Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015

Through its Living Hawaiian Culture Program, Hawai`i Tourism Authority is supporting restoration of the Malolo canoe by Pa`a Pono Miloli`i. Photo from Pa` Pono Miloli`i

PA`A PONO MILOLI`I’S MALOLO PROJECT is being supported through Hawai`i Tourism Authority’s Kukulu Ola: Living Hawaiian Culture Program, part of its Product Enrichment Program for 2015. LHCP projects make up 33 of a total of 156 programs supported in 2015 through it and two other HTA PEP programs. In line with the HTA’s Strategic Plan to support Hawai`i’s community programs and events, the goal of PEP is to support community-based programs that enhance visitor experiences, as well as create opportunities for economic development, natural resources management and perpetuation of Hawaiian culture.

Uncle Bill Rosehill Photo from Pa`a Pono Miloli`i

      HTA will support restoration of the Malolo canoe to ready it for racing competitions and to pass knowledge of canoe building to the future generation of Miloli`i and South Kona residents. The yearlong restoration project is under the direction of Uncle Bill Rosehill.

      The Malolo will be extended from its current 36 feet to 45 feet, and its hull will be altered so as to be able to compete with koa canoes today. The Malolo will be the Miloli`i Canoe Club’s koa canoe for the 2017 Moku O Hawai`i racing season.
      “Hawai`i is a destination like no other in the world, and our Product Enrichment Program highlights different ways in which our community comes together to make our home a better place for both residents and visitors to enjoy,” said Ronald Williams, HTA Chief Executive Officer. “These programs not only highlight the unique experiences found across the state, but also support the perpetuation of our host culture and the sustainability of our vast natural resources.”

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HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE National Marine Sanctuary is looking for volunteers for the 2015 Sanctuary Ocean Count. Now in its 20th year, this project uses volunteers to count whales and record their behaviors from over 60 shore sites on the islands of O`ahu, Kaua`i and Hawai`i. The project allows the public to learn more about humpback whale population, distribution and behavioral trends while being involved in a volunteer monitoring effort. Sanctuary Ocean Counts will be held on Jan. 31, Feb. 28 and March 28 at selected sites from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Humpback whales are back in Hawaiian waters. Photo from fish-journals.com

      Interested volunteers may register online at http://sanctuaryoceancount.org. Additional information is available on the sanctuary’s website at http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov, or volunteers may call 808-725-5917. Volunteers are required to register prior to participating. Registration will close one week prior to the event date.
      No advance training is required for general volunteers.
      The Sanctuary Ocean Count has helped generate widespread enthusiasm for humpback whales and Hawai`i’s marine environment over the years, with more than 2,000 volunteer participants annually. It is one of several projects coordinated by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary that encourages government and citizens to work together in protecting humpback whales.

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THE HILL, WHICH COVERS NEWS OF CAPITOL HILL in Washington, DC, recently reported on Hawai`i’s congressional delegation winning back influence on defense and national security following the retirement of Sen. Daniel Akaka and the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye.
      “Now the state’s four-member, all-Democratic delegation is seeking to restore the Aloha State’s lost clout,” the article states.

Hawai`i's U.S. Congressional delegation.
Image from wikipedia

      It lists appointments of Hawai`i’s congressional delegates. Sen. Brian Schatz is on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Mazie Hirono is the ranking member on the Senate Armed Service Committee’s Seapower subpanel, and Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Mark Takai serve on the Armed Services Committee.
       “While the foursome has a long way to go before matching the outsized influence of Inouye, Akaka and former Rep. Neil Abercrombie, they are on a mission to ensure that Hawai`i has sway in the national security debate,” the article states.
      “It is very helpful to have people on the authorizing side and the appropriating side,” Schatz told The Hill. “We don’t want to overstate it, but we do feel like we’re in a good position.”

      Hirono said, “While we will face difficult decisions in the coming weeks and months, I look forward to engaging in important debates on issues that are critical to Hawai`i and our nation.”

