Puuhonua o Honaunau hosts programs
Ben Kauhane Heloca will share the traditional art of kapa making during a free demonstration from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park.
Ancient Hawaiians made their kapa, or cloth, out of the wauke plant, a canoe plant brought from Polynesia. The inner bark from the wauke plant is stripped and beaten to create the kapa. Designs, color and decorations were sometimes added during the process.
Kumu Hulali will hold an ulana lauhala, or pandanus leaf weaving, workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday in a halau on the park’s royal grounds.
Participants will learn how to choose, clean, dethorn and prepare a leaf, then create an item to take home. The workshop is limited to 10 participants, though others may observe.
Ancient Hawaiians considered the puhala, or pandanus, the most useful of the trees growing on the islands. They used every part of the plant, including roots, bark, flowers, fruit and seeds.
Bring lunch and water. A lunch break is planned from noon to 1 p.m.
Entrance to the national park is $5 per vehicle and $3 per person for walk-ins.
IRS offers
holiday tax tips
December is a month for giving generously to charities, friends and family. This “Season of Giving” can also make a major impact on tax returns filed in the new year. The IRS offers the following advice:
c Itemized charitable deductions must be received by a qualified charity by Dec. 31. Ask the charity about its tax-exempt status or visit irs.gov and use the “Exempt Organizations Select Check” tool to see if it qualifies. Any donation charged to a credit card by Dec. 31 is deductible for 2012, regardless of when the bill is paid. A gift by check also counts for 2012 if it is mailed in December. Gifts to individuals are not deductible.
c Cash contributions and the fair market value of most property donated to a qualified charity can generally be deducted. Rules vary by category of donated property.
c Keep records of all donations, regardless of the amount, to claim a deduction. This may include a canceled check, bank or credit card statement or payroll deduction record. The charity may also provide a written statement including the charity’s name, contribution date and amount.
c Don’t make major purchases based solely on the expectation of receiving a tax refund before the bills arrive. Many factors can impact the timing of a tax refund.
“Publication 526, Charitable Contributions” has more information. The booklet is available on irs.gov or by mail by calling (800) TAX-FORM.
ILOA joins pioneering moon mission
The International Lunar Observatory Association in Waimea is dedicated to the mission of advancing human understanding of the cosmos through astrophysical observation from the moon. Its ultimate goal is to help facilitate regular human activity and habitation of our nearest celestial neighbor. With this goal in mind, ILOA has joined the Golden Spike Co. in its pioneering initiative.
With four active lunar missions and its Galaxy Forum education program, ILOA is a leader in the fields of observation and astronomy from the moon. These missions will allow the ILOA team the opportunity to observe the galaxy, local lunar environment and Earth with various wavelengths and from various lunar locations.
ILO-1, the original ILOA mission, will see a multifunctional 2-meter dish observatory placed near the moon’s south pole. The mission will conduct radio astronomy and commercial communications, while serving as a beacon for lunar base buildout.
ILOA is teaming with Google Lunar XPrize Team Moon Express on a precursor mission known as ILO-X. ILOA will place an optical telescope on the team’s lunar lander for the scheduled 2014 mission.
In September, ILOA signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences allowing ILOA scientists to conduct galaxy observations with the UV telescope set to fly on the Chang’e-3 lunar lander in 2013.
Galaxy Forum is currently active in Asia, North America, Europe, Africa and Hawaii. The forums connect researchers and local educators to help bring galactic consciousness into classrooms.