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Wednesday, September 08, 2021

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021

Fish Aggregate Devices are washing up on Hawaiian Island shores and DLNR would appreciate reports of their sitings from the public. See more below. DLNR photo
STATE OF HAWAI'I LAUNCHED A SMART HEALTH CARD TODAY. Gov. David Ige and Doug Murdock, chief information officer for the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, unveiled the program to enable individuals who received COVID-19 vaccinations in Hawaiʻi to create a state-issued digital Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card that may be used to confirm their vaccination status to businesses and venues that require it. The program is voluntary and begins Sept. 10.
    They also announced looking into developing a system to allow the upload of negative COVID-19 test results. For now, patrons may present a physical copy of their negative COVID-19 test result where required.
    Individuals who received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, followed by a 14-day waiting period, are eligible for the digital card. The Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card presents vaccination status through a digital device rather than physical CDC vaccination card or other document. Vaccination info provided by individuals obtaining the Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card will be automatically verified against the state vaccination database.
 
Gov. David Ige launched a Smart Health Card today for those who want
 vaccine verification for entities that require them. Photo from the governor
  “Participation in the SMART Health Card program is purely voluntary, but it aims to make it easier and more convenient for patrons" to present proof of vaccination to businesses and other entities that require it, said the governor. “The digital Health Card supports counties that require proof of vaccination at certain businesses and venues. It’s another step toward protecting the health and safety of our residents and visitors, while also balancing the need to support local businesses and Hawaiʻi’s economy.”
    Murdock said, SMART Health Cards are growing as a standard to show proof of vaccination across the nation. Hawaiʻi joins states such as New York, California and Louisiana, in implementing an application that allows people to share their vaccine status to businesses and venues in a safe and secure way.” The Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card QR code cannot be used for traveling to Hawaiʻi. Travelers arriving in Hawaiʻi are required to use the Travel Exemption/Exception feature on the Safe Travels Hawaiʻi Digital Platform to receive a travel entry QR code.
    Here’s how the Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card works:
Go to the Hawaiʻi Safe Travels Digital Platform, https://travel.hawaii.gov. Create an account or use an existing account. Click on the SMART Health Card logo. Take a picture of vaccination card and upload it.
Enter vaccination information.
    Parents and guardians, with COVID-19 vaccination records for minors, can upload each digital vaccine record request separately.
    Once validated by the system, applicants will receive a QR code to present to business and establishments that require proof of vaccination status.
    Each QR Code will be available for display in the Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card section of the Safe Travels platform.
    Businesses and establishments may use a SMART Health Card verifier app to verify status. (The app can be downloaded to any Apple device — iPhone or iPad — or to an Android device to scan the QR code. For the app go to https://thecommonsproject.org/smart-health-card-verifier).
    Hawaiʻi SMART Card allows for the upload of vaccinations cards issued in Hawaiʻi only. Individuals not vaccinated in Hawaiʻi may present a hard copy of a vaccination document as proof of vaccination. For visitors to Hawaiʻi, this policy may vary by county.
    The statement from the governor says, "It is important to note that the state data base does not electronically verify some vaccination records." Entities not submitting vaccination data to the state’s database are the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, selected Federal Agencies (that have received the federal vaccine), and some pharmacies under the long-term care facility program, including nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities.
    If the state’s database cannot verify vaccination data, individuals may present a physical document such as a CDC vaccination card or COVID-19 PCR test result, depending on what the jurisdiction will accept.
    Hawaiʻi SMART Health Cards follow the format recommended by the Vaccine Credential Initiative and is currently being used by vaccination providers such as CVS.
    The state is required by various federal and state laws to protect health information, including vaccination information submitted by SMART Health Card participants. The state has designed the Hawaiʻi SMART Health Card, through the Safe Travels Program, to be in compliance with these laws.

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

FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES from the sports and commercial fishing industry are washing up on Hawai'i's shores and drifting in island waters. The state Department of Land & Natural Resources would like reports on them. DLNR released a statement Tuesday noting that marine debris comes in many shapes and sizes, but there are certain types of debris items that are more hazardous than others to boaters and aquatic wildlife. 
    In recent years, Hawai‘i has been experiencing an uptick in the amount of foreign and domestic fish aggregating devices, or “FADs,” adrift in nearshore waters and washing up along Hawai'i's coasts. FADs can be made from a variety of natural or manufactured materials including bamboo, plastic pipes, mesh nets or lines, and buoys. FADs are deployed both legally and illegally by fishers and the fishing industry in various parts of the world’s oceans to attract schools of fish with these floating debris objects.
    The state has installed and maintained legal Hawai‘i FADs  since 1980 to attract sportfishing species. One FAD is between Kalae and Kamilo Point. Another is off Miloli'i.
     The Hawai‘i FAD program is operated by the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and University of Hawai‘i in cooperation with DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR). These buoys attract schools of tuna and other important pelagic fishes, such as dolphinfish (mahi-mahi), wahoo (ono), and billfish. These local FADs (which are large yellow metal buoys with a lighted top pole) have limited entanglement potential for aquatic wildlife and help fishermen to better locate and catch targeted fishes. They are anchored in deep water and shouldn’t drift; however, they may break free from their chains on occasion.
    Private or fishing industry FADs are not legally deployed in Hawai‘i state waters, but this type of fishing gear and practice is legal elsewhere, including the central Pacific. Fishing with drifting FADS or
Legal Fish Aggregating Devices located
around Hawai`i Island. The red ones are
missing, the green ones recently deployed.
Map from himb.hawaii.edu/FADS

