Ka`u News Briefs April 19, 2013

Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant contestants practice on the new stage built at Ka`u Coffee Mill drying facility. Pageant
director is Nalani Parlin. The event is next Friday, April 26. Tickets are $10 and available from contestants.
Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U AGRICULTURAL WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT members met yesterday with great concern for funding for their irrigation projects using old plantation water tunnels between Kapapala, Wood Valley, Pahala, Na`alehu and Wai`ohinu. Funding and bonds were left out of several bills at the state Legislature, reported Ka`u Farm Bureau president Chris Manfredi. He said that he visited with key lawmakers this week in Honolulu to encourage them to help put the funding back into the state budget during the ongoing conference meetings between the state House and Senate before the 2013 Hawai`i Legislature ends. He said there is a good chance that funding for the irrigation system will either be restored in the state budget or make it into enabling legislation for funding through bonds. 

      Manfredi also said he has hope that significant funding to fight the coffee berry borer pest that is promised from the federal government would go through, with the state Legislature approving a smaller amount in required matching funds. Farmers and ranchers also said they are hoping that surveying will soon begin on the old plantation tunnels so that work can begin on restoring them and building water delivery systems to farms and ranches before previously approved money from the state expires.
      Farmers and ranchers reported on organizing their regional co-ops for such areas as Wood Valley, Mountain House, Hilea and other farm and ranch areas where water from the old plantation tunnels could be secured.

Kulani Prison could be reopened by July 2014.
Photo from Big Island Video News

FUNDING TO REOPEN KULANI PRISON has been approved by state legislators. East Ka`u Rep. Richard Onishi called the facility an economic driver that will provide about 90 jobs.
      Toni Schwartz, of the state Department of Public Safety, told Hawai`i Tribune-Herald reporter Tom Callis that the prison could begin housing inmates in July 2014.
      According to the story, 30 percent of Hawai`i’s 1,500 inmates are housed on the mainland, and Public Safety has a goal of housing all inmates in Hawai`i by 2018. “We definitely needed to find room here in the state, and that is one of the fastest, most immediate options,” Schwartz said.
      She also told Callis that the facility will include programs in agriculture and pu`uhonua, which emphasizes connecting Native Hawaiian inmates with their culture.
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

Patricia Medina Talbert

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY has gotten approval from Office of Hawaiian Affairs, with the Board of Trustees voting to invest $1.25 million into the Huena Power Consortium. The consortium was formed by Innovations Development Group to seek a contract to provide 50 megawatts of geothermal energy to Hawai`i Electric Light Co. If Huena gets the contract, OHA could get more than a 20 percent return on its investment, reports Tom Callis in today’s Hawai`i Tribune-Herald.
      Patricia Medina Talbert, an IDG legal advisor, told Callis that, although the investment is relatively small when compared to the $250 million price tag to build the facility, having OHA on board “is critical for IDG to fulfill its goal of using geothermal development to benefit indigenous populations.”
      According to the story, West Ka`u state Rep. Denny Coffman submitted testimony in favor of the investment.

      For more, see hawaiitribune-herald.com.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION this month is initiating a new approach designed to better prepare students for post-high school success. Students in grades 8 through 11 will take the ACT College and Career Readiness tests. The nationwide testing date for the ACT assessment test for juniors is Tuesday, April 23. All other grades will be taking their tests over a two-week window that also begins on the same date.
      With the system, the DOE for the first time will be able to comprehensively collect and examine college and career readiness data in reading, math, science and English.
      “The DOE’s decision to administer the ACT College and Career Readiness System is evidence of their strong commitment to preparing students for postsecondary success,” said Karen Lee, executive director of Hawai`i P-20 Partnerships for Education. “The data gathered from the assessments will be invaluable as we work … to reach the state’s goal of 55 percent of working age adults having a two- or four-year college degree in 2025.”
      The ACT College and Career Readiness System is based on expectations of higher education institutions and the workforce.
      The system aligns with Goal One of the DOE’s Strategic Plan, which calls for specific, measurable targets and goals for student achievement. It builds on key strengths and reform initiatives to ensure that all students graduate ready to succeed in college or careers.
      ACT’s student-level assessment data may also be used by counselors to improve the effectiveness of student intervention plans.
      In preparation for the tests, parents and students should be aware that each test lasts about four hours. Cell phones of any type and some calculators are not permitted in the testing areas as well.
      For further information on the testing, visit www.act.org/aap/Hawaii.
      For more about the DOE’s Strategic Plan and transformation in public education, visit hawaiidoe.org/curriculum/strategicplan.htm.

