Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, March 15, 2014

Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park are ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a fundraiser BBQ tomorrow, on the eve of the holiday. Photo by Elizabeth Fien

KA`U HOSPITAL IS RECEIVING STATE FUNDS for several projects.

      $201,000 goes toward repairs to address items discovered during renovations of the roof, doors, windows and air filtration and cooling systems. Also covered are hazardous material abatement and repairs before additional renovations begin.

Improvement projects at Ka`u Hospital are receiving state funding.
Photo by Julia Neal

      $199,000 is for plumbing upgrades. Most of the hospital's pipes are more than 40 years old and require frequent repairs. In June, the hospital septic tanks were found to be corroding and posing a potential hazard to the integrity of the wastewater system. Funds are needed to finance the engineering assessment and repair the system; the remainder of the funds will be used to design the plumbing upgrade.
      A $75,000 energy audit will determine cost-efficient ways to reduce energy usage and install energy-saving equipment such as variable frequency drives, controlling devices or programs, or modifying existing systems.
      Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced release of the funds as more than $19.1 million for various capital improvement projects to upgrade and improve eight Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation facilities. “In addition to increasing safety and functionality, these projects ... will further stimulate our economy and generate more local jobs,” Abercrombie said.

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Ralph Gaston is the new Ka`u Farm Bureau president.

COFFEE MARKETER RALPH GASTON was voted president of Ka`u Farm Bureau last night. Gaston lives at Punalu`u mauka and works with award-winning Rusty’s Hawaiian 100 Percent  Ka`u Coffee with famed Ka`u Coffee farmer Lorie Obra and partners Joan Obra and Miguel Meza. 

     The new Ka`u Farm Bureau board is comprised of four in the coffee industry, two ranchers and one small farmer. 

     Vice president is Brenda Iokepa Moses, who works in administration at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Treasurer is Lorie Obra, and secretary is Corrine Nelson, who has a farm with bananas and avocados off Lorenzo Road. Also a director is award-winning coffee farmer Willie Tabios, Kapapala rancher Lani Petrie and Kuahiwi rancher Michelle Galimba. 

      The board will serve through Aug. 31, 2014, the remainder of the Hawai`i Farm Bureau fiscal year. Statewide president of Hawai`i Farm Bureau is Chris Manfredi. Manfredi is a Ka`u Coffee marketer who has served as Ka`u Farm Bureau president since the local bureau’s inception when he was land manager of the approximately 400 acres where most of the award-winning Ka`u Coffee growers leased land after Ka`u sugar company closed in 1996.

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State Ag chief Scott Enright spoke at yesterday's
Ka`u Farm Bureau meeting.

STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE CHAIR SCOTT ENRIGHT addressed Ka`u Farm Bureau and the public last night, asking for those interested in agriculture to become more involved in the political system to garner support. He said the state Department of Agriculture budget is only “point four-four percent,” less than one percent of the state budget. He noted, however, that Ka`u is represented in government and in agricultural organizations, with rancher Michelle Galimba, a Farm Bureau board member, about to begin a second four-year term on the state Board of Agriculture. He also noted that Chris Manfredi is the new president of the statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau and urged Ka`u residents to address Manfredi or Galimba with concerns and ideas about agriculture. 

     Sara Witt asked Enright about the policy of the state Department of Agriculture toward the `Aina Koa Pono biofuels and refinery project that was planned for Ka`u and turned down twice by the state Public Utilities Commission. Enright said that “none of the biofuels projects have gotten any traction.” He said, however, that the specific AKP project is something that the Department of Agriculture would probably not weigh in on.
     Regarding invasive species, Enright said that the Department of Agriculture is sorely lacking in funding to fight the pests that can destroy crops in Hawai`i. He said a study said it would take $50 million a year to make a big impact on the invasive species that have come into Hawai`i. However, he noted that the Ag Department is “in there for the long term” to fight the coffee berry borer that has already damaged Kona and Ka`u farms.

