The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Yessah Fishing documents drone fishing from South Point in Ka'ū. Image from Yessah Fishing

HAWAIʻI COULD BECOME ONE OF THE FEW STATES TO OUTLAW DRONE FISHING. Fishers who come to South Point in Kaʻū and those who live here are awaiting Gov. David Ige's decision to sign, not sign or veto the 2022 Hawaiʻi Legislature's SB 2065 bill to ban fishing with the use of drones. The penalty for breaking the fishing drone ban would be a fine of up to $10,000 and a year in jail.
Drones are popular for locating fish and for carrying bait, hook and line out to sea and dropping them close to the prey, but opponents say that fishing line and equipment can be lost, can endanger wildlife, including turtles and monk seals, and that Hawaiian waters are already overfished. Supporters say fishing drones improve accuracy and save fuel and pollution from boaters driving around looking for fish. They also say less fishing tackle is likely to be lost at sea. The law is written to allow the use of drones to find fish but prohibits the drones from carrying the fishing line and bait. Use of drones, even for looking for fish, would require a license from the state Department of Land & Natural Resources.
The drone fishing ban was passed in the last few days of the 2022 Hawaiʻi Legislature. If the governor signs the bill by July 12, it becomes law. It he neither signs nor vetoes it by July 12, it becomes law without the governor's signature. If the governor intends to veto the bill, he must notify the Legislature by June 27 and deliver the veto by July 12. It the governor vetoes the bill, the Legislature can override the veto with a special session and a two-thirds vote in the Senate and House. Another state with a drone fishing ban is North Carolina.

SwellPro promotes the saving of fuel and lessening
of pollution by using drones. Photo from SwellPro

South Point is one of the popular drone fishing sites in Hawaiʻi. See Yessah Fishing at https://www.youtube.com/c/YessahFishing, which produced numerous Youtube productions that show launching drones from South Point carrying the bait and the successful reeling in of numerous types of fish. In one fishing show, Yessah Fishing Collaborative explains how to land more wahoo from the rocks at South Point Park. Another drone Youtube fishing show is from TBD Fishing. It takes viewers to drone fishing at what it calls called Suicide Rock at South Point. See on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TViKklvrSwQ

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Fish Aggregating Devices will be modernized with a funding bill signed last week by the governor.
Images from state Department of Land & Natural Resources

LONGER-LASTING FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES ARE THE FOCUS OF NEW FUNDING. Gov. David Ige signed state Senate Bill 2767 last week, providing $350,000 to the state program for updating FAD equipment.
From the waters off Miloliʻi, around South Point to the waters below Volcano, Fish Aggregation Devices are deployed. The buoys last for a couple of years, start to fail or go missing and have a replacement cost of about $12,000. Last October the FAD named TT was redeployed off Kaneaʻa Point, 4.6 miles out to sea from Miloliʻi and 6.3 miles from Kauna Point. The FAD named C was also redeployed farther north, 13.2 miles from Miloliʻi, 4.6 miles from Loa Point and 6 miles from Kealakekua Bay.

Off Punalu'u is the FAD named SS. It is 9.5 miles from Apua Point and 15.5 miles from Punaluʻu. It was redeployed in the summer of 2020. Also brought back to life in August 2020 was RN, the FAD 17.7 miles from Apua Point and 7 miles from Ninole Cove.

FADs attract fish to aggregate around the floating buoys. Young fish and smaller adult fish use FADs for refuge, which attracts ahi and other larger fish. With all the fish gathering around the buoys, FADs also attract fishermen.

Hawaiʻi Island state Senator Lorraine Inouye co-introduced the funding into the 2022 Hawaiʻi Legislature. She said, “The FAD program is also an important tool to reduce fishing pressure on Hawaiʻi’s nearshore fishing resources. A lack of funding for the FAD program has decreased the frequency of FAD deployment in recent years. The current FADs have a two-year life expectancy. Keeping up on FAD turnover is labor intensive and expensive. Trying to modernize the gear with funding from SB 2767 will allow the FAD program to deploy longer- lasting FADs, which will have approximately a 30% to 50% longer life expectancy than the current FADs.”

