Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015

Ka`u schools, including Na`alehu Elementary, participated in the Hawai`i District Science and Engineering Fair at `Imiloa in Hilo.
Photo by Nalani Parlin 

KA`U STUDENTS SHOWED THEIR PENCHANT for science and engineering with over 30 participants joining the Hawai`i District Science & Engineering Fair in both the junior and senior research divisions. The fair was held at `Imiloa and is a stepping stone to the state Science & Engineering Fair.

Pahala School participants register at the science fair.
Photos by Robert Bowman

      Ka`u High senior, Jennifer Tabios, walked away with several prizes, including best in the physics and astronomy category for her project, the Relation Between Viscosity, Surface Tension and Temperature. Under guidance of teacher Ted Brattstrom, Tabios also won Sierra Club Moku Loa Group’s Dr. Don Worsencroft Award and $50 cash, TMT Galileo Award and a Galileo telescope, Best in Astronomy/Astrophysics Award and a Mauna Kea experience, a certificate from American Meteorological Society and the U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize Regional award.
      Brattstrom’s students Chloe Gan and Jenny Mauricio-Henriquez, both sophomores, won best in the energy and transportation category, the Eccentric Scientist: Off the Beaten Path-Outside the Box Award and $50 cash and two prizes from Hawai`i Electric Light Co. including the Outstanding Renewable Energy Project of $100 and the Best in Engineering and/or Environmental Science Award and $50 cash.

Rayncin Salmo-Grace explains his project to a judge.

      Gissele Corpuz and Brandi Louis, juniors also under the tutelage of Brattstrom, won best in the earth and planetary sciences category with their project called Waves: Speed and Depth. The pair also won the Basic Science and Engineering Award of $100 and a certificate.
      Sophomores Janslae Badua and Masen Dacalio, mentored by teacher Chayanee Brooks, won the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award and certificate with their chemistry project When Science is Sweet: Growing Rock Candy Crystals. 

      Best in Behavioral & Social Sciences category went to Charisma Felipe and Pete Dacalio, sophomores in Brattstrom’s class, who submitted the project How Music Affects Human Efficiency.
      In the junior research category, three Na`alehu Elementary sixth-grade students received prizes. Deansen Grant-Breithaupt, mentored by teacher Amberly Keohulua, submitted a behavioral and social sciences project, How the Body Reacts to Stress and Relaxation, and won the Veterans of Foreign Wars Award and $50.

Rio Chopot and Izaia Pilanca-Emmsley's project was Soda Rust Remover.

      Amber Sugrue and Johnette Llanes-Masters, taught by teacher Nellie Davis, won the TMT Galileo Award and a Galileo Telescope for their physics project, a take on Newton’s Balloon Car.
      Other Na`alehu Elementary sixth-grade submissions chosen to represent their classes included Chesatie Kai’s Acid Egg Bath and Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley’s and Rio Chopot’s Soda Rust Remover. Duke Moniz-Ducosin submitted an engineering project using alternative energy to power a fan and pencil sharpener, which he called The New Generation. Kaulana Aipia-Dolan and Tiane Kuahiwinui entered the energy and transportation category with their project the Solar Heat Oven, comparing efficiency of two solar oven designs. 

      Five projects from Pahala Elementary, guided by teacher Molly Larnie, won the Pahala School science fair and also advanced to participate in the district fair. In the electrical and mechanical engineering category were the following projects: Delson Dacalio and Preston Pua-Queja – Cooking by the Sun; Shacy Davis, Bernadette Ladia and Elysa Abellera – Wind Turbine Design Inquiry; Rebecca Kailiawa and CeAndra Kamei – Solar Hot Water Heating; and Melakai Keohuloa and George Yeager – Making a Battery. Micah Polido-Kalili, Arniel Libunao and Paul Sanchez entered the energy and transportation category with their project titled Hawai`i Energy Use.

Melakai Keohuloa and George Yeager presented Making a Battery.

