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Monday, November 02, 2015

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Nov. 2, 2015

Ka`u families must sign up by Friday to be included in the free lunch count for Kahuku `Ohana Day on Saturday, Nov. 21. See more below. Photo from NPS
HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING originally to be held on Wednesday has been rescheduled to tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 9 a.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo.
      On the agenda is Ka`u Council member Maile David’s resolution authorizing the county to negotiate the purchase of Kahua `Olohu Makahiki Grounds in Na`alehu. During the Council’s last meeting, David postponed the resolution after Council member Aaron Chung asked her to investigate property owner James Weatherford’s interests in the property.
Maile David
      According to the resolution, the property is listed as a key priority for purchase in Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Committee’s 2014 Annual Report for its historical significance and cultural importance.
      Also meeting tomorrow are Public Works & Parks & Recreation Committee at 1 p.m. and Planning Committee at 1:15 p.m.
      Ka`u residents can participate via videoconferencing at Na`alehu State Office Building. Meetings are also streamed live, and agendas are available, at hawaiicounty.gov.
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WITH AN INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS from Micronesia to Hawai`i, Civil Beat’s editorial board is calling for amendments to the Compact of Free Association treaty, which ends in 2023. The treaty provides aid to countries such as the Marshall Islands that suffered damage during nuclear weapons tests. Ka`u has a large population of Marshallese who left their homes due to inadequate health, education and infrastructure and a dire economic situation.
      “Hawai`i continues to be ill-prepared to welcome our newest immigrants, even though the consequences of that lack of preparation have become more troubling and obvious in recent years,” the board stated. “But it is both naive and dangerous for Hawai`i to sit on its hands, waiting for a knight in federal armor to alleviate the financial burden associated with Micronesian immigration. ...
      “A more urgent conversation needs to begin, and it must include all stakeholders — state and federal policymakers and the leadership of Micronesia as well. ...
      “While Gov. David Ige says that his administration has stepped up outreach to Micronesian organizations in Hawai`i, he also admitted that the state does not have a plan to deal with increasing COFA costs and immigration.
      “His recent homelessness declaration includes an all-hands-on-deck effort to deal with the particular problem of homeless Micronesians — and there are hundreds in Hawai`i — but his administration must be more pro-active in addressing COFA immigrants needs before they fall into homelessness.
      See civilbeat.com.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON APPROACHES, Hawai`i Island police advise the public to take precautions against car theft, identity theft and theft of items from within vehicles.
      This time of year, more cars are parked at shopping areas or at home while their owners are out shopping or attending parties, offering criminals more opportunity to break the law. To help prevent vehicle thefts and thefts of items in vehicles, remove your keys from the ignition and take them with you. Lock your vehicle. Never hide a second set of keys in your vehicle. Park in attended lots. Park in well lit areas. Never leave your vehicle running, even if you will be gone for only a minute. Completely close all windows of parked vehicles. Do not leave valuables or paperwork in plain sight. To eliminate drawing unwanted attention to contents in your vehicle, place packages or bags and other tempting items – especially cell phones and other electronic equipment – out of sight. At home, park your vehicle in a locked garage, if you have one. Back a rear-wheel-drive vehicle into your driveway to make it more difficult to tow. When parking on the street, turn your wheels toward the curb to make your vehicle more difficult to tow. Set the emergency brake to make a parked car more difficult to tow.
      To reduce the threat of theft or identity theft when shopping, do not leave purses or bags unattended in shopping carts. All it takes is a split second for a thief to walk by, remove your bag and flee undetected. Shoppers should keep their bags or purses on their person and zipped or snapped shut.
      When paying for merchandise, be wary of openly displaying checkbooks or credit cards, as they contain vital financial information that identity thieves can write down or photograph with smart phones. If paying with cash, avoid openly displaying contents of your wallet.
      When approaching your vehicle to load your purchases, keep at least one hand free to open your trunk or doors. While loading your packages, don’t leave your handbag or purse unattended.
Hana Hou Restaurant and the Kava Bar co-hosted Bottle of Blue's album release.
Photo by Babette Morrow
      Do not leave any papers with personal information in your car. Even blank papers might tempt a thief to break into your car in an attempt to steal your identity.
      Police ask the public to report any suspicious activities by calling the Police Department’s non-emergency line at 935-3311.
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RESTAURANTS IN NA`ALEHU celebrated Halloween over the weekend.
      Hana Hou Restaurant and the Kava Bar held a Bottle of Blue album release party on Saturday night.
      Shaka’s Restaurant held a costume party, with keiki and adults putting their imaginations to work and becoming princesses, superheroes, skeletons and more.
      With Halloween over, Shaka’s is preparing for Thanksgiving Day. The special for lunch starts at 11 a.m. with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberries and pie for $16.95.
      Dinner for $19.95 starts at 5 p.m. and adds soup or tossed green salad.
Superheroes, princesses, ghouls and others participated in Shaka Restaurant's
Halloween costume contest. Photo from Shaka's
      For more information or reservations, call 929-7404.
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THE BEAUTY OF KA`U opens today at CU Hawai`i Federal Credit Union in Na`alehu. Hours for public viewing and voting are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday. Each day, the public may sign in and receive a ballot for their favorite entry. Each ballot, a numbered ticket, will also be entered into a drawing for door prizes to be held each hour, and the winner does not need to be present. Prizes are being donated by various Ka`u merchants.
      The overall winner, chosen by judges, will be featured on the cover of The Directory 2016 and receive $100 and an article inside The Directory.

