MEDIA RELEASE

A rising tide of need for affordable childcare alternatives for young families – and also concern over the care of Waikoloa’s large herd of feral donkeys, known affectionately as “Kona Nightingales,” will top Waimea Community Association’s Town Meeting agenda at 5:15 p.m., Thursday, March 3 in Waimea School Cafeteria.

Due to increased community anxiety about limited childcare options, especially for families who need and want to secure employment, WCA Board Member Alycia Juvik with Hawaii First Community Resource Center is organizing a panel discussion to brief interested community members on existing options and how to go about starting safe, accredited childcare programs either in their homes or in local churches or other community settings.

The panel discussion will include representatives of Early Head Start, which is a program of Family Support Services of West Hawaii; PATCH, which will discuss necessary steps to opening a daycare program including training, rules and other requirements, and also the federally funded Child Care Connection, which was contracted by the State to provide financial assistance to help parents transition back into the workforce.

Also participating will be representatives of several existing Waimea childcare programs including Aha Punana Leo, Hawaii Montessori, Small World Preschool and DOE’s A+ after-school program. Representatives will bring informational materials and applications as well as scholarship opportunities.

The childcare panel will start the meeting promptly at 5:30 p.m. and conclude about 6 p.m. so families can get information needed and then go home to their children.

Then the meeting agenda will turn its attention to a progress report by members and friends of the Malama Waikoloa Nightingales organization, which is dedicated to keeping feral donkeys off Waikoloa Road for the safety of both the animals and general driving public.

Waimea veterinarian Dr. Brady Bergin will brief the community on recent progress managing and re-homing the feral donkeys to support humane management of the Waikoloa herd.

For more information about the Waikoloa’s feral donkey humane management efforts, email Anika Glass at waikoloanightingale@gmail.com.

Also on the agenda will be a brief update by the South Kohala Police Department on the use of Parker Ranch’s historic slaughterhouse south of Kahilu Theatre and Town Hall as a training facility.

As always, all who attend WCA monthly Town Meetings are asked to help continue the association’s commitment to supporting Waimea’s food pantries by bringing a donation – preferably cash or a check – or non-perishable food items.

Cash or checks are given to the Waimea pantries to purchase gift certificates from Waimea grocery stores and farmers markets so that recipients are able to buy fresh items such as vegetables, fruit and milk as well as other essentials. Checks may be payable directly to a food pantry so the donation is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Starbucks-Waimea will again contribute hot coffee to the meeting, and WCA officers urge those enjoying it to express their gratitude by making a donation on the spot to the food pantry collection drive.

For information, call WCA President Sherman Warner at 885-1725 or visit www.WaimeaTown.org