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Monday, January 22, 2018

Ka‘ū News Briefs Monday, January 22, 2018

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park's main entrance and facilities will reopen at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, following Congress 
and the President approving a federal resolution to fund the government through Feb. 8. Photo by Janice Wei/NPS
HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK reopens its main gate and all of its facilities at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23. The reopening follows the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passing legislation Monday, Jan. 22, with President Donald Trump's signature, to fund the federal government through Feb. 8. Most of the park has been shut down since Saturday morning, after funding lapsed Friday at midnight with the shutdown of the federal government.

HAWAI‘I'S U.S. SENATORS AND HOUSE MEMBERS SPLIT ON VOTING TO FUND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. On Monday, Jan. 22, the bill passed Congress and Pres. Donald Trump signed it, meaning that most federal workers will be back on the job on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
      Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who represents Ka‘ū, voted no on funding government through Feb. 8. Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, who represents urban O‘ahu and is running for Governor, voted yes. Here are their explanations:
Hirono with DREAMers and Sen. Dick Durbin on Saturday in D.C.
     Hirono released this statement:
     "There are battles worth fighting. Protecting DREAMers, reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program, funding Community Health Centers, and providing parity between funding for defense and domestic priorities – without pitting one against the other – were battles worth fighting.
     "I'm confident that we can reach bipartisan agreement on these issues and it was completely unnecessary for the President and Congressional Republicans to force a shutdown on them. My consistent position has been to oppose any continuing resolution that did not include these priorities. I voted against this continuing resolution for this reason.
     "At the same time, Mitch McConnell promised on the Senate floor today that he would hold an open debate on DACA and immigration if no compromise is reached by the time this continuing resolution ends on February 8. We should all expect the Majority Leader to honor this promise.
     "There is no question that an open debate on immigration will be a knock-down, drag-out fight.
Rep. Gabbard said passing temporary funding "lays path to another shutdown,
puts politics over people."
There is an urgent need to protect DREAMers, and we can't lose sight of this in the upcoming debate."
     Gabbard, after voting no, stated that passing temporary funding "lays path to another shutdown, puts politics over people." She tweeted: "They've failed to pass needed relief funds to TX, CA, FL, PR, USVI & others who still struggle. By failing to pass a year-long budget, they've hurt military readiness, troops & their families, & the people in our communities. That's why I voted no on the CR.
     "This is no way to govern. People are suffering as a result. It's long overdue time for Congress to put people before politics, stop the games and posturing, and pass a year-long budget, funding for our community health centers, and a permanent fix for DREAMers. Just get it done."
     Gabbard also tweeted, "Congress failed to pass a year-long funding bill, failed to fund community health centers, & failed to help DREAMers. This is not a political issue. It's a moral issue. It's about right & wrong. We need real solutions, not the broken status quo. That’s why I voted no on the CR."
On the Senate floor over the weekend, Schatz said that the country should be embarrassed over 
the handling of government funding. 
      Schatz, before voting yes to fund government, said over the weekend that the public should be embarrassed of the way Congress is handling the budget.
     On Monday, he tweeted, "I'm fighting to make sure we continue to pay our military service members during this shutdown. These brave men and women don't stop protecting our country just because the government shuts down. Those who serve our country deserve the pay they have earned, and I'm going to keep working as long as possible to make sure they get it."
     Hanabusa, after voting yes to fund the federal government through Feb. 8, issued a statement saying, "This shutdown was an unnecessary reminder that our inability to work in a bipartisan fashion has real consequences for our constituents. Given the shutdown, my top priority is ensuring that the 33,264 federal employees who live and work in Hawaiʻi, and the 40,034 members of the military serving here on active duty, are on the job and paid for their hard work and sacrifices. The nation's business must continue and today I voted in support of our federal workers and their families.
Hanabusa voted to fund government and pointed to the large number of federal and 
military employees in Hawaiʻi.
     "I maintain that a 17-day stop gap measure is no way to pay for the operations of the federal government. We need to pursue a comprehensive funding plan through the regular order, but shutting down the government is unacceptable, and unheard of in American history when one party controls the House, Senate and the White House. I urge my colleagues in Congress to approve a budget that meets our responsibilities to all our constituents. I am extremely disappointed that the CR through February 8th does not fully resolve the immigration status of our Dreamers, but I will not abandon the cause as l continue to fight for a bill on the floor of the House that provides permanent protections for our Dreamers," stated Hanabusa.

