asanuma corporation location: ginoza japan site area: 6674.06 meters squared building area: 1131.72 meters squared total floor area: 1308.79 meters squared structure: reinforced concrete completion: december 2016 AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Kyle Ginoza, photo courtesy County of Maui. A county director and insurance agent on Maui are among the distinguished list of individuals included in the annual “40 Under 40” list compiled by the Pacific Business News. PBN published the list of honorees in its May 17 online edition. The list includes Maui State Farm insurance agent, Kit Okazaki. According to a company profile, Okazaki earned a BA from The Colorado College and MBA from the University of Hawaiʻi. His community involvement includes past president of the Rotary Cub of Upcountry Maui, board member of the Maui Chamber of Commerce,  and island musician with the group Nuff Sedd. Also recognized on the 2013 list of “40 Under 40” is Maui Environmental Management Director Kyle Ginoza. “I would like to personally thank Kyle for his work at the helm of the Department of Environmental Management, and congratulate him for receiving this prestigious honor,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa in a county press release. “We are fortunate to have him as a county employee whose talents and dedication go a long way in serving our community,” said Mayor Arakawa. Ginoza was formerly a project engineer in the Department of Environmental Management’s Wastewater Division; and former director of transportation during Mayor Alan Arakawa’s first term in office, county officials said. He reportedly earned degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA. The two will be recognized on Thursday at the Hawaii Convention Center. During the ceremony, PBN will reportedly announce its 2013 Young Business Leader of the Year, and the 2013 American Savings Bank Young Community Leader of the Year. 2013ShareComplex OriginalImage via Complex Original Affiliation: Packer ShoesPacker Shoes is one of the few boutiques that has the opportunity to collaborate with nearly any footwear manufacturer and that can be credited to Mike Packer and his century-long history in the game. Not only does Mike deserve credit for the store itself, but also for facilitating the return of Patrick Ewing and Ewing Athletics to the sneaker world. When companies are looking for a voice from an independent retailer, they call Mike. Affiliation: NikeWhen you design the shoes worn by the best (non-retired) basketball player on the planet, you have some juice. Jason Petrie has been the man behind Nike's LeBron line since the VII, and in a few short years has made quite the impact. It hasn't hurt that LeBron has won two MVPs since Petrie took over his line (and is likely to receive his third in a couple of weeks). Is he this generation's Tinker? Time will tell. Affiliation: Under ArmourIf there is any doubt as to how Under Armour has and continues to position itself in the sneaker world, then you haven't been paying attention. UA's founder and CEO Kevin Plank has taken the company from non-existent in the sneaker world to attracting key people from competitors (the name Tom Luedecke should be familiar) and building a brand that is now selling through quickstrike-type releases in a day. Affiliation: adidasLike what adidas Basketball has been doing lately? Thank Robbie Fuller. As the designer behind Crazy Light and Crazyquick, he's provided the product behind the latest marketing pushes. And no matter how clever the campaign, it doesn't work if the sneakers aren't right. They are. Affiliation: JordanJason Mayden went from being Jordan Brand's first intern to one of its primary designers. From there, he became the Director of Innovation for Digital Sports, resulting in products like the Fuel Band. One of the best things about Nike is that it doesn't let people get too complacent or too settled. Could Mayden be the next Nike president? Why not? (He also helped design the Air Monarch, which may never earn a spot on a favorite list, but remains a bestseller.) Affiliation: VansNot many people would argue that Vans still holds the crown for the number-one spot when it comes to skate shoes. At the helm for Vans is Steve Van Doren, who has been with the company since the age of 10, when his father first launched the business in 1966. Needless to say, Steve has been an important part of the success that Vans has seen in recent years. Affiliation: adidasFormerly the creative director at Stüssy, Paul Mittleman relocated to Germany to do something bigger. As the design director of adidas Originals, he gets to run what's essentially his own multinational corporation, one that collaborates with people around the world and draws from a half-century plus of iconic sneaker design. No pressure. Affiliation: NikeWith the title of Nike Global Energy Marketing Director, it's safe to say that Fraser Cooke can make or break a product's level of success. Orchestrating some of the most successful campaigns Nike has ever done (HTM ring a bell?). Fraser is one of those people in the industry that most people can only hope to work with. Affiliation: NikeNike's Global Creative Director doesn't need much of an explanation. Teague's position allows him to change everything about sneakers and the market. And when he calls, you answer. Affiliation: NikeAs the man behind the Kobe line (amongst countless other designs in your collection), Avar is one of the people behind some of the most successful programs in Nike's history. If you really need anyone to co-sign Avar's place in sneakers, hit up Tinker and he'll confirm, Eric is a boss. Affiliation: adidasCreating the shoes and marketing them is all well and good, but in the end, it's about getting the right people to wear them. That's where Jon Wexler comes in. Think of all the well-known people you've seen rocking adidas Originals over the past few years, and wonder no more about who their connect is. Affiliation: NikeThink of how many different Nikes are released over the course of a year, and how many people—famous and not-so-famous—must clamor to get pairs early. Now imagine being the person who controls the flow. That would be Dawn Baxter, who may very well have the toughest job on this list. After all, she's the one who has to say no. Affiliation: NikeWhen Kanye wears something, influencers follow suit. We're pretty sure Jay-Z would agree. But even more powerful than his ability to influence, Kanye's Yeezy releases from Nike remain one of the most buzzworthy pieces of the sneaker world. If Mr. West were to tweet about the release of the Yeezy III, he'd be a trending topic for two days straight thanks to the anticipation that surrounds everything he collaborates with Nike on. Affiliation: NikeKnowledge is power and if there's a crazy Jordan Retro colorway, Gentry knows about it. Now that he's on the Nike side of things, he has even more opportunity to shape the future of sneakers—not to mention determine what classics return from the vast number of sneakers in Nike's vault. Affiliation: adidas Group CEOWith Reebok Classics moving in the right direction, adidas Hoops coming into full stride ,and adidas Originals continuing to impress with solid new collaborators, the adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer is in some seriously good company. Power moves at this level can change the direction of footwear for everyone that has an interest in sneakers. That's serious power. Affiliation: JordanCurrently serving his second term as Jordan Brand president, Larry Miller is the boss of the second-largest basketball shoe brand on the planet. He left Jordan the first time to become president of the Portland Trail Blazers—one assumes if he leaves again, it would only be to become president of something even bigger. Affiliation: JordanThere is still only one Michael Jordan. He's 50 now, a Hall of Famer, and thoughts of any further comebacks are (hopefully) just talk. But even as LeBron James threatens to encroach on his "best player ever" status, Jordan continues to stand alone as the only influencer who's ever truly mattered. Kids who weren't born until long after he played his last game continue to do anything they can to score his latest shoes. That's power. By entering your email, you agree to receive customized marketing messages from us and our advertising partners. You also acknowledge that this site is protected by reCAPTCHA, and that our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply United StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaCanadaComplex ChineseCOMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive By Nina Wu Cody the Siberian Husky during a walk in Kakaako A set of new custom wheels has given canine Cody a new leash on life The 9-year-old Siberian husky is unable to use his back legs due to neurological issues and back problems owner Carol Ginoza of Kakaako took him out for walks in a stroller but noticed he still seemed sad Jamie Furutani of the Mililani Mauka Veterinary Clinic fitted him with a rear-wheel cart from Eddie’s Wheels of Shelburne Falls The company designs and manufactures “wheelchairs” for disabled pets “There was a huge difference,” Ginoza said “He’s so much happier in the wheels.” a certified canine rehabilitation therapist It might take some tweaking and a few days for animals to adjust to the assistive device “You don’t have to put the dog to sleep because it can’t walk,” Furutani said “Once they realize they get freedom again are attached to the dog via a harness and brace bars Thicker tires are available for grass or beach terrains Ginoza said Eddie’s Wheels allows Cody to sniff around at ground level and socialize with other dogs he meets on their daily walks Front-wheel carts, full-quad carts, designed for quadriplegic dogs and other options are available at eddieswheels.com • FUTURE PLANS: Studying pre-med at a four-year university in California • SPORTS LESSONS: “I enjoy being able to play sports that I love while making a lot of memories with my friends and teammates.” * Sports Spotlight students are selected by athletic officials from Maui County high schools and these profiles are compiled by the sports department of The Maui News The Alexander & Baldwin Foundation makes a $200 donation in honor of each student athlete to their high school’s athletic fund One of the highlights of the opening day of Bengaluru Comic Con 2023 was an interview with professional cosplayer and propmaker Brittani Ginoza to judge the convention's cosplay competition as well as the Bengaluru Qualifiers for the Indian Championship Of