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| Frank Aola Ke, Sr. will be inducted into the Paniolo Hall of Fame tomorrow. Photo from Paniolo Hall of Fame |
FAMOUS KA`U PANIOLO FRANK AOLA KE, SR. will be inducted into the Paniolo Hall of Fame at the Hawai`i Cattlemen’s Council Annual Convention tomorrow. Ke worked at Hawaiian Ranch, now Kapapala Ranch, and was good friends with other Paniolo Hall of Fame members Tommy Kaniho and the late Gordon Cran.
The renowned paniolo was born on April 26,1925 at Ninole, Punalu`u in Ka`u, where he worked alongside his father, Pilipo Aola Ke. According to the Paniolo Hall of Fame, Ke “worked tirelessly to learn the skills of a paniolo until age 21” before joining the U.S. Army. After military service, he returned to work at Kapapala Ranch.
“Frank’s work in the wild territory of Ka`u took him from the cold mountainous hills of Keauhou Ranch to the rugged terrain of Ka`alu`alu Ranch,” states Paniolo Hall of Fame. “He rode mauka to makai side by side with other legendary paniolo like John Piper, Leighton Beck, Tommy Kaniho, Homer Hashimoto, Tom Ito and many others.
“Frank was as excellent at breaking horses and tending livestock as he was at rope and saddle making. He spent endless hours in the stable sharing his talent with other ranch `ohana. This soon became the legacy of his lifestyle. There was a saying among those he taught, ‘E A`o Mai I Na Mea E Ho`omaika`i A`e I Ka`u Hana;’ in other words, teach me to do better what I do.
“Frank participated annually at the Fourth of July rodeo in Na`alehu. He teamed with other paniolo `ohana competing through the day and enjoying the events. He was at the rodeo when polo was introduced but with only sawed-down brooms as mallets.
“Frank Aola Ke, Sr. lived through a whole era of ranching; he planted his mana`o on these rugged soils of Ka`u, saw the transformation of ranching to corporate ownership and always enjoyed the friendship of other paniolo until his passing in 1981.”
Ke was married to the late Lydia Aula Ke. Their living offspring are daughters, the twins Keamalu Woltjen and Sweetie Grace, of Pahala; Paulette Ke, of Hilo; Iris Kaui Baczkiewicz of Volcano; and Hale Perriera, of Hilo. The living sons are Darryl Ke, of Pahala and Wesely Ke, of O`ahu. Deceased are the restaurateur and chef Frank Ke, Jr., as well as Mark and Kealoha Ke.
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| Senator and physician Josh Green |
THE ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION recently informed Hilo Medical Center officials that its Hawai`i Island Family Medicine Residency program has met the requirements for a two-year accreditation, effective July 1, 2014.
“Having a local residency on the Big Island is a game changer for us in Ka`u because 85 percent of those trained locally stay and practice locally,” said Sen. Josh Green, West Ka`u's state senator who has served as a physician at Ka`u Hospital. Ka`u Hospital expects to benefit from the program.
Legislatively known as the Hawai`i Health Systems Corporation Primary Care Training Program, the the campaign is gearing up to attract candidates interested in learning the art of Family Medicine along with a team of pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners and psychologists. It will welcome the first class of four residents in the summer.
“The accreditation of the HHSC Primary Care Training Program is one of the most important milestones in the history of our program,” said Howard Ainsley, East Hawai`i Regional CEO of HHSC. “Thanks to the collective effort to achieve accreditation, we will be able to move forward in solving the primary care physician shortage in our state and bring better health outcomes to our community.”
According to a report by the Hawai`i Physician Workforce Assessment Project presented at the 2013 Legislative Session, Hawai`i Island saw a 34 percent physician shortage in 2012, with 341 physicians in supply compared to 514 physicians in demand or needed to adequately care for the island’s population.
Supporters of the HHSC PCTP created a wave of momentum during the 2013 state legislative session that saw House Bill 417 appropriating $1.8 million to the program signed and released by then acting governor Shan Tsutsui in August and October, respectively. The bill was co-introduced by Ka`u's Reps. Denny Coffman and Richard Onishi, among others.
HMC officials, with the Hilo Medical Center Foundation, garnered legislative support through outreach to the community, local businesses and county and state legislators.
Preparations for the 2014 legislative session are underway to seek sustained funding for the program.
For more, see hilomedicalcenterfoundation.org and hifmr.org.
