Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013

Youthful O Ka`u Kakou volunteers helped to restore the rock wall at the Henry Opukahaia Chapel  above Punalu`u.
Photo by Myra Sumida

COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION `O Ka`u Kakou is thanking Ka`u and its funders for volunteering time and money for over $62,000 spent on Ka`u projects and organizations between January and November of this year. Members of `O Ka`u Kakou, known as OKK, acknowledged the many hands that contributed materials, monetary donations and thousands of volunteer labor hours to make their projects successful. “`O Ka`u Kakou could not exist without you the people of Ka`u,” said OKK president Wayne Kawachi.
           “`O Ka`u Kakou will assist Hana Hou Restaurant with the annual Keiki Christmas Party on Wednesday, Dec. 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone wishing to help is welcome to join in. On Jan. 25, OKK will host its annual Keiki Fishing Tournament. Last year, 324 keiki participated with their families, and OKK served free lunches to 750. Approximately 90 volunteers came out to help, collectively contributing at least 650 hours, Kawachi said.

OKK Pres. Wayne Kawachi
Photo by Julia Neal

Volunteers work on rebuilding the crumbling cemetery wall atop a Punalu`u bluff.
Photo by Myra Sumida

      OKK cares for seven area cemeteries. The community group is expanding its improvement projects as part of the quest to keep Ka`u beautiful, said secretary Nadine Ebert. Most recently, OKK, along with volunteers and keiki, rebuilt the crumbling rock wall surrounding the Henry Opukahaia chapel cemetery atop the Punalu`u bluff. Work at other Ka`u cemeteries also includes Wai`ohinu Catholic Church; Keaiwa near Wood Valley; Pahala Chinese and Buddhist cemeteries; Pahala Community cemetery and the small cemetery just outside of Na`alehu. Members maintain weed control, lay gravel, build walls and repair and paint cemetery structures.       OKK spent 200 hours this year renovating the Pahala Hongwanji old school building for eventual community use. Hongwanji members are looking forward to sharing the use of this building with the Ka`u community, Kawachi said. Last month, OKK members prepared a garden for the Boys and Girls Club at the Hongwanji. OKK also helped the Pahala Catholic Church fix its rectory stairs and continues to work on improvement projects for Pahala and Na`alehu Catholic Churches.

Keiki and adults clean up six miles of highway near Punalu`u four times a year.
Photo by Myra Sumida

   Beautification projects also extend to cleaning six miles of Hwy 11 plus Ninole Loop Road every quarter as part of the Adopt-a-Highway program, which OKK has been doing for several years. The group also cares for the Punalu`u pond, ridding it of invasive plants once a trimester. Breakfast or lunch is always provided free to volunteers.
      Another part of OKK’s mission is to work with local organizations to help them achieve their goals, said Ebert. “We often lend our shave ice, pop corn, and hot dog machines for their fund raising efforts.” Groups include Hannah’s Makana `Ohana Hula Halau, Southside youth volleyball, Ka`u High School sports programs such as volleyball and wrestling, and Pop Warner football. OKK also provided labor for Ka`u Plantation Days, Ka`u Coffee Festival, Red Hat Spaghetti Dinner and Keoki Kahumoku’s Center for Hawaiian Music Studies workshops. OKK also donated to $1,800 to the Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation.        Local students also benefit from OKK’s support. This year the group raised $4,390 partnering with Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center to purchase preschool and kindergarten supplies for Na`alehu and Pahala students. Dedicated to working with Ka`u schools, OKK has expanded its reach to include hauling several truckloads of dirt for the improvement of the Na`alehu School garden program. OKK also donated $2,000 for continuing education scholarships.

O`Ka`u Kakou cares for seven historic cemeteries in Ka`u. Photo by Myra Sumida

       Working with the seniors of Ka`u holds a special place in the hearts of OKK members as well, said Kawachi. OKK sponsors a bingo luncheon three times a year, with the next one scheduled for February. “This proves to be fun for participant and workers,” he said. OKK continues to provide maintenance for homes and yards of seniors, installing handrails and grab bars, trimming trees and repairing roofs. 

