Hawaii Wildlife Center
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you that have sent in your donations and volunteered your professional skills and time. We also are very grateful for the eight foundations that provided grants in 2007 to develop the HWC. The HWC also received annual donations from businesses such as the Big Island Country Club and was the beneficiary of their recent 10th Anniversary Golf Tournament, along with the Kohala Ranch Development Corp. We received the first installment of the State grant-in-aid with NKCRC’s valuable assistance. HWC has received two thirds of the funds necessary to construct the Center. We are now kicking off our fundraising campaign for the last third of the funds so that construction can begin in early 2008. For more information we invite you to check out our new web site at www.hawaiiwildlifecenter.org or contact Linda at 889-5180.

KCAA
With youth volleyball and biddy basketball programs completed in the fall, KCAA has just registered 120 youths for boys basketball, ages 9-14, T-ball, boys and girls ages 5-6, and coach-pitch ball, boys and girls ages 7-8. Players have been assigned to teams and the practice portion of the season has begun. The spring will see programs for Girls’ Basketball grades 4-9 and Track and Field for boys and girls. These programs are supported by registration fees, community donations, grants from the State of Hawaii Healing Our Island Fund and Councilman Pete Hoffmann's Discretionary Fund. Tom Morse 889-5049.

The Messenger Project
The Messenger Project was created two weeks after the October 2006 earthquake to provide the North Kohala community with disasterassistance information from public agencies. A longer-term goal is to put in place an easily activated means for disseminating information in the event of future community-wide emergencies. Project organizer Carol Perry is seeking a donation of four large display boards with easels that could be placed at four key spots in Hawi and Kapa’au when an emergency arises. Contact Carol at 889-0317 or carolperry@thelandwork.com.

Kohala Football Boosters
This fourteen-year-old organization provides support and services to the Kohala Varsity Football team. Beldon Kealoha, project coordinator.

Read to Feed
Thanks to a grant extension from the Reverend Take Okumura Family Fund, we continue to offer Heifer International's "Read To Feed" program to Kohala’s 5th graders for a fourth consecutive year. Youngsters learn that the problem of world hunger is enormous and they can personally help by becoming more involved. Youth also see how they can make a difference with problems in our own community by becoming involved in local service projects. Lani Bowman 889-5852.

Kamehameha Day Celebration
The Kohala Hawaiian Civic Club provides the organizational support for this time-honored event. This year's 2008 event begins in Kapa'au at the Statue and ends in Hawi at the Kohala Cultural Center (the Old Mormon Church). Additionally, there will be entertainment and vendors the evening before the parade at the Cultural Center. If you would like to be a part of this special event, please contact Pelekikena (President), Desiree Yamamoto, 884-5000.

Statue Maintenance
We are happy to report that the original Statue of Kamehameha in Kapaau did not suffer too much damage in the famous quake of 2006! The signature base of the artist cracked and broke off some pieces. Fortunately we are blessed to have Glenn Wharton (world famous conservator who did our restoration in 2000) returning this spring on a volunteer basis to help repair this and perform a thorough investigation of our ki'i. Nalani Cabrera, CJ Yamamoto and Sharon perform the twice annual cleaning and inspections. We are so grateful to the NKCRC and the many donations that sustain our efforts to maintain and malama this amazing work. Sharon Hayden 889-0169.

North Kohala Community Planning Organization
The Steering Committee has held nine public meetings and formed focus groups for the four community priorities--Affordable Housing, Infrastructure, Growth Management and Ocean/Mountain Access. These focus groups met from September through December to develop approaches to best meet the communities' needs. These plans were presented for the first time at the second CDP Community Meeting held on January 12, 2008 for public comment. Two more meetings are planned in April and October. The final plan is scheduled for County Council action in October. Joe Carvalho 889-5226.

Kohala Art Academy
The Kohala Art Academy is an after-school art program for Kohala middle and high school students designed to encourage artistically inclined students to develop their artistic skills throughout middle school and high school. The Academy received a generous donation this winter to augment their artists’ supplies. This project is coordinated by long time Middle School teacher, Trish Bryan 345-7140.