Cosplay Competition The Twitchcon 2022 winner sat down with the host in her Samurai Mandalorian costume and talked about her journey as a cosplayer she said that she feels "very loved" by everyone stopping by her booth Like a lot of cosplayers Ginoza didn't start off with the intention of going pro Her first costume was an original character that she describes as a “steampunk medic.” She recalled how she got leather dye everywhere and there were no tutorials or patterns available online so all she was armed with was her sewing skills She further elaborated that foam wasn't even used in cosplay back when she began her journey stating that it was “protected information” before KamuiCosplay began making tutorial videos Some of Ginoza's first props were made from wood using a saw and a belt sander Ginoza didn't even start cosplaying to participate in competitions She just wanted to find something she liked It wasn't until she started winning some big name competitions that she began thinking of cosplay as a career option “Once I won a certain amount of competitions it got serious,” she said she couldn't pinpoint a single one but said getting third place and Best in Show at C2E2 was definitely a landmark She had cosplayed Death Knight Sonya from the Heroes of the Storm game and a Paladin from World of Warcraft While insisting that she is a very competitive person she says her favorite part of cosplay is the backstage culture When asked by an audience member what her favorite costume was she said she doesn't even have a picture of it Throughout her interview she repeatedly stressed how making something that's never been done before is a big part of the creative challenge for her and her peers Her Instagram page sports examples of such like a beautifully intricate Grimoire Weiss from Nier Replicant that's made of foam clay She however said in her caption that she "will not be making this one again In response to an audience member's very thoughtful question about when to give up on a costume she said that “you have to figure out when it's a lost cause.” After elaborating on the details of some of her abandoned projects she added that you can always “take your old thing apart and use it as a pattern.” She ended her session with some final advice to cosplayers in the audience, telling them that cosplay is about fun and you should not have to make everything yourself. "Thrift stuff. Use old stuff. You like Naruto be Naruto." She said she wasn't the most confident person when she began her journey but that love from a supportive community helps cosplayers build that confidence Kyle Ginoza Hawai‘i Gas has hired Kyle Ginoza as the general manager of its Maui operations He will be responsible for overseeing all activities on Maui Ginoza brings 18 years of engineering and operations leadership in the fields of environmental waste management transportation and planning for the public and private sectors He most recently served as director of Maui County’s Department of Environmental Management and is also a former director of the county’s Department of Transportation “Kyle is a proven leader who understands the important role that energy plays in the lives of residents and businesses on the Valley Isle,” said Mustafa Demirbag “As a Maui native and former county director twice over he knows what it means to serve our communities and help them thrive We’re excited to have him lead our Maui team.” who previously served as general manager of Maui operations As the director of Maui County’s Department of Environmental Management for the past five years Ginoza oversaw the management of existing waste and wastewater programs such as waste conversion to energy and bioenergy from agriculture he served as the director of the county’s Department of Transportation setting the vision for the transportation program and executing objectives in concert with the mayor’s directives Ginoza has also served as a project manager for Munekiyo & Hiraga Inc in Wailuku and as a project engineer with Honeywell International in Torrance Ginoza holds a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University as well as an MBA from the University of California at Los Angeles He was born and raised on Maui and was the 1992 Valedictorian of Maui High School Hawai‘i Gas is the only government-franchised full-service gas company manufacturing and distributing gas in Hawai‘i The company’s market includes the state’s approximately 1.4 million residents and nearly 8 million visitors Hawai‘i Gas manufactures synthetic natural gas (SNG) for its utility customers on O‘ahu and distributes liquefied petroleum gas (LPG tank and bottled gas customers throughout the state’s six major islands Hawai‘i Gas is the first company to bring liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Hawai‘i It uses LNG as a backup fuel for its SNG distribution system Hawai‘i Gas is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Macquarie Infrastructure Company For more information, visit hawaiigas.com KIHEI — Maui High School swimmer Karissa Ginoza knows that each Maui Interscholastic League race is an opportunity to grow and improve The Sabers junior’s latest step was at the fourth MIL swim meet of the season Saturday at Kihei Aquatic Center where she walked away with a handful of victories in the 50-yard