Ka‘ū News Briefs Thursday, March 1, 2018

A bill has moved from the state Senate to the House to fund more Child Welfare Service workers who serve
foster children to the age of 21 and also work with families. Photo from state Department of Human Services

SEN. JOSH GREEN'S BILL TO IMPROVE CHILD WELFARE AND FOSTER CARE SERVICES passed the state Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously on Wednesday, following a public hearing. The bill moves to the state House of Representatives.

      SB2276 would appropriate funds for the state Department of Human Services to ensure that the caseload of child welfare workers is no more than 20 children at a time. The five-year pilot program would be installed in the east Hawaiʻi Child Welfare Services area, where the number of children in foster care increased by 56 percent from 2014 to 2017. Statewide, the number of cases increased 23 percent from 2014 to 2017, leaving the most dramatic increase to East Hawai‘i.
     Some testimony said that the program should be more than a test case in East Hawaiʻi and focus on not only caseloads, but also prevention statewide.

     Testimonies from residents of East Hawai‘i were overwhelmingly in support of the bill, from emotional responses - giving specific details of children, families, and caseworkers in need - to the simple message "I support this bill," as Christina Lamport wrote.

     Kenneth Goodenow, whose work as a lawyer in many Child Welfare Service cases, including service as a Guardian ad Litem for numerous children, stated: "While not meaning to sound dramatic, CWS in East Hawai‘i is at a crisis point. I am personally aware of three deaths last year involving placement of children already in the CWS system."

Sen. Josh Green, who submitted a bill to increase funds and lessen caseloads for child welfare workers. 
Photo from State of Reform

     Katherine Wood, an adoptive mother whose children were originally in the foster system, describes their situation with the caseworker they were assigned: "Despite never really observing us together as a family more than three or four times over the course of 16 months, she made a decision to break apart our family. She removed our older foster son from our home (after 1.5 years) and shipped him and his infant brother out of state to some relatives who had specifically stated multiple times they didn't want a baby. Ultimately we won a court decision (and won a subsequent case in appellate court) to have both boys returned to us to live together. Justice was served but at what emotional cost to our children, all of the parties of the case and to the tax payer?"

     Others point out their concerns with the possible ramifications of a struggling child welfare system:

● "Studies show that 25-30 percent of youth who age out of the foster care system will experience homelessness, but increased case management and support for these youth reduces the numbers who become homeless," stated Maile Pavao.

● Lesley A. Slavin, a clinical psychologist, stated, "Often, our efforts are made less effective by a lack of support for the child from their over-worked, over-extended Child Welfare caseworker. When children feel abandoned or ignored by their caseworker (their legal guardian) and they are separated from their birth parents, they have little hope for their future and they can't make the emotional investment needed to benefit from their mental health treatment and other programming. This is a 'pay me now or pay me later' situation. We can spend money on higher quality Child Welfare services, or we can pay later for high cost mental health treatment or prison. I feel sure that the proposed pilot project will be able to demonstrate cost savings in the long run and improvements in child outcomes that can lead to other savings for the state down the line."

East Hawaiʻi experienced the highest increase in foster care, rising 56 percent between 2014 and 2017.
Photo from state Department of Human Services.

● Sharla-Ann Fujimoto wrote, "I have been working in the field for almost ten years. In that time, I have seen horrific amounts of injustice and harm done to our extremely vulnerable foster youth, which is partially due to the lack of support and staffing within Child Welfare Services. I have worked with many foster youth that have been in care for over a year, and they report seeing their worker only once or twice in the last eight months. The youth has had to fend for themselves to get the things they need, or they just settle to 'go without,' which is something that no young person should have to experience. Other youth have been horribly mistreated in their resource homes, and when the youth was calling and calling to reach out for help, the only thing they could do was leave a voicemail on an already overloaded answering machine. It is very clear: the foster youth need their social worker."

● "I am a retired police officer and former foster parent. I know the hard work that social workers do. Without them the children in care of the state would suffer," from Matthew Magnuson.
     Read more testimonies on the bills.

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HOVE DEEP WELL IS STILL INOPERABLE and the water supply remains limited for Hawaiian Ocean View Estates and Ranchos.

     The well, which was knocked out of commission in November of 2017, had been repaired, but testing that began on Feb. 9 is showing there is an electrical issue, and equipment inside the well will need to be removed. That process may begin this weekend.

