About The Kaʻū Calendar

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Kaʻū Hospital will likely receive more funding from the legislature to help with operational costs.
See more below. Photo by Julia Neal
See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout.

COFFEE PICKERS FROM OUT OF STATE MAY RECEIVE EXEMPTIONS FROM A 14-DAY QUARANTINE IN INDIVIDUAL HOTEL ROOMS, according to information forwarded today from Andrea Kawabata and the University of Hawaiʻi Agricultural Extension Service. She reported to coffee farmers: "The harvest season is upon us. Please stay informed about picker and labor quarantine regulations related to out-of-state travel, and read through the email below."
     The 14-day quarantine in hotel rooms for visitors coming from out of state will be required until at least Aug. 1, unless they receive an exemption as essential workers. Starting Aug. 1, migrant workers and other visitors to Hawaiʻi will be allowed to arrive from out of state without the 14-day quarantine if they submit negative COVID-19 test results from a test taken no longer than 72 hours before their arrival. Those without a test, will have to submit to the quarantine.
     The email concerning quarantine comes from the state's COVID exemption team at covidexemption@hawaii.gov. It says, "Under the Governor's June 10, 2020, Ninth Supplementary Proclamation, all travelers to Hawaiʻi are subject to a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine except for those who are performing critical infrastructure functions in Hawaiʻi."
     According to a separate COVID exemption team email, coffee pickers, when deemed essential workers, can ask for an exemption to self-quarantine for 14 days in group housing provided by farms, as long as the pickers are not charged for the housing. Newly arrived coffee pickers can move into the group quarantine quarters during the 14-day quarantine of others. To date, no COVID-19 testing was required for the migrant workers.
     The email forwarded to farmers from covidexamptio@hawaii.gov also says, "Coffee farmers and farm workers are generally eligible for a partial exemption that would allow them to go to work (during their quarantine). To apply for an exemption, please provide/supplement the following information: Name of Each Traveler; Date(s) of Arrival; Date(s) of Departure; Place of Origin; 14-day Travel History; Lodgings in Hawaiʻi; Contact Number (for each traveler); Describe in detail the nature of the critical infrastructure work; and PDF copy of ID, credential, or document to verify purpose of travel to Hawaiʻi.
Most Kaʻū Coffee is still green but picking of the red cherries is expected soon, with farmers bringing in
migrant workers from the U.S, mainland and other countries, with quarantine rules.
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie
     "Once you send this information, your request will be reviewed. If granted, you will be allowed to break the self-quarantine to do your job. You will need to remain self-quarantined at all other times."
     The self-quarantine is defined as not leaving the quarantine quarters to shop for food or any other items, to visit others, or to leave the quarters for any other reason except medical care and going directly to the workplace and back to the residence.
     The email forwarded to farmers from covidexemption@hawaii.gov says, "When performing any authorized activities, operations, or business – if any have been authorized – you must also comply with all social-distancing rules in the Ninth Supplementary Proclamation (June 10, 2020): governor.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2006097A-ATG_Ninth-Supplementary-Proclamation-COVID-19-distribution-signed.pdf.
     The covidexemption@hawaii.gov email also urges farmers and farm workers to "Review County Rules: Please know that county proclamations and orders may be more restrictive or permissive with the approval of the Governor. You should therefore also consult with county authorities about their requirements and restrictions on your activity or business.
     The Hawaiʻi County email for quarantine exemption and quarantine rules clarification is
 https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition 
at kaucalendar.com.

KAʻŪ AND HILO HOSPITALS COULD RECEIVE MORE FUNDING THROUGH an amendment to the state budget during the current session of the Hawaiʻi Legislature. On Tuesday, a legislative conference committee approved a conference draft to Senate Bill 126 that amends the state budget and provides support to critical state services for the coronavirus pandemic.
     House and Senate conferees approved funding for social safety net programs and services including hospital operations, mental health and substance abuse programs, homeless support services, and rent assistance.
Kaʻū Hospital check-in station, set up for the pandemic. Photo by Julia Neal
     The committee voted to provide $21.6 million for Hawaiʻi Health System Corp, which manages Kaʻū, Hilo, and other rural hospitals; $19 million for Maui Health System; $11.4 million from the Mental Health and Substance Abuse special fund to Department of Health; $750,000 to Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority to maintain the State's existing rent supplement program; and $7 million for stored property and transportation services related to the Department of Human Services' homeless outreach programs.
     The bill is expected to reach a vote by the House and Senate during floor sessions this Friday. The vote and can be viewed on ʻŌlelo television channels 54 and 55.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

