Kaʻū News Briefs Tuesday, Oct.17 , 2023

Many visitors arrive, after reading online recommendations to stop in at Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach to see the turtles.
Some of these folks expressed disappointment that they were forbidden to go near the turtles. A new Hawai‘i Tourism
stewardship program is set to train local stewards to educate visitors and help take care of the coast and its resources.
Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI‘I TOURISM AUTHORITY ANNOUNCED DETAILS OF ITS PUNALU'U VISITOR IMPACT MITIGATION PROGRAM on Tuesday. HTA, in partnership with the Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau, has engaged two community-based organizations to support visitor education efforts and mitigate tourism impacts in Punalu‘u and Kealakekua Bay.
    This effort is a part of HTA’s newly launched Hawai‘i Island Community-Based Action Stewardship Program. HTA is funding this community-driven approach to destination management as guided by its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and Hawai‘i Island Destination Management Action Plan.
    "HTA continues to collaborate with Hawai‘i Island residents to better manage tourism’s impacts and 
support the initiatives they want to see and actively engage in for their communities, such as in Punalu‘u
and Kealakekua Bay,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, HTA’s Interim President and CEO. “Reinvesting in these

non-profit organizations to expand the work they are doing to protect, preserve, and educate people about the culture, history and natural resources of these special places is our kuleana to the community and those who visit.” 

     Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo was selected for its Ka‘ū Hoa Pili ‘Āina Training Program to focus on training ten local stewards in Punalu‘u on the practices of mālama ‘āina built on the foundation of cultural practices and protocols, conservation and biological sciences, and placebased messaging about the Ka‘ū Coast. The stewards will educate visitors about the area and assist with data collection. 

      Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo will also hire a Mālama ‘Āina Coordinator to oversee and organize the stewards’ training as guided by its Board of Directors and with support from other local non-profit organizations. Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo will work with the local Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, which will handle HR management for the coordinator position. While this ʻāina-based education program will initially cover the fragile and highly visited coastline of Punaluʻu, the training will later be expanded to the greater Kaʻū coastline and mauka into forests and watersheds. 

      Ho‘āla Kealakekua Nui, Inc. was selected for its project, Building ‘Āina-Based Stewardship Programs for Kealakekua Bay. The indigenous-led non-profit organization has been building the capacity to co-manage Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park and the surrounding community. Through this project, Ho‘āla Kealakekua Nui aims to educate visitors, residents and commercial tour operators about the Kealakekua Bay Community Action Plan Code of Conduct developed by the community on how to respectfully interact within Kealakekua Bay; provide equipment to community volunteers restoring coastal habitat during Hana Lima workdays; and train citizen scientists to monitor the health of the area using a recently developed app called Kilokilo, customized for Kealakekua Bay. 

    “With the support of HTA and its emphasis on destination management, we are seeing more ways in which regenerative tourism on Hawai‘i Island is working through ‘āina- and placed-based community models,” said Rachel Kaiama, IHVB’s destination manager. “These programs will further assist in our collaborative efforts to care for the natural and cultural resources of sacred places with resident-community stewards taking the lead for Punalu‘u and Kealakekua. Mahalo nui to our partners Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo and Ho‘āla Kealakekua Nui, Inc.” 

Logo for Ka'u Ohana O Honu'apo

     IHVB issued a Request for Proposals in July for ‘āina-based non-profit organizations on Hawai‘i Island to develop and manage community stewardship programs to educate visitors and protect natural and cultural resources in areas including Punalu‘u and Kealakekua Bay, as called for by residents in HTA’s Hawai‘i Island DMAP. These areas have become especially popular with visitors, resulting in overcrowding, congestion, natural and cultural resource degradation, and safety hazards.

     The statement from Hawai‘i Tourism Authority says, "The Hawai‘i Island Community-Based Action Stewardship Program builds on the success of the Keaukaha Steward Pilot Program and Community Cultural-Based Education Program which launched in July. This effort, supported by HTA, the County of Hawai‘i and IHVB, works to mitigate visitor impacts and protect natural resources at Waiuli (also known as Richardson Ocean Park) and Lehia Beach Parks. 