     The water department's mechanical engineer told the Water Board on Tuesday that testing indicates a possible short circuit somewhere, sending power possibly somewhere but the motor, unless the motor is damaged.

     Water is being trucked by residents on their own dime, and by the county to service HOVE and Ranchos houses and businesses. The county water, distributed at the public spigot, is limited to drinking and personal use, and not for irrigating or washing vehicles. Commercial haulers are prohibited from filling their trucks with water at the Ocean View spigots. They must haul from Waiʻohinu and other county water spigots.

Meet Don Elwing at the Explore! Fair at Nāʻālehu Elementary School.
Above is his Peace at the Temple Bell creation made from plastics
collected at Kamilo Beach in Kaʻū. Art by Don Elwing

     Department of Water Supply is pressing on for a second well in Ocean View, as a backup, and for commercial use and expansion of infrastructure, such as a future school.
    There is no piped water to Ocean View and Ranchos homes who depend mostly on catchment and hauling.

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EXPLORE! FAIR BRINGS STEAM TO Nāʻālehu Elementary School Gym, Thursday, March 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. Event is free and open to the public.

     STEAM is the theme, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Hands-on experiments, make-and-take activities, student-work showcases, and brain-challenging games will be highlighted at several stations, each led by grade-level teachers or community partners. Learning to make recycled paper, entering the hurricane engineering design challenge, or picking up seedlings to start home gardens are just a taste of the many activities planned.

     Principal Darlene Javar said she encourages any Nāʻālehu Elementary ʻohana members who have not yet received their window box, potting soil, and starter plants this school year to stop by EXPLORE! fair to receive them. Enjoy free food and refreshments, and a chance to win door prizes.

     Fair participants can also view artist Don Elwing's gallery of pieces created from marine debris gathered from Kamilo Beach. Visit the Nāʻālehu ACE Hardware table to make slime or a lava lamp to take home, and get a special gadget for visiting. Talk to field experts whose passions intersect with STEAM and have helped them to find their current careers right here on the Big Island.
     Check out Bee Boys live honeybee observation hive, and explore Kaʻū's unique native ecosystems and conservation efforts with community organizations - such as Three Mountain Alliance, Nā Mamo o Kāwā, and The Nature Conservancy - and much more.

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TWO SUNDAY CLAY - HIGH FIRE! WORKSHOPS WITH ERIK WOLD, a morning and an afternoon class that each meet once-weekly for eight weeks, will start on Mar. 4, announces Volcano Art Center. The morning session takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the afternoon session takes place from 2:45 to 5:45 p.m. Both courses run through Apr. 22.
     Volcano Art Center welcomes all skill levels to join the classes, in which participants will work with stoneware clay and high-fire reduction glazes.
     Teaching artist Wold provides instruction and demonstrations of wheel throwing methods, and will be available for individual assistance. Those new to clay will be guided step-by-step through the basics of using the potter's wheel or hand-building techniques. Continuing students and those with previous experience are encouraged to develop their skills, and are welcome to pursue more advanced directions with the instructor's helpful input. Informal discussion on topics ranging from sources of creative inspiration to various pottery styles and traditions from around the world will supplement this hands-on learning experience.
     For each class, seven registration slots are open to "wheel throwers," and two additional places will be open to "hand builders." The course cost is $180 for VAC members and $200 for non-members, plus a $15 materials fee for 6 pounds of clay, which includes glazes and firing for that material - additional clay is available for purchase.

Photos from volcanoartcenter.org

     Open studio time will be available to registered students on Wednesdays, from 2 to 5 p.m., at $10 per day, with tickets available at VAC's Administration Office front desk during business hours. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org or call 967-8222.
     Wold is a full-time potter living in Volcano Village. He is a member of the Volcano Village Artists Hui, and sells his wares regularly at the Saturday Hilo Farmers Market, and Sunday Cooper Center Farmers Market in Volcano. Wold studied Ceramics at the University of Hawaiʻi, Hilo, graduating in 1993.

