About Town 2-1

Waikoloa Lions event needs entrants, vendors

The Waikoloa Lions Club is hosting its “Island Fever” car show Feb. 18 at Waikoloa Elementary School. The club is looking for entrants and vendor food and craft booths to participate.

The car show will be open to the public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Lions expect more than 100 of the island’s classic, vintage, hot rod and custom cars and trucks to be on display. The vehicles will be judged and awarded trophies in several categories.

There will be prizes, drawings and T-shirts for sale. The event will feature live music, craft booths and food.

This is a fundraiser for the Waikoloa Lions Club and proceeds will go to help with the many community events and programs it supports.

For show information and vehicle entries, contact Don at 883-1501 or donraye@prodigy.net. For vendor food and craft booths, contact Sue at 989-0215 or sue.mccord@gmail.com.

Scout Sunday slated at Kona Hongwanji

Cub Scouts Pack No. 12 is sponsoring a “Scout Sunday” celebration on Sunday at the Kona Hongwanji Mission Temple in Kealakekua. The pack is celebrating more than 100 years of the Scouting movement. The guest speaker will be Command Sgt. Maj. Craig Ynigues Sr. of the Hawaii Army National Guard, Kealakekua Armory.

Light refreshments will be served prior to the service from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Services start at 9 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

For more information about attending, call Glenn Hirowatari at 322-2278.

Choy poke contest set for March 18

Hawaii’s favorite pupu gets its due at the first Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest on March 18 at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa. The inaugural culinary competition offers more than $10,000 in cash and prizes and is open to both amateur and professional chefs.

Poke is the Hawaiian word for “slice.” The local-style pupu (appetizer) consists of marinated, fresh local fish that’s raw, seared or cooked.

Spearheaded by celebrity chef Choy, the contest celebrates locally sourced seafood with competition in four divisions. Culinary fun encourages the creative use of seaweed, seeds, herbs, spices, nuts, marinades, tofu, fruit, vegetables and seasonings.

Entry deadline is Feb. 28 and contest details are posted on Facebook at Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest.

Contest-related activities start at 10 a.m. and include a Hawaii Island marketplace with fresh fish sales, guest cooking demonstrations and a presentation on sustainable aquaculture by Guy Toyama of Friends of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. Poke contest judging starts 10 a.m. with an awards ceremony and tasting open to the public at 11:30 a.m. Admission to all activities is $3 at the door with children 12 and younger admitted and proceeds benefit the future culinary instruction facilities at Hawaii Community College-Palamanui.

A TV host, cookbook author and founder of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Choy put poke on the culinary map with his many preparations. The award-winning restaurateur remembers the first poke contest in the early 1990s. “It was held under a tent up in Kamuela and there were only a handful of entrants,” he recalls. “Today there are two dozen contests across the country.”

Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest is part of Keauhou Resort’s annual Kamehameha III celebration March 16 to 18 that commemorates the Keauhou-born king, Lani Kauikeaouli.

Other weekend festivities include:

— free Daughters of Hawaii Tribute at 10 a.m. March 16 at Keauhou Bay,

— free Puana Ke Iki Lecture titled “1893 Executive Agreements & Impacts Today” by Dr. David Keanu Sai at 5:30 p.m. March 16 at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa,

— Keauhou Canoe Club’s Kuuipo Race HIPA Series Race on March 17 at Keauhou Bay and

— Free 12th annual Kamehameha III “Lani Kauikeaouli” Concert from 5 to 10 p.m. March 17 on the lawn at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa.

Sam Choy’s Keauhou Poke Contest is sponsored by Keauhou Resort, Kamehameha Schools, Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort Spa, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai and Aloha Shoyu.

Final Paahana Legacy class is today

Waimea Middle School’s final Paahana Legacy class spotlighting “Treasures in Our Backyard” is scheduled for 3:45 to 5 p.m. today.

The fourth and final class will feature four Hawaiian wahine who are class facilitator Kuulei Keakealani’s personal “treasures” and heroes. These women live paahana and are each products of longtime Waimea ohana who are links from then to now. They will share their stories and honor the people who influenced and instilled a work ethic and values rarely heard of today, and practiced by even fewer. They are Maile Ann (Daniels) Zupnik, Lan (Bannister) Lindsey, Val (Hui) Hanohano and Marla Fergestrom. Zupnik has offered her backyard as the meeting spot.

Participants should meet in the Waimea Middle School parking lot by the school office no later than 3:45 p.m. and caravan to the site of the class to experience the same lessons students are studying to fulfill social studies’ spatial geography classes. There is no charge, and no reservation is required. Participants should wear comfortable closed shoes and bring a jacket.

For more information, email Pua Case at Pua_Case@notes.k12.hi.us or call Patti Cook at 937-2833.

Waimea meeting focuses on saving energy

Waimea Community Association’s monthly town meeting beginning at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the Waimea School cafeteria will be dedicated almost entirely to a workshop presented by Helen Wai on behalf of Hawaii Energy to help save consumers money. It’s entirely free, and no specific products or services are being sold.

The educational workshop is ratepayer-funded under the direction of the Public Utilities Commission. Each household attending will receive a free Advance Power Strip, valued at about $40 retail. Participants will also learn about rebates when purchasing energy-saving appliances, lighting and water heating.

All are welcome to attend. Donations are urged for Waimea food pantries — preferably checks or cash to enable pantry staff to purchase fresh fruit, vegetables and other essentials for families in need. Hot coffee is provided by Starbucks-Waimea. Donations are welcome for the coffee and are given to the food pantry.

For more information, call Sherman Warner at 885-1725.