Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Oct. 19, 2015

Here comes Major Hurricane Olaf, 1,280 miles east-southeast of Hilo at 11 a.m.  Olaf, a category 4, is expected to turn north and
pass well east of Hawai`i late this week. Map from NOAA. See more below.

LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT, organized to reinstate Hawaiian government from March 1999,  today released results of its elections held Saturday, Sept. 12. Elected were its Ka`u Representative, Noble, and Prime Minister of the Hawaiian Islands. Two polling places were set up in Ka`u, at Pahala and Ocean View, for all kanaka 18 years and older to vote. 

Image from The Lawful Hawaiian Government

      John Kalua`u is the elected Noble of Ka`u district, and Eli Whitney is District Representative. Henry Noa is Prime Minister. “Congratulations to these men who stepped up to represent all kanaka, keiki and kupunas for a four-year term,” said Hope Cermelj, of LHG. 

      LHG is not affiliated with Office of Hawaiian affairs, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands or the Hawai`i State government and departments.
      For more information about the elections and the Lawful Hawaiian Government, see thelawfulhawaiiangovernment.org, or call Alohalani (last name not provided) at 808-896-9201.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

HAWAI`I’S MARSHALLESE COMMUNITY is the topic of a series of articles in Civil Beat. Today, reporter Chad Blair focused on Jonithen Jackson and the community he leads in Ocean View. Blair, who visited with Jackson and Ka`u state Rep. Richard Creagan, a physician who served in the Peace Corps in the Marshall Islands,  reported that about 300 Marshallese “live in the houses at Jackson’s makeshift commune or frequent the worship hall and recreational area that he has built there.” Jackson also starred in The Land of Eb, a film about the plight of Marshallese in Ocean View. 

      According to Blair, Jackson’s hope is to return to the Marshall Islands as mayor of Enewetak, a series of atolls where he has not lived for nearly 25 years.

Marshallese leader Jonithen Jackson is the topic of a Civil Beat story today
on Marshallese in Ocean View.. Photo by Julia Neal

      The United States contaminated the area by testing nuclear devices at Enewetak nearly 60 years ago. Hawai`i’s Marshallese community consists of what Blair refers to as “nuclear nomads,” people exiled due to unsafe radiation levels found in people, fish and coconut crabs.
      Jackson first went to Majuro, then Washington state before arriving in Ka`u. He was an auto mechanic here before electronic systems replaced his skills. He now “works with the Big Island coffee industry, which has frequently hired Marshallese to pick coffee beans,” Blair reported.
      Blair explained that land “is at the very core of identity for Marshallese and all Micronesians, a primordial bond that cannot be broken even by nuclear devastation and removal from their ancestral lands. The Enewetakese, for example, organize their society based on land ownership, and traditional rituals involve the land.”
      “What you have, in my home, on my island, when I sit and look around, I feel like … comfortable,” Jackson told Blair. “You feel like you are not in Hawai`i. I live here and worry what people are going to say. But in home, back home, well, it’s nothing like that. I am just relaxed. We bring everybody; we talk story. It’s nothing like here.”
      See civilbeat.com.
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Hurricane Olaf is strengthening and heading into the Central Pacific.
Map from NOAA

HURRICANE OLAF HAS CONTINUED to rapidly intensify into a category-four storm. At 11 a.m., Olaf was 1,280 miles east-southeast of Hilo. It is expected to cross longitude 140 west into the Central Pacific basin tonight, but is still forecast to turn north and pass several hundred miles to the east of Hawai`i on Saturday.
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RISING TEMPERATURES COULD SPREAD MOSQUITOS and avian malaria, which has devastated native bird populations. However, some species are apparently developing a resistance to the disease. A story by Ivy Ashe in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald said that some populations of amakihi are increasing despite the birds being infected by malaria.
      “Apapane and amakihi are the two that seem to adapt,” USGS research biologist Carter Atkinson told Ashe. However, birds with chronic avian malaria hold the disease.
      Research to be published next month compares disease prevalence between 2011 and 2013 with that done at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge in the 1990s. According to Ashe, bird populations have increased in the refuge, while disease prevalence has fallen.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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Sen. Brian Schatz

