Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, February 4, 2019

Mayor Harry Kim traveled to Honolulu to ask the legislature for flexibility in spending the .25 percent sales tax
hike that was allowed for Hawaiʻi County this year. Today he asked  the County Council for another .25 percent
by Jan. 1, 2020. Photo from Big Island Video News

TAKING THE EXCISE TAX UP TO 4.5 PERCENT IN HAWAIʻI COUNTY got the nod from the County Council Finance Committee today. The sales tax went from 4 percent to 4.25 percent on Jan. 1 and, if approved, would go to 4.5 percent on Jan. 1, 2020. The hike that happened this year was set to sunset at the end of 2020, but the new measure would extend both this year's and next year's sales tax hikes to Dec. 31, 2030. 

Councilman Tim Richards voted
against the hike and noted
the 13 percent budget increase.
Photo, Big Island Video News

     Like this year's hike, next year's would be tagged to transportation, paying for improved bus service islandwide, and improving and repairing roads and bridges. The combined tax hikes would bring in some $50 million a year.

     County Finance Director Deanna Sato said that putting the tax increase in the sales tax rather than on property tax would have less impact on local residents. She called in "an opportunity for visitors to support the local economy."
     Without hiking the sales tax, the county might be forced to hike property taxes and initiate more fees for county services. She described the tax increase as minimal at the cash register with $100 purchase being charged an additional 26 cents in sales tax.

     The county administration went to the legislature last week and asked for flexibility in the rule that require it to use the additional excise tax for more than transportation. Mayor Harry Kim asked the legislators to allow as much as 50 percent of the increased tax income to go for county expenses beyond transportation.

Deanna Sato, County Finance Director, explained the need
for another .25 percent hike in the sales tax.
Photo from Big Island Video News

     Kaʻū's County Council member Maile David voted for the tax hike. Only Tim Richards, the Kohala County Council member, voted against it.

     The mayor and finance director said that 25 to 35 percent of the sales tax collected in the county comes from expenditures by visitors.

     Sato said that money is needed to fund unexpected loss in income and unexpected increases in expenses. She noted that federal funding for transportation has been reduced.

     She said there is increased need for police presence and equipment, and money to help solve homelessness and affordable housing issues. There is an increase in cost of health and other insurance covered by the county.

     She noted SNAP and WIC assistance, and prescription drugs and prosthetics, are not subject to the sales tax.

     The Kohala councilman said that he won't support any tax increase without understanding the budget. He noted the budget has gone from $461 million to $518 million since he took office - more than 13 percent. 

     See testimony on the issue at Big Island Video News.

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THE CARDIAC CARE UNIT FUNDING for Hilo Medical Center goes to a public hearing this Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 9:30 a.m., before the state Senate Health Committee on Commerce Consumer Protection and Health. Senate Bill 911, introduced by Sen. Kai Kahele, would appropriate funds to improve health care services related to cardiac care at Hilo Medical Center. It involves the

A catheter lab helps to prevent cardiac deaths. One is planned for
Hilo Medical Center, which receives patients from Ka`u Hospital.
Supporters encourage testimony by tomorrow to be sent
to the Hawai`i Legislature. Photo from Wikipdea

establishment of a cath lab and physicians and staff to run it. Kaʻū Hospital patients with cardiac events could be transferred there for treatment rather than experience the time-consuming flight to Honolulu or Maui. Saving time saves lives, say supporters of the funding.

     Testimony can be sent in support of SB911 in the following ways:

     Online via the Hawaiʻi State Legislature website (requires one-time registration). Click on the "Submit Testimony" button. Enter the bill name/number SB911. Follow prompts to submit testimony by uploading or copying and pasting testimony in the text box. Email the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health: CPHtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov. Fax 808-586-6071.

     Read a story the Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald's Feb.  3 story, "Support Urged for Hilo Cath Lab," and a Dec. 3 story, "Hilo Medical Expanding Cardiac Care." See the video, "Improving Cardiac Care at Hilo Medical Center."

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.

ELEVENTH ANNUAL KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL has released more details on its ten days of events from April 26 through May 5. 

Kaʻū Valley Farms Tour and Lunch, on May 2, offers a visit to a plant
 nursery, food farm, coffee and tea plantings, a hidden valley, and native forest.
Photo from Kaʻū Coffee Fest

     The Fest begins with a free Pā‘ina & Open House on Friday, April 26 at Pāhala Plantation House, 6 p.m. Meet the Miss Kaʻū Coffee Court on the evening before the pageant. Enjoy live entertainment and refreshments. Call Pāhala Plantation Cottages, 928-9811.

     Miss Kaʻū Coffee Pageant will be held Saturday, April 27 at the Kaʻū District Gym. For applications, to volunteer, or to give monetary support, call Pageant Director Trini Marques at 928-0606. See more in the ongoing events section, below.

     Kaʻū Coffee Recipe Contest invites everyone to join in on Sunday, April 28 at Kaʻū Coffee Mill. Categories are pūpū, entrée, and dessert, all recipes to be made with Ka‘ū Coffee. Youth and adult categories, no entry fee. Free tastings. Meet Miss Ka‘ū Coffee. Find contest entry info at KauCoffeeMill.com or KauCoffeeFest.com. Call 808-928-0550.