      Gabbard said, “The rapport is there. At the beginning, middle and end of the day, Hawai`i is a small state, and making sure that each of us individually and collectively advocates for Hawai`i and the unique, both challenges and opportunities, that exist there, is something that is our focus.”
      Takai said, “I think it’s very strategic to have all of our members focused on what matters most to the state of Hawai`i, and one of the things that matter is, definitely, defense.”

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A 16-YEAR-OLD PAHALA GIRL DIED in a single-vehicle crash last night in Pahala. She was identified as Leiani Camba-Penera.
      Responding to a 9:21 p.m. call, police determined that a 1994 Toyota pickup truck operated by an 18-year-old Na`alehu man was traveling south on Hwy 11 near Kapapala, seven-tenths of a mile south of the 41-mile marker, when the driver reportedly fell asleep, ran off the right shoulder and struck a utility pole.
      Camba-Penera, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle. She was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 4:10 a.m. this morning. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
      The driver was taken to Hilo Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.
      Police believe that speed and drugs may have contributed to this traffic fatality. They have initiated a negligent homicide investigation.
      Police ask anyone who witnessed the crash to call Officer Kimo Keliipaakaua at 326-4646, ext. 299. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.
      This is the first traffic fatality this year compared with two at this time last year.

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OK Farms co-owner Troy Keolanui supports promotion of macadamia-nut markets
in foreign markets. Photo by Andrew Hara

HAWAI`I ISLAND MACADAMIA NUT INDUSTRY LEADERS are in support of U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's call for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Services to provide greater visibility to Hawai`i macadamia nuts on its export list to foreign markets.

 Last month, Gabbard visited India at the personal invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During her stay, some of the visits included those with business leaders to discuss a bolstered Hawai`i-India trade relationship focused on the growing food retail market in India. 

      “India is the world’s 10th largest economy measured in terms of gross domestic product,” Gabbard wrote in a letter to FAS. “Given India’s growing population and expanding middle class, Hawai`i, as one of the world’s largest producers of macadamia nuts, has an opportunity to establish a niche market for a U.S.-grown savory nut.”



      Hawai`i farmers in the macadamia nut industry generated more than $36 million in revenue in 2013. Growth in this industry would expand business and employment opportunities in rural Hawai`i communities.
      Troy Keolanui, John Cross and Richard Schnitzler applauded Gabbard’s efforts to encourage FAS to prioritize macadamia nut exports. 

“Promoting Hawaiian macadamia nuts to foreign markets is a big boost to our industry, and we are grateful to Congresswoman Gabbard for again taking the lead to represent the farmers of Hawai`i,” said Troy Keolanui, co-owner with Ed Olson of Hilo-based OK Farms. 


      John Cross, President of Hawai`i Macadamia Nut Association, said, “We thoroughly support Congresswoman Gabbard’s effort to expand Hawai`i-grown macadamia nuts to India and Southeast Asia. We look forward to making contact with representatives from India and other Asian countries to build future business relationships.” 

 

      Richard Schnitzler, President of Hamakua Mac Nut Company, said, “Hawai`i’s macadamia nut industry continues to be a growing industry, and we support Congresswoman Gabbard’s idea of opening new markets, including in India.”

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

Learn about natural farming at Ka`u's Earth Matters Farm.

KA`U NATURAL FARMING WORKSHOP is coming up the next two Saturdays, Jan 17 and 24, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Earth Matters Farm at South Point and Kama`oa Roads. Participants learn about creating soil health & nutritional food.
      $100 for both days includes garden lunch. 

      Register at 939-7510.

