Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, June 13, 2015

Ka`u residents can join Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and participate in a hike of Kilauea Iki Trail tomorrow.
Photo by Elizabeth Fien

IN WHAT COULD BE THE FIRST of multiple bills authorizing public-private partnerships to help Hawai`i’s state-operated hospitals deal with budget deficits, Gov. David Ige last week signed into law House Bill 1075. The bill authorizes the Maui Region of the Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation to enter into negotiations for a public-private operational and management agreement. HHSC also operates Ka`u Hospital in its East Hawai`i region.

Maui Memorial Medical Center is Maui's only full-service, acute medical
care facility. Photo from HHSC

      “This bill gives us an historic opportunity to transform the delivery of healthcare to the people of Maui. We have a lot of work to do to ensure the successful implementation of this new law,” Ige said.
      The governor said the state will work collaboratively with the Maui Region Board and HHSC to select a private partner and finalize the terms and conditions of this partnership by the end of the year so that implementation can begin in 2016.
      “We are committed to working with our dedicated public employees who are key to the successful implementation of this policy and central to a smooth transition that is focused on patient care and quality service to the people of Hawai`i,” Ige said.
      HHSC chief executive officer Linda Rosen, M.D., said, “With the enactment of HB 1075, we look forward to eventually reducing the amount of taxpayer moneys subsidizing healthcare delivery in Hawai`i. Through the assistance of a private partner, the Maui County community can look forward to the stabilization of available health services and the eventual growth of new services.”
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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard spoke on the House floor,
celebrating King Kamehameha Day.
Image from C-SPAN

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD SPOKE in celebration of King Kamehameha Day Thursday on the floor of the House of Representatives. 

      “Today in my home state of Hawai`i we are celebrating King Kamehameha Day to honor the legacy of King Kamehameha I, who established the kingdom of Hawai`i in 1810,” Gabbard said.
      “King Kamehameha knew that for a nation to be vibrant, it is fell safe and secure. He proclaimed the Kanawai Mamalohoi, the law of the splintered paddle, as the law of the land. This law still enshrined in the Hawai`i State Constitution today, protects the inalienable rights of all men and women to be safe and secure in their home.
      “Kamehameha also knew that to ensure the health, safety and welfare of his people, it was imperative to create economic opportunities. He invested resources to maintain viable fish ponds and taro patches, protect freshwater streams, fertile soils and forest lands. He built schools and trained an entire new generation of leaders.
      “As we observe Kamehameha Day, it’s a true day of Aloha for the people of Hawai`i. Those who are visiting the Capitol this week may have seen the many fragrant and beautiful flower lei draped on the statue of King Kamehameha in Emancipation Hall.
      “All this week in Hawai`i, across the state, there will be further lei-draping ceremonies taking place to pay homage to the legacy of Hawai`i’s first king. As legislators we’re called upon to embody the servant leadership and humility of leaders like King Kamehameha I.” 

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Filipino veterans of World War II.

FILIPINO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II may receive the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal under legislation introduced by Hawai`i’s congressional delegation. The legislation acknowledges over 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-duty and fought under the American flag against the Imperial Forces of Japan during World War II.

      “The Filipino veterans of World War II have faced many challenges in their fight for compensation, family reunification and verification of wartime service. Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal would go a long way toward making sure that their stories are never forgotten,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono, who in March introduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act, a bill that would expedite the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans. “I have been an advocate for Filipino veterans since I first learned their stories — fighting to reunify Filipino veterans with their families and to ensure that every Filipino veteran who sacrificed for us during World War II can receive the benefits they have earned. Time is running out for the diminishing number of Filipino World War II veterans, and I call on my colleagues in the Senate to award these brave soldiers the Congressional Gold Medal, giving them the honor and recognition they earned.” 

      “More than 200,000 Filipinos who fought alongside American soldiers during World War II have still not been properly recognized for their courageous service,” Sen. Brian Schatz said. “Today, far too many have not received the basic veterans’ rights they earned. While we continue to work in Congress to give Filipino veterans and their families the benefits they deserve, awarding them with the Congressional Gold Medal will honor them for their heroic service and patriotism.”

      “Filipino veterans fought bravely alongside American forces during World War II, and our recognition of their service and sacrifice is long overdue,” Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said. “Our nation owes these individuals our deepest and sincere gratitude. I am pleased to join my colleagues in a bipartisan and bicameral effort to honor these veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal, a well-earned tribute for their service.”

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SEVENTH ANNUAL VOLCANO POTTERY SALE continues today until 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village.

