Guava Bee

You're Invited to PATH'S Annual General Membership Meeting

“Accelerating Great Ideas”
 Tuesday, July 21st
 5:30-7:30pm
 NELHA’s Gateway Energy Center
 73-4460 Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway

 Featuring remarks by Mayor Billy Kenoi and Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Brennon Morioka

 Plus updates on PATH’s key achievements over the past year to connect communities with pathways, bikeways and trails.

 

 Everyone is invited.
 Membership is encouraged.
 Donations to support PATH’s work to are greatly appreciated.
 Donate online at www.pathhawaii.org
 Mahalo.

Print and Post a Flyer (pdf file)

Photo: PATH Hawaii

Cool Farm, Hot Lunch: Honopua Farm

The Kohala Center's "Cool Farms, Hot Lunches" July learning event visits Honopua Farm in Waimea with owners Ken and Roen Hufford from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 25.

 Honopua Farm was founded more than 30 years ago by Roen's parents, Marie and Bill McDonald. The farm produced flowers for commercial sale until the McDonalds retired in the mid-1990s. The Huffords then expanded farm production to include organic vegetables. Today, Honopua Farm's organic vegetables and flowers are available at the Waimea Homestead Farmers' Market, local restaurants, and wholesale/retail outlets.

 The farm visit includes lunch with the Huffords. The Kohala Center designed "Cool Farms, Hot Lunches" as a way for participants to connect with one another, with cultural and scientific experts, and with Hawai‘i Island's natural, cultural, and spiritual landscapes.

 Future learning events are "Agricultural Sustainability in Puanui Ahupua‘a: Past, Present, and Future" on August 22, and "Salt-making in the Ahupua‘a of Ka‘upulehu" on October 24.

 Space is limited; for reservations, visit www.kohalacenter.org and click on "Programs & Events" and "Current Events" or contact The Kohala Center at info@kohalacenter.org or 808-887-6411. Cost is $25 for The Kohala Center's Circle of Friends; $75 for nonmembers, which includes the event and Circle of Friends membership. To learn more about the Circle of Friends, visit www.kohalacenter.org, click on "Join Us" and "Become a Member."

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cool Farm, Hot Lunch: June 27 at Hamakua Springs Country Farms (guavabee.com)

A Store Closes With Few Words

Kona Natural Foods in the Keauhou Shopping Center

These would be shots that I'd normally delete from my camera because there's no hope of saving them even by cropping, resizing, increasing exposure, etc. I guess the owners of this store feel the same about this location. Aloha, to the Keauhou Kona Natural Food store.

Booklovers Meeting on July 21

The Kona Library Book Club meets July 21, 2009 at 11:00 AM on the lanai of the Kailua-Kona Library to discuss The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.  This is an allegorical novel that follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, on a journey to fulfill his personal legend.  Along the way he encounters a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. 

The story is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.  Universally admired, Coelho’s novel will inspire an audience of readers for generations to come.

Sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, Kona, new members are welcome and light refreshments will be served.  The Kona Library Book Club will not meet in August.  We will gather again September 15, 2009 to read The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga.

Book Covers: The Alchemist via The Chess Drum

Project Compassion

 

Photo: Courtesy of HuluWuwu on Etsy.

Sunday, July 12 from 4pm to 9pm

at Denny's in Kailua-Kona

Denny's will donate 20% of your dinner bill and 100% of your tips to

Baby Steps to Stronger Big Island Families

6,000+ babies…and counting. That’s how many Hawai’i Island infants have received an absolutely free newborn basket within 24 hours of birth at a Big Island hospital over the past 5 years. The newborn baskets, part of the “Baby Steps To Stronger Big Island Families” program, are meant to welcome infants into the world and provide research-based “tools” to help each child and his or her family receive the best possible start to family life.

Supported by grants, private donations and thousands of volunteer hours, the project started in December 2004 as a response to Mayor Harry Kim’s community driven “Kick ICE” initiative.

