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Friday, August 15, 2014

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Aug. 15, 2014

Wahi Kupuna Internship Program participants visited a waterfall and swimming hole high up in the
mountains of Ka`iholena during their research this summer in Ka`u.
 Photos from Wahi Kupuna Internship Program
SHARING THEIR RESEARCH WITH KA`U is their ongoing intention, said Wahi Kupuna Internship Program students at their ho`ike yesterday at Pahala Plantation House. “We want to share the mo`olelo, whether in books or from people, and disseminate this knowledge far and wide,” said cohort leader Aoloa Santos. 
      The cohort of four college students and their mentors stayed at Pahala Plantation Cottages during their three weeks in the field mapping sites and gathering information at Punalu`u, Hilea, Ka`alu`alu and Wai`ohinu.
Preliminary research took place before the students
arrived in Ka`u.
      “We all fell in love with this place and connected,” Santos said. “We were lucky to have people to welcome us with open arms and share with us.”
      A student from Waipio Valley said she chose to study Wai`ohinu because of her connections to water. She told about various stories of how the ahupa`a got its name, which she translated as Shiny Water. She expressed her gratitude to those she interviewed, saying, “They all shared their mana`o.” 
      One student gave a history of land uses at Ka`alu`alu Bay, from a fishing village that extended inland with a natural harbor, marine resources and fresh water resources, to a stop for steamships traveling to and from Hilo, to a cattle ranch. She said the area’s history “could disappear into the a`a, but some is in the minds of the people” and government records. “I am trying to bring it together. In the doing is the learning.”
      Another student focused on Hilea ahupua`a. His research from Kawa to Ka`iholena included heiau on and near Makanau. He said Ka`u was known as the “land of rebels” because of residents characterized as only taking so much from abusive leaders. “You should be psyched; this is your `aina,” he said. “Everyone outside should know how great Ka`u is.”
      An O`ahu student who discussed Punalu`u said coming to Ka`u was “far beyond what I imagined. In walking the cobblestones (of Ala Kahakai Trail), I felt like a little kid because I know that my ancestors built it, and I am a product of them, and that makes me proud.” She said her visit reinforced her desire to “protect, preserve and perpetuate” Hawaiian history and culture.
      The cohort created a artistic symbol of their work in Ka`u using a wiliwili tree in Ka`alu`alu as inspiration. Roots below the tree represent the foundation of Ka`u’s people who “will continue living here in harmony, in good and rough times.” The roots intertwine with spirals that represent connection with waters. Two of the spirals in opposite directions represent currents that come together at South Point, and an arc above the tree represents the overarching presence of Mauna Loa.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

GOV. NEIL ABERCROMBIE HAS EXTENDED an emergency proclamation signed prior to the arrival of Tropical Storm Iselle. Originally set to expire today, it now is in effect until Oct. 17.
      The proclamation reads in part, “It has become necessary to supplement my Proclamation of Aug. 6, 2014, relating to high winds, heavy rains, high surf, storm surge and flooding as a result of Hurricane Iselle which impacted the State of Hawai`i beginning Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014, and caused extensive damage in the county of Hawai`i … in order to provide additional assistance.”
Extension of an emergency proclamation makes access to state and federal
resources easier for Wood Valley and other Ka`u residents.
Photo by Anne Celeste 
      The proclamation, which includes the entire state, activates the Major Disaster Fund set aside by the Legislature for disaster relief. It also allows easier access to emergency resources at the state and federal levels, along with suspension of certain laws as needed for emergency purposes.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD PLANS TO VISIT Hawai`i Island today. She sent a letter to W. Craig Fugate, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, requesting immediate assistance to support Hawai`i Island communities devastated by Hurricane Iselle. According to her office, Gabbard has been monitoring the situation closely since last week and has been in regular contact with authorities at FEMA, Hawai`i Civil Defense, local military officials and Hawai`i County leaders, urging their quick response to the needs of affected Hawai`i Island communities. 

