Kaʻū News Briefs, Monday, September 23, 2019

Christina Rasmussen and Megan Denny, who finished third and first in the Women' 5K, with Kaʻū Coffee Queen 
Helena Sesson, Princess Liliana Marques, and Miss Flower Kysha Manini Kaʻupu. 
Emcee Eddie-O is far right. See more results below. Photo by Julia Neal

WILD BEES ARE RECOVERING ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND after a loss of about 99 percent of them over about eight years, says Allison Yahna. The bee expert said she is inspired by the expected recovery on this island and around the world, as people are becoming aware of the importance of bees in nature and for the survival of food for humans. She said there are many new beekeepers on this island.

     Earlier this month, Yahna, who founded Artimis Smiles Honey Bee Sanctuary in Kaʻū 20 years ago, took her daughter, Volcano School of Arts & Sciences student Manu Yahna, to Montreal for Apimondia 2019, the world's largest conference on bees. They found that people from many countries are dedicated to reviving bee populations. Allison said she was most inspired by the number of folks interested in supporting local bees, adapted to their locale and evolving with genetic diversity to help fight off onslaught of disease.

Honeybees on a removable comb. Photo from Swarm Season

     She said that Hawaiʻi Island, in its isolation from the mainland, is like a laboratory with very little risk to bees until the last decade. "We were able to see, with the sudden onslaught of imported mites, beetles, and disease, that only the strong bees evolved and survived." Even though 99 percent of wild bees and 90 percent of commercial bees perished, "evolution worked," she said. "The weak died off. The strong had traits that allowed them to survive." She said that some bees with hygienic behavior were able to cull out infected brood, groom each other and remove mites, and self-medicate by dining on medicinal plants. Bees adapted by gathering antimicrobial resins and saps from plants to varnish the interiors of their hives, to keep out disease.

     Yahna said there are theories on the origin of the diseases that killed the bees here. Hawaiʻi, with its isolation from disease, became a popular place to mass produce queen bees to create hives that are used in large tracts of agriculture on the mainland. Hundreds of thousand of the queens are shipped to orchards that need pollination for almonds, rapeseed to produce canola, and other monoculture, industrial crops.

A honeybee, alighting on a flower near dawn. Photo from Swarm Season

     She said that mass producing queens, kept in cages without exposure to the elements and preventing their natural behavior of swarming to find a new home, make them weaker. They can lose the ability to resist disease. She said that beetles could have come onto the island through imported, used beekeeping equipment, soil, and imported fruit. The disease nosima C. could have arrived with imported semen to impregnate the queen bees. Mites could have come through shipments of queen bees, en route from New Zealand to the North American mainland, with a stop in Honolulu.

     If there were a wholesale crash of bees – here and on the mainland, there could be food shortage. "The food system in the U.S. needs pollination."

     Yahna said that the conference drew much interest in an approach toward locally sourced bees kept as wild as possible, living in a diversity of wild plants and crops in local, small scale agriculture systems for each community. Beekeepers would raise bees adapted to each community. She said that letting the bees evolve, while minimizing toxins and other threats to them, could be the best solution.

     "Everything the bees do, is the result of 30 million years of evolution." Humans, on the planet for a shorter time than bees, can learn from them, instead of trying adapt bees to a new system that is likely unsustainable," she said. She recommended the book, The Lives of Bees: The Untold Story of the Honeybee in the Wild.

A beekeeper, watching a swarm of honeybees. Photo from Swarm Season

     A keynote speaker at the convention was T.D. Seeley, of the Department of Neurobiology & Behavior at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

     He explained the idea of Darwinian beekeeping, as an evolutionary approach that seeks to provide managed honey bee colonies with living conditions that are as close as possible to those of wild honey bee colonies. "The goal is to harmonize our beekeeping methods with the natural history of Apis mellifera," allowing bees to "make full use of the toolkit of adaptations that they have evolved over the last 30 million years." Seeley explained the pursuit of beekeeping "centered less on treating a bee colony as a honey factory and more on nurturing the lives of honey bees."

     Yahna said that the owner of Hawaiian Queen, a company on Hawaiʻi Island that produces queens for the mainland, attended the convention and is working with her on new approaches to raising queen bees in more sustainable environments. Contact beeoracal@gmail.com. See the trailer of Yahna's film, Swarm Season.

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REMOTE COUNSELING is available to Kaʻū residents through Root 2 Rise Counseling Center in Hilo. Meeting with a licensed mental health counselor via video or voice calls means there is no need to go to an office for appointments. Patients can work with a counselor in any private place, such as a bedroom, lanai, or someplace in nature. This is suited for those who don't like sitting in traffic, don't drive, or simply prefer the comfort of staying home.

