Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021


Running through coffee and macadamia orchards and up into the forest is a signature of Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Runs, coming up Sept. 18 at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Organizers are O Ka‘ū Kākou, Hawai'i Island Racers and Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. 
Photo from Ka`u Coffee Trail Runs
KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNS are set for Saturday, Sept. 18, starting and finishing at Ka‘ū Coffee Mill on Wood Valley Road above Pāhala. This year, the seventh annual event is presented by Hawai‘i Island Racers, ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou and Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. 
    The website at www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com presents the races on “a challenging course that meanders over Pāhala’s unpaved trails. It is the perfect race venue, through coffee fields and macadamia nut groves.” The Ka‘ū Coffee Mill’s 1,900 acres features courses from a 50K to a Half Marathon (21 K), 10K and 5K distances. “Join us for the southern most race in the U.S.” 
    COVID rules will require additionally staggered starts. “To alleviate a mass crowd at the start, there will be a short gap in between the start times of the four distances,” says the race info. “The race is done on entirely private property...Lots of wide open spaces for everyone.” 
    The 50K starts at 6:30 a.m., Half Marathon at 6:45 a.m., 10K at 7 a.m. and 5K at 7:15 a.m. 
    Ka‘ū Coffee Mill is located at 96-2696 Wood Valley Road. 
    To register, the costs until Sept. 5 are $80 for the 50K, $75 for Half Marathon, $55 for 10K and $45 for 5K. Prices for each race go up $10 on Sept. 5. A virtual run at any distance allows folks to race anywhere, anytime. It costs $25. 
Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Runs bring out many local volunteers.
Photo by Julia Neal
    All racers will receive a medal and t-shirt. The organizers stated, “Under normal circumstances, there would be multiple awards in each division presented podium style. For obvious reasons, we are unable to do that in 2021. This year, the awards will be scaled back and presented to the following: Top 5 Male and Top 5 Female in each of the four distances; 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon and 50K.” 
    For post race food, organizers will provide hydration and light snacks after crossing the finish line. There will also be local vendors from the Ka‘ū Community selling foods such as chili and rice bowls, Portuguese bean soup, nachos, beverages and more. 
    Money raised from Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Runs goes to support ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou’s nonprofit work including local scholarships, land for a proposed senior housing project, purchase of life-saving equipment for Ka‘ū Hospital, restoration and maintenance of three historical cemeteries, and sponsorship of free Veterans Day and the Fourth of July Parade & Fun Day. Follow Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Runs on Facebook and on instragram for Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Runs and Hawai‘i Island Racers.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

FINDINGS AND PROCEEDINGS FROM A RAT LUNGWORM CONFERENCE, held with partial funding through County Council Chair Maile David and the county Department of Research & Development, have been published through Cambridge University Press. The scientific gathering was held in Hilo, assisted by Malama O Puna.
    Dr. Susan I. Jarvi is Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chair of the Faculty Senate for Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy in Hilo. She sent a letter the the Council Chair in August expressing "deepest gratitude for your support for the research being conducted on the rat lungworm and rat lungworm disease prevention at the College of Pharmacyʻs Jarvi Lab. Your support has been crucial in making headway to prevent disease and protect the health of Hawaiʻi's residents and visitors."
    In a resolution for the funding, David explained that "Rat Lungworm is a disease caused by the ingestion of a parasite, often passed from snails or slugs, which can affect the brain and spinal cord and lead to severe headaches, neck stiffness, temporary paralysis, and sometimes even death." She said the Rat Lungworm Disease negatively impacts the local economy due to lack of reliable information available for residents and visitors, which has left many weary of purchasing and consuming locally grown vegetables.
    Jarvi said a great deal of information related to Rat Lunngworms  and Rat Lungworm Disease and its prevention can be accessed by the public at https://pharmacy.uhh.hawaii.edu/rat-lungworm-overview
    Jarvi also noted that Informational Briefs from the 6th International Workshop on Rat Workshop on Rat Lungworm Parasites, held in Hilo, has been published with assistance of editors at Cambridge University Press "who have graciously allowed us to create this publication. They have expressed their strong support for this effort, which allows members of the general public to access a modified version of the papers published in Parasitology Vol. 148 (2) (2021) in a condensed, reader-friendly format. We were also asked by CUP to provide a short video briefly describing the rat lungworm and associated disease, and the significance of these publications to the people of Hawaiʻi. The video is currently viewable at the Cambridge.org website (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/parasitology) or on YouTube (https://youtu.be/wSe6d7NDt6Y)."
    The Informational Briefs publication can be accessed online at http://dspace.lib.hawaii.edu/handle/10790/6170. "On behalf of myself, my staff, and the editors at Parasitology, we are grateful for the opportunity to share this critical scientific information with a broader audience," said the Rat Lungworm expert.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

MONTHLY DISCOUNTS FOR INTERNET are offered through Hawai‘i Broadband & Digital Equity Office. Qualified families and individuals can apply for monthly discounts of up to $50 towards broadband service, or up to $75 for households on state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands parcels.
    Also available are one-time discounts for up to $100 to buy a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating Hawai‘i internet-service providers. Applicants must pay a minimum of $10 toward the purchase.
    Hawai‘i households are eligible for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program if one household member: Qualifies for SNAP the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, federal public housing assistance, Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit and/or Lifeline programs; receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school breakfast or lunch program; and/or filed for unemployment or PUA, or experienced loss of hours in the last year. To apply, see broadband.hawaii.gov/ebb.  The nationwide program is funded by the Federal Communications Commission.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com..


Read the entire Kaʻū Calendar and back issues at 
www.kaucalendar.com. Find it in the mail from Volcano
through Nāʻālehu, Ocean View to Miloli'i.
Pick it up from newsstands.












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, Nāʻālehu.

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.




HOPE DIA-MEND MINISTRIES holds outdoor services Sundays at 9:45 a.m. at 92-898 Ginger Blossom Lane in Ocean View. Masks and distancing required. For help and/or to donate, call or text 808-937-6355, or call the Ministry at 808-920-8137. See Facebook and at hopedia-mendministries.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

KAʻŪ 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

Resilience Hub at Nāʻālehu Hongwanji, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, 12:30 to 4 p.m. Drop-in wifi and laptop access. Free meals. Follows all county, state, and federal COVID-19 guidelines. Contact Michelle Galimba, 808-430-4927.

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.

Weekly Virtual Town Meetings, hosted by https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory High & Pāhala Elementary, Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Discussion topics include attendance, best practices, Grab-n-Go meals, school updates, questions and feedback, and more. Go to KHPES.org for Live WebEx link.

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.
ECONOMIC RELIEF

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.




REGISTER FOR THE KA‘Ū COFFEE TRAIL RUN, which returns on Saturday, Sept. 18. See more on the OKK event at https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/

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.Vendor applications are being accepted for its Holiday Arts & Crafts Sale on Saturday, Nov. 13. Kaʻū Art Gallery's website has 24/7 access online and is frequently updated to show current inventory 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 Kaʻū Main Street, is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., grounds of Kauahaʻao Congregational Church 95-1642 Pinao St. in Waiʻohinu, corner of Kamaoa and Hwy 11. Farmers Market, Arts & Crafts, Health Practitioners, Food, Music, Yoga, Keiki Fun & More. 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.





 on aircraft availability and weather.