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Tuesday, August 06, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 6, 2024

Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walsh announce his candidacy for Vice. President of U.S.
Photo from Hawai'i Public Radio

THE ENTIRE HAWAI'I DELEGATION TO CONGRESS has endorsed Kamala Harris in her bid for the 
presidency. That means Sen. Brian Schatz, Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Jill Tokuda and Rep. Ed Case.
    Harris nomination to the Democratic Party became official this week and she announced Tuesday that she has chosen Minnesota Gov. and former Congressman Tim Walz to become her running mate and vice president of the United States. Walz is a Democrat in his second term as governor. He is a hunter and marksman, who earned high marks from the National Rifle Association until he initiated gun safety measures in Minnesota.
   Walz is a former school teacher and football coach and is married to a school teacher. He is considered a collaborator and peacemaker between divisive groups and a friend to many Republicans, particularly in rural Minnesota where many folks are Republican. He worked for them in Congress on agricultural and other rural initiatives.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

Two out of three keiki are not buckled up correctly, according to HPD.
HPD WILL HOLD A FREE CHILD SAFTEY SEAT CLINIC IN PAHALA ON Saturday, Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Robert Herkes Gymnasium and Shelter Parking Lot, 96-1219 Kamani Street.   
    Certified technicians will be on hand to assist families with the proper installation of child safety seats, check for any factory recalls on seats and vehicles, and answer questions.
    “Two out of three keiki are not buckled up correctly,” said Torey Keltner of HPD’s Traffic Services Section. “Sadly, car crashes are a leading cause of death for children nationwide, making it vitally important that parents make sure their child’s safety seat is installed correctly.”
    “With school starting up, this is a great free service for parents to check their child’s safety seat and get answers to any questions they may have.”
    According to 2022 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the most recent year for available data, an average of three children under the age of 13 were killed and 429 were injured every day in the U.S. while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans. In 2022, 68 percent of the children who were injured in vehicle crashes were unstrained.
  Hawai‘i Police Department is sponsoring the car seat clinic in collaboration with Partners for Safe Travel, the East Hawai’i Kiwanis Club, the State Judiciary’s Driver Education program, and Hawai’i Fire Department through a grant funded by State of Hawai’i Department of Transportation.
    For more information on Saturday’s child safety seat clinic, contact HPD’s Traffic Services Section at (808) 961-2226.

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HPD RENEWED ITS WARNING ABOUT A PHONE SCAM after receiving reports of unknown individuals calling residents and posing as law enforcement officers and attempting to obtain money as payment for outstanding warrants of arrest. According to Hawai'i Police Department:
    In recent reports, the suspect contacts the victim by phone, identifying themselves as a law enforcement officer and informs the individual that have an outstanding warrant for their arrest. To avoid arrest they are then told that they will need to transfer money by utilizing Coinstar kiosk machines located in town.
    The suspects have been providing fictitious credentials over the phone such as their name, agency, badge number, and telephone number.
    The Hawai‘i Police Department does not ask for, nor accept payment through Coinstar machines or Bitcoin Crypto-Currency as any form of payment. The public is reminded to never provide any personal information over the phone or online to anyone whose identity they have not confirmed.
    To protect yourself from falling victim to these scams, the Hawai‘i Police Department suggests the following recommendations:
    • Verify the caller’s identity: Always request the full name, identification number, and contact information of the caller. Legitimate law enforcement officers will provide this information without hesitation. Verify their credentials by contacting the police department or the agency they claim to represent using publicly available contact information.
    • Refrain from sharing personal information: Avoid disclosing personal details, such as your Social Security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, or any other sensitive data over the phone unless you are absolutely certain about the legitimacy of the caller.
    • Be cautious of urgent or coercive tactics: Scammers often create a sense of urgency, coercing victims into immediate action. They may threaten arrest, fines, or legal consequences to pressure you into revealing personal information or making immediate payments. Take a step back, remain calm, and verify the authenticity of the call before making any decisions or taking action.
    • Educate yourself and others: Share this information with your friends, family, and vulnerable individuals within your community. By spreading awareness, we can collectively protect ourselves and prevent these scams from succeeding.
    Members of the public who receive a phone call of this nature and are unsure of the authenticity of the caller, hang up and call the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.



To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers 
on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film 
on history of the local coffee industry.

Monday, August 05, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 5, 2024

See the new DLNR website at outdoor.hawaii.gov.