The community is invited for a delicious dinner between 4 and 9 p.m., Sunday, July 12, 2009 at Denny’s Restaurant in Kailua-Kona to support the newborn basket project through “Project Compassion,” a partnership between the Rotary Club of Kona, Denny’s and local charities to provide financial support to non-profit organizations working in the community.

Denny's will donate 20% of all dinner bills and 100% of all tips to “Baby Steps To Stronger Big Island Families” newborn basket project. The baskets most notably include a $30 Snugli (a front-pack baby carrier), which is very handy for carrying an infant hands-free. But, more than a nice thought or helpful convenience, the contents of the gift basket are based on research showing use of a Snugli promotes a caring, safe, bonded relationship between an infant and his or her family. These stronger first relationships significantly define and enhance a newborn’s relationships throughout life. Better relationships equate to higher self esteem, which experts agree help with making better choices throughout life.

Newborn baskets also include baby’s first book, useful information for new moms such as SIDS prevention, how to install car seats, and a comprehensive Resource Directory to help anxious new families connect with services in their community. “Newborn baskets have been a huge hit all over the island because they are such a lovely way for the community to celebrate the birth of a new child,” said Angela Thomas, who has led the project from its inception. “But presenting every new mom with a lovely gift is really just the tip of the iceberg. Because of solid research about the significant value of attachment to infant development, our project has been supported by many public and private partners – from KTA SuperStores to the Hawai’i State Legislature to Governor Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona to Kamehameha Schools and many more, including nearly a hundred volunteers who have spent more than 5,000 unpaid hours assembling baskets for our island’s three major hospitals.”

“Denny’s Restaurant and the Rotary Club of Kona, through “Project Compassion” are helping to keep these Snuglis and gift baskets being delivered to Big Island hospitals. You can help ensure that our Big Island babies thrive by dining at Denny’s on Sunday, July 12, between 4 and 9 p.m.,” Thomas said.

Waiting on customers during Denny’s “Project Compassion” dinners will be a cadre of VIP “wait help” including LAVA105FM’s Sherry Bracken, Susan Maddox of Friends of the Future and North Hawaii Rotary’s newly installed President, Family Support Services of West Hawai’i’s JoAnn Bishop Freed, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce’s Bill Sanborn and Vivian Landrum, PATCH’s Gail Judd, Hawaii Community Foundation’s Diane Chadwick and several surprise guests.

No reservations are needed for Denny’s “Project Compassion” dinner. For information about “Baby Steps To Stronger Big Island Families, call Angela Thomas (990-6754).

* * *
Editor’s Note: Data on the significance and value of “attachment” and bonding and the benefits of using a Snugli is available by calling Angela Thomas.

Press and Play: Kona Folks

PRESS

Do you recognize this woman? It's longtime Kona resident, Emily Gail, back in the days when she lived in Detroit. There's an engaging article written by Neil Rubin of the Detroit News about our Emily, who's now a realtor, radio broadcaster and community volunteer. Here's her LinkedIn profile.

PLAY

Kona Natural Soap Company is featured on Pacific Network TV's Travel Channel, Hawaii-born filmmaker Edgy Lee's latest project. Greg Colden takes you on a quick tour in this You Tube clip, and you'll find more on Pacific Network TV labeled "Kokoleka Lani Farm".

Good Press and Play for Kona, the Big Island and Hawaii.

Photo: Detroit News

Pelekane Bay Watershed Restoration Project Receives $2.69 Million

Tons of sediment are carried into Pelekane Bay with storm flows like this one in 2003. Credit: Carolyn Stewart.

The Kohala Watershed Partnership has received $2.69 million in federal funds through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) coastal restoration grant to improve the condition of the Pelekane Bay watershed on the leeward coast of Kohala Mountain, Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel K. Inouye and Senator Daniel K. Akaka announced yesterday.