Zach Mermel teaches mushroom cultivation Saturday. Photo from VAC

MUSHROOM CULTIVATION IS THE TOPIC Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Volcano art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village.
      Zach Mermel teaches basics of fungal biology and how fungal mycelium colonizes different materials, particularly wooden logs and straw. Attendees gain hands-on experience inoculating their own mushroom kits as well as logs they can take home at the end of the day.
      Mermel encourages farmers, gardener, and homeowners seeking to incorporate the growing of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms into their lives and livelihoods to attend.
      Course fees are $40 for VAC members and $50 for non-members plus a $25 supply fee. Participants bring a bag lunch.
      Call 967-8222 to register.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015

The current status of Kilauea and Mauna Loa, shown here erupting in March 1984, are topics at a Volcano Awareness Month program this evening at Ocean View Community Center. Photo from USGS/HVO by J.D. Griggs

MAUNA LOA, WHICH FORMERLY HAD MUCH of the macadamia orchards tied up in leasing for Ka`u-produced nuts, is being purchased from The Hershey Co., of Pennsylvania, by Honolulu-based Hawaiian Host, according to Pacific Business News.

      Both companies will continue operating as two distinct, separate brands, according to the PBN story. The company said no immediate staff changes were planned.

      “This acquisition will create a great opportunity for both companies, our employees and the community,” Keith Sakamoto, president and CEO of Hawaiian Host, said in a statement. “It brings Mauna Loa back under Hawai`i ownership, joins together two strong, local brands and lays the foundation for continued success.” 

Mauna Loa planted its first macadamia nut trees in Kea`au in 1946. It is one of the largest macadamia nut processors in the world, with seasonal capacity to process approximately 40 million pounds of nuts a year.
      The company was acquired by Hershey in 2004.
      See bizjournals.com/pacific.

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FOLLOWING MINA MORITA’S RESIGNATION from the state Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Business News is considering possible replacements. PBN’s list includes state Sen. Mike Gabbard, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment; Doug Codiga, a Honolulu energy attorney; Mark Glick, administrator for the state Energy Office; Ted Liu, former director of the state Department of Economic Development and Tourism; Robbie Alm, former executive vice president for Hawaiian Electric Co.; Doug McLeod, former energy commissioner for Maui County; and Jeff Mikulina, executive director of Honolulu-based renewable energy nonprofit Blue Planet Foundation.
      “The decisions that the PUC will make in the next couple of years will set the framework for utility operations long into the future,” Mikulina told PBN reporter Duane Shiwogama. “That individual needs to be an akamai, independent thinker who understands the role of policy in a rapidly changing technology and business landscape.” 

      Mikulina also said Gov. David Ige could appoint one of the two current members, either Michael Champley or Lorraine Akiba, as chair, or someome from the outside.
      “They’ve had the experience from serving for a few years,” Mikulina said. “The governor could then just appoint a third commissioner.”
      See bizjournals.com/pacific.
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Kamana Beamer Photo from The Kohala Center

KAMANAMAIKALANI BEAMER, PH.D. is The Kohala Center’s next president and chief executive officer. Beamer succeeds Matthews Hamabata, Ph.D., who is retiring after serving as the organization’s president and CEO since its founding in 2000. 

      Beamer, a geographer, historian, author, public servant and resident of Waimea, assumes leadership of the center on March 1 on a part-time basis and on a full-time basis on July 1. Hamabata will continue to serve as a consultant to Beamer and The Kohala Center, overseeing select projects including development of The Center’s future campus on Kohala Mountain.
      “I feel that the values and goals of The Kohala Center are closely aligned with my own ethics and aspirations,” Beamer said. “I was born and raised in rural Hawai`i. I know that there is much that our lifestyle and aloha can provide to others. There is a pressing need to provide sustainable economic alternatives for these communities, for Hawai`i and for the world. The Kohala Center has built amazing programs, fostered powerful relationships and had the courage to remain independent while becoming a leader in strengthening the rural, agricultural and knowledge economies of Hawai`i.”
      Beamer’s affiliation with The Kohala Center dates back to his selection as a postdoctoral fellow in the center’s inaugural cohort of the Mellon-Hawai`i Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in 2008–2009 and presently serves as a mentor to one of the program’s current postdoctoral fellows. The program holds annual gatherings of fellows and their mentors at Pahala Plantation House. He comes to The Kohala Center from his current position as a member of the faculty at the Hui `Aina Momona Program at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, with a joint appointment in the Richardson School of Law and the Hawai`inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge.
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U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ HAS CO-INTRODUCED legislation to provide a 3.8 percent pay raise to federal workers in calendar year 2016. Federal employees have lost over a billion dollars in salary and benefits due to sequestration and a three-year pay freeze from January 2011 to December 2013. 


