Ka`u News Briefs April 2, 2013

Kupono McDaniel, a Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park ranger, grew the chops to win the King Kalakaua look-alike
contest yesterday at the Merrie Monarch Festival. Photo from Hawai`i News Now

RANGER KUPONO MCDANIEL WON the Merrie Monarch Beard Contest yesterday. “Kupono” is known in Ka`u for his effort in producing a ranger program for high school students that has led to summer internships and employment at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park where he works. 

      He not only grew the beard but dressed for the competition like King Kalakaua, the Merrie Monarch, famous for bringing hula and Hawaiian music back into the life of the Hawaiian people. Kupono said he decided to grow his beard after he saw the announcement of the Kalakaua look-alike contest. “I've always loved the Merrie Monarch, but I don’t dance.” He began growing and trimming, and when he saw a Kalakaua image that showed a fluffy beard, Kupono quit trimming. Last Saturday, he said, he decided to search for adornments to look more regal. He and his six-year-old daughter, Kamele, searched the Salvation Army and other Hilo thrift shops and came up with two pairs of earrings he used to depict Kalakaua’s medals. They also found two broaches. A friend made a sash, and Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network loaned him a red jacket.

Interns at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in 2012, mentored by Kupono
McDaniel, this year's Merrie Monarch King Kalakaua look-alike.
Photo from HVNP

      Kupono said that acting “is pretty out of character for me. I just knew I could grow beards better than I could dance.” Kupono has been on the Big Island for more than 20 years and graduated from University of Hawai`i - Hilo after becoming involved with internships at the National Park Service. He has been working at the park since then and holds a new title as Youth and Volunteer Program Coordinator.
      The first King Kalakaua Beard and Look-Alike Contest was held in 1964 and won by a Parker Ranch cowboy, David Kaula, Jr. A three-time winner, Adam Quinores, now 79, also competed yesterday and came in third. There were 23 contestants in this competition, which was retired for years and brought back to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Merrie Monarch Festival.
      Kupono won $600 and prizes, including a $50 gift certificate from HPM.
      Merrie Monarch arts and crafts events and the Ho`oike begin tomorrow, followed by Miss Aloha Hula on Thursday and men’s and women’s traditional and modern hula competitions on Friday and Saturday, televised and online through KFVE. The Merrie Monarch Parade is Saturday in Hilo.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN draft materials were released this morning by the county Planning Department. A statement from Planning invites the public to review them at www.hawaiicountycdp.info/kau-cdp/draft-planning-documents/cdp-outline-with-links-to-draft-documents-and-feedback-forms.

      The statement from planning says, “Of particular interest is Appendix V4A Natural and Cultural Resource Management Analysis.” For each of Ka`u’s four resource management priorities – shoreline, agricultural land, mauka forests and cultural resources – the appendix does three basic things: outlines existing policy, summarizes related planning initiatives and introduces alternative strategies available to achieve Ka`u’s community objectives. Other elements of the CDP appendix are also available for public review and comment, including the CDP Purpose and Scope and the Planning Process.”
       The planning department asks the Ka`u public to “Please note that Appendix V4A does not include the policies and plans of action that will make up the heart of the CDP. Note also that Appendix V4A is not designed to be read from start to finish. Consider reading through page 14 and then using the tables of contents, figures, and tables to find material of greatest interest.
      Hard copies of the materials are available in Ka`u at:

• Pahala Public Library (928-2015): Monday, Thursday & Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the Ka`u reference table. 
• Pahala Community Center (928-3102): Monday through Thursday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with Nona Makuakane in the office. 
• Na`alehu Public Library (939-2442): Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., with branch manager Sara Kamibayashi behind the desk. 
• Na`alehu Community Center (939-2510): Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with Richard Karasuda in the center office. 
• Discovery Harbour Community Association Center (929-9576): Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
• Ocean View Community Association (939-7033): Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., with Sandy at the desk. 