      The public is invited to bid for new work by each potter in a silent auction. Demonstrations of throwing on the potter’s wheel take place today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
      Call 985-8530 or email ron@ryhpottery.com for more information.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND AND FRIENDS host their first-ever underwater cleanup event on Hawai`i Island tomorrow at South Point. Divers are coming from as far away as Japan and Canada for the cleanup.
      Email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or meet at the hoists at 10 a.m. with dive gear. The one-tank dive should be pau around lunchtime.

CHERYL GANSECKI LEADS A FOUR-MILE Sunday Walk in the Park exploring Kilauea Iki Crater tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This monthly program, offered on second Sundays, brings together members of Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park to share in the park’s trails. Participants should bring a bag lunch for a rest stop along the walk.

Cheryl Gansecki

       Kilauea Iki Trail begins on the crater’s forested rim. The trail descends 400 feet through the rain forest, with native birds flitting through the canopy, onto the crater floor. Hikers cross the still-steaming crater past the gaping throat of the vent that built Pu`u Pua`i cinder cone and ascend the far rim. Of interest on the hike are forest plants, birds, insects, the 1959 lava lake, steam vents and cinder and spatter cones. 

       This hike, rated moderately difficult, traverses pahoehoe lava and forested trails. Participants should be prepared for the 4,000-foot elevation as well as for variable weather conditions, including sunny, windy, chilly and/or rainy.
       Sunday Walks in the Park are free for Friends members, and non-members are welcome to join the Friends in order to attend. Annual memberships, $30 for individuals and $45 for families, come with a variety of benefits.
       To register, contact FHVNP at 985-7373 or admin@fhvnp.org. For more information, visit www.fhvnp.org. Park entrance fees apply.

KA`U RANCHERS CAN LEARN about a Mobile Slaughter Unit tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Hawai`i Island Meat presents this informational workshop for producers interested in accessing the service. For more information, see hawaiiislandmeat.com or email hawaiiislandmeat@gmail.com.

REGISTRATION CONTINUES for the sixth annual Volcano Rain Forest Runs taking place in Volcano Village on Saturday, Aug. 22. “Whether it’s the Half Marathon, 10K or 5K participants are guaranteed of being in one of the most unique and beautiful places on earth, the enchanting native rain forests of Hawai`i,” said race director Sharron Faff. 

      The Half Marathon begins at 7 a.m. followed by the 10K at 7:45 a.m. with the 5K at 8 a.m. All runs start and finish at Cooper Center on Wright Road.
      Keiki ages 1-7 can register for the free 100- or 200-yard dash on race morning until 9:30 a.m. The Keiki runs sponsored by Kilauea Lodge begin at 10 a.m. All entrants will receive a ribbon and other goodies after coming through the finish line. Everyone is a winner.
      Volcano Rotary Club will be serving a BBQ Grill Lunch from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. for $9.
      There will be entertainment for everyone with juggling, face painting and balloon animals, plus other craft booths, food booths, music and much, much more. A great family fun day.
      Volcano Half Marathon is also the final event for the Big Island Half Marathon Triple Crown Series. All participants will have completed the Hilo, Kona and Volcano Half Marathons.
      For more information, maps, FAQ’s, and registration information, see volcanorainforestruns.com or call 967-8240.

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.

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, June 12, 2015

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park received a federal award for its many environmentally responsible efforts, including recycling.
NPS Photo

AN EXAMPLE OF SAVING THREATENED agricultural land is rolling out on O`ahu, where Hawai`i lawmakers have allocated $10 million to purchase 500 acres of ag land for a project to revitalize the local ag industry. According to a story in Pacific Business News, the plan is to bring farmers and the state together to increase local food production, create jobs and provide affordable housing.

The state is purchasing ag land on O`ahu to keep it in food production.
Photo from ADC

      The most threatened ag land in Ka`u where farmers are hoping for a plan for land security is at Moa`ula and Pear Tree. There, above Pahala, displaced sugar workers and other local farmers have built a successful coffee industry during the last two decades, only to find themselves with the land up for sale, the coffee used to market the land, and no long-term leases.
      In another state effort to save ag land, but on O`ahu, PBN reported that the state Legislature appropriated $500,000 to study feasibility of exchanging state land for 5,000 acres that Dole Food Co. wants to sell.
      The state previously acquired a warehouse in Central O`ahu for $4.3 million, beginning a plan that includes thousands of acres of farmlands and an agricultural hub with an ag technology park, an ag foreign-trade zone, workforce housing and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at University of Hawai`i Manoa.
      The state’s Agribusiness Development Corp., an agency of the Department of Agriculture, is heading the plan. ADC’s mission is to acquire and manage, in partnership with farmers, ranchers and aquaculture groups, selected high-value lands, water systems and infrastructure for commercial agricultural use and to direct research into areas that will lead to development of new crops, markets and lower production costs.
      The agency’s main goals are to transition former plantation land and water systems for diversified agriculture, initiate development of facilities and provide support as necessary for successful diversified agriculture and provide solutions to certain bottleneck issues facing the agriculture industry.

