Local Briefs
Hamai Appliances’ Vice Presidents Garret Hamai and Keli‘i Wunder (in dark blue shirts) help unload boxes of lunches at Kaiser Permanente’s Wailuku Clinic on Monday. Hamai Appliance and Ogo Food Truck, with help from the executive chef of Humble Market Kitchin by Roy Yamaguchi, prepared and delivered meals to employees at the Wailuku and Maui Lani clinics. BRYANT HAMAI photos
Grant Oura (back from left), owner of Ogo Food Truck, with his sous chef Wesley Patoc and Matt Dela Cruz, executive chef of Humble Market Kitchin, prepare meals for Kaiser Permanente workers Monday.
Hamai Appliances’ Vice Presidents Garret Hamai and Keli‘i Wunder (in dark blue shirts) help unload boxes of lunches at Kaiser Permanente’s Wailuku Clinic on Monday. Hamai Appliance and Ogo Food Truck, with help from the executive chef of Humble Market Kitchin by Roy Yamaguchi, prepared and delivered meals to employees at the Wailuku and Maui Lani clinics. BRYANT HAMAI photos
Grant Oura (back from left), owner of Ogo Food Truck, with his sous chef Wesley Patoc and Matt Dela Cruz, executive chef of Humble Market Kitchin, prepare meals for Kaiser Permanente workers Monday.
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Kaiser workers get food
Employees from three local businesses worked together Monday to prepare and donate more than 200 lunches for health care workers at Kaiser Permanente's Wailuku Clinic and Maui Lani Clinic.
"Because of the pandemic, everyone seems to be is a little out of their element, and we can easily forget what some workers are doing on a daily basis for the health and well-being of our local community. We wanted to show our appreciation and give back in some small way," said Bryant Hamai, president of Hamai Appliance.
Hamai partnered with another local company, Ogo Food Truck and owner Grant Oura.
Oura also brought in friend Matt Dela Cruz, who is executive chef at Humble Market Kitchin by Roy Yamaguchi in Wailea, to prepare the lunches.
Hamai said the cost of producing the meals was around $2,000.
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Spike in adoptions noted
The nonprofit Hawaii Animal Rescue Foundation is reporting an increase in adoptions since the coronavirus pandemic took hold on the island.
The adoption totals have nearly doubled normal numbers, according to an April 24 news release.
"We were really blown away by the overwhelming response from the community," said foundation Executive Director Dawn Hall. "So many families are looking to bring a new pet into their homes right now we can't even keep up."
The foundation's adoption department remains open by appointment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Sunday. The phone number is 876-0022.
A list of available pets can be found at www.harfcenter.org.
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Color 'good bugs' in book
A children's publication about "good bugs," titled "Hawaii's Backyard Bugs Coloring Book," has been released by Bayer Hawaii.
Bayer created a partnership with local Maui artist Lori Nishikawa to provide the free, printable resource that could supplement existing educational materials, especially with children at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. The coloring book offers information about the importance of good bugs in agriculture, the news release said.
The coloring book is available for download at hawaii.bayer.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Hawaiis-Backyard-Bugs.pdf. The free accompanying video can be found at hawaii.bayer.us.
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Pre-kindergarten sign-up
Kualapu'u School: Public Conversion Charter School is accepting applications for pre-kindergarten programs for the next school year.
The state funded programs are for 4-year-olds, born between Aug. 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016. The goal of the pre-kindergarten program is to build a child's existing skills and strengthen a family's ability to support their child's learning.
Kualapu'u School can be reached at (808) 567-6900.
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Conservation training set
A Maui Mauka Conservation Awareness virtual training will be offered from noon to 3 p.m. May 21 to inform tour guides, informal and formal educators, and the general public. The training will focus on watersheds, native plants and animals, and invasive species. Presentations are simple, educational, fact-based and are taught by members of conservation organizations.
The guest speaker will be Melissa Price, assistant professor, Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa. She will discudd research projects from her lab that have focused on Maui flora and fauna, in particular the pueo, Hawaii's native owl.
To sign up, visit mauimauka.org/ trainings. The event will be hosted on Zoom for the virtual training.