      To learn more about how destination management and stewardship is advancing on the island of Hawai‘i, visit: https://holomua.hawaiitourismauthority.org/hawaii-island/.

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TRAILS ARE REOPENED AT HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK following a decrease in Kīlauea volcano seismic action for a few days. However, USGS reports that the major intrusive event beneath the area extending from the southern part of Kīlauea caldera southwest to the Koaʻe fault zone appears to ramp back up. 

     Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported on Tuesday an increase in earthquakes, from 23 per day on Monday, to 136 recorded in  24 hours. These earthquakes were at depths of 1-5 km (0.6-3 mi) beneath the surface.

    Uēkahuna summit tiltmeter located north of the caldera recorded very slight inflation over  24 hours, in a NE direction. The Sand Hill tiltmeter, located just south of the caldera, is showing an inflationary tilt trend, in NNW direction. 

A lone hiker walks Devastation Trail with a large sinkhole in the foreground. NPS photo by Janice Wei

   Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates remain low and were measured at a rate of about 100 tonnes per day on Oct. 6. Other monitoring data streams, including webcam views, do not show any significant changes. HVO continues to monitor the summit region of Kīlauea volcano closely. 

    When earthquake and ground deformation rates beneath the southern part of Kīlauea volcano's summit caldera and extending to the southwest decreased over several days, suggesting the intrusive event that began last week was coming to an end, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park reopened:
- Hilina Pali Road from Chain of Craters Road to Hilina Pali Overlook
- Kulanaokuaiki Campground
- Puʻupuaʻi parking lot, Puʻupuaʻi Overlook, and the trail that connects Puʻupuaʻi Overlook to Devastation Trail
- Devastation parking lot and Devastation Trail
- Keanakākoʻi Overlook and the paved trail from Chain of Craters Road
- Crater Rim Trail from Chain of Craters Road to Keanakākoʻi Crater.
- Maunaiki Trail
- Kaʻū Desert Trail

    Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park announced that it continues to closely monitor Kīlauea in collaboration with colleagues at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
    Visitors are encouraged to check the park website at www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes for closure updates, safety alerts, air quality, and other information. This includes links to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams and eruption updates.

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THERE ARE NO NEW EXTINCTIONS OF ENDANGERED BIRDS ON HAWAI‘I ISLAND that are listed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on the Endangered Species List. The agency, in its statement issued Monday, delisted eight birds on other islands that were protected under the Endangered Species Act. The endangered birds, on Maui, Kaua‘i and Moloka‘i, were taken off the Endangered Species List after intensive research concluded that they are extinct. 

    Most of the birds may have been extinct since long before the Endangered Species Act and have not been seen. The one seen most recently that was  taken off the list as extinct, 

‘Akialoa on Hawai‘i Island, once plentiful in ‘ohia forests, were
declared extinct years ago. On Oct. 17, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
declared its relative, the Kaua‘i ‘Akialoa as also extinct. This Hawai‘i
Island honeycreeper was called the hook-billed green creeper.
Photo of specimen from NPS

seen was the po‘ouli, listed in1975, with the last confirmed sighting in 2004.

    One native plant in Hawai‘i that was proposed for delisting was kept on the list. Found on Lana‘i, Phyllostegia glabra var. lanaiensis, a perennial herb in the mint family with no common name, maintained its Endangered Species listing, due to new surveys identifying new, potentially suitable habitats for the species.

    The delisted birds are all forest honeycreepers: Kaua‘i ‘akialoa, Kaua‘i nukupu‘u, Kaua‘i ʻōʻō, Kāmaʻo or large Kaua‘i thrush, Maui ākepa, Maui nukupu‘u, Moloka‘i creeper and po‘ouli, also known as the black-faced honeycreeper.

    U.S. Fish & Wildlife also delisted 13 other birds in the U.S. that have gone extinct. Its Director Martha Williams said, “Federal protection came too late to reverse these species’ decline, and it’s a wake-up call on the importance of conserving imperiled species before it’s too late. As we commemorate 50 years of the Endangered Species Act this year, we are reminded of the act’s purpose to be a safety net that stops the journey toward extinction. The ultimate goal is to recover these species, so they no longer need the act’s protection.”

    Michael Parr, president of the American Bird Conservancy, said, “Most of these extinct birds are Hawaiian species that were unique to those islands. It’s a tremendous loss. Their Endangered Species Act listings happened too late for their protection and recovery. Sadly, this tragic outcome could have been prevented if actions to conserve their habitats had been taken sooner.” The American Bird Conservancy statement said that even though species on the Endangered Species List still go extinct, many on the list were already extinct or extremely rare when the Endangered Species Act became law in 1973. Its "success rate has actually been extremely good with very few extinctions and many species recoveries since it was passed.” Parr said.
    American Bird Conservancy noted that "Once a bird paradise, Hawai‘i is now the bird extinction capital of the world with many species on the brink and more at risk of disappearing in our lifetime. Most of the remaining bird populations have been substantially reduced by habitat loss and invasive species, and the honeycreepers, including Kiwikiu and ‘I‘iwi, have been hit particularly hard by nonnative diseases transmitted by invasive mosquitoes."
    Through the Birds, Not Mosquitoes program, the American Bird Conservancy is helping coordinate the design and implementation

of a strategy to disrupt mosquitoes' breeding cycle. Under the plan, a secure lab is rearing male mosquitoes containing a strain of naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria that will make them unable to successfully reproduce with wild female mosquitoes in Hawai‘i.
    “We're working urgently with our partners in Hawai'i to prevent the tragedy of future Hawaiian bird extinctions,” said Parr. "I still have hope that we can prevent the extinction of the Kiwikiu and other Hawaiian birds. If we act now, and decisively, we can ensure a different outcome.”

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The Red Cross shown here in a war zone will give a public talk on Thursday, Nov. 2 at Volcano Rotary on the Geneva
Convention and Rules of War. Photo from Rotary Club of Volcano

RED CROSS & ROTARY WILL TALK RULES OF WAR during a community event hosted by Rotary Club of Volcano on Thursday, Nov 2 at 8:30 a.m. at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani Campus, 19-4074 Old Volcano Rd.

    Rotary released a statement asking "Ever try to make sense of military or humanitarian topics in today's headlines? Stories about POWs? Refugee camps? Cluster munitions? War crimes? The Rotary Club of Volcano is pleased to sponsor a timely community event that can shed some light on these and other aspects of International Humanitarian Law."

    Even War has Rules is a talk prepared and presented by the American Red Cross. This one-hour overview introduces fundamental principles of IHL that can clarify the rules governing conflicts around the world.
   The presenter, Marc Bender, is an international development specialist who has served in the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and non-governmental organizations. His three decades in war zones and post-conflict environments—including Cambodia, Laos, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan—give him firsthand insights on many of these issues.

     For more information contact marc.bender@redcross.org; walk-ins are welcome.

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Kaʻū News Briefs Monday, Oct.16 , 2023

Ancient Valley Growers in Wood Valley, featured in a new Hawai‘i Tourism Authority story,  has found a stable market for its produce through food hubs that sell to restaurants, chefs and other entities around the island. Photo from Ancient Valley Growers

ANCIENT VALLEY GROWERS IN WOOD VALLEY is highlighted in an Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau and Hawai‘i Tourism Authority story entitled Farmers, Chefs Rely on Food Hubs for Consistency in Supply and Demand. It quotes Matt Drayer who, with his wife Andrea, owns the Ancient Valley Growers farm and manages the adjacent mamaki tea farm. Matt Drayer said, "With farming, everything revolves around time and food hubs enable us to grow crops in bulk without finding a customer." 

    Drayer is a former chef, who gave up his 11-year profession in California's culinary industry, started farming in Wood Valley and works with the food hubs Adaptations, Kohala Food Hub and Hawai‘i Food Basket, Da Box CSA.
    Drayer told the Visitors Bureau, "I don't have time to sell direct to chefs though I miss going into restaurant kitchens to see what's going on,." He detailed that "chefs make a lot of sauces and stocks," and that he purposely grows celery and carrots for them to make mirepoix, a sautéed mixture of those veggies, plus onions, to build flavor. "We have the carrots and celery down, now we need to work on growing onions, which require a greenhouse."

Audrey Meyerhofer harvests Selanova butter lettuce at Ancient 

 Valley Growers in Wood Valley. Photo from Ancient Valley Growers

   

    Drayer, wife Andrea and their crew of work-for-trade farmhands grow a dozen types of veggies, and sell eggs and poultry. Plans are ito put in an apple orchard at their 2.400-foot elevation in Wood Valley and Ancient Valley Growers may also cultivate some stone fruits: plums, cherries and peaches, said Drayer.
    Emphasizing that he likes to grow crops that Hawai'i imports, Drayer said he would like to see the amount of food imported here reduced to at least half in his lifetime. "We are reliant on a fragile importation system and if the 2020 pandemic taught us anything, it's that we are very susceptible to a cataclysm of our food system," he emphasized. 

    Ancient Valley Growers works with food hubs Adaptaions, Kohala Food Hub and Hawai‘i Food Basket Da Box, CSA. Other food hubs featured in the story are OK Farms, Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative and Ho‘ola Farms. 
    Other farmers featured in the story:

    Luis Rincon, who has operated Rincon Family Farms in Waimea for 35 years and now grows carrots, beets, spinach and kale, along with some strawberries, Halloween pumpkins and sometimes green beans.
    "Seed" Tyler Levine, of Nāhua ‘Āina Farms in Āhualoa, grows sprouting cauliflower, radishes, baby beets, carrots, salad turnips and cilantro on a quarter acre.
    Adam Miranda, with his 23-acre Makana Raw Farms in Hilo, grows a variety of veggies and herbs and has planted a fruit orchard. His operation features seven greenhouses.
    The story also quotes restaurant chefs and restauranteurs like Soni Pamaski, of Moon & Turtle in Hilo, former Hilton Waikoloa Village chef Dayne Tanabe with his private chef company DYNE by Chefbuddha, and Dan Robayo, chef de cuisine at the Beach Restaurant at Kona's Kohanaiki Private Club Community and at his own Pā‘ina Pantry.
    The story quotes rancher and state Sen. H.M. Tim Richards III: "By marketing products for growers, increasing food security and providing chefs with a reliable supply chain, food hubs act as a crucial intermediary — effectively marketing products on behalf of farmers and allowing them to focus on cultivation. By doing so, they build essential bridges between producers, chefs and ultimately the consumer, strengthening the entire food ecosystem."
    The story, written by Fern Gavelek, who also helped to promote the Kaʻū Coffee Festival for many years, is sponsored through Hawai‘i Tourism Authority's Destination Management Action Plan.

Matt and Andy Drayer of Ancient Valley Farms in Wood Valley sell their produce to chefs and other outlets through food hubs.
  Photo courtesy of Ancient Valley Farms

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Kekuhi will lead a session on mo‘olelo, oli
and hula on Tuesday at After Dark in the Park.

KEIKUHI  KEALI‘IKANAKAOLEOHAILILANI will host the teaching of mo‘olelo (story), hula

(dance), mele (song and poetry), and oli (chanting) during After Dark in the Park on Tuesday, Oct. 17 in Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium at 7 p.m., at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
    Kekuhi will guide participants to connect to the landscapes of Hawai‘i on a deeper level. A statement from the Park says, "Passed down from her grandmother, Edith Kekuhi Kanakaʻole, her hula, chant, and stage performances have touched thousands of lives."
    This event is expected to be well attended. Doors will open for seating beginning at 6:30 p.m.
    The program is co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. A $2 donation helps to support park programs. Admission is free but Park entrance fees apply.

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AN UPDATE FOR THE COFFEE TEA WATER: ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS EXPO, this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Park, was issued on Monday from the festival coordinator, host and founder/CEO of Stargazer Industries, Christine Kaehuaea.  

    Kaehuaea wrote, "In the District of Kaʻū, the southern tip of Hawai‘i island, decades after the large plantation generated 'free festivals' for the community, Stargazer Industries of Nāʻālehu is hosting the Coffee Tea Water: Essential Elements EXPO to celebrate the Kaʻū Coffee & Tea farmers, offer island bottled water from Waiakea Water, have live musical artists perform from across the state, welcome food and retail vendors from around the island, and thanks to sponsors, make this a FREE event for all residents and visitors to Hawai‘i island."

    She said, "The concept of the Coffee Tea Water: Essential Elements EXPO is a celebration of coffee farmers, and now, Kaʻū tea farmers coupled with Hawai‘i island bottled water. The term EXPO is being used to offer vendors and products that are tied into the themed categories of Coffee, Tea, and Water; from accessories for brewing, tea and water infusion containers and condiments to products made with those ingredients, or created in relation to those categories.

    "The next step to this event was secured LIVE musical performers and vendors from around Hawai‘i island and beyond to create a well balance event for everyone to enjoy."

     Kaehuaea wrote, "This event, as it materialized, seemed to generate a buzz in the community not seen in decades. People liked that this event would benefit vendors as an outlet for their products, sponsors towards taking part of a feel-good event that also gave them a return on their sponsorship through media visibility, and open the door to communities and visitors on or coming to Hawai‘i island so that they get the chance to enjoy a FREE event of this nature. This event will be giving back to the local community by donating trash cans and making a monetary donation to ʻO Kaʻū Kākou for their role in keeping the event clean and providing overflow parking at their Nāʻālehu Farmers’ Market space."

    Kaehuaea said that "orange fencing and T-Posts delineating public parking will be donated to the Hawai‘i County Parks & Recreation Maintenance for Nāʻālehu Park. The 10-foot and 20-foot cattle gates from Hawai‘i Wholesale Fencing in Kailua-Kona being used to separate the backstage and artist/EMS parking lot from event-goers, will be raffled off to those that sign up. The raffle winners must be present at 5:05pm to pick-up their gate as the event is disassembled. A monetary donation will be provided to the Nāʻālehu Methodist Church for use of their parking lot for overflow event parking. 

    "The event will also be promoting the Kaʻū Wish List Fund to help kids in Kaʻū and Lāhainā, Maui continue to soar." Kaehuaea said, “Not only is this event designed to 'Give Back' to the local community on a variety of levels, but with sponsors like KTA Superstores, Paradise Helicopters, Hawai‘i Med-Spa, the WS Restaurant at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and HPM Building supply, it has helped to pay for the some of the expenses for the event and fuel the media plan, however at this 11th hour, we are still reaching out to businesses hoping to find sponsors to help us cross the finish line.”

     “The Kaʻū Wish List Fund will give 75% of donations to Kaʻū schools and educators via Stacey Bello, Superintendent East Hawai‘i DOE and 25% of donations go to the Hawai‘i Teacher’s Association of Lahaina, via Christopher Chang, UniServe Director," wrote Kaehuaea.

Vendors to be in Kaʻū Coffee Tea Water Essential Elements EXPO this Saturday at Nāʻālehu Park.
Image from Stargazer Industries

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SECOND BEST COLLEGE IN HAWAI‘I IS UH HILO, according to WalletHub, which issued rankings nationwide this week. University of Hawai‘i Manoa ranked first, Third is Hawai‘i Pacific University and fourth is U.H.- West Hawai‘i. According to the assessment, UH Hilo is the most affordable and boasts the

lowest student-to-faculty ratio. It ranks third in graduation rate and on-campus crime, fourth in gender and racial diversity and post-attendance median salary. Many Ka‘ū students take a hybrid curriculum, with online classes and traveling to Hilo for live classes on certain days of the week.
    With the first "early decision" college application deadline looming on Nov. 1, and tuition and nationwide room and board at a four-year college costing $27,940 – $57,570 per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its 2024's Best College & University Rankings report, as well as commentary, in addition to separate rankings for colleges and for universities.
    WalletHub compared over 800 higher-education institutions in the U.S. based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes. The data set ranges from student-faculty ratio to graduation rate to post-attendance median salary.
    UH Manoa ranked first in admission rate, graduation rate, post-attendance median salary and gender and racial diversity, second in cost and student-faculty ratio and fourth in on-campus crime.
    Hawai‘i Pacific University ranked second in graduation rate, post-attendance median salary, on-campus crime and gender and racial diversity and third in net cost, admission rate and student-faculty ratio.

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A MAN WAS SHOT IN THE FACE IN OCEAN VIEW and Hawai‘i Island police are asking for the public’s assistance regarding the attempted murder investigation. The shooting took place on Sunday evening, Oct. 15.

    At 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, Ka‘ū patrol officers were dispatched to the area of Aloha Boulevard and Paradise Parkway in the Hawai‘i Ocean View Estates subdivision for a report of a male in need of medical assistance after possibly being assaulted. Arriving on the scene, officers found the victim, believed to be a 53-year-old Ocean View man, with severe facial injuries lying on the ground near a gold Toyota van. Due to the severity of his injuries, police were unable to ask the victim how he had been injured.
    The victim was transported by Hawai‘i Fire Department medics to the Kona Community Hospital with life-threatening injuries. At the hospital, it was determined that the victim sustained a gunshot wound to his facial area. He was later transferred to the Queens Medical Center on Oahu for further treatment and is currently in stable condition.
    As part of their ongoing investigation, police are seeking leads on what led up to the incident and who may have been responsible for the shooting. Detectives with the Area II Criminal Investigation Section are asking for residents in the vicinity of Aloha Boulevard and Paradise Parkway in the Hawai‘i Ocean View Estates subdivision to review their home security camera footage and report anything suspicious.
    Anyone with information regarding this incident or who may have witnessed it is encouraged to contact Detective Donovan Kohara at (808) 960-3118; or via email at donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov. They may also contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.
    Citizens can also make an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers does not record any calls or subscribe to caller ID.

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Kaʻū News Briefs Sunday, Oct.15 , 2023

Both teams say a prayer on the Pāhala field before Saturday's game in which the Trojans dealt Kamehameha Warriors the most points scored against them all their winning season. Photo by Mark Peters

KAʻŪ DEALT KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOL THE MOST POINTS SCORED BY AN OPPONENT all season during Saturday's Trojans home football game. Kamehameha Warriors from Kea‘au beat the Trojans 50-8 to remain undefeated and in first place in the division. With ten wins and no losses, Kamehameha could wrap up the Big Island Interscholastic Federation D2 championship in a game against Hawai'i Preparatory Academy next Saturday in Waimea.

Adahdiyal Ellis-Reyues evades the Warrior defendants while looking
to pass downfield. Photo by Mark Peters

  During Saturday's game in Pāhala, the eight points scored by the Trojans are the most given up all year by Kamehameha. 

    Adahdiya Ellis-Reyes led the Trojan offense with 15 carries for 131 yards. He added six completed passes for 101 yards.
    Seniors Keaka McDonnell caught two passes for 57 yards; TJ Kauhula-Faafia hauled in three for 35 yards; and Ocean Nihipali-Sesson caught one pass for ten yards and the touchdown.
    Vladimir Fedoruk led the Trojans defense with five tackles. Also notable on defense was Triton Blanco with a quarterback sack.           La‘a Kajiwara-Ke made an interception.
   Adhadiyal Ellis-Reyes had three passes knocked down. 
   Next Friday night, Ka‘ū Trojans close out the season at Honoka‘a.

