Sunday, July 27, 2014

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, July 27, 2014

Tours and screenings of a film about Kilauea Military Detention Camp during WWII take place Tuesday. Drawing by 
Japanese-American Yoshio "George" Hoshida courtesy of Japanese National Museum and NPS
THE COUNTY COUNCIL FORUM sponsored by Volcano Rotary Club on Saturday showcased the reasons the three candidates for District Six, from Volcano through Ka`u to South Kona, see themselves as fit to represent the region. The primary election is Saturday, Aug. 9, with walk-in voting beginning tomorrow at Pahala Community Center from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays through Thursday, Aug. 7. 
      A candidate receiving more than 50 percent of the vote will become the new council member representing the south side of the Big Island. If everyone receives less than 50 percent plus one vote, a runoff will take place in the Nov. 4 general election.
From left, Richard Abbett, Maile David and Jim Wilson are
running for County Council District Six. Photo by Julia Neal
      During yesterday’s forum, candidate Maile Medeiros David noted that she was raised in a big family in Kona. “I was fortunate being born and raised here to raise my children in my home town,” she said. She talked about children staying nearby when they grow up as everybody’s dream. She reviewed her 30-year career as a paralegal and her work as a council staff member under former county council member Angel Pilago. “I know how government works and should work,” she said.
      David said her life’s work is to preserve and protect native Hawaiian cultural resources and said they are tied to protection of the environment. She said she personally filed lawsuits when government was sidestepping laws. She said she stopped dredging of a marina, stopped dredging two of three swimming holes that were being dug on weekends for the Hualalai resort. She said she worked on Native Hawaiian access to cultural and environmental sites.
      David noted that her work helped lead to the requirement of not only environmental impact statements but also cultural impact statements.
      She called the stopping of a seven-story condominium project at a sacred site on Ali`i Drive as one of her most important efforts.
      David said she drafted the legislation that bans GMO kalo (taro) and GMO coffee. She said she works on the problem of gang cesspools being changed over to sewage systems that protect the environment.
      She described becoming a County Council member a “natural progression” in her life. “I would like to know I did everything for my community and, more importantly, my people,” she said. She said her job to solve a problem would be – after talking with the community – “to create legislation to fix it.”
       When asked how she views Volcano, since she is a Kona resident, she talked about coming to the farmers market and appreciating the community. “Volcano is not going to be an orphan child,” she said. “I will always be available.”
      See more from the forum on candidate Richard Abbett in tomorrow’s Ka`u News Briefs. See more on candidate Jim Wilson in yesterdays Ka`u News Briefs.
      Another forum for County Council District Six candidates begins at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 4 at Ocean View Community Center.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Representing Pahala Dojo in a recent tournament were, left to right, Cliff Field Sensei,
Susan Field Senpai, Francisco Villa, Jake Villa, Kailee Kuhaulua-Stacy,
Cheydon Kaluahine-Salmo, Josiah Barrios, Maiki Cofer,
John Poetzel and Jack Minassian. Photo from Cliff Field
PAHALA KARATE DOJO PARTICIPATED in the International Karate League tournament held in Hilo July 12. The International Karate League holds a tournament every year, rotating through each of its six regions. The six regions include dojos in Hawai`i, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Minnesota and North Carolina. This year was Region Two’s turn, and the hosting dojo was Kea`au Dojo, with Wilbur Mina as Sensei.
      The tournament attracted 160 competitors from all regions throughout the school and was held at the Edith Kanaka`ole stadium. Representing Pahala Dojo were Cliff Field Sensei, Susan Field Senpai, Jack Minassian (Black belt), Francisco Villa (Brown Belt), Jake Villa (Junior Brown Belt), Kailee Kuhaulua-Stacy (Junior Brown Belt), Maiki Cofer (Green Belt), Josiah Barrios (Junior Green Belt), Cheydon Kaluahine-Salmo (Junior Green Belt) and John Poetzel (White Belt).
      Sensei and Senpai Field and Jack Minassian helped with officiating while the others participated as competitors in their respective divisions. Francisco Villa placed second in the men’s brown belt kumite (sparring) division, Jake Villa placed second in the junior brown belt kata division, Maiki Cofer placed third in the adult green belt kumite division, and Josiah Barrios placed third in the junior green belt kata division. All junior competitors who did not place received a participation medal.
      In addition to the tournament, there were other events throughout the weekend including picnics, a training seminar, banquet and a tour of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Sensei Mark Svenkeson and his family from the dojo in Forest Lake, Minnesota participated in Pahala Dojo’s Tuesday night training.
      Pahala Dojo practices every Tuesday and Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center and is open to new students of all ages.
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Arroya Rivas serves possibly the world's first Green Drink shave ice
to Wayne Kawachi, of `O Ka`u Kakou. Photo from Kalu Oyama
GOT GREEN? FREE GREEN DRINKS WERE SERVED to over 700 students, teachers, staff, and parents/community members at Na`alehu Elementary School’s May Celebration held on the last day of school. “The yummy Green Drinks were full of nutritious and delicious greens from our school garden and Hawaiian-grown fruits. Green Drink is a nutritional wave that is up and coming to all of the Hawai`i Islands,” said garden educator and mentor Arroya Rivas. Rivas introduced the Green Drinks to school students, staff, and community members two years ago. “This year, we decided to go all the way. We also handed out nutritional data along with a Green Drink recipe,” she said.
      Each Green Drink contained a healthy portion of kale, beet greens, purslane and lettuce. “The addition of juicy pineapples and ripe bananas gave it a delicious flavor. It was awesome to witness kids with green mustaches holding up their empty cups and asking for more,” said Kalu Oyama, FoodCorps Service member and site leader. 
      Rivas and Oyama called on the community to help make the event possible and sent a big mahalo to Rudy Balala, Maui Pineapple, Richard Ha, Hamakua Springs Country Farms, Na`alehu School and principal Darlene Javar, Nancy Redfeather, Hawai`i Island School Garden Network, Eugene Strehler, Wayne Kawachi, Shaunda Fujikawa, Kamaki Boy Fujikawa, Otis Salmo, Tess Castaneda, Dell Shultz, Carol Porter and Rolland Alcoran.
      Rivas and Oyama shared their recipe from Na`alehu School Garden Kitchen for approximately one serving of Green Drink. Rivas suggested playing with the ratio of fruits and leafy greens to satisfy individual tastes.
      In a blender, put about one-half cup of water. Add one William banana or two apple bananas. Add between one-quarter to one-half cup of pineapple chunks to the blender. Chop a few leaves of a leafy green vegetable like kale, beet greens, Swiss Chard, spinach, bok choy or lettuce. Add greens to the blender, and blend until smooth.
      Rivas suggested rotating the greens you use and keeping it simple: greens, fruit and water. Also, too much water can make the drink taste bland. “Frozen bananas make the Green Drink thick and yummy,” she said. “Try using a variety of frozen fruit.”
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Sen. David Ige, candidate for governor,
comes to Pahala tomorrow.
HAWAI`I CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY IS BRINGING speakers to Ka`u today. Filipino leaders Dr. Romeo Quijano and Gilbert Sape speak with farmers, farm workers and others at 6 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. A potluck begins at 5 p.m. 
      For more information, contact Kasha Ho at 808-681-7688 or kho@centerforfoodsafety.org.

