Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, March 13, 2023

Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Co. blossoms. The local mac nut industry, one of the largest employers in Kaʻū, is seeking truth in labeling as some companies sell macadamia grown elsewhere while boasting the Hawaiian reputation. See more below.

Photo from Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Co. 

THE STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESS was delivered on Monday by Mayor Mitch Roth from the atrium of the County building in Hilo. His theme is Reformation, Resilience, and Adaptation: "Owning the past, preparing our present, and innovating for the future."

Mayor Mitch Roth and Brenda Iokepa Moses

    

    Roth was joined by Gov. Josh Green, Mayor Derek Kawakami from Kauaʻi, Council Chair Heather Kimball, members of the Hawaiʻi County Council, representatives from Maui County, and Hawai'i County department heads, as well as Roth's executive assistants and Deputy of Department of Environmental Management Brenda Iokepa Moses of Pāhala.
    The Address touched on a myriad of successes and setbacks that took listeners on a journey of what the state of the County of Hawaiʻi was, where it is currently, and where it's going.
    The Mayor's comments touched on: Homelessness; Economic Development; Affordable Housing; Building Permitting; Critical Infrastructure Projects; Kīlauea Eruption Recovery; Public Safety; Mauna Loa Eruption; Public Transportation; and Sustainability.
    Watch Roth's 2023 State of the County Address on naleo.tv or @himayormitch on Facebook.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

GROWERS OF MACADAMIA, ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYMENT SECTORS IN KAʻŪ, are testifying at the Hawai'i Legislature in support of a bill to require stronger labeling of origin of country for consumer processed and raw macadamia nuts. The bill HB1348 goes to a public hearing this Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. at the state Capitol.
    Read the bill, committee reports and testimony; see a link to the live feed of the hearing and submit testimony ahead of the hearing at https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx....
    John Cross, an agricultural and land use expert, who has long worked in Kaʻū, submitted testimony saying, "My whole life has been involved in someway or another with Hawaiian grown Macadamia Nuts. My father was manager of Royal Hawaiian Macadamia Nut company and planted the first trees

     at Keaau on the Big Island in 1949. This orchard would become the epi-center of the largest macadamia operation in the world. The State of Hawai'i became the world leader in growing and producing macadamia nuts for consumption.
    "Other countries started to grow macadamias seeing the success in Hawai'i. Sadly, now some of those countries are threatening to destroy the industry where it all started. Unscrupulous processors are blending cheap foreign grown kernel into bags of what is supposedly a Hawai'i labeled product! This must stop. "The Hawaiian kernel is known to be of superior quality and taste to that grown in other world locations. These sub-quality foreign grown macadmias are threatening the industry in Hawai'i. Local Hawaiian growers are finding no where to sell their Hawai'i grown nuts due to processors shutting their doors to local grown nuts and having replaced them with foreign grown kernel.
    "Hawai'i has made a name for itself as being leaders in the macadamia nut industry. Our University of Hawaii CTAHR has developed some of the best varieties of trees, as well as improved methods of cultivation, disease control and even processing methods. Don't let all this wonderful research and decades of dedication to the soil and the orchards go the way of sugarcane and pineapple. Please support this bill and the Macadamia growers of Hawai'i!" 

    Reggie Souza, who has worked in macadamia in Kaʻū and Keaau for 35 years, wrote that his company, Macadamia Nut Services, employs 150 workers. "We have local processing companies currently putting foreign nut kernels in their products, which truly affects the local farmers, as we just can't compete with the kernel prices from foreign countries. I would like to see more transparency from the Hawaiian Processors on the labeling of macadamia products. I have seen generations of local families depend on farming macadamia locally and their livelihoods are now being threatened."
    Bonnie Self's family lives in Wood Valley and she works for Hawaiian Macadamia Orchards with its more than 5,000 acres of trees in Kaʻū and Keaau. She sent in this testimony:
    "The macadamia nut industry in Hawai'i is under threat from low-cost foreign nuts

