Donate food at park

The Hawaii Foodbank will hold a food drive March 23 in downtown Honolulu. People can drop off canned food items at Tamarind Park from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is being organized by Dr. Cecile Sebastian, a Honolulu dentist and Foodbank health care coalition member. Visit www.hawaiifoodbank.org.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Tree panel wants to save monkeypods

Four mature monkeypod trees on South Kihei Road, targeted for removal by Maui County, could win designation as "exceptional trees," which would lend them some measure of protection.

The Maui County Arborist Committee voted to recommend that designation Thursday in Wailuku, the Maui News reported.

The County Council would need to approve it by ordinance.

Councilman Bob Carroll said the "exceptional tree" designation would mean anyone wanting to disturb the trees would "have to jump through hoops."

Last week, the county announced it planned to remove the monkeypod trees fronting the Maui Schooner Resort because their roots were pushing up the sidewalk in several places.