Thursday, January 11, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Thursday, January 11, 2018

A presentation updating the community on the most recent reintroduction efforts to establish a wild population 
of ‘Alalā is offered at Volcano Art Center on Thursday, Jan. 18. See story below. Photo from hawaii.gov
THIS IS NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard issued a statement saying it is "an opportunity to highlight a modern form of slavery that, through force, fraud, and coercion, compels millions of people in the United States and abroad into exploitative labor and commercial sex."
     Last year on this date, Gabbard helped introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Trafficking Survivors Relief Act to give survivors an opportunity to have non-violent federal crimes - incurred as a direct result of being trafficked - removed from their record. "Despite its bipartisan support, our bill has stalled in committee and has yet to receive a vote," said Gabbard. "Trafficking survivors deserve a greater effort to pass this legislation and more."
     Kaū's Representative in Congress is asking each local resident to become a citizen co-sponsor of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act by signing her petition for (H.R. 459). "With your support, we can force a vote in Congress for this critical legislation," said Gabbard.
     "We owe a vote on the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act to those who were not protected from being trafficked and who are now caught in the vise grip of a criminal justice system that punishes survivors instead of providing a path to rehabilitation. These survivors, an overwhelming majority of whom are women and children, are forced to commit crimes such as conspiracy, money laundering, and drug trafficking as a direct result of being trafficked themselves."
Ho‘ōla Nā Pua does not lobby but is hopeful that the human trafficking bill in Congress will pass. The organization
provides training to leaders in the medical, social service, and law enforcement communities to appropriately identify,
effectively address, and intervene in cases of sexual exploitation. See hoolanapua.org
     Gabbard said she has spoken to girls as young as 14 years old who have been pursued in Hawai‘i malls, targeted for abduction, by predators who force their victims to commit crimes. "They must have a viable path to shed the chains of their past and move forward with their lives, to find jobs, housing, and security after the worst trauma of their lives. If Congress fails to pass the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, these survivors will be subjected to further exploitation, trafficking, trauma, and recidivism."
     The bill is supported locally by Ho‘ōla Nā Pua, which has given presentations in Ka‘ū. Another supportive organization is the Pacific Gateway Center. Gabbard described them as "two organizations engaging in the work each day of helping trafficking survivors return to freedom and empower their life recovery. Protecting the most vulnerable in our society is one of the most important duties of public service."

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.

THE ‘ALALĀ PROJECT STAFF PRESENTS AN UPDATE Thursday, Jan. 18, at Volcano Art Center's Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village, on the most recent reintroduction efforts to establish a wild population of ‘Alalā. 
     The special outreach presentation on the ‘Alalā, Hawai‘i's endemic and endangered crow, takes place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event is free; however, donations of $5 or more are appreciated.
     Volcano Art Center’s event description for Thursday Night at the Center: ʻAlalā Outreach Presentation describes the ‘Alalā as "a highly intelligent and unique crow species, integral to the native Hawaiian ecosystems and culture.”
     The ʻAlalā Project is a partnership between the State of Hawaiʻi Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and San Diego Zoo Global.
     The event is part of a once-a-month Thursday night series at the Volcano Art Center, focusing on art, Hawaiian culture, and the local environment. The series is intended to inspire and enhance appreciation of art and life experience, while fostering community connections.
     For more details, see volcanoartcenter.org.

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.

HAWAI‘I COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION has announced additional sign-ups for a P&R Boys & Girls T-Ball Baseball team (keiki 5-6 years) and a P&R Boys & Girls Coach Pitch Baseball team (keiki 7-8 years) at Kahuku Park in Ocean View. Registration for either team continues through Friday, Jan. 12. The T-Ball program begins Wednesday, Jan. 17, and continues through Wednesday, April 4, with practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Coach Pitch program begins Tuesday, Jan. 16, and continues through Saturday, April 7, with practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Keiki are required to bring covered shoes and a glove. For more, contact Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation Technician Teresa Anderson at 929-9113 or visit hawaiicounty.gov/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.