      “Hawai`i’s federal employees are some of the hardest working public servants in the country,” Schatz said. “In recent years, our federal workers have endured pay freezes, furloughs and a government shutdown. Our bill recognizes the service of working families and gives them a well-deserved raise.”

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Offerings to Pele are placed on new lava in Pahoa. Photo from Wendy M. Fontaine

WHAT I LEARNED FROM A TOWN Threatened by Lava is the title of an entry on facebook by Wendy M. Fontaine. Fontaine is a writer, editor and mother in Los Angeles who visited Pahoa in December. A former newspaper reporter, her work has appeared in many newspapers, as well as Brain, Child Magazine, Grace Magazine for Women, Role/Reboot and Utne Reader. 

      “Along with dozens of other visitors and residents, we walked to the end of Apa`a Drive to view the cooled lava from the town’s transfer station,” Fontaine wrote. “My daughter and I posed for photos and gazed at the coins, fruits and flowers left on the rock as makana, or gifts, for Pele, the mythical Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. We left the only thing we had in our pockets: a piece of spearmint chewing gum… .
      “Here’s what the media hasn’t told you: Pahoa is a portrait of resilience. When lava advanced toward the highway, the town built a 10-mile bypass road. When it moved toward schools, Pahoa relocated students to neighboring communities. Utility poles are in the path of the flow. So what did Pahoa do? Lift them up onto rock platforms, of course.
      “We were in town only 10 days, but that was long enough to see that this village is not easily broken. The next time I visit Hawai`i, Pahoa might not be where I left it. It could be empty, or it could be covered in hard black rock. It hardly matters, really, because Pahoa is not just a place.
      “Pahoa is the decision to live not in resistance to nature, but in flux with it. It is making sure your neighbor, or even your neighbor’s dog, is all right. It is having a back-up plan, an extra loaf of bread and a gas can ready to go. It is the awareness that our world is constantly changing, whether we want it to or not.
      “I came home with the usual souvenirs: mugs and magnets, key chains and T-shirts. But the best thing I brought back from the Big Island was a reminder to live like a local, to remember that when disaster strikes, which it will inevitably do, there will always be at least one way around it.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Astronomer Lew Cook, who writes an astronomy column for The Ka`u Calendar,
photographed Comet Lovejoy on Jan. 11 using a telescope in New Mexico.
The colored dots result from taking three red, three green and three blue
exposures and tracking the comet on the exposures.

ASTRONOMER LEW COOK, WHO WRITES a monthly column for The Ka`u Calendar, offers updates on Stars Over Ka`u for this month. 

      “Comet Q2 Lovejoy is in the sky, visible with binoculars. I’ve plotted the approximate position for every Saturday night on our chart. It starts the month out in Lepus (the rabbit) and travels northwestward through Taurus, ending the month west of Perseus. The dates are shown in small numbers below the comet symbol.
      “Ever see the planet Mercury?” Cook asks. “For the next few days, look west just after sunset. The bright white ‘star’ that is first to pop into view after sunset in the western sky is Venus. Look just to the right of Venus, and soon to appear will be Mercury, quite a bit dimmer. Mars continues to lurk in the southwestern sky and on the Jan. 23 will be approached by the crescent moon, above and to the right.”

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USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY geologist Frank Trusdell presents a program today at 6:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Trusdell reports on the current status of Mauna Loa, offers updates on Kilauea’s summit eruption and presents an overview of Kilauea’s East Rift Zone eruption, including an in-depth account of the lava flow that has advanced toward Pahoa over the past few months.
      Call 967-8844 for more information.

