SUBHEAD: On his 94th birthday Uncle Louis Almodova Jr (Da Mayor of Salt Pond) has beach pavilion named in his honor.
By Juan Wilson on 25 October 2011 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2011/10/salt-pond-pavilion-named-for-uncle.html)
Image above: Portrait of Uncle Louis Almodova Jr. by Evelyn Ritter in front of JJ Ohana Store in Hanapepe, Kauai. All photos by Juan Wilson.
Before 11:00am on October 24th, 2011 his family and friends were there the in main central pavilion at Salt Pond Beach. Moreover many of Kauai County's key political figures were on hand. As council members Dickie Chang and JoAnn Yukimura were having their photos taken with Louis I spotted fellow office holder Tim Bynum in the crowd.
I quipped to the Garden Island photojournalist Dennis Fujimoto that we almost had a County Council quorum, when low and behold Nadine Nakamura arrived. As usual Uncle Louie was charming and hospitable to everyone he spoke to.
Image above: Dennis Fujimoto set up for a photo op. Left-to-right Dickie Chang, Uncle Louis and JoAnn Yukimura.
Soon Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho was there in the county pavilion reading a declaration of the renaming of structure in Uncle Louis' name. Why this man and this structure? For decades Uncle Louis has dedicated part of almost everyday to enthusiastically greeting everyone he meets at Salt Pond Beach Park in front of the main pavilion.
He works the crowd, especially the visitors, with good humored jokes and island anecdotes. He can talk with personal experience about plantation work, playing rumba music, WWII, katchi katchi dancing, operating a tourist bus back in the day and , and world championship baseball - He's got a Senior's World Series Ring in his pocket.
Image above: Mayor Bernard Carvalho reads the pavilion dedication to Louis.
After mayor Carvalho spoke it was time for Louis to speak. His closing comment was made as he pointed to all assembled. "Everything I am today is because of you". Then the crowd at the pavilion formed a circle and thanks were said, then it was time for a generous lunch for all present organized by his daughters Gerry and Pat.
Image above: crowd listens to Uncle Louis' comments. Nadine Nakamura (left), Dennis Fujimoto (center), Tim Bynum (center right), Uncle Louis' son (right).
When I first met Uncle Louis, back in 1997, I was showing my wife Kauai for the first time and we crossed the lawn in front of the pavilion. Then Uncle Louis was a spry eighty-years-old. He shouted out "Aloha! Welcome to the park!"
He carried a golf club handle fashioned with a spike for snaring abandoned soda cans and blowing paper. We talked and talked. We moved to Kauai in 2001 and have been lucky to see Uncle Louis several times a week. We have gotten to know his family too. My wife and I lost our dads. Louis may be your uncle, but for us he is kind of our local dad.
See also:
Island Breath: Uncle Louis Tales - Last Football game & the D7 Bulldozer
Island Breath: Uncle Louis - The Caretaker of Salt Pond
Island Breath: Uncle Louis - The mayor of Salt Pond
Island Breath: Unlce Louis Tales - The Rumba Kings
Island Breath; Uncle Louis Tells the Menehune Fishpond story
Island Breath: Hanapepe Mochi Pounding
Island Breath: Uncle Louis remembers the Eleele School Song
Island Breath: Uncle Louis tells the Two Dragons of Lawai story
.
By Juan Wilson on 25 October 2011 for Island Breath -
(http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2011/10/salt-pond-pavilion-named-for-uncle.html)
Image above: Portrait of Uncle Louis Almodova Jr. by Evelyn Ritter in front of JJ Ohana Store in Hanapepe, Kauai. All photos by Juan Wilson.
Before 11:00am on October 24th, 2011 his family and friends were there the in main central pavilion at Salt Pond Beach. Moreover many of Kauai County's key political figures were on hand. As council members Dickie Chang and JoAnn Yukimura were having their photos taken with Louis I spotted fellow office holder Tim Bynum in the crowd.
I quipped to the Garden Island photojournalist Dennis Fujimoto that we almost had a County Council quorum, when low and behold Nadine Nakamura arrived. As usual Uncle Louie was charming and hospitable to everyone he spoke to.
Image above: Dennis Fujimoto set up for a photo op. Left-to-right Dickie Chang, Uncle Louis and JoAnn Yukimura.