being quietly inserted into packages bearing the imagery, names, and appearance of being Hawai'i-sourced. These brands are benefiting from the implication of being from Hawai'i and being of higher quality while undercutting brands that are actually using 100% Hawai'i grown nuts and supporting the local industry. Not only is this a threat to small farmers who grow macadamias as a part of their livelihood, but also to larger farmers who employ hundreds of people within the state, specifically in rural areas with very few alternative work opportunities if the industry disappears."
    She also noted, "Hawai’i macadamias are an iconic part of Hawai’i’s agricultural identity. We seek to preserve this identity and its integrity. Without these protections, the industry is in danger of disappearing."
    Many who work with Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Services sent letters of support, including: Cara Souza, Noel Sebastian, Jennifer Navarro, Oliver Asistin, Desiree Salmo, Imelda Aurelio, Ruby Manantan, Esmenia Garo, Raul Simulata, Roscoe Young, Emelda Bilog, Robert Aurelio, Imelda Asistin, Wilbert Malepe, Christina Echalas, Donna Shibuya, Brian Davis-Natividad, Ezra Keohuloa, Eugenio Asistin, Samuel Mangoba, Jonathan Navarro, Maverick Mariano, Marlon Biason, Arnold Abellera, Jezekial Jara, Marcelena Mangoba, Ernesto Gallarde, Dillin Ballo, Pablo Sebastian, Jordan Ancheta, Alfred Keanu, Laureno Galban, Phillip Alaoan, Clife Galban, Victor Salmo, Kenneth Salmo, Ernesto Abellera, Sally Rose Aguinaldo, Kerman Dilipau, Almaliz Tuzon, and Marciel Aguinaldo.
    Bradford Nelson, Director of Macadamia Growers of Hawai'i, wrote, "We are concerned the era of 

Hawai‘i’s macadamia nut industry is at risk of coming to a close. For the past few years, our industry has faced increasingly intense global competition and now dumping of foreign nuts into the U.S. market. This has been exacerbated by companies that undermine the value of Hawai‘i-grown macadamia nuts through their labeling practices. As a result, for the current 2022-2023 crop year, millions of pounds of nuts have gone unharvested, and growers are facing millions of dollars of losses due to unsold or unharvested inventories. Many of the workers are at home with no work."
    Nelson compared the locally grown macadamia to the locally grown coffee situation. "Companies are using low-cost foreign macadamia nuts in their products with images and packaging that portray them as authentic Hawai‘i product to capitalize on the brand and value of Hawai'i-grown macadamia nuts. This unsavory practice allows them to sell their products at prices that yield better margins, but misleads customers into believing they are buying Hawai‘i-origin products. The practice also wreaks havoc on the local macadamia nut industry, and robs multiple generations of Hawai'i residents of quality jobs."
    Troy Keolanui, of Ok Farms, Kaʻū Farms Management and Hamakua
Macadamia, wrote: "Our Hawaiian Macadamia industry is on its heels and in dire danger of total collapse. We farm over 3,000 acres on the Big Island and employ 75 residents at our farm and processing facility. This bill, while long overdue, is a step in the right direction and will make a difference in protecting our crop that is uniquely Hawaiian and the best in the world."

Hawai'i macadamia growers may receive help from Hawai'i Legislature in restricting labeling so that macadamias grown elsewhere cannot be labeled as Hawaiian. Photo from Olson Trust

    Jeff Clark, COO of Olson Trust II, wrote, "Our organization farms macadamia nuts in Kaʻū on approximately 1,500 acres of land. We also process macadamia nuts in our factory at Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company in Kawaihae. Our factory had always purchased 100% Hawai'i-grown macadamia nuts from about 150 small independent farmers from around the island up until a few years ago. Since then, the factory has not purchased nuts from small farmers which left many of them with nowhere to sell their crop. Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company has a hard time competing with brands that use cheaply grown foreign nuts that do not identify where their nuts are grown, yet continue to use Hawaiian imagery and Hawaiian place names to promote their brand. Consumers have no idea where those nuts were grown.
    "If this is allowed to continue, more brands may be forced to purchase foreign-grown nuts to compete, which would be the end oft he Hawaii-grown macadamia nut farming industry.The amount of foreign grown macadamia nuts entering the state is threatening the future of Hawai'i-grown macadamia nut farmers and the industry as a whole.
    "The macadamia nut industry is a significant contributor to Hawaii's agricultural economy. There are currently about 16,000 acres of macadamia nuts statewide on roughly 620 farms. In 2021, the industry generated $62.73 million (51 million pounds of wet-in shell sales), and in 2020, it was the 2nd largest agricultural commodity produced in Hawai'i, behind only seed crops."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