      She will join FEMA’s assessment task force today as it conducts damage assessments.
      “Hawai`i County continues to extend its resources, but much more needs to be done,” Gabbard wrote in her letter to Fugate. “I ask you to be rapid in your response to our natural disaster in Hawai`i. We need your help to reduce suffering and restore basic necessities to citizens across this devastated area.”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Sen. Mazie Hirono
      Her office said that since the storm hit, Gabbard’s Hawai`i Island constituent liaison has been on the ground, meeting with residents affected by the devastation, offering resources to them and relaying regular status updates to her.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO’S OFFICE said the senator had no immediate plans to visit Hawai`i Island following Tropical Storm Iselle. “In preparation of hurricanes Iselle and Julio, Sen. Hirono and her office remained in regular communication with the state and counties that led the planning effort as the storms tracked toward Hawai`i,” a spokesman for her Honolulu office said Tuesday morning. “In the aftermath, Sen. Hirono continues to work with the state and Mayors Kenoi and Arakawa (of Maui) as we move into recovery for hardest hit areas.
      “While there are no immediate plans for Sen. Hirono to travel to Hawai`i Island, she remains in close coordination with the state and Hawai`i County in the recovery efforts, particularly as it relates to federal assistance.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS in Volcano Rain Forest Runs can carbo-load for tomorrow’s events at Cooper Center’s Dine & Dash Pasta Buffet today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cost for the buffet is $15 for adults and $7.50 for children.

Pahala Aikido instructor and Iki Artist Alan Moores and his son, Kyle Pitcher,
ran last year's 5K together. Moores sells his Iki Art at Ka`u Farmers Market
in Na`alehu. Photo by Julia Neal
VOLCANO RAIN FOREST RUNS take place tomorrow. Half Marathon begins at 7 a.m., followed by the 10K at 7:45 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m. Keiki runs begin at 10 a.m. See volcanorainforestruns.com.
      See map below for race routes and road closures.
      Late registration and packet pickup is available today until 6 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No race day registration for Half Marathon.

OCEAN VIEW EVANGELICAL CHURCH HOSTS a Ho`olaule`a tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Lu`au for God in Jesus’ name includes free Hawaiian food while supplies last, worship teams, hula, door prizes, games and prizes for children, keiki ID and a prayer booth. Call 345-5899 for more information.

BLACK & WHITE NIGHT IS TOMORROW at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants dress up in their best black and white attire. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-8365.

KAHUKU: BORN FROM A HOTSPOT is a new program at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn about the birth of the islands from the Hawaiian hotspot and about past eruptions that impacted Kahuku Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Visitors will be able to identify various pu`u (hills) and other volcanic features and learn about their formation. Call 985-6011 for more information.

ALL ARE INVITED TO KA`U HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI & FRIENDS’ 13th annual potluck reunion at Pahala Community Center on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Organizers encourage attendees to bring a favorite dish to share and come and enjoy a day of fun, live music and good food.
      The Ka`u alumni reunion planning committee consists of Lovey Grantz, Sally Louis, Jane Santiago, Ju-Ann Kai, Margaret Cabudol and James Yamaki. Lisa Dacalio created the whimsical flyers that publicize the potluck reunion. `O Ka`u Kakou, led by Wayne Kawachi, takes care of cleanup. Dexter Lee, Mildred Imamura and Wade Espejo, respectively, provide monstera leaves, anthuriums and protea flowers for decoration. Lovey Grantz takes care of table decorations and publicity. Dennis Santiago, Rueben Soriano, Cyrus Sumida and Melvin Yamaki help in setup, and Dolly Kalua, Dolores Natividad, Sally Louis and Jane Santiago, registration.
      For more information, contact Lovey Grantz at 982-8242 or James Yamaki at 969-6828.

EARTH MATTERS FARMS HOLD A COMMUNITY POTLUCK Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the corner of South Point and Kama`oa Roads. Guests speakers discuss Big Island agriculture. Call 939-7510 for more information.

