Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013

Christmas decorations light up Kilauea Military Camp's front row of cottages throughout the month, with Ka`u residents invited to vote for their favorite. Photo by Dave Berry

HEAVY COMPETITION FOR BIOFUEL RESOURCES on the island moved one step closer to reality as the state Public Utilities yesterday approved Hawai`i Electric Light Co.’s contract with a company that plans to produce up to 10 percent of the island’s power requirements. Hu Honua Bioenergy plans to burn biomass trucked in from around the island to its oceanfront Pepeekeo plant, following completion of the renovation of the old sugar mill. The PUC filed its approval yesterday afternoon, permitting a 20-year purchase power agreement.

      Unlike the `Aina Koa Pono proposal for Ka`u, which would use some 11,000 acres between Pahala and Na`alehu, displacing ranchers to grow biofuel crops, Hu Honua plans to purchase farmed eucalyptus and other biomass from diverse sources. Also unlike the `Aina Koa Pono plan, Hu Honua will generate electricity directly to HELCO power lines. `Aina Koa Pono would make the biomass into pellets and process them in 27 microwave processors, each the size of a shipping container, and send the resulting gas up a cooling stack to make biodiesel. The refinery would be on the edge of Wood Valley, and the biofuel would be trucked the two-hour trip along Hwy 11 to HELCO’s power plant near Kona Airport. 

     See testimony from all sides of the `Aina Koa issue by searching this blog and reading the PUC docket at puc.hawaii.gov. Docket number is 2012-1085.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

`AINA KOA PONO MADE ANOTHER PUSH this week with a statement by its consultant AECOM that it has again announced that AKP’s microwave depolymerization process is “optimal for renewable liquid fuel production.” Pacific Business News reports AECOM saying that the process is environmentally sound, producing “substantially less carbon” and requiring “less energy than current petroleum technologies.”
      According to the story, Shawn Kelly, Aecom’s vice president of Energy, said “It appears that the AKP project can be replicated throughout the Islands.”
      See bizjournals.com/pacific.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Duane Kanuha

A VOTE BY A BIG ISLAND MEMBER of the state Land Use Commission has been thrown out by the state Supreme Court, stopping an O`ahu development in a decision concerning land use statewide. 

      Although the Senate rejected Duane Kanuha’s nomination for a second term on the LUC in 2010, Gov. Linda Lingle retained him as a holdover appointment. A lawsuit by Sierra Club Hawai`i challenged the validity of Kanuha’s vote on the Koa Ridge development, which called for reclassification of agricultural land. Sierra Club claimed that, because his nomination was rejected, he was not entitled to serve on the commission.

      Kanuha is currently Hawai`i County Planning director.
      “This is a victory, not only for protecting some of the most productive farmland on O`ahu, but in that it protects the right of the public to have a fair and balanced Land Use Commission,” said Robert D. Harris, director of Sierra Club of Hawai`i. “Hawai`i’s citizens and future generations deserve a Land Use Commission that is fair, balanced, and duly-appointed.”
      See sierraclub.org.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

REAP IS THE RURAL DEVLOPMENT ENERGY PROGRAM that is helping farmers, from taro growers making taro burgers to cattlemen needing power to pump water.

      U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development state director Chris Kanazawa, based in Hilo, said this morning that “the REAP program is Rural Development’s flagship renewable energy program. As part of President Obama’s energy strategy, Rural Development continues to work with farmers, ranchers, and rural businesses to help save energy and improve their bottom line.”

      He gave the example of taro farmer Holbrook Beck, who operates a 20-acre farm to supply Taro Burgers for local and mainland customers. Whole Foods is requesting them by the container-full, Beck said. He said his taro is non-GMO and pesticide free. Kanazawa announced today that Beck and one other Hawai`i agriculturalist recently received REAP funding.
      Under the REAP program, qualified applicants may receive a 25 percent grant and 50 percent low-interest loan to either increase energy efficiency for existing systems or to create new energy efficient systems.