      OKK also took up the reigns to help keep the annual Fourth of July festivities going. “Sponsoring the Fourth of July activities is a challenging event,” said Ebert. This year the parade included 35 entries, including Miss Ka`u Coffee Tiare Lee Shibuya, Mayor Billy Kenoi, state Rep. Dennis Onishi and Ka`u County Council member Brenda Ford. Following the parade, a mini-carnival included a climbing wall and water slides for the keiki, free shave ice and hot dogs, as well as bingo and lunch for the adults.
“`O Ka`u Kakou would like to thank the many, many people of the Ka`u community for their kind generosity, said Kawachi.
      Board members of OKK include president Wayne Kawachi, vice president Walter Wong Yuen, secretary Nadine Ebert and treasurer June Domondon. For more information or to join, contact Ebert at ebertn004@hawaii.rr.com or call Kawachi at 937-4773.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT CO. has joined with its sister companies Hawaiian Electric Co, Maui Electric and American Savings Bank to contribute $100,000 to the Filipino Community Center of Hawaii to help Typhoon Haiyan victims in the Philippines. The donation will be matched by the Consuelo Foundation, through its promise to match up to $2 million.Electric company workers are also making personal donations that will also be matched by Consuelo.
     Connie Lau, Hawai`i Electric’s CEO said: “We appreciate the good work of the Consuelo Foundation in partnership with the FilCom Center to support this humanitarian cause “Our thoughts are with the people impacted by this devastating disaster.”

State Rep. Richard Onishi, winner of the Hawai`i Farm Bureau's top legislator award,
 walked in the Independence Day Parade this year in Na`alehu. Photo by Julia Neal

EAST KA`U STATE REPRESENTATIVE Richard H.K. Onishi has been named 2013 Legislator of the Year by the statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau. Onishi serves as vice chair of the Agriculture Committee and member of the Finance, Economic Development and Business, Tourism, and Veterans Military Affairs & International Affairs Committees.
      Among his priorities is the development of agriculture on Hawai`i Island with efforts focused on securing funding sources, increasing opportunities for the industry and making it more available and competitive.
      The Hawai`i Farm Bureau’s Legislator of the Year awards are given to state lawmakers who demonstrate excellence in leadership and a demonstrated initiative to advance the interests of Hawai`i’s farmers and ranchers.
      The recipients are formally recognized at Hawai`i Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting after being nominated and voted upon by a committee comprised all of Hawai`i Farm Bureau County chapters, representing agricultural stakeholders from across the state.  This past legislative session, Onishi worked toward the passage of legislation to improve agriculture in the state and especially on Hawai`i Island. The Legislature passed an appropriation of $800,000 to combat the coffee berry borer infestation, $1.5 million for agricultural livestock feed subsidies, $1.75 million for the new farmer and biosecurity loan programs and $600,000 for a biodigester to convert food waste to livestock feed.
      Additionally, Onishi has supported $75,000 annual appropriations for two youth education initiatives, the Department of Education’s Future Farmers of America program and the University of Hawai`i’s 4-H program.
      “I am extremely honored to have been selected as this year’s awardee — especially in my first year in office. I appreciate the recognition of my colleagues in the agriculture industry and will continue working toward the development and cultivation of our essential agriculture industry,” Onishi said.

       Ka`u Farm Bureau's annual meeting is Monday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m., Pahala Community Center.

Lisa Louise Adams will show her art at the Volcano Hui Artists tour starting tomorrow.
Photo from Volcano Village Artists Hui

THANKSGIVING FEASTS ARE AVAILABLE throughout Ka`u today.
      Kilauea Military Camp’s buffet is from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, featuring roast turkey, green bean casserole, corn chowder and more. Call 967-8356.
      In Na`alehu, South Side Shaka’s Restaurant begins serving its Thanksgiving dinners at 11 a.m. Call 929-7404.
      Also in Na`alehu, Hana Hou Restaurant presents a buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. along with dinner from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call 929-9717.
      Ocean View Community Association offers its annual meal, open to the entire community, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the community center. 

VOLCANO VILLAGE ART STUDIO TOUR is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The self-guided tour sponsored by Volcano Village Artists Hui allows the community to visit seven artists’ studios and features items on display and available for purchase.
      A drawing for pieces contributed by each artist is held at the end of the sale. Maps are available at Volcano Village businesses and at www.VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.
      For more information, call 987-3472 or email eherb@hawaii.rr.com.

KA`U COMMUNITY FLOATING LANTERN CEREMONY, Honoring Past, Present and Future Generations is at Punalu`u Beach Park this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Floating Lantern Ceremony this Saturday. Photo by Matt Coats

      It includes a community Thanksgiving potluck, Taiko drummers, music and cultural dance followed by the lantern release. Floating lanterns for inscribing messages and decorating will be provided to the first 100 registrants. Pre-registrations are being taken by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc., which is co-sponsoring the ceremony with health insurer HMSA, at 928-0101. Sign up at the Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center. 