     "This service may work for you in a way previous counseling hasn't, said Kim Pierce, founder of Root 2 Rise. After several years of working with clients on the Big Island, she said, it became clear to her that driving hours to an appointment in town was not ideal for many of her clients.

     "We know that the need for counseling is on the rise, and we are just making it more accessible to all," says Pierce. "According to the 2010 Census, the Hawaiian islands are composed of 93.9 percent rural areas. Root 2 Rise's goal is to make counseling on all of the Hawaiian Islands accessible in a way it hasn't been before, so that no matter how far you live from town, or how busy your schedule is, counseling can work for you.

     "Our brains are one of our most precious organs. It is what makes us, us. Everyone needs a place to rest and reset. Maybe you have never been to counseling and are interested in giving it a try. Mental health counseling is not only for severe mental health disorders. Anyone looking to make adjustments in their life can benefit from speaking with a professional to improve what is no longer working for you, or for your family. 

People providing care in our community such as teachers, nurses, doctors, and health providers will now have the flexibility and privacy of working toward their mental health goals with a counselor via voice or video sessions."

     No physician referral is needed to begin counseling services. To schedule an appointment call 808-765-5080, with insurance card ready. Root 2 Rise accepts both HMSA and HMSA Quest insurance plans. For other insurance carriers, call to talk about out of pocket rates.

     Children and adults have been shown to benefit significantly from participating in mental health services, said Pierce. For those who prefer to meet in person, the counseling center is equipped with two rooms that are set up for kids, and three for adults and families. The counseling center is located in downtown Hilo across from Blane's on Waianuenue Ave.
     Privacy and confidentiality are a key component to successful mental health counseling. The professional will talk about right to privacy and confidentiality during the first visit. "You don't need to be at rock bottom to receive the benefits of counseling," said Pierce.

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Final Half Marathon finisher, 72-year-old Joe Loschiavo, holds up a drink
- NOT water - in celebration of his accomplishment. Photo by Julia Neal

THE SIXTH ANNUAL KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUN on Saturday, Sept. 21 boasted competitors from as far away as Japan. It included international adventurers like Mayumi Takahashi, 51, and Teresa Oniwa, 61, who immigrated to  Brazil decades ago and recently moved back to Japan.
     Miss Kaʻū Coffee Helena Nihipali Sesson fired the pistol to start all three races. Eddie-O served as Master of Ceremonies.

     The Run saw 226 people of all ages take to the coffee and macadamia nut orchards, and the rainforest above Pāhala, near Kaʻū Coffee Mill, where all three races started and ended. Sponsored by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, Edmund C. Olson Trust II, Kaʻū Coffee Mill, County of Hawaiʻi, BioAstin, and Webscorer, the annual event raises money to invest in programs run by ʻO Kaʻū Kākou, for the benefit of Kaʻū.

    Prizes for the winners were donated by Atlantis Submarine, Big Island Candies, Body Glove, Capt. Zodiac, Hapuna Beach Resort, Hilo Hawaiian Buffet, King Kamehameha Hotel Buffet, Mizuno Superette, Starbucks, Target-Kona, and WalMart.

     Kaʻū's Denny family ran together in the 5K again this year. Megan Denny, in the age 40-49 group, placed first – she also won it in 2016 and 2018 – 9th overall, at 28:01.3. Justin Denny (40-49) finished 9th for men, 14th overall, and 3rd in his category, at 30:22.3. Justin Denny III, 16 (19 & under), finished 9th for men, 10th overall – right on Megan's heels – and 5th in his category, at 28:45.2. They all improved their times over last year's race.

Three race finishers with Kaʻū Coffee Queen Helena Sesson, Princess Liliana 
Marques, and Miss Flower Kysha Manini Kaʻupu. Photo by Julia Neal

     Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's Public Affairs Specialist, Jessica Ferracane, finished the 5K, as did the youngest entrant of all three races, 6-year-old Yuna Liener. The youngest entrant in the 10K, 16-year-old Maia Akao, finished 41st overall in that race. The youngest entrant in the Half Marathon, 11-year-old Nova Stickley, finished 55th overall in that race.
     Winner of the Women's 5K was Megan Denny (40-49) – see above for more. Second place was Carla Lind (30-39), of Kaʻū, at 29:31.3. Christina Rasmussen (40-49) took third, at 31:55.3.

     The Men's 5K was won by Jared Barrett (19 & under) at 21:59.3. Henry Miranda (19 & under) took second, at 22:57.8. Matthew Newton (19 & under) took third, at 25:15.9.

