A workshop at the Malama Learning Center is hosting a very informative class on how to compost with earthworms. It is being held on Saturday, September 20th at Kapolei High School from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This particular workshop will explore several methods on how to turn kitchen waste and even your junk mail, with the assistance of earthworms, into your very own rich organic fertilizer or what many gardeners refer to as "black gold". The Malama Learning Center is charging $10 or $8 in advance. For just $25, students who pay in advance will be able to take home a starter kit of worms.

On a related note the State Department of Agriculture is accepting loan applications from Agricultural and Aquacultural operations to fund renewable energy technology. This new program aids not only food-safety projects but also renewable energy technologies such as ethanol, biodiesel, methane, wind, hydroelectric and photovoltaic. These loans will cover up to 85% of the project, carry three to five percent interest rates and can be used for operating costs, land improvement, equipment and infrastructure. Now that’s progress!

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

The University of Hawaii’s seven community colleges have experienced a large swell in enrollment. Close to 29,000 students have enrolled this fall at all of Hawaii’s community colleges combined. A nine percent increase from last year’s enrollment has been recorded, with four of the seven reporting record enrollment. Big Island’s Hawai’i Community College and O’ahu’s Leeward Community College experienced a record 14% increases. Kapi’olani and Maui Community Colleges have recorded their highest enrollment on record thus far.

 University of Hawaii’s Vice-President John Morton, claims the increase is due partly to the schools efforts to add more classes and a very concerted effort to heighten their marketing of the schools. In the past Hawai’i community colleges had financial issues with adding classes, as they were losing money even if those classes were filled. But ever since the legislature started to provide extra funding for the community colleges to add classes so that they could meet the demand, they went ahead and stepped up their marketing campaign. Last year they were given $1.3 million dollars and an additional $2.4 million dollars was allotted for this year. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, nationally, two-year schools enroll practically half of the nation’s undergraduates.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

Kapolei Property Development, LLC, an affilliate of James Campbell Company, LLC, is by far the biggest developer in the city of Kapolei, Hawaii. They are responsible for so much of the growth in the area that has resulted in massive job creation and positive economic activity for the region. Now they have decided to give back to the community by donating a total of $190,000 to nine public schools in West O’Ahu and on the Leeward Coast.

 The breakdown is as follows: Kapolei’s High School’s Ho’Ola Leadership Academy received $40,000.They are Hawaii’s first academy using traditional Hawaiian cultural practices to assist students reach all of their academic goals. The balance was awarded to these schools to sustain their technology needs:

• Kapolei High School $30,000
• Kapolei Middle School $30,000
• Kapolei Elementary School $15,000
• Barbers Point Elementary School $15,000
• Makakilo Elementary School $15,000
• Mauka Lani Elementary School $15,000
• Campbell High School $10,000
• Nanakuli High School and Intermediate School $10,000
•  Wai’anae High School $10,000

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

University of Hawaii is gladly accepting the $60 million dollars that Governer Linda Lingle released  to them yesterday, and already has repair and upgrade plans in place. Most of the work across all of the campuses consists of electrical repairs, mechanical repairs and other restoration projects, such as re-roofing.

The work on all of these campus projects will begin no later than June 2009. UH-Hilo will receive $4.1 million dollars for renovations and the U.H. Community Colleges along with the UH-West O’ahu campus will receive a combined total of $12.2 million dollars for various maintenance projects and renovations. $1.5 million dollars is going towards health and safety designs for all of these sites. The University of Hawaii-Manoa Campus will be home to the largest projects, due to the fire that occurred in October 2007 which caused so much damage to the school. It will receive $41.7 million for their plans, designs and improvements. About $3.6 million of these dollars will go to eight re-roofing projects, which is probably their biggest priority. Happily, the campus will also be spending $9.2 million dollars to replace and upgrade six air-conditioning systems, which will be responsible for huge energy savings.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate contact John Riggins.

The Malama Learning Center WOW (’Without Walls’) is hosting an "Edible Gardening" workshop on Saturday, August 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Kapolei High School. It is being held for both residents of West O’Ahu and K-12 teachers. This class has been crafted for weekend gardeners as well as K-12 teachers to teach people how to select edible plants for your garden and how to start growing them. Also being taught are ways to create healthy soil, as well as hands-on training transplanting seedlings. The teacher will also expand on his knowledge of how to control garden pests the safe, non-toxic way.

 The workshop is being taught by Anthony M. Ortiz. Mr. Ortiz has earned a B.S. in Agronomy and Soil Sciences, a M.S. in Plant Pathology, and is a U.H. CTAHR Board of Alumni Member. He is also a Resource Management Teacher and even has experience with his own family and their farm. All of your gardening questions will be answered here, and you will also receive an information booklet as well as an edible plant to take home for your very own backyard. The Malama Learning Center’s mission is to provide people with a knowledge of how to grow their own food and to help them make the connection that this has to their health, the environment and the history and culture of food and the land. Wow!

For more information about Kapolei Area Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

Members of  Kapolei Public Library, located at 1020 Manawai Street, are anticipating two  exciting upcoming programs that are available for all, free of charge. Library planners only require that you call them at 693-7050 two weeks in advance if you are in need of a sign language interpreter, or other type of special accomodation is needed for you to attend.

