The new library computers for viewing the Legislative webcasts are provided by Hawaii’s Access for All Grant through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and leveraged with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online funds. Matching funds are provided by the Friends of the Library of Hawaii, the Omidyar Ohana Fund, through the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the Alexander and Baldwin Foundation.
Retired military meeting Saturday
The Big Island Retired Military Association meets Saturday at Banjy’s Paradise Bar and Grill, which is located on the golf course in Waikoloa. Everyone will order their own lunch off the menu. The meeting and program begins at 12:30 p.m. Members are urged to arrive earlier for lunch. The restaurant opens at 11 a.m.
The featured speaker will be Dave Faucette, who will give a presentation on landscape restoration and related topics. Faucette is contracted to look after Marine assets at Pohakuloa Training Area. Over the years, he has participated in studies on dust abatement, depleted uranium and landscape restoration. He has a master’s degree in forest resources management from the University of British Columbia.
All retired members of the military services and their spouses residing on the Big Island are eligible for membership and are invited to attend. Guests of members are welcome.
For more information or directions to the meeting, contact Neal or Marilyn Herbert at 935-1946.
Kupuna singles plan dinner, theater visit
Kona Kupuna Singles Club meets for dinner at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Ocean Seafood in King Kamehameha Mall on Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona. For more information or reservations, call 326-1288.
Members also plan to attend the live performance of “Oklahoma!” at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Aloha Theatre in Kainaliu. Dinner follows at Mi’s. Call 329-0882 for more information and to reserve tickets by Feb. 22.
Culinary students serving lunches
Students in the Culinary Arts Department at Hawaii Community College West Hawaii are serving lunches this semester.
First-year students are studying American regional cuisine and will serve a lunch based on Alaskan food Wednesday for $18 per person.
The second-year students will offer a team buffet Friday. The cost is $20 per person.
Lunches are served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reservations will be taken beginning at 8 a.m. Monday the week of the luncheon. Call 322-4850. Changes or cancellations should be made at least 48 hours ahead of time. Tips are welcome. Schedule and pricing are subject to change.
Kona Camera Club hosts guest speaker
The Kona Camera Club meets Thursday at the West Hawaii Civic Center in Building G. The doors open at 6 p.m., and the meeting begins at 6:30.
Guest speaker Paul Clark will talk about how to choose a low-cost publisher to print a personal photo book. Visitors are welcome.
Directions to the meeting site can be found on the club website at konacameraclub.com or by calling Rick Decker at 325-2000.
UH-Hilo alumni event honors six on Friday
The University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Alumni and Friends Association invites the public to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of its alumni and supporters at the 12th annual Distinguished Alumni and Service Awards Banquet beginning at 5 p.m. Friday in the Campus Center Dining Room. Tickets are $75 per person or $600 for a table of eight.
This year’s Distinguished Alumni recipients are Gary Hara, Hawaii National Guard brigadier general; Dennis O’Brien, E.B. de Silva Elementary School principal; Gladys Sonomura, community volunteer; and Ross Wilson, principal, Current Events.
Distinguished Service honorees are Dr. Miyoko Sugano, professor emeritus, and Jimmy Yagi, basketball coach.
The event also features a silent auction to raise scholarship funds.
For reservations or more information, call the Marketing and Alumni Office at 974-7501 or 974-7643.
Grow Hawaii Fest slated for weekend
The Bishop Museum’s native plant arboretum, the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden, will host the eighth annual Grow Hawaiian weekend Friday and Saturday. This free event is a celebration of Hawaiian culture and natural history, and attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy hands-on activities, displays, live entertainment and Hawaiian food.
A highlight this year will be the dedication of the garden’s new visitor center during the festival’s opening ceremony, featuring remarks from Danny Akaka Jr., community leader, cultural expert and Bishop Museum board member, and Blair D. Collis, Bishop Museum president and CEO.
From noon to 4 p.m. Friday, the public is invited to join garden staff, taro experts Jerry Konanui, Kanae Keawe and Daniel Anthony and local school children in kui kalo, or poi pounding. Boards, stones and cooked taro will be available for guests to try their hand at one of the most traditional culinary arts of Hawaii.
From 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, there will be presentations on botanical gardens, poi making and taro cultivation, as well as storytelling sessions and demonstrations of ipu gourd decorating, kapa making, lauhala weaving, woodworking, lei making and Hawaiian dyes.
The garden will dedicate its new visitor center from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday. The center was built with state support and will feature a gift shop, restrooms, paved parking and a native plants landscape.
“Everyone is invited to join in this special celebration for a long awaited improvement that has resulted from the hard work of so many,” said Greenwell Manager Peter Van Dyke.
For more information, call 323-3318 or email agg@bishopmuseum.org. Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden is located 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona on Highway 11, just south of mile marker 110.
Legislative webcasts available at libraries
The Hawaii State Public Library System (HSPLS) and the Hawaii State Capitol have formed a partnership to provide webcasting of legislative hearings, meetings and sessions at public libraries statewide. Now residents will have the opportunity to see how the Legislature conducts its business at the Capitol building via streaming video.
“We have been working with the legislators and their staffs for more than a year to provide this service and have implemented the technology pieces necessary to provide this service for our patrons, their constituents,” said state Librarian Richard Burns.
During the Legislative session, walk-in patrons may visit their local library and access the Legislature’s proceedings through designated Legislative Webcast computers. These computers will have a one-hearing time limit and are muted so patrons should bring their own headphones.
Patrons can select from either House or Senate streaming webcasts and watch the Legislative hearings, meetings and sessions. Two or more people may view the webcasts at the same time if space permits.
Patrons should place a reservation in advance to view the Legislative webcasts. Patrons without library cards may also view the webcasts. They should contact library staff for assistance.
The new library computers for viewing the Legislative webcasts are provided by Hawaii’s Access for All Grant through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and leveraged with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online funds. Matching funds are provided by the Friends of the Library of Hawaii, the Omidyar Ohana Fund, through the Hawaii Community Foundation, and the Alexander and Baldwin Foundation.