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| Distance from North Korea to Guam, Alaska, Hawai`i and the mainland. |
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| Sen. Brian Schatz calls for staffing the state department as Trump threatens North Korea. |
Schatz posted one of the pages from an 11-page document listing positions filled and mostly unfilled at the State Department and tweeted, "receding from the world stage is not what America does. Those key positions are not just for a crisis but to protect our voice everywhere."
Another Schatz tweet: "This is either malpractice or malfeasance. We have dozens of key leadership positions in DOD and State across the globe with no nominee."
Schatz also looked to the 2018 election: "Let's win the 2018 election cycle and take our country back." And to 2020: "It would be excellent to have a President experienced in foreign policy and government leadership next time."
In the near term, he recommended that Congress should "quickly move" on Asia-related nominations for Department of State and Department of Defense; clarify Asian policy in the National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the Armed Services; fund diplomacy; and "fund Asia rebalance." He urged the administration to ask professionals with knowledge of Asia what they think. "This is too serious for cable partisan punditry from campaign flacks."
Schatz stated: "We are fortunate to have a United States Pacific Command "PACOM Commander and U.S. Forces Korea Commander with lots of wisdom and experience. We should listen to them."
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AUGUST IS NATIONAL WATER QUALITY MONTH, and "the people of Hawai'i understand the importance of clean and healthy water resources. Unfortunately, 52 percent of America's national parks have waterways considered impaired under the Clean Water Act, meaning they do not meet appropriate water quality standards," says U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in a statement released today.
"Protecting our natural resources goes hand-in-hand with protecting our future. Healthy people, healthy parks and healthy communities depend on healthy clean water.
"As Ranking Member of the Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee, I am fully committed to protecting our nation's water quality and restoring water quality in our national parks.
"As residents of an island state, we all know the importance of protecting our state's water quality. I hope you will join me in recognizing National Water Quality Month and doing your part to keep Hawai`i's water clean."
The American Water Works Association, through its DrinkTap.org released the following reminder:
"We are very fortunate in the United States that most of us have easy access to safe tap water, and that’s because of the thousands of water systems working hard to make that happen. "Our tap water is safe because water utilities are required to meet the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The SDWA not only protects our drinking water supply but also the sources of our drinking water supply.
"To keep our tap water safe, water utilities are required to monitor for almost 100 contaminants regularly. The SDWA requires EPA to identify contaminants that need to be regulated in drinking water and also to set limits for those contaminants.
"Because nearly all of our water utilities meet the regulatory standards set by EPA, we can feel secure knowing that our tap water is safe.
"The SDWA also requires water utilities to provide their customers with a Consumer Confidence Report, which is an annual report on local tap water quality. A CCR details what contaminants, if any, are detected and at what levels they are at locally. Customers must receive their CCR by July 1 each year. If you haven't received yours yet, contact your local water utility."
Go to www.drinktap.org to visit Local Water webpages and the What’s In My Water? section to learn more about water quality.
"Protecting our natural resources goes hand-in-hand with protecting our future. Healthy people, healthy parks and healthy communities depend on healthy clean water.
"As Ranking Member of the Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee, I am fully committed to protecting our nation's water quality and restoring water quality in our national parks.
The American Water Works Association, through its DrinkTap.org released the following reminder:
"We are very fortunate in the United States that most of us have easy access to safe tap water, and that’s because of the thousands of water systems working hard to make that happen. "Our tap water is safe because water utilities are required to meet the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The SDWA not only protects our drinking water supply but also the sources of our drinking water supply.
"To keep our tap water safe, water utilities are required to monitor for almost 100 contaminants regularly. The SDWA requires EPA to identify contaminants that need to be regulated in drinking water and also to set limits for those contaminants.
"The SDWA also requires water utilities to provide their customers with a Consumer Confidence Report, which is an annual report on local tap water quality. A CCR details what contaminants, if any, are detected and at what levels they are at locally. Customers must receive their CCR by July 1 each year. If you haven't received yours yet, contact your local water utility."
Go to www.drinktap.org to visit Local Water webpages and the What’s In My Water? section to learn more about water quality.
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RED CROSS VOLUNTEER MEETING, Thursday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. at HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. office. Hannah Uribes 929-9953.
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| Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com |
RED CROSS VOLUNTEER MEETING, Thursday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. at HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. office. Hannah Uribes 929-9953.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST, SATURDAY, AUG. 12, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 9389-7033.
KA`U PLANTATION DAYS, with the theme Culture and Tradition Lives on, starts with a parade from Na`alehu School to Na`alehu Park on Highway 11 this Saturday, Aug. 12 at 9 a.m, followed by a gathering at Na`alehu Community Center and park.
KA`U PLANTATION DAYS, with the theme Culture and Tradition Lives on, starts with a parade from Na`alehu School to Na`alehu Park on Highway 11 this Saturday, Aug. 12 at 9 a.m, followed by a gathering at Na`alehu Community Center and park.
The day features food booths, arts and crafts, information booths, games, keiki photos by the police department, tug O war, food contest, lauhala weaving, arm wrestling, archery shoot, silent auction, horseshoes, Hawaiian games, lei making and Hawaiian medicine.
Free, call Ka`u Multicultural Society's Darlyne Vierra or Liz Kuluwaimaka at 640-8740 or 339-0289. Retired teachers who taught in Ka`u will be honored.
THE 2017 JAZZ IN THE FOREST SUMMER SERIES continues on Saturday, Aug. 12 with two performances, at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The performance is called The Odyssey of Saxy Jazz!
Sax soloists such as Sidney Bechet, Frank Trumbauer, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman, and many others contributed to the path of jazz in big bands as well as small musical combos, as society changed and audiences kept on dancing to different beats.
Jazz in the Forest takes place at the Volcano Art Center campus on Old Volcano Highway. The Wine and Beer Room will be open for attendees to enjoy before and after the concert. An area is set aside for dancing. Tickets are $18 for VAC members, $20 non-members. For more information or to register call Volcano Art Center at 808-967-8222
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Tango and classical music are among the offerings at the Hawai`i International Music Festival concert at Pahala Plantation House on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.
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