Hawaii County Democratic Party holds convention
The Hawaii County Democratic Party’s 2015 convention will be held in the Honokaa High School cafeteria Saturday beginning with registration at 8 a.m., which is open to those who are interested in the Democratic Party.
A legislative update from elected officials will follow a brief election. A second panel will demonstrate the roles played by federal, state and county governments and how they strive to work together to resolve transportation, environmental and disaster response issues. A panel on electrical supply issues will follow. The final panel will deal with Hawaii Island agriculture.
A continental breakfast and full lunch will be provided. Visit hawaiicountydemocrats.org and click the 2015 convention link to register. Cost is $15 for online registration or $35 at the door. Cash or checks will be accepted.
Women invited to building blitz
Women are invited to help address the need for affordable housing throughout the community during Habitat for Humanity’s eighth annual National Women Build Week. Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii is one of more than 300 Habitat affiliates nationwide hosting Women Build projects with support from Lowe’s, Habitat’s longtime partner in the event.
The kick-off is May 2, when local volunteers will work at Habitat’s affordable workforce housing project at Kamakoa Nui, located in Waikoloa. Volunteers will be working on two new homes at Kamakoa Nui, finishing Tyvek house wrapping, installing windows, exterior trim work and paint prep such as caulking. This project allows Habitat to offer both a new home as well as the land on which it sits for the first time.
National Women Build Week, held May 2 to 10, challenges women to devote at least one day to building simple, decent and affordable housing in their communities. More than 62,000 women from all 50 states have volunteered in previous years.
Lowe’s and Habitat invite men and women across America to help make the dream of homeownership a reality for a family in their community — no construction skills are necessary. To volunteer or donate to this project, call 331-8010 or email Bridgette@habitatwesthawaii.org. For more information on National Women Build Week, visit habitat.org/wb.
Honokaa library hosts family law program
“Know Your Legal Rights: Divorce, Paternity and Custody Law,” a free informational program for parents and married couples interested in legal information about family law, will be presented at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Honokaa Public Library.
Ramona Herlihy, an AmeriCorps member of the Hilo Legal Aid office, will provide a general overview of the divorce, paternity and custody law. Herlihy will introduce participants to the Access to Justice interactive forms and legal information available online. She will also share information about other helpful agencies. A question-and-answer session will be included.
This program is the second of the “Know Your Legal Rights” series conducted statewide by the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii at 10 public libraries through an Access to Justice grant. The Hawaii State Judiciary, State Justice Institute, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and the Hawaii State Public Library System are sponsoring this one-hour program.
Contact the library as soon as possible if a sign language interpreter or other special accommodation is needed. The program schedule is subject to change.
Honokaa Public Library is located at 45-3380 Mamane St., Building 3. For more information, call the library at 775-8881.
Kupuna Singles Club meets Monday
Kupuna Singles Club meets for dinner at 4 p.m. Monday at Big Island Grill.
Call 408-781-2091 for more information and reservations.
Cancer group meets Tuesday
A cancer group meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Teshima’s restaurant in Honalo. Those newly diagnosed with cancer and cancer survivors are welcome, as well as interested caregivers and supportive family members.
For more information, call Shirley at 323-2732.
Read Aloud Program planned at Kailua-Kona Public Library
Friends of the Libraries, Kona is hosting a free family Read Aloud Program from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kailua-Kona Public Library.
Registration is from 4:30 to 5 p.m. in front of the library. Guest speaker Ann Marie Muramoto, a.k.a. the tooth fairy, will discuss how to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
For more information, email folk@folkhawaii.com or visit folkhawaii.com.
New app provides emergency info
The American Red Cross has released a new Emergency App, which gives people instant access to weather alerts, life-saving information and ways to contact family and friends in one free, easy-to-use app for mobile devices.
This all-inclusive app provides expert advice on what to do in case of disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, home fires, wildfires and more. The free Emergency App is available in app stores for smartphones and tablets by searching for the American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/apps.
“When an emergency occurs, it’s important for families to stay safe and connected,” said Coralie Chun Matayoshi, CEO of the Hawaii Red Cross. “Our Emergency App does that. It covers 14 different types of disasters and lets users customize more than 35 emergency alerts so that they will know what to do no matter where they live or travel.”
“Family Safe” is a new, unique feature that allows the app user to notify loved ones who are in an area affected by an emergency or disaster. The recipient can instantly see the alert details as well as specific “what to do now” steps, and then respond with either “I’m safe” or “I’m not safe.” This feature works even if the recipient has not downloaded the Emergency App.
The Emergency App has many features, including:
— Emergency first aid information for situations such as heart attacks, heat-related emergencies as well as water safety information;
— Preloaded content so users can access guidance from Red Cross experts even without mobile connectivity;
— A single map with open Red Cross shelter locations and weather information;
— A home fire section with detailed prevention and safety tips as well as Red Cross “After the Fire” information;
— A “Make a Plan” feature to help families plan what to do and where to go if a disaster strikes; and
— The ability to easily toggle between English and Spanish.
In addition to smartphones and tablets, this feature will be available on the new Apple Watch and can be downloaded from the Apple Watch App Store starting Friday.