"Dance Explorers," which is a cooperative and participatory Children’s Program is scheduled for Thursday, August 7th at 10:00 a.m. in the Children’s Room. It is a one-hour long artistic and imaginative movement program that will allow children to learn while they participate. Teachers will focus on teaching the fundamentals of stretching and using large motor skills. Participating children will also be introduced to the concepts of rhythm, musical expression and several dance movements. All participating children must be accompanied by an adult.

 "Doing Your Homework," is a seminar that will discuss and explore solutions for college education planning. It will be held on Saturday, August 2nd at 10:30 a.m. in the Adult Fiction Area on the library’s second floor. Financial Advisor Paul Berardo will help equip participants with information on educational savings plans and will provide useful tips on how to turn your dreams of attending college into a reality. This program will last one hour and is encouraged  for all parents and adults interested in attending university.

For more information about Kapolei Area Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

"Hybrid" Courses, which blend online instruction with face-to-face classes are becoming more and more popular in schools and colleges throughout the nation. Currently, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kapolei High School and isisHawaii and Ainoa, Inc. have come together to start UHM Seed Academy. This program offers students many Core, Advanced Placement and World Language Courses taken online, with hands-on or in-person electives in science, technology, engineering and math at Kapolei High School. 

 Known as "bricks and clicks" these programs offer Hawaiian students the best of both worlds. There is the flexibility to take courses on-line as well as project-based enrichment classes that are held on campus. The program was designed to assist each student achieve their highest academic and personal enrichment goals. Graduates of UHM SEED Academy will receive a Kapolei High School Diploma and will have access to their extracurricular activites such as Kapolei High School Sports Teams, if they live within the district. Tuition-free enrollment at UHM SEED Academy for the 2008-09 school year is currently available to Hawaii residents of High School age. There wil be several open houses held at Kapolei High School to help students and parents learn more about this innovative education option.

For more information about Kapolei Area Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

Leading up to post-secondary education in Kapolei the region has many education options. The two main complexes that serve the region are the Campbell Complex for Ewa Beach and the Kapolei Complex for Kapolei and Makakilo. The district has three new schools which are Kapolei Elementary, Kapolei Middle School and Kapolei High School. Its first senior class graduated in 2004. The school attempts to provide its students with learning experiences as well as advocating team teaching. They prepare students with a dynamic learning style that utilizes "family pods" and "neighborhoods" instead of classrooms to try and bolster a sense of group and individual duty. Kapolei High School also accentuates projects for learning and focuses on culture, arts, the environment, science and technology.

Kapolei also has a growing number of private schools, which includes college prep Island Pacific Academy and Seagull Schools for pre-school aged children and kindergarten through second grade.

For post-secondary education there is Leeward Community College, UH West Oahu and the University of Phoenix. Select graduate courses are being offered at Chaminade University in Kapolei.

For more information about Kapolei Area Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

Kapolei is growing rapidly and following is a list to illustrate all of the exciting projects that will bring an additional 6,000 jobs to the area. These projects include government, office, residental and retail communities.

• Costco Warehouse and Gas Station: opposite Home Depot. Will open Spring 2009.
• Crossroads At Kapolei: Retail center across from Kapolei Entertainment Center. Will open November 2008.
• Hawaii Self Storage: Will open summer 2008.
• Kapolei City Plaza: two-tower office/retail complex next to Island Pacific Academy. Construction begins 2009.
• Kapolei Commons: Open air shopping mall including Target, across from Honolulu Advertiser. Opens Spring 2009.
• Kapolei Court Complex: Will contain Family Court, Waianae District Court and juvenile detention center. Next to Costco. Opens Spring 2010.
• Kapolei Pacific Center: Two office towers with a retail ground floor. Located across from the Kapolei Library. Opens 2009. 
• Kapolei Promenade: Planned retail complex. Across from Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. Currently undergoing subdivision.
• Kapolei Village Center: Community shopping center will be close to the planned Mehana Residential Community. Opens 2010.
• Leihano Active Adult and Continuing Care Community: next to Kapolei Regional Park. Project will begin in 2009.
• Maryl Group Retail Complex: across from Kapolei Hale. Currently in planning stages.
• Mehana at Kapolei: a master planned mixed-use residential community. Located along southern border of Kapolei. Will be completed in 2015.

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate please contact John Riggins.

A check in the amount of $500,000 was given to the Malama Learning Center by the James Campbell Company and the James and Abigail Campbell Family Foundation. This new center will focus on teaching Hawaiians the history of its culture and how to care for its land and sea. The center was conceived to teach art, science,  conservation and culture.

The Campbell Family Foundation patronizes organizations that wish to build sustainable Hawaiian communities. Also funded was the Wai’anae Community Re-Development Corporation’s MA’O Organic Farm and Ka’ala Farm. These grants help the farm’s Ke Ala Ho’ oulu ‘Ai or "farm-to-school program". The MA’O farm highlights a balanced relationship between the aina and the people. They strive to teach students pride in their history and their community by instilling a sense of belonging as well as showing them the bounty of hard work.

Ka’ala Farm will use this grant to assist their teaching of the many children who come to the Cultural Learning Center for hands-on experience. They wish to hand down their cultural knowledge and their practices to future generations so that ultimately the children will learn the true meaning of the importance of their land. 

For more information about Kapolei Real Estate contact John Riggins.