Enright vowed to fight the coffee berry borer.

     Malian Lahey, who owns a farm in Wood Valley, advocated for permission from government for coffee farmers to grow their own Beauveria fungus strains to fight the coffee berry borer. Currently, federal regulations prevent the sale of the homegrown fungus. Manfredi said the Farm Bureau will look into the possibility of growing the fungus, manufacturing it and selling it to raise money to fight the berry borer.
     Manfredi also said that the Farm Bureau will look into certification of organic produce.
     Rick Warshauer asked whether Enright thought he could attract a bigger budget for the Department of Agriculture. Enright said that ag is “warm and fuzzy,” but not too many people press for more funding. However, he described Gov. Neil Abercrombie as supporting ag more than any governor he has known.” Nevertheless, he described his department as having a “beggar’s budget.”
     Rep. Richard Creagan said there aren’t many members of the state House of Representatives who are into ag. “They just don’t get it. … Most of the juice over there is O`ahu-centric.”
      Enright said that most people don’t understand ag. “They don’t know our narrative.” He said he wants to do a public campaign to educate the public on all that is grown in Hawai`i.
      See more in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs.

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Patricia McManaman

PATRICIA MCMANAMAN IS RETURNING AS DIRECTOR of the state Department of Human Services following a short leave of absence. “I’m happy to see Pat back in a position to build on the solid foundation she has built in the department,” Abercrombie said. 

      McManaman has served under the Abercrombie Administration since its inception in December 2010. A statement from the governor said McManaman “led the department during a difficult time due to the economic recession, when programs and funding were scaled down. Her leadership and innovation helped drive through these difficult times, and her passion and commitment moved the department forward as it improved services and expanded programs.”
      Prior to her directorship position, McManaman practiced law in Hawai`i for more than 30 years, holding a variety of public interest legal positions.
      She also served as a per diem judge in District Court and Family Court of the First Circuit for 17 years.
      McManaman has received a variety of awards and recognition for her leadership in social and public health issues.

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DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS FOR HAWAI`I PHOTO EXPO 2014 are due Thursday, March 20. The juried exhibition and largest photography contest in the state offers an opportunity for students and novices as well as established professionals to showcase their best images. It takes place at Wailoa Center in Hilo from June 9 to June 25. 

      See hawaiiphotoexpo.com for fees, prizes, rules and entry forms.

Participants in tomorrow's Palm Trail Hike will enjoy one of the best
panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Photo from NPS

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK presents its Palm Trail Hike tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop trail traverses scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone with one of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Participants discover how various plant and animal introductions altered this diverse ecosystem. See nps.gov/havo.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR A FUNDRAISING DINNER to help keiki pay registration fees for Na`alehu and Pahala Summer Fun programs. The dinner takes place Friday, March 21 at Na`alehu Community Center and features teri-beef, rice, corn and bread for $7. Pick-up is from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

     The county planned to disband the programs in both locations until Nona Makuakane, of Pahala Community Center, suggested fundraising awards to help families pay for high registration fees. She enlisted Kathy Hashimoto and Leonora Hu, of Na`alehu Summer Fun, and Leina`ala Enos, of Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center, to see how they could solve the problem.
     Interested parents or anyone who would like to help with the fundraiser by making a donation, selling tickets or helping prepare or serve are urged to call Pahala Community Center at 928-3102. Parents who help with the fundraiser will be guaranteed an award for their child to attend Summer Fun. The amount awarded will depend on the total received from the fundraisers.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK celebrate their first annual St. Patrick’s Day Eve BBQ Fundraiser at the Hilo Coffee Mill in Mountain View tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

      The event will feature a BBQ ribs and chicken lunch, live music and other surprise entertainment. Door prizes include an overnight stay at the historic Volcano House, Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Circle of Fire & Waterfall tour for two, Body Glove Cruise for two, Umauma Zipline adventure for two, jewelry, art and much more.
      Tickets are $45 for BBQ and entertainment, or $50 for the above and one beer or wine.
      For tickets, call 985-7373, see fhvnp.org or purchase at the door.

