Wednesday, May 08, 2019

Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Co-organizer of the Kaʻū Coffee Fest Brenda Iokepa Moses (right) was in charge of vendors and educational displays at last
Saturday's Kaʻū Coffee Festival Hoʻolauleʻa. She visited the Kaʻū Coffee Mill booth with a bag of Kaʻū Valley Coffee. She received an award for her volunteer work in producing the festival. To her left are Chris and Lauren Wong Yuen and Kaliko Keolanui form Ka`u Coffee Milll See more photos from Saturday's Kaʻū Coffee Fest Hoʻolauleʻa, below. 
Photo by Kamalani Kaluahine Salmo
THE USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANOES OBSERVATORY TEAM IS NOMINATED for a government services "Oscar" and the public can vote beginning this Friday. The 2019 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, the Sammies, award finalists were announced by the Partnership for Public Service, which named 26 federal employees and teams from more than 20 federal agencies. Sammie winners will be announced Oct. 16 during a gala in WashingtonD.C.
     The Service to America Medal Meet the Finalists webpage states that HVO Chief Scientist and research geologist Christina Neal and her team are recognized for their work in 2018, when they "carefully monitored a large and sustained eruption of Kīlauea Volcano in Hawaiʻi and provided vital updates to protect residents, tourists and property from ash, lava, and toxic fumes." The HVO team is among five finalists in the Science and Environment category of the Sammies. 
USGS HVO Scientist-in-Charge Tina Neal, in orange, with a Park ranger
and a group at the edge of Kīlauea caldera. Photo by Ann Bosted
     More info on HVO's 2018 achievements is provided in a Meet the Finalists post.
     Beginning this Friday, May 10, members of the public can vote online for the People's Choice Award to honor the federal employee or team who made the most significant contribution to the American people in the last year. Voting ends July 8. The winner will be announced at a Partnership for Public Service event on July 18.
     See more on the Partnership for Public Service awards

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THE WORD ON THE KAʻŪ COFFEE FEST HOʻOLAULEʻA is that it recovered on Saturday from slightly lower attendance last year following the 6.9 earthquake on May 4, 2018. One day before the event, last year's temblor shook the region and the annual Kaʻū Coffee & Cattle Day at Aikane Plantation. Last Saturday, it was a different story.
     The community celebrated clean air with more stable ground and without the volcano's ash, as music mingled with a brisk breeze. The Hoʻolauleʻa drew the maximum number of participants who offered tastings and sold their Kaʻū Coffee, teas, honey, crafts and ready to eat foods. The number of sponsors grew and the community showed its resilience with the many volunteers who represented educational, health, sports, culinary, and environmental groups, ready to help with life in Kaʻū. See photos in this Kaʻū News Briefs and all this week.

Volunteer fire departments at Volcano, Pāhala, Discovery Harbour, and Ocean 
View are all looking for new recruits of citizens 18 and older. They took their 
message, Be a Hero in Your Community, to the Kaʻū Coffee Fest Hoʻolauleʻa 
this weekend. Photo by Kamalani Kaluahine Salmo
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A REVIEW OF THE 2019 HAWAIʻI LEGISLATURE was released today by Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action. Led by Gary Hooser, a former state Senator, the opinion piece points out that the bill to increase minimum wage died. Writes Hooser, "A subsistence wage is $17 according to Hawaiʻi's Department of Business and Economic Development. Both the House and the Senate, and the Governor, have stated publicly they supported a $15 per hour increase, phased in over time. But instead, the minimum wage will remain stuck at $10.10."
     Hooser calls the result, "shameful really. Though legislators and government administrators will all be getting their raises, regular low income working people will get nothing - zero."
     He assesses the water bill that may lead to users of water diverted from streams to put the water back into their natural flow "a huge victory on many levels." However, it leaves Kaʻū ranchers and farmers in limbo, as the water from state sources comes from horizontal wells drilled into the side of Mauna Loa in the old sugar plantation days. While not a diversion of streams, their water permits have been included in measures to resolve the overall problem, and could lead to expensive environmental assessment costs and putting permits up to public bids, they fear.
ʻO Kaʻū Kākou volunteers help to set up the Ho'olaulea and provide security, 
along with the community group's own shave ice stand to raise funds for its 
many projects. Photo by Kamalani Kaluahine Salmo
     Hooser publishes a list of shortcomings at the 2019 Hawaiʻi Legislature, writing: "Not one measure of substance dealing with climate change was passed. The defining issue of our generation, an issue upon which the entire planet's future is based – and our state legislature is content to nibble at the edges of the problem.
     "Dedicated funding for education – failed. Banning of single use styrofoam food containers – failed. Legalization of cannabis for responsible adult use – failed. Automatic voter registration – failed. Banning of candy flavored tobacco products – failed. Regulating 'Pay Day Lenders' – failed."
     To improve results at the legislature, Hooser writes: "We can carry signs, and we should. We can organize and we can march, and yes we should do this as well.  And absolutely we must offer testimony and write letters to the editor. And we must vote, and make sure that all our friends and neighbors vote. But if we want real change that will make a tangible difference in our lifetime, we must identify, recruit, and train a new generation of politically engaged leadership in Hawaiʻi."
     Hooser's organization founded The Kuleana Academy to train future leaders. Among those who completed the training, two have been elected to the state House of Representatives and two are County Council members, with many others leading campaigns in their communities. For more, see a video on HAPA and Kuleana Academy or go to hapahi.org.

