Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, June 5, 2020

Full Moon & Total Space at Punaluʻu
A big moon over a Punaluʻu Beach Park pavilion last evening, ahead of a bigger moon tonight. The county parks,
including Punaluʻu, Pāhala Community Center's playground, Pāhala tennis court, and the outdoor facilities
at Honuʻapo, Nāʻālehu Ballpark, and Kahuku County Park, are now open to the public,
with social distancing required. Photo by Julia Neal

See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout.

NOT RUNNING THIS TIME, is the message from state Rep. Richard Creagan, who serves West Kaʻū into Kona. He said this morning he endorses Colehour Bondera for House of Representatives District 5. Colehour – a leader among small, independent coffee farmers in Kona – is Creagans's office manager at the state capitol. Creagan said that Bondera and his wife, Melanie Bondera – known for her work with the Kohala Center and state Department of Agriculture – will be a team, along with Creagan, in working on issues for Kaʻū and Kona people.

     Agriculture is their focus, said Creagan, who chairs the House Committee on Agriculture until his term ends. Creagan said he will also help Colehour with public health issues. Creagan is a physician and works to bring a new teaching hospital to Kona, an effort he says he will continue after leaving the House.

     Creagan said he plans to work from his farm in Kaʻū to assist Colehour, and to give more attention to his farm, along with his wife, Marilyn. They raise sheep, goats, cows, pigs, chickens for eggs, and take care of 25 varieties of citrus and ten varieties of avocados.

     The Bonderas live on their certified organic Kanalani ʻOhana Farm in Honaunau. Here is their background:

Marilyn and Richard Creagan at their farm in Kaʻū.

     Colehour grew up on his family's farm in Oregon, milking cows, and caring for animals and crops with his ten siblings. He earned a degree at University of Oregon in International Studies with a focus on Community Development in Latin America. An urban gardening project with displaced women farmers in Mexicali helped show him real life constraints and difficulties for farmers, globally. His education expanded during a six-month apprenticeship at University of California at Santa Cruz's Farm and Garden Program, the most comprehensive organic gardening and farming education

available at the time.

     Melanie grew up in suburban California, camping and hiking with her family, developing a lifelong affinity for the environment and a desire to be outside. She graduated from Yale University, then spent two years as an agro-forester in Sierra Leone with the Peace Corps. She assisted a district of villages with their co-ops for vegetable marketing, repaired wells, and more.

     Colehour and Melanie met in graduate school at UC Davis, each earning a Master of Science in International Agricultural Development. Colehour also pursued a Masters in Adult Farmer Education. His thesis detailed direct marketing opportunities for small organic farmers, including farmers' markets, roadside stands, Community Supported Agriculture boxes, restaurant sales, and farm websites. His other thesis was a series of workshops on Season Extension for small farmers. Melanie returned to Sierra Leone to document women's empowerment through co-op vegetable marketing, until the Rebels ran her out.

     Colehour and Melanie worked together on a research project in Tulelake, CA, Wetland-Cropland Rotation, where federal wetlands were drained down and leased to farmers with no pest pressure, and farmlands were flooded for birds to find new emerging wild plants. They worked with grain and potato farmers to understand cover cropping options and different soil fertility techniques. This was so successful, said Creagan, that, ten years later, farmers were doing it on private land and selling certified organic grain crops before they were planted. Melanie managed the project on-site for a year, with a focus on the sustainable cover crops. The project became a model for solving agriculture-environmental resource conflicts with diverse stakeholders, including Native Americans and duck hunters.

Colehour and Melanie Bondera at their farm in Honaunau.

     For their wedding under the giant trees in Sequoia National Park, the Bonderas grew all the food and processed it on Colehour's family farm. With their first child, they moved to Pennsylvania, where Colehour was International Projects Manager at the Rodale Institute, which researches and educates about organic farming worldwide. He traveled to Senegal, Argentina, Mexico, and Guatamala for his projects. Melanie worked for Community Resources on valuing the urban forests in Baltimore, MD, and Philadelphia, PA. She found people who were able to make a living foraging from parks for mushrooms or city streets for fruit, and selling them at the local farmers markets.

     Melanie received a Fellowship in Environment and Population Management from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and the family moved, with a new baby, to Haiti. She drew the villages' women into participation in an agro-forestry and water project meant to recreate a climate that could sustain their bean and corn crops, after years of deforestation for charcoal. In addition, she worked on clinics, visiting doctors, and family planning supplies at the womens' request.

     After moving to Hawaiʻi in 2001, to Kanalani ʻOhana, the Bonderas developed their five-acre farm into a family food forest with certified organic cash crops of coffee, avocado, and cacao. They sell online, at the Keauhou Farmers Market, and to local restaurants. Colehour and Melanie have spent a lot of time and energy educating young people and their peers on tropical farming and gardening. Soil development, cover cropping, and closing loops are keys in their sustainability approach. Both kids homeschooled on-farm until high school, when they attended West Hawaiʻi Explorations Academy. Spruce Bonderas graduated from University of Michigan with a degree in Computer Science and works at Google. Kaia Bonderas is completing an Architecture degree at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.

     Colehour and Melanie were both involved in starting local non-profits and associations to support farmers. Colehour worked with the Kona Coffee Farmers Association to specifically move coffee farmers interests ahead. He's served on the Board, on Education and Legislative committees, and is the current President. When state legislative efforts stalled, he helped form the national American Origin Products Association, and is the current President. He also served as the North American Representative for oriGIn, the international organization that represents products such as Kona coffee, Maui onions, and Hawaiʻi cacao. Melanie started GMO Free Hawaiʻi at the county level, and then Hawaiʻi SEED at the state level, to educate about the dangers of GMO crops for small farmers and their livelihoods. She worked specifically on GMO papaya contamination. They both were instrumental in the 2008 county law for no GMO taro or coffee growing on Hawaiʻi Island.