IMPROVEMENT OF COFFEE FARM and Mill Efficiency is the topic at Ka`u Coffee Growers Cooperative’s meeting tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. UH-CTAHR’s Cooperative Extension Service, in cooperation with USDA and the Hawai`i Coffee Growers Association, is bringing Fernando Augusto Vicentini, a mechanical engineer from Brazil, to provide information for better efficiency of coffee cultural control and production.
      Vicentini has expertise in field and mill equipment modifications that potentially reduce costs, improve efficiency and assist with CBB control and management of other coffee pests and diseases. All growers and processors are welcome.
      Seating is limited. Call 808-322-4892 to RSVP or email ginab@hawaii.edu today.

SIGN UP BY FRIDAY TO BE INCLUDED in the free lunch count for Kahuku `Ohana Day, a day of botanical discovery on Saturday, Nov. 21. Plants growing all around us can be used for all kinds of amazing things that can help us in our lives. On this `Ohana Day, participants learn a few of the many ways to use Hawaiian plants. Call 985-6019 to register kids up to age 17 and their families.

Bruce Richardson Photo from VAC
BRUCE RICHARDSON SPEAKS about The Book of Tea’s influence on western art during this Saturday’s Community Tea-In at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village VAC presents a day of enlightening talks and presentations by professionals in the arts and science of tea worldwide from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
      More than a historical talk, Richardson focuses on how teaists today can be aware of the tea spirit as they live each day. American artist Georgia O’Keeffe owned two copies of The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo. As her eyesight failed in her last years in New Mexico, O’Keeffe asked for chapters from the 1906 book be read aloud to her nightly. This classic introduction to the Japanese tea spirit was revered by others in the art world as well, including Frank Lloyd Wright and Isabella Stewart Gardner.
      In 2011, Richardson edited a new edition for Benjamin Press. He will recreate for attendees a lecture delivered recently at the O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe.
      Preregistration fee before 12 p.m. on Friday is $20 per person and $18 for VAC and Hawai`i Tea Society members. Tickets may also be purchased at the door at $25 per person, $20 for active VAC and Hawai`i Tea Society Members.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

FOR AFFORDABLE COMPUTER HELP, call John Derry at 936-1872.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for Retail Sales Associate: Full-Time, Competitive Wages, Medical & Dental Plans. Apply at Ka`u Coffee Mill. Call 928-0550 for an appointment.



See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.
See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_November2015.pdf.