A ‘Stairway To Coco Palms’?

MidWeek Oahu columnist Tom Moffatt reports Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant took his lovely wife, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Patti Griffin, on a tour of the Coco Palms on Kaua’i last week. Reports Bob Jasper, who heads the daily tours (free to Hawaii residents on Fridays): “They are sweeties.” …

Congratulations to all the Fukushima T-shirts contest winners, all of whom are Waimea Canyon Middle School students: in first place, sixth grader Rochel Agustinez; second place, Wendee Miguel; third place, sixth grader Shayden Duldulao. The contest was a way to involve the youths of Kaua’i with an outreach project to the city affected by the March 2011 disaster in Japan, says Lee Scott, coordinator with the Aloha Fukushima Keiki Foundation. Koi were chosen because in Japan koi are symbols of youth, health and energy, says Scott, who traveled to Fukushima this past October to volunteer youth yoga lessons. “It was a great opportunity for us to give back and listen to the people of Fukushima talk about their experiences. They are still really having a difficult time. The kids were not been able to play outside for a year and a half.” Scott says the foundation is still seeking donations for air fare and volunteer hosts for Fukushima keiki who will be visiting Kaua’i. Go to facebook.com/aloha-fukushimakeiki. Shirts will be for sale at Hanapepe Art Night, Fridays. For more information, call 645-0237, or email alohafukushimakeiki@yahoo.com…

The Pacific Missile Range Facility‘s Security Department will conduct live small arms fire training March 14 through 29, from 1 to 9 p.m., at the Kekaha Rifle Range. Fishermen, surfers and beach users are cautioned to stay away from this area because of the hazardous nature of live fire training. Red warning flags will be flown at the range during the live fire training. As a reminder, PMRF is a customer of the Kekaha Rifle Range, a state-owned facility. Questions concerning the upcoming exercise should be directed to PMRF’s dispatch office at 335-4523 …

Kaua’i artist Fanny Bilodeau will talk story March 30 at 2 p.m. at the Kaua’i Museum. Afterward, she invites aspiring artists to share their art with her so she can offer her advice. Admission is $10, free to museum members. Known for her whimsical paintings of chickens surfing, drinking coffee and playing stringed instruments, Bilodeau aims to capture the warmth and beauty of Kaua’i in her paintings of the ocean, flowers, fruit and sugar plantation cottages. She will be available to “talk story” about the joy of painting and The conversation will be facilitated by Pamela Varma Brown, author of the book Kaua’i Stories: Life on the Garden Island told by Kaua’i’s People, a collection of 50 inspiring, touching and humorous stories about island life…

After several months of testing, the county’s Building Division is scheduled to “go live” with a web-based permitting system by the end of April. The new system, called electronic plan review, enables architects, contractors, and engineers to submit their building plans to the county electronically, eliminating the need to drive to county offices to deliver paper plans. Electronic plan review also allows customers to check on the status of their projects 24 hours a day and respond to feedback from government agencies that are involved in the permitting process. To access the “Electronic Plan Review Applicant Guide,” go to kauai.gov/Portals/0/PW_Bldg/ApplicantUserGuide.pdf. For more information, call 808-241-4854 or rdarville@kauai.gov…

Residents and business owners interested in learning more about solar photovoltaic installations on Kaua`i will have the opportunity to do so thanks to Apollo Kaua’i, which is assembling a panel of energy experts April 3 at 6 p.m. in Planning Rooms at the Lihu’e Civic Center at 4444 Rice St. in Lihu’e. Panel members include Mina Morita, chairwoman of the state Public Utilities Commission; David Bissell, CEO of KIUC, and Mark Duda, president of the Hawaii PV Coalition. Come join the conversation on what the buyer needs to be aware of, including choosing an installer, energy assessment, possible additional costs, leasing options, as well as regulatory, utility and legislative changes that may affect residential and commercial PV systems. There is no charge to the public. For information, call Sharry at 822-7351…

The Kaua’i Department of Water along with its contractor, R. Electric,, recently completed necessary renovation work to Water Well “A” in the Waimea-Kekaha water system. The $560,000 capital renovation project included installation of a new submersible turbine pump at the existing well site, installation of a new liquid disinfection system, upgrades to the motor control center and supervisory control and data acquisition components, various piping and control valves, renovations to the existing control building; and site improvements to the Waimea Well “A” facility. For more information on the project, call the Department of Water at 245-5461 during business hours, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or Police Dispatch, 241-1711, after business hours…

The Kaua’i Police Department is asking for the public’s help with finding a runaway. Tuna Cory Toa, 17, was last heard from on Friday, Feb. 15 when he left his residence without permission. He has not made contact with this family since. Toa stands 5-foot-8 and weighs about 130 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes, a medium complexion and a large build. He is of Hawaiian descent. Anyone with information about Toa is urged to call KPD Dispatch at 241-1711, Investigative Services Bureau, 241-1696 or Crime Stoppers, 241-1887…