Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, January 19, 2020

Kaʻū High Alumnus Tim Wright saw the first Southwest Airlines interisland flight land at Hilo Airport today,
 the moment of Kahu Daniel "Kaniela" Akaka, Jr. blessing the event. See more below.
Photo by Tim Wright Ka'u '77

EIGHT UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS have been chosen by the Hawaiʻi's state Senate. Sen. Kai Kahele said he and colleagues will attempt to reach the eight goals "to change the world." They are:

     Good Health and Well-being, by providing access to quality, including mental and

behavioral health services; reducing youth vaping; and repurposing underutilized state facilities.

     Quality Education, by improving teacher recruitment and retention, strengthening civic education programs, increasing revenue sources to support and enhance secondary education, and expanding career and technical education opportunities to develop a

21st century workforce.

     Decent Work and Economic Growth, by promoting robust, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth; full and productive employment; and work for all by encouraging job creation and workforce development programs, embracing innovation, and developing sustainable business plans to invest in the future of Hawai’i.

     Reduced Inequality, by working diligently to promote social, economic, and political

growth for all by increasing the minimum wage, requiring paid family leave, and creating a retirement savings program.

     Sustainable Cities and Communities, by increasing access to affordable and transitional housing, reducing homelessness, increasing local food production to promote food security, protecting agricultural lands, improving infrastructure, and investing in modern transportation.

     Climate Action, by promoting carbon neutrality, ocean conservation, sustainable land use, and protection of watersheds.

     Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, by promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, and access to justice for all; building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions by exploring effective options to restructure government; increasing Hawai‘i's participation on the international level; enhancing public safety; improving social services; expanding the Sister State Program; supporting the State Archives; and increasing civic education statewide.

     Partnerships to achieve the Goals, by encouraging and promoting effective public, private, and civil society partnerships; building on the experience and resourcing strategies of existing partnerships; enhancing a coherent policy for sustainable development; and building on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement economic goals.

      The other nine U.N. goals are:  Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Life Below Water, and Life on Land.
     Kahele said he urges citizens to become involved in the legislative process. "I remain committed to investing in policies that balance environmental sustainability with economic stability, unlocking the potential of a green economy for future generations. Hawaiʻi is already experiencing the devastating effects of climate change as coastal erosion and sea level rise occur. Protecting our environment and natural resources continues to be a priority for me this legislative session.

     Kahele is Chair of the Senate Water and Land committee, and said the committee will continue to pursue initiatives to ensure Hawaiʻi "remains a global leader in addressing sustainability and climate change issues. He is also running for Congress, the seat to be left open by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
     Contact Kahele at (808) 586-6760 or senkkahele@capitol.hawaii.gov with any questions or concerns.

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BOTH KAʻŪ STATE SENATORS JOINED THE ENVIRONMENTAL CAUCUS, launched this month for the 2020 Hawaiʻi Legislature. Sen. Russell Ruderman and Sen. Dru Kanhua are part of this new group, formed "to encourage legislative action on pressing environmental issues." The inaugural meeting was Tuesday, Jan. 7. Members discussed legislative priorities for the 2020 session. The caucus is co-chaired by Representative Nicole Lowen, Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, and Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment.

     Among the many environmental issues discussed by caucus members, climate change adaptation to sea level rise, resilience to natural disasters, forest and coral reef protection, and reducing the use of fossil fuels in the transportation and energy sectors were identified as issues to prioritize for legislative action this session. The caucus also recognized the need to address issues related to invasive species, drinking water safety, solid waste management, cesspools, and inclusion of environmental justice concerns in policymaking.

Sen. Dru Kanuha, second from left, during discussion on the Environmental Caucus. Photo from Facebook

     According to a statement from the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, "The caucus will build on legislation passed in recent years that has made Hawaiʻi a leader in environmental policy. It was the first state to pass a 100 percent clean energy goal and to ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. Hawaiʻi was also the first place in the world to protect its reefs from harmful sunscreen chemicals. In recent years, the legislature has passed dozens of bills to protect the environment, advance renewable energy, expand clean transportation, and address the challenges of climate change, including establishing the Hawaiʻi Climate Commission, implementing the State's first appliance efficiency standards, and mandating the replacement of polluting cesspools by 2050.

     Kanuha said, "Excited to start important discussions about issues such as sea level rise, coastal erosion and mitigating the detriments of climate change in the islands."

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SOUTHWEST AIRLINES LAUNCHED FOUR DAILY FLIGHTS between Hilo and Honolulu today. The airline was blessed by Kahu Daniel "Kaniela" Akaka, Jr. just after landing at Hilo Airport. Kaʻū High Alumnus Tim Wright declared "game on" for lower interisland plane tickets prices. He caught the first Southwest Airlines interisland flight landing at Hilo today, and caught the moment of blessing the event.

