About Town | 11-29-14

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Hawaii Community Foundation awards grant to Full Life

Hawaii Community Foundation awards grant to Full Life

Full Life, a nonprofit founded in 2000 to support individuals with developmental disabilities, recently received a $20,000 grant from Hawaii Community Foundation’s Omidyar Ohana Fund and the Oscar L. and Ernestine H. Armstrong Advised Fund.

The grant will help Full Life continue its mission on Hawaii Island and will be used to improve staff training in teaching skills for the home, community and workplace and will also support Full Life programs that include personal assistance, employment supports and two adult day health programs – the Kona Learning Center and the Hoomohala Autism Center in Hilo.

Group 70 Foundation awards grants

The Group 70 Foundation, created in 2002 by employees of the design firm Group 70 International, awarded $65,000 to its 2014 grant recipients Nov. 10 in Honolulu.

Grant recipients were: After School All Stars Hawaii, Oahu and Hawaii Island; Aha Hui E Kala, Kauai; Hawaii Academy of Performing Arts, Oahu; Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic, statewide; Hawaii Forest Institute, statewide; Hawaii Institute of Pacific Agriculture, Hawaii Island; Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Oahu; Lahaina Arts Association, Maui; Ma Ka Hana Ka Ike Building Program, Maui; Malama Maunalua, Oahu, Malama Pupukea, Waimea, Oahu.

For a list of past grant recipients, visit group70foundation.com. For more information about Hawaii Community Foundation, visit hawaiicommunityfoundation.org.

Councilmembers to be inaugurated

Inaugural ceremonies will be held for newly elected members of the Hawaii County Council at noon Monday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo. The public is invited.

Judge Ronald Ibarra will administer the oath of office and Mayor Billy Kenoi will serve as keynote speaker.

Kona Stories Book Shop holds Words and Wine event

Area authors will present their work during the free, monthly Words and Wine event from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Kona Stories Book Shop in Keauhou Shopping Center. The talk features Robert Kalama Frutos, Susan Corpany and photographer William S. Chillingworth.

Frutos’ book, “Hawaii Sacred Sites of the Big Island”conveys the island as one of the most powerful and active sacred places on the planet.

In Corpany’s novel “Shaking Down Santa,” Lauren Baylor is still reeling from the loss of her husband in Afghanistan when she finds herself pursued romantically by two men wearing Santa suits.

Chillingworth is descended from Native Hawaiian planters and bird catchers whose ancestral home was in the ahupuaa of Kamaee on the Hamakua coast. He will present “Io Lani,” a collection of essays telling the story of the bird that was once the symbol of Hawaiian royalty that accompany his photographs.

For more information, call Brenda or Joy at 324-0350.

Prevent Suicide Task Force meeting planned

The Prevent Suicide West Hawaii Task Force will meet from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday in the West Hawaii Community Health Center conference room in Kailua-Kona. All may attend who have an interest in preventing suicide and a willingness to join this effort to keep family members and friends safe from the threat of suicide.

For more information, contact Nancy Sallee 333-8988.

Rotary Club of Kona Mauka matches memorial scholarship funds

The Rotary Club of Kona Mauka is providing matching funds for individuals and companies wishing to establish memorial scholarships for West Hawaii students. The organization provides all the administration required to ensure scholarship donations are tax deductible and meet IRS requirements.

Scholarship donations of $250, $500, $750 or $1,500 will be matched by the Rotary Club of Kona Mauka. Last year the club awarded $26,400 to students in West Hawaii. Contributions received by Dec. 31 will be eligible for tax deductions in 2014.

For more information, contact Rod Crisp at rod-crisp@hawaii.rr.com.

Volunteers sought to reforest Kohala

Volunteers 12 and older are sought to help reforest the Natural Area Reserve System at the Koaia Corridor in Kohala with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

This is an easy to moderate task along moderate grassy slopes. Participants should meet at 6:45 for a 7 a.m. departure Wednesday at the Division of Forestry and Wildlife parking lot in Hilo, 19 East Kawili St. If volunteers would like to meet at the work site or to register, contact Anya Tagawa at 443-4245 or atagawa@hawaii.edu.

Kailua-Kona Seniors to meet

The Kailua-Kona Seniors will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Hale Halawai. December birthdays will be celebrated and members will participate in board games.

For more information, call Billie at 315-8367 or Pat at 329-2424.

Qigong healing classes offered

Bu Xiaoping from China has joined the Kokolulu Farm and Retreats staff as the resident qigong healer and teacher for the next three months. Bu will be offering three talks entitled “Healing Yourself using Zhineng QiGong.” They will include description, demonstration and group practice of several exercises.

The classes are by donation and will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Kokolulu Farm and Retreats in Hawi. Call 889-9893 or visit kokolulu.org to register. The class will be offered again from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Banyan Tree Sanctuary in Kailua-Kona. Call 217-5915 or visit banyantreesanctuary.com for information. The class will also be offered from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday at Tutu’s House in Waimea. To register, call 885-6777 or visit tutushouse.org.

Lectures on Buddhism offered

George Tanabe, professor emeritus in the Department of Religion at University of Hawaii at Manoa will examine the relevance of Buddhism during two-lectures that are free and open to anyone. The first lecture, “Is Buddhism in Hawaii Headed for Extinction?” is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m Thursday at North Hawaii Education and Research Center in Honokaa. For information, call Honokaa Hongwanji, 775-7232. The second talk, “Where’s the Beat in Buddhism? New Dharma Music,” will be held Friday at Kona Hongwanji, Kealakekua. For information, call 323-2993.