Sage Farms
This farm is an organic, sustainable, small family farm established in 1998 by Ben Nicholson and Fara Boisvert. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of the people of Hawaii and the community by providing farm-fresh, locally grown organic produce. For more than six years Sage Farms has provided a farmer-direct market several times a week for the Kohala community offering fresh greens, fruits and vegetables. The goal of Sage Farms is to become financially self-sufficient and sustainable as an organic farm and continue to supply the community with fresh organic produce. Fara Boisvert 895-0279.

T-Touch
Rachel Lancaster has completed her training in Tellington Touch – a method of handling animals with humane care. She welcomes calls for volunteers or consults. Watch for upcoming trainings. Rachel Lancaster 889-5343.

WasteStream
The WasteStream Recycling Committee would like to thank the North Kohala community for being pro-active in their recycling efforts. Members of the WasteStream group will host the Second Annual Trash Bash Fashion and Art Show in April. The 2008 calendar is booked with community groups tending the Redemption site and collecting redeemables. WasteStream continues to remain active in our pursuit of reducing, reusing and recycling. The group is beginning the first steps in establishing a full service Neighborhood Recycling Center (NRC) in collaboration with the County of Hawaii. Colleen Nevins 889-5009.

Kohala Ditch Restoration
Progress is being made in the ditch restoration. Full funding has been secured through private donations, Federal, State and County Drought mitigation funds to restore the Ditch to its pre-earthquake status. Gradual progress is also being made on the formation of an organization of users to acquire and manage the ditch infrastructure.

Kohala Senior Center
The Center continues to be an active and vital group in the community. They enjoyed their annual Christmas Party at the newly renovated Luke’s Place Restaurant in December. The members are collaborating with the Living Journals project with outreach to our elder community. New members are invited to attend their Monday morning meetings at the old Kapaau Courthouse. President, Henry Dulan.

Konea O Kukui
The garden hosted another BISAC and Drug Court graduation this past fall. Mahalo to the Mankind Project and family and friends from Eugene, Oregon who helped with the Garden maintenance and improvements. Dr. Julie Field from Ohio State and Professor Cachola from UH Manoa carbon dated the rock walls to 1620. Nani Svendsen 889-5572.

Living Journals
For three years Living Journals has been collecting and preserving the life stories of our kupuna resulting in an intimate portrayal of our community’s history. A grant from The Hawai'i Counsel for the Humanities has allowed for the transcription of these audio-recorded interviews to be made available through our local library and other public institutions. Now, with grants from the Atherton and Cooke Foundations, Living Journals is preparing to share these life stories in a published collection in 2008. Faye Mitchell, Project Coordinator and native of North Kohala, has completed "oral autobiography" interviews with over fourteen individuals including Loke Maeda, Ah Fat Lee, Kindy Sproat, Frank Moniz, and Harugi Osaki. Transcriptions of Armstrong Yamamoto, Elizabeth Chang, Mr.& Mrs. Alfonso Mitchell and Rose Maeda, have been printed individually and are available through NKCRC or Faye Mitchell at 345-0749.

Kohala Stars Preschool
After many years in temporary spaces, Kohala Stars Preschool has finally re-opened as Kohala’s second licensed preschool. After 6 months of renovating their new home behind Nakahara’s Store in Hawi, they have reached full enrollment with 22 children. This affordable Montessori-inspired program has obtained its own non-profit status under the Montessori Education Center of Hawaii. Faye Mitchell 889-5131.

Kohala Cultural Center
The Cultural Center will be hosting KCAA for the next two years and is very grateful for the County support to upgrade the building. Additionally, KCC is the site for the two day Kamehameha Day Celebration on June 10th and 11th this year. Watch for upcoming events. Desiree Yamamoto 884-5000.

Kamehameha Park Golf Learning Center
Kamehameha Park Golf Learning Center's founder, John Mauro, was awarded the Aloha Section PGA Award for Junior Golf Leader in 2007. The award is for outstanding contributions in the promotion and development of Junior Golf and for reflecting the ideals of those who work with youth. Kamehameha Park Golf continues to offer junior golf and golf course access to the youth of Kohala, at no cost to participants. For information regarding enrollment in the Junior Golf Program, stop by the golf pro shop. John Mauro 345-4393.

