Upcoming Events

Engineers Week is Feb. 18-23, and Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library in Waimea is celebrating with an Engineering Bash from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 23.

The free family NASA@My Library event is being presented in collaboration with Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, North Hawaii STEM Alliance, Pohakuloa Training Area and W.M. Keck Observatory.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet some of the island’s most talented engineers and discover the amazing world of engineering through indoor and outdoor hands-on experiments, demonstrations and displays

Event highlights include an air rocket design challenge, Alka Seltzer rocket making and rocket launching, a “Blasting into Orbit” activity, hydrostatic bearing demonstration, an infrared light demonstration, a mobile solar-powered trailer capable of powering a home and operations center, and more.

“Engineers Week is a great time to celebrate how engineers make a difference in our community and in our world,” said Pam Akao, Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library branch manager.

The Waimea library also will offer other free Engineering Week activities, including special children and family screenings of engineering-themed movies Feb. 20. The animated science fiction adventure “Ratchet &Clank” will play at 1:30 p.m. and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s action film “Skyscraper” plays at 5 p.m.

Ashley Spencer, youth services librarian, will present an engineering-themed Preschool Story Time at 10 a.m. Feb. 21 and lead a related engineering activity.

NASA@My Library is an initiative to engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of NASA exploration and discovery.

For more information, call 887-6067.

The Thelma Parker Memorial Public and School Library is located at 67-1209 Mamalahoa Highway in Waimea.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs-East Hawaii, in partnership with OHA Malama Loans, Small Business Development Center, Hi‘ilei Aloha LLC, Kohala Center, Hawaiian Community Assets and Liquid Life invites the public to its Small Business Workshop and Informational Session from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Big Island Top Dogs, located at 811 Laukupu St., Suite 6 in Hilo.

The workshop is intended to be a resource for entrepreneurs looking to start their own business or those who want to grow their business. Come learn about the different tools and support available to assist.

Puna and Ola Tripp, owners of Liquid Life in Keaau, also will share their journey, successes and challenges, of being a business owner.

“It can be difficult to take the initial steps and navigate the processes of starting your own business,” said Ola Tripp. “We were blessed to have mentors and support throughout the way, as we went from selling our juices from farmers markets to then opening our own storefront. We are happy to share our journey and encourage others so we can see more locally-owned businesses on our island.”

OHA Malama Loans’ mission is to enhance access for all people of Native Hawaiian ancestry to credit, capital and financial services and skills to create jobs, wealth and economic and social well-being for all the people of Hawaii. OHA Malama Loans also will provide more information about Malama Business and Hua Kanu Business Loans available to businesses that are owned by Native Hawaiians.

“OHA Malama Loans was a big part of our journey,” Tripp said. “They gave us the support we needed to grow our dream business, and in turn, we hope to give that support back to our community.”

For more information, contact OHA’s community outreach coordinator Kamaile Puluole-Mitchell at 933-3106 or email kamailep@oha.org.

The speaker for Kuikahi Mediation Center’s free talk Feb. 21 as part of its “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace” Brown Bag Lunch Series is Ilima DeCosta, who will present “I Pledge Aloha: For a Peaceful and Productive Community.”

“Aloha is a way of being or doing business and governance, and not just a word for commercial and media purposes,” DeCosta says. “To pledge aloha is to actively demonstrate akahai (kindness), lokahi (unity), oluolu (agreeableness), ha‘aha‘a (humility) and ahonui (patience).”

During this talk, learn how aloha is used in the Hawaii Revised Statues and gain information about the “I Pledge Aloha” community action.

DeCosta is kanaka maoli, born and raised in Kaneohe, Oahu, and moved to Hilo following the death of her daughter to gun violence. She is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. An avid gardener and conservationist, DeCosta instigated the HMSA Homeless Innovation Project, which helped launch the “housing as healthcare” initiative. Reducing interpersonal violence and increasing good health is her goal.

Kuikahi’s lunch series is free and open to the public. Talks are hosted from noon-1 p.m. the third Thursdays of each month in the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, 655 Kilauea Ave., in Hilo. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch, enjoy an informal and educational talk-story session and meet others interested in “Finding Solutions, Growing Peace.”

For more information, contact Kuikahi program coordinator Majidah Lebarre at 935-7844, ext. 3, or email majidah@hawaiimediation.org. You also can visit www.hawaiimediation.org.

County Department of Environmental Management work crews will be on Maluna Place, Mai Way, Road D and Road H in Papaikou from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 19-22, weather permitting.

The crews will be doing a “smoke test” survey to assist inspectors with identifying connections where rain water (inflow) and groundwater (infiltration) enter the sanitary sewer system.

Note that the smoke used in testing, which will be seen coming from the vent stacks on houses, sewer manholes or holes in the ground, is nontoxic, nonstaining, has no odor, is white to gray in color and poses no fire hazard.

The smoke should not enter homes or businesses unless there are defects in the plumbing system. We advise home owners to pour a gallon of water into each floor drain prior to testing.

Traffic delays within the Mai Way area are possible.

For more information, call Amelia Kajiyama at 961-8587 or Toni Nakatani at 961-8512.