Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 22, 2012

Dcumentary film takes a naturalist into unexpected interactions with wildlife as a member of a flock of wild turkeys. Photo from Nature

TODAY IS THANKSGIVING and the Big Island is home to a Thanksgiving symbol, the wild turkey. Turkeys are native to the southern U.S. and Mexico but were brought to Hawai`i from many far off places, by explorers and trading vessels sailing in with livestock as early as 1788 from China and in 1815 from Chile. In 1961, Rio Grand wild turkeys were imported to Pu`uwa`awa`a Ranch on the west side of this island and these hardy Texan dry land turkeys proved to have the best survival rate. 

Wild turkeys on the outskirts of Pahala, roaming through a macadamiu orchard.
 Photo by Julia Neal

      According to a Wild Turkey publication by Bishop Museum, turkeys were the first bird species (possibly along with rock pigeons) to be introduced to post-contact Hawai`i, when a number of birds were brought in from China. By the 1920’s as many as two to three thousand wild turkeys were taken by hunters each year on the Big Island. Wild Turkey describes the birds as “naturalized, long-established residents” of Hawai`i. 

      Turkeys don’t like the beach too much, but are plentiful in the uplands of Ka`u, roaming in flocks through macadamia orchards, forest and pasturelands. The lives of wild turkeys and what these animals can teach humans is the subject of an Emmy winning film called My Life as a Turkey. Based on a naturalist spending more than a year alone with wild turkeys, from egg to adulthood, the film can be seen, no charge, at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/my-life-as-a-turkey/full-episode/7378/

THE FALSE KILLER WHALE, which is really a large dolphin, has received increased protection from the federal government. The ban on long-line fishing near the Hawaiian Islands will be geographically extended. Circular hooks will be required of longline fishermen to help prevent false killer whales from being accidentally caught when fishing for swordfish and other commercial catch. 

      A statement earlier this year from the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice and Turtle Island Restoration Network said that the federal Fish & Wildlife Service’s “own data have shown for over a decade that Hawai`i-based longline fishing kills false killer whales in Hawaiian waters at unsustainable rates. The latest data, which the agency released in August 2012, reveal that each year longline fishing kills an average of more than 13 false killer whales from the 'Hawai`i Pelagic Stock' (animals found more than 22 nautical miles from the main Hawaiian Islands), nearly 50 percent more than what the agency has said that population can sustain.
   

Large dolphins with the name of False Killer Whales are down to about 150 animals and received increased protection this month.
Photo from Center for Biological Diversity

     “False killer whales in the 'Hawaii Insular Stock' (animals found within 76 nautical miles of the main Hawaiian Islands) are being killed in Hawai`i-based longlines at nearly twice the sustainable rate, contributing to a 9 percent decline in the population each year since 1989. Only about 150 of these animals remain, and the Fisheries Service has proposed to list them as 'endangered' under the Endangered Species Act.” 

      Todd Steiner, biologist and executive director of the Turtle Island Restoration Network, was quoted in Civil Beat yesterday, indicating that the environmental groups want more: “While these new measures will hopefully help reduce the severe impact the Hawai‘i longline fishery has been having on these magnificent dolphins, we are disappointed that some of the recommended measures have been weakened. We will be monitoring the fishery closely for effectiveness and compliance and won’t hesitate to take additional actions if problems persist.”
      Earthjustice represented the environmental groups in taking longline fishing industry regulations to court, resulting in the recent settlement and new rules. See more at www.civilbeat.com.

PREVENTING INJURIES AND GOOD MENTAL HEALTH can reduce the number of accidental deaths, according to the state Department of Health. Its new epidemiology study shows that falling down led to almost twice the number of deaths as vehicle crashes. Among other causes of death that could be mitigated are: drowning, poisoning, pedestrian injuries, motorcycle injuries, interpersonal violence and suicide. 

