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Monday, September 06, 2021

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday , Sept. 6, 2021

Hawai'i history is steeped in the labor movement, which began with the sugar industry and
continues in many service fields, most strikingly these days in health are as workers face
 COVID on the job. See more below. Illustration from Rep. Ed Case

LABOR DAY DREW THIS MESSAGE FROM HAWAI'I'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY: This Monday, September 6, we pause as a nation to reflect on the importance of the movement of organized labor. Much of what we take for granted in the work place today was won from hard fought battles over many decades. The 40-hour work week, the notion of a living wage, the weekend and more are the outcome of often bloody battle with business owners and even our own government.
    That Labor Day is a federally recognized national holiday is not insignificant. Under normal circumstances we would witness and participate in celebratory rallies and marches across the country. For the second year in a row, we are celebrating the hard fought victories of workers and unions through masks, computer screens, and cameras. As the COVID-19 Delta variant ravages the U.S. and the rest of the world, let us pause on this national Labor Day holiday to honor the frontline workers who have
worked under threat of illness for 18 months or more so the rest of us could buy groceries, medications, household necessities; those things we need to survive. And certainly let us not forget the countless medical and emergency staff who have worked and sacrificed endlessly under unimaginable conditions since the pandemic began.
    Today the Labor Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai'i thanks and honors all those heroes who have gone to work, day in and day out, under constant threat of catching the illness themselves and spreading it to their loved ones. This Labor Day, we honor all those heroic men and women.
  
 But the honorific pause is not enough. Not nearly.
    We continue to hear in the press that businesses across the country are struggling to fill needed positions, calling workers “lazy” or “selfish” because they choose to stay on          Unemployment or even refuse to take a job that pays poverty wages.
    In the midst of so much sickness and death, we must see the stark reality of an economic system that exploits our labor. Countless workers have lost their jobs and their homes because our leaders have repeatedly chosen to side with “job creators” instead of workers. The Labor Caucus calls on our elected leaders to stand shoulder to shoulder with workers. We call on those elected leaders to give dignity to our labor by increasing the minimum wage to a living wage and to ensure the right to paid sick leave and paid family leave.
    No one who works 40 or more hours a week should be struggling to survive. And until that changes we will continue to challenge our elected leaders - every Labor Day holiday, every work day, every minute until workers of every stripe have at least a living wage and paid leave benefits to care for themselves and their loved ones when the need arises.
    On this Labor Day holiday, we honor those union champions who came before us by taking this holiday to highlight the plight of the worker. To honor them by demanding dignity for their labor.
     The message from the Democratic Party of Hawai'i was written by its Labor Caucus Chair John Frost.

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FOR LABOR DAY, SEN. MAZIE HIRONO tweeted: "Today, as we celebrate Labor Day, I am particularly thankful for Hawai'i’s rich tradition of organized labor. We must continue our fight for livable wages, worker protections and so much more. Stay safe everyone."

FOR LABOR DAY, SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ tweeted: "We have labor unions to thank for: Minimum wage, Social Security, weekends, paid time off and workplace safety standards. On #LaborDay, we honor the important work our unions have done for generations to support workers and families across Hawai‘i and the country.

FOR LABOR DAY, CONGRESSMAN ED CASE posted an illustration rather than words. For context, he presented a photo of a sugar worker, one of the many who launched the labor movement in Hawai'i, next to a woman medical worker during the modern day fight against COVID-19. See image above.

Listen and read  Hawai'i Public Radio story on the 1946 Sugar Strike: The Rise of 
Hawai'i's Labor Unions at www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news
/2017-09-04/1946-sugar-strike-the-rise-of-hawai-is-labor-unions