     Colehour has followed up by including Kona Coffee in the U.S. Slow Food Nations event in Denver, CO over the last three years. Colehour serves on the Board of his local chapter of Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, overseeing the Keauhou Farmers Market and its online version. They were both nominated by Slow Food in 2010 as Delegates from Hawaiʻi Island, to attend Terra Madre in Turin, Italy.

     While Colehour focused on organics, which he says is better for the environment and better for human health, Melanie worked on rebuilding the island chain's food systems. In 2010, Colehour was selected to serve on the National Organic Standards Board for five years, overseeing the definitions of certified organic for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He strengthened his ties with organic farmers and supporting entities on the national level. He followed by serving on the board of Beyond Pesticides, a national non-profit that has helped Hawaiʻi and Maui with methods for herbicide-free county parks and roadsides.
     In 2011, Melanie began working at the Kohala Center as their agricultural Co-op Developer. She worked statewide with existing and forming co-operatives, including Kaʻū's federation of water co-ops. She launched and developed the Kohala Center's agricultural and rural business department, with services in grants and loans, as well as farmer training. Her personal mission was to revitalize Hawaiʻi's food systems, of which co-ops are key junctures. The Hawaiʻi Island Meat Co-op, with a mobile slaughterhouse, was one of the important pieces of this system. Since then, she's formed an agricultural consulting business with female farmer friends, Farmworks Hawaiʻi. She worked in 2019 with lava-impacted farmers in Puna on recovery and co-op formation.

Melanie Bondera was one of the first in Hawaiʻi to assist with
Coffee Berry Borer pest management.

     When Coffee Berry Borer Beetle showed up in 2010 to devastate Kaʻū and Kona coffees, Melanie was one of the first to show the fungus, beauveria bassiana, killing the beetle. She was involved in education about  Integrated Pest Management through videos. Colehour secured a grant from the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture, for Kona Coffee Farmers Association and other coffee farmers to access funding to assist with the fungus sprays, along with providing many workshops on how to manage the beetle. Melanie also wrote a grant to assist Kaʻū Coffee farmers with region-specific CBB management strategies. In 2017, Melanie took a part-time position with HDOA as the Coordinator of the CBB Pesticide Subsidy Program to assist farmers, and currently holds this position.

     In addition, the Bonderas continue to keep their farm going. Colehour has hardly missed a Saturday Farmers Market since 2005. Melanie says she doesn't let anyone else prune her 2,000 coffee trees. On any given day, find Colehour making jam from piles of fruit, before they go to waste, and Melanie in their permaculture gardens.
     The pandemic has taken this island in a new direction of local food consumption, spinning farmers' heads and exhausting them with an exciting but rapid pivot, say the Bonderas. They provide ten to 15 food boxes weekly, in addition to their regular farm products.

     A statement from Bondera's campaign says that, "With a strong public service ethic, Colehour and Melanie have careers, and half a lifetime of experience in working for small farmers' better livelihood and increased sustainability, made essential as small farmers themselves."
     See kanalaniohana.farm/farm.

     Running against Colehour are Aloha ʻĀina Party member Citlalli Johanna Decker, of Kamuela; Democrat Jeanné Kapela, of Capt. Cook; and Libertarian Michael L. Last, of Nāʻālehu. State House of Representatives for District 5 represents West Kaʻū into Kona. See more on other candidates in future Kaʻū News Briefs.

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SUMMER 2020 LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES are announced by Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School. The focus, says the school, is to provide students opportunities to redo or retake courses, accelerate or advance in coursework, and access a technology-rich learning environment with physical and virtual components.
     Summer drive-thru and walk-up grab-and-go meals are available to anyone age one to 18, weekdays through July 17. Breakfast is 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and lunch is 11:30 a.m. to noon. Meals may be picked up without the children present. Children do not need to be enrolled at the school or be in the public school system.

     Programs are available to students in the grade they attended during the 2019-2020 school year. No transportation is provided for Summer programs.

     Middle School Recovery: Available to grades seven and eight, June 15 – 19, 8 a.m. to noon, on-campus and virtual. Self-paced and adaptive, online and/or printed, for redoing or retaking required courses.

     High School Recovery: Available to grades nine through 11, June 22 – July 10, 8 a.m. to noon, on-campus in Building M and virtual. Self-paced and adaptive, online and/or printed, for redoing or retaking required courses.

     Alternative Learning Center High School Recovery: Available to grades nine through 11, June 15 – July 10, 8 a.m. to noon, on-campus in Building E and virtual. Self-paced and adaptive, online and/or printed, for redoing or retaking required courses.

     Summer Bridge: Available to all incoming ninth-graders, June 29 – July 17, 8 a.m. to noon, one week on-campus and two weeks virtual. Introduces incoming freshmen to the expectations of high school, develops relationships between students and faculty, acclimates students to the new campus, and addresses the social/emotional needs as a result of COVID-19 shutdowns.

     Elementary English Language Enrichment: Available to grades K through six, June 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 19, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for K-third and 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for fourth through sixth. On-campus in Building E's Business Room, and virtual.

     Middle School English Language Enrichment: Available to grades seven and eight, June 22, 24, 26, 29, and 30, and July 1, 8 a.m. to noon. On-campus in Building E and virtual.

     Elementary School Enrichment Program: Available to grades K through six, June 29 – July 17. Virtual program gives students opportunity to progress toward efficiency.

     Middle and High School Enrichment Program: Available to grades seven through 11, June 15 – July 10. Virtual program for students to receive online coursework credits.

     See khpes.org or call 313-4100 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The school is located at 96-3150 Pikake Street in Pāhala.

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HAWAIʻI'S COUNTY BUDGET IS APPROVED for fiscal year 2020/2021, at $40.8 million less than Mayor Harry Kim's first draft, reports Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald. The new budget goes into effect July 1. The publication reported Council Chairman Aaron Chung said $19 million in transient accommodations tax, figured into the original budget, was taken from the county by the state Legislature, leaving the county five weeks to adapt.

