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Saturday, September 16, 2017

Ka'ū News Briefs Saturday, September 16, 2017

Less than a week left to sign up online for the annual Ka'ū Coffee Trail Run starting at Ka'ū Coffee Mill
up Wood Valley Road. See poster below. Photo by Pam Taylor
CLIMATE WEEK IS Gov. David Ige's destination. He left for New York City on Friday to attend one of the key international summits that has driven climate action since it was launched in 2009. It will be held at the Morgan Library & Museum.
     The Climate Group is hosting the summit, which will be the first international climate conference in the United States since Pres. Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
Gov. David Ige heads to New
York for Climate Week.
     The summit brings together international government, business and community leaders to discuss global climate action. Climate Week takes place alongside the United Nations General Assembly. Ige will speak at the opening session and and participate in moderated discussion between the speakers.
    The governor is traveling with Scott Glenn, director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control and a member of the governor’s security team. Ige departed for Los Angeles Friday for a brief lay-over. He arrives in New York City on Sunday. He returns to Hawai‘i on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
     Attorney General Douglas Chin is acting governor while Ige is out of town.

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The two largest earthquakes in Hawai'i
in the last two days were in the sea-
bed off O'ahu and near Pahala. Map
 from Hawai`i Volcano Observatory
A MAGNITUDE-4.2 EARTHQUAKE was felt on Hawai'i Island last night, though its epicenter was 20 miles northeast of Kaneohe on O'ahu below the seabed. It struck at 8:40 p.m. and according to Hawai'i Volcano Observatory Seismic Manager Brian Shiro, "The earthquake was likely due to bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the island chain and poses no significant hazard.” 
     On Thursday, a 3.04 earthquake struck at 3:45 p.m. 0.6 miles south, southeast of Pahala at a depth of 22 miles.
     Learn more on HVO's website at volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/earthquakes/.

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MORE JAPANESE VISITORS ARE EXPECTED to travel to Ka'ū to Green Sands Beach, Punalu'u Black Sand Beach and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, with the return yesterday of Japan Airline's daily flights to the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. Gov. David Ige was on island to welcome the inaugural flight from Narita International Airport.
Gov. David Ige welcomes the return of daily JAL flights to
the island. Photo from the Office of Governor David Ige
    The new service is expected to generate $9.8 million in tax revenue and create 900 new jobs, according to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.
    Said the governor, “We warmly welcome Japan Airlines back to Kona. We are extremely excited about the daily service to Kona, which is on its way to becoming Hawai‘i’s second major international port of entry. JAL has offered excellent service to the Aloha State for more than 60 years, and has played a significant role in expanding and supporting our tourism industry and economy. We are also thankful for the opportunity for cultural exchange with Japan.”
Hawai'i Tourism Authority predicts
 $9.8 million in tax revenues and
 900 jobs from new JAL daily flights.
Photo from Office of Gov. David Ige
     George Szigeti, President and Chief Executive officer of Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, said, “Our thanks go to Japan Airlines and Chairman Masaru Onishi for being such a great and loyal friend to Hawai'i’s tourism industry. This new non-stop flight connecting Tokyo and Kona reinforces Japan Airlines’ commitment to support travel to the Hawaiian Islands, while offering its customers an enticing new vacation experience to discover the allure and natural beauty found on the island of Hawai‘i.” 

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MELE AND HULA will be presented by Hālau Ke ‘Olu Makani O Maunaloa, this Wednesday at Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Led by Kumu Hula Meleana Manuel, the halau mission is to strive to perpetuate the native Hawaiian culture through mele (song) and hula. The event is free. Park entrance fees apply. The event is sponsored by Hawai'i Volcano National Park's interpretation division.
Hālau Ke ‘Olu Makani O Maunaloa performs this Wednesday
at Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium. Photo from NPS
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ONLINE NATIVE HAWAIIAN CULTURAL RESOURCES will be more accessible to remote Ka'ū residents as more online programs receive funding. Sen. Mazie Hirono announced yesterday that Native Hawaiian organizations will receive more than $500,000 from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to enhance access to Native Hawaiian language and cultural resources.
     Hirono said that “By increasing access to Native Hawaiian manuscripts and historic materials, the projects supported by this grant will help to preserve Native Hawaiian traditions and culture. I will continue working to see that Native Hawaiian programs receive the federal support they need to implement important projects like these.”
     Yesterday's federal investment announcement includes four grants that support research, archival, and educational projects from the Bishop Museum, Hawai'i Maoli, Hula Preservation Society, and Papahana Kuaola.
Digitizing and providing online accessibility
to songs of old Hawai'i come with the
Welo Hou project.
Image from Bishop Museum
     “Mele are an invaluable primary resource for Hawaiian scholarship and cultural connection. Welo Hou: Building Connections to the Roberts Mele Collection will improve the digitization, indexing, and accessibility of a unique and treasured collection of mele dating from pre-Western contact to the early 1900s. This pilot project will serve as a model for improved access to and increased engagement with the Bishop Museum Library & Archives’ other mele collections,” said Leah Caldeira, Library & Archives Collection Manager for the Bishop Museum. “In support of the Museum’s mission to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration and celebration of extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawai'i and the Pacific, Welo Hou honors the connections between Hawaiian voices of the past and our community of the present.”
      Maile Alau, Executive Director of Hawai'i Maoli, said, “Our teachers are on the frontlines of addressing the critical learning needs of Native Hawaiian students. Through Nana I Ke Kumu (Look to the Source), we will offer professional development to train librarians and other educational leaders to use Hawaiian cultural repositories and resources that support curricular goals of Hawaiian students. With so much culturally relevant digital content available at any computer, tablet, or smartphone, we believe that teachers and students will be able to expand and deepen their knowledge of Hawaiian history, culture, genealogy, chant, and language.” The project will provide library research skills training for 40 Native Hawaiian students and Hawaiian resource database workshops for at least 125 educators.
Hula Preservation Society preserves oral
histories and creations of hula elders, like
the late George Na'ope who mentored
kumu hula and wrote songs for Ka'ū.
Image from Hula Preservation Society
     Maile Loo, Executive Director of the Hula Preservation Society, said: “Hula Preservation Society’s cultural library is built upon the oral histories and associated materials of our late hula elders, who helped lay the groundwork for the Hawaiian Renaissance in the last century. This grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Services will assist the Hula Preservation Society in providing first-time direct online access to these resources, digitally preserve an additional 700 treasured historical items under are care, dating back to 1890, and provide internship opportunities for Native Hawaiian youth entering the Library Information Science and Hawaiian Studies fields."
     The project will develop online tutorials and digital preservation of 150 audio pieces and 550 historic photos.
     Papahana Kuaola's Makaikai Mele a Moolelo project will provide moolelo/mele tours specifically designed for kupuna and the general community to nurture understanding and appreciation of traditional Hawaiian literature and the places to which they are connected.
     Hirono said she continues to support federal funding for Native Hawaiian programs and services, and has consistently supported the Institute for Museum & Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Humanities during her time in Congress. Earlier this year, she signed letters with her colleagues requesting support for Institute for Museum & Library Services Office of Museum Service. She said it is the country’s largest dedicated commitment "to our nation’s museums, which support around 400,000 Americans and contributes $21 billion to the U.S. economy ever year."

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Ka`u Chamber of Commerce logo by Tanya Ibarra
CU HAWAI'I OFFERS TO PAY $1 ENTRY FEE FOR KEIKI ARTISTS submitting art to the Ka'ū Chamber of Commerce's Annual Art Show, which accepts entries on Monday, Sept. 25. The art show will be open for public viewing from Tuesday, Sept. 26, to Friday, Sept. 29, in the CU Hawai'i Federal Credit Union Annex Building (behind CU) in Nā'ālehu, during normal credit union business hours.
   An Artist Reception for distribution of prizes and art pickup will be the morning of Saturday, Sept. 30.
     Categories include: painting, graphics, photography, craft, lei, weaving, jewelry, quilting, sculpture, and woodworking. There will also be categories for Youth and Keiki entries, for which the entry fee is $1 per artwork.
     The winning popular vote piece will be displayed on the cover of The Directory 2018, according to new Chamber co-chairs Alan Stafford and Allen Humble who describe the annual art show as a fundraiser for the Ka'ū Chamber of Commerce scholarship program. For more details, visit the Chamber website at kauchamber.org or call 936-5288.

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Hawaiian Petrel
Photo by Jim Denny
THE ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN PETREL, ‘UA‘U, will be the subject of discussion at Coffee Talk on Friday, Sept. 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. inside the Visitor Center at the Kahuku Unit of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
     The ‘ua‘u, an endangered Hawaiian seabird that spends the majority of its life at sea, lands only to nest and raise its young in deep burrows. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Avian Research Technician Charlotte Forbes-Perry will present a talk about the life of the ‘ua‘u and the National Park’s efforts to monitor and protect them.
     Coffee Talk at Kahuku, an informal conversation on a wide variety of topics, is open to the public, and takes place on the last Friday of every month. Ka‘ū coffee, tea and pastries will be available for purchase. Entrance to the event and park is free. Visit nps.gov/havo for more.

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TROJANS TRAVELED TO KOHALA today, Saturday, for the eight-man Ka'ū High School football team to take on the Cowboys. Ka'ū beat Kohala on Sept. 2 with a score of 26-6. In other games this season, Ka'ū traveled to Lana'i, losing 58-90. Ka'ū lost to Pāhoa, 8-32.
    Ka'ū's Cross Country team traveled to Kea'au on Saturday.  The bowling team  went to Kona.

Pick up the September edition of The Ka'ū Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka'ū, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at kaucalendar.com
UPCOMING FALL TROJAN SPORTS:

Girls Volleyball
Monday, Sept. 18, Ka'ū vs. Makualani, away.
Wednesday, Sept. 20, Ka'ū vs. Konawaena, away.
Friday, Sept. 22, Ka'ū vs. Christian Liberty, home.

Eight-Man Football
 Thursday, Sept. 21, Ka'ū vs. Pāhoa, away game at Kea'au Field.
Saturday, Oct. 7, Ka'ū vs. Kohala, home.
Saturday, Oct. 21, Ka'ū vs. Pahoa, home.

Cross Country
 Saturday, Sept. 23, Ka'ū vs. Hawai'i Prep, away.

Bowling
 Saturday, Sept. 23, Ka'ū vs. Kealakehe at Kona Bowl.

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PEOPLE & LAND OF KAHUKU is a free, guided, 2.5 mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain through the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park that focuses on the area’s human history from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. tomorrow, Sunday, Sept. 17.

REGISTER KEIKI GRADES K-8 FOR ART CLASSES IN PĀHALA.
     Tissue Art: register until Sept. 19. The art class will take place at Pāhala Community Center on Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more, call 928-3102.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BOARD meets Wednesday, Sept. 20, at noon in the Ocean View Community Center. For more, call 939-7033.

HAWAIIAN CIVIC CLUB OF KA'Ū meets Thursday, Sept. 21, at 5:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Methodist Church. The new President is Berkeley Yoshida. For more details, call Blossom DeSilva at 929-9731.

IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP KEIKI SAFE, National Child Passenger Safety Certification, a Safe Kids Worldwide program, is offering free car seat checks at Pāhala Community Center on Friday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to noon. Partners for Safe Keiki and Hawai’i County Fire Department co-sponsor the event. All are welcome.
     Those with recalled or structurally unsound car seats will receive a free new car seat, acquired through grant funding from the Department of Transportation. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call or text 808-896-1336. For information about Child Passenger Safety, visit safekids.org.

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Register online by Sept. 21.
For more details, see the Ka'ū News Briefs from Aug. 30, 2017.
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY HOSTS A VOLUNTEER DAY at its Kona Hema Preserve in South Kona on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
     Space is limited so those wanting to volunteer must contact Schubert in advance to reserve a spot on one of the trucks. For more, read the Ka'ū News Briefs from September 8. To contact Schubert, email lschubert@tnc.org or call 443-5401.

NATURE & CULTURE: AN UNSEVERABLE RELATIONSHIP, a moderate hike approximately 2 miles takes place Saturday, September 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Palm Trail hikers visit a place where catastrophic change (hulihia) and subsequent restoration (kulia) can be observed as the land transitions from the 1868 lava flow with its pioneer plants to deeper soil with more diverse and older flora. Learn about native plants that play a vital role in Hawaiian culture. Free. Visit nps.gov/havo for more.

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ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENT PLAYERS, DRUMMERS, SINGERS AND DANCERS ARE WELCOMED for Kanikapila on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Nā‘ālehu Methodist Church Hall. For more, call Desmond at 937-6305.

THE KOHALA CENTER’S DEMONSTRATION FARM HOSTS A FIELD DAY on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (45-434 Lehua St, Honoka’a).
     The Kohala Center’s event description offers "a farm tour, hands-on training, and planting of an agroforestry system designed to diversify crops, control weeds naturally, and improve soil health."
Seeds adapted to Hawai`i's environmental niches
will be exchanged on Saturday, Sept. 23.
Photo from Hawai`i Seed Growers Network
    This event is open to the public, with high school students and teachers encouraged to learn about the upcoming fall High School Sustainable Agriculture Program.
      Contact Dave Sansone at sansone@kohalacenter.org or 808-887-6411 for more information.

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HAWAI’I SEED FEST: LOCAL SEEDS FOR LOCAL NEEDS, sponsored by The Kohala Center and Hawai’i Seed Growers Network, is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon in Pāhoa and Honalõ.
     "Check out variety trials in progress, learn how to conduct successful trials in your garden, enjoy refreshments and tastings of crops being grown from local seed, talk story with a local seed grower, and meet others in your community interested in improving local food security," says an announcement from The Kohala Center. Attendance is free but space is limited. Reserve a spot online at localseeds.eventbrite.com or call The Kohala Center at 808-887-6411. Visit Hawai'i Seed Growers Network.

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