THE TRIPLE C RECIPE CONTEST for Candy, Cookie and Cracker recipes using Ka`u Coffee provide one free eight ounce package of Ka`u Coffee for each entry. Entry forms can be picked up at R&G Store in Pahala and at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Entries are in professional, amateur and student categories, and the grand prize is $500. Entries must be taken to Ka`u Coffee Mill on Wood Valley Road no later than 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. Judging begins at 2 p.m. The event celebrates the first birthday of Ka`u Coffee Mill, with entertainment by Keoki Kahumoku & the `Ukulele kids, tours of the Ka`u Coffee Mill and free Ka`u Coffee Tasting from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the opportunity to meet the new Miss Ka`u Coffee, who will be crowned on Friday, April 26. For more, see www.kaucoffeefest.com and www.kaucoffeemill.com. Call 928-0550.

National Library Week is celebrated today with hula, music, art and more
at Pahala Library. Photo by Julia Neal

PAHALA LIBRARY celebrates 50 years of service today. Continuing throughout the day are performances by hula halau and students of Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary School. Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u offers craft demonstrations, and at 1 p.m., an airbrush artist offers temporary tattoos. 

     Students of Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary who entered and won the Haiku Poetry writing contest read their poems and receive prizes at 2 p.m. Also, winners of contests running this week are announced.
      Pahala Library is open three days a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plans are in the works to open the library five days a week with longer hours.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND representatives offer information about their efforts to clean up Ka`u and other shorelines and anchialine ponds this weekend at events in Kona and Hilo. Tomorrow, they have a booth at the Earth & Ocean Family Health Fun Fair at Kealakehe High School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. They move their booth to Hilo Bayfront on Sunday for Ocean Day, which was originally planned for February but was rescheduled due to inclement weather. Family-friendly activities include fishing games, marine critter touch tanks, mask and puppet making, marine life block-printing, makahiki games, face painting, poi pounding, seed planting, music and more.

KUMU LEILEHUA YUEN and Manu Josiah demonstrate preparation, protocol and offering of traditional hula and chant tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hands-on cultural demonstration take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,
      The program is free; donations are welcome, and park entrance fees apply.

The Nature of Nature, an exhibit at Volcano Art Center, opens tomorrow.
Image 

THE NATURE OF NATURE opens tomorrow at Volcano Art Center Gallery. Elizabeth Miller and John Matsushita present works that offer journeys into the multi-layered dimensions of life on Hawai`i Island through paintings and sculpture. The exhibit is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through June 2. Opening reception is tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

KA`U LADIES TROJAN SOFTBALL lost 9-25 to the Kamehameha Warriors yesterday at Pahala Ball Field. Trojans, including head coach Donald Garo, congratulated seniors Kaila Olsen, Kasey Koi, Jenna Gascon and Shaylin Navarro as they ran for the last time around Pahala Ball Field’s diamond. Ka`u’s pitcher was Shaylin Navarro. Cierra Kaopua, Shylee Tamura and Sky Kanakaole-Esperon each made two hits, with Kaopua hitting a triple. Assistant coaches were Donovan Emmsley and Corey Koi.

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 18, 2013

Teachers overwhelmingly ratified a new contract with the state yesterday, bringing higher pay and more health benefits.
Photo from HSTA

THE UNION FOR HAWAI`I PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS voted to ratify a contract with the state of Hawai`i. The HSTA website reports that “After more than two years working without a contract, 95 percent of teachers statewide voted in favor of the tentative agreement presented by the State and the HSTA on March 24th.” The union reports that 70 percent of HSTA members participated in the vote.
      “Our goal from the start was to establish a fair and equitable contract that offers professional pay and improves working conditions to attract the best and the brightest into the classrooms in order to enhance student learning and produce real results,” said Wil Okabe, HSTA president.
      The HSTA states that after a tentative agreement was established, the HSTA conducted an aggressive outreach campaign to educate teachers about the proposed contract, providing electronic and hard copies of the agreement via e-mail, the HSTA Web site and in schools, engaging in forums on the HSTA Facebook page, and conducting informational briefings.