     Lower revenues due to the pandemic caused the council to balance the budget by lowering the expected percent of delinquent property taxes from 8 percent to 7.2 percent, reported Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald. The $6 million rainy day fund, reports The Tribune, is being set in reserve for FY 2021/2022. The paper reported the council wants to be prepared for an even worse situation next year.

     Finance Director Deanna Sako said, "This is a reduced budget over last year but it may not look like it. This is not an easy budget and we still don't have all the answers," reported The Tribune.

     Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding is not taken into account. The $80 million that Hawaiʻi County is issued can only be used to help directly with COVID-19 response expenses.

     Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald says the $585,678,628 budget includes a tax increase of $2.50 per $1,000 property value for second homes worth over $2 million, in residential districts. This is a smaller increase than Kim's original budget, which suggested a $3.50 increase on such properties, almost all of which are in West Hawaiʻi. The tax puts $14 million more revenue into the budget, reports the paper.

     The Tribune reports that costs for sewer and rubbish disposal, and increases due to property values going up, will be seen, "but otherwise there are no other tax increases in the budget."

     Public Access Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission will still receive its $7.4 million, as there is no emergency clause in the charter, reports Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald. The paper also reports the council had originally added $565,000 for contingency accounts and golf subsidies on West Hawaiʻi privately owned golf courses.

     Capital improvements of $303.7 million were unanimously approved. Bonds, loans, and grants are expected to help pay for the projects, reports Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald.

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USDA CELEBRATES NATIONAL HOMEOWNERS MONTH by offering payment moratoriums and modified application processes to rural homeowners facing current hardships. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development is also working with new borrowers and their lenders to make special accommodations based on local needs and restrictions.

Brenda Iokepa-Moses, head of USDA Rural
Development for Hawaii and the Western
Pacific.

     According to Hawaiʻi/Western Pacific State Director Brenda Iokepa-Moses, a former land manager in Kaʻū, "During these challenging times, being able to assist a family get into a home within our rural districts is extremely rewarding. Just as rewarding is being able to keep a family in a home that maybe experiencing hardships related to COVID 19 with allowances that USDA RD has provided for our customers."

     In Hawaiʻi and the Western Pacific, Rural Development has issued $142,285,732 dollars for housing in Hawaiʻi and $12,417,863 for the Western Pacific. In addition, under the Loan and Grant Section 504 Program – which aids in home repairs for very low-income owners – Hawaiʻi received $367,200, Western Pacific $1,170,319.

     U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary Bette Brand kicked off National Homeownership Month by highlighting USDA's ongoing role in supporting rural homeownership. President Trump issued a proclamation on May 29 recognizing June as National Homeownership Month.

     Brand said, "Rural communities are rising to the challenge put forth by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner in building prosperity in rural communities and for the people who call them home – especially those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic."

     USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit rd.usda.gov. For info on Rural Development's response to COVID-19, visit rd.usda.gov/coronavirus. Updates are also distributed via Twitter @usdaRD.

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VIRTUAL CONSERVATION CONFERENCE hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation will be held Tuesday, June 9. Capitol Hill Ocean Week, the nation's premier ocean and Great Lakes policy conference, will be opened by Rep. Ed Case. He will speak on "The Power of Protection." Other speakers from Hawaiʻi include Brian Neilson, Administrator of Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Dr. Lars Bejder, Director of the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

     Register for free at eventbrite.com/e/capitol-hill-ocean-week-tickets-96996610473.

     The accessible format is an opportunity for people from across the U.S. and the globe to come together for a conversation on how to work together to conserve the variety of life on Earth for the long term health of communities and the planet.

     The conference will offer a full day of activities, including sessions on how science and technology are advancing understanding of the marine environment, the role of protected areas in conserving biodiversity, and how to engage people as stewards. The work of National Marine Sanctuary Foundation partners will also be shown through a virtual exhibit hall.

     The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, established in 2000, is the official non-profit partner of the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Foundation directly supports America's national marine sanctuaries through our mission to protect species, conserve ecosystems and preserve America's maritime heritage. We accomplish our mission through community stewardship and engagement programs, on-the-water conservation projects, public education and outreach programs, and scientific research and exploration. The Foundation fosters innovative projects that are solution-oriented, scalable and transferable, and develop strategic partnerships that promote the conservation and recovery of species and their habitats. Learn more at marinesanctuary.org.

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SAVING SMALL BUSINESSES is the goal of a petition sent to Gov. David Ige by Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce, Kauaʻi Chamber of Commerce, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, and Molokai Chamber of Commerce.

     The petition reiterates the Chamber's support for the governor and mayors' plans for a phased reopening, including the resumption of interisland travel. It calls for clear and consistent direction for reopening, clarification on the "Act with Care" designation, dedicated PPE supplies and contact tracers, and several other measures to help small businesses.

      Sherry Menor-McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi President & CEO said, "While Hawaiʻi's local businesses have done their part to stop the spread of COVID-19, their cooperation has caused them deep and potentially lethal economic wounds. We applaud our state leaders for taking steps to reopen our kamaʻāina economy, but even as reopening progresses, small businesses remain on the brink of shutting down completely. The economic devastation has spared no business. It will persist long after a phased reopening begins. Instead of ever-changing, murky guidelines and mixed messages, Hawaiʻi's businesses need clear and decisive guidelines and support in order to survive."

     Supporters can sign the petition at https://ujoin.co/campaigns/888/actions/public.

     This petition follows an April effort that led to over 1,000 supporters calling for economic assistance and other actions for businesses. The Chamber wrote to Ige on March 20 to call for several actions, including expedited expansion of testing and testing sites, loan forgiveness programs, and pausing any government debt payments, and on March 25 to urge him to suspend GET and tax collection.

There is one reported case of COVID-19 in Kaʻū. White is zero 
cases. Yellow is one to five cases. Light orange is six to ten cases.
Dark orange (not pictured) is 11 to 20 cases. Red is 21 to 50 cases.
Hawaiʻi Department of Health map

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NO NEW COVID-19 CASES ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND, but seven new cases on Oʻahu, and one new case each on Maui and Kauaʻi, brings the state's new case total to nine. All 81 cases on-island since the pandemic began are recovered.

