Ka`u News Briefs Monday, March 17, 2014

Brenda Iokepa-Moses and Lou Daniele represented Ka`u Coffee Mill at the grand opening of Big Island Trading Co. in Hilo.
Photo by Tammy Spaar

THE STATE HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES Agriculture Committee is today holding a hearing on several bills that have passed in the Senate. Ka`u’s Rep. Richard Onishi is vice chair of the committee.

      SB2913 SD1 specifies false labeling restrictions for the offense of false labeling of Hawai`i-grown coffee. It also applies the labeling of natural, roasted and instant coffees to the offense and defines natural coffee, roasted coffee and instant coffee.
      SB2920 SD2 would establish a little fire ant pilot project in Hawai`i County to research solutions for addressing threats from the invasive species in the state.

Rep. Richard Onishi

      SB2343 would appropriate funds to the Hawai`i Invasive Species Council for invasive species prevention, control, outreach, research and planning.
      SB 2293 SD1 would appropriate funds to reimburse qualified producers for a percentage of each farm’s feed expenses. It would also provide moneys for the administrative costs of the livestock revitalization program. 

      SB2775 SD1 would permit solar energy facilities on class A agricultural lands if the solar energy facilities are located on a paved or unpaved road that is established by December 31, 2013, and the road allows for vehicular traffic.
      SB2296 SD2 would authorize the Department of Agriculture to select qualified applicants as back-up lessees when disposing of certain agricultural or non-agricultural park lands through the sealed bidding process. It also would authorize the department to negotiate with a back-up lessee if the highest offering bidder or lessee fails to
finalize a lease with the department for any reason. It conforms eligibility criteria for lessees of agricultural parks lands with that of lessees of non-agricultural park lands.

      These and other bills an be tracked at capitol.hawaii.gov.

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Richard Ha

HAWAI`I STATE SENATE is considering the gubernatorial nomination of Richard Ha to the Board of Agriculture for a term to expire June 30, 2018. 

      Ha is owner of Hamakua Springs County Farms. He supports food and energy self-sufficiency on Hawai`i Island, advocating for geothermal energy to reduce the cost of electricity and the use of genetically modified organisms as a valuable tool for farmers.

      Public testimony is welcomed at capitol.hawaii.gov.

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NEW KA`U FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT Ralph Gaston, who has helped bring Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee to the international market, said last night that he is “honored to be chosen as president of the Ka`u Farm Bureau by my fellow members. For the past five years, the Ka`u Farm Bureau has grown into a strong voice for agriculture in the Ka`u District, and I plan to do my part to carry on that tradition. I look forward to working with the board members, directors, and all members to help support and grow the agricultural community here in Ka`u.”

      Gaston was born in Syracuse, NY and received a master’s in journalism from University of California. He began a career in TV sports broadcasting, starting in Clarksburg, WV and moving to Fresno, CA where he worked at the NBC affiliate for almost seven year. In late 2010, he and his wife Joan decided to make their career change, moving to the Big Island in March 2011 to assist their mother, Lorie Obra, with operations at Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee. They teamed up with Miguel Meza to form a new company, Island Custom Coffees, which has been in operation for nearly three years. Gaston handles finance and logistics for Island Custom Coffees and helps with shipping, logistics and processing for Rusty’s Hawaiian. Gaston can be reached at 928-0236.

Brenda Iokepa-Moses

     The new vice president for Ka`u Farm Bureau is Brenda Iokepa-Moses. Iokepa-Moses grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas. She started her career in land management with C. Brewer as the Ka`u sugar company shut down in 1996. Along with John Cross, she helped to organize the Brewer long-term leases for displaced sugar workers who were to become the Ka`u Coffee farmers. She later worked for the management company for the new owners of the coffee lands, under Chris Manfredi, and transferred to the Olson Trust to work again with John Cross for Ka`u Farms Management. Her work includes helping to lease Olson lands to small coffee and diversified farmers. Iokepa-Moses said she also works in the back house of Ka`u Coffee Mill with the international sales of green beans. She has lived in Pahala for more than 20 years and retired from the U.S. Army Reserves “with 21 years of honorable service to my country,” she said.