      Hard copies are also available in the Kona and Hilo Planning Department offices.
       “The draft materials are works-in-progress,” said planner Ron Whitmore. “It is expected that they will be revised as conditions change and new information becomes available. Feedback, suggested additions, updates and corrections are welcome and encouraged.” Feedback forms are available through a link on the website.

Ka`u CDP Steering Committee meets Tuesday, April 9 at
Pahala Community Center.

KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE will convene Tuesday, April 9 at Pahala Community Center. The Steering Committee will discuss the draft materials. Like all CDP meetings, the 5:30 p.m. meeting is open to the public, and comment on agenda items is invited.
      The April 9 Steering Committee meeting is a business meeting focused on agenda items. “Hot topics” in Ka`u are not on the agenda and will not be discussed. “Please direct comments about these issues to the appropriate party,” says the announcement from the county planning department. “As always, refer to www.kaucdp.info for more information, and don’t hesitate to let Steering Committee members, Community Planning assistant Nalani Parlin, or me know if you have any questions,” said Whitmore.

SUGGESTIONS FOR PRESERVATION PROPERTIES are welcomed by the County of Hawai`i Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission. According to a statement from the county this morning, it “is inviting the public to submit suggestion forms for properties to be included in its annual prioritized list and report to Mayor Billy Kenoi.” Suggestion forms can be downloaded from http://hawaiicountymayor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2013-01-14-PONC-Suggestion-Form-fillable.pdf or by obtaining a form at the Property Management Division, County Building on 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1101. Completed forms can be mailed or e-mailed to the addresses listed on the form. Suggestion forms are due by the last business day of June, which in the current year is June 28.

Kawa, with its surf and estuaries, has long been a gathering place for
fishing, picnicking, camping and catching waves. It was acquired by
the county with 2 percent of property tax revenues and other
federal and state funding.  Photo by Julia Neal

      Past purchases, which total nearly 1,000 acres, have included Waipi`o Lookout in Hamakua; Kawa oceanfront parcels in Ka`u; Kaiholena and Pa`o`o oceanfront parcels in North Kohala; and the Kingman property (across from Magic Sands Beach) in Kona. PONC funds are generated from two percent of Hawai`i County’s annual real property tax revenues.
      Other Ka`u properties that have been suggested in the past include thousands of acres around Road to the Sea and the slopes and more than a thousand acres below Honu`apo Lookout toward South Point.
      There are nine PONC commissioners that represent each of the nine County Council districts on Hawai`i Island. The District 6 representative of lands between Volcano and South Kona is Marilyn Nicholson, of Volcano. These commissioners meet every other month rotating between the Hilo County Building and West Hawai`i Civic Center. Public testimony is allowed during each meeting. Commissioners review the current submittals and consider the significant factors of each property that may include historic and culturally important features; public outdoor recreation and education; public access to beaches or mountains; preservation of forests, beaches, coastal areas, and natural beauty; protection of natural resources and watershed lands; and the general benefits to the public. The potential acquisitions are then prioritized, and the list and accompanying report is sent to the mayor at the end of the calendar year. The mayor then forwards his recommendations to the Council, where resolutions are passed to purchase the properties.
      For further information, contact Alexandra Kelepolo of the County of Hawai`i Property Management Division at 961-8069 or visit the website at: http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/boards-and-commissions.

Ranger Adrian Boone Photo from NPS

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK and Volcano Art Center honor the 50th annual Merrie Monarch Festival with arts and crafts this week. 

      Tomorrow on Kilauea Visitor Center lanai from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sam and Edna Baldado teach about kalo and its many uses. Ab and Pua Valencia share the art of traditional lei making. Singer/songwriter Rupert Tripp performs, and Vi Makuakane demonstrates the art of feather work. Park ranger Adrian Boone and volunteer Ed Shiinoki will be on hand to help visitors create and play Hawaiian nose flutes.
      Tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Gallery, artist and Hawaiian cultural practitioner Greg West teaches the art of ohe kapala (bamboo stamping). Participants select their own 100 percent cotton gathering bag keepsake and personalize designs using a traditional Hawaiian stamping technique. Bag and materials fee is $42.
     Jelena Clay joins West at Volcano Art Center Gallery tomorrow when she demonstrates a variety of techniques for designing and decorating an ipu (gourd) and presents an extensive collection of her past works.
      The events are free, and park entrance fees apply.