Pickled Mango and Pipinola Salad were among the favorite offerings
by local chefs at Kaʻū Coffee Festival Hoʻolauleʻa on Saturday.
Photo by Kamalani Kaluahine Salmo
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MARSHALLESE LIVING IN KAʻŪ FACE TOUGHER documentation requirements when renewing or applying for a state driver's license or identification card.
     People from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau can migrate freely to the U.S., under the congressional Compact for Free Association, relating to military use of the islands, including conducting nuclear tests on some of them in the past. The islanders can travel and live in the U.S. without a visa.
     Once here, in order to apply for or renew a state drivers license or ID, new rules, issued by the Department of Homeland Security, have recently come into play. Since December, in order to receive a drivers license good for eight years, Homeland Security has required visa or employment authorization documentation. Applying for employment authorization documents is free, but documents can take six months to arrive.
Kaʻū Valley Farms, above Nāʻālehu, presented coffee and other
farm products. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie
     Hawaiʻi may issue "non-compliant" state IDs. Hawaiʻi may also issue non-compliant drivers licenses, good for one year. The non-compliant drivers licenses and ID's, however, would not be valid for traveling on airplanes and entering some federal buildings, beginning Oct. 1, 2020. Federally mandated Real Id, or Real Id compliant drivers license, would be required. The 2020 Hawaiʻi Legislature is expected to take up the issue.
     See more on new ID requirements at the  Department of Homeland Security's website.
     Sen. Mazie Hirono said Sunday the Homeland Security guidelines contradict Congress' intention to help COFA citizens. "I am concerned that the Trump administration is ignoring the spirit of the law and making it unnecessarily difficult for COFA citizens to get the IDs and driver's licenses they need to live and work in this country. Everyone deserves equitable access to identification, and I will continue to explore all avenues to force the administration to comply with the letter and intent of the law."
     Several of the questions at dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs answer questions about IDs for Freely Associated State citizens.

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THE VICTIM IN SINGLE-VEHICLE FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENT on Sunday, May 5 is identified as 70-year-old Hawaiian Ocean View Estates resident Michael A McCormick. He was in Kona on Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway, headed north, .1 mile south of Keahole Airport road. McCormick was driving a red 2010 Chevrolet Colorado pick-up.
Rusty's Hawaiian coffee farm, operated by the Obra family, with the 
Navarro Coffee Farm tasting in the distance. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie
     Responding to a 9:20 a.m. call, police determined the pick-up had crossed the merge lane on the mauka side of the roadway. The Chevrolet continued to drive on the rock shoulder/embankment and finally came to rest on the right northbound lane. McCormick was transported to Kona Community Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead at 1:18 p.m.
     Police do not believe speed or alcohol are factors in the crash. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
     The Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a Coroner's Inquest investigation and is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the accident to contact Officer Kimo Keliʻipaʻakaua at (808) 326-4646 ext. 229.
     This is the seventh traffic fatality on island this year, compared to nine at this time last year.