Holbrook Beck, who grows taro for taro burgers, receives REAP funding.
Photo from USDA

      The Rural Energy for America Program, authorized through the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, provides assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to complete a variety of projects. Offering both loan guarantees and grants, the REAP program helps eligible applicants install renewable energy systems such as solar panels or anaerobic digesters, make energy efficiency improvements such as installing irrigation pumps or replacing ventilation systems, and conduct energy audits and feasibility studies.
      Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack noted that today’s funding announcement is another reminder of the importance of USDA programs for rural America. A comprehensive new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill would further expand the rural economy. He called it one reason why Congress must get a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill done as soon as possible.
      “President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities,” he said. “Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values.”
     For more information on how Ka`u residents can apply for REAP grants, contact Kanazawa at 933-8302 or chris.kanazawa@hi.usda.gov.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Colleen Hanabusa

HAWAI`I STATE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION’S executive board has voted unanimously to recommend Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s candidacy to its 3,500 members, said HSTA president Wil Okabe. Hanabusa is challenging Sen. Brian Schatz for the seat Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed him to after the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye. 

      Okabe cited Hanabusa’s support of education and teacher issues.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.   

A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN PAHALA begins today at 6 p.m. around the Christmas tree next to the gas station on Kamani Street. In memory of the late Keala Kailiawa, who started the tradition, the event features gifts for keiki and music and food for everyone, with caroling led by Keoki Kahumoku and his `ukulele kids.

NA`ALEHU UNITED METHODIST CHURCH across from the post office invites the public to Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. The service includes Word, carols and music, ending in candlelight with the singing of Silent Night.
      Call 929-9949 for more information.

HOLIDAY MEALS ARE AVAILABLE at several Ka`u venues.
      Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu offers Christmas Eve dinner today from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Dinners include starters and special desserts. Tomorrow, breakfast begins at 7 a.m., holiday lunch starts at 11 a.m., and Christmas dinner is available from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call 929-9717 for reservations.
      South Side Shaka’s in Na`alehu is open for breakfast and lunch today, closing at 4 p.m. Regular hours on Christmas Day offer breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. and regular menu items until 8:30 p.m. Call 929-7404.
      Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers Christmas Day Buffet from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 for more information.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2013 from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at kauchamber.org.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Dec. 23, 2013

Hannah's Makana `Ohana halau shared hula with Ka`u School of the Arts at Ocean View Community Center, wrapping a Christmas concert series at Pahala Plantation House yesterday. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U HOSPITAL COMMUNITY NEEDS SURVEY is available through Jan. 31, 2014 for area residents to fill out online and help guide the future of health care in the district. 

      Survey questions ask where Ka`u residents are receiving health care, from emergency services to cardiology, cancer and other ailments. There are questions about insurance and needs for improvements as well as the satisfaction of Ka`u residents with current services.
      The short survey can be taken at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX and through a link at krhcai.com, Ka`u Rural Health Community Association.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Measurements of gas emissions from Halema`uma`u are becoming more accurate.
Photo from USGS

BEGINNING JAN. 1, 2014, HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY will report the range of sulfur dioxide emission rates from the summit of Kilauea volcano based on measurements made with a new technique that gives more accurate measurements. HVO reports that, while gas numbers are going up, emissions are not. “Expect to see a dramatic jump in these values, but keep in mind that the actual SO2 coming out of Kilauea has not changed – just our way of measuring and reporting it,” according to the latest issue of Volcano Watch. 

      The new system uses an array of 10 upward-facing spectrometers downwind of Kilauea summit that measures the amount of ultraviolet light the gas plume absorbs. From these data, HVO calculates how much gas is in the plume.
      Gas numbers presently come from one upward-looking spectrometer mounted on top of a vehicle that is regularly driven beneath the gas plume. The data are summed over the length of the vehicle traverse and multiplied by the average wind speed to obtain an emission rate.
      This method, pioneered at Kilauea and used at volcanoes worldwide, works best for gas plumes that appear visually thin and wispy, according to HVO. This was the case at Kilauea’s summit through 2007 and along Chain of Craters Road, where SO2 in the plume emanating from the long-running east rift eruption was measured.
      In early 2008, summit emissions leading to the beginning of the eruption at Halema`uma`u in March ramped up to levels unseen before. During the first half of 2008, the summit plume also became milky in appearance, causing SO2 emission rates to be underestimated.
      The fixed-array system became operational last year, and since then, HVO has been optimizing its performance while comparing it with vehicle-based values and other monitoring data.
      Comparisons between vehicle-based and fixed-array techniques over the past few months have shown that the actual emission rate values were several times higher than pre-2014 estimates. The vehicle-based SO2 emission rate measurements for Dec. 11 were about 600 tonnes per day, while the fixed-array measurements during that week were between 1,300 and 3,100 tonnes per day. 