U.H.-C.T.A.H.R. EXTENSION AGENT ANDREA KAWABATA offers a Coffee Berry Borer Identification and Management Presentation at the Hamakua Harvest Farmers’ Market on Sunday, Jan. 28, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Learn about identifying CBB and how to manage this coffee pest. "This class will be fairly basic but see me after the presentation if you have specific questions," says Kawabata. The market is located at the intersection of Mamane Street and Hwy 19. For more details, visit hawaiicoffeeed.com.

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.

Ocean View Community Association
President Ron Gall
RON GALL, OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, has published a long list of accomplishments achieved by the organization in 2017.
     In addition to opening a telemedicine installation for veterans, O.V.C.A. served more than 3,000 free meals to the community, and provided over 185 free food baskets.
     The outside of the Ocean View Community Center as well as the inside of the front office there were painted. A renovation of the Kids Library has also begun.
     More educational activities for parents, teachers, and students have been added to the schedule, as have other new activities which include Aikido classes led by Alan Moores, toddler play activities, and more yet to be announced.
     Adopt-A-Block is ongoing, and the Deep Clean project is expanding.
     Gall reports that O.V.C.A. "finances have been kept in the black, including over $5,000 in the Roof Fund and two grants totaling $6,000." For more details, call 939-7033.

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.

TRACK AND FIELD PRACTICE IN PĀHALA has been announced by Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation for keiki ages 6 to 14 years old, with practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The program begins Thursday, Jan. 16, and runs until Thursday, Feb. 22. Register until Friday, Jan. 12. Participants are required to wear covered shoes. For more, contact Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation Technician Director Nona Makuakane or Technician Elijah Navarro at 928-3102, or visit hawaiicounty.gov/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.

REGISTER FOR BADMINTON FOR SENIORS (55 years and older) at Ka‘ū District Gym until Friday, Jan. 12. The program takes place on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., beginning Jan. 19 and continuing through Feb. 23. For more, contact Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation Technician Director Nona Makuakane or Technician Elijah Navarro at 928-3102, or visit hawaiicounty.gov/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.

KA‘Ū TROJANS HOSTED HONOKA‘A in Girls Basketball on Wednesday. Top scorer for the Trojans was Kianie Mederios-Dancel with 8 of the 22 points scored by Ka‘ū. Honoka‘a took the win with 51 points.

See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at 
See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, weekly events at 
kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/januarycommunity.html.
The 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 Basketball: Friday, Jan. 12, @ Laupahoehoe.
     Monday, Jan. 15, @ HPA.
     Friday, Jan. 19, @ Kealakehe.

Swimming: Saturday, Jan. 13, @ HPA.
     Saturday, Jan. 20, @ HPA.
     Friday, Jan. 26, @ Kamehameha (BIIF Championships, prelims).
     Saturday, Jan. 27, @ Kamehameha (BIIF Championships, finals).

Wrestling: Saturday, Jan. 13, @ Konawaena.
     Saturday, Jan. 20, @ Hilo.
     Saturday, Jan. 27 @ HPA.

Boys Basketball: Monday, Jan. 15, Pāhoa @ Ka‘ū.
     Wednesday, Jan. 17, @ Kohala.
     Saturday, Jan. 20, Kohala @ Ka‘ū.
     Tuesday, Jan. 23, @ Wai‘ākea.
     Saturday, Jan. 27, HPA @ Ka‘ū.

Boys Soccer: Saturday, Jan. 20, @ Honoka‘a.
     Thursday, Jan. 25, @ Pāhoa.

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.

REMOVE INVASIVE, NON-NATIVE PLANT SPECIES that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park by volunteering at Stewardship at the Summit on Saturday, Jan. 13. Interested volunteers should meet Paul and Jane Filed at Kīlauea Visitor Center at 8:45 a.m. The event will take place again on Jan. 19 and 26. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more see nps.gov/HAVO.

Binti Bailey performs at Jazz in the Forest Saturday, Jan. 13.
Photo from lavarocksband.com
BIRTH OF KAHUKU, a free, easy-to-moderate, guided hike traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, with different volcano features and formations on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Explore the rich geologic history of Kahuku, and learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

BIG ISLAND ARTIST HEATHER METTLER'S hand-blown, chiseled, and etched glasswork is showcased in a new Volcano Art Center Gallery Exhibit: Passage and Place. The display will be open to the public from Saturday, Jan. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 11, during normal gallery hours - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily. Mettler's unique collection of glass explores the themes of migration, navigation, and immigration - how plants, animals, and people find their way to Hawai‘i. Free; park entrance fees apply.