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| Hawai`i Health Connector reports a steady flow of applicants. |
HAWAI`I HEALTH CONNECTOR, THE ONLINE health insurance marketplace for Hawai`i, has attracted a steady flow of applicants through the beginning of this month.
Hawai`i Health Connector was established as a nonprofit organization in 2011 by the state Legislature in order to comply with the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
“Our team has been working around the clock to promote access to coverage, to assist with enrollment and to take calls from the interested residents of Hawai`i,” said Coral Andrews, executive director of Hawai`i Health Connector. “This multi-pronged approach that leverages our Contact Center, our Kokua and our dedicated staff is proving to be effective in processing applications as quickly and efficiently as possible to ensure the community has easy access to the enrollment process.”
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| Coral Andrews |
Andrews said the initial reported numbers reflect both individuals directly enrolling in qualified health plans as well as those who are seeking financial assistance through either the Department of Human Services or Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit/Cost Sharing Reduction plans.
The Connector expects enrollment figures to climb as the Dec. 15 deadline nears for payment for coverage that begins Jan. 1. “We’re gearing up for the anticipated increase in activity on our web portal, through our Contact Center and in coordination with our community-based marketplace assister organizations,” Andrews said.
Marketplace assister organizations continue to be added to conduct outreach and education for the open enrollment period.
According to Andrews, the Connector’s aim is an online marketplace that is of Hawai`i-for-Hawai`i, one that takes into account the state’s unique culture and works with the Prepaid Health Care Act, an employer mandate for health insurance coverage in effect since 1974.
For more information, see HawaiiHealthConnector.com.
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COLLECTION OF ITEMS TO BE SENT TO TYPHOON HAIYAN-YOLANDA disaster victims continues through Thursday at R&G Store behind Bank of Hawai`i in Pahala and Will & Grace Store in Na`alehu. Suggested items to donate are rice, clothing and ready to eat, easy to open foods and such health items as soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Gloria Camba, a director of the Big Island Filipino Community Council, said a company called LBC is shipping goods free to the Philippines for distribution by disaster assistance organizations.
For more information, call Camba at 928-8558 or 928-8155 or Amy Peralta at 928-8470. Call Will & Grace at 929-9993.
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| Ka`u Trojans open up gift boxes of equipment from the U.S. Soccer Foundation for this year's season. Teacher Dave Berry, right, asked U.S. Soccer for help. Photo by Julia Neal |
KA`U HIGH SOCCER PLAYERS received free soccer equipment from the U.S. Soccer Foundation this morning. The foundation’s Passback Program has collected and redistributed over 900,000 pieces of soccer equipment to children in underserved communities since 2002. Ka`u High teacher Dave Berry has been involved with Passbook during his teaching years on the mainland and here in Ka`u. The program works when dedicated individuals, soccer clubs and organizations collect and donate soccer equipment, enabling Passback “to bring the game of soccer to children who love the sport but don’t have the resources to play. It takes one soccer ball to change the life of a child,” says the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s website.
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KA`U HIGH GIRLS BASKETBALL FOOD DRIVE AND TOURNAMENT takes place today and tomorrow. Admission begins at 4 p.m. today and is $3 or two canned food items per person. The event continues tomorrow at 9 a.m.
KAUAHA`AO CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH BAZAAR is tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Laulau plates, barbeque plates, hotdogs and kulolo will be available for purchase. For space rental, call 928-8039.
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| Ho`omalu Ka`u is raising funds for Heritage Center of Ka`u, for which ground was broken in March. |
HO`OMALU KA`U, A NEW COMMUNITY-BASED NONPROFIT that is planning the Heritage Center of Ka`u, is holding a Silent Auction and Rummage Sale a week from tomorrow on Saturday, Nov. 23 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Na`alehu Hongwanji Mission.
“We will have some fabulous items at our silent auction from 8 a.m. to noon next to our Coffee Bar, where we will be selling hot coffee, hot tea and baked goods,” said organizer Lehua Lopez.
Items for sale include furniture, clothing, tools, electronic equipment, books, lamps, kitchen items, household goods, appliances, magazines, etc.
Donations of rummage items are accepted anytime. The group is setting up next Friday, Nov. 22 at the Hongwanji and is asking for volunteer help on both days.
To donate or volunteer, contact Lopez at 929-9891 or 88hale@gmail.com.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.