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.

Ka`u News Briefs April 1, 2013

Ka`u kumu hula Lori Lei Shirakawa, second row, second from left, and kumu and students of the late Rae Fonseca
 and George Na`ope at the 50th Merry Monarch Festival, which takes place all week in Hilo.

LEGISLATION TO REPEAL THE PUBLIC LAND DEVELOPMENT CORP. was scheduled to come up before the state Senate Ways & Means Committee today. The repeal of the bill would mean private developments would not be allowed on public lands under the PLDC.
      However, last Thursday, the same committee passed a bill that would create a pilot program for public and private partnerships.

      HB 70 would create a Public Private Partnership Authority to operate out of the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism with a board of directors. The bill, entitled Relating to Economic Development, states:
      “The Legislature finds that these are difficult economic times for all levels of government, as public service demands for an increasing population put pressure on revenue resources. The state faces the challenge of balancing a budget while addressing escalating infrastructure and service needs. Due to insufficient funding and postponed maintenance, the daily demands continue to increase.
     “Governments around the world have been engaging in public-private partnerships to address these economic challenges. State agencies are hamstrung by their limited missions and dwindling resources. Creating a partnership agency to collaborate with all state agencies and private sector entities may help to deliver services and facilities more effectively.
     “The purpose of this chapter is to create a vehicle and process to use the skills and assets of both the public and private sectors to deliver services and facilities for the economic, environmental, and social benefit of the people of Hawai`i. This chapter establishes the public-private partnership authority to administer appropriate and culturally sensitive projects. The authority shall coordinate and administer projects, while ensuring that resources are maintained for the people of Hawai`i. The authority shall identify projects that are suitable under this chapter, carry out appropriate analyses, enter into public-private agreements, and provide leadership for the facilitation of financing, improvement, or enhancement of appropriate facilities, operations, and property.”

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS testified on the proposed public-private partnerships, saying it may raise additional concerns. “This includes the potential loss of state revenues, the loss of public interest considerations and accountability, and the loss of quality jobs for local residents. As has been demonstrated in Hawai`i and in other jurisdictions, the privatization of public assets has the potential to result in substantial lost revenue opportunities for public agencies.
      “Often, privatization takes the form of a one-time infusion of private monies in exchange for a long-term lease of revenue-generating assets. This has the potential to result in significant lost revenue opportunities in the long term. With regards to loss of public interest considerations, as indicated here and on the continent, while the privatization of public assets may help to increase the efficiency of public projects and developments, private entities have a very difficult time addressing additional public interest considerations that are not firmly linked to revenue generation.
      “These other considerations may include access for fishing, gathering, and recreation, all of which are an important part of Native Hawaiian and local culture.
      “Privatization of public assets, particularly through long-term leases or contracts, can also have the unintended consequence of diminishing public and government accountability over the use and maintenance of such assets. Without adequate lease protections, public agencies may be reduced to a ‘middleman’ position where they have limited ability to address public concerns absent expensive contract or lease renegotiations. Finally, while public state agencies traditionally employ local residents, larger national or multi-national corporations with the capital to engage in public private partnerships may tend to outsource or hire individuals who are not permanent residents. OHA understands that these issues may be addressed by appropriate and transparent planning.
      “OHA also notes that HB70 HD2 SD1 essentially creates the PPPA for a trial period until July 1, 2018 and prevents the PPPA from entering into any projects other than the described pilot projects.”

The Merrie Monarch Festival swayed into action yesterday with opening
ceremonies and hula before the royal court in Hilo. Lori Lei Shirakawa's
hula studio from Wai`ohinu participated.

