Coral reef ecology discussed at Puuhonua
Katryn Wiese, professor of geology and oceanography at City College of San Francisco, will speak during a Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park program in the park’s amphitheater at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Wiese’s topic is “Coral Reef Ecology — what are corals and how do we keep them healthy?” Wiese has 20 years of teaching experience and her career experience includes research in geochemistry in Australia and Hawaii, volcano research in Iceland, and research cruises on the mid-ocean ridge basalts.
For more information, contact Ranger Charles T. Hua at 328-2326, ext. 1241.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park announces June program schedule
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will host several Hawaiian culture and After Dark in the Park programs in June. All programs are free, but park entrance fees apply.
Tom Wilson, a lecturer of hazard and disaster management in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Canterbury, will discuss what he and his team of scientists have learned researching both short- and long-term ash impacts in New Zealand and the resiliency of rural and isolated communities to natural disasters. The talk is scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
Entertainer and songwriter Lito Arkangel will share his original compositions and other Hawaiian songs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. June 17 in the Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium.
“Silverswords and Lobeliads: Restoring Hawaii’s Marvels of Evolution” is planned from 7 to 8 p.m. June 23 in the Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium. Focusing on the Ka‘u silversword and Pele lobeliad as examples, Robert Robichaux, distinguished professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona and founder and president of the Board of Trustees of the Hawaiian Silversword Foundation, will discuss large-scale endangered plant reintroduction efforts on Hawaii Island.
Park rangers demonstrate how to make ti leaf lei from 10 a.m. to noon June 24 on the Kilauea Visitor Center lanai.
Kona Stories book clubs planned
The Kona Stories fiction book club will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss “Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt, winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The nonfiction book club will gather at 6 p.m. June 23 to discuss “Revolutionary Russia” by Orlando Figes. A travel book club will meet at 6:30 p.m. June 16 to review “Tracks” by Robyn Davidson, which has been made into a movie.
The fiction book club meets the second Tuesday of each month, the travel book club meets on the third Tuesday and the nonfiction group meets the fourth Tuesday at Kona Stories in Keauhou Shopping Center. Book clubs are free if the books are purchased at Kona Stories. Otherwise, cost is $5. Attendees may bring a pupu or beverage to share.
For more information, call Brenda or Joy at 324-0350.
Nacino named ‘Officer of the Month’
The Kona Crime Prevention Committee recognized Kona Patrol Officer Chandler Nacino as “Officer of the Month” for June in a luncheon ceremony Wednesday at Huggo’s restaurant in Kailua-Kona.
Nacino was honored for his investigation of gunshots being fired in Kailua-Kona last November.
On Nov. 18, Officer Nacion was traveling north on Kuakini Highway near Akoni Drive when he heard three gunshots in the vicinity.
He then learned that dispatch had received several reports of gunshots being fired in the area of Kamehameha Highway III, in the Keauhou Shopping Center and the Kona Country Club golf course. He began to investigate and discovered a bullet hole in a street sign. He and two other patrol officers checked a side street off Kaleiopapa Street, where they located a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. While approaching the truck, Nacino saw a rifle case in the truck’s bed. He had three men exit the truck and detected the odor of gunpowder. He observed a rifle, used bullet casings and a bullet magazine inside the truck.
The driver was arrested for drunken driving and a firearm offense and the investigation was routed to detectives. Detectives later found four additional bullet holes in the vicinity.
Sgt. David Araki, who nominated Nacino for the honor, called him very driven and determined.
“Due to the dedication that Officer Nacino demonstrated on the night of the shootings, I believe he prevented further destruction to property and possible loss of life,” Araki wrote in nomination papers. “We are fortunate that Officer Nacino patrols our streets and calls Kona his home.”
As “Officer of the Month,” Nacino is eligible to become “Officer of the Year.”
The Kona Crime Prevention Committee is an organization that encourages community involvement in aiding and supporting police in West Hawaii.
Camp Tarawa Detachment barbecue planned
The Camp Tarawa Detachment invites veterans, family members and interested individuals to its annual barbecue picnic from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Spencer Beach Park.
Attendees should bring a pupu, salad or dessert to share. The detachment will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, condiments, paper products, water and soda.
Make reservations by Wednesday by contacting Dale Ross at 322-2172 or daleross@hawaiiantel.net or Ze Shapiro at 896-2689 or alohaze@yahoo.com.