Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Jan. 17, 2014

Palm Trail at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Unit offers panoramic views. Photo by David Boyle

KA`U’S STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN is proposing a five-year moratorium on the sale and use of Roundup and other products containing glyphosate, a chemical found in common herbicides, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. The moratorium would begin July 1 and be in effect while a glyphosate working group studies the chemical’s impacts on health and the environment.

A bill being considered by the state Legislature would put a five-year moratorium
on Roundup and other products containing glyphosate. Image from Monsanto

      Green told reporter Tom Callis that he doesn’t think the state should wait until the working group is finished before taking action. “Task forces, when they make recommendations, are non-binding,” he said.
      The senator cited studies he said show that glyphosate is harmful to development of placenta cells. He told Callis that he also thinks it may be responsible for declines in bee populations and that he is also concerned about chemical build-up in the environment because of its widespread use.

      “We’ve asked the county and state how they are measuring” use, he said. “They didn’t know what the health impact was.
      He said the state should follow the “precautionary principle,” which urges caution when effects of a process or action are unclear or disputed.
      “If people care about using this chemical, why not make sure it is safe?” Green said.

      Callis contacted Ka`u resident and acting Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation president Chris Manfredi for a response to Green’s proposal. Manfredi told Callis he is not opposed to a working group but thinks the moratorium is “putting the cart before the horse.”

      “He certainly hasn’t talked to the Farm Bureau,” Manfredi said. “We would have expressed concerns about it if he had.”

Ka`u's Rep. Richard Creagan

      Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation is one of the organizations the bill names for representation in the working group. Manfredi told The Ka`u Calendar that Farm Bureau should have a seat at the table and that “it is always healthy to engage in and examine the most current science on any subject, but there is no evidence requiring a ban or moratorium.”
      Glyphosate is one of the most “popular and innocuous herbicides in usage,” Manfredi told Callis. “It’s effective, so you don’t have to use as much as you would with other products.”

      While the bill would prevent use of glyphosate, other stronger, restricted-use chemicals would still be legal, according to the story.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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KA`U’S STATE REP. RICHARD CREAGAN, who was appointed as a member of the House of Representatives from the Fifth District to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Rep. Denny Coffman, has receive his committee assignments for this year’s state Legislature. Creagan will be a member of the following five committees: Consumer Protection & Commerce, Judiciary, Health, Housing and Human Services.

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HAWAI`I STATE SENATE AND HOUSE LEADERS have announced a joint majority package of priorities for the 2014 legislative session. The last time a joint majority package was unveiled was during the 2008 Legislative Session.

      Lawmakers will focus their combined efforts on two major areas of concern: Seniors and the Environment.

Mosquitoes that carry dengue fever are one of the invasive species Hawai`i
Senate and House members want to eradicate. Photo from ehow.com

      “We are starting off the session in the spirit of collaboration between the House and Senate,” said Senate President Donna Mercado Kim. “These shared priorities of seniors and the environment are important because they have sufficient support within both caucuses and address statewide issues of broad public concern at the forefront of the legislative session.”
      House Speaker Joseph M. Souki said, “The proposed legislation is the result of the tireless efforts of representatives from both houses, who helped pull together all the various interests and priorities to find mutual ground and commitments to serious concerns that are statewide and cross political boundaries.”
      A two-part bill relating to aging would fund healthy aging programs and services and provide resources for the implementation of a public education and awareness campaign on long-term care.

      The bill would allocate a total of $6.6 million to support community-based programs that incorporate collaborations between health care and social service agencies.

      The second part of the bill would provide $500,000 for the Department of Health’s Executive Office on Aging to implement a public education and awareness campaign to help better prepare Hawai`i residents in planning for future long-term care needs.

Hawai`i Legislature is targeting little fire ants for eradication.
Photo from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture   

      Another bill would provide $50,000 in funding for outreach initiatives of the Office of Consumer Protection to prevent financial abuse of seniors.
      With regard to the environment, majority members will address concerns on the effects of climate change and invasive species in the state.
      A bill relating to climate change would provide resources and a timeline to ensure Hawai`i adapts to protect the public from effects of climate change. It would provide positions and resources to the Office of Planning who will, within 18 months, come up with plans and policy recommendations to effectively address the worst impacts expected through 2050.
      A bill relating to invasive species would provide $5 million in funding for the Hawai`i Invasive Species Council to help eradicate threats from invasive species, including coconut rhinoceros beetles, fire ants and mosquitos carrying dengue fever.
      Information about these bills and others is available at capitol.hawaii.gov.

