Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley is up for Wedemeyer Award - Two-Way Player of the Year. The public can vote through Monday,
Nov. 25; see story below. Photo by Tim Wright, Kaʻū '77
HAWAIʻI ISLAND MADE THE TOP TEN IN U.S. VISITOR DESTINATIONS in Trip Advisor's rankings, released this week. This island came in tenth, with first through ninth: New York, Maui, Oʻahu, Las Vegas, Orlando, San Diego, Chicago, New Orleans, and San Francisco.
     Hawaiʻi Island is described in the following way: "Life on the Big Island is a little bit slower… and locals like it that way. The natural beauty and ecological features of the island are a draw for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Test your chutzpah at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, home to the longest volcanic eruption in recorded history, or climb to the indescribably beautiful summit of Mauna Kea. At the end of the day, there's nothing more refreshing than a quivering plate of fresh poke, followed by a fruity shave ice."
The view to Honuʻapo is included in the description of Hawaiʻi Island, rated number ten destination in the entire
United States for 2019 Trip Advisor's Travelers' Choice Awards. Photo from Trip Advisor
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.

PROVIDE IMMEDIATE SUPPORT TO CONTROL AND ERADICATE THE INVASIVE QUEENSLAND LONGHORN BEETLE "before it devastates Hawai‘i Island" is the request from Sen. Brian Schatz to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.
     The invasive beetle, known by the official name Acalolepta aesthetica, is causing extensive damage to trees by burrowing through their trunks, and ultimately killing them. The insect poses a threat to Hawai‘i Island's growing number of cacao farmers, and endangers culturally important plants such as kukui and breadfruit trees. If the beetle spreads to the U.S. mainland, it would pose a direct threat to the $3.85 billion citrus industry, stated Schatz.
     Said Schatz, "The threat to U.S. agriculture and Hawai‘i's environment justifies immediate, strong intervention from the federal government in order to prevent harm to the U.S. economy and federally managed lands in Hawai‘i – especially while the threat of A. aesthetica is still confined to a fairly limited area on Hawai‘i Island. Federal land managers should act in coordination with the state, county, and private landowners to implement the practices identified by researchers to contain, mitigate, and hopefully eradicate A. aesthetica."
     Read the letter here.

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.

DEMAND FOR TECHNOLOGY ON HAWAIʻI FARMS IS INCREASING, according to recent report from U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, in cooperation with Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture. The Hawaiʻi Farm Technology Use survey was conducted this Fall to "determine the types of technology farmers currently use and the number of specific items farmers wanted in the future."
     This inaugural survey was mailed by NASS, then follow-up phone calls to a sample size of 1,750 farms were made. Farmers in all of Hawaiʻi's counties were sampled.
     Results from the survey are as follows:
     Physical Technology (hardware): 1,210 tablets in use; 1,512 more wanted. 634 satellite phones in use; 737 more wanted. 182 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in use; 872 more wanted. 1,516 video surveillance systems in use; 3,383 more wanted. 364 hand held sensors – to assess moisture, plant health, etc. – in use; 1,085 more wanted. 251 field sensors – to assess moisture, soil conditions, etc. – in use; 1,153 more wanted. 148 Global Positioning System-guided equipment in use; 414 more wanted. 69 GPS / RFID livestock tracking systems in use; 2,778 more wanted.
    Physical Technology (hardware): 1,263 smart phone applications – to assess field conditions, yield information, etc. – in use; 1,208 more wanted. 1,945 computer applications – for budget, farm operations, etc. – is use; 1,357 more wanted. 322 third party service apps (i.e., fee for service plan) in use; 266 more wanted.
     See nass.usda.gov/hi for more.

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.

Hilo High School JROTC Cadets present the
Colors, under Direction of Cadet CPT Travis
Puleo at KMC on Veterans Day.
 Photo from KMC
KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP hosted Veterans Day Ceremonies on Monday with more than 300 people attending.
     Hilo High School Junior ROTC Cadets presented the Colors, under direction of Cadet CPT Travis Puleo. D'Andrea Pelletier of Volcano sang the anthem; Charles Mapa, of Mountain View emceed; and Capt. Dylan Nonaka, Company Commander of the 81st EN CO in Hilo, gave the keynote address.

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.

Keynote speaker Capt. Dylan Nonaka,
Company Commander 87 1st EN, CO,
Hilo. Photo from KMC
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO ISSUED A NO VOTE FOR CHAD WOLF to serve as Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategy, Policy, and Plans. Following his confirmation, Wolf will serve as the acting Secretary of Homeland Security.
     In a statement issued today, Hirono said her opposition of Wolf is seated in the fact that he would be the fifth person to lead the Department of Homeland Security – the country's third largest federal agency – in less than three years.
     Said Hirono, "In an administration that has been marked by chaos and cruelty, Chad Wolf was an early author of several of the cruelest anti-immigrant policies we've seen to date. As the former chief of staff to then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, he proposed separating children from their parents at the border to deter the flow of migrants at the southern border. The more than 2,800 children who were used in this cruel way will bear the trauma of separation – likely for life.
     "Chad Wolf was also an early architect of the Remain in Mexico policy. Under this policy, the Trump administration has forced nearly 50,000 migrants, including nearly 500 infants and 16,000 children, to wait in dangerous conditions in Mexico while their asylum claims are being processed in the United States. Again, the use of the cruelest methods to achieve their anti-immigrant ends.
     "These policies do not reflect the values of our country. Chad Wolf's record shows that he will only further the chaos and cruelty of this administration, and he should not ascend to a position where he can do more harm to the most vulnerable among us."

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.