Ka`u teachers will not only receive more pay, they will be able to use a new venue
for sports, presentations, concerts and other activities at the new gymnasium in
 Pahala now under construction. Photo by Julia Neal

      The new contract will take effect July 1 - in time for the next school year. Teachers will see the equivalent of a 3 percent pay increase above the restored 5 percent cut in July 2012. In subsequent years, teachers will see increases of 3 percent and 3.2 percent, and health insurance premium percentages will also be restored. “These benefits will help to create better working conditions to stabilize the teacher workforce. Under the new contract, the State plans to establish a fair and thorough evaluation system in order to improve teaching practices and enhance learning environments for our students. Teachers will be represented during the decision process to establish the educator evaluation system. The State is committed to providing the necessary support to ensure the success of the evaluation system,” states the HSTA.
      Its leader added: “Through sign waving, e-mails, letters, and phone calls, HSTA members have shown unwavering commitment to education, putting pressure on the State to settle the contract in the best interests of the teachers and their students. With the support of our members, the HSTA plans to move forward by collaborating with all stakeholders to transform public education in Hawai`i.” 

County Council member Brenda Ford.

PROJECT UNIT DEVELOPMENTS should be taken out of the county code by the County Council, according to the opinion of County Council member Brenda Ford. PUD's are often used by developers who purchase agriculture lands to make some lots smaller than the 20-acres for which they are zoned. Along the Ka`u Coast, plans have included making small oceanfront lots and leaving large parcels mauka. Other plans have included making small lots for specialty farm estates and leaving unbuildable and unfarmable hillsides and gulches in large parcels.

          Ford called PUD's “a developers’ dream.” She said PUD's are being used “as mega variances and almost always, in my opinion, the variances are usually detrimental to the community surrounding the development. They are skewed in favor of the developers, who walk away with millions of dollars in profit without putting in sufficient and appropriate infrastructure. The end result is that at some point in the future, the taxpayers have to pay for the infrastructure.” 

         Ford also said that “developers love ag land because it is cheaper than land already zoned residential and with the variances, like PUD's, can change the use from agriculture to residential.             

        “PUD's, when misused, cause tremendous controversy in the community and may result in expensive lawsuits where the county must defend the decision of the Planning Director. These lawsuits can result in years of delay in the court system and ultimately, if appropriate infrastructure is left out, the taxpayers will ultimately pay the bill for the infrastructure that is needed. 

      “When ag land is sold in five or ten acres for millions of dollars, a real farmer cannot afford to buy that land. They will never be able to make a profit off of it, even if it’s coffee or other specialty market crops.”
      Legislation before the County Council that would require council approval of PUD's, Bill 291, will come up before the council planning committee on July 9. A separate measure that would retain the authority with the Planning Director but require an additional public hearing will also be considered. 

This coastal Ka`u land, owned by EWM Enterprises,was previously planned for
subdivision into estates but is now slated for preservation acquisition.
Photo from Hawai`i Pacific Brokers

      Ford said she objects to any planning director having the power to approve or disapprove PUD's. She said there is no requirement for the Planning Director to have a Masters Degree in Planning or other appropriate education and experience. The Planning Director is an appointee of the mayor. She noted that she is not singling out the current Planning Director but considering the overall process.
      “Massive piles of public testimony can be disregarded by a planning director” who is not accountable to the public since the planning director is not elected, Ford said.
      Ford talked about the current effort in the County Council to require PUD's to be approved by the County Council rather than the Planning Director. The problem with the council’s effort, she noted, is that the County Charter, which takes precedent over council decisions, allows the Planning Director to approve variances, including PUD's. She said the council’s effort could be stopped by the county attorney and that the mayor would probably veto it.
      She said the council, however, could vote to end the use of PUD's until a better code is written. “I would like PUD's yanked out of the code because they are continually abused. They are a developer’s dream. Developers are laughing all the way to the bank,” said Ford. 

Sen. Mazie Hirono hopes to ease visa requirements for visiting foreigners.