   After falls the second most prevalent cause of unintentional death is poisoning, through prescription drugs – taking the wrong medicine or the wrong dosage. The third most common cause of unintentional death is driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The fourth cause of unintentional death is drowning. 

      The study, taken from statistics gathered from  2007 – 2011, pinpoints Hawai`i County as having the state’s highest rate for death by pedestrian crash, drowning, and suicides. The Department of Health has posted its Hawai`i Injury Prevention Plan , 2012 – 2017 and the statistical study Injuries in Hawai`i, 2007 – 2011 on its website at http://hawaii.gov/health. The website has numerous links to studies, workshops, and helpful hints for better public health.

STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN says he will be the one to introduce a bill into the 2013 Hawai`i State Legislature to require lawmakers to adhere to the same restrictions as other state employees in regards to using their positions to benefit themselves and others.
   Green wrote a letter to the City & County of Honolulu urging settlement of an unpaid bill from a company that enables physicians to fill prescriptions for their own patients within their doctors’ offices. He said the intent of the letter was to promote faster payments to health providers so they can continue to treat workers compensation and other patients. However, the letter was used in a Honolulu Star Advertiser story as an example of a loophole for legislators to have influence denied to other state workers. Green said that the company owed the money was incidentally one of many contributors to his recent successful campaign for reelection. He said he gave the campaign donation to a hospital foundation and Aloha Medical Mission, according to the story in Civil Beat. The Nathan Eagle story also reports Green saying he plans to meet with the executive director of the state Ethics Commission, Les Kondo, to help craft a stricter law for legislators and “gain some guidance for himself and others to better understand where the line is drawn.”

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S CRATER RIM CAFÉ in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hosts a Thanksgiving Day buffet Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Price for adults is $18.95 and $9.50 for children ages 6 to 11, and park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-8371.

THE HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL is the most recent image created by woodblock print artist Caren Loebel-Fried. She signs books and prints Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Ho`ailona, Hawaiian Monk Seal, is a hand-pulled, hand-colored, limited-edition block print created for Conservation Council for Hawai`i’s annual wildlife poster. Loebel-Fried will demonstrate her process and will provide original and giclee images for purchase. Park entrance fees apply. See volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.

Volcano Artist Hui opens studios and workshops Friday through Sunday.

VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI Art Studio Tour & Sale begins Friday and goes through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Meet artists in their studios and see pottery, raku masks, hand-blown art glass, wood and metal sculpture, hand-tooled metal, fiber art, photographs, paintings, drawings and block prints. A special drawing for pieces contributed by the artists will
be held on the last day. Maps are available at local businesses and VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.

INVITATIONAL WREATH EXHIBIT continues today and through the holidays at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Gallery. Artists, working in a wide variety of media, materials and techniques, present their concepts of “wreath,” from the whimsical to the traditional through Sunday, Jan. 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Park entrance fees apply. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565. 

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY continues Friday through Sunday,  9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Volcano Art Center Gallery. Special holiday celebrations include art demonstrations and print and book signings by gallery artists, plus a selection of handcrafted decorations and gifts offered only during the holiday season. 

     Park entrance fees apply. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.

KIPUKA`AKIHI HIKE is scheduled Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants explore an isolated refuge of rare plants in a remnant old-growth forest at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Pre-registration is required at 985-6011.

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

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

Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 21, 2012

NOAA map shows debris reported as possibly resulting from the Japanese tsunami in March 2011.

PUBLIC LAND DEVELOPMENT CORP’S major supporter in the state Senate said yesterday that he would consider repealing the law. Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the implementation of the law, the way it is written, could be inconsistent. According to the report by Star-Advertiser reporter Derrick DePledge, “Dela Cruz said that the PLDC, the development arm of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, has not done anything definitive in the year since it was created to establish itself as an entity poised to develop significant projects. He said that he and other lawmakers had to help craft a strategic plan and a public information strategy for the PLDC.”

