About Town | 7-15-15

Kona Historical Society announces online auction fundraiser

Kona Historical Society is auctioning off a number of unique items, including a Hawaiian tree saddle, art, activities, dining, accommodations, jewelry, antiques and collectibles to raise money for its programs and projects.

The online auction can be found at biddingforgood.com/konahistorical. Bidding closes at 7 p.m. July 26.

Last year’s auction raised close to $50,000.

Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers meets Monday

The West Hawaii chapter of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at 81-6393 Mamalahoa Highway about a half mile south of Konawaena Elementary School road on the makai side.

Nonmembers are welcome. Brian Lievens and Ken Love will discuss and answer questions on different irrigation techniques and tools. All attending are encouraged to bring fruit for sampling and to talk story.

For more information, contact Brian Lievens, President West Hawaii Chapter at 895-8753 or greenwizard@hawaii.rr.com or Ken Love, executive director at 323-2417 or kenlove@hawaiiantel.net.

VFW announces weekly schedule

VFW Post 12112, behind Kona Locksmith off Kaiwi Street, announces its weekly schedule.

Free coffee will be served to veterans at 9 a.m. today. The American Legion will assemble at 3:30 for a 4 p.m. meeting.

Pizza and salad will be served starting at 4 p.m. Friday for $5.

VFW Ladies Auxiliary will hold its monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Saturday’s steak dinner is sold out.

For more information, contact Don Zero at 509-879-1040.

Boys &Girls Club receives grant for wellness program

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs awarded Boys &Girls Club of the Big Island a $230,000 grant over two years for Hua Ola Project. Meaning “Seeds of Health” and “Wellness Results,” the Hua Ola Project is designed to build knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits leading to lifelong healthy lifestyles for young project participants. The project will focus on fitness and nutrition programs that increasing fitness and long-term health and wellness. Specific program components will include Hawaiian culture based gardening, enhanced physical activities, family events and education.

For more information, call 961-5536.

Walmart Foundation awards grant to Kohala Center, more applications being accepted

The Kohala Center’s FoodCorps Hawaii has received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s Hawaii State Giving Council. The grant will help fund the FoodCorps Hawaii’s Healthy Food, Healthy Children initiative that addresses childhood obesity and food insecurity in underserved communities in 12 schools on Hawaii Island, Oahu and Molokai during the 2015-16 school year.

The grants are made through the Walmart Foundation’s Hawaii State Giving Council Program, which provides grants, based on recommendations from the State Giving Program’s Advisory Council. The Walmart Foundation has an Advisory Council in each state, made up of Walmart associates representing local communities.

Other Hawaii nonprofits are encouraged to apply for the final cycle of the 2015 Hawaii State Giving Council’s grants through Friday. The minimum grant amount is $25,000.

Interested grantee organizations must submit applications through the Walmart Foundation Hawaii State Giving Program’s online grant application. Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in order to meet the program’s minimum eligibility criteria.

Additional information is available at walmartfoundation.org/stategiving.

Rotary Means Business-Big Island is Thursday

Big Island Rotarians and their guests will meet for Rotary Means Business-Big Island from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday upstairs at Humpy’s Showroom.

Rotary Means Business-Big Island meets on the third Thursday each month for all Big Island Rotarians and their guests. Attendees fellowship, network and share about their clubs and businesses. Club announcement flyers, company brochures and business cards are encouraged.

For more information, contact Darlene Daboling at d.daboling@gmail.com or 443-4214 or visit rotarymeansbusiness.com.

Seminar addresses protecting assets from nursing home costs

Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union is offering free educational seminar titled “How To Protect Your Assets From Nursing Home Costs” to be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the John Y. Iwane Credit Union Center Training Room at the Kaloko facility.

The seminar will be presented by estate planning attorney Ethan Okura of Okura &Associates, who received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Columbia University School of Law in New York City as a Harlan Fiske Stone scholar.

According to Okura, if you are not a multi-millionaire, the greatest threat to your estate is not probate or estate taxes, it is nursing home costs. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found for those who are 65 years old or older, there is a 45 percent chance they will spend time in a nursing home with an average stay of 2.4 years. The State of Hawaii found that the average nursing home cost in Hawaii was $8,850 per month or $106,200 per year.

To register for this free seminar or for more information, contact the HCFCU call center at 930-7700 or marketing@hicommfcu.com. Seating is limited.

Workshop helps students write college essays

The College of Continuing Education and Community Service at the University of Hawaii at Hilo will conduct a one-day workshop entitled “Jumpstart Your College Application Essay,” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in UCB 113. The cost is $50.

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, a writer, speaker, activist and multicultural educator at the University of Michigan will conduct the course described as a college application essay boot camp. Students will employ timed writings and discussion to inventory their high school experiences, analyze various college application and scholarship essay questions, write a good first draft and discuss editing techniques.

Participants should bring a laptop, notebook, pen, and the application questions of the colleges and scholarships to which they want to apply.

For more information or to register, call The College of Continuing Education and Community Service at 974-7664 or email ccecs@hawaii.edu.