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| Excavating and building the foundation for the Ka`u Gym & Disaster Shelter are under contract with Summit Construction. Photo by Julia Neal |
LACK OF PLAYERS COULD CANCEL TROJAN FOOTBALL, as only a dozen Ka`u High School students have signed up for varsity football at Ka`u High School this fall. In order to field a team there must be 32 players, said Ka`u High Athletic Director Kalei Namohala. Deadline to register is Aug. 5. If there are too few players, the Ka`u High Trojans will have to bow out of the fall football season for 2013, she said. Schools that sign up for the season but cannot bring enough players for the games are fined for every game they cannot play. Namohala said that Ka`u High cannot afford to risk the expense.
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| Trojan football games bring out the community on the Ka`u High School campus. Photo by Julia Neal |
Bobby Barba, who coached at Ka`u in the 1960s, said he can’t remember a time with no school football. He said that during several years when he didn’t have enough players for varsity, he put together a JV team so there was JV Trojan football for the seasons and preparations for the younger players to go on to varsity in coming years. Trojan football games at home are a popular community event for Ka`u.
THE FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE IS OUT FOR KA`U HIGH SCHOOL. Football, given that enough athletes sign up, starts on Aug. 24 at Kea`u. The first home game is on Aug. 30, hosting Konawaena. The first girls volleyball game is at Lapahoehoe on Aug. 23, followed by a game at St. Josephs, then HPA and Pahoa. The first cross country meet is at Christian Liberty Academy on Aug. 24, followed by a meet at HPA and then Kamehameha. The first bowling tournament is at Hilo on Aug. 24 and again at Hilo on Aug. 31 and Sept. 9. Riflery will be announced. Applications are also being accepted for swimming, water polo, tennis, baseball and track.
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| Athletic Director Kalei Namohala |
PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND Trojan Sports meetings. It is mandatory for a parent or guardian for athletes playing fall sports to attend at least one of the sports meetings scheduled at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 12 at Ka`u High School Band Room, Tuesday, Aug. 13 at Na`alehu School, or Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Ocean View Community Center.
The Fall sports are: football, girls volleyball, bowling, cross country, and riflery. Students must take athletic physicals in order to play school sports. Free athletic physicals are being given at the HMSA medical van which is stationed at Ka`u High and travels to other Ka’u communities. Free physicals will be available at st. Jude’s Church in Ocean View this Thursday, and Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until school starts. For more information, call Ka`u High School at 928-2088.
The Fall sports are: football, girls volleyball, bowling, cross country, and riflery. Students must take athletic physicals in order to play school sports. Free athletic physicals are being given at the HMSA medical van which is stationed at Ka`u High and travels to other Ka’u communities. Free physicals will be available at st. Jude’s Church in Ocean View this Thursday, and Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. until school starts. For more information, call Ka`u High School at 928-2088.
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| A 3.6 earthquake shook the Pahala area today. Image from USGS |
A 3.6 EARTHQUAKE set off hunting dogs barking throughout their kennels at 3:01 a.m. this morning in Pahala, but no physical damage was reported. The epicenter was 2 miles west/southwest of Pahala. The quake was experienced in Pahala and Wood Valley as an approaching rumble, one sharp jolt, and the sound of the rumble going off into the distance. It was felt as far away as Hilo. Windows rattled. Hillside houses in Wood Valley swayed. A depth of 22 miles was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.
KA`U FARM BUREAU board meets next Monday at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. One agenda item for discussion is the GMO bill before the County Council that would ban new Genetically Modified Organism crops on the island.
The Kona Farm Bureau, with mixed opinions among its members, both favoring and opposing GMO crops, declined to take a stand on the issue and encouraged farmers to read up on GMOs and to decide whether they individually would like to submit testimony on their own, pro or con. The statewide Farm Bureau Federation, for which Ka`u Farm Bureau President Chris Manfredi is a board liaison and co-chair of the government affairs committee, has testified in support of GMO crops and against their labeling. The statewide Farm Bureau has stated GMO labeling creates too much expense for the food industry and that GMO crops are needed for protection from pests and to increase production.
Ka`u County Council member Brenda Ford said she supports the council bill to ban additional GMO crops on Hawai`i Island. She noted that the GMO papayas are grandfathered in. At the state level, Ford said she has authored resolutions supporting labeling for GMO and also for labeling of food content and country of origin. Concerning labeling, she gave the example of 10 percent Kona and 90 percent Colombian coffee. “It should indicate it on the front label in large letters and it should say 90 percent Colombian first and 10 percent Kona second. It’s called truth in labeling and provides transparency to the buyer,” said Ford.
