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Thursday, June 04, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, June 4, 2015

New technology called WindFloat would allow wind turbines with towers as high as 300 feet to float in the ocean near Hawai`i,
connected to cables that would send electricity to land, according to Alpa Wind Energy. Photo from WindFloat
PROPOSALS FOR WINDMILL FARMS FLOATING IN THE OCEAN NEAR HAWAI`I drew concerns from military and environmental groups, as well as government agencies yesterday in Honolulu. The windpower project is proposed by a company from Denmark, the country that banned nuclear power and achieved the highest proportion of wind electricity in the world. Denmark produces from 23 percent to 61 percent of its power from wind each month, depending on how much the wind blows. Denmark has land windmills and nearshore and offshore wind turbine fields, with more planned in the Baltic and North Seas.
     The Hawai`i venture comes from the Danish company Alpha Wind Energy, which would spend $1.6 billion to install 102 wind turbines, each as tall as 300 feet, and underwater cables sending the electricity to land. The first project would be two sites more than ten miles offshore of O`ahu, in federally managed waters, and Alpha contends it could produce 30 percent of that island’s electricity. As in Denmark, additional alternative energy could be produced by more solar. For the wind energy, Alpha would use a new technology called WindFloat, designed to make it unnecessary to extend the wind turbine towers to the bottom of the ocean, which is very deep around Hawai`i, according to a report by Casey Tolen from fusion.net. Tolen wrote that Alpha is still studying WindFloat's ability to resist hurricanes.
Whether the heavy construction of WindFloat can handle hurricanes is
under study. Photo from WindFloat
   According to a story in this morning’s Honolulu Star Advertiser, the concerns came during a meeting yesterday sponsored by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Writer Kathryn Mykleseth reports: “NOAA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they wanted to know more about the effect the turbines and the cables that connect them to O`ahu would have on marine life. The Coast Guard and Federal Aviation Administration were concerned how the turbines would impact aircraft and vessel communication. The Coast Guard is concerned that electromagnetic fields might disrupt vessels’ navigation systems, said Ulysses Mullins, prevention department head at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.
     “The FAA said it would be interested in how the wind farms would affect the airways as the turbines may give false radar readings….    Community members requested that the public be considered by the agencies as a stakeholder. Ron Tam, secretary of the Hawai‘i Fishermen’s Alliance for Conservation and Tradition, said he was worried about the wind farms’ influence on deep-water and nearshore fishing.” See more at www.fusion.net and  www.staradvertiser.com
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

RAW DATA AND OPINIONS on the draft Ka`u Community Development Plan can be seen online. Speak-Out Comments, Focused Discussion Notes, Written Comments and Comments Submitted Online or by Email by the deadline of June 1 are posted for public review at http://www.hawaiicountycdp.info/kau-cdp/plan-input/march-june-2015-public-comment-on-the-draft-cdp.
      The next phase in the CDP process begins during a Steering Committee meeting next Tuesday, June 9, starting at 5:30pm at Nāʻālehu Community Center. Purpose is to review community input and prepare for future Steering Committee meetings. During future meetings, the Committee will consider specific CDP revisions in preparation for recommending a final draft of the Ka‘ū CDP for approval by the County Council. While public comment on agenda items is welcome at Steering Committee meetings, the Tuesday session is not designed as an opportunity for additional or repeated comment on the Draft CDP, says a memo from the county planning department Senior Long Range Planner Ron Whitmore.
      Anyone with questions can contact Steering Committee members or Community Planning Assistant Nalani Parlin. Contact information is available at the project website www.kaucdp.info.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON will be the new branding for the Hilo Naniloa Hotel and Golf Course, a project funded by Ka`u coffee Mill owner Edmund C. Olson Trust and partners, led by Tower Development president Ed Bushor. According to a report in Pacific Business News, the hotel is undergoing a $16 million renovation and will continue to be managed by Aqua Hospitality. Bushor told PBN that a national chain restaurant, with farm-to-table reputation, will be announced soon to handle three meals a day at the hotel. The old music venue, the Crown Room, will become Willie K’s @ the Crown Room. There is also a plan for a Museum Bar in the lobby and involvement of marine artist Wyland.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

