Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, July 20, 2013

A proposed pipeline would carry water from Old Plantation Spring in The Nature Conservancy's Kaiholena Unit to
ranchers below. Photo from Conservation District Use Application to DLNR

INSTALLATION OF A 3.45-MILE PIPELINE from Old Plantation Spring to Ka`u ranchers and farmers is the topic of a public hearing in Na`alehu next month. Department of Land and Natural Resources will receive testimony on a Conservation District Use Application by Kuahiwi Contractors, which names Michelle Galimba as secretary and contact person. The hearing takes place Monday, Aug. 12 at Na`alehu Community Center. 

      The water source is in The Nature Conservancy’s Kaiholena Unit, and the pipeline would travel through the Ka`u Forest Reserve to ranch and farm lands below.
      According to the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association archives, the tunnel at Old Plantation Springs was built in the late 1920s to find water to use in flumes that carried sugar to the mill at Honu`apo until 1948, when fluming was abandoned in favor of using trucks and, for a short while, an aerial tramway. In more recent years, the water has been used for watering livestock and farming.
      According to the application, the “proposed use is installation and maintenance of (a) water system for agricultural uses of water … to the agricultural zoned lands immediately makai of the source.”
      The application states that “water from the source presently falls into a small catchment pool at the base of the cliff-face. The water flows from this pool into an intermittent stream-bed, where it flows for 50-250 yards, depending on the spring output and presence of rainwater runoff in the intermittent stream-bed, before being absorbed into the ground.

Blue, dotted line shows route of proposed water pipeline.
Map from Conservation District Use Application to DLNR

      “Water from the system will be distributed to ranches and farms within the watershed through an existing informal agricultural water network/co-operative. Members of the informal water cooperative include: Walter Andrade (approximate water needs 16,000 gallons per day), Richard Johansen (2,000 gallons per day), Phil Becker (700 gallons per day), Kirk Derasin (300 gallons per day). We are all currently sharing water from the Mountain House/Department of Water Supply overflow. However, as this is an overflow system, availability of water is extremely variable especially during the last three to four years of extreme drought conditions. Several members of the informal co-op lease a portion of their ranchland from the Olson Trust. We will be transitioning toward a formal agricultural water cooperative in future, especially as use expands beyond the current handful of ranches and farms. All water will (be) used for agriculture and will remain in the watershed. Water in the pipeline will be metered near the source for record-keeping and reporting. Water use by individual users will also be metered so as to ensure responsible use and resource conservation. This water system is critical toward helping area ranchers and farmers to mitigate current and future extreme drought conditions.”
      The water system will require “minor alterations in the conditions of land, water, or vegetation,” the application states. “Proposed use will benefit a number of ranchers and farmers in Ka`u – an area particularly vulnerable to drought and severely impacted by lack of agricultural infrastructure such as water systems. Any excess water from the system will be stored in reservoirs for use during times of drought.”
      The application describes the proposed pipeline and its path: “The footprint of the proposed water system will be minimized by using flexible, inert, small diameter (two-inch) pipeline that will rest on the surface of the soil. Total footprint of water system will be approximately 4,560.25 square feet. Pipe will be placed in the catchment pool at the base of cliff-face below the water source, with a small filter box on the intake. Water will be obtained passively and transported by gravity flow. Pathway of the pipe has been walked in its entirety with Nature Conservancy staff and adjusted so as to cause only minor temporary alteration of vegetation (handclearing of small sections of `uluhe and minor trimming of hapu`u fern.) Installation of the pipe will be done by unrolling pipeline by hand, so as to minimize impact on flora, fauna and soil. No trees will be felled for this project. No grading, grubbing, or any form of soil disturbance will occur in the course of this project.”

      Copies of the application are available for inspection at Na`alehu Public Library and hawaii.gov/dlnr/occl/meetings.

