Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Kaʻū News Briefs, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

An online campaign for senior housing in Nāʻālehu has been launched by Hunnay Demello, the award winning, 
seven-year old hula dancer from Ocean View. Through her family she is ambassador for ʻO Kaʻū Kākou to perpetuate 
the senior housing project. See story below. 
Taro Brand took its Hawaiʻi products
to Capitol Hill today for a tasting that drew 
2,000. Photo from Taro Brand
TASTE OF HAWAIʻI ON CAPITOL HILL drew 2,000 attendees and more than 60 Hawaiʻi businesses today. The event is the highlight of the two-day Hawaiʻi on the Hill in Washington, D.C., which brings together legislators, federal administrators, business leaders, and the makers of Hawaiʻi products and services.
     "The Taste of Hawaiʻi on Capitol Hill is the most popular state showcase on Capitol Hill, and every year we are privileged to host so many people interested in experiencing the rich diversity of our state," said Sen. Mazie Hirono, who founded Hawaiʻi on the Hill six years ago.
     She credits Sherry Menor-McNamara, Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi President & CEO, who said Taste of Hawaiʻi on Capitol Hill "demonstrated that Hawaiʻi's business community will continue to make our voices heard on a national stage."
     Hirono said that Hawaiʻi on the Hill gives Hawaiʻi businesses the opportunity to meet directly with news and policymakers while also showcasing Hawaiʻi businesses and products to Members of Congress and the Washington, D.C. community.
     Farmers and ranchers attended, with foods ranging from Hawaiian grass feed beef from Kunoa Ranch to Hawaiʻi grown cassava, and Taro Brand products.

Kunoa Ramch promoted Hawaiʻi grass fed beef at
Taste of Hawaiʻi on Capitol Hill today in
Washington, D.C. Photo from Kunoa Ranch
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.

SEA GRANT AND NATIONAL COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS IN HAWAIʻI are funded again, with over $3.8 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Sen. Mazie Hirono announced the funding this week for projects that "support ongoing coastal and marine research, extension, and educational outreach in Hawaiʻi."
     Said Hirono, "As an island state, Hawaiʻi's livelihood is reliant on the health and resilience of our coastal and marine ecosystems. As we continue to face the serious threat of climate change, we need to rely on new, innovative research and technologies to mitigate the harmful effects a warming planet has on our environment and our communities, while also providing education on the importance of responsibly managing our coastal resources." The federal mine "provides critical resources for managing and preserving coastal areas in Hawaiʻi now and for generations to come."
      Hawaiʻi Sea Grant received $1,363,782 to address ecological needs in upland watersheds to waters and reefs offshore. The program "integrates innovative social research" to help Hawaiʻi "more sustainably" support tourism. Nationwide, the  Sea Grant College Program operates through partnerships between NOAA and university-based systems in 33 coastal states.
     Hawaiʻi's National Coastal Zone Management Program received $2,459,651 for the voluntary federal-state partnership that "protects, restores, and responsibly develops coastal communities and resources by balancing economic development, coastal uses, and natural resource protection." The funds will support jobs and programs that address coastal hazards, climate change, and natural resource management. The award also supports new initiatives in the Ocean Resources Management Plan.
     In March 2017, "upon hearing that the Trump Administration was contemplating zeroing out the Sea Grant Program," Hirono sent a letter to then-Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney, urging him to reconsider. She emphasized that cuts to the program would "disproportionately hurt" Hawaiʻi and other coastal states, and that cuts to NOAA's satellite program would affect "critical imagery and forecasting information for U.S. military navigation as well as community disaster preparedness, response, and recovery." In February 2018, she sent a letter to President Donald Trump that urged him to maintain funding levels for the Sea Grant Program for fiscal year 2019 at no less than FY 2018 levels.

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.