      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Applications for scholarships and grants provided by the Thirty Meter Telescope
project will be accepted begin next year. Image from tmt.org

THE HAWAI`I ISLAND NEW KNOWLEDGE FUND will begin accepting scholarship and grant applications next year, reports Megan Moseley in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. The funds are for Big Island students interested in science, technology, engineering and math. THINK is an outreach program of the Thirty Meter Telescope project, which is planning to build one of the world’s largest telescopes on Mauna Kea. 

      According to tmt.org, funding of the scholarships and grants “will commence with the issuance of the project’s Conservation District Use Permit by Hawai`i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources in conjunction with the start of construction.” While the project is currently facing a lawsuit, Sandra Dawson, Hawai`i community affairs manager for TMT, told Moseley the THINK program would go forward if no injunction is issued.
      “THINK's vision is to raise STEM education as a core community value,” the website states. “In doing so, THINK initiatives will pave the way for the academic, physical, emotional and social success for Hawai`i Island students so they may become self-directed, lifelong learners who think critically and creatively and function as responsible productive members of society.”

      The fund is designed to provide $1 million per year for STEM-related education on Hawai`i Island over the life of the TMT lease on Mauna Kea.

      Dawson told Moseley that three-fourths of the fund will go to the Hawai`i Committee Foundation, which provides scholarships and grants to students throughout the state, and that the remaining one-fourth will go toward Honolulu-based Ke Ali`i Pauahi Foundation, which supports Kamehameha Schools. 

      Keawe Liu, executive director of Ke Ali`i Pauahi Foundation, told Moseley, “We’re excited to do good in the community. This is going to make a significant impact on the Hawai`i Island and Hawaiian community.”
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ka`u School of the Arts president Bradley Grohs (right) shared hula with Kumu Marcia Laimana Bulusan and students at a Pahala Plantation House concert yesterday. Photo by Julia Neal

DURING CHRISTMAS CONCERTS around the district, Ka`u School of the Arts president Bradley Grohs invited community members to programs for 2014. They include Ka`u Community Chorus, led by Grohs on Mondays at 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Hall, with the offer to hold practices in the other communities as well. Also offered is Hula Kahiko with Kumu Hula Marcia Laimana Buluson. Classes are Thursdays at 4 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. She said she is also willing to hold classes in the other Ka`u villages. Ka`u `Ohana Band, led by Cynthia Decker, meets Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.

Mike Munnerlyn and Mona Chow assembled little red wagons for a past
Pahala Christmas Tree celebraation. Photo by Julia Neal

      For more information on all of the Ka`u School of the Arts programs, call 854-1540 or email info@kauarts.org.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE KEIKI, music and food for everyone takes place around the Pahala Christmas tree tomorrow, Christmas Eve. The celebration is in memory of the late Keala Kailiawa, who started the tradition. The gathering is next to the gas station at 6 p.m. with caroling led by Keoki Kahumoku and his `ukulele kids.

NA`ALEHU UNITED METHODIST CHURCH across from the post office invites the public to Christmas Eve service tomorrow at 7 p.m. The service includes Word, carols, music and joy with the Bells of Aloha hand bell choir and the church choir. The service ends in candlelight with the singing of Silent Night.
      Call 929-9949 for more information.

Pianists Ben Houghton and David Mattson played J.S. Bach's Concerto in D Minor
at Ka`u School of the Arts' concerts around the district. Photo by Julia Neal

HOLIDAY MEALS ARE AVAILABLE at several Ka`u venues.
      Hana Hou Restaurant in Na`alehu offers Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., featuring prime rib, deluxe seafood platter, stuffed acorn squash and shrimp linguine. Dinners include starters and special desserts and music with Ernie Kalani.

      On Christmas Day at Hana Hou, breakfast begins at 7 a.m., holiday lunch starts at 11 a.m., and dinner is available from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
      Call 929-9717 for reservations.
      South Side Shaka’s in Na`alehu is open for breakfast and lunch tomorrow, closing at 4 p.m. Regular hours on Christmas Day offer breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. and regular menu items until 8:30 p.m.
      Call 929-7404.
      Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers Christmas Day Buffet from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 

      Call 967-8356 for more information.

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL placed third in St. Joseph’s tournament held Dec. 19 - 21. Thursday, Dec. 19, Ka`u beat St. Joseph’s 63-59, with Alexis Alejo and Chance Emmsley scoring 12 points, Larry Navarro with 11 points and Brian Gascon with five points. On Friday, Dec. 20, Ka`u lost against Hilo. Scores were 23-59, with Larry Navarro and Franklin Orcino, Jr. scoring five points each. Ka`u boys basketball team will kick its regular season off on Friday, Jan. 3, hosting the Kamehameha Warriors. 

