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| Boys & Girls Club CEO Chad Cabral (center) gave the keynote address for graduation of new police officers. Photo from Boys & Girls Club |
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| The 94th graduating class for Hawai'i County Police Department recruits in mid December. Photo from Boys & Girls Club |
He compared police work to Boys & Girls Club work, noting that young people with challenges are very important. "Twenty-six percent of Hawai'i Island children are living in poverty. It’s the highest in the State. Many of our children are going to school not only for academics, they are going to school to eat,” said Cabral.
"Both our jobs in essence are to protect and to serve. At the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island we offer critical needs resources, the mentoring and nurturing that our kids need, and we provide safe spaces for our children to go when school is out."
Cabral said, “We have youth right now in our communities that attend our programs after school to have the extra three to four hours of comfort and safety, before having to go back home into an environment that is not safe." He told the police academy graduates, "As new officers, you have a duty not only to enforce laws, you have a duty and responsibility to help strengthen and better our communities.”
Cabral said, “We have youth right now in our communities that attend our programs after school to have the extra three to four hours of comfort and safety, before having to go back home into an environment that is not safe." He told the police academy graduates, "As new officers, you have a duty not only to enforce laws, you have a duty and responsibility to help strengthen and better our communities.”
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Former Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher and 94th recruit class graduating Pres. Onan Masaoka receives his police badge, placed onto his officer's uniform by his wife Christy Masaoka. Boys & Girls Club photo |
Cabral passed out a marker and small blank index card to each new officer and said, "“On the top right corner of this little index card write today’s graduation date. On the top left corner write the number 94 (your recruit class number). And in the middle of the card write down the name of the person that you would never want to let down (a figure in your life that shaped you to become the person you are today).”
He gave this advice to the officers: “When the time comes, maybe a year from now, five years from now, or 10 years from now, when you find yourself in a confrontation, moment, or situation that tests your values, character, and integrity, think of this card, the name of the person you wrote down, and how you would never want to let them down.”
He gave this advice to the officers: “When the time comes, maybe a year from now, five years from now, or 10 years from now, when you find yourself in a confrontation, moment, or situation that tests your values, character, and integrity, think of this card, the name of the person you wrote down, and how you would never want to let them down.”
Cabral ended his talk by saying, “You might not remember what any of the speakers said here today, but you will remember the index card that you wrote on at graduation, and the name of the person on your card.” He looked directly at the graduating police recruits and said, “public trust and integrity is everything, never let this person down.
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POLICE SEEK CLUES IN THE STABBING OF A NA'ALEHU MAN, as of yet unidentified, who was in Kona at the time of the incident. According to Hawai'i Police Department, the stabbing occurred at Honl’s Beach Park in Kailua-Kona last Friday, Dec.17 at 3:57 p.m. When Kona patrol officers responded to an affray at the beach park they learned that two men, ages 42 and 47 , both of Kailua-Kona, were involved in a heated verbal argument that turned physical. As they were fighting, a 48-year-old Na‘alehu man assisted the 42-year-old man.
During this altercation, the 48-year-old man sustained non-life threatening stab wounds to his back and thigh, as well as several cuts to his hands. He was treated and later released from Kona Community Hospital. The 47-year-old male was arrested at the scene, but later released pending further investigation.
Anyone with information about the investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Kim Makuakane-Jarrell, of the Area II Criminal Investigations Section, at (808) 326-4646 ext. 262 or via email at kimmerlyn.makuakane-jarrell@hawaiicounty.gov.
Anyone with information about the investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Kim Makuakane-Jarrell, of the Area II Criminal Investigations Section, at (808) 326-4646 ext. 262 or via email at kimmerlyn.makuakane-jarrell@hawaiicounty.gov.
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| Sofar Ocean Spotter is a solar powered, low cost way to gather data from the ocean and will be used in the plan for sustainable community-led leadership. Photo from Sofar Ocean |
"Indigenous coastal communities have depended on ocean resources over millennia, but climate change is creating a more unpredictable ocean by influencing waves, sea level, temperature and other factors, profoundly impacting remote coastal communities."
The Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System,within U.H. Mānoa’s School of Ocean & Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), is collaborating with partners in the Pacific Islands, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska to improve access to ocean data for Indigenous coastal communities through NSF Convergence Accelerator program.
