Ka`ū News Briefs Monday, August 13, 2018

Waikapuna, a culturally and ecologically significant coastal property makai of Nā`ālehu, will be considered for
preservation by the full County Council next week. Aerial photo by Shalan Crysdale

ACQUISITION OF WAIKAPUNA GOES TO THE FULL COUNTY COUNCIL next week. It unanimously passed the County Council Finance Committee last week, and will come before the full council at the Wednesday, Aug. 22 meeting in Kona, reports Maile David. She is Chair of the Finance

Tom Ye
Photo from Big Island Video News

Committee and the council member representing the district where Waikapuna is located.
     The 2,013 acres, comprised of the ahupua`a of Kahilipali Iki and Kahilipali Nui, include the historic fishing village Waikapuna. It is owned by Ka`ū Mahi, LLC and is the top priority for acquisition through the county's Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission.

     If approved, resolution 650-18 would authorize the county administration to enter into negotiations to buy the parcels.
     Funding comes from 2 percent of county property taxes collected by the county. It also comes from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Legacy Land Fund. The steward of the property would be the Ala Kahakai Trail Association. The Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail runs through the property along its Ka`ū Coast.

     Ka`ū community members, and people from all over the island, testified in support of the acquisition before the Finance Committee. 

Michelle Galimba
Photo from Big Island Video News

     The county has a chance to give a "great win" to the community, especially after the loss of "tremendous ocean resources and recreational areas" in Puna, testified Tom Ye, a local attorney for Ka`ū Mahi, LLC. He said Ka`ū Mahi originally planned to subdivide the mauka two-thirds of the land into agricultural lots and leave the makai third as a large lot. However, Trust for Public Land and other community groups have been working with Ka`ū Mahi to acquire the land for preservation. Ye said that there is a deadline of Sept. 30 for funding approval.
     A man from Waimea testified the acquisition is "another way to keep Hawai`i, Hawai`i," protecting natural and cultural resources.

    Moana Ching, a volunteer and board member of Ala Kahakai Trail Association, alakahakaitrail.org, testified she "strongly" supports the acquisition, saying it "is so important and so meaningful to the preservation of natural and cultural resources in Ka`ū."

Nohea Ka`awa
Photo from Big Island Video News

     Deborah Chang, of Pa`auilo Mauka, also a member of Ala Kahakai Trail Association, stated the "unique and irreplaceable" land would be developed by Ka`ū Mahi, LLC, into a subdivision if the county does not purchase it for conservancy. She stated the association "is willing to accept the kuliana of collaborative stewardship of the property."

     Ray Borgini, a member of the Ala Kahakai Trail Association board, testified he was "definitely in favor" of the acquisition of  "this magnificent piece of property."

     Michelle Galimba, a cattle rancher in Ka`ū, state Board of Agriculture member, and Ka`ū's new County Charter Commissioner, testified in "very strong support" of the acquisition. She said the "amazing" natural resources, native plants, and aquatic biodiversity were one set of reasons the land should be preserved. She said the land is "extremely rich in cultural resources, with an ancient fishing village, caves, burial sites." She also said the acquisition would help with community resilience and identity, in taking care of the land.

Keoni Fox
Photo from Big Island Video News

     Nohea Ka`awa, born and raised in the Wai`ohinu ahupua`a of Ka`ū, testified for the Ka`awa `ohana in support of the acquisition. She said the preservation of the land will "secure us by ensuring that our practices and relationship to this sacred place and space can continue to grow who we are." She defined sacred as "anything that cannot be replaced," asking the land remain "pristine and undeveloped." She said the preservation will allow the land to continue to feed multiple generations -- "not just a physical type of feed," but also mental and spiritual.

     Kalamanamana Harmon, a senior at Ke Kula `O Nāwahīokalani`ōpu`u Iki lab public charter school, testified in favor of the acquisition, saying "these areas, and specifically Waikapuna, are especially important to myself and my `ohana." Her grandmother, brought up by her own grandmother, was raised in the area, where "Waikapuna served as her classroom, her home, her grocery store, and her playground."