TRANS-PACIFIC TRAVEL TO HAWAIʻI WILL REOPEN TO THOSE SUBMITTING A NEGATIVE COVID TEST taken within 72 hours before arrival. Gov. David Ige announced today all travelers arriving in Hawaiʻi from out-of-state will be required to get a valid COVID-19 test prior to their arrival, and to show proof of a negative test result, to avoid the 14-day quarantine. The pre-travel testing program begins Aug. 1.
     Mayor Harry Kim said "On going forward, our priority was the development of a really comprehensive system that monitors incoming passengers from out of state. I was elated when the Governor put emphasis on that – for a unified system for the whole state that County of Hawaiʻi Civil Defense developed. It is a GIS-based digitized database system utilized by the whole state. Implementation of this system will give all of the agencies involved real-time information to monitor incoming passengers from out of state."
     Out-of-state travelers arriving in Hawaiʻi must get a PCR - Polymerase Chain Reaction - test prior to arrival from any testing location approved by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health. Evidence of a negative test result must be provided upon arrival in Hawaiʻi. Without this, passengers arriving from out-of-state will be subject to the 14-day quarantine. No testing will be provided upon arrival at the airport.
     Travelers will be required to provide printed or emailed pre-test certification as evidence of a negative test result. Travelers will be responsible for the cost of the pre-travel test.
An approved PCR test will be required for travelers coming into Hawaiʻi from outside the state. Photo from CGTN
     DOH is still in the process of developing this program but anticipates requiring an FDA-approved PCR test from a CLIA - Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments - certified laboratory.
     Temperature checks will continue at airports across the state. Anyone with a temperature higher than 100.4 degrees or who is experiencing other symptoms will be required to undergo a secondary screening at the airport with trained healthcare staff. In addition, travelers will be required to fill out the State Travel and Health form.
     Gov. David Ige said, "Now is the time to work together to ensure that our residents and local businesses can safely reopen to incoming travelers. We expect more cases as travel reopens and the State is confident in its ability to monitor and respond to new cases. This is a marathon, not a sprint." Numerous community leaders were instrumental in helping to develop the plan along with county mayors and legislative leadership.
     State Health Director Dr. Bruce Anderson commented, "Lifting the 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travel will require an intensive airport screening process, increased contact tracing and monitoring of cases, and careful tracking of the state's progress in controlling and containing the coronavirus. This is a huge undertaking by the state and a tremendous commitment from public health, as we embark on these new and untested initiatives and face many unknowns. It is definitely a new normal and we have much to learn as we lift restrictions and rebuild our economy while safeguarding the health of our people."
Lt. Gov. Josh Green, during one of his many presentations on the state of the pandemic. He said today that
Hawaiʻi will have the best program in America, to keep residents safe as Hawaiʻi approves testing for
travelers coming from outside the state beginning Aug. 1. Photo from Green's Facebook 
     Lt. Gov. Josh Green added, "Asking passengers to get a negative COVID-19 test prior to travel is one more tool in our layered screening process that will help keep Hawaiʻi safe. As we navigate this pandemic, any way we can minimize risk while bringing some normalcy to our daily lives is the right path forward. I appreciate the incredible work of the partners involved in this process, and special thanks to the people of Hawaiʻi who have shown their aloha, patience, and resilience throughout this challenging time. We have more than five weeks before Aug. 1 to finalize details and make this the best program in America, and we are up for the task."
     Both Ige and Green reminded folks to keep up their guard up as Hawaiʻi heads toward Aug. 1 and beyond. They encouraged continued safe practices: wearing masks, physical distancing, and frequent hand washing.

Rep. Ed Case recently met with Hawaiʻi National Guard
members concerning their help with the COVID-19
pandemic. Photo from Case Facebook
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