     Since the pandemic began, Oʻahu has reported 431 cases, Kauaʻi 21 cases, and Maui County 120 cases. Eleven cases included in Hawaiʻi's count are residents diagnosed while in other places. Statewide, 664 people have been confirmed positive for the virus since the pandemic began. Seventeen people have died – none on this island, where there was only one overnight hospitalization.

     The daily message from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno says, "As the Island and State of Hawaiʻi go forward in reopenings, please know the importance of continuing to follow the policies of physical distancing, (small) gatherings, face coverings, cleanliness, and keeping yourself physically and emotionally healthy. In moving forward, know that the Coronavirus threat is still out there and you need to continue to follow the preventive policies. Thank you for doing your part to keep Hawaiʻi safe. Thank you for listening and have a safe day. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency."

     In the United States, more than 1.94 million cases have been confirmed. The death toll is over 111,000. Worldwide, more than 6.73 million have contracted COVID-19. The death toll is over 394,000.

Read online at kaucalendar.com. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar 

directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is 

free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout 

Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at 

kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your 

business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more are listed at kaucalendar.com.

ONGOING

Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.

     The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, June 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Screening will be carried out by Aliʻi Health, with support from County of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Task Force, Premier Medical Group and Pathways Telehealth.
     A testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday. The next date is June 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
     Wearing masks is required for everyone. Those visiting screening clinics will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pen to fill in forms.

     To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control & Prevention and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
     For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.

Ocean View Swap Meet is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market in Nāʻālehu is open three days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – from 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced.
     A wide selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared take away foods, assorted added value foods, breads and baked goods, honey, cheese, grass-fed beef, fish, vegetable plants, masks, handmade soaps, coffee, and more are offered on various days. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374, for more and to apply to vend.

Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center on Wright Road, off of Old Volcano Highway, is open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary on weekdays (no holidays) through Friday, July 17. Each youth must be present to receive a meal. Service is drive-up or walk-up, and social distancing rules (at least six feet away) are observed. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Food is being delivered on Wednesdays to students in Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and Ocean View.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen is open, with a modified menu and increased health & safety standards, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended. Services are posted online on Sundays at stjudeshawaii.org.

The Food Basket's ʻOhana Food Drop is available once a month at four Kaʻū and Volcano locations. People can receive a multi-day supply of shelf-stable and fresh food, depending on supply. Call The Food Basket at 933-6030 for Pāhala and Volcano or at 322-1418 for Nāʻālehu or Ocean View. Food can be picked up from 10 a.m. until pau – supplies run out – at:

     Nāʻālehu's Sacred Heart Church at 95-558 Mamālahoa Hwy was June 1; the July date will be announced later.

     Ocean View's Kahuku Park is Monday, June 8; the July date will be announced later.

     Volcano's Cooper Center at 19-4030 Wright Road on  Wednesday, June 24.

     Pāhala's Kaʻū District Gym at 96-1149 Kamani Street on Tuesday, June 30.

On-Call Emergency Box Food Pantry is open at Cooper Center Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Call 967-7800 to confirm.

Enroll in Kua O Ka Lā's Hīpuʻu Virtual Academy for school year 2020-2021, grades four through eight. The Hawaiian Focused Charter School teaches with an emphasis on Hawaiian language and culture. The blended curriculum is offered through online instruction and community-based projects, with opportunities for face-to-face gatherings (with precautions), in an "Education with Aloha" environment.

     Kua O Ka Lā offers a specialized program that provides students with core curriculum, content area, and electives in-keeping with State of Hawaiʻi requirements. Combined with Native Hawaiian values, culture, and a place-based approach to education, from the early morning wehena – ceremonial school opening – Kua O Ka Lā students are encouraged to walk Ke Ala Pono – the right and balanced path.

     The school's website says Kua O Ka Lā has adopted Ke Ala Pono "to describe our goal of nurturing and developing our youth. We believe that every individual has a unique potential and that it is our responsibility to help our students learn to work together within the local community to create a future that is

pono – right." The school aims to provide students with "the knowledge and skills, through Hawaiian values and place-based educational opportunities, that prepare receptive, responsive, and self-sustaining individuals that live 'ke ala pono.'"
     See kuaokala.org to apply and to learn more about the school. Call 808-981-5866 or 808-825-8811, or email info@kuaokala.org for more.

Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Public Libraries are Open for Pick-Up Services Only. Nāʻālehu is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Library patrons schedule Library Take Out appointment times to pick up their hold item(s) at their favorite libraries by going to HSPLS Library Catalog and placing a hold on any item(s) they want to borrow, or they may call their favorite library branch to place a hold with the library staff. After receiving a notice that item(s) are ready for pick up, patrons schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. For patrons who placed holds during the closure, their item(s) are ready for pickup after the patron schedules a Library Take Out appointment. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org.
Free Book Exchanges at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.

Make Reservations for Father's Day at Crater Rim Café in Kīlauea Military Camp for Sunday, June 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Seating limited due to social distancing. Dinner also available to go. The main course is Prime Rib and Vegetable Alfredo Pasta Bake, with side dishes and dessert, for $27.95 per person. Call 967-8356 for dine-in reservations, to-go orders, and current event information. KMC is open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium Closed for Renovation through June 30. The Park is closed until further notice due to COVID-19 spread mitigation. A popular seven-and-a-half minute 2018 eruption video will be shown on a television in the exhibits area, once the Park and center reopen, and is available online for free download.

See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout.

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.

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, June 4, 2020

Mehe's Opens for Sit Down Dining 

      Mehe's Bar & Grill reopened on Monday. Assistant manager and head waiter Victor Manongdo welcomes people
 back and hopes to soon offer his karaoke nights again. Hours for Mehe's are 10 a.m. to  9 p.m. Saturday-Thursday,
and 10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Friday. The establishment's Facebook message reads: "We will be requiring that
 all employees and guests wear masks and practice social distancing. The restaurant has been going through
 a thorough sanitation. We are looking forward to seeing each and every one of you! Take care, Dale, Shannon
& the Mehe gang." Photo by Julia Neal

See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout.

