Sunday, August 04, 2013

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Aug. 4, 2013

Candace Keohuloa, of Pahala, was the Big Island 2013 Children's Summer Reading Program grand-prize winner. Manager Debbie Wong Yuen presented her with a backpack filled with school supplies.
PAHALA PUBLIC & SCHOOL LIBRARY Summer Reading Program had 77 children, 18 teens and 12 adults participating. The children enjoyed weekly activities such as planting blue lake bush beans or flower seeds; doing weekly crafts making plant markers; butterfly, ladybug or dragonfly clips; making dinosaur fossils and digging for treasure.
      Through the UH-Manoa statewide Culture Extension Program, many sponsors and Friends of the Ka`u Libraries, the library hosted two programs. In Cultures of the World, C.R. Greywolf shared authentic handcrafted weapons, antiques and period costumes.
Ka`u resident Joe Iacuzzo presented programs on the dinosaur mummy
at Ka`u's libraries in July.
      New resident to Ka`u, Joe Iacuzzo, who authored the book Last Day of the Dinosaur Mummy, showed his documentary film Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy and brought a real dinosaur tooth that excited all those in attendance.
      Besides the weekly incentive prizes for each age group that were provided by the many sponsors, each library had a drawing for special prizes. Winner of the children’s garden fun gift basket was fourth-grader Kalena Kailiawa. The teen winner of an iPod Shuffle is Rayncin Salmo-Grace, who will be in the 11th grade.
      Third-grader Candace Keohuloa, of Pahala, was the Big Island 2013 Children’s SRP grand-prize winner of a Disney Minnie Mouse backpack filled with school supplies valued at over $50, provided by Price Busters on O`ahu.
      Other activities and services Pahala Public & School Library provides are free Friday movie matinees at 2 p.m. The library also has four desktop and twenty-one laptops that can be used free with a Hawaii State Public Library card. The library also provides free Wi-Fi connection during normal business hours. Basic computer classes are in the future plans.
      Hawai`i State Public Library System offers many other free services and programs throughout the year. To find out more, see librarieshawaii.org or call manager Debbie Wong Yuen at 928-2015.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY HAS BEEN INFORMED of a telephone scam that may affect business customers on Hawai`i Island. Customers reported receiving telephone calls from a caller who claimed to be a HELCO representative. The customers were directed to pay their utility bill at a store using a service called Money Pak. The caller also directed the customers to not make payments at the utility’s customer service office. 
      HELCO encourages customers to call its customer service office if they receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to represent the company.
      Payment options are by U.S. mail; in person at the company’s Hilo, Kona or Waimea business offices; in person at Foodland, Sack N Save, Wal-Mart, Kmart, or First Hawaiian Bank; charge, debit card or electronic check by calling a toll-free number.
      Employees will not call and request a credit card number or direct customers to submit payment via other options. Details are available on the back of billing statements.
For safety and protection, HELCO encourages customers to:
  • Never provide personal, confidential or financial information to an unidentified caller. 
  • Be cautious when responding to callers from an unidentified phone number. Phone scammers want to remain anonymous. 
  • Ask questions: request the caller’s name, company name, and phone number. If in doubt, call Hawai`i Electric Light’s customer service office to confirm the caller’s request. 
  • Report any suspicious activity to local police. 
Learn more at HELCO customer service in Hilo (969-6999), Kona (329-3584) or Waimea (885-4605) or at hawaiielectriclight.com.

HCC ag professor Chris Jacobsen
KA`U RESIDENTS CAN EARN CERTIFICATES in landscaping, agbusiness and marketing from Hawai`i Community College, which starts offering non-credit agriculture classes this week. 
      “These courses are an excellent and inexpensive way for people to expand their agricultural knowledge and skills in a short amount of time,” agriculture professor Chris Jacobsen told Pacific Business News intern Landess Kearns.
      The landscaping class, for instance, takes place over four days and meets for five-and-a-half hours per day. Students receive either a certificate of participation or a certificate of professional development. Fees range from $39 to $100.
      For more information, call HCC at 934-2500.

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL HOLDS MEETINGS this week. Committees meet Tuesday, with Finance Committee beginning at 9 a.m. and Planning at 10:30 a.m.
      Public Safety and Mass Transit Committee reconvenes at 1:30 p.m. to consider a proposed ban on GMOs. This is a continuation of the special meeting held July 2 and 3. It was originally scheduled to continue on July 30, but was postponed due to Tropical Storm Flossie.
      The full Council meets Wedneday at 9 a.m.
      All meetings take place at Council Chambers in Hilo. Ka`u residents are invited to participate via videoconferencing from Ocean View Community Center.
      Agendas for all meetings are available at hawaiicounty.gov.

DURING A WALK INTO THE PAST, Ka`u resident Dick Hershberger brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life. The programs take place this Tuesday and every other Tuesday at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center and Whitney Vault in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

REGISTRATION IS STILL AVAILABLE for Volcano Art Center’s fourth annual Rain Forest Runs set for Saturday, Aug. 17. The half marathon, 10K run and 5K run/walk are held in Volcano Village. This event traverses the native rain forest in Volcano Village and the ranches near Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. All distances are open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. 
      Entry fees are $85 for the half marathon, $50 for the 10K run and $35 for the 5K run/walk.
      Volcano Art Center presents art awards donated by local artists to the top three male and female winners of the half marathon, to the overall winners for the 10K and 5K and to the top two male and female winners in each ten-year age division for all race events. In addition, medals are presented to half marathon finishers and to the top male and female winners of the military division for each race.
      More information and registration forms are available at volcanoartcenter.org/rain-forest-runs.

Cheryl Gansecki guides a hike in the Ka`u
Desert next Sunday.
FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK presents its monthly Walk in the Park next Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
      Volcanologist Cheryl Gansecki guides a four-mile, round-trip hike along Footprints Trail to Mauna Iki in the Ka`u Desert. The hike is free for Friends members, and non-members can join the organization in order to attend. Call 985-7373 or email admin@fhvnp.org.

MEDICINE FOR THE MIND, Buddhist healing meditation for beginners and advanced practitioners, takes place next Sunday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Patty Johnson offers the free program at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. For more information, call 985-7470.

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

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

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