HAWAII WILDLIFE FUND AND NATURAL AREA RESERVES teams invite volunteers to their annual Manuka Natural Area Reserve shoreline hiking cleanup in South Kona two weeks from today on Saturday, March 29. The region includes anchialine pools, rugged beaches and a couple of embayments. 

      “Every year, we are able to cover more ground and move further north along this rocky, remote shoreline,” said HWF coordinator Megan Lamson.
      Space is limited. RSVP to Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

SEE THE MARCH ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, March 14, 2014

All supporters of Ka`u agriculture are invited to Ka`u Farm Bureau's annual potluck meeting today at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

THE GREAT CRACK is listed as an item in the Green Book, the federal budget for 2015 proposed by Pres. Barack Obama and the administration. The 1,900-acre purchase by the National Park System would include the Great Crack lands between Pahala and Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The acquisition effort is supported by a national organization called the Partnership for the National Trail System, which is comprised of numerous nonprofit groups. The trail advocates have made the Great Crack purchase one of their priorities, and Ala Kahakai Trail Association board member Kalani Souza and Ala Kahakai archaeologist Rick Gmirkin attended the Partnership for the National Trail System and American Hiking Society’s annual Washington, D.C. event in February called Hike the Hill.

The Great Crack Photo courtesy of NASA

      The Great Crack and other such purchases are often made through a federal land and water conservation fund. The Great Crack is described as up to 17 miles long, up to 60 feet deep and 50 feet wide with caves up to 600 feet deep.
      Negotiations have been on and off for more than 15 years between Ken Fujiyama, who owns the parcel under his Hawai`i Outdoor Tours company, and the National Park Service.

Ala Kahakai Trail near Punalu`u.
Photo by Barbara A. Schaefer

      Approximately half of Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is located in Ka`u and lands extending to the east border of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Ala Kahakai is a trail network of cultural and historical significance, traversing through hundreds of ancient Hawaiian settlement sites and more than 200 ahupua`a. Aric Arakaki is the superintendent of Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, which was established by Congress in 2000. The system’s mission is to work with landowners and communities to conserve surviving elements of the ancient ala loa, historic trails that developed on or parallel to the traditional routes post-contact (1778). It also includes more recent pathways and roads that created links between these ancient and historic segments. Trails run lateral to the shoreline within the trail corridor and mauka-makai. Ala Kahakai runs from Puna side of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park into Ka`u, along the coast, across the Great Crack, continuing below Pahala and Na`alehu and around Ka Lae, South Point, and up the west coast of Ka`u, through South Kona, Kona, North Kona and Kohala to Upolu Point. The comprehensive management plan can be read online at nps.gov/alka/parkmgmt/upload/ALKA_CMP_low-resolution.pdf.

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LAWMAKERS FROM HAWAI`I ARE GETTING SUPPORT from those in Alaska and U.S. territories in asking the U.S. government for relief from the Jones Act, which allows only ships made in the United States and flying the country’s flags to deliver goods between U.S. ports.
      Because of the act, ships carrying goods from China, for example, are not permitted to stop in Hawai`i on their way to mainland ports. After being unloaded there, the goods must then be shipped to Hawai`i, driving up costs.
      “All of our areas are specifically impacted by the Jones Act,” said Hawai`i state Sen. Sam Slom in an Associated Press story in Hawai`i Tribune-Herald. “It is now known that the Hawaiian cost of living, primarily because of our additional shipping cost and because of the Jones Act, are now 49 percent higher than the U.S. mainland. And this is becoming unbearable. It’s difficult for individuals. It’s difficult for families. It’s difficult for small businesses as well.”