THE LIST OF CANDIDATES IS FINAL FOR THE AUG. 8 PRIMARY ELECTION. The last day to file to be a candidate for County Council, state House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives, islandwide Mayor, and County Prosecutor was June 2. Running for office to represent Volcano through Kaʻū are:

     County Council: Three-time council member Maile David, of South Kona, is running unopposed for a fourth term, the most allowed in succession. Promising to oppose her were Richard Abbett, of Nāʻālehu, and Marie J. Burns, of Ocean View, who declined to file papers before the deadline. Council District 6 covers East of Mountain View through Volcano and Kaʻū, including Pāhala, Punaluʻu, Nāʻālehu, Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, South Point, and Ocean View to Miloliʻi, continuing into South Kona.

     Mayor of Hawaiʻi County: Harry Kim is running for his fourth term. He served the two-term limit from 2000 through 2008, stood down during the Billy Kenoi mayorship 2008-2016, and was re-elected to serve 2017-2020.

     Also vying for the mayorship are Neil A. Azevedo, of Hilo; Paul Amaury Bryant, of Laupahoehoe; Bob Fitzgerald, of Kealakekua; Michael "Mikey" Glendon, of Mountain View; Robert Kelly Greenwell, of Kona; Stacy Higa, of Hilo; Wendell J. Kaʻehuʻaeʻa, of Hilo; Yumi T. R. Kawano, of Volcano; Ikaika Marzo, of Pāhoa; Mitch Roth, of Hilo; Mike D. Ruggles, of Mountain View; Ted Toku San Shaneyfelt, of Papaikou; Tanta T. Urban, of Kona; and Lahi Marlin Verschuur, of Pāhoa.

     West Kaʻū State House of Representatives: Incumbent Richard Creagan withdrew his candidacy yesterday. Candidates are Democrat Colehour Bondera, of Honaunau; Aloha ʻĀina Party member Citlalli Johanna Decker, of Kamuela; Democrat Jeanné Kapela, of Capt. Cook; and Libertarian Michael L. Last, of Nāʻālehu. House District 5 represents West Kaʻū into Kona.

     West Kaʻū State Senate: Dru Kanuha is in the middle of his term and not up for reelection. Senate District 2 represents West Kaʻū into Kona.

     East Kaʻū State House of Representatives: Incumbent Richard Onishi is running for his third term. Also vying for the seat are Democrat Frederick F. Fogel, of Volcano; Republican Susan Hughes, of Volcano; and Democrat Shannon Lopeka Matson, of Kurtistown. House District 3 represents East Kaʻū into Hilo.

     East Kaʻū State Senate: Incumbent Russell Ruderman has declined to run for reelection – see story in the May 20 Kaʻū News Briefs. The candidates are Democrat Smiley Burrows, of Pāhoa; Aloha ʻĀnia party member Ron G. Kaʻipo, of Keaʻau; and state Rep. for District 4 Joy San Buenaventura, of Keaʻau. Senate District 2 represents East Kaʻū and Volcano, into Puna and Hilo.

     Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee for Hawaiʻi Island: Kauilani Almeida, Noelani Cashman-Aiu, Laura Desoto-McCollough, Louis Lui Hao, Cyd L. Makanui Hoffeld, Pua Ishibashi, Lei Kihoi, Keola Lindsey, Lanakila Mangauil, Louis Kauka Pau, and Kalaniakea Wilson.

     At-Large OHA Trustee: Incumbent Keliʻi Akina is vying for the one At-Large seat available. The other candidates are Jackie Kahoʻokele Burke, Kaipo K. Hanakahi, Larry K. Kawaʻauhau, Shane Akoni Palacat-Nelsen, Lenson Kawekiu Sonoda, and Keoni Souza.

     Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney: The candidates are Jared Auna, Christopher Bridges, and Kelden Waltjen.

     U.S. House of Representatives: Incumbent Tulsi Gabbard is not running for reelection. The candidates are Aloha ʻĀina Party member Jonathan Hoʻomanawanui; Republicans Joe Akana, Steven Bond, Karla Bart Gottschalk of Ocean View, David Hamman, Elise Hatsuko Kaneshiro, Nicholas T. Love, Byron U. McCorriston, Robert K. Nagamine, Raymond S. Quel, Felipe C. San Nicolas, and Michelle Rose Tippens; non-Partisan Ron Burris; Democrats Brian Evans, Noelle Famera, Kaialiʻi Kahele, and Brenda L. Machado Lee; and American Shopping Party member John Raghu Guiffre. U.S. House District II represents Kaʻū and all of Rural Hawaiʻi.

     The Primary election will be held Saturday, Aug. 8. The General election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3. The deadline to withdraw for any reason was yesterday, June 3 at 4:30 p.m. The deadline to withdraw for reasons of ill health is Friday, June 19 at 4:30 p.m for the Primary election and Monday, September 14 at 4:30pm for the General election.

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PEACEFUL PROTESTORS ARE NOT THUGS NOR TERRORISTS, according to a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley from Sen. Mazie Hirono and 20 of her Democrat and Independent colleagues.
     The Senators ask whether DOD would deploy combat designated troops against American people protesting; what the mission, scope, and rules would entail for the use of force; if the troops would be authorized to perform arrests; how these troops would be trained and prepared; and whether DOD would deploy federal troops apart from the use of The Insurrection Act of 1807.

