About Town: 5-16-17

Learn about higher education at Palamanui

Carrie Kuwada Phipps, educational specialist for the University Center, will showcase all programs offered through the new Palamanui campus, including certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, post-graduate certificates, master’s and doctorate degrees, and noncredit offerings.

The event is scheduled for 2:30-4:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Kailua-Kona Public Library.

She will also share about Palamanui’s free upcoming workshops and offer on-site help with the fall 2017 online application process.

Hawaii Community College – Palamanui and the University Center, West Hawaii at Palamanui have been up and running since August 2015 and recently held their second commencement ceremony.

Info: Phipps, 969-8808.

West Hawaii County Band plans free concert

The West Hawaii County Band presents “Merry May,” a free concert at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Hale Halawai. The band will present an hour of concert band music selected from the band’s extensive repertoire, which includes marches, classic band music, film scores, jazz tunes and Hawaiian traditional tunes.

Info: http://bit.ly/whcbpr2017g or www.westhawaiiband.com.

AdvoCats plans general meeting

AdvoCats will hold its general meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday at Kona Vistas community center on Pualani Street off of Lako Street.

AdvoCats is a Hawaii County endorsed nonprofit trap-neuter-return organization. On the agenda is the organization’s upcoming clinics in Kona and Ocean View and how to better serve the community by providing free spay and neutering for cats.

AdvoCats is seeking help in controlling the population of homeless cats by trapping and bringing the cats to one of the monthly clinics. Those with cats to be trapped, spayed or neutered and returned or those who want to volunteer or donate can call 327-3724, advocatshawaii@aol or www.advocatshawaii.org. People can also bring ink cartridges in for recycling or donate their HI-5 proceeds to the organization.

More than 19,000 cats have been spayed or neutered since 1999.

Classical guitarist performs at library

Kailua-Kona Public Library hosts a live performance by Cheyene Womack from 2-3 p.m. Saturday.

The classical guitar performance features works by Bach and Vivaldi as well as original works by Womack. Sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, Kona, the program is free.

Info: 327-4327.

Bezona to discuss Hawaii Land Trust and forests

Norman Bezona will share his extensive knowledge about the Hawaii Land Trust and the importance of forests to the Hawaiian ecosystem. The talk is from 10-11 a.m. Saturday at Kailua-Kona Public Library.

Norm preserves nature and interesting species that grow in the cloud forest and conducts educational tours of his Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary.

Sponsored by Friends of the Libraries, Kona with the Community Seed Library, the program is free.

Info: 327-4327.

Charity walk raises $300K

The Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association’s (HLTA) 39th Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk for Hawaii Island Saturday at Waikoloa Resort’s Queens’ MarketPlace raised nearly $300,000 from thousands of walkers and runners who gathered to raise funds, along with island businesses, to benefit dozens of island nonprofit organizations.

“We are so grateful to all the HLTA member hotels and businesses and the many sponsors and volunteers who stepped forward to make this event so successful,” shared event co-chairman Steve Yannarell who is also general manager at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort.

Walkers and runners enjoyed food booths, games and prizes throughout the morning. The prize for the best food booth in the hotel division, utilizing Big Island tomatoes highlighting the theme of “It’s all about the food,” was Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows. Romano’s Macaroni Grille snatched the individual restaurant division prize.

Since the charity walk began in 1974 more than $30 million has been raised.