      Other projects representing Ka`u High, guided by either Brattstrom or Tishanna Ben, included entries in the behavioral and social sciences category by Benly Bolaoen and Julia Chavez – Essential Oils: Real or Fake? and Rowland Flores and Evan Manoha – Gumcentration. Janet Parlin and Ka`ala Petrill-Abrojina partnered to enter their Bottled Water Filter project in the environmental management category, and Rayncin Salmo-Grace was chosen to enter his project, The Essential Solution, in the plant sciences category.
      All representatives were treated to a planetarium show, received a free science fair T-shirt and a certificate of participation. Donna Kohara, Science & Engineering Fair Steering Committee member, said, “In my 10-plus years of working on science fairs, this is the first year that both Na`alehu and Pahala Elementary participated.” Ted Brattstrom kicked off Ka`u High’s participation in 2009, and the school has been a part of the fair ever since. Kohara said that science fair participation for Ka`u schools has increased thanks to interest from administrators and teachers.

Janet Parlin and Ka`ala Petrill-Abrojina partnered on a water filter project.

      Kohara advised students interested in participating in next year’s science and engineering fair to begin thinking of questions and problems to investigate and possible solutions. She said, “Start early, and start thinking of what could be.” She mentioned that some students are already starting on their projects for 2016.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE on Tuesday will review a proposal from Hawai`i Department of Agriculture to expand the designated coffee berry borer infested area to encompass the entire island of O`ahu. The board’s designation of O`ahu as a CBB-infested area will authorize the PQB to implement quarantine measures to restrict movement of coffee and other CBB hosts to prevent further spread of CBB to uninfested areas. According to HDOA, the quarantine is necessary to prevent further spread of CBB to other islands.

Solar hot water heating was CeAndra Kamei and Rebecca Kailiawa's project.

      If the board approves expansion of the designation, movement of green coffee and other CBB hosts between infested areas will require a permit.

      Treatment, as well as inspection by HDOA Plant Quarantine inspectors, is also required. For unroasted coffee beans, acceptable treatments include fumigation, freezing and heat.
      Rules are available at http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/4-72-HAR-2012.pdf.
      Ka`u residents can submit testimony to HDOA Biological Control Section Chief Darcy Oishi at darcy.e.oish@hawaii.gov or 1428 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96822.

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

KA`U’S STATE SEN. JOSH GREEN, who serves as Senate majority leader, has asked Gov. David Ige to withdraw his nomination of Carleton Ching as head of the Department of Land & Natural Resources. Ching is Vice President, Community and Government Relations, for developer Castle & Cooke Hawai`i, where he supports the organization’s real estate, agricultural and renewable energy initiatives.

Deansen Grant-Breithaupt describes his project to a judge.

      “After meeting with Carleton Ching to discuss his nomination, I have determined that Mr. Ching is the wrong choice for Director of DLNR. Although he is personally likable, he does not have the experience, background or expertise to lead this department. He simply is not qualified for the job.”
      Green also said, “We need a Director of DLNR who has a proven record of fighting to protect and preserve our natural and cultural resources, not a career lobbyist for the development industry who has a record of calling for the elimination of cultural and environmental protections.
      “This nomination is the wrong choice for Hawai`i, and we should not move forward with it. I call on Gov. Ige to withdraw this nominee and offer the Senate and the people of Hawai`i a nominee for Director of DLNR who has a proven record of protecting and preserving Hawai`i’s natural and cultural resources.
      “The future of Hawai`i depends on the choices we make now.”

      The Water & Land Committee considers Ching’s nomination on March 11. The public can testify at capitol.hawaii.gov. Bill number is GM 514.    

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

Amber Sugrue and Johnette Llanes-Masters studied Newton's balloon car.