OVERNIGHT CAMPING ON PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND was subject to a ruling by the Hawai'i Supreme Court last Friday. The state Land Use Commission prevailed in its
objection to a special permit for overnight camping on prime agricultural land. The high

court voted three to two and reversed the Intermediate Court of Appeals. The case involves the nonprofit Ho‘omoana’s plan to establish a campground for the homeless with 26 pods on 2 acres of its 7.2 acre agricultural site. The proposal promised farming on the same property, where homeless people would have the opportunity to work and develop skills in agriculture.
    Nearby residents, fearing a homeless camp would be built near their houses and Lahainaluna High School, took the nonprofit to court and won, using the argument that the prime Class B agricultural land should be preserved for farming. The neighborhood is near Lahaina, Maui. The state Supreme court held that the Ho'omoana project would require changing the state designation of the land, which is now classified as agriculture.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

In the mail and on stands.

FREE FOOD

St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day.

OUTDOOR MARKETS

https://www.okaukakou.org/scholarships
-for-local-students

Volcano Evening Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See facebook.com.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music.                                                                                                                                  Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner Kona Dr. Drive and Hwy 11, near Thai Grindz. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no rez needed. Parking in the upper lot. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.

          

Kaʻū News Briefs, Sunday, March 12, 2023

After Dark Features Taiko Drumming

Thunderous sounds with stunning stylized choreography, Puna Taiko led by Paul Sakamoto comes to After Dark in the Park on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Venue is Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Puna Taiko specializes in the kumi-daiko ensemble style. After Dark in the Park is sponsored by Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Free; park entrance fees apply. Photo from Puna Taiko

'AUHUHU IS THE PLANT OF THE MONTH for Kaʻū, described in the column by Jodie Rosam and
illustrated by Joan Yoshioka. The feature, Lāʻau Letters: Native Plants of Kaʻū, printed monthly in The Kaʻū Calendar newspaper, focuses on native plants and their moʻolelo (stories), uses, preferred habitats, and opportunities to adopt them for stewardship. This column seeks to encourage making new plant friends and to reunite with others.    

'Auhuhu image by Joan Yoshioka

     Description: ʻAuhuhu, Tephrosia purpurea, is a fabulous Fabaceae that was brought to Hawaiʻi for its incredible uses and is referred to as a Polynesian-introduced species versus endemic or indigenous. ʻAuhuhu are small shrubs with bright green compound leaves and adorable purplish-white flowers that look similar to those of your garden’s sweet pea. Although they don’t live long (typically only 1-2 years), they grow fast and reproduce rapidly. Around 5-10 dark brown seeds form within their green turning tan seed pods, which open similarly to wiliwili (as the seeds develop, the seed pod twists open, releasing seeds to the ground to germinate). Interestingly, there is a point in Kohala named after ʻauhuhu, where it once grew wild and was traded (along with taro) for fish from the coast. ʻAuhuhu paʻina is also another name for Makaliʻi, referring to a time so dry that the ʻauhuhu plant became brittle. ʻAuhuhu is a plant of many names, also referred to as ahuhu, ʻauhola, and hola in Hawaiian, kohuhu in Marquesan, ʻavasa in Samoan, and kavahuhu in Tongan, which speaks to its cultural significance across the Pacific.
    Uses: Why was ʻauhuhu brought to Hawaiʻi, you may be wondering? Because the plants were used to intoxicate fish in tidepools, estuaries, and fishponds to make them easier to catch! The plants naturally contain a chemical called tephrosin (a rotenoid), which stuns fish when enough of it is added to water. The entire plant can be crushed and placed into pools, and the mild toxins will cause the fish to swim to the surface to gulp air 