Jo Buyuan and family.

THE SENIOR GAME FOR TROJAN FOOTBALL on Saturday brought recognition to senior players Jaestin Karasuda, Keaka McDonnell, Kinalu Wanzer, Stephen Adler, TJ Kauhuia-Faafia, La'a Kajiwara-Ke, Joe Buyuan, Ocean Nihipali Sesson, Dakota Seaver and Dominic Nurial-Dacalio.
    The seniors received public recognition with lei and photos with friends and families.

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DISASTER PREPAREDNESS & FOOD RESILIENCE IN HAWAI‘I is a presentation and discussion this Thursday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. The subtitle is Best Practices and Learned Lessons from the Summer of Extreme Weather. Registration provides a link to the recording. The live event takes place at University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu.  

Dominic Nurial-Dacalio celebrates 
with La'a Kajiwara-Ke at Senior Game.

    A statement from the organizers says, "The Maui fires exposed Hawai‘i's vulnerability to extreme climate change-induced weather events, once again raising questions over how disaster-ready the state is. This panel discussion will highlight the needs and strategies for building greater food system resilience and disaster preparedness for Hawai‘i."

Dakota Seaver and his parents.

    The session is presented by The Hawai‘i Institute for Sustainable Community Food Systems at University of Hawaiʻi - West Oʻahu, Honolulu Civil Beat, UH Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, and Waiwai Collective. "The event series generates opportunities for community dialogue among a diverse audience, aiming to achieve a healthy, equitable, resilient and sustainable food system for Hawai‘i."

    Panelists are Chad Buck, Founder and Owner of Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance Logistics and Disaster Support Services and Jennifer Walter, Deputy Director of Department of Emergency Management for the City & County of Honolulu. Discussion will be moderated by Civil Beat reporter Thomas Heaton. Speakers will start at 6 p.m, followed by an optional post-discussion community forum from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Register for this event at  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/disaster-preparedness-and-food-system-resilience-in-hawaii-tickets-728664313577?aff=eblast

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Jaestin Katsuda with his father.

Keaka McDonnell and fans.

BEEFED UP CROP INSURANCE OPTIONS have been announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for specialty crop and organic producers, including rolling out new and expanded options based on feedback from agricultural producers.
    USDA's Risk Management Agency recently accelerated its outreach efforts to hear directly from producers across the country by hosting in-person and virtual roadshows and making investments in risk management education.
    According to USDA, "These improvements are part of a comprehensive effort to improve risk management tools and other programs for a wide variety of producers as well as expand access to organic markets.

TJ Kauhuia-Faafia and fan.
Photos by Mark Peters

    "We're committed to working with specialty crop and organic producers to develop crop insurance options that fit their needs," said RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger. "We've listened, and we're proud of our efforts to deliver crop insurance options that meet the needs of producers as well as to share information on available crop insurance options. This is part of USDA's commitment to reach underserved and underreached producers and to help producers access new and better markets."
    From 1990 to 2022, liabilities for insured specialty crops in the U.S. rose from $1 billion to more than $23 billion. Over the past 20 years, the number of individual specialty crops insured under crop insurance programs increased by 27%. Currently, there are over 70 individual specialty crops insured under crop insurance programs.  See more at https://rma.usda.gov/en/News-Room/Press/Press-Releases/2023-News/Crop-Insurance-for-Specialty-and-Organic-Crops-Grow-as-Options-Improve-and-Expand?utm_campaign=specialtycrop&utm_content=expansion&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

IN WASHINGTON, D.C., CHAYENEE BROOKS, AN ENGLISH EDUCATOR AT KAʻŪ HIGH & PĀHALA ELEMENTARY was on a National Education Association Fellowship last week. A group of 36 teachers from across the country are preparing to go to Costa Rica next summer as Global Learning Fellows. "We will experience culture and education abroad and bring what we learned back to our schools to expand global awareness," said Brooks. 

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