CANADIAN SNOWBIRDS will be able to stay longer in Hawai`i without renewing visas, under Sen. Mazie Hirono intiatives included in a bi-partisan immigration reform package being pushed in congress. 

      According to a release from Hirono’s office, including a story from Civil Beat, “The provision is a relatively minor portion of the historic and sweeping bill that provides a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. Still Hirono’s office said it would make it easier for tourists to visit the state.”


      Hirono's staff said she will “further try to amend the immigration package to increase the length of visas for Chinese visitors from one to five years.
 Under what’s in the immigration bill, Canadian citizens older than 50 years old who own or rent accommodations in the U.S. would be able to stay 240 days under their tourist visas. They can now only stay 180 days,” the Civil Beat story reports. Gang of Eight member Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, who helped write the immigration bill, said, “Senator Hirono has been a leader in pushing smart foreign visitor visa reforms that create jobs and encourage foreign tourism,” the story says. 

MORE VISITORS TO THE NEIGHBOR ISLANDS is the goal of the Hawai`i Tourism Authority, whose vice president of brand management gave a talk on the Big Island this week. David Uchiyama’s organization reported that the number of tourists reached nearly eight million in 2012 and they spent $14.3 billion. He said that opportunities abound for the Neighbor Islands as visitors desire “new expericences, ones with more substance and authenticity than what they’ve seen or done before.” 

Hawai`i Tourism Authority promotes more visitation
of Neighbor Islands for such natural and cultural sites as
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Photo from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park

      He said the Tourism Authority also works toward more airlines coming here and the return of regular direct flights from Japan to Kona. He pointed to many new links between Hawai`i and domestic and foreign cities through Hawaiian Airlines. He also pointed to the cruise ship industry barriers, and talked about the possibility of applying for the cruise ships to gain a waiver for having to use the more expensive low sulfur fuel required in Hawaiian waters. Other benefits being sought by the cruise ship industry include making it easier to get permits and pay fees, allowing gambling in Hawaiian waters, building a passenger terminal in Kona and developing a master schedule to lessen crowding and to help improve passenger experience on shore.      

National Library Week brings hula, poetry and
much more to tomorrow's celebration at
Pahala Library. Photo by Julia Neal

PAHALA LIBRARY offers a book sale today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a celebration of 50 years of service tomorrow during National Library Week. The theme for this year’s National Library Week is “Communities Matter at Your Library.”
      Beginning at 10:30 a.m. and continuing throughout Friday are performances by hula halau and students of Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary School. Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u offers craft demonstrations. At 1 p.m., an airbrush artist offers temporary tattoos.
      At 2 p.m., students of Ka`u High and Pahala Elementary who entered and won the Haiku Poetry writing contest read their poems and receive prizes. Winners of contests running this week are announced.
     Funds raised help support both Pahala Public & School Library and Na`alehu Public Library with programs and materials. Donations can be dropped off at both libraries.
      Pahala P&S Library is open three days a week - Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plans are in the works to open the library five days a week with longer hours.
      “Continue to support Pahala Public & School Library by using it often,” said Debbie Wong Yuen. For more information, call 928-2015.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ATPAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM ANDKAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

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

Ka`u News Briefs, April 17, 2013

Kilauea Iki trail and crater will be explored in the Kilauea Iki hike with Charlene Meyers on April 23, during National Park Week.
Photo by Michael Szoenyi, National Park Service

GRADING OF THE NEW SITE for the Ka`u Gymnasium and Disaster Shelter has begun with excavators working and truckloads of dirt and rocks leaving the site, some of it donated to local businesses and homeowners. Among the local contractors hired to help out are Taylor Built Construction, Inc.

Design of the Ka`u Gym & Disaster Shelter

     The gym and shelter, which could cost up to $20 million when equipped is expected to be completed within 18 months. The location is between the tennis courts and the cafeteria of the Pahala school campus. The complex will be operated by county Department of Parks & Recreation.

A NEW CEO FOR BAY CLINIC, INC. was announced today by its board. Harold Wallace, Jr., MPH, is the new Chief Executive Officer of East Hawai`i’s federally qualified health center.
      A statement from Bay Clinic’s Board Chair Tanya Aynessazian says, “Harold Wallace is an experienced health care professional with significant experience in federally-funded community health centers, physician group management and hospital operations. As the number of uninsured and underinsured patients increase amid a backdrop of changes with the Affordable Care Act, Harold’s leadership comes when our role in health care goes beyond being a safety net – we are essential health care providers in the communities we serve. Harold’s commitment to community health has been demonstrated through his service for over two decades, and we are happy to have his expertise in Hawaii at this time.”