THE 50TH ANNUAL MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL began yesterday, and Ka`u’s kumu hula Lori Lei Shirakawa led dancers from her studio in Wai`ohinu to perform in the opening ceremonies in Hilo. She also danced with other kumu hula who studied with the late kumu Rae Fonseca and Uncle George Na`ope, one of the founders of the Merrie Monarch Festival and composer of the song Ka Nani Ao Ka`u. 

      Beth Waller, of Discovery Harbour, who danced in the celebration, reported this morning that halau “uniki’d under Uncle George did a mass hula of Kawika, the name chant praising him. His students joined on the floor for He Mele No Kahikilaulani in a special tribute with Uncle George’s photo on stage. “Four halau will give Big Isle strong presence in this year’s Merrie Monarch competition,” Waller said.

Na Kupuna O Ka`u dancers, with Beth Waller, warm up the first day at
Merrie Monarch. Photo by Johnny Waller

      The festival includes many venues for arts and cultural exhibits.
       Starting Wednesday, Bobby Gomes, of Pahala, said he will be on hand at Ah Fook-Chinen Civic Auditorium with his son Jeff Gomes, a renowned craftsman in wood who makes chess sets and bookmarks. See www.hawaiibookmarks.com.
      Jamie Gilmore, of Mark Twain, will show her paintings of native Hawaiian plants, orchids, exotic plants, tropical edibles and native Hawaiian insects. See www.gilmorearts.com.
      Studio of Sticks and Stones’ Scott Kekekuhaupi`o Manley and Jennifer Manley, of Wai`ohinu, will show his paintings on slate shingles and her fine woodworking. See http://studioofsticksandstones.com
      Larry Ka`upu, Jr. and his wife Dutchee, of Mark Twain, traditionally display Hawaiian woodworking and lei.

Kupuna with Lori Lei's Hula Studio in Wai`ohinu helped open the Merrie
Monarch Festival in Hilo yesterday. Photo by Johnny Waller

      Merrie Monarch Parade begins this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and winds through the streets of Hilo with Ka`u participants.
       Geneveve ‘Jon’ Cran, of Kapapala Ranch, will ride, accompanied by attendees with horses and riders bedecked with lei by Mona Chow. Paniolo and Mantracker television show guide Leon Chow will also ride in the parade.
      Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative members and the Miss Ka`u Coffee contenders will ride a Ka`u Coffee Mill truck to promote the Ka`u Coffee Festival April 26 – May 5 and the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant, which takes place at the mill on the first Friday of the festival. Contenders are Kawailani Houvener, Seneca Lee Oleyte, Rachel Ornelas and Tiare-Lee Shibuya.
      Thy Word Ministry Pastor Bob Tominaga said this morning that participation of the Ka`u congregation and churches from around the island is growing again this year with floats and a ceremony at Hilo bayfront following the Merrie Monarch parade. He said he invites all Ka`u residents to join the Ka`u contingent in a prayer ceremony by the ocean. “We want Ka`u to be blessed!” he proclaimed.

Na Kupuna O Ka`u, under the direction of Kumu Hula Lori Lei Shirakawa,
danced yesterday at Merrie Monarch's opening ceremonies. Pictured are,
from left, Charlyn Yamamoto, Kananiokalani Neizmen, Sue Smith, Bob
Smith, Beth Waller and Casa Neizman.

      Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Mayor Billy Kenoi are also expected to ride in the Merrie Monarch Parade.
      Hula dancers, teachers and Hawaiian cultural enthusiasts from Japan are staying at Hale Nani and Pahala Plantation Cottages in Pahala and will attend all of the hula competition this Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The trip is organized by JST from Nagoya, Japan and J-Hawai`i Asia Pacific.
      Entry to the ho`ike event on Wednesday night is sold out. The previously free event is now $5, and tickets were purchased in advance.
      Merrie Monarch can be viewed on KFVE (Channel 5 in Ka`u) with Merrie Monarch Backstage Live on Wednesday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., Miss Aloha Hula Competition & Awards from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Thursday, Hula Kahiko Competition & Awards from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Hula `Auana Competition & Awards from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday.

KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life tomorrow and every other Tuesday during A Walk into the Past. The program begins at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

Ab and Pua Valencia
Photo from NPS

KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER LANAI is transformed into a fun and festive workshop of Hawaiian arts and crafts this week as Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park honors the 50th annual Merrie Monarch Festival. 

      On Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sam and Edna Baldado teach about kalo and its many uses. Ab and Pua Valencia share the art of traditional lei making. Singer/songwriter Rupert Tripp performs, and Vi Makuakane demonstrates the art of feather work.
      On Thursday, Lehua Hauanio shares traditional lei making techniques, Ku`uleimomi Makuakane-Salave`a demonstrates kapa making and Helene Hayselden shows how to make a feather kahili – a symbol of royalty. Also, award-winning musician Kenneth Makuakane performs.
      Park ranger Adrian Boone and volunteer Ed Shiinoki will be on hand both days to help visitors create and play Hawaiian nose flutes.
      The events are free, and park entrance fees apply.

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.

Ka`u News Briefs March 31, 2013

Tsunami waves dug into the Punalu`u beach last October after an earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Canada.
Photo by Julia Neal

TSUNAMI AWARENESS MONTH has been declared by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who plans a ceremony at the Capitol in Honolulu tomorrow. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration will participate. The proclamation notes that Hawai`i is the only island state with a long history of tsunamis. According to the Pacific Disaster center, tsunamis are responsible for more deaths than any other natural disaster in Hawai`i. Tsunamis have wiped out and damaged houses, a restaurant, museum and shops at Punalu`u, washed away the old Standard Oil storage tanks, shops, offices and homes at Honu`apo and changed the composition of the shoreline and underwater nearshore seascape numerous times along the Ka`u Coast.

The tsunami hazard zones in Ka`u where the most people live and play
along the coast are at Punalu`u and Honu`apo.

      The Japan tsunami of March 11, 2011 threw fish on the shore and washed away and damaged vehicles, beach homes and palm trees in south Kona, but spared the few buildings along the Ka`u Coast. A 7.7 earthquake off Haida Gwali (Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia last Oct. 27 led to evacuation of Punalu`u and Honu`apo before small waves lapped onto the beach, with little damage.
       Marine debris along the Ka`u Coast, particularly at Kamilo Beach, has helped to illustrate the widespread effects of tsunamis with filming for news stories aired by CNN on March 11 (see www.cnn.com/2013/03/11/us/hawaii-japan-tsunami-debris) and by NBC last Nov. 28 (see www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/50002132#50002132). Both films featured Hawai`i Wildlife Fund and its coastal cleanup organizer Megan Lamson discussing more tsunami debris expected to wash up here and the ongoing efforts by community volunteers to monitor and clean up. The next beach cleanup along the Ka`u Coast will be July 13. Anchaline pond cleanups will be held April 17 and 18. Sign up with Lamson at 769-7629.

Curricula for tsunami education is available
from Pacific Disaster Center.

      Educational information on tsunami awareness is available in the Tsunami Awareness Kit, developed by the Pacific Disaster Center and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission. The online kit at www.pdc.org includes tsunami curricula for grades K-6 and grades 7-12. It offers teacher’s guides, puzzle books, posters and tsunami stories from Hawai`i, Japan and Sri Lanka, along with a case study from Fiji.

A BILL PROMOTING PARTIAL PUBLIC FUNDING of state representative elections has been approved by the Senate Way and Means Committee after passing the state House of Representatives. HB 1481 follows Hawai`i County’s pilot program that offers a public funding option for County Council candidates.
      The vast majority of testimony submitted to the state Legislature has been in support of the bill.
      Beppie Shapiro, president of Hawai`i League of Women Voters, stated that the program “has been successful in allowing five of nine Council members to be elected without spending time and energy chasing dollars. The public can trust that these successful candidates will devote themselves to the public good.” Ka`u’s County Council member Brenda Ford won her most recent election using the public funding option.
      Carmille Lim, executive director of Common Cause Hawai`i, wrote: “Wealthy and corporate donors dominated Hawai`i’s 2012 elections. The more they spend, the more they expect in return. The public suffers from the results of the current pay-to-play system.
      “We believe that implementing a public funding option would reduce the perception of pay-to-play politics and, by increasing competition, can reengage the citizenry in the democratic process.”
      Kathleen and Peter Golden, of Volcano Rainforest Retreat, also submitted testimony: “We support HB 1481 because we have strong concerns that private money has negative influence on elected officials and a corrosive effect on government. Fair elections addresses this problem by giving politicians the option to run on public money.” 