freestyle “Being able to push on even with all the obstacles that you face as an athlete is important because you’re not going to get your best times every meet so just being able to get back into the pool and practicing harder is what makes a good athlete,” Ginoza said Being surrounded by a field of strong swimmers helps her to push harder in races who led the Sabers to the top of the girls standings with 54 points “I think the competition at the MIL champs is going to be really close between our team “It’s just nice to be able to race with my friends I’m really close to Helena (Colletta) and Maria (King) and just having an opportunity to race after a couple of years is just really nice.” Though the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out high school competition for four consecutive seasons Ginoza has quickly found her groove due to “a mix of the hard training and the people around me.” Seabury Hall distance swimmer Colletta showed she had speed in the girls 50 free finishing just a stroke behind Ginoza at 25.70 seconds “I could definitely feel Helena next to me but I just put my head down and I sprinted to the wall,” Ginoza said I think I’m able to show up and do my best because I’m a racer and I do much better with people around me who go just as fast.” It’s races like those that will benefit Colletta as she strives to drop times in her main events — the 500 and 200 freestyles — and qualify for the K Mark Takai Swimming and Diving State Championships in March “It’s definitely really strong there’s a lot of really fast girls,” Colletta said “There’s a lot of nice competition which is great because it pushes me to race my best I felt pretty good today– I just gave it my best and had a lot of fun.” Following a close and energetic race in the boys 100 butterfly where Maui High senior Patrick Garduque (55.40) edged Na Alii senior Edwin Barrett (59.50) Ginoza jumped into the water to win her round of the 100 flyy which she led from the start Baldwin senior Keanna Campbell extended her lead Anthony’s King came in second at 2:24.80 Campbell exited the pool with a smile on her face after another victory in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:11.60 Campbell said that competing again “feels really good.” “My whole mindset has changed recently I try not to put so much pressure on myself that really helps because I can just go in and do my best and be happy with it no matter what happens,” she said “My coaches have helped me a lot with that and I guess just getting older and realizing that my whole life isn’t just swimming and I’m going to have to move on eventually and so I’m just making the most out of it now.” Coming back into MIL competition as a senior for the Bears Campbell has been trying to step up as a leader for the team “I’m glad I can help everyone out,” said Campbell who anchored the winning girls 200 free relay to beat the Sabers talking to everyone and making sure that the girls are OK.” Lahainaluna ‘A’ (Maison Alexander King Kekaulike ‘A’ (Reese Williams Maui’s Cannon Vines and Lucas Ginoza had the rare opportunity to live and breathe soccer with professional athletes and coaches in Europe Vines and Ginoza were among 36 players from across Hawaii that spent a week during spring break to train learn and watch games with Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) players and coaches on the western coast of the Netherlands “I thought it was an interesting experience,” said Vines “It’s definitely different from Maui the intensity that the Holland players brought was very different and I was pretty inspired by it and I want to bring that inspiration back over here to Maui.” Vines said that his main takeaway from the camp and KNVB players was the importance of bringing big energy and giving full effort during games and practice “It was really fun for me,” said Ginoza an eighth grader at Kamehameha Schools Maui a much different environment because everyone up there are really good players and just do really little things that separates the best players and everyone is just going 100 percent all the time.” Maui and Hawaii island trained alongside their Dutch peers in the professional youth academy systems of five different professional football clubs with additional training by coaches from the Netherlands’ national team at their campus in the town of Zeist This opportunity was the first of its kind for local players and was coordinated by Aleksandar Filipovic the president and director of coaching for Valley Isle Soccer Academy 2008 and 2009 were invited to Europe following a three-day youth training camp put on by KNVB coaches at Keopuolani Park last July “Most of these boys aspire to play soccer at the collegiate or professional level,” Filipovic said in a news release earlier this month “This is an opportunity for them to learn from the elite youth coaches in Dutch football and play alongside peers their age in the professional youth academy system Training in this environment will challenge our boys and help them set benchmarks for their own development.” Joining Vines and Ginoza on the trip were fellow Maui players Vincent Moore La’i Na’inoa Green-Abafo and Corey Swatek The Hawaii players had a packed schedule filled with soccer including a morning training with FC Dordrecht and afternoon training with