New Trails Opened & More Community Briefs

Two trails were reopened in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park after being closed last year because of impacts from tens of thousands of earthquakes that also damaged roads, buildings and other park infrastructure.

A 7.3-mile section of Ka‘u Desert Trail from Highway 11 to the Ka‘aha Trail intersection is now open, as is the 4.8-mile stretch to the Hilina Pali Overlook.

The park also repaired and reopened a 0.8-mile portion of Halema‘uma‘u Trail that starts at the rain forest summit of Kilauea near Volcano House, to the steaming caldera floor.

In addition, recent rainfall doused the fire risk on Mauna Loa Road, at least for now.

The road that leads to the 6,662-foot Mauna Loa Lookout is now open to vehicles. Drivers are reminded to follow all speed limits and watch out for other motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.

“We are elated to reopen these sections of the park to our visitors again,” said Acting Superintendent Laura Schuster. “We continue to make progress in our recovery efforts following the historic eruptive and seismic activity that happened last year and caused us to close for more than four months.”

Additional assessments and repairs continue at iconic park features that sustained serious damage from the 60,000 earthquakes that shook Kilauea between April 30 and Aug. 4, 2018.

Visitors are encouraged to stay informed by checking the park website at www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes.

Director Jerry Tracy will hold open auditions for volunteer actors for Mary Chase’s classic American comedy “Harvey,” at 6 p.m. March 4-5 at the historic Aloha Theatre in Kainaliu.

If necessary, an invitational call back audition will be held 6 p.m. March 6. Production dates are May 3-19. Candidates should prepare a joke or funny story to tell as part of the audition, which will also consist of reading from the script. Scripts are available at the Aloha Theatre office. Call Nikki Johnson at 322-9924 to arrange a checkout.

“Harvey” was written in 1944, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1945. A memorable 1950 movie version starred Jimmy Stewart and won an Oscar for actress Josephine Hull.

There are five male roles, five female roles, and one gender-neutral role. Male roles are Elwood P. Dowd, age 35-55, the central figure of the play. He is a charming eccentric whose best friend is an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit; Dr. William B. Chumley, age 50-80, a respected psychiatrist and the head of Chumley’s Rest, a sanitarium; Dr. Lyman Sanderson, age 25-40, a young psychiatrist, whose talent is only surpassed by his vanity; Duane Wilson, age 20-50, a devoted orderly who serves as the bouncer at Chumley’s Rest; and Judge Omar Gaffney, age 40-80, the Dowd family lawyer, fiercely protective of them and surprisingly understanding of Elwood’s belief in Harvey.

Female roles are Veta Louise Simmons, age 35-65, Elwood’s sister, who loves him very much, and who is very concerned about fitting into society; Myrtle Mae Simmons, age 18-40, Veta’s daughter and Elwood’s niece, self-centered and critical of Elwood; Ruth Kelly, age 18-40, a nurse in a love/hate relationship with Dr. Sanderson; Ethel Chauvenet, age 50-90, an old family friend and elite member of the local social circle; and Betty Chumley, age 50-80, Dr. Chumley’s kind and talkative wife.

The gender neutral role is E.J. Lofgren, age 20-80, a cab driver who dispenses wisdom in the last scene and enables the play’s climax.

The cast will initially meet twice, March 13 -14, and then regular rehearsals will commence March 25. Rehearsals will generally be conducted Sunday afternoons and Monday-Thursday evenings.

Cast members must be available for the entire rehearsal schedule with a minimum number of conflicts, and must commit to the entire performance run, May 3-19. Time commitment varies, depending on the role. The rehearsal and performance schedule is posted online, and will be posted at auditions as well.

An optional “Harvey” Boot Camp will be offered Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2-4 p.m. at the theater. This is a workshop designed to familiarize possible cast members with the play, and prepare them for auditions. For more information, go to alohatheatre.com, or call 322-9924.

Hilo High School Foundation Distinguished Alumni Awards will be awarded by foundation president Barry Taniguchi and vice president Allan Ikawa during the organization’s ninth annual Recognition Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 1, at Sangha Hall.