EXPLORE OUTDOOR HAWAI'I IS A NEW WEBSITE BY DEPT. LAND & NATURAL RESOURCES designed to allow Hawai‘i residents and visitors to easily find recreational services available across the state. See https://outdoor.hawaii.gov/
  The website features actor Jason Momoa's 2022 PSA, saying, "We got to malama 'aina. Take care of the land and this beautiful place we call home. Be mindful of all the invasive species that are choking out the 'aina. Help us keep them out of our beloved valleys and favorite hiking trails. It's all about protecting Hawai'i nei, the place we love and call home."
    The new website, released July 31, explains that DLNR’s jurisdiction encompasses nearly 1.3 million acres of state lands, beaches and coastal waters as well as 750 miles of coastline (the fourth longest in the country). It includes state parks, historical sites, natural area reserves and forest reserves, aquatic life, bird and wildlife sanctuaries, public fishing areas, boating, ocean recreation, and coastal programs, game management areas and public hunting areas.
    “Explore Outdoor Hawai‘i is a one-stop user-friendly website designed to help residents, visitors, and commercial operators find and apply for permits, licenses and reservations,” said DLNR Chair Dawn Chang. “The site is a great way to virtually explore the unique and varied cultural and natural resources of Hawai‘i, including relevant information about respecting our cultural sites, pono fishing practices, and permits that are required for commercial operations,” Chang added.
    “Activity-focused navigation and imagery will work in concert with existing DLNR systems and features direct pathways to the many DLNR managed resources,” explained Lila Loos, DLNR’s information technology chief. “This first step of our ambitious multiyear effort provides the foundation for consolidating and modernizing disparate and aging DLNR digital assets.” 
    The consolidated website development was required by the passage of Act 182 by the Hawai‘i State Legislature on July 3, 2023.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

A FULL TIME EDUCATION TECHNICIAN AT HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK is a job waiting to be filled with the sponsorship of Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association.
    The person who fills the position will provide assistance to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park’s Education Specialist for the park's education, outreach, and interpretive programs. The Ed Technician will work closely with local and visiting schools, education staff and other park partners will provide
support and staffing assistance for community outreach.
  An announcement about the job says, "Join our team and help inspire visitors to connect with and support the wonders of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park." Pay is $15-22 per hour. The position is funded for up to one year but could be extended if funding allows. See a detailed job and benefits description at http://www.hawaiipacificparks.org/.../employment... Send a resume to jobs@hawaiipacificparks.org

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

HAWAI'I ISLAND RESIDENTS WANTING A HORSE STALL AT PANA'EWA, close to rodeo grounds, can apply through the county's lottery. Forty-nine horse stalls with attached paddocks are for rent at Pana'ewa Equestrian Center, which also has a 5/8-mile race track, rodeo arena and wash racks. It is the site of the Pana'ewa Stampede Rodeo, one of the favorite rodeos of Kaʻū paniolo.
    The cost of each stall is $500 a year with one horse per stall and one stall limit per person. A deposit of $100 is required. The lottery is conducted annually through Hawai'i County Department of Parks &
There are 49 horses stalls available for rent from the county at
Pana'ewa Equestrian Center where the Pana'ewa Stampede
Rodeo is held each year. Photo from TicketSpice
Recreation.
    The lottery drawing will be held Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m. at Pana'ewa Equestrian Center, Al Cabral Grandstand, 800 Stainback Highway, Hilo, Hawai'i.
    Those interested in entering the lottery must submit an application within the 10 business-day period between Aug. 19 - 30 to Department of Parks & Recreation, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6, Hilo. Applications, available at Department of Parks & Recreation, must be completed and received no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 30 and will not be accepted on the date of the lottery or prior to the 10-day filing period.
    For more detailed information about the lottery and rules related to the Pana'ewa Equestrian Center, visit the Pana'ewa Equestrian Center web page on the Parks & Recreation website.
   The Pana'ewa Equestrian Center is accessible to persons with disabilities. To request an Auxiliary Aid or language translation, please call Brittany Iyo at 961-8311 by Friday, Aug. 30.

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It's Hurricane Season 
Neither Carlotta, Daniel, Emilia nor Fabio are expected to reach Hawai'i though they are coming from the place where most of the tropical storms and hurricanes that reach Hawai'i begin. They are a reminder to be prepared. It's hurricane season in Hawai'i and the Central. Pacific through Nov. 30. NOAA map

TO IMPROVE SYSTEM RELIABILITY, Hawaiian Electric says it will conduct quarterly aerial inspections of its major overhead transmission lines from Monday, Aug. 12, to Thursday, Aug. 15.
   The islandwide inspections are scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. However, exact times and routes will depend on weather conditions. Inspections will be conducted in a Manuiwa Airways helicopter. In some areas, the aircraft may be required to fly low and slow which may cause temporary noise disturbances.
   The Hawaiian Electric statement says thanks to the community for patience and understanding. If there are any questions or concerns, call (808) 969-6666.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.






To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers 
on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film 
on history of the local coffee industry.


Sunday, August 04, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 4, 2024

'IE'IE IS KAʻŪ NATIVE PLANT FOR AUGUST in the column Lāʻau Letters: Native Plants of Kaʻū by Jodie Rosam with art by Joan Yoshioka. Read about Kaʻū’s native plants and their moʻolelo (stories), uses, preferred habitats, and opportunities to adopt them for stewardship. This column seeks to encourage making new plant friends and to reunite with others.
    Description: Have you met ʻieʻie before? ʻIeʻie is a densely-branched, woody, climbing liana in the Pandanaceae family (a cousin to hala and also to kiekie, which is found in New Zealand). This lovely vine can be seen growing in extraordinary entangled mats on the forest floor, but is most commonly seen luxuriously scaling ʻōhiʻa (or another host tree) up into the canopy in a true Pandanaceae twisty style. The ringed stems end in spiral tufts of leaves that are long (15-30 inch) and thin (less than 1 inch) and are a shiny bright green, coming to a point on the ends. They have small spines along the edges and under the

midrib. The flowers form on inflorescences (clusters) at the end of the branches on cylindrical 3-4 spikes surrounded by bright orange or green with orange base bracts (modified leaves). The small fruits of ʻieʻie
contain many small seeds. ʻIeʻie bracts and fruits were a favorite meal of the extinct ʻōʻū, a honeycreeper that was a seed disperser for small seeded and fleshy fruits, and was also a favorite food of the ʻalalā, which is currently extinct in the wild.
    Uses: 'ieʻie is an indicator of forest health - where the ʻieʻie is plentiful, the forest thrives, thus the connection between ʻieʻie and Laka and its importance to hula. If you have never heard the story of Laukaʻieʻie, I encourage you to find it and read it, and form an even deeper bond and connection to ʻieʻie in the forests. Medicinally, ʻieʻie can be combined with other lāʻau lapaʻau species such as kukui, ʻōhiʻa ʻai, ʻuhaloa, kō kea, and ʻalaʻala wai nui pehu to treat childhood diseases like ʻea and paʻaoʻao. The aerial roots of ʻieʻie are used in weaving of kiʻi, baskets, hīnaʻi hoʻomoe iʻa (fish baskets) and hīnaʻi hoʻoluʻuluʻu (fish traps), and even to make handles for ʻuliʻuli (gourd rattles) and for mahiole iʻe (aliʻi helmets). The colorful orange brachts are used in lei. Ecologically, ʻieʻie is habitat for kāhuli, native land snails.
    Habitat: ʻIeʻie can be found in wet to mesic forests on all of the main Hawaiian Islands except Niʻihau and Kahoʻolawe, at elevations between 300-1500 meters. In Kaʻū, you can gaze at ʻieʻie in wet and mesic forests of Manukā and Kahuku, and from Kiolakaʻa to Keauhou Ahupuaʻa. Growing and Purchasing: Even though ʻieʻie is a common component of the forest, it is not really seen in cultivation, but it should be! ʻIeʻie is a hardy plant and requires enough water, a substantial host, and a healthy plant community (and love, of course). I hope that we, as a collective, can push for native species to be selected for home and commercial landscaping rather than using non-native and potentially invasive plant species. While this is slowly happening (check out the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center as a great example - they have planted many natives including wiliwili, alaheʻe, ʻaʻaliʻi, and pōhinahina, among others), the County, State Parks, and big businesses can do better. We can all encourage the Plant Pono and Go Native mottos in our communities!
    About the artist: Joan Yoshioka says she is a conservationist at heart and has dedicated her life to preserving the native plants and animals of Hawaiʻi through her work with federal, state, and private organizations over the past 30+ years. She describes herself as an outdoor-lovin’ optimist, biologist/botanist, and habitual creator of art-stuff. She says the key to our most fundamental and truest part of ourselves is found in nature and she constantly draws on it for inspiration.
    About the author: Jodie Rosam says she has a deep love for native plants and a passion for exploration, with early two decades of experience in working in the restoration of Hawaiʻi’s forests. As a mother and an educator, she says the next generation has the power to lead the world to a sustainable future, and is committed to teaching her children (and others) from a place-based perspective. 

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

COVER THAT LOAD is the message from Hawai'i Police Department. HPD reminds the public that loads must be covered while transporting cargo on any highway and that penalties could be severe. "Most of the litter on or near roadways is not intentionally thrown but, rather, blown out of open-bed pickup trucks, causing a road hazard or a traffic accident. Anytime you travel with a loaded truck bed, trailer, or roof rack, make sure to secure your load properly." Regulations require:

    1. Tying down the load with rope or straps.
    2. Tying large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer.
    3. Covering the entire load with a sturdy tarp (tied down) or cargo netting.
    After tying down a load, double-check to ensure nothing can slide, fall, or shift out of the vehicle. Check vehicle manual to prevent overloading vehicle.
    Penalties: (§291C-131) “A COURT DATE WILL BE ISSUED” for first-time violators of the law. They can expect a fine of $250 to $500. A second violation, if cited within a year after the first, delivers a fine of between $500 and $750, plus suspension of the vehicle registration and/or license of the driver for at least five working days.

Alan Moores with his lava painting
at Wailoa Center until Sept. 26
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KAʻŪ ARTIST ALAN MOORES' LAVA painting is one of the creations selected from more than 300 entries in the 14th Annual Abstract Only! Multi Media Juried Exhibit now on display at Wailoa Center at 200 Piopio St. in Hilo. The show is sponsored by Hawai'i Island Art Alliance. Henry Bianchini, well known Hawaiian artist and sculptor from Hawai'i Island was the juror who selected the pieces of art on display, from all over Hawai'i, Mainland and abroad.
    The art show runs through Sept. 26th, Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.




To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers 
on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film 
on history of the local coffee industry.