Ka`u News Briefs Jan. 3, 2013

Today marks the 30th anniversary of Kilauea Volcano's current eruption. Photo from USGS/HVO

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO was sworn in today, one of 20 women – a record for the U.S. Senate. She is the first female senator from Hawai`i and the first Asian woman in the U.S. Senate. She is also the nation’s first Buddhist senator. She was born in Japan and moved to Hawai`i with her mother as a young girl. She is an attorney and served in the state Legislature, as Hawai`i’s lieutenant governor and in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing rural O`ahu and the Neighbor Islands.

Sen. Mazie Hirono was sworn in this morning by Vice Pres. Joe Biden,
who is President of the U.S. Senate. Pool Press Photo

      Hirono told Diane Sawyer of ABC News that more women in the Senate will help because “women are problem solvers.”
      Veteran Senator Barbara Mikulkski, a Democrat from Maryland, told Sawyer, “I can’t tell you the joy that I feel in my heart to look at these 20 gifted and talented women from two different parties, different zip codes to fill this room. In all of American history, only 16 women had served. Now there are 20 of us.”
      California Senator Barbara Boxer, also a Democrat, said that women are still “underrepresented” in the Senate. I think that because of this new class and the caliber of the people coming and the quality of the people coming, I think that hopefully in my lifetime - and I really do hope and pray this is the case - we will see 50 percent.”

Sen. Hirono visited a Boys & Girls Club `ukulele class at Pahala
Plantation House in 2007.

      Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat from California, said that the mix of women Republicans and Democrats ensures that they are not forming a “sorority.” She said these women don’t want gender to define them as senators.
      Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said, “What I find is, with all due deference to our male colleagues, that women’s styles tend to be more collaborative.” In an online ABC News presentation from the women senators, called Advice for Young Girls and Boys, Hirono stated, “My Mother, who changed my life by bringing me to this country, showed me, not told me, to take risks and never give up.”
      The Sawyer interview with Hirono and the other women senators will be shown this evening on ABC’s World News.

The late Sen. Dan Inouye said Mazie is the bipartisan person the Senate
needs. Photo by Julia Neal

      Hirono has come to Ka`u numerous times as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, including a 2007 meeting with local Boys & Girls Club members who serenaded her with their `ukulele music learned from Keoki Kahumoku. She was also key in legislation that provided funding for preserving lands along the Ka`u Coast.
      After she won the election in November, Sen. Dan Inouye said, “Since the moment she declared her candidacy, I have said that Mazie is the person Hawai`i needs in the Senate. She is the bipartisan partner I need.” Inouye did not live to see that day. He died on Dec. 17.

Tulsi Gabbard, third in the top row, joined women of the U.S. House of
Representatives this morning for a group photo. Photo from the Office
of Rep. Nancy Pelosi

TULSI GABBARD was sworn into the U.S. Congress today. At 31, she is the youngest member of the House of Representatives, the first American-Samoan congresswoman and the first Hindu. She takes the place of Mazie Hirono, who left the post to successfully run for the Senate. She is an Iraq War veteran, a former member of the state Legislature and a former member of Honolulu City Council. 

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL for Ka`u’s children returning from the holiday break. Na`alehu School reports a total enrollment of 437 students. Pahala School has 156 students from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade and 133 in middle school, and Ka`u High has 251 students, with 54 in the Class of 2013.
      While driving in school zones, drivers should use caution and be attentive of children walking to school and crossing in crosswalks.
      Sergeant Robert Pauole, of the Traffic Services Section, reminds motorists that drivers must use vehicle headlights from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise and at any other time when visibility is diminished due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions. Using headlights during those hours and conditions provides better visibility for the driver and for other motorists and pedestrians.
      As part of its It Can Wait campaign, AT&T reminds drivers that texting and driving can be a deadly combination. Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to be in an accident. A car crashes once every five minutes, on average, while a driver is texting. The campaign tells drivers that no text is worth dying for – it can wait. Find out more at
 www.ItCanWait.com.

