Chancellor Erika Lacro said that the blog would be updated frequently and “give you an insight about what makes Honolulu [Community College] so special.”

The blog, titled Water Cooler, appears to have gone online early this week.

Chancellor Erika Lacro was the first to post to the blog. Her first post, dated June 10, was titled “Chancellor Lacro Introducing HonoluluCC’s Blog: The Water Cooler.” She has since contributed another post to Water Cooler about the worldwide trek of Hokulea to begin sometime next year.

Ka La reported in February last year that the college’s marine program was readying the famed canoe to be back on the water.

“This blog will be updated regularly with news, events and information happening on our campus and in our community. Our hope is that this blog will give you an insight about what makes Honolulu CC so special…” Lacro said in her introductory post.

The domain name used to host the blog was registered on May 1, 2013, according to a whois search. Water Cooler is driven by WordPress, and presently utilizes the “Delicious Magazine” theme by WooThemes.

Visit “Water Cooler” now

Having the necessary books available is almost as crucial to passing a class as tests, homework assignments and attendance combined. Students in all colleges and universities spend tremendous amounts of money purchasing books or trying to track them down in public libraries.

For the past 13 years, Theresa Kaitner was the middleman between the students and the HonCC and other libraries on the island, helping students request essential books from other campuses.

Kaitner, who retired at the end of last semester, had been working for the UH system for over 30 years. “It’s my dream job,” the Castle High School graduate said. “I used to volunteer back in high school, and I always wanted to be a librarian.”

Keeping track of all the requests and having them ready to send to other schools is not an easy job. “It’s a lot of work,” Kaitner said, pointing to a thick, beat-up, 5-inch binder full of endless sheets of book requests.

But Kaitner did not mind the hard work. “I like to help people and that was my job here. Students are very important to me. and I tried to help them as much as I could,” Kaitner said. “I try to remember their names and what books they like.”

Although her time at the HonCC library has come to an end, Kaitner has big plans for the future. An avid reader and dog lover, Kaitner is planning on traveling around the country to visit family and even visit Italy to try and find her grandparents.

“I’m sad to leave. I loved my job and the people. The people here are very nice,” Kaitner said.

Kaitner is excited about the future of the HonCC library and will surely come back to visit and check out the new library once the construction is complete.

And with the last book request completed, the thick binder tightly closed, Kaitner said farewell to HonCC.

Kealoha

amilton Library.

The free show is open to the public and starts at 7:30 p.m.

The library will be located in this portable classroom facility in the gravel parking lot once it opens next week.

The scheduled opening of the HonCC library has been pushed back again.

School officials now say the HonCC library will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 22 in its new location in Building 7A, the modular building located in the gravel parking lot.

Officials had hoped the temporary library structure would be opened by the start of school, but weather and construction issues caused a delay, said Brian Furuto, Vice Chancellor of administrative serv ices.

During the  temporary relocation this Spring, the library will b e open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday. It will not be open evenings or weekends.

The First Hawaiian Bank ATM machine will also be out of service during
the relocation, however, ATM services can be found in Bldg 6, first
floor across from Financial Aid.

Officials hope to have the library back in its renovated Building 7 location by the start of the fall semester.

The keiki center at Honolulu Community College has received a new five-year national accreditation.

Honolulu’s Keiki Hau‘oli Children’s Center has recently been reaccredited for another five years by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Before dawn Friday, the little modular building that houses the college’s “The Hub” coffee shop was burglarized. It is unclear how many people were involved in the break-in.

According to administrator Michael Barros, a cash register was taken. No money was in the register.

The break-in was captured on the college’s security camera system. Barros, who has not seen the video but had it described to him by a technician, said that the suspects aren’t identifiable.

“They had their t-shirts over their heads, and they were tied,” Burros said, “It was dark and grainy—hard to see.”

School officials acknowledged that they handed the footage over to Honolulu Police sometime before 3 p.m. today.

Barros and others refused to release the surveillance footage to Ka La, saying that it would have to be cleared by another administrator who could not be reached today.

Barros said at least one police officer investigated the scene.

Facilities have been mostly shut down since early December when the previous semester came to an end, and aren’t scheduled to reopen until January 2nd. Except for two security guards seated near the cafeteria, campus mall was deserted today.

More on this story as it develops.

Treinan is an administrative and fiscal support specialist at the school’s Pacific Center for Advanced Technology. She says she  would like to take what she learns as a Wo Learning Champion to improve the work environment and overall morale of staff here on campus.

Raphael, a speech instructor at HonCC since n 2009, he has participated in many activities here on campus. and started  the HCC Debate team. He wants to help encourage and build the confidence in his students so they overcome the anxiety of public speaking to become more persuasive speakers.

The Wo Learning Champions initiative focuses on professional development for faculty and staff in Hawai‘i’s two-year institutions with the goal leadership development and promoting   the enrichment of all at the state’s community colleges.

Both say that becoming a Wo Learning Champion will give them   the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, as well as share their experiences and knowledge with others.

This tool gives students and faculty access to more than 2 million images, all cleared for educational use, including  lesson plans, assignments; student reports and projects; or campus web sites, newsletters, flyers, and bulletins.

Honolulu C.C. student President Kaleo Gagne interviewed by Hawaii News Now’s Ben Gutierrez | Ka La photo by Mathew Ursua

President Greenwood at Honolulu C.C. for scheduled public appearance Friday | Ka La photo by Mathew Ursua

Hawaii News Now:

Hawaii News Now – KGMB and KHNL