Women’s group sponsors luncheon
Women are invited to attend a luncheon featuring guest speaker Trina Pockett of Northern California, discussing “Hope in the Hard Times.” The luncheon is from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at Anna’s Ranch in Waimea.
The luncheon is sponsored by Kona Women’s Connection, an outreach of Stonecroft Ministries International. Pockett is Stonecroft’s western area director.
The cost for the luncheon is $12, with an additional $5 for the optional home tour. Reservations are required. Call Anita at 896-0832 by Friday.
Anna’s Ranch is located at 65-1480 Kawaihae Road, Waimea.
Students serving breakfasts, lunches
Students in the Culinary Arts Department at Hawaii Community College West Hawaii are serving breakfast and lunch this semester.
Breakfast is served from 9 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday, except Feb. 21 and March 6, at the school. No reservations are required, and carry-out is welcome. The cost is $6 per person.
First-year students are studying American regional cuisine and will serve a lunch featuring Tex Mex items Wednesday. The second-year students are basing their Friday lunches on fine dining/classical cuisine dishes.
Lunches are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are $18 per person. Reservations will be taken beginning at 8 a.m. Monday the week of the luncheon. Call 322-4850. Changes or cancellations should be made at last 48 hours ahead of time. Tips are welcome.
Schedule and pricing are subject to change.
Kealakehe Project Grad planners meet Tuesday
Kealakehe High Project Grad Committee meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Kealakehe High School conference room on the north side of the school library.
All interested parents of any grade, relatives and community supporters who want to help with the 2012 event scheduled for May 19 are encouraged to attend.
Kealakehe Project Grad is an annual event providing a safe location for graduating seniors of Kealakehe High School and West Hawaii Explorations Academy to celebrate with their friends and enjoy an all-night, alcohol- and drug-free event. Since the inception of Project Grad 10 years ago, Kealakehe High has not had any traffic-related fatalities on graduation night.
For more information, contact Monica Balanay at 896-1866.
Daughters, Calabash Cousins to meet
The next meeting for the Daughters of Hawaii and Calabash Cousins will be at 1 p.m. Thursday on the lawn at Hulihee Palace on Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona. The meeting will have the theme of “Chinese New Year.” Information of upcoming activities and events will be discussed. Music and refreshments are planned. The next field trip will be Feb. 21.
Guests and potential members are welcome. Membership includes men, also.
For information about membership and more, call Bettina Linke at 324-7062, Lale Kam at 329-4050 or Sabine Andresen at 324-0179.
Whale tale poster now available
The nonprofit Hawaii Marine Mammal Consortium has released a glossy, full-color art poster of humpback whale tail fluke photographs. The poster illustrates the beauty of humpback whale flukes and how scientists use them to study whales.
Like human fingerprints, the shape, color and markings on the tail flukes of humpback whales are unique to each whale. The poster shows 56 photographs of 53 different whales with a built-in “fluke matching” quiz to identify three whales that appear twice in the photos. The answers can be found at hmmc.org.
Sightings of individually identified whales over the years help scientists to describe their social behavior, migrations and life histories. The above website shows information about the sighting history of each whale and links to pages about whale biology and behavior. All photographs were taken under a NOAA Fisheries Scientific Research Permit.
Copies of the poster are available at select locations on Hawaii Island, including Hawaii Ocean Sports and The Gallery at Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi. It is also available by mail through the consortium’s website. The purchase of the poster is tax deductible, and proceeds will directly support the consortium’s whale and dolphin research in Hawaii.
The consortium is a Waimea-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by four biologists who first met while conducting whale research for the University of Hawaii on the Big Island in the early 1990s.
Center announces spring classes
Registration is currently under way for the spring 2012 Lifelong Learning program at the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s North Hawaii Education and Research Center in Honokaa.
The program, now in its sixth year, is offering various classes reflecting the needs of the community, including an American Sign Language series. Another class expected to attract interest is Couponing, which has become the latest market trend. Brandi Baji, the founder of Hilo Coupon Moms, will teach Couponing Levels 1 and 2 in Hilo, Honokaa and Kona.
Basic and Advanced Grant Writing classes will be held in Kona. The basic class teaches participants about the grant writing process, how to write a compelling statement of need and learn what funders are looking for in grant proposals. The advanced class teaches fine-tuning grant writing skills and getting an edge over the competition. Instructor Jeani Navarro has more than 30 years of grant writing experience and has helped various community organizations secure needed funding.
Advanced registration is required and space is limited. To register or for more information, call 775-8890. For class details, visit hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/nherc/NHERCNon-Credit.php.
DOE needs parents to complete survey
The state Department of Education is encouraging parents to complete a survey to help schools set priorities for improving programs and services.
Beginning in February, schools will mail or ask students to bring the surveys home. Parents whose children are enrolled in grades four, five, seven through nine and 11 will be asked to complete the survey and return it to the school in a prepaid envelope no later than March 30.
“Parental feedback is critical for schools and complex areas to measure the effectiveness of their programs, refine services and make adjustments to meet the needs of all students,” said Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi.
Survey results offer schools data on everything ranging from parent satisfaction with course offerings, support services and availability to discuss their child’s progress to whether students feel safe and are meeting their goals. Teachers and students from the selected grades will fill out separate surveys at school. School personnel also will be asked to complete similar surveys.
Individual survey responses are confidential. Overall survey results for each school should be available at the schools by the end of the academic year. The reports will also be posted at arch.k12.hi.us.
Questions about the survey may be emailed to sqs@notes.k12.hi.us. Parents may also call toll-free at (855) 276-5801 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Mauna Kea soil, water group to meet
The Mauna Kea Soil and Water Conservation District meets from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Waimea Civic Center in Waimea.
Anyone who requires an accommodation or auxiliary aid or services, including sign language, an interpreter or large print, to attend the meeting should call Margaret Fowler at 885-6602, ext. 100.