KA`U COFFEE TRAIL RUN EARLY REGISTRATION FEES are still available through Tuesday, Aug. 19. Half Marathon is $50; 10K, $40; 5K, $30.
      The Sept. 20 event at Ka`u Coffee Mill also has a special rate of $10 for each race for high school team members.
      Registration for all races and the free Kendama tournament is available at race360.com/21357.

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







See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.




Thursday, August 14, 2014

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014

Wahi Kupuna Internship Program students present results of their studies this summer at Pali Kulani and other Ka`u sites today at 4 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House. Photo from Wahi Kupuna Internship Program
HAWAI`I NEWS NOW REPORTED THIS MORNING that 1,000 coffee trees have been destroyed in Ka`u and 2,000 macadamia nut trees were damaged or destroyed by Tropical Storm Iselle.
      Damage amounts to $100 million, Howard Dicus said during his business report.
      Dicus noted the years it takes for coffee trees to produce and additional years it takes for macadamia trees to produce after replanting.
Ka`u farmers suffering damage from Iselle may be eligible for low-interest loans.
Photo by Anne Celeste
      Most farmers are attempting to stand coffee and macadamia back up in the fields, hoping to get a head start on recovery.
      Local estimates from farmers involve many thousands of macadamia and coffee trees in Ka`u.
      See hawaiinewsnow.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