TRAPPING, SHOOTING FROM HELICOPTERS AND STAFF HUNTING of feral goats, feral sheep, mouflon and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids are scheduled for June, July and August on Mauna Kea and local hunters and the public can apply for permits to retrieve the meat.  The elimination of invasive ungulates on Mauna Kea has been going on for generations, including a roundup in 1935 when more than 50,000 feral sheep were captured. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, will conduct the new animal control activities this summer within palila critical habitat in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (Unit K), and the Ka‘ohe Game Management Area (Unit G).
A 1935 roundup on Mauna Kea captured more than 35,000 feral sheep.
Photo from DLNR
     According to a DLNR statement, aerial shooting is required for compliance with the federal court order mandating removal of sheep and goats from critical habitat for palila, a bird endemic to Hawai‘i. Control schedules are June 24 and 25, July 28 and 29, and August 26.
     Public access to Mauna Kea Forest Reserve from Waikahalulu gulch, north to Kemole, and east to Pu‘u Kole, Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve, the Ka‘ohe Game Management Area and Mauna Kea Hunter Access Road will be restricted and allowed by permit only for animal salvage purposes beginning at 7 a.m. on June 24 and 25, July 28 and Aug. 26 and 27.
Ungulates destroy the habitat of the palila bird.
Photo from DLNR
     The Mauna Kea Observatory Road will remain open. However, temporary closure, states DLNR, “is needed to minimize the dangers of incompatible uses in the forest area and safely conduct animal control activities.” Hale Pohaku and Kilohana gated entrances to Unit A and G and the gate behind Mauna Kea Recreation Area will be locked/reopened as follows: Locked 8 p.m. June 23, reopened 7 p.m. June 25; locked 8 p.m. July 27, reopened 7 p.m. July 29; and locked 8 p.m. Aug. 25, reopened 7 p.m. Aug. 27.
     Due to high public participation, telephone call-ins to the DOFAW Kamuela Office at 887-6063 for salvage permits will be from 9 a.m. June 17 to 10 a.m. the day before each shoot day. One permit will be issued per call per vehicle for one day only. Applicants can have names added to a stand-by list for additional days, should all slots not be filled by other applicants. No standbys waiting at the gates will be allowed access. Driver, occupants, vehicle license plate, and make/model of vehicle are needed when calling in. A maximum of 15 permitted vehicles will be allowed at the Pu‘u Kohi location.


    Carcasses taken during the shoot will be available to the permitted public for salvage (4-wheel drive vehicles required, and access permits will be issued). There is no guarantee that animals will be able to be salvaged. Salvage locations, which are subject to change, are set for June 24 and 25, and July 28 and 29, and 26 and 27, 2015, at Pu‘u Ko‘ohi. Permittees must meet at Mauna Kea Recreation Area at 7 a.m. sharp.
     Contact the Division of Forestry and Wildlife in Hilo at 974-4221 or in Kamuela at 887-6063 for additional details regarding meat salvage or access permits.
     See more on invasives on Mauna Kea at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/restoremaunakea/home/threats.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ka`u ranchers and farmers are invited to display at Taste.
Photo by Julia Neal
KA`U FOOD PRODUCERS are invited to display and sample their products at the 20th annual Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agricultural Festival on Friday, Oct. 9 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. The ag showcase again offers a free opportunity for Hawai‘i farmers, ranchers and food producers to hookup with participating chefs and attendees during the 6-8 p.m. Taste. The event is also open for agricultural and sustainability-themed organizations wanting to present informational displays.
     Producers and ag-related educational organizations interested in participating may signup online at www.tasteofthehawaiianrange.com or by contacting Christine Osterwalder,christine@vividgecko.com, 808-895-4987. The deadline is July 31.
     Taste headlines 35 statewide chefs who dazzle diners using various cuts of forage-fed meats and a cornucopia of island fruits, vegetables and other farm products. Also on tap is a 3 p.m. culinary activity, Cooking Pasture-Raised Beef 101, presented by celebrity chef and James Beard winner Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s Restaurants.
    Pre-sale tickets for Taste are $45 and $60 at the door. Entry to Cooking 101 is $10 while the 1:30 p.m. class is free. Tickets go on sale July 1 at islandwide locations and online at www.TasteoftheHawaiianRange.com. Watch for ticket giveaways on Facebook at Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Twitter #TasteHI. For general event information, phone 969-8228.
     The ag-tourism event is a partnership between CTAHR, Hawaii Cattlemen’s Association, Hawai`i Cattlemen’s Council, Kulana Foods, UH-Hilo CAFNRM, County of Hawai`i Dept. on Environmental Management and community volunteers. Sponsorship also includes the Hawai`i Tourism Authority, Hawai`i County Research and Development, Hawai`i Community College Food Service & Culinary Program and KTA SuperStores.
To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