Kilauea's 30-year-old eruption began at Pu`o `O`o Jan. 3, 1983.
Photo from USGS/HVO 

TODAY IS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY of Kilauea Volcano’s current eruption. The ongoing Pu`u `O`o–Kupaianaha eruption, which began in January 1983, ranks as the most voluminous outpouring of lava from the volcano’s east rift zone in the past five centuries, according to U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. To date, lava from the eruption has destroyed 214 structures. “This destruction is a reminder of why it’s important to understand how Hawaiian volcanoes work,” said HVO scientist Tim Orr. To mark the anniversary, he presents a program at UH-Hilo tonight at 7 p.m. More programs take place in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and around the island throughout the January, Volcano Awareness Month. 

      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov for a complete program schedule.

TOMORROW IS THE DEADLINE to enroll in Community School GED/Diploma classes to be held at Ocean View Community Center through Waipahu Community School for Adults’ Kona Campus. Registration is in person only at the Kona Campus from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registrants must bring a valid government-issued photo ID and $20 cash. Following registration, required assessment testing takes place on Monday, Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. at Kealakehe High School Cafeteria. For more information, call 327-4692.

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 Jan. 2, 2013

Hawai`i's new U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat, holds up his watch for Republican Senator John Barrasso near the Senate chambers after a vote on the fiscal cliff on Capitol Hill yesterday. The Senate passed legislation New Year's Day to neutralize a fiscal cliff combination of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that kicked in at midnight. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

TAX RELIEF WAS EXTENDED FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS yesterday, and the bill could be signed by autopen, as Pres. Barack Obama returned to Hawai`i overnight to join his family vacation. “The robotic device that replicates the president’s signature has been used by Obama twice, both times when he was overseas,” reports U.S.A. Today. The alternative is to fly the paperwork from Washington to Hawai`i for the President to sign it.

      In averting the Fiscal Cliff, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 557 to 167. Rep. Mazie K. Hirono said, “This legislation is much more balanced than proposals House Republicans have pushed over the past year. It keeps tax rates low for middle class families while asking the wealthiest among us to chip in a little bit more. It preserves tax credits that help make education affordable and support strong families, and extends unemployment insurance for those still looking for work.

Rep. Mazie Hirono

      “It also creates stability in the tax system so businesses small and large can make investments in the future and have access to incentives to help advance areas like clean energy. The bill also supports our seniors by making sure that doctors who serve Medicare patients get fairly compensated. In addition, the bill provides another two months to reach a balanced compromise to avoid the across-the-board cuts known as sequestration that we all recognize would hurt our economy. And this bill rightly freezes the pay of members of Congress, who should not receive a raise while our economy is still so fragile.
       “While it’s good that this deal is done for now, Congress has a lot more work to do in the coming months. We still have to avoid defaulting on our nation’s debt and avoid the rest of the across-the-board cuts. Failing to address these critical issues responsibly would be a disaster for our economic recovery.
       “It is my hope that the governing by gamesmanship will end. If it doesn’t and we continue lurching from one manufactured crisis to another, we’ll be putting our nation’s future in jeopardy. Let us all hope that cooler heads will prevail in the 113th Congress for the good of the people of Hawai`i and our nation,” said Hirono. Hirono takes office tomorrow with a swearing in to become a U.S. senator to take the place of Sen. Dan Akaka, who is retiring.
        The legislation now goes to President Obama for his signature. Obama left for Hawai`i this morning at about 1 a.m. Washington time and arrived on O`ahu to join his family at their Kailua vacation home.

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ was in Washington to participate in the Senate vote, which passed 89-8 ahead of the House vote.
      Schatz, sworn into his new position last week to replace the late Sen. Dan Inouye, said: “The legislation that the United States Senate just passed is not ideal, but the alternative would be disastrous for the middle class in Hawai`i and for the American economy. With this legislation, we can generate some of the needed revenue to fund important programs and prevent a tax hike on lower- and middle-income families. It also puts off damaging cuts to critical safety net programs and the military.
      “I’m pleased about the extension of unemployment benefits. While unemployment continues to drop across Hawai`i, tens of thousands of our neighbors still need help getting back on their feet.
      “It is important to remember that this crisis was manufactured by a congressional stalemate. We can and must do better. After passing this measure, we should work with President Obama to come up with a balanced approach to our national budget and put us on a path toward long-term economic growth.”