THE NĀʻĀLEHU SENIOR HOUSING CAMPAIGN HAS A NEW AMBASSADOR. According to ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Pres. Wayne Kawachi, the family of celebrity keiki hula dancer Hunnay Demello has agreed for Hunnay to represent the cause.
An ambassador for senior housing in
Nāʻālehu, Hunnay Demello, dances at the
 Kaʻū Coffee Fest in May, her kumu Bula
  Akamu behind her. Photo by Julia Neal
     The young Demello's online message says: "Aloha, my name is Hunnay. I am 7 years old and live in Kaʻū, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. I started dancing Tahitian when I was 2 years old and then started dancing hula when i was 5 years old.
     "Someone shared a video of one of my dances on YouTube that went viral with over 2 million hits. And, when I saw uncle Wayne walk 100 miles to raise money for building houses for our kupuna (elders), I decided I can help too. Please help me raise money to building housing for our Kupuna."
     Demello performed last month at the Kaʻū Coffee Festival, with her Kumu Bula Akamu accompanying her.
     See Go Fund Me: Hunnay's Campaign for Community.

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.

FREE CAR SEAT INSPECTIONS are offered by Hawaiʻi Police Department and Hawaiʻi Fire Department. Both agencies have trained technicians "willing to set up a free seat inspection," says a statement from HDP:
     "Car seats and boosters provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. In Hawaiʻi County we are focused on protecting our keiki. That's why it's so important to choose and use the right car seat correctly every time your children are in the car. You will want to know the age, height, and weight of the child using the safety seat. Proper fit of the seat will provide the greatest safety while traveling in a vehicle.
     "Properly position the harness on your child: Rear-facing harness straps should lie flat, not twisted, and be placed through the slot that is at or below your child's shoulders; Forward-facing harness straps should lie flat, not twisted, and be placed through the slot that is at or above your child's shoulders. Buckle the harness and the chest clip, and tighten. The harness is snug enough when extra material cannot be pinched at the shoulder. Make sure the chest clip is at armpit level."
Keiki in a forward-facing car seat, left, and a booster, right. HPD photo
     When traveling in a motor vehicle, Hawaiʻi law requires children under the age of four to ride in a child safety seat and children ages of four through seven ride in a child safety seat or booster seat. Violating drivers are required to attend a 4-hour class and may be assessed a fine of $100-$500, depending upon the number of offenses. A Hawaiʻi state tax credit of $25 per year applies to the purchase of a booster or child safety seat.
     According to hidot.org, children should be buckled up in the back seat "since it has been proven to be the safest location in the vehicle. Never put a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle with active front-passenger airbags. Children should be kept rear-facing until the height or weight maximum of a rear-facing seat is reached. The American Academy of Pediatrics changed its rear-facing recommendation to the age of two; previously, the recommendation was one year of age.
     Booster seats, according to hidot.org, should be used until the lap and shoulder belts fit correctly. The lap belt should fit low and snug on the hips, and the shoulder strap should not cross over the face or neck. Never place the shoulder belt behind the child's back or under the arm. A child that cannot sit with his or her back against the seat back cushion with knees bent over the vehicle's seat edge without slouching should continue to use a booster seat regardless of age, weight or height.
     The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides a web based tool to help choose the right seat at nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#find-compare-seats. Call the HPD Traffic Services Section at 961-2305 with questions.

