A GLEE-ful way to support music education in isles

Three local schools are in the running for the GLEE "Give a Note" national campaign to help music and arts programs in public schools. Enchanted Lake Elementary School, Nanakuli High and Intermediate School and Island School on Kauai are competing along with other schools across the country for a share of $1 million.

View the entrants’ videos online at www.gleegiveanote.com; you can vote once a day until voting ends on Nov. 7. Schools with the most votes advance to a final selection made by the National Association for Music Education. Winners will be announced in December: three grand prizes of $50,000 each; 10 first prizes of $25,000 each; and 60 second prizes of $10,000 each.

A potential boost for local agriculture in Hawi

Some seeds take a while to germinate. The notion of an agricultural park in North Kohala was first floated nearly four decades ago while the community struggled to recover from the closure of Kohala Sugar Co.

Now, finally, it may have landed in fertile soil. A community nonprofit called Kahua Pa‘a Mua Inc. has partnered with the Hawaii Future Farmers of America Foundation to develop a master plan for a facility to process taro, meat and other farm products from the area.

They will have to raise $4.2 million from government and foundation sources. Surely they can base a viable argument on the importance of having processing facilities in Hawi to help farm operations pencil out.

If this state is going to rely on neighbor islands to be largely its bread basket, this kind of investment will be needed. Just some food for thought.