William Rolston considers microwave depolymerization to be an
"unproven technology." Photo from biofuels-solutions.com

CURRENT AND FUTURE ENERGY-RELATED matters in Hawai`i County will be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting of the Water and Energy Sustainability Committee. Ka`u’s Council member Brenda Ford asked Laverne Omori, director of the Department of Research and Development and William Rolston, Economic Development Specialist, to give the presentation.
      Rolston has provided testimony on behalf of Hawai`i County to the state Public Utilities Commission regarding the proposed 20-year contract for `Aina Koa Pono to sell biofuel refined in Ka`u from feedstock grown in Ka`u. He has testified that the contract “is not reasonable and should not be approved by the Commission based on its excessive biofuel price, long-term contract, unproven technology, lack of due-diligence, associated negative externalities (including ‘crowding-out’ of better alternatives) that will impact the community and environment for many years to come.
      The committee meets Tuesday at 1:45 p.m. at West Hawai`i Civic Center in Kona. Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Ocean View Community Center.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK CELEBRATES the tenth anniversary of the Kahuku Unit by offering free programs to introduce visitors and residents to the park’s southernmost section now through September.
      For all activities, participants enter Kahuku on the mauka side of Hwy 11 near mile marker 70.5 and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear and a snack are recommended. No advance registration is required, except for Ka`u `Ohana Day.

Free programs, including a guided hike exploring the People and Lands of
Kahuku, celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Kahuku Unit.
Photo from NPS

      `Ohi`a Lehua program is about the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a tree and the lehua flower. Visitors traveling through the park will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent tree in the Kahuku Unit. The `Ohi`a Lehua program is offered Aug. 18 and Sept. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
      Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone program takes participants on a short, guided hike to an overlook on Upper Palm Trail. From the overlook, park rangers orient visitors to numerous prominent geologic features of the many eruptions of the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Hikers learn about the natural processes that created these features and the cultural traditions associated with them. The Mauna Loa Southwest Rift Zone program is offered tomorrow, July 21, Aug. 10 and Sept. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
      At Ka`u `Ohana Day, keiki of all ages join park rangers and explore Palm Trail by GPS and compass. At least one adult family member or adult group leader must accompany children. Participants enjoy a free lunch and cultural craft demonstrations. Bring a refillable water bottle and sturdy hiking shoes. Registration is required for this free event; call 985-6019. The program takes place July 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
      Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pasture along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures. A guided hike of Palm Trail is offered Aug. 17 and Sept. 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

      People and Lands of Kahuku is a moderate, two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore Kahuku’s human history. Emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands – from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hikers learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped, and restored this land. The guided hike is offered Aug. 24, Sept. 14 and Sept. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is live theater this weekend with shows today at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. The show runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through July 28. The venue is Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. KDEN is the sponsor, and tickets are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea`au Natural Foods, Paradise Plants, the Most Irresistible Shop and by calling 982-7344. Prices are $15 general, $12 students/seniors and $10 children.

BEFORE EVENING PERFORMANCES of Beauty and the Beast, a casual dinner is served at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

Kenneth Makuakane is one musician who will lead a three-day Hawaiian
songwriting workshop next month at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Photo courtesy of Kenneth Makuakane

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers a three-day Hawaiian music songwriting retreat for just $25 from Friday, Aug. 2 through Sunday, Aug. 4 with Hawaiian music, language and haku mele (Hawaiian song) experts Kenneth Makuakane and Kaliko Trapp-Beamer.
      The Friday, Aug. 2 workshop runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 3 and Sun., Aug. 4 both begin at 8 a.m. and finish at 4 p.m.
      Advance registration is required. Contact Elizabeth Bell at 985-6019 or elizabeth_bell@nps.gov no later than Thursday, July 25.

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 Friday, July 19, 2013

The campus of Pahala Hongwanji will be the site of a Pahala Learning Academy beginning Aug. 16, according to
pahalaacademy.org. Photo by Julia Neal

ORGANIZERS OF THE PROPOSED PAHALA LEARNING ACADEMY will host an open house on Saturday, July 27 at 4 p.m. at the Old Pahala Hongwanji School on Pa`au`au Street. 

      According to the Pahala Learning Academy website, the fall session will begin Aug. 16, and the school “is hosted through the generosity of the Pahala Hongwanji and supported by contributions from `O Ka`u Kakou and many community benefactors.” The president of both Pahala Hongwanji and `O Ka`u Kakou is Wayne Kawachi.