      See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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Hawai`i's endangered false killer whales are seldom seen.
Photo by Julie E. Steelman 

FALSE KILLER WHALES HAVE BEEN SEEN in Big Island waters, and Ka`u fishermen, paddlers, surfers and divers are urged to report any sightings along the Ka`u Coast. The endangered mammals are actually a dolphin species and can be identified by their gray throats and necks. They have slender bodies with elongated, tapered heads. Tall dorsal fins are sickle-shaped, and flippers are narrow, short and pointed. Their fins and flippers have distinctive humps or bulges in the middle of front edges. 

      The social animals travel in pods of 10 to 20 individuals and dine on fish, including ono, mahimahi and tuna, as well as cephalopods. Hawaiian populations, estimated to be around 130 individuals, are the most studied groups of false killer whales.
     The pod seen last week near Kohala was most recently seen four years ago, with one of them not seen for almost three decades.
      Call 800-747-7329 with any sightings.
      For more information, see cascadiaresearch.org/Hawaii/MayJune2015.htm.

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THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY recognized Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park with the agency’s Federal Green Challenge Regional Overall Achievement award as part of its efforts to encourage federal departments to reduce their environmental footprints through sustainable practices.

      “We applaud National Park Service staff for leading the way toward zero waste and educating the millions of visitors to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This unique landscape deserves protection, and that starts with the commitment by the federal employees who work there.”
      “We are extremely honored to receive this level of recognition for our climate-friendly efforts,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “Our staff is dedicated to implementing environmentally responsible practices, and we encourage our visitors and park partners to do the same.”

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park encourages
visitors to avoid plastic bottles.

       The park had top regional achievements in the Federal Green Challenge Waste and Purchasing target areas, increasing recycling by 167 percent to achieve an overall rate of 76 percent, while decreasing copy paper purchases by 89 percent. In addition, 95 percent of its cleaning products met Environmental Preferable Purchasing criteria.

       Park employees reach out to the community and visitors throughout the year with programs, exhibits and presentations on the values and importance of being climate friendly and sustainable.       

      The park actively works to reduce their environmental footprint in all six Federal Green Challenge target areas: energy, water, waste, electronics, purchasing and transportation. 

       The park is home to Hawai`i’s largest public rainwater catchment system that stores 5.3 million gallons of water that is treated, filtered with cartridge and sand filters and disinfected to supply water to 56 areas throughout the park. Water bottle refilling stations, posters and sale of refillable stainless steel water bottles educate the public to “Step Away from the Plastic.”
       In addition, the park’s Visitor Emergency Operations Center, which opened in 2011, earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is currently the only federal building in Hawai`i to receive LEED Platinum certification. The 4,896-square-foot building is powered by photovoltaic panels and is constructed from mostly recycled or reused materials. 

      The park has made more great strides in conserving energy. Park rangers ride electrically powered Eco Bikes to their programs along the Kilauea summit, saving fossil fuels and parking spaces. Kilauea Visitor Center features special yellow LED lighting to conserve energy and keep night skies dark. Solar panels generate renewable energy, and electric and alternative fuel vehicles further reduce energy and transportation-related emissions.

      For more information on the Federal Green Challenge, see epa.gov/fgc.
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THE COALITION FOR TOBACCO-FREE HAWAI`I-East Hawai`i awarded Bay Clinic Inc. the third annual Community Excellence award in recognition of World No Tobacco Day. 

      CTFH-East Hawai`i chose to honor Bay Clinic for its comprehensive tobacco-use policy, which prohibits use of all tobacco products, including electronic smoking devices, on all nine of its campuses, including Na`alehu.

      Sally Ancheta, CTFH-East Hawai`i community coalition coordinator, and Lenard Allen, Department of Health, public health educator of East Hawai`i, presented awards to Bay Clinic CEO Harold Wallace and patient services manager Meleah Lerma.

      “Bay Clinic has been a forerunner in tobacco control policies and practices for the past 10 years,” Ancheta said. “They are the leading providers of tobacco treatment with programs at the Hilo, Kea`au, Pahoa and Na`alehu clinics.”