The Pelekane Bay Watershed Restoration Project is one of two Hawai‘i habitat restoration projects selected for funding by NOAA through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NOAA received $167 million from the Act to jumpstart the nation’s economy. NOAA announced today the selection of 50 high quality, high priority projects to support more than 5,000 jobs and restore U.S. coasts on a grand scale. The Nature Conservancy also received funding for its Maunalua Bay Reef Restoration Project on Oahu. The projects were chosen from a pool of 814 proposals.

More than a dozen jobs will be created to implement the Pelekane Bay Watershed Restoration Project, which aims to restore the coral reef habitat of Pelekane Bay by reducing land-based sediment inputs into the nearshore environment.

“This project has been in the planning stages for more than a decade, envisioned by folks at the Mauna Kea Soil and Water Conservation District,” said Melora Purell, coordinator of the Kohala Watershed Partnership. “This stimulus grant makes it possible to actually implement these plans and make a difference by reducing the amount of soil that is being dumped into the bay every time there is a storm. The elders of Kawaihae tell stories of the bay when it was traditionally a sheltered place for young fish to grow and mature. By rehabilitating the mauka watershed through erosion control and planting native vegetation, the amount of soil being carried into the bay will be reduced. We expect that natural recovery can then occur, and coral recruitment will be possible.”

“This project will also provide economic assistance to our local community through the creation of jobs. It includes the employment and training of 14 new field personnel, who will gain skills in conservation work that can be applied to future restoration projects. The communities surrounding the watershed will also benefit from improved coastal habitats, fisheries, cultural sites, and tourism,” Purell said.

The funding will go toward the project’s goals of restoring 400 acres of native vegetation along 6 miles of stream corridors; restoring 100 critically-eroding sites (13 acres of erosion control fabric and grass plantings, 1,450 acres of watershed impacted) with at least 50 sediment check dams protecting four miles downstream of check dams; installing 100,000 native plants; and constructing 20 miles of goat-proof fencing to create 11,750 acres free of feral goats.

The designated area includes pastures, stream corridors, and remnant native dry forest owned by Queen Emma Land Company (6,600 acres) and State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (390 acres), all leased to Parker Ranch. These landowners and the lessee are founding partners in the Kohala Watershed Partnership, and have been working together on watershed management projects on Kohala Mountain for many years.

The grant specifies that work is to begin August 1 and be completed by December 2010. Detailed job information will be available within the next week at hawp.org/kohala.asp or by contacting Purell at 333-0976, by e-mail at coordinator@kohalawatershed.org, or in person at The Kohala Center, 65-1291A Kawaihae Road, Kamuela. Project personnel to be hired include field crew, field technicians, and an outreach coordinator.

The Kohala Watershed Partnership (KWP) is a voluntary coalition of private landowners and State land managers who joined together in 2003 to work across property boundaries to manage the forested watershed of Kohala Mountain and protect it from threats. Invasive alien plants, feral animals, and fire are the greatest threats to the watershed.

Landowners include Parker Ranch, Ponoholo Ranch, Queen Emma Land Co., Kohala Preserve Conservation Trust, Hawai‘i State Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, Hawai‘i State Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands, Laupahoehoe Nui LLC, Kahua Ranch and Kamehameha Schools. Associate partners include The Nature Conservancy and the Hawai‘i County Dept. of Water Supply.

The KWP works in partnership with The Kohala Center, a Hawai‘i Island-based nonprofit dedicated to environmental research and education that support a sustainable future for our island and the world.
To learn more about the project and KWP, visit hawp.org/kohala.asp or contact Purell, 333-0976.

For more information about NOAA Recovery Act projects, see http://www.noaa.gov/recovery/.

Related article: Hale O Kapuni in Pelekane Bay.