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ has introduced legislation to explore the viability of creating a National Museum of the American People in Washington, D.C. The proposed museum would be the first of its kind to tell the immigration stories of every American and celebrate the contributions of every ethnic and cultural group in the country. It would provide a venue to unite the diverse stories that connect us as Americans. The museum will offer a unique narrative regarding the people and communities that have helped forge who we are today and highlight the links that bind together past, present and future generations.
      “The story of America is a story about immigration,” Schatz said. “ For generations, people from around the world and from all walks of life have come to the United States to build better lives for themselves and for their families. From the sugar cane plantations on Maui to the shipping ports in Maine, immigrants throughout our history have made tremendous contributions to America. But many of their stories are left untold. Building the National Museum of the American People would help tell the story of every immigrant of every ethnic group and would be a great way to celebrate the patriotism, contributions and achievements of all Americans.”

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Ka`u High Trojan wahine won their Senior
Night match. Photo from KHPES

KA`U HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAMS won their final two match-ups of regular-season play last week.
      The Trojans met Christian Liberty Academy on Senior Night last Tuesday, Oct. 13. Both Ka`u teams won in two sets. Varsity’s scores were 25-19 and 25-20; Junior Varsity, 25-16 and 25-18.
      On Friday, Oct. 17, Ka`u wahine hosted Hawai`i Academy of Arts & Sciences. Varsity overcame HAAS 25-23 and 25-13, and JV overpowered their opponents 25-9 and 25-7.
      “Great way to end the season,” Ka`u Athletic Director Kalei Namohala said.
      Big Island Interscholastic Federation championship play for the Trojans begins tomorrow at 6 p.m. at home.

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SEAN “OLANUI” ROBBINS PRESENTS a Hawaiian music concert Wednesday at 6:30 p.m at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Robbins’ recently released debut CD, Olanui, will be available for purchase.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.
      Call 985-6011 for more information.

HOW TO INFLUENCE STATE LAWS is the topic at free workshops this Friday. Keanu Young, of the state Legislature’s Public Access Room, provides the public with tools and resources to help them become active participants in the legislative process. Workshops are at 11 a.m. at Ocean View Community Center and 2:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center.
      See par@capitol.hawaii.gov or 974-4000 x7-0478 for more information.

RESIDENTS CAN LEARN about Social Security this week. Workshops take place Wednesday at Na`alehu Community Center, Thursday at Cooper Center in Volcano Village and Friday at Ocean View Community Center. All sessions are from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. See ad at left for topics covered. Reserve at 327-5410. 

JAZZ IN THE FOREST CONTINUES with two performances this Saturday, featuring Keahi Conjugacion with Volcano Art Center’s Jazz Ensemble.
      The Wine and Beer Room will be open before and after the concert. Also, an area has been set aside for dancing.
      Two shows are offered, with a matinee at 4:30 p.m. and an evening performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the matinee are $15 for VAC members ($20 non-members) and for the evening show are $20 for VAC members ($25 non-members).
      Tickets are available at VAC’s Administration Office in Volcano Village, VAC Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and online at volcanoartcenter.org. The last day to purchase tickets in advance is Friday, Oct. 23. After that, tickets will be sold at the door if they are not sold out.

What will Ka`u residents vote for to grace
the cover of The Directory 2016?

BEAUTY OF KA`U ART SHOW opens two weeks from today. The annual show generates the cover for The Directory, Ka`u Chamber of Commerce’s business and community guide for Ka`u. The Chamber raises scholarship money for higher education for Ka`u students through memberships and Directory participation.
      Registration is $5 per adult entry, $2.50 per youth entry and $1 per keiki entry.
      Hours for public viewing at CU Hawai`i Federal Credit Union in Na`alehu are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2 through Thursday, Nov. 5.
      Each day, the public may sign in and receive a ballot to vote for their favorite entry. Each ballot, a numbered ticket, will also be entered into a drawing for door prizes to be held each hour, and the winner does not need to be present. Prizes are being donated by various Ka`u merchants.
      The overall winner, chosen by judges, will be featured on the cover of The Directory 2016 and receive $100 and an article inside The Directory.
      A reception to view the winners and greet the artists will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, with light refreshments.