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SECOND GAME FOR KA‘Ū TROJANS GIRLS SOFTBALL was played on Wednesday at home, against Honoka‘a. It was a close one, Ka‘ū trailing behind by only three runs, with an ending score of 13-10. The next game in Ka‘ū is Saturday, against Kohala. See full softball and volleyball schedules, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at kaucalendar.com

/janfebmar/februaryevents.html. See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, 

weekly events at kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/februarycommunity.html.

February print edition of The Ka‘ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Ka‘ū, from Miloli‘i through Volcano. Also available free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com.

KA‘Ū TROJANS SPORTS SCHEDULE

Girls Softball: Saturday, Mar 3, Kohala @ Ka‘ū

   Wednesday, Mar 7, Waiakea @ Ka‘ū

   Friday, Mar 9, @ Hawai‘i Prep

   Tuesday, Mar 13, @ Hilo

   Saturday, Mar 17 @ Konawaena

   Monday, Mar 19, KSH @ Ka‘ū

   Saturday, Mar 24 @ Kealakehe

   Saturday, Mar 31 @ Honoka‘a

   Monday, Apr 2, @ Kohala

   Saturday, Apr 7, Hawai‘i Prep @ Ka‘ū

   Monday, Apr 9, @ Pāhoa

   Wednesday, Apr 11 @ KSH

   Saturday, Apr 14, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū

Boys Volleyball: Monday, Mar 5, @ Hawai‘i Prep

   Friday, Mar 9, @ Kohala

   Monday, Mar 12, @ Makua Lani

   Wednesday, Mar 14 Ehunui @ Ka‘ū

   Friday, Mar 16 @ Konawaena

   Monday, Mar 19 @ KSH

   Friday, Mar 23 Pāhoa @ Ka‘ū

   Tuesday, Apr 3, @ Waiakea

   Wednesday, Apr 11, Kea‘au @ Ka‘ū

   Friday, Apr 13, Honoka‘a @ Ka‘ū

   Monday, Apr 16, @ Hilo

   Friday, Apr 20, Parker @ Ka‘ū

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

KAHA KIʻI CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION is open to high school students. Digital files of 2D artwork due by March 5 at haearts@gmail.com. More info at: gabbard.house.gov/serving-you/student-resources/art-competition

ARTS & CRAFTS: SPRING BUTTERFLY CRAFT, register until Mar 6. Event is Wed, Mar 7, 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. For grades K-8 years. Free. Nona Makuakane/Elijah Navarro, 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation 

MY HAWAI‘I 2018 CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST is open to all 6th through 8th grade students in the state. Submit story or poem that addresses the theme, "Ulu ka lālā i ke kumu: From a strong foundation grows an abundant future," to align with the 2018 Hawai‘i Conservation Conference. Submit online at hawaiiconservation.org/my-hawaii/my-hawaii-story-project-2018 by 5:00 p.m., March 9. Email questions to myhawaiistory@gmail.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3

West Hawaiʻi Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death Symposium this weekend. East Hawaiʻi symposium Saturday, March 17. See details, below. Photo of healthy, rare salmon-colored ʻōhiʻa from NPS

SECOND ANNUAL RAPID ʻŌHIʻA DEATH SYMPOSIUM-WEST, Sat, Mar 3, 8:30 - noon, West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, County Council Chambers. Register at www.RapidOhiaDeath.org

HAWAI‘I WILDLIFE FUND VOLUNTEER BEACH CLEAN UP, Sat., Mar. 3, 8:45 a.m., meet at Wai‘ōhinu Park. Help clean up trash and debris washed up on the shore at Kamilo on the Ka‘ū Coast below Nā‘ālehu. Reserve a spot in a 4WD vehicle with HWF in advance. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT, Mar. 3, 9, 16, 23 & 31, 8:45 a.m. Meet Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing. Free; park entrance fees apply - nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/summit_stewardship.htm

INTRODUCTION TO OIL PAINTING WITH STEVE IRVINE, Sat., Mar. 3, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Class fee $55 for VAC members, $60 for non-members. Class supplies not provided; receive a full list upon registration. His Tī and Seas art exhibit is open to the public through Sun., Mar. 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily - volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222.

HI‘IAKA & PELE, Sat., Mar. 3, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/HAVO.

