HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii is gearing up for a celebration honoring local Latin businesses.

Barbara De Lucca, Chamber president, and Janet Aviles and Deyvis Garcia of Taqueria El Ranchero, joined HNN’s Sunrise to preview the Taste of Mana Gala and Latin Business Awards on Nov. 2 at the Aloha Tower Sunset Ballroom.

Taqueria El Ranchero specializes in authentic Ranchero-style Mexican dishes and is a long-time staple in the Wahiawa community, donating the scoreboard at Leilehua High School. They also have a location in Kapolei.

The eatery showcased their social media-famous Molcajete, filled with meat, shrimp, beans, chiles and cheese, which they’ll feature during Honolulu Restaurant Week, which runs Nov. 9-17, and at the Chamber gala.

“As members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, we’re excited to be part of the gala this year,” Aviles said. “We’ll be serving traditional pan de muerto to guests, a delicious and meaningful treat that’s deeply rooted in our culture. It’s a perfect way for us to keep sharing our heritage with the community throughout the year, not just during special celebrations.”

The gala will feature live music by artist John Akapo, casino games, raffle prizes and food from Barrio Cafe, Da Seafood Cartel, Straight Outta Husk, and fun oyster shucking by Oysters Hawaii.

The Chamber will also give out Latin Business Awards, including People’s Choice Awards. The deadline to vote is Oct 18, with winners announced on Nov. 2.

For gala tickets and more information about the Chamber, visit hcchawaii.org.

For more information about Taqueria el Ranchero, visit elrancherohawaii.com.

Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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(Big Sky Connection) A Montana conservation group is holding a photo contest, with a focus on dogs and social media to promote the state’s vast trove of public lands.

The Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund wants photos of people with their dogs enjoying Montana’s 30 million acres of public lands.

Kearstyn Cook, program director for the fund, said those lands are one-third of the state and featuring photos of dogs with their humans in the “Pups for Public Lands” photo contest is an effective way to encourage people to experience Montana’s crown jewels.

“With our best friends, our dogs,” Cook explained. “Because it seems like dogs are also a way of life here. Everyone has them. So, with this contest we are kind of hoping to inspire Montanans to get outside with their dogs in a responsible way that respects our public lands.”

People enter the contest on Instagram by following Montana Conservation Voters, tagging them and using the hashtag “pups for public lands” in their post. The contest winners will be featured on a calendar and the top dogs will get what’s described as a “prize pack of goodies.”

Kim West, professional pet photographer for Missoula-based Lint Roller Productions, is a contest judge who will potentially scroll through thousands of dog photos after the contest closes Monday.

“It’s a tough job looking at cute dog photos but I’m up to the task,” West joked. “One of the easiest ways that people can improve their pet photos is to get low when they’re taking that shot, and to photograph from the dog’s eye level. It really invites the viewer into the dog’s world.”

West added the best time to snap a photo is in what she called the “golden hour,” either early in the morning or just before dusk.