Ka‘ū News Brief Friday, April 20, 2018

The Miss Kaʻū Coffee Pageant will be held for the first time in the Kaʻū District Gym on Saturday, following contestants
 touring coffee farms to get ready for the competition. See more below.
Photos from Trini Marques

THE KĀWĀ FLATS BRIDGE on Highway 11 between Nāʻālehu and Pāhala is expected to be constructed soon, as the state Department of Health is poised to issue a Pollution Control Permit for the construction site. The location is between Mile Markers 58 and 59.
     The state plans to raise Hwy 11 in the area that often floods. During flooding, the only alternative route for the general public and emergency vehicles is the old cane haul road above the highway, which offers its own hazards of running gulches during storms.

Kāwā Flats during a flood, cutting off Hwy 11 access around the island.
Photo from state Department of Transportation

     The proposed project includes clearing, grubbing, and grading for a temporary bypass and the new road. The permit would be good for five years and allow the state Department of Transportation and its contractors to discharge storm water runoff from the proposed construction site.
     The water at Kāwā is Class AA Marine water and state rules require the use of best construction practices so "that Class AA waters remain in their natural pristine sate as nearly as possible with an absolute minimum of pollution or alteration of water quality from any human-caused source or action."
     Federal funding has been provided for the project.

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KAʻŪ COFFEE FARMERS, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE COME TOGETHER to sponsor scholarships and inspire contenders in the Miss Kaʻū Coffee Scholarship Pageant. The opener for the tenth annual Kaʻū Coffee Festival, the pageant will be staged for the first time in the Kaʻū District Gym this Saturday at 6 p.m.

Miss Kaʻū Coffee contenders.

Photo from Trini Marques

     It is directed by Trini Marques, with sound man Calvin Ponce and lighting by Volcano Lights. Many volunteers have come together to decorate the venues with flowers donated by growers, and many farmers are ready to present trophies to the contestants.
     Scholarship sponsors are: Edmund C. Olson Trust, Kaʻū Mahi, Kaʻū Valley Farms, CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union, Punaluʻu BakeShop, Pacific Quest, Kaʻū Local Products, Sen. Russell Ruderman, Sen. Josh Green, Rep. Richard Creagan, and Council member Maile David.
     Talents of the contenders range from hula and Tahitian dance to ʻukulele and singing. Costuming ranges from the Polynesian to the urban. Miss Kaʻū Coffee will represent the local industry in appearances throughout the year.

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RESIGNATION OF EPA ADMINISTRATOR SCOTT PRUITT is called for by Sen. Mazie Hirono and 38 other Senators. They introduced a resolution into the U.S. Senate this week, in response to Pruitt's "numerous instances of undermining ethics values, alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars, and actions that stand in opposition to the mission of the EPA – favoring big polluters at the expense of science, our environment, and the health of children and families."

     "Scott Pruitt exemplifies the toxic mixture of corruption and hostility to government that we have come to expect from the Trump administration," Hirono said. "He has undermined the EPA's mission to protect public health and the environment, and we can scarcely go a week without learning about a new scandal or breach of public trust at the EPA. The only thing that could restore Americans' trust in the EPA is his resignation."

EPA Administrator Scot Pruitt, whose resignation has been
called for by the largest group of Senators in U.S. history
to sign a resolution formally calling for a cabinet
official's resignation. Photo from Scott Pruitt twitter

     Senator Tom Udall said, "This historic resolution sends an unequivocal message to the administration: the American public has lost faith in Scott Pruitt, and it's time for him to go. During his time in office, Pruitt has waged all-out war on the bedrock protections that keep our air and water clean, prevent toxic chemicals from contaminating our communities, and safeguard the health of our kids and families. He has done lasting damage to public health and safety – gutting the EPA's core mission – all to benefit his campaign donors and grease the wheels for his big polluter friends. And at the same time, Pruitt has completely violated the trust of the American people and the standards of his office, with a list of ethical transgressions that grows longer by the day. Pruitt is administrator of the EPA, but he's behaving like the emperor of the swamp. His imperial tenure needs to end."

     The 39 cosponsoring Senators represent the highest number of Senators in U.S. history to sign a resolution formally calling for a cabinet official's resignation, and another 131 representatives introduced a similar resolution in the House. Full text of the resolution can be found HERE, full list of Senate cosponsors HERE, and full list of House cosponsors HERE.

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ADDITION OF SOUTH KOREA TO DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S Cybersecurity Program was applauded by Senators Mazie Hirono and Cory Gardner (R-CO). The Korea Internet and Security Agency, South Korea's lead cybersecurity agency, will be added to the Automated Indicator Sharing system that "enables the exchange of cyber threat indicators between international, federal, state, local, and private sector entities at machine speed", per a release from Hirono.

