Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, April 12, 2015

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park rangers and staff marched in yesterday's Merrie Monarch Parade, along with a representative from Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, nonprofit supporting partners, the Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association and Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. NPS Photo by Jon Christensen

OCEAN VIEW AND OTHER KA`U RESIDENTS attended a speak-out on the draft Ka`u Community Development Plan at Ocean View Community Center yesterday. They reviewed displays focusing on different areas of the district and how, for each location, the CDP achieves objectives set by Ka`u residents. Objectives covered at the speak-out were advancing sustainable conservation and settlement patterns; protecting and enhancing natural and cultural resources; strengthening infrastructure, facilities and services; and building a resilient, sustainable local economy.

Ka`u's state Rep. Richard Creagan, at right, talks story with
Ka`u CDP recorder Josh. Photo by Ron Johnson

      To advance protect and enhance natural and cultural resources on agricultural lands, for example, the CDP guides stewardship of ag lands and watersheds to minimize nonpoint source pollution and advocates for funding for ag land conservation programs and the local Soil and Water Conservation District.
      Challenges to meet this objective, according to the CDP, are that, during heavy rains, there is significant runoff from ag areas and that there are no watershed management plans in place in Ka`u.
      One Ka`u resident said his main concern for ag in Ka`u is vast tracts of land being used to grow products that are not intended for local consumption.
      A week from today, on Sunday, April 19, Ka`u residents have two more opportunities to review displays about the CDP and have their feedback recorded when two more speaks-outs take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pahala Community Center and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Center.
      There is no formal testimony at the speak-outs, and keiki activities are available for parents to be able to view the displays and talk story.
      Copies of the draft document are available at local libraries and community centers and at kaucdp.info.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO HAS ANNOUNCED her support of Hillary Clinton for President. Clinton announced her candidacy today.
      “Hillary Clinton has fought her entire life to create opportunity and prosperity for American families, small businesses and individuals,” Hirono said. “While we grew up in different places, Hillary and I come from similar backgrounds and understand from our own personal experiences the everyday struggles that families in Hawai`i and across the country face. Both of our mothers experienced tremendous hardships that shaped our values and determination to fight for children and families. As Hawai`i’s first female U.S. senator, I understand how important it is for a woman to finally break the ultimate glass ceiling and win the White House.
      “Our country needs Hillary’s tenacious leadership now more than ever. While we hear that our economy has recovered from the worst economic collapse in our lifetimes, too many hardworking middle-class families aren’t feeling the benefits of that recovery. All too often, everyday Americans feel like the economy and government policies favor the rich and well connected.
      “Hillary would make a remarkable president. I look forward to this campaign and will do everything I can to send Hillary to the White House.”
       Clinton said in her announcement, “Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times. But the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top. Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion. … So I’m hitting the road to earn your vote. Because it’s your time, and I hope that you’ll join me on this journey.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Park Public Affairs Specialist Jessica Ferracane and Student Conservation
Association intern Christa Sadler as a hoary bat celebrate Merrie Monarch
in Hilo. NPS Photo

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK rangers and staff celebrated Merrie Monarch by participating in yesterday’s festival parade. A representative from Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, nonprofit supporting partners, the Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association and Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park joined them.
      To celebrate the opening of National Parks Week, the park waves entry fees this Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19.

LIFE OF THE LAND DIRECTOR Henry Curtis discusses electric utility cooperatives at ililanimedia.blogspot.com.
      “An electric cooperative or municipal utility or a privately owned micro-grid can work in Hawai`i, according to Curtis. “They could replace parts of the Hawaiian Electric Co. empire. But there are at least three major caveats that must be carefully thought about.
      “The number one mistake to make is to insist that the idea is good and will work merely because you considered it. Or that talking to others will make it happen. The world is full of dreamers. Persistence is needed to achieve anything.
      “The number two mistake to make is to insist that each of the five HECO islands must come up with an identical solution for replacing the monopoly. Each island has different resources, different histories, different levels of
community involvement in energy policy, and quite frankly, different financial resources available to them. …
      “Kaua`i Island Utility Cooperative is in the minority of electric cooperatives, along with some Alaskan and Native American electric cooperatives, in that they own both generation and distribution. Most cooperatives own only transmission and distribution systems. “Traditional cooperatives buy their electricity in part from generation cooperatives jointly owned by several distribution cooperatives.
Most cooperatives in the U.S. are powered by coal, seek cheap rates, are governed by fairly insulated boards and have little oversight.
      “The board that forms a cooperative is not going to be running it. This is similar to the role played by the NextEra team currently operating in Hawai`i. They are here to sell it. They are backed by outsiders who have the financial power to pull it off. For now, current HECO managers will run it. But none of them may be handling the day-to-day operations in the very near future.
      “A local cooperative needs a team that can make the transition: a lawyer, an investment banker, a merger specialist, an accountant, etc. Without these key people in place no one will fund the transaction. …
      “The number three mistake is too assume that everybody is in the same car or at least heading to the same place, but just at different speeds. For example, HECO and NextEra state that they are aligned. Mere statements do not make it true. Among opponents of the shareholder utility model are a number of people, organizations and institutions with very different goals.
      The new entity must acquire the utility grid or build their own grid. In either case they will need initial approval from the Public Utilities Commission. Many are faulting NextEra for not presenting a plan.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE at the door for Spice up Your Spring, Ho`omalu Ka`u’s dinner dance raising funds to build a Ka`u Heritage Center. Tickets for today’s event at Discovery Harbour Community Center from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. are $20.
      For more information and to purchase tickets, call 929-8526.