HAAS refers to its InDigital program as "Education with a Twist."
Image from haasindigital.org

      According to Hawai`i Academy of Arts & Science in Pahoa, which proposes to establish the school through its distance learning program, grades seven and eight will be offered online, and students will also be able to go to Pahala Hongwanji to use computers and for mentoring and classes. The onsite instructor will be former Na`alehu School teacher Kathryn Tydlacka.
      The open house on July 27 will be a special Italian Night dinner for enrolled and prospective students and their families.

      “If you are interested in learning what we have planned for the upcoming school year and how your child can benefit from our unique program of in-person and on-line education, join us as we explain how Pahala Learning Academy will offer a new type of learning experience,” she said. To attend, contact Tydlacka at 918-640-1267 or kathryntydlacka@hotmail.com.
      She said she expects about 35 students to enroll in the school for an inaugural 2013-2014 school year serving seventh- and eight-graders under the program to be administered by Hawai`i Academy of Arts & Science.

      Hawai`i Academy of Arts & Science’s website says its indigital program “offers motivated self-directed learners (grades 7-12) the chance to take responsibility for their education and attend school from anywhere with high-speed internet access. Successful self-directed virtual students are actively learning: working online 4 to 5 days a week for 4 to 5 hours a day, meeting and/or exceeding minimum progress requirements, posting and/or emailing required assignments in a timely manner, attending collaborative virtual and/or onsite activities, requesting and/or meeting for needed virtual and/or on-site tutoring with teacher, and attending quarterly InDigital Meetings."

    The Pahala Learning Academy website page entitled Now Enrolling for August Semester says that “founding Director and Teacher Kathry Tydlacka, M.Ed., brings vision and enthusiasm to education creating an environment for educational success. The Academy offers a unique hybrid approach to education combining an on-line curriculum with direct teacher instruction.”
      The website says: “We offer a variety of opportunities for Pahala Learning Center/HAAS students to socialize and receive direct teacher instruction: (1) Students are encouraged to work on site five days a week (2) Students can eat lunch on campus (3) On-site student collaborative days offer time to work with other students (4) Enrichment activities will be provided on campus, including gardening; theater arts; music; culinary arts; reading, writing, and science workshops, and various Hawaiian studies (5) Opportunities for community service will be provided.
      “We offer a variety of services to aid student achievement: (1) Daily direct teacher instruction and virtual meetings with distance instructors (2) Math Workshops including access to ALEKS (3) After-hour virtual tutoring creates 24 hour a day five day a week help options.
      “Pahala Learning Academy/HAAS hybrid program requires a high speed internet connection (provided on campus). The majority of Pahala Learning Academy/HAAS hybrid core content curriculum is online (lessons, quizzes, tests and projects) with bare minimum progress requirements. Assignments can be modified for a student who wants to accelerate beyond their normally assigned grade level. Quarterly meetings are held to discuss students’ strengths, needs, and goals,” the website says.

Kenyon Tam, State Public Charter Schools
Operations and Applications Specialist

      See more at pahalaacademy.org.
      Tydlacka said that the organizers of the school are applying for permitting for the facility.
      At a May neighborhood meeting on the proposed school, organizers promised more public meetings to discuss mitigation of any possible impacts on the surrounding neighborhood, such as traffic and noise. Several speakers brought up the issue of the Charter School possibly taking funding away from Na`alehu and Pahala public schools.
      Tydlacka said later, “It is all about choice” and providing an alternative for those children who may not thrive in the traditional public school system. She said there are many parents asking her for this option.

