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WINTER 2009 ISSUE (November 1, 2009 - January 31, 2010)

Ronni Sakamoto
Age:61
Hobby:Golf
Residence: Lititz, Lancaster County, Pa.
Profession:Presenter of Hawaiian culture and ESL educator Graduate of University of Idaho (like Gov. Palin) in wildlife biology and fishery resources

How did you end up in Lancaster County?
Before children, we went on a 15 month pilgrimage to see where we would settle. We shipped our car to Oakland, flew into San Francisco, drove to Huntington Beach via the Pacific Coast Hwy, and bought all our camping gear in Southern California before tenting it cross country for 15 months! What an experience!

We camped in all kinds of weather, and met a diverse bunch of people, as you can imagine! We saw many miracles along the way, and when we finally passed through Lancaster County, the first people we met were a retired Mennonite pastor and his dear wife, who took us under their wing and said, "Maybe God would have you settle here, as everything you're looking for is right here!" We weren't intending on staying and were planning on heading for New England after seeing the sights in Lancaster. But they were right, Lancaster County had everything we were looking for---good churches, job opportunities, and four seasons!

That was 22 years ago. We've lived in Akron, Ephrata, Manheim Township, and for nearly 20 yrs, in beautiful Lititz Borough! Our 2 children were born here and love Warwick Township and don't want to live anywhere else!

What is the best memory you have from your childhood?
Riding my bay gelding, Keo, daily! Though my father was an excavating contractor, we also raised German Shepherds, cultivated an abundance of flowers and fruit on our 2 acres of land, and had a horse, cows, pigs, chickens, turkey, rabbit, cat, turtles, and parakeets. I rode my horse all over the place. Sometimes my German shepherd came along, but other times I rode alone but never thought of danger, though I rode in the mountains.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A dancer, singer, model, and actress. I was a professional hula dancer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Wyoming, Idaho, and California. One out of four isn’t bad, I guess. I was born in Honolulu and was raised in Kaneohe, Kahaluu, Hawaii. That’s where I learned hula dancing … of course!

What is your fondest memory from elementary school?
Besides horseback riding, playing with my pure white German Shepherd dog, Laddie!.

What was your best vacation spot as a kid?
Disneyland, natch!

What was your favorite holiday dish?
Sushi.

What poster did you have on your bedroom wall?
Every teeny bopper poster there was: Fabian, Frankie, Bobby Rydell and Bobby Darin, Shelley Fabares, Connie Francis, and Connie Stevens, etc. I had posters all over all four of my bedroom walls! My mom wondered how I slept with all those eyes looking at me!

Did you ever win a contest as a young person?
I had the experience of being in a local beauty pageant after the photographer of my senior high picture suggested I enter the contest. This was in the good ol’ days when it was fun, and I believed every girl should enter a beauty contest for the experience of it (I’ve long since changed my mind!).

If you made a time capsule as a kid, what would we find in it today?
Model horses and all kinds of pictures of my horse, dogs, pigs, chickens, parakeets, turtles, rabbits, calves, fish, time in Disneyland, and my family and relatives.

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