FREE CAR SEAT INSPECTIONS will be performed at Na`alehu Community Center tomorrow morning in front of Na`alehu Community Center beginning around 9:30 a.m.
      Everyone with young children is welcome.
      Anyone with keiki birth to five years of age is invited to visit Tutu and Me’s program at the community center from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

KAUAHA`AO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH in Wai`ohinu holds its fundraising bazaar, this Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For $10 vendor booth space, call Walter Wong Yuen evenings at 928-8039.

AN INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village opens a week from today. Seven artists exhibit paintings, objects and installations through May 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 Sun, p.m. Opening reception Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 967-8222

SENIOR ID CARDS ARE AVAILABLE tomorrow between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View. For ages 60 and over.
      Call 928-3100 for more information.

KA`U RESIDENT DICK HERSHBERGER brings Hawaiian Volcano Observatory founder Thomas Jaggar to life Tuesday during A Walk into the Past at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Participants meet at Kilauea Visitor Center to take the short walk to the underground Whitney Vault in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_April2015.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, April 11, 2015

Miss Ka'u Coffee Amery Silva, surrounded by 2015 candidates Jennifer Tabios, Joyce Ibasan, Maria Miranda and
Louise Vivien Santos, in today's Merrie Monarch parade in Hilo. Photo by Lori Obra

KA`U RESIDENTS REVIEWED THE DRAFT Ka`u Community Development Plan at Na`alehu Community Center this morning during the first of four speak-outs. The open houses consist of displays covering agricultural lands; coastal areas and Punalu`u; mauka forests; Pahala and Wood Valley; Na`alehu, Wai`ohinu and Green Sands; Discovery Harbour, Mark Twain and South Point; and Ocean View.

Ka`u residents discuss a display with Ka`u CDP staffer. Photo by Ron Johnson

      “I do think it really is a great set of ideas generated from the community,” said Shalan Crysdale, “and specifically for our mauka forests.” He said the CDP contained excellent ideas about the need for increased access to forests for cultural and subsistence hunting purposes as well as for protection of watersheds.
      Longtime resident and former sugar plantation supervisor Iwao Yonemitsu said his areas of interest are agriculture and mauka forests and that he enjoyed reviewing the displays on those topics.
      Several Ka`u residents encouraged their friends and neighbors to attend upcoming speak-outs. Many said the information helped them understand the draft and inspired them to study it more.
      Another speak-out is scheduled for today from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. On Sunday, April 19, two more take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Pahala Community Center and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Discovery Harbour Community Center.
      Listeners and recorders are on hand to document comments. There is no formal testimony at the speak-outs, and keiki activities are available for parents to be able to view the displays and talk story.
      Copies of the draft document are available at local libraries and community centers and at kaucdp.info.

Dr. Virginia Pressler

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IN A UNANIMOUS DECISION, MEMBERS of the state Senate have confirmed Dr. Virginia Pressler as Director of the Department of Health. 

      “She’s a powerful advocate for those who need health care,” Ka`u’s said Sen. Josh Green, chair of the Senate Health committee. She’s been very close and embedded to the work we do here on coordinated care, always focusing on those who need it the most. She has extraordinary chops on taking care of women and women’s health issues. There was not a single person who came and testified before us who didn’t glow about Dr. Pressler, who is an extraordinary candidate.”
      The confirmation marks the return to DOH for Pressler. From 1999-2002, she served as deputy director for Health Resources Administration. She was in banking before starting in cardiovascular research at Queen’s Medical Center.
      Pressler was a private practice physician and associate professor of surgery before becoming vice president at Queen’s Health Systems. She also was president and CEO for HMSA’s Premier Plan, Queen’s Health.
      Most recently, she served as the executive vice president and chief strategic officer at Hawai`i Pacific Health.
      “I am honored and humbled to be able to serve the state once more,” said Pressler. “We have lots of exciting opportunities to improve the health of everyone in the state.”