Kohala Aikikai
This Aikido group has been meeting at the Koboji Mission in Kapa’au since 1996. Their mission is to serve the North Kohala community and foster peaceful relationships between people through the teaching of aikido. They have begun a major effort to improve the old mission building and increase their visibility in the community. After many years of patching the roof of the Koboji Mission training hall, recent rains revealed many new leaks. The roof is badly in need of replacement and unfortunately the ceiling and training mats have been badly damaged. We are asking for the community's support in replacing the roof, training mats and for an addition of driveway gravel. Several generous donations have already been made toward our renovation budget of $14,500. To keep costs at a minimum, members of the club and volunteers will be doing the work. Kevin McGough 889-5958.

Kohala Hawaiian Civic Club
The Club graciously accepts the responsibility of planning and staging the annual Kamehameha Celebration Day this coming June. We continue to encourage all to join and participate in the many fun events and challenges that we work together on. For more information you may contact Pelekikena (President) Desiree Yamamoto 987-8012 or 884-5000.

Kohala Coalition Against Drugs
KCAD remains active in the community, sponsoring events to prevent drug abuse. KCAD plans to collaborate with the popular Back to School Bash in July at Kamehameha Park. Leslie Hayes-Cullins 889-0996.

Roots Sk8 Park: Fund Development Support
This volunteer driven project for our youth is a foundation for building self-esteem, learning sportsmanship, and imparts a sense of accomplishment for its participants in North Kohala. The land for the Park was successfully transferred to the skate park group early this year. They are being cosponsored by Youth Horizons in Waimea while they develop their own 501(c)3. The Resource Center is providing fund development support for this project. Richie Riggs 889-0503.

Kohala Back to School Bash
The Kohala Back To School Bash was established in 2005 by Rayna and Ernie Paro. The Kohala Coalition Against Drugs collaborates with our efforts. The 4th annual event will take place on July 12, 2008 at the Kamehameha Park. The Bash assists families with back to school expenses, promotes a sense of togetherness and brings the community together in many ways. Additionally, this event focuses on drug prevention awareness in our community. Rayna Leilani Paro 938-5329.

Kohala Country Fair
The Big Island’s biggest country fair has been delighting North Kohala families for 23 years. The Fair features live, all-day entertainment, more than 80 food and craft booths, and a fabulous silent auction. For the keiki, there are pony rides, face painting, and lots of contests. Visit the website, kohalacountryfair.com.

Yoga Ed.
The Yoga Ed. program has been successfully funded for two consecutive semesters at Kohala Elementary School. Director and Teacher, Jacqui Pailing, is expanding the program to include the Middle School beginning in January 2008. Jacqui’s mission and passion is to bring the well-documented benefits of yoga to all schools of Hawaii. She is currently seeking an endowment for the Kohala Elementary School to create a model school and weave yoga into the curriculum. Jacqui Pailing 889-6107.

Ka Lei 'O Kohala Ti Farm
Improving infrastructure continues to be a priority at Ka Lei 'O Kohala Farm. A ti leaf processing area is being created in new workspace, and grounds are being worked on to safely host future visitors. Various community groups have also received ti leaf donations to support fundraising efforts. Lei are currently being marketed through special orders and at Takata Store. Marketing plans include expansion to other locations this year. Randee Golden 889-0011.

Kohala Cheer and Dance Club
The Kohala Cheer and Dance Club had a successful year with nine young women attending the All American Halftime Show at the Capital One Bowl on January 1, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. These hard working girls raised a large percentage of the money needed to get to Florida. With the help of the North Kohala community, and special people who cared enough to make their dreams come true, they were able to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks to all. Toma Raymond 889-0604.

Footprints for the Future
Recently Footprints rented a downtown Hawi studio for a week to share the 25 newly created future land use patterns created by social architect Jim Channon. The show featured a new Landcrafting component that was well received and will be the subject of a threenight report on KITV by host Gary Sprinkle. Other footprints have been shared in the community development meetings and will be posted on the new Sustainable Hawaii Island website created by this project. The plans for signage at Artesia, the model-teaching site, are still awaiting funding support. Jim Channon 889-0223.