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Namaste, Pana`ea Zoo's resident Bengal tiger, has died. Photo from Hawai`i County

AFTER DEVELOPING MULTIPLE HEALTH PROBLEMS that caused his quality of life to deteriorate over the past several weeks, Namaste, a male white  Bengal tiger that was the star attraction at Pana`ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens in Hilo for fifteen years, has been euthanized.

      Las Vegas magician Dirk Arthur donated the tiger to Pana`ewa Zoo in 1999. Namaste was eight months old when he arrived on Hawai`i Island. For 15 years, Namaste’s daily afternoon feedings drew crowds, and his birthday parties held every September attracted hundreds of attendees. 

      Namaste was buried in his enclosure, and the spot will soon be marked with a monument. The zoo also has plans to welcome another tiger after making some renovations to the tiger habitat to accommodate a younger animal.

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TO AVOID TAX PENALTIES, CONSUMERS have until March 31 to enroll in a health insurance plan through Hawai`i Health Connector, the state’s health insurance marketplace. Individuals and families can receive tax subsidies only through Hawai`i Health Connector. Enrollment and premium payment deadlines have been established in conjunction with the participating health and dental plans for the remainder of the open enrollment period that ends March 31.
       As of Jan. 11, a total of 2,709 individuals have enrolled in a health plan, and 350 businesses have applied for a health plan through Hawai`i Health Connector.
      See hawaiihealthconnector.com. Hawai`i Health Connector Customer Support Center can be reached at 1-877-628-5076.
      In Ka`u, help with applying for health insurance is available through Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc. Call 928-0101.

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THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN EDUCATION COUNCIL is sponsoring a community listening session at Na`alehu School Cafeteria tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to gather information that will be given directly to the U.S. Department of Education. “Your participation may directly impact federal education grant-making decisions that affect your `ohana,” said Bernie Frank, of Pacific Resources for Education and Learning. 

      For more information, call 808-523-6432 or see nhec.org.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES National Park offers its Palm Trail Hike Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This relatively easy, guided, 2.6-mile loop crosses scenic pasture along an ancient cinder cone with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. For more information, call 985-6011 or see nps.gov/havo.

MONDAY IS ONE OF NINE FEE-FREE DATES at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in 2014. The park invites Ka`u residents to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and volunteer to remove invasive ginger along the summit of Kilauea from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants meet project leader Paul Field at Kilauea Visitor Center. Bring a hat, raingear, garden gloves, daypack, snacks and water. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Walk-ins are welcome, and no advance registration is required. Entrance is free all day.

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 from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

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

Ka`u News Briefs, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014

Current and former Hawai`i state Senate members attending the opening of the 2014 Hawai`i Legislature yesterday.
 Photo from Hawai`i Senate

MAYOR BILLY KENOI ASKED THE 2014 STATE LEGISLATURE during opening day Wednesday, to provide the state with the ability to better service Hawai`i County by helping to upgrade the islandwide Civil Defense warning system with 36 new sirens. He asked for $2.89 million for the state hospital system to help attract physicians and nurses through paying down their medical education debts  in exchange for them staying and working here. It's a program that could benefit Ka`u Hospital and its clinic.

Mayor Billy Kenoi
Photo by Julia Neal

     The mayor asked the legislature to fund construction of the University of Hawai`i at Hilo College of Pharmacy. It is the only pharmacy college in the state and needs a permanent operating site in order to expand and to achieve additional accreditation. The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy is estimated in the University of Hawai`i budget's capital  improvements proposal to cost  $33 million, providing the state legislature decides to fund it.
     Addressing the state Senate Ways & Means Committee and House Finance Committee, Kenoi said that "The college was granted accreditation before obtaining permanent facilities, and it is time to provide a permanent home for the college to meet its long-range needs and assure it retains accreditation. Providing a permanent home for the college will allow it to fulfill its promise as a center of excellence in education and health sciences."
     In his testimony, the mayor wrote: "We remain cautiously optimistic that the economy is slowly recovering. We are hopeful that the difficult decisions made at both the state and county levels are contributing to the increasingly positive economic trends. However, we recognize that we all have a great deal more work to do to support our communities. We would like to underscore the importance of a number of state initiatives, and respectfully request that the Legislature support these projects to create jobs, provide relief from traffic congestion, protect public safety, and invest in critical infrastructure."
     The mayor also provided testimony on the following:

CHILDREN & YOUTH: "The Hawai‘i Juvenile Justice Working Group last month issued a compelling report that demonstrates the need for alternatives to incarceration for young offenders, particularly for youths who are convicted of misdemeanor offenses. The report noted that each bed at the Hawai‘i Youth Correctional Facility on O‘ahu costs state taxpayers $199,320 per year, which underscores the fiscal impacts of incarceration of our youth.