Ka`u Coffee farmers Leonard Castaneda, Trinidad Marques, Lorie Obra, Gloria
Camba and Bong Aquino with Miss Ka`u Peaberry Madison Okimoto 

and Princess Calaysa Koi in the Merrie Monarch Parade in Hilo.

      The full Senate also confirmed Keith Yamamoto as Deputy Director of DOH. Yamamoto continues his service in the position he has held since 2011.
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MISS KA`U COFFEE CANDIDATES AND THE MISS PEABERRY COURT rode in the Merry Monarch Parade today in Hilo, while Halau Hula O Leonalani, of Pahala, danced at the civic auditorium. Ka`u Coffee Festival is ten days of events, beginning Friday, April 24, with programs at ranches, farms and homes and Ka`u Coffee Mill, with the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant on  Sunday, May 26. the Ho`olaule`a day of entertainment, food and coffee tasting on Saturday, May 2 and Ka`u Coffee College on Sunday, May 3, all three at Pahala Community Center. See www.kaucoffeefest.com and The Ka`u Calendar newspaper for a schedule.

Aftermath of the tsunami in Hilo, where the tsunami caused 61 deaths.
Photos from USGS

APRIL IS TSUNAMI AWARENESS MONTH, and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory remembers past tsunamis to hit Hawai`i Island in the current issue of Volcano Watch. 

      “April 1 marked the 69th anniversary of the 1946 tsunami that devastated the Island of Hawai`i, causing widespread damage and taking 159 lives,” the article states. “To honor the people lost in the 1946 and subsequent tsunamis, the state of Hawai`i proclaimed April to be Tsunami Awareness Month – a time to focus attention on preparing for and taking action to mitigate the impacts of future destructive tsunamis.
      “The 1946 tsunami was generated from a large earthquake in the Aleutian Islands, thousands of miles north of Hawai`i. The Aleutian Islands are located along the northern extent of the Ring of Fire, a tectonically and volcanically active region that circles the Pacific Ocean. Because Hawai`i is located in the middle of the Pacific, we are uniquely exposed to tsunamis originating from large earthquakes anywhere around this Ring of Fire.
      “y within the area where the earthquake slip occurred. 

      “In Hawai`i, we consider an event like the April 1, 1946 Aleutian earthquake a tele seism (distant earthquake). Likewise, we can refer to the accompanying tsunami as a tele-tsunami (one that originates from a source usually more than 1,000 km, or 600 mi, away). “In addition to concerns about tele-tsunamis, Hawai`i also faces the threat of local tsunamis generated by earthquakes that occur on or near the island. In 1868 and 1975, Hawai`i experienced deadly tsunamis associated with large local earthquakes centered on the island’s southeastern coastline. In both cases, the fatalities occurred close to where the tsunamis originated—essentially within the area where the earthquake slip occurred.

      “Seismic waves travel through Earth faster than water waves cross the ocean. Using this knowledge, Thomas A. Jaggar, Jr., founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, pioneered forecasting tsunamis in Hawai`i in 1922. Results of his predictions in 1923 and 1927 were mixed, but in 1933, after identifying a tele seism from Japan, Jaggar and his colleagues agreed that a tsunami was possible and issued warnings to Hilo and Kona. People heeded these warnings and moved out of harm’s way prior to the arrival of the tsunami, so no lives were lost.

The town clock of Wai`akea stopped at 1:04 a.m. when the biggest wave
of the 1960 Chilean tsunami struck Hawai`i. The clock, still showing
that time, now stands as a monument to the tsunami.