A PANCAKE BREAKFAST will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Ocean View Community Center. For more, call 939-7033 or visit ovcahi.org.

A MATINEE AND EVENING JAZZ IN THE FOREST PERFORMANCE WITH BINTI BAILEY, Larry Seyer, and Jean Pierre Thoma and the Jazztones will take place Saturday, Jan. 13, at Volcano Art Center. The matinee runs from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and the evening show goes from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. “Almost Like Being in Love” is the theme, with love songs from around the world. Tickets are $18 for Volcano Art Center members and $20 for non-members. Purchase tickets online at volcanoartcenter.org.

CREATE A REPRE-SENTATIONAL PIECE OF ART, such as a wall hanging, using a combination of batik methods with the art of Serti silk painting in a class led by Patti Pease Johnson. The Silk Painting with Wax Resist workshop takes place on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The class fee is $45 per Volcano Art Center member and $50 per non-member, plus a $10 supply fee per person. Beginner and intermediate artists are welcome. Register online at volcano
artcenter.org.

A ZENTANGLE CLASS FEATURING THE ZENDALA - TWIRLING LEAVES takes place Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The class blends inspiration from nature with traditional Zentangle patterns and is suitable for beginning or returning tanglers. The class fee is $30 for Volcano Art Center members and $35 for non-members, plus a $10 supply fee. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org.

LEARN ABOUT THE VITAL ROLE OF ‘ŌHI‘A LEHUA in native Hawaiian forests, as well as the many forms of the ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower, during an easy, one-mile walk on Sunday, Jan. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The ranger-led walk is free to attend. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

A FEE-FREE DAY IS OFFERED AT HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - no entrance fees will be collected at any fee-charging National Parks on Monday, Jan. 15. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

An acrylic painting class with Margaret "Peggy"
Stanton is offered Monday in Volcano. See details at left.
Photo from peggystanton007.wixsite.com
DISCOVERY HARBOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETS on Monday, Jan. 15, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. For more, call 929-9576 or visit discoveryharbour.net.

VOLCANO ART CENTER OFFERS PAINTING WITH PEGGY, an acrylic painting class with Margaret "Peggy" Stanton, on Monday, Jan. 15, from noon to 3 p.m., in Volcano Village. It is part of an ongoing series of workshops for artists of all levels, headed by Stanton. The class is $15 for VAC members and $20 for non-members per session. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org.

DISCOVERY HARBOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETS Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. For more, call 929-9576 or visit discoveryharbour.net.

KĪLAUEA SUMMIT ERUPTION: STORY OF THE HALEMA‘UMA‘U LAVA LAKE is presented on Tuesday, Jan. 16, starting at 7 p.m., in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. U.S.G.S. Hawai‘i Volcano Observatory geologist Janet Babb, co-producer and co-writer of U.S.G.S.’s recently released documentary, introduces the 24-min film. After the show, U.S.G.S. H.V.O. geologist Matt Patrick provides an update on what's happening at Halema‘uma‘u today, and answers questions about the summit eruption. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINE & WATERCOLOR takes place Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Artist Nancy DeLucrezia shows how to transfer a photo onto watercolor paper, and introduces basic techniques in watercolor painting. Sampling of several wines from Hilo wine store "Grapes" is included. Class fee is $30 for Volcano Art Center members and $35 for non-members, plus a $17 supply fee. Register online, volcanoartcenter.org.

Photo from tripadvisor.com
HAWAIIAN RANCHOS ROAD MAINTENANCE CORP. MEETS Wednesday, Jan. 17, starting at 4 p.m., in the Hawaiian Ranchos office. For more, call 929-9608 or visit ranchos-road.org.

A VOLCANO AWARENESS PRESENTATION takes place Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Ocean View Community Center. Come and view informative displays about Mauna Loa Volcano. Talk story with scientists, public safety officials, and park rangers. For more, call 939-7033, visit ovcahi.org, or email askHVO@usgs.gov.

WEAVE A TĪ LEAF LEI Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon, on the Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hear park rangers and Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association staff share knowledge and love for one of the most popular lei in Hawai‘i. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

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.