Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, February 18, 2019

This Saturday, join volunteers at Punaluʻu, Kalae, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Miloliʻi, and all over the state for 
the second of three Sanctuary Whale Count events of 2019. Details in the Events section, below. NOAA photo

NO HELICOPTER FLIGHTS ON SUNDAYS says a letter from Safari Helicopters' CEO Preston Myers. East Kaʻū Sen. Russell Ruderman posted on Facebook, "This is the first action we've seen from any member of the helicopter air tour industry showing a good faith effort to be a better neighbor regarding noise. Mahalo, Safari Helicopters, for caring about your neighbors. We hope others follow this first step, and continue to address the many community concerns in other ways as well."

Safari Helicopter on a tour over live lava.
Photo from Ruderman's Facebook

     The letter reads, "Dear Elected Officials / Community Leaders: After careful consideration, Safari Helicopters is happy to announce that we will begin a trial period on Big Island, No flights on Sundays beginning Feb 17, 2019. During this assessment period we will be monitoring the effects on our business and its relationship to the impact on our local communities. We invite our fellow operators to join us in this test period to see if we can bring about positive change, as well as maintain the fiscal and employment integrity to the many employees we provide jobs.

     "It is our hope that this step will prove financially viable, while providing some goodwill and understanding of the communities' concerns. We believe that this could be an example of a mutually beneficial, but voluntary, solution to this and other concerns the tour industry and our communities face."

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HAWAIʻI SUES DONALD TRUMP TO HALT BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION: Hawaiʻi's Attorney General Clare E. Conners joined 15 other state Attorneys General today challenging Pres. Trump's declaration on Friday of a national emergency in order to fund his wall. Trump declared a national emergency to build the wall to prevent immigrants and refugees from crossing the southern border of the U.S. mainland.

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Clare E. Conners
joined 15 other state Attorney's General in
suiting Pres. Donald Trump over taking
money for other appropriations to use to
build a border wall.

     The suit says Trump shows "a flagrant disregard for the separation of powers" in the U.S. government, where Congress holds the purse strings. The suit, calling the situation "a constitutional crisis," goes after Trump's intent to take money scheduled for state programs in order to redirect funding to build the wall. Other states joining the suit are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Virginia.

     The suit points to statements by Trump indicating the situation was not an emergency, but he needed the money to build the wall fast. "By the President's own admission an emergency declaration is not necessary," says the suit. The suit was filed in the federal court in San Francisco, but could reach the Supreme Court, delaying building the wall until the next presidential election.

     Read the entire suit through a link provided by the New York Times.

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REINSTATING THE INTERMEDIATE-RANGE NUCLEAR FORCES TREATY, ratified by Pres. Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on Dec. 8, 1987, is a goal of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. The treaty led  to the destruction of 2,692 missiles by May, 1991.
     However, Pres. Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the treaty on Feb. 1. During a press conference today, Gabbard urged support for reinstating the INF Treaty Compliance Act, HR1249. She said it would "prevent the United States from sparking an arms race between the United States and Russia, and escalating the new Cold War." Gabbard said the legislation "would prohibit the use of any taxpayer dollars for weapons that violate the INF Treaty," despite President Trump's withdrawal.

     "We face a greater risk of nuclear catastrophe now than ever before in history," stated Gabbard. "The threat of nuclear war is real. President Trump's reckless decision to pull out of the INF Treaty heightens this threat by exacerbating the new Cold War.... and bringing us ever closer to a nuclear holocaust. President Trump's actions make the American people and our country less safe, while wasting taxpayer dollars to pay for the new arms race and nuclear weapons -- dollars that should be used to address the needs of our people and communities right here at home. My legislation will uphold the INF Treaty... Rather than scrapping the INF Treaty, we should be working to strengthen and expand it, and continue pursuing a path toward security and peace."

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, speaking today about legislation to stop the U.S. from exiting the Intermediate-Range
Nuclear Forces Treaty. Photo from Gabbard's office

     The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Jim, McGovern, Mark Pocan, and Ilhan Omar, and is supported by Win Without War, Union of Concerned Scientists, Ploughshares Fund, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Beyond the Bomb, Global Zero, and NuclearWakeUpCall.

     Erica Fein, Advocacy Director of Win Without War, said, "The INF Treaty Compliance Act of 2019 is the exact right response to President Trump's dangerous withdrawal from the landmark INF Treaty. Congress should not be rewarding Trump's actions by helping him spark an arms race; it should be restraining him at every turn. When it comes to nuclear weapons, this president has shown a callous disregard for the decades of work that has been done to put the world on a safer path. We must block Trump's desire to build new nuclear weapons, including conventional and nuclear missiles that have been prohibited for over 30 years, and pass Representative Gabbard's important bill."

     Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs, Peace Action, said, "This White House loves to assassinate agreements that make Americans safer: the successful Iran nuclear agreement, the Paris climate agreement, and now the INF Treaty. Peace Action members proudly joined with many others to push for the INF Treaty because it removed an extra dangerous class of nuclear weapons. This legislation… will keep the U.S. out of a dangerous arms race that taxpayers cannot afford."

     Tom Collina, Director of Policy at Ploughshares Fund, said, "Congress may not be able to prevent President Trump from withdrawing from INF, but it can stop him from producing missiles prohibited by the treaty. This legislation would do that, and thereby help stop President Trump from starting a new nuclear arms race. Such a race cannot be won, and will only waste billions of dollars and possibly millions of lives."

     Jeff Carter, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility, said, "Withdrawing from the landmark INF Treaty would turn back the clock to a dangerous era that put the United States and Russia on the brink of nuclear war. This ill-advised move could fuel a new arms race, or worse.  Physicians for Social Responsibility endorses [the Act] because Americans' health and safety, and our national interests, depend on preventing the possibility of nuclear conflict."

     Cecili Thompson Williams, Director of Beyond the Bomb, said, "The U.S. should be exhausting all options that allow for the elimination of Russia's alleged violations, or it risks exacerbating the very problem of noncompliance it's highlighting. With no agreement between the two countries, both will call for expanding their nuclear arsenals as the replacement measure for keeping the other in check. Wading into a new nuclear arms race is a regressive and short-sighted tactic by Trump, and a warning signal for nuclear nonproliferation efforts. As the U.S. continues to increase their nuclear arsenal and destroy international agreements… the slightest miscalculation when tempers flare will expose our growing inability to constrain nuclear buildup around the world. We support this effort to stem a new arms race and maintain the safety of our allies."

     Derek Johnson, Executive Director of Global Zero, said, "The premature death of the INF Treaty is counter-productive and dangerous. The U.S. government should concentrate its efforts on pursuing any reasonable solution that keeps the INF Treaty's restraints intact, not going gangbusters on unnecessary weapons programs. There is no need for the United States to develop INF-prohibited weapons; doing so will only fast-track a destabilizing arms race between two nations that already hold 90 percent of the world's nuclear stockpile. By abandoning decades of leadership on arms control in favor of nuclear chaos, the White House is blazing a dangerous trail that puts Americans in harm's way. The legislation… recognizes that reality and can help rein in the Trump administration's reckless nuclear agenda."

     Robert Naiman, Policy Director of Just Foreign Policy, said, "Congress can act to preserve President Reagan's INF treaty, saving taxpayer dollars that would be spent on unnecessary and destabilizing nuclear weapons. We support the efforts… to preserve the INF treaty and look forward to votes in the House and Senate on preserving the INF treaty."

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A FLASH FLOOD WATCH is in effect for Hawaiʻi Island for 24 hours, starting at 6 p.m. tonight, Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense reports. The National Weather Service says conditions "are favorable for flash flooding." Residents in flood prone areas are asked to remain alert for flooding conditions, and to prepare for heavy rains by cleaning their rain gutters and clearing drainage channels on their property. Thunderstorms are possible; the best place to be during a thunderstorm is indoors, says NWS.

     County beach parks are all open but may closed without notice. Beachgoers, swimmers, and surfers should heed instructions of Ocean Safety Personnel.

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A FREE PLAY YARD FOR KEIKI AND INFANT SLEEP EDUCATION are available to those who qualify. The Safety-First Prelude Play Yard is free for children less than a year old, with parents or legal guardians unable to provide a safe sleep environment. One of the parents must be unemployed and the family must demonstrate financial need, such as eligibility for WIC, SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid/Quest.

Babies should be put to sleep on their backs, in their own
beds, withoutpillows, toys, or other items. 
Photo from Safe Sleep Hawaiʻi

     The education includes American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that caregivers lay infants to sleep on their backs; use a firm surface covered with a tightly fitted sheet; keep loose and soft objects out of the sleep area. Sleep in the same room but not the same bed as the infant.