CONGRESSMAN ED CASE RESPONDED TO REOPENING HAWAIʻI TO TRANS-PACIFIC TRAVELERS. He sent this written statement today: "It is tragic that the U.S. Department of Justice at the direction of Attorney General Barr would cripple the best public health outcome in the country, and risk the lives of Hawaiʻi residents and visitors alike, and our economic recovery, for the interests of out-of-state owners of Hawaiʻi properties and visitors who feel inconvenienced by the difficult measures we have taken.
     "It was the President himself who (way too late) declared a public health emergency on March 13th. Governor Ige's quarantine order of April 1st, affecting residents and visitors equally, was a scientific state-of-the-art response on protecting public safety in a pandemic, and his modification today to adopt the Alaska model is a responsible and appropriate way forward to both preserve our public health gains and safely reopen our economy.
     "If people want to visit Hawaiʻi without regard to our public health, don't come. If non-residents bought property here but don't want to follow the same rules we're all living by, sell and buy somewhere else."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 28 days, by zip code. White is 
zero cases. Yellow is one to five cases. Light orange (not pictured) 
is six to ten cases. Dark orange (not pictured) is 11 to 20 cases. 
Red (not pictured) is 21 to 50 cases.
Hawaiʻi Department of Health map
ONE NEW COVID-19 CASE ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND is reported today. There are three active cases on this island. The patients are being monitored by Department of Health.
     Oʻahu reported 13 new cases today, and two more residents were diagnosed out-of-state. The state's new case total is 197 in 19 days.
     Hawaiʻi Island recorded its three active cases over the last two weeks. All other 83 confirmed COVID-19 victims on Hawaiʻi Island recovered. Since the pandemic began, no one died here. There were two hospitalizations on-island; both patients have been released.
     Since the pandemic began, Oʻahu reported 571 cases, Kauaʻi 29, and Maui County 122. Fourteen victims are residents diagnosed while visiting other places. Statewide, 835 people were confirmed positive for the virus. Seventeen people died.
     The daily message from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno says, "The one increase from yesterday has been identified as travel-related and emphasizes the importance of caution while traveling." He thanked Hawaiʻi Food Basket, their contributors, the Hawaiʻi National Guard, Sherriff's Department, and County Task Force for helping to provide an ʻohana foodservice this morning, and warned the public to continue to take precautions: "As the State moves forward, it is critical to continue the preventive measures of distancing, gatherings, cleanliness, and face coverings. And don't forget to maintain social connections with the Kūpuna. All of these policies have one goal; to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Thank you for listening and thank you for doing your part to keep Hawaiʻi safe. Take care of yourself and have a safe day. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency."
     In the United States, more than 2,371,422 cases have been confirmed – an increase of 30,000 in about 24 hours. The death toll is over 121,870. Worldwide, more than 9.34 million have contracted COVID-19. The death toll is more than 479,818.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.


CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAWAIʻI APPLAUDED state and county officials' announcement of a testing protocol that will reopen Trans-Pacific travel beginning Aug. 1. Sherry Menor-McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi President and CEO said, "We applaud state and county leaders for today's announcement of the establishment of a protocol to welcome trans-Pacific visitors safely. We look forward to reviewing details of the Governor's plan and will continue to advocate for our local small businesses. We have been advocating for safe, decisive, and swift action, and this decision will help to restore our economy and keep Hawaiʻi businesses open. Now, it's up to all of us to stop the spread of COVID-19 and be accountable with safe practices to ensure that we can continue toward this next phase of reopening."
     The Chamber wrote to the governor on March 20 to call for several actions, including expedited expansion of testing and testing sites, loan forgiveness programs, and pausing any government debt payments, and on March 25 to urge him to suspend GET and tax collection.
     This week the Chamber delivered a petition with more than 1,000 signatures to the governor. The petition asks the governor to simplify reopening guidelines.
     The petition supports plans for a phased reopening, including the resumption of interisland travel. It calls for "a definitive plan for restarting Trans-Pacific travel, a clear and consistent direction for reopening, clarification on the Act with Care designation, dedicated PPE supplies, and contact tracers, and several other measures to help small businesses," says a Chamber statement. The petition is supported by Kona-Kohala and Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, Kapolei, Chambers of Commerce; Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi; Hawaiʻi Food Industry Association; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaiʻi Food Manufacturers Association; and the Hawaiʻi Restaurant Association.
     Menor-McNamara said, "Local businesses are fighting for survival. The overwhelming response to this petition by signers from all walks of life, including those who are currently unemployed, makes it clear that our state needs to do more to provide assistance and clear guidance. PPP funding and other grants are running out, and the business community needs long-term support to prevent mass closures. Many businesses cannot reopen until Trans-Pacific travel returns, and those that have reopened are further challenged by murky guidelines, competing jurisdictions, and the absence of a unified message. All we are asking for is a clear, safe path forward."
     The petition calls for: "Clear, consistent direction and reopening guidelines that are delivered through one government voice, and a straightforward communications plan; expansion of testing and screening capability and availability across the state; definitive guidelines for an eventual full opening to visitors; government support and leadership to stimulate the kamaaina economy; and robust resources to operate their businesses safely, including access to personal protective equipment and dedicated contact tracers to identify and stop future infection.
     "In calling for clarification on the Act with Care, the petitioner asks for: An exact list of businesses that can be reopened; clarity on when bars, clubs, and large venues can reopen; clarity on the stakeholders included in determining the minimum 14-day period between decision points; clear directives on liability protections for reopening businesses; expedited approval for permits that are required to install safety equipment; review of upcoming regulations to determine flexibility for businesses as they look to recover from the pandemic; removal of unnecessary regulation; cuts to superfluous agency spending; and financial assistance to businesses beyond two to three months to help them survive. Based on the industry, some may need assistance beyond that." See more at cochawaii.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Containers that stayed on the barge, which lost 21 of them into the ocean near Hilo.
Photo by Tim Wright , Kaʻū High School Class of '77
THE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR FLOATING AND SUBMERGED 40-FOOT CONTAINERS that fell off a Young Brothers barge Monday morning. The Department of Education reported today that goods headed for schools were on board the barge that lost 21 of its containers. Some of the cargo may have been food on its way to the school food programs that are feeding children for free on weekdays from school cafeterias during the summer.
     The incident has been declared a Major Marine Casualty by the U.S. Coasts Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation. Young Brothers has also begun an independent investigation.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