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

KA`U NATURAL FARMING WORKSHOP is coming up Saturday, Jan 17 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Earth Matters Farm at South Point and Kama`oa Roads. Participants learn about creating soil health & nutritional food.
      $100 for both days includes garden lunch. Register at 939-7510.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015

Ka`u residents can meet prospective candidates for CEO of Hawai`i Health Systems Corp. today through Thursday at Ka`u Hospital, one of the facilities it operates.

HERMINA MORITA, CHAIR of Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission, has resigned. 

      Morita is known in Ka`u for the PUC’s decision to twice turn down proposed contracts between Hawai`i Electric Light Co. and `Aina Koa Pono, which planned to build a $400 million microwave refinery and clear trees, brush and plants between Pahala and Na`alehu to feed the biofuel plant and truck the fuel to a Kona electric plant. Mayor Billy Kenoi and County of Hawai`i also opposed the contract based on its projected increase in the price of electricity.

Hermina Morita

      The PUC said it made its decisions to reject the 20-year, fixed-price contracts largely on the basis of the AKP contracts likely resulting in more expensive electric rates.      The PUC called the price at which the AKP-produced biofuel would have been sold to the electric company “excessive, not cost-effective,” and “unreasonable and inconsistent with the public interest.” The commission wrote: “In effect, from a real world, bill-paying perspective, the HECO Companies seek the Commission’s approval to consistently charge affected ratepayers a premium for HELCO’s purchase and use of AKP-produced biofuel under the terms of the twenty-year contract. Such a result is unreasonable and not in the public interest.”
      While the commission wrote that its decision was largely based on the high cost of the biofuel, it noted commissioners’ other major concerns with the contract, such as the likelihood that using the biofuel to keep the electric company’s existing power plants operating “will displace or curtail existing cheaper renewable alternatives.”
     The PUC also called the proposed biofuel pricing “a mystery to all but a select few,” as it remained confidential to all but the electric company, `Aina Koa Pono, the PUC and the Consumer Advocate. The PUC stated in its decision that the price would have been an estimated eight-figure amount (at least 10 million dollars) in 2015, the first year in which the sixteen million gallons of biofuel could have been produced. “Over the course of the twenty-year contract period, the total estimated cost impact of using AKP-produced biodiesel instead of petroleum fuel will be a nine-figure amount,” (a minimum of 100 million dollars), the PUC wrote.
      According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Morita has been in the crosshairs for decisions affecting `Aina Koa Pono. … AKP has some highly placed supporters that made this a particularly sticky decision to make, politically. For example, the biofuel company was represented by William Kaneko, Abercrombie’s campaign manager.”
      Morita’s term had ended June 30, 2014, but Gov. Neil Abercrombie kept her on a holdover basis. “We are at a very critical juncture in developing our clean energy future, and the Public Utilities Commission needs stability to continue to address many of the important regulatory issues before it,” Abercrombie said at that time.
      Abercrombie’s decision followed reports that he would perhaps replace Morita after she and fellow commissioners Michael Champley and Lorraine Akiba rejected the two proposed contracts between AKP and HELCO.
     Morita and her husband also were accused of having illegal vacation rentals on conservation property. In response to those allegations, Abercrombie said, “At the present time, Chair Morita has business before the Board of Land and Natural Resources which must be addressed. She will continue to serve in the position while these issues are being resolved.”

Led by Hermina Morita, the PUC twice rejected contracts between AKP and HELCO.

      During a meeting in Pahala with Sen. Russell Ruderman, several attendees urged the senator to garner support for keeping Morita as PUC Chair. Ruderman said he supported her reappointment and that she shouldn’t be punished for turning down AKP. Among those who asked Ruderman to support Morita was local police commissioner Bobby Gomes, who earlier testified against AKP at various community meetings.

