Ka`u News Briefs Friday, May 22, 2015

Piton de la Fournaise volcano of La Reunion Island erupted as ambassadors for the park attended Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park's BioBlitz and Biodiversity & Cultural Festival and signed a sister park agreement. Photo from La Reunion National Park

NEWS AND EVENTS OF THE KA`U agricultural community were shared yesterday at the meeting of the Ka`u Agricultural Water Cooperative District in Pahala. 

      Members discussed the new mobile slaughter unit that will allow residents who raise even only a few cattle, goats, pigs and sheep to have them legally processed. The mobile slaughter unit will move from place to place around the island to service small producers. A meeting on the plan and on joining the cooperative that will operate the mobile slaughter unit will be held Sunday, June 14 at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center.

Mobile slaughter services are coming to Ka`u. Photo from Hawai`i Island Meat

     See www.HawaiiIslandMeat.com. Contact HawaiiIslandMeat@gmail.com. The project is funded by the state Department of Agriculture with help from Big Island Resource Conservation & Development, Hawai`i Small Business Development Center and The Kohala Center.
       Members discussed an upcoming training on water conflict mediation, open to the Ka`u agricultural community, on Saturday, June 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. It is sponsored by The Kohala Center and organized by the center's Rural Cooperative Development Specialist Melanie Bondera. To sign up, contact mbondera@kohalacenter.org.
      The recent Green Sand community runaway fire that burned a house and destroyed waterlines was discussed in terms of the planning for future water service for agriculture in the community. Better pipes and funding for water storage for ag and firefighting were mentioned by Jeremy Buhr, who represents that community.
      John Cross, of Olson Trust, announced that the hydroelectric plant above Ka`u Coffee Mill is moving forward with Taylor Construction Co., Inc. getting ready to build the building to house the hydroelectric plant itself. The hydro plant at Keaiwa could be operational by early next year, he said.
      Members of the cooperative also discussed various ways of designing the sub-organizations that will manage water from various sources. Some organizational templates favor landowners, according to the amount of land owned, in decision making while others favor the user farmers and ranchers in the structure of the organizations.
      The next Ka`u Agricultural Water Cooperative District meeting will be held on Saturday, June 27 at 8 a.m. at Ka`u Coffee Mill. For more information, call Jeff McCall at 937-1056.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando and Daniel Gonthier,
President of La Reunion National Park, sign the sister park agreement at Kilauea
Visitor Center headquarters on May 20. NPS photo 

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK and La Réunion National Park, located on a French volcanic island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, signed a sister park agreement May 20 to fortify mutual collaboration and cooperation between them. 

      Both Hawai`i Volcanoes and La Réunion National Parks feature active volcanoes and are celebrated throughout the world for their geological, biological and cultural attributes. Both islands are located in the middle of vast oceans and are situated over volcanic hot spots. La Réunion’s Piton de la Fournaise (Peak of the Furnace) is listed among Earth’s most active volcanoes and stands 8,632 feet above sea level. Like Kilauea, it is a shield volcano and currently erupting.
      La Reunion island is about the size of Kaua`i and has many landscapes similar to Kaua‘i and the Big Island.
      Both parks are designated as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which seeks to encourage identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
      “La Réunion is a wonderful ambassador on behalf of the precious world heritage of France. Our resources join us together – shield volcanoes and endemic and endangered species. We are proud to share with the community the joining of two of the wonders of the world,” said Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. She and President of La Reunion National Park, Daniel Gonthier, signed the agreement in Volcano.
      The sister park relationship enables both parks to enrich their personnel through projects of international cooperation, accomplished primarily through exchange of managerial, technical and professional knowledge, information and data technology.
      Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park also has sister park agreements with Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes in South Korea and with Wudalianchi National Park in China. Like Hawai`i Volcanoes and La Réunion, Jeju is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
       Representatives from all three sister parks participated in the BioBlitz and Biodiversity & Cultural Festival held May 15-16 at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Keiki explore Kilauea Iki and other Hawai`i Island national parks during Hawai`i
Volcanoes National Park's summer junior ranger program.
NPS Photo from Jessica Ferracane

KEIKI EIGHT TO 13 YEARS OLD are invited to “Find Your Park” and become junior rangers through Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Keiki o Hawai`i Nei summer program. The fun-filled, three-day program begins Wednesday, June 24 and ends Friday, June 26. The program is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. 