    A volunteer for many ag-related organizations over the years, she is chair of the Ka`u Soil & Water Conservation District, president of the Hawai`i Association of Conservation Districts and serves on the Water Board for County of Hawai`i, District 6, which covers the south end of the island from Volcano through Pahala, Na`alehu, Ocean View and Miloli`i, north past Kona Hospital, Keopuka Kai and Hokulia Golf Course. Iokepa-Moses also helps to raise money for local youth volleyball competition and has volunteered for the Ka`u Coffee Festival since its inception. Iokepa-Moses can be reached at 928-0550.

John Masters won in the Most Patriotic category in last year's Na`alehu
Independence Day Parade. Sign-ups for this year have already begun.
Photo by Julia Neal

      See tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs covering comments by Hawai`i County Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth and Ka`u Police Captain Burt Shimabukuro who both spoke at the Ka`u Farm Bureau annual meeting last Friday. Shimabukuro will meet the public at tomorrow’s Police Department community meeting at noon at Na`alehu Community Center.

THE NA`ALEHU INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE is organizing for Saturday, June 28 at 11 a.m. Under the sponsorship of `O Ka`u Kakou, organizer Debra McIntosh is calling for participants, volunteers and donations. She can be reached at 929-9872. Lee McIntosh, chair of the Parade Committee, said that prizes will be awarded for the most colorful entry and the most patriotic entry. For more information see okaukakou.org.

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KA`U COFFEE was featured at the grand opening of Big Island Trading Co. last weekend. The establishment near Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo drew several hundred people to the coffee house where pure, blended, hot and iced local coffee drinks are offered, and the store featuring coffee, macadamia and other local products.

Breaching Teaching won a prize at an Alaska ice-carving
contest. Photo from Larry and Janet Johnson

      Edmund C. Olson Trust opened the facility. Ed Olson said he looks forward to the community coming to Big Island Trading to meet friends and business associates and to enjoy Hilo and Ka`u coffee as well as to purchase gifts and local food products from Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co., which processes Ka`u macadamia; Olson & Keolanui – OK Farms; Ka`u Coffee Mill and others.

      Representing Ka`u Coffee Mill at the grand opening were Brenda Iokepa-Moses, Louis Danielle, Kalikoweo Keolanui-Daniele and John Cross.

      The location features wi-fi and covered outdoor seating. General manager is Kim Ciez. Hours for the coffee house are 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily. Hours for the store are 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.

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A DIFFERENT TAKE ON WHALES is captured by part-time Ka`u residents Larry and Janet Johnson. They often volunteer to count whales along the Ka`u coast and recently returned to their other home in Alaska and came across these whales. Wrote Larry Johnson: “We may be hundreds of miles from the ocean, but we still have winter whales. Every year in late February and early March we have a world-renowned ice-carving festival where carvers from much of the world, including Thailand as well as Russia, China, Japan and Mongolia, come to do amazing things with our unusually thick and clear ice. This is one of the prize winners, called Breaching Teaching. Enjoy a taste of the Subarctic.” 

      The final humpback whale count for Ka`u this year, sponsored by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, is on Saturday, March 29.
      Volunteers can sign up to participate at sanctuaryoceancount.org.

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

Controlling little fire ants is the topic of a meeting Wednesday.

KA`U RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. offers career programs tomorow at Ka`u Resource and Distance Learning Center, 96-3126 Puahala Street in Pahala. 

      An informational meeting about Individualized Career Achievement Network, called iCAN, begins at 9 a.m.
      Licensed Practical Nurse program prerequisites informational meeting takes place at 1 p.m. Those interested in applying for training must be at least 18 years of age.
     Call 928-0101 to register.

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT’S community meeting at noon tomorrow at Na`alehu Community Center. Those interested in participating but unable to attend may call Captain Burt Shimabukuro at 939-2520, stop by the Ka`u Police Station in Na`alehu or e-mail their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com.

HAWAI`I ANT LAB PERSONNEL PROVIDE information about little fire ants and discuss methods of control during a community meeting Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center.

Ben Ka`ili performs Wednesday. NPS photo by Jay Robinson

HAWAIIAN MUSICIAN BEN KA`ILI performs Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.      