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HAWAIʻI IS THE FIFTH AMONG THE STATES AND WASHINGTON, D.C. AFFECTED MOST IN THE SHUTDOWN of the federal government. According to a WalletHub analysis, Hawaiʻi ranks: first in Share of Federal Jobs, out side of D.C.; first in Real Estate as a Percentage of GSP; ninth in Access to National Parks; and 18th in Federal Contract Dollars Per Capita.
     Reports WalletHub: "As the clock struck midnight on the 45th president's first year in office, the United States government shut down for the 19th time in history. And right on cue, both sides of the political aisle began attempting to assign blame and assume the moral high ground, with the aid of hashtags and tales of children at risk. But this isn't just another soap opera from the swamp, for the swamp. History and hard data tell us the gears of government grinding to a halt will have nationwide consequences, hurting red states and blue states alike."
WalletHub ranked states and Washington, D.C., on the effects of shutting down the federal government.
     To determine whose homes a government shutdown strikes closest to, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across six key metrics. They range from each state's share of federal jobs and contracts, to the percentage of kids covered by the Children's Health Insurance Program.
     Most affected is District of Columbia, followed by adjacent Maryland and Virginia. Fourth is Alaska, followed by Hawaiʻi and New Mexico, Montana and Oklahoma.
     The analysis compared such rankings as highest share of federal jobs, where D.C. is first and Hawaiʻi second. Hawaiʻi ranks first in a category called Highest Real Estate as Percentage of Gross State Product. WalletHub explains that Gross State Product is like GDP at the state level. It noted that mortgage processing is affected by staffing shortages in the IRS, FHA, and VA.
     See WalletHub findings and methodology used at wallethub.com/edu/government-shutdown-report/1111/.

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A 30 percent tariff was slapped on imported solar panels today by the federal government. 
Photo from HELCO
A THIRTY PERCENT TARIFF was slapped on foreign-made solar panels on Monday by the Trump administration, which said it wants to encourage manufacturing in the U.S. Solar companies said, however, it will reduce the number of jobs for installing solar by the thousands. Pacific Business News carried a headline saying, "Trump's 30% tariff on solar panel imports could hurt Hawaiʻi's recovering solar sector." See PBN.

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CITIZENS UNITED V. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION was decided in the Supreme Court eight years ago, allowing corporations to be treated as people with the First Amendment right to free speech. The decision is now exercised in unlimited campaign spending, said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. She released a statement Monday saying, "That decision opened the floodgates of dark money, Super PACs, and corporate spending in our elections. That's why, instead of passing a year-long funding bill to keep the government open, Congress passed a tax bill which lobbyists helped write, giving billions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations.
     "It's why some members of Congress think they don't have to negotiate on behalf of the people, and it's one of the reasons why I refuse to accept any PAC money," wrote the Congresswoman.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard issued a petition on Monday, calling for the overturn of Citizens United.
     Said Gabbard, "Each new election breaks the record of dollars raised and spent by Super PACs in the election that preceded it. Advertisements spread ugly, misleading attacks on the integrity and motivations of people who wish to serve in public office, and the scramble for money leaves people of modest means excluded from the process."
     Gabbard contends that "With dark money pouring in thanks to Citizens United, Congress doesn't feel accountable to their constituents anymore. It's up to us to fight back and make sure our voices are heard." She asks that Hawaiʻi citizens sign her petition to overturn Citizens United "and get our government to put people before profits."
     "Our democracy should not allow corporations to tilt our elections to protect their bottom lines. Our founders left the aristocratic English society to form a better government of, by, and for the people. But today it is dominated by an oligarchy of corporate interests. We need a renewed effort to make our government accountable to the people it was created to serve.
     "Each new generation of Americans has struggled to win the right to vote - from the 15th Amendment to the Women's Suffrage Movement, to the Civil Rights Movement, to campaigns today to restore the Voting Rights Act, enact Automatic Voter Registration, and pass the Weekend Voting Act. Citizens United waters down the principle of one person, one vote that these campaigns uphold. It must be overturned," said Gabbard.
     Gabbard urges people "to mark the anniversary of Citizens United, amidst a government shutdown caused by partisan politics," by signing the petition to break through the noise of dark money and Super PAC spending"The American people want a level playing field in our economy, in our elections, and in our treatment under the law. We can do this together."