Logan Kahele Bishop 

      For more information about the Bay Clinic tobacco treatment program, contact Jennifer Griffith at 333-3504 or Ancheta at 936-2686, or email sally@tobaccofreehawaii.org.

      Also see www.tobaccofreehawaii.org.
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HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE are searching for a 25-year-old Na`alehu man who is wanted on a bench warrant for violating probation. Logan Kahele Bishop is also wanted for questioning in connection with a robbery in Ocean View on June 9. He is described as 5-foot-10, 160 pounds with dark brown hair and brown eyes. 

      Police ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311 or contact Detective Levon Stevens at 326-4646, extension 275, or levon.stevens@hawaiicounty.gov.

THE BAGRADA BUG, A SERIOUS ECONOMIC PEST of agricultural crops, was discovered on Hawai`i Island recently, reported Andrea Kawabata, of the University of Hawai`i Agricultural Extension Service.

Bagrada bugs love cruciferous crops. Photo from UH-CTAHR

      Preferred hosts are cruciferous vegetable crops including broccoli, tatsoi, cabbages (head cabbage, Chinese cabbages, etc.), cauliflower, kale, radish, turnip, mustards, brussels sprouts, sweet alyssum, collards and arugula. The bagrada bug can also feed on corn, cucumbers, okra, sugarcane, papaya, potato, cotton, figs and some legumes. In the absence of preferred host crops, this polyphagous pest will feed on a variety of weeds, also in the Brassicaceae plant.
      Growers suspecting this insect on their farms or properties are asked to contact Stacey Chun (HDOA Hilo) at 808-974-4146 or stacey.g.chun@hawaii.gov or Rob Curtiss (HDOA Kona) at 808-323-7579 or Robert.T.Curtiss@hawaii.gov.
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SEVENTH ANNUAL VOLCANO POTTERY SALE begins today from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and continues Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. 

      In addition to the sale, there will be an exhibit of new work by each potter, and the public is invited to bid for these pieces in a silent auction. Demonstrations of throwing on the potter’s wheel take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
      Call 985-8530 or email ron@ryhpottery.com for more information.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND AND FRIENDS host their first-ever underwater cleanup event on Hawai`i Island Sunday at South Point. Divers are coming from as far away as Japan and Canada for the cleanup.
      Email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or meet at the hoists at 10 a.m. with dive gear. The one-tank dive should be pau around lunchtime.

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.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, June 11, 2015

Pa`u riders and horses bedecked in lei, like these during Merrie Monarch, are popular in many Hawai`i parades, including ones celebrating Kamehameha Day today. Photo by Julia Neal

TODAY IS KAMEHAMEHA DAY, a public holiday celebrating the life of the king who unified all the Hawaiian Islands from the Big Island to Ni`ihau in the decades just before arrival of missionaries. Kamehameha I formally established the Hawaiian Kingdom as an internationally recognized government in 1810. During his reign from 1795 to 1818, fur traders and merchants, picking up local sandalwood on their way to markets in China, stopped in Hawai`i on their sailing ships. Pineapple and coffee crops were introduced.

King Kamehameha statue in the U.S. Capitol. Photo by Julia Neal

      Kamehameha’s great-grandson Kamehameha V established the holiday in 1871, and Kamehameha Day quickly grew to include such events as carnivals, horse and foot races, parades featuring pa`u riders – the flower-bedecked horseback contingents representing each island – hula competitions and ho`olaule`a. The holiday continued as Hawai`i became a part of the U.S. It was one of the first holidays to be written into law when Hawai`i became a state in 1959.
      There are four statues of Kamehameha, one in Hilo, another in Kapa`au, a third in Honolulu and a fourth in the U.S. Capitol visitor center in Washington, D.C. All are the sites of lei ceremonies each year on Kamehameha Day.
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KA`U'S STATE REP. RICHARD ONISHI, who serves as vice chair on the House Agriculture Committee, applauded Hawai`i State Legislature for passing a key bill that he introduced. HB 850 appropriates funds for four additional extension agents administered by the University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, with one position in each county.
      Extension personnel provide various services ranging from individual consultations, educational workshops and short courses on relevant subjects, including agriculture, home economics, family living, 4-H and other youth activities, nutrition and health. “These much needed agents provide direct help to farmers with information, assistance and research on issues affecting farms,” Onishi said.
      Onishi also supported the Legislature’s increase in funding for Hawai`i Invasive Species Council, which will receive $8 million for the next two fiscal years. He said he is working to get that funding to the Big Island to help with albizia eradication and to create a little fire ant pilot project that would help homeowners to combat the pests.
      Onishi encouraged his constituents to contact him, saying “I appreciate and value your input because it allows me to see issues from many different perspectives.”
      Contact him at 808-586-6120 or reponishi@capitol.hawaii.gov.
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Henry Yang

THIRTY METER TELESCOPE PARTNERS yesterday announced plans to support education of students in Hawai`i. Henry T. Yang, chair of TMT’s International Observatory Board, said universities involved with TMT plan to establish scholarships, summer internships, graduate program fellowships and research assistantships in the areas of science and technology for Hawai`i’s students. 