Peaceful protests, like this one in Kaʻū by members of Kaʻū Voices, against
systemic racism, are being threatened by military response in other parts
of the country. Photo from Kaʻū Voices

     The Senators wrote: "President Trump's behavior over the last three years has repeatedly politicized our Armed Forces and portrayed their mission, not as one to protect and defend the Constitution, but rather to protect and defend his political interests. Those peacefully protesting are not 'thugs' or 'terrorists' but are individuals exercising their fundamental Constitutional rights. The military should never be weaponized by the President to limit these expressions for liberty and justice. We believe it is antithetical to what those in uniform have sworn to protect and defend, and a serious threat to our democratic system.

     "This is a critical moment for our nation. How our institutions respond will determine whether the coming weeks and months lead to healing and unity, or continued derision, discord, and injustice. We urge you to refrain from using the United States military to diminish or suppress the peaceful, free expression of Americans who are exercising their civil liberties in a call to hold government institutions to a higher standard in the fight for racial justice."

     Read the letter here.

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EARLY SUCCESS OF AN EMERGENCY RESILIENCE LOAN PROGRAM for residents economically impacted by COVID-19 pandemic was reported yesterday by County of Hawaiʻi. Beginning last Wednesday, May 27, financial counseling and loans to ALICE (asset limited, income constrained, employed) Hawaiʻi Island residents was made available to those who lost income due to COVID-19.

     Hawaiʻi County processed 121 applications and approved the first $28,700 in funds. Maximum loan amounts are $2,500 for individual workers and $5,000 for self-employed persons.

    Apply online for a loan at hawaiiancommunity.net. Those with no or limited access to internet or a computer may call 808-934-0801 for a paper application or to complete an application over the phone. Funds will go to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

     The county says, "The program targets individuals considered ALICE before COVID-19 and combats the use of high-interest, predatory financial products like payday loans which charge up to 460 percent APR. According to the ALICE: A Study of Financial Hardship in Hawaiʻi report, 45 percent of households on Hawaiʻi Island are considered ALICE – living one paycheck away from financial hardship."

     Applicants to the program who have household incomes below ALICE will be referred to social service agencies for emergency grants. Applicants who have household incomes above ALICE will be referred to their local credit unions and banks for personal loans. See chart:

ALICE Income Chart

     Local community development nonprofits Hawaiian Community Assets and Hawaiian Community Lending will administer the program on behalf of the County. HCL will provide the loans, while HCA will deliver financial counseling to every borrower.

     Other grant and loan options available to Hawaiʻi Island residents include Emergency Grants through Hawaiʻi First Federal Credit Union, hawaiifirstfcu.com; Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, 808-784-4464, kahiau@hawaiiancouncil.org, hawaiiancouncil.org/kahiau; and Liliʻuokalani Trust, 808-466-8102. Emergency Loans can be applied for through Hawaiian Community Assets, Hawaiʻi Community Lending, 808-934-0801, HawaiianCommunity.net. Information on Personal Loans can be obtained through credit unions or banks.

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LIFTING THE LOCKDOWNS WILL SAVE LIVES is the opinion of Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi executive vice president. Kent gives a commentary on reopening Hawaiʻi businesses:

     Our leaders need to move quickly to completely lift the state and county COVID-19 lockdowns. Evidence has been mounting for years that prolonged unemployment in a community can result in increased deaths from suicides, substance abuse, and other related problems.

Joe Kent

     That's why Hawaiʻi lawmakers need to move quickly to lift completely the state and county lockdowns imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, to prevent them from causing more deaths in Hawaiʻi than the virus itself.

     They also need to increase entrepreneurial opportunity and labor mobility, through lower taxes and regulatory reform, so Hawaiʻi's almost 140,000 unemployed residents can soon get back to work and once again enjoy reasonable levels of prosperity.

     According to an estimate by the Well Being Trust and the Robert Graham Center, Hawaiʻi's current levels of unemployment could result over the next decade in 616 additional "deaths of despair" – from suicides, alcohol abuse, and drug overdoses.

     And that's a conservative estimate. That study was based on a national estimate of 15 percent unemployment, while Hawaiʻi's unemployment rate is closer to 25 percent.

     In 2018, at least 492 people died in Hawaiʻi from deaths of despair, and based on the study's methodology, that means this year there could be an additional 63 deaths, a 13 percent increase to 555.

     If Hawaiʻi's primary industry, tourism, recovers slowly, as economists are predicting, this could result in even more avoidable deaths.

     Concern for Mental Health
     Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said at a White House cabinet meeting on May 20: "Containing the effects of coronavirus are critically important, but so, too, is preventing suicide. So, too, is keeping a person from being terrified to ever leave their home. So, too is protecting the mental health of our nation's young people."

     Unemployment has been linked with depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic symptoms. People who are unemployed are more than twice as likely to experience psychological problems than those who are employed. Unemployment is not only correlated with distress, it causes symptoms of mental illness.

     McCance-Katz added: "As a psychiatrist, I would argue that a life lost to suicide is just as important as a life lost to coronavirus. A family who loses someone to drug overdose experiences the same grief as a family who loses a loved one to coronavirus."

     A related problem is the loss of health insurance, and this, too, could result in additional deaths. Hawaiʻi employers are required to provide health insurance for all their full-time employees, so a high unemployment rate means many Hawaiʻi residents have also lost or will soon lose their health insurance coverage.

     A 2017 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine "summarized the findings of multiple studies that compared mortality rates among those who are uninsured versus those who are not," leading one of the researchers to conclude, "Despite the drastically different conclusions… it's impossible to deny that insurance status does influence mortality."

     That's because people without health insurance are less likely to receive recommended preventive and screening services that can detect early-stage cancers and other diseases. Uninsured people with cancer are more likely to receive a later stage diagnosis and die prematurely than people who have health insurance.

     Lack of health insurance also makes it less likely that people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental illness will receive appropriate care to manage their health conditions, and they will have worse clinical outcomes.

     In addition, domestic abuse may be "exacerbated" due to the damaged economy, according to Nanci Kreidman, CEO of the Hawaiʻi nonprofit Domestic Violence Action Center, who said the center's helpline calls increased from 692 in April 2019 to 1,066 in April 2020.