LABOR DAY IS A TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE PROact, according to Congressman Kai Kahele who wrote: "As a card carrying @ALPAPilots union member, I recognize the value of organized labor and its benefits for our working class. It’s time for the Senate to pass the #PROAct." PROAct stands for Protecting Rights to Organize. 
    According to a summary from the U.S. House of Representatives, where the measure passed last year, "The bill allows workers to seek justice in court when employers unlawfully interfere with their rights or retaliate against them for exercising their rights, if the National Labor Relations Board's General Counsel fails to prosecute their case. Under current law, workers have no recourse if the NLRB's General Counsel fails to take their case."
     A House of Representatives Fact Sheet on the measure says:
     "The American economy is not working for most Americans. While corporations and the wealthy continue to capture the rewards of a growing economy — working families and middle-class Americans are being left behind. From 1980 to 2017, average incomes for the bottom 90 percent of households increased just 1.1 percent, while average incomes for the wealthiest 1 percent increased more than 184 percent. 
    "This inequality is not a natural product of a functioning economy. It is the result of policy choices that have stripped workers of the power to join together and negotiate for decent wages, benefits, and working conditions. The Protecting the Right to Organize Act restores fairness to the economy by strengthening the federal laws that protect workers’ right to join a union. Unions are critical to increasing wages and creating an economy that rewards hardworking people, but special interest-funded attacks on labor laws have eroded union membership. 
    "In 1956, roughly one in every three workers was a union member. After a decades-long effort to weaken and exploit toothless labor laws, just 10 percent of American workers are unionized today. The Protecting the Right to Organize Act protects the basic right to join a union by: 1. Introducing meaningful, enforceable penalties for companies and executives that violate workers’ rights 2. Expanding workers’ collective bargaining rights and closing loopholes that corporations use to exploit workers 3. Strengthening workers’ access to fair union elections and requiring corporations to respect the results."

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

WILIWILI IS THE SEPTEMBER PLANT for Lāʻau Letters: Native Plants of Kaʻū, the monthly column in The Ka'u Calendar newspaper by Jodie Rosam and artist Joan Yoshioka. The column features the plants' moʻolelo (stories), uses, preferred habitats, and opportunities to adopt them for stewardship. It seeks to encourage making new plant friends and to reunite with others.
    Wiliwili, Erythrina sandwichensis, is the subject of Mary Kawena Pukui's ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Pua ka wiliwili nanahu ka manō: When the wiliwili tree blooms, the sharks bite.
    Description: Wiliwili is an endemic tree in the pea family (Fabaceae), and much like last month's featured lāʻau ʻohe makai, it is drought-deciduous (it drops its leaves during the dry season). The showy orange, red, salmon, peach, light green, yellow, or even white flowers bloom during the summer months after the leaves drop, and the nearly heart-shaped leaflets emerge in threes during the fall. Wiliwili can
grow quite large, exceeding 45 feet tall with an impressively wide crown. Wili means to twist, screw, or wind, and wiliwili means repeatedly twisted, referring to the seed pods that twist to expose the bright, coral colored seeds. Did you know wiliwili were on the brink of extinction in 2005 when an infestation of the Erythrina Gall Wasp (EGW) began killing a number of trees? Fortunately, the release of the Eurytoma parasitoid wasp as a biocontrol in 2008 successfully and significantly reduced the EWG and saved our wiliwili!
    Uses: Because of its low density, the wood of wiliwili was used for ama (outrigger canoe floats) and mouo (fishing floats). Most notably, wiliwili wood was the preferred choice for papa heʻe nalu (surfboards), specifically for olo, or longboards, which were ridden by the aliʻi. The shiny orange and red seeds are still used in lei.
    Habitat: Wiliwili grow in harsh environments including barren lava flows and dry forests up to 1,950 feet elevation. Waikōloa is known for its large wiliwili population, but Kaʻū is arguably home to just as many! Look for the brightly colored flowers across the lowland dry forests makai of Waiʻōhinu during the summer (now!). Three wiliwili sisters formerly guarded Puhiʻula Cave at Pāʻula (Kaunāmano Ahupuaʻa), and are still alive in moʻolelo (stories) shared today.
   Growing and Purchasing: Seeds must be scarified (I use nail clippers to knick the seed coat on the opposite side of the seed's piko) and soaked for 12-24 hours to increase germination success. Pot soaked seeds in a well-drained mix (cinder soil mixes), and fertilize regularly until they are planted (because fix Nitrogen, no additional fertilizer is required once they are in the ground). Be sure to choose a sunny area for your drought, heat, and wind tolerant wiliwili to thrive. Plants may be available for purchase through Future Forests, or contact the author.
    About the artist: Joan Yoshioka says she is a conservationist at heart and has dedicated her life to preserving the native plants and animals of Hawaiʻi through her work with federal, state, and private organizations over the past 30+ years. She describes herself as an outdoor-lovin' opti- mist, biologist/botanist, and habitual creator of art-stuff. She says the key to our most fundamental and truest part of ourselves is found in nature and she constantly draws on it for inspiration.
    About the author: Jodie Rosam says she has a deep love for native plants and a passion for exploration, with over 15 years of experience in working in the restoration of Hawaiʻi's forests. As a mother and an educator, she says the next generation has the power to lead the world to a sustainable future, and is committed to teaching her children (and others) from a place-based perspective.

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.  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.




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

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.

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.