Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Monday, March 28, 2016

Those who sign up to participate in May's Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant are eligible to ride in Merrie Monarch Parade this Saturday. See more below. Photo by Lorie Obra

SHOULD RURAL HAWAI`I POWER urban Hawai`i? Life of the Land Executive Director Henry Curtis considers the question on his blog at ililani.media as Ocean View Ranchos residents face the possibility of having an industrial solar project built in neighborhoods there.

      “The myth is that there is no wind or sun in populated areas. There is,” Curtis says. 

      “The first windmill in Hawai`i was built on Alakea Street in downtown Honolulu in the 1820s.

      “The best urban wind site on O`ahu hugs the `Aina Haina coastline, coming onshore at the exclusive gated Black Point community at Diamond Head and at Hanauma Bay.

      “Other great spots are mountaintops where high voltage transmission lines and towers are already constructed.

Transmission lines carry electricity generated in rural Hawai`i
to more populated areas. Photo from Henry Curtis

      “But developers, utilities and politicians always seem to focus on large-scale centralized generation facilities in rural areas which have less apparent political muscle to fight back: Puna, Ka`u, Kahuku.
      “The Kohala-Kona area of West Hawai`i is growing in population and has enormous solar energy potential. Using just five percent of the available resources, Kohala from Waikoloa to Hawi has enough wind resources to power the Big Island.
      “Instead, developers are seeking to ram new geothermal in Puna.
      “Placing generation is areas where the existing generation far exceeds local demand requires reinforcing existing transmission lines and building new transmission lines.
      “The rooftop solar industry threatens that centralized path toward the future. Suddenly, communities can generate their own power,” Curtis concludes
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

POLICE REMIND THE PUBLIC about scams involving phone calls from people claiming to be Internal Revenue Service employees demanding payment and stating that if payment is not made, fines of over $1,000 will be issued. These scammers usually demand payment in the form of a money order. 

      According to instructions from the official IRS website at www.irs.gov, if you receive a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, you should record the employee’s name, badge number, call back number and caller ID if available. Call 1-800-366-4484 to determine if the caller is an IRS employee with a legitimate need to contact you. If the person calling you is an IRS employee, call them back. If not, report the incident to TIGTA and to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov (Subject: ‘IRS Phone Scam’).
      For more information visit, see www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing.
      Police are advising anyone receiving similar calls to avoid giving any personal information or money without verifying that the call is legitimate.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Chief Harry Kubojiri

CHIEF HARRY KUBOJIRI ENCOURAGES Ka`u residents to participate in an anonymous Community Satisfaction Survey for the Hawai`i Police Department before the end of this month.
      Kubojiri said previous surveys have helped him identify actions the Police Department could take to increase community satisfaction. “This survey is one of the tools we use to improve our crucial partnership with the community by incorporating community feedback into our daily operations,” Kubojiri said. “By comparing the results of this year’s survey with the results of past surveys, we can gauge where we have improved and where we need further improvement.”
      In addition to multiple-choice questions, the survey allows participants to make individual comments. “I read every comment,” Kubojiri said. “The more specific the feedback is, the better this department can respond to the needs of our community.”
      The online survey is open until 4 p.m. Thursday at www.hawaiipolice.com. It takes about five minutes to complete and is limited to one survey per computer. Respondents’ IP addresses will not be stored in the survey results, and responses will be collected and compiled by an outside source. After the survey period, results will be posted on the department’s website.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Hula sisters in Pahala will join hula sisters from Japan at Prince
Kuhio Plaza on Friday at 1 p.m. for a performance during
Merrie Monarch week. Photo by Demetrius Oliveira

HALAU HULA O LEIONALANI, of Pahala, will participate in Merrie Monarch festivities in Hilo this week, performing with Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder at Prince Kuhio Plaza on Friday at 1 p.m. The performance will include hula sisters from Japan who often visit Ka`u and the halau. Ka`u musicians Demetrius, Gene Boy and Matthew will join them.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KE KINOLAU O LAKA: The Embodiment Of Laka, Goddess Of Hula opened Saturday and is on display daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, April 24 at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The multimedia exhibit features botanical sketches, pyrography-carved gourds and dyed kapa pieces of Hawai`i Island artists John Dawson, Jelena Clay, Bernice Akamine and Micah Kamohoali`i. The exhibit is open to the public and free of charge; park entrance fees apply.