FROM THE SUMMONS OF ART opens today at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Patti Pease Johnson’s exhibit of silk, clay, pastel and watercolor creations explores colors and shapes of Hawai`i’s splendor. A reception takes place at 5 p.m. The gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

      Free; park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8222 for more information.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS holds a meeting tomorrow at 1 p.m. and a celebration from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Old Pahala Clubhouse.
      Lunch is at 12 p.m., with kanikapila and heavy pupus at 6:30 p.m. Workshops, music and hula presentations take place throughout the day. See kauarts.org.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN STILL SIGN UP for next Saturday’s Sanctuary Ocean Count. Volunteers count and monitor humpback whales at various coastal sites from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. See sanctuaryoceancount.org.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_February2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Feb. 20, 2015

A free program tomorrow at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park introduces participants to Hawaiian goddesses Hi`iaka and Pele and the natural phenomena they represent. Photo from NPS

HAWAI`I LOST 400 SOLAR JOBS IN 2014, according to a report released by an independent nonprofit, the Solar Foundation. The report compares the loss with Hawaiian Electric, which some refer to as Hawai`i’s largest private employer. HECO had 2,764 employees in 2013. The solar job loss is equivalent to a loss of 15 percent of the largest private employer’s workforce.

      Robert Harris, spokesperson for the Alliance for Solar Choice, said, “It’s outrageous that Hawai`i – with all of its abundant sunshine – is losing the economic and environmental benefits of a vibrant solar industry. The blame for this loss rests on Hawaiian Electric. For almost two years now, Hawaiian Electric held up the solar industry on a false premise. The solar industry consistently maintained, and now Hawaiian Electric finally admits, that vastly higher amounts of rooftop solar can be installed on the grid.
      “But there’s ‘more of the same’ on the horizon. Instead of simply working to allow more of their customers to install cleaner and cheaper sources of electricity, HECO followed the national utility playbook of trying to eliminate net energy metering. It is our hope that the Public Utilities Commission will see HECO’s plan for what it truly is: an effort to stop competition and to eliminate rooftop solar in Hawai`i. We need to prevent even larger job losses in 2015.” 

      HECO recently announced plans to increase the number of customers it will allow to connect solar systems to its electric grid.

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

Henruy Curtis

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HAWAI`I Public Utilities Commission’s history, more than 30 entities have sought party status in a single regulatory proceeding, according to Life of the Land Executive Director Henry Curtis. PUC Docket Number 2015-0022, considering the purchase of Hawaiian Electric Co. by NextEra Energy, has 32 potential parties: four applicants, 27 interveners and the Consumer Advocate. 

      Potential interveners include Hawai`i County, Hawai`i Island Energy Cooperative, Ulupono Initiative, Blue Planet Foundation, Tawhiri Power, Hawai`i Gas, state Office of Planning and state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
      According to LOL Executive Director Henry Curtis, the organization “asserts that all interests should be at the table, should be able to present their positions and should be able to ask questions to NextEra.”
      The utilities recently sent a letter to the PUC asking commissioners to reject LOL’s motion to intervene.
      Randy Iwase, Gov. David Ige’s nominee to chair the PUC, told a state Senate committee that if confirmed, he plans to hold public meetings regarding the merger, according to a report in Civil Beat by Nathan Eagle.
      See ililanimedia.blogspot.com and civilbeat.com.
      See puc.hawaii.gov for more information about and documents in the docket.

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

Ka`u Learning Academy's founder is seeking county approval to open the charter
school in Discovery Harbour at the current site of Gilligan's Cafe.

KA`U LEARNING ACADEMY is on the Windward Planning Commission’s next meeting agenda. KLA founder Kathryn Tydlacka applied for a Special Permit to allow establishment of the charter school and related uses for 65 students. The site is currently Gilligan’s Café, where founders are raising funds for the school by serving meals Friday and Saturday evenings on a nonprofit basis. The facility is on 3.69 acres of land within the state Land Use Agricultural District at 94-1572 Kaulua Circle in Discovery Harbour. 

