Saturday, August 31, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 31, 2024

  Kaʻū Quarterback Adahdlyah Ellis-Reyes runs for a nice gain during the home game on Saturday against Hawai'i Preparatory Academy from Waimea, the first game of the season. Photo by Mark Peters
Triton Blanco puts a block on the HPA defender.
Photo by Mark Peters
THE FIRST GAME OF THE TROJAN FOOTBALL SEASON drew Hawai'i Preparatory Academy to the   Kaʻū home field on Saturday. HPA took home all the points, 46 of them.
     The first game for the Trojans followed the cancellation last Saturday against Pahoa, with Tropical Storm Hone threatening offshore. The Department of Education cancelled Pahoa's road trip and Hone became a hurricane, passing just below South Point.
    The next game is Kaʻū at Kohala on Saturday, Sept. 7, Kaʻū at Kamehameha in Kea'au on Friday, Sept. 13, and Kaʻū at Honoka'a at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. Kaʻū travels to Pahoa on Thursday, Sept. 26. Kohala comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kaʻū goes to Hawai'i Preparatory Academy on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Kamehameha comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 19. Honoka'a travels to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 26, followed by BIIF Division Championships.
   Athletic Director Jaime Guerpo. Head coach is Connor Norton. Assistant Coach is Mark Peters. Coaching staff includes Greg Rush, Ray Mayzack, Duane Pua, Time Drafaul, Ted Blanco and Walter Parada. Athletic Trainer is Moses Whitcomb.

Time for the coin toss for the first Trojan football game of the 2024 season with the Captains,
10 Triton Blanco, 12 Eddie Wirtz, 22 Vladimir Fedoruk and 3 Adahdiyha Ellis-Reyes.
Photo by Mark Peters

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

BLUE WATER EXCHANGE recently welcomed Chelsaelynn Kobzi, of Kaʻū, to a six-month cultural exchange program that involved traveling to Native American lands and hosting young adults from Moloka'i, American Samoa, Waianae on O'ahu, Oakland, Sacramento, San Bernadino in California, and Carson City in Nevada. The first five months were connecting on zoom and in workshops. They were followed by the eight young adults spending a month in the areas of Lake Tahoe, Fortuna, Meyers and Humboldt, California where they met with native American tribes - the Washoe, the Miwuk, the Karuk, and the Wiyot.
 Blue Water Exchange group that visited here and traveled to California tribal areas for cultural exchange.
Top row: Aspen Carrillo from Carson City, NV's Washoe/Paiute tribe; Wayson Josue from Waianae on O'ahu; Kailee Layaoen from Galt, CA; and Josue Canizales from San Bernadino, CA. Bottom row: Sierra Fata from Pago Pago, American Samoa; Chelsealynn Kobzi from Kahuku in Kaʻū; Athena Sabaria from Oakland, CA and Jesica Parker from Moloka'i. 
Photo from Blue Water Exchange
    Kobzi said that when visiting the Washoe, "we had a beautiful cultural ceremony on their ancestral lands, where the sand sparkled of fools gold. We were able to learn how to make pine needle baskets. We worked with the youth in their community garden, and had the privilege of riding in kayaks with youth to identity invasive species at Lake Tahoe."
    She said the Miwuk shared their ancestral lands in the El dorado hills of California where the temperature reached almost 100 degrees in the day. She said the Blue Water group learned to make cordage out of milkweed. They also made pine nut bracelets beginning with the nuts still in the shell and lightly roasted. "We shaved the nuts till the seed was exposed." She said that tiny wolf spiders crawled up my legs while I was mesmerized with my project. Normally I would be scared. It did feel weird but they felt harmless and curious."
    She said the group was "privileged enough to be able to cool off in their beautiful river where I met Whale Rock and Grandmother Rock."
    When visiting the Karuk, said Kobzi, "we were able help restore beaver dams, and identify different species of salmon. We had fun working together with the cross nets to catch baby fish." She said they also learned about "cultural fires and the importance of traditional burns which is making a comeback" in mitigating wildfires. She tribe partner with forestry prescribed burns. Kobzi said, "Traditionally it was women who gathered seeds before the burns. And it was they who started them. Some plants need fire to make good weaving material for baskets."
    When visiting with the Wiyot, Blue Water Exchange guests received traditional meals at tribal reservation called Table Bluff. She said the team learned how to measure tall Redwood trees with lasers and learned of invasive fish. We also got to camp for three nights with employees of the Six Rivers

National Forest and U.S. Forest Service. She said there was no phone and wifi service, but there were bears, mountain lions, poison oak and poison ivy. "We did hikes, grass identification and seed harvesting. We swam in the river...so cold and refreshing."
    Kobzi was able to welcome the group to Hawai'i Island, "where I had the opportunity to share my beautiful home with my new found friends. "We spent five days with James Akau at Kahuku Ranch. We had the opportunity to help rebuild rock wall at Kawā, listen to stories from elders of Kaʻū. We did invasive species clean up and native planting at Ka'iholena with The Nature Conservancy."
   Blue Water Exchange spent a few days at Kilauea Military Camp cabins for a few hikes and met with Mauna Kea Water Alliance. "We had makawalu workshops and mo'olelo workshops. We also did a very unique, diverse cultural ceremony for tutu Pele, which made it such a manaful experience, especially being a well seasoned hula dancer of Halau Hula o Leionalani with Debbie Ryder," said Kobzi.
    The group spent the last week in O'ahu attending a conservation conference  "It was inspirational to see such young youth so confident in knowing how to strengthen their communities and 'aina. We learned to make lauhala mats with tutu Lorna Pacheco. We worked on a invasive rhino beetle larvae removal, with Kanaloa, we planted wetland taro with aunty Donnie and uncle Wally in the valleys of Ioleka'a."
    Kobzi said she stayed an extra day to fulfill a life long dream of going to the Bishop Museum to see the rich history. "And spent relaxing moments with my new friends on the shore of Kula'ila'i in Waianae. It was a life changing experience that needs to be shared with the world...and I hope a few other kids from   Kaʻū can have the opportunity one day."
    Read more about Blue Water Exchange and the upcoming registration this Fall for 2025 at https://sites.google.com/bluewaterexchange.org/program/home?authuser=0

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.