Soon Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho was there in the county pavilion reading a declaration of the renaming of structure in Uncle Louis' name. Why this man and this structure? For decades Uncle Louis has dedicated part of almost everyday to enthusiastically greeting everyone he meets at Salt Pond Beach Park in front of the main pavilion.
He works the crowd, especially the visitors, with good humored jokes and island anecdotes. He can talk with personal experience about plantation work, playing rumba music, WWII, katchi katchi dancing, operating a tourist bus back in the day and , and world championship baseball - He's got a Senior's World Series Ring in his pocket.
Image above: Mayor Bernard Carvalho reads the pavilion dedication to Louis.
After mayor Carvalho spoke it was time for Louis to speak. His closing comment was made as he pointed to all assembled. "Everything I am today is because of you". Then the crowd at the pavilion formed a circle and thanks were said, then it was time for a generous lunch for all present organized by his daughters Gerry and Pat.
Image above: crowd listens to Uncle Louis' comments. Nadine Nakamura (left), Dennis Fujimoto (center), Tim Bynum (center right), Uncle Louis' son (right).
When I first met Uncle Louis, back in 1997, I was showing my wife Kauai for the first time and we crossed the lawn in front of the pavilion. Then Uncle Louis was a spry eighty-years-old. He shouted out "Aloha! Welcome to the park!"
He carried a golf club handle fashioned with a spike for snaring abandoned soda cans and blowing paper. We talked and talked. We moved to Kauai in 2001 and have been lucky to see Uncle Louis several times a week. We have gotten to know his family too. My wife and I lost our dads. Louis may be your uncle, but for us he is kind of our local dad.
See also:
Island Breath: Uncle Louis Tales - Last Football game & the D7 Bulldozer
Island Breath: Uncle Louis - The Caretaker of Salt Pond
Island Breath: Uncle Louis - The mayor of Salt Pond
Island Breath: Unlce Louis Tales - The Rumba Kings
Island Breath; Uncle Louis Tells the Menehune Fishpond story
Island Breath: Hanapepe Mochi Pounding
Island Breath: Uncle Louis remembers the Eleele School Song
Island Breath: Uncle Louis tells the Two Dragons of Lawai story
.
7 comments :
Aloha Uncle Louie, from your friends on Vancouver Island, B.C., Steve and Brenda.It was wonderful to read of the special dedication to you last week. We are looking forward to seeing you at Salt Pond Beach again. Congratulations on this marking of your contributions to the Park, and to your beautiful Island.We can't wait to see it! We are looking for accomodations on the westside so we can max out on our time on your beautiful beach! See you in 2012. xoxo,B. and S.
A chance encounter and a very fortunate encounter to have met and listened to Uncle Louis. A fond and good memory to take back to Michigan.
Jim and Pam. 04/02/2012
Awesome awesome man. Tonight he gave an old softball to our nearly 3 year old son. It was a generous and kind gift. Now little Noah says uncle Louie is his best friend. The world needs more uncle Louie's.
The maddens
mY TIME WITH YOU WAS FUN! HAPPY TO SHARE A BIRTHDAY LUNCH WITH YOU AND MOM! BREAKFAST WAS FUN! THANKYOU FOR SAYING A PRAYER AT THE SALT POND FOR MEL AS WE THREW LEIS OUT INTO OCEAN. YOU ARE A SPECIAL FRIEND. LOVE YOU ,BETH COCK A DOODOODLE DO!!!!
We met Uncle Louie while visiting the light house. He made my day with his stories, jokes and info on Portuguese on the island. Great person glad we met.
Joe, Maria and Emily Barreira
New Jersey
Aloha all and having a man like Uncle Louie is an island blessing. We first met when he brought a trey of Papayas and mangos over to the volunteers clearing the Aina across from his home in EleEle for new Habitat homes to be built. I have seen him greet people of all kinds at Salt Pond, singing with his Ukelele at Hanapepe Art night and at E Kana Kapila at the Aloha Beach Resort on Monday nights. He truly loves his friends and Ohana and beautiful Kauai. We all love him back! Mahalos!
What a great man Uncle Louie is... he is known by so many. Ever since I was a little girl, living on the island, then to move... and back to revisit, he is still there greeting all that cross his path. Thank you Uncle Louie for always putting a smile on our faces! Good Bless You!
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