Musicians unite for eighth annual Laupahoehoe Music Festival

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Bruddah Smitty’s Eighth Annual Laupahoehoe Music Festival is this Saturday at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The eighth annual music festival will raise scholarship money for graduating seniors of Laupahoehoe area students and to fund community projects.
Organized in 2005 under the foresight of Laupahoehoe resident musician Braddah Smitty, the nonprofit Malama Hawaii Nei has awarded nearly twenty seven thousand dollars in scholarships to date. Under the current plan, every student who applies receives a scholarship.

Bruddah Smitty’s Eighth Annual Laupahoehoe Music Festival is this Saturday at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The eighth annual music festival will raise scholarship money for graduating seniors of Laupahoehoe area students and to fund community projects.
Organized in 2005 under the foresight of Laupahoehoe resident musician Braddah Smitty, the nonprofit Malama Hawaii Nei has awarded nearly twenty seven thousand dollars in scholarships to date. Under the current plan, every student who applies receives a scholarship.

This year’s Hawaiian-style event features some of Hawaii Island’s best music and hula entertainers and will be held at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park, noted for its sacred and natural beauty and was a regular stopover by Kamehameha in his canoe voyaging conquest of the islands.

Tickets are $12 in advance at Hilo Guitars and Ukulele’s and Music Exchange in Hilo, 50’s Highway Fountain and Sakado Store in Laupahoehoe, Hilo Shark’s Coffee in Honomu, Taro Patch in Honokaa, Music Exchange in Waimea and in Kona at Music Exchange, or $15 at the gate. Age 10 and under free.

It’s a day of music, music, music, ono grinds and crafts. Drinks available on site. No coolers please. This is an alcohol- and drug-free event. For more information and updates, visit www.laupahoehoemusicfestival.com.

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Looking for bargains? Come to this Saturday’s Honokaa Elementary Sunshine Daisies Rummage Sale where all the tables are displayed with those “I just have to have items!” There will be great deals on everything, so don’t miss out on the fun and savings. It’s at the Honokaa School Cafeteria from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Come and support your community and raise funds for Relay for Life.

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Hawaii Preparatory Academy will present the world-renowned and award-winning children’s eco-music group the Banana Slug String Band in concert at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 25, at the school’s Gates Performing Arts Center. The concert, which is free and open to the public, is the second in a series of Ohana Sustainability events being presented by HPA.

The Banana Slug String Band is a group of lovable musicians and educators from the coastal redwoods of Northern California who helped pioneer the art of children’s edu-tainment. The Slugs are “Airy” Larry Graff, Doug “Dirt” Greenfield, “Solar” Steve Van Zandt, and “Marine” Mark Nolan. Perhaps best known for the organic food anthem, “Dirt Made My Lunch,” the Banana Slugs have long been favorites of kids of all ages. The band’s music, which ranges from rockin’ boogies to sensitive ballads, folk songs to reggae and rap, features vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, harmonica and percussion. Shows include wild-and-wacky costumes, audience participation, and puppets that entertain and educate audiences about caring for the Earth. For more information, contact Koh Ming Wei at 808-443-9231 or email mwkoh@hpa.edu.

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One of the guest speakers at the Feb. 7 Waimea Community Association town meeting was Chauncey Wong Yuen, Hawaii district manager of the Airports Division, speaking about the status of the Waimea-Kohala Airport and the possibility of the return of regularly scheduled air service.

He also mentioned the automated weather station at the airport, which is accessible online here. If you’ve noticed that many online weather sites are very inaccurate when they report Waimea weather (they seem to use data from the coast or from Bradford Field at Pohakuloa), this site is the answer, although it reports current and recent conditions, not forecasts. So if you want to know how cold it was last night or how hard the wind is blowing, this site has the answers.

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Coming on March 6 is a free workshop on the “Government Contracting 101 & HubZone Certification Process,” presented by Hawaii Procurement Technical Assistance Center and Hawaii Small Business Development Center. The workshop can help small business owners secure government contracts. The workshop is from 9:15 a.m.-12 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, in Hilo at Hawaii Community College Manono Campus.

Business owners will learn how the government buys goods and services; how to become certified and registered on the federal, state, and local levels and find government contracting prime and subcontracting opportunities.

HIPTAC is a federally-funded program that provides free services to small businesses interested in government contracts.

Carol Yurth’s column is published every Sunday and spotlights activities on the Hilo-Hamakua coast. She welcomes items for her column. Reach her by mail (46-1250 Kalehua Road, Honokaa HI 96727) at least 10 days before the requested publication date, call her at 775-7101, or e-mail waiukahenutz@gmail.com.