     The state and county lockdowns in Hawaiʻi might have saved some lives from the coronavirus, but they also have increased the likelihood of deaths from other causes.

     Simply Reopening the Economy Won't Be Enough

     In the short run, Hawaiʻi lawmakers should move as quickly as possible to lift the lockdowns completely, including a reasoned approach to eliminating the 14-day quarantines imposed on newly arriving travelers.

     But simply reopening the economy won't be enough. In the long run, Hawaiʻi needs a major dose of economic freedom. We need to expand opportunities for entrepreneurs to get Hawaiʻi rolling again, if we hope to ever recover from the extensive economic and social damage caused by the lockdowns.

     A new report produced by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi, Road map to Prosperity, offers many specific steps our lawmakers can take to help Hawaiʻi's economy recover and even excel after the coronavirus lockdowns – and save lives.
     See grassrootinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Roadmap-to-Prosperity-1.pdf.

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A NEW DASHBOARD SHOWING HEALTH AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION for Hawaiʻi is released by the House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness.

     Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association President & CEO Dr. Mark Mugiishi helped create the dashboard to provide a clear way to communicate disease activity, health care capacity, and current risk levels, with business and operations allowed at each level. Mugiishi said Hawaiʻi is in the yellow reopening level, "act with care." This reopening status level shows that many businesses can reopen with physical distancing and safe practices in place.

     The committee discussed the need for clear communications from state and county leaders to be sure that the business community and residents know exactly what health practices are required and what businesses need to do to reopen.

     State Attorney General Clare Connors said in this statewide emergency situation, cooperation is critical. Connors said Gov. David Ige and all the county mayors meet three times a week to discuss issues such as the reopening of businesses. Even though Ige has the final say, each county will reopen different activities based on its needs and safety level.

     Alan Oshima, the Governor's Recovery and Resiliency Navigator, said the mayors are responsible for implementing changes to social and business restrictions for their respective counties. There are overall state guidelines, reflected in the dashboard, and each county has its own guideline for activities such as hair salons, restaurants, ocean recreation, and children's sports.

     Oshima said if a resident or a business is not sure about how restrictions apply to them, they should look to the counties for guidance on their websites. He will have each counties' rules posted on the state Navigator Website this week to make those guidelines easier to find.

     Carl Bonham, Executive Director of University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization, updated the state's economic outlook for the committee. Bonham said reports issued last week by UHERO and the state Department of Business and Economic Development were similar in many ways. He said the local economy has already begun to reopen and positive economic effects are beginning to be seen. However, he expressed concerns about what will happen when federal unemployment and loan support ends in July, he expects the local economy to continue to improve and the tourism economy to slowly reopen, recovering about half its jobs by the end of the year.

     Bonham said, with mainland markets opening quicker than Hawaiʻi's due to dependence on air travel, many workers that exhaust their unemployment benefits and have no family ties for support will move to the mainland to find work. He expects Hawaiʻi's population to drop by about 30,000 people by 2022.

     Joseph Lapilio and Nāʻālehu Anthony of the Native Hawaiian group ʻĀina Aloha gave the committee a presentation on developing strategies for economic development. They told the committee about the group's economic futures declaration and call for unity using Native Hawaiian voices, values, and experiences to influence economic recovery. Their guiding principles include being sustained by the ʻāina, leadership that embraces accountability to the community, creativity, and innovation to challenge the status quo, and to be inclusive to the collective during this global challenge. To learn more go to their website at ainaalohafutures.com.

     The committee will meet again on Monday, June 15. For more information about the committee and to see related documents go to capitol.hawaii.gov/specialcommittee.aspx?comm=cov&year=2020.

Nāʻālehu's Leilani Esperanza began her schooling near home, traveled to
Volcano for middle school, traveled further to Maui for high school, and will
travel to Oregon for college. Photo from Shawnette Derasin-Esperanza

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NĀʻĀLEHU'S LEILANI ESPERANZA GRADUATED from Lahianaluna High School on Maui this year. She grew up in Nāʻālehu, where she attended Nāʻālehu Elementary. She attended middle school at Volcano School of Arts & Sciences. From there, her mother Shawnette Derasin-Esparanza told The Kaʻū Calendar, "she grew to enjoy reading, drawing, and running. While in eighth grade, she applied to Lahainaluna to become a boarder." Once she was accepted, she flew to Maui for four years to continue her education as a student and boarder.

     In Lahaina, Leilani kept a busy schedule for herself, says her mother. "As a boarder, there are a few traditions Leilani looked forward to every year, such as their hike to Puʻu Paʻu Paʻu to lime the "L," and their annual David Malo Day performance. In school, she joined Health Occupational Students of America, Rotary Interact, Book Club, Hawaiiana, Student Community Council, and played tennis. By Leilani's junior year, she became a boarding officer with a position as a lieutenant. She advanced to Vice President her senior year."

Nāʻālehu's Leilani Esperanza graduated Class of 2020.
Photo from Shawnette Derasin-Esperanza

     Lahianaluna High School was the first high school west of the rocky mountains. It was first introduced as a boarding school for boys and has grown into a public school with a boarding department open for both boys and girls. At Lahainaluna, boarders do more than what regular students would do, living on campus and working daily to earn their stay in the dorms.

     Said Derasin-Esperanza, "There have been two things that have shaped Leilani into who she is now. Living as a boarder at Lahaina has taught her how to be independent, hard-working, and earn a lifelong adventure of memories. Her teachers and counselors left a big impact on her high school education; she appreciates the classes she took and the students she studied with. For four years, Leilani took the health services pathway, she struggled and studied very hard. Although she realized that she didn't want to pursue a career in the health pathway, she stayed committed to take part in that class because of her peers and teacher. 'I knew I struggled with certain skills and that was something I didn’t want to run away from,' she told me. Her teacher in the health services pathway, Malia Shimomura, pushed her and her classmates out of their comfort zones to overcome challenges they all faced. 'Without that class, I would probably be too scared to go out into the world,' Leilani said."

