American Legion Kona Post 20 meets at 6:30 p.m. today in the Teshima’s Restaurant meeting hall.
Lawson speaking
to American Legion
American Legion Kona Post 20 meets at 6:30 p.m. today in the Teshima’s Restaurant meeting hall.
The guest speaker is Gretchen Lawson from Arc of Kona. Lawson will address all veterans and their families regarding nonprofit Arc of Kona capabilities. The organization provides services to those who are living with disabilities, including veterans, skills training to employment assistance and an employment network.
All veterans and their families are invited to attend the monthly meeting. A $14 buffet dinner is served at 7 p.m.
For reservations or more information, call Kalani Hamm at 329-7274 or 936-8033 or Antonio Gaspar 345-5478 or 329-8791.
Micro-farming
loans coming to Waimea region
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement has made commitments to deliver micro-farming loans to 10 families on Hawaii Island. The loans, with monthly payments of less than $100 per month, will assist families in purchasing materials to build greenhouses to grow food for subsistence and potentially for commercial sale. The families are enrolled in a Farming for the Working Class program created by the Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders Association and homestead farmer Mike Hodson of WOW Farms.
The organization was able to develop a microloan program for entrepreneurs through an investment partnership with Bank of Hawaii, under a three-year commitment of funding for loans that spur economic development and business.
The Farming for the Working Class program consists of families in the Waimea region that have homestead farming land allotments under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and want to start up a farming operation. The program includes agricultural training, fiscal management and the full participation in constructing a greenhouse to begin growing product.
“Families are trained, hands-on, to not only build the greenhouse but to work the greenhouse through every stage of seeding, planting and harvesting,” said Hodson. “This project is about not giving up on the potential of farming in Hawaii and about growing new farmers in our region.”
Families will close on their microloans in September, and enter the Farming for Working Class program shortly thereafter.
The Waimea Hawaiian Homestead Association is a member of the Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly and is lead by Hodson.
CNHA is a Hawaii-based nonprofit serving a network of more than 150 organizations across the state and nation. Its mission is to enhance the well-being of Hawaii through the cultural, economic and community development of Native Hawaiians. For more information about other CNHA services, visit hawaiiancouncil.org.
Pesticide use workshop planned in Waimea
The Waimea Risk Management School series continues with a pesticide spray coverage workshop scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Waimea Civic Center conference room, 67-5189 Kamamalu Road. Participants should bring their pesticide card for 2.0 RUP Continuing Education Training Credits.
The workshop will cover the basics of pesticide application; methods or equipment for spraying pesticides; basic components of the spray equipment; nozzles, nozzle specifications, nozzle types and components of specialized nozzles; and factors that affect pesticide efficacy, spray coverage and spray rates.
Registration is due Sept. 18. Call Perci or Evann at 887-6183 to register or for more information.
Aloha Quilters
meets Saturday
The monthly meeting of Aloha Quilters of Kona begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Wallace Hall on the grounds of Christ Church Episcopal in Kealakekua. The program will be presentation of Habitat for Humanity quilts.
The organization is composed of quilters working in both traditional and Hawaiian styles. The group meets informally on the third Saturday of each month to share old and new ideas and techniques and to promote the art of quilting in the community. New members, novice quilters or “old hands” are welcome.
For more information, call Eileen 328-8027 or Lana 329-3723.
Maunakea Skies presentation slated Saturday at Imiloa
Glen Petitpas will present “Beyond the Eyeball: Come see what you are missing,” a Maunakea Skies program set to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at Imiloa Astronomy Center.
As it turns out, many of the nearby reflection nebulae and dusty spiral arms in distant galaxies that often grace the covers of astronomy magazines are actually acting to obscure some of the more fascinating astrophysical phenomena, such as the birth of stars and massive black holes.
Petitpas, an astronomer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Submillimeter Array, will demonstrate how optical light can only contribute to a small portion of scientists’ understanding of the universe and show several examples of how telescopes operating at wavelengths invisible to the human eye can peer deeper into regions completely obscured at optical wavelengths.
Additionally, Peter Michaud of Gemini Observatory will provide observational highlights of the current night sky over Hawaii in the planetarium.
The event cost is $5 for individual, dual, kupuna and family members; $3 for patron members and free for silver, gold and corporate members. Nonmembers pay $8. Purchase tickets at the Imiloa front desk or by calling 969-9703.
For more information, visit imiloahawaii.org.