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HAWAIʻI CONSERVATION CONFERENCE STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS are available. In partnership with Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation's Environmental Leadership Pathways Initiative, the Hawai’i Conservation Alliance and Foundation, applications are due by Friday, May 24. The registration fee will be lowered to $50 from $160 if accepted. Applicants must be a junior, senior, or recent graduate of a Hawaiʻi high school; a current post-secondary student; or an emerging professional with no more than three years work experience, working in Hawaiʻi. Apply at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeX
oCsDlVdXl64h0_RHIOXg-DbsxIDW6w2FhkFcsAsXXyH87A/viewform.
     A travel stipend reimbursement of up to $200 is also available for neighbor island attendees, including student scholarship applicants.
     The 26th conference, He ʻaʻaliʻi kū makani au: Resilience in the Face of Change, happens Tuesday through Thursday, July 9 – 11, at Hawaiʻi Convention Center on Oʻahu. Sign up at hawaiiconservation.org/conference/2019-registration/. Questions? Email capacity@hawaiiconservation.org, conference@hawaiiconservation.org, or call (808) 944-7417.

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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
Kaʻū Trojans Spring Sports Schedule
Baseball:
Wed.-Sat., May 8-11, HHSAA

JUST ANNOUNCED
BIG ISLAND GIRLS SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION offers islandwide play for young wahine five to 18 years of age. Sign-ups start Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m. to noon at Kealakehe High School Gym. Practices start Monday, May 27. All skill levels welcome; teams will be grouped by skill level. Special first season fee is $20. Email bigislandgirlssoftball@gmail.com or text only to (808) 345-2210.

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UPCOMING
THURSDAY, MAY 9
Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, May 9, 6:30 p.m., United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

After Dark in the Park – The Road to Recovery: A Year Later, Thursday, May 9, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Park managers will present a community update about the challenges and successes of 2018, and how staff is working hard to open more areas. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

FRIDAY, MAY 10
Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, May 10, 9 a.m. – noon, Ocean View Community Center. Free disability legal services provided by Hawai‘i Legal Aid. ovcahi.org, 939-7033

Arts and Crafts Activity: Mother's Day Card, Friday, May 10, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. Register keiki ages 6-12, May 1-8. Free. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

ReadySetGo! Wildfire Preparedness Workshop, Friday, May 10, 5:30 p.m., Pāhala Plantation House. Educational, free and family-friendly. Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization. Pablo Akira Meimler at pablo@hawaiiwildfire.org. hawaiiwildfire.org, or 808-885-0900

Light, Sound & Spirit by Ken Goodrich of Hawai‘i Photo Retreat, Friday, May 10, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Talk and presentation of seven videos synthesizing music and projected imagery. Free, $5 donation suggested. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Community Dance, Friday, May 10, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Snacks provided; additional pūpū welcome. Free. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

SATURDAY, MAY 11
Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, May 11, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Exhibit – Hulihia, A Complete Change: The Hawai‘i Nei Invitational Exhibition, Saturday, May 11-June 16, daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Multi-media exhibition of seven artists. Opening reception Saturday, May 11, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Free; National Park entrance fees may apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mamo o Kāwā ʻOhana Work Day – Wildfire Preparedness, Saturday, May 11, meet 9:30 a.m., Northern Gate, Kāwā. RSVP to James Akau, jakau@nmok.org, 561-9111. Bring a water bottle, lunch, closed toed shoes, long sleeved t-shirt, and pants. Tools, gloves, water, and light refreshments provided. nmok.orgfacebook.com/NMOK.Hawaii

Zentangle Inspired Labyrinth Art with Lois and Earl Stokes, Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Volcano Art Center. All welcome, no prior experience necessary. Supplies provided. Students invited to bring snack to share. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. Register: volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

SUNDAY, MAY 12
Kauwela Tour, The Mo‘olelo of Mana Wāhine – Nā Wai Chamber Choir Concert, Sunday, May 12, 11:30 a.m., Kauaha‘ao Congregational Church. Free admission. Donations welcome. nawaichamberchoir.com

3rd Annual Mother's Day Chamber Music Concert, Sunday, May 12, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Music by Volcano Chamber Players Susan McGovern, viola, Glenda Johnson, violin, Meg Saunders, cello, Rumi Reeves, violin, guest Gerdine Markus on recorder and operatic vocals of D'Andrea Pelletier. Complimentary pupu. Beverages and flowers for purchase. $20/VAC ember, $25/non-member, free to children 12 and under. Funds raised support Niaulani Sculpture Garden and ongoing programs. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, May 12 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., Volcano Art Center. Free; calabash donations welcome. Dress warmly. Patty Johnson, 345-1527

Mother's Day Buffet, Sunday, May 12, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Camp. Main entrees: Prime Rib, Lemon Butter Fish w/Tropical Salsa and Vegetable Stir Fry w/Tofu. $29.95/Adults, $14.95/Child (ages 6-11). Reservations required, 967-8356. Open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Free STD Testing, Monday, May 13 – 2nd Monday, monthly – 9 a.m. – noon, 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