     "South Korea's inclusion in the AIS program further strengthens our alliance and trilateral cooperation with Japan in facing shared cyber threats from North Korea and other malign actors," said Hirono. "I appreciate DHS' work to expand the AIS system which shares important threat indicators with the Hawai‘i State Fusion Center, enabling our state to better protect our communities and infrastructure against cyberattacks."

     "Senator Hirono and I urged the Department of Homeland Security to include South Korea in this information sharing system, and I am glad they took our advice. South Korea is a close ally and this is an important step forward in our shared commitment to combat cyber threats," said Gardner. "Our two countries need to continue to work together and with our allies to protect our shared interests and combat bad actors in cyber space, including North Korea."

     "As Hawai‘i businesses seek to maintain existing trade and look toward accessing new markets in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, protecting the integrity of their reputations and established intellectual properties is imperative," said Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i President & CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara. "While many local companies have gone to great lengths to ensure these protections in foreign markets, we need to have a firm understanding of factors that threaten the livelihood of our businesses, including those in the cyber realm. The AIS is a valuable tool that serves to create a cyber-secure business community in our state and South Korea's inclusion is welcome news."

     Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Mark Warner (D-VA), also signed the letter. Click here to download a copy of the letter.

     Threat indicators are pieces of information like malicious IP addresses or the sender address of a phishing email. In November 2017, Hirono and Gardner led a letter to then-acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke, expressing support for increased cybersecurity cooperation with South Korea, given the shared cyber threat from North Korea and urging DHS to expedite its participation in the AIS system which Japan joined last year.

     As of March 31, there are 33 federal entities and 175 non-federal entities connected to AIS. Twenty-nine of the 175 non-federal connections are information sharing and analysis organizations or cybersecurity providers who are able to redistribute the indicators to their customers and members. Thirteen states, including Hawai‘i, plus the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which includes all states, are connected to the AIS system.

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PARKS STARS, THEME OF THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL PARK WEEK, brings a variety of events to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The week kicks off with a fee free day - entrance fees are waived for all entering fee-charging national parks in the U.S. - on Saturday, April 21.
     Two free programs are offered on Saturday, April 28, one in Volcano and the other at the Kahuku Unit:

Join NPS Master Volunteer Charlene Meyers for a Guided Hike: 
Off the Beaten Trail at Kīlauea Iki Crater on Saturday, April 28. 
Event details, right. Photo by Janice Wei, National Park Service

     Guided Hike: Off the Beaten Trail at Kīlauea Iki Crater is offered at 11 a.m. Participants should meet NPS Master Volunteer Charlene Meyers at Kīlauea Iki Overlook parking lot. The four-mile Kīlauea Iki Trail is one of the park's star hiking trails, according to the press release; a popular destination for hikers to cross a steaming crater floor through the intersection of eruption and native rainforest.
     "Most leave without knowing how the crater was formed, or how three eruptions since 1823 have filled it with more than 400 feet (120 meters) of lava," states the release. Discover how fountains of lava from the giant brick-red cone, Pu‘u Pua‘i, jetted up 1,900 feet (579 meters) in 1959 and left behind a 50-foot (15 m) bathtub ring of lava residue on the crater walls. Allow five hours for this moderately difficult hike which has an elevation gain of 400 feet (120 meters). Bring water, a light lunch, snacks, rain jacket, sun protection, and wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Park entrance fees apply.

     Guided Kahuku Hike: Nature & Culture is offered from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., with participants meeting near the main parking area of the Kahuku Unit. Hike the Palm Trail and be inspired by a place where hulihia (catastrophic change) and kulia (restoration) can be observed as the land transitions from the 1868 lava flow and its pioneer plants, to deeper soil with more diverse and older flora. Learn about native plants and their significance in Hawaiian culture. This moderate hike is about two miles and takes two hours.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

Fee-Free Day at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Sat, Apr 21. Park entrance fees waived in celebration of National Park week. nps.gov/HAVO

National Park Week, Sat - Sun, Apr 21 - Apr 29, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park & Kahuku Unit. "Park Stars" themed events - nighttime star party, guided hikes, ranger-led adventures, volunteer opportunities - at nps.gov/HAVO.

Realms and Divisions of Kahuku, Sat, Apr 21, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately difficult, two-mile, guided hike on Kahuku Unit’s newest trail, Pu‘u Kahuku, explores the traditional Hawaiian classification system. Bring a snack.