      A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, Morita is known for her environmental work at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kaua`i Children’s Discovery Museum, Hanalei Community Association and Environment Hawai`i. She was a Kaua`i planning commissioner and a member of the state House of Representatives. As Public Utilities chief, she was involved with the state’s renewable energy initiative and involved in many decisions on which energies are appropriate for Hawai`i.

      “For almost two decades, Mina has been the acknowledged leader in the state’s efforts to reduce dependency on imported oil and to develop local, renewable, and clean energy resources,” Gov. David Ige said when he learned Morita would not seek reappointment.

HEI CEO Connie Lau

      “Mina has been the driving force, both at the Legislature, where she made her mark as the House Energy Committee chair, and at the PUC, behind the policies that have positione  Hawai`i as a national leader in clean energy. She has dedicated her life to creating a better environment and more sustainable communities. I thank Mina for her work. She embodies the values that make Hawai`i a special place.”

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

NEXTERA ENERGY’S AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE Hawaiian Electric Industries includes about $17.2 million for HEI executives, according to a report in Pacific Business News. 

      If the $4.3 billion acquisition of HEI’s subsidiary, Hawaiian Electric Co., is approved, President and CEO Connie Lau would receive $10.7 million, including $6.8 million in cash and $3 million in equity.
      James Ajello, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, would receive $3.7 million, including $2.1 million in cash and about $1.2 million in equity.
      Chet Richardson, Executive Vice President and general counsel, would get $2.8 million, including $1.6 million in cash and $820,000 in equity.
      The purchase is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year following several required regulatory approvals and HEI shareholder approval.
      See bizjournals.com/pacific.

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

Former HHSC CEO Howard Ainsley

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO MEET candidates for Chief Executive Officer of East Hawai`i Region of Hawai`i Health Systems Corp., which includes Ka’u Hospital, Hilo Medical Center and Hale Ho`ola Hamakua in Honoka`a. HHSC is recruiting a new Regional CEO to replace Howard Ainsley, who left last summer. The Board of Directors has narrowed the search to three candidates: Ron Morasko, currently employed in Colorado: Verna Stroman Meacham, currently employed in Maryland; and Daniel Brinkman, who has served as interim CEO since Ainsley’s departure. 

      The candidates are on island this week and will be visiting Ka’u Hospital today, tomorrow and Thursday. They will meet the public in the employee dining room between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Morasko is here today, Meacham, tomorrow and Brinkman, Thursday.

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

HAWAI`I ISLAND POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED the man who died New Year’s Eve in a structure fire in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision.
      He was identified as 67-year-old Dale Gorrell, of Hawaiian Ocean View Estates.
      The cause of death is undetermined pending toxicology results. Police do not suspect foul play.

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

KILAUEA VOLCANO’S DUAL PERSONALITY: A Historical Perspective is the topic at After Dark in the Park today. The free program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.

Lei hulu master artist Kilohana Domingo creates a feather lei.
Photo from NPS

KA`U RESIDENT AND MASTER LEI MAKER Kilohana Domingo offers a lei hulu feather work demonstration tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

AS PART OF VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Frank Trusdell presents a program tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Trusdell reports on the current status of Mauna Loa, offers updates on Kilauea’s summit eruption and presents an overview of Kilauea’s East Rift Zone eruption, including an in-depth account of the lava flow that has advanced toward Pahoa over the past few months. 

      Call 967-8844 for more information.

KA`U NATURAL FARMING WORKSHOP is coming up Saturday, Jan 17 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Earth Matters Farm at South Point and Kama`oa Roads. Participants learn about creating soil health & nutritional food.
      $100 for both days includes garden lunch. Register at 939-7510.

JR. VOLCANO CHOY & FRIENDS will host a fundraising outdoor jazz performance from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31 at Pāhala Plantation House on the corner of Maile and Pikake Streets. Funds are being raised to restore instruments at Ka‘ū High School for a music program for Pāhala Middle School students. Suggested donation is $15.

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