A Hawaii Island assisted facility developer wants to build a complex in West Hawaii. Christian Siebar of Paradise Retirement Hawaii LLC tells the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald” that he has filed a use permit request with the Planning Department for a Hualalai Road property he is buying for a 160-unit assisted living facility. The proposed facility would house up to 200 senior citizens, employ about 50 people, and offer a restaurant, cafeteria, medical offices,and other personal services. The permit request goes before the Leeward Planning Commission April 16th at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott.
The hula competition results are in for the 47th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival which ended Saturday evening at the Kanakaole Multipurpose Stadium in Hilo. The men of Ke Kai O Kahiki won both the kane kahiko and the kane ‘auana divisons and took home the Lokaila Montgomery Perpetual Trophy for the second year in a row. The ladies of Halau Ke’alakamaile took the kahiko and ‘auana divisions, giving them the overall wahine winner.
Fire-rescue crews have found the body of a missing swimmer believed to be Ryan Ritzel in an area near the Boiling Pots State Park in Hilo. Rizel, a crew member of the cruise ship “Pride of America”, disappeared on April 6th as he was swimming across the Wailuku River near the Boiling Pots. Rescue teams retrieved the body and turned the case over to the Hawaii Police Department.
Hawaii County Police are advising motorists that there will be a temporary one-way traffic pattern on Kapiolani Street in Hilo on Saturday, April 17th, to accommodate people attending the funeral mass for Dorothy “Auntie Dottie” Thompson. Traffic will be directed in the Puna, or southerly direction on Kapiolani between Waianuenue Avenue and Haili Street. The one-way pattern will be in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. During these hours, parking will be allowed on both sides of Kapiolani Street. Thompson, one of the founders of the Merrie Monarch Festival, died last month at the age of 88.
The Waters of Life Public Charter School may end its school year soon because of financial problems. According to “West Hawaii Today”, the state Charter School Review Board approved a motion last Thursday “strongly urging the Big Island school to end this school year early because of lack of funds and to provide for an orderly transition of its children to other schools to completed the school year.” Waters of Life’s school board will meet Tuesday at 8 p.m. at St. Theresa Parish in Mountain View to discuss the recommendation.
In celebration of Earth Day this month, the Lyman Museum is presenting two programs. Today, April 12th, Coleen Cole, Coordinator of the Three Mountain Alliance, will discuss watershed protection and natural resource management across Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Hualalai. On Monday, April 19th, Dr. John Barnes, with NOAA’s Laboratory and the Mauna Loa Observatory, will present “Predicting Climate Change.” Both programs run from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $3.00 for non-members and free for Museum members. For details, call 935-5021
The 2010 Hawaii National Guard Youth Programs Workshop will be held today through Wednesday at the Kilauea Military Camp. Local educators, students, staff, and community leaders from around the island of Hawaii will share in the “best practice” methods and procedures that have been used over nearly six years to deliver the highly successful Education and Health Programs of the Hawaii Department of Defense. For details, call Deanna Kackley at 982-7959.
Hawaii County Councilman for District 6, Guy Enriques, will hold a third round of community “talk story” sessions on the Big Island. The first meeting is set for tonight, 6:30 p.m., at the Naalehu Clubhouse. Wednesday’s meeting will be held at the Ocean View Community Center at 6:30 pm. Thursday’s meeting will be held at Yano Hall at 6:30 p.m. The final meeting will be held on Saturday, 10:00 a.m, at the Milolii Beach Pavilion. For more information, call Enriques’ office at 961-8536.