      Kinolau literally translates to “many bodies.” It is a reference to the belief in the myriad forms of the deities that make up the Hawaiian pantheon and that every plant, animal and force of nature, such as wind, rain and snow, is an embodiment of a god.

Volcano Art Center's new exhibit continues into April.
Image from VAC

      “This concept encompasses more than ritual and religious belief; it is a way of being in the natural world,” a VAC statement explains. “In Hawaiian culture, Laka is known for creating hula. With hula, a form of storytelling, Laka gave the Hawaiian people a way to record their history and pass it on to future generations. A hula dancer looks to Laka for inspiration before a performance. The dancer is the body – that which is moved; Laka, the inspiration – that which causes movement. The dancer and Laka become one in the dance. The dancer will adorn themselves in the kinolau of Laka, which include `ohi`a lehua,`ie `ie, hala pepe, maile, palapalai and other native ferns.”

      Each artist in the exhibition has explored the plant form of Laka by representing it in the art they have created. Both Dawson and Akamine have depicted the plants as botanical portraits. Clay has burned the image of the forms into gourds, and Kamohoali`i has dyed his kapa fabric using these plants.
      The plants will also be highlighted in a kuahu (altar) paying homage to Laka. The native lama wood base, adorned by various kinolau of Laka, will be dedicated each Friday of the exhibit by a different kumu hula. Just as each story told through hula can differ and styles of teaching may vary, each kumu hula has their own way of honoring Laka. VAC invites Ka`u residents and visitors weekly to see each kuahu arrangement.

      Due to the threat of the `ohi`a wilt, `ohi`a lehua will be intentionally left out of the kuahu in an effort to protect Hawai`i’s natural resources.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U’S HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL member Maile David meets with the public today at 6 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. For more information, call 939-7033.

Ka`u young ladies can still sign up to participate
in May's Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant.
Photo by Trinidad Marques

THURSDAY IS THE DEADLINE for Ka`u young ladies to enter the Miss Ka`u Coffee Pageant. Contestants will have six weeks to prepare for the pageant. On Saturday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m., Miss Ka`u Coffee, Miss Peaberry and Junior Miss Ka`u Coffee contestants vie for 2016 titles at Ka`u Coffee Mill.

      Those who sign up for the pageant this week are eligible to ride in Merrie Monarch Parade this Saturday.
      Contact Trinidad Marques at 936-0015 or aliihhhcoffee@yahoo.com to enter the pageant. Donate to the pageant scholarship fund with Julia Neal at 928-6471 or mahalo@aloha.net.

THURSDAY IS ALSO THE LAST DAY to sign up for Kahuku `Ohana Day and be included in the free lunch count. Kids up to age 17 and their families will explore the historic Lower Palm Trail and learn special traditional Hawaiian string figures called hei.
      The day of fun and discovery takes place on Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants must bring their own vehicles for access to the trail. Instructions and directions are given upon registration. Call 985-6019.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_March_2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Sunday, March 27, 2016

Ka`u Democrats sign in to be among those voting in Hawai`i's Preferential Preference Poll yesterday.
Photos by Ron Johnson

AS KA`U GOES, SO GOES THE STATE. That’s what happened at yesterday’s Democratic Presidential Preference Poll, when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders became Hawai`i Democrats’ choice to run for President. Statewide, Sanders took 70 percent of the vote, compared to 30 percent for former New York Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

      Sanders received majorities of over 80 percent in all Ka`u precincts and Volcano. In Ocean View’s precinct 05-02, Sanders received 84 percent, or 145 votes, compared to Clinton’s 28. For Na`alehu’s precinct 05-01, the final was 105-20, also 84 percent. Pahala Democrats in precinct 03-07 went 19-4, or 83 percent, for Sanders. Volcano followed the same path, with Sanders winning 82 percent at 150-34.