      Keiki o Hawai`i Nei is designed to encourage a child’s enthusiasm for discovery by connecting them with the park’s resources and staff, and to inspire their appreciation of what is uniquely Hawaiian by exploring the natural and cultural heritage of Hawai`i.
      Participants must bring and be able to carry their own day pack with water, snacks, lunch and raingear, and hike up to three miles over uneven terrain at a leisurely pace.
      Children will explore Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and visit national parks on the west side of Hawai`i Island. Transportation is provided, and there is no cost to enroll.
      The program is co-sponsored by Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association and Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      To reserve a space, call Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park at 985-7373 or email institute@fhvnp.org. The deadline to register is Friday, June 19.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

APPLICATIONS CAN NOW BE MADE for annual grants from the State Land Conservation Fund to protect Hawai`i lands having valuable cultural, natural or agricultural resources. Grants from the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Legacy Land Conservation Program can be used for acquisition and conservation of watersheds, coastal areas, beaches, ocean access, habitat protection, cultural and historic sites, recreational and public hunting areas, parks, natural areas, agricultural production, open spaces and scenic resources. 

      State agencies, county agencies and nonprofit land conservation organizations may apply. Proposed projects may include acquisition of fee title or conservation easements. County agencies and nonprofit project applicants must be able to provide at least 25 percent of the total project costs.
      “Legacy Land grants help local agencies and organizations protect the lands and resources that improve the health and quality of life for Hawai`i’s residents and visitors – parks for outdoor recreation, forested watersheds for clean drinking water, cultural landscapes for preservation of heritage and agricultural lands for fresh local food,” DLNR Chair Suzanne Case said. “Through Legacy Land, the Department forms partnerships to share the costs and responsibilities of purchasing and protecting these lands for the public, allowing the state to secure more of these resources for the public with a smaller portion of funding,” Case said.
      Project applications will be reviewed by the Legacy Land Conservation Commission, which will nominate projects for funding. Projects are subject to the approval of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, consultation with the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, review by the Department of the Attorney General and the approval of the Governor. Final awards are subject to the availability of funds.

      Starting June 1, forms and instructions for the 2015-2016 grant cycle will be available at dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp/apply/. In order to be considered for funding, applicants must submit Agency Consultation Forms by July 1. Grant applications must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 15.

Earth Matters Farm and Hawai`i Farmers Union United Ka`u Chapter President
Greg Smith host tomorrow's meeting and potluck. Photo by Ron Johnson

      For more information, see 
http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp/ or call 808-586-0921.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U FARMERS UNION UNITED MEETING begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Earth Matters Farm invites Ka`u residents to the meeting and to share their garden eats afterward until 1 p.m. The farm is at the corner of South Point and Kama`oa Roads.
      Speakers include Bob Shaffer, a soil consultant; Gabriel Howearth, founder of Seeds of Change; and Anna Lisa Okoye, from The Kohala Center.
      For more information, call HFUU Ka`u Chapter President Greg Smith at 443-3300.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_May2015.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, May 21, 2015

Visitors to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park gather after dark at Jaggar Museum observation deck to observe the glow from a lava lake within Halema`uma`u Crater. NPS Photo courtesy of Alex Werjefelt

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL’S first June meeting will be broadcast from the old state courthouse in Na`alehu following a move of the teleconferencing facility from Ocean View Community Center. Ka`u’s Council member Maile David said this morning she is happy that the facility on Hwy 11 will have a new purpose and provide a centralized location for the community to witness and provide testimony at council committee and regular council meetings. She said the state has agreed to allow the county to use it rent-free and that it may become available for other community meetings.

      David researched use of courthouse when she worked for the Legislative Research branch of the county and recently looked back at the records to restart the conversation with the state to reopen it.

Services at Ka`u Hospital will continue as HHSC East Hawai`i Region facilities
face layoffs and cutbacks. Photo by Julia Neal

      David also noted that for Na`alehu ballpark, she purchased a scoreboard with her contingency funds, approved last month.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U HOSPITAL’S emergency department, acute care, clinic, X-ray and other services will continue as before, Administrator Merilyn Harris said in response to Hawai`i Health Systems Corp.’s announcement of impending layoffs and cuts in services in its East Hawai`i Region.
      According to Harris, the main impact will be having to limit the number of long-term care residents at the facility to 13 instead of 16. “That is because we will only have staff enough to safely care for that number,” Harris said.
      Currently, the hospital houses 14 long-term residents. “The hospital won’t be asking anyone to leave who resides with us now,” Harris said. “Reducing our long-term care beds has been a terribly difficult decision for us to take, but we cannot continue to ignore the reality of insufficient funding.”
      Harris also confirmed that none of the hospital’s permanent staff will be losing their jobs as a result of this service cut, but some temporary positions will not be extended.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS THE TOPIC of a Ka`u Community Development Plan focused discussion Tuesday, May 26, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center.