       The announcement followed Gov. David Ige’s request last month that TMT increase its support of Native Hawaiian students interested in science and technology through admission to and scholarships at its partner institutions, with priority given to Hawai`i Island students and then to students statewide. “Young people need to reach for the stars, literally and figuratively,” Ige said.
       “TMT and our partners support the governor’s vision,” Yang said. “Caltech and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences have pledged their support, and we will work within each university’s curriculum and requirements to establish educational programs that fulfill the governor’s vision. More of our partner universities are considering establishing similar programs to host Native Hawaiian students from Hawai`i Island and elsewhere in the state.”
       Yang said the Department of Astronomy at the University of Tokyo and the Department of Astronomical Science at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, affiliated with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, are encouraging applications from Hawai`i for graduate studies. NAOJ’s Subaru Telescope has been offering job and internship opportunities to UH students in its various activities and has agreed to collaborate with UH-Hilo on its graduate program in astronomy.
       “As our plan evolves and develops over the next few weeks and months,” Yang said, “we anticipate and foresee that within a few years, a significant number of Native Hawaiians will not only gain educational experiences at prominent universities in our partner countries, but also return to Hawai`i to carry on the Hawaiian tradition of scientific exploration, technological innovation and environmental sustainability, for the betterment of Hawai`i and all of humanity on Earth.”
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Corey Rosenlee

RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT ISSUES including Hawai`i’s low teacher pay, teacher turnover, lack of air conditioning in schools and educational inequities are some priorities of the newly elected president of Hawai`i State Teachers Association. 

      “We have to see the fight for good schools as a civil rights fight,” Corey Rosenlee told Jessica Terrell, of Civil Beat. “If you see it as a civil rights movement, then you use civil rights strategies.”
      Rosenlee also said he wants teachers to have a larger presence in proposing legislation.
      “Too often teachers voices are not heard,” Rosenlee told Terrell. “We want to make sure that when we make public policy decisions about education, people hear about how it is going to impact teachers and students.”
      Rosenlee said his job will be finding out what teachers’ priorities are and engaging them in the process before suggesting future actions. “I want to take it step by step,” Rosenlee said. “I don’t want to move too fast for my own board, and I don’t want to move too fast for our teachers, either.”
      On Hawai`i News Now, Rosenlee said public schools are underfunded, and that paying teachers the lowest salaries in country and testing students more without better teachers won’t solve the problem. He talked about other places like Singapore, which incentivized top college graduates to go into teaching with high pay and other benefits.
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New tipping fees on businesses will fund expansion of greenwaste recycling
facilities to more county transfer stations like the one in Wai`ohinu.
Photo from Hawai`i Zero Waste

HAWAI`I COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT will begin charging a new tipping fee on July 1 to businesses that drop off greenwaste at recycling facilities in West Hawai`i and East Hawai`i. Revenue will help finance an expansion of greenwaste recycling services across the island. 

      The new fee will not affect residential customers with self-hauled greenwaste from their private residential property. Residential customers will continue to be allowed to drop off greenwaste free of charge at seven locations around the island.
      The county currently pays more than $1.8 million a year to recycle greenwaste into mulch that is then distributed free to the community. The new tipping fee is expected to raise more than $500,000 a year to help finance an expansion of organics recycling services islandwide, including establishing new greenwaste drop-off locations at additional transfer stations.
      Hawai`i County Council established the fee in 2005, but county administration delayed imposing the fee during the recession.

      Free mulch and free assisted mechanical loading will remain available to both residents and businesses at the West Hawai`i and East Hawai`i Organics Facilities.
      For more information, see HawaiiZeroWaste.org.
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SEVENTH ANNUAL VOLCANO POTTERY SALE begins tomorrow from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and continues Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. 

      In addition to the sale, there will be an exhibit of new work by each potter, and the public is invited to bid for these pieces in a silent auction. Demonstrations of throwing on the potter’s wheel take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
      Call 985-8530 or email ron@ryhpottery.com for more information.

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED to Ka`u Scenic Byway Committee’s meeting today at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church.
      For more information, email richmorrow@alohabroadband.net.

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