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS on Mamalahoa Hwy in Na`alehu presents a Crèche Festival Saturday from noon until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. The celebration includes works by local crèche artists, a gallery of nativities, a children’s room with costumes and activities for the entire family.
For more information, call 339-7402.

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund is now collaborating with Recycle Hawai`i in efforts to clean up the Ka`u Coast. Photo from HWF

SOME MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY Agriculture Advisory Commission have concerns about safety and liability regarding a new state law that exempts nonresidential structures on farms from building permits and plan reviews, according to a story in West Hawai`i Today.
      The law, which went into effect July 1, allows buildings not intended for living space to be built without permits on ag-zoned commercial farmland.
      At its meeting yesterday, the commission asked for a report from the county Department of Public Works for its next meeting on Dec. 17.
      Reporter Nancy Cook Lauer said commissioners also asked whether the county code needs to be changed to accommodate the new state law.
      Concerns expressed by the commission include compliance with setback rules, inspection and enforcement of the law to ensure people aren’t illegally living in structures.
     “The intent of the law was right and useful, but you know there are abuses and regulatory overlaps,” Jeff Melrose, program development officer for the county Department of Research and Development, told Cook Lauer.

      See westhhawaiitoday.com.
      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Helicopter spraying to kill a macadamia pest resumed this morning around Pahala
following aerial spraying on Oct. 23. Photo by Julia Neal

HELICOPTERS OVER PAHALA macadamia orchards were no emergency this morning, except for their role in fighting off a macadamia pest. For the second time since Oct. 21, Royal Hawaiian Orchards sprayed pesticides from the air using a Paradise Helicopter. Spraying from helicopter is more targeted that the old style of spraying by crop dusters, reducing overspray onto adjacent properties. The helicopter can fly as low as ten feet above the canopy of the macadamia orchards. The target is a scale, called Eriococcus Ironsidei William, which was first found in South Kona in 2005.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U FARM BUREAU holds its annual meeting on Monday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Officers will be elected. Current officers are president Chris Manfredi, vice president Phil Becker, treasurer Lorie Obra and secretary Brenda Iokepa-Moses. Farmers and businesses that work with farmers are invited to join. The Farm Bureau testifies on behalf of its members to county and state government, assists with the Ka`u Coffee Festival, operates a website at kaucoffeeexchange.com, organizes education for farmers and hosts speakers for public meetings.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

AN NEW EARLY LITERACY MOBILE APP by UH-Manoa College of Education allows young children to do art in virtual coloring books, interact with phonetics exercises and learn about Hawai`i’s culture. 

      The Pihana ABCs mobile app was recreated from an early literacy coloring book that many state elementary schools use. It’s the first app developed by the Piha Pono project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Native Hawaiian Education program.
      Developers hope the app makes the literacy tools more accessible to families and schools and more engaging for children. It includes exercises to help develop phonetics, alphabetic understanding and vocabulary.
      According to a press release, it helps prepare kids for the literacy expectations outlined in the new English and language arts Common Core State Standards.
      The app is available for free on Apple and Android tablets.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ka`u Army veterans Robert Williams and Peter Anderson presented a binder of signatures and messages of gratitude to officials at Pohakuloa Training Area. Anderson designed the binder's cover. Photo from Peter Anderson

KA`U ARMY VETERANS PETER ANDERSON AND ROBERT WILLIAMS on Monday presented a binder containing signatures and short notes of appreciation to Lt. Col. Eric Shwedo, commander of Pohakuloa Training Area and his Sergeant Major Lutgens, who said they would place the binder in the recreation hall where it could be viewed by troops that come to the area as part of their training. 

      The signatures and messages were collected from many Ka`u residents wanting to show their gratitude directly to our servicemen and servicewomen and their families for the risks they take in order to protect all the families in Ka`u and in our nation, Anderson said.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND EXTENDS A MAHALO to the 73 participants of Saturday’s beach cleanup event from Awawaloa to Lalahala, south of Ka`alu`alu Bay. They removed approximately 18,792 pieces of marine debris in 54 large trash bags weighing almost one ton from along this 1.5-mile stretch of coastline. As always, most of the debris collected – almost 90 percent – was plastic.
      During the event, HI Kombucha donated five growlers of their Citrus Breeze Kombucha to participants.

