Kauai opens after-school project

Kapaa Middle School launched an after-school program yesterday to prevent students from getting into trouble because of a lack of adequate supervision.

The Holomua program runs on federal funds and is available to children ages 11, 12 and 13 at the 646-student campus on Kauai between 2:30 and 5 p.m., Lt. Gov. James “;Duke”; Aiona said in a news release.

The goal is to eventually have all 52 public middle schools in the program, which began as a pilot project at Molokai Middle School in 2004 and now reaches more than 4,100 isle students at 19 campuses, officials said.

DOE to post plan to slash budget

The state Department of Education is expected to post on its Web site today a revised budget plan listing programs that would lose funds under some $31.5 million in proposed cuts to its $2.4 billion budget.

The Education Department received more than 2,000 comments on a draft budget announced last week. It would eliminate 165 positions, about a third of them vacant, and slash funds for dozens of services, from teacher training to agriculture education to night security.

The new schools budget should be available in the early evening at doe.k12.hi.us.

A Board of Education committee will meet at 3 p.m. Monday at McKinley High School to decide whether to approve the budget.

Gov. Linda Lingle's administration has asked all state departments to shave up to 20 percent of their budgets for the 2009-11 biennium for Hawaii to avoid a projected $903 million deficit by fiscal 2011.

Private schools to hold fair

Students and families are invited to learn about dozens of private schools during a free admission fair on Saturday.

The annual event organized by the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools gives participants admission materials for all grade levels and lets them speak with schools' admission directors.

The fair will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at Kapiolani Community College's Ohia cafeteria. It will have a preschool and kindergarten session at 1:15 p.m., followed by information on financing at 2 p.m. and a session on middle and high schools at 2:45 p.m.

Lanai going solar for energy

WAILUKU » Maui Electric Co. has agreed to buy solar power on Lanai to help stabilize fossil fuel price fluctuations to consumers on the island.

The utility has agreed to buy energy from a 1.5-megawatt photovoltaic facility being built by Lanai Sustainablity Research LLC.

Work on the solar facility is expected to be completed by Oct. 31.

Maui Electric spokesman Darren Pai said the 25-year power purchase agreement will provide long-term price stability. “;Solar's a great resource, and we'd like to see more of it,”; he said.

The power purchase agreement is being reviewed by the state consumer advocate and is pending approval by the Public Utilities Commission.

Power for businesses and some 3,500 residents on Lanai comes from a 9.4-megawatt power plant fueled by diesel oil.

The company, a subsidiary of Castle & Cooke Hawaii, plans to supply up to 30 percent of the peak electrical demand on Lanai, making it the largest solar installation in Hawaii.

The 10-acre solar facility, located two miles from the power plant at Miki Basin, includes a 7,000-panel SunPower Tracker system.

Filipinos to mark history in isles

The Filipino-American Historical Society of Hawaii is sponsoring several free events this month to celebrate Filipino-American History Month.

The state Legislature designated October as Filipino-American History Month in April. The following is a list of events scheduled:

» Saturday to Oct. 25: “;Singgalot: The Ties That Bind”; photo exhibit at the Hawaii State Library. An opening ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday.

» Oct. 11: Panel discussion, “;Growing Up Filipino in Hawaii,”; at the Hawaii State Library reading room. From 2 to 4 p.m.

» Oct. 12: Talk-story with Pete Tagalog, “;The 1970 Ota Camp Housing Struggle: A Success Story,”; at the Hawaii's Plantation Village Social Hall. Tagalog, founder of the Ota Camp Makibaka Association, will recount the 30-year struggle the association endured to retain camp homes and own the land under them. From 4 to 6 p.m.

» Oct. 25: Poetry reading, “;Flippin' on Poetry,”; at the Hawaii State Library reading room. From 2 to 4 p.m.