Donovan Dela Cruz

      Ka`u’s incoming state Senators Josh Green and Russell Ruderman both told The Ka`u Calendar that they would seriously consider repealing the law. Ka`u member to the state House of Representatives Denny Coffman says he opposes the PLDC law and has apologized for supporting in last year. New state Rep. Richard Onishi said he has not yet made up his mind. 

      According to the Star-Advertiser story, Dela Cruz “has also urged the PLDC’s five-member board to develop criteria to annually evaluate the performance of Lloyd Haraguchi, its executive director.” The story quotes Dela Cruz saying: “We’re not talking about projects; we’re talking about organization. So the fact that the Public Land Development Corp. has not been able to organize, has not been able to develop an operational strategy, is disturbing.”
      “Asked whether he would call for a repeal, the senator said, ‘I think at this point, until they can prove that this idea can be properly implemented, then maybe that has to be put on the table,’” reports DePledge.
      The Star-Advertiser also reports that Department of Land & Natural Resources director William Aila “said the Abercrombie administration and the PLDC would like the opportunity to work with all parties to try to resolve concerns. ‘I don’t think that a repeal is necessary at this point.’”
      See more at www.staradvertiser.com.

Only 15 of more than 1,000 reported items have been
confirmed asJapanese tsunami marine debris.
Map from NOAA

SINCE THE JAPANESE TSUNAMI in March 2011, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration has received over 1,000 reports of debris from the general public and partners at sea and on shore. While many of these objects may fit the profile of tsunami debris, only a few can be traced back to the disaster with 100 percent certainty based on a clear fingerprint, such as a government registration or personal information. The latest report shows only 15 items confirmed as Japanese tsunami marine debris.
      The only confirmed sighting in Hawai`i is a small plastic box found on O`ahu used to store seafood. A large yellow cylinder that washed up along the Ka`u Coast is unconfirmed as being from Japan, and DLNR is soliciting bids for its removal.

      Sightings of marine debris can be reported at disasterdebris@noaa.gov. More information is available at marinedebris.noaa.gov.

The large yellow cylinder on the Ka`u Coast is unconfirmed as being
from Japan. DLNR is soliciting bids for its removal.

      County Civil Defense is working with other agencies to keep track of tsunami debris and to plan for  its removal, according to the mayor’s office.

A RECENT CHANGE IN HAWAI`I COUNTY’S ELECTRICAL CODE removes the requirement for an architect or structural engineer’s seal on building plans and specs for residential photovoltaic installations. The change, signed into law by Mayor Billy Kenoi, became effective November 8.
      With this change in the electrical code, homeowners and installers can get photovoltaic systems on homes more quickly. “Residential photovoltaic systems are an important part of reducing our island’s dependence on imported fuels and easing the burden of high electricity prices on our Hawai‘i Island families,” said Kenoi.

      The law did not change the requirement for an architect or structural engineer’s seal on building plans and specs for non-residential photovoltaic installations. Building and electrical permits are still required for residential and non-residential photovoltaic installations, as well as an electrical engineer’s stamp for electrical design drawings.
      Electrical and building applications may be completed and tracked online through the Papa Aukahi web portal at papaaukahi.hawaiicounty.gov. Public computers within the Hilo and Kona Building Division offices are available to create and track online permit applications.
      Front desk support for permit applications is available from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the exception of Wednesday in Hilo and Thursday in Kona, when the desk closes at noon. All other Public Works divisions remain available weekdays until 4:30 p.m. for code questions, consultation, and drop off and pick up for plans and permits.

Vickie Crosby holds her Hawai`i Nurse Practitioner of the Year award
received from (l) Angela Golden, president of AANP and Yvonne Geesey,
AANP Hawai`i state representative. Photo from Rick Crosby

VICKIE CROSBY, CERTIFIED FAMILY NURSE PRACTITIONER and founder of Ocean View Family Health Clinic, has been named Hawai`i Nurse Practitioner of the Year by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. This honor is awarded annually during National Nurse Practitioner Week to one of Hawai`i’s outstanding nurse practitioners for leadership, innovation and service to his or her community. Crosby serves over 3,000 patients every year in the Ocean View area and is a clinical preceptor for nurse practitioner students from University of Hawai`i. She is also vice president of Ka`u Rural Health Association. 

      According to AANP, more and more people are choosing NPs as their primary, acute and/or specialty healthcare provider. In addition to being healthcare providers, NPs provide comprehensive, personalized health education and counseling and assist patients in making better lifestyle and health decisions.
      “By providing high-quality care and counseling, NPs can lower the cost of health care for patients,” said Ocean View Family Health Clinic manager Rick Crosby. “For example, patients who see NPs as their primary care provider often have fewer emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays and lower medication costs.”

A Land Worth Fighting For, by Kamrie Koi, is one of eleven short films
comprising the Digital Mountain Film Festival.

ELEVEN SHORT FILMS CREATED by island students for Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Digital Mountain Film Festival are ready for viewing and voting on YouTube. Each film is approximately three minutes in length. 

      The last day to vote is Monday, Nov. 26. Send votes to Park Ranger Kupono McDaniel by email at kupono_mcdaniel@nps.gov.
      The fourth annual Digital Mountain Film Festival takes place at the park’s Kilauea Visitor Center, on Saturday, Dec. 1. A potluck celebration starts at 5:30 p.m., and the film festival gets underway at 6 p.m. Winners, who have a chance to win Mac laptop computers and digital cameras, will be announced at the festival.
      “It’s very inspirational and enlightening to see how our island youth perceive Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. They understand the park isn’t just for tourists but is their park, too. I hope everyone has a chance to vote for their favorite film and come and celebrate our talented youth at the film festival,” McDaniel said.

      See the films at http://www.youtube.com/user/DigitalMountain2012?feature=watch.
      For more information, contact McDaniel at 985-6015 or kupono_mcdaniel@nps.gov, and visit the festival’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/DigitalMountainFilmFestival.

ALL AGES ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE in the annual Rubberband Turkey Shoot today from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Call 928-3102 for more information.

KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER AUDITORIUM in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hosts a concert by Kalapana `Awa Band this evening at 6:30 p.m. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

Caren Loebel-Fried illustrated Legend of the Gourd.

WOODBLOCK PRINT ARTIST CAREN LOEBEL-FRIED signs books and prints Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Her most recent image, Ho`ailona, Hawaiian Monk Seal, is a hand-pulled, hand-colored, limited-edition block print created for Conservation Council for Hawai`i’s annual wildlife poster. Loebel-Fried demonstrates her process and has both original and giclee images available for purchase. Park entrance fees apply. For more visit volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-7565.

VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI Art Studio Tour & Sale is Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors meet artists in their studios and see pottery, raku masks, hand-blown art glass, wood and metal sculpture, hand-tooled metal, fiber art, photographs, paintings, drawings and block prints. A special drawing for pieces contributed by the artists is held on the last day of the event. Maps are available at local businesses and VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.

KIPUKA`AKIHI HIKE is scheduled Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants explore an isolated refuge of rare plants in a remnant old-growth forest at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Pre-registration is required at 985-6011.

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

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

Ka`u News Briefs Nov. 20, 2012

More infrastructure for Ka`u, South Kona and Volcano are on the list for incoming County Council member Brenda Ford, who says she will also watch after completion of the new Ka`u Disaster Shelter & Gymnasium. Construction is expected to get underway in the next few weeks. Groundbreaking with gold shovels was Oct. 3. 
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

KA`U’S INCOMING COUNTY COUNCIL member Brenda Ford, who takes office on Dec. 3, said she has a list of projects for Ka`u, Volcano and South Kona and has committed to finishing projects initiated by outgoing council member Brittany Smart.