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

FOR AFFORDABLE COMPUTER HELP, call John Derry at 936-1872.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015

Palaka cloths draped the veranda at Pahala Plantation Manager's House for Ka`u Plantation Days yesterday, signaling a passage to "before time." Photo by Ron Johnson

THE FIFTH ANNUAL KA`U PLANTATION DAYS saw residents and visitors learning and sharing their experiences of “before time.” Following a pa`u parade led by a decorated cane truck, Ka`u residents and visitors headed to Pahala Plantation Manager’s House. Palaka cloth draped the veranda, where residents shared artifacts and children’s activities from a bygone era. Attendees watched films of the past, including Ka`u Sugar: A Town Remembers, Canefield Songs: Hole Hole Bushi and The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawai`i.

Traditional Ka`u Plantation Days games, with homemade toys. Photo by Julia Neal

      In the dining room, residents looked through collections of various camp photos, identifying homes of families and friends.
      Food, entertainment and arts and crafts filled the front and side lawns. Attendees could choose from Portuguese, Hawaiian, Chinese and more ethnic foods. Entertainment ranged from hula to country music.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

DELAYS IN CONSTRUCTION of Ka`u Gym & Shelter are examined in today’s issue of West Hawai`i Today. Nancy Cook Lauer noted that a sign on the Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School campus bears a completion date of Nov. 15, 2014.
      After the county found that the new concrete floor didn’t meet specifications, Summit Construction had it removed. Department of Public Works Director Warren Lee told Cook Lauer that the contractor is paying to replace the floor. “The county does not pay for this. We already paid for it once,” Lee told Cook Lauer.

Darlyne Vierra and Liz Kuluwaimaka hosted Ka`u Plantation Days yesterday,
sponsored by Ka`u Multicultural Society. Photo by Julia Neal

      Summit Construction has, however, been paid an extra $166,069 in a change order that was added to the original contract. The change order was for “unanticipated changes not included in original design,” according to a July communication to Hawai`i County Council.
      Previous delays include additional time needed for State Historic Preservation burial treatment permits, grading, drainage, sidewalk and driveway location changes and rerouting of telephone lines.
      Cook Lauer said the facility should open sometime next year.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
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HURRICANE OLAF CONTINUES to strengthen as it heads west toward the Central Pacific. After it crosses longitude 140 and out of the Eastern Pacific early Tuesday morning, Olaf is forecast turn north and pass Hawai`i to the east.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

Hannah's Makana `Ohana dance on the grounds of Pahala Plantation House.
Photo by Julia Neal

SCOTT GLENN IS HAWAI`I’S NEW director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control. Glenn will officially take up his duties in November. His appointment by Gov. David Ige is subject to confirmation by the Senate.
      Glenn is leaving his position as an environmental planner that he has held since 2010. He focused on the intersection of planning, asset management and risk analysis in clients’ strategic decision making. He has managed project budgets and held key roles on many multi-million dollar projects for clients in public and private sectors. Recently, his focus has been on integrating climate change adaptation into federal asset decision-making tools.
      As a volunteer, Glenn serves as vice chair and past chair of Sierra Club Hawai`i and holds the same positions on the state Environmental Council. He is also co-founder and president of Better Block Hawai`i, a nonprofit dedicated to exploring collaborative, innovative approaches to improving urban livability.