EAST KA`U’S STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN hosts a talk story at Cooper Center in Volcano Village this evening from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ruderman will discuss newly passed legislation and seek input on bills to be introduced next year. For more info, call 586-6890 or email senruderman@capitol.hawaii.gov.

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


See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2015.pdf.







Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Big Island Invasive Species Committee is battling albizia trees which, in Ka`u, dot the landscape in coffee and other agriculture fields. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie
SENDING UP ROCKETS SOUTH OF KA LAE from a manmade raft may soon not be the only floating island activity in Hawaiian waters. A proposal to establish floating windmills in federal waters near Hawai`i will be presented today in Honolulu.
      Duane Shimogawa, of Pacific Business News, reported that Alpha Wind Energy’s proposed $1.6 billion offshore wind energy project would be in federal waters off O`ahu’s northwest and southern coasts.
      The project would consist of more than 100 turbines totaling 408 megawatts and would be the first floating offshore wind farm in the United States.
      See bizjournals.com/pacific.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I MEDICAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION recently filed a request with the state Insurance Division to raise premiums for individual Affordable Care Act health plans for 2016. The request for an average 49.1 percent increase is the highest premium increase the organization has ever requested. It will affect about three percent of membership and will cover the much higher than expected medical costs for these members.
Michael Gold
      “At HMSA, we understand the frustration of rising health care costs,” said President and CEO Michael Gold. “We’re a local company that employs more than 1,600 Hawai`i residents. We care about all of our members who are often our family, friends and our neighbors.
      “Our decision to ask for this premium increase was truly difficult. We explored every alternative for a smaller premium, but ultimately had to ask for this increase.”  
      According to Gold, almost everyone in Hawai`i already has health insurance from their employer, Med-QUEST or Medicare, and the small number of people left without coverage often had serious health conditions. Many of these previously uninsured people purchased HMSA’s ACA plans. 
      Because ACA plans are still new, this is the first time HMSA has been able to price these plans using actual claims and health information from these members. “We’ve learned many of these members are using substantially more medical services and prescription drugs than we expected,” Gold said. “Now we have a much clearer understanding of the true cost of caring for these members.”
      This year, several thousand members from the Compact of Free Association countries, including Ka`u’s Marshallese community, purchased individual ACA health plans from HMSA. “These members came to us from the state Med-QUEST program, and we’re honored to serve them,” Gold said. “However, many of these members have conditions that will likely require intensive medical services and expensive prescription drugs.
      “The ACA has helped thousands of Hawai`i residents get health coverage. That’s good for the well-being of our state. But it comes with a price that we’re seeing now,” Gold said.
      According to Gold, other health plans around the country are reporting premium requests as high as 51 percent.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

