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Emme Tomimbang: Making Her Mark |
| The veteran television broadcaster talks frankly about her personal life and amazing career. |
Back to School |
| Serving as teachers’ aides in the classroom,
senior volunteers are making a big difference in the lives of Hawaii’s children. |
DEPARTMENT:
A Nation Remembers
From December 2-5, the Pearl Harbor 65th-Anniversary Conference, “A Nation Remembers,” will unite survivors and scholars of the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor bombing. Presented by the National Park Service and the Arizona Memorial Museum Association at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa’s Tapa Ballroom, the conference will feature discussions and analyses by noted historians, authors, and American and Japanese veterans of the attack.
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A detailed examination of the near destruction of the Pacific fleet, the discovery of a sunken Japanese midget sub a few miles outside Pearl Harbor and current research on the USS Arizona are among the subjects that will be covered during the seminars. You also have the option of attending a narrated bus tour of other major attack sites on Oahu on December 3 and a Meet the Speakers reception at the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii on December 4.
Cost of the conference is $25, including an opening reception and all seminars. Pearl Harbor survivors may attend the seminars with one guest free of charge. Tickets for the Attack Site Tour and Meet the Speakers reception are $67.50 and $25, respectively. You must be registered for the conference to attend these events. Registration forms are available online at www.arizonamemorial.org or by calling (888) 485-1941.
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Additional events commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack include a black-tie dinner and dance at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on December 5. Proceeds from the $250-per-person affair will benefit the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund campaign to rebuild the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center and Museum.
On December 7, there will be a public ceremony at Pearl Harbor, featuring military music selections, wreath presentations, rifle salute, Missing Man flyover, special tribute to Pearl Harbor survivors and a keynote speech by Tom Brokaw, former NBC Nightly News anchorman. Call 422-2771.
Hawaii 5-0 Rate for Travelers Aged 50 and Better
ResortQuest Hawaii has introduced a “Hawaii 5-O” rate for travelers aged 50 and better staying in select room categories at all 28 of its hotel and resort condominium properties on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. You’ll receive up to 25% off rack rates plus a gift such as a room upgrade, locally made keepsake, or a bottle of wine or champagne (it differs at each property).
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At check in, you’ll also receive an Aloha Book, which contains attractive deals for dozens of cultural attractions, activities, shows, restaurants and shops. These include the Battleship Missouri Memorial and Don Ho’s Island Grill on Oahu, Atlantis Submarines and Wailea Golf Club on Maui, Kauai Museum and Waimea Brewing Company on Kauai, and Hulihee Palace and Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens on the Big Island.
Hawaii 5-O rates are good through January 1; some restrictions and blackout dates apply. There are no enrollment or membership fees; simply present valid identification such as a driver’s license or state ID to confirm your eligibility. Call (800) 321-2558 or check out the Web site www.ResortQuest.com.
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Joining Hands: Facing Tomorrow Together
That’s the theme of the Hawaii Pacific Gerontological Society’s Biennial Conference, set for November 13-14 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Organized in 1979, HPGS is dedicated to supporting efforts in Hawaii and the Pacific region to provide quality care for seniors and assist those who care for them. The conference will explore some of the ways older people and those concerned about aging can “join hands” to create a better future for all.
Events are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. each day. Topics include Preventing Falls, Maintain Your Brain: How to Live a Healthy Lifestyle, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Hawaii, Aging in Place in Condos and High Rises, and Family Dynamics and the Challenges of Decision Making in Long-Term Caregiving Situations.
The early registration fee (postmarked before October 14) for attendance on both days is $110 for caregivers and seniors aged 60 and older. One-day registration is $75. Cost for those who sign up from October 14-28 is $140 and $105, respectively. Discounts will be given to HPGS members. For details about the presentations and to download application forms, go to www.hpgs.org/conference.htm, call Wes Lum at 586-7319 or e-mail him at wes.lum@doh.hawaii.gov.
Coming Up: Open Enrollment for Medicare Plans
Medicare
beneficiaries, take note: The next open enrollment period is November
15 to December 31 for a January 1 effective date. This is when you
can either sign up for a Medicare health plan and/or a pharmacy (Part
D) plan—or if you already have a plan, it’s when you can
switch to one that better fits your medical and pharmaceutical needs.
United Healthcare (UHC) has contracted with the federal government to offer a program called Medicare Complete Choice, which provides all the services of the original Medicare program plus savings on prescription drugs, preventive care benefits, and lower co-payments and out-of-pocket costs for doctor visits and hospital stays. There is no additional premium to enroll in this program.
UHC’s “Special Needs” program, Evercare, also is
a “$0 premium plan.” It helps eligible people get the
most from their Medicare and Medicaid benefits and addresses their
complete health care needs.
Every month, UHC conducts free informational meetings at venues throughout
Oahu, including Waikiki Community Center in Honolulu, Pearl Country
Club in Aiea, Alanzo’s restaurant at Mililani Golf Club and
Olomana Golf Club Restaurant in Waimanalo. Representatives explain
Medicare in general, Part D benefits, Medicare Complete Choice, Evercare
and other options.
Call 585-7503 for specific dates and times for UHC’s seminars. Registration is required as seating is limited. You also can call the Governor’s Office on Aging, Sage Plus, for a free review of your Medicare coverage options. Their phone number is 586-7299.
Applauding Hawaii’s Star Poets
Friendship,
family, first love, war, growing up, rubbah slippahs—they’re
just some of the subjects students have written about for the Star
Poets Contest, a statewide literacy partnership between Starbucks
Coffee Hawaii and Windward Community College (WCC). The contest is
open to all Hawaii public and private school students in grades three
through 12. It offers cash awards for the winners and their schools
and the chance to be published in a journal posted online and distributed
at all Starbucks stores statewide.
“The poems are so honest—that’s the beauty of the poetry,” says Libby Young, WCC journalism professor and Star Poets founder. “The students are writing about moments in their lives that matter to them. They’re discovering the power of words and how to capture their thoughts on paper. That’s what makes this an important way to support literacy and creativity.”
More
than 3,000 poems were submitted last year. Entries are currently being
accepted for the eighth-annual Star Poets Contest. Entry forms are
available at Starbucks Hawaii’s Web site, www.starbuckshawaii.com,
and may be mailed to Starbucks Star Poets Contest, 210 Ward Avenue,
Suite 100, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814. Deadline for entries is January
12, and winners will be announced in April. Have questions? Call Young
at 235-7396 or Jill Wheatman, Starbucks’ Marketing Manager,
at 523-2206.