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Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017

Distance from North Korea to Guam, Alaska, Hawai`i and the mainland.
PRES. DONALD TRUMP CALLING OUT NORTH KOREA drew quick response from Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz on Tuesday and Wednesday. Responding to Trump's threat to meet North Korean threats with "fire and fury that the world has never seen," followed by North Korea's threat to fire missiles at Guam, Schatz pointed to the lack of positions filled in the U.S. State Department for diplomats and experts, particularly in Asia. One unfilled post is U.S. Ambassador to South Korea.
Sen. Brian Schatz calls for staffing the
state department as Trump threatens
North Korea.
    Schatz tweeted, "This is a national emergency. And it's not just for Korea. We have this problem across the planet. No diplomats, no diplomacy." Another tweet from Schatz: "More than 80 jobs w/no nominee at State, out of 131. Arms control, public diplomacy, political-military affairs, diplomatic security, Asia."
   Schatz posted one of the pages from an 11-page document listing positions filled and mostly unfilled at the State Department and tweeted, "receding from the world stage is not what America does. Those key positions are not just for a crisis but to protect our voice everywhere."
     Another Schatz tweet: "This is either malpractice or malfeasance. We have dozens of key leadership positions in DOD and State across the globe with no nominee."
     Schatz also looked to the 2018 election: "Let's win the 2018 election cycle and take our country back." And to 2020: "It would be excellent to have a President experienced in foreign policy and government leadership next time."
     In the near term, he recommended that Congress should "quickly move" on Asia-related nominations for Department of State and Department of Defense; clarify Asian policy in the National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the Armed Services; fund diplomacy; and "fund Asia rebalance." He urged the administration to ask professionals with knowledge of Asia what they think. "This is too serious for cable partisan punditry from campaign flacks."
     Schatz stated: "We are fortunate to have a United States Pacific Command "PACOM Commander and U.S. Forces Korea Commander with lots of wisdom and experience. We should listen to them."
     Just after Trump yesterday warned North Korea to "best not make any more threats to the U.S. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Schatz responded, "This is unwise. We need Ambassador to South Korea, Secretary for East Asia Affairs, and Secretary for Asian Pacific Security Affairs sent to Senate now," for confirmation.

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AUGUST IS NATIONAL WATER QUALITY MONTH, and "the people of Hawai'i understand the importance of clean and healthy water resources. Unfortunately, 52 percent of America's national parks have waterways considered impaired under the Clean Water Act, meaning they do not meet appropriate water quality standards," says U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa in a statement released today.
     "Protecting our natural resources goes hand-in-hand with protecting our future. Healthy people, healthy parks and healthy communities depend on healthy clean water.
     "As Ranking Member of the Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee, I am fully committed to protecting our nation's water quality and restoring water quality in our national parks.
     "As residents of an island state, we all know the importance of protecting our state's water quality. I hope you will join me in recognizing National Water Quality Month and doing your part to keep Hawai`i's water clean."
     The American Water Works Association, through its DrinkTap.org  released the following reminder:
     "We are very fortunate in the United States that most of us have easy access to safe tap water, and that’s because of the thousands of water systems working hard to make that happen. "Our tap water is safe because water utilities are required to meet the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The SDWA not only protects our drinking water supply but also the sources of our drinking water supply.
     "To keep our tap water safe, water utilities are required to monitor for almost 100 contaminants regularly. The SDWA requires EPA to identify contaminants that need to be regulated in drinking water and also to set limits for those contaminants.
    "Because nearly all of our water utilities meet the regulatory standards set by EPA, we can feel secure knowing that our tap water is safe.
     "The SDWA also requires water utilities to provide their customers with a Consumer Confidence Report, which is an annual report on local tap water quality. A CCR details what contaminants, if any, are detected and at what levels they are at locally. Customers must receive their CCR by July 1 each year. If you haven't received yours yet, contact your local water utility."
     Go to www.drinktap.org to visit Local Water webpages and the What’s In My Water? section to learn more about water quality.

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Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

RED CROSS VOLUNTEER MEETING, Thursday, Aug. 10, 7 p.m. at HOVE Road Maintenance Corp. office. Hannah Uribes 929-9953.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST, SATURDAY, AUG. 12, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 9389-7033.

KA`U PLANTATION DAYS, with the theme Culture and Tradition Lives on, starts with a parade from Na`alehu School to Na`alehu Park on Highway 11 this Saturday, Aug. 12 at 9 a.m, followed by a gathering at Na`alehu Community Center and park. 
     The day features food booths, arts and crafts, information booths, games, keiki photos by the police department, tug O war, food contest, lauhala weaving, arm wrestling, archery shoot, silent auction, horseshoes, Hawaiian games, lei making and Hawaiian medicine. 
     Free, call Ka`u Multicultural Society's Darlyne Vierra or  Liz Kuluwaimaka at 640-8740 or 339-0289. Retired teachers who taught in Ka`u will be honored.

THE 2017 JAZZ IN THE FOREST SUMMER SERIES continues on Saturday, Aug. 12 with two performances, at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.  The performance is called The Odyssey of Saxy Jazz!
   The evening explores evolution of the American jazz saxophone from the beginning of the 1900’s in New Orleans, through the roaring Dixieland times of jazz, and up the Mississippi River to Chicago with exciting stops along the way, includingKansas City. The Odyssey of Saxy Jazz! highlights the historic diversions as America opened up on the East and West coasts with the creation of many styles and personalities.
     Sax soloists such as Sidney Bechet, Frank Trumbauer, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman, and many others contributed to the path of jazz in big bands as well as small musical combos, as society changed and audiences kept on dancing to different beats.
     Jazz in the Forest takes place at the Volcano Art Center campus on Old Volcano Highway. The Wine and Beer Room will be open for attendees to enjoy before and after the concert. An area is set aside for dancing. Tickets are $18 for VAC members, $20 non-members. For more information or to register call Volcano Art Center at 808-967-8222

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Tango and classical music are among the offerings at the Hawai`i International Music Festival concert at Pahala Plantation House on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017

Kamehame is the hawksbill turtle preserve owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy
makai of Pahala.  Photo by Geneveve Fyvie
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, which owns and manages thousands of acres in Ka`u, including the Kamehame Hawksbill Turtle Preserve and Kaiholena,  has named three new board members. 
A hawikbill turtle with her nest at Kamehame.
Photo by Will Olsen/Hawksbill Recovery Project
Richard Zwern
     Richard N. Zwern is worldwide director of WPP, one of the world’s largest communi-
cations and marketing services group. He  served as chairman and chief
executive of Hill & Knowlton’s Hawaiʻi operation. Zwern sits on boards of Hawaiian Airlines, the Straub Foundation and the Hawaiian Humane Society, where he is a former chairman. He was recently named to the John A. Burns School of Medicine Dean’s Advisory Council.
Chris Kobayashi
     Chris Kobayashi is a longtime coordinator of government and community relations for Alexander & Baldwin. 
Dr. Alan Friedlander
     Dr. Alan M. Friedlander is director of the Fisheries Ecology Research Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi.  as well as chief scientist for National Geographic’s Pristine Sea’s Project, where he leads research efforts to help understand and conserve the last wild places in the ocean. Along with the Pristine Seas team, he was awarded the 2014 Environmental Hero Award by the Environmental Media Association and the 2016 Crystal Compass National Award from the Russian Geographical Society. 
     Ulalia Woodside, the  Conservancy’s Hawai‘i executive director said, “We are honored to have the expertise and enthusiasm of three professionals with such a diverse range of experience. All three value the environment and understand the contribution it makes to our economy and quality of life.”
Kaiholena preserve between Pahala and Na`alehu.
Photo by John Replogle
   In addition to its work in Ka`u with the Kamehame Hawksbill Turtle Preserve and pristine native forests, The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than one million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide.

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KA`U PLANTATION DAYS offers a parade through Na`alehu on Highway 11 this Saturday, Aug. 12, followed by a gathering at Na`alehu Community Center.
Liz Kuluwaimaka and Darlyne Vierra, co-chairs of Ka`u
Plantation Days. Photo by Julia Neal
     The parade begins at 9 a.m. from Na`alalehu School to Na`alehu Park. At the park will be food booths, arts and crafts, information booths, games, keiki photos by the police department.    
     Special events include a Tug O War, Food Contest, lauhala weaving, arm wrestling, archery shoot, silent auction, horseshoes, Hawaiian games, lei making and Hawaiian medicine, says organizers Darlyne Vierra and Liz Kuluwaimaka.
     Retired teachers who taught in Ka`u will be honored. The organization sponsoring the event is Ka`u Multicultural Society, with the slogan "Culture & Tradition Lives On."
Call 640-8740 or 339-0289.

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Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com
VOLCANO FESTIVAL CHORUS, a holiday staple for years, is practicing for another season.
    Anyone who likes to sing and is interested in a holiday choir is invited to join. The first meeting is on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Volcano School of Arts & Sciences, Keakealani (middle school) campus.
     Rehearsals are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m.  Performances take place early in December.      Volcano Festival Chorus is sponsored by Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network. For more information, call Suzi Bond at 982-7344 or Roch Jones at 985-7026.

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Haku Hulu, Wed, Aug 9, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Local practitioner Pilialoha Johnson introduces the ancient Hawaiian skill of featherwork. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Backpack Name Tags, Wed, Aug 9, 3:30 – 5 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Grades K – 8 register Aug 1 – 8. 928-0312.

Tango and classical music are among the offerings at the Hawai`i International Music Festival
 concert at Pahala Plantation House on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.

Monday, August 07, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Aug. 7, 2017

Making fresh foods more available to residents through the SNAP program received $1 million
in funding, announced Sen. Mazie Hirono today. Photo from The Food Basket
FUNDING OF $1 MILLION TO BUY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES for Hawai`i Island consumers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has been approved. Sen. Mazie Hirono made the announcement today about the SNAP funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
     “Affordable, nutritious food is one of the basic building blocks for healthy families and strong communities," she said. “Today’s grant funding will help to expand access to more locally grown products for Hawaii` Island residents.”
     As part of the grant funding, The Food Basket, Inc. will receive $500,000 to help increase the purchase of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients. In addition, Heritage Ranch, Inc. in Honaunau will receive $500,000 to improve access to healthy fresh local foods for low-income SNAP households, while increasing awareness and support for local growers and food retailers.This is a multi-year federal grant, not to exceed four years, with 2017 the initial funding award for both projects.
     For more information about the SNAP program, click here.

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THE HEALTHY DIET TUTORIAL, written by Dr. Renee Joy Dufault, of Na`alehu, is online and will be the subject of classes in the Ka`u community. Healthy Diet Tutorial is intended to help improve birth outcomes for pregnant women and overall health of entire families.
     Dufault said that the classes teach people "how food quality determines our health." She said that those who join will learn how to read  food ingredients labels, survey current food supplies in their homes, and identify foods that they may want to stop eating. "They will learn how to choose the right foods for promoting good health," she said.
     'What are the best sweeteners to use? What oils and fats would be relatively harmless rather than other?" are questions that will be answered, she said.
     Dufault said that 16 parents involved with the Tutu & Me Traveling Preschool are already signed up between Pahala and Na`alehu and will be meeting weekly for a book discussion group. She  said all community members are invited to join in.
     One book discussion group, for which the book can be borrowed or purchased, begins on Aug 22 and each Tuesday through Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Parents Inc., in the Na`alehu Shopping Center next to the Will & Grace Store. The Pahala discussion group will be held on Wednesday mornings beginning Aug. 23  from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Pahala Community Center. Meeting will continue through Oct. 25.
     To sign up, contact Dufault at rdufault@foodingredient.info or attend the first meeting. 
     Dufault said that the content in the accompanying tutorial has been used successfully in three clinical trials to help college students and parents switch to a healthy diet while reducing weight, BMI, fasting glucose and/or blood inorganic mercury levels. An article has been posted in a medical journal. Another is in peer review, she said.
       Her new book Unsafe at Any Meal has drawn positive reviews in Publisher's Weekly and other media. A book signing and presentation will be held at Na`alehu Library on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 4:30 p.m. 
     As reported in Publishers Weekly, Unsafe at Any Meal puts forth that "Each year, Americans consume hundreds of food products that contain truly dangerous compounds, including heavy metals, pesticides and other harmful additives ---with the blessing of the FDA. Why is this happening and why haven't you heard about it?" 
     Publishers Weekly states that Dufault, a former food investigator for the Food and Drug Administration, "provides the startling answers. While at the FDA, Dr. Dufault discovered that mercury - a highly toxic metal - was contaminating the plumbing systems of many food chemical manufacturing plants. Upon further examination, she discovered that the same mercury was also evident in a number of processed foods commonly sold in supermarkets. When Dr. Dufault revealed these disturbing findings to her superiors, she was told to stop her investigation. Her continued efforts to raise the issue always met with a dead end, so she chose to take an early retirement from the FDA. 
     "Dr. Dufault then devoted her energy to making the public aware of the insidious dangers that contaminate our food. In 2010, she founded an organization of scientists to study the scope of this problem and has published numerous research articles on the topic with little fanfare. To expose what still seems to be a well-kept secret by the FDA, she has written Unsafe at Any Meal to provide consumers with the information they need to know," writes Publishers Weekly.
Dr. Renee Joy Dufault.
Photo from Food Integrity Campaign
     Dufault became a medical laboratory specialist when she joined the U.S. Army. Following her four-year service, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning at University of California at Davis. She served the Navy for two years as an Industrial Hygiene Officer, before transferring to the Public Health Service where she served as an Environmental Health Officer. During 14 years at PHS, she worked at the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration, in toxicology, environmental health, and industrial hygiene. 
     After retirement, Dufault earned a doctorate in Health Education. In addition, she is the founding Executive Director of the Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute. She collaborates with scientists worldwide to conduct studies and publish papers focused on toxic substances in the food supply. 

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THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU HAWAI`I CHAPTER, this morning, issued a list of five scams that target vacationers.
      Group Photo: Group photo scams tend to be more common in touristy areas or near landmarks. Strangers will offer to take a photo of you and your group, but while you arrange yourself for the photo, the stranger will steal the camera. Travelers should make sure that they are approaching someone to take the photo, not the other way around.
     Hotel Wakeup Call: Scam artists will call you in the middle of the night claiming to be the front desk and inform you there was a problem with your credit card. They will ask for a new card number or for you to give them the details again. Never give account information details away over the phone. If you receive this call, hang up and head down to the front desk in person.
  Fake Take-Out: Although many hotels provide guests with on-site restaurant menus, be aware that scammers are known for sliding menus under doors or placing them within rooms by other means. These menus may be for fake restaurants or list fake contact details. When an order is placed, scammers will phish for credit card information. Avoid this scam by always verifying that a restaurant is legitimate. Check with the front desk or conduct a quick google search. Also, verify that a number is accurate before placing the call.
     Disappearing Vacation Rentals: Scam artists may post fake vacation rentals and ask customers to wire a deposit or provide full payment. They will take the money and leave travelers with no place to stay. Avoid this scam by booking rentals through legitimate sources and never wire money. Be sure to always pay with a credit card.
     Fake Booking Websites: In one version of this scam, scammers will create a website modeled after well-known services like Airbnb or Expedia, and trick users into booking a rental. A second form involves fake companies who will take your money upon “booking” but provide no accommodations in return. Travelers can avoid this scam by booking directly with a hotel. Make sure third-party booking services are trustworthy and verify the authenticity of their website.

     Use a Rental Service: Rental services such as Airbnb, although not scam proof, have security measures in place to protect travelers. Travelers can read user reviews of properties and owners they may be interested in. By interacting with the owner through designated communication channels, travelers will have a verified record of interactions between parties. Most of these sites have satisfaction guarantees and/or processes in place to protect consumers.
    Interact Face to Face: When arranging travel plans, face-to-face interaction may not be possible but video services like Skype provide a useful alternative. Travelers should ask owners to contact them via their video chat platform of choice to ask questions and to view the property live.
Google the Property: Get the address of a property and verify it existence through an online search. Make sure it is documented in photos and explore the surrounding area using Google Maps.
Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com
      Check the Record: Verify the owner’s authentic ownership of the house or property. Scammers often list properties they don’t actually own. Check public property records (tax records) online to find out who owns a property.
     Pay with Credit: Never pay in cash or wire money. Instead, book rentals using a credit card that will provide protections against scams. You will be able to dispute the charges should a scam arise.
     Additional travel tips can be found on the Hawai‘i BBB website. Consumers who encounter any sort of scam are asked to report it using the BBB Scam Tracker to alert other unsuspecting victims of potential fraud.

Haku Hulu, Wed, Aug 9, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Local practitioner Pilialoha Johnson introduces the ancient Hawaiian skill of featherwork. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Backpack Name Tags
, Wed, Aug 9, 3:30 – 5 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Grades K – 8 register Aug 1 – 8. 928-0312To read comments, add your own, and like this story, seeFacebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.