Ka`u’s two state senators Russell Ruderman and Josh Green supported labeling of GMO foods during the 2013 legislature. West Ka`u legislator Denny Coffman also supported labeling. All said they expect the issue to come up in the next legislature.
The Kona Farm Bureau, with mixed opinions among its members, both favoring and opposing GMO crops, declined to take a stand on the issue and encouraged farmers to read up on GMOs and to decide whether they individually would like to submit testimony on their own, pro or con. The statewide Farm Bureau Federation, for which Ka`u Farm Bureau President Chris Manfredi is a board liaison and co-chair of the government affairs committee, has testified in support of GMO crops and against their labeling. The statewide Farm Bureau has stated GMO labeling creates too much expense for the food industry and that GMO crops are needed for protection from pests and to increase production.
Ka`u County Council member Brenda Ford said she supports the council bill to ban additional GMO crops on Hawai`i Island. She noted that the GMO papayas are grandfathered in. At the state level, Ford said she has authored resolutions supporting labeling for GMO and also for labeling of food content and country of origin. Concerning labeling, she gave the example of 10 percent Kona and 90 percent Colombian coffee. “It should indicate it on the front label in large letters and it should say 90 percent Colombian first and 10 percent Kona second. It’s called truth in labeling and provides transparency to the buyer,” said Ford.
Ka`u’s two state senators Russell Ruderman and Josh Green supported labeling of GMO foods during the 2013 legislature. West Ka`u legislator Denny Coffman also supported labeling. All said they expect the issue to come up in the next legislature.
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| Michael Titterton and Hawai`i Public Radio plan to soon bring HPR2 and Civil Defense radio coverage to Ka`u. Photo from HPR |
KAHU FM RADIO could be back on the air within a month, as a Hawai`i Public Radio station with HPR2 programming emanating from O`ahu, according to Hawai`i Public Radio CEO Michael Titterton. He said yesterday that the station will most likely go on air using existing equipment on the pole and inside the KAHU building on Maile Street in Pahala. Over time, HPR will bring in new equipment and move the location to a tower to give much more range to the station, completing the goal of securing emergency radio reception for Ka`u.
The use of the KAHU radio building would no longer necessary once the equipment is moved to a tower, he said. While local programming will not resume in the short term, said Titterton, the HPR2 long term plan is to develop local origination programming in such remote places as Pahala and Hana.
The use of the KAHU radio building would no longer necessary once the equipment is moved to a tower, he said. While local programming will not resume in the short term, said Titterton, the HPR2 long term plan is to develop local origination programming in such remote places as Pahala and Hana.
Titterton said he found out about the opportunity to buy the KAHU license for Hawai`i Public Radio when he saw its equipment listed for sale. Needing a license to broadcast HPR to the south end of the island, HPR offered KAHU manager Christine Kaehuaea $20,000 for the license and the application for approval for transferring the license has been filed with the FCC, he said.
KAHU radio founder Wendell Kaehuaea said he hopes the $20,000 income from selling the license and any money taken in through selling off equipment will go toward paying off KAHU’s debt owed to local businesses.
To read about and listen to HPR2 programming, Ka`u residents can go online to www.hpr2.org.
KAHU radio founder Wendell Kaehuaea said he hopes the $20,000 income from selling the license and any money taken in through selling off equipment will go toward paying off KAHU’s debt owed to local businesses.
To read about and listen to HPR2 programming, Ka`u residents can go online to www.hpr2.org.
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| Bento Rakugo comes to Na`alehu today. |
BENTO RAKUGO performs today at Na`alehu Public Library, honoring one of the most popular traditional forms of Japanese theatre while bringing a modern twist to Japanese comedy. The program begins at 2 p.m. and is suitable for ages 5 and older. Call 939-2442 for more information.
AIKIDO IS A FREE CLASS open to the public this evening at Pahala Community Center at 7 p.m. The teacher is Alan Moores. He describes Aikido as learning to defend oneself without hurting others. Contact him at 928-0919 or at artbyalan2011@gmail.com.
HAUNANI’S ALOHA EXPRESSIONS performs tomorrow at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The hula group of native Hawaiians for years has shared the aloha spirit with visitors arriving at the Port of Hilo and Hilo International Airport and patients at hospitals and health care centers around the island.
HAUNANI’S ALOHA EXPRESSIONS performs tomorrow at Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The hula group of native Hawaiians for years has shared the aloha spirit with visitors arriving at the Port of Hilo and Hilo International Airport and patients at hospitals and health care centers around the island.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.
ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.
