Kokua Kailua scheduled Sunday
Kokua Kailua is scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday in Kailua Village. During the event, Alii Drive becomes a pedestrian-only walkway where more than 100 district merchants, artists and artisans exhibit and sell unique merchandise, gift items, original art and crafts.
Free Hawaiian entertainment and hula begins at 4 p.m. on the Hulihee Palace lawn.
Kokua Kailua has been held monthly since 2009 and is sponsored by the Kailua Village Business Improvement District, Destination Kona Coast, Kailua Village Merchants Association, Hulihee Palace, West Hawaii Today and Pacific Radio Group. The program is designed to rally support for merchants and restaurants and to remind residents to shop, dine and buy local.
Fruit growers meeting includes film showing
West Hawaii chapter of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the University of Hawaii Experiment Station in Kainaliu across from Aloha Theatre. Nonmembers are welcome to attend.
The meeting will feature special showing of “The Fruit Hunters.” The movie won grand prize in the Paris Film Festival. Executive Director Ken Love, who was featured in the movie with Bill Pullman and others, who will answer questions following the showing. Space is limited and nonmembers are asked to donate.
All attending are encouraged to bring fruit for sampling and talk story.
For more information, contact Brian Lievens at 895-8753 or greenwizard@hawaii.rr.com or Love at 323-2417 or kenlove@hawaiiantel.net.
Police plan Ka‘u community meeting
The Hawaii Police Department will hold a community meeting at noon Tuesday at the Naalehu Community Center.
The purpose of the meeting is to allow the public to meet the police department’s command staff and to discuss concerns with the police chief and commanders who oversee police operations in the Ka‘u District.
To aid police commanders in focusing on specific concerns, it is requested that participation be limited to persons who live or work in the Ka‘u District.
Those interested in participating but unable to attend may call Capt. Burt Shimabukuro at 939-2520, stop by the Ka‘u police station in Naalehu or email their concerns or comments to copsysop@hawaiipolice.com.
Dipert completes basic training
Air Force Airman Tanner N. Dipert graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Dipert is the son of Steven Dipert of Pahoa.
He is a 2013 graduate of Pahoa High School.
Flores-Oishi graduates from basic training
Air Force Airman First Class Kirk L. Flores-Oishi graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Flores-Oishi is the son of Colette Flores-Oishi and Kirk Flores Sr. of Hilo.
He is a 2013 graduate of Waiakea High School.
Mahi-Lyons completes Air Force basic training
Air Force Airman Shanasty Mahi-Lyons graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Mahi-Lyons is the son of Shelton Mahi of Hilo.
He is a 2012 graduate of Kamehameha Schools in Keaau.
Volunteers clean up Kealakekua Bay shoreline
In support of the annual West Hawaii Community Beach Cleanup sponsored by Big Island Waveriders Against Drugs, Hawaii Wildlife Fund partnered with Kona Boys and Hawaii State Parks to host a shoreline cleanup at Kawaaloa Landing at the Captain Cook Monument March 1. Trails were cleared and rubbish was collected for four hours by 29 people. The helping hands were from many parts of the island and from as far away as Kansas and France. Most volunteers paddled across Kealakekua Bay on kayaks provided by Kona Boys, and four hiked in to help. The bulk of the morning’s effort was spent removing non-native vegetation, such as kiawe and puncture vine, from along the trails.
To learn more about regular beach cleanups on Hawaii and Maui email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com or visit wildhawaii.org. To learn more about the annual West Hawaii Community Beach Cleanup, email Jeff Fear at dadwouldgo@yahoo.com.
Kimuras named Living Treasures
Art Kimura and his wife, Rene, were recognized as 2014 Living Treasures of Hawaii recently at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.
Created by the Honpa Hongwani Mission of Hawaii in 1976, the Living Treasures of Hawaii program annually honors individuals who demonstrate continuous growth in their field, have made significant contributions toward a more humane and fraternal society, and have shown an ongoing striving for excellence and a high level of accomplishment.
Art Kimura is a Hilo High School class of 1962 graduate. He was formerly a biology teacher at McKinley High School, served as vice principal at Keaau Elementary and Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary schools. He also retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Hawaii Air National Guard.
Both Art and Rene Kimura are educational specialists with the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium, University of Hawaii and they coordinate the Future Flight Hawaii program. They also helped initiate the Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Science Day and the Astronaut Lacy Veach Day of Discovery, and have been instrumental in the initiation of scholastic robotics in Hawaii. They also initiated a global exchange program which sends Hawaii students and teachers annually to the Japan Super Science Fair in Kyoto, Japan.
Art Kimura represented Hawaii in the NASA Teacher in Space Project and has received recognition as a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, the Civil Air Patrol national Crown Circle Award, the Air Force Association Christa McAuliffe Award, and Biology Teacher of the Year. Rene received the national Women in Aerospace Educator Award after being nominated by Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan. The couple has earned several additional awards and honors.