About Town | 9-1-15

Activities planned at VFW Post

Activities planned at VFW Post

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12112 is located behind Kona Locksmith off Kaiwi Street. The following events will be conducted this week:

The Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Free coffee is served starting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Veterans are invited to meet for camaraderie with others who have served honorably.

Thursday will be the grand opening of Privateers Cove with food service from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A $5 onion burger dinner with salad and dessert will be served on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Daily lunch will continue to be served at the post from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. by Privateers Cove Catering at $10 for a multiple choice stirfry and a soda.

For more information, call Don Zero at 509-879-1040.

Farmers market plans rummage sale

The Hawaiian Home-steaders Farmers Market will be having a first Saturday rummage sale this weekend. The market is located at mile marker 54 in Waimea and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday.

Queen Liliuokalani races adds events

The 2015 Queen Liliuokalani Long Distance Outrigger Canoe Races welcomes more than 2,500 outrigger canoe paddlers this week for its signature 18-mile long distance race, the world’s largest long distance outrigger canoe race.

Kai Opua Canoe Club will host crews from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Tahiti, United Kingdom and an estimated 75 crews from the U.S. Hawaii will be represented with multiple crews and more than 60 Big Island crews are also expected on the starting line.

Other official race events unfold throughout the weekend including Historic Kailua Village Cultural Walk, Paddling Talk Story, Native Artist Fair, Torchlight Parade, Stand-up Paddleboard Race, Alii Challenge and new this year, Hulakai OC4 (four-person canoes) Sprint Relay Race.

Historic Kailua Village Cultural Walk is held from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday and is led by noted historian Hannah Kihalani Springer. This is a free event. Meet on the beach at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.

Also on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be the Queen Liliuokalani Cultural Fair at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Artisans and cultural practitioners will lead demonstrations and provide hands-on learning opportunities for a variety of traditional Hawaiian crafts.

The Hulakai OC4 Sprint Relay Race begins at 3 p.m. Thursday at Kailua Pier.

An informal talk with some of outrigger canoe racing’s best and most well-loved paddlers begins at 4 p.m. Friday on the makai lawn at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.

Waa kaukahi (single hull canoes) races on Saturday begin with the 7:30 a.m. women’s start in Kailua Bay and the men start at 11:45 a.m. in Honaunau Bay.

The torchlight parade through Kailua Village starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Participants meet at Hale Halawai. The parade winds its way through the village, ending at Kailua Pier.

On Sunday at 7:30 a.m. at Kailua Pier will be the teen (single hull canoes), followed at 8:30 a.m. by the waa kaulua (double hull canoes) ; 9 a.m. OC1 (one person) &OC2 races (two person) races and the stand-up paddleboard race.

Alii Challenge, a single hull canoe race, begins at 9 a.m. Monday at Kailua Pier.

Motorcycle scavenger hunt to benefit veterans

Vietnam Vets Legacy Vets Motorcycle Club will hold its third annual Scavenger Hunt on Monday. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. at Big Island Harley Davidson in Kailua-Kona with a $15 entrance fee for single rider and $25 per couple on the same bike.

A party at the finish of the ride will be from 3 to 7 p.m. at Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club at Honokohau Harbor. Gourmet tacos with side dishes will be served with live music provided. There will be door prizes, a raffle and a grand prize of a half-day charter for six people.

Proceeds will support Vietnam Vets Legacy Vets and programs, with a portion going to the Kona Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12122.

For more information, call Voodoo at 937-9639 or Don Zero at 509-879-1040.

Kona Elks celebrating 35th anniversary

The Kona Elks will celebrate its 35th anniversary on Sunday, opening at noon with a prime rib meal served at 2:30 p.m. Special guest will be Don Schultz, president of the California Hawaii Elks Association, and his first lady, Shirley. Live music will be by Freddy &Friends, from 1 to 4 p.m. Charter members are urged to attend this gala event. The cost is $25 per person and guests are welcome.

Reservations are required by noon Saturday. Call the lodge at 329-2616 or for more information, call Joe Reynolds at 334-0077.

Group to honor officer of the year

The Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s Officer of the Year luncheon will be held at 11:45 a.m. Sept. 9 at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.

The Kona Crime Prevention Committee honors a Hawaii Police Department officer every month for their outstanding performance in the line of duty. They are Carrie Akina, Dustin Chaves, Coley Rowe, Ellsworth Fontes, Justin Gasper, Marlin Hopson, Bradden Kimura, Chandler Nacino, Wyattlane Nahale, Joseph Picadura, and Reuben Pukahi. Each of these Officers of the Month is eligible to participate in the Officer of the Year selection and will be introduced at the luncheon.

The keynote speaker will be Third Circuit’s Administrative Chief Judge Ronald Ibarra who will focus his talk on his experiences as a judge.

Members of the community have donated gifts or sponsorship for these officers every month and for this event. Donations are welcomed.

The Officer of the Year Luncheon is $35 and reservations must be made with Liz Holey lholey@hawaii.rr.com or phone 443-7708 by Monday.

Learning disabilities conference planned

Interactive entertainment, developmental learning activities provided by specialists and early childhood screenings for children ages 2 through 5 will highlight the KID ZONE at the 2015 Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii Traveling Mini-Conference in West Hawaii.

The event will be from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Kano o ka Aina Learning Center in Waimea and is free and open to all families. Registration is required and can be completed by calling 800-533-9684 or emailing Rosie Rowe at rrowe@LDAHawaii.org. For more information, visit ldahawaii.org.

The conference is an opportunity for families to learn more about resources and services available to help their children with or at risk of disabilities. KID ZONE will include age-appropriate activities and comprehensive child care for siblings so parents of children with disabilities, students with disabilities and educators can attend informational sessions and workshops.

The conference, themed “Building Bridges, Not Walls,” will cover a wide range of topics, including: helping parents to understand their child’s needs; building skills to enable parents to effectively participate in the planning process for their children; improving parents’ understanding of their rights and protections under the law; and building partnerships between parents, family members, professionals, schools and community providers to best meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities.