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Thursday, April 06, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, April 6, 2023


Kumu Meleana Manuel me na kupuna of Volcano will lead her halau Hula Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa this Sunday, Monday and Thursday at Merrie Monarch Week events in Hilo. Photo by Jesse Tunison

HALAU FROM VOLCANO & PĀHALA ARE HEADING TO THE 60th MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVITIES in Hilo this weekend. Kumu Meleana Manuel me na kupuna o Volcano and her Halau Hula Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa is set to perform on Merrie Monarch Week's first day, Easter Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hilo Civic Auditorium. On Monday, the halau performs with musician-singer Uncle Ben Kaili at noon at Naniloa Hotel. The halau performs again on Thursday, at Noon, at Naniloa Hotel. All events are free, no tickets needed.
    Halau member and Volcano resident Marsha Hee invites the public to attend the many festivities during Merrie Monarch Week, including the cultural, arts and artisan displays and sales. "E hele mai a kāko'o; please join us in showcasing and supporting halau hula and over 150 of Hawaiʻi's best artisans and crafters," said Hee.

Hano Grace, on second horse from the left, drew a large  Kaʻū contingent and served as Marshal of the Merrie Monarch Parade
last year. This year, parade is Saturday, April 15. Photo by Jovena Moses

    Kumu Debbie Ryder with her Halau Hula Leionalani, based in Pāhala, will perform on Sunday at the Civic at 2 p.m. and on Wednesday at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel at 1 p.m.
    Numerous Kaʻū- connected organizations, agencies and horse riding groups are expected to participate in the Merrie Monarch Parade in Hilo on Saturday, April 15.
    April 13-15 are the nights of competition, which will be shown live on KITV and also live-streamed online. See Merrie Monarch Festival (hawaiinewsnow.com).
Visit merriemonarch.com for updated event info and daily coverage during the festival. Also see Merrie Monarch Festival | Hilo HI | Facebook.


The young ladies of Pāhala's Hālau Hula ‘O Leionālani performed at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel last year. They will perform again this year this Sunday at Hilo Civic and Wednesday at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Photo by Brenda Iokepa-Moses








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SUPPORTING FOOD HUBS TO PROVIDE LOCALLY GROWN FOOD TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS and other state institutions is the aim of the state of Hawai' Department of Agriculture's competitive request for proposals. 
    The call for proposals, says, "These awards are to be utilized by the Hawai'i State Department of Agriculture to support the establishment and growth of food hubs on a scale that meets demand by state institutions such as schools, hospitals and correctional facilities. For this solicitation, multiple awards will be made for projects that meet the terms of Act 313/SLH 2022 with budgets of a minimum $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000. 
    "Greater award amounts will be considered for proposals of extraordinary statewide benefit and with outcomes and measurable indicators that have statewide impact. Projects should be completed within 36 months and before March 31, 2027. 
     The Definition of a food hub for this solicitation adopts the United States Department of Agriculture’s working definition which means “a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products”. Locally produced food for this Request for Proposals means food grown, raised or sourced within the state of Hawai'i, according to the state Department of Agriculture's solicitation.
    See more, along with the application at https://www.msnbc.com/live


WESTERN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH & EDUCATION is calling for proposals involving agricultural producers, scientists and others who employ an interdisciplinary approaches to advance sustainable agriculture at local and regional levels. Projects must integrate rigorous research and education aiming to advance the three components of sustainable agriculture–environmental, economic, and social–and use innovative educational outreach to disseminate new knowledge to students, producers, and other agricultural stakeholders. Call for proposals closes May 23. Visit Western SARE website at https://western.sare.org/grants/research-and-education/for more information.

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THE COUNTY BUILDING DEPARTMENT WILL REQUIRE USE OF CLOUD + DELTA DRAFTING for any building permit changes starting April 17. A statement from county Department of Public Works on Thursday says, "All permit plan resubmittals and revisions shall consist of the entire plan set, which shall be formatted to identify changes made to the previous plan set by using a Cloud + Delta drafting convention.
    The Cloud + Delta format will replace the practice of those changing building permit to submit unmarked, “clean” plan sets. In addition, changing a building plan will require "a correction response letter, and all revisions shall include a revision narrative that describes changes that have been made.        
    The county advises, "Plan revisions and resubmittals that do not comply with the Cloud+Delta format and/or are not submitted with a corrections response letter or revision narrative shall be rejected at permit intake. Permit resubmittals and revisions received prior to April 17, 2023, will be processed without these requirements."
    Learn how to use the county's Electronic Processing & Information Center to submit building and other permit applications online at https://www.dpw.hawaiicounty.gov/divisions/electronic-processing-and-information-center-epic-system.


TIEKO TOBIN OF OCEAN VIEW HAS BEEN CHARGED with burglary and criminal property damage, the offenses stemming from three incidents that occurred at several businesses in Ocean View, including a restaurant and food store, during the early morning hours of Wednesday morning. Tobin is 27 years of age.
Tieko Tobin is charged in connection with
predawn thefts at Ocean View businesses
on Wednesday. Photo from HPD 
    At 1:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Ka‘ū patrol officers responded to a restaurant in the 92-8000 block of Hawai‘i Boulevard in Ocean View for a reported break-in alarm. Upon arrival, officers determined a large rock had been used to shatter the front door and items were stolen from within the eatery. While investigating this burglary, they contacted Tobin who was nearby, however at that point in the investigation he was not yet considered a suspect. Nearly an hour later at 2:34 a.m., Ka‘ū patrol officers responded to a second alarm at a grocery store in the 92-8000 block of Māmalahoa Highway, less than a half-mile away from the original incident. Officers determined a large rock was used to shatter the front door of this business establishment as well. 
    While still investigating these incidents, Ka‘ū patrol officers were again dispatched back to the restaurant on Hawai’i Boulevard for another break-in at 5:00 a.m. While conducting area checks, officers observed movement from within a neighboring business and determined Tobin was hiding within the establishment. Following officers’ commands to exit the building, Tobin climbed out of the business via a window with items from within the business. He was then placed under arrest and taken into custody.
   In the course of their investigation, detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section identified Tobin as being responsible for all three incidents. On Wednesdqay, Tobin was charged with two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of fourth-degree criminal property damage. His bail was set at $4,500. Tobin remains in police custody at the Kealakehe Police Station pending his initial court appearance on Thursday, April 6, in Kona District Court.
     Police are asking anyone who may have information relative to these incidents to contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.






FREE FOOD

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


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


OUTDOOR MARKETS

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



Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music. Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.
O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.


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










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Wednesday, April 05, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, April 5, 2023

'IKE HANA NO'EAU, EXPERIENCE THE SKILLFUL WORK video series, Season Two, was launched on Wednesday, ahead of the 2023 Merrie Monarch Festival. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park reports that the first new talk story video is released a few days ahead of the 2023 Merrie Monarch Festival.  This year's new "talk story" documentaries enable a friendly connection to Hawaiian culture and share insights unknown to many.
    Hoʻokupu is the first episode for Season 2023. It features Hawaiʻi Island Kumu Hula and Executive Director of the Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation, Huihui Kanahele-Mossman. She explains how the Hawaiian practice of hoʻokupu is not just an offering of gratitude or thanks, but an intimate practice of creating growth and recognition between an individual and place. All too often, visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park unknowingly leave offerings at the crater's edge that can degrade the environment and threaten native species. She suggests that people who do not know the cultural protocols of hoʻokupu should not do it. Respecting traditional practices is an easy and powerful way to support the indigenous people of Hawaiʻi.
    'Ohi Wai is the second episode. It features lava tubes, their importance to Hawaiian people and their role in native ecosystems. Former park ranger and naturalist Bobby Camara shares how Hawaiians gathered wai (water) in (ipu) gourds as it dripped through lava tube ceilings, making life sustainable in the most arid of environments. Park archeologist Summer Roper-Todd is also interviewed in this documentary that will be released in May.
   Season Two of ʻIke Hana Noʻeau was produced by Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park rangers and filmed on location in the park. The videos are about 12 minutes in duration and accessible for everyone with audio description and closed captions in English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language).
   The videos are free on the park website and YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@hawaiivolcanoesnps8141
    Season One episodes, entitled Ipu Heke 'Ole - Single Gourd Drum, Kae La'i - Tea Leaf Garland, and Ku'i Kalo - Pund Taro into Poi,  can be viewed on the same webpage. 
A Kupu leader gives his message.
KUPU/NPS photo
    Big Island Television, which airs in more than 6,000 hotel rooms on the island of Hawaiʻi and on Spectrum Channel 130, will also broadcast the Season Two ʻIke Hana Noʻeau videos to a wide audience.
    The park's non-profit partners, the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association, helped support and fund the ʻIke Hana Noʻeau video project.
    The park statement says the videos were created  for everyone, including kānaka maʻoli wanting to learn or reconnect to their culture, park visitors, local residents, educators and students.

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A Kupu student gives her message.
KUPU/NPS photo
KUPU AND ITS WORK AT HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK are spotlighted as National Park Week approaches starting April 22. A message from Hawai'i Volcanoes notes that Kupu is a non-profit organization based on Oʻahu that operates statewide to help connect people with careers in conservation and sustainability. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has been partnered with Kupu for nearly a decade, serving as a host site. The park provides members with mentorship and training in various program areas, from Interpretation & Education to Natural Resources Management and everything in between. 
    The Park also provided these faces of some of the Kupu members at work in the park now. 
To find out how Kaʻū youth can sign up to work with Kupu, see https://www.kupuhawaii.org/


The County recently posted No Dumping signs along an Ocean View Road and is warning
of stiffer penalties being approved, including forfeiture of vehicles used for illegal dumping.
Photo from County of Hawai'i Department of Environmental Management

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ANYONE CAUGHT DOING ILLEGAL DUMPING MAY HAVE TO FORFEIT THEIR VEHICLE used to the dumping, in addition to the hefty penalties already stipulated in state law. That is according to Senate Bill 966 HD1, which sailed through the Senate earlier this year, emerged from its final House committee, and with minimal additional amendments could become law this July.
    The bill adds the following language to the felony and misdemeanor categories of disposal of solid waste violations: “Any vehicle owned and operated by the person in the commission of the offense shall be subject to forfeiture pursuant to chapter 712A.” The Department of Health supports this measure

Brenda Iokepa-Moses, Deputy Director of
Department of Environmental Management.
"as it provides other options for penalties to deter illegal dumping,” DOH said in its written testimony supporting the bill. 
    In Ka‘ū, where illegal dumping is an ongoing problem, the County of Hawai‘i has limited authority to clean up messes on private roads, but this bill could help crack down on the worst offenders, said Brenda Iokepa-Moses, Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Management. “Illegal dumping and the abuse of our ‘āina by certain individuals is costing taxpayer money in cleanps,” Iokepa-Moses said. 
    She said DEM has been receiving complaints of illegal dumping by residents on private roads near the Ocean View Transfer Station, but because the roads are privately owned, DEM has limited ability to respond to the dumping. “Roads in Ocean View have historically been used and abused as illegal dumping spots event prior to the transfer station coming on line." Rather, she said, "The focus should be on police enforcement and by people taking pride in keeping Ka‘ū clean by stopping illegal dumping."
    Ocean View Transfer Station’s days of operations are Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday, as it has been for years, but people continue to leave trash at and near the transfer station on the off-days, instead of waiting a day or two.
    Wai‘ōhinu Transfer Station is open Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
    Pāhala Transfer Station is open Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. 
    All three sites have operating hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    Transfer stations are for residential household waste only, Iokepa-Moses said, adding that DEM does not have the resources to be the cleanup agency for other people’s messes.
    “We are working with Council Member Michelle Galimba and the Department of Health to find solutions to remediate this problem,” the Deputy Director said.
    To report illegal dumping, contact the Police Department’s nonemergency number at (808) 935-3311 or to leave an anonymous tip that could result in a reward of up to $1,000, call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
    As a reminder, littering is a violation punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or up to 200 hours of community service, or both, for each offense, and the violator shall be responsible for the removal, or the cost of removal, of the litter.
   Illegal disposal more than 1 cubic yard of solid waste but less than 10 cubic yards is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $25,000 fine.
    Disposal of more than 10 cubic yards of solid waste is Class C felony punishable by up to a $50,000 fine.


OPERATION KEIKI SHIELD LED TO GRAND GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS OF FOUR MEN FOR CHILD SEX SOLICITATION ON THIS ISLAND. The indictments, handed down on Wednesday stem from Keiki Shield's investigators who posed as underage youth as part of the multi-agency undercover operation designed to identify and arrest individuals using the internet to facilitate sexual crimes against children. 
     Between Friday, March 31, and Sunday, April 2, 2023, Hawai'i Police Department partnered with Hawaii County Prosecutor’s Office and Hawai'i Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, comprised of personnel and law enforcement officers from Honolulu Police Department, Maui Police Department, Department of Attorney General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service to conduct Operation Keiki Shield.
   Operation Keiki Shield brings together local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies tasked with the investigation and prosecution of internet-facilitated crimes against children. The sting operation took place in Kona via the internet with investigators posing as underage teens.
    During the operation, the following suspects were arrested and charged in Kona: 
    Micaiah Hoomaikai Smith, age 31, was charged with first-degree electronic enticement of a child and attempted promoting pornography for minors. His bail was set at $15,000 and he was released after posting bail.
    Joseph Michael Marshall, age 42, was charged with first-degree electronic enticement of a child. His bail was set at $10,000 and he was given supervised release.
    Vincent Antonio, age 36, was charged with first-degree electronic enticement of a child. His bail was set at $10,000 and he was given supervised release.
    Ryen Knapp, age 40, was charged with first-degree electronic enticement of a child, endangering the welfare of minor. His bail was set at $50,000 and he was released after posting bail. 
    Further proceedings will be heard in Circuit Court.

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ATTEMPTED MURDER, RECKLESS ENDANGERING and other charges came with the arrest of Ocean View resident, 44-year-old Rilson Rodrigues. Charges include attempted murder and reckless endangering, following a domestic dispute in Ocean View on Sunday, April 2.
    Charges against Rodrigues stem from an incident reported shortly after 11:00 a.m. on Sunday when Ka‘ū patrol officers responded to a residence in the 92-8000 block of Tiki Lane in the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates subdivision after a 40-year-old woman reported being in a verbal dispute with Rodrigues. The woman told police that as she tried to leave the area in a vehicle, Rodrigues jumped on the hood of
Rilson Rodrigues, of Ocean View, is 
being held for attempted murder.
Photo from Hawai'i Police Department
 the vehicle and damaged the front windshield. He then retrieved a rifle from another vehicle and fired the weapon multiple times towards the woman, striking the vehicle while she was in it. The victim was not struck by the gunfire and did not receive any injuries during the incident. Rodrigues fled the area in a maroon-colored sedan.
    Detectives with the Area II Juvenile Aid Section took over the investigation and, with the assistance of Ka‘ū patrol officers, were able to locate and arrest Rodrigues later that evening. The maroon-colored sedan was also recovered and after executing a search warrant, detectives recovered a loaded .22 caliber rifle and ammunition from within the vehicle.
   On Tuesday afternoon, April 4, after conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office, Rodrigues was charged with one count each of: Second-degree attempted murder; first-degree reckless endangering; first-degree terroristic threatening; first-degree criminal property damage; and two counts of ownership prohibited. Bail for these offenses was set at $145,000.
    In addition, Rodrigues, who had been previously released on bail for a separate, unrelated offense, was also taken into custody for discharge of sureties after that bail obligation was recalled. Following this, Rodrigues was transported to the Hilo Community Correctional Facility where he remained in custody until his initial arraignment on Wednesday.
    Police are asking anyone who may have information relative to this incident to contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311, or Detective Scott Dewey at (808) 326-4646, ext. 303 or email at Scott.Dewey@hawaiicounty.gov.
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Tuesday, April 04, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, April 4, 2023

This bright, shiny, red 1937 Ford pick-up with a Chevy engine under its hood was proudly displayed by Neil Felton of Ocean View.  He has owned it since 1972 and has rebuilt it twice in that time. In 2010 Felton retired from his job as a machinist at Keck Observatory and now owns a machine shop where he can make parts for vintage cars. Photo by Annie Bosted
THE CLASSIC CAR & BIKE SHOW IN OCEAN VIEW on Saturday drew 16 gleaming vintage cars and
The owner of 16 bikes, Gilbert Smith of Kealakekua proudly poses
 beside a chopper that he created for his grandson, Uriah, age 7.
 Smith took four months to build it.  He is the owner of Chopper
Express, which makes and repairs chopper motorcycles.
Photo by Annie Bosted
more than 30 motorcycles, to the delight of an enthusiastic crowd numbering about 380. Organizers Dennis and Evie Custard led the effort with support of Koa Puna Motorcycle Club.    
    Winners of trophies included Mike and Kathy Haber for Peoples' Choice for Bikes for their 1948 Harley Davidson. Peoples' Choice for Cars went to Peter Comandini for his white Cadillac Coup de Ville. Dan Washburn won the Best Modification for a Bike for his yellow 1977 Panhead Harley Davidson.
    Sponsors included L&L Hawaiian Bar B Que, which donated food and the Pepsi Co. which donated 400 drinks including Gatorade, water and soda.
    Prizes for lucky attendees included three vouchers from The Grinz, two seat covers from Ocean View Auto Parts, whiskey from the President of Koa Puna, and a pound of Ka'u Coffee, valued at $50, from the Kahuku Gift & Garden Shop.
   About $1,400 was raised during the event, of which $840 went to the Ocean View Skatepark Project. According to a hand-out, the organizers of the skatepark project are "striving to help unify the growing Ocean View community and advance activity-based options for Ka'u with a free-to-use public skatepark."
This sleek, white, beautifully contoured 1959 Cadillac Coup de Ville – restored to mint condition – won the Peoples' Choice
 award at the Ocean View show. Pete Comandini of Waikaloa has owned the iconic classic for five years. Photo by Annie Bosted






















OCEAN VIEW SKATEPARK ASSOCIATION received $840 in donations from the Classic Car & Bike Show at Ocean View Community Center last Saturday. The organization continues its fundraising online and through events around the community. It's website states: 
Ocean View Skatepark enthusiasts raised money at
the Classic Car & Bike Show. Photo by Annie Bosted
    "Our project has grown from a grassroots effort to a community-wide initiative that has been approved to build. With a site location secured, we are working on designing a skatepark that will best serve the needs of our community. Our goal is to create a space that is inclusive, fun, and encourages skateboarding as a positive outlet for youth.
    "We believe that our mission aligns with the values of the Skatepark Foundation (formerly the Tony Hawk Foundation), as we aim to provide opportunities for young people to stay active, build confidence, and develop a sense of community through skateboarding."
    Youth involved with the Skatepark project took their plans to the office of Mayor Mitch Roth late last year for a presentation. The effort would build the skatepark at the Kahuku county park lands. See the Ocean View Skatepark Program website with a donation link at https://oceanviewskatepark.org/



POLICE ARRESTED 18 FOR DUI during the week of March 27 through April 2. Hawai`i Island police made the arrest of 18 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Four of the drivers were involved in a traffic accident. None were under the age of 21.  
    So far this year, there have been 266 DUI arrests compared with 283 during the same period last year, a decrease of 6.0 percent.
    Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 235 major crashes so far this year compared with 187 during the same period last year, an increase of 25.7 percent.
   To date, there have been four fatal crashes, resulting in five fatalities, (Rvsd. 02/07/23: one fatal crash reclassified—manner of death was due to natural causes) and (one fatal crash had multiple deaths); compared with 10 fatal crashes, resulting in 12 fatalities (one of which had multiple deaths) for the same time last year. This represents a decrease of 60 percent for fatal crashes, and 58.3 percent for fatalities.
   Hawai'i Police Department promises that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide.


A PUBLIC FINANCING FOR ELECTIONS MEASURE IS ALIVE IN THE HAWAI'I LEGISLATURE
with a hearing coming up on Wednesday. Volcano resident Marsha Hee urges area residents to send in
testimony. She provided her testimony:
Image from www.campaignlegal.org
    "SB1543 SD2 HD1 establishes a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State of Hawaii, to begin with the 2026 general election year. This measure would provide participating candidates with competitive amounts of funding they need to run an effective campaign.
    "It's crucially important that this body does everything in its power to remove the influence money has on our politics. Corruption is far too rampant in Hawai'i and the pay-to-play behavior of our politicians needs to end now. Money in politics holds back progress on all the issues important to local working families: from affordable housing, to cost of living, to protecting our environment, and more.
    "Public financing of elections is one of the most important ways to free our state political system from undue influence from corporations, businesses, and special interest groups, and focus on important concerns from constituents."
    To see more testimony, to submit testimony and for a link to the public hearing which begins at 2 p.m. online on Wednesday, go to https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=1543&year=2023


THIS IS NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK THROUGH APRIL 9. Hawaiʻi County joins Hawaiʻi District Health Offices of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health for the celebration, "which recognizes the community's progress through the global COVID-19 crisis, as the country is set to end its federal Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023. Despite the challenges faced, communities across Hawaiʻi
Island were able to maintain one of the lowest COVID-19-related death rates in the nation. At the same time, existing health disparities in the community were clearly highlighted throughout," says a statement from the County.
    "Throughout the pandemic, we have learned that we are much stronger when we encourage and selflessly support one another," said Mayor Mitch Roth. "As we officially move forward from the Public Health Emergency, our county will continue to focus on communities to protect, prioritize, and influence the future of public health. We invite public health professionals, students, elected leaders, activists, and residents to join us and make our island more sustainable, equitable, safe, and healthy for all."
    Hawaiʻi District Health Officer John Kolman, Ph.D said, "Across the nation, there are more than 200,000 local and state public health professionals with various roles in protecting and improving the health and environment for all Americans. Our Hawaiʻi District Health Offices represent just 100
dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to serve the island's public health with over 200,000 residents. We work in various settings including disease prevention and investigation, laboratory, vector control, food safety, mental health service, maternal health service, and case management for individuals with a developmental disability.
    "Our work is extremely challenging if we don't have the community's support. We are grateful for the partnership with healthcare providers, volunteers, community-based organizations, businesses, and residents."
    A DOH open house where residents are invited and encouraged to engage with various DOH program representatives and other local organizations providing public health services is set for this Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hilo State Office Building, 75 Aupuni St.








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