The recipients this year are Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele, Nalani Kanaka‘ole and Mark Yamanaka.

Kanahele, PhD, a member of Hilo High School class of 1955 and kumu hula of Halau o Kekuhi, was born and raised in Keaukaha. She is widely recognized throughout the state as a scholar, educator and practitioner of Hawaiian culture. She is an accomplished writer, musician, stage and film producer, dedicated community leader and renowned kumu hula. She also is a longtime educator at Hawaii Community College.

Kanaka‘ole, a member of Hilo High class of 1964 and kumu hula of Halau o Kekuhi, also was born and raised in Keaukaha. She is a noted scholar, educator and hula choreographer, as well as a recognized art and cultural designer at Sig Zane Designs in Hilo.

Yamanaka, a member of Hilo High class of 1998, is an award-winning musician and singer. His first album, “Lei Puakenikeni,” was nominated for 10 Na Hoku Hanohano awards in 2011. He took home five — including Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Most Promising Artist of the year. Yamanaka’s musical calling began when he was 13 at Hilo Intermediate School. He learned how to play guitar while he was at Hilo High. He since has become a famous performer and singer of Hawaiian music. His second album, “Lei Maile,” won five Hoku awards in 2014. He regularly performs internationally and is recognized as a true musical treasure of Hilo.

Tickets to the annual event are $50 and include a special dinner catered by Don’s Grill. Special tables for group sponsors are available: Platinum, $1,500; Blue, $1,000; Gold, $750; and Viking, $500. The event is a great time for alums to put together a table with classmates while helping Hilo High and the foundation.

The Hilo High School Foundation is a tax-exempt foundation dedicated to enhancing the educational opportunities for students at Hilo High. For sponsors and purchasing tables, contact Art Taniguchi at 987-0287. For individual or small group ticket information, contact foundation secretary Newton Chu at 961-0406.

Volunteer presenters from Community First, a local nonprofit dedicated to improving health care communitywide, will offer a free class on advance health care directives from 10-11:30 a.m. Friday (Feb. 22). The event will be hosted by Hawaii Care Choices at its community building located at 1011 Waianuenue Ave. in Hilo.

Those interested in attending are requested to RSVP to Jeanette Mochida at 969-1733.

An advance health care directive is a written statement about a person’s future medical care. The Conversation Project, a national organization providing resources for individuals and organizations to help people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care, shares data that shows 90 percent of people say talking with their loved ones about end-of-life care is important, but just 27 percent have done so. Additionally, 82 percent of people say it’s important to put their wishes in writing but only 23 percent have done so.

“People don’t realize how important this information is,” said Lani Weigert, clinical and community relations manager for Hawaii Care Choices. “Illness or an unexpected injury can happen to anyone at any time. If you can’t speak for yourself, will your loved ones know if you want to be on a ventilator, a feeding tube or receive CPR? When it comes to end-of-life care one conversation can make all the difference.”

It is part of Community First’s mission to educate every resident older than 65 about the importance of having “The Conversation” with their loved ones and the importance of having an AHCD. By having sessions with many groups in East Hawaii, volunteer presenters are giving residents the tools and confidence to have these conversations.

Research shows many critically ill people who die in hospitals receive unwanted, distressing treatments and have prolonged pain. Additionally, many fear their wishes will be disregarded and they will face death alone or in misery. This class seeks to alleviate these concerns.

Those attendees who already have a living will, health care power of attorney or AHCD will be taught how to review it to be sure it meets current medical needs and wishes. Those wanting assistance in filling out forms will receive guidance.

“We are working with our community to help them understand that advance health care directives are a tool that gives our families the gift of clarity about our end-of-life wishes and who will speak for us when we cannot speak for ourselves,” said Community First board member and volunteer Charlene Iboshi.

“This is the best gift anyone can give to their loved ones, and it’s free,” Weigert said.

For more information, call Mochida at the number above or email jmochida@hawaiicarechoices.org.