      The meeting takes place Thursday, March 5 at Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo. Public statements are welcome.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Gov. David Ige

GOV. DAVID IGE IS IN WASHINGTON, DC for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association. 

       Governors at the meeting are expected to focus on collaboration to solve national issues. Ige serves on the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee and will be participating in a panel discussion on Sunday. The governors will also meet with President Obama at the White House.
       In addition to the NGA meetings, Ige will be meeting with federal transportation, health and housing administration officials to maximize Hawai`i’s share of federal dollars. Elizabeth Kim, Ige’s appointment to serve as a Special Advisor, will attend these meetings with him. Ige will also meet with Army officials to reiterate his commitment to strengthening the state’s relationship with the military. 

      Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui is Acting Governor until Ige’s return the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 25.

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

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve is seeking advisory
council members. Photo from Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

NOAA’s NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, is seeking applicants for two seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public participation in reserve management and provides advice and recommendations to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries regarding the reserve. 

      “Community representatives on our advisory council are an extremely important part of our team,” said David Swatland, acting superintendent for the monument. “Their input is an integral part of managing this special place.”
      The reserve is accepting applications for alternate Native Hawaiian elder and alternate Native Hawaiian.
      Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations and views regarding protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members or alternates should expect to serve a two-year term or until a different advisory body is created pursuant to the monument’s management plan.
      The advisory council consists of 15 primary and alternate members representing a variety of public interest groups, including conservation, education, research and ocean-related commercial and recreational activities, as well as the Native Hawaiian community.
      Applications are due March 31. To receive an application kit, or for further information, contact Hoku Johnson, acting deputy superintendent, at hoku.johnson@noaa.gov or 808-725-5800. Application kits can also be downloaded at http://www.papahanaumokuakea.gov/council/.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

A Hawai`i Island high school student
learns about farming as an intern.
Photo from The Kohala Center

KA`U HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS interested in learning more about farming, ranching, food production and sustainability can apply for The Kohala Center’s spring cohort of its High School Agriculture Internship Program. Internships offer paid stipends for participants to take field trips to island farms, gain hands-on experience in organic and natural farming methods and learn more about career opportunities in agriculture. The program runs March 16–20, during spring intersession, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with each day beginning and ending in Honoka`a.

      For more information and to apply, visit koha.la/farminterns. Application deadline is Wednesday, March 11.

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

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers a free program tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele and Hi`iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent through epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on an easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in the park.

`Ohi`a Forest Path
by Patti Pease Johnson

FROM THE SUMMONS OF ART opens tomorrow at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Patti Pease Johnson’s exhibit of silk, clay, pastel and watercolor creations explores colors and shapes of Hawai`i's splendor. A reception takes place at 5 p.m. The gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

      Free; park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8222 for more information. 

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS holds a meeting Sunday at 1 p.m. and a celebration from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Old Pahala Clubhouse.
      Lunch is at 12 p.m., with kanikapila and heavy pupus at 6:30 p.m. Workshops, music and hula presentations take place throughout the day. See kauarts.org.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN HELP Dr. Claire Horwell with her study on how people cope with vog during a survey at Ka`u Farmers Market in Na`alehu next Wednesday. See https://www.facebook.com/groups/421925067973152/ for more information about her research.

FREE VISION SCREENINGS are available for Ka`u residents when Project Vision’s mobile unit comes to Pahala and Na`alehu next month. Along with screenings, keiki receive free UV protection sunglasses. Adults receive retina screenings for glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, cataracts and more. Adults can also get free reading glasses.
      Health insurance information and education and guidance to follow up eye-care are also provided.
      Events are scheduled for Wednesday, March 4 at Na`alehu Community Center and Thursday, March 5 at Pahala Community Center. Sponsored by Tutu & Me, Project Vision Hawai`i and Hawai`i Health Connector.
      For more information, call Jessica Steele at 808-464-2676 or Betty Clark at 929-8571.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015