      "Last year the Office of Youth Services in partnership with the Hawai‘i County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney launched the first juvenile intake and assessment center in East Hawai‘i with federal funding from the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This pilot program assesses at-risk youth who have been arrested for minor or status offenses, identifies their needs, and links them and their families with appropriate services. These youths are not a threat to public safety, and diverting them out of the criminal justice system helps to free up our police officers for more important patrol duties, making better use of our public safety resources. Additional federal funding has been awarded to continue this initiative in 2014, and we strongly support the effort by OYS to expand this program to other islands and to Kona.

      "We also ask the Legislature to support statewide initiatives to increase funding for truancy prevention programs, and to place juvenile parole officers on Neighbor Islands. Current plans call for hiring a juvenile parole officer in East Hawai‘i and a second Kona parole officer to supervise and assist youths who have been incarcerated. We need to provide the necessary resources to intervene and divert these youths out of the criminal justice system and into services that will help them to succeed." 

HEALTH & RURAL RESIDENCY: "The state and Hawai‘i Island continue to face a severe physician shortage, and projections by the John A. Burns School of Medicine suggest the physician shortage will dramatically worsen in the next five years as many doctors retire. An important piece of the solution for our communities is the Hawai‘i Island Family Medicine Residency Program, which was recently notified that it has met the requirements for two-year accreditation. The program is actively recruiting, and will welcome its first class in July. National research shows that 80 percent of residents practice close to the facilities where they train, and we know this program will help ease the physician shortage in our county and in rural areas across the state.

     "We continue to support efforts by the Hawai’i Health Systems Corporation and our Hawai`i Island delegation to seek a state commitment of $2.8 million per year for the HHSC primary care training program. This includes the Hawai’i Island Family Medicine Residency program, and will also offer training to advanced practice nurses from programs at University of Hawai’i at Manoa and Hilo, and to students from the UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy.     

"This program will produce inter-disciplinary teams that can care for four times as many patients as independent practitioners, and will expand to serve rural communities on each of the islands. We are convinced this is an innovative and effective strategy for improving access to primary care services."

CIVIL DEFENSE:  Kenoi noted that "Contractors began work around the state in 2013 on the first phases of this project, and work in the County of Hawai’i is expected to begin this spring. This initiative will convert the existing radio-activated siren system to a more reliable satellite- and cellular-based system.

      "The additional $5 million for the siren systems over the next two years would be used to add new sirens to better notify the public in the event of an emergency. That would include 36 additional, modern sirens planned for Hawai‘i Island, and we urge your committees to continue this effort to protect our communities and expand this important piece of our public safety infrastructure."

COUNTY GE TAX: Kenoi is also involved with the Hawai`i Conference of Mayors, which is asking the legislature to give the counties the authority to raise the general excise tax for up to a 1 percent and keep the extra income in each county.

     West Hawai`i Today reported this morning that "state lawmakers were leery of giving up part of their taxing authority to the counties, saying it would limit their ability to raise the GET for their state programs. They also pointed out when they gave the City and County of Honolulu permission to add a 0.5 percent surcharge on the GET, it was supposed to be a temporary measure to fund its rail transit project. The other counties had the option to raise theirs as well, but none did so. And, they wondered, why county councils didn’t ask for the surcharge in their legislative package. For the surcharge to be imposed, it would have to be approved by the councils after a public hearing," wrote West Hawaii`i Today reporter Nancy Cook Lauer.
     During hearings yesterday, according to West Hawai`i Today, "Rep. Gene Ward, a Hawai`i Kai Republican, said that asking the Legislature "to allow a tax hike during an election year might be a difficult proposition, even if the Legislature was only giving counties the ability to do so, not actually raising taxes itself." Kenoi responded, “We would be accountable to our voters. We would shield that from the Legislature.”

TRANSIENT ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.: Another regular issue at the legislature is the Transient Accommodations Tax - how much should go to the state and how much to the counties? House Speaker Joseph Souki, in his opening day speech, asked the House to consider removing the TAT cap on how much money can go to the counties.
    "In this strong economy, should we not be thinking about a greater partnership with our counties, who provide much of the services that directly support tourism?” Souki asked lawmakers. “They are the ones who maintain our roads and parks and provide the law enforcement officers and first responders who directly serve our visitors as well as our kamaaina.” See more at www.westhawaiitoday.com.

