Sponsored by Solid Rock North, Kohala Village Hub and the County of Hawaii, Halloween Family Fun Night will be from 6– 8 p.m. October 31 at Hisaoka Gym in Kamehameha Park in Kapaau. The free event will include glow putt, a scavenger hunt, carnival games and face painting.

An international team of researchers discovered a star that is among the least polluted by heavy elements. Such stars are extremely rare survivors of the early ages of the universe. At that time, the gas those stars formed from hadn’t yet been contaminated by the remnants of successive generations of dead stars. This new discovery opens a window onto star formation at the beginning of our universe.

Two more weeks and one day! Yep, then it will be Election Day! Is there something funny about that? If you don’t vote, the results are likely to be hilarious! The right to vote is precious … almost sacred. Soooo, do it!

Fright Shop at Earl’s Garage will allow children to explore a haunted house and see this year’s creepy creations made by Earl’s Garage students from 5-8:30 p.m. Oct 30. Come in costume if you dare. They’ll also be celebrating the birthday of Earl’s Garage at 5 p.m. in the “green room” at Tutu’s House. RSVP if you’ll be coming by 5 p.m. for cake. No RSVP is needed for haunted house; just show up in a Halloween mood.

WAIMEA — A new professional development opportunity in STEM is being offered to teachers on the Big Island, and the subject has timely real-world application for students and their families. The course, “Engaging Students in Citizen Science for the Prevention of Rat Lungworm Disease,” will be offered in Waimea in October and November for K-12 educators.

Hawaii Island artists Vicki Penney-Rohner, Mary Spears, Cyndy Urry and Jeff Barger will debut in Luana Lounge at Fairmont Orchid at a complimentary event from 5-7 p.m. this Thursday. Open to the public, it will showcase unique works of art, light refreshments and live music from slack key guitarist David Gomes.

After nearly seven years, the monthly Third Thursday Thrive community potlucks at North Hawaii Education and Research Center (NHERC) in Honokaa will come to an end in November.

From 6-8 p.m. this Thursday, Lucky Tongue band will perform on the lush lawn surrounding the Coronation Pavilion in Queens’ MarketPlace for a free show open to the public.

Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) and Keck Observatory will co-host the free annual event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. next Saturday. The family-friendly activity is an interstellar journey through the center of Waimea. The walk starts at Keck Observatory’s Headquarters on Mamalahoa Highway and travels through the solar system down the street, with stops to visit plants along the way, and ends at CFHT’s offices.

Aloha! I wanted to give you a brief update of some happenings in our county:

Congrats to all the Ironman finishers and also to those who gave it their all but did not finish. As a member of the Medical Tent staff, I continue to be amazed at these people, young and old, who start this fete!

Yoga Basics with Janet Lam meets from 8-9 a.m. every Monday. Start the week feeling balanced, flexible and strong. This class includes fundamental yoga poses, and although not specifically a beginner’s class, the movement sequence can easily accommodate students new to yoga or returning to a yoga practice.

WAIKOLOA — Kings’ Shops Cultural Festival will bring food, libations and performances to Waikoloa Beach Resort throughout the day and evening Oct. 20.