SEN. DAN AKAKA posted an aloha message on his website: “To the People of Hawai`i, the end of my final term in the United States Senate is quickly approaching. As I begin the difficult task of closing my offices, I want to take this time to thank you for allowing me the honor and privilege to serve you for 36 years. 

     “My dream was to work in a job in which I could help people, and you gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dream. Throughout my career in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, my priority has always been to do what’s best for Hawai`i and its people. I am proud of my accomplishments on behalf of our federal workers, consumers, veterans and all the people of Hawai`i. You have always been my first and foremost priority. I will always be grateful to the people of Hawai`i and will cherish the time I spent representing you in Washington, D.C. Although I will no longer be able to respond to your letters, please be assured that your views are very important to me. If you are encountering problems with a federal agency or need assistance in resolving a problem, I highly recommend that you contact the other members of the Hawai`i Delegation.
      “Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve you and for your trust and confidence in me.”

NEW HAWAI`I DELEGATES TO THE U.S. SENATE AND HOUSE of Representatives will take their seats tomorrow for the opening of the 2013 U.S. Congress. The Hawai`i delegates are all Democrats. Democrats make up 55 percent of the Senate and 46.3 percent of the House. The late Dan Inouye has been replaced by Democrat Patrick Leahy as the Senate’s new president pro tempore - third in line for the presidency. 

      Representing Hawai`i will be freshman Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and returning Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, as well as recently appointed Sen. Brian Schatz and recently elected Mazie Hirono, who left her House seat to successfully run for the Senate.

OWNERS OF 30 ACRES IN DISCOVERY HARBOUR are considering a lodge concept for the property, according to a story in West Hawai`i Today. Before they can develop the property, however, questions about the zoning must be resolved. “We have no specific plans because we don’t have any developers on board yet,” South Point Investment Group partner Gary McMickle told reporter Tom Callis. “Our goal is to get the zoning done properly and go from there.”

A big city fireworks show lit up the skies above Pahala
 on New Years Day night, last night. Photo by Julia Neal.

      Callis reports that a company called Green Sands, Inc. filed a special permit application 44 years ago, but Hawai`i County tabled the issue while finishing its general plan for the area. The plan was finished in 1971, but, says Callis, the permit was never resurrected.
      According to Callis, when South Point Investment Group, LLC bought the property in 2009 and sought to use it for commercial development, the Planning Department denied the request, saying the permit was never approved. “It doesn’t appear that the special permit was ever denied,” the hui’s attorney Randy Vitousek told Callis. Vitousek contends that the permit went into effect since it was never formally denied. Callis reports that, according to county planners, the county’s Board of Appeals has decided otherwise and has denied the appeal.
      The group plans to continue seeking approval. McMickle told Callis the next step may be to get a judge to decide whether the permit was authorized. Vitousek said the Planning Commission could also be another venue.

      For more, see westhawaiitoday.com.

FIREWORKS LIT UP THE PAHALA SKIES LAST NIGHT with a show by Big Island Klimate Kontrol. Rodney Freitas and family raised funds at the shopping center, by phone calling and selling plate dinners. The fireworks ended with live music by Deeva and her family and Demetrius Oliveira. The annual event was dark for the last two years but the organizers are hoping to raise enough money to carry on for News Years Day night 2014.

Hawai`i County Council's first meeting in 2013 is next Wednesday, Jan. 9.
Photo from hawaiicounty.gov

KA`U AND SOUTH KONA RESIDENTS who made New Year’s resolutions to participate more in government can do so at Ocean View Community Center’s remote testimony site. The first County Council meeting of the New Year is a week from today on Wednesday, Jan. 9 beginning at 9 a.m. Committee meetings on Tuesday will also be available at the center. Agendas are online at hawaiicounty.gov.