     The program provides education about Sudden Unexpected Infant Death. "More than 27 percent of babies on Hawaiʻi Island are laid to sleep on their sides or stomachs. Forty percent of babies on Hawaiʻi Island always or often sleep in a bed with someone else. Twenty-one percent sometimes do. More than 70 percent of babies on Hawaiʻi Island sleep in an environment with one or more of the following risk factors: pillows, bumper pads, plush blankets, toys, or a soft mattress."

     The program is offered by Family Health Services Division – Maternal Child Health Branch, in partnership with Hawaiʻi District Health Office – Public Health Nursing Section and Family Health Services Section, in collaboration with University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Nursing Program.

     Resources for caregivers: Child Care Resource and Referrals PATCH, 808-839-1988; MothersCare, 808-951-6660; The Parent Line, 800-816-1222 or 808-526-1222;

Dept, of Human Services, humanservices.hawaii.gov; Department of Health, health.hawaii.gov; Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, kipchawaii.org.
     See safe sleeping for infants recommendations in Marshallese.

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 High Winter Sports Schedule

Boys Basketball:

Feb. 21-23, Thu.-Sat., HHSAA

Wrestling:

Feb. 20-21, Wed.-Thu., HHSAA

NEW and UPCOMING

GIRL'S DAY HEADBAND ARTS AND CRAFT ACTIVITY, for keiki ages 6 to 12 years old, happens at Kahuku Park in Ocean View on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration open Tuesday, Feb. 19 through Monday, Feb. 25. Free. For more, contact Recreation Technician Teresa Anderson at 929-9113. Kahuku Park is located at 92-8607 Paradise Circle Mauka. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation for hours.

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.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19
Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tue., Jan. 19, Committees; Wed., Jan. 20, Council, Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

Discovery Harbour Volunteer Fire Dept. Mtg., Tue., Jan. 19, 4:30-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wed., Feb. 20, 12:30-1:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Arts & Crafts Activity: Eagle Handprint, Wed., Feb. 20, 3:30-5pm, multi-purpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym. Register keiki ages 5-12 Feb. 11-19. Free. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21
Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Thu., Feb. 21, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Thu., Feb. 21, 6-7pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Paint Nite II, Thu., Feb. 21, 6-8pm, multi-purpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym, Pāhala. Open to adults. Register through Feb. 20. Supply fee. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23
Count Humpback Whales - Sanctuary Ocean Count, Sat., Feb. 23, 8-noon, Ka‘ū Coast locations: Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park and Ka Lae Park. Participants tally humpback whale sightings and document whale surface behavior during survey, providing valuable data to NOAA. Register at oceancount.org. Registration closes one week prior to event. Last 2019 count is on March 30.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26
HOVE Road Maintenance Board Mtg., Tue., Feb. 26, 10am, HOVE Road Maintenance office. hoveroad.com, 929-9910, gm@hoveroad.com

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue., Feb. 26, 11:30-1pm, last Tuesday monthly, St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

ONGOING

Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi classes offered in Ka‘ū include: Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP) on Wednesdays through Feb. 20. See more at hmono.org; Diabetes Management Classes on Mondays in February. Sign up by calling 969-9220 or online at hmono.org/classes.

Miss Kaʻū Coffee Pageant accepts applicants through Feb. 28. The pageant happens at Ka‘ū District Gym on Saturday, April 27 at 6 p.m. Miss Kaʻū Coffee and her court will represent the Kaʻū Coffee industry throughout the year at events in the community and beyond, her appearances sponsored by the Edmund C. Olson Trust, II. Pageant Director is Trinidad Marques. Scholarship Committee Directors are Julia Neal and Gloria Camba.

     The community can support the pageant through purchasing tickets, volunteering, and providing scholarships.

     Girls three to 24 years of age are encouraged to enter the pageant. Talents often include hula and singing. Competitive categories include Talent, Gown, Photogenic, Career-Interview, Characters Outfit, and Swimsuit for Miss Kaʻū Coffee. Pageant hopefuls contend for titles of Miss Ka‘ū Coffee, Jr. Miss Kaʻū Coffee, Miss Kaʻū Peaberry, and Miss Kaʻū Coffee Flower.
      Email tmarques@yahoo.com.

Volunteer on Midway Atoll for Six Months. The volunteer will serve as a communication assistant out on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, on or about March 12 through August. Applications are due by Feb. 28. Potential to be extended to a full year. Get more info and instructions on how to apply.

Nāʻālehu Celebrates Craft Month with open crafting for all ages, while supplies last. Crafting starts off at 3 p.m. each Thursday in February. Free. Contact Sara Kamibayashi at (808) 939-2442 for more.