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See public Ka‘ū events, meetings, entertainment at 
See Ka‘ū exercise, meditation, daily, weekly events at 
kaucalendar.com/janfebmar/januarycommunity.html.
January 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

Boys Basketball: Tuesday, Jan. 23, @ Wai‘ākea.
     Saturday, Jan. 27, HPA @ Ka‘ū.
     Monday, Jan. 29, @ Parker.
     Wednesday, Jan. 31, Kealakehe @ Ka‘ū.
     Saturday, Feb. 3, @ Kamehameha.

Boys Soccer: Thursday, Jan. 25, @ Pāhoa.

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

Wrestling: Saturday, Jan. 27 @ HPA.
     Saturday, Feb. 3 @ Kealakehe.

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.

H.O.V.E. ROAD MAINTENANCE CORP. meets Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 10 a.m., in their office in Ocean View. For more, visit hoveroad.com, or call 929-9910.

HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL committees meet Tuesday, Jan. 23, with a full council meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Both meeting days take place in Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS IS COMING TO KA‘Ū on Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Pāhala Community Center. The public is invited to learn about Kamehameha School's Strategic Plan 2015-2020, and representatives will be on hand to take community input for changes and future planning. See ksbe.edu for more information.

VOLCANO ASH FROM KĪLAUEA VOLCANO'S SUMMIT LAVA LAKE: from the mundane to the unexpected, an After Dark in the Park presentation, takes place Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m., in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. An illustrated lecture in which USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Don Swanson demonstrates how systematic, long-term collections of ash erupted from the lava lake at Kīlauea's summit can lead to surprising but fundamental discoveries. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

AUDITIONS ARE TUESDAY, JAN. 23 AND WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24 for Kīlauea Drama & Entertainment Network's performance of How the Other Half Loves by Alan Ayckbourn. There are parts for three women and three men. Auditions begin at 6:30 p.m. at Volcano School of Arts & Sciences Middle School Campus at Keakealani on Haunani Road in Volcano. The audition site was changed due to uncertainty surrounding availability of Kīlauea Theatre within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, which has been closed due to the federal government shutdown. The show will play Mar. 9 - 25 at Kīlauea Theatre. For more information, call 982-7344.

REGISTER KEIKI BY THURSDAY, JAN. 24, FOR ‘O KA‘Ū KAKOU'S 10TH ANNUAL Keiki Fishing Tournament, held on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Punalu‘u Beach Park Pavilions. The event is open to keiki from one to 14 years old, with pick-up & drop-off locations for registration forms at: Nā‘ālehu Elementary School, Nā‘ālehu Ace Hardware, Pāhala Elementary School, Mizuno Superette in Pāhala, Pāhala Gas Station, Wiki Wiki Mart in Nā‘ālehu, Ka‘ū Learning Academy, Kahuku Country Market in Ocean View, and Ocean View Auto Parts. Pre-registration ends 5 p.m., Jan. 24. Register at event from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Fishing until noon, then lunch and prizes. Every participant gets a prize. Grand and mini-grand prize drawing - including personal tablets. For more, call Guy Enriques at 217-2253 or Wayne Kawachi at 937-4773 or visit okaukakou.org.

STEWARDSHIP OF KĪPUKAPUAULU takes place at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25, with volunteers meeting in the Kīpukapuaulu parking lot on Mauna Loa Road off Hwy 11 in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers will help remove invasive plants, like morning glory, from an area said to be home to an "astonishing diversity of native forest and understory plants." Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, contact Marilyn Nicholson at nickem@hawaii.rr.com or visit nps.gov/HAVO.
Native ‘ōhelo berry plant freed from a thicket of invasive ginger.
Photo from J. Ferracane, National Park Service

U.H. COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES Kona Cooperative Extension Service has put out a save the date announcement for two Coffee Berry Borer 101 Workshops for New and Beginning Coffee Farmers.
     The free two-hour class teaches the basics of coffee berry borer identification, biology, and management. It is planned for Thursday, Jan. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 27, and will take place in the Kona Cooperative Extension Service office at 79-7381 Mamalahoa Highway in Kealakekua.
     Representatives of the Extension Service office ask everyone to, "Please let new coffee farmers know about this upcoming workshop. A flyer will be distributed and available soon."
     For more details, visit hawaiicoffeeed.com.

