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Saturday, August 10, 2019

Kaʻū News Briefs, Saturday, August 10, 2019

Ocean View transfer station on Paradise Circle today welcomed the community on its last day. The new Convenience
Center for refuse and recyclables will open next Saturday, weekly, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Hwy 11. See story below.
Photo by Yvette Slack 
THE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN DRAFT IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE, with recommendations for the future of Kaʻū. Download the draft and see future stories on its details in these daily Kaʻū News Briefs. A public meeting for input from Kaʻū will be held on Sunday, Aug. 25 at Nāʻālehu Community Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to drop in anytime during the speak-out sessions, with displays and county Planning Department staff on hand to explain the County General Plan.
Download the General Plan
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THE NEW OCEAN VIEW CONVENIENCE CENTER on Highway 11 will become the exclusive public site in Ocean View for discarding trash and recyclables every Saturday, starting Aug. 17, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Today marked the last day of using the temporary transfer station on Paradise Circle. The new facility is located between the 79 and 80 mile markers makai of Hwy 11.  
     The Convenience Center is operated by the County of Hawaiʻi's Solid Waste Management Division. Atlas Recycling, Barbie Seto, Gerald Steele, and Shane Leffew will move over to the new facility to help out station next Saturday, said the crew manning the last day of the old transfer station.
Help will be available at the opening of the new trash and recycling center
for Ocean View, next Saturday. Photo by Yvette Slack
     The long-awaited upgrade, near the intersection of Iolani Blvd. and Highway 11, has been promised since 2007. This set up is temporary, phase one of the project, costing nearly $2 million. The most expensive portion of this step was the widening of Hwy 11, to construct a "pocket lane" for motorists to turn out of traffic and enter the facility.
       The new temporary facility is gravel-paved with a large concrete pad for parking the garbage dumpsters and trucks, similar to the pad at the present temporary transfer station. The location takes up about an acre of the land that's reserved for the permanent facility.
     The county plans to build a facility similar to the ones at Volcano and Glenwood, which include the collection of mixed waste and green waste.
     For questions regarding transfer stations or recycling programs, see hawaiizerowaste.org or contact the Solid Waste Division Administrative Office at 961-8270 during regular office hours: Mondays – Fridays, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Location of the new Ocean View refuse and recycling Convenience
Center between mile markers 78 and 80. Hawaiʻi County map
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ASTRONOMERS ARE RETURNING TO WORK ON MAUNKEA after four weeks of suspended operations during the Protectors of Maunakea gathering that blocks the Maunakea Access Road. The Protectors are protesting the planned Thirty Meter Telescope project that would build the largest telescope on the planet near the top of Maunakea.
     On July 16, all Maunakea observatories chose to remove staff from the summit, stating a concern for safety and access to the telescopes. On Friday, the observatories' representatives said they feel secure in allowing the scientists to go back to work. The Protectors said they would have allowed scientists through the barricade much earlier.
     Said John O'Meara of W.M. Keck Observatory, "This is the longest the observatory has gone without doing science and we're really, really wanting to get back on sky. I'm really excited that we've made enough progress to be doing some science again." He remarked that it is "not a full return to operations. A full return to operations is going to have complete access to the summit access road, basically whenever we need it, and we need to be able to do so safely. But we have enough to do limited operations now and we're really looking forward to working with the state to regain access to the road, to have full operations."
Telescope operators are excited to return to Maunakea's summit, to continue "doing science," remarked John O'Meara,
who works at the W.M. Keck Observatory. Photo from Maunakea Observatories
     Mary Beth Laychak, with the Canada France Hawaiʻi Telescope outreach team, said, "We're really excited about the support from the governor and the mayor. The first thing that our operations group is going to need to do is actually get up there and run all of our systems. We have the telescope, we have our dome shutter, we have hydraulics. All of these things haven't been operational in three weeks. So we need to make sure that they're up and ready to go." She said that as soon as the equipment is "ready to go, we should be able to resume our science," as theirs is one of the remotely operated telescopes.
     Keck observing assistant Heather Hershley, who works at the summit at night, said, "It's been somewhat frustrating not to be able to do the job that I was hired to do. Not physically being up there means that nothing gets done. I love my work on the summit. I get to see amazing sunsets. I get to be part of amazing discoveries. Maunakea is an amazing place and I've loved working on it. I dreamed about working on those telescopes since childhood, so this has been the best job I've ever had."
     See the astronomers speak at bigislandvideonews.com/2019/08/10/video-astronomers-excited-to-restart-limited-operations-on-mauna-kea/.

