Transit accessibility

The city invites the public to a free workshop Tuesday on how the rail transit project will be designed to be accessible to elderly people and people with disabilities. It is from 8 a.m. to noon at the Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall, Hawaii Suite. To register, call 566-2299 or e-mail info@honolulutransit.org.

Comments are wanted on refuge

The federal government is seeking comments from the public on its management of the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.

The Big Island rain forest refuge supports nine endangered bird species, an endangered bat and more than 20 rare and endangered plant species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is scheduled to hold a public meeting in Hilo about the management plan on Wednesday.

One option would increase reforestation, restoration, and the removal of species like feral pigs and cattle.

LCC vehicle tech program earns national certification

The automotive technology program at Leeward Community College in Pearl City has attained certification from two national groups.

The National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence certified the program in a number of areas, including the service and repair of automatic transmissions and transaxles, brakes, electrical systems and suspensions. The groups also found that the program’s instruction, facilities and equipment were up to par.

Program Coordinator Jake Darakjian said in a press release that certification provides prospective employers with the assurance that graduates will be adequately trained.

$94,000 awarded to Hawaii HomeOwnership Center

A Hawaii company is one of 180 financial institutions getting awards from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.

Treasury officials announced last week that Hawaii HomeOwnership Center of Honolulu received a $94,000 award.

In all, the fund awarded just under $105 million to institutions serving struggling communities in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

Officials say the grants will help the institutions support entrepreneurs and small businesses. They add the funding will also spur economic growth and recovery by expanding access to capital and affordable financial services in underserved areas.

Experts’ Hawaii, Okinawa visits part of energy deal

U.S. and Japanese energy experts will be visiting Hawaii and Okinawa through Saturday. They are expected to exchange views on future cooperative activities in support of the Hawaii-Okinawa Partnership on Clean and Efficient Energy Development and Deployment.

It was signed June 17 in Tokyo by officials of the U.S. Department of Energy, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the state of Hawaii and the prefecture of Okinawa.

The partnership is part of an agreement between the U.S. and Japan to join forces to develop clean and efficient energy technologies needed to solve global energy security and climate change challenges.

Kauai adding new county playgrounds in Puhi, Omao

Two new playgrounds will be opened at two county parks in Puhi and Omao in Kauai in coming months.

Contractors of Pacific Blue Construction are scheduled to begin work on the $211,070 project tomorrow.

The equipment to be installed at the parks will include a 360-degree spiral slide, wave slide, vertical climbing wall, spiral climbing pole and tic-tac-toe activity panel.

A crawl-through panel and a two-seat swing set will also be installed.