Vote through Monday, Nov. 25 for Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley as
best Two-Way Player of the Year.
Photo by Tim Wright, Kaʻū '77
VOTE FOR IZAIAH "BOBBY" PILANCA-EMMSLEY FOR THE WEDEMEYER AWARD - Two-Way Player of the Year, at khon2.com/uncategorized/vote-2019-cover2-hawaii-high-school-football-awards/. Voting remains open through Monday, Nov. 25. The winners will be announced on Thanksgiving by the L.A. Rams. Pilanca-Emmsley is the only candidate from Kaʻū. The seventh annual Cover2 Hawaiʻi High School Football Awards candidates were selected by a panel of coaches and media members representing all divisions from Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, Maui, and Kauaʻi. Fans can vote for six of the seven awards presented as can 19 coaches and media members. See khon2.com/uncategorized/vote-2019-cover2-hawaii-high-school-football-awards/ for more.

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.

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

UPCOMING
THURSDAY, NOV. 14
Birding at Kīpukapuaulu, Thursday, Nov. 14, 8-10a.m., Kīpukapuaulu - Bird Park - parking lot, HVNP. Led by retired USGS Biologist Nic Sherma. Two hour birding tour. $40/person. Register online. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 985-7373, admin@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org

‘Alalā Project Update, Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:30-8p.m., Volcano Art Center. $5 donation suggested. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:30p.m., United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkeley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, NOV. 15
Health Insurance Sign-Up, Friday, Nov. 15, 10a.m.-3p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

SATURDAY, NOV. 16
Small Group Kama‘oa Cleanup, Saturday, Nov. 16. Limited space available. Contact to be added to waitlist. 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.comwildhawaii.org

Mobile Spay & Neuter Waggin', Saturday, Nov. 16, 7:30a.m.-4p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Low income pet parents and those with limited transportation qualify for mobile spay/neuter service. Free. Surgery by phone appointment only. Hawai‘i Island Humane Society, 796-0107, hihs.org

Art Fair, Saturday, Nov. 16, 8a.m.-3p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Hand-crafted and locally produced items on display and for sale by Ka‘ū artists and craftspeople. DeeDee, 785-1158

Fundraising Bazaar, Saturday, Nov. 16, 9a.m.-2p.m., Kauaha‘ao Congregational Church, Wai‘ōhinu. Free entry. Hot lunches and baked goods for sale. Vendor booths. Debbie Wong Yuen, 928-8039

Free Haircut Day, Saturday, Nov. 16, 9a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Kady and Drew Foster. 12 slots available. Also, Free Shower Day and The Big Island Giving Tree will hand out clothes and items like razors and toothbrushes. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Nov. 16, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

Guided Hike On A 60 Year Old Lava Lake, Saturday, Nov. 16, 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.orgfhvnp.org

Mixed Media Encaustic with Mary Milelzcik, Saturday, Nov. 16, 10a.m.-3p.m., Volcano Art Center. $55/VAC member, $60/non-member, plus $30 supply fee. Supplies provided. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Mtg., Saturday, Nov. 16, 10a.m.-1p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting and training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Kumu Ha‘amauliola Aiona with haumana (students) of Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u Public Charter School, Saturday, Nov. 16, 10:30-11:30a.m., hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.comvolcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula with Wes Awana, Saturday, Nov. 16, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.comvolcanoartcenter.org

SUNDAY, NOV. 17
Hi‘iaka & Pele, Sunday, Nov. 17, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

MONDAY, NOV. 18
P&R T-Ball League Registration, Nov. 18 - Jan. 6, Kahuku Park. Ages 5-6. Athletic shoes required. Program takes place Jan. 13 - Apr. 16, day and time TBA. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Nature Wreath Registration, Nov. 18-25, program takes place Tuesday, Nov. 26, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

TUESDAY, NOV. 19
Scholastic Book Fair, Tuesday, Nov. 19, Open to public: 7:30-8a.m. and 2:07-3:30p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2:07-7p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 21, 7:30a.m.-3:30-p.m.; and Friday, Nov. 22, 7:30a.m.-2p.m., Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Library.

Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, Nov. 19 (Committees), Wednesday, Nov. 18, (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov

Cultural Understanding through Art and the Environment: Ti Leaf Lei Making with Jelena Clay, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. Pre-registration required; class size limited. $10 per person supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Nov. 20, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6-7p.m., Nāʻālehu School Cafeteria. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free.

ONGOING
West Hawai‘i Master Gardeners Program Accepting Applications through Friday, Nov. 15cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/whmgprogram/HOME/West-Hawaii. Classes take place Jan. 14 - April 17, 2020, every Tuesday, 9a.m.-noon. $200/person.

P&R Track & Field Practice Registration, through Wednesday, Nov. 20Kahuku Park. Ages 6-14. Athletic shoes required. Program takes place Dec. 2 - Feb. 8, day and time TBA. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Vendor Booth Space is Available for the Kamahalo Craft Fair. The 12th annual event will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, Nov. 299 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.

Tūtū & Me Home Visiting Program is a free service to Pāhala families with keiki, birth to five years old. This caregiver support program offers those taking care of young keiki "a compassionate listening ear, helpful parenting tips and strategies, fun and exciting activities, and wonderful educational resources" from Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool. Home visits are one hour in length, two to four times per month, for 12 to 15 visits. Snacks are provided. See pidfoundation.org or call Tata Compehos and Melody Espejo at 808-938-1088.

King Cab 2016 Nissan Frontier for Sale by Holy Rosary Church of Pāhala and the Sacred Heart Church of Nāʻālehu. The parishes are selling the truck to raise funds to benefit both churches. The truck is a great 6 cylinder, 2WD automobile. The churches are asking for $21K or best offer. Only cash or cashier's check will be accepted. Anyone interested should contact the parish secretary Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at 928-8208.

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.