About Town | 10-14-15

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High school students need mentors

High school students need mentors

The Lifeplan program at Kealakehe High School is inviting community members to become mentors in high school classrooms two to three Thursday mornings a month. Volunteers will assist a teacher in educating students about life skills, civic responsibility, goal setting, financial planning and post-high school life paths. The program provides all materials and lesson plans.

Anyone wishing to volunteer should contact Brian Kispert at 603-667-8403 or brian.j.kispert@gmail.com.

Medical personnel donate scrubs

Nurses and other medical personnel from throughout Hawaii Island are combining forces to support their fellow health care workers in flood-ravaged South Carolina.

A former emergency room nurse at North Hawaii Community Hospital who now lives in South Carolina, Meredith Gibbs, emailed her former Hawaii Island colleagues asking for their assistance to provide scrubs for medical personnel caring for patients in the South Carolina disaster area. With the majority of hospitals there still without running water, even meeting the basic needs, such as providing clean scrubs to work in, is a challenge.

“I’m reaching out to the group who taught me about ohana, about taking care of your own. You are all still my ohana and I want to show my ohana here in South Carolina what ohana really means,” she said in her email.

Nurses and other medical personnel from Kona Community Hospital, Hilo Medical Center, Hale Hoola Hamakua, Ohana Health Care and North Hawaii Community Hospital answered the call and gathered hundreds of scrubs. The scrubs were to be shipped to South Carolina on Tuesday.

Fishery Council meeting Thursday

The West Hawaii Fishery Council hosts Eric Conklin for a presentation on coral bleaching and what can be done to build resiliency into the reefs. Conklin’s talk will be followed by a status report on West Hawaii’s reefs. The presentation is open to the public and questions will be taken as time permits.

The meeting is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Community Hale (Building G) of the West Hawaii Civic Center.

Woodturners meet Saturday

West Hawaii Woodturners meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pacific Rim Glass building near Matsuyama’s. Bring a lunch and chair and turning or other projects to share. Visitors are welcome.

For more information, contact ralfsoderberg@gmail.com.

Fruit growers plan seed exchange, tree sale, meeting

On Sunday, the West Hawaii chapter of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers will hold a seed/scion exchange and tree sale at the Maona work day and its repository site across from the Honaunau Rodeo Grounds. Low priced figs, pomegranates and grapes as well as a number of trees will be available. Bring plant material to trade or sell. A work day at both Maona and the HTFG sites will take place at the same time, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with food and lunch provided.

The next meeting will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at HTFG’s new location, 81-6393 Mamalahoa Highway, about a half mile south of Konawaena Elementary School Road on the makai side. This will be a permanent location for HTFG and Hawaii Master Food Preservers. Any members wishing to donate chairs or other supplies for this new office are urged to do so. Nonmembers are welcome at the meeting.

Former Kona U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service agent Jeff Knowles will discuss and answer questions on his recent travels working with fruit growers and other farmers in Africa.

All attending are encouraged to bring fruit for sampling and to talk story.

For more information, contact Brian Lievens at 895-8753 or greenwizard@hawaii.rr.com or Ken Love at 323-2417 or kenlove@hawaiiantel.net.

Harrison conducts meditation program

“Teachings of Awakening with Gavin Harrison” will be presented from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday at 73-4548 Mahi St., Kailua-Kona. Sitting and walking meditation, talk and inquiry are presented to the nondenominational group. Bring a meditation cushion. Chairs are available.

Contact Linda Swanson at 987-8021 or lindainre@gmail.com or Karen Breier at klimes@aloha.net or 937-3038 for more information.