KA`U HIGH SOCCER TEAMS played against Makualani on Saturday, Dec. 21. Ka`u girls soccer lost 7-0, and Ka`u boys lost 3-1. Next match for Ka`u boys & girls soccer will be on Thursday, Jan. 2, hosting Kea`au at 2 p.m. and at 4 p.m.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2013 from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at kauchamber.org.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013

Ka`u's Hawai`i County Council member Brenda Ford, shown at the recent Pahala Christmas Parade, said this morning that she will not seek the state House of Representatives seat vacated by Denny Coffman. Photo by Julia Neal

DEADLINE FOR CANDIDATES for West Ka`u’s state House of Representative District is tomorrow, Monday, Dec. 23 by midnight. Candidates must be been in good standing as members of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i for at least six month, provide signatures showing support from at least five other district Democratic Party members or provide contact information for the five supporters. 

     Candidates must send no more than two pages of description of why they are interested, their experience, community activities and efforts that make them good candidates.

Christmas garb, Hawaiian-style: Kelly Andrade Thome, who grew up in Pahala,
handmade Christmas outfits for herself and her daughter Tehya and proudly wore
 the off-shoulder costume at last night's Pahala Filipino Association Christmas
party. Her Andrade family in Ka`u is Hawaiian, Filipino and Portuguese.
Photo by Julia Neal

     Leaders of the Democratic Party of District 5, which extends from Honu`apo, around South Point and up the Ka`u and Kona Coasts to Kailua-Kona, may choose to interview candidates. The top three candidates’ names will be submitted to Hawai`i Democratic Party chair Dante Carpenter and forwarded to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who will appoint the new House member to replace Denny Coffman, who is resigning in the wake of serious health problems among his family members.
    Anyone needing further clarification can contact John Buckstead, vice chair for West Hawai`i in the Democratic Party, at jbuckstead@hawaii.rr.com.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U’S COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER BRENDA FORD confirmed this morning that she will not be seeking the vacant District 5 state House of Representatives seat. She said she has had many calls and emails but has stood firm in her vow to stay on the Council. “I am not putting my hat in the ring,” she said. “My reason is that I have a commitment and an obligation." She also said, “I really and truly appreciate people's belief that I could help.”  To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Pahala Filipino Association president
Hilaria Panglao. Photo by Julia Neal

PAHALA FILIPINO ASSOCIATION president Hilaria Panglao urged her community last night to remember the Sakadas, the hard working immigrants who came to Hawai`i between 1906 and 1946 to work in the sugar fields. She was speaking at the association's annual  Christmas party and said that many Filipino families here today are “an extension of the Sakadas.” She said that when she first arrived, she was able to interview many of them through research she was conducting with her university professor. A Filipino radio personality and emcee at the party reminded the party-goers that Pahala is one of the few communities left with a Filipino association. Panglao said the organization helps many with socialization and understanding of the U.S. government, in addition to helping the sick and elderly in the community. 

      To contact Pahala Filipino Association, call Panglao at 928-8261.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

SAMPLES THAT COULD BE LITTLE FIRE ANTS were collected on Friday and have been submitted for identification to the Hawai`i Ant Lab in Hilo, according to Michelle Montgomery, of the UH-Pacific Cooperative Studies unit. She said yesterday that “a neighbor of Bay Clinic initially reported possible LFA, and further communications with other people in the area lead to reports of possible LFA on surrounding properties. The ant surveys were conducted and spanned the area of a vacant lot next to Bay Clinic (NE side) all the way to (and including) the park ball field. Samples were collected with locations recorded and are awaiting processing and ant identification.”
          Little fire ants, Wasmannia auropunctata, are the size of pin heads but can be destructive to agriculture and painful to people and pets. Anyone seeing little fire ants can call Hawai`i Ant Lab at 315-5656. See littlefireants.com for more on their identification, distribution and problems that come with their possible invasion of Ka`u.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Pahala Filipino Association's annual Christmas party last night drew caroling,
with members also going house-to-house to sing. Photo by Julia Neal

THE U.S. SENATE HAS UNANIMOUSLY PASSED the Native American Memorial Amendments Act of 2013 introduced by Sen. Brian Schatz and co-sponsored by Sen. Mazie Hirono and several others. Passage paves the way for a Native American Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. honoring Native Hawaiian, Native Alaskan and American Indian veterans. The legislation has already passed the House of Representatives and now goes to President Obama for his signature.