      The purpose of focused discussions, which have so far been held about agriculture, coastal management and proposed development at Discovery Harbour, is to explore specific topics of interest in-depth. They are opportunities for community members to expand their understanding of the CDP and the rationale behind particular strategies. It is also an opportunity to provide new information, suggest alternative CDP strategies and propose additional areas of analysis.
      During the economic development discussion, anticipated topics include the role of government in a market economy; foundations for opportunity (resource protection, public infrastructure and services); room for growth (residential, commercial, industrial and resort); regional coordination; and sector-specific innovation and initiatives (agriculture, renewable energy, health, education, community tourism, retail).
      County planners familiar with these issues will be on hand and equipped with background material to support the discussion.
      Participants’ questions, comments and suggestions will be documented. As appropriate, the CDP Planning Team will use outputs of the discussion to do additional analysis, refine the CDP rationale and/or recommend CDP revisions.
      Public input on the draft Ka`u CDP is due June 1. The CDP is available at local libraries and community centers and online at kaucdp.info.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Camping fees at Hawai`i Volcanoes National park will increase.
Photo from NPS 

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK will incrementally increase entrance and camping fees over the next three years in order to fund deferred maintenance and improvement projects within the park, and to meet national standards for parks with similar visitor amenities. Entrance fees for recreational use have not increased since 1997. 

      Beginning June 1, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park will increase its per-vehicle entrance fee in $5 increments from the current price of $10 per vehicle to $15 per-vehicle this year, $20 in 2016, and $25 in 2017. The vehicle pass is valid for seven days. The per-person entrance fee (the rate bicyclists and pedestrians pay) will increase from the current rate of $5 to $8 on June 1, $10 in 2016, and to $12 in 2017. The motorcycle fee will go up from $5 to $10 on June 1, $15 in 2016, and to $20 in 2017.
      One significant modification to the new fee structure was based on public input. The annual Tri-Park Pass, considered by many as the kama`aina, or residents pass, will remain at the current rate of $25 for 2015 and 2016 and will increase to $30 in 2017. Based on public input, the park proposed a $30 fee for the Tri-Park Pass, instead of the national standard of $50. The annual Tri-Park Pass is available to all visitors and allows unlimited entry for one year to three national parks: Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park and Haleakala National Park.
      New fees are also slated for all backcountry and front-country campsites, including Kulanaokuaiki Campground, and will be $10 per site per night. Backcountry campsites will have a stay limit of three consecutive nights, while the front-country campsites will have a stay limit of seven consecutive nights. Currently, camping is free, except at Namakanipaio Campground, which is managed by Hawai`i Volcanoes Lodge Company, LLC. The new camping permit fees are similar to other public camping fees statewide.
      “The increases over the next few years will enable us to continue to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors, while upgrading some basic services like our campgrounds,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “We reached out to our community for their feedback on the new fees, and many comments were supportive of the increase as long as the Tri-Park Pass continued to be offered,” she said.

      Recreational entrance fees are not charged to persons under 16 years old or holders of the Tri-Park, America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Senior, Access or Military passes. These passes may be obtained at the park or online.

Richard Wallsgrove

      The current National Park Service fee program began in 1997 and allows parks to retain 80 percent of monies collected. Projects funded by entrance fees at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park include ongoing trail maintenance, cabin repairs, hike pamphlets, restrooms, picnic tables and more. The transformation of the 1932 Administration Building (`Ohi`a Wing) into a cultural museum that visitors will soon enjoy is also a fee-funded project. Entrance fees also protect the Hawaiian ecosystem by funding fencing projects that prevent non-native ungulates like pigs and goats from devouring rare native plants.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS IN HAWAI`I are questioning the state Legislature’s approval of a tax break on coal while expanding taxes on oil, propane and liquefied natural gas. 