Ka`u's state Rep. and Democratic District Rep. Richard Creagan
helped guide proceedings at yesterday's meeting.

      Hawai`i Democratic Party reported that 17 of Hawai`i’s delegates for the state convention go to Sanders, and Clinton receives eight. Delegates ultimately decide who the state endorses as the presidential candidate.

      The campaign group called “Bernie (not the Billionaires)” issued a statement from Sanders after the Hawai`i win: “I want to thank the people of Hawai`i for their strong support and for turning out in huge numbers for Saturday’s caucuses. Nobody should have any doubt that this campaign has extraordinary momentum and that we have a path toward victory. In state after state, our grassroots effort has taken on the entire political establishment. We have taken on the senators and the governors and the mayors and the members of Congress. Our political revolution is the best chance we have to keep Donald Trump or any other Republican out of the White House.”

Stephanie Ohigashi

      “Today’s turnout is a real testament to the hard work and commitment of the Sanders and Clinton campaigns and the engagement of Hawai`i Democrats in the presidential process,” state party Chair Stephanie Ohigashi said. “We saw turnout today reminiscent of 2008 when Hawai`i Democrats broke all records in the contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. 

      “I would like to thank all of the volunteers who worked so hard to make to make today successful. From Pahala to Kaumakani, the Democratic Party volunteers and the Presidential campaign representatives demonstrated the very best of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i.”
      Official results will be certified by the Democratic Party of Hawai`i State Central Committee within 20 days.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

This whale was sighted off Punalu`u in 2015. Photo by Joe Garza

MORE THAN 403 VOLUNTEERS gathered data from the shores of Hawai`i Island, O`ahu and Kaua`i yesterday during the third and final event of the 2016 Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count. 

      Ocean Count serves to promote public awareness about humpback whales, the sanctuary and shore-based whale watching opportunities. The count is conducted three times per year during peak whale season and provides a snapshot of humpback whales sightings from the shoreline. Participants tally humpback whale sightings and document the animals’ surface behavior during the survey.
      Volunteers collected data from 50 sites statewide yesterday. A total of 94 whale sightings were seen during the 9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count. Weather conditions were ideal for viewing humpback whales, but there were very few whales sighted on all three islands.
      Preliminary data detailing whale sightings by site location are available at
http://www.sanctuaryoceancount.org/resources/. Additional information is available at http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

An earthquake of similar magnitude struck earlier
in the same area as the 10:38 a.m. quake,
shown as a red dot. Other smaller quakes
are not shown. Map from USGS/HVO

A 2.0 EARTHQUAKE sent dogs diving for cover and left them shaking this morning in Pahala but was barely felt by humans. The micro quake at 10:38 a.m. Easter Sunday was centered 8.8 miles east-northeast of Pahala, makai of Hwy 11 to Volcano. The location is the site of a cluster of quakes in recent days.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY scientists solve the puzzle of Ka`u’s Ninole Hills in the current issue of Volcano Watch.

       “For a long time, geologists were perplexed about the formation of the Ninole Hills and what they represented,” the article states. “The steep sides of the heavily vegetated hills are cut with canyons caused by thousands of years of erosion. Through age dating of the rocks, the hills were estimated to be approximately 125,000 years old. 

      “Several theories have been put forward to explain the formation of the Ninole Hills. According to one, they are the remnants of an older summit of Mauna Loa or its predecessor volcano, Mohokea. In another theory, faulting and landslides are thought to have formed the hills.

      “Recent studies have proposed hypotheses about the Ninole Hills once being the site of active volcanism. Based on regional gravity data, one study suggested the existence of a previously unrecognized rift zone extending south of Mauna Loa’s summit toward the hills. Seismic studies suggested that the Ninole Hills might be a failed rift zone, extending from Mauna Loa’s summit, through the hills and past the coastline toward Pu`u`omahana (Green Sands).