      Ka`ili has dedicated his life to playing and promoting Hawaiian music. He has shared Hawaiian music at festivals, including the park’s 33rd annual cultural festival last July, and through concerts and performances for more than 20 years. Born on the Island of Hawai`i, Ka`ili started playing Hawaiian music at eight years old with his `ohana, including his uncle, George Lanakilakeikiahiali`i Na`ope. This free concert is part of Hawai`i Volcanoes’ ongoing Na Leo Manu: Heavenly Voices presentations. Park entrance fees apply. 

SEE THE MARCH ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, March 16, 2014

Big Island Dairy plans to milk 2,000 cows, and other dairies are expected to be opened on the island to replace those that shut down, like Na`alehu Dairy. Photo from Big Island Dairy

HAWAI`I STATE SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE held an informational briefing on Roundup, or glyphosate, Friday. Ka`u Sens. Josh Green, who chairs the committee, and Russell Ruderman called for the briefing because of growing concerns throughout the state about possible health impacts of the herbicide.

Sen. Josh Green

      Testifiers reported that some county workers seen spraying the chemical along roadways were not wearing protective clothing and that the chemical drifted onto adjoining properties.
      West Hawai`i Today reports a nutrition researcher saying a number of assumptions long held about glyphosate are now being questioned and that El Salvador and Sri Lanka, where the herbicide has been heavily used, have recently banned it.
      According to reporter Erin Miller, Ruderman said the chemical has been largely used because of its reputation for safety, but science is now showing it may not be that safe. He cited some recent studies that possibly link increase in autism rates with increase in use of glyphosate.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.

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

Gloria Camba, on the right, is a board member
of Ka`u Farm Bureau. Photo by Julia Neal

FIVE COFFEE INDUSTRY representatives, one operator of a small diversified farm and one rancher are the new directors of Ka`u Farm Bureau. According to rancher and Ka`u Farm Bureau director Michelle Galimba, rancher
     Lani Petrie declined to become a board member and Gloria Camba, co-owner of Ka`u RoyalmCoffee and president of the Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative, was voted onto the board. 

      The other board members are president Ralph Gaston and treasurer Lorie Obra, both of Rusty’s Hawaiian 100 Percent Ka`u Coffee; Willie Tabios, of Rising Sun Coffee; Brenda Iokepa Moses, of Ka`u Coffee Mill; and small farmer Corrine Nelson. Farmer and rancher Phil Becker, who has served as vice president of Ka`u Farm Bureau, as well as agriculturalist and land manager John Cross, both were unable to attend the annual meeting and did not receive nominations to be directors from those who attended. However, Becker was nominated for president and came in third after Iokepa Moses. Obra and Gaston, who were also unable to attend the annual meeting, were nominated and voted into the president and treasurer positions. Also off the board, who did attend, was flower and coffee farmer Jeff McCall.

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Hawai`i could become milk self-sufficient with new dairies like this one built
by Vance Construction in O`okala. Photo from Vance Construction

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY in Hawai`i will be revitalized, state Department of Agriculture chief Scott Enright said on Friday at the annual Ka`u Farm Bureau meeting. Enright predicted that Hawai`i will be “dairy self-sufficient” in five to ten years. He said that dairies will be viable in Hawai`i through growing feed locally, pointing to Big Island Dairy at O`okala on the Hamakua Coast. Big Island Dairy, owned by an Idaho dairyman, has been constructing an addition to its facility to create the largest commercial milk diary in Hawai`i, with production of 15,000 gallons a day by milking 2,000 cows. The number of dairies in Hawai`i dropped from about 40, including Na`alehu Dairy, to only two in recent years, with the cost of importing feed driving the operations out of business. Farms like Big Island Dairy would grow much of their own corn and other feed. According to Big Island Dairy, it has the potential of raising 63 percent of the feed locally.

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THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN ROLL COMMISSION reopens registration tomorrow, allowing more people to sign up by May 1 and participate in forming a Native Hawaiian government.
      The move came in response to a request from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which announced last week that it will act as a neutral party and help facilitate election of delegates and staging of a Native Hawaiian convention after the roll is certified.