EIGHTEEN MOTORISTS WERE ARRESTED FOR DUI during the week of June 6 through June 12. Hawai‘i Island police made the arrests for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. One of the drivers was involved in a traffic accident. One of the drivers was under the age of 21.
So far this year, there have been 479 DUI arrests compared with 542 during the same period last year, a

decrease of 11.6 percent. There have been 339 major accidents so far this year compared with 350 during the same period last year, a decrease of 3.1 percent.
To date, there were 14 fatal crashes (one fatal crash reclassified on 5/30/22 due to a medical condition) resulting in 16 fatalities (one of which had multiple deaths, and one of which was reclassified due to a medical condition), compared with 11 fatal crashes, resulting in 11 fatalities for the same time last year. This represents is an increase of 27.3 percent for fatal crashes, and 45.5 percent for fatalities.
Police promise that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.

VOLCANO VILLAGE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE welcomes walking and riding groups and individuals. It is sponsored by Volcano Community Association in Volcano Village from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Monday, July 4 parade starts at the Post Office at 9 a.m. and ends at Cooper Center on Wright Rd., followed by Cooper Center’s Independence Day celebration packed with live entertainment, craft and food vendors, keiki games and a large silent auction from 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m. Parking maps can be found at www.thecoopercenter.org. (No parking at Cooper Center except handicap permitted vehicles with prior reservation.)

SPONSOR A BUCKLE,

VOTE FOR RODEO QUEEN

ahead of the Saturday,

July 9 Rodeo sponsored by

Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association

and ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Event to

be held on the rodeo grounds

behind Nāʻālehu Park.

Call 808-854-7917.

BECOME A VENDOR AT THE 3RD ANNUAL EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL

on Saturday, July 30th and Sunday, July 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Last year, over 2,500 visitors attended and over 40 events were featured during the EVH festival. All vendor spaces are $50 for both days of the festival. Sign up as a vendor or a sponsor at experiencevolcano.com.

If you have questions, contact experiencevolcano@gmail.com.

SIGN UP FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNS with a change of date from July 3 to Sept. 17. Registration deadline for the annual event is Sept. 14. Organized by Hawaiʻi Island Racers, the 50K begins at 6 a.m., Half Marathon at 7 a.m., and 5K at 7:15 a.m., all starting from Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 96-2696 Wood Valley Road in Pāhala. Proceeds go to support ʻO Kaʻū Kakou. For more details on the event and registration fees, visit https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/.

See The Kaʻū Calendar June Edition at www.kaucalendar.com

See The Kaʻū Calendar June edition at

www.kaucalendar.com,

on newsstands and in the mail.

SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

LEARN MORE ABOUT SPONSORS OF THE KAʻŪ CALENDAR

at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/05/sponsors-of-kau-calendar.html

Monday, June 13, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, June 13, 2022

A tree canopy map of Kaʻū and the entire state is available to help manage threats to canopy, tree planting and forestry master
plans. The interactive tool is provided by state Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program, the state Division
of Forestry & Wildlife and USDA Forest Service.

A NEW TREE CANOPY VIEWER SHOWS COMMUNITIES TREE RESOURCES to help make management decisions. The interactive viewer shows the extent and location of the tree canopy. The tree canopies of Kaʻū and across the state can be seen at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/communityforests/?cid=fseprd995876
A statement from the Department of Land & Natural Resources says the view will help local leaders manage threats to canopy loss as well as prioritize locations for tree planting, develop urban forestry master plans. The interactive website is provided by the USDA Forest Service and the Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program at the DLNR’s Division of Forestry & Wildlife.

"Canopy cover is a driving force behind numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits such as reducing peak temperatures, improving air quality, increasing stormwater absorption, and providing wildlife habitats," says the DLNR statement.
“Trees are vital infrastructure that make our communities more livable, loveable, and resilient,” DOFAW Urban and Community Forester Heather McMillen said. “Being able to clearly communicate where we need to focus our efforts to expand tree canopy will be critical as we work with community leaders and policy makers to use infrastructure funding for the greatest good, not only for now but for future generations.”
Pacific Southwest Region Forester Jennifer Eberlien said she and her colleagues see the tree canopy viewer as a "...vital equity tool. The viewer allows people to freely access statewide tree canopy layer and help identify communities disproportionately burdened by risks that urban tree cover may help alleviate.”
The tree canopy layer in the viewer is made possible through the partnership and technical expertise of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management. “I’m excited about this work,” said Nate Herold, head of NOAA’s coastal land cover program. “Not only did we provide a superior product that will be used to have an impact related to tree cover and equity, but because of the