Healing Island Musical
Nelson Denman is preparing for a casting call for upcoming productions of the "Healing Island Musical." The musical will be a showcase of local talent highlighting our aina's generous gifts of healing. The Barn at the Kohala Village Inn will be the location for the theatre production as well as music and dance lessons with Nelson, Michal Carillo and others. Stay tuned for the upcoming casting call for the Healing Island Musical and contact Nelson for class schedules. 987-2731.

Malama O' Kohala Wahi Pana Cultural Resources
The organizers continue the work to preserve the cultural and natural treasures of North Kohala. Malama Kohala Wahi Pana has produced two videos tapes for educational purposes about the historic and cultural sites of Kohala as well as providing speakers at various community events. Fred Cachola 1-808-685-4293.

Malama Kohala Kahakai
Malama Kohala Kahakai is raising funds to secure permanent protection for over 300 acres along the coast that have significant cultural sites. The landowners are willing to do conservation sales and have made written commitments if the funds can be raised. Initial valuations total $19.5 million for all the land. Long-term management will be funded through an endowment established at purchase and co-coordinated with descendants from the area and user groups, e.g. fishermen, surfers, cultural practitioners. We welcome assistance from all. Gail Byrne 938-8880.

Kohala Coqui Coalition
Coqui frogs continue to find their way into North Kohala, not only from plants, but also from building materials, construction equipment, and automobiles coming from infested areas on the island. The Kohala Coqui Coalition treated and eradicated 10 different sites around North Kohala from Maliu Ridgeto Halaula in 2007. There were other reports of coquis that were investigated, but turned out to be false alarms. We feel that the efforts made in educating the public has been a key factor in keeping coquis under control in North Kohala. Education booths were on display King Kamehameha Day, at the Kohala Bash, and at the Kohala Country Fair. The community's commitment in preventing, reporting, and financially supporting the Coqui Coalition is vital to the success in keeping Kohala coqui free. Coqui Hotline 889-5775.

Kohala Mountain News, Community Newspaper
The resurrected Kohala Mountain News is now in its second year, publishing a 16-page edition monthly. The product of volunteer writers, photographers and other contributors from throughout the community; the paper has become North Kohala’s "must-read" publication. The paper is distributed free to every post office box in Hawi and Kapa’au and through a number of distribution stands. Subscriptions for the mainland and neighbor islands are available. Joel Kennedy, managing editor, 884-5464.

North Kohala Community Chorus
The Chorus had two successful performances with overflow audiences in September and December. Work has begun on the next performance, "A Rodgers and Hammerstein Review", slated for May 4, 2008. Membership is open to the community with no try-outs. Rehearsals are from 7-9PM every Tuesday at Walker Hall. The Chorus is under the direction of LaLa Power. Karen Wisner, the accompanist since the Chorus began, is moving, so the chorus is looking for a new accompanist. Our interim accompanist is Karen Miller. Please call Tom and Jean Buechele 889-1809.

NOKO Theater
The Theater group hopes to stage multiple productions this coming year. Watch for announcements. Jack Boyle 896-4886.

Lotus Blooms Massage School
Lotus Blooms Massage Institute is North Kohala's first State approved massage training facility! We currently have 10 students enrolled in our program and our first student to become a licensed therapist received her approval in December 2007. Swarupo Frings, LMT, is now working as a graduate therapist in our student massage clinic. We offer discounted student massage to the public and have evening as well as Saturday business hours. Our program is a part time training that takes about 9-12 months to complete. Contact Niko Burkhardt, LMT, for information 889-1417.

A Gift to the Heart - Kindy Sproat's Hawaii
This documentary film is about a man whose life has been about preserving the Hawaiian culture through the stories and songs of Old Hawaii. As an "Ambassador of Aloha" Kindy's stories andsongs of Old Hawaii have taken him all over the world. Culminating in the honor of being presented the National Heritage Award by the National Endowment of the Arts, Clyde "Kindy" Halema'uma'u Sproat is now known and loved as one of Hawaii's Living Treasures. Uncle Kindy's stories and songs will help us remember our common heritage on this island and bring us together as one true ohana. Keith Nealy 882-7772.