     Kaʻū Mountain Hike & Lunch will be held Wednesday, May 1 starting at Kaʻū Coffee Mill. Ride through the coffee plantation, up the mountains, and into the rainforest to walk along waterways from sugar days of old. Reservations required; $45 per person. Call 928-0550.

Kaʻū Coffee Experience in Pāhala Community Center offers barista brewing 

and tasting of Kaʻū Coffee on May 4. Photo from Kaʻū Coffee Fest

     Kaʻū Valley Farms Tour & Lunch will be on Thursday, May 2, 9 a.m. to noon. Above Nā‘ālehu, visit a plant nursery, food farm, coffee and tea plantings, native forest, and hidden valley. $40 per person. Reservations required. Call 987-4229 or 731-5409.

     Kaʻū Coffee & Cattle Day will be held on Friday, May 3 at Aikane Plantation Coffee Farm on Kalaiki Road, the old sugar cane haul road, between Pāhala and Nāʻālehu. Explore Aikane Plantation. The day includes farm tours, BBQ buffet, and hayride. Visit this historic Ka‘ū Coffee farm and ranch. Reservations required; $25 per person. Call 808-927-2252.

     Kaʻū Stargazing on Friday, May 3 will take guests to the top of the sacred, flattop mountain of Makanau with a dark, new-moon sky for excellent viewing. Learn about the ancient Hawaiian temple and see the Hawaiian night sky and stars. Meet at Olson Trust building at corner of Maile and Pikake in Pāhala. Reservations required; $45 per person, includes refreshments. Call 938-0550.

     Kaʻū Coffee Festival Hoʻolauleʻa will be Saturday, May 4 on the grounds and within Pāhala Community Center. It’s a full day of music and dance, coffee tasting, demonstrations, food, snacks, and educational booths and games. Free, no reservations required. Ho‘olaule‘a entertainment lineup to be announced. See more in the ongoing events section, below, to sign up for booths, displays. Space for booths and presentations are limited, reservations required. Vendor applications at KauCoffeeFest.com.

     Kaʻū Coffee College will be held at Pāhala Community Center from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 5, with education and demonstrations for coffee farmers and Kaʻū Coffee enthusiasts. Previous years hosted examples of coffee processing equipment from as far away as Japan and Brazil, such as roasters, pulping mills, and bean separators.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events. 

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes 

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on 

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

     See updates in future stories about the events at KauNewsBriefs.blogspot.com. Also see KauCoffeeFestival.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.

Kaʻū High Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball:

Feb. 6-9, Wed.-Sat., HHSAA

Boys Basketball:

Feb. 5, Tue., BIIF Div. II Semi-Finals

Feb. 6, Wed., BIIF Div. II Finals

Feb. 21-23, Thu.-Sat., HHSAA

Wrestling:

Feb. 9, Sat., @BIIF @Keaʻau

Feb. 20-21, Wed.-Thu., HHSAA

Soccer:

Feb. 7-9, Thu.-Sat., Boys HHSAA

Swimming:

Feb. 8-9, Fri.-Sat., HHSAA

Feb. 9, Sat., Oʻahu

NEW and UPCOMING

CLASSIC CAR AND BIKE SHOW, hosted and sponsored by Ocean View Community Center, happens Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Owners of classic cars and bikes are encouraged to register early, as space is limited. This first annual event features an open house with fun, food and music. Contact Dennis at 831-234-7143 or Ron at 808-217-7982 to register or for more info.

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, FEBRUARY 5
AdvoCATS, Tue., Feb. 5, 7-5pm, Ocean View Community Center. Free Cat Spay & Neuter Clinic. 895-9283. advocatshawaii.org

Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Mtg., Tue., Feb. 5, 6-8pm, Pāhala Community Center.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
Arts & Crafts Activity: Mardi Gras, Wed., Feb. 6, 3:30-5pm, multi-purpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym. Register keiki ages 5-12 through Feb. 5. Free. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Hula Voices, Wed., Feb. 6, 5:30-6:30pm, 1st Wed. monthly, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Desiree Moana Cruz moderates the talk story session. Free, 967-7565

Open Mic Night, Wed., Feb. 6, 6-10pm, Lava Lounge, Kīlauea Military Camp. Call 967-8365 after 4pm to sign-up and for more details. Park entrance fees may apply. Open to KMC patrons and sponsored guests, 21+. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7
Women's Support Group, Thu., Feb. 7 and 21, 3-4:30pm, 1st and 3rd Thursday monthly. PARENTS Inc. office, Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in anytime. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org.