      A preliminary list of registrants will be available for review from March 24 to April 4 at public libraries and Office of Hawaiian Affairs offices across the state, as well as other Hawaiian organizations. 

      People on the registry will then form a governing entity that could be recognized by the state and begin a government-to-government relationship.
      According to the 2010 census, more than 527,000 people in the United States reported Native Hawaiian ancestry, including 290,000 living in Hawai`i.
      People can register online or check their status at kanaiolowalu.org and hawaiianroll.org.

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

AN OCEAN VIEW RESIDENT who was shot twice in the back last week remains hospitalized in critical condition, according to a story in West Hawai`i Today. The 37-year-old single father of three was shot by a 48-year-old man who then killed himself.
      The victim’s mother told reporter Chelsea Jensen that her son is expected to undergo surgery tomorrow to relieve pressure on his lungs. He currently needs a ventilator to breathe.

      See westhawaiitoday.com.

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

Dr. Jill Murray

DR. JILL MURRAY, ONE OF THE NATION’S leading experts on teen dating abuse, will speak to Ka`u High School students on April 22. A representative from the Commission on the Status of Women stated that, because of Ka`u County Council member Brenda Ford’s awareness of the challenges facing teens, “she’s made a commitment to bring one of the nation’s finest speakers to her district in hopes to educate, strengthen, empower and provide insight and solutions regarding intimate partner violence.” 

      Murray has appeared on more than 350 television shows, including Oprah, 20/20, Montel, Dr. Phil, Good Morning America and several CNN Shows, speaking as the guest expert in the field of teen dating abuse. She has also appeared on more than 300 radio talk shows and has been interviewed by more than 250 newspapers and national magazines. Murray is the author of best-selling books, But I Love Him: Protecting Your Teen Daughter from Controlling, Abusive, Dating Relationships and Destructive Relationships: A Guide to Changing the Unhealthy Relationships in Your Life. Her newest book, But He Never Hit Me: The Devastating Cost of Non-Physical Abuse to Girls and Women, is on Amazon’s best-seller lists and won the prestigious Publisher’s Choice award.
      Murray is expected to be on other school campuses during her week’s visit to the Big Island.
      For more information, contact Ka`u High School counselor Laura Walker at 928-2088.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U JUNIOR TROJANS did excellent work at the recent county Parks & Recreation and Hershey’s track and field meets, according to coach Angie Miyashiro. “We brought home in total 12 medals and 18 ribbons. The athletes trained very hard and are still motivated to keep training. I am so very proud of them,” she said.

      Ka`u track and field traveled to Kona for the first meet of the season, where Esteve Salmo took first place in boys long jump.

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY BUFFET IS AVAILABLE TOMORROW from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, lamb stew, chunky red potatoes, Irish green beans, steamed rice, tossed salad, ice cream sundae bar, brownies and a beverage cost $18 for adults and $9 for children six to 11 years old. KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests; park entrance fees apply. 967-8356.

KA`U RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC. offers career programs Tuesday at Ka`u Resource and Distance Learning Center, 96-3126 Puahala Street in Pahala.
      An informational meeting about Individualized Career Achievement Network, called iCAN, which is designed to help students improve in reading, writing, math and computer skills in preparation for new careers in the areas of agriculture, energy and healthcare, begins at 9 a.m.
      Licensed Practical Nurse program prerequisites informational meeting takes place at 1 p.m. Those interested in applying for training must be at least 18 years of age.
     Call 928-0101 to register.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT HOLDS a community meeting at noon Tuesday at Na`alehu Community Center.
      Those interested in participating but unable to attend may call Captain Burt Shimabukuro at 939-2520, stop by the Ka`u Police Station in Na`alehu or e-mail their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com.

LITTLE FIRE ANTS ARE THE SUBJECT of a community meeting Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Hawai`i Ant Lab personnel will provide information about the ants and discuss methods of control.

SEE THE MARCH ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, March 15, 2014

Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park are ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a fundraiser BBQ tomorrow, on the eve of the holiday. Photo by Elizabeth Fien

KA`U HOSPITAL IS RECEIVING STATE FUNDS for several projects.

