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This painting was the mural in the old Punalu'u museum. It was stolen after the place was abandoned, but the image recreated by the original artist, the late Herb Kane. Next week new owners of the Punalu'u property will present plans for the future and take in community ideas and comments. Painting by Herb Kane |
MEETINGS FOR THE PUBLIC TO SHARE IDEAS ON THE FUTURE OF PUNALU'U have been announced by Eva Liu and Black Sand Beach, LLC. The owners of 434 acres at Punalu'u said they aim to submit longterm plans to the county, following presentations of a draft plan and feedback from the community, said Liu.
Two Nāʻālehu meetings will be held at 95-1178 Ka'alaiki Road, behind Punalu'u Bake Shop, across from Ka'u Auto Repair. Both gatherings will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the first on Wednesday, Dec. 8 and the second on Friday, Dec. 10.
The third meeting will be held on Saturday, Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center, 96 Kamani St.
Presenters will be Liu as well as Punalu'u Project Manager Norman Quon and planning consultant Daryn Arai. Quon said there will opportunity for the public to submit suggestions and to interact one-on-one with Liu's team.
In the letter to the current Planning Director, Hawai'i Wildlife Fund attached the 2006 letter to contend that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the 2006 SeaMountain Five project and 1988 Punalu'u Resort projects are inadequate for a new project and that a new EIS should be completed. HWF also said the documents from 1988 and 2006 are "not only outdated, they were (in the case of the 2006 DEIS) also a major source of conflict in the community and lacking in sound scientific data collection methodology."
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| Kauila, the legendary turtle that could magically become a girl and play with keiki at Punalu'u. Painting by Herb Kane |
Liu and Black Sand Beach, LLC earlier submitted a minor Special Management Area Application for an open market near the beach and for camping sites, a swimming pool, retail and food at the tennis court area near Sea Mountain condominiums. That SMAA has been withdrawn and any minor or major permit applications will be after the public meetings, said Quon. He said the team aims to "Dialogue with the community and gather ideas for Punalu'u" and that draft plans will be shown to the public.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
A LETTER OF CONCERN ABOUT PAST DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS AT PUNALU'U has been sent by Hawai'i Wildlife Fund to current county Planning Director Zendo Kern. The letter from 2006 was written to then Planning Director Chris Yuen by then-graduate student Megan Lamson who is now President of Hawai'i Wildlife Fund. The projects were SeaMountain Five in 2006 and Punalu'u Resort in 1988.
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See the 1988 Punalu'u EIS at http://oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/ |
In the 2006 letter, Lamson wrote to then Planning Director that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement presented for the SeaMountain development "does injustice to the needs of the surrounding community and the myriad of natural and cultural resources that will be compromised if accepted as-is. As the person responsible for making the heavily contested decision of accepting or rejecting the DEIS, please reason that a more thorough analysis will shed additional light on the devastation at Punalu'u that this project will bring. Perhaps this may even inspire the developers to reconsider the massive scale and inappropriateness of their current proposal."
In the letter to the current Planning Director, Hawai'i Wildlife Fund wrote that "We respect that the (current) Applicant has invested the time to connect with those who have kuleana to the area."
See the complete Environmental Impact Statement for the Punalu'u Resort submitted by C. Brewer in 1988 at http://oeqc2.doh.hawaii.gov/EA_EIS_Archive/1988-04-DD-HA-FEIS-Punaluu-Resort-Vol-2.pdf
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name changed and new logos and logo merchandise were created for the six national parks partners "in order to celebrate them individually and create merchandise exclusive to those parks," says the HPPA statement. "In the 88 years that we have supported parks, the needs, wants, and expectations of visitors have shifted and grown. We have pivoted to meet that need with an expanded merchandise selection in our visitor center stores and online shop, and we continue to evolve along with the parks and the expectations of their dedicated visitors." The organization operates the shop at Kilauea Visitor Center and at other locations around this island, as well as on Maui,
On Dec. 1, visitor center park stores will offer free holographic mandala stickers for the early birds, basket give-aways filled with our most popular national parks merchandise, and free coloring sheets and temporary tattoos for kids or "the kid in you. And, as a bonus, shoppers can take 10% off on our entire store selection for this one day only."
There will also be the opportunity to make a direct donation at the park store register in order to raise $5,000 for a $5,000 HPPA match. With the match, the park partners will receive a gift of $10,000 for the ten years that have passed since 2011. "Come #ShopYourParks and help make that happen!" says the HPPA statement.