      For this cleanup and in the future, HWF is partnering with Recycle Hawai`i and the state Department of Health to separate some of the marine debris collected that would otherwise be bound for the landfill to a higher purpose. At this cleanup, volunteers sorted five large bags of recyclable materials for Method and the transfer station’s mixed recycling bin. Also, materials were handpicked for several debris artists including Don Elwing, Pam Longobardi and Kathleen’s Nurdle In the Rough.
      HWF’s next Ka`u Coast cleanup is Saturday, Feb. 8. Sign up with coordinator Megan Lamson at kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or 769-7629.

      To comment on or “like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THANKSGIVING FEASTS ARE AVAILABLE throughout Ka`u tomorrow. 

      Kilauea Military Camp’s buffet is from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, featuring roast turkey, green bean casserole, corn chowder and more. Call 967-8356.
      In Na`alehu, South Side Shaka’s Restaurant begins serving its Thanksgiving dinners at 11 a.m. Call 929-7404.
      Also in Na`alehu, Hana Hou Restaurant presents a buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. along with dinner from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Call 929-9717.
      Ocean View Community Association offers its annual meal, open to the entire community, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the community center.

Dina Kageler is a member of Volcano Village Artists Hui and
participates in the group's upcoming studio tour.

THE 27TH ANNUAL VOLCANO VILLAGE ART STUDIO TOUR takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. This self-guided tour sponsored by Volcano Village Artists Hui includes stops at seven artists’ studios and features items on display and available for purchase. 

      A special drawing for pieces contributed by each artist is held at the end of the sale. Maps are available at Volcano Village businesses and at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.
      For more information, call 987-3472 or email eherb@hawaii.rr.com.

KA`U COMMUNITY FLOATING LANTERN CEREMONY, Honoring Past, Present and Future Generations takes place at Punalu`u Beach Park Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.. The event includes a community Thanksgiving potluck, Taiko drummers, music and cultural dance followed by the lantern release. Floating lanterns for inscribing messages and decorating will be provided to the first 100 registrants. Pre-registrations are being taken by Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc., which is co-sponsoring the ceremony with health insurer HMSA, at 928-0101. Sign up at the Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center.

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS on Mamalahoa Hwy in Na`alehu presents a Crèche Festival Saturday from noon until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. The celebration includes works by local crèche artists, a gallery of nativities, a children’s room with costumes and activities for the entire family. 

      For more information, call 339-7402.

One of many annual Christmas events in Ka`u, Hana Hou Restaurant's
Keiki Christmas Party is on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Photo by Julia Neal 

IT’S TIME TO PLAN FOR KA`U’S annual Christmas events next month. 

      Volcano Festival Chorus presents its Christmas Concert Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Sponsored by KDEN. Free; park entrance fees apply.

      Fall Creativity Day is Sunday Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Discovery Center Community Hall. Ka`u School of the Arts offers batik, `ohe kapala (bamboo stamp making), dying workshop, sewing, jewelry making and more. Call 854-1540.
      Pahala Christmas Parade winds through town beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8. Santa hands out candy to keiki and makes an appearance at Ka`u Hospital. To participate, call Eddie Andrade at 928-0808.
      Hana Hou Restaurant’s Keiki Christmas Party is Wednesday, Dec. 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with buffet dinner, lucky number prizes, keiki and photos with Santa.
      Thy Word Ministries offers free lunch plates while supplies last, live entertainment and a craft fair at Christmas in Ka`u on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji.
      Ocean View Community Association’s Keiki Christmas Party is set for Saturday, Dec. 14 at 11 a.m. at the community center. Santa arrives at noon with toys and for photos. Call 939-7033.
      Ka`u School of the Arts’ Christmas concerts are Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center and Sunday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Performers include Ka`u `Ohana Band, Ka`u Community Chorus, Hannah’s Makana `Ohana, David Matson and Ben Houghton. Call 854-1540.