Brenda Ford

      For the northern end of District 6, Ford said, she is working for a new potable water well in Captain Cook. She said she would like to see a water line extended from Ho`okena south to Miloli`i or put in new well around Miloli`i and Papa Bay Road along Hwy 11 with spigots.

      “Besides potable water to drink, we also need fast action for fighting range and house fires,” she said. “We don’t have water lines going downhill from the highway in some of these subdivisions where everyone is on catchment. With more wells and spigots, people will be able to haul water from a closer distance, and the Fire Department can fill trucks faster.”

      For Ocean View, Ford said, “Brittany started the work, and I will continue to work toward a second well in Ocean View to allow a charter school to exist there. Secondly, we are both working on the new permanent transfer, reuse, recycling and mulch center for Ocean View.” She said she will also work toward improving the Ocean View police substation. “I understand it is less than desirable.”

Brenda Ford wants more wells and spigots in
Ka`u and South Kona for firefighting and drinking
water. Photo from bigislandliving.blogspot.com

      For Na`alehu, said Ford, “We are trying to get a million-gallon water tank and new waterlines down South Point Road, serving Discovery Harbour and all the houses along the road. We also need hydrants. That area has plenty of water if we can fill up a tank to feed the pipes.” She said that “pipes on South Point Road are in terrible condition.”
      For Ka`alu`alu Road going to Green Sands subdivision, said Ford, “Spaghetti lines are leaking, and there are no hydrants. We would run the line along the main road and shorten the laterals going along the side roads.” She said she will look for help from the federal government. Ford said there is a need for a million-gallon water tank on the makai side of Hwy 11 near Ka`alu`alu Road intersection.
       For Pahala, Ford said, she will be tracking and making sure it all goes well with the new Ka`u Gym & Disaster Shelter project.
      For Volcano, Ford said, there is a need for a new transfer station, with recycling, reuse and compost opportunities. “The backside of the shoot is falling down,” Ford reported.

MORE `AINA KOA PONO testimony is going to the Public Utilities Commission ahead of the Nov. 30 deadline for public input on the proposed 20-year contract between `Aina Koa Pono and Hawai`i Electric Light Co. for biofuel that would be made in a refinery off Wood Valley Road.

      Edward Crook, retired Na`alehu Ace Hardware manager, business owner, and former Ka`u Federal Credit Union board member, writes: “Please. I beg of you. Stop this insanity of HELCO and `Aina Koa Pono pursuing this unproven biofuel venture when it means higher electric rates that would be on the backs of we rate payers. HELCO recently announced plans to add 50 megawatts of geothermal power to our island (Hawai`i) grid. Geothermal is proven to be successful, and the cost of electrical production equates to about $57.00 per barrel of oil. I do not understand why HELCO would even consider using $200.00 per barrel of biofuel, and lock in for a 20-year contract with `Aina Koa Pono. If HELCO will not use common sense in this matter, then we must rely on the Hawai`i (Public) Utilities Commission to stop this hair-brained scheme.”

Ron Self with in his olive orchard.

ADDITIONAL OPPOSITION TO `AINA KOA PONO has been submitted to the PUC by Ron Self, a farmer and attorney in Wood Valley who sets out his own ideas for the future of energy production: 

      “Hawai`i Island and the State of Hawai`i, as well as our great country, need bold, smart, knowledgeable, active and well intentioned leaders and residents to institute a 21st Century energy policy, one which minimizes oil’s dominance. We need to electrify our transportation systems with privately funded geothermal, hydroelectric, solar and wind energy power suppliers, and a municipal energy entity that purchases and distributes the electricity in a smart, simple and low cost manner to the public.
      “We must immediately end the state-sanctioned monopoly held by HECO and its tax manipulated corporate children, like HELCO. Allowing a for-profit business to control our energy markets, i.e., choosing which and when to buy energy and at what price, is legal theft and a fixed game. We have the energy resources to have low cost energy if we change the way we do business in our political economy. If we have low cost energy, we can compete with anyone in all businesses, including agriculture and big data. Tourism will flourish with an electric transportation model. The governor and the Legislature need to act immediately, as well as county mayors and Councils. Each county should have its own municipal energy company who purchases and distributes energy, while leaving the production of energy to competition.

