Free tax prep service offered
Waimea AARP Tax Aide, in conjunction with IRS, will provide free tax preparation services for 2021 tax returns on Fridays through April 8 at the Waimea Community Center across Habitat for Humanity Restore. The same-day drop-off service is for families with low- to moderate-income, with priority given to seniors. AARP membership is not required.
Appointments from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. must be made by calling (808) 885-4722 or (808) 388-6645. Clients wishing to obtain the Intake Sheet in advance of the appointment may pick up a packet on Fridays during operating hours at Waimea Community Center or at Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library.
Mask wearing and social distancing guidelines will be implemented.
Whale counts underway
Eighty-seven trained site leaders gathered data from the shores of Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii islands during the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Ocean Count and from Maui during the Great Whale Count by Pacific Whale Foundation, the first of three coordinated whale counts between the two organizations in 2022.
Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the sanctuary and Pacific Whale Foundation are running modified programs without the normal participation of volunteers. Instead, each site is monitored by trained site leaders working individually or as a couple.
This is the fourth year that both counts are coordinated on the same days, ensuring the data from all the main Hawaiian Islands are collected simultaneously.
Site leaders collected data from 45 sites across all the main Hawaiian Islands on Saturday. A total of 278 whale sightings were seen during the 9 to 9:15 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.
On the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, and Kauai, Ocean Count site leaders collected data from 33 sites; a total of 163 whale sightings were seen during the 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.
On Maui, Great Whale Count site leaders collected data from 12 sites during 15-minute intervals between 8:30 and 11:45 a.m. A total of 122 whale sightings were seen during the 9 to 9:15 a.m. time period, the most of any time period throughout the day’s count.
Across the main Hawaiian Islands, the average weather conditions were ideal for viewing whales with sunny skies, calm seas and light winds. A variety of other species were also spotted during the count including honu (green sea turtles), naiʻa (spinner dolphins) and multiple seabird species such as ʻiwa (great frigatebird), moli (laysan albatross) and more.
Ocean Count promotes public awareness about humpback whales, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and shore-based whale watching opportunities. Site leaders tally humpback whale sightings and document the animals’ surface behavior during the survey, which provides a snapshot of humpback whale activity from the shorelines