Today is Chinese New Year. Chinese traditions are celebrated at many Ka`u events, including Fourth of July festivities and Ka`u Plantation Days.Photo by Julia Neal

LUNAR NEW YEAR GREETINGS come from Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

      “The contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community to our nation continue to grow and have been passed down through generations, from creating jobs and opening small business to contributing to the melting pot of American culture. I wish everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year good health, progress, and prosperity. Aloha!” Schatz said.
      Gabbard said, “As we celebrate the Lunar New Year around the world, let us recognize the vibrant traditions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities that mark this very special time. In Hawai`i, where celebrating diverse cultures is part of our daily lives, the Year of the Sheep inspires community-building and strengthens relationships. Best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous new year.”
      CAPAC is comprised of members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and AAPI community.

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

A whale attached to a buoy is swimming around Hawai`i Island.
Photo from Julie Steelman of NOAA

ALL EYES ON THE WHALE is the call for help from Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary. A 45-foot-long humpback, towing a buoy and entangled in its lines, has traveled at least once through Ka`u waters and is sought by state and federal wildlife officials in order to free it. It was first seen on Sunday south of Kailua-Kona and last on Monday off of Hamakua. 

      “It appears to be going counterclockwise around the Big Island,” Ed Lyman, whale entanglement response coordinator for the sanctuary, told Leila Fujimori, of Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “By now it’s made a complete circumnavigation of the Big Island.”
      Lyman hopes the whale will be off the Kona Coast today, where calmer seas and “more people, more eyes, more tour boats” will help find it. “It’s 45 feet long, but they’re like a big needle in a big haystack,” he told Fujimori.
      The National Marine Fisheries Service and the sanctuary have crews ready to free the 45-ton gray mammal.
      Well-meaning mariners are advised not to attempt to disentangle the whale themselves. Doing so could put them in danger from lines snagging outboard motors and could leave line that could endanger other marine animals.
      Crews also use the line to pull themselves closer to the whale. Although entangled, the whale seems to be in good shape and not in immediate danger of drowning.
      Anyone who spots the whale is asked to call NOAA's Marine Mammal Hotline at 888-256-9840.
      See staradvertiser.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Atlas Recycling has picked up many junk cars in Ocean View. Photo from
Ocean View Recycling Point & Convenience Center EIS

ATLAS RECYCLING, WHICH OPERATES RECYCLING stations twice monthly in Ka`u and has picked up many junk cars in Ocean View and throughout Ka`u in past years at no cost to landowners, is suing Hawai`i County, according to a story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald by John Burnett. 

      Atlas’ parent company Big Island Scrap Metal, LLC is seeking nearly 5.5 million in unpaid fees, Burnett reported. The company claims breach of contract based on a Feb. 16, 2010 cap placed on the amount of metal it removes from county landfills and the county’s failure to pay for metal already removed.
      The suit claims that the company was first notified of the county’s intent to not pay on Jan. 25, 2012 and that it wasn’t paid for 36,010 tons of scrap.
      Director of Environmental Management Department Bobby Jean Leithead Todd told Burnett the county believes placing the cap was not a breach of contract. “We’re basically taking the position that we’ve had ongoing communication and that (the company) acknowledged we had a processing cap and affirmed their intent to follow the cap, and that even beyond that, payments due are limited to the amount of certified funds, pursuant to the contract,” she said.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Interim DLNR Chair Carty Chang

THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS KILLED A BILL that would create a statewide game management advisory commission. Although the bill passed the House Water & Land Committee, House Judiciary Committee Chair Karl Rhoads failed to hear the bill prior to the deadline. 