      According to the county planning department, the school needs a use permit, legal notification to neighbors, a public hearing and approval from the county Planning Commission.
      In addition to the use permit, Hawai`i Academy of Arts & Science seeks state Public Charter School Commission approval to expand its services to include Pahala Learning Academy as a satellite. The subject of the Pahala Learning Academy is on the agenda of the commission’s Performance and Accountability Committee next Thursday, July 25 in Honolulu. Testimony on the merits and also any concerns about the proposed school can be emailed to Kenyon Tam, State Charter Schools Operations and Applications Specialist, at kenyon.tam@spcsc.hawaii.gov. Call 808-586-3775 for more information.
      Tam said this morning that the Accountability Committee will make its recommendation to the Public Charter School Commission, which will decide whether to approve the new school within two weeks after next Thursday’s committee meeting. He said that satellite charter schools are required to meet all zoning and code requirements.
      When asked whether consideration is given to the possibility that  a charter school takes away funding from a public school, he said it is not considered. “Charter schools are public schools,” he said.
      The site at Pahala Hongwanji has also been considered for a Boys & Girls Club, a boxing club and other multi-use functions.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaks about her amendment
reauthorizing the Native Hawaiian Education Act.
Photo from gabbard.house.gov

CUTS TO EDUCATION FUNDING are opposed by Ka`u’s Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Today, she voted against final passage of H.R. 5, which she says is “a widely opposed bill that will lock in sequester cuts to education funding and lower standards and accountability for schools with underserved populations.” The legislation, which passed the House by a vote of 221-207, cuts funding for public schools. Gabbard said it targets programs for children with disabilities, children of color, children living in poverty and English language learners. 

      “While I was thrilled that my amendment to reauthorize the Native Hawaiian Education Act was included in the bill yesterday with a vote of 263-161, I could not support the final legislation and its damaging impacts on so many of our keiki,” said Gabbard, who also voted in favor of a Democratic substitute that would have strengthened the bill. “We need to make sure we are investing in the future of all of our children. Unfortunately, this bill makes permanent damaging cuts to education, eliminates crucial accountability measures and hurts disadvantaged and underserved children. In order to invest in our future, we have to provide adequate resources and meaningful accountability to ensure that all our students have equal access to quality education.”
      Groups from across the spectrum have voiced public opposition to H.R. 5, including business, civil rights, labor, disability, and nearly all education organizations. The Obama administration has also issued a veto threat for the bill in its current form, Gabbard’s staff reported.

A green bean workshop took place this morning at Hawai`i Coffee
Association convention on Kaua`i. Photo by Lorie Obra

KA`U COFFEE GROWERS, PRODUCERS AND MARKETERS attended a green coffee bean workshop this morning on Kaua`i. Joining them are faces familiar in Ka`u for helping the farmers start their industry, including representatives from University of Hawai`i and the Department of Agriculture. On the agenda today are an Expo, Coffee Sampling, Label Compliance, a Reverse Trade Presentation and a Cupping Workshop. Tomorrow’s workshops include Roasting and Packaging Control, Grower Reports, a Legislative Update and a session on Coffee Berry Borer. Winners of the statewide cupping contests will be revealed Saturday evening. See haawaiicoffeeassoc.org.

OCEAN VIEW EVANGELICAL CHURCH is organizing its first community ho`olaule`a. The event is set for Saturday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The lu`au will include lomi lomi salmon, chicken and long rice, kalua pig and beverages.
      Organizer Mary Wheeler is asking for monetary donations and door prizes. “We will help meet community needs, while getting the opportunity to serve,” she said. For more information and to donate, call 990-3480.

VOLCANO ART CENTER OFFERS SEVERAL PROGRAMS TOMORROW. 

      Ni`aulani Rain Forest Guide Training takes place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village to prepare guides for bi-weekly Ni`aulani Nature Walks. Volunteers offer two hours per month to help guide people through an ancient Hawaiian forest. Register at 967-8222 or programs@volcanoartcenter.org.
      Halau Waiau, under the direction of na kumu hula Keikilani Curnan and Liana Aviero, presents a hula kahiko performance at 10:30 a.m. at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hands-on cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on VAC Gallery porch.
      Auditions for LOL: Ladies Out Loud are set for 3 p.m. at the Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Women in comedy are invited to bring stories, jokes and skits under six minutes. Open to all women and even “wanna-be” women. Show is scheduled for Sept. 7.
      Puna Chicks: Another Night of Comedy begins at 7 p.m. at the Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village with “Puna Princess” Sherri Carden, “Puna Tita” Angie Libadisos and Tanya Anne, VAC’s chief entertainment officer. Tickets are $10 or $9 for VAC members.
      For more information about all events, call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