OCEAN VIEW SKATE PARK ADVOCACY GROUP reports it raised some $2,300 on Sunday outside Malama Market towards building a facility for youth and the public. The project is cosponsored by Kalanihale and its leader Kaimi Kaupiko, of Miloli'i. The Skatepark Advocacy Group is led by Travis Aucoin. Kaupiko said Ocean View Skatepark Advocacy Group "is fundraising to build a skate park for all to enjoy in Ocean View Hawai'i. We have a site picked out and we are in the process of designing our park. We have been partnering with other organizations like the Home School Network, Miller Surf in Kona, and the Tony Hawk Foundation, so this skate park comes to life.
"We are currently working with the County of Hawai'i and local representation in the process of seeing this vision come to life."
He said fiscal sponsor Kalanihale is a nonprofit that "supports the cultural, physical, and emotional well-being of our community in South Kona. We know that during this uncertain time we don’t know the future, but we are working hard to making sure we have a better place a place that we all can be proud of and is safe for our family's health."
Donations can be made through fiscal sponsor Kalanihale or this go fund me:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-for-ocean-view-skate-park?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR3R6HgcEuIxeF2h3RPYAIq0l0bK1NRSxgx9hOBeO-ckqIVz0ySxqR5hXKk
See Ocean View Skatepark Project facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/Ocean-View-Skatepark
-Project-357155707664964/
KAʻŪ COFFEE MILL & VISITOR CENTER. Buy online at kaucoffeemill.com and in person at 96-2694 Wood Valley Road, daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
COMMUNITY
CELEBRATE IN THE NATIONAL PARKS this Wednesday, Dec. 1, is the message from Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association, the nonprofit partner of six national parks in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa. The announcement calls recent years "the best decade yet" and promises Dec. 1 to be "a day of fun and
giveaways in the national parks of Hawaiʻi."
Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association began as Hawaiʻi Natural History Association in 1933. In 2011 the
On Dec. 1, visitor center park stores will offer free holographic mandala stickers for the early birds, basket give-aways filled with our most popular national parks merchandise, and free coloring sheets and temporary tattoos for kids or "the kid in you. And, as a bonus, shoppers can take 10% off on our entire store selection for this one day only."
There will also be the opportunity to make a direct donation at the park store register in order to raise $5,000 for a $5,000 HPPA match. With the match, the park partners will receive a gift of $10,000 for the ten years that have passed since 2011. "Come #ShopYourParks and help make that happen!" says the HPPA statement.
Proceeds from HPPA visitor center stores and online shop support national park projects and programs, and have since 1933, contributing over $20.2 million in direct aid and other support to the parks. The six national parks in Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association are: National Park of American Samoa, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park and Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, all on this island, and Haleakala National Park on Maui. See https://www.hawaiipacificparks.org/
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
RADIO PLAYS FOR THE HOLIDAYS ARE BACK AT KILAUEA THEATER. By popular demand Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network will present Radio Plays for the Holidays, Friday and Saturday Dec. 10 – 11 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday Dec.12 at 2:30 p.m. in Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater. The plays are from the 1930's, 40's, and 50's and follow a holiday theme.
"KDEN is trying to keep on performing throughout the uncertainty of the pandemic. We are thrilled to be bringing this fun entertainment for the holidays as we miss being able present the Volcano Festival 
Chorus' annual concert," says KDEN Board President Karl Halemano. "This is now our third set of these radio plays. Audiences have loved the experience of the past two and keep asking for more."
The plays to be performed are Twas the Night Before Christmas, based on a story by Paul Galico, The Meanest Man in the World by Augustin MacHugh and The Visit of St. Nick based on the famous Christmas poem by Clement C. Moore. Between the plays there will be Christmas caroling accompanied by Melanie Oldfather.
The actors will be playing numerous roles at microphones with scripts in hand and live sound effects. The cast features local favorites Joy and Murphy Bierman, Stephen Bond, Deb Campbell, Kathy Frankovic, Nathan Friday, Hal Glatzer, Sam Hall, Ariana and Joel Kelley, Ben, Sherie, Cadence, Toby and Sean McMillan, Kendra Obermaier, Mark Rawlings, and Ray Ryan. The show is being directed by Suzi Bond.