Rep. Richard Creagan

      The Puerto Rico Senate passed a resolution calling for an investigation of the economic impact of the Jones Act, Puerto Rico Sen. Rossana Lopez Leon said.
      Alaska state Sen. Fred Dyson said, “The general population is utterly ignorant of either the Jones Act or its implications for us. We have a job to do to explain what the savings would be.”
      Both houses of the Hawai`i Legislature have introduced resolutions calling for limited exemption from the Jones Act by the U.S. Congress. Along with Sen. Slom’s resolutions, Ka`u’s Rep. Richard Creagan was among a group who introduced HR 113 and HCR 153, which note that the Act “disproportionately imposes an economic burden on and adversely affects Hawai`i.”
      The resolutions also refute the claim that the Jones Act is necessary to national defense or effective in protecting the U.S. shipbuilding industry. According to the AP story, the American Maritime Partnership, a coalition that represents vessel owners and operators, unions, equipment yards and vendors, says the Jones Act is critical for economic and security reasons. It says the domestic maritime industry is responsible for nearly 500,000 jobs and more than $100 billion in annual economic output.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I PUBLIC ACCESS, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission invites Ka`u residents to propose properties that should be purchased and preserved for open space.

Hawai`i County used PONC funds, among others, to purchase Kawa.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Suggestions are due by June 30 and may be included in the commission’s annual prioritized list and report to the mayor.
      Commissioners review suggestions and consider the significant factors of each property, such as historic and culturally important features; opportunities for outdoor recreation and education; public access to beaches or mountains; preservation of forests, beaches, coastal areas and natural beauty; protection of natural resources and watershed lands; potential partners for management; and the general benefits to the public.
      Potential acquisitions are then prioritized and listed in a report that is sent to the mayor at the end of each year. The mayor then forwards his recommendations to Hawai`i County Council, which adopts resolutions to authorize property purchases.
      Past open space purchases total 1,249 acres, including Kawa oceanfront parcels. PONC funds are derived from two percent of Hawai`i County’s annual real property tax revenues. The county has also been able to obtain more than $7.5 million in matching funds and donations from other sources to help purchase open space properties. A maintenance fund has also been established to maintain properties that are acquired with PONC funds.
      Forms to suggest properties can be downloaded from the County of Hawai`i website, hawaiicounty.gov/boards-and-commissions, or obtained at 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1101 in Hilo.
      For further information, contact Alexandra Kelepolo, of County of Hawai`i Property Management Division, at 961-8069.

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KA`U FARM BUREAU’S ANNUAL MEETING takes place today at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. The public is invited to the potluck event. Membership in the Farm Bureau is not required.

      Speakers are state Agriculture Department chief Scott Enright and county Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth.

      For more information, call current Ka`u Farm Bureau president Chris Manfredi at 929-9550.

KA`U GROWN COFFEE AND MACADAMIA NUTS will be celebrated at the grand opening of Big Island Trading Company tomorrow in Hilo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located at 1672 Kamehameha Ave., just around the corner from Hwy 11 and Ken’s House of Pancakes. The location is a former Volvo dealership with two buildings, one for retail and one with a coffee shop and lots of outdoor seating. Owned by a hui led by Ed Olson, the business features products from Ka`u Coffee Mill, Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co., which sources much of its macadamia from Ka`u, OK Farms and other local sources. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 

      The company logo was designed here in Ka`u by Local Productions and Tanya Ibarra.

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Kumu hula Manaiakalani Kalua
Photo from geocities.ws

AKAUNU HULA ENSEMBLE with kumu hula Manaiakalani Kalua presents a hula kahiko informance tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. on the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. 

DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS FOR HAWAI`I PHOTO EXPO 2014 are due this Sunday, March 16. The expo takes place at Wailoa Center in Hilo from June 7 to June 25.
      See hawaiiphotoexpo.com for fees, prizes, rules and entry forms.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK celebrate their first annual St. Patrick’s Day Eve BBQ Fundraiser at the Hilo Coffee Mill in Mountain View Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
      Tickets are $45 for BBQ and entertainment, or $50 for the above and one beer or wine.
      For tickets, call 985-7373, see fhvnp.org or purchase at the door.