      $201,000 goes toward repairs to address items discovered during renovations of the roof, doors, windows and air filtration and cooling systems. Also covered are hazardous material abatement and repairs before additional renovations begin.

Improvement projects at Ka`u Hospital are receiving state funding.
Photo by Julia Neal

      $199,000 is for plumbing upgrades. Most of the hospital's pipes are more than 40 years old and require frequent repairs. In June, the hospital septic tanks were found to be corroding and posing a potential hazard to the integrity of the wastewater system. Funds are needed to finance the engineering assessment and repair the system; the remainder of the funds will be used to design the plumbing upgrade.
      A $75,000 energy audit will determine cost-efficient ways to reduce energy usage and install energy-saving equipment such as variable frequency drives, controlling devices or programs, or modifying existing systems.
      Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced release of the funds as more than $19.1 million for various capital improvement projects to upgrade and improve eight Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation facilities. “In addition to increasing safety and functionality, these projects ... will further stimulate our economy and generate more local jobs,” Abercrombie said.

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Ralph Gaston is the new Ka`u Farm Bureau president.

COFFEE MARKETER RALPH GASTON was voted president of Ka`u Farm Bureau last night. Gaston lives at Punalu`u mauka and works with award-winning Rusty’s Hawaiian 100 Percent  Ka`u Coffee with famed Ka`u Coffee farmer Lorie Obra and partners Joan Obra and Miguel Meza. 

     The new Ka`u Farm Bureau board is comprised of four in the coffee industry, two ranchers and one small farmer. 

     Vice president is Brenda Iokepa Moses, who works in administration at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Treasurer is Lorie Obra, and secretary is Corrine Nelson, who has a farm with bananas and avocados off Lorenzo Road. Also a director is award-winning coffee farmer Willie Tabios, Kapapala rancher Lani Petrie and Kuahiwi rancher Michelle Galimba. 

      The board will serve through Aug. 31, 2014, the remainder of the Hawai`i Farm Bureau fiscal year. Statewide president of Hawai`i Farm Bureau is Chris Manfredi. Manfredi is a Ka`u Coffee marketer who has served as Ka`u Farm Bureau president since the local bureau’s inception when he was land manager of the approximately 400 acres where most of the award-winning Ka`u Coffee growers leased land after Ka`u sugar company closed in 1996.

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State Ag chief Scott Enright spoke at yesterday's
Ka`u Farm Bureau meeting.

STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE CHAIR SCOTT ENRIGHT addressed Ka`u Farm Bureau and the public last night, asking for those interested in agriculture to become more involved in the political system to garner support. He said the state Department of Agriculture budget is only “point four-four percent,” less than one percent of the state budget. He noted, however, that Ka`u is represented in government and in agricultural organizations, with rancher Michelle Galimba, a Farm Bureau board member, about to begin a second four-year term on the state Board of Agriculture. He also noted that Chris Manfredi is the new president of the statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau and urged Ka`u residents to address Manfredi or Galimba with concerns and ideas about agriculture. 

     Sara Witt asked Enright about the policy of the state Department of Agriculture toward the `Aina Koa Pono biofuels and refinery project that was planned for Ka`u and turned down twice by the state Public Utilities Commission. Enright said that “none of the biofuels projects have gotten any traction.” He said, however, that the specific AKP project is something that the Department of Agriculture would probably not weigh in on.
     Regarding invasive species, Enright said that the Department of Agriculture is sorely lacking in funding to fight the pests that can destroy crops in Hawai`i. He said a study said it would take $50 million a year to make a big impact on the invasive species that have come into Hawai`i. However, he noted that the Ag Department is “in there for the long term” to fight the coffee berry borer that has already damaged Kona and Ka`u farms.

Enright vowed to fight the coffee berry borer.