The goal is to get oceanographic data into the hands of Indigenous communities in a way that takes advantage of existing, lower-cost wave buoy technology and enables sustained community-led stewardship of the buoys.
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| Fishing boat in the Marshall Islands. Photo by Phil Welch |
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| Hurricanes bring high water and large waves to American Samoa. Photo by Anderson Tagarino |
“Wave data, for example, can help a local mariner determine whether it is safe to fish that day or travel to another island to deliver goods,” said Melissa Iwamoto, director of PacIOOS and co-principal on the NSF project. “Our partners and users are asking for more ocean information to enhance safety and improve decision-making, and many also want more autonomy in maintaining the instrumentation.”
She said that collaboration is key to developing solutions. Partners will collectively work to develop solutions to overcome existing hurdles of observing technologies that are too expensive to purchase and sustain when conducted in isolation. They include three regional systems of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS in Hawai‘i and the U.S. Pacific Islands, NANOOS in the northwest U.S. and AOOS in Alaska); Sofar Ocean, a low-cost buoy and sensor company; and Indigenous partners from the Pacific Islands (villages in the Marshall Islands and American Samoa via the Marshall Islands Conservation Society and the National Park of American Samoa), Washington coast (Quiluete Tribe and Quinault Indian Nation) and Alaska (11 whaling villages in the Arctic) .
In the initial phase of the project, partners will work to assess coastal community needs and determine how existing lower-cost Sofar Ocean Spotter wave buoy and Smart Mooring technologies can address those needs. Working together, they will develop community-driven stewardship programs that can maintain the buoys into the future in partnership with the regional ocean observing systems, utilizing the strengths of the regional systems to serve data to remote communities in ways that work for them.
The collaboration embraces new, lower-cost technologies and utilizes the power of local ownership for maintaining ocean observations that are critical to serve the blue economy worldwide. The Indigenous communities in turn will provide feedback on the utility of the technologies, as well as offer input on ocean conditions from centuries of local observations. The co-designed approach is in line with the focus of NSF’s Convergence Accelerator: advancing use-inspired solutions into practical applications that address large-scale societal challenges.
“Increased access to ocean data is essential for coastal communities’ safety and livelihoods,” said Iwamoto. “We are excited by how this project will help us to quickly advance our goals to address our user needs through collaboration with new and existing partners across disciplines and geographies.”
In addition to providing localized data for coastal communities, the data will be available for large-scale scientific research to improve understanding and prediction of coastal dynamics, especially in a changing ocean, says the UH News.
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U.H. MAUNAKEA RANGERS RESCUED A HIKER NEAR THE SUMMIT ON TUESDAY. According to a post in U.H. News, the lost hiker was rescued in in thick white-out conditions on the Humuʻula Trail at the 13,000 feet elevation on Tuesday, December 21. At around 7 p.m., the Rangers and fire and rescue personnel from the U.S. Army Pohakuloa Training Center trekked for about a mile through heavy snow and sleet to locate the 64-year-old hiker.
The Rangers, part of UH Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship, were able to contact the man via cell phone and pinpoint his location. After one hour of searching, they located the hiker in a small cave in between Waiau Lake and Maunakea Access Road. He was able to walk out on his own but was transported by personnel to the hospital.
Prior to the hike, at around 10:30 a.m., the man registered with rangers at the Visitor Information Center on Maunakea, as required. Hikers fill out information forms and are briefed on safety protocols, weather and undergo thorough assessment for proper gear. Rangers attempted to contact the man several times after it got dark but were unsuccessful. They later found out he filled out the wrong contact number on his form. The hiker’s calls to 9-1-1 enabled rangers to eventually connect with him and narrowed the search area.
The Rangers, part of UH Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship, were able to contact the man via cell phone and pinpoint his location. After one hour of searching, they located the hiker in a small cave in between Waiau Lake and Maunakea Access Road. He was able to walk out on his own but was transported by personnel to the hospital.
Prior to the hike, at around 10:30 a.m., the man registered with rangers at the Visitor Information Center on Maunakea, as required. Hikers fill out information forms and are briefed on safety protocols, weather and undergo thorough assessment for proper gear. Rangers attempted to contact the man several times after it got dark but were unsuccessful. They later found out he filled out the wrong contact number on his form. The hiker’s calls to 9-1-1 enabled rangers to eventually connect with him and narrowed the search area.