Tickets are $15. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 808 982-7344 or emailing kden73@aol.com
KDEN is following all protocols to keep people safe. Seats in the theater have blocked off creating 6 foot blocks between available seats. Temperature checks will be done at the door. Masks are required. Sanitation stations will be at the door and also at the bathrooms. The doors to the theater will be left open for ventilation. Layers are recommended as it will be chilly.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
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| Kaimi Kaupiko and Lapaka Roots promoting the skate park. Photo from https://www.facebook.com/Ocean- View-Skatepark-Project-357155707664964/ |
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| Fundraising outside Malama Market for an Ocean View Skatepark. Photo by Kirk Slack |
"We are currently working with the County of Hawai'i and local representation in the process of seeing this vision come to life."
He said fiscal sponsor Kalanihale is a nonprofit that "supports the cultural, physical, and emotional well-being of our community in South Kona. We know that during this uncertain time we don’t know the future, but we are working hard to making sure we have a better place a place that we all can be proud of and is safe for our family's health."
Donations can be made through fiscal sponsor Kalanihale or this go fund me:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraiser-for-ocean-view-skate-park?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=p_cp%20share-sheet&fbclid=IwAR3R6HgcEuIxeF2h3RPYAIq0l0bK1NRSxgx9hOBeO-ckqIVz0ySxqR5hXKk
See Ocean View Skatepark Project facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/Ocean-View-Skatepark
-Project-357155707664964/
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| Young Ocean View Skatepark Advocacy members. Photo from OV Skatepark Advocacy Group |
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
KAʻŪ COFFEE MILL & VISITOR CENTER. Buy online at kaucoffeemill.com and in person at 96-2694 Wood Valley Road, daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
PUNALUʻU BAKESHOP online at bakeshophawaii.com and in-person 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week in x.
ALIʻI HAWAIʻI HULA HANDS COFFEE. Order by calling 928-0608 or emailing alihhhcoffee@yahoo.com.
AIKANE PLANTATION COFFEE COMPANY. Order online at aikaneplantation.com. Call 808-927-2252
MIRANDA'S FARMS KAʻŪ COFFEE. Order online at mirandafarms.com or, in person at 73-7136 Mamalahoa Hwy. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com..
KUAHIWI RANCH STORE, in person. Shop weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 am to 3 p.m. at 95-5520 Hwy 11. Locally processed grass-fed beef, live meat chickens, and feed for cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, horses, dogs, and pigs. Call 929-7333 of 938-1625, email kaohi@kuahiwiranch.com.
DEPRESSED, ANXIOUS, NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO? Call Department of Health's expanded Hawai‘i C.A.R.E.S. program at 1-800-753-6879 – the same number previously used by Crisis Line of Hawai‘i. Individuals in crisis can also text ALOHA to 741741, available 24/7.
LEARN SELF-CARE THROUGH Big Island Substance Abuse Council's Practice Self-Care Series. For additional series that feature refreshing wellness tips, follow the Behavioral Health & Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group at facebook.com/bhhsurg
WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE OFFERS HEALTH PROGRAMS. Piko focuses on reproductive health; increasing access, respect, cultural competence, education, and choice. Pilina aims to grow membership and establish a culture of collaborative decision-making. Follow @kau_womens_health_collective. Contact rootsmedieshawaii@gmail.com. Call 808-450-0498.
YOGA WITH EMILY Catey Weiss, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Advanced registration required; $5 per class. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222.
CHOOSE ALOHA FOR HOME is available to families, to provide a healthy way to grow together using neuroscience and positive psychology. Program uses a series of self-guided videos, activities, and "dinner table discussion topics." Sign up at chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home.
EDUCATION
Register for Boys & Girls Club Mobile Outreach and Tutoring Programs at rb.gy/o1o2hy. For keiki grades 1-6. Contact Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island Administrative Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (808) 961-5536 or email mobiletutoring@bgcbi.org or info@bgcbi.org.
ʻOhana Help Desk offers online How-To Guides for Chromebooks and iPads at rb.gy/8er9wm. ʻOhana Help Desk also available by phone, weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Invite Park Rangers to Virtually Visit Classes, through connecting with teachers and home-schoolers with distance learning programs and virtual huakaʻi (field trips). Contact havo_education@nps.gov.
Public Libraries are open for WiFi, pick-up, and other services. Nāʻālehu open Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala open Tuesday, noon to 7 p.m., Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., limited entry into library with Wiki Visits. Schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. Open for library card account help and reference assistance from the front door. WiFi available to anyone with a library card, from each library parking lot. See librarieshawaii.org.
Free Book Exchanges, at laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu, provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Open to all. Keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them. Selection of books replenished weekly at both sites.