Excelsior Rotterdam; playing with NAC Breda; practicing with PSV Eindhoven and also with KNVB coaches at the National Campus in Zeist; working with Willem II in Tilburg and then with Sparta Rotterdam; and watching games with other players “The first three (days) were pretty fun and I was having a lot of fun with my friends and bonding with them on bus rides and seeing the different players and their skills but I think the last two days were pretty exhausting because by then I had done six or seven training sessions and I was kind of tired,” Vines said with a laugh “I think one of my favorite parts was training at the national training facility with experienced coaches and their extraordinary field — their fields were nice and very professional The coaches had a lot of tips and things for us to get better and different training exercises.” who’s been playing soccer since he was 5 years old said that “it’s just a different game up there.” “My favorite part was training with the players from the clubs up there,” he said “The biggest thing for me was the intensity that they play at it’s like always 100 percent — how they train Another thing I would take away is the way they play out there is more physical if I’m in a matchup with someone one-on-one all of their body to win the ball and bump me so that I would lose the ball.” both have aspirations to take soccer to the next level you just have to work really hard for it,” Ginoza said OTW by Vans: a new platform where the brand's most elevated product expressions and brand experiences come together with the innovators of art OTW by Vans is a new vision for the most pinnacle expression of Vans conceived under the direction of Ian Ginoza A platform for pushing boundaries and challenging conventions OTW by Vans channels its skateboarding origins to drive a distinct and unique point of view "We are rooting the next chapter of Vans in the attitude and mindset of the brand's true self defined and shaped by the community of original disruptors Skateboarding embraced us many years ago from the fringe to drive culture forward," says Ginoza "Every step forward will be embedded in that original spirit of defiance and exploration as the pioneers and trailblazers of skateboarding did many years ago and that skateboarders continue to do today OTW by Vans is a reorientation back to who we truly are.. The Vault by Vans product chapter will conclude by the end of 2023 making way for the launch of OTW by Vans in early 2024 with its own distinctive e-commerce experience and availability at a curated selection of wholesale partners globally Pinnacle apparel and footwear will be presented in two distinct lines under OTW by Vans: OTW a designated space for product exploration with collaborators to push the edges of design expression an elevated premium collection of classics from our beloved range of iconic silhouettes Both categories are overseen by the OTW by Vans team appointed by Ginoza driving the evolution of Vans' 50 plus year legacy into the future OTW by Vans will welcome new collaborators whose debut release will launch in early 2024 "It is a personal collaboration; it is the first SR it defines a certain West Coast history," says Ruby "The company started in 1966 and has run in tandem to so many skaters and movements that have been influential to me In the leadup to the category's launch at retail OTW by Vans will activate at high-visibility global moments including a live skate exhibition designed in partnership with PLAYLAB and California Skateparks at Paris Fashion Week Menswear Spring/Summer 2024 this week For more information, follow @OTWbyVans on Instagram ImagerySterling Ruby and Ian Ginoza PortraitPhoto Credit: Image Courtesy of OTW by Vans / Sandy Kim OTW by Vans CampaignPhoto Credit: Image Courtesy of OTW by Vans / Liam MacRae Vans® authentic collections are sold in more than 100 countries through a network of subsidiaries Vans® has more than 2,000 retail locations globally including owned The Vans® brand supports the journey of creative exploration and self-discovery across action sports delivering progressive platforms such as Vans Pipe Masters and Vans' cultural hub and international music venue Press Inquiries [email protected] Press Inquiries vans@dlx.co Vans' week-long Paris takeover culminated in a bash blending the energy of Paris Fashion Week Retail Fashion Household, Consumer & Cosmetics New Products & Services Do not sell or share my personal information: a youth-focused conservation and sustainability nonprofit has added three people to its leadership team: >> Darcie Yukimura joins the team as vice president of philanthropy Yukimura worked at the Hawaii Community Foundation for nearly 15 years completing her service as vice president of philanthropy >> Katrina Ogata now serves as Kupu’s vice president Ogata is being promoted from her role as director of impact She has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and education sectors She joined Kupu’s team in 2007 as a program coordinator >> Tania Ginoza has joined the team as vice president of accounting Ginoza has over 30 years of experience in accounting she was chief financial officer at Honolulu Museum of Art Hawaiian Telcom has promoted veteran marketing executive Jamie Kawamoto to vice president-brand marketing Kawamoto has