Mattos Files for Kauai Council, County Announces Youth Clinic, Park Work

John H. Mattos filed nomination papers on April 9 to run for Kauai Councilmember, adding another name to a county race shaped by a filing window that runs through June 2 at 4:30 p.m. The filing period matters in Kauai County because all seven council seats are elected at the same time to two-year terms, making the 2026 ballot a full council contest rather than a single-district fight.

The county’s election calendar now moves toward the August 8 primary and the November 3 general election. Voters and candidates can reach the Kauai County Elections Division at 4386 Rice Street, Room 101, in Līhue, where the Office of the County Clerk says it provides open, accessible, honest and secure election services. The county clerk office is open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

At the same time, Kauai County is opening a free youth basketball opportunity in Kapaa. The Department of Parks and Recreation, working with the University of Hawaii at Hilo men’s basketball coaching staff, will hold a clinic May 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kapaa High School Gym. Registration opens May 8 at 8 a.m., and space is capped at 50 boys and girls in grades 5 through 8.

Participants are asked to bring a basketball, water bottle, athletic clothing and athletic shoes. Check-in begins at 4:30 p.m. on clinic day. County parks officials say basketball programs are generally available from January through June for youth from kindergarten through 9th grade, putting the clinic into the wider pattern of seasonal recreation offerings that help fill after-school and summer schedules across the island.

Just as residents are lining up for the clinic, one of Kapaa’s busiest athletic facilities is set to go offline for upkeep. The softball field at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex will close from May 4 through May 8 for infield resurfacing maintenance. The complex, also known as the Kapaa New Town Complex-BJB Sports Complex, is at 4600-4999 Kahau Street in Kapaa.

The county’s sports and election notices may look small on their own, but together they show how local government keeps daily life moving. A candidate enters the field, youth athletes get a rare free training session, and a community sports complex gets the work it needs before the next wave of games and practices.