partnership approach between NOAA, the state, and the U.S. Forest Service, we were able to produce the data faster, cheaper, and better than any of us could have otherwise and with no duplication of effort.”
NOAA plans to use this data to update the agency’s Coastal Change Analysis Program, which provides Hawaiʻi with additional data on impervious cover, wetlands, and changes over time.
The viewer’s tree canopy layer uses one-meter resolution from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Maxar Vivid imagery compiled up to 2020 under a contract with EarthDefine. Other layers in the viewer highlight related socioeconomic, geographic and environmental characteristics.
Fellowships will be offered to support research that uses the Hawai‘i tree canopy viewer and data to contribute to the mission and purpose of Kaulunani, as well as contribute to the goals of the Hawai‘i Forest Action Plan.
The Tree Canopy Viewer is available here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/r5/communityforests/?cid=fseprd995876/

Community Partnership Grants are available from Kaulunani with the deadline July 22. The programs receiving grants must align with the purpose or Kaulunani, which is "to plan for, establish, manage and protect trees, forests, and green spaces across Hawai‘i with a focus on underserved communities. Through these actions and through supporting relationships among people and trees, the program provides social, economic, ecological, and health benefits to Hawaiʻi’s communities. It supports collaboration across governmental, private, non-profit, and community-based organizations to improve the biocultural well-being of communities and the ecosystems they inhabit."

'ULU AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES are the focus of a new guide and also a free Webinar this Wednesday, June 15. See the 'Ulu Agroforestry in Hawai'i Guide. at https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2263/2015/files/HUPC-Ulu-Agroforestry-Guide.pdf?v=1654287013.
A statement from Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative says the organization and partners have developed the

guide to clarify terms related to agroforestry, which has become a "buzzword" in recent years, and to provide concrete examples of how Hawaiʻi ʻulu farms practice various agroforestry techniques.
The webinar aims to provide ʻulu agroforestry education through the Zoom event. It is free on Wednesday, June 15 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features guest practitioners Andrew Trump, Noel Dickinson, Dr. Noa Lincoln, Dave Sansone, Noeʻau Peralto, Zach Mermel, Troy Keolanui and Harry Greene.
The statement says "Benefits of agroforestry can include increased soil health and overall crop production, while challenges may include increased installation or harvesting costs. We hope this guide and webinar will help Hawaiʻi ʻulu farmers and backyard growers better understand these considerations and work to implement sustainable, achievable, and effective practices on their land!"

Register for this Wednesday's webinar at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdTl1WnQgS8EAvUjcXxlOtRE8iE5a8Gk6g2pw6D_SIUPP0-w/viewform.

The deadline has been extended. Call Katie Graham
at 808-785-8088.

KAUKAU 4 KEIKI is still taking signups for free food on Fridays to be distributed in Ocean View, Nāʻālehu and Pāhala. Contact Katie Graham at 808-785-8088.

There will be three pick up sites in Kaʻū: Pāhala Hongwanji, Nāʻālehu Hongwanji, and Ocean View at Kona Drive and Hwy 11 between mile marker 79 and 80. Pickup will be on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The summer food distribution starts the week of June 20 and ends on July 29.
Kaukau 4 Keiki is funded by the County of Hawaiʻi and administered by The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island's Food Bank.
Kaukau 4 Keiki will distribute $53 of food benefits per week (a $35 grocery gift card and an $18 value of Hawai'i grown produce) to help families with economic hardship. There will be a limit of one Kaukau 4 Keiki set per family.

Harmony in the U.S.A. and Love, along with the patriotism of the American flag, were the messages from

these paraders in Volcano Village July Fourth Parade in 2019. The annual event comes back on the first

Monday of July. Photo by Leilani Esperanza

THE VOLCANO VILLAGE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE welcomes walking and riding groups and individuals. Volcano Community Association President Aubrey Hawke and Cooper Center President Linda Ugalde explained that the annual event is sponsored by the Volcano Community Association in Volcano Village from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The parade on Monday, July 4, starts at the Post Office at 9 a.m. and ends at Cooper Center on Wright Rd., where it will be followed by the Cooper Center’s Independence Day celebration packed with live entertainment, craft and food vendors, keiki games and a large silent auction from 9 a.m.to 11:30 a.m. Parking maps can be found at www.thecoopercenter.org. (No parking at Cooper Center except handicap permitted vehicles with prior reservation.)