     Winner of the Women's 10K was Lucile Redon (20-29) at 58:03.6. Tonya Rude (50-59) took second, at 59:00.1. Third was Megan Lamson Leatherman (30-39), of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, at 1:03:03.5.

     Winner of the Men's 10K was Jeffrey Iverslie (50-59), at 51:37.0. Second was Adrien Azema (20-29), at 52:46.2. Bryce Harada (20-29) took third, at 53:51.7.

     Amy Young (30-39), of Keaʻau, won the Women's Half Marathon, at 1:48:03.7. Second place was Noe McMahon (20-29) for the second year in a row, at 1:51:39.8. Third place was Bree Brown (30-39), of Kona, last year's first place winner, at 2:00:30.1.

     Winner of the Men's Half Marathon was Zachary Songa (30-39) at 1:28:51.8. Second place was Patrick Stover (30-39), of Kona, who took first last year, at 1:39:34.9. Third place was Mark Larson (30-39) at 1:40:47.4.

Mayumi Takahashi, 51, and Teresa Oniwa, 61, arrived from Japan for the 

race. They immigrated to Brazil decades ago and recently moved 

back to Japan. Photo by Julia Neal

     Other participants from the Kaʻū area, Volcano to Miloliʻi, include:

     Women's 5K: Marie Pearson (20-29) at 35:31.5, who took first in her age group, 13th overall. Sheryl Cobb (40-49) at 53:04.8, who took 10th in her age group, 56th overall. Shirley Saribay (40-49) at 56:02.1, who took 12th in her age group, 60th overall. Kathy Baxter (50-59) at 39:08.3, who took 3rd in her age group, 22nd overall. Lynn Morrison (50-59) at 51:22.2, who took 9th in her age group, 49th overall. Meredith Linden (50-59) at 51:35.7, who took 10th in her age group, 51st overall. Robin Stratton (60-69) at 44:07.9, who took 3rd in her age group, 36th overall.

     Women's 10K: Kimberly Weisenborn (30-39) at 1:20:03.0, who took 7th in her age group, 22nd overall.

     Women's Half Marathon: Sally Marrack (40-49) at 2:16:13.9, who took second in her age group, 7th overall.

Tropical Storm Kiko is expected to die off before
affecting Hawaiʻi. NOAA image

     Men's Half Marathon: Shawn Mishler (50-59) at 2:00:30.5, who took second in his age group, 12th overall.
     See all the results at webscorer.com/race?raceid=196360.

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TROPICAL STORM KIKO was 1,200 miles from South Point, moving at 12 mile per hour with 60 mph winds at 5 p.m. She is forecast to devolve into a tropical depression by Wednesday afternoon. Kiko has been unpredictable, but is expected to die off before affecting Hawaiʻi.

     The other storms and weather disturbances in the region have dissipated. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, September is the peak month for hurricane and tropical storm activity in the Pacific and Atlantic.

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.

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.

2019 Kaʻū High School Fall Athletics Schedule

See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates

Football, Division II:

Thu., Oct. 3, 7 p.m. Kamehameha hosts Kaʻū

Sat., Oct. 12, 1 p.m., Kaʻū hosts HPA

Sat., Oct. 19, 11 a.m., Kaʻū hosts Pāhoa

Sat., Oct. 26, 1 p.m., Kohala hosts Kaʻū

Fri. and Sat., Nov. 1 and 2, Div II BIIF Championship

Fri. and Sat., Nov. 15 and 16, HHSAA Div II Semifinals

Fri., Nov. 29, HHSAA Div II Championship

Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:

Tue., Sept. 24, 6 p.m., Makualani hosts Kaʻū

Fri., Sept. 27, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts HPA

Wed., Oct. 2, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Pāhoa

Fri., Oct. 4, 6 p.m., Parker hosts Kaʻū

Tue., Oct. 8, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Ehunui

Thu., Oct. 10, 6 p.m., Konawaena hosts Kaʻū

Mon., Oct. 14, 6 p.m., BIIF Div II First Round at Keaʻau

Tue., Oct. 15, 2:30 p.m., BIIF Div II Semifinals at Keaʻau

Wed., Oct. 16, 4 p.m., BIIF Div II Finals at Keaʻau
Wed.-Sat., Oct. 23-26, HHSAA DII Tournament, Oʻahu

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.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

UPCOMING

TUESDAY, SEPT. 24

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Sept. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