      “In 2013, USGS scientists and colleagues from academia embarked on a project using microgravity surveys to understand the origin of the Ninole Hills and to distinguish among competing hypotheses. We chose microgravity because each of the proposed mechanisms for the formation of the Ninole Hills should produce distinct gravitational signatures due to differences in subsurface structure and/or modification.

HVO scientists believe Ka`u's Ninole Hills are part of a failed
rift zone that existed prior to Mauna Loa's current
Southwest Rift Zone. Map from USGS/HVO

      “Measuring gravity helps scientists understand the types of rocks that might underlie the area. Using a device called a gravimeter, scientists can measure the amount of gravitational pull on a certain area. 

      “Gravitational pull varies depending upon location on the Earth’s surface, as well as the types of rock that make up the area. Lava rocks – for example, those from flows near Kalapana – are low-density and, thus, have lower gravity values. The rift zones and summits of volcanoes contain denser rocks due to repeated intrusions that result in magma cooling below ground, so they have a higher gravity signature.
      “With the microgravity survey, we found an elongate, northeast-to-southwest positive, or high, gravity anomaly in the region of the hills. If the Ninole Hills represent slump blocks and landslide scarps, they should generate a gravitational low, because lava flows and faulted surfaces are characteristically low-density. Therefore, this hypothesis is not consistent with the data.
      “If the Ninole Hills are the location of the summit area of an older volcano, the anticipated gravity signal would be circular and centered above a dense intrusive complex. But the microgravity data instead show an elongate intrusive complex.
      “The Ninole Hills and Mauna Loa lava flows show no appreciable difference in chemical composition. So, the possibility that the Ninole Hills are a separate and different volcano is ruled out.
“What does the geology of the hills tell us about their origin? During the course of recent geologic mapping, we noted several north-trending dikes. These dikes – vertical feeders of magma from the subsurface storage reservoir to the surface – were exposed in road cuts on the flanks of several of the Ninole Hills.
     “Research on other Hawaiian volcanoes shows that the number of dikes drops rapidly with increasing distance from the rift zones. The presence of dikes in the Ninole Hills and the elongate gravitational high are both consistent with the notion that they were once part of a rift zone.
      “If the Ninole Hills do represent an old rift zone, why was it abandoned? Spreading due to gravitational settling, faulting and landsides could be the cause.

      “Several debris flows and landslides – the South Kona Slump and the `Alika-1 and `Alika-2 landslides – exist on the west coast of the Island of Hawai`i. The `Alika-2 slide, which is approximately 127,000 years old and comprises the Kealakekua region of West Hawai`i, was contemporaneous with Ninole Hills activity.

Dedication of an information kiosk is tomorrow.
Image from Ka`u Scenic Byway Committee

      “Putting all of this together, we conclude that the Ninole Hills are a failed rift, and that mass-wasting events on Mauna Loa’s western flank most likely caused the abandonment of the rift, leading to the westward migration of Mauna Loa’s present Southwest Rift Zone.”
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U SCENIC BYWAY COMMITTEE invites residents to its blessing of the new three-sided informational kiosk sign at Na`alehu Park tomorrow, the first three-sided informational sign in the state. Panels display maps and photos of the byway and the Na`alehu area, along with historic photos and stories of Na`alehu, Wai`ohinu and Honu`apo. The 1868 earthquake, the history of sugar and coffee in Ka`u and the historic Fourth of July celebration in Na`alehu Park are also included.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_March_2016.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Saturday, March 26, 2016

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park has received funding to preserve Ka`u lands that are being sold by Mana Land Co. to a Florida-based company. Photos from Mana Land Co.

LANDS SOUGHT FOR INCLUSION in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park are being sold to a Florida company, according to Ken Fujiyama, whose group purchased the thousands of makai acres between Pahala and Volcano years ago from the now-defunct C. Brewer sugar company. Fujiyama this morning declined to state the name of the Florida company and said that “some things have to be worked out” before the sale is final.
      The land is the subject of a case in Judge Greg Nakamura’s Third Circuit Court involving a creditor and vetting of the Florida company purchasing the property.