`Imiloa lauches mobile education programs this fall.
MANU `IMILOA, A MOBILE OUTREACH program aimed at sharing `Imiloa Astronomy Center’s brand of culture-based science education across the island, begins this fall. MANU `Imiloa (Modern and Ancient ways of Navigating our Universe) will take `Imiloa staff on the road with an interactive curriculum inspired by the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s epic Worldwide Voyage and designed to explore skills involved in non-instrument ocean navigation, or wayfinding. 
      Outreach will be offered in two formats. NOIO (Non-instrument Orientation, an Introduction to Oceanic Wayfinding) is a 30-60 minute package that can be delivered on request by K-12 schools and community centers or offered as part of local events. Audiences of all ages gather around a model of the Hawaiian Star Compass or sit inside `Imiloa’s digital portable planetarium to learn how wayfinders rely upon stars and their relationship with the environment to determine course and direction.
      The second offering, KOLEA (Keeping Our Legacy of Exploration Alive), is a two-week-plus curriculum package designed specifically for middle school teachers to adopt for seventh- and eighth-grade science or math classes. Titled The Geometry of Wayfinding, it explores the geometry and science that undergird traditional Polynesian non-instrumental navigation.
      The 2015-2016 KOLEA program will be limited to a first cohort of 10 middle school teachers across Hawai`i Island. Applications close Saturday, August 15. Selection committee decisions will be announced by Sept.1.
      For more information on `Imiloa outreach programs and costs, visit outreach page at www.imiloahawaii.org, email outreach@imiloahawaii.org or call 969-9721.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Springer Kaye
THE FIRST MILESTONES IN A HAZARD mitigation plan to reduce the threat of albizia across East Hawai`i have been reached, according to Bill Buckley, albizia coordinator for the Big Island Invasive Species Committee. “This was all sugar cane into the 1990s, but now some of these trees are 200 feet tall, with massive trunks you can’t wrap your arms around,” Buckley said. The mile-long project created a 300-foot-wide buffer zone on either side of high-power transmission lines in North Hilo and Hamakua and included removal or treatment of more than 14,000 albizia trees.
      Following Tropical Storm Iselle last year, stakeholders from all levels of government came together with private landowners at the behest of Sen. Brian Schatz to develop a plan for mitigation of the albizia threat.
      “The message we’d really like to get across at this point is how 'do-able' this is,” said BIISC Manager Springer Kaye. “The stakeholders who deal with the trees every day developed this strategy. It’s cost effective, and it’s producing long-term results.”
      Buckley’s team has treated an additional 16,000 trees on 200 acres, while hazard trees were managed by project partners, Hawai`i Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Hawai`i County Department of Public Works and Hawai`i Electric Light Co. Impacts are being carefully monitored by researchers at the U.S. Forest Service.
      A bill sponsored by Sen. Russell Ruderman for $2.1 million to fund other portions of the mitigation plan did not make it to the full Senate for a vote this past session, but the Legislature did allocate $1.5 million to the Department of Transportation to address the albizia threat along state highways in 2016.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Sen. Mazie Hirono
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO VOTED FOR THE BIPARTISAN USA Freedom Act, which ends bulk-phone records collection by the government while preserving its authority to investigate terrorism. The measure passed the House last month 338-88 and passed the Senate 67-32. 
      “Today’s vote is a key first step in our ongoing effort to balance our national security and civil liberties,” Hirono said. “I will continue to fight to ensure there are responsible and effective approaches to strengthening privacy protections for law-abiding Americans while preserving our national security. 
      “As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am focused on keeping Americans safe, both here and abroad. We live in a world where terrorism is a serious threat to our country, our economy and to American lives. Our government needs appropriate surveillance and anti-terrorism tools to keep us safe, but it’s Congress’ job to ensure those tools strike the right balance between national security and protecting our privacy rights.
       “The PATRIOT Act’s bulk-phone records collection program does not strike the right balance. I agree with the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals and a large bipartisan coalition that the NSA’s bulk collection of phone records exceeds Congressional authority.”  
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Sen. Russell Ruderman
KA`U’S STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN hosts a talk story at Cooper Center in Volcano Village tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ruderman will discuss newly passed legislation and seek input on bills to be introduced next year.
      For more info, call 586-6890 or email senruderman@capitol.hawaii.gov.