SPONSOR A BUCKLE,

VOTE FOR RODEO QUEEN

ahead of the Saturday,

July 9 Rodeo sponsored by

Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association

and ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Event to

be held on the rodeo grounds

behind Nāʻālehu Park.

Call 808-854-7917.

BECOME A VENDOR AT THE 3RD ANNUAL EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL on Saturday, July 30th and Sunday, July 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Last year, over 2,500 visitors attended and over 40 events were featured during the EVH festival. All vendor spaces are $50 for both days of the festival. Sign up as a vendor or a sponsor at experiencevolcano.com. If you have questions, contact experiencevolcano@gmail.com.

See The Kaʻū Calendar June Edition at www.kaucalendar.com

See The Kaʻū Calendar June edition at

www.kaucalendar.com,

on newsstands and in the mail.

SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

LEARN MORE ABOUT SPONSORS OF THE KAʻŪ CALENDAR

at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/05/sponsors-of-kau-calendar.html

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, June 12, 2022

Lynette Paglinawan, center, wife of the author of Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends, with book editors Hau'oli Lorenzo-Elarco and Lihau Collier during a signing at Punalu'u Bake Shop on Saturday. Photo by Nalani Parlin

PLACE NAMES & LEGENDS OF KAʻŪ: Dozens of Ka'ū residents and those with connections to the area gathered Saturday in Nāʻālehu at Punaluʻu Bake Shop to celebrate the launch of the book Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends. The book is described as "a special 144-page collection of memories about storied places, songs and riddles that honors the traditions and people of this wahi pana (legendary place)" as shared by Tūtū Herbert Kūʻumi Kin In and Tūtū Mary Kawena Pukui, with the book's author Dr. Richard K. Paglinawan. Each person attending received a free copy made possible by Punaluʻu Bake Shop owner Duane Kurisu and the aio Foundation.

The book launch poster, signed by attendees who received
free copies of the book courtesy of Duane Kurisu and the
aio Foundation. Photo by Nalani Parlin

Dr. Lynette K. Kaopuiki Paglinawan, the author's wife, attended the launch with her family fulfilling a decades-long promise her late husband made to Kūʻumi Kin In to preserve and make the moʻolelo (stories) and ʻike (ancestral knowledge) shared available to present and future generations of his and other Kaʻū ʻohana.

Lynette Paglinawan was instrumental in getting the book published with the help of Kaiao Press by Native Books and the Puʻuhonua Society, after non-interest from other local publishing houses that stated that the book was too narrow and needed more to appeal to a broader audience to recoup expenses. When her husband was nearing the end of his life, he told her, "I never finish my promise," she shared. Lynette responded, "I'll make it happen, but it's going to happen my way." She said that she was grateful to those that helped her and stayed true to her husband's original manuscript.

After sharing highlights from the book with the crowd, Aunty Lynette signed personalized copies of the book, meeting and greeting each person like ʻohana.

"This (ʻike and moʻolelo) was given with aloha and now it comes back (to Kaʻū) with aloha," she said. Book editors, Līhau Collier and Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, invited attendees to sign a book poster commemorating the event.

Some attendees were known ʻohana, including Agnes Pake Kin In Publico, of Nāʻālehu, one of Kūʻumi's family members to whom the book is dedicated. Others were newly discovered relatives to Aunty Lynette. Mary Kawena Pukui's granddaughter Pelehonuamea Puku'i Suganuma Harman honored Paglinawan and the festivities with oli (chant) and a hula performed by keiki of her hula hālau. Local non-profit Hana Laulima Lāhui O Kaʻū assisted in the event setup.

A second celebration of the book's release will be held on Saturday, June 25 on Oʻahu. The event will take place from 4-6 p.m. at Arts and Letters located at 1164 Nuʻuanu Ave in Chinatown. All those with ties to Kaʻū are encouraged to attend.

Order Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends at https://www.nativebookshawaii.org/collections/new-arrivals.

The busy book signing at Punalu'u Bake Shop Saturday for Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

SINGLE-USE PLASTIC PRODUCTS WILL BE PHASED OUT OF NATIONAL PARKS, WILDLIFE REFUGES and other public lands. To commemorate

Rep. Kai Kahele participated in Capitol Hill Ocean
Week, which was sponsored by National Marine
Sanctuaries Foundation.