      The National Park Service wants to purchase 1,951 acres of the property with funding approved in its 2016 budget. Fujiyama, former operator of Volcano House hotel leased from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, purchased the Great Crack lands from C. Brewer after the park showed interest.

A volcanic feature on Ka`u acreage being sold.

      The properties remain listed for sale by Fujiyama’s Mana Land Co. One 70.03-acre parcel is offered at $3.85 million, described as a “favorite fishing area for many `ulua” fishermen. Another 27.05-acre parcel is listed at $1.755 million, described as “a totally stress-free environment that people dream about but rarely ever find.” Another 272.28 acres is listed for $2.983 million. It “butts against the National Park wilderness area,” the listing says. 

      Another 1,537 acres are listed for $8.45 million. “Beautiful, barren and totally isolated, this oceanfront property is so unique that the National Park Service has this listed on their ‘to acquire’ property. Owner does not have to sell to the National Park,” the listing states. It says, “The fishing is fantastic along this coastline. There are three small ancient Hawaiian pads, a few petroglyphs and a few small historical sites on this property. There is a 300-foot conservation area setback and a 500-foot Special Management Area district setback from the coastline. The remaining area is zoned agriculture-20 acres. The top of the property sits at the 1,000-feet elevation and is three miles to the coastline. The oceanfront boundary is over a mile long.”
      The 2016 National Park Service budget for acquisition of the 1,951 acres around theGreat Crack area requires an appraisal and title search, as well as the property still being for sale. The Park Service is prohibited by law from purchasing any land at a higher price than its appraisal.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz

AS THE OUTBREAK OF MOSQUITO-BORNE viruses such as Zika and dengue continue to threaten Hawai`i and communities in the United States and around the world, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz led eight senators in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Schatz is a member, to increase funding for mosquito-control programs.

      “Increased support for vector-control programs at the CDC can help to control the populations of Aedes mosquitoes that transmit viruses such as Zika, dengue, West Nile and other arboviral diseases to humans and animals,” the senators wrote. “In addition to the supplemental Zika request, we respectfully request at least a doubling of the vector-borne diseases line to at least $55 million, within the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
      Next month, Schatz will visit the CDC headquarters in Georgia to meet with Director Tom Frieden and discuss the Center’s efforts to fight the growing outbreaks of Zika and dengue.

      Yesterday, Hawai`i Department of Health reported that one of 263 dengue fever cases confirmed during the current outbreak on Hawai`i Island remains potentially infectious to mosquitoes.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Marion Kittleson-Villanueva shared Ka`u's Puerto Rican heritage
at Ka`u Plantation Days. Photo by Julia Neal

MARION KITTLESON-VILLANUEVA, a former Pahala resident, has completed her first book, writing under the pen name Marion Louise.

      Mr. Kiko Searches for Aloha is a children’s picture book, for ages four to eight, which the author described as having “cultural implications and highlighting the values of individual differences. In the story, the coqui, a singing tree frog of Puerto Rican fame, finds himself as a misfit in Hawai`i. Not by choice, Kiko faces the other species in the rainforest and comes to know true rejection. Will there ever be any aloha for this new arrival?”

      Kittleson-Villanueva, a retired teacher and librarian, was born in Hawai`i of Puerto Rican and Portuguese decent. She has traveled to Puerto Rico several times and has worked on many projects to perpetuate the Puerto Rican experience in Hawai`i. The author shared Ka`u’s Puerto Rican heritage at past Ka`u Plantation Days at Pahala Plantation House. As president of the Puerto Rican Heritage Society of Hawai`i, she unveiled a historical plaque in Quanica Bay commemorating the exodus of Puerto Ricans to Hawai`i in the 1900s. As chair of Boricua Hawaiiana, she coordinated and organized an educational exhibit capturing the emigration of 5,000 Puerto Rican sugar laborers in Hawai`i from 1900 to 1910. The exhibit has traveled throughout Hawai`i and was featured at the Plaza de Americas in San Juan, PR. The author was also a member of a committee that spearheaded rededication of the Cartwright Monument at Francis Wong Stadium in Hilo.