Clyde Silva emceed the pa`u parade and Ka`u
Plantation Days event. Photo by Julia Neal

      Glenn earned a B.A. in philosophy and classical archaeology from the University of Evansville and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawai`i. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
      “Scott is passionate about working with diverse stakeholders to plan together for a better shared future,” Ige said. “His education, work experience and volunteer service have prepared him to make a difference in this position.”
      “I am humbled to serve as the director and thankful to the governor for the opportunity,” Glenn said. “The office has a key role in the stewardship of our environment and economy. I look forward to bringing a collaborative approach grounded in technical expertise to the office and working with my fellow board members on the Environmental Council to reach out to the public and all stakeholders.”
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists use geologic mapping to look to the past to reveal the future.
      “Geologic mapping is considered by some to be old school science,” scientists explain in the current issue of Volcano Watch. “By current standards, there’s certainly nothing glitzy or high tech about walking miles across seemingly barren rock or through dense forests to map lava flows.
      “The motivation for mapping ‘old’ lava flows is based on the geologic principle of Uniformitarianism, which fundamentally says that the key to understanding the future is to look at the past. By definition, Uniformitarianism is the theory that natural processes behave more or less the same today as they have throughout the past, and will continue to do so in the future.
      “As an example, if we are assigned the task of figuring out future threats posed by an unknown or poorly understood volcano, we start by examining its eruptive products or deposits. By looking at these old deposits, we can establish if the volcano is predominantly effusive (eruptions characterized by lava flows) or explosive in character. Then, by systematically mapping the spatial distribution of the deposits and age-dating them through various techniques, we can identify the areas affected by volcanic activity and how frequently it takes place.

Collections of photos and memorabilia from ranches, farms, dairies and sugar
camp life filled the carriage house and the old plantation manager's house.
Photo by Julia Neal

      “Our mapping tools are basic: a hand lens, notebook, topographic map, hammer and compass (or handheld GPS for some geologists!). Our ‘computer’ sits on our shoulders: head, brain and eyes. Field geologists must also be in tune with the natural environment in order to derive clues on the character, origin and age of the substrate. These clues can include subtle changes in vegetation, ground surface roughness, rock color and other characteristics.
      “Geologic mapping requires extensive field work in which we walk the contacts between old lava flows to distinguish individual flow units and intraflow boundaries, including gradational transitions between pahoehoe and `a`a flows. This field work relies on aerial imagery and paper topographic maps to plot the flows.
      “Where terrain or jungle obscures the contacts between different lava flows, we create a grid pattern of transects to examine sparse outcrops of rock. The resulting boundaries between distinct lava flows are then extrapolated between transects from aerial photo interpretation and geological and botanical inferences. …
      “Sleuthing out the eruptive history of a volcano is challenging, time consuming, and tedious. But there’s no better way to figure out a volcano’s future behavior than to examine its past – and geologic mapping shows us the way!”

Filipino, Japanese, Portuguese and Hawaiian foods celebrated the multi-ethnic
community of Ka`u. Photo by Julia Neal

      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

NATIVE DRYLAND PLANTS WORKSHOP is a week from today on Sunday, Oct. 25 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Kahuku Park Pavilion in Ocean View. Sponsored by Ho`omalu Ka`u, a nonprofit working to build a cultural center north of Ocean View, presenters showcase plants well suited to Ka`u’s climate and environment and that can be used to great effect as landscape features. Sign up at hoomalukau@gmail.com or 929-8526.

JAZZ IN THE FOREST CONTINUES with two performances this Saturday, Oct. 24, featuring Keahi Conjugacion with Volcano Art Center’s Jazz Ensemble. The concert series offers an extraordinary opportunity to hear the highest caliber jazz – anywhere – up close and personal.

Hawaiian kupuna Jeanette Howard, of Punalu`u, represented Hawaiian
Civic Club of Ka`u. Photo by Julia Neal

      Conjugacion is a Hoku and Grammy nominated vocalist who has performed throughout the mainland, Asia and Europe. Considered one of Hawai`i’s finest jazz and blues singers, Conjugacion is the eldest sister of the famous musical family (Brother Noland & Tony C). She has played Carnegie Hall in New York, Jazz Alley in Seattle and at jazz festivals in Sicily. She returns by popular demand, as she delivered an emotional and inspiring performance to an SRO audience in her previous appearance at Jazz in the Forest.
      The Wine and Beer Room will be open to enjoy before and after the concert. Also, an area has been set aside for dancing.
      Two shows are offered, with a matinee at 4:30 p.m. and an evening performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the matinee are $15 for VAC members ($20 non-members) and for the evening show are $20 for VAC members ($25 non-members).