been with Hawaiian Telcom for the past decade She previously served as executive director-marketing communications Kawamoto held leadership roles at Honolulu­-based Tetris Online and Avatar Reality and held marketing leadership positions at Walmart.com By Lee Cataluna Featured Columns As she stood at the lectern at the Blaisdell Concert Hall about to give the commencement address to her graduating class she realized it was exactly 11 years ago to the minute that she had been given a second chance That made her words all the more significant received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Hawaii-West Oahu in a ceremony May 14 She found out just a few weeks before graduation that she would be giving the commencement speech but knew what she wanted to say; not the typical road-of-life graduation speech She worked at McDonald’s for 13 years going from entry-level positions to manager where she worked her way up to banquet coordinator while holding a part-time job at Sam’s Club near her house in Pearl City taking her kids to sporting events and feeling tired all the time When she was diagnosed with heart failure in 1996 "My heart was barely beating," she said which caused severe financial hardship for her family At night when she slept — upright on a La-Z-Boy recliner — her husband would check her pulse to see if she was still alive Her heart was working at only 10 percent capacity even made a tape of some of her favorite songs to be played at her memorial service (including Michael Jackson’s "You Are Not Alone") even including details on what she wanted her husband to wear to the funeral "My family all thought I was nuts," she said "But I was trying to take care of all those hard choices I just didn’t want them to have to worry about anything." Domingo got an urgent call from a transplant coordinator at St Domingo said goodbye to her family in case she didn’t make it terrified by the loud thumping in her chest Her own heart had been weak for so long she had forgotten what a healthy heartbeat felt like She wouldn’t know her donor’s identity for a year a 28-year-old civil engineer for the Board of Water Supply the Ginozas and three of Steven’s recipients have become a family going to parties together and meeting for lunch When Domingo first met Ginoza’s parents his mother asked if she could listen to her son’s heart beat She pressed her head to Domingo’s chest and closed her eyes Ginoza’s gift not only saved Domingo’s life but it also changed her in ways she never anticipated she had a debt of gratitude she could never repay She wants to help families navigate the complicated journey that she herself has traveled Domingo was diagnosed with breast cancer She didn’t want to drop out of school all I would have to think about was the cancer," she said She took one class online and did most of her other work at home sometimes taking her homework with her to chemotherapy appointments She went to class when she felt well enough to attend which is something they didn’t tell me about," she said "That’s when I would study for an exam for two weeks and then when I got the test I wouldn’t even recognize the questions." She says those problems with memory got better over time "My cardiologist told me after the transplant that the heart wouldn’t fail me that if I die it was going to be something else." If Steven’s heart wasn’t going to fail her Though she rehearsed her speech every night leading up to the commencement ceremony "My mother always told me when you speak The first words of her speech were to thank her donor Lee Cataluna can be reached at lcataluna@staradvertiser.com By Dan Nakaso Josh Green appointed two new Supreme Court justices Monday: Vladimir P chief judge of the state Intermediate Court of Appeals The state Senate will begin the confirmation process next month of the chief judge of Hawaii’s Intermediate Court of Appeals and a labor attorney in private practice to fill two vacancies on the five-member state Supreme Court Josh Green emphasized Monday that both are products of public schools Ginoza has been chief judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals since 2018 and graduated from Kailua High School and the University of Hawaii’s William S Devens graduated from Kalani High School and the University of California School of Law and runs a law firm named after him The Senate confirmation process is scheduled to begin Nov 17 with a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee Then the full Senate is scheduled for a floor session on Nov followed later that day by a decision-making meeting of the Judiciary Committee to make recommendations on each nominee The full Senate then plans to vote again Nov “Congratulations to both Chief Judge Ginoza and Mr Devens on their appointments to the Hawai‘i State Supreme Court,” Sen “Being a State Supreme Court Justice is an incredible responsibility and the Senate has the vital constitutional obligation to ensure that these appointees are qualified to sit on the highest court in our State Between now and the special session in November and I will conduct a thorough review of the appointees.” Ginoza and Devens would replace former Associate Justices Paula Nakayama and Michael Wilson Supreme Court justices are required to retire at age 70 The Judicial Selection Committee recommended