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 Thursday, July 18, 2013

Pastures within the more than 10,000 acres where `Aina Koa Pono plans to cut trees, shrubs and crops
to haul to a refinery that it would build near Wood Valley Road. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY HAS ANNOUNCED that executive vice president Robbie Alm will be leaving the company, effective August 30. Alm has submitted testimony to the Public Utilities Commission in support of the proposed 20-year contract for which Hawai`i Electric Light Company would purchase biofuel that would be produced in a refinery near Wood Valley Road, using trees, shrubs and biofuel crops that would be cleared and grown by `Aina Koa Pono. “The AKP Biodiesel Supply Contract will create a direct economic benefit to the state and energy security, and is in line with the state’s energy policy,” was one of his statements.

Robbie Alm

      Hawai`i County, in its latest round of questions regarding Alm’s testimony, asked him to clarify several of his comments. Responses are due Friday, Aug. 2.

      Testimony from all parties and participants in the docket, number 2012-0185, is available at puc.hawaii.gov.

      Alm joined Hawaiian Electric in 2001 as senior vice president of public affairs and was promoted to executive vice president in 2008. During his tenure, the company completed, among other projects, Keahole Power Plant in Kona. He was one of the chief architects of the company’s comprehensive energy agreement with the state as part of the Hawai`i Clean Energy Initiative.
      “The time is right for this transition,” said Alm. “In 2008, we signed an energy agreement with the state of Hawai`i to move our state away from oil and toward a renewable energy future. Five years later, we’ve doubled the amount of renewable energy that is meeting our customers’ needs to 18 percent. And we’re well ahead of the state’s next milestone goal of 15 percent by 2015.
     “Recently, we filed a new energy plan with the Public Utilities Commission. The PUC must still review those plans, and there is more work to come. But we’ve set a course to provide even more low-cost clean energy to our customers. I have full confidence in our next generation of leaders to take our plans to the next level. And I will always be willing to help in any way I can,” Alm said.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie returns to Hilo with members of his Cabinet to
meet with East Hawai`i and Ka`u residents tomorrow.
Photo by Julia Neal

GOVERNOR’S CABINET IN YOUR COMMUNITY, scheduled for tomorrow, will be the first such event
 on Hawai`i Island for Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who invites East Ka`u and the rest of the East Hawai`i community to meet members of his Cabinet and share information vital to the Big Island. The event will include breakout sessions focused on areas of greatest importance to the people of East Hawai`i, as identified by island legislators and community members, according to a statement from Abercrombie. 

      The session takes place tomorrow,
 Friday, July 19 from
 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 
University of Hawai`i-Hilo, Classroom Building (UCB) 100. Joining the governor to meet with the public will be Department of Land and Natural Resources chairperson William J. Aila, Jr.; Department of Agriculture deputy director Scott Enright; Department of Health director Loretta Fudd; State Energy Office Renewable Energy specialist Andrea Gill; Department of Hawaiian Home Lands chairperson Jobie Masagatani; Department of Transportation director Glenn Okimoto and Department of Public Safety director Ted Sakai.

KAHU RADIO’S CLOSING made the headlines in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald and West Hawai`i Today with the station's history told exclusively through the eyes of it most recent manager, Christine Kaehuaea.

Christine Kaehuaea

      According to the story, Kaehuaea reported the station’s debt at $68,000 and said that she has been selling off  equipment to help pay that debt. It also says that “she already donated a number of office supplies to nonprofits and community groups.”

      The newspapers quote her saying that when she arrived in late 2011, “there was no business plan set up. There was no test for sustainability.” The story also reports her saying that there was no nonprofit for the station when she arrived. (The overseeing nonprofit was Haola Inc., a native Hawaiian organization based in Hilo, which helped fund the station along with donations, grants and underwriting of more than $100,000 dollars from OHA, state Civil Defense and Ka`u community members and businesses.)
     The story states that the station covered an area from Kalapana to Ocean View. Regarding Civil Defense messages, the story reports “Before KAHU was operating, 'you could hear the sirens, but didn’t know why' they were sounding, Kaehuaea said."
     Regarding funding for the station, the story says that “Ka`u has a reputation of being an economically depressed district, but Kaehuaea said there are residents in the area with deep pockets.” 