MONDAY, MAY 13
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Monday, May 13, and 27, 1 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Parent-led homeschool activity and social group, building community in Ka‘ū. Confirm location in case of field trip. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351

TUESDAY, MAY 14
Mobile Spay & Neuter Waggin', Tuesday, May 14, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.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, hihs.org, 796-0107

Wonderful World of Wine & Watercolor, Tuesday, May 14, 4 p.m. – 7pm, Volcano Art Center. $30/VAC members, $35/non-member, plus $17 supply fee.Learn to transfer a photo onto watercolor paper while sampling several wines from Grapes in Hilo. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

After Dark in the Park – Kauwela Tour, The Mo‘olelo of Mana Wāhine – Nā Wai Chamber Choir Concert, Tuesday, May 14, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Musical journey that honors the music of both historic and modern-day mana wāhine. Honolulu-based Nā Wai Chamber Choir is a professional vocal ensemble that preserves, propagates, and innovates the legacy of Hawaiian choral music. Hilo native Dr. Jace Kaholokula Saplan leads ensemble on annual kauwela tour. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, May 15, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Instructional Tennis, Wednesday, May 15-June 19, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. Register keiki ages 6-12, May 6-10. Free. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Arts and Crafts Activity: Watercolor Painting, Wednesday, May 15, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m., multi-purpose room, Ka‘ū District Gym, Pāhala. Register keiki grades K-6, May 9-14. Free. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

ONGOING
Summer Fun Registration runs through Thursday, May 9, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., at Nā‘ālehu Community Center and at Ka‘ū District Gym, Pāhala. The Summer Fun Program, for keiki completing grade K-6, runs Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., June 12-July 19. $40 fee; $50 portion of registration fee funded by Councilwoman Maile David. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Full-Time Teaching Assistant Sought by Tūtū & Me to implement curriculum for caregivers and keiki in Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool in Kaʻū. Competitive salary and benefits package, including medical, dental, drug, and vision; flexible spending plan; 403b retirement plan; vacation, sick days, and 14 paid days off; and more.
     Minimum requirement is a high school diploma. Early Childhood Education, related coursework, and/or experience working children preferred. For more, visit pidf.org/about/careers. Apply by emailing resume and cover letter to hr@pidfoundation.org or fax to 808-440-6619.

Hi-Employment Seeks Student Employees to work in a macadamia nut orchard on weekends and holidays. Duties include hand-harvesting macadamia nuts, filling and transporting nut bag and buckets, loading 25-plus pound bags into truck beds, and possible clearing of brush and branches. Applicants must be at least 15 years old, have a work permit, two forms of ID, and transportation to "Panaʻewa Stretch." Call for more details, 238-3741, hi-employment.com.

Nāʻālehu Independence Day Parade happens Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. The parade route begins at the Nāʻālehu Elementary School and ends at the Nāʻālehu Hongwanji Mission. To participate, call Debra McIntosh, 929-9872.

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A CONCERT TO RAISE MONEY FOR STEWARDSHIP OF THE KAʻŪ COAST will be held on Saturday, May 25 at 6 p.m. at Pāhala Plantation House on the corner of Maile and Pikake Streets. The concert is one in a series of performances during the Hawaiʻi International Music Festival, in its third season in the islands. The series is called Of Water.
Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy
Shoremount-Obra. HIMF photo
2018 International Bach Competition
Prize Winning Pianist Andrew Rosenbaum.
HIMF photo
     The recital features internationally acclaimed artists Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy Shoremount-Obra and 2018 International Bach Competition Prize Winning Pianist Andrew Rosenblum. They will perform works by Turina, Mahler, Fauré, Rachmaninoff, Duke, and more. Donations accepted at the event go to Kaʻū Coast non-profit stewardship organizations, including Nā Mamo O Kāwā, nmok.org; Ka ʻOhana O Honuʻapo, honuapopark.org; Ala Kahakai Trail Association, alakahakaitrail.org; Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, wildhawaii.org; and Hoʻomalu Kaʻū, hoomalukau@gmail.com.
     In addition to the opportunity to donate to coastal stewardships, an opportunity to support Hawaiʻi Internaional Music Festival is available by reserving best seats for $25 each. They are available at recitalpahala.bpt.meand at the door – cash and check only. See the concert schedule for other islands at himusicfestival.com. For overnight accommodations, contact Pāhala Plantation Cottages at 928-9811.