Gold Leaf and Illumination w/Rose Adare, Sat, Apr 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Students learn how to use gold, copper or silver leaf. Includes metallic pigments and paints. Class fee $60/VAC member, $65/non-member, plus $15 supply fee. Register: volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

The Art Express, Sat, Apr 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Instructions on oil, acrylic, watercolor, and other mediums; old or new projects. Monthly class size limited to 25. Meliha Corcoran 319-8989, himeliha@yahoo.com, discoveryharbour.net/art-express

Jami Beck turns over her crown to the
2018 Miss Ka`u Coffee on Saturday.
Photo by Pamela Taylor

Bunco & Potluck, Sat, Apr 21, 6 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice, also known as Bonko or Bunko. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297

Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Miss Ka‘ū Coffee Pageant, Sat, Apr 21, 6 p.m., Ka‘ū District Gym. Tickets, $10 donation. Ka‘ū Coffee Pageant Director Trinidad Marques, 928-0606, TrinidadMarques@yahoo.com, or Facebook Trinidad Marques. kaucoffeefestival.com

Ka‘ū High School Students Compete on It's Academic - Hawai‘i, re-air, Sat, Apr 21, 6:30 p.m., Channel 5 (KFVE). Watch live stream on KFVE.com. More info.

SUNDAY, APRIL 22
‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sun, Apr 22, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, and the many forms of the ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower on this free, easy, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, APRIL 23
Fishery Council Monthly Meeting, Monday, April 23; new membership encouraged - especially recreational, commercial and regional fishers - to provide feedback for the council on a regular basis, passed on to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Visit westhawaiifisherycou.ipower.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 24
HOVE Road Maintenance Monthly Meeting, Tue, Apr 24, 10 a.m., RMC Office in Ocean View. hoveroad.com, 929-9910

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, last Tue of each month, Apr 24, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View, at Paradise Circle-Mauka. Food is often gone before 1 p.m. We ask all participants to respect the grounds where this is held. Volunteers are always needed and welcomed, beginning at 8:30 a.m. on that Tuesday. For more info or emergency food, call Dave Breskin at 319-8333. We are expanding our services to include - based on availability - free clothing provided by nonprofit Big Island Giving Tree, and pet food provided by the Hawai'i Humane Society.

Getting a Handle on Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death, Tue, Apr 24, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. J.B. Friday, extension forester with University of Hawai’i, shares current understanding, management, and how to avoid spreading the disease. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

WEDNEDAY, APRIL 25
Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wed, Apr 25, 9 - 11 a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors, 60 years & older, encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i; referral required from Hawai‘i County Office of Aging at 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

Kāhili Demonstration, Wed, Apr 25, 10 a.m. - noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn to make a small hand-held feather standard - an example of Hawaiian art. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ‘Ike Hana No‘eau "Experience the Skillful Work" workshops. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/HAVO

THURSDAY, APRIL 26
Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thu, Apr 26, noon - 1 p.m., Punalu‘u Bake Shop. Meeting provides local forum for all community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us

FRIDAY, APRIL 27
Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Vendor Application Deadline for Ho‘olaule‘a, Fri, Apr 27. To become a vendor, contact Brenda Iokepa-Moses at biokepamoses@gmail.com or 731-5409

Coffee Talk, Fri, Apr 27, 9:30 - 11 a.m., Kahuku Park, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Join park rangers in an informal conversation on a variety of topics. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries available for purchase. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Ka‘ū Coffee Festival: Pa‘ina & Open House, Fri, Apr 27, 5:30 - 9:30 p.m., Pāhala Plantation House. Free; donations accepted for Miss Ka‘ū Coffee Scholarship Fund. Julia Neal, 928-9811, mahalo@aloha.net. kaucoffeefestival.com

ONGOING

Sign Up for the Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade, to be held June 30. If interested, call Debra McIntosh at 929-9872.

National Park Week, Sat - Sun, Apr 21 - Apr 29, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park & Kahuku Unit. "Park Stars" themed events - nighttime star party, guided hikes, ranger-led adventures, volunteer opportunities - at nps.gov/HAVO.

One Community and One Parent Representative are sought by Nāʻālehu Elementary School Community Council. The community representative will serve a two-year term for school year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. The parent representative will serve a one-year term for school year 2018-19. The parent rep cannot be a Nāʻālehu Elementary School employee. Voting is April 30 through May 11. Those interested, contact Leilani Rodrigues at 313-4020 or pcnc@naalehu.org, or name and number at the main office line, by calling 313-4000.

Volcano Art Center Gallery Presents Hoʻokuʻi I Nā Kiko, Connecting the Dots, by Natalie Mahina Jensen and Lucia Tarall. "A curated collection of photographs, paintings, sculptures, and feather work items deliver a sublime message, connecting the viewer artistically with the provenance of the design." Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Sunday, May 6. volcanoartcenter.org or 967-8222

Tūtū and Me Offers Home Visits to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.

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