John Replogle
Photo from Big Island Video News

     Laura Kahakua, with the Trust for Public Land, said the group "wholeheartedly" supports the resolution. She spoke in favor of acquiring the land, "not only for the lineal descendants, but for the Ka`ū community in general, and really all of Hawai`i Island." She said people could have the "unique opportunity to experience a place that looks very much as it did hundreds and hundreds of years ago." She also said the trust has secured $2 million from the state's legacy land conservation program.

    Keoni Fox, another member of Ala Kahakai Trail Association and member of the Keanu `ohana, expressed his strong support for the resolution. Fox said his family are lineal descendants of Kahili Pali. He said that when the sugar plantation went out of business about 20 years ago, it sold many parcels along the coastline, "which held amazing natural and cultural resources," to real estate developers. He said those sales were seen by his family as a threat to "what we hold so special, places that the community uses" for fishing, subsistence fishing and gathering, and "just practicing our culture." He said when Ka`ū Mahi, LLC bought the land, his family reached out to Ala Kahakai to preserve the land and to be part of its future stewardship.

Rick Warshauer
Photo from Big Island Video News

     John Replogle, who is retired from The Nature Conservancy and grew up in the area, said he "totally supports" the purchase, especially to help get "our youth and the children back on the land… so they begin to know their `āina." He said the caretaking of the land is something "Ka`ū is starving for, whether they know it or not."

     Rick Warshauer, of Volcano, testified he strongly supports the resolution for the preservation of the "stellar" cultural attributes of Waikapuna. He said the land has unique vistas, and the "most extensive, best quality" native coastal vegetation remaining on Hawai`i Island. He said the existing ranch land leases could help with revenue to contribute to the caretaking of the land. He also said "this is our last chance" to preserve the land.

     See the testimonies at bigislandvideonews.com/2018/08/10/video-kau-community-supports-waikapuna-purchase.

Map of the land on the Ka`ū Coast, set to be acquired for preservation if resolution 650-18 passes the full
Hawai`i County Council.  Map from BigIslandVideoNews

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A trail near Byron's Ledge and Kīlauea Iki is
blocked by fallen boulders, trees, and debris.
Part of the considerations for reopening
the park will be cleanup efforts to
fix things like this. HVNP photo

A PĀHALA MEETING ON THE FUTURE OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK will be held this Friday, Aug. 17, at 5 p.m., at Pāhala Plantation House at the corner of Maile and Pikake Streets.
     The community is invited to share ideas and to discuss what the visitor experience might be like during a series of informal meetings slated for Pāhoa, Volcano, Pāhala, and Kahuku.

     Anyone who is interested in the future of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park is invited to attend. Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando and other park managers will share the latest news about what’s going on in the park.

     Other meetings will be held at Tin Shack Bakery in Pāhoa, Thurs., Aug. 16, at 3 p.m.; Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus, Tues., Aug. 21, at 1 p.m.; and Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Thurs., Aug. 23, at 10 a.m.

     A statement from the park says "Most of the park has been closed since May 11, after elevated activity at Kīlauea Volcano created hazardous conditions for staff and visitors. Park management will share their plans for recovery."

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VOLCANIC ACTIVITY REMAINS QUIET. Summit seismicity continues to be low, says USGS, with only 3 locatable earthquakes occurring per hour, at a maximum of M2.1. Summit deflation remains negligible.

     The lower East Rift Zone's Fissure 8 cone has a small lava pond is circulating sluggishly within its confines, as a gas plume billows from the top. The only "red" lava visible on the flow field itself is that oozing into the ocean between the Kapoho Bay and Ahalanui areas. Fresh black sand, created as molten lava is chilled and shattered by the surf, is being transported to the southwest by longshore currents and accumulating in the Poho`iki small boat harbor, which is now blocked by a sandbar. The western most lava ocean entry is about 1 km from the harbor.

Poho`iki boat ramp is blocked by new black sand, but is not immediately threatened by fresh lava flows. USGS photo

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THE KEAUHOU FIRE IS 80 PERCENT CONTAINED, with no increase to the 3,739 acres that have been affected, says a release from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Cooler weather and afternoon cloud cover helped aid firefighters with their efforts.

