Down to Earth All Vegetarian Organic & Natural will hold a grand opening Nov. 7 for its new store in Hilo.

The Honolulu-based chain will mark the occasion by offering discounts of up to 40 percent on more than 100 products from 7:30 a.m. until closing at 10 p.m. at the store in the Waiäkea Center.

The Hilo store opened Oct. 24 after a Hawaiian blessing by Hilo Kahu Kimo Awai. The grand opening festivities will include live performances by the Keawe Trio at 10 a.m. and noon, and Bruddah Walter at 2 p.m.

The Hilo store features the new look of the company's recently remodeled flagship store on King Street in Honolulu. With the addition of the Hilo store, Down to Earth now has five stores on three islands.

WEATHER IMPAIRS PAPAYA PRODUCTION

Hawaii papaya production totaled 2.3 million pounds in August, down 4 percent from 2.4 million pounds in the same month a year ago, according to the local office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Relatively heavy rainfall earlier this year contributed to the reduced harvest in August. Weather in August was mainly dry, which helped young plantings and should lead to an increase in production.

For the first eight months of the year, papaya production totaled 19.8 million pounds, down 3 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Papaya growers received an estimated 46 cents a pound for fresh fruit in August, 1 cent higher than in July, but 3.4 cents a pound lower than in August 2008.

GEOTHERMAL TESTS PLANNED ON MAUI

The U.S. Department of Energy said Hawai'i will share in $338 million being allocated to 39 states to promote domestic geothermal energy.

The department said yesterday in a Washington news release that about $5 million was awarded to a Nevada company that will use a combination of technologies to locate fault zones within geothermal reservoirs, with initial tests on Maui.

Geothermal power already is used in Hawai'i. Puna Geothermal Venture taps the might of Kílauea volcano to generate electricity, providing nearly one-fifth of the Big Island's power.