THE AHU MOKU COUNCIL OF KA`U invites the public to a community forum this Saturday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu elementary School, Room 31,  to discuss the proposed location of the wastewater treatment facility to be built by the county for Na`alehu. The forum will also include  and the county nomination of 1,363 acres in Kaunamano for purchase and preservations. The proposed location of the sewer facility is near the preservation site. Both are state property  makai of Hwy 11 near milemarker 63, between Honu`apo Scenic Lookout and Na`alehu School.
     An email from Keoni Fox, whose family is from the area says, "The County of Hawai`i, Department of Environmental Management, has submitted a request to the State of Hawai`i, Department of Land and Natural Resources for a perpetual easement to develop the County’s Naalehu Wastewater Treatment Facility on State DLNR property in Kaunamano, Ka’u.
     "On behalf of the Keanu Family, we support the development of a wastewater treatment facility for Na`alehu but we object to the proposed location in Kaunamano and the lack of community involvement in the site selection process.
     "In addition to concerns about the impacts to the cultural sites and environmental quality, we are also concerned about the location upwind from Naalehu Town and within 1000 feet of Na`alehu Elementary School.
     Fox writes that those who are unable to attend can send questions or comments regarding the project directly to the County’s consultant: Wynn Miyamoto, Fukunaga & Associates, (808) 944-1821, wmiyamoto@fukunagaengineers.com
     "You may also wish to send comments directly to the State, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Land Division:Wesley T. Matsunaga, Land Agent, (808) 961-9590, Wesley.T.Matsunaga@hawaii.gov," Fox advises. 
      According to the statement from Aha Moku Council, the $14.7 million sewage facility could be constructed this year. For more information. contact the Aha Moku Council of Ka`u through Darlyne Vierra at 640-8740, dpvierra@yahoo.com.

A VOLUNTEER RAINFOREST PROJECT takes place tomorrow, Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 pm. Volunteers plant seedlings on the Mauna Loa strip section of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Call 352-1402 or contact forest@fhvnp.org.

PROCESS PAINTING - SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY IS THIS SATURDAY, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Volcano ARt Center's Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Patricia Hoban takes participants on a journey to encourage experimentation, exploration, discovery and play. No art education necessary. $45/$20 VAC members. 967-98222.

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

SEE THE DIRECTORY from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c. 

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

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park encourages Ka`u residents to sign up for the Sanctuary Ocean Count of humpback whales. Photo from wayfaring.info

THE THREE NOMINEES FOR STATE HOUSE DISTRICT V that the Democratic Party sent to Gov. Neil Abercrombie were Richard Creagan, Steve Sakala and Michael Matsukawa, announced John Buckstead, chair of the Democratic Party for West Hawai`i. From these three names, Abercrombie chose Na`alehu resident Richard Creagan to replace Denny Coffman, who resigned last month.

Steve Sakala Photo from sustainables-
akala.weebly.com

Michael Matsukawa
Photo from Kohala Center 

      Matsukawa, an attorney from Kailua-Kona, has been active in a variety of community and government issues, including the Kona Community Development Plan. He was also Hawai`i County Corporation Counsel in the early 1990s.
      Sakala is an environmental consultant and proprietor of Honaunau EcoRetreat Farm and Education Center. He is also on the board of Kona Pacific Public Charter School and vice president of the Kona Chapter of Hawai`i Farmers Union.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

ROYAL HAWAIIAN ORCHARDS, with offices in Pahala and Hilo, is seeking to expand its branded macadamia nut product line by raising $9 million in a rights offering, in which existing stockholders can buy a specified number of new securities from the firm at a specified price within a specified time. 

      The company considers the rights offering a major step toward realizing its goal to transition from being a farming company to a branded healthy snack food company, president and CEO Scott Wallace said. “Our strategy is to capitalize on consumers’ views of nuts as an upscale healthy snack that can command prices above traditional mass-marketed products,” Wallace said, pointing out that the products have no artificial ingredients or genetically modified organisms, are gluten-free and contain no sulfites.

Royal Hawaiian Orchards wants to expand its line of maadamia products.
Image from royalhawaiianorchards.com

      “We are leveraging the existing nutritional properties inherent in tree nuts in our line of macadamia-based foods,” Wallace said. “Our strategy is based on promoting the health benefits of macadamia nuts, which are similar to those of almonds, a food product that has achieved strong market positioning based on growing consumer awareness of associated wellness properties.”
      Wallace said the company’s brand of macadamia nut-based snacks, introduced in late 2012, “has been accepted by consumers as a healthy snack alternative,” in more than 3,000 stores in Hawai`i and on the mainland.
      “The funds from this rights offering will be used to quickly expand distribution nationwide to national, regional and independent grocery and drug chains, as well as mass merchandisers, that target consumers with healthy eating habits and the disposable income needed to afford premium products,” Wallace said. “By pursuing a branded products strategy and continuing to farm macadamias, we believe that we may have a pricing advantage, because we are able to produce nuts from our own orchards at a relatively fixed and currently favorable cost and do not have to compete to purchase nuts from third parties.”
      Wallace said that the strategy also serves to mitigate the company’s exposure to fluctuating commodity prices, should wholesale nut prices decline.