     Fire crews worked along the Mauna Loa Road to fall a limited number of trees that became hazards from the fire. By proactively taking down these trees, the area becomes not only safer for firefighters, says the release, but also for the park's resource advisors and scientists who are studying the fire area and the long-term effects.

     The number of firefighters actively fighting the fire has decreased from 117 to 115

     The fire may be visible from Highway 11, especially for Hilo (east) bound traffic, but is not impacting the road or travel.

     The 2018 Wildfire LOOKOUT! campaign starts today, Aug. 13, across Hawai`i. "Did you know 99 percent of wildfires in Hawai`i are started by people? You can help protect our `āina and learn how to be fire safe by visiting http://www.hawaiiwildfire.org/lookout/," says the release.

     See updates at inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6114.

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See public Ka`ū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Ka`ū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Ka`ū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Ka`ū, from Miloli`i through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`Ū TROJANS FALL SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football:

   Fri, Aug 17, 10am, Scrimmage @ Kea`au
   Sat, Aug 25, 10am, Scrimmage @ Waiakea
   Thu, Sept 6, 6pm, @ Pāhoa
   Sat, Sept 15, 1pm, @ Kohala
   Sat, Sept 22, 3:30pm, host Lanai @ Kea`au
Girls Volleyball:
   Tue, Aug 14, 6pm, host Waiakea
   Fri, Aug 24, 6pm, @ Mauna Lani
   Wed, Aug 29, 6pm, @ Hilo
   Fri, Aug 31, Kamehameha Tourney
   Sat, Sept 1, Kamehameha Tourney
   Wed, Sept 5, 6pm, host Pāhoa
   Wed, Sept 12, 6pm, @ Christian Liberty
   Fri, Sept 14, @ Kamehameha
   Mon, Sept 17, 6pm, host Lapahoehoe
   Wed, Sept 19, 6pm, host Kohala
   Thu, Sept 20, 6pm, @ Honoka`a
   Tue, Sept 25, 6pm, @ HPA
   Fri, Sept 28, 6pm, host Kona
Cross Country:
   Sat, Aug 25, @ CLA (preseason)
   Sat, Sept 1, 10am, @ HPA
   Sat, Sept 8, 10am, @ Kamehameha
   Sat, Sept 15, 10am, Kea`au
   Sat, Sept 22, 9am, @ HPA

NEW and UPCOMING

ACTIVITIES AT KAHUKU PARK -- within Hawaiian Ocean View Estates -- over the next two months, include two physical activities, three arts and crafts activities, and a Park Beautification Day.

     For ages 6 to 12:
   - Kickball: Tuesdays and Fridays 2 to 3 p.m., August 21 through September 21. Registration open August 13 through 20.

   - Jump Rope Challenge: Monday, August 27, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open August 20 through 25.

   - Paper Lanterns: Wednesday, August 22, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open August 13 through 20.
   - Sand Art: Wednesday, September 5, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open August 27 through 31.

     For all ages:
   - Friendship Bracelets: Wednesday, September 19, 3 to 4 p.m. Registration open September 10 through 14.

   - Park Beautification Day: Friday, September 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Registration open September 19 through 26.
      All activities are free to attend. For more about the above programs, call Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit the park during business hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.

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.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14

C.E.R.T. Discovery Harbour/Nā`ālehu, Tue, Aug 14, 4-6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Public invited to see what Community Emergency Response Team is about, and participate in training scenarios. Dina Shisler, dinashisler24@yahoo.com, 410-935-8087

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15

Ocean View Community Association Board Meeting, Wed, Aug 15, 12:30pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16

Story Time with Auntie Linda from Tūtū & Me, Thu, Aug 16, 10:30-noon, Nā`ālehu Public Library. 929-8571

Hawai`i Disability Legal Services, Thu, Aug 16, 9-noon, Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org, 939-7033, ovcahawaii@gmail.com

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`ū, Thu, Aug 16, 6:30pm, United Methodist Church in Nā`ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17

