Palm Tree Gift Shop closes

Kelsey Walling/Tribune-Herald

Virginia Maeda, 97, is disappointed about the closing of her shop, Palm Tree Gift Shop, inside Hilo Medical Center on Jan. 8. Maeda has operated the gift shop for 35 years as a volunteer along with help from her husband, Garry Maeda. During a meeting with Dan Brinkman, the East Hawaii Regional CEO, they were told to close up and clear out the shop by the end of 2020, so the hospital could use the space for something else.