Maunakea Rangers and rescue and fire personnel assist hiker who was lost at night near the summit in the snow.The Maunakea Ranger program was established in 2000 to inform visitors about the cultural, natural and scientific significance of the mauna. They provide daily oversight of activities on UH-managed lands to protect resources and provide public safety.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
AT LEAST FOUR CASES OF OMICRON ARE SUSPECTED ON HAWAI'I ISLAND, according to the sate Department of Health. The number of confirmed omicron cases to date statewide is 74, though health officials suspect it is much, much higher. It can take a week to confirm through genome sequencing which Covid cases are omicron. The DOH Laboratories Division also suspects that some of its Covid samples will show Omicron on Maui, according to Wednesday's DOH news release.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
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| See the December and past issues of The Ka`u Calendar at www.kaucalendar.com. |
KAʻŪ COFFEE MILL & VISITOR CENTER. Buy online at kaucoffeemill.com and in person at 96-2694 Wood Valley Road, daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
PUNALUʻU BAKESHOP online at bakeshophawaii.com and in-person 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week in x.
ALIʻI HAWAIʻI HULA HANDS COFFEE. Order by calling 928-0608 or emailing alihhhcoffee@yahoo.com.
AIKANE PLANTATION COFFEE COMPANY. Order online at aikaneplantation.com. Call 808-927-2252
MIRANDA'S FARMS KAʻŪ COFFEE. Order online at mirandafarms.com or, in person at 73-7136 Mamalahoa Hwy. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com..
KUAHIWI RANCH STORE, in person. Shop weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 am to 3 p.m. at 95-5520 Hwy 11. Locally processed grass-fed beef, live meat chickens, and feed for cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, horses, dogs, and pigs. Call 929-7333 of 938-1625, email kaohi@kuahiwiranch.com.
DEPRESSED, ANXIOUS, NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO? Call Department of Health's expanded Hawai‘i C.A.R.E.S. program at 1-800-753-6879 – the same number previously used by Crisis Line of Hawai‘i. Individuals in crisis can also text ALOHA to 741741, available 24/7.
LEARN SELF-CARE THROUGH Big Island Substance Abuse Council's Practice Self-Care Series. For additional series that feature refreshing wellness tips, follow the Behavioral Health & Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group at facebook.com/bhhsurg
WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE OFFERS HEALTH PROGRAMS. Piko focuses on reproductive health; increasing access, respect, cultural competence, education, and choice. Pilina aims to grow membership and establish a culture of collaborative decision-making. Follow @kau_womens_health_collective. Contact rootsmedieshawaii@gmail.com. Call 808-450-0498.
YOGA WITH EMILY Catey Weiss, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Advanced registration required; $5 per class. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222.
CHOOSE ALOHA FOR HOME is available to families, to provide a healthy way to grow together using neuroscience and positive psychology. Program uses a series of self-guided videos, activities, and "dinner table discussion topics." Sign up at chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home.
EDUCATION
Register for Boys & Girls Club Mobile Outreach and Tutoring Programs at rb.gy/o1o2hy. For keiki grades 1-6. Contact Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island Administrative Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (808) 961-5536 or email mobiletutoring@bgcbi.org or info@bgcbi.org.
ʻOhana Help Desk offers online How-To Guides for Chromebooks and iPads at rb.gy/8er9wm. ʻOhana Help Desk also available by phone, weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Invite Park Rangers to Virtually Visit Classes, through connecting with teachers and home-schoolers with distance learning programs and virtual huakaʻi (field trips). Contact havo_education@nps.gov.
Public Libraries are open for WiFi, pick-up, and other services. Nāʻālehu open Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala open Tuesday, noon to 7 p.m., Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., limited entry into library with Wiki Visits. Schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. Open for library card account help and reference assistance from the front door. WiFi available to anyone with a library card, from each library parking lot. See librarieshawaii.org.
Free Book Exchanges, at laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu, provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Open to all. Keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them. Selection of books replenished weekly at both sites.
Read Report on Public Input about Disaster Recovery from damage during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.View the Civic Engagement and Comment Analysis Report at rb.gy/awu65k.
Learn About Hawaiʻi's History & Culture through Papakilo Database, papakilodatabase.com.