Hawai`i Wildlife Fund Kamilo Beach Clean-up and Debris Survey, Fri, Aug 17, contact in advance for meet up time at Wai`ōhinu Park. Pending volcanic activity/air quality. Space limited. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, wildhawaii.org

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18

Volcano Forest Runs Race Day, Sat, Aug 18; 7 am - 1/2 Marathon, 7:45 am - 5k, 8 am - 10k, 10 am - Keiki Runs. Volcano Village, start and finish at Cooper Center on Wright Road. See pre-registration fees online. No race day registration for 1/2 Marathon. Race Director Sharron Faff, 967-8240. volcanorainforestruns.com

Pancake Breakfast & Raffle, Sat, Aug 18, 8-11am, Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org.

Paths and Trails, Sat, Aug 18, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Moderately-difficult, 2-mile hike with some of the most spectacular overlooks in Kahuku. Discover the ways people, animals, and plants got to Kahuku and the paths they followed. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

Hands-On Fermented Foods Workshop: Pickled Veggies & Yogurt with Jasmine Silverstein, HeartBeet Foods, Sat, Aug 18, 10-1pm, Volcano Art Center. $50/VAC Members, $55/non-Member. Pre-registration required. Supplies and organic ingredients provided. No cooking skills necessary. heartbeetfoods.com. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Meeting, Sat, Aug 18, 10-1pm, Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting/training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Kumu Hula Iwalani Kalima with Hālau Kou Lima Nani E, Sat, Aug 18, 10:30-11:30am, hula platform near Volcano Art Center Ni‘aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Hula performance. Free. Desiree, 987-7288, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula - Kumu Hula Kaho`okele Crabbe and Halauolaokalani, Sat, Aug 18, 11-1pm, Volcano Art Center Ni`aulani Campus, Volcano Village. Hands on cultural demonstration. Free. Desiree, 987-7288, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Bunco & Potluck, Sat, Aug 18, 6pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. Popular game played with nine dice. Bring dish to share. Margie Hack, 541-954-8297

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, Aug 19, 9:30-12:30pm, Kahuku Unit of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. Free. nps.gov/HAVO

MONDAY, AUGUST 20

Discovery Harbour Neighborhood Watch Meeting, Mon, Aug 20, 5-6:30pm, Discovery Harbour Community Hall. 929-9576, discoveryharbour.net

ONGOING

Free Arts and Crafts Activities at Pāhala Comunity Center happen on Wednesdays (excluding Aug 29), from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., through the end of Sept, for keiki in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
   - Aug 15: Straw Beaded Bracelet. Register through Aug 14.
   - Aug 22: Silhouette Art. Register Aug 16 through 21.
   - Sept 5: In observance of Grandparents Day, Craft Stick Puzzle Hanging. Register Aug 30 - Sept 4.
   - Sept 12: Dove Foldable For Peace. Register Sept 4 through 11.
   - Sept 19: Handprint Tree Art. Register Sept 13 through 18.
   - Sept 26: Beaded Wind Chime. Register Sept 19 through 25.

     For more, call 928-3102 or visit the community center during business hours: Mon-Thu and Sat, from noon to 8 p.m., or Fri, from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. See hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation/.

Cross County Assistant Coach Needed for Ka`ū Trojans, says Coach Erin Cole. The Boys & Girls team starts running Aug 25. Contact Cole for more, or if interested in applying, at erinlcole@hotmail.com.

5th Annual Volcano Winery Harvest Festival tickets on sale for event on Sun, Sept 9. Benefit for Volcano School of Arts and Sciences. Music, food, wine, and raffle. $40/adult (21+), $20 under 21. 967-7772, volcanowinery.com

5th Annual Ka`ū Coffee Trail Run Registration Open, online at webscorer.com/register?raceid=128145, Fees: 5K, $35/person; 10K, $45/person; and 1/2 Marathon, $55/person. Race Day Sat, Sept 22, 7 a.m.; begins and ends at Ka`ū Coffee Mill, kaucoffeemill.com. Event organizers: `O Ka`ū Kākou, okaukakou.org.