      “In May 1960, a tsunami produced by the largest earthquake ever recorded – a magnitude 9.5 quake that ruptured a 1,000-kilometer- (600-mile-) long section of Chile’s coast – devastated Hilo and took thousands of lives throughout the Pacific region. This disaster prompted the global community to establish the International Tsunami Warning System in 1965.
      “Today, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on O`ahu provides warnings for Pacific basin tele-tsunamis to coastal populations throughout the Pacific. When a large, tsunami-producing earthquake occurs, PTWC’s principal goal is to locate the earthquake and forecast the tsunami behavior with adequate time to issue warnings to potentially affected areas. The farther a tsunami has to travel, the more time there is between the warning and arrival of the tsunami.
      “In 1946, the tsunami generated by the Aleutian earthquake – some 3,700 km (2,300 mi) from Hawai`i – took slightly less than five hours to cross the ocean and reach Hawaiian coastlines. In 1960, the devastating tsunami from the Chilean earthquake – roughly 10,900 km (6,800 mi) from Hawai`i – took about 15 hours to strike Hilo. While the Aleutian earthquake and tsunami provided less warning time, those hours of advance notice can be critical and do afford people an opportunity to evacuate.
      “Tsunamis produced by local earthquakes are quite different because their travel distances are much shorter. Rather than taking hours to cross the ocean, locally-generated tsunamis can strike Hawaiian shorelines within minutes. In these cases, survival depends on being aware and taking quick action. For instance, if you feel a strong earthquake while at the beach, you should immediately move to higher ground—a tsunami wave can come ashore before warning sirens can alert you to the potential danger.
      “You can learn more about tsunami awareness and preparedness in “Surviving a Tsunami—Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan” and “Hawaii Tsunami Preparedness and Safety Information”. For additional information about Tsunami Awareness Month and tsunami safety, visit these websites: Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service “TsunamiReady,” and the International Tsunami Information Center.”
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

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

VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park celebrates Merrie Monarch tomorrow, when Dietrich Varez signs his prints.
      Call 967-8222 for more information.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR Spice up Your Spring, Ho`omalu Ka`u’s dinner dance raising funds to build a Ka`u Heritage Center. Tickets for tomorrow's event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. are $20.
      For more information and to purchase tickets, call 929-8526.

FREE CAR SEAT INSPECTIONS will be performed at Na`alehu Community Center Monday morning in front of Na`alehu Community Center beginning around 9:30 am.
      Everyone with young children is welcome.
       Anyone with keiki birth to five years of age is invited to visit Tutu and Me’s program at the community center from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 am.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_April2015.pdf.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, April 10, 2015

Hula sisters at dawn on Punalu`u Beach today prepare to travel to Hilo to perform at Merrie Monarch festivities this afternoon at Prince Kuhio Plaza and tomorrow at Ah Fook Chinen Civic Center. Halau Hula O Leionalani is comprised of dancers from Japan, Okinawa, O`ahu and Ka`u. Photo by Julia Neal

GOV. DAVID IGE DISCUSSED HAWAI`I ISLAND ISSUES during a Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday. According to Bret Yager, of West Hawai`i Today, Ige said he is working on a plan to double local food production, “which would in turn create a local economy of associated services and investments,” instead of sending billions of dollars out of state each year on goods made elsewhere.

Na`alehu residents protested TMT Wednesday
on Hwy 11 at Na`alehu Park.
Photo by Ron Johnson

      In response to questions about construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope atop Mauna Kea, Yager reported Ige saying, “You can rest assured that all previous agreements and decisions will be honored.”
      Ige said he has “done a lot of listening to get a 360-degree view of the project,” and will continue to listen during the one-week timeout he called for following continued protests and arrests at TMT’s construction site. “It’s really about listening and finding a way for discovery and sacred sites to coexist on a very important asset,” Ige said.
      Regarding his choice of Suzanne Case to head the Department of Land & Natural Resources, Ige said she has the qualities of leadership that will serve her well. “She’s smart; she’s collaborative; she’s a great listener,” he said.
      According to Yager, Ige said he wants department chiefs who are “great leaders” and responsive to the public. “She believes the community is part of the solution,” Ige said.

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

GOV. DAVID IGE HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED his nominations to lead the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations and the Office of Information Management and Technology. The appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Linda Chu Takayama

      Linda Chu Takayama has been tapped to lead the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. She is currently executive director of Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. She also maintains a law practice specializing in regulator and governmental affairs, health, insurance and corporate business law. She has previously served as deputy director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and was formerly the Hawai`i insurance commissioner. She also served on the governor’s Subcabinet Task Force on Healthcare Reform to update Hawai`i’s unique Prepaid Health Care Act and to assist President Clinton’s early efforts on health care reform. As chair of Hawai`i Foodbank for the past 20 years, Takayama has worked with DLIR’s Office of Community Services which administers programs providing services to the needy including the distribution of food.
      “Linda has a deep understanding of many of the regulatory matters that are routinely handled by the department,” Ige said. “I am confident that she will support the well-being of our workers and promote good labor-management relations.”

