About Town 01-20-18

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Free homeownership seminar offered

To help uncertain homebuyers become happy homeowners, Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union is hosting a free educational seminar, “Realizing the Dream of Homeownership.”

It will be 9:30-11:30 a.m. Jan. 27 at HCFCU’s Kaloko Facility in the John Y. Iwane Credit Union Center Training Room, 73-5611 Olowalu Street, Kailua-Kona. The free seminar will be presented by Michael McCray, counselor and coach for the Hawaii HomeOwnership Center.

Attendees will receive important information that will help them understand the ABC’s of homeownership and support their homeownership goals. RSVP needed.

To register: 930-7700, marketing@hicommfcu.com, or ask an HCFCU employee.

Big Island dominates Youth and Government Program

Two delegations from the Big Island — Ka’u and Hawaii Prep — attended the YMCA of Honolulu Youth and Government program where middle and high school students draft and prepare mock legislation on state issues that they are passionate about. This past weekend, the teens started the conference with an opening session at the State Capitol where they were complimented on their maturity regarding the missile threat mistake that occurred statewide on Jan. 13.

With 50 teens participating in the program this year, the Ka’u delegation celebrated its third year in the program and was the largest delegation this year with 19 students which included seventeen high school students and two middle school students. Hawaii Prep started their delegation last year and attended this year’s conference with four delegates.

In the conference, numerous bills were passed by the youth legislature and signed by Youth Governor Tevita Hifo. The bills and resolutions that were passed will be sent to Gov. David Ige where it will then be read. In addition, the two delegations together claimed all awards. The Bill of the Year award was awarded to delegates from Hawaii Prep — Sara Kimura and Violet Stevenson — in which they hope to implement a peer mentoring program at every high school.

Each chamber – the Senate and the House of Representatives awarded Rookie and Veteran Legislator of the Year awards. In the Senate, Anna Schroedel of the HPA delegation claimed the Rookie Legislator of the Year award, while Brennen Nishimura of the Ka’u delegation claimed the Veteran Legislator of the Year award. In the House of Representatives, Revis Petitt and Hayden Hanshew, who are both from the Ka’u delegation, claimed the Rookie Legislator of the Year award and the Veteran Legislator of the Year award, respectively. Rowlie John Flores of the Ka’u delegation also gave the opening ceremony keynote speech in which he talked about overcoming stereotypes and the importance of the Youth and Government program to him.