Tūtū and Me Traveling Preschool's Temporary Nā`ālehu Site Location is Kauaha`ao Church in Wai`ōhinu. Meeting days and times remain the same: Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. Pāhala site program meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Pāhala Community Center.

     Tūtū and Me also offers home visits to those with keiki zero to five years old, to aid with parenting tips and strategies, educational resources, and a compassionate listening ear. Free. Visits last 1.5 hours, two to four times a month, total of 12 visits. Snacks are provided.

     To enroll in either program, fill out enrollment forms found at pidf.org/programs/tutu_and_me/enrollment_forms, or call Linda Bong at 464-9634. Questions: Clark at 929-8571 or eclark@pidfountation.org.

Harmony Educational Services, Home Based Educational Programs - Open Enrollment through Oct 15; harmonyed.com/hawaii. Partnered with four local public charter schools, Harmony offers benefits of homeschooling with resources available to public schools. Interested families can also contact Rayna Williams at rwilliams@harmonyed.com or 430-9798.

Disaster Recovery Center open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Kea`au High School Gym. See information applicants need to bring, or register online, at DisasterAssistance.gov. Salvation Army distribution center at Pāhoa Community Center on Tue, Thu, and Sat, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. To donate, contact 756-0306.

Volunteers Needed by St. Jude's Episcopal Church for Sat community outreach, especially soup cooks and shower organizers. "Volunteering for St. Jude's Saturday Shower and Soup ministry is an opportunity to serve God in a powerful way," states St. Jude's. Contact Dave Breskin, 319-8333.

Ocean View Vet Center Visits Suspended until further notice. Veterans, call 329-0574 for VA benefit information. ovcahi.org

Find Your Park, invites Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, to kama`aina and tourist alike. Experience authentic Hawaiian cultural programs, guided hikes, After Dark events, and more from Ka`ū to Volcano to Hilo, while the partial closure of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park continues.

     Free of charge, with no entry fees, rangers offer new and familiar programs at Kahuku Unit, Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus, and Mokupāpapa Discovery Center and Prince Kūhio Plaza in Hilo.

Kahuku Unit

     Kahuku events are posted to the park website, nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm.
     Regularly scheduled Guided Hikes, monthly Coffee Talk, daily Ranger Talks, with cultural demonstrations and activities on weekends.

     Guided Hikes on Saturdays and Sundays begin at 9:30 a.m. Meet the ranger at the welcome tent.

     Coffee Talk, held the last Friday of the month, 9:30-11 a.m., at the Visitor Contact Station.

     Ranger Talks on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., at the Visitor Contact Station.

     `Ike Hana No`eau: Experience the Skillful Work Cultural Demonstrations and Activities, Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., at the Visitor Contact Station.
Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus

     Find Park Rangers in Volcano Village daily, at the Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus at 19-4074 Old Volcano Rd. Rangers are there 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to provide talks and answer questions about the current eruption.

     After Dark …near the park at the Volcano Art Center's Ni`aulani Campus. Each event will have a different subject matter.

Mokupāpapa Discovery Center

     Find Park Rangers in downtown Hilo, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rangers provide daily eruption updates. At 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., they give a talk about all five of Hawai`i Island's volcanoes, including Kīlauea. Get NPS Passport Books stamped. Located at 76 Kamehameha Ave., Hilo.

Prince Kūhio Plaza

     Find Park Rangers alongside the park's non-profit partner, Hawai`i Pacific Parks Association, at their brand new mall store.

Grand Naniloa Hotel

     Find Park Rangers stationed at the Grand Naniloa Hotel in downtown Hilo on Sundays and Mondays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Rangers provide eruption updates at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The park film that is normally available to visitors at Kīlauea Visitor Center at the Summit, Born of Fire, Born in the Sea, is shown every half-hour beginning at 9:30 a.m.

     Park rangers also greet incoming arrivals at the Hilo International Airport, welcome cruise ship passengers as they disembark at the Port of Hilo, and inform visitors at `Imiloa Astronomy Center most Sundays.

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.