      Mayor Billy Kenoi supported the bill. “We feel that a statewide commission will offer to the thousands of hunters who live in Hawai`i a proper venue to share ideas and formulate priorities that are in the best interest of the entire state,” he testified. Hawai`i County Council passed a resolution in favor of the bill yesterday.
      Carty Chang, interim Chair of the Department of Land & Natural Resources, testified that the proposed commission “conflicts with the department’s existing legal mandates, rules and operating capacity” and goes “beyond the advisory capacity of a typical advisory commission.”
      Tony Sylvester, a member of Hawai`i County’s Game Management Advisory Commission, told Tom Callis, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, that he was disappointed about the bill’s demise after it received support from hundreds of testifiers. “For me, that’s the saddest part,” he said. “We try to empower people.”
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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

HAWAI`I COUNTY WANTS MORE of the transient accommodations taxes that it and other counties collect. Yesterday, the County Council passed two nonbinding resolutions asking the state Legislature to increase allocations. The county wants the state to remove the cap placed on TAT allocations during the recession and to return to previous allocations of 44.8 percent of the total collected.
      Nancy Cook Lauer, of West Hawai`i Today, reported that Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille said, “The original tax was meant for the counties, with only a small administration amount for the state. The people that wanted this bill … stood and said this cap would be removed when the economy improved … explicitly.”
      See westhawaiitoday.com.

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

HILO HATTIE HAS CLOSED its Hilo and Kona stores. Once famous for sewing aloha wear on-site with visitors watching, Hilo Hattie grew into a large retail chain with stores across the country, as far away as Miami, Florida, promoting Hawaiian-themed products. It closed mainland stores and contracted back to its Hawaiian roots, but never recovered its earlier success. Hilo Hattie was one of the sponsors of the Ka`u Coffee Festival, sending shuttles to the event some years. Ka`u Coffee was promoted and sold at Hilo Hattie.

      The company, one of the largest retailers of Hawai`i fashion and other goods, still has stores open on O`ahu, Maui and Kaua`i.

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

Spring bearded turkey hunting season
is March 1 - 31.

SPRING BEARDED TURKEY HUNTING SEASON opens Sunday, March 1 and runs 31 consecutive days through Tuesday, March 31. 

      Daily bag limit is two bearded turkeys per hunter with a season bag limit of two. All hunters are required to have a current unused turkey tag in their possession while hunting. Tags are currently free of charge. Turkey tags are nontransferable and must be fastened with snaps and secured tightly around the neck or tarsus of any bird taken immediately after the kill. Tags may be obtained from any Hawai`i Island Division of Forestry and Wildlife office and a number of commercial vendors. Hunters must present current State of Hawaii Hunting License when obtaining tags. Turkey tags are also required on private land.
      Information may be obtained at Division of Forestry & Wildlife offices in Hilo at 974-4221 and Kamuela at 887-6063.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAI`I ANT LAB STAFF MEMBERS encourage the public to learn how to eliminate Little Fire Ant colonies today at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. The insect is considered one of the worst invasive species in the world. It can cause blindness in animals that it attacks and welts that can last for weeks.
      Call 315-5656 for more information.

FROM THE SUMMONS OF ART opens Saturday at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Patti Pease Johnson’s exhibit opens with a reception at 5 p.m. The gallery is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8222 for more information. 

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers a free program Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pele and Hi`iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent through epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on an easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in the park.

KA`U SCHOOL OF THE ARTS holds a meeting Sunday at 1 p.m. and a celebration from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Old Pahala Clubhouse.

      Lunch is at 12 p.m., with kanikapila and heavy pupus at 6:30 p.m. Workshops, music and hula presentations take place throughout the day. See kauarts.org.

AN EVENING OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC AND STORY featuring Keoki Kahumoku with the Aloha Bluegrass Band takes place Sunday, March 22 at Na`alehu Methodist Church. Pupus are served at 5 p.m., with the program from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
      Tickets are $20, with all proceeds being donated to the Center for Hawaiian Music Studies. One lucky ticket holder will win a brand new `ukulele Seating is Limited.
      RSVP to woodley@easystreet.net or call 854-9483. Make checks payable to Center for Hawaiian Music Studies and mail to Woodley White, PO Box 44, Na`alehu 96772.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_February2105.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf and
kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.