Todd Nacapuy

      Ige chose Todd Nacapuy to be the state’s chief information officer and lead its Office of Information Management and Technology. Nacapuy is currently senior technical account manager responsible for all Premier Commercial services for Microsoft in Hawai`i. Prior to this, he was a senior infrastructure specialist for EDS, where he was responsible for monitoring and optimizing all Web services within the Navy and Marine Corps network for the Pacific. While there, he was responsible for architecture and implementation of a 65,000-user network into the Navy and Marine Corps network.
      “Todd has the right mix of technical and business skills to upgrade the state’s technology infrastructure,” Ige said. “Under his leadership the office will continue to identify modernization projects that are in process across the various state agencies. He will immediately focus on a few that have broad or significant impact. My commitment to an enhanced IT system is based in my strong desire to improve public access to government services that will ultimately result in improved public trust in state governance.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

THE DRAFT 2015 STATEWIDE Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is available for public review. The plan is updated every five years to assess Hawai`i’s outdoor recreation trends, needs and priorities. It also provides direction for the state’s recreational future and allows Hawai`i to remain eligible to receive funds for outdoor recreation projects through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal grants program administered by the National Park Service.

The draft 2015 statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan is available
for public review. Camping is popular at Kawa. Photo by Julia Neal

      Using priorities for outdoor recreation identified in the comprehensive recreation plan, the National Park Service selects projects to receive conservation funding that best meet Hawai`i’s recreational needs and help resolve recreational conflicts.
       A 14-page summary of the SCORP findings and strategic plan, as well as the full draft SCORP document with appendices, can viewed at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/.
      Public comments are due by April 30 and can be submitted by email or in writing to ccullison@pbrhawaii.com 
or
 PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc.
 Attn: Catie Cullison, AICP
1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650
 Honolulu, HI 96813-3484.

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CU Hawai`i has a new website.

CU HAWAI`I FEDERAL CREDIT UNION has a new website. Ka`u residents can do their banking online at the website. It also describes types of saving and checking accounts, loans and electronic and other services available to members. The colorful Moola Moola newsletter, of interest to keiki, is also on the website. 

      A new mobile app is also available. Use requires enrollment in CU Hawai`i’s online banking program.
      See cuhawaii.com.

KA`U JUNIOR RANGERS ARE ENCOURAGED to “Find Your Park” as National Park Week begins. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park encourages keiki to connect with their national park and World Heritage Site by becoming a Junior Ranger on Saturday, April 18 – Junior Ranger Day and International Day on Monuments and Sites.
      The fee-free weekend and programs kick off National Park Week, April 18-26. This year’s theme, Find Your Park, celebrates the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park also celebrates its centennial in 2016.

Junior rangers discover the rain forest in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Photo from NPS

      A Junior Ranger station with handbooks and park information will be set up at Kilauea Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Jaggar Museum observation deck. Keiki who complete an interactive junior ranger handbook will earn a Junior Ranger badge and certificate and be sworn in as a National Park Junior Ranger.
      Saturday is also International Monuments and Sites Day, which marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and was the first World Heritage Site in Hawai`i. The state’s other World Heritage Site, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, was inscribed in 2010, and representatives from both sites will share information at the Junior Ranger station.
      “Our Junior Ranger programs are a perfect way for families to discover their World Heritage Site and national park together,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “As the park approaches its centennial anniversary in 2016, our most important goal is to connect with and create the next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates. Every keiki who becomes a junior ranger helps ensure the future of their national parks, which serve as the model for heritage sites worldwide.”
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KA`U’S DRAFT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN is the topic at two speak-outs tomorrow. Residents can find visual displays about parts of the CDP that interest them, discuss CDP strategies with people familiar with the plan and provide feedback. Listeners and recorders will be on hand to document comments. There will not be any presentations or formal testimony at the speak-outs, and keiki activities will be available so that parents are free to learn and talk story. 

      The events are from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Na`alehu Community Center and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center.
      Copies of the draft document are available at local libraries and community centers and at kaucdp.info.

A GUIDED 2.5-MILE, MODERATELY DIFFICULT hike tomorrow over rugged terrain at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit focuses on the area’s human history. People and Land of Kahuku takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Dietrich Varez'
Pele & Hi`iaka

VOLCANO ART CENTER GALLERY in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park celebrates Merrie Monarch with book and print signings this weekend. Tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Caren Loebel-Fried and David Kawika Eyre are on hand for signings. On Sunday, Dietrich Varez signs his prints.
      Call 967-8222 for more information.

FRIENDS OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK holds its Sunday Walk in the Park April 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cheryl Gansecki leads this four-mile hike for exploring Kilauea Iki. Non-members may become members in order to attend. Preregistration required. Call 985-7373.

TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR Spice up Your Spring, Ho`omalu Ka`u’s dinner dance raising funds to build a Ka`u Heritage Center. Tickets for the event on Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. are $20. 

      For more information and to purchase tickets, call 929-8526.

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

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

See kaucalendar.com/kaucalendar_April2015.pdf.