MUSICIAN AND TEXTILE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE GIVE A DUAL PERFORMANCE in Friday, Jan. 26, starting at 6 p.m., in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Will Oldham (performs as Bonnie "Prince" Billy) will sing and play music, and his wife, fiber/textile artist Elsa Hansen Oldham, stitches on stage as her handiwork is projected on a movie screen. Oldham is an acclaimed singer/songwriter whose music has been described as an alternative blend of country-folk and punk; Hansen-Oldham's quilting and cross-stitch work puts a folksy pop-art spin on history and modern culture. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, see nps.gov/HAVO.

KA‘Ū RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION offers a free informational and educational presentation, Crystal Meth Addiction in Communities, as part of their Call to Action Prevention Campaign. Certified Prevention Specialist Gary Shimabukuro will give the presentation on Friday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Ka‘ū Gym & Disaster Shelter's multi-purpose room. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call Ka‘ū Resource & Distance Learning Center at 928-0101.

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT takes place Friday, Jan. 26, with volunteers removing invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Interested volunteers should meet Paul and Jane Filed at Kīlauea Visitor Center at 8:45 a.m. Free; park entrance fees apply. For more, see nps.gov/HAVO.

MAKE LEI WITH KAIPO AHCHONG AT VOLCANO ART CENTER'S ALOHA FRIDAY event on January 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the VAC Gallery porch.
     Tropical Agriculture farmer AhChong shares his expert lei-making skills. As a member of Halau Na Kamalei, his unique experience marries the science of agriculture with Hawaiian lei and hula traditions.
     Aloha Friday cultural demonstrations are held each week. These free cultural events are supported in part by a grant from the County of Hawai‘i Dept. of Research and Development, and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. National Park entrance fees apply. For more, visit volcanoartcenter.org.

U.H. Assistant Professor Noa Kekuewa Lincoln will attend Friday's Coffee
Talk at Kahuku, to discuss the pre-contact agricultural system used at Kahuku.
Photo from www2.hawaii.edu
LEARN MORE ABOUT AND DISCUSS THE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM USED IN PRE-CONTACT HAWAI‘I during Coffee Talk on Friday, Jan. 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Kahuku Unit Visitor Center of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (entrance located south of the 70.5 mile marker on the mauka side of Hwy 11).
     During the January event, Farming the Rock in Ka‘ū: The Agriculture Field System of Kahuku, University of Hawai‘i Professors Seth Quintus and Noa Kekuewa Lincoln discuss their work uncovering the Ka‘ū field system at Kahuku, as well as how this knowledge might serve Hawai‘i in the future. Ka‘ū coffee, tea, and pastries will be available for purchase. For more, see nps.gov/HAVO.

A BUILD YOUR OWN MINI ORCHID DISPLAY workshop is offered by Volcano Art Center on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.
     Hilo Orchid Society's Shelby Smith and Donna Barr will be on hand to answer questions and show tips, tricks, and their orchid "know-how." Different categories of mini orchid displays will be covered, including Garden, Flower Arrangement/Cut Flowers/Ikebana, and Keiki.
     Pre-registration is required. Volcano Art Center members pay $20 and non-members pay $25.
     The event description on volcanoartcenter.org says, "Not only will you learn a thing or two, but also, thanks to the Hilo Orchid Society, you'll be able to take home an orchid."

Volunteer to help count humpback whales off the coast near Ka‘ū.
See event details at right. Photo from NOAA
COUNT HUMPBACK WHALES FOR THE SANCTUARY OCEAN COUNT on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at one of four locations along the coast in/near Ka‘ū District: Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park at Ka‘ena Point - end of Chain of Craters Road; Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park; Ka Lae Park at the end of South Point Road; and Miloli‘i Lookout - from Hwy 11, continue makai towards Miloliʻi Beach Park, 1.9 miles down, turn left on Awapuhi and continue to dead end.
     Participants tally humpback whale sightings and document the animals' surface behavior during the survey, which provides valuable data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Bring sun protection, water, snacks, and a cushion to sit on. Arrive 30 minutes prior to start time for orientation. Register at sanctuaryoceancount.org. Free; park entrance fees apply. Count will be held again on Feb. 24 and Mar. 31. Read more about locations at hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

U.H.-CTAHR 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.

HEATHER METTLER'S GLASSWORK - handblown, chiseled, and etched - is showcased in a new Volcano Art Center Gallery Exhibit: Passage and Place. The display will continue to be shown until 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.

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