THE LEFT LANE
Stamping out hunger

Have a heart to heart

Nanci Kreidman has teenage daughters and knows how hard it is to get girls to talk to their moms about abusive dating relationships. That's why Kreidman, executive director of the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse, timed the third annual Heart to Heart luncheon for Mother's Day weekend.

The day's topic tackles abusive dating. One in five teenage girls will be involved in a violent dating relationship before they graduate from high school, according to a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health, though some experts say it's really more like one in three.

Speakers will include an abuse survivor and her friends. The lunch, at noon Saturday at the Pali Golf Course Club House in Kane'ohe, is $40 for the pair; scholarships are available. Call 534-0040 for reservations.

Jennifer Rowe, a 17-year-old Hawai'i State Ballet dancer, will compete for a gold medal in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss., in June.

"We are proud that Jennifer has qualified to compete for the United States," said John Landovsky, her HSB teacher.

Rowe is one of 42 dancers from around the world chosen for the Junior Division in what is considered a prestigious element of the dance competition, held every four years.

Former Landovsky students from Hawai'i who previously competed include Romi Beppu, Elizabeth Mertz, Amanda Schull and Bryan Skates. All now perform with professional Mainland companies.