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KA`U’S STATE SEN. RUSSELL RUDERMAN, who testified in favor of banning genetically modified organisms before Hawai`i County Council, has written what he says is the first of a series of articles on the subject in Big Island Weekly. 

      In the first installment, Ruderman attempts to “clear up some confusion about Bt corn.”

Sen. Russell Ruderman

      Ruderman says “there is a world of difference between the safe spray application of Bt to plants compared to the high levels of ingested and environmental Bt toxin that result from genetically modified Bt corn.”
      Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a bacteria which produces a toxin that kills many insects. When sprayed externally on a plant, Bt kills the insects but is not absorbed into the plant, Ruderman says. “In this form, it is safe for the plants and the humans or animals that ingest them.”
      In the case of Bt corn, the Bt bacteria has been artificially inserted into the genes of the plant, and every cell of the plant produces the Bt toxin, according to Ruderman. “In this case, the Bt toxin is ingested by humans or animals eating the GMO Bt crop, and large amounts of Bt toxin enter the soil as the tillage remains behind.  

      “In GMO Bt crops, we are consuming the toxin with every bite, and this poison builds up in our bodies and in the fields,” Ruderman says. 

      The senator says there have been several scientific studies showing ill effects in humans and animals from such high quantities of Bt toxin. “And as a result of this new widespread use, Bt-resistant strains of bugs have now developed for the first time. Tellingly, Bt corn itself is listed as a pesticide with the Environmental Protection Agency. In a human study, Bt bacteria were found to have transferred to the normal bacteria in the gut lining in subjects that ate Bt corn, creating a toxin-producing bacteria culture inside human digestive systems.”
      Ruderman says he will discuss such health studies in more depth in future articles.
      He suggests that consumers can avoid corn and corn products entirely or look for “non-GMO” or organic corn ingredients. “GMO products, including Bt corn, cannot be labeled organic,” Ruderman says.
      Ruderman asks interested parties to contact him at russell@russellruderman.com.

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Ka`ena Point, at the end of Chain of Craters Road, in a Sanctuary Ocean Count site.
Photo from NPS

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK ENCOURAGES volunteers to register to help count humpback whales during the 2014 Sanctuary Ocean Count held the last Saturday of January, February and March (Jan. 25, Feb. 22, and Mar. 29), from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

      Ka`ena Point, located at the end of Chain of Craters Road in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, is one of Hawai`i Island’s 21 Sanctuary Ocean Count sites. Volunteers on shore monitor humpbacks in nearshore waters for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Residents and visitors look forward to this yearly event, which provides important population and distribution information about humpback whales around the Hawaiian Islands.
      “The Sanctuary Ocean Count is an ideal opportunity for the community and the park to work together as stewards of the ocean,” said HVNP Public Affairs officer Jessica Ferracane. “These splendid creatures swim more than 2,000 miles to Hawai`i from Arctic waters every winter, and the annual count is one way to observe and record their behavior and ensure their future.”
      Registered volunteers meet Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park volunteer and Sanctuary Ocean Count site leader Jennifer Watson at the end of Chain of Craters Road on the scheduled count days.
      For more information, see hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov  or call the Ocean Count Hotline at 808-268-3087. To register online, go to sanctuaryoceancount.org.

An example of Process Painting by Patricia Hoban
Photo from VAC

KA`I HO`OPI`I SHARES MUSIC OF HIS `OHANA during a Na Leo Manu: Heavenly Voices program today at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. 

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Orchards Macadamia Field Office. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 928-6456. 

PROCESS PAINTING - SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY is the topic Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Patricia Hoban takes participants on a journey that encourages experimentation, exploration, discovery and play. “We strive to get rid of our internal critic and judge through this endeavor,” Hoban said. “When people learn the process, they can paint from within, letting their subconscious or right brain engage in spontaneous expression.” No previous art education or experience is needed. Fees are $45/$40 VAC members plus $5 for supplies. Register at 967-8222. 

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 from the Ka`u Chamber of Commerce at http://snack.to/fzpfg59c.

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