      Kittleson-Villanueva suggested that the intercultural story would be an excellent selection for schools’ Book of the Month. It is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com.
      Contact her at 938-8774 or kumumarion@gmail.com.
      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAUAHA`AO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH in Wai`ohinu will be having a fundraising Mini-Bazaar on Saturday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the church grounds. The church is located at Mamalahoa Hwy, Kama`oa Road and Pinao Street just above the Wong Yuen Store and Gas Station.
      Individuals, schools, clubs and athletic groups are invited to be vendors. The charge for a 10’x10’ space is $10. Vendors are responsible for bringing their own tents, tables and chairs, and if power is needed, generators. Vendors can sell anything except hot foods and plate lunches.
      The church will be selling plate lunches and containers of kalua pig, as well as baked goods.
      For more information and to reserve a vendor space, call Walter Wong Yuen in the evenings after 7 p.m. at 928-8039.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Eunice Hashimoto and Lucy Makuakane with U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Photo from Julie Pasquale

NA`ALEHU SENIOR CITIZENS Eunice Hashimoto and Lucy Makuakane, along with their Hilo teammates, will represent the state of Hawai`i at the 65 and Over National Tennis Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona in April. They also were honored to recently meet U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard at the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Recognition Luncheon held in Hilo.

      To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar.

DISCOVERY HARBOUR COMMUNITY Association’s fundraising rummage sale continues today until 4 p.m. Proceeds go to the community’s volunteer fire department.

      For more information, call 929-9576.

A GARAGE SALE IN VOLCANO raises funds for Halau Kalehuaki`eki`eika`iu today until 2 p.m. From Hwy 11, turn at Pi`imauna Drive and follow the signs. 

HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUB OF KA`U invites residents to enjoy Prince Kuhio Day at Na`alehu Park today until 3 p.m. The Royal Court arrived after this morning’s opening pule. The celebration includes food, arts and crafts, exhibits, photos, cultural demonstrations, Hawaiian games and much more. 

      For more information, contact Darlyne at 640-8407 or dvierra22@gmail.com or Liz at 339-0289 or konawaileo@yahoo.com.

HAWAI`I’S DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL Preference Poll begins at 1 p.m. today. Ka`u Democrats in precincts 03-07 and 05-01 cast ballots at Pahala Community Center, and those in precincts 05-02, 05-03 and 05-04 vote at Ocean View Community Center. Volcano Democrats vote at Kea`au Community Center. Doors at each open at 12 p.m.

      Voting wraps up when the meeting ends. To be included, Democrats and those wishing to register and join the party are advised to arrive before the meetings begin.
      See hawaiidemocrats.org for more information.

KILAUEA DRAMA & ENTERTAINMENT Network presents The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park today at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.

      Make reservations at 982-7344 or kden73@aol.com.

Volcano Art Center presents Jazz in the Forest today.

JAZZ IN THE FOREST CONTINUES today, featuring vocalist Ron Murphy with Volcano Art Center’s Jazz Ensemble. Two shows are offered, with a matinee at 4:30 p.m. and an evening performance at 7:30 p.m.

      See volcanoartcenter.org.

KILAUEA MILITARY CAMP CELEBRATES Easter tomorrow. An Easter Egg Hunt begins at 9 a.m. in the `Ohi`a Room for children 10 and under. Preregister at 967-5382.

      Crater Rim Cafe serves Easter Brunch from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Menu includes honey-glazed ham, beef pot roast and more. Adults $16.75; children 6-11 $8.50. Call 967-8356. 

      KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests; for more information, call 967-8371.           Park entrance fees apply.

PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT the formation and various uses of the grassy cinder cone Pu`u o Lokuana and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka`u tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The one-hour, free program is a moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top.

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

See kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory2016.html.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_March_2016.pdf.