Benjamin "Buddy" Bess, Publisher of Bess Press (wearing lei), presented a generous donation of 3,000 copies each of "Hawaii Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption" and "IZ: Voice of the People" to the Hawaii State Public Library System on December 3. The books are worth a combined total of more than $100,000. Joining in the book presentation are (from left) Carol Mon Lee, Chairperson of the Board of Education's Committee on Legislation, Public Charter Schools & Public Libraries; Susan Nakata of Library Development Services; Ann Fujioka of Technical Support Services; and State Librarian Richard Burns. Photo is courtesy of HSPLS.

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Bess Press, an independent Honolulu book publishing company, offered a generous donation today of recent “Top 20 Bestsellers” – “Hawaii Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption” and “IZ: Voice of the People” – to the Hawaii State Public Library System.

“Hawaii Warrior Football,” written by J. David Miller features a Forward by former UH Head Football Coach June Jones. Author Rick Carroll’s “IZ: Voice of the People” includes a Forward by Marlene Kuupua Kamakawiwoole (wife of the late musician Israel Kamakawiwoole).

Benjamin “Buddy” Bess, Publisher of Bess Press, presented 3,000 copies of each book worth a combined total of more than $100,000 to State Librarian Richard Burns and Carol Mon Lee, Chairperson of the Board of Education’s Committee on Legislation, Public Charter Schools & Public Libraries.

“We are very grateful to Buddy Bess and Bess Press for their overwhelming generosity and sincere aloha for Hawaii’s public libraries during this holiday season,” said Burns. “Hawaii Warrior Football,” the most authoritative and significant book in the history of University of Hawaii football, and “IZ: Voice of the People,” which presents the life and times of Israel Kamakawiwoole, one of Hawaii’s greatest musicians, will be added to enhance our sports and music collections, respectively, and are scheduled to be part of various library promotions in the near future.”

Interested book publishers who would like to make a donation that would benefit all readers in Hawaii are encouraged to call the Office of the State Librarian at 586-3704.

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Waimea Middle School is asking its faculty, families and community for help. More than 70 students turned out recently for its free after-school Volleyball and Cross Country teams – a very good thing made possible by a lot of volunteer time by coaches and others. But not so good is the fact that many students don’t have safe, appropriate footwear for these sports and their families can’t afford to buy athletic shoes at this time.

But Teacher-Coach Mikiala Yardley knew he had an extra pair of shoes he rarely used and really didn’t need, and he quickly learned that staff in the school office had 3-4 pairs of well constructed and like-new athletic shoes they weren’t using. Into the washing machine they all went and they’re now being made available as needed.

So, Principal John Colson and Teacher-Coach Mikiala Yardley are now asking the rest of the school’s faculty, families and community friends to check in their closets for little used, perhaps unneeded pairs of athletic shoes. If you have one or two such pairs that you could spare, please toss them in the washing machine, let them dry thoroughly and then bring them to the middle school office, which is located on the south end of the parking lot adjacent to the school cafeteria.

Cash donations are also welcome and students will be asked to “match” donations for new shoes purchased. A local retailer has agreed to extend a discount for any shoes purchased.

Questions? Call Teacher-Coach Yardley (887-6090 Ext. 222 and leave a message for him), or call the school’s family-community liaison Patti Cook (937-2833).

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UH Hilo’s ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i has received a generous donation of $10,000 from the W. M. Keck Observatory. The donation will support visits to the ‘Imiloa Center by K-12 schoolchildren and their teachers, as part of an ambitious two-year program through which ‘Imiloa is arranging programs for all public, charter and private schools on the Big Island.

The W. M. Keck Observatory’s donation will be matched with another $20,000 effectively tripling the value of the gift–under the terms of a 2008 grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.