     “There is a lot of influential people,” she told reporter Erin Miller, “adding that those people couldn’t see how they could get a good return on an investment in the small station,” the story says.
     According to the story, “The community radio format played a role in the station’s fiscal downfall, she (Kaehuaea) added. The Federal Communications Commission offers discounts to community radio stations for certain applications, but also limits what community radio can do to raise funds. The station couldn’t sell products or advertising and was forced to rely on donations to cover operating costs,” the story reports Kaehuaea saying. See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

      According to Hawai`i Public Radio CEO Mike Titterton, HPR is buying the KAHU license through Kaehuaea for $20,000. He said he learned that the license was available for sale after seeing that equipment was being sold off. Approval from the FCC should come soon.
     HPR funds its programming through sponsorship messages and fundraising. It expects to broadcast to the south end of Hawai`i Island using some of the KAHU equipment within a month or two with programming through HPR2. See hpr2.org for streaming radio. Titterton said that HPR hopes to bring back some local origination programming in the long term and will cover south Hawai `i for Civil Defense messages as soon as the HPR2 programming is launched under the KAHU call letters.
      Wendell Kaehuaea, former manager and founder of KAHU, said he hopes the money raised from selling the license and equipment will be used to pay down debt to the local businesses.

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS, BROKERS AND MILLERS are on Kaua`i Friday through Sunday for Hawai`i Coffee Association’s 18th annual Conference & Trade Show and its fifth annual Cupping Competition.

Ka`u coffee will again be represented at Hawai`i Coffee Association's
annual Conference & Trade Show and cupping competition.
Photo by Chris Manfredi

      Ka`u Coffee representatives include Rusty’s Hawaiian’s Lorie Obra, Joan Obra and Ralph Gaston; Ka`u Coffee Mill and Olson Trust’s John Cross and Lou Daniele, and Chris Manfredi, of Ka`u Local Products, who brokers Ka`u coffee to Starbucks and has managed the coffee lands at Moa`ula and Pear Tree for the owners. Both Manfredi and Cross serve on the board of directors of Hawai`i Coffee Association, and Manfredi is the organization’s vice president.
      The agenda for the event includes a coffee break Friday morning sponsored by Rusty’s Hawaiian and a silent auction where Ka`u coffee products will be included. Workshops and presentations include green coffee grading, label compliance, cupping, roasting, packaging and quality control. Keynote speakers are Kaua`i Mayor Bernard Carvalho and Honolulu newsman Howard Dicus.
      A number of Ka`u coffees were sent to Kaua`i for the cupping competition. Creative and Commercial Division winners will be announced on Saturday evening. The conference is held at the Kaua`i Beach Resort.

Ni`aulani Rain Forest guide training is available Saturday.
Photo from Volcano Art Center

NI`AULANI RAIN FOREST GUIDE TRAINING takes place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village to prepare guides for bi-weekly Ni`aulani Nature Walks. Volunteers offer two hours per month to help guide people through an ancient Hawaiian forest. Register at 967-8222 or programs@volcanoartcenter.org. 

HALAU WAIAU, UNDER THE DIRECTION of na kumu hula Keikilani Curnan and Liana Aviero, presents a hula kahiko performance Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hands-on cultural demonstrations take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on VAC Gallery porch. Call 967-8222.

`OHI`A LEHUA IS A FREE PROGRAM Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants bring lunch and learn about the vital role of `ohi`a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the `ohi`a lehua tree and its flower. For more information, call 985-6011. 

AUDITIONS FOR LOL: LADIES OUT LOUD are set for Saturday at 3 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Women in comedy are invited to bring stories, jokes and skits under six minutes. Open to all women and even “wanna-be” women. Show is scheduled for Sept. 7. Call 967-8222 to sign up for an audition.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR PUNA CHICKS. “Puna Princess” Sherri Carden, “Puna Tita” Angie Libadisos and Tanya Anne, VAC’s chief entertainment officer present the night of comedy Saturday at 7 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Tickets are $10 or $9 for VAC members and can be purchased at 967-8222 or volcanoartcenter.org.

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.