      AES Hawai`i, Inc, which uses coal to produce 20 percent of O`ahu’s electricity, lobbied for the tax break, according to a story in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Jeff Walsh, the company’s president and general manager, said AES sells power to Hawaiian Electric Co. by contract at a fixed price, and the company would have no way to pass the cost of a new tax on to HECO or the utility’s customers.
      Walsh claimed in the article that power the company produces with coal is “by far” the cheapest electricity being produced in the state. He described AES as “the bridge and the backbone of the grid.”
       Life Of The Land Executive Director Henry Curtis said, “Fossil fuel is fossil fuel. Coal, oil and natural gas should all have the same tax rate imposed on them.”
      Richard Wallsgrove, program director for Blue Planet Foundation, said, “It seems pretty nonsensical to me.” Blue Planet is a nonprofit organization that promotes use of clean energy.
      See staradvertiser.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U AG WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meets today at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Macnut Office in Pahala. Call Jeffrey McCall at 937-1056 for more information.

KAHO`OKAHI KANUHA and Lanakila Mangauil present information about the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea today at 6 p.m. at Wai`ohinu Park. For more information, call Nohea at 808-205-9843.

EARTH MATTERS FARM invites Ka`u residents to share their garden eats at the monthly Ka`u Farmers Union United meeting and potluck Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The farm is at the corner of South Point and Kama`oa Roads.
      Speakers include Bob Shaffer, a soil consultant; Gabriel Howearth, founder of Seeds of Change; and Anna Lisa Okoye, from The Kohala Center.
       For more information, call HFUU Ka`u Chapter President Greg Smith at 443-3300.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_May2015.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Hawai`i Health Systems Corp. East Hawai`i Region Board of Directors held a public meeting at Ka`u Hospital 10 months ago. The board recently announced that Ka`u Hospital is one of three facilities in the region to face layoffs and service cutbacks. Photo by Julia Neal

KA`U HOSPITAL IS FACING LAYOFFS and reductions in services despite success in controlling costs while growing and improving. Hawai`i Health Systems Corp. announced that its East Hawai`i Region, which includes Ka`u Hospital, Hale Ho`ola Hamakua and Hilo Medical Center, must deal with a $50 million budget shortfall.

Ka`u Hospital Adminstrator
Merilyn Harris

      Following HHSC’s previous request to the state Legislature for emergency funding, Administrator Merilyn Harris said, “We cannot exist without some funding from the state as over 76 percent of our patients are covered by either Medicare or Medicaid, neither of which covers the full cost of care. We’re very proud of the fact that we are safety net facilities because we believe that care should be available for everyone, but it sure is challenging.”
      The state-funded hospital system is cutting almost 90 jobs at the facilities, according to Pacific Business News.
      Increased costs and low rates of reimbursement from a growing, rural population have contributed to the reductions. About 75 percent of hospital payments are from Medicare and Medicaid and don’t cover the cost of care.
      East Hawai`i Regional Board Chair Gary Yoshiyama said cutbacks and layoffs are the last option to cover the deficit. “Our budget shortfall will have considerable impact on health care facilities in East Hawai`i,” Yoshiyama said. “Regionwide cost-cutting measures have already been implemented, and service cutbacks and layoffs are the only remaining option for our financial viability. Many scenarios were carefully weighed in our preparations to maintain essential health care services and minimize any potential harm to patients.” 

      According to HHSC, the East Hawai`i Region is the Big Island’s second-largest employer with an operating budget of $160 million and a payroll exceeding $100 million.

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

KA`U DRAFT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN, for which feedback is due by June 1, discusses zoning changes.
      “It is important that future rezones in Ka`u be consistent with the objectives and policies of the CDP,” the document states. “When considering a proposed amendment to the zoning code, the Planning Director shall recommend a change in a district boundary only where it would, among other things, be consistent with the goals, policies and standards of the General Plan. The Director shall recommend either the approval or denial of the proposed amendment to the Planning Commission subject to conditions which would further the intent of the Zoning Code and the General Plan and other related ordinances (e.g., Community Development Plans). Though it appears that ‘other related ordinances’ would naturally include CDPs, this policy ensures that the Planning Director’s recommendations on future rezones will be consistent with the Ka`u CDP.
      According to the draft, the Planning Director can approve variances from provisions of the zoning and subdivision codes to accommodate special circumstances, where no alternatives exist, and “if they are consistent with the General Plan and are not detrimental to the public welfare or cause substantial adverse impact to the area’s character or adjoining properties. The Director may also impose conditions on variances.
      “This policy simply requires that the Director consider and approve variances in a manner consistent with the Ka`u CDP.”  

      See the draft and provide feedback at kaucdp.info.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Mauna Loa is the topic of the current issue of Volcano Watch.
Photo from USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY SCIENTISTS turn their attention from Kilauea Volcano to Mauna Loa, on whose slopes Ka`u sits, in the current issue of Volcano Watch. 