Bay Clinic's new CEO Harold Wallace oversees construction of
 the new facility in Na`alehu along Hwy 11.

      Wallace has served as Bay Clinic’s Interim Chief Executive Officer since June 2012, in which time, according to the statement, “he has strengthened the fiscal operations of the organization and spearheaded two major capital projects, including the new Ka`u Family Health Center on Hwy 11 in Na`alehu.
      The other is the Pahoa Family Health Center renovation project. Both locations will provide expanded access to primary medical and behavioral health care, as well as establish an on-site dental care unit at each location.
      Prior to his appointment as Bay Clinic’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, Wallace was the Chief Executive Officer at Total Health Center, a federal qualified community health center in Texas. As Vice President of Ambulatory Services for the Schneider Regional Medical Center in the US Virgin Islands, Wallace was instrumental in redesigning the outpatient delivery model for physical specialty clinics and in establishing telemedicine services to increase medical access through virtual office services in Rheumatology, Dermatology, Pulmonology and pre/post evaluations for cardiac surgery patients. Wallace also gained experience as the Chief Operations Officer at the Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center, a comprehensive community health center with eleven locations, almost 200 employees and an annual budget of $16 million.
       “With all the current developments, we will continue to grow by actively recruiting providers like our new pediatrician that will be starting at our Pahoa health center in May and implementing technologies like a web-based patient portal to meet the diverse health care needs of our patients,” said Wallace.
      Bay Clinic, Inc. is a federally qualified community health center and 501(c)(3) organization with a 2013 budget of $17 million, and over 160 employees in ten locations in Hilo, Kea`au Ka`u and Pahoa. With over 18,000 patients served in 2012. Learn more about Bay Clinic, Inc. at www.bayclinic.org.

HAWAI`I COUNTY HAS SUBMITTED questions to the state Department of Business and Economic Development regarding the proposed contract being considered by the Public Utilities Commission for `Aina Koa Pono to grow feedstock and refine biofuel in Ka`u and sell it to Hawaiian Electric Co. and Hawai`i Electric Light Co.

     Hawai`i County asks for more information about DBEDT’s testimony that “the Contract can provide a type of hedge – a financial hedge by reducing ratepayers’ exposure to price volatility, and a physical hedge because the locally produced biodiesel reduces ratepayers’ exposure to man-made, natural, or other disturbances that can affect the supply chain of Hawai`i’s imported fuels.” 

Richard Lim, Director of DBEDT

     Hawai`i County asks DBEDT to “describe the type of man-made, natural or other disturbance that can affect the supply chain of Hawai`i’s imported fuels. In the event of such a disturbance, please describe the probability that such an event would also disrupt a supply chain of locally sourced fuels. In the event of such an event that would affect the supply chain of Hawai`i’s imported fuels, what would be the similar effect on supply chains for other imported goods that are perhaps even more important to the survival and well-being of Hawai`i’s citizens – specifically, food or medical supplies?
     “If high, fixed long-term prices benefit consumers by providing a hedge against price volatility, then does DBEDT believe the same logic should be applied to all commodities that are considered important or essential to the well-being of Hawai`i’s citizens and businesses, and to protect against disturbances to import supply chains?
     “Would DBEDT propose public policy to uniformly eliminate price volatility by fixing prices of essential items (say, food and medical supplies) at the highest possible levels conceivable under forecast conditions?
     “Would DBEDT support such a policy if (for example) it also “jump- started” additional on-islands food production? If so, would such production have to be on each island, as a catastrophe (for example, tsunami) that wipes out import supply chains is likely to also wipe out harbors for inter-island commerce? If so, would DBEDT support extending such a “food security” and “food price stabilization” policy to food items not currently produced extensively or at all on the islands (wheat, corn, stone fruits, apples, almonds, poultry, etc.)?”
     DBEDT director Richard C. Lim is one of the founding partners of Sennet Capital, which lists the `Aina Koa Pono project as one of its “transactions.” See www.sennetcapital.com.
     Hawai`i County’s and other parties’ information requests in the Public Utilities case are available at puc.hawaii.gov. Responses to the questions are due Friday, May 10.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK invites everyone to join special hikes and programs offered at the park during National Park Week, April 20 – 28. Entrance fees are waived next Monday through Friday, April 22 – 26.
This year’s theme, “Did You Know,” provides a fun way to get to know the park. For example, did you know that Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is 520 square miles, nearly as large as the entire island of O`ahu (597 square miles)?
     For the special, free programs during National Park Week, participants should wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants and bring a hat, raingear, day pack, snacks and water. 

