Briefs for Sept. 8: Registration opens for transient vacation rental operators, Hawaiʻi County hosts upcoming workshops, events
Lincoln Park Tennis Courts in Hilo reopen following improvements to the facility
Contractors repaired cracks, leveled the playing surface, resurfaced the courts, and repainted the lines at the popular tennis courts located at the intersection of Kino‘ole and Ponahawai streets in downtown Hilo.
In addition to the court improvements, the project includes the implementation of an online reservation system in partnership with United States Tennis Association, which also provided a grant for the project.
To use the reservation system, players create an account, make a reservation, and receive a unique pin that will allow them to unlock the gates and access the courts for their reserved court time.
The reservation system can be accessed using the QR code posted at the courts or by visiting the United States Tennis Association website.
General use of the courts is free. Exclusive use, such as tournaments or leagues, requires an online reservation and payment at the Recreation Division Office.
For more information, contact Recreation Specialist Mark Osorio at 808-961-8735 or mark.osorio@hawaiicounty.gov.
Hawaiʻi Island Early Childhood Education Conference set for this weekend
Early childhood educators, caregivers and community members can explore Hawaiʻi Island as a living classroom during a conference set for Friday, Sept. 11 to Saturday, Sept. 12.
The 2026 Hawaiʻi Island Early Childhood Education Conference at the Courtyard Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel will include workshops that connect the island’s unique resources, people and places with effective teaching strategies for early childhood education.
The event aims to bring together educators, caregivers, early childhood professionals and community partners to share knowledge, strengthen connections and discover new approaches for supporting Hawaiʻi’s youngest learners.
The conference opens with an evening dinner, keynote presentation and pau hana networking event on Friday, Sept. 11.
Featured keynote speaker Dr. Kathleen Spencer Cooter, Professor Emerita of Education at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, will share insights on how keiki are “born to read” and the important role teachers and caregivers play in building the brain banks of young learners.
The second day will be a day full of workshops led by presenters from Hawaiʻi and other states on Saturday, Sept. 12. Sessions will explore topics including social-emotional development and behaviors, literacy and language development, and the many resources available on Hawaiʻi Island to support learning and development.
The Saturday program will also provide an opportunity for conference participants and members of the community to visit artisan and informational tables located in the hotel’s breezeway.
Register for the conference online.
Heat Resilience workshops offered across Hawaiʻi Island
Educational workshops with community-driven discussions on heat safety and cooling solutions are being held across the island.
Hosted by the County’s Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience and the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute, the workshops are free and open to the public and include free household cooling kits.
Hawaiʻi’s consistently high humidity makes it harder for bodies to cool down, raising the risk of heat-related illness even on days that might not feel extreme. To combat the growing health impacts of extreme heat, the Heat Resilience Program aims to build community awareness and action.
In summer 2025, the Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience partnered with Vibrant Hawaiʻi to install 12 heat sensors which measured temperature and humidity levels across the island to better understand where and when communities experience the greatest heat burden.
Heat sensors are currently redeployed across the island, and the workshops will build on those findings by bringing the data directly to communities, offering practical tools for staying safe in the heat, and creating space for neighbors to identify cooling solutions that work for their own communities.
Workshops will be held at the following locations:
- Kohala Intergenerational Center from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 in Kohala
- Kamanā Senior Center from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 in Hilo
- Ocean View Community Center from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Ka’ū
- La’i’ōpua 2020 Community Center from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3 in Kona
- Pāhoa Neighborhood Facility from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 in Puna
- Star of the Sea Painted Church from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18 in Puna
Seating is limited and community members are encouraged to register in advance online.
For more information, email OSCER@hawaiicounty.gov, or call 808-854-3129.
Transient Vacation Rental owners can now register properties online
People and businesses renting out rooms, houses, condos, or similar shelter to transients for fewer than 180 consecutive days, whether hosted, unhosted, or in the person’s home, are required to register their Transient Vacation Rentals with the County of Hawaiʻi.
A new online platform makes registration faster and easier for Transient Vacation Rental operators.
Registration provides the County and the public with current information about transient rental operations throughout Hawaiʻi Island and furthers the enforcement of County requirements such as parking and timeframes for responding to neighbor complaints.
Existing Transient Vacation Rentals with valid permits, such as Short Term Vacation Rental ,Nonconforming Use Certificate, and Bed & Breakfast, prior to Sept. 1 are deemed registered and will be sent an email with further instructions.
New Transient Vacation Rentals operators now register their rental online through the County’s Transient Vacation Rentals registration platform.
For information about Transient Vacation Rentals registration requirements, resources, and guidance, please visit the Planning Department’s Transient Vacation Rentals webpage.