      “Ongoing inflation in the upper Southwest Rift Zone and summit areas of Mauna Loa suggests that magma continues to rise into the volcano,” the article states. “The current rate and pattern of deformation are similar to the most recent episode of rapid inflation on Mauna Loa in 2004-2005. Earthquakes have also been occurring at elevated rates, particularly around the areas of inflation in the upper Southwest Rift Zone and summit.
      “Throughout its history, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has taken advantage of advances in technology to better monitor volcanoes and earthquakes. Computers have become faster, methods of transmitting information have improved and instrumentation has become smaller and more energy efficient. All these advances have been utilized to create an improved geophysical network that better supports HVO’s monitoring and science efforts.
      “In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enabled a major upgrade to HVO’s monitoring networks on Mauna Loa and Kilauea, including a conversion to digital telemetry, additional monitoring sites and improved instrumentation. These enhanced networks can now detect earlier stages of unrest, and the resulting data enables more sophisticated analyses of volcanic processes than were previously possible.
      “Since the two most recent eruptions of Mauna Loa in 1975 and 1984, HVO started using GPS, broadband seismometers and several types of analyses that were not possible with previous geophysical networks and computers. Certainly, these new data streams and analysis techniques have led to an improved understanding of Mauna Loa and its magma storage system.

Locations of earthquakes in Mauna Loa's summit area within
the past two weeks are yellow, and those within the past
two days are blue. Map from USGS/HVO

      “Scientists often try to compare previous periods of unrest, such as those in 1975 and 1984, to current unrest to gain perspective on and understanding of what might happen next. With our improved ability to detect smaller and smaller earthquakes and deformation, it is important to keep in mind that signals being recorded now might not have been detectable in past years. This leads to some interesting questions that we’re trying to answer.
      “Were the small earthquakes that we can now record present during previous periods of unrest on Mauna Loa? If so, what was their pattern?
      “With entirely new techniques available, such as GPS and interferometric radar (InSAR), we can measure the deformation of wide areas on the volcano, which allows us to detect a large, inflating magma reservoir beneath Mauna Loa that previously could not have been detected. But, was this same reservoir active before previous eruptions?
      “Continuously recording GPS receivers measure episodes of hugely varying rates of inflation interspersed with times of no inflation, which might indicate fluctuations in magma supply to Mauna Loa’s shallow storage system. Did these fluctuations occur in the past? The comparison of current and past activity is not as trivial as one might think.
      “And finally, what will be the outcome of Mauna Loa”s current unrest? Scientists cannot be sure at this point.

      “Seismic unrest is currently much less energetic than it was before the 1975 and 1984 eruptions. Several episodes of increased inflation since 1984 slowed and stopped without eruption. Each of these episodes, however, resulted in greater pressurization of the shallow storage system within Mauna Loa. “Unfortunately, we do not yet completely understand exactly how much pressure is involved, or how much internal pressure the overlying rock can bear before it breaks and allows magma to move toward the surface. 

      “Our knowledge and characterization of volcanic systems constantly evolves as improved geophysical networks lead to new scientific discoveries. But before scientists can clearly distinguish between episodes of inflation and elevated earthquake activity that accompany only the intrusion of magma (with no eruption) and those that actually lead to an eruption, there is still much work to be done.

      “So, HVO scientists continue their diligent efforts to fully understand the processes at work beneath Mauna Loa and to monitor the volcano’s restless activity. If any significant changes are observed, HVO will issue public notifications through media releases and our website updates (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/maunaloastatus.php).
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

EARTH MATTERS FARM invites Ka`u residents to join the monthly Ka`u Farmers Union United meeting Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The farm is at the corner of South Point and Kama`oa Roads.
      Bob Shaffer, a soil consultant, will speak about composting in Ka`u, and Gabriel Howearth, founder of Seeds of Change, will talk about seed saving and GMO issues with seeds. Anna Lisa Okoye, from The Kohala Center, will discuss the Farm-to-School Program.
      A potluck follows the meeting. “Bring a dish of local food and join in the fun,” said HFUU Ka`u Chapter President Greg Smith.
       For more information, call 443-3300.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUB OF KA`U meets tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Call 929-9731 or 936-7262 for location and more information.

KA`U AG WATER COOPERATIVE DISTRICT meeting is tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Royal Hawaiian Macnut Office in Pahala. Call Jeffrey McCall at 937-1056 for more information.

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

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_May2015.pdf.