Our little community of Paia is trying to become the first plastic bag free town in Hawaii. With a local populace full of water sports enthusiasts, we have seen the impact of plastic bags on marine life first hand. Members of the community have been working with local merchants to switch to cloth and biodegradable bags. The No’ Mo’ Plastic Bag group is holding an auction to raise funds for the initial shipment of biodegradable bags to be used by merchants. They are auctioning off circular canvas bags that have been painted by various artists and/or autographed by celebrities. The artists consist of a diverse array of local talent as well as internationally renowned artist Peter Max. Celebrities who have autographed bags include Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Laird Hamilton, Robbie Naish and Jack Johnson. Bids may be submitted online or you can bid live tomorrow at the Morning Glories Organic Cafe tomorrow. The Cafe will be holding an auction event tomorrow from 10:00 until 4:00 PM. Bids will be cut off at 3:33 PM. Morning Glories is located right next to our office on Hana Highway in downtown Paia.

Pete Jalbert