Kaʻū News Briefs Saturday, September 15, 2018

Poetry, acoustic performances, Hawaiian chants, and a plant-based potluck set Bee Boys Honey Shop and  breezeway of Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation's Nāʻālehu Center a-buzz Friday night. See story, below. Photo from Bee Boys

THE PROPOSED HAWAIʻI STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS THROUGH TAXING INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE was questioned last week at the County Council meeting. The measure, which will be on the General Election ballot on November 6, is an initiative of the Hawaiʻi public schools teachers union, the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association. It points out that Hawaiʻi is the only state where property taxes fail to directly support public education. The measure faces opposition from the statewide Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce.

     The hesitation by the County Council involves wording of the constitutional amendment on the ballot. Council member Maile David said, "If you just read [the bill] – and this is exactly how they're promoting it – then you have to vote for this if you support educating your kids and giving teachers more money. This is almost a great 'this isn't what it seems like.'" David said Hawaiʻi County is striving to make sure the ballot question reflects what the bill will actually do.

Watch this public school teacher speak out in favor of the 
constitutional amendment that proposes to raise investment 
property taxes to fund education. Video from HSTA Facebook

     The question on the ballot will read: "Shall the legislature be authorized to establish, as provided by law, a surcharge on investment real property to be used to support public education?" See the Hawaiʻi Senate Bill 2922 that approved it for the ballot at capitol.hawaii.gov/
measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2922&y
ear=2018.
     The County Administration told the County Council that it does not support the bill. The county's Real Property Tax Accountant Lisa Miura gave an explanation to the council Finance Committee on Sept. 4. She said the bill isn't specific enough; there is no promise the funding will end up in the schools. She said the burden of more tax on Hawaiʻi County affordable housing and agricultural lands, especially, might be too heavy. Hawaiʻi County already has the highest residential property tax rate in the state.

     Deanna Sako, Hawaiʻi County Director of Finance, said that nowhere in the bill does it say education will receive the additional money.

Watch another public school teacher speak out in favor of the
constitutional amendment that proposes to raise investment property
taxes to fund education. Video from HSTA Facebook

     Council member Dru Kanuha said people rarely want to vote for a tax increase. "We want to see the money get directly to the classrooms," he said, but that there are issues with the Department of Education, and "we don't know where all the money is going." He says an audit would be something "a normal person would want." He also said it's important the voting public is informed "especially on this one."

     The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association says on its website that the measure will "let the people of Hawaiʻi vote, for the first time in our state's history, to finally fund our public schools properly." HSTA states Hawaiʻi's schools are "chronically underfunded, with our state ranking last in the nation in the percentage of state and local revenue spent on our public schools." This underfunding, says HSTA, "has led to a chronic teacher shortage, higher class sizes, cutbacks to arts, vocational and Native Hawaiian courses, unequal access to preschool programming and more."

     HSTA also says real estate speculators "have taken advantage of our low property tax rates to use Hawaiʻi as their own private Monopoly board, driving up our cost of living by purchasing investment homes at prices residents cannot afford to pay." HSTA says the cause of this is that Hawaiʻi is "the only state that doesn't use property taxes to help pay for public education, leaving us with the lowest property tax rates in the country."
     Teachers have taken to social media in support of the bill.

     Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara stated on Facebook the group "strongly" opposes the new tax and claimed it will raise the cost of living for everyone; increase the cost of doing business; impact affordable housing and increase rent; and increase taxes on all properties including residential, commercial, and agricultural. "Furthermore, the taxes do not guarantee the monies will go to public education and teachers, essentially allowing a blank check to the Legislature. Let me be clear. We wholeheartedly support public education. As a proud K-12 public school graduate, I know how much my teachers meant to me and how they’ve had a positive impact on my life. However, this amendment will have far-reaching implications that will impact everyone."

     The City and County of Honolulu are suing to block the bill from being on the ballot. In a lawsuit amendment filed Wednesday, Aug. 29, according to Hawaiʻi News Now, the city stated the bill "usurps its authority to set and collect real property taxes," and says, "the wording is so vague that it would allow state lawmakers to raise this tax as much as they want." Said Honolulu City Corporation Counsel Donna Leong, "There aren't any parameters on this constitutional amendment. So the taxation power that the Legislature hopes to give to itself, it knows no bounds. There's no dollar amount limitation. We're very concerned about the collateral affect on the county's real property taxation efforts."

Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce President
 & CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara

     Learn more about the ballot question at two public forums: Thursday, Sept. 27, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., at ARC in Hilo; Wednesday, Oct. 3. from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at West Hawaiʻi Civil Center. Panelists will include Lisa Miura, Administrator, County of Hawai'i Real Property Tax Division; state Sen. Gil Riviere; Corey Rosenlee, President, Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; and Deborah Zysman, Executive Director, Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network.
      Sherry Bracken, Public Affairs Director for Mahalo Broadcasting, will moderate. The event is sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Island REALTORS®, Hawaiʻi Island Contractors' Association, Kanoelehua Industrial Area Association, Big Island Press Club, Hawaiʻi Island Economic Development Board, and Hawaiʻi Leeward Planning Conference.

     For more information, call Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce office at (808) 935-7178.

     See the presentation from Sept. 4 at bigislandvideonews.com/2018/09/14/video-county-on-investment-property-surcharge-to-fund-public-education. 

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SEN. MAZIE HIRONO'S ATTEMPT TO SUBPOENA RECORDS OF BRETT KAVANAUGH has been rejected. Hirono said the documents show the Supreme Court Justice nominee's views on indigenous peoples, from the time he worked in the White House. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted down Hirono's request along partisan lines. The vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation, scheduled for Sept. 13, is postponed.

Sen. Hirono, at the far right of the inner table, requested documents from U.S. Supreme Court nominee
Judge Brett Kavanaugh be released. The request was voted down along partisan lines. Photo from Hirono's YouTube

     Hirono took to social media to voice her opinion of the denial: "The American people deserve to know the full extent of Brett Kavanaugh's lies regarding indigenous communities."

     Colette Machado, chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, issued this statement: "The Office of Hawaiian Affairs joins U.S Senator Mazie Hirono in calling the nation's attention to Judge Kavanaugh's extreme positions on Native peoples in general and Native Hawaiians in particular. The record now reflects that Judge Kavanaugh holds long-standing views about Native Hawaiians that mirror positions taken by organizations whose goals include stripping Native peoples and nations of their dignity as sovereign entities within the United States, contrary to settled United States policies towards Native Americans. Judge Kavanaugh has demonstrated a low level of knowledge about the history of Native Hawaiians and their pre-existing sovereignty well before western contact. His nomination is alarming to all American Indians, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiians."

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Image from health.harvard.edu

QUITTING TOBACCO IN EAST HAWAIʻI JUST GOT SOME HELP in the form of $150,000 in Hawaiʻi Community Foundation Grants, says a release from Bay Clinic. The Hawaiʻi Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund, administered by HCF, is meant to help East Hawaiʻi residents kick the tobacco habit.

     Bay Clinic's Tobacco Cessation Program participants receive comprehensive support through individual and group counseling sessions, pharmacotherapy options, and other support services to help those individuals succeed in their tobacco-free goals.

      "If you are ready to quit using tobacco, the Tobacco Cessation Program can help! If you are a Bay Clinic patient, please talk to your provider to see if the program is right for you. If you are not a Bay Clinic patient, please talk to your provider about referring you to the program," urges a statement from Bay Clinic.

     Call Maelani Rahmer at 313-2765 or Judith Beaver at 854-0016, Bay Clinic's Tobacco Cessation Coordinators, for more information about the program.

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Bee Boys Honey Shop offers a variety of honey, jellies, 

honey-related and bee-themed merchandise, and 

local products. Photo by Julia Neal

POETRY, ACOUSTIC MUSICIANS, BEEKEEPERS were all in the lineup at Bee Boys Honey Shop in Nāʻālehu on Friday evening. About 55 joined the hive of activity, livening up the breezeway of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation's Nāʻālehu Center. Hawaiian chanting and a plant-based potluck infused an evening of sharing original and favorite poems and songs, and visiting Bee Boys Honey Shops with its diverse honey products and other locally made items.