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 Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013

During Thanksgiving week and throughout the year, Ka`u gives thanks to its volunteer fire departments. Ron Ebert is captain of Pahala Volunteer Fire Department. Photo by Julia Neal

FAMED CHEF ALAN WONG IS PUTTING his name on a Ka`u coffee blend. Wong has been working with Jim Wayman, of Hawai`i Coffee Co., the biggest coffee roaster in the state, to produce the new Alan Wong 10 percent Ka`u Coffee under the Royal Hawaiian Coffee label. Ten percent of the blend is Ka`u Coffee, and 90 percent is from such coffee origins as Latin America. The main Hawai`i Coffee Co. roasting plant is on O`ahu.
      According to Wayman, for pure Ka`u Coffee to put into the blend, Hawai`i Coffee Co. paid $135,000 to Ka`u Coffee Mill and another $135,000 to coffee broker Chris Manfredi.

Gourmet chef Alan Wong with a Ka`u coffee blend that can be
purchased for $5.77 per seven-ounce bag when bought by
the dozen at hawaiicoffeecompany.com.

      The label says “Royal Hawaiian, Coffee for Royalty” with the endorsement and signature of Alan Wong on behalf of Alan Wong’s Honolulu restaurant business.

      Online at hawaiicoffeecompany.com, customers can choose from French Roast, Medium Roast or Vanilla Macadamia. While pure Ka`u coffee is selling retail at Ka`u Coffee Mill at $27.95 per pound for washed, $35 per pound for natural and $36 per pound for peaberry, the blend can be purchased online from Hawai`i Coffee Co., on sale, for $69.20 for a dozen seven ounce bags – a bulk price of $5.76 for each seven-ounce bag.

      The websites says: “Ka`u coffee beans are quickly becoming recognized around the globe for their intense flavor, ideal growing climate and rich coffee heritage on Hawai`i Island.

      “Royal Hawaiian Coffee features a 10 percent Ka`u coffee bean blend developed and endorsed by world-renowned Chef Alan Wong.
      “Wong has four restaurant locations presenting Hawai`i Regional Cuisine throughout the Islands including Alan Wong’s Honolulu, The Pineapple Room and Honu Kai Lani on O`ahu and Amasia on Maui. Since his restaurant doors opened in 1995, Wong has worked with local farmers to harvest the best Hawai`i-grown and raised products.
      “It’s really, really hard to describe freshness, but you know it right away when you enjoy a cup of Royal Hawaiian!” says the website.
      A comment on Hawai`i Coffee Co.’s store website says, ‘My bf Marlene brought some back to me in New Zealand, and it’s a divine blend! :)”
      Wayman said that the Ka`u coffee blend has already been shipped to major stores such as Longs, Walmart, Foodland and Safeway on this island. He said the blend will help build the Ka`u brand name and help spur more sales of pure Ka`u coffee through local brand names and his company as well. He said that he looks forward to thousands of acres being planted in coffee in Ka`u as the market expands. He said he looks forward to being a “friend of Ka`u coffee” and to supporting and participating in the Ka`u Coffee Festival, which is scheduled the week leading up to the Ho`olaule`a on May 4 of 2014. See kaucoffeefestival.com.
      Attending the unveiling of the new Ka`u coffee blend in Honolulu yesterday was Alan Wong and Edmund C. Olson, founder of Ka`u Coffee Mill, who talked about building the mill to provide jobs in the Ka`u community and to establish a local place where farmers can take their Ka`u coffee for processing. Also attending from Ka`u Coffee Mill were John Cross, Louis Daniele and Bull Kailiawa, along with JN Ka`u Coffee owner Leo Norberte.

Hawai`i  Coffee Co.'s new product is a 10 percent Ka`u Coffee blend called
Royal Hawaiian Coffee, endorsed by famed chef Alan Wong.

       While Hawai`i Coffee Co. is famous for its blends, it also sells pure coffees. Wayman said that he already sells 100 percent Ka`u coffee under his Lion Coffee brand. He said he sells a 100 percent Ka`u coffee to Alan Wong for his wedding chapel business. Wayman’s company owns Royal Kona Coffee, Lion Coffee and Hawaiian Islands Tea Co.