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Mazie Hirono talked about gun control measures in congress, the White House push back and
Pres. Donald Trump's visit this week to El Paso and Dayton. Photo from CNN
PRES. DONALD TRUMP'S VISIT TO EL PASO AND DAYTON, after the slaughter of innocent people, received a review by Kaʻū's U.S. Senator, Mazie Hirono this week on The Lead, a CNN news show with Jake Tapper. He asked Hirono for her reaction to the President's visit. She said, "As usual, anything that he experiences, he brings it back to himself. So while he was supposed to be there to show sympathy and empathy, I think he showed himself the most sympathy and empathy. He always acts like the victim."
     Tapper talked about making domestic terrorism a higher priority in the national counter terrorism strategy. Tapper said the Department of Homeland Security in 2017 and 2018 pushed the White House to make domestic terrorism a higher priority, but the White House kept pushing back. Hirono said, "Apparently, he doesn't like to hear the words white supremacist doing anything, so they really cut back on any references to domestic terrorism and acknowledging it as a growing problem."
Sen. Mazie Hirono said she recommends banning new sales of military
style weapons used in mass killings. Photo from CNN
     Tapper asked Hirono if gun regulation laws could pass the Senate, if the House of Representatives comes back early to work on them. Hirono responded, "Not as long as as Mitch McConnell is in charge." She said congress "can't even get" a background check for gun purchases through the senate after it passed the House of Representatives. She contended that two people are holding up gun regulation - Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell and the President.
     Hirono said that even though Trump said this week that he would work on the gun problem, he didn't make the time to accept the invitation to talk with Veronica Escobar, the congresswoman from El Paso but had "all kinds of time" for the National Rifle Association.
     She said that during the 2020 elections, the citizenry needs to defeat McConnell in the Kentucky U.S. Senate race. Hirono said McConnell is happy to hold back gun reform and "describes himself as the grim reaper." She said another way is for Republicans to stand up in Congress.
     When asked how guns could be restricted, she said that stopping the sales of new military style assault weapons would be the first step. She said that confiscating guns would run into legal challenges. See the interview at CNN.

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SEPTEMBER EVENTS AT KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP, located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, are open to all eligible patrons. Park entrance fees apply:
     RED PIN Bowling every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at KMC Lanes. Bowl a strike with the RED PIN in the head pin position and get that game free. $3 per game, $1.75 shoe rental – don't forget socks. 
     Kīlauea Luau Buffet every Friday night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Crater Rim Café. Adults $16.25 and Child (6-11) $8.25. Free Hula Show on Sept. 6, 13, and 20 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call 967-8356 for more information.
     Eight-Ball Tournament Sunday, Sept. 8. Tournament starts at 1 p.m., check-in starts at noon, at KMC Recreation Lodge. Pre-registration required; pick up a registration form from the KMC Recreation Lodge or 10-Pin Grill.
     Soul Town Band in the Lava Lounge, Saturday, Sept. 14. Sit back and enjoy the tunes from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. $5 cover charge.
     See kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

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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
2019 Kaʻū High School Athletics Schedule through August
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates; Bowling TBA.

Football, Division II:
Sat., Aug. 24, 1 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha

Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Tue., Aug. 20, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Hilo
Fri., Aug. 23, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts St. Joseph
Wed., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala

Cross Country:
Sat., Aug. 31, 10 a.m., @Christian Liberty

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UPCOMING
SUNDAY, AUG. 11
People and Land of Kahuku, Sun., Aug. 11, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, Aug. 11 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3-5p.m.Volcano Art Center. Free; calabash donations welcome. Dress warmly. Patty Johnson, 345-1527

MONDAY, AUG. 12
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Monday, Aug. 12 and Aug. 26, 1p.m., contact for location. Parent-led homeschool activity and social group, building community in Ka‘ū. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