     Bee Boy Ryan Williamson said, "It was a great night for neighbors, friends, and visitors to share in community." He said to look for Nāʻālehu Poetry Night to continue each month, dates to be shared on social media @beeboys Instagram and Facebook, and The Kaʻū Calendar print and online media.
     The Bee Boys Honey Shop is open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. See beeboys.org and on Facebook and Instagram. Contact 808-333-6895 or info@beeboys.org.

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KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL had a rough night last night. Playing against Kamehameha, the JV team lost 0 to 2. Varsity also struggled, with Kaʻū scoring 11 points for each of the first two games, 7 for the third, against KS's 25 points in all three games.

     The Trojan Girls Volleyball team will host their next two games. On Monday, Sept 17, at 6 p.m., Lapahoehoe comes to Kaʻū to get served, followed by Kohala on Wednesday, Sept 19, at 6 p.m. See the Trojan's Fall schedule, below.

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.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KAʻŪ TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

   Sat., Sept. 22, 3:30pm, host Lanai @ Keaʻau
   Sat., Sept. 29, 11am, host Pāhoa

   Sat, Oct 6, 12pm, host Kohala

   Sat, Oct 13, BIIF Semi-Finals at Kamehameha

Girls Volleyball:

   Mon., Sept. 17, 6pm, host Lapahoehoe
   Wed., Sept. 19, 6pm, host Kohala
   Thu., Sept. 20, 6pm, @ Honokaʻa
   Tue., Sept. 25, 6pm, @ HPA
   Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
   Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

   Tues, Oct 2, 6pm, @ Kealakehe

   Fri, Oct 5, 6pm, host Keaʻau

   Wed, Oct 10, 6pm, @ Parker

   Fri, Oct 12, 6pm, host St. Joseph

   Mon, Oct 15, BIIF DII Qtr - Higher

   Wed, Oct 17, BIIF DII Semi-Finals @ Kona

Cross Country:

   Sat., Sept. 22, 9am, @ HPA
   Fri., Sept. 28, 6pm, host Kona
   Mon., Oct. 1, 6pm, host HAAS

   Sat, Oct 6, 2pm, @ Kealakehe

   Sat, Oct 13, BYE

NEW and UPCOMING
1868: AN EVENTFUL YEAR IN KA‘Ū is the selected subject title for Friday, Sept. 28's Coffee Talk event at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park's Kahuku Unit, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
     The talk focuses on a Mauna Loa summit eruption that was followed by thousands of earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that caused a fatal landslide and tsunami in Ka‘ū in addition to a collapse at Kīlauea caldera and a Mauna Loa lava flow that reached the ocean in a matter of hours. The course of events all transpired within a period of two weeks.
     During the Coffee talk, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists - research geophysicist Jim Kauahikaua and geologist Janet Babb - recount the unprecedented event from 150 years ago and describe its impacts, some of which can still be seen today.
     The event is free and no entrance fees are charged. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries will be available for purchase. Entrance to Kahuku Unit is located south of the 70.5 mile marker on the mauka (mountain) side of Highway 11. For more, see nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes.

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SUNDAY, SEPT. 16

Kaʻū ʻOhana Day: Picnic In The Park, Sun., Sept. 16, 12-3pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; entrance near 70.5 mile marker on Hwy 11). Family-friendly event. Shave ice, food vendors, children's activities, hula, and music. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, SEPT. 17

Discovery Harbour Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Mon., Sept. 17, 5-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

TUESDAY, SEPT. 18

Hawaiʻi County Council Meetings, Tue./Wed., Sept. 18 (Committees)/19 (Council), Kona. Kaʻū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nāʻālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov

Wonderful World of Wine and Watercolor, Tue., Sept. 18, 4-7pm, Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Artist Nancy DeLucrezia shows how to transfer a photo onto watercolor paper and introduces basic techniques in watercolor painting. Sampling of several wines from wine store "Grapes" in Hilo. $30/VAC member, $35/non-members, plus $17 supply fee. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19

Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed., Sept. 19, 12:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Arts and Crafts Activity: Friendship Bracelets, Wed., Sept. 19, 3-4pm, Kahuku Park, Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. For all ages. Register Sept. 10-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Arts and Crafts Activity: Handprint Tree Art, Wed., Sept. 19, 3:30-5pm, Pāhala Community Center. For keiki in grades K-8. Register Sept. 13-18. Free. hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation, 928-3102

THURSDAY, SEPT. 20

Hawaiʻi Disability Legal Services, Thu., Sept. 20, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org, 939-7033, ovcahawaii@gmail.com

SATURDAY, SEPT. 22

5th Annual Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run, Sat., Sept. 22, 7am, Kaʻū Coffee Mill, Wood Valley. Register online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145 until midnight, Sept. 20. Fees: 5K, $35/person; 10K, $45/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $55/person. Fees increase Sept. 10: $55/person; 10K, $65/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $75/person. Race day registration ends at 6:30am; all fees increase to $75/person. kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, okaukakou.org.