FARMERS SUFFERING DAMAGE FROM ISELLE may be eligible for low-interest loans from the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture Agricultural Loan Division.
      An agricultural loan officer will be available at the two Disaster Assistance and Recovery Centers on Hawai`i Island, which will be opened jointly by Hawai`i Emergency Management Agency (formerly State Civil Defense) and Hawai`i County. The DARCs will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and tomorrow at Pahoa Community Center, 15-2910 Puna Road, and Saturday and Sunday at Mountain View Gym, 18-1345A Volcano Road.
      Hawai`i Board of Agriculture has the authority to approve the parameters for the emergency loan program. Farmers needing loans of $25,000 or less may apply for micro-loans for swifter processing and faster approvals.
      If possible, farmers should bring photos of damage with them to the DARCs. Those who are unable to make it to the DARCs may call the Hilo office at 933-9975.
      For more information on agricultural loans, call the Agricultural Loan Division at 808-973-9460.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Tropical Storm Karina is strengthening in the eastern Pacific, while more
disturbances are active in the central Pacific. Image from CPHC
WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE PACIFIC continue to favor development of tropical storms. An area of low pressure about 1,100 miles east-southeast of Hawai`i Island has a 60 percent chance of become a tropical storm, according to the Center Pacific Hurricane Center. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for gradual development of this system during the next two days as it moves slowly north or northwest.
      Tropical Storm Karina developed in the eastern Pacific, as did Genevieve, Iselle and Julio. Karina continues to strengthen and is expected to become a hurricane by tomorrow. It is 550 miles off the coast of Baja, Mexico and moving west at 10 miles per hour.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Rep. Colleen Hanabusa
WHO BECOMES THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE for U.S. Senate will be decided tomorrow, following Hawai`i Third Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura’s rejection of a motion filed by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa to delay the vote. The candidate filed a lawsuit claiming that holding the election in Puna tomorrow would deny voters in two precincts their constitution rights to vote. Tomorrow’s election is to give voters at two polling places that were closed on Election Day because of Tropical Storm an opportunity to vote. Hanabusa wanted Chief Election Officer Scott Nago to postpone the election “to a reasonable date where voters can exercise their right to vote.”
      Hanabusa currently trails Sen. Brian Schatz by 1,635 votes. 
      “Due to the storm, voters in the affected precincts are still without power and water, and many roads are inaccessible or blocked with debris,” Hanabusa's motion stated. “There is still limited electricity and phone service in these areas, and it is unlikely that full power will be restored or that roads will be unblocked prior to or on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014. This will make it impossible to ensure the voters will receive adequate notice of the election, or that those that receive notice can physically access the precinct, depriving these voters of the right to vote.”
      West Hawai`i Today reported Hanabusa saying, “I’ve spent the last four days traveling in Puna talking with people, listening to their stories of destruction and damage and seeing first hand the magnitude of the devastation they have suffered. It is completely unrealistic to think people struggling to find basic necessities or get out of their homes will have the ability to go to the polls this week.”
      Mayor Billy Kenoi on Hawai`i News Now confirmed all major roads in and out of neighborhoods to the main highways have been cleared. “This has been a complete team effort, and we all got to remember that as challenging as Iselle was, it wasn’t as difficult as it could’ve been,” Kenoi said. “Every incident gives us an opportunity for lessons learned. Given this incident and our response, certainly we can learn from this – strengthen our preparedness recovery system and the next time be even more well prepared – because at the end of the day, you can fix stuff, you can put stuff back together, but you cannot fix a loss of life.”
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ka`u High had the lowest Election Day voter turnout of the five local precincts.
Photo by Julia Neal
MOST OF THE FIVE LOCAL POLLING PLACES had more voters than the rest of Hawai`i Island on Election Day last Saturday. The islandwide turnout was 14.2 percent. At Cooper Center in Volcano, 379 out of 1,815 registered voters, or 20.9 percent, went to the polls. Na`alehu School saw 217 voters, or 15.8 percent of those registered. Ocean View Community Center’s turnout was 16.2 percent, with 305 of 1,888 registered voters. Miloli`i Halau precinct had 548 registered voters, and 84, or 15.3 percent, voted on Election Day.
      Ka`u High was the only local precinct with a turnout lower than the islandwide figure. Out of 844 registered voters, 105, or 12.4 percent, went to the polls.
      Most local precincts also reported more absentee votes than Election Day votes. Absentee voters in Cooper Center precinct totaled 415. In Ka` High precinct, 209 residents voted absentee – almost double Election Day turnout; in Na`alehu School precinct, 272; and in Miloli, 94.
      Ocean View Community Center precinct reported 244 absentee ballots received, lower than turnout on Election Day.
      Cooper Center precinct’s overall turnout, which included absentee and Election Day ballots, was 43.7 percent, higher than islandwide at 37.6 percent and statewide at 41.4 percent. For Ka`u High’s precinct, the percentage was 37.2; for Na`alehu School, 35.5 percent; for Ocean View Community Center, 29.1 percent; and for Miloli`i Halau, 32.5 percent.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Students conducting research in the vast fields of Ka`u.
Photo from Wahi Kupuna Internship Program
PAHALA PLANTATION HOUSE HOSTS THE HO`IKE for Wahi Kupuna Internship Program today from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The presentation gives the community an opportunity to learn about research that students have been conducting in Ka`u this summer, when they conducted an archaeological reconnaissance survey of the entire coastline of Punalu`u ahupua`a. 

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT invites volunteers to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park trails tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center. Free; park entrance fees apply.

KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers its new Pu`u o Lokuana program tomorrow from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Participants climb to the top of the grassy cinder cone on a free, moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike and learn about the hill’s formation and various uses of it over time. The summit affords a breathtaking view of lower Ka`u. Call 985-6011 for more information. 

COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARTICIPANTS in Volcano Rain Forest Runs can carbo-load for Saturday’s events at Cooper Center’s Dine & Dash Pasta Buffet tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Cost for the buffet is $15 for adults and $7.50 for children.
VOLCANO RAIN FOREST RUNS take place Saturday. Half Marathon begins at 7 a.m., followed by the 10K at 7:45 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m. Keiki runs begin at 10 a.m. Registration is available at volcanorainforestruns.com.
      See map at right for race routes and road closures.
      Late registration and packet pickup is available tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No race day registration for Half Marathon.