     Esperanza has been accepted into Pacific University, Oregon, for this Fall. "She hopes to continue to study hard... Congratulations Leilani for all of your achievements, we are all very proud of you!" said her mother.

There is one reported case of COVID-19 in Kaʻū. White is zero 
cases. Yellow is one to five cases. Light orange is six to ten cases.
Dark orange (not pictured) is 11 to 20 cases. Red is 21 to 50 cases.
Hawaiʻi Department of Health map

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NO NEW COVID-19 CASES ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND. One new case was reported on Oʻahu, and one Hawaiʻi resident who is out-of-state tested positive. All 81 cases on-island since the pandemic began are recovered.

     Since the pandemic began, Oʻhua has reported 424 cases, Kauaʻi 20 cases, and Maui County 119 cases. Eleven cases are included in Hawaiʻi's count, residents diagnosed while in other places. Statewide, 655 people have been confirmed positive for the virus since the pandemic began. Seventeen people have died – none on this island, where there was only one overnight hospitalization.

     The daily message from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno says, "Know that early testing means early detection and early care.  By your participation you are also helping develop a comprehensive database of information for health care officials to keep on top of things so they can respond appropriately and timely to protect your community. The good place Hawaiʻi Island and State is in today reflects the importance of continuing to follow the policies of prevention. Thank you for doing your part. Thank you for listening and have a safe day. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency."

     In the United States, more than 1.91 million cases have been confirmed. The death toll is over 110,000. Worldwide, more than 6.42 million have contracted COVID-19. The death toll is over 383,000.

Read online at kaucalendar.com. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar 

directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is 

free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout 

Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at 

kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your 

business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

ONGOING

Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.

     The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, June 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Screening will be carried out by Aliʻi Health, with support from County of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Task Force, Premier Medical Group and Pathways Telehealth.
     A testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday. The next date is June 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
     Wearing masks is required for everyone. Those visiting screening clinics will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pen to fill in forms.

     To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control & Prevention and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
     For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.

Ocean View Swap Meet is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market in Nāʻālehu is open three days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – from 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced.
     A wide selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared take away foods, assorted added value foods, breads and baked goods, honey, cheese, grass-fed beef, fish, vegetable plants, masks, handmade soaps, coffee, and more are offered on various days. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374, for more and to apply to vend.

Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center on Wright Road, off of Old Volcano Highway, is open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary on weekdays (no holidays) through Friday, July 17. Each youth must be present to receive a meal. Service is drive-up or walk-up, and social distancing rules (at least six feet away) are observed. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Food is being delivered on Wednesdays to students in Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and Ocean View.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen is open, with a modified menu and increased health & safety standards, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended. Services are posted online on Sundays at stjudeshawaii.org.

The Food Basket's ʻOhana Food Drop is available once a month at four Kaʻū and Volcano locations. People can receive a multi-day supply of shelf-stable and fresh food, depending on supply. Call The Food Basket at 933-6030 for Pāhala and Volcano or at 322-1418 for Nāʻālehu or Ocean View. Food can be picked up from 10 a.m. until pau – supplies run out – at:

     Nāʻālehu's Sacred Heart Church at 95-558 Mamālahoa Hwy was June 1; the July date will be announced later.

     Ocean View's Kahuku Park on Tuesday, June 8.

     Volcano's Cooper Center at 19-4030 Wright Road on  Wednesday, June 24.

     Pāhala's Kaʻū District Gym at 96-1149 Kamani Street on Tuesday, June 30.

On-Call Emergency Box Food Pantry is open at Cooper Center Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Call 967-7800 to confirm.

Enroll in Kua O Ka Lā's Hīpuʻu Virtual Academy for school year 2020-2021, grades four through eight. The Hawaiian Focused Charter School teaches with an emphasis on Hawaiian language and culture. The blended curriculum is offered through online instruction and community-based projects, with opportunities for face-to-face gatherings (with precautions), in an "Education with Aloha" environment.

     Kua O Ka Lā offers a specialized program that provides students with core curriculum, content area, and electives in-keeping with State of Hawaiʻi requirements. Combined with Native Hawaiian values, culture, and a place-based approach to education, from the early morning wehena – ceremonial school opening – Kua O Ka Lā students are encouraged to walk Ke Ala Pono – the right and balanced path.

     The school's website says Kua O Ka Lā has adopted Ke Ala Pono "to describe our goal of nurturing and developing our youth. We believe that every individual has a unique potential and that it is our responsibility to help our students learn to work together within the local community to create a future that is

pono – right." The school aims to provide students with "the knowledge and skills, through Hawaiian values and place-based educational opportunities, that prepare receptive, responsive, and self-sustaining individuals that live 'ke ala pono.'"
     See kuaokala.org to apply and to learn more about the school. Call 808-981-5866 or 808-825-8811, or email info@kuaokala.org for more.

Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Public Libraries are Open for Pick-Up Services Only. Nāʻālehu is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Library patrons schedule Library Take Out appointment times to pick up their hold item(s) at their favorite libraries by going to HSPLS Library Catalog and placing a hold on any item(s) they want to borrow, or they may call their favorite library branch to place a hold with the library staff. After receiving a notice that item(s) are ready for pick up, patrons schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. For patrons who placed holds during the closure, their item(s) are ready for pickup after the patron schedules a Library Take Out appointment. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org.

Free Book Exchanges at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.

Make Reservations for Father's Day at Crater Rim Café in Kīlauea Military Camp for Sunday, June 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Seating limited due to social distancing. Dinner also available to go. The main course is Prime Rib and Vegetable Alfredo Pasta Bake, with side dishes and dessert, for $27.95 per person. Call 967-8356 for dine-in reservations, to-go orders, and current event information. KMC is open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium Closed for Renovation through June 30. The Park is closed until further notice due to COVID-19 spread mitigation. A popular seven-and-a-half minute 2018 eruption video will be shown on a television in the exhibits area, once the Park and center reopen, and is available online for free download.

See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout.

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