TUESDAY, AUG. 13
Virtual Advisory Council Mtg. for Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Tuesday, August 13, 9a.m.-1p.m. Open to the public. Updates on education and outreach, resource protection, science, and Navy research. Public comment begins at 12:20 p.m. Join audio conference line at 1-866-813-9056, passcode: 1392550#. Visual presentation via Blue Jeans: https://bluejeans.com/986204292, meeting ID: 986 204 292. More info or mtg. agenda, contact Cindy Among-Serrao, 808-725-5923 or Cindy.Among-Serrao@noaa.govhawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.govfacebook.com/hawaiihumpbackwhalesanctuaries.noaa.govdlnr.hawaii.gov

Registration Open: Butterfly Magnets Craft, Tuesday, Aug. 13-19, Kahuku ParkHawaiian Ocean
 View Estates. Program for ages 6-12 takes place on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 12:45-3:30p.m. Free. 939-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14
Lā‘āu Lāpa‘au Demonstration, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 10a.m.-noonKīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Hawaiian herbal medicine practitioner Ka‘ohu Monfort demonstrates. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, AUG. 15
Private Guided Hike: Kīlauea Iki Crater, Thursday, Aug. 15, 10a.m.-2p.m.Kīlauea Iki Overlook, HVNP. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate to challenging 2.4 mile (one way) hike. $80/person. Park entrance fees may apply. 985-7373, fhvnp.org

Registration Open: Beaded Bracelet, Aug. 15-20, Ka‘ū District Gym multipurpose room. Program for grades K-8, takes place Wednesday, Aug. 21, 3:30-5p.m. Free.928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

FRIDAY, AUG. 16
Hawai‘i Statehood Day

SATURDAY, AUG. 17
Taking the Pamphlet Stitch on a Romp – bookbinding workshop with Charlene Asato, Saturday, Aug. 17, 9a.m.-noonVolcano Art Center. No experience necessary. $32/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Supply list online. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Volunteer Fountain Grass Removal, Saturday, Aug. 17, 9a.m.-3p.m., meet at Ocean ViewCommunity Center parking lot. Bring lunch, water, hat, and sunscreen. ovcahi.org

Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship, Sat., Aug. 17, 9:30-11:30am, Kahuku Unit , HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Mtg., Saturday, Aug. 17, 10a.m.-1p.m.Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting and training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Kumu Hula Iwalani Kalima with Hula Hālau O Kou Lima Nani ‘E, Saturday, Aug. 17, 10:30-11:30a.m., hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.comvolcanoart
center.org

Nā Mea Hula with Wes Awana, Saturday, Aug. 17, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.comvolcanoartcenter.org

Ham Radio Mtg., Saturday, Aug. 17, 2-3p.m.Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Pāhala Hongwanji Bon Dance, Saturday, Aug. 17, 4-10:30p.m. Sponsored by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Food, dancing, fun, Taiko drums. All are welcome. Free. OKK President Wayne Kawachi, 937-4773

50th Anniversary of Hawaiian Civic Club of Kaʻū, Kanani aʻo Kaʻū, Aug. 17, Pāhala Community Center5-10p.m. History, food, and music. General admission is $20; kupuna are $10; keiki ages 6 to 17 are $8; keiki 5 and under are free. For more, email hawaiiancivicclubkau@gmail.com or call 808-747-0197.

ONGOING
Volcano Winery's Annual Fundraising Harvest Festival Tickets are on sale at volcanowinery.com or (808) 967-7772. Proceeds benefit Volcano School of Arts & Sciences; last year's event sold out. This sixth festive evening of live music, food, wines and craft beers under the stars happens Sunday, Sept. 84-7p.m. The $50 per person tickets include live music entertainment by Young Brothers; delicious food and drink from local restaurants; award-winning wines and teas from the Volcano Winery; tours of the vineyards and a huge raffle.

Exhibit - Nani Ka ‘Ikena by Volcano local photographer Jesse Tunison, daily through Sept. 15, 9a.m.-5p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Nani Ka ʻIkena, that which is seen is beautiful, features vibrant colors and crisp, wide vistas which highlight the character and drama of Hawaiʻi Island’s landscape. The collection of ten photographs were captured over the past decade by Tunison and also document the dynamic changes which have occurred in such a short period of time. "While the landscape has changed the beauty has endured." Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

6th Annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run Registration, webscorer.com/register?raceid=166020. 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon races through mac nut and coffee fields along slopes of Ka‘ū starting at 7a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Sponsored by Ka‘ū Coffee Mill and ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou. Prices increase after July 9. okaukakou.orgkaucoffeemill.com

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