About The Kaʻū Calendar

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022

A humpback whale mom with calf in Hawaiian waters of the Humpback Whale National Marine 
Sanctuary. Its Advisory Council is seeking applicants. Photo by Ed Lyman/NOAA

ADVISORY COUNCIL APPLICANTS ARE SOUGHT FOR HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY. Applications are due Friday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is seeking to fill seven primary and 12 alternate seats. Those eligible to apply from Hawai'i Island would represent: Business/Commerce (primary and alternate); Commercial Shipping (primary and alternate); Conservation (alternate); Fishing (primary and alternate); Native Hawaiian (primary); Native Hawaiian (two alternates); Research (alternate); and Youth
(primary and alternate). A statement from the Sanctuary says, "The council ensures public participation in sanctuary matters and provides advice to sanctuary management."
National Marine Sanctuary System and the U.S. Postal Service
issued this Forever stamp in August, depicting a humpback whale, as
 one in a set of 16 stamps honoring the 50th anniversary of National
National Marine Sanctuaries in the U.S. See https://sanctuaries.noaa.g
ov/news/aug22/introducing-sanctuaries-forever-stamps.html.
    
    Sanctuary Superintendent Kim Hum said, "The members of our sanctuary advisory council are essential to ensuring community input and engagement in our sanctuary management. We rely on their local knowledge, experience and expertise to assist us in making informed and timely decisions on how best to protect and conserve our humpback whales and important cultural and natural resources."
    Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as primary or alternate members should expect to serve a three-year term.

    To receive an application kit or for further information, contact Cindy Among-Serrao via email at Cindy.Among-Serrao@noaa.gov or visit the sanctuary website at https://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/management/advisory/recruitment.html.
    Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, administered by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the state Division of Aquatic Resources, protects humpback whales and their habitat in Hawaiian waters where they migrate each winter to mate, calve and nurse their young. See http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov. Also see NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov, as well as the state Division of Aquatic Resources: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/.

Two examples of marine debris art, made from 50 percent marine debris or more. 
Images from Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary

THE FIRST EVER MARINE DEBRIS ART CONTEST hosted by Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary has set a deadline of noon, Sept. 30 to submit artwork. "Students and families are encouraged to participate by collecting local marine debris and creating artwork with it - turning trash into treasure!" says the statement from the Sanctuary.
    To Participate: Safely collect marine debris from a local beach. Collect as much as can; it can be any shape, size, or material. Take the marine debris home and sort through it. Make sure to clean and thoroughly dry the debris planned for use in the work of art. Artwork can be a painting, collage, sculpture,
or other creation, as long as it consists at least 50 percent marine debris.
     Submit photos of marine debris artwork online here. Include a signed copy of this release form with the submission.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

THROUGH THE ARTIST EYES, a short walk and talk in the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at 2 p.m. this Thursday, Aug. 25, invites participants to join Artist in Residence Mary Babock to celebrate art and national parks on the 106th birthday of the National Park Service.
Meet Mary Babcock on a walk at Kahuku on Thursday. This
tapestry by the artist is from an exhibition called Thirst:
Thinking with Our Senses.
 
    Babcock is an eclectic and renowned installation and performance artist as well as professor of sculpture and expanded practices at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Art and Art History. In this short walk on Puʻu o Lokuana Trail, Babcock will share her perceptions about the park as well as create space for participants to acknowledge and share their own discoveries. This experience, says the artist, “will explore attending to the path, the light, the flora and fauna that cross, the feeling of the air, the internal conversation along the path, and those less easily articulated but equally significant deep perceptions best conveyed through poetry and art.”
    Meet at the Kahuku Visitor Contact Station. Attendees should be prepared for sun, rain, hot and cold conditions. Wear sturdy footwear and bring water.
    Kahuku is located on the mauka side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5. Meet near the parking area.
The Artist in Residence program is a collaboration with the National Parks Arts Foundation, and supported by the park and the Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE HIGH PRIORITY ON THE AGENDA OF U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO. During her visit this week to Hawai'i, she encouraged their use and said, “As we work to combat climate change, transitioning to electric vehicles is one of the most important things we can do to reduce carbon emissions and protect our environment.” She pointed to the recent "historic investments in electric vehicles, including buses, and the infrastructure needed to operate them in both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act."
Sen. Mazie Hirono, Chair of U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Energy,
 checks out the interior of an electric bus in Hawai'i on Monday after 
successful efforts to fund their expanded use nationwide.
Photo from Office of Sen. Hirono
    
    Hirono toured an electric charging station in Honolulu on Monday and "saw firsthand how these funds are working to benefit the thousands of people who rely on public transportation to get to work, while reducing our carbon footprint. I also had the opportunity to thank some of our bus drivers who have worked on the frontlines throughout this pandemic to keep our communities and our economy running. Thanks to these important pieces of legislation, I look forward to seeing Hawai'i’s electric vehicle infrastructure continue to grow in the years ahead.”
    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Hirono helped pass, includes $7.5 billion over five years for transit agencies nationwide to modernize their bus fleets, including over $5.5 billion for the Low-No Grant Program and nearly $2 billion for the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. Earlier this month, Hirono also helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $1 billion for Environmental Protection Agency grants to states or municipalities to cover the incremental cost of purchasing heavy-duty vehicles, like school and transit buses and garbage trucks.
    As Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Energy, Hirono said, she is working to expand the presence of electric vehicles and speed the transition to clean, renewable energy in Hawai'i and across the country. In July, she convened a Subcommittee hearing on lowering energy costs that featured testimony from the President and CEO of Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative about the long-term cost-savings offered by renewable power and electric vehicles.
    In June, Hirono introduced legislation to require Department of Defense to transition its fleet of non-combat vehicles to electric vehicles. She also recently helped pass the Chips and Science Act, which includes billions in funding to support and accelerate Hawai'i’s transition to clean, renewable electricity.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

COP ON TOP WILL RAISE MONEY FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, the Hawai‘i Police Department is sponsoring the 19th annual Cop on Top fundraiser for Special Olympics Hawai‘i with a three-day event at the Hilo and Kona Walmart stores starting at 7 a.m. this Thursday, Aug. 25, through Saturday, Aug. 27 at 3 p.m.
    For three straight days, law enforcement officers will spend their off-duty time perched on top a 15-foot scaffolding at the east and west Hawai‘i Walmart locations, eating, sleeping and raising awareness for Special Olympics Hawai‘i within the community.
    Donations collected from Cop on Top directly benefit Special Olympics Hawai‘i and its efforts to provide year-round sports programs for athletes, including opportunities to participate in regional and national competitions. Since 2001, Cop on Top has raised more than $3,437,236 for Special Olympics Hawai‘i athletes statewide.
During this year’s event there will be giveaways, prizes, and much more. The Special Olympics Hawai‘i will also be giving away visors, caps, and t-shirts to those who donate.
    For more information, visit http://sohawaii.org/letr/cop-on-top/.

 To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.