ZENTANGLE: BASICS, Sat., Mar. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Learn the foundations of Zentangle art form and the philosophy behind it from Certified Zentangle Teacher Dina Wood Kageler. All art supplies provided. $30/VAC members, $35/non-members, plus $10 supply fee. Bring a light refreshment to share. Register online, volcanoartcenter.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 4

HAWAI‘I WILDLIFE FUND NEEDS VOLUNTEERS TO HELP LOAD NETS - previously collected from the coast - into a container at Wai‘ōhinu Transfer Station on Sunday, March 4, starting at 9 a.m. Bring personal drinking water. To sign-up, email kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

HAM RADIO POTLUCK PICNIC, Sun., Mar. 4, noon to 2 p.m., Manukā State Park. Anyone interested in learning about ham radio is welcome to attend. Sponsored by South Point Amatueur Radio Club and Amateur Radio Emergency Service. View sites.google.com/site/southpointartc or sites.google.com/view/southhawaiiares/home. Rick Ward, 938-3058.

MONDAY, MARCH 5

OCEAN VIEW VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETING, Mon, Mar 5, 4 - 6 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

TUESDAY, MARCH 6

Walk into the past with Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar 
- details, right. Photo from National Park Service

WALK INTO THE PAST WITH DR. THOMAS A. JAGGAR, Tuesdays, Mar. 6, 20, and 27, at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., at Kīlauea VisitorCenter. Each performance lasts about an hour. To find out more about this living history program, visit the park website:
nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/walk_into_the_
past.htm

DISCOVERY HARBOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. Meeting, Tue, Mar 6, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

KA‘Ū COFFEE GROWERS MEETING, Tue, Mar 6, 6 - 8 p.m., Pāhala Community Center.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK: THE FIRST TEN YEARS OF KĪLAUEA VOLCANO'S SUMMIT ERUPTION, Tues., Mar. 6, 7 p.m., at Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Free; park entrance fees apply - nps.gov/HAVO

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7

DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT MEETING, Wed, Mar 7, 6 - 8 p.m., New Thought Center in Kealakekua. Democratic Party Precincts of Ho‘okena, Miloli‘i & Ocean View. ovcahi.org, 939-7033, ovcahawaii@gmail.com

OPEN MIC NIGHT, Wed, Mar 7, 6 - 10 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp’s Lava Lounge in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Singers, Bands, Comedians, etc. Call 967-8365 after 4 p.m. to sign up. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests 21 years and older. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, MARCH 8

STEWARDSHIP OF KῙPUKAPUAULU takes place every Thursday in March: 8, 15, 22, and 29. Participants meet at Kīpukapuaulu parking lot, Mauna Loa Road, off Highway 11, at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers should bring clippers or pruners, sturdy gloves, a hat and water; wear closed-toe shoes. Clothing may be permanently stained by morning glory sap. New volunteers, contact Marilyn Nicholson at nickem@hawaii.rr.com.

DISABILITY LEGAL SERVICES, Thu, Mar 8, 9:30 - 1 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Provided by Paula Boyer of Big Island Disability. ovcahi.org, 939-7033, ovcahawaii@gmail.com

MOKUHANGA: TRADITIONAL JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINTMAKING, Thursdays, Mar 8 - Apr 5, 1 - 3:30 p.m., Volcano ArtCenter. Five hands-on sessions w/ Sensei Glenn Yamanoha. Water-based printing by hand using non-toxic natural materials. No experience necessary. $72/VAC members, $80/non-members, plus a $40 supply fee. Registration online, volcanoartcenter.org

EXPLORE! FAIR, Nāʻālehu School Gym, Thurs, Mar 8, 4 - 6 p.m., free. STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) is the theme, with hands-on experiments, make-and-take activities, student-work showcases, and brain-challenging games. Enjoy free food and refreshments, and a chance to win door prizes.

FOUR DAYS OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP COMING TO KA‘Ū, with Big Island Faith Crusade, at Ka‘ū District Gym, Thursday, March 8, at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 10, at 6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 11, at 9:30 a.m.; doors open one hour beforehand; free. Contact Thy Word Ministries Pastor Bob Tominaga at 936-9114 or Herb Schneider at 327-9739 for more information.

ONGOING

TŪTŪ AND ME OFFERS HOME VISITS to those with keiki zero to five years old: home visits to aid with helpful parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Home visits are free, last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, for a total of 12 visits, and snacks are provided. For info and to register, call Linda Bong 646-9634.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.