Partnering To Beautify Roundabout
A roundabout beautification project on Olohena Road in Kapa‘a soon will be under way thanks to an $18,000 state transportation enhancement program grant received by Kapa‘a Business Association (KBA). In addition, KBA and Kaua‘i County also contributed $1,000 each. KBA vice president Bob Bartolo says the roundabout has been an eyesore since day one. Partners involved in its enhancement include students from Kapa‘a Middle School and Kaua‘i Nursery and Landscaping. Students will use recycled glass to assemble the artwork. The county’s portion is being provided through a contract with the state Department of Health via the Advance Disposal Fee (ADF) program. ADF requires importers to pay a tax on incoming non-deposit glass containers. The funds collected are used to develop programs to recover and develop local end-uses for recycled glass. “This is such a great project, and the county is happy to support the beautification of the roundabout while promoting recycling at the same time,” Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. said in a prepared statement. “We applaud KBA for bringing the students and other partners together on a project we can all be proud of.” Bartolo says they’re ready to start construction, but still could use monetary donations to create ceramic dolphins and turtles to enhance the seascape. Anyone interested in supporting the project can call 639-8080…
(from left) Andy Friend, president, KBA; Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr.; Bob Bartolo, vice president, KBA; Allison Fraley, county solid waste program development coordinator; Lelan Nishek, Kaua‘i Nursery and Landscaping; Craig Duff, Kaua‘i Nursery and Landscaping. Photo courtesy County of Kaua‘i
A new slate of officers was voted in last month at Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity‘s annual board meeting. New officers serving a one-year term are president Thad Bond, vice president Peter Wiederoder, treasurer Keith Yap and secretary LaVerne Bessert. Members of the board also include Robert Ray III, Tom Canute, Doug Haigh, Julian Coiner, Rev. Dr. Paul Kirchner and Fran McDonald. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, go to kauaihabitat.org …
Seniors and caregivers are invited to attend the Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop Tuesdays from 1:30 to 4 p.m. beginning Feb. 19 at Kekaha Neighborhood Center. The Better Choices, Better Health workshop, intended for seniors age 60 and older and their caregivers, is a proven self-management program developed by Stanford University that consists of six two-and-a-half-hour sessions held once a week. Workshop size is small, between 10 and 16 people, led by two trained facilitators. Cost is $12 for seniors and their caregivers, which includes a companion book, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, and a relaxation CD or cassette tape. Scholarships for seniors are available upon request. Workshop fee for those under age 60 is $40. Pre-registration is required. To register or to request materials in an alternate format, or if you need an auxiliary aide in order to participate, contact Charlyn at the Agency on Elderly Affairs at 241-4470. More workshops are being planned on Kaua‘i. For schedules and more information, go to kauaiadrc.org …
It probably won’t come as a surprise to its residents that Kaua‘i made the top five when CNN Travel named its top 10 World’s Most Romantic Islands last week. Thanks to Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau executive director Sue Kanoho, who alerted me to the accolade. Placing at No. 4, Kaua‘i was cited as the “most dramatic” scenery-wise, thanks to our rain forests, cliffs, canyons and waterfalls. But we knew this already, right? First place went to Bora-Bora, French Polynesia, followed by Capri, Italy, and Santorini, Greece. Cheers, Garden Island. To read for yourself, go to cnn.com/2013/01/25/travel/most-romantic-islands …
The 20th annual Eat Dessert First fundraiser for Zonta Club of Kaua‘i Foundation is Friday (Feb. 8) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Jasmine Ballroom at Kaua‘i Beach Resort. Call 346-1058 for tickets …
With scenery like this at Princeville, CNN Travel named Kaua‘i No. 4 in its list of the world’s most romantic islands. Photo from Peter Frank Edwards
As the need for service continues to grow, the Department of Human Services’ Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program are honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s legacy by giving back to those less fortunate with the Save our Slippers campaign. Organizers are asking program volunteers and community partners for donations of new slippers and sandals for children and adults by Feb. 11, which will be distributed to Easter Seals and ARC of Kaua‘i, organizations that support individuals with special needs. To drop off, go to Foster Grandparent Program Office, 4370 Kukui Grove St., Suite 203, Lihu‘e; or Kaua‘i RSVP/Elderly Affairs, 4444 Rice St., Suite 330, Pi‘ikoi Building. For more information, contact Anne Miyamoto, Foster Grandparent Program specialist, via email: amiyamoto@dhs.hawaii.gov; Charlyn Nakamine, senior companion, at 241-4476; or Grace Delos Reyes, Kaua‘i RSVP, 241-4479 …
The county has issued a reminder that the second installment of real property taxes for the 2012-13 tax year is due Feb. 20. Payments can be made online at kauai.gov/paypropertytax, by mail, in person, or at a drop box located outside the Kapule Building at Lihu‘e Civic Center. Checks should be made payable to the Director of Finance. Real property tax bills were mailed recently to all Kaua‘i property owners or their respective agents. Property owners who pay their real property taxes directly and have not yet received their bills should inquire immediately to the Real Property Tax Collection office at Lihu‘e Civic Center, Kapule Building, Suite 463, 4444 Rice St., or call 241-4272. Failure to pay real property taxes by the due date will result in a 10 percent penalty as well as 12 percent interest per year. For more information, call 241-4272 or log on to the website listed above …
Mahiko Lounge at Gaylord’s is celebrating its grand opening with a roaring ’20s Great Gatsby theme Feb. 9 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Cost is $55. A portion of the proceeds will go to Kaua‘i United Way.
For more information or to make a reservation, call 245-9593 …