Operatic Theater with Artist-in-Residence, Alan Olejniczak, Saturday, Sept. 24, 7 p.m., KīlaueaVisitor Center Auditorium. Olenjniczak, playwright and librettist, presents excerpts from the first draft of an audio drama about the natural history and future of Hawai‘i Island. Free; park entrance fees apply. 965-6101, nps.gov/havo

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25

Kōkua Kupuna Project, Wednesday, Sept. 25 – last Wednesday, monthly – 9-11a.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Seniors 60 years and older encouraged to attend, ask questions, and inquire about services offered through Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i – referral required, 961-8626, for free legal services. Under 60, call 1-800-499-4302. More info: tahisha.despontes@legalaidhawaii.org, 329-3910 ext. 925. legalaidhawaii.org

Guided Hike On A 60 Year Old Lava Lake, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 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. Register online. Park entrance fees may apply. 985-7373, admin@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org

Pū‘ohe Demonstration, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Make a Hawaiian bamboo trumpet. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, SEPT. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday, Sept. 26, 11a.m.-noon, multipurpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym, Pāhala.

Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thursday, Sept. 26, 3-4p.m., Classroom 35, Building F, Nā‘ālehu Elementary School. Provides local forum for community members to come together as equal partners to discuss and positively affect multiple systems' issues to benefit students, families, and communities. Chad Domingo, text 381-2584, domingoc1975@yahoo.com, ccco.k12.hi.us

Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thursday, Sept. 26, 4-6p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

FRIDAY, SEPT. 27

Coffee Talk at Kahuku, Friday, Sept. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

SATURDAY, SEPT. 28

Fee-Free Day: National Public Lands Day, Saturday, Sept. 28. Park entrance is free. neefusa.org

National Public Lands Day Volunteering, Saturday, Sept. 28, 8:45a.m.-noon, meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools provided. Parental or guardian accompaniment or written consent required for under 18. No advance registration required. Volunteers receive pass to return and enjoy park fee-free another day. No entrance fees. nps.gov/havo

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Sept. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, SEPT. 29

Realms and Divisions, Sunday, Sept. 29, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult, two-mile, hike. Bring snack. nps.gov/havo

ONGOING

Nationwide 2019 Congressional App Challenge submissions from middle and high schoolers are open through Friday, Nov. 1. Submit to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, CongressionalAppChallenge.us, apps "designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science." All skill levels, all devices and platforms, and all programming languages, accepted.

Tiny Treasure Invitational Exhibit at Volcano Art Center gallery in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park runs through Sunday, Nov. 3. Open to the public, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Free; Park entrance fees apply. The exhibition also celebrates VAC's 45th anniversary, Oct. 21.

     Artists include Daniel Rokovitz, Stone O'Daugherty, Kristin Mitsu Shiga, Pat Pearlman, and Amy Flanders, Karen and Mark Stebbins. Also on display, small works from the annual Volcano Art Collaboration from June, featuring Rose Adare, Nash Adams-Pruitt, Lisa Louise Adams, Ed Clapp, Amy Flanders, Bill Hamilton, Liz Miller, Joe Laceby, and Erik Wold. volcanoartcenter.org

Tutoring for Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary is Available to All Students of the school, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Grades Kindergarten-2nd will be in room 3; grades 3-6 will be in room 6 on Mondays, room 11 on Tuesdays through Thursdays; middle school students, will be in building Q; and high school students will be in room M-101 in the science building. Contact khpes.org or 808-313-4100 for more.

Vendor Booth Space is Available for the Kamahalo Craft Fair. The 12th annual event will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cooper Center. Booths are open for crafters with quality homemade and homegrown products. Food vendors must prepare all food items in a certified kitchen and must have a Department of Health permit displayed prominently at their booth. Application online at thecoopercenter.org. Direct questions to 936-9705 or kilaueatutu@gmail.com.

Girls Exploring Math and Science Registration is open to Kaʻū students The annual event for fifth graders will be held on Dec. 10 at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. The mission of the American Association of University Women is to advance equity for women and girls though advocacy, education, and research.
     "First Come, First Served" registration forms were mailed to all West Hawaiʻi and Kaʻū schools on Sept. 9. Registration fee is $20 and scholarships are available. No girl will be turned away because of financial need. Once the 336 available spots are filled, no registrations will be accepted.

     All fifth grade girls residing in the West Hawaiʻi School complex and Kaʻū who attend public, private, or home schools are welcome. Sponsorship of girls by individuals or businesses will be accepted. For more information about GEMS, to volunteer or sponsor a girl, or to request a registration packet, contact Cindy Armer, GEMS chairperson at cbarmer@hotmail.com or 808-896-7180. Applications are also available at Kona-hi.aauw.net.

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