     Flights from Hilo to Honolulu and back start at $39 each way, with one free bag and a surfboard, or two free bags. There are no charges for changing flights. See southwest.com.

     See more on the new flights on Friday's Kaʻū New Briefs.

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HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC SOURCED 21 PERCENT OF ITS ELECTRICITY IN 2019 FROM RENEWABLES. The utility made the announcement it its year end report released Friday. Hawaiʻi's solar generation capacity increased by the largest single-year margin since Hawaiian Electric began tracking solar capacity in 2005. The state's solar capacity grew from 745 cumulative installed megawatts in 2018 to 902 megawatts at the end of 2019.

Rooftop solar is increasing across the state. Photo by Julia Neal

     Hawaiʻi boasts the highest residential rooftop solar penetration in the nation, and rooftop solar use and installations are on the rise. On Hawaiʻi Island, 21 percent of single-family homes have rooftop solar, with 27 percent of Maui County single-family homes and 37 of Oʻahu single-family homes having rooftop solar. Residential customers across Hawaiian Electric's system are using one percent more rooftop solar, up from 18 percent in 2018. Use of residential rooftop solar installations rose 4.6 percent, to 77,801 in 2019 from 74,331 in 2018. New rooftop solar systems across Hawaiʻi Island, Maui County, and Oʻahu numbered about 3,500 in 2019. 

     The increases in use of renewable energy support the state's goal of 30 percent renewable energy by the end of 2020. Reinstatement of Puna Geothermal Venture, if approved by the Public Utilities Commission, will add toward that goal. Hawaiian Electric's five-island system sports about 3.5 million solar panels. This includes the West Loch solar array on Oʻahu, which came online last year, producing 20 megawatts.

     Shelee Kimura, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president of customer service, said, "The numbers show the adoption of residential rooftop solar remains strong, increasing year after year across all of our islands. Rooftop solar is a critical piece of the renewable mix, and our plans call for tripling the amount already installed to help move the state toward a clean energy future."

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A WARNING ABOUT A TELEPHONE SCAM circulating on Hawaiʻi Island is announced by Hawaiʻi Police Department.

     HPD stated a victim received a telephone recorded message call which stated the victim's Apple account had been hacked. The recording suggested staying on the line for further assistance. A male individual then told the victim "your Apple account has been hacked" and requested the victim's assistance in catching the hackers by purchasing gift cards, after which the cost would be immediately refunded back to the victim. The victim made the gift card purchases and provided the gift cards' security codes to the caller. The victim then received several emails, purportedly from Apple Care, telling the victim the gift card purchases had been refunded. The telephone call and the subsequent emails were deemed to be fraudulent, stated HPD.

     Police advise the public to verify that telephone calls are legitimate, especially those calls in which recorded messages are played upon answering. The Federal Trade Commission recommends hanging up on robocalls (automated phone calls that deliver a recorded message), then report the call to the FTC. These calls are illegal, and often the products being offered are bogus, stated HPD. "Don't press 1 to speak to a person or to be taken off the list as this could lead to more calls."

     More tips can be found at consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0060-10-things-you-can-do-avoid-fraud. Scams, such as this one, can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov, and additional information about recently reported scams can also be found at consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts.

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Kaʻū Voices members Edna Montague, Tyler Schaeffer, and Laura Stern, during today's march. They consider every year
The Year of the Woman. Photo by Laurie Boyle

Kaʻū Voices: Candy Casper, Laura Stern, Edna Montague, 

Laurie Boyle, Missi Wheeler, Ed Giant, and Tyler Schaeffer. 

Photo from Kaʻū Voices

THE 4TH ANNUAL WOMEN'S MARCH IN HILO TODAY was "a fabulous day with an amazing group of activists," according to a statement from Kaʻū Voices. Organizer Laurie Boyle said, "We registered voters, sold reusable produce bags, had people submit their recycling and upcycling ideas, and offered buttons for people to create." Kaʻū Voices members were joined during the march by Volcano Community Action Network members.
     The theme of Hilo's 4th annual Women's March, according to hawaiipublicradio.org, was Hawaiʻi Counts! and the event focused on the importance of voting and engagement in this "critical election year."

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VARSITY TROJANS BASKETBALL at Hilo yesterday was a hard one for the Kaʻū Girls team, with Hilo taking the game, 72 to 7.

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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.