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp) lesions on young verticals (left) 
may progress to browning of the stems (right). Photo from CTAHR
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.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR EARLY SIGNS OF DISEASE in coffee, fruit, and mac nut trees, warns Andrea Kawabata, Associate Extension Agent for Coffee and Orchard Crops at College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resource. She and Dr. Stuart T. Nakamoto host Desuckering: Comparison of Coffee Pruning Strategies Field Day, on Tuesday, June 18 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Kona Research Station in Kainaliu. Register at hawaiicoffeeed.com/desucker.html or by contacting Gina at 808-322‐4892 at least two days prior to the event.
     In wet and humid conditions, said Kawabata, diseases such as cercospora on coffee, raceme blight (botrytis sp.) and quick decline on macadamia, as well as anthracnose (coffeemango, etc.) and root-rots on various fruit (avocado) and nut crops can be common. Controling pests and diseases early and quickly can help avoid devastating consequences to crops, yields, and farm profit, said Kawabata. In addition, said Kawabata, "dry weather followed by heavy rainfall, fruit cracking may be observed.
     "Bearing coffee and fruit trees require adequate nutrients and water from flowering and young fruit development to harvest. To avoid losses and leaching of fertilizers into our ground water and ocean systems during rainy years, fertilizers can be spread at lower quantities and more frequently than during drier years. Find adequate levels of nutrients of various soils and crop plant tissues here.
     "Desuckering of coffee trees should be done a few months after pruning to allow the strongest and best placed verticals to remain on stumps. Removal of water shoots on verticals is also necessary to reduce sunlight and nutrient competition between laterals and verticals. Desuckering and the removal of water shoots can take place 2-3 times a season.
     The workshop will show on Kona-style/selective pruning, stumping with a nurse vertical, and hedging with one or two verticals. The objective of the pruning trial is to compare the above methods for yield, labor requirements, harvesting considerations, and impact on Coffee Bearer Borer management. During the field day workshop, attendees will learn and participate in desuckering coffee trees pruned in Jan. 2019, then will be able to tour and walk through the pruning trial. Trees in the trial plot were originally pruned on Feb. 13, 2017. The first comparative harvest took place in the 2018-2019 season. Future field days will look at harvest.
     Contact Kawabata at andreak@hawaii.edu or 808-322-4892 with questions.

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.

FLOWER DRUM SONG comes to Volcano July 12 through 28. Shows in the Kīlauea Military Camp's Kīlauea Theater are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
     Kīlauea Drama & Entertainment Network presents their 18th summer musical, based on a novel by C.Y. Lee with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joseph Fields. Songs include A Hundred Million Miracles, I Enjoy Being a Girl, Love Look Away, and Chop Suey.
     Flower Drum Song is set in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1958 The plot revolves around contract marriages, immigration, unrequited love, a night club and the changing times. Sammy Fong's family has ordered him a picture bride from China in hopes he will settle down and forget about the dancer Linda Low. The shy Mei Li arrives and it is clear that she is the wrong girl for Sammy. But, she might be suitable for Sammy's pal, Wang Ta, whose father is fighting a losing battle against the trappings of modern American life-style. In the end, the dilemma of matching the young people while holding on to traditions is resolved.
     Playing the innocent picture bride, Mei Li, is KDEN newcomer Olivia Halemano. Stephen Bond is Sammy Fong, the nightclub owner. Samantha Shea is Linda Low, the entertainer at Sammy's nightclub. Wang Chi-Yang is played by Karl Halemano, with Murphy Bierman as his son Wang Ta. Roni Koscik is Madame Liang, with D'Andrea Pelletier as Helen Chao. Others in the ensemble are Arlene Araki, Mia Boyer, Debbie Campbell, Bill Chikasuye, Rayanna Fafiani, Selah Fisher, Lichen Forster, Susie Halemano, Sam Hall, Ariana Kelley, Joel Kelley, Jessica Lawrence, Judy leary, Sean MacDonald, Travis Wood, and Dawn, Eva, Keoni, and Drew Pelletier. The show is directed by Suzi Bond, with Melanie Oldfather as the music director and Armando Mendoza as the conductor. Susie Halemano, who has appeared in a number of KDEN shows, makes her debut as the choreographer
     Tickets go on sale July 1 and are available at Kīlauea General Store, Keaʻau Natural Foods, Basically Books, The Most Irresistible Shop, and at the door. Ticket are $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 plus and students, and $12 children 12 and under. For more information and to make reservations, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.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
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.

UPCOMING
THURSDAY, JUNE 13
Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, June 13, 6:30p.m., United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, JUNE 14
Register by June 14 - Basic Hunter Education Certification Program - see separate listing, June 28 and 29, for details. Space is limited. Call 887-6050, code KAU

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Coastal Net Patrol, Friday, June 14. Free; donations appreciated. Limited seating available. RSVP in advance. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629

Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, June 14, 9a.m.-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Free disability legal services provided by Hawai‘i Legal Aid. ovcahi.org, 939-7033

Arts and Crafts Activity: Father's Day Card, Friday, June 14, 1:30-2:30p.m., Kahuku Park, H.O.V.E. Register keiki ages 6-12, June 10-13. Free. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation

Community Dance, Friday, June 14, 7-10p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Snacks provided; additional pūpū welcome. Free; donations appreciated. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

SATURDAY, JUNE 15
Ocean View C.E.R.T. Mtg., Saturday, June 15, 10a.m.-1p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting and training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Hula Kahiko - Kumu Hula Lorna Lim w/Hālau Kawehileimamoikawekiu‘okohala, Saturday, June 15, 10:30-11:30a.m., hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula w/Kumu Moses Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Saturday, June 15, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Drawing Mandalas as Meditation w/Lisa Maria Martin, Saturday, June 15, 11a.m.-2p.m., Volcano Art Center. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $10 supply fee. All supplies provided. Open to all levels. No art or meditation experience needed. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

Ham Radio Mtg., Saturday, June 15, 2-3p.m., Ocean View Community Center. ovcahi.org

Opera Concert w/D'Andrea Pelletier, Saturday, June 15, 5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Tickets are $20/VAC member, $25/non-member. volcanoartcenter.org, 967-8222

SUNDAY, JUNE 16
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Community Clean-Up, Sunday, June 16. Free; donations appreciated. Space available and BYO-4WD ok. RSVP in advance. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629

Father's Day Buffet, Sunday, June 16, 5-8p.m., Crater Rim Café, Kīlauea Military Camp. Main entrees: Prime Rib, Lemon Butter Fish and Vegetable Stir Fry w/Tofu. $29.95/Adults, $14.95/Child (ages 6-11). No reservations required, 967-8356. Open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

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

After Dark in the Park - Surviving Against the Odds: The Story of the Hawai‘i ‘Amakihi, Tuesday, June 18, 7p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Gabrielle Names, UC Davis PhD student, studying the mystery of how this unique little bird appears to be beating avian malaria, a deadly disease, on Hawaiʻi Island. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

AdvoCATS, Tuesday, June 19, 7a.m.-4:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Free spay/neuter for cats. 895-9283, advocatshawaii.org

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, June 19, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

ONGOING
Seamless Summer Program, open to all people under age 18, no registration required, offers free breakfast at Nāʻālehu Elementary and Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School cafeterias. Meals are available weekdays through July 11; no meals Tuesday, June 11 and Thursday, July 4. Kaʻū High serves breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Call (808) 939-2413 for Nāʻālehu Elementary mealtimes.

Purchase Tickets for Miss Hawaiʻi Island Teen USA and Miss Hawaiʻi IslandSunday, June 16 at The Grand Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, from Teen USA candidate Kailee "Kamalani" Kuhaulua-Stacy. Tickets are $25; contact Kamalani at 808-315-4252 through Saturday, June 15 to purchase. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the pageant begins at 6:30 p.m. The evening includes both competition for Miss Hawaiʻi Island Teen USA, for contenders 14 to 18 years of age, and Miss Hawaiʻi Island, for contestants 18 to 28.
     See misshawaiiisland.com.

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

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou's Annual Nāʻālehu 4th of July Parade and Summer Fun Fest happens Saturday, June 29. The Nā‘ālehu Independence Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. at Nā‘ālehu Elementary School and ends at the Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Mission. The parade features floats, Paʻu riders, Kaʻū Coffee Court members, and more.
     The Fest, which begins after the parade, features water slides and bounce castles, hot dogs, watermelon, and shave ice, plus Senior Bingo and lunch at the community center for seniors. The free event is open to the public, no registration required.
     To participate in the parade, volunteer, or donate, contact Debra McIntosh at 929-9872 by Thursday, June 20okaukakou.org

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 bags 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.

Experience Volcano Festival is still looking for vendors. Booths for the event are $25 per day for Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28. The event is coordinated with the new ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon, 5K, and Keiki Dash on the 27th. Apply at experiencevolcano.com/vendor-application.
     Experience Volcano is a group of businesses and residents helping to rebuild the economy of Volcano, following last year's volcanic disaster that shut down Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and drastically reduced the visitor county which is now recovering.

ʻŌhiʻa Lehua Half Marathon, 5K, and Keiki Dash happens Saturday, July 27 in Volcano Village, It replaces the Volcano Rain Forest Runs. Register at ohialehuahalf.com.

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., 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

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.