Virtual Workshops on Hawaiʻi's Legislative Processes through Public Access Room. Sign up by contacting (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. Ask questions and discuss all things legislative in a non-partisan environment. Attend Coffee Hour with PAR: Fridays at 3 p.m. on Zoom, meeting ID 990 4865 9652 or click zoom.us/j/99048659652. PAR staff will be available to answer questions and to discuss the legislative process. Anyone wanting to listen in without taking part in discussions is welcome. Learn more at lrb.hawaii.gov/public-access-room.
Online Directory at shopbigisland.com, co-sponsored by County of Hawai‘i, has a signup sheet for local businesses to fill in the blanks. The only requirement is a physical address on this island.
COMMUNITY
Food Assistance: Apply for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences COVID-19 Family Relief Funds. Funded by Volcano Community Association, and members of the VSAS Friends and Governing Boards, who have donated, the fund supplies KTA or Dimple Cheek Gift Cards, or gift cards to other locally owned business, to VSAS families in need. Contact Kim Miller at 985-8537, kmiller@volcanoschool.net. Contributions to the fund can be sent in by check to: VSAS, PO Box 845, Volcano, HI 96785 – write Relief Fund in the memo. See volcanoschool.net
ENROLL CHILDREN, from first through eighth grade, in Kula ʻAmakihi, a program from Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences. It started Aug. 3. Call 808-985- 9800 or visit www.volcanoschool.net.
WALK THROUGH A GUIDED NATURE TRAIL & Sculpture Garden, Mondays, 9:30 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No reservations for five or fewer – limited to ten people. Free; donations appreciated. Email programs@volcanoartcenter.org. Garden is open to walk through at one's own pace, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. www.volcanoartcenter.org. Call 967-8222.
KAʻŪ ART GALLERY is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Nāʻālehu. It features and sells works by local artists and offers other gift items. "We are always looking to collaborate with local artists in our community," said assistant Alexandra Kaupu. Artists with an interest in being featured at Kaʻū Art Gallery and Gift Shop, contact gallery owner and director Corrine Kaupu at kauartgallery@hawaiiantel.biz.
GOLF & MEMBERSHIPS for Discovery Harbour Golf Course and its Clubhouse: The Club offers Social Memberships, with future use of the clubhouse and current use of the pickleball courts as well as walking and running on specified areas of the golf course before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m. to enjoy the panoramiocean views. Golf memberships range from unlimited play for the avid golfer to casual play options. Membership is required to play and practice golf on the course. All golf memberships include Social Membership amenities. Membership fees are designed to help underwrite programs and improvements to the facilities.Call 808-731-5122 or stop by the Clubhouse during business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 94-1581 Kaulua Circle. Email clubatdiscoveryharbour@gmail.com. See The Club at Discovery Harbour Facebook page.
ALOHA FRIDAY MARKETPLACE, hosted by Main Street, is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., grounds of The Old Shirakawa Estate in Waiʻohinu. It features: Made in Hawai'i Products, Organic Produce, Creative Crafts, ARt, Flower and Plants, Food, Ka`u Coffee, Gluen Free Low Carb Goodies, Wellness Services and Products, Clothing, Hand Crafted Treats, Music and more. Vendor and customer inquiries: AlohaFridayMarket@gmail.com.
VOLCANO FARMERS MARKET, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays. 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Hawai‘i Coffee. Cooper Center's EBT Machine, used at the Farmer's Market, is out of service until further notice. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.
OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY MARKET, open Saturdays and Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Managed by Mark Council. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in upper lot only. Vendors must provide own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling encouraged.
O KAʻŪ KĀKOU MARKET, in Nāʻālehu, open Wednesday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Limit of 50 customers per hour, 20 vendor booths, with 20 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing required, social distancing enforced. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374 (voice or text) or kaufarmer@aol.com for more and to apply to vend. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.
OCEAN VIEW SWAP MEET is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks required.
BUY LOCAL GIFTS ONLINE, IN-PERSON
VOLCANO ART CENTER ONLINE, in person. Shop at Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Virtual Shopping Appointments offered via Skype or FaceTime. Book at volcanoartcenter.org/shop for $5. Shop online gallery 24/7. Orders shipped or free local pickup available. See the VAC Virtual Classroom, which features over 90 videos. See volcanoartcenter.org/events, call 967-8222.
