The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce presents the ninth annual Building & Design Expo Friday through Sunday at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay. The event is open to the public from 5 to 8 p.m. today and includes a no-host bar and musical performance by Randy Ressler from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission all three days is free for attendees. The expo sprawls both inside and out of the convention center.
Home exposition
opens tonight
The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce presents the ninth annual Building & Design Expo Friday through Sunday at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay. The event is open to the public from 5 to 8 p.m. today and includes a no-host bar and musical performance by Randy Ressler from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission all three days is free for attendees. The expo sprawls both inside and out of the convention center.
More than 50 exhibits featuring home design, construction and remodel ideas including home decorating; roofing and decking; flooring and window treatments; kitchen and baths; and solar products are displayed. Vendor booths offer products, services and information relating to the building and improvement of homes, apartments and condos. Chef Ivan of Lustre Craft Cookware will offer cooking demonstrations on the stage throughout the expo and a tropical plant sale will take place in the foyer.
For more information, visit kona-kohala.com or call 329-1758.
Conference focuses
on growing organics
“Growing Organics: Moving Hawaii’s Organic Industry Forward” will be held from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. The event features presentations, workshops and opportunities for attendees to provide input on how to strengthen Hawaii’s organic foods industry.
The conference is part of a one-year study being conducted by The Kohala Center on behalf of the state Department of Agriculture to determine what barriers Hawaii’s organic food producers, distributors, retailers and consumers face, and recommend solutions to improve certification processes, local production, distribution and sales.
Scott Enright, state DOA deputy director, will deliver a keynote address at the start of the conference. The Organic Industry Advisory Group will then present its preliminary recommendations and encourage input from event attendees in order to refine the recommendations.
Derek Kurisu, KTA Superstores executive vice president, is the featured speaker at the event’s luncheon. Following the luncheon, a series of workshops will be conducted, covering topics such as organic certification, food safety, developing a legislative agenda for the organic industry, and defining the roles and responsibilities of an independent industry association. One session will feature produce and product buyers from Hawaii retailers, providing attendees an opportunity to network with local buyers and distributors to learn more about their requirements.
Both the keynote address and the advisory group’s presentation are free and open to the public, although advance registration online is requested. Admission to the luncheon is $30 per person, and admission to the workshops is $20 per person. Attendees can register for both the luncheon and workshops for $45.
More information and registration are available at laulimacenter.org/growingorganics.html or by calling The Kohala Center at 887-6411.
South Kohala planning group meets Monday
The South Kohala Community Development Plan Action Committee meets at 5 p.m. Monday at the Hokuloa United Church of Christ, 69-1600 Puako Beach Drive. The agenda will include discussions of changes in the county General Plan, a report of the Hawaii Congress of Planning Officials Conference, subcommittee reports and a proposal to forward a recommendation in opposition to County Council Communication 343, Resolution 140-13 to accept the easement request by Kohala Kai LLC. The public will have opportunities to give testimony at the beginning and ending of the meeting.
The committee has vacancies and those who might be interested in volunteering should contact Deanne E. Bugado at the county Planning Department at 323-4770.