New Refuge Rules For The Birds

One of my favorite places is Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. It’s where I delight in watching native seabirds dance in the air and whales glide effortlessly through the ocean. Beginning next month, however, there will be fewer days for visitors like me to appreciate this island treasure. The refuge will be closed Sundays and Mondays starting Feb. 2, and will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The closure is because of declining budgets …

I’m sure you’ve noticed a buzz in the air and the red dirt stirring recently where the Safeway shopping complex is slated to be built in Puhi. Now I’ve received word that Hokulei Village shopping complex by Safeway’s Property Development Centers will break ground Jan. 29. The 56,000-square-foot Safeway Lifestyle store will join Walgreens pharmacy, Petco pet supply store, Jack in the Box and other restaurants, a gas station, a financial institution and more retail and commercial entities that are still in lease negotiations^… Artists Helen Turner, Emily Miller and Connie and Major Inch are presenting their latest works through Monday (Jan. 27) in the Kauai Society of Artists exhibition at Kukui Grove Center. The exhibition is titled “P.O.W.” (Pastels, Oils and Watercolors) and is a presentation of paintings completed by the artists in their studios and on location (en plein air). The pieces feature locations on Kauai and will be available for purchase as original paintings of various sizes and as glicees on canvas, as well as note card sets. The show is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Turner at hit@helenturner.com …

Want to meet the new Kauai Island Utility Cooperative board candidates? Join Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Association Saturday (Jan. 25) from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Kapaa Library meeting room for a forum with the board of directors nominees. For more information, visit wkna.org …

Happy 25th anniversary to North Shore Pharmacy! The Kilauea business will celebrate with a 25 percent off sale on all nonprescription items from Tuesday through Saturday (Jan. 21-25) …

Kauai Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is sponsoring a hygiene supplies drive for homeless veterans through Friday (Jan. 24). Items needed include toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving kits, shampoos, body soaps and hand sanitizers. Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Agency on Elderly Affairs, Hanapepe Armory and Kauai Veterans Clinic. If you have any questions, call Grace Delos Reyes at 241-4479 or Celia Melchor-Questin at 241-4478, or send an email to rsvp@kauai.org …

Proud mama Karen Agudong recently told me that her talented daughter Sienna has landed a recurring role on a new television show appearing on ABC called Killer Woman. The show, whose executive producer is Sofia Vergara, premiered Jan. 7. Sienna Agudong plays the role of “Lulu Parker.” Be sure to check her out on an upcoming episode …

The film industry made a splash on Kauai last year, hosting 36 productions that totaled some $4.4 million in local revenue. One of the biggest productions included an MTV dating and romance reality show slated to air its first episode, Are You the One, Feb. 21. Productions also included a locally produced show called Saving Lives, which was developed and filmed last year by Sergy and Jennifer Marcil about Kauai’s junior lifeguards. Japanese productions also are journeying to Kauai, such as Tokyo Broadcast System’s TV travel show Best Hotels, which featured Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas, St. Regis Princeville Resort, Sheraton Kauai Resort and Koa Kea Hotel. A Japanese film crew also spent some time on the island in recent months filming Earth’s First, a documentary about Kauai’s rainfall. Hawaii International Film Festival also returned to Kauai last year, showcasing 16 feature and independent films at Waimea Theatre, Kukui Grove Cinema and the St. Regis. According to Art Umezu, Kauai film commissioner, one of the highlights was the screening of the Hawaii-made movie The Haumana. The screenings encompassed a question-and-answer session with writer, director and actor Keo Woolford … cocomidweek@gmail.com