Parks department seeks teachers for West Hawaii area
The Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation is accepting applications from individuals interested in conducting instructional classes and workshops in the West Hawaii area. The department is seeking instructors in various cultural specialties such as hula, folk dancing, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, cooking, photography, lei making, flower arranging, arts and crafts, the performing arts and natural sciences.
Recreation educators require a minimum of education and experience substantially equivalent to graduation from high school and one year of experience in the specialized activity to be taught.
For more information, contact the Culture and Education Office at 961-8706.
Gubernatorial candidates face off again Tuesday
The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce will host a governor and lieutenant governor forum from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Kealakehe High School cafeteria. It is free and open to the public.
The forum will begin with questions for lieutenant governor candidates Clayton Hee (D) and Elwin Ahu (R) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., front-runner Democratic candidates Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Sen. David Ige will take the stage.
The forum is sponsored by the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Kohala Coast Resort Association, Hawaii Island Realtors, West Hawaii Association of Realtors and West Hawaii Today. Call the chamber at 329-1758 or email tinfo@kona-kohala.com for more information.
Statewide cupping competition results announced
The Hawaii Coffee Association celebrated its 19th annual conference and sixth annual statewide cupping competition July 18 through 20 at Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay.
The association divided more than 82 entries assembled from across the state into two categories, creative and commercial. Qualifying for the commercial division means that at least 1,000 pounds of the entered coffee is available for sale as of April 15.
In the creative division, four of the top 10 coffees hailed from Ka‘u, including the top two: Alii Hawaiian Hula Hands Coffee earned a score of 88.7 out of a possible 100; followed by FL Farm of Wood Valley with a score of 88.5
In the commercial division, five of the top 10 coffees were grown in Kona with Aloha Hills Kona Coffee and Maui Grown Coffee tying for the top spot with a score of 87.3. The second spot went to Kona’s Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation earning a score of 87.0.
The Hawaii Coffee Association also presented awards to the highest scoring coffees entered from each of the eight growing districts from across the state. These include Hamakua, Hawaii, Ka‘u, Kauai, Kona, Maui, Oahu and Molokai.
One Heart Farm of Hamakua was the finest coffee sampled from that district, while Hilo Coffee Mill received top honors in the Hawaii district tallying a score of 87.2. Kauai Coffee Co. captured the top spot for that origin and Kona Mountain Coffee was judged as the premier entry from Kona with a score of 87.4. The award for the highest scoring coffee from Maui was Keokea Farms with its organic entry of Typica, Kent and Caturra varietals with a score of 88.4.
Coffee cupping is a combination of art and science where coffees are evaluated and scored based on subtle characteristics, including flavor, aroma, mouth-feel, acidity, sweetness and aftertaste.
Complete results can be found at hawaiicoffeeassoc.org.
Rotary Club meets Wednesday
Kei-Lin Cerf, executive director of the Hualalai Ohana Foundation, will be the speaker at the Kona Sunrise Rotary meeting Wednesday. Cerf will discuss the Lifeplan Youth Mentoring program at Kealakehe High School.
The Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise meets from 6:45 to 7:45 a.m. every Wednesday at Humpy’s in Coconut Grove Marketplace. Breakfast is $11 per person. The public is welcome to attend.
For more information, call Mike May at 756-5565 or email miketransworld@hawaii.rr.com.
Monsters at keiki story time event in Keauhou
Kona Stories bookstore and the American Association of University Women will host a story time at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Keauhou Shopping Center. This month’s story time will feature guest author Mike Austin. His new book, “Monsters Love School,” will be the theme. There will be snacks and crafts to represent this theme. This event is best suited for children ages 3 to 7.
There is a $5 participation fee to cover crafts and snacks. Space is limited to 24 children and reservations are required. Check in is 10 minutes early at Kona Stories bookstore.
For more information or to reserve a space, call 324-0350.
National parks celebrating Hawaiian Flag Day
Five national parks on Hawaii Island and Maui will simultaneously commemorate the first national holiday in Hawaii, La Hae Hawaii (Hawaiian Flag Day) Thursday. The event is free, but entrance fees apply at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park and Haleakala National Park.
Hawaii celebrated its first national holiday July 31, 1843, when the Kingdom of Hawaii was restored by Great Britain. Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli, proclaimed, “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono,” the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. That famous proclamation is perpetuated today as the state motto.
Join the unified commemoration of La Hae Hawaii from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and Haleakala National Park. The ceremonies include bamboo trumpet demonstrations, guest speakers, and the honoring of the 1816 flag of Kamehameha I.
On July 26, 1990, then-Gov. John Waihee signed a proclamation making every July 31 Hawaiian Flag Day, and urged Hawaii citizens “to observe due respect for the flag and the proud tradition for which it stands.” That same year, Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site started an annual tradition of celebrating La Hae Hawaii (Hawaiian Flag Day), and is one of three sites in the state where the Hawaiian state flag is permitted to fly independent of the American flag. Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park also began commemorating La Hae Hawaii in 2010.