Fellowship is among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members and recognizes the contributions of these individuals to their profession and society at large based on their works, leadership and management, knowledge, and service. The designation of Fellow is conferred on individuals in recognition of exceptional accomplishments over a sustained period of time. Individuals considered for this distinction must be full members of ASLA in good standing for at least ten years and must be recommended to the Council of Fellows by the Executive Committee of their local chapter, the Executive Committee of the ASLA, or the Executive Committee of the Council of Fellows. Christopher Dacus, ASLA City and County of Honolulu (Retired) Honolulu Christopher Dacus received his nomination, in Service, from the Hawaii Chapter. Now retired, Dacus worked for the Hawaii Department of Transportation and Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation for 18 years, contributing immeasurably to the improvement of the state’s open spaces and the preservation of its natural beauty. Devoted to his community and his profession,... ...
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Ken Sugai Appointed to Big Island Water Board
A letter from Mayor Harry Kim of the Big Island states: “It is my pleasure to nominate Kenneth Sugai of Council District 6 to the Water Board. Mr. Sugal is the Managing Member of Keauhou Nursery, LLC. His past work experiences include being a manager at Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union, sales at Big Island Honda Kona and a vacation counselor at Hilton Grand Vacations. Mr. Sugai, a graduate of Konawaena High School, attended the University of Hawai’ i. Active in the community, Mr. Sugai is presently the President of the Hawaii Island Landscape Association, Vice President at Ka Ohana o Honu’ apo, a nonprofit organization that works towards the restoration, improvements, maintenance and protection of the historical and cultural sites’ of Honu’ apo Park.” This year has seen several well failures and emergency water restrictions. If Kona is going to maintain a vibrant and tropical landscape for residents and visitors alike, having a landscaper on the Water Board is more important than ever. Congratulations, Ken! ...
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UH Focuses Research Efforts to Crush the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle in Hawai’i
by Keith Weiser, Ph.D. Something has been munching on Oahu’s palm trees and UH researchers are testing some innovative approaches to stop it. The coconut rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) AKA CRB was found on Oahu for the first time in December of 2013 and a multi-agency response has been combating the invasive insect to eradicate it from Hawai’i. This native of Southeast Asia lays eggs in decaying plant material like mulch or compost and the eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the decaying material. After growing and feeding for several months, the ~3 inch long white larvae go through metamorphosis to become adult beetles. The adults are ~2 inch black beetles with a distinctive horn on their head. The adults emerge at night and fly to palm trees to feed. Coconut trees (Cocos nucifera) are their favorites but they will feed on a variety of palms and other plants including date palms (Phoenix sp.), native Hawaiian palms (Pritchardia sp.), sugar cane (Saccharum sp.), and many common landscaping palms. When... ...
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Malama ‘Aina Nanakuli Style: The NFL Youth Education Town Hawaii
In the last couple of years a number of interesting articles have been written about the new NFL Youth Education Town Hawaii facility in Nanakuli. While most articles have focused on the building and its Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii programs none has focused on its landscape and gardens. The National Football League Youth Education Town (NFL YET) Hawaii, built on 1.61 acres of Hawaiian Home Lands located next to Nanaikapono Elementary School in Nanakuli, is a legacy of the NFL Pro Bowl, which has been played in Hawaii since 1980. It will be the only YET facility built outside a Super Bowl host city. The NFL YET’s are designed to help youngsters succeed by providing educational assistance, job training, technical instruction, life-skills development, and fitness and recreational outlets. The 10,000-square foot facility is managed by the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, which serves more than 14,000 youngsters on Oahu and Kauai, ages 7-17, with programs designed to inspire and enable them to realize their full potential as... ...
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2013 LICH Board of Directors
2013 LICH Board of Directors We have a really exciting new board of directors energized and ready to build a better landscape industry. It’s a Who’s Who of todays Hawaii Landscape Industry with many young up and coming professionals. It’s going to be a great year. First Row (L to R): Boyd Ready, Steve Nimz, Jay Deputy, Lelan Nishek and Garrett Webb. Middle Row: Christy Martin, Rick Quinn, Orville Baldos, Edmundo Reyes, Clifford Migita, and Matt Lyum. Back row: Mark Suiso, Chris Dacus, Karen Ostborg, Carl Evensen, Chris McCullough, Aaron Agsalda, Brandon Au and Randy Liu. Photo by Michael O’Hara. ...
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LICH Director Emeritus
LICH Director Emeritus Recognized at Annual Board Meeting. The members unanimously approved of the selection of Boyd Ready, Steve Nimz, Garrett Webb, Lelan Nishek and Jay Deputy as Director Emeritus. The new Director Emeritus recognizes board members who have served a minimum of 5 years on the LICH board in exemplary fashion. Congratulation to these industry titans for their years of incredible service! A formal ceremony will be held at the LICH Conference on October 10th. ...
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