New solid waste facility rules to be discussed
The County of Hawaii Department of Environmental Management will hold an informational meeting today to discuss new Administrative Rules that were made for the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill and East Hawaii Organics Facility.
The meeting will start at 5 p.m. and will be hosted at the West Hawaii Civic Center Community Hale in Kailua-Kona.
To view the rules, visit www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/environmental-management
AARP Hawaii forums to cover COVID-19 vaccine
AARP Hawaii is holding two lunch-time forums in March to connect kupuna with high-ranking state officials who can answer their questions about the COVID-19 vaccine in Hawaii.
Today, AARP Hawaii will hold a telephone town hall with Lt. Gov. Josh Green and Ron Balajadia, the head of the state Department of Health’s Immunization Branch. On March 23, a Zoom webinar will be held with with Hawaii Adjutant Gen. Kenneth Hara and a panel of Department of Health officials to answer questions about Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, the COVID-19 vaccine and other aspects of the state’s COVID-19 response.
Both forums will start at noon and will be simulcast on Facebook Live on the AARP Hawaii Facebook page. A toll-free telephone line has also been set up for those without Internet access to participate in the Telephone Town Hall. Those without internet access can call in for today’s Telephone Town Hall at (833) 305-0175 at noon. To register for the March 23 Zoom webinar, visit www.aarp.cvent.com/hivaccine3-23.
Young American Creative Art Contest entries sought
The VFW Auxiliary’s Young American Creative Art Contest recognizes artists in grades nine through 12. The competition was established in 1979 with the aim of encouraging patriotism among youth.
This year, the VFW Auxiliary Post 12122-sponsored Young American Creative Patriotic Contest will offer 10 National awards totaling $31,500. Entries must be received by March 31.
For more information, visit www.vfwauxiliary.org/resources. For entry submissions, contact JoAn Hill at (808) 769-2154.
Nominees sought for Maunakea working group
Nominees are being sought for the newly created Working Group to Develop Recommendations for a Governance and Management Structure for Maunakea.
The state House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 33 convening the working group that will include seven members who are Native Hawaiian to be nominated by Native Hawaiian groups, organizations, or communities to be appointed by the Speaker of the House. Special consideration will be given to nominees from Hawaii Island.
Native Hawaiian groups, organizations, or communities can submit nominations by completing the Maunakea working group nomination form, which is available at https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/2021MaunaKeaResoNomination.pdf and emailing it to MaunaKeaWG@capitol.hawaii.gov by April 5.
“This is an opportunity to lay the foundation for a better future for Maunakea. Maunakea can be a source of pride for Hawaii Island and our state. We need to listen to our community, especially the Native Hawaiian voices, to improve how we manage the mountain going forward,” said North Kona/South and North Kohala Rep. David A. Tarnas, who chairs the House Committee on Water and Land.
Waimea Solar System Walk returns March 15
W.M. Keck Observatory will hold its annual Waimea Solar System Walk via a self-guided, socially distanced walk through Waimea.
The Waimea Solar System Walk, which follows the length of Ala Ohia Street, will run March 15 through April 15, according to the observatory. It’s geared toward students in third through fifth grades.
Instead of traditional booths, each object in the solar system will be represented with a sidewalk decal. Each decal includes an image of the object and a QR code. The code leads to a video created by Maunakea Observatory staff members describing the object in English and Hawaiian.
The final QR takes our planetary explorers to a prize form. The first 100 keiki to complete the walk are eligible to receive a prize pack full of stickers, bookmarks and other cool prizes in the mail.
For more information, visit www.bit.ly/waimeasolarsystemwalk.
Section 8 waiting list reopens March 15
The County of Hawaii will begin accepting applications for its Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) waiting list starting 9 a.m., March 15, and continuing through 4 p.m., April 30.
Applications must be completed and submitted electronically through the Office of Housing and Community Development’s online application portal, accessible with any computer or smartphone with internet access at www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/office-of-housing.
The housing choice voucher program is the federal government’s major program for assisting very-low income families, the elderly, and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Federal funds are received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the county to administer the voucher program.
Applications will be accepted by referral only for specific funding criteria through the U.S. Veterans Administration for the HUD-VASH program; Continuum of Care-Coordinated Entry System for homeless families; the Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Services Branch for homeless youth under age 25, and other approved third party agencies.
Eligibility is determined by the OHCD based on the total gross income and family size. Assistance is limited to US citizens and specified categories of noncitizens who have eligible immigration status. In general, the family’s income may not exceed 50% of the median income for Hawaii County, which is $75,200. By law, the OHCD must provide 75% of its vouchers to applicants whose incomes do not exceed 30% of the area median income.
Due to limited funding availability, only 200 applicants will be selected using a lottery system and ordered by local preference and lottery number.
There is no cost to apply. One application per family, per waiting list allowed. No hardcopy applications will be provided at the agency, except for persons with disabilities that limits the ability to access the on-line application process. Contact the OHCD at (808) 959-4642 to request a reasonable accommodation.
HWLF accepting grant applications
The Hawaii Women’s Legal Foundation (HWLF) is accepting applications for its 2021 grant program from organizations and projects that help to improve the legal status and welfare of women and children in Hawaii. HWLF considers grant applications twice a year in April and October. The deadline for receipt of grant applications for consideration this cycle April 2.
HWLF typically awards “micro” grants in amounts ranging from $500 to $5,000. The primary criteria in considering funding applications include: (1) improving women and children’s access to the legal system; (2) reducing child abuse; (3) reducing domestic violence; (4) reducing sexual abuse; (5) increasing financial independence; and (6) improving women and children’s health, education and welfare.
Recent grant recipients include the Women of Waianae, The Children’s Law Project of Hawaii, Family Promise of Hawaii, Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center, West Hawaii Mediation Center, Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Oahu, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The Legal Clinic.
Grant applications are available online at www.hwlf.org/grants or by email to Dianne Brookins, Esq., at dianne.brookins@dentons.com or to Zale Okazaki, Esq. at zale.okazaki@hawadvocate.com. Submission of completed applications by email is preferred. For more information, call Zale Okazaki at (808) 537-6119 or Dianne Brookins at (808) 524-1800.
