City to start training to fight invasive pests
About two dozen city ground maintenance workers are expected to attend Tuesday’s initial training session on how to spot and eradicate invasive fire ants and coconut rhinoceros beetles.
The two non-native pests were first detected in Hawaii in December and have been the focus of a joint state and federal eradication effort.
The fire ant was found in Mililani Mauka in June. It has been on Hawaii island since 1999, but in December it was detected on Hawaiian ferns at stores on Maui and Oahu. Small infestations at five Oahu nurseries, three of which were in Waimanalo, were treated, and the ants were eradicated.
State officials have said the beetle was found in July at Campbell Industrial Park, outside a buffer zone set up to catch the insect. The beetle was first detected in December within Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Honolulu agriculture liaison Po-Yung Lai and members of the Oahu Invasive Species Committee are scheduled to discuss the new partnership training program and citywide efforts to eradicate the pests on Tuesday morning.
Kauai officials seek input on future growth
Kauai County officials are inviting the public to an open house Saturday to offer feedback on policy objectives and goals for the East Kauai Community Plan.
The open house will be held at the Kapaa Middle School cafeteria from 9 a.m. to noon.
Comments will also be accepted at the Kapaa Art Night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday. The Planning Department staff will be manning a table at that event.
The plan sets a vision and goals for managing future growth and improving the quality of life for the East Kauai region, from the Wailua River to Moloaa Bay, according to a Kauai County news release.
For more information, call the Planning Department at 241-4050.
Maui workshop to educate on diabetes care
The Maui County Office on Aging is sponsoring a "Better Choices, Better Health Diabetes Self-Management" workshop series, which is slated to start Saturday and wrap up Nov. 8.
The series includes six weekly sessions that meet on Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Hannibal Tavares (Upcountry) Community Center, Room 1.
Participants receive a book, "Living a Healthy Life With Chronic Conditions," and a relaxation CD titled "Time for Healing."
Cost is $10 for individuals 60 years and older and for caregivers of any age. The cost is $35 for participants under the age of 60. Scholarships are available.
For more information or to register for the workshop series, call the Maui County Office on Aging, 463-3166.