IN SPORTS, KA`U HIGH BOYS basketball players made the all-league team for Division II. Players nominated were Larry-Dan Al-Navarro, Alexis Alejo, Kehei Serrao and Brian Gascon.
      Ka`u High boys volleyball teams won their matches playing Hawai`i Preparatory Academy Thursday night at home. Junior Varsity scores were 25-21, 14-25, 15-9. The Varsity team won in three straight sets, with scores 25-22, 25-15, 25-21. The next games for the Trojans will be at home Monday, Mar. 17, facing Pahoa. Junior Varsity game starts at 6 p.m.

SEE THE MARCH ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, March 13, 2014

Members of the public interested in Ka`u's agricultural future are invited to Ka`u Farm Bureau's annual meeting tomorrow at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center.

“WE SHOULD NOT REGULATE THE CONTENT OF SPEECH, but we may regulate the manner of speech,” is the guideline Hawai`i County clerk Stewart Maeda and corporation counsel Lincoln Ashida gave County Council members in a memo after vice chair Karen Eoff stopped two testifiers short of their allotted time during a council meeting last month. 

Karen Eoff

      Nancy Cook Lauer, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald, reports that when the testifiers mentioned specific council members, Eoff asked them to address their comments to her as council chair.

      “This is a reminder that the public has a right to criticize specific council member(s), so long as the public testimony is related to an agenda item,” the memo says.
      Cook Lauer reports that Eoff, who requested the advice, was bowing to pressure from other council members when she cut Jim Albertini off. Albertini was testifying in regards to genetically modified organisms and presented council member Dennis “Fresh” Onishi with a T-shirt saying, “M&M – Monsanto & Me.”
      After interrupting another testifier who mentioned specific council members, Eoff called for a recess, consulted with Ashida and then let the testifier continue.
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.

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THERE WERE NO FISHING OR HUNTING VIOLATIONS on state land, said Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman Deborah Ward regarding American Jungle, a TV series that was partly shot in Ka`u and aired eight episodes filmed on Hawai`i Island.

American Jungle featured hunters on Hawai`i Island.
Photo from The History Channel

      Ward’s comments, reported in Honolulu Star-Advertiser, are based on a preliminary investigation conducted after DLNR issued a statement saying the show misrepresents 
hunting in Hawai`i. The statement said DLNR finds the series’ depiction of hunting activities “to be inaccurate, offensive, and in some cases, potentially illegal.” Activities such as night hunting depicted in the show, both on public and private land, are illegal. 

      Ward said she was still checking on allegations of hunting taking place at night.
      Gary T. Kubota reports Ward saying that no hunting was involved in capturing pigs used in the show because, according to American Jungle, the pigs were purchased.
      State Film Commissioner Donne Dawson told Kubota that if American Jungle continues filming more episodes, the state plans to have “productive conversations” with History Channel producers and that officials with the show and the History Channel “have been put on notice about playing by the rules and following protocols for filming in Hawai`i.”
      See staradvertiser.com.

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Hawai`i State Sen. Will Espero

THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY will be represented by state Sen. Will Espero at three Washington, D.C. events this week. Espero will be guest panelist in a Filipino Town Hall, attend a White House briefing on Asia Pacific issues and join other Filipino leaders at a reception in their honor. 

      “As a Filipino American, I am proud to be able to continue to represent my heritage and advocate for the Filipino community in Hawai`i. National events such as these ensure that we continue to address the needs of minority communities, including Filipino Americans, as they evolve,” said Espero.
      Invited by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the White House Office of Public Engagement, the senator and other Filipino American leaders will receive updates on Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts, immigration reform, implementation of the Affordable Care Act and small business resources, while discussing community plans of action, said a statement from his office.
      Filipino Americans for Progress will host Espero as a panelist at the Filipino American Nation Town Hall. He will also attend the Filipino American Community Reception in honor of Filipino American elected officials. He and other U.S. elected officials will be recognized for being champions for the needs of Filipino American, Asian American and minority communities. Espero will be honored for his leadership in the Hawai`i state Senate.