NATURAL FARMING HAWAI`I HOLDS a potluck meeting Tuesday, June 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Komohana Ag Research Center in Hilo. Participants learn how to understand the benefits of natural farming down to their smallest detail by using a microscope.
      According to Natural Farming Hawai`i, “Soil isn’t just a dead medium in which crops grow; it’s a matrix of living things, some beneficial, some harmful. In healthy soil, microorganisms interact in complementary ways, but pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers can disrupt that balance.”
      The presentation at the meeting covers how to use the microscope, how to identify bacteria, fungus and nematodes and what all this means for soil health.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

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



See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf.
See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_June2015.pdf.





Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, June 2, 2015

University of Hawai`i officials have announced plans to improve stewardship of lands UH leases at the summit of Mauna Kea.
Photo from UH
YESTERDAY, ON THE FIRST DAY of hurricane season, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center on O`ahu reported that a poorly organized yet persistent area of weak low pressure located about 1,200 miles southeast of Hilo was producing sporadic showers and thunderstorms. According to CPHC, upper level winds are not conducive for further development as the system tracks slowly toward the west. Today’s report mirrors yesterday’s, with forecasters saying the system, now 1,100 miles from Hilo, will not strengthen. 
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A COMMITTEE OF THE STATE Charter School Commission last week approved changes in the projected enrollment of Ka`u Learning Academy, which is set to open for the next school year. KLA proposed, and it was approved, to reduce enrollment to 85 students, from grades three to six. Previous projections were to accommodate 111 students, but founders of the school requested the change because they believe “it is important to complete … pre-opening criteria as soon as possible.”
     The change was recommended for approval by the staff of the state Charter School Commission.
Ka`u Learning Academy's requested changes have been approved.
Photo from KLA
     Through the commission, licensed charter schools are provided with funds each year. Additional funding is often provided through grants and donations. Ka`u Learning Academy has been raising money through its Gilligan’s Café operations in the old Discovery Harbour golf course clubhouse where the school will be located.
      Edmund C. Olson Trust II has donated two passenger vans to the charter school, and Gary McMickle, who owns 523 acres in the makai portion of Discovery Harbour and plans to build a lodge and shopping area near Wakea Avenue, has offered to donate five acres for a future campus in Discovery Harbour.
      To read more about state funded charter schools, see chartercommission.hawaii.gov. On the About Commission tab, choose commission meeting info from drop-down list to see agendas and minutes from commission and committee meetings.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I IS AMONG THE TOP 10 STATES in the nation regarding clean-energy adoption, according to a new report from Clean Edge, a renewable-energy research and advisory firm. Hawai`i improved its score by nearly five points in this year’s index to 56.5.
Chart from Clean Edge shows Hawai`i's nearly steady increase
in rankings for clean-energy adoption.
      Hawai`i rejoins the top 10 after dropping to 12th last year. Other than last year, Hawai`i has climbed steadily up the ranks since placing 19th in Clean Edge’s inaugural index in 2010.
      Hawai`i ranked third in Technology this year, after California and Oregon. According to the report, Hawai`i’s small island geography makes it ideal for electric vehicles and ranks second in the nation for EVs per capita. Hawai`i also placed ninth in green buildings per capita.
      The report also highlighted Hawai`i state Legislature’s passage this year of the nation’s first statewide 100 percent renewable energy mandate.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I PRESIDENT David Lassner and UH-Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney will implement a plan for improved stewardship of Mauna Kea. They said Gov. David Ige’s statement last week, in which he listed actions for the university to take, is consistent with what they’ve have heard from the community. “We accept that the university has not yet met all of our obligations to the mountain or the expectations of the community,” they said. “For that, we apologize and lay out this outline of an action plan for improving our stewardship. 
      “Some of these implementation measures have been recommended to us in the past. As we move forward, we commit to increased engagement and active listening with the community, particularly from Kahu Ku Mauna, which has provided sage advice and guidance.”
       According to the university officials, the Thirty Meter Telescope will be the last new observatory site developed on Maunakea, and any new observatories may only be placed on existing sites.