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE DAVID IGE COMES TO KA`U tomorrow. A talk story session at the Pahala home of Marion Villanueva begins at 4 p.m. The address is 96-1174 Holei Street, on the corner of Pikake Street. Ige, Finance chair of the state Senate, is challenging sitting governor Neil Abercrombie for the Democratic Party nomination in the Aug. 9 primary election.

HAWAI`I WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION hosts a free community wildfire preparedness workshop tomorrow at Pahala Elementary School from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Topics include how to mitigate wildfire issues through proper home landscaping techniques and home structure modifications, how to develop a clear and achievable family emergency plan and what actions to take during a wildfire and proper evacuation procedures.
      For more information, email pablo@hawaiiwildfire.org, call 808-885-0900, or see hawaiiwildfire.org.

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK OFFERS FREE GUIDED TOURS of the former World War II detention camp site at Kilauea Military Camp on Tuesday and shows the documentary, The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawai`i.
      The one-hour tours at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. focus on Japanese residents of Hawai`i who were detained at Kilauea Military Camp during World War II. Park archaeologist Dr. Jadelyn Moniz-Nakamura and archive technician Geoff Mowrer lead the tours. Limited copies of the new National Park Service cultural resources report, A Silent Farewell, will be available.
      At 1 p.m., the documentary is screened at KMC’s Lava Lounge adjacent to the post office. That evening, the park shows the film as part of its After Dark in the Park series at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Filmmaker Ryan Kawamoto and Carole Hayashino, president and director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai`i, present both showings of the documentary.
      While the story of the 1942 mass roundup, eviction and imprisonment of Japanese Americans in California, Oregon and Washington has been well documented, very little is known about Hawai`i internees and their unique experience during World War II. This is the first full-length documentary to chronicle this untold story in Hawai`i’s history.
      The tours and film screenings are free. No registration is required. Participants meet at KMC’s check-in area at near the flagpole. Park entrance fees apply.

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