Fountain Grass Removal - Volunteer Day, Sat., Sept. 22, 9-3pm, meet at Ocean View Community Center. Hosted and sponsored by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No sign-up necessary. ovcahi.org, 939-7033

Stained Glass Basics II: Exterior Lamp Project w/Claudia McCall, Sat./Sun., Sept. 22, 23, 29, and 30, 9-noon, Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Students complete the 4-session workshop with a finished exterior lamp and basic skills to continue working with stained glass. $90/VAC member, $100/non-member, plus $30 supply fee for light fixture. Anyone with prior copper foil stained glass experience welcome. Advanced registration required. Class size limited. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Birth of Kahuku, Sat., Sept. 22, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Explore rich geologic history of Kahuku on this easy-to-moderate hike that traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, with different volcano features and formations. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Reopening of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, main park, limited sections, 10am, Sat., Sept. 22. See nps.gov/havo/recovery.htm for more.

Exhibit - One Lucid Dream: A Retrospective of Art Works by Ken Charon, Mon.-Sat., Sept. 22-Oct 6, 10-4pm, Volcano Art Centers Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Original paintings, drawings, and other objects. Public invited to free opening reception Sat., Sept. 22, 5-7pm. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Saudades, The Longing: 2018 Commemoration of the 140th Anniversary of the Arrivals of Hawaiʻi's First Portuguese Immigrant Families is being celebrated by islandwide traveling presentations that are free and open to the public. Kaʻū location: Pāhala Community Center, Sept. 22, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Flameworking - An Introductory Class w/Nash Adams-Pruitt, Sat., Sept. 22, 2-4:30pm, Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus, Volcano Village. Students complete workshop with a finished design of their own and basic skills to continue flameworking. $155/VAC member, $160/non-member, plus $40 supply fee. Advanced registration required. Class sized limited. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund Beach Clean-up w/Anderson ʻOhana's CF Campaign, Sat., Sept. 22, contact in advance for meet up time at Waiʻōhinu Park. 4WD required; no space available in HWF vehicles. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

ONGOING

Disaster Recovery Center Closes Sept. 29. Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Pāhoa Neighborhood Center at 15-3022 Kauhale St. Survivors who have left the area, call 800-621-3362.

5th Annual Kaʻū Coffee Trail Run Registration Open, online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145. Fees through Sept. 20: 5K, $55/person; 10K, $65/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $75/person. On Race Day, $75 per person, any race. Race Day is Sat., Sept. 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Kaʻū Coffee Mill, kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, okaukakou.org.

Activities at Kahuku Park - within Hawaiian Ocean View Estates - over the next two months, include two physical activities, three arts and crafts activities, and a Park Beautification Day.
     For all ages:

     - Park Beautification Day: Fri., Sept. 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration open Sept. 19 through 26.
     Activities are free to attend. For more, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit the park during business hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.

Free Arts and Crafts Activities at Pāhala Comunity Center happen on Wednesdays in September, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., through the end of Sept., for keiki in Kindergarten through 8th grade.

     - Sept. 19: Handprint Tree Art. Register through Sept. 18.
     - Sept. 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept. 19 through 25.

     For more, call 928-3102 or visit the community center during business hours: Monday-Thursday and Saturday, from noon to 8 p.m., or Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation.

Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers, towel laundry, alter guild, and for the computer lab. Volunteers do not have to be members of the church. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool’s Temporary Nāʻālehu Location is Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.

     Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.
     To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Harmony Educational Services, Home Based Educational Programs - Open Enrollment through Oct 15; harmonyed.com/hawaii. Partnered with four local public charter schools, Harmony offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can also contact Rayna Williams at rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798.

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