KA`U RESIDENTS WHO MADE NEW YEAR’S resolutions to exercise more have many options.

Pahala Pool is open several hours each week for residents' use.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

      Pahala Pool offers Water Aerobics Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. Public Recreational Swim and Adult Lap Swims hours vary throughout the week. For more, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation or call 928-8177. 

      Pahala Community Center will have Open Gym for Adults beginning Jan. 23. Register Jan. 14 – 18 with Nona at 928-3102.

      Zumba classes are popular throughout the district. Volcano Art Center offers classes Monday at 5:30 p.m. Certified instructor Erin Cole teaches the dance/exercise classes Monday at 6 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and Thursday at 5 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Cole also offers a Muscle Toning class Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Kilauea Military Camp holds Zumba classes Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m.

      Yoga is available at many venues, including Pahala Community Center Monday at 6:30 p.m. Emily Catey focuses on stretching and releasing physical and mental tension at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus Monday at 7:30 a.m. and Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Ocean View Community Ccnter offers Iyengar and Yin Yoga Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. Gentle Senior Yoga is every Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji, followed by Meditation at 4 p.m. Beginning and Intermediate Yoga takes place Tuesday and Thursday at 8 a.m. at Noa’s Island Massage in Na`alehu, and Gentle Yoga is available at Cooper Center in Volcano Village on Fridays at 8 a.m.

      Other options include Line Dance classes Wednesday at Pahala Community Center and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Also, free square dancing lessons take place at Ocean View Community Center every Saturday at 7 p.m.
      For more information, see The Ka`u Calendar and kaucalendar.com.

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 Jan. 1, 2013

Protection of natural resources will be a top story in 2013. Photo from The Ka`u Calendar.

HERE ARE THE TOP TEN STORIES
 THAT THE KA`U CALENDAR STAFF WILL COVER DURING THE NEW YEAR:

No. 1: `AINA KOA PONO. Hawaiian Electric Co. and `Aina Koa Pono are required to answer detailed questions by this Friday, Jan. 4 concerning the pricing of the diesel they plan to produce at a refinery in Ka`u to provide fuel for a power plant in Kona. The contract between HELCO and `Aina Koa Pono would raise electric bills throughout the Big Island and O`ahu. The questions were submitted through a legal process before the state Public Utilities Commission by attorneys for Hawai`i County, the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, the state Consumer Advocate and the environmental and consumer group Life of the Land.

     Questions involve proof that the new refinery, comprised of giant microwave reactors, will work and be safe for the environment, community and workers; the clearing and use of pasturelands for biofuel crops instead of food crops and more land for the growing coffee industry; whether an Environmental Assessment is required and will be done; the wisdom of a 20-year contract that locks in a rate; estimates of economic impact, including job and tax creation assessments and incremental costs of the contract; possibility of additional displacement or curtailment of other renewable projects in the future; whether it is prudent to rely on the AKP contract to provide essentially 100 percent of the fuel needs for Keahole; what would happen to the refinery and land should the project fail and more.
      Due dates for Information Requests and Responses between the companies, parties and participants continue until August 2. A decision from the PUC will follow that date.

Fencing is up around the new gym and shelter construction site in, but an
underground human burial site has delayed permitting. Photo by Julia Neal

No. 2: EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLAR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. The most expensive buildings to ever be constructed in Ka`u are expected to rise out of the green field between Pahala School cafeteria and the tennis courts in 2013. While ground was broken on Oct. 3, 2012 and contractor Summit Construction came to town prepared to work, the discovery of burials in lava tubes near the site has stopped the project until the Burial Council, state and county can agree to a plan to protect the site. A meeting of the council is set for Jan.17.
      Once completed, the complex will include a large gymnasium where invitational tournaments and school and community sports can be held, a community activities center and regional disaster shelter.