      A story by Stephanie Silverstein in Pacific Business News yesterday afternoon said that “Hawai`i Coffee Co. has been working with Wong for more than two years to develop the line.” Wayman said supply was an issue because the Ka`u coffee region is only 600 acres.
      The Silverstein story quotes Wayman talking about expansion of Ka`u coffee. “We’d like to see them have three or four thousand acres, and we’d like to help create the marketplace for Ka`u coffee so that those farmers can grow their product and prosper, make money and have a great future. We’re very pleased that we can introduce these new Ka`u coffee blends that allow us to bring Ka`u coffee at an affordable price point that everyone in Hawai`i can afford to buy and enjoy in their homes, thereby creating that marketplace.”
      Wayman told PBN that he “worked hard for many years to develop and promote Kona coffee as a brand, and now he sees the opportunity to do the same for Ka`u coffee in the next decade. He wants to give Ka`u region farmers and the Ka`u Coffee Mill enough business to help the Ka`u coffee region grow from a few hundred acres into thousands of acres,” the story reports.
      PBN also reports on Ka`u Coffee Mill founder Ed Olson saying that it is a great advancement to have Wong’s name attached to the coffee. “It means everything to the farmers,” Olson said, according to PBN. “The mill has been a big help to them. Now they have identity; they have a local place to get their products processed. This Alan Wong endorsement is just another leap ahead, so it’s great for the farmers.”
      See more at bizjournals.com/pacific.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard received a 2013 John F.
Kennedy New Frontier Award yesterday.

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD RECEIVED a 2013 John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award yesterday. Jack Schlossberg, President John F. Kennedy’s grandson and a member of the New Frontier Award Committee, presented the award during a ceremony at the Institute of Politics at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. 

      “It is truly humbling to receive this honor, as the message and example of servant leadership set by President Kennedy is one I hold close and which continues to inspire me and an entire generation,” Gabbard said. “As we reflect on President Kennedy’s call to service, we understand his indelible mark on the American people, past, present and future, and will forever remember his dedication to public service and working for the greater good. I will continue to strive to uphold his example of servant leadership and honor his life and sacrifice in my service to the people of Hawai‘i and our nation.” 

      The John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards were created by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Harvard Institute of Politics to honor Americans under the age of 40 who are changing their communities and the country with their commitment to public service. 

      Gabbard received the Fenn Award, one of the two annual New Frontier Awards. It recognizes a young elected official whose work demonstrates the importance of elective service as a way to address a public challenge or challenges. This award is presented in honor of Dan Fenn, the Kennedy Library’s first director and a former member of President Kennedy’s staff. 

      The second 2013 John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award was given to Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that enables individuals to provide direct support to teachers and students in public schools.

Candidates' contributions and expenditures can be tracked on a new data
visualization app. This example shows Ka`u Council member Brenda Ford's
data from the last election cycle. Ford chose public funding for her campaign.

THE HAWAI`I CAMPAIGN SPENDING COMMISSION has launched its new data visualization app. The data visualizations were created in partnership with the state Office of Information Management and Technology, the state’s Information & Communication Services Division and Socrata, a Seattle-based software company that specializes in democratizing access to government data. 

      This tool allows viewers to study charts of a candidates’ campaign spending data for a particular election period. Pie charts show candidates’ contributions to see how much and what percentage of their contributions are funded by individuals, noncandidate committees, political parties, immediate family members, etc. Viewers can also see how much and what percentage of a candidates’ contributions are coming from in-state versus out-of-state, from which states and zip codes, as well as by geographical location. 

      There is also a visual chart showing how much and what percentage of candidates’ contributions are $1,000 or less and more than $1,000. 

      As for campaign expenditures, a pie chart shows how much and what percentage of a candidate’s spending was for advertising, food & beverage, printing, professional services, surveys/polls/voter lists, etc., as well as a chart showing in-state versus out-of-state spending.

      See hawaii.gov/campaign.  

WES THELEN, A SEISMOLOGIST WITH USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, presents an overview of damaging earthquakes in Hawai`i this evening at After Dark in the Park. The program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. $2 donation supports park programs; park entrance fees apply. 

PATRICIA KAULA SHARES HER KNOWLEDGE of the art of lei making tomorrow at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Randy Takaki is a member of Volcano Village Artists Hui and participates in
the group's upcoming studio tour.

THE 27TH ANNUAL VOLCANO VILLAGE ART STUDIO TOUR takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Each year, the tour is sponsored by Volcano Village Artists Hui. This self-guided tour includes stops at seven artists’ studios in Volcano Village. The tour features a wide variety of items on display and available for purchase. 

      A special drawing for pieces contributed by each of the artists is held at the end of the sale. Maps are available at Volcano Village businesses and at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com. 

      For more information, call 987-3472 or email eherb@hawaii.rr.com. 

A CRÈCHE FESTIVAL takes place Saturday from noon until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Mamalahoa Hwy in Na`alehu. The celebration includes works by local crèche artists, a gallery of nativities, a children’s room with costumes and activities for the entire family. 

      For more information, call 339-7402. 

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.