Applications for a Job to Help Kids with Healthy Eating and Living in Kaʻū are open through March 15. The position, through FoodCorps, is a full-time 11.5-month commitment from August 1, 2019 through July 15, 2020, at Pāhala Elementary School.
     In exchange for service, members receive: $22,000 living stipend paid bi-weekly over the 11.5-month term; $6,095 AmeriCorps Segal education award upon successful completion of service; Student loan deferral or forbearance, if eligible; partial childcare reimbursement, if eligible; Health insurance; Ongoing training; mentorship; and professional development.

     Apply at foodcorps.org/apply. See the service member position description for more details. Visit foodcorps.org, Facebook page, or contact seri.niimi-burch@foodcorps.org for more information.

Niuhi-Shark Fine Art Exhibit is open daily through March 24 at Volcano Art Center Gallery. The public is invited to hear different perspectives on the life of Kamehameha the Great and experience a visual experience of important events in Kamehameha's life from the perspective of two styles of art. The exhibit and supporting events promise paint, prose, protocol, and conversations providing cultural, historical, and educational experiences, with original paintings by Carl F. K. Pao, paired with selections from the book Kamehameha–The Rise of a King by David Kāwika Eyre, with illustrations by Brook Parker. Visit volcanoartcenter.org for more information.

Preschool Opens Doors Applications are open for the 2019-2020 school year. The Department of Human Services encourages families to apply before March 29. This program is for families seeking aid in paying for preschool. Applications, available at patchhawaii.org, received during this period will be considered for preschool participation during July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. For more information, visit bit.ly/2TolEOm or call 800-746-5620.

Five Scholarships are available from American Association of University Women-Kona.

     Three $2000 scholarships will go to female college-bound Kaʻū High School and West Hawaiʻi high school students. Application packets were sent to high school counselors and are available on the AAUW Kona website at kona-hi.aauw.net. Criteria for choosing recipients are: academic achievement; community involvement; activities and experience; and financial need. Applications must be postmarked by Monday, April 1.

     Two $1,000 scholarships will go to any female high school graduate or women returning to school from home or workplace who are attending a two-year vocational program leading to a marketable skill at Palamanui Campus, 73-4225 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Kona. Application packets are available on the AAUW Kona website at kona-hi.aauw.net and must be postmarked by Wednesday, April 10.
      AAUW promotes equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Contact sharonnind@aol.com.

Beginning Farmer Institute Cohort Applications are open through April 15. BFI is a free training program which "prepares new producers of any age or operation type for a successful future in agriculture," says the release from Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United. A quote from a former student says, "In our time together, we became more than just farmers and friends – we became a family. NFU's Beginning Farmer Institute is a truly valuable experience that you will not forget."

Kaʻū Coffee Fest invites non-profits, clubs, cooperatives, and businesses to sign up for booths to serve the public at the 11th annual Kaʻū Coffee Fest Hoʻolauleʻa on Saturday, May 4 at Pāhala Community Center. The all-day event comes with music, hula, coffee tasting, and meeting the famous Kaʻū Coffee farmers. See KauCoffeeFestival.com.

     Booth fees are $100 for food vendors; $60 for non-food items and crafts, including coffee and coffee samples; and $35 for pre-approved information displays. Campaign and other political displays are not invited. Fifty percent discounts are provided to bona fide non-profit organizations and cooperatives selling food, crafts, and coffee. Each vendor is responsible for a Department of Health permit, if serving food. Call Gail Nagata 933-0918. Vendors must also obtain county vendor permits costing $30 each, to be displayed at each booth.

     Apply by Friday, April 26. Application at KauCoffeeFestival.com. Email to biokepamoses@gmail.com; mail to Brenda Iokepa-Moses, P.O. Box 208, Pāhala, HI 96777; or call 808-731-5409.

Applications for a Paid Internship in Kaʻū for Kupu Hawai‘i and The Nature Conservancy are being accepted. The year-long, full-time position is in TNC's Hawai‘i Island Terrestrial Program, which stewards native forest preserves in Ka‘ū and South Kona. Benefits offered include: a $1,600 monthly living allowance, before taxes; a $5,920 education award towards higher education; health care and childcare benefit, if eligible; and receiving an entry-level conservation career experience.
     Application at kupuhawaii.org/conservation. For more, call The Nature Conservancy at 443-5401 or call Kupu Hawai‘i at 808-735-1221.

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