      “There are other alternative energy potentials than those listed. However, those energy systems do not have the scientific/engineering proof yet to be considered currently viable. Take biofuels that are being pushed by HECO, HELCO, and other private parties in Ka`u, Island of Hawai`i, before the PUC. Biofuels have been tried and used for decades. Biofuels are expensive, take huge amounts of land out of food production, cause large increases in food costs and use massive amounts of energy to produce and refine the energy from biomass. Biofuels made from algae/cynobacteria have shown promise but are barely out of the lab. The difference in algae-based biofuels and growing crops and grasses for biofuel is that algae has been altered to produce fuel directly from its biology and does not have to be converted to fuel and costs substantially less to produce and uses much less land and resources.”
      Other possible sources to produce electricity mentioned by Self are burning trash and waste, hydro, hydrogen, mining garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean, and natural gas.
      “Our Island, state, and country need big challenges and goals. Let this be ours, and let’s act,” urges Self.

TESTIMONY IS COMING IN FROM BEYOND KA`U, as the proposal requires electric bill increases for all of the Big Island and all of O`ahu.
      Norris Henthorne, of Hilo, testifies: “I think that the proposed contract between `Aina Koa Pono and HELCO to produce and buy biofuel is not in the best interests of the people of Hawai`i Island. It will only mean higher electricity rates. I suggest that the PUC deny this request.
      Bernard Geiger, of Hilo, testifies: “If the cost of biofuel is as high as projected, the utility should be regulated to include a requirement that the charges for electricity produced from that source shall not exceed that cost experienced by production from geothermal sources.”
      For the entire proposal, previously reported testimony from `Aina Koa Pono and its supporters as well as additional testimony from the public see http://puc.hawaii.gov. Also see www.ainakoapono.com and an intervenor’s website at www.lifeofthelandhawaii.org.
      Public testimony, due Nov. 30, can be submitted to hawaii.puc@hawaii.gov or 465 South King Street, #103, Honolulu, HI 96813.

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE WILL CONDUCT DUI checkpoints islandwide in anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend. The effort is part of a national and statewide campaign called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” 

      Sergeant Robert P. Pauole, head of the Traffic Services Section, said police are reminding motorists of the consequences of impaired driving and are enforcing Hawai`i County Ordinance No. 11-102, introduced by County Council member Brenda Ford after a young woman in her district died in an accident caused by a drunk driver. Also known as Aliyah’s Law, the ordinance permits officers to tow the vehicle of a driver who is stopped for impaired driving or driving after a license was suspended or revoked.
      On Hawai`i Island, drunk driving was responsible for 23 of the 36 traffic deaths so far this year, which is more than 63 percent of the fatalities. “We need to get the message out that driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs kills,” Pauole said. “Always remember to have a designated, sober and licensed driver before you start drinking. If you can’t find one, don’t take a chance – take a taxi!”

TOMORROW’S COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING can be viewed in Ka`u at Ocean View Community Center beginning at 9 a.m. The new system allows testimony to be given live from the site. The agenda, along with information about how to submit testimony, is available at http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lb-council-meeting.

ALL AGES ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE in the annual Rubberband Turkey Shoot tomorrow from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Call 928-3102 for more information.

KALAPANA `AWA BAND performs tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

Image by Grant Snider from neatorama.com

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY CENTER hosts its annual Thanksgiving dinner Thursday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Call 939-7033 for more information.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S CRATER RIM CAFÉ in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park hosts a Thanksgiving Day buffet Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Price for adults is $18.95 and $9.50 for children ages 6 to 11, and park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-8371.

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

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