OCEAN VIEW EVANGELICAL CHURCH HOSTS a Ho`olaule`a Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Lu`au for God in Jesus’ name includes free Hawaiian food while supplies last, different worship teams, hula, door prizes, games and prizes for children, keiki ID and a prayer booth. Call 345-5899 for more information.

BLACK & WHITE NIGHT IS SATURDAY at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants dress up in their best black and white attire. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-8365.

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






See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014

Javier, a coffee farm worker in Wood Valley, hauls ice to his worksite where water and power have been cut off since Tropical Storm Iselle hit the valley last Thursday night and Friday morning. Photo by Julia Neal
WATER AND ICE CAME TO WOOD VALLEY yesterday in the wake of Tropical Storm Iselle, with county workers distributing the water to individuals and leaving cases of bottled water at gates of farms and homesteads. Bags of ice provided by the county were available at sundown at Wood Valley Temple following the opening of the intersection of Wood Valley and Kapapala Ranch roads.
      At the urging of the county, Hawai`i Electric Light Co. sent a crew yesterday to determine that the wire in the tangle of trees and utility polls at the Wood Valley intersection had been live, on the ground, since the storm. They turned off the power and posted a sign on pole number 123 on the Pahala side of the gulch stating “Danger, Do Not Operate this Switch.” After the power was turned off, road crews quickly cleared tree trunks and other debris, making all of the access roads in Wood Valley passable.
Switch at the stream crossing leading to the Wood Valley
and Kapapala Ranch intersection cut off power that was
live in a wire from downed utility poles. The main road
is now open, with downed trees and wires removed.
Photo by Julia Neal
      The ice and water came in handy for the community that is still without water and power. A coffee farm worker named Javier said he thanks the county for bringing him ice, which was also picked up for the Mizuno and Reha farms and others. The truck continued to Puna to distribute more ice, where the number of people without power is much greater.
      Cyrus Sumida, who takes care of water for the county, joined Wood Valley Water Cooperative volunteers, after hours, to assess their ongoing repairs to mend breaks and clear mud and other debris from the lines, as individuals worked on pipes on their own properties. The Wood Valley spring water could be back in service within the next few days, water cooperative members said. Electricity could take longer, with lines and poles leaning along valley roads.
     Reed Flickinger and Sissy Pittulo, executive assistants to Mayor Billy Kenoi, and Deputy Planning Director Bobby Command came to Wood Valley to meet victims of the storm and to help assess damage. Annie Bailey, with the Office of Housing & Community Development, also came to Wood Valley, as did a group from the National Guard.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

PERSONS WHO SUFFERED DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES in the Conservation District from Tropical Storm Iselle are encouraged to contact the state Office Of Conservation and Coastal Lands at 808-587-0377.
      OCCL is responsible for overseeing approximately two million acres of private and public lands that lie within the state Land Use Conservation District. In addition to privately and publicly zoned Conservation District lands, OCCL is responsible for overseeing beach and marine lands out to the seaward extent of the state’s jurisdiction.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

“IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALLOWANCES BE MADE to address the concerns and rights of eligible voters to be allowed to participate in our elections process,” wrote Ka`u’s state Sen. Russell Ruderman, who also represents Puna. Ruderman questions state Office of Elections plans to open precincts in Puna Friday to residents who were unable to vote on Election Day because Tropical Storm Iselle forced closure of the precincts. “Why was a decision so hastily made … for the two affected areas, when so many residents along Red Road, in Pohoiki and other areas of Puna are still trapped by fallen trees?” Ruderman asked.
Sen. Russell Ruderman
      “We still have the time and resources necessary to make amends and avoid the inevitable lawsuits that will be forthcoming should the decision to hold the voting on Friday stand,” Ruderman said. “It is incumbent on officials to take the necessary actions to guarantee that all are afforded their Constitutional rights under law to that participation.”
      Ruderman also said, “These are my constituents, whom I know to be astute, active and vocal when it comes to the political process. They are now being effectively disenfranchised by the unwillingness of election officials to take them into account. This is one more example of the unfairness of someone in Honolulu making a decision that unnecessarily punishes the people on a neighbor island without knowing, or seemingly caring, what the real conditions are on the ground.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATES HAVE DIFFERING VIEWS of the Office of Elections’ decision to open polling places in Puna Friday. The plan was made after Tropical Storm Iselle forced two polling places to close on Election Day last Saturday.
      Currently, Sen. Brian Schatz is leading Rep. Colleen Hanabusa by 1,635 votes in the Senate Democratic primary.
      Tom Callis, of West Hawai`i Today, reported that Hanabusa sent a letter to Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago requesting that the election be further delayed for the two precincts. “I ask that you not rush for the sake of convenience,” she wrote. “The Hawai`i statue allows for a period of twenty-one days in which to conduct this postponed election. Please use this time to put the needs of the Puna residents ahead of the election.”
      According to Callis, a Schatz spokesperson said, “The independent nonpartisan experts at the Office of Elections and the County Clerk from Hawai`i Island are in a far better position to evaluate how to proceed with this election than anyone else.” 
      Both candidates have visited Puna to view damage and speak with storm victims.
The public can learn about research conducted in Punalu`u ahupua`a this
summer at a ho`ike tomorrow at Pahala Plantation House.
Photo from Wahi Kupuna Internship Program
      Data from the state Office of Elections shows that, at polling places that remained open in Puna on Election Day, Pahoa Community Center had a 12 percent turnout; Pahoa High and Intermediate School, 12.3 percent; Kea`au High School, 11.5 percent; Mountain View Elementary School, 14.3 percent turnout; and Cooper Center in Volcano, 20.9 percent.
      Islandwide, voter turnout on Election Day was 14.2 percent. The statewide figure was 18 percent.
      See westhawaiitoday.com.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO THE HO`IKE for Wahi Kupuna Internship Program tomorrow from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Plantation House, The presentation gives the community an opportunity to learn about research that students have been conducting in Ka`u this summer, when they conducted an archaeological reconnaissance survey of the entire coastline of Punalu`u ahupua`a.

VOLUNTEERS MEET AT KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Late registration and packet pick-up for Saturday's Volcano
Rain Forest Runs take place Friday.
KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK offers its new Pu`u o Lokuana program Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This free, moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone features the formation, various uses of the hill over time and a breathtaking view of lower Ka`u. Call 985-6011 for more information.

COOPER CENTER IN VOLCANO VILLAGE HOSTS a Dine & Dash Pasta Buffet Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants in Volcano Rain Forest Runs and others can carbo-load for Saturday’s events. Cost for the buffet is $15 for adults and $7.50 for children.

Sign up for a backyard
composting workshop.
Photo from Recycle Hawai`i
VOLCANO RAIN FOREST RUNS are coming up this Saturday. Half Marathon begins at 7 a.m., followed by the 10K at 7:45 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m. Keiki runs begin at 10 a.m. Registration is available at volcanorainforestruns.com.
      Late registration and packet pickup is available Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No race day registration for Half Marathon.

VOLCANO GARDEN ARTS IN VOLCANO VILLAGE hosts a backyard compost workshop Saturday, Aug. 23 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 
      “Help keep Hawai`i green by composting home and yard green waste, said Recycle Hawai`i Executive Director Paul Buklarewicz. “Learn the easy way to reap benefits of improved soil in Recycle Hawai`i’s ongoing compost workshops.”
      The session is open to beginners with no composting experience as well as those wanting to learn more. Fee is $10 per adult, with no charge for children.
      A voucher for a free Earth Machine backyard composter is given for each household completing the workshop. Earth Machines are ready for pick-up by voucher holders at Kea`au and Waimea Recycling and Reuse Centers on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
      Master composter/recycler Ann Hassler teaches the workshop and covers basic composting techniques plus composting with worms. Worm bins and worms are available for purchase at the workshop. 
      To register, call 985-8979.

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







See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.