North Kohala Radio
The radio group, made up of a dozen or more interested people in the community, worked together and filed an application with the FCC for a 25-watt non-commercial educational FM station for North Kohala in mid-October. The FCC released the list of all applications in November. There are 88 applications for stations in Hawaii, and eleven of these conflict with our application, including an application from Hawaii Public Radio for a new station in Kailua-Kona which will serve the entire west side of Hawaii. The FCC will have to sort through these applications and determine which ones will best meet it's criteria for selection. Given this morass of conflicting applications, we do not expect to know the final determination from the FCC until mid- to late-2008. In the mean time, we are hoping that another FCC window will open in 2008 for low power (100 watt) radio stations, in which case we are planning to apply. Bob Martin 889-5025.

North Kohala Radio
The radio group, made up of a dozen or more interested people in the community, worked together and filed an application with the FCC for a 25-watt non-commercial educational FM station for North Kohala in mid-October. The FCC released the list of all applications in November. There are 88 applications for stations in Hawaii, and eleven of these conflict with our application, including an application from Hawaii Public Radio for a new station in Kailua-Kona which will serve the entire west side of Hawaii. The FCC will have to sort through these applications and determine which ones will best meet it's criteria for selection. Given this morass of conflicting applications, we do not expect to know the final determination from the FCC until mid- to late-2008. In the mean time, we are hoping that another FCC window will open in 2008 for low power (100 watt) radio stations, in which case we are planning to apply. Bob Martin 889-5025.

Kohala Ditch Volunteers
This group organized soon after plans were made to restore the Kohala Ditch. Led by Kirk Eubanks and Joe Carvalho, over 50 individuals have met in small groups almost every Saturday since August to clear accessible parts of the Ditch of debris and overgrowth. We extend our heartfelt thanks to these individuals who have given their time and energy to this effort. Kirk Eubanks 889-5966 or Joe Carvalho 889-5226.

Mac Nut Oil Processing
This project was started to provide an alternative to the depressed macadamia nut industry. Gary Keapproth plans to organize small farms to create culinary grade Mac Nut oil. Gary Keapproth 937-0830.

The Hospital Mural Project
Our objective is to transform the Resident Day Room of the Kohala Hospital into a work of art by the end of 2008. The four walls and the ceiling will be painted with foliage, scenery and sky to create the feeling that one is actually in an outdoor atrium, rather than a hospital room. In addition, the hallway leading into the Day Room will be painted with a faux marble brick and foliage. The painting will be completed by Anthony Rolly, a passionate and talented local artist who is dedicated to using his gifts as an artist to improve the community. His latest donations have been enthusiastically received by the Hamakua Health Center in Honokaa, Hawaii. Jessica Nolen 217-417-2929.

Kokolulu Cancer Retreat
KoKoLuLu's Cancer Retreat Program in Hawi, offers supportive programs for people with cancer, their caregivers and for health professionals. The program is based on a sanctuary/retreat model developed by Dr. Jeanne Achterberg and Karin Cooke, R.N. Cancer Support Programs include 2-week residential programs for people with cancer and their companions as well as daylong retreats, creativity sessions, qigong, meditation classes, bodywork and other support programs for people facing cancer and other serious diseases. Group retreats are offered at no charge to North Kohala Residents. Our first retreat in 2008 included nine participants. For more information, please visit our web site: www.cancer-retreats.org or call Lew or Karin at 808-889-9893.

The Friends of Daniel Coakley
This project was recently sponsored to provide a tax deductible vehicle for the friends of Daniel Coakley as they raise $15,000 to help Daniel reach his goal of competing in the Olympics in Beijing, China this summer. Daniel is a “Kohala Boy” who has qualified for the Summer Olympics and is currently training with Olympiads in Florida. Your donation will help defray the costs of his efforts to win the Gold! Jeff Coakley 889-6841.