      “In every conflict since the Revolutionary War, Native Americans have answered the call to serve and defend our country. It is long past time for our nation to honor the uncommon contributions of Native Hawaiian, Native Alaskan, American Indian, and other native veterans,” Schatz said. “I introduced this bill so that our nation can recognize Native Americans’ service and patriotism with a fitting memorial. A memorial to native veterans will make sure future generations learn about the sacrifices Native Americans made in service to our nation, and it will commemorate their exceptional commitment to the principles of freedom and democracy.”
      A Native American Veterans Memorial was originally established more than 20 years ago, but has been languishing due to funding and logistical problems. Sen. Schatz’s legislation allows the National Museum of the American Indian to accept donations to privately fund the memorial, as well as enabling the museum to take on a more active role in planning and construction. Previously, the memorial would have had to be built inside the museum building, but Schatz’s bill allows for the memorial to be located on the National Mall.

Amy Javar, grand-dame of the Javar coffee farming clan, said she
picks coffee every day, taking time out last night to distribute
presents at Ka`u Coffee Farmers Co-op holiday party.
Photo by Julia Neal

      As part of his speech, Schatz shared Hawai`i’s record of Native Hawaiian military service and spoke of Congressional Medal of Honoree, Army Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho`ohanohano, who posthumously received the award for his acts of bravery after being killed in the Korean War.
      “My home state of Hawai`i is second to none when it comes to patriotism, public service, and personal sacrifice,” said Schatz. “The heroic deeds of Anthony T. Kaho`ohanohano from Wailuku, Maui, prove just how true this is.”

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

“THE FINDINGS OF THE PRESIDENT’S REVIEW GROUP (on Intelligence and Communications Technology) are consistent with my call for the need to protect the personal privacy of innocent Americans, who have been unnecessarily targeted by the overreach of the National Security Agency,” said Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a co-sponsor of the USA FREEDOM Act. “This report acknowledges that surveillance reform is critical and urgent, and also builds on a U.S. district court ruling earlier this week that indicated that bulk collection of phone records is likely unconstitutional.”

Sen. Brian Schatz spoke of Anthony Kaho`ohanohano in his call for
a Native American Veterans Memorial.

       The USA FREEDOM Act calls for improvements to privacy protections for Americans and limitations of the NSA’s domestic surveillance programs. The legislation primarily targets reforms to Section 215 of the 2001 USA PATRIOT Act, which has been widely blamed for the bulk collection of innocent Americans’ personal data.      “The NSA’s blatant violations of personal privacy and freedoms are extremely disturbing, and it is crucial that Congress take action on legislation like the USA FREEDOM Act to put an end to this abuse of the constitutional rights of the American people.”

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

FIREWORKS PERMITS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE beginning Thursday, Dec. 26. Each permit costs $25 and entitles the holder to purchase 5,000 individual firecrackers. Multiple permit purchases are authorized. Permits shall only be issued to persons 18 years of age or older, are non-transferable and non-refundable. Fireworks sales begin on Thursday and end at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

      Permits are not required for purchasing novelties and paperless firecrackers. Setting off of fireworks for the New Year celebrations are allowed between the hours of 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Permits must be visibly displayed at the site of use during the time of the firing.
      Hawai`i Fire Department asks everyone to kokua in helping prevent fires and also to avoid the unnecessary injuries caused by fireworks each year.
      Regulations and recommendations regarding fireworks are available at hawaiicounty.gov.

Young Kira, of the Orcino coffee family, hands out one of
the many presents at Ka`u Coffee Growers Co-op Christmas
party, with lucky numbers drawn by co-op president
Gloria Camba. Photo by Julia Neal

      For more information on purchasing fireworks permits, or use of fireworks, call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2912 (Hilo) or 323-4760 (Kona).

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

PAHALA PLANTATION HOUSE HOSTS a Christmas Concert by Ka`u School of the Arts today at 3 p.m. with performances by Ka`u Community Chorus, Hannah’s Makana `Ohana, David Matson and Ben Houghton. Call 854-1540. 

VOLCANO ART CENTER HOLDS ITS holiday celebration for keiki today at the Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Activities beginning at 3:30 p.m. include a forest music walk, yule log hunt, kanikapila `ukulele group, marshmallow roast, games, ornament decorating and lighting of the Christmas tree at 6 p.m. Call 967-8222 for more information.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers Christmas Day Buffet Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 for more information. 

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline has been extended to Jan. 31.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2013 from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at kauchamber.org.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.