Ka `Ohana O Honu`apo has nominated Kaunamano Ranch below
 Honu`apo lookout for preservation. Photo from Hawai`i Pacific Brokers

No. 3: KA`U COAST ACQUISITION in 2013 is expected to add more than three times the acreage conserved in the last decade along Hawai`i’s longest uninhabited shoreline. More than 3,000 acres is set for acquisition by the county around Road to the Sea, which ends at a green sand beach on the western side of Ka`u. In addition, Ka Ohana O Honu`apo is seeking to conserve more than 1,300 acres from lands below Honu`apo to Ka Lae. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is interested in possibly purchasing lands makai of its Kahuku Unit that were previously planned for a Nani Kahuku `Aina resort development along the shore. The park also has the Great Crack area along the ocean between Pahala and Volcano on its acquisition list.

No. 4: IMPROVED HEALTH FACILITIES. Bay Clinic’s new Ka`u Family Health & Dental Center will have the capacity to see 3,400 new patients with 8,500 new appointments. It is being constructed in front of the current Bay Clinic, an old two-story building from plantation days.

Sen. Josh Green

      Ka`u Hospital received funding for air treatment and air conditioning to protect patients and long-term residents from the affects of vog from Kilauea volcano. New windows, doors, ceilings and other upgrades were funded by the state for this Critical Access Care hospital.

Sen. Russell Ruderman

      State Sen. Josh Green said he will request $15 million for needed improvements to community hospitals in Ka`u, Kona, Kohala. “As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, my legislative priorities for 2013 will include renewal of the Hospital Sustainability Act of 2012 which brought over $40 million in federal funds to strengthen our hospitals, building the Hawai`i Health Corps which will bring needed doctors to under-served areas of the state, fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity in Hawai`i, and doing everything possible to make sure we preserve a safe and healthy environment, including our air, water, and food,” Green said.

No. 5: NEW FACE OF PUBLIC REPRESENTATION in government is the biggest change since statehood. Ka`u will have two state senators, Josh Green and Russell Ruderman; two members of the state House of Representatives, Richard Onishi and Denny Coffman; and a County Council member, Brenda Ford, whose district runs from Volcano into South Kona.

Ka`u Coffee grower are seeking more land and land security in 2013.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

      How much time will they be able to spend here, given the long travel distances? None of them live here and seats of government are in Hilo, Kona and Honolulu. Will social media keep them in better communication with Ka`u residents? 

No. 6: KA`U COFFEE. Growers are enjoying incredible success but where will they get more land and land security to expand their businesses? As perhaps creating the best examples in Hawai`i of post-plantation economic success for small, independently owned enterprises run by people who work and live here, Ka`u Coffee growers are seeking long-term leases for lands where they can continue to expand orchards and grow more coffee for their award-winning brew. Without land security, investment beyond their hard work and sweat is unlikely from farm banks and other lenders.

Hunting in embraced as a component of feeding the family in Ka`u.
Photo by Julia Neal

No. 7: HUNTING & PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES will be major stories of 2013 as conservation groups, hunters, on land and sea, and the state work out plans for managing forest and ocean resources. Fishing is a subsistence lifestyle dating back to the first Hawaiians, while hunting grew with the introduction of pigs by the Polynesians and goats, sheep, wild cattle, turkeys and other game by subsequent human arrivals. Over the last two centuries, Hawaiians and immigrant families have embraced hunting as a component of feeding the family. However, some areas of the forest are being set aside for fencing out the game in order reintroduce native birds to the wild and to allow native plants to thrive. Nearshore waters are targets of bans on spearfishing with SCUBA, taking tropical fish for aquarium sales and limits and prohibitions on taking numerous marine species.

The yellow object that washed onto the shore at Waikapuna still is not
confirmed as Japanese tsunami debris.