     Malian Lahey, who owns a farm in Wood Valley, advocated for permission from government for coffee farmers to grow their own Beauveria fungus strains to fight the coffee berry borer. Currently, federal regulations prevent the sale of the homegrown fungus. Manfredi said the Farm Bureau will look into the possibility of growing the fungus, manufacturing it and selling it to raise money to fight the berry borer.
     Manfredi also said that the Farm Bureau will look into certification of organic produce.
     Rick Warshauer asked whether Enright thought he could attract a bigger budget for the Department of Agriculture. Enright said that ag is “warm and fuzzy,” but not too many people press for more funding. However, he described Gov. Neil Abercrombie as supporting ag more than any governor he has known.” Nevertheless, he described his department as having a “beggar’s budget.”
     Rep. Richard Creagan said there aren’t many members of the state House of Representatives who are into ag. “They just don’t get it. … Most of the juice over there is O`ahu-centric.”
      Enright said that most people don’t understand ag. “They don’t know our narrative.” He said he wants to do a public campaign to educate the public on all that is grown in Hawai`i.
      See more in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs.

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

Patricia McManaman

PATRICIA MCMANAMAN IS RETURNING AS DIRECTOR of the state Department of Human Services following a short leave of absence. “I’m happy to see Pat back in a position to build on the solid foundation she has built in the department,” Abercrombie said. 

      McManaman has served under the Abercrombie Administration since its inception in December 2010. A statement from the governor said McManaman “led the department during a difficult time due to the economic recession, when programs and funding were scaled down. Her leadership and innovation helped drive through these difficult times, and her passion and commitment moved the department forward as it improved services and expanded programs.”
      Prior to her directorship position, McManaman practiced law in Hawai`i for more than 30 years, holding a variety of public interest legal positions.
      She also served as a per diem judge in District Court and Family Court of the First Circuit for 17 years.
      McManaman has received a variety of awards and recognition for her leadership in social and public health issues.

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DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS FOR HAWAI`I PHOTO EXPO 2014 are due Thursday, March 20. The juried exhibition and largest photography contest in the state offers an opportunity for students and novices as well as established professionals to showcase their best images. It takes place at Wailoa Center in Hilo from June 9 to June 25. 

      See hawaiiphotoexpo.com for fees, prizes, rules and entry forms.

Participants in tomorrow's Palm Trail Hike will enjoy one of the best
panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Photo from NPS

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK presents its Palm Trail Hike tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop trail traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone with one of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Participants discover how various plant and animal introductions altered this diverse ecosystem. See nps.gov/havo.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR A FUNDRAISING DINNER to help keiki pay registration fees for Na`alehu and Pahala Summer Fun programs. The dinner takes place Friday, March 21 at Na`alehu Community Center and features teri-beef, rice, corn and bread for $7. Pick-up is from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

     The county planned to disband the programs in both locations until Nona Makuakane, of Pahala Community Center, suggested fundraising awards to help families pay for high registration fees. She enlisted Kathy Hashimoto and Leonora Hu, of Na`alehu Summer Fun, and Leina`ala Enos, of Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center, to see how they could solve the problem.
     Interested parents or anyone who would like to help with the fundraiser by making a donation, selling tickets or helping prepare or serve are urged to call Pahala Community Center at 928-3102. Parents who help with the fundraiser will be guaranteed an award for their child to attend Summer Fun. The amount awarded will depend on the total received from the fundraisers.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK celebrate their first annual St. Patrick’s Day Eve BBQ Fundraiser at the Hilo Coffee Mill in Mountain View tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

      The event will feature a BBQ ribs and chicken lunch, live music and other surprise entertainment. Door prizes include an overnight stay at the historic Volcano House, Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Circle of Fire & Waterfall tour for two, Body Glove Cruise for two, Umauma Zipline adventure for two, jewelry, art and much more.
      Tickets are $45 for BBQ and entertainment, or $50 for the above and one beer or wine.
      For tickets, call 985-7373, see fhvnp.org or purchase at the door.

HAWAII WILDLIFE FUND AND NATURAL AREA RESERVES teams invite volunteers to their annual Manuka Natural Area Reserve shoreline hiking cleanup in South Kona two weeks from today on Saturday, March 29. The region includes anchialine pools, rugged beaches and a couple of embayments. 

      “Every year, we are able to cover more ground and move further north along this rocky, remote shoreline,” said HWF coordinator Megan Lamson.
      Space is limited. RSVP to Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

SEE THE MARCH ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

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