      Tickets are available at VAC’s Administration Office in Volcano Village, VAC Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and at Basically Books in Hilo. The last day to purchase tickets online, at VAC Gallery, or Basically Books is Friday, Oct. 23. After that, tickets will be sold at the door if they are not sold out.

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

FOR AFFORDABLE COMPUTER HELP, call John Derry at 936-1872.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015

After leading the Ka`u Plantation Days parade, the cane truck parked on the side of Maile Street so that field workers riding on front could view pa`u riders and marching community organizations. Photos by Ron Johnson

THE SKIES CLEARED as the cane truck traveled down Maile Street to begin Ka`u Plantation Days this morning. Eli Vierra drove an ATV for Ka`u Multicultural Society, which organizes the event.

Ka`u Pa`u Queen Lorilee Lorenzo led pa`u riders through Pahala
to begin Ka`u Plantation Days.

      Pa`u riders representing the Hawaiian Islands followed, with Pa`u Queen Lorilee Lorenzo and her mother Mahina, father Frank and brothers Frank, Jr. and Jesse leading others.
      Ua and Gavin Galimba represented Ni`ihau; Kehau and Mana Ke, Kaua`i; Merle Becker and John Wacker, Oa`hu; Keana Kuluwaimaka and La`a Ke, Moloka`i; Mikela and Donnell Akana, Lana`i; Teani Souza, Kaho`olawe; Alexa Wacker and Kailee Kahalua-Stacy, Maui; and Samantha Wacker and Kealia Galimba, Hawai`i.
      Others joining the parade were Friends of the Ka`u Libraries, Boys & Girls Club, Miss Ka`u Coffee Maria Miranda, Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, and Hunny Ke cleaning up after the horses.
      Ka`u Coffee growers also set up displays about the history of the industry that is flourishing almost 20 years after the sugar plantation closed down.
      Residents also are shared stories about camps where they lived and played.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

The Lorenzo family joined Queen Lorilee as her court.

TROPICAL STORM OLAF will be a major hurricane when it crosses into the Central Pacific Tuesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Once Olaf gains enough northern latitude, a drier environment with an increase in southerly or south-southwesterly shear should result in weakening.
      Olaf follows thunderstorms from remnants of Tropical Depression Nora that battered Ka`u last night. Many residents reported lightning and thunder that appeared to be directly overhead. Lightning struck a transformer in Pahala, causing power outages to several residents.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

GOV. DAVID IGE SIGNED an emergency proclamation that enables the state to quickly funnel money toward the facilitation of rapid construction of a temporary shelter for homeless families, the immediate extension of existing contracts for homeless services and an immediate increase in funding for programs that promote immediate housing.

Friends of the Ka`u Libraries marched in the parade before manning
their booth to raise funds to support their cause.

      State funds of more than $1.3 million were identified this month, paving the way for the emergency proclamation. The monies will serve an additional 1,000 homeless individuals between now and July 31, 2016, providing increased funding for homeless services and programs that promote permanent housing for families and the chronically homeless.
      The emergency proclamation will also facilitate construction of a transitional housing facility for homeless families. The facility will be temporary and have a clear sunset date.
      State, city, federal governments and various service providers have worked together to place 158 individuals and 25 families from Kaka`ako on O`ahu into shelters since the effort began in early August. That’s 54 percent of homeless individuals surveyed in Kaka`ako in early August and more than 80 percent of the families surveyed.
      “The lesson learned is that great things can be accomplished when we all work together,” Ige said. “Despite the recent success of enforcement efforts in the Kaka`ako Makai area, homelessness remains a serious issue in every county throughout the state. We plan to replicate the Kaka`ako model as we work to address homelessness in communities across the state.”

Pa`u riders honored their ancestors.