Park Ranger Adrian Boone will lead a special trek to the Pu`uloa Petroblyphs during
National Park Week on April 25. Photo by Jay Robinson of National Park Service

     Volunteer ranger Charlene Meyers leads the Kilauea Iki Crater Hike, an invigorating four-mile, three-hour hike through the rain forest and onto the crater floor of Kilauea Iki on Tuesday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. She discusses how the 1959 eruption forever changed this landscape.
 Participants meet at Kilauea Iki Overlook Parking lot on Crater Rim Drive.
     Amazing Mauna Ulu Hike on Wednesday, April 24 at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. explores volcanic features like fissures and lava trees that were formed during the 1969-74 Mauna Ulu eruption. Volunteer ranger Noel Eberz leads the one-mile, one-hour round-trip hikes and highlights the process of plant survival on this harsh lava landscape.
 Participants meet at the Mauna Ulu parking lot, four miles down Chain of Craters Road
     On the Pu`uloa Petroglyphs Hike Thursday, April 25 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., park ranger Adrian Boone guides a two-hour, 1.5-mile round-trip trek across ancient lava flows to the largest petroglyph field in Hawai`i. Participants discover the meanings inherent in these rock carvings and gather a greater understanding of the native people who created them.
 Meet at Pu`uloa Petroglyphs parking area, near the end of Chain of Craters Road (a 45-minute drive from the park entrance).

     National Park Service Volunteer Day is Saturday, April 27. From 9 a.m. to noon, hikers help save Hawai`i’s native rainforest when they join forces with volunteers Jane and Paul Field to remove Himalayan ginger, faya, strawberry guava and other invasive non-native plants that threaten the native understory alongside Halema`uma`u Trail. Tools are provided. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center.

     There are also regularly scheduled programs in the park and at the Kahuku Unit, during National Park Week. For a complete listing, see nps.gov/havo. In addition, Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park has special programs during National Park Week. See fhvnp.org. 

Ka`u Coffee Growers Co-op and MIss Ka`u Coffee contenders, in the recent Merrie
Monarch Parade, get ready for their Friday, April 26 pageant. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL is gearing up with the return of farmers, roasters and marketers from an annual international convention where Ka`u coffee won awards placing in top ten in the world. More than a week of Ka`u Coffee Festival events begins with the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant on Friday, April 26 at Ka`u Coffee Mill. With $10 tickets. The Simply Elegant 2nd Annual Ka`u Farmers Table takes place at Kalaekilohana on Saturday, April 27 – reservations required. Triple C. Recipe Contest on Sunday, April 28 is at Ka`u Coffee Mill beginning at 2 p.m. Register to compete.
     The Ka`u Mountain Water System Hike is Wednesday, May 1 starting at the coffee mill. Coffee & Cattle Day with lunch offers a tour of `Aikane Plantation Coffee Farm on Friday, May 3. Reservations required. Also on Friday, May 3 is Ka`u Star Gazing at Makanau Mountain. Reservations required.
     The Ka`u Coffee Festival Ho`olaulea on Saturday, May 4 includes a day of free music, hula, Ka`u Coffee tasting, educational displays with vendors of coffee food and artwork at Pahala Community Center. Ka`u Coffee College is a day of education on Sunday, May 5 from 9 a.m. at Pahala Community Center. See more at  www.kaucoffeefest.com

IN SPORTS, KA`U HIGH’S Trojan Girls Softball team lost 5-14 against the Waiakea Worriors yesterday at Pahala ballfield. Ka`u Trojans racked up six hits. Cierra Kaopua scored a home run in the fourth inning.