Kauai Is The Busy Isle This Week

Last year's Mokihana Club scholarship finalists (from left): Jonathan Obiano, Nicole Morris, Ivana Wu, Kalani Murakami and Kelly Chun. Photo courtesy Mokihana Club

Last year’s Mokihana Club scholarship finalists (from left): Jonathan Obiano, Nicole Morris, Ivana Wu, Kalani Murakami and Kelly Chun. Photo courtesy Mokihana Club

The possibilities for entertainment and activities abound this week, so I’m just going to roll right into it …

Mokihana Club has begun the application process for its annual music scholarship competition. Graduating high school music students who play piano, woodwinds or brass instruments, or who sing and plan to attend college or study with a music teacher, may qualify. They must be recommended by a teacher and two adults who are not family members, provide a copy of their academic record and be able to demonstrate their degree of discipline in music. Applications are available at local high schools and from some private music teachers, and may be submitted until March 14. A recital will be performed by the finalists April 1 at 10:30 a.m. at Lihue Parish Hall. For more information, call Linda O’Neill at 212-1013 or Stacy Heusinkveld at 652-0713 …

Students who already are excelling musically in college include Izaac Morales of Kapaa. Morales is a junior keyboard performance major at Bob Jones University in South Carolina. He is one of 950 students at the school named to the dean’s list for their good grades during the fall 2014 semester. Another student who achieved high marks in college last fall is Jacob Peck of Lihue, a sophomore majoring in Christian ministries at George Fox University in Oregon. He was among 800 students who earned academic recognition …

National Tropical Botanical Garden is at it again, offering another amazing free lecture in partnership with Kauai Community College. “Gingering through Southeast Asia,” presented by David Lorence, director of science and conservation at NTBG, is part of a public lecture series called “Balance of Nature” that will lead audience members on a virtual journey through Borneo and Malaysia in search of wild gingers. Lorence also will discuss what botanical gardens are doing to save these plants from extinction. The talk will be held Tuesday (Jan. 20) at 5:30 p.m. in the KCC Campus Center cafeteria …

Mahaulepu is one area geologist Chuck Blay will discuss Thursday evening at Island School. Photo from Chuck Blay

Mahaulepu is one area geologist Chuck Blay will discuss Thursday evening at Island School. Photo from Chuck Blay

Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Association has a guest speaker this week as well. Juan Wilson, an architect and planner, will present “From Mokupuni to Ahupuaa” Saturday (Jan. 24) at 2 p.m. in the Kapaa Library meeting room. The free talk will focus on the traditional land divisions of pre-contact Hawaiians that were based on sustainability and self-reliance within community watershed areas as well as within bioregions and individual sovereign islands …

It’s time for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative members to vote for three director positions. The nomination committee, headed by Peter Yukimura, includes community members Trinette Kaui, Alfred Laureta and Michael Murakoshi, who chose Karen Baldwin, Dennis Esaki, Pat Gegen, Jan Kimura, William Peterson and Dennis Rowley to appear on the ballot for the March election. For more details, visit kiuc.coop …

Kauai Historical Society is presenting its first public lecture of the year. The talk, which is slated for Thursday (Jan. 22) at 6:30 p.m. at Island School, will be conducted by geologist Chuck Blay, who will discuss the island’s geological history. Blay can be contacted at teok@aloha.net …

Puuwai Canoe Club is creating a cancer survivors group, modeled after the Manaolana Maui group to help cultivate hope, health, fitness and fun for cancer survivors and their supporters. To become a “Pink Paddler,” join the canoe club Tuesday (Jan. 20) at 5 p.m. at the mouth of Wailua River across from Coco Palms Hotel. For more information, contact Brian Curll at bcurll@aol.com or call 635-6311.

cocomidweek@gmail.com