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

Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Wed., Jan. 22 @HPA

Tue. and Wed., Jan. 28 and 29 BIIF @Civic

Wed. thru Sat., Feb. 5-8 HHSAA on Oʻahu

Boys Basketball

Mon., Jan. 20 @Honokaʻa

Mon., Jan. 27 @Kamehameha

Tue. and Wed., Feb. 4 and 5 BIIF @ Kealakehe

Soccer

Wed., Jan. 22 and Sat., Jan. 25 Girls BIIF

Wed. thru Sat., Feb. 5-8 Girls HHSAA on Oʻahu

Sat., Feb. 1 and 8 Boys BIIF

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 25 @Kamehameha

Sat., Feb. 1 @Hilo

Sat., Feb. 8 BIIF @Konawaena

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 25 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

Fri., Jan. 31 and Sat., Feb. 1 BIIF @Kamehameha

UPCOMING

MONDAY, JAN. 20

Fee Free Day at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Monday, Jan. 20, midnight-11:59p.m. Park entrance fees waived for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

AdvoCATS, Monday, Jan. 20, 7a.m.-4:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Free spay/neuter for cats. 895-9283, advocatshawaii.org

TUESDAY, JAN. 21

Cultural Understanding through Art & the Environment: Ti Leaf Lei Making with Jelena Clay, Tuesday, Jan. 21 – third Tuesday, Monthly – 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. Pre-registration required; class size limited. $10 per person supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

After Dark in the Park – Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone 2019: Quiet But Insightful, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 7-8p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Why did the fissures erupt along a linear pattern?  How long will it take for the lava to solidify? Why is vegetation still dying in the area? Join USGS HVO geologist Carolyn Parcheta as she explores these and other queries, and shares recent observations and findings by HVO scientists. Free; Park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22

Kuʻi Kalo: Pound Poi, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lanai, HVNP. Make poi, the staple food of the Hawaiian diet. The root of the kalo plant is cooked and ku‘i (pounded) to create this classic Hawaiian dish. Join Ranger Keoni Kaholo‘a‘a as he shares his knowledge of kalo. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ‘Ike Hana No‘eau, Experience the Skillful Work, workshops. Free; Park entrance fess apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, JAN. 23
PETFIX Spay and Neuter Free Clinic for Cats and Dogs, Thursday and Friday, Jan. 23 and 24, Ocean View Ranchos. Registration: contact Bridget at (808)990-3548 or petfixbigisland@gmail.com.

Ka‘ū Community Children's Council, Thursday, Jan. 23, 3-4 p.m., Classroom 35, Building F, Nā‘ālehu Elementary School. Provides local forum for community members. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP to Chad Domingo, text 808-381-2584 or domingoc1975@yahoo.com.

FRIDAY, JAN. 24

Old Style Pau Hana Mele & Hula ‘Auana, Friday, Jan. 24 – fourth Friday, monthly – 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Held outdoors, weather permitting. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

SATURDAY, JAN. 25

Palm Trail, Saturday, Jan. 25, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, relatively difficult, 2.6-mile, hike. Bring snack and water. nps.gov/havo

Sounds at the Summit: Hilo Jazz Orchestra Frank Zappa Tribute, Saturday, Jan. 25, 5:30-7:30p.m. Hawaiʻi Island musician and composer Trever Veilleux, director. Annual concert tends to sell out. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Blue Tattoo Band, Saturday, Jan. 25, 7-10p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. $5 cover charge, free to in-house guests. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

ONGOING

Apply for Mosaics of Science by Monday, Feb. 3. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park's 12-week paid summer internship position is designed to engage university students and recent graduates with on-the-ground work experience in the National Park Service. A $4,800 stipend, and all travel costs are covered, including a week-long career workshop in Washington,  D.C. to meet with NPS managers.

     The internship is open to U.S. citizens and permanent legal residents ages 18-30, and to military veterans up to age 35. Funding is provided under a cooperative agreement for youth conservation activities as part of the Public Lands Corps program, which mandates that these age ranges are followed. 

     The selected intern will assist with the development of education curriculum for Kīpukapuaulu and Pu‘u Loa trails in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
     For more information, contact Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Education Specialist Jody Anastasio by email at jody_anastasio@nps.gov. To apply go to go.nps.gov/mosaics or mosaicsinscience.org.

T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball League: Ocean View Team - Mondays and Wednesdays, Kahuku Park. Nā‘ālehu Team - Tuesdays and Thursdays, Nā‘ālehu Park. Pāhala Team (seeking coaches) - attend Nā‘ālehu practice. T-Ball, 3:30-4:30pm, ages 5-6. Coach Pitch, 4:30-6p.m., ages 7-8. Programs take place through April 16. Wear cleats or tennis shoes, bring a glove if possible. Extras gloves available for use. All skills and genders welcome. $35 per teammate. See Ka‘ū Youth Baseball on Facebook. Josh or Elizabeth Crook, 345-0511

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 808-938-1088.

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