'Auhuhu is a canoe plant, brought to Hawai'i by Polynesians for its fish stunning properties that helped them to 
to catch fish. Its traditional use has helped reduce invasive species in anchialine ponds. Photo from Wikipedia

(somewhat stupefied). The stunned fish can then be harvested, and those who escaped the effects are left behind. This traditional use now requires permits from the state and permission from the landowners, so please don’t try it at home, so to speak! However, conservationists are happy to report that ʻauhuhu was successfully used in 2022 to remove invasive guppies and tilapia from coastal anchialine pool ecosystems. The leaves and leaf buds can also be ground and mixed with paʻakai (sea salt) and niu (coconut) as a salve to topically treat cuts and to soothe itchy skin.
    Habitat: ʻAuhuhu is found across the pantropics. Its introduction to Hawaiʻi brought it to all of the main Hawaiian Islands, particularly near loko iʻa (fishponds) and coastal tidepools. It thrives in extremely dry locations on lava fields, dry ridges, coastlines, and open areas between 5-600m elevation. In Kaʻū, you can find ʻauhuhu along the lowlands and coastlines of the ahupuaʻas of Kiolakaʻa, Waiʻōhinu, and Wailau. It is also scattered around Puʻuloa within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park.

Magma intruded beneath Kīlauea Crater summit but no lava breakout so far. USGS Webcam image from Sunday morning

MAGMA INTRUDED BENEATH THE SUMMIT OF KILAUEA VOLCANO on Saturday between 11 a.m. and midnight , according to Geophysical signals recorded by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.      The intrusion was preceded by an increase in seismic activity but seismicity has returned to background levels, ground deformation has stabilized, and no lava has been observed at the surface, according to the USGS statement."Resumption of eruptive activity at Kīlauea summit no longer appears to be imminent, although it is possible that another intrusion or resumption may occur in the near future with little or no warning."

A shallow earthquake swarm was detected beneath the summit of Kīlauea Volcano between 10:30 and 11 a.m.on Saturday. The swarm was followed by a Magnitude-3.4 earthquake located 4 km SW of Volcano at a depth of approximately 1 km (0.6 miles) at 11:50 a.m. This earthquake was felt locally and triggered a rockfall near Uēaloha (Byron Ledge) in Hawai’I Volcanoes National Park. Seismicity diminished at approximately noon and returned to background levels.
   HVO tiltmeters have been recording an inflationary signal at Kīlauea summit since March 7, indicating that magma has been accumulating beneath the surface. Tilt excursions also coincided with Saturday morning’s earthquake swarm.
   "Summit tilt stabilized although slow inflation continues. The pause in eruptive activity that began approximately last week continues and Kīlauea remains at Alert Level WATCH and Aviation Code ORANGE. No unusual activity has been noted along the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone."
   

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

OCEAN VIEW RESIDENT RONALD PATRICK KEAHONUI KAHIHIKOLO is in jail awaiting court appearance Monday morning in Hilo, his bail set at $263,000. Kahihikolo was charged on Saturday.
Hawai'i Police Department listed the charges as: Second-degree attempted murder; abuse of a family/household member; ownership and possession of a firearm prohibited; carrying a firearm in the commission of a separate felony; unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle; first-degree theft; resisting an order to stop; contempt of court; two counts of violations of conditions of release on bail, recognizance, or supervised release; and two counts of discharge of sureties.

Kahihikolo is known for a facial tattoo "Greed" on his right cheek.

    "A wanted fugitive with numerous outstanding bench warrants, Kahihikolo has been the subject of a five-day manhunt after police initiated an attempted murder investigation following a domestic disturbance shooting on Tuesday morning, March 7, 2023, in Ocean View." He was arrested just before 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Hāmākua district.
Hawai‘i Island police also charged 26-year-old Jacqueline Keana‘aina, of Kailua-Kona, with a litany of criminal felony and misdemeanor offenses following an officer-involved-shooting incident on Friday in Kona.
"On Friday morning, plainclothes Area II Vice detectives received information that Ronald Kahihikolo was in the Kona area and in the company of individuals who were in possession of two stolen vehicles, a silver Chevy Malibu and a white Dodge sedan.
"As Vice detectives began canvassing the area, officers observed the Chevy Malibu, containing a male driver, later identified as 32-year-old Kainoa Kahele-Bishop, of Kailua-Kona, and a female passenger, later identified as Keana‘aina, traveling southbound on Kamakaeha Avenue.
"When detectives attempted to contact the pair as the Malibu came to a stop at the intersection of Kamakaeha Avenue and Palani Road, Kahele-Bishop ignored the officers’ lawful commands to show them his hands and began reaching for an object. Fearing for their safety, two detectives discharged their duty weapons, striking Kahele-Bishop, who unfortunately died at the scene.
"After executing a search warrant on the Chevy Malibu, detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section recovered two firearms—a loaded sawed-off shotgun and an unloaded bolt-action rifle, more than 25 rounds of ammunition, one spent round of ammunition, and eight credit cards (not belonging to either of the occupants).

Keana'aina is charged with breaking into a

 house on Tiki Land in Ocean View and

 other offenses. Photo from HPD

According to HPD, Kahele-Bishop had an outstanding parole violation with the Hawai‘i Paroling Authority. He was also a person of interest in an attempted burglary investigation that occurred on Sunday, Feb. 26 in the 92-8000 block of Tiki Lane in Ocean View.
Keana‘aina suffered minor injuries in the traffic crash and was treated at the scene by Hawai'i Fire Department medics. She was then arrested for an outstanding warrant and transported to the Kealakehe Police Station.
The police statement reports; "As the shooting incident was occurring, the white Dodge sedan, believed to be driven by Kahihikolo, was seen traveling northbound towards Waimea. Kahihikolo abandoned the vehicle less than two hours later in the area of Highway 19 near the 40 mile marker in the Hāmākua district.
    "Following an extensive multi-agency search by land and air that included HPD’s Special Response Team, HPD K9 scent-detection dogs, air assets from Hawai‘i Fire Department, as well as assistance from FBI personnel, Kahihikolo was arrested Saturday morning, March 11, just before 11 a.m., in the same vicinity where he abandoned the Dodge sedan. Investigators with Area II Juvenile Aid Section and Area I Criminal Investigation Section subsequently executed a search warrant on the recovered stolen Dodge.
    "After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office on Saturday afternoon, Kahihikolo was charged."
Keana‘aina was also charged with first-degree attempted burglary stemming from an attempted residential break-in on Sunday, February 26, on Tiki Lane in Ocean View. Kahele-Bishop was a person of interest in that investigation.
    Keana‘aina’s bail was set at $323,000. She remains in police custody at the Kealakehe Police Station pending her initial court appearance on Monday morning, March 13, at Kona District Court.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and 

In the mail and on stands.

FREE FOOD

St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day.

OUTDOOR MARKETS

https://www.okaukakou.org/scholarships
-for-local-students

Volcano Evening Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See facebook.com.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music.                                                                                                                                  Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner Kona Dr. Drive and Hwy 11, near Thai Grindz. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no rez needed. Parking in the upper lot. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.

          

Kaʻū News Briefs, Saturday, March 11, 2023

  Hawaiian place names are explained in a new National Park website. See more below. NPS photo

RONALD KAHIHIKOLO, OF OCEAN VIEW, on the run from police since Tuesday, has been arrested. Hawai‘i Island police apprehended the 44-year old Kahihikolo on Saturday morning. He was wanted for attempted murder, stemming from a domestic incident in Ocean View, and numerous outstanding bench warrants. He was located in the Hamakua district near Highway 19 at the 39.5 mile marker in Kalopa at 10:57 a.m. "There is no threat to community at this time," said the HPD statement.
    "This is still an ongoing and active investigation. Hawai‘i Island police thank the public for their assistance in this matter."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

HAWAIIAN PLACE NAMES ARE THE FOCUS OF A NEW NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WEBSITE. A post from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park says, "This new webpage teaches you how to correctly pronounce Hawaiian place names: https://go.nps.gov/inoa. Not only is it just plain fun, but it is also an excellent resource for anyone who wants to show respect for the Hawaiian culture and language. Hawaiian

place names often carry significant meanings and reflect the stories and traditions of the people who lived on the land for centuries. Language is a vital part of cultural identity. By using indigenous place names correctly, we can help keep the language alive."
   The post quotes the late Mary Abigail Kawenaʻulaokalaniahiʻiakaikapoliopelekawahineʻaihonuaināleilehuaapele Wiggin Pukui, the composer, dancer and Hawiaian language and cultural expert from Kaʻū:  "Ola ka inoa - The name lives." from ʻŌlelo Noʻeau.
    The new website notes that "Hawaiian place names have been around longer than any others and are an invaluable resource for learning and understanding indigenous culture. Even before the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893, western colonization had already erased many indigenous place names. This stifled Native Hawaiian peoples’ access, practice, and connection with the place names. Restoring place names is no easy task, even among indigenous people.        Traditionally, these names were passed down in most cases through oral tradition. Today, advocates of this process link indigenous names to early maps, books, deeds and legal descriptions. Through these efforts indigenous place names can be restored to maps and the modern lexicon, a process that aids in the preservation and protection of cultural heritage."
    Learn about Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's program to restore Native Hawaiian place names in the park: https://go.nps.gov/bm7ip8.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

MAUNA LOA FOREST RESERVE reopened this week. It was closed for months following the eruption of Mauna Loa. Department of Land & Natural Resources' Division of Forestry & Wildlife also reopened  Unit A of Mauna Kea Forest Reserve & Game Management Area. south of Daniel K. Inouye Highway across from the Gil Kahele Recreation Area, also known as the “slice.” DOFAW asks that people stay off the 2022 lava flow to protect themselves from hazardous conditions. These include, but are not limited to, hot spots with high temperatures, unstable footing, and sharp lava rocks.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

THE STUDENT RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM FROM HAWAI'I POLICE DEPARTMENT is expanding efforts, as "part of Hawaiʻi County's dedication to protecting keiki and the community," says a statement from County of Hawai'i. SROs are part of the Department's Community Policing program, comprised of 39 officers islandwide, including eight School Resource Officers explicitly assigned to schools. In Ka'u where the schools are small, the SRO roll is handled by Community Policing.
    "Protecting our keiki and ensuring that they can feel safe and secure in their home, at school, and on our island is of the utmost importance to our administration," said Mayor Mitch Roth. He gave the example of Hilo Intermediate where parents recently reported increased violence and HPD's new chief Benjamin Moskowitz responded by assigning a full time SRO to the school to speed up replacing the SRO who retired. "We commend the parents who had the courage to bring this to our attention and Chief Moskowitz for his willingness to work quickly to address some of the issues. We will continue to search for ways to improve safety as a whole throughout our community, and mahalo those who continue to choose aloha."

    The County's statement said: "Community Policing Officers maintain constant communication with community and neighborhood organizations and business leaders to address criminal, traffic, and safety issues. Community Policing Officers and SROs constantly work to bring together government and private agencies with community and business groups to pursue the mission of safe schools, neighborhoods, and communities. Additionally, SROs guide students on ethical issues, mentor students and act as a resource for delinquency prevention."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

In the mail and on stands.

FREE FOOD

St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day.

OUTDOOR MARKETS

https://www.okaukakou.org/scholarships
-for-local-students

Volcano Evening Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See facebook.com.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music.                                                                                                                                  Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner Kona Dr. Drive and Hwy 11, near Thai Grindz. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no rez needed. Parking in the upper lot. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.