A TROPICAL DEPRESSION IS EXPECTED TO GROW TO A TROPICAL STORM SOUTHEAST OF HAWAIʻI ISLAND. The National Weather Service predicts that it "has acquired enough organized convection near and southwest of the center to be designated a tropical depression."
     At 5 p.m., Tropical Depression Three-E was located near latitude 10.6 North, longitude 134.7 West, and moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph. NWS predicts a west-northwest to northwest motion during the next two to three days. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and the depression is forecast to become a tropical storm tonight or on Thursday.
     "Beyond that time, increasing vertical wind shear and dry air entrainment should cause a gradual weakening trend, and most of the global models forecast dissipation." The storm is not a threat to Hawaiʻi, stated the Weather Service.

directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is 
free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout 
Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at 
kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your 
business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

EVENTS
Pickleball Lessons and Ceramics Classes for Elderly Persons, July 6 to Sept. 11 at Cooper Center in Volcano. Pickleball on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon with instructor D. Esser. Ceramics on Wednesdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with instructor C. Hall. Class sizes limited to nine. Each individual shall be responsible for self and safe practices of wearing face masks, six-feet social distancing, and hand sanitation. Registration is drive-through from 8 a.m. to noon at Keaʻau Community Center tomorrow, Thursday, June 25.

Register for Hawaiʻi Coffee Association Webinar Series. The virtual event began Wednesday, June 24 and will continue Thursday, June 25. Each session is designed to provide important updates on the effects of the pandemic on the Hawaiʻi coffee industry and on the coffee industry at large, as well as addressing other useful topics to inform coffee professionals of changing trends and regulations. Each session must be registered for individually – go to hawaiicoffeeassoc.org/page-1771697. The sessions will be recorded and later published on the HCA website. To become a sponsor for the webinar, click here.

Cold Wax Painting Class by Darcy Gray, Saturday, June 2710 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Volcano Art Center's Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. $65/$60 VAC member. Must wear CDC-recommended face covering, required to use provided cleaning supplies after class. Artists of all levels welcome. Limited to six people, advanced registration required: volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222.


Feedback from Parents and Guardians of Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary School Students is requested by Principal Sharon Beck: "As we plan for the opening of the 2020-21 school year, we would like to gather feedback from our parents/guardians about what that might look like for our students." Deadline is June 30KHPES Parent Survey: Planning for the 2020-21 School Year.

Enter the RevʻULUtion Student Art Contest by Tuesday, June 30. Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative invites all students residing in Hawaiʻi in PreK through 12th grades to create and submit original artwork that will be featured in an upcoming traveling art exhibit, a 13-month calendar, and across the internet on the cooperative's partners websites and social media. The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness of ʻulu as a "resilient cultural and agricultural resource" that is a "viable option for increasing food security and self-sufficiency across the Hawaiian Islands.
     Each student may submit as many pieces as they wish on 8.5 by 11 paper, in the landscape (horizontal) orientation. Any art medium, except computer graphics and photographs, may be used as long as the artwork is flat and can be scanned. Each entry must be accompanied by a short – 75 words or less – explanation of ʻUlu's Place in Hawaiʻi: Past, Present, and Future, and an entry form.
     Visit eatbreadfruit.com/pages/artcontest for more information and to submit an entry.

Apply for Energy Assistance through June 30 for help to pay energy bills. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Energy Credit Assistance Program assists eligible people with a one-time payment towards their electric or gas bill. See humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/liheap.

