Monday, August 21, 2017

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Aug. 21, 2017

Ka`u Calendar Astronomy editor Lew Cook sent these eclipse shots from the mainland today. Only a tiny
fraction of solar eclipse was visible in Hawai`i. Photo by Reed Yurman






HAWAI`I IS IN THE TOP DOZEN of community college systems according to WalletHub, which today released a report on 2017's Best Community College Systems. "With back-to-school season upon us and several states, such as New York and Rhode Island, offering free community-college education starting this month, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report. To determine where students can receive the best education at the cheapest rates, WalletHub’s analysts compared more than 700 community colleges across 14 key indicators of cost and quality. The data set ranges from the cost of in-state tuition and fees to student-faculty ratio to graduation rate."
    Hawai`i ranked eleventh in the country with the top ten state community college systems ranking in the following order: South Dakota, Alaska, Washington, Florida, Wisconsin, Mississippi, North Dakota, Minnesota, New York and Montana.
     A number of top individual community colleges, reports WalletHub, are in tribal lands. They include Leech Lake Tribal College in Minesotta, Cochise County Community College in Arizona, Blackfeet Community College in Montana, Aaniih Nakoda College in Montana, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in New Mexico and Chief Dull Knife College in Montana.

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Ala Kahakai Trail in Ka`u. Photo by Barbara A. Schaefer

ALA KAHAKAI TRAIL SUPERINTENDENT ARIC ARAKAKI will be the speaker at Coffee Talk at the Visitor Contact Station of the Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Friday, Aug. 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
     “He ala hele, he ala muku no Kane laua Kanaloa,” announces the poster for the event. It means Pele will follow the short trail toward Kane and Kanaloa.
     Arakaki will answer the question, "What is the Ala Kahakai?"
      Polynesians traveled on water trails to the Hawaiian Islands and then built trails on the land. Used and maintained for an estimated 1,000 years, these trails are still used today by the descendants of the original builders. Designated as a National Historic Trail in the year 2000, the Ala Kahakai protects and assures that access and cultural practices will continue into the future. Learn about the Trail and how NPS is working with descendants and communities to manage one of the oldest trails in the National Trails System.

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Coffee berry blotch is on the increase, according to
University of Hawai`i.
COFFEE BERRY BLOTCH and Cercospora Leaf Spot are two problems that University of Hawai`i is identifying in the coffee industry. Andrea Kawabata, Associate Extension Agent for Coffee and Orchard Crops, reports that she recently noticed an increase in this problem, caused by fungal pathogens. She said to look for a small, brown blemish or sunburn mark on the berry that becomes larger and sunken, and may have a reddish-purple halo. It can cause the berry skin to stick to the parchment, making pulping, fermentation and drying difficult and uneven. Young berries may ripen prematurely or become raisins and mature berries may become raisins and fall of the branch before the next harvest, she said. Kawabata recommends visiting http://hawaiicoffee.weebly.com/cercospora-leaf-spot-and-berry-blotch.html and read the publication produced on Cercospora. "Always keep coffee trees healthy. Prune and desucker your coffee trees to improve airflow through the tree and orchard," she recommends. Contact her at andreak@hawaii.edu.

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Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

Volcano 911: Protecting and Serving Visitors, Tue, Aug 22, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Chief Ranger John Broward reveals what it takes to become an National Park Service law enforcement ranger, and how the park’s protection staff works to keep visitors safe on the world’s most active volcanoes. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Make the Hawaiian Game, Pala‘ie, Wed, Aug 23, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ National Park. Create your own traditional Hawaiian game with natural materials. Pala‘ie, sometimes played by keiki while chanting ancient songs, is a ball-and-loop game rarely encountered in modern Hawai‘i. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Dream Catcher, Wed, Aug 23, 3:30 – 5 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Grades K – 8 register Aug 14 – 22. 928-0312

Fee-Free Day, Fri, Aug 25, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Celebrate National Park Service’s 101st Anniversary.

Coffee Talk, Fri, Aug 25, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. An informal conversation on a wide variety of topics. Ka‘ū coffee, tea and pastries available for purchase. Free.

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