      “There’s still much work to do,” said Scott Morishige, Governor’s Coordinator on Homelessness. “Hawai`i has the highest rate of homelessness per capita among the 50 states, with an estimated 465 homeless individuals per 100,000. The alarming increase in unsheltered individuals and families over the past two years is particularly significant on O`ahu. This proclamation will expedite the state’s plans to help these individuals and families to more quickly transition to permanent housing.”
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

PAUL GIBSON, OF OCEAN VIEW, is spending five years in prison, John Burnett reported in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. Gibson was charged with second-degree assault and first-degree terroristic threatening as the result of an altercation on May 10, 2014. David Coombes was stabbed 12 times, and Hilo Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura yesterday ordered Gibson to also reimburse Coombes for his medical expenses.
      “We’re looking at a mutual affray gone wrong … and Mr. Gibson has responsibility in his role in that,” Gibson’s attorney Michael Zola told the judge. “And what happened after that is that Mr. Coombes, who is a trained fighter at BJ Penn’s gym and is a much heavier guy, got the better of him and he got him on the ground. … The underlying premise here is that Mr. Gibson was being choked out and decided, whether rightly or wrongly, that he needed to pull out his pocketknife and stop (Coombes) from killing him.”
      Burnett said Gibson’s lawyer asked the judge to consider probation and intermittent jail stays or to delay Gibson’s imprisonment so he could finish contracted work “and provide for his family,” but Nakamura ordered immediate incarceration, noting “the seriousness of the offenses.”

Keiki rode in the cane truck with driver Derrick Andrade.

      “You do have a prior criminal history,” Nakamura said. “The court believes that prison terms are appropriate for the purpose of punishment and the deterrence of others. And I think these considerations would override any concerns that one would have for provision for your family.”
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KA`U RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION continues pre-registration for its fifth annual Floating Lantern Celebration. The deadline is Sunday, Nov. 15 for the event on Saturday, Nov. 28. The celebration at Punalu`u Black Sand Beach Park’s Medicine Pond from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. honors and remembers love ones, friends, families and caregivers.
      For more information, call 928-0101 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See krhcai.com for photos of past celebrations.

PEOPLE AND LANDS OF KAHUKU, tomorrow at 9:30 a.m., is a moderate two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of Kahuku. Emerging native forest, pastures, lava fields and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands – from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped and restored this land.
      Call 985-6011 for more information.

Pa`u riders and their lei-bedecked horses ride down Maile Street in Pahala. 

SOCIAL SECURITY WORKSHOPS COME to Ka`u and Volcano next week: Wednesday, Oct. 21 at Na`alehu Community Center; Thursday, Oct. 22 at Cooper Center in Volcano Village; and Friday, Oct. 23 at Ocean View Community Center. Times for all workshops are 6:30 p.m. 8 p.m.

      Topics include what baby boomers need to know, how divorce affects benefits, how spousal benefits are calculated, how benefits are taxed, effects of employment income, how disability benefits work, how retirement benefits are calculated and more.
      See ad below for more topics. Reserve at 327-5410.

THE ART EXPRESS is scheduled for a week from today on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. At the painting workshop, participants can learn something new or work on forgotten projects. Instructions will be on oil, acrylic or watercolor.
      Sign up with and receive instructions from Meliha at himeliha@yahoo.com.

Ka`u Multicultural Society organizes the annual
Ka`u Plantation Days.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY’S Arbor Day Tree Giveaway will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 at its office at 1200 Kilauea Ave. in Hilo. Trees will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or while supplies last.
      Trees to be given away this year include ko`oko`olau, kokio keokeo, kou, kukui, mamaki, milo and niu.
      The annual event is a partnership with Kua O Ka La Public Charter School, Ho`oulu Lahui, Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program and HELCO. To help perpetuate native species, a variety of organizations across the state routinely organize educational events to distribute native trees and shrubs to the community.
      Information on how to properly plant, site and care for the tree also is distributed. Students and instructors will be available to educate the public on how to care for their trees and explain the cultural significance of the native plants.

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

For Affordable Computer Help, call John Derry at 936-1872.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_October2015.pdf.

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