ONGOING
Avocado Growers Survey Open: Help identify opportunities for expanding the local avocado industry, to assist local farmers, buyers, and agencies develop strategies to bolster Hawaiʻi's avocado industry, says Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United. Farmers and farm names will be kept anonymous. Results will be shared publicly. Survey completion gives option to register to win a $200 gift certificate to Home Depot. For a hard copy of the survey, email: info@growfruithawaii.com. Take the survey: surveymonkey.com/r/Hawaiiavosurvey2020.

Guided Nature Walks through Nature Trail & Sculpture Garden, Mondays, 9:30 a.m. at VolcanoArt Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No reservations for five or fewer – limited to ten people. Free; donations appreciated. Email programs@volcanoartcenter.org. Garden is open to walk through at one's own pace, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Free. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Yoga with Emily Catey Weiss, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Volcano ArtCenter Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Advanced registration required; $5 per class. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.
     The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, June 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Screening will be carried out by Aliʻi Health, with support from County of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Task Force, Premier Medical Group and Pathways Telehealth.
     A testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday. The next date is July 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
     Wearing masks is required for everyone. Those visiting screening clinics will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pen to fill in forms.
     To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control & Prevention and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
     For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.

Ocean View Swap Meet is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market in Nāʻālehu is open three days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – from 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced.
     A wide selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared take away foods, assorted added value foods, breads and baked goods, honey, cheese, grass-fed beef, fish, vegetable plants, masks, handmade soaps, coffee, and more are offered on various days. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374, for more and to apply to vend.

Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center on Wright Road, off of Old Volcano Highway, is open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary on weekdays (no holidays) through Friday, July 17. Each youth must be present to receive a meal. Service is drive-up or walk-up, and social distancing rules (at least six feet away) are observed. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Food is being delivered on Wednesdays to students in Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and Ocean View.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen is open, with a modified menu and increased health & safety standards, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended. Services are posted online on Sundays at stjudeshawaii.org.

The Food Basket provides food to those in need. See hawaiifoodbasket.org to verify dates and times. The ʻOhana Food Drop program is being phased out. Nāʻālehu's final date is tentatively Wednesday, July 8 from 10 a.m. until pau – supplies run out – at Nāʻālehu Shopping Center. Ocean View residents can go to The Food Basket's pantry at St. Jude's the last Tuesday of the month, July 28. Go to Volcano's Cooper Center at 19-4030 Wright Road on Wednesday, June 24 or July 22, 10 a.m. until pau. Go to Pāhala's Kaʻū District Gym at 96-1149 Kamani Street on Tuesday, June 30, 10 a.m. until pau. There will be no July date.

On-Call Emergency Box Food Pantry is open at Cooper Center Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Call 967-7800 to confirm.

Enroll in Kua O Ka Lā's Hīpuʻu Virtual Academy for school year 2020-2021, grades four through eight. The Hawaiian Focused Charter School teaches with an emphasis on Hawaiian language and culture. The blended curriculum is offered through online instruction and community-based projects, with opportunities for face-to-face gatherings (with precautions), in an "Education with Aloha" environment.
     Kua O Ka Lā offers a specialized program that provides students with core curriculum, content area, and electives in-keeping with State of Hawaiʻi requirements. Combined with Native Hawaiian values, culture, and a place-based approach to education, from the early morning wehena – ceremonial school opening – Kua O Ka Lā students are encouraged to walk Ke Ala Pono – the right and balanced path.
     The school's website says Kua O Ka Lā has adopted Ke Ala Pono "to describe our goal of nurturing and developing our youth. We believe that every individual has a unique potential and that it is our responsibility to help our students learn to work together within the local community to create a future that is pono – right." The school aims to provide students with "the knowledge and skills, through Hawaiian values and place-based educational opportunities, that prepare receptive, responsive, and self-sustaining individuals that live 'ke ala pono.'"
     See kuaokala.org to apply and to learn more about the school. Call 808-981-5866 or 808-825-8811, or email info@kuaokala.org for more.

Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Public Libraries are Open for Pick-Up Services Only. Nāʻālehu is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Library patrons schedule Library Take Out appointment times to pick up their hold item(s) at their favorite libraries by going to HSPLS Library Catalog and placing a hold on any item(s) they want to borrow, or they may call their favorite library branch to place a hold with the library staff. After receiving a notice that item(s) are ready for pick up, patrons schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. For patrons who placed holds during the closure, their item(s) are ready for pickup after the patron schedules a Library Take Out appointment. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org.

Free Book Exchanges at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.

Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium Closed for Renovation through June 30. A popular seven-and-a-half minute 2018 eruption video will be shown on a television in the exhibits area, once the center reopens, and is available online for free download.

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.