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KA`U SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE met Monday and announced that it supports the goals and missions of Ho`omalu Ka`u, which is planning to build the Heritage Center of Ka`u on a lot near Manuka State Reserve. “There are strong links with the Byway program,” said committee chair Dennis Elwell.
      The committee also decided to focus on placement of kiosks to provide information to travelers on their visits to Ka`u. Each kiosk would cost about $5,000, and the committee hopes to receive some funding through the County Council.
      An upcoming article in AAA Magazine on Hawai`i’s Byways will feature photos by Ka`u photographer Peter Anderson.
      Richard Morrow is taking over as chair of the committee, allowing Elwell to care for his ailing wife, Marge.
      The Byway Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 7 at 5 p.m. at Na`alehu Methodist Church Hall.

      For information about Ka`u Scenic Byway, see hawaiiscenicbyways.org and click on Slopes of Mauna Loa.

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Ka`u science teachers can learn from Dr. Marv Lang how to create fun with science.
Photo from Shaun Chillingworth

KA`U SCIENCE TEACHERS ARE INVITED to a hands-on chemical demonstration workshop at Kamehameha Schools Hawai`i campus in Kea`au, when two nationally recognized professors from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point show how teachers can create fun with science. 

      Dr. Marv Lang and Dr. Donald Showalter have both been awarded the American Chemical Society Helen M. Free award for public education. They have been featured on television programs like Newton’s Apple and the World of Chemistry.
      The workshop is a fun, engaging professional development opportunity and a chance for teachers to network with one another, said teacher Joel Truesdell. “Our goal is to create a larger network of science teachers here on Hawai`i island so that we can continue to collaborate and idea share throughout the year.”
      The workshop takes place Saturday, March 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Keawe Dining Hall. All attendees receive a handbook of demonstrations that are good for all ages.
      Interested teachers should email jotruesd@ksbe.edu or call 808-220-9539 to register. The workshop is limited to 30 participants.

State Ag Department chief
Scott Enright

FARMERS, RANCHERS, AND THE PUBLIC with interest in Ka`u’s agricultural future are invited to attend Ka`u Farm Bureau’s annual meeting tomorrow at Pahala Community Center at 6 p.m. Membership in the Farm Bureau is not required. The meeting is a potluck event. 

      State Agriculture Department chief Scott Enright and county Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth will speak at the event. 

      Election of officers for the rest of the 2014 term, which ends Aug. 31, will also take place.
      For more information, call current Ka`u Farm Bureau president Chris Manfredi at 929-9550.

AKAUNU HULA ENSEMBLE with Kumu Hula Manaiakalani Kalua presents a hula kahiko informance Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Shadow Man, by Greg Ruhland, won first place in the Beginners'
Division at last year's Hawai`i Photo Expo.

DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS FOR HAWAI`I PHOTO EXPO 2014 are due this Sunday, March 16. The expo takes place at Wailoa Center in Hilo from June 7 to June 25. 

      See hawaiiphotoexpo.com for fees, prizes, rules and entry forms.

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL HOLD a community meeting at noon on Tuesday, March 18, at Na`alehu Community Center. Ka`u residents are invited to meet the Police Department’s command staff and to discuss concerns with the police chief and commanders who oversee police operations in Ka`u.
      Those interested in participating but unable to attend may call Captain Burt Shimabukuro at 939-2520, stop by the Ka`u Police Station in Na`alehu or e-mail their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com.

LITTLE FIRE ANTS ARE THE SUBJECT of a community meeting on Wednesday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center. Hawai`i Ant Lab personnel will provide information about the ants and discuss methods of control.

SEE THE MARCH ISSUE of The Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

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