No. 8: TSUNAMI & MORE DEBRIS. All eyes will be on the Ka`u Coast this year to see how much tsunami debris from the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami actually washes up on the Ka`u shore. A big, yellow object, made of metal, some 20 feet wide and 12 feet tall, washed up at Waikapuna in Oct. 2012, but is yet to be confirmed as tsunami debris. More recently, a one-inch-thick piece of foam with Japanese writing was found near the yellow object. The federal government and Japan have chipped in money for tsunami debris cleanup in western coastal states, and the Hawai`i 2013 Legislature is expected to come up with more funding. In addition to tsunami debris, tons of fishing nets, consumer plastics and other rubbish washes onto the Ka`u Coast all the time, and a report on NBC calls Kamilo the dirtiest beach in the world. With little relief from the planet's garbage making its way to Ka`u, debris will continue to be a top story.

Ka`u CDP Steering Committee's next meeting is on
Tuesday, Apr. 9.

No. 9: KA`U COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN. After years of community and steering committee public meetings, consultant and county planning department effort, the first drafts of the CDP are expected to roll out in 2013. The CDP is designed to become an overall guide for the future of economic and land use choices in the near future, particularly when it comes to zoning decisions. As the drafts for components of the plans are released, public input and review will be through educational workshops, Speak Outs and events to be held in Pahala, Na`alehu, and Ocean View on weekday evenings and weekends. For more information, see kaucdp.info or contact planner Ron Whitmore at    rwhitmore@co.hawaii.hi.us or 961-8137.

No. 10: THE VOLCANOES are a standing story every year with Mauna Loa, Kilauea and Lo`ihi some of the most active in the world. Kilauea spews ash and vog to blanket the communities.

Kilauea Volcano continues to affect life in Ka`u. Photo from USGS/HVO

        Mauna Loa rocks Ka`u with earthquakes. It will someday pour lava down its slopes to cover land and steam into the nearshore waters. Lo`ihi, the 10,000-foot-tall seamount just 18 miles offshore, rumbles and spits into the ocean depths, someday to rise above the Pacific. Volcanoes in Ka`u also nourish the economy, bringing visitors to the state’s top destination, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and providing the rich volcanic soils for famous Ka`u Coffee.

STAYING CONNECTED WITH HAWAI`I CITIZENS is one of the promises of newly appointed U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. In his New Year’s message, he said, “I assure you, as the New Year rolls in, I will fully dedicate myself to this trust. It is an extraordinary opportunity given to me by the Democratic Party and Governor Abercrombie that I will fulfill for the people of this state. I hope you will follow along on Facebook or Twitter as I strive to keep you informed about our progress in the Senate.”

A fireworks show is set for 8 p.m. tonight in Pahala, with food plates to
raise funds for the show available at 6 p.m. Photo by Kris Bakken

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP’S Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park offers New Year’s Day buffet until 6 p.m. Menu items include roast turkey, braised beef, ono picatta, mushroom and leek pot pie, soup, salad bar, desserts and beverages. The price is $24.95 and $12 for children 6 to 11.
      KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

FIREWORKS LIGHT THE SKY in Pahala this evening, thanks to Rodney Freitas and his Big Island Klimate Kontrol team. The show begins at 8 p.m. at the corner of Pikake and Huapala Streets. Sales of food plates to raise funds for the show begin at 6 p.m. To donate, call 987-8917.

Wreaths are on exhibit at Volcano Art Center
through Sunday.

VOLCANO ART CENTER’S 13th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit continues through Sunday at the gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Gallery artists, working in a wide variety of media, materials, and techniques, present their concepts of “wreath,” from the whimsical to the traditional. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and park entrance fees apply. 

TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY is the deadline for young women to enter this spring’s Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant. Categories are Miss Ka`u Coffee and Miss Ka`u Peaberry. By May 13, Miss Ka`u Coffee candidates must be ages 17 to 24, and Miss Ka`u Peaberry candidates must be ages 7 to 9. The winners reign over the annual Ka`u Coffee Festival on Saturday, May 4.
      Applications are available at R&G Store in Pahala, Pahala Community Center, Grandma’s Closet in Na`alehu and Kahuku Gift & Garden Shop in Ocean View. For more information, call Gloria Camba at 928-8558 or Pahala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811. Organizers also welcome volunteers to help produce the pageant.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

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