six nominees to Green who praised all of them and said some of them might be considered for the Intermediate Court of Appeals if Ginoza is confirmed Asked about Devens’ lack of judicial experience Green said he was highly recommended and that Devens and Ginoza will help bring diversity to Hawaii’s highest court “One of my guiding principles for judicial nominations is to ensure diversity — in terms of gender and eth­- ni­city but also in background and experience,” Green said “These nominees have very different legal backgrounds but the breadth and depth of their experience in different areas of law and practice were compelling reasons for me to choose them.” The others recommended by the Judicial Selection Committee were District Judge Summer M.M both associate judges on the Intermediate Court of Appeals Ginoza has been on the Intermediate Court of Appeals for 13 years after serving as first deputy attorney general from 2005 to 2010 she litigated cases including before the state Supreme Court Ginoza serves on the boards of directors of the Judiciary History Center and the American Judicature Society and chairs the Hawaii Supreme Court’s Commission to Promote and Advance Civic Education “It is a great honor to be nominated to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court,” Ginoza said in a statement “I am grateful to Governor Green for his confidence in me and thank him for this opportunity I also thank the Judicial Selection Commission for its earlier role in this important process.” Devens LLC and had been a partner at Meheula Devens &Winer as well as at Meheula &Devens He was lead counsel in the Hawaii Supreme Court’s child abuse decision in Kahoohanohano v has litigated constitutional privacy right cases handled cases involving child sexual abuse and wrongful deaths and has a background in labor law Devens serves as a member on the Disciplinary Board of the Hawaii Supreme Court and as a director for the nonprofit CrimeStoppers Honolulu Inc He previously was a member on the Governor’s Hawaii Impaired Driving Task Force in 2013 and served as chair and vice chair of the State Land Use Commission He serves as a volunteer attorney with the Access to Justice Center Devens was a Honolulu Police Department officer for six years and attained the rank of corporal and continues to serve as a volunteer reserve officer “I am truly honored and humbled with this appointment to the Hawai‘i Supreme Court,” Devens said in a statement “I want to thank the Governor for having confidence in me Having been born and raised in this community and having had the opportunity to serve many over the decades through a very diverse legal practice and through work in our community and dedication that has marked my decades of work as a litigator and through my service in the community.” the Hawaii Alpha Delta Kappa Gamma Chapter awarded more scholarships this year The total amount awarded was $7,000 that went to seven students of the Maui public schools The recipients of the scholarships were Anjenette Rabe from Lahainaluna Lannie Hisashima from King Kekaulike and from Maui High School: Kylie Ginoza Rabe and Hera will both be attending the University of Hawaii Maui Campus Ginoza will be going to the University of Utah Motley will be attending Boston University majoring in economics with hopes of becoming an economic policy analyst Taguchi will be attending Oregon State University to study business with an emphasis in marketing Hisashima will be attending the University of Portland and dreams of becoming a teacher like her mother Payba will be attending the University of California Los Angeles this fall majoring in computer science and engineering Alpha Delta Kappa is an international honorary sorority for women educators Members are dedicated to improving education and the teaching profession increasing world understanding through cultural exchanges and making a difference in their communities through volunteer services Bank of Hawaii announced Tuesday that Senior Vice President Sharlene R Ginoza-Lee will be promoted to chief people officer She will lead and manage all areas of the bank’s People Services division Ginoza-Lee joined Bank of Hawaii’s Human Resources department in 1994 Ginoza-Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles She is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School Hudson will pursue his own human resources consulting business for local HR professionals and organizations The bank also announced Chief Audit Executive Lacey Nakaguma will expand her role to oversee a new division at Bank of Hawaii known as Audit Services to include internal audit and credit review She joined Bank of Hawaii in March 2019 as vice president and senior audit manager and was promoted to senior vice president and chief audit executive in 2020 Nakaguma continues to be responsible for the oversight and execution of internal audit planning she will oversee the bank’s Credit Review department Nakaguma previously worked in auditing and risk positions at American Savings Bank An alumna of the University of Southern California she earned her degree in accounting information systems Nakaguma’s appointment is in anticipation of the retirement of executive director of credit review Wayne Anderson 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: