Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, October 24, 2019

Read Tulsi Gabbard's statement on her run for U.S. President as she announces she will
not seek reelection to represent Kaʻū and the rest of rural Hawaiʻi in Congress.

REP. TULSI GABBARD WON'T SEEK REELECTION FOR A FIFTH TERM TO CONGRESS as she continues her campaign for the presidency. The congresswoman for Kaʻū and all rural areas of the state made the announcement this evening on twitter. She said, "I'm fully committed to my offer to serve you, the people of Hawaiʻi and America, as your President & Commander-in-Chief. So I will not be seeking reelection to the Congress in 2020. I humbly ask for your support for my candidacy of the United States.

Sen. Kai Kahele becomes lead candidate
 for Kaʻū and all of rural Hawaiʻi,
 as Tulsi Gabbard leaves her campaign
 to concentrate on the presidency. 

     "I'm so grateful to the people of Hawaiʻi for allowing me to serve you in Congress for the last seven years. Throughout my life, I've always made my decisions based on where I felt I could do the most good. In light of the challenges we face, I believe I can best serve the people of Hawaiʻi and our country as President and Commander-in-Chief. As president, I will immediately begin work to end the new cold war and nuclear arms race... end our interventionist, foreign policy of being the world's police, toppling dictators and governments we don't like, and redirect our precious resources towards serving the needs of the people here at home."

     Gabbard's departure from the race to be reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives leaves state Sen. Kai Kahele as the leading candidate to represent rural Hawaiʻi in Congress. Kahele currently represents Hilo in the Hawaiʻi Senate.

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THE QUESTION OF THE  CONSERVATION LAND USE CLASSIFICATION FOR MAUNAKEA drew testimony from the Sierra Club during a hearing before the state Land Use Commission today in Hilo. The testimony contends that the 22 "existing telescopes built on Mauna Kea have created a defacto urban district outside of Land Use Commission procedures... The years of conflict over land use at the summit of Mauna Kea could have been avoided if only the University of Hawaiʻi had been honest about its intentions to urbanize this conservation district from the start. If UH had been straight-forward about its intentions to construct over a dozen industrial structures in the conservation district, and followed the proper procedures to authorize the use of the summit in this way, then it would have first sought approval from the Land Use Commission to change the boundary designation for this area from conservation to urban. If UH had followed this procedure, then the public, state agencies, UH, and all telescope development advocates would have had clear guidance on what was allowed and not allowed on the summit of Mauna Kea."

Should the telescope campus on Maunakea be classified Urban by the state Land Use Commission in
order to accommodate more facilities on the Conservation land? Photo from Wikimedia Commons

     The Sierra Club urges the LUC to find "that UH improperly urbanized the summit area of Maunakea," and contends that the state Board of Land & Natural Resources "does not have the authority to allow industrialization within the Conservation Districts, and Mauna Kea is no exception. We hold that no further construction on Mauna Kea summit areas be undertaken, because such action would need to comply with LUC boundary amendment procedures to reclassify conservation lands into the urban district. No, in fact, Mauna Kea summit region is a National Natural Landmark, a State Historic District, a Traditional Cultural Property, and a unique ecosystem with endemic flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth. As such, Mauna Kea deserves the highest protected land use designation!"
     A petition to consider the state land use classification of Maunakea was brought to the LUC by Kanahele family members.
     See the full testimony on Big Island Video News

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TWO LAWSUITS INVOLVING KAʻŪ SEWAGE ARE TO BE DISMISSED, according to reporting this morning from Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald.

     The suit filed by Nāʻālehu resident Sandra Demoruelle last year, said that the county has abandoned more affordable sewage treatment options for new designs that would cost tens of millions of dollars. The crux of the suit is her claim that county Environmental Management Director Bill Kucharski and Wastewater Division chief Dora Beck should turn over copies of draft environmental assessments for Nāʻālehu and Pāhala, and halt all planning on the projects until the environmental assessments are released.

Nāʻālehu Sewage Treatment Plant location next to the elementary school
 was moved, after public testimony opposed the site. Photo by Julia Neal

     According to the Tribune Herald, Hilo Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura announced on Oct. 11 that he would dismiss the suit; a formal judgment remains pending.
      Kucharski and Beck claimed that draft environmental assessments were incomplete, making them unavailable to the public at the time Demoruelle asked for them.
     Tribune Herald reported that "A 2007 environmental assessment for a similar, less expensive wastewater treatment project in Nāʻālehu found no significant impact, after community participation. Demoruelle, representing herself, argued that the Department of Environmental Management chose to abandon a project that the community approved of in favor of two new projects, estimated to cost a total of $41 million, on which the community has not been able to weigh in." Demoruelle wrote, "The department is once again being given leeway to evade environmental review. The county is authorizing expenditures without doing the necessary environmental review."

Wastewater Treatment proposed site at corner of Maile and Hwy 11. Images from the county

     According to the Tribune Herald story, in court, "Kucharski argued during the August hearing that new projects require new environmental assessments, and that new assessments require a specific site be selected. One potential site drew criticism in 2018 for being located near Nāʻālehu Elementary and Intermediate School: 'You do not do an (environmental assessment) on a general concept,' Kucharski said during the hearing, adding that the project simply hadn't progressed to a point where the assessment was possible."
     The Nāʻāhleu Treatment plant is planned for land behind Nāʻālehu Hongwanji, after the county moved the proposed site from land next to Nāʻālehu Elementary - a location largely opposed by the community and school.

     The Pāhala treatment plant is proposed along the Maile Street - on the Hilo side of the Norfolk Pine entry to the town. Concerns have been whether it will impact the view and health of the trees that provide a spectacular entry to the village, whether there are burial sites on the property, and whether the treatment lagoons could flood during storms and spill onto Highway 11. During community meetings, a group of residents proposed the site be located below Hwy 11.

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VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI ART STUDIO TOUR & SALE will be held over Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 29 and 30, and Dec. 1. The 33rd annual event invites the public to meet village artists in their studios, and see artwork in a wide variety of media. Artwork will be on display and available for purchase at six studios and galleries in the heart of Volcano Village.

     New this year, there will be art making demonstrations at each studio/gallery location on Sunday, Dec. 1. "Make and take" earrings with Zeke Israel; watch Ira Ono create a clay mask at 11 a.m.; and see demonstrations of various other clay techniques by Erik Wold, Emily Herb, and Charlotte Forbes Perry, all at their respective studio locations.
     Lisa Louise Adams and Joan Yoshioka will be showing their painting skills; Liz Miller will share her metal tooling technique;, and Joe Laceby will be doing hot metal forging demos at the Volcano Art Center location throughout the day on Sunday, just to name a few of the offerings.
     Also showing their work this year will be Pam Barton, Mag Barnaby, Misato and Michael Mortara, Ricia Shema, Cynee Gillette-Wenner, Randy Sutton, and Scott Pincus.

     A special drawing for artwork contributed by each of the artists will be held at the end of the sale.
     Sale hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (808) 987-3472.  Maps to the artists' studios will be available at local businesses and galleries in Volcano Village, and at VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.

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KEOKEO CAVE SYSTEM IN KAHUKU is the subject of this month's Coffee Talk at Kahuku Unit on Friday, Oct. 25, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Visitor Contact Station in the Kahuku Unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
     Hosted by Peter and Annie Bosted, the talk will cover lava tubes that have been recently discovered and explored on Hawaiʻi Island, especially the 20-mile-long Keokeo system in Kahuku. They will also touch on the important role lava tubes play in growing the island and in preserving rare fauna, flora, and the remains of species no longer with us.

     The Bosteds have been exploring, photographing, and mapping caves around the world since the early 1980s. Their cave photos have appeared in books, calendars, magazines, and other publications. Peter Bosted is a co-author of the book Atlas of the Great Caves of the World, while Annie Bosted authored Gems of the Golden State. Their spelunking work in Hawaiʻi began in the 1990s.

     Located just south of the 70.5 mile marker on the mauka side of Highway 11, Kahuku Unit charges no entrance or program fees. The Park location is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

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WEST HAWAIʻI MASTER GARDENERS PROGRAM is now accepting applications for the class of 2020. Applications are open through Friday, Nov 15. Weekly classes run Jan 14 thru April 7, 2020, on Tuesdays, from 9 a.m. to noon. Cost is $200. Application online at cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/whmgprogram/HOME/West-Hawaii.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on
Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

2019 Kaʻū High School Fall Athletics Schedule

See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates

Football, Division II:

Sat., Oct. 26, 1 p.m., Kohala hosts Kaʻū

Fri. and Sat., Nov. 1 and 2, Div II BIIF Championship

Fri. and Sat., Nov. 15 and 16, HHSAA Div II Semifinals

Fri., Nov. 29, HHSAA Div II Championship

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

UPCOMING

FRIDAY, OCT. 25

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Creatures That Have Evolved in the Dark, Friday, Oct. 25, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Join local experts to learn about lava tubes and some interesting animals that call them home. Free. nps.gov/havo

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Oct. 25 - fourth Friday monthly - 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free and open to public. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Chicken Skin Stories, Friday, Oct. 25, 7-9p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. DJ KTA. $20/person in advance, $25/person at the door. Open to eligible patrons; certain Terms of Service. Free; park entrance fees apply. Purchase online at bigisland.ticketleap.com (+$2 fee online). mariner@kimurabrands.com

Halloween Party, Friday, Oct. 25, 7p.m.-midnight, Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. DJ KTA. $5 cover with costume, $7 cover without. 21+. Open to eligible patrons; certain Terms of Service. Free; park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8365 after 4p.m., kilaueamilitarycamp.com

SATURDAY, OCT. 26

Free Spay and Neuter Clinic for Dogs offered by KARES in Ocean View on Saturday, Oct. 29. For info and to register, 328-8455.

Paint Your Own Silk Scarf Workshop with Patti Pease Johnson, Saturday, Oct. 26, 9a.m.-12:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Students complete one 8"x 53" scarf. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $10 supply fee per person. All materials supplied. Beginner and intermediate artists welcome. Register - 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Oct. 26, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo/

Kimchi & Kombucha/Jun, Hands-On Fermented Foods Workshop with Jasmine Silverstein of HeartBeet Foods, Saturday, Oct. 26, 10a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. $55/VAC member, $60/non-member, plus $15/person supply fee (includes organic ingredients). Pre-registration required. No cooking skills necessary. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Chicken Skin Stories, Saturday, Oct. 26, 7-9p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. DJ KTA. $20/person in advance, $25/person at the door. Open to eligible patrons; certain Terms of Service. Free; park entrance fees apply. Purchase online at bigisland.ticketleap.com (+$2 fee online). mariner@kimurabrands.com

SUNDAY, OCT. 27

Hi‘iaka & Pele, Sunday, Oct. 27, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo/

MONDAY, OCT. 28

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Kapa Aloha ‘Āina, the fabric of Hawai‘i with Puakea Forester, Monday, Oct. 28, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. Pre-registration required; class size limited. $10 per person supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

TUESDAY, OCT. 29

Trail Less Traveled, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 10:30a.m.-12:30p.m., Devastation Trail Parking Lot, HVNP. Moderate, 2 mile, 2 hour roundtrip hike. $40/person. Register online. Family friendly. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 985-7373, admin@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30

Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wednesday, Oct. 30 – last Wednesday, monthly – 9-11a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years and older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i – referral required, 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

THURSDAY, OCT. 31

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday, Oct. 31, 11a.m.-noon, multipurpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym, Pāhala.

Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thursday, Oct. 31, 4-6p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

Trunk or Treat at Kaʻū District Gym will be held Thursday, Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Organized by Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary school, the free event offers a haunted house, healthy recipes, a family-friendly atmosphere, and Trunk or Treat, where keiki and youth go from parked car to car, asking for treats.

     For those interested in participating in Trunk or Treat, distributing goodies, prizes will be awarded for the best decorated car: Most Beautiful, Most Original, Spookiest, and a special awards for teachers or staff who decorate; decoration not required. Contact Nona at 928-3102 or Angie Miyashiro at 313-4100.

ONGOING

Help Shape Hawaiʻi Island at upcoming SpeakOuts and workshops on the General Plan. The community is encouraged to "come share your manaʻo," opinion.

     A Topic Workshop will be held in Hilo at County of Hawaiʻi Office of Aging on Saturday, Oct. 26, on Infrastructure from 9 a.m. to noon and Natural Resources from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

     Submit feedback online by Thursday, Oct. 31. See more Info on the Draft General Plan at hiplanningdept.com/general-plan/.

Trunk or Treat at Kaʻū District Gym will be held Thursday, Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Organized by Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary school, the free event offers a haunted house, healthy recipes, a family-friendly atmosphere, and Trunk or Treat, where keiki and youth go from parked car to car, asking for treats.

     For those interested in participating in Trunk or Treat, distributing goodies, prizes will be awarded for the best decorated car: Most Beautiful, Most Original, Spookiest, and a special awards for teachers or staff who decorate; decoration not required. Contact Nona at 928-3102 or Angie Miyashiro at 313-4100.

Nationwide 2019 Congressional App Challenge submissions from middle and high schoolers are open through Friday, Nov. 1. Submit to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, CongressionalAppChallenge.us, apps "designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science." All skill levels, all devices and platforms, and all programming languages, accepted.

Hoʻokupu Hula No Kaʻū Cultural Festival Booths can be reserved. The free event on Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center, will feature cultural practitioners and demonstrators; workshops; crafts; food; music and entertainment from artists such as Bali Hai from Mexico, Vero Cruz Folklore Dancers, taiko drummers, UH-Hilo Filipino/Samoan dancers; and hula from Mexico, Japan, Virginia, ʻOahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. Interested vendors can apply for food, craft, or information booths. Email leionalani47@hotmail.com or call 808-649-9334. See hookupukau.com.

Tiny Treasure Invitational Exhibit at Volcano Art Center gallery in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park runs through Sunday, Nov. 3. Open to the public, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free; Park entrance fees apply. The exhibition also celebrates VAC's 45th anniversary, Oct. 21.

     Artists include Daniel Rokovitz, Stone O'Daugherty, Kristin Mitsu Shiga, Pat Pearlman, and Amy Flanders, Karen and Mark Stebbins. Also on display, small works from the annual Volcano Art Collaboration from June, featuring Rose Adare, Nash Adams-Pruitt, Lisa Louise Adams, Ed Clapp, Amy Flanders, Bill Hamilton, Liz Miller, Joe Laceby, and Erik Wold. volcanoartcenter.org

Vendor Booth Space is Available for the Kamahalo Craft Fair. The 12th annual event will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cooper Center. Booths are open for crafters with quality homemade and homegrown products. Food vendors must prepare all food items in a certified kitchen and must have a Department of Health permit displayed prominently at their booth. Application online at thecoopercenter.org. Direct questions to 936-9705 or kilaueatutu@gmail.com.

King Cab 2016 Nissan Frontier for Sale by Holy Rosary Church of Pāhala and the Sacred Heart Church of Nāʻālehu. The parishes are selling the truck to raise funds to benefit both churches. The truck is a great 6 cylinder, 2WD automobile. The churches are asking for $21K or best offer. Only cash or cashier's check will be accepted. Anyone interested should contact the parish secretary Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at 928-8208.

Tūtū & Me Home Visiting Program is a free service to Pāhala families with keiki, birth to five years old. This caregiver support program offers those taking care of young keiki "a compassionate listening ear, helpful parenting tips and strategies, fun and exciting activities, and wonderful educational resources" from Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool. Home visits are one hour in length, two to four times per month, for 12 to 15 visits. Snacks are provided. See pidfoundation.org or call Tata Compehos and Melody Espejo at 808-938-1088.

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Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Thirty Meter Telescope image from its proponents. The state Land Use Commission will hold a hearing tomorrow
for input on whether the proposed site should be classified Urban. Photo from TMT

ARE PERMITS FOR USE OF CONSERVATION LAND FOR URBAN ACTIVITY LEGAL ON MAUNAKEA? This is a question coming before the state Land Use Commission, which holds a public hearing this Thursday in the Crown Room of the Nanailoa Hotel in Hilo, beginning at  9:30 a.m., and possibly continuing on Friday and moving to UH-HIlo on Monday, if needed.

     The hearing focuses on use of the Maunakea summit for telescopes on 525 acres owned by the state and classified Conservation. The LUC will entertain a petition from Kuʻulei Higashi Kanahele and Ahiena Kanahele, who contend that use of the land for the dozen observatories and planned Thirty Meter Telescope is Urban activity on Conservation land, without legal process.

     The petition describes the use for telescopes as Industrial, which would require Industrial county zoning within a state-classified Urban district. It contends that the state and its lessees for the telescope campus should have applied for reclassification from Conservation to Urban, rather than depending on state Board of Land & Natural Resources Use Permits since 1968. The Kanaheles claim that the Use Permits circumvent the law and deprive citizens of the process of giving input on whether the land should be subject to Urban use.

     Input to the LUC from TMT proponents includes the contention that Conservation Use Permits for the telescopes were properly considered by the Board of Land & Natural Resources, which approved them and that court proceedings led to confirmation that the process as legal.

     TMT proponents contend that the BLNR Use Permits were properly considered and approved and that state courts have confirmed the legal use of the land for telescopes.

 
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Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder, right, will present hālau from Japan to Hawaiʻi, Mexico, and the mainland
on Saturday, Nov. 2 at Pāhala Community Center. Photo from Ryder

HOʻOKUPU NO KAʻŪ – the gathering of hālau, musicians, and cultural practitioners in Pāhala on Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center – has announced its final lineup. Kumu Hula Debbie Ryder said that participants will come from as far away as Mexico, Japan, and the U.S. mainland.

     Participating are Ryder's Hālau Hula O Leionalani; Hoʻomakaʻi Hula Studio from Oʻahu, led by Kumu Hula Shona LamHo; Hālau Ola O Kalani, led by Kumu Hula Kahoʻokele Crabbe; Kawehileimamoikawekiu o Kohala, led by Kumu Hula Lorna Lim; Uluhaimalama, led by Kumu Hula Emery Acerat; Aloha Pumehana/Vero Cruz Mexican Dances of Mexico, led by Professor Vero Ramirez; Hālau Kahanuola of Virginia, led by Instructor Keiko Alva; Ballet Bali Hai of Mexico, led by Director Clara Snell; the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Filipino Dance Ensemble; and the UH-Hilo Samoan Dance Ensemble.

     Participating musical groups are Taiko Drummers, led by Paul Sakamoto; Keaiwa; Times 5; Victor Chock; Steven Sioloa; Wailau Ryder & Friends; Kaleo Maoli; and local Kaʻū band, Shootz.

A traditional ceremony on the Kaʻū Coast before the day of dance,
song, and culture. Photo by Julia Neal

     Participating cultural practitioners are Hawaiʻi Island Kuʻi Kalo ‘Ohana, with Poi Pounding, Kalo Education displays, and a chance to talk story with the farmers; Kupuna Chucky Leslie, the Last Traditional Opelu Fisherman, from South Kona, offering one-on-one learning to sew net and listen to Uncles Fishing Moʻolelo, stories; Waltah Wong, Traditional Hale Builder, offers talk story on traditional house design layout and construction; Ika Vea, from Kohala, Master carver of Pahu, hula implements, and many more crafts; Wally Ito, seaweed propagation and cultivation; Aunty Winnie, with Laʻau Lapaʻau, traditional Hawaiian medicinal plants and their uses; Kupuna Barbara Meheula, with coconut weaving; and Irene and Bully Davis, lauhala weavers from Lanaʻi.

     The event is free and open to the public for all ages. Food will also be for sale.

     Learn more about the performers in future Kaʻū News Briefs. See hookupukau.com.

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WHAT WILL AGRICULTURE BE LIKE IN 100 YEARS? asked Kaʻū rancher Michelle Galimba during her talk at the state Agricultural Conference last week on Oʻahu.

     She answered, "I don't know, but I do know what I would like it to be, and that is: an ecological agriculture as part of an ecological civilization." See the beginning of her talk in the Monday and Tuesday Kaʻū News Briefs. Here is the final part:

     The anthropologist James C. Scott has written about the complex interrelation between political systems and agricultural systems in Asia. Intensive grain cultivation such as rice, wheat, and corn support the classic centralized state with its taxes, bureaucracy, military, and concentration of power in cities. On the other hand, hill tribes and other decentralized groups often adopt an agriculture based on root crops and other plant species that are inconspicuous, perennial, and not easily taxed. The point is that the kind of agriculture that we create, in turn creates us and the kind of social and political systems that we live within.

The sugar plantations were followed by Kaʻū Coffee, ranching, and new thinking about ecological farming.
Photo by Julia Neal

     Here in Hawaiʻi, our political history is closely tied with agricultural systems. We are still in the midst of grappling with the legacy of the sugar-cane plantations – an export-driven, highly extractive agriculture requiring immigrant labor from around the world. Many of us here trace at least part of our ancestry back to plantation immigrant laborers. At the moment, plantation agriculture has been replaced by the increasingly problematic tourism industry. We've gone from one sugar high to another. Which is why learning from indigenous agriculture is important because that was the last time Hawaiʻi had an agriculture and economy that was sustainable for the long run – that was not a short term sugar high. The way forward towards an ecological agriculture and an ecological civilization can be informed by our past. That is one paradox.

     The concept of an ecological civilization is, in itself, a bit of a paradox. Our economic systems assume infinite natural resources and our right to exploit them in order to achieve growth. Of course this planet does not have infinite resources, and part of the dissonance that we are experiencing comes from our inability to deal with that reality within our current economic and social paradigm. At the same time, civilization – this mode of organizing ourselves and working together on complex systems for the common good – this is a valuable skill that we humans have been working on for thousands of years. There have been many civilizations, some of them more ecologically sound than others. The one we happen to live within, is, as we are discovering, one of the more unsound ones. Highly successful, yes, but ecologically unsound.

On Kuahiwi Ranch in Kaʻū, thinking about agriculture evolves.
Photo from Kuahiwi Ranch

     And one of the keys to our success and our unsoundness is this story of economic growth that we tell ourselves over and over again. We must turn a critical eye on the pursuit of growth through ever increasing levels of resource extraction and consumption. It's not that growing is bad in itself. There are ways to "grow" that do not require increasing extraction and the short-sighted extermination of biodiversity, of life.

     We in agriculture probably know more about sustainability and resource limits than any other sector. the Chinese developed and practiced an agriculture that supported a high civilization for 4,000 years, and here in Hawaiʻi, indigenous agriculture fed a large population within the strict resource limitations of these remote islands for well over a thousand years. In contrast, industrial civilization is running into terminal problems after less than two hundred years.

     The paradox is that we must practice a resilient, re-localized, low-emission agriculture that is, at the same time, an agriculture that draws on and contributes to a global network of knowledge, technical skills, and best practices.

     We must embrace technological innovations and data-driven tools, but also recover and value what is best in traditional and indigenous agriculture.

      We must become re-enchanted by and passionately protective of the environment and its complex ecologies, but also be tough-minded, scientific, and pragmatic in evaluating the best courses of action at a global scale.

     We must look at agriculture holistically, not just as the production of material goods at any cost, but as an activity that shapes us socially, culturally, and environmentally.

     An ecological agriculture as part of an ecological civilization must work with these paradoxes, among many others.

     Paradox can be a way of finding generative spaces to think and work towards more ecologically sound ways of living on this planet. Paradox can be a space of innovation and creativity.

Nature meets agriculture at Kuahiwi Ranch. Photo from Kuahiwi Ranch

     We will need courage, a lot of courage, to face the often frightening contradictions of our times, the courage to turn fear and defensiveness into an embrace of paradox, to turn our anxiety into creativity, the courage to stay with the trouble.

  North Australia as translated by the anthropologist Deborah Bird Rose. This word, bir'yun, can be translated as brilliance or shimmer.
   Finally, I would like to leave you with an idea that is both very exotic and very familiar. It is something that we probably have all experienced – but the word for it comes from the Yolngu people of

     Bir'yun is the shimmer, the brilliance, and the artists say, it is a kind of motion. Brilliance actually grabs you. Brilliance allows you, or brings you, into the experience of being part of a vibrant and vibrating world. When a painting reaches brilliance, for example, people say that it captures the eye much in the way that the eye is captured by sun glinting on water.

     Or, in my case, by the waving of the tall grasses in the Kuehulepo wind of Kaʻū.

     If we do our job right as agriculturalists, we get to be there when the brilliance or shimmer happens, we get to be a part of the poetry of the living world. The poetry of healthy soils, healthy animals, healthy communities, and a healthier environment.
     See the complete speech at animasoul.com or Parts 1 and 2 in Monday's and Tuesday's Kaʻū News Briefs.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

2019 Kaʻū High School Fall Athletics Schedule

See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates

Football, Division II:

Sat., Oct. 26, 1 p.m., Kohala hosts Kaʻū

Fri. and Sat., Nov. 1 and 2, Div II BIIF Championship

Fri. and Sat., Nov. 15 and 16, HHSAA Div II Semifinals

Fri., Nov. 29, HHSAA Div II Championship

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

UPCOMING

THURSDAY, OCT. 24

Birding at Kīpukapuaulu, Thursday, Oct. 24, 8-10a.m., Kīpukapuaulu - Bird Park - Parking Lot, HVNP. Led by retired USGS Biologist Nic Sherma. 2 hour birding tour. $40/person. Register online. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 985-7373, admin@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org

Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thursday, Oct. 24 - fourth Thursday monthly - 3-4p.m., Classroom 35, Building F, Nā‘ālehu Elementary School. Provides local forum for all community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues for the benefit of all students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, text 381-2584, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us

FRIDAY, OCT. 25

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Creatures That Have Evolved in the Dark, Friday, Oct. 25, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Join local experts to learn about lava tubes and some interesting animals that call them home. Free. nps.gov/havo

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Oct. 25 - fourth Friday monthly - 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free and open to public. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Chicken Skin Stories, Friday, Oct. 25, 7-9p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. DJ KTA. $20/person in advance, $25/person at the door. Open to eligible patrons; certain Terms of Service. Free; park entrance fees apply. Purchase online at bigisland.ticketleap.com (+$2 fee online). mariner@kimurabrands.com

Halloween Party, Friday, Oct. 25, 7p.m.-midnight, Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. DJ KTA. $5 cover with costume, $7 cover without. 21+. Open to eligible patrons; certain Terms of Service. Free; park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8365 after 4p.m., kilaueamilitarycamp.com

SATURDAY, OCT. 26

Free Spay and Neuter Clinic for Dogs offered by KARES in Ocean View on Saturday, Oct. 29. For info and to register, 328-8455.

Paint Your Own Silk Scarf Workshop with Patti Pease Johnson, Saturday, Oct. 26, 9a.m.-12:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Students complete one 8"x 53" scarf. $45/VAC member, $50/non-member, plus $10 supply fee per person. All materials supplied. Beginner and intermediate artists welcome. Register - 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Oct. 26, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo/

Kimchi & Kombucha/Jun, Hands-On Fermented Foods Workshop with Jasmine Silverstein of HeartBeet Foods, Saturday, Oct. 26, 10a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. $55/VAC member, $60/non-member, plus $15/person supply fee (includes organic ingredients). Pre-registration required. No cooking skills necessary. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Chicken Skin Stories, Saturday, Oct. 26, 7-9p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. DJ KTA. $20/person in advance, $25/person at the door. Open to eligible patrons; certain Terms of Service. Free; park entrance fees apply. Purchase online at bigisland.ticketleap.com (+$2 fee online). mariner@kimurabrands.com

SUNDAY, OCT. 27

Hi‘iaka & Pele, Sunday, Oct. 27, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo/

MONDAY, OCT. 28

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Kapa Aloha ‘Āina, the fabric of Hawai‘i with Puakea Forester, Monday, Oct. 28, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. Pre-registration required; class size limited. $10 per person supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

TUESDAY, OCT. 29

Trail Less Traveled, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 10:30a.m.-12:30p.m., Devastation Trail Parking Lot, HVNP. Moderate, 2 mile, 2 hour roundtrip hike. $40/person. Register online. Family friendly. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 985-7373, admin@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30

Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wednesday, Oct. 30 – last Wednesday, monthly – 9-11a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years and older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i – referral required, 961-8626 for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

ONGOING

Help Shape Hawaiʻi Island at upcoming SpeakOuts and workshops on the General Plan. The community is encouraged to "come share your manaʻo," opinion.

     The last scheduled SpeakOut meeting will be held in Waikaloa, Thursday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Waikoloa Elementary & Middle School.
     A Topic Workshop will be held in Hilo at County of Hawaiʻi Office of Aging on Saturday, Oct. 26, on Infrastructure from 9 a.m. to noon and Natural Resources from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

     Submit feedback online by Thursday, Oct. 31. See more Info on the Draft General Plan at hiplanningdept.com/general-plan/.

Trunk or Treat at Kaʻū District Gym will be held Thursday, Oct. 31, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Organized by Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary school, the free event offers a haunted house, healthy recipes, a family-friendly atmosphere, and Trunk or Treat, where keiki and youth go from parked car to car, asking for treats.

     For those interested in participating in Trunk or Treat, distributing goodies, prizes will be awarded for the best decorated car: Most Beautiful, Most Original, Spookiest, and a special awards for teachers or staff who decorate; decoration not required. Contact Nona at 928-3102 or Angie Miyashiro at 313-4100.

Nationwide 2019 Congressional App Challenge submissions from middle and high schoolers are open through Friday, Nov. 1. Submit to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, CongressionalAppChallenge.us, apps "designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science." All skill levels, all devices and platforms, and all programming languages, accepted.

Hoʻokupu Hula No Kaʻū Cultural Festival Booths can be reserved. The free event on Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center, will feature cultural practitioners and demonstrators; workshops; crafts; food; music and entertainment from artists such as Bali Hai from Mexico, Vero Cruz Folklore Dancers, taiko drummers, UH-Hilo Filipino/Samoan dancers; and hula from Mexico, Japan, Virginia, ʻOahu, and Hawaiʻi Island. Interested vendors can apply for food, craft, or information booths. Email leionalani47@hotmail.com or call 808-649-9334. See hookupukau.com.

Tiny Treasure Invitational Exhibit at Volcano Art Center gallery in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park runs through Sunday, Nov. 3. Open to the public, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free; Park entrance fees apply. The exhibition also celebrates VAC's 45th anniversary, Oct. 21.

     Artists include Daniel Rokovitz, Stone O'Daugherty, Kristin Mitsu Shiga, Pat Pearlman, and Amy Flanders, Karen and Mark Stebbins. Also on display, small works from the annual Volcano Art Collaboration from June, featuring Rose Adare, Nash Adams-Pruitt, Lisa Louise Adams, Ed Clapp, Amy Flanders, Bill Hamilton, Liz Miller, Joe Laceby, and Erik Wold. volcanoartcenter.org

Vendor Booth Space is Available for the Kamahalo Craft Fair. The 12th annual event will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cooper Center. Booths are open for crafters with quality homemade and homegrown products. Food vendors must prepare all food items in a certified kitchen and must have a Department of Health permit displayed prominently at their booth. Application online at thecoopercenter.org. Direct questions to 936-9705 or kilaueatutu@gmail.com.

King Cab 2016 Nissan Frontier for Sale by Holy Rosary Church of Pāhala and the Sacred Heart Church of Nāʻālehu. The parishes are selling the truck to raise funds to benefit both churches. The truck is a great 6 cylinder, 2WD automobile. The churches are asking for $21K or best offer. Only cash or cashier's check will be accepted. Anyone interested should contact the parish secretary Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at 928-8208.

Tūtū & Me Home Visiting Program is a free service to Pāhala families with keiki, birth to five years old. This caregiver support program offers those taking care of young keiki "a compassionate listening ear, helpful parenting tips and strategies, fun and exciting activities, and wonderful educational resources" from Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool. Home visits are one hour in length, two to four times per month, for 12 to 15 visits. Snacks are provided. See pidfoundation.org or call Tata Compehos and Melody Espejo at 808-938-1088.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.