Read Report on Public Input about Disaster Recovery from damage during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.View the Civic Engagement and Comment Analysis Report at rb.gy/awu65k.
Learn About Hawaiʻi's History & Culture through Papakilo Database, papakilodatabase.com.
Virtual Workshops on Hawaiʻi's Legislative Processes through Public Access Room. Sign up by contacting (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. Ask questions and discuss all things legislative in a non-partisan environment. Attend Coffee Hour with PAR: Fridays at 3 p.m. on Zoom, meeting ID 990 4865 9652 or click zoom.us/j/99048659652. PAR staff will be available to answer questions and to discuss the legislative process. Anyone wanting to listen in without taking part in discussions is welcome. Learn more at lrb.hawaii.gov/public-access-room.
Online Directory at shopbigisland.com, co-sponsored by County of Hawai‘i, has a signup sheet for local businesses to fill in the blanks. The only requirement is a physical address on this island.
COMMUNITY
Food Assistance: Apply for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences COVID-19 Family Relief Funds. Funded by Volcano Community Association, and members of the VSAS Friends and Governing Boards, who have donated, the fund supplies KTA or Dimple Cheek Gift Cards, or gift cards to other locally owned business, to VSAS families in need. Contact Kim Miller at 985-8537, kmiller@volcanoschool.net. Contributions to the fund can be sent in by check to: VSAS, PO Box 845, Volcano, HI 96785 – write Relief Fund in the memo. See volcanoschool.net
ENROLL CHILDREN, from first through eighth grade, in Kula ʻAmakihi, a program from Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences. It started Aug. 3. Call 808-985- 9800 or visit www.volcanoschool.net.
WALK THROUGH A GUIDED NATURE TRAIL & Sculpture Garden, Mondays, 9:30 a.m. at Volcano Art 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. www.volcanoartcenter.org. Call 967-8222.
KAʻŪ ART GALLERY is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Nāʻālehu. It features and sells works by local artists and offers other gift items. "We are always looking to collaborate with local artists in our community," said assistant Alexandra Kaupu. Artists with an interest in being featured at Kaʻū Art Gallery and Gift Shop, contact gallery owner and director Corrine Kaupu at kauartgallery@hawaiiantel.biz.
GOLF & MEMBERSHIPS for Discovery Harbour Golf Course and its Clubhouse: The Club offers Social Memberships, with future use of the clubhouse and current use of the pickleball courts as well as walking and running on specified areas of the golf course before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m. to enjoy the panoramiocean views. Golf memberships range from unlimited play for the avid golfer to casual play options. Membership is required to play and practice golf on the course. All golf memberships include Social Membership amenities. Membership fees are designed to help underwrite programs and improvements to the facilities.Call 808-731-5122 or stop by the Clubhouse during business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 94-1581 Kaulua Circle. Email clubatdiscoveryharbour@gmail.com. See The Club at Discovery Harbour Facebook page.
ALOHA FRIDAY MARKETPLACE, hosted by Main Street, is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., grounds of The Old Shirakawa Estate in Waiʻohinu. It features: Made in Hawai'i Products, Organic Produce, Creative Crafts, ARt, Flower and Plants, Food, Ka`u Coffee, Gluen Free Low Carb Goodies, Wellness Services and Products, Clothing, Hand Crafted Treats, Music and more. Vendor and customer inquiries: AlohaFridayMarket@gmail.com.
VOLCANO FARMERS MARKET, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays. 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Hawai‘i Coffee. Cooper Center's EBT Machine, used at the Farmer's Market, is out of service until further notice. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.
OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY MARKET, open Saturdays and Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Managed by Mark Council. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in upper lot only. Vendors must provide own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling encouraged.
O KAʻŪ KĀKOU MARKET, in Nāʻālehu, open Wednesday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Limit of 50 customers per hour, 20 vendor booths, with 20 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing required, social distancing enforced. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374 (voice or text) or kaufarmer@aol.com for more and to apply to vend. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.
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 required.
BUY LOCAL GIFTS ONLINE, IN-PERSON
VOLCANO ART CENTER ONLINE, in person. Shop at Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Virtual Shopping Appointments offered via Skype or FaceTime. Book at volcanoartcenter.org/shop for $5. Shop online gallery 24/7. Orders shipped or free local pickup available. See the VAC Virtual Classroom, which features over 90 videos. See volcanoartcenter.org/events, call 967-8222.