Holualoa Library Closes

From Friends of the Libraries Kona (FOLK):

Effective July 1, 2009, the Holualoa Public Library will temporarily close do to budget cuts.   This is not being called a permanent closure, but it is not known how many months or years it will take before reopening.  While this will be a loss to the Holualoa community, we encourage their patrons to visit the Kailua Kona and Kealakekua Public Libraries in the mean time.  Their hours of operation can be found here: http://www.librarieshawaii.org/locations/hours.htm

 We understand that sacrifices must be made to keep a balanced budget, but we feel it should not be at the expense of a community resource such as a public library.  A number of people have expressed their concerns over the closure and want to help.  The Friends of the Library of Hawaii suggest that letters should be sent to Governor Linda Lingle:

The Honorable Linda Lingle
Governor, State of Hawai`i
Executive Chambers
State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawai`i  96813

Phone: 808-586-0034
Fax: 808-586-0006
e-mail: governor.lingle@hawaii.gov

 Friends of the Libraries Kona will continue to support all three Kona Public Libraries. We all hope that Holualoa will open its doors soon and no more public libraries will have to close.

 
 

 West Hawaii Today article on the closure of Holualoa Public Library:
 http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/articles/2009/07/01/local/local03.txt

UPDATE: Honolulu Advertiser, July 2. Hawaii libraries brace for 20% cut in budget, may close branches.

Photo: Lauren Lemon (Flickr)

Keahuolu Village Planning Workshop

Tuesday, July 7
5pm to 8pm

Discovery Room, Royal Kona Resort

Forest City Hawaii, in partnership with the State of Hawaii, invites the public to participate in an evening workshop to gather community input on its master-planned affordable housing project.

Keahuolu Village, in its planning stages, is a 272-acre mixed use community between Palani Road and Kealakehe Parkway.

The workshop will begin with a description of the project, and identify the opportunities and constraints of the site. The project team will then lead workshop participants in an interactive discussion. Participants will be asked to envision how this project can thrive as an asset that contributes to their community.

Forest City Hawaii encourages interested community members to attend to help build the vision and set the foundation for the mixed-use community of Keahuolu Village.

This workshop will be held pursuant to the applicable requirements of Hawaii Revised Statutes, chapters 201H and 205, Section 15-15-97, Hawaii Administrative Rules, and the Kona Community Development Plan (Ordinance No. 08 131).

Refreshments will be served and parking validated.

Illustration: Artist Rendering of housing units at Kamakana Villages of Keahuolu via Hawaii.gov

Celebrate the Fourth of July

We're gearing up for a fabulous Fourth of July Weekend and thought we'd start listing the celebrations around the island. Send in your additions through the comment section or contact Barbara@guavabee.com. Also check back here for any updates.

Annual Parker Ranch Independence Weekend Rodeo. Friday, July 3, 9am to 12 noon. Parker Ranch Rodeo Arena. Online tickets and event information...

4th of July Rodeo in Ka'u. Ka'u Roping & Riding Association, Inc. puts on this annual event at the Naalehu Arena grounds in Ka'u. The organization is dedicated to preserving Paniolo culture in Ka'u. It features team roping, poo wai u, and many more events. For more information call (808) 929-9281.

4th of July Volcano Pottery Sale. July 4 and 5, 10am to 4pm. Volcano Garden Arts Gallery and Cafe. Directions and information...

Great Waikoloa Rubber Duckie Race and 4th of July Extravaganza. 10am to 9:30pm, Waikoloa Bowl at Queen's Gardens. Schedule of Events...

July 4th Turtle Independence Day Celebration. 10:30am to 12 noon, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows. More details...

Kailua-Kona Community Parade. The Rotary Club of Kona presents the 14th Annual Kailua-Kona Independence Day Parade, Saturday, July 4, 2009, starting at 5:30 p.m. The parade begins at the Kona Kekua’okalani Gym parking lot, down Palani Road to Alii Drive where it will end at the Coconut Grove Marketplace. More information...

4th of July Celebration at Coconut Grove Marketplace. 5:00 to 10:00pm. Red Light Taxi, Skateboarders, Children's Activities and more..

DIY? Do It Yourself Celebration? Here are some firework rules and tips from the Mayor: Firework Permits.

Photo: Andy Beal