      When Caltech Submillimeter Observatory ends operations in September, it will be the first observatory to implement the Decommissioning Plan for the Mauna Kea Observatories and should complete the process by 2018. Officials said they are discussing with directors of other observatories a definitive schedule of decommissioning Return of leased land to DLNR.
UH President David Lassner and UH-Hilo Chancellor Donald Straney
will implement a plan for improved stewardship of Mauna Kea.
      The officials said they will consult with DLNR on how to identify and return to agency management lands that are currently part of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve that are not used for astronomy.
      The officials will restart the Environmental Impact Statement process for the university’s new lease on the Mauna Kea Science Reserve, enabling them to include additional options for consideration and conduct a cultural impact assessment. They said the requested term of the new lease will be substantially less than a 65-year extension.
      Regarding improved management of non-cultural access to Mauna Kea, in June, officials will begin a series of open house sessions for further public consultation, placing particular attention on the scope of rules on access. Draft rules are expected to be prepared by October to begin the formal public consultation phase of the rule-making process.
      The university will work with Kahu Ku Mauna and other Native Hawaiian advisors to develop new cultural training and educational programs about Mauna Kea, including programs for visitors to ensure that all who visit Mauna Kea understand its cultural significance and how to respect the mountain.
      Officials confirmed that the university is making, and will continue to make, full use of its observing time at Mauna Kea observatories.
      Officials will discuss with sublessees the level of their investments in the operational and stewardship costs for the Mauna Kea Science Reserve as well as sublease payments under a new master lease.
      UH will launch a campaign for new scholarship programs for Hawai`i Island and Native Hawaiian students to increase their participation in the sciences. The university will allocate a portion of its observing time to UH-Hilo for use in projects and programs to support greater participation and improved preparation of Hawai`i Island students for professional careers.
        “I thank the University of Hawai`i for taking this initial step to improve the stewardship of Mauna Kea,” said Gov. David Ige. “I look forward to working together to make this plan a reality. Now comes the hard work as we move forward toward a new future for Mauna Kea.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Sciences Camps counselors Laura Baines and Jeff Gross.
Photo from Sciences Camps of America
SCIENCE CAMPS OF AMERICAN welcome new and returning staff this year. Bay Area Astronomy and Physics teacher Jeff Gross returns as an instructor/counselor. This will be Gross’ second summer at Science Camp. Gross is known for his great astronomy lessons and fantastic stories.
      Laura Baines returns as Science Camps’ lifeguard/counselor.
      Ashley Greenberg, a new instructor/counselor, holds a master of science degree from Johns Hopkins School of Education and is an elementary school teacher. When she was a teen herself, Greenberg went to the famous Space Camp in Alabama. 
      For the summer of 2015, Science Camps of America is hosting two sessions based at Pahala Plantation Cottages: Land & Sea Camp will be held June 29 – July 8, and Air & Space Camp from July 9 – 18. 
      Science Camp is a unique opportunity for teens to get out into the field to learn science, do science, meet scientists, make new friends and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Each day, campers head out across the island to learn about volcanoes, the ocean, plants, animals, stars and more. A few scholarships and financial aid opportunities remain available. “Join us for this fantastic science learning adventure!” said founder Michael Richards.
      View Science Camps itineraries and register for each session at sciencecampsamerica.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Kamehameha Schools volleyball Coach Guy Enriques holds camps this summer.
Photo from Kamehameha Schools
KA`U STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO REGISTER for Kamehameha Schools’ volleyball camps. 
      All Day-All Night Volleyball Camp is for high school boys and girls, and a day camp is for elementary/middle school volleyball players.
      Tuition for the high school sleep-over camp June 7-11 is $160 including snacks and three meals per day.
      The day camp June 8-11 runs 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Cost is $115 or, with lunch, $140.
      Kamehameha Coach Guy Enriques, of Punalu`u, heads the camps.
      For more detailed information and registration, see blogs.ksbe.edu/hawaiiathletics/2015/04/24/boys-volleyball-program or contact Guy Enriques at 217-2253 or enriques@hawaii.rr.com or Kapua Serrao at 935.4508.

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL MEETS TOMORROW at 9 a.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo. The meeting is streamed live at hawaiicounty.gov. Click on Council Meetings.
      Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Na`alehu state office building.

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