The pristine beach at the Mauna Kea Hotel. (Victoria McKinney/Community Contributor)

Clouds light up from the setting sun at Manini Beach. (Keoni Williamson/Community Contributor)

43 Hawaii, Kauai schools land grants

For a recipe with a handful of ingredients, pasta with shellfish is awfully hard to get right.

This week, I celebrate a big birthday. It’s one of those significant years, requiring a look back at the life you’ve led, and forward to the what the future holds. The only way to properly toast the day is with sparkling wine. From every corner of the world, produced in classic or more modern methods, and ranging in price from inexpensive to extraordinarily pricey, sparkling wines and champagne are the go-to options for celebrations. Here are a few to consider, all available throughout Hawaii Island.

Local student graduates Tulane University

KAILUA-KONA — Whitney Steele’s love of aquaculture is just a small part of her life. In addition to the ponds, fish and water plants she enjoys working with, she recently purchased a landscaping business and gave birth to her second child. Despite an activity overload, Whitney has an ebullient nature and wears a constant and sincere smile.

West Hawaii is having bumper crops of mango, banana and papaya this summer, but volcanic eruptions in Puna have destroyed more than homes. They have also destroyed valuable farmlands. Some of the main crops affected are fruit crops like mango, banana, citrus and especially papaya. Some major ornamental plant nurseries have also been destroyed. You will probably notice the lack of Puna papaya at the market due to Kilauea’s effect and this could affect production for some time.