      Former Hawai`i County Planning director Chris Yuen testified that the bill would allow candidates “to run financially competitive campaigns without having to solicit funds from big money interests that often have a very definite agenda. It is one way to reduce the excessive influence of money in our political system.
      Susan Dursin, who participated in a League of Women Voters follow-up study after the last County Council election, said, “When candidates do not have to focus on raising large amounts of money, they are free of obligations to their major donors. Even when those obligations are not openly stated and are, for the most part, subconscious, they do exist. Public funding allows candidates who might not otherwise have the personal wealth or contacts to run for office. The wider the spectrum of candidates available to the voter, the stronger our system will be. Public funding allows incumbents to focus more on meeting their constituents and hearing their concerns, rather than on organizing and attending fundraising events. It also allows incumbents to concentrate on their jobs.
      “This measure is a very positive move toward separating ourselves from the problems associated with large private donations.”
      In an interview with Colin Stewart of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, East Ka`u Senator Russell Ruderman said, “The reason for public financing in general is to reduce the influence of larger corporations on our government, especially when (candidates) get that money every year, like we see happen. Some people over there are just working for specific corporations.”

Plans show layout of the new disaster shelter and gym
that is expected to start rising from the school grounds
in Pahala, as the construction management crew arrives
this week.

THE NEW KA`U GYMNASIUM & DISASTER SHELTER construction management crew is expected to arrive this week and start ground preparation for the project that could cost up to $20 million. The contractor is Summit Construction from Honolulu.
      On state land between the tennis courts and the school cafeteria and elementary campus, the complex will be owned and managed by the county Department of Parks & Recreation and be available for school and community sports and other activities. It will also be the region’s official disaster shelter, hardened for hurricanes and provided with a kitchen and several rooms with air cleaning devices for vog alerts.
      Statements issued by the county and state before the groundbreaking last Oct. 3 said that “plans, design and construction will strive to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines put forth by the U.S. Green Building Council. For a building to achieve LEED certification, its construction must meet criteria in six performance standards: a sustainable site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design.”
      The gym will be large enough for three regulation Hawai`i High School Athletic Association basketball or volleyball courts. Additional rooms will be for lockers, showers and training, restrooms, lobby, courtyard, kitchen, ticket booths, offices and storage for America Red Cross supplies and equipment of the Department of Education and county Parks.
      During groundbreaking ceremonies last October, Gov. Neil Abercrombie noted the qualities of Ka`u, saying such communities, where a handshake is still a handshake, are hard to find. Ka`u people understand what it is to have a sense of family. You’ve got one big family down here. It is not who you are, what you look like, what your name is. It’s what you give.” He said it’s no small thing that the state and county have worked together to make the gym and shelter a reality.

IN HONOR OF THE 50TH annual Merrie Monarch Festival, Volcano Art Center hosts special arts and cultural events. All events are free and take place on the lanai of the VAC Gallery, located next to the Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Visitors and kama‘aina alike are invited to experience the mauka celebration of Merrie Monarch free of charge. Park entrance fees apply.
      On Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., artist and Hawaiian cultural practitioner Greg West teaches the art of ohe kapala (bamboo stamping). Participants select their own 100 percent cotton gathering bag keepsake and personalize designs using a traditional Hawaiian stamping technique. Bag and materials fee is $42.
      On Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Jelena Clay demonstrates a variety of techniques for designing and decorating an ipu (gourd) and presents an extensive collection of her past works.

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.