World Ocean's Month in June, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued Secretary’s Order 3407, which aims to reduce the procurement, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging with a goal of phasing out single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032. The Order is part of the implementation of President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14057, which calls for Federal agencies to minimize waste and support markets for recycled products. The Order also directs the Department to identify nonhazardous, environmentally preferable alternatives to single-use plastic products, such as compostable or biodegradable materials, or 100 percent recycled materials, in an effort to reduce the more than 14 million tons of plastic ending up in the ocean every year.

U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele participated in Capitol Hill Ocean Week this past week. Referring to the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, Kahele said said "it was an honor to commemorate the 50th anniversary of groundbreaking legislation to protect our oceans, lakes and coasts ....As we celebrate the past, it is equally important to look toward the future to protect our ocean environments for our keiki. Let’s continue to draw on the vast knowledge of our kānaka maoli who mastered sustainable resource management and coexistence with the environment in order to preserve the natural treasures and resources of Hawai’i and future generations to come."
Earlier in June the U.S became the newest member of the UN Environment Program’s Clean Seas Campaign. Launched in 2017, the Clean Seas Campaign serves as a voluntary, multi-stakeholder platform

for individuals, civil society groups, industry and governments to promote policies, standards, and practices to reduce marine litter. The United States joins 64 countries, covering more than 60 percent of the world’s coastlines. Earlier this year, the United States also joined more than 90 other countries in signing on to the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and its goal to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030.
The U.S. also announced the Ocean Conservation Pledge, by which countries commit to take voluntary actions to conserve, protect, and restore at least 30% of waters under their national jurisdiction. "The pledge is non-binding, but aims to catalyze political action to significantly enhance ocean conservation efforts," says a statement from the White House.

JEANNE CAPELLA RELEASED A STATEMENT about her recent endorsement from the Hawai'i State Teachers Association to represent all of Ka'ū into Kona in the state House of Representatives. Her district, where she now serves, from Kona to Honu'apo is expanded to cover all of Ka'ū through reapportionment. Here is her statement:
"West Hawai'i is hard hit by our state's teacher shortage. Our classrooms are in disrepair, leaving our children without adequate spaces in which to learn. We lack the resources given to more affluent communities.

State Rep. Jeanne Kapela sent out a message on Sunday regarding her HSTA

endorsement to represent all of Ka'ū and beyond in the state House

of Representatives. Photo from Kapela campaign

"That needs to change. I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association in my campaign for re-election. I am committed to improving pay and working conditions for teachers, who have dedicated their professional lives to providing a quality learning experience for our keiki.
"I will fight to increase education funding, so that our schools have the resources they need to help our children achieve their dreams. I will support legislation to replace testing with arts, cultural, vocational, and place-based curricula. And I will champion community schools that offer social services on campus."
"Our schools should be a sign of our commitment to our children. To champion a well-rounded education for our keiki, donate today to our campaign for change. Every dollar you contribute will support a brighter future for our children."
"Education is the pathway to a more compassionate and prosperous society. For that reason, I will work each day to deliver the schools our keiki deserve."

Kapela is challenged by Republican Lohi Goodwin, of Ocean View and Libertarian Michael Last, of Nāʻālehu.

EXPERIENCE VOLCANO IS OFFERING SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. Organizers of the July 30 and 31 event provide four sponsorship levels: Apapane Sponsor $300; Lehua Sponsor $500; Kilauea Sponsor $800; and Mauna Loa Sponsor $1,000 (only one available).

Experience Volcano 2022 relies on no County or State funding and is sourcing support from the Volcano business and residential community and beyond.

Experience Volcano is free to the public. Organizers report more than 2,500 visitors and more than 40 events during the festival in 2021. "Our sponsors had a fantastic opportunity to engage with visitors and locals from around the world. As we countdown to the festival in late July, we need your support as a sponsor!" says their statement.
Sponsors are highlighted on the map and list of events with approximately 5,000 printed out each year. See www.experiencevolcano.com.

SPONSOR A BUCKLE,

VOTE FOR RODEO QUEEN

ahead of the Saturday,

July 9 Rodeo sponsored by

Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association

and ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Event to

be held on the rodeo grounds

behind Nāʻālehu Park.

Call 808-854-7917.

See The Kaʻū Calendar June Edition at www.kaucalendar.com

See The Kaʻū Calendar June edition at

www.kaucalendar.com,