J. Walter Cameron Center Executive Director Cesar Gaxiola plugs in and “fuels up” a Nissan Leaf using a newly installed Electric Vehicle (EV) Quick Charging station at the center. Four stations were installed at the center by the JUMPSmartMaui Project. For more information, visit www.JUMPSmartMaui.com.

Hawaii Center for Food Safety establishes advisory board

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Center for Food Safety (HCFS) is launching a new advisory body to oversee and guide its work across the Hawaiian Islands.

The new board will help strengthen HCFS’s collaboration with aligned community organizations and ensure that its projects are timely and impactful.

Advisory board members – including Kaleikoa Ka’eo, Alika Atay and Autumn Ness for Maui – were selected by HCFS based on their long-standing work in the community on environmental and food issues.

This board will convene to review and evaluate HCFS’s work and help plan its strategic partnerships and projects for the coming year.

Napili Canoe Club’s Mixed Open crew of (from left) Theresa Marzan, Kona Maielua, Jolene Giles, Danae Marin, Kapena Bugarin and Bubba Kukahiko won the gold medal at the recent Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association State Championships at Keehi Lagoon on Oahu.

The national nonprofit Center for Food Safety opened its Hawaii office in April 2014 and has since become a leading public interest organization working to halt the spread of pesticide-promoting genetically engineered (GE) crops and promote a safer, healthier and more biodiverse food system for Hawaii.

HCFS serves as a toolkit for the local food movement, offering legal, policy, scientific, communications and community organizing expertise for a variety of local campaigns and projects. With over 10,000 Hawaii members of CFS’s grassroots True Food Network, HCFS has become one of the largest membership-based food and environmental advocacy organizations in the state.

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Learn Ho’oponopono

WAILUKU – Keala O Kalani will offer a free Ho’oponopono Basic I class on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Wailuku.

Thompson Square, the American country music duo of Keifer and Shawna Thompson, will perform on Sunday, Aug. 21, in the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Castle Theater at 7:30 p.m. The married duo has released two albums with #1 hits, including “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” “If I Didn’t Have You,” and “Everything I Shouldn’t Be Thinking About.” The duo was honored as both the ACM and CMA “Vocal Duo of the Year” in 2012, and they continued their streak in 2013 by securing the ACM Award again. Tickets are $45, $65, $85 or $125; call 242-SHOW.

Those who attend the class on Saturday may also attend a Level II class on Sunday, Aug. 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call Anne at 870-6182 for more information or to register.

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Maui Orchid Society to meet

WAIKUKU – Celebrating its 75th year, the Maui Orchid Society (MOS) meets monthly on the third Tuesday at Wailuku Community Center.

The next meeting will be held on Aug. 16. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a beginner’s session led by Carol Choda, Exotic Orchids of Maui.

Rinzai Zen Mission will present its annual Obon festival on Saturday, Aug. 20. A memorial service will begin at 6 p.m., with Obon dancing to start at 7 p.m. with traditional dance styles of Okinawa. This year, 30 student dancers from Yaeyama Norin High School of Ishigaki Island in southern Okinawa will be performing at 6:30 p.m. and during intermission at 8 p.m. There will be food concessions by Maui Okinawa Kenjin Kai, offering pig feet soup, chicken bamboo plate, shoyu pork plate, andagi (Okinwan donut), chow fun and more. The mission is located at 120 Alawai Road (next to Baldwin Park) in Paia. For more information, visit www.rinzai-maui.org or call Rev. Ryozo Yamaguchi at 268-2209. PHOTO BY MASAKO CORDRAY.

MOS Vice President Donna Brown will host the meeting. The featured guest speaker will be Alan Koch, owner of the ten-acre Gold Country Orchids in Lincoln, California, where he grows over 250,000 orchids.

Koch is recognized as an expert in the Brazilian Cattleya alliance and a trendsetter in miniature Cattleya breeding. He has been published in the Orchid Digest, American Orchid Society magazine and other international publications.

MOS President Jan Porter invites the public to attend to learn more about the society and how to grow orchids. “You don’t have to be a member,” she said. “We have lots of fun, door prizes, orchids and ‘Show and Tell;’ each meeting we learn something new.”

Annual membership is $15 (free for seniors over 80). For more information, call Porter at 283-6111 or visit www.mauiorchidsociety.org.

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Women for Hillary in West Maui to meet

LAHAINA – If you are a woman, live in West Maui and would like to be a part of the grassroots movement for Hillary Clinton, a meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23.

Call Peggy Robertson at 661-8660 to get the address.

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Pacific Cancer Foundation announces partnership with Servco Subaru Maui

WAILUKU – Servco Subaru Maui last week announced its partnership with Pacific Cancer Foundation through the end of 2016.

Servco Subaru Maui will donate $50 from each new Subaru sold from now until Dec. 31, 2016. Over the past few years, Servco Subaru Hawaii has helped raise up to $35,000 each year for local non-profits.

“We believe giving back to our local community is an important part of doing good business, and Pacific Cancer Foundation provides so many important services to the people of Maui County,” said Jim Wheeler, general manager of Servco Subaru Maui.

The Pacific Cancer Foundation was founded in 2005 by a group of concerned health care professionals and cancer survivors who recognized the overwhelming need for support services for Maui’s cancer community.

The foundation provides access, knowledge and support to improve the quality of life for cancer patients, survivors and their families.

Some of the services offered through PCF are patient navigation, support groups for patients and their family members, nutrition support and education, transportation, wellness classes and many other services, all free of charge.

“We are very excited about this year’s partnership with Servco Subaru Maui. When Jim contacted us, we were grateful for his offer to support our organization. There is such a great need in Maui County for our services, and these types of partnerships with local businesses make it possible for us to reach more of our community members whose lives have been touched by cancer. We would like to extend a special mahalo to Servco Subaru Maui and to Mauiontv.com for their generous support,” said Nancy La Joy, PCF director.

To learn more about Pacific Cancer Foundation’s support services and how you can help, visit www.PacificCancerFoundation.org.