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thu., Feb. 7, 6-7pm, Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Mtg., Thu., Feb. 7, 6:30pm, Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Free Community Dance, Fri., Feb. 8, 7-10pm, Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Snacks provided; additional pupus welcome. Free admission; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Sat., Feb. 9, 8-11am, Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Nā Mamo O Kāwā ʻOhana Work Day, Sat., Feb. 9, meet 9:30am, Northern Gate, Kāwā. RSVP to James Akau, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. nmok.org, facebook.com/namamo.kawa

1st Annual Acton Children's Business Fair, Sat., Feb. 9, 10-1pm, River of Life Assembly of God, 96-2345 Paauau St., Pāhala. Support young on-island entrepreneurs in this one day marketplace for keiki ages 7 to 18 and their personal businesses selling their own brands, products, or services. childrensbusinessfair.org

15th Annual Love the Arts Fundraiser, 50th Anniversary of Woodstock, Sat., Feb. 9, 5-9pm, Volcano Art Center. Funds raised support classes, exhibits, workshops, and programs at Volcano Art Center. Music, gourmet buffet, and fine wines and brews. Live and silent auctions. $55/VAC member, $65/non-member. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10
Women's Wave meets the 2nd Sunday of the month, 2 p.m., at Punaluʻu bakery. Feb. 10 topic is expected to be comparing Women's Walk stories.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Free STD Testing, Mon., Feb. 11, 9-noon, 2nd Monday, monthly, Ocean View Community Center. Sponsored by Hawai‘i Department of Health. Call for appt. on different day or time. Teenagers 14+ do not need parent/guardian consent. Always confidential. Free condoms and lube. 895-4927

ONGOING

Money is Needed to Travel to State Championships for Kaʻū Trojans Girls Basketball Team. To donate, call Kaʻū High Athletic Director Kalei Namohala at 808-313-4100 or send a check to Kaʻū High School at 96-3150 Pikake St, Pāhala, HI, 96777, with the notation "Girls Basketball."

     The Trojans Girls basketball team will fly to Honolulu for the tournament, Feb. 6-9.

Harry McKee Foundation Scholarships for Kaʻū Students are open through Feb. 15. College bound high school seniors and current college students encouraged to apply for a $1,000 scholarship. Students must be residents of Kaʻū District and plan to attend any accredited college, university, technical institute, or vocational school, anywhere in the U.S. Students must enroll full time in the fall of 2019.
     The application and more information are at mckeescholarshipfoundation.weebly.com. Applications must be mailed to the foundation office in Ocean View by February 15.

Panaʻewa Stampede takes place this year just outside of Hilo, the weekend of Feb. 16-18, with rodeo competitors from Kaʻū and around the island joined by rodeo clowns and other entertainers. See HawaiiRodeoStampede.com.

Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi classes offered in Ka‘ū include: Expanded Food and Nutrition Program (EFNEP) on Wednesdays through Feb. 19. See more at hmono.org; Diabetes Management Classes on Mondays in February. Sign up by calling 969-9220 or online at hmono.org/classes.

Miss Kaʻū Coffee Pageant will accept applicants through Feb. 28. The pageant will be held again at the Ka‘ū District Gym on Saturday, April 27, 6 p.m. Miss Kaʻū Coffee and her court will represent the Kaʻū Coffee industry throughout the year at events in the community and beyond, her appearances sponsored by the Edmund C. Olson Trust, II. Pageant Director is Trinidad Marques. Scholarship Committee Directors are Julia Neal and Gloria Camba.

     The community can support the pageant through purchasing tickets, volunteering, and providing scholarships.
     Girls three to 24 years of age are encouraged to enter the pageant. Talents often include hula and singing. Competitive categories include Talent, Gown, Photogenic, Career-Interview, Characters Outfit, and Swimsuit for Miss Kaʻū Coffee. Pageant hopefuls contend for titles of Miss Ka‘ū Coffee, Jr. Miss Kaʻū Coffee, Miss Kaʻū Peaberry, and Miss Kaʻū Coffee Flower.Email tmarques@yahoo.com.

Volunteer on Midway Atoll for Six Months. The volunteer will serve as a communication assistant out on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, on or about March 12 through August. Applications are due by Feb. 28. Potential to be extended to a full year. Get more info and instructions on how to apply.

Job to Help Kids with Healthy Eating and Living in Kaʻū is available through FoodCorps. Applications are open through March 15 to work for a year at Pāhala Elementary School. The position is a full-time 11.5-month commitment from August 1, 2019 through July 15, 2020Apply at foodcorps.org/apply. See the service member position description for more details. Visit foodcorps.org, Facebook page, or contact seri.niimi-burch@foodcorps.org for more information.

   In exchange for service, members receive: $22,000 living stipend paid bi-weekly over the 11.5-month term; $6,095 AmeriCorps Segal education award upon successful completion of service; Student loan deferral or forbearance, if eligible; partial childcare reimbursement, if eligible; Health insurance; Ongoing training, mentorship, and professional development.

Applications for a Paid Internship in Kaʻū for Kupu Hawai‘i and The Nature Conservancy are being accepted. The year-long, full-time position is in TNC's Hawai‘i Island Terrestrial Program, which stewards native forest preserves in Ka‘ū and South Kona. Benefits offered include: a $1,600 monthly living allowance, before taxes; a $5,920 education award towards higher education; health care and childcare benefit, if eligible; and receiving an entry-level conservation career experience.
     Application at kupuhawaii.org/conservation. For more, call The Nature Conservancy at 443-5401 or call Kupu Hawai‘i at 808-735-1221.

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