“dFADs” is a common practice within the purse-seine fishery (including the U.S. fleet), usually targeting dense schools of pelagic fish, such as sardines, mackerel, and tuna. According to Hank Lynch, with The Nature Conservancy and Makanakai Marine Services, the “purse-seine boats set these out to attract fish, then return to them via a satellite tracker buoy after some time and net the fish underneath.” Yet sometimes these dFADs will drift outside the feasible range of the fishing fleet or the GPS tracking devices will fail. These lost dFADs become derelict fishing gear, one of the most common and problematic categories of marine debris. Since the oceans have no tangible boundaries, dFADs and other gear items can find their way into state waters, where they’re more likely to impact boaters and wildlife. Floating and submerged components are hazards for navigation and entanglement, especially for marine mammals, birds, and turtles.
    "Unfortunately, these types of debris items are likely to continue showing up in Hawaiʻi’s waters," says the DLNR statement. According to Lynch, these FADs are: “drifting into Hawaiian waters more frequently in recent years. Several organizations including Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Center for Marine Debris Research are working hard in collaboration with industry professionals to utilize existing satellite tracking technologies to track these FADs at sea as they approach Hawaiian shorelines, where you find one net at sea, you very often find many.”
Learn all about the legal FADs in Hawai'i at
https://himb.hawaii.edu/FADS/
   On Hawai‘i Island alone, DAR Kona staff have documented 16 FADs since July 2015, with about half of them including a satellite tracking device. According to DLNR, "This is a concerning amount as each of these FADs has the potential to injure our native aquatic wildlife and transport invasive species into Hawai‘i. FADs are encountered by or reported to a wide variety of agencies and organizations, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, DLNR, and nonprofits with marine debris programs. This interisland network is key, as drifting marine debris requires a swift response if it’s to be removed before it becomes lost in the open ocean. Thanks to the support, research, and recovery efforts underway from nonprofit’s (e.g., Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi, Ocean Defenders Alliance), industry (Makanakai Marine Services, Blue Ocean Mariculture, etc.), academic, and government partners, the state understands the scope and severity of this issue and is working together to address it. Assistance from the public to identify and report marine debris remains one of the most valuable and efficient means to help cover the full extent of the islands."
     DLNR urges the public to report any large or hazardous marine debris items to DLNR on the marine debris response and removal reporting form or call the new statewide hotline at 1-833-4DA-NETS.

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

MAYOR PRAISES LABOR DAY RESTRAINT, ONE CITATION HANDED OUT. A statement from County of Hawai'i today says that officials "would like to commend the community on a successful effort to mitigate the spread of COVID19 through the Labor Day weekend. Hawaiʻi Police Department officers issued just one $250 citation islandwide over the long weekend for a violation of the Mayor’s emergency rules."
Mayor Mitch Roth praised the public for restraint over Labor Day weekend
and reminded that emergency rules to combat Covid-19 remain in
effect until Oct. 4. Image from the mayor's office
     The citation issued was for the illegal use of a canopy at a Hilo beach park. The county reports that in addition, a few other verbal warnings were issued, to which patrons were compliant. Enforcement over the weekend was a County and State joint effort and consisted of increased patrols and presence in and around our County and State beaches and parks. Multiple tips were called into the HPD non-emergency line, to which investigations found beach and park goers in compliance. 
    “We are extremely proud of the community for stepping up over the holiday weekend and taking this virus seriously,” said the mayor. “Because of the efforts of everyone islandwide to limit gatherings, we are confident that we will not see a spike in cases over the coming weeks as a direct result of community gatherings in celebration of Labor Day. That said, as Mayor, it is incredibly humbling to see our residents step up time and time again to do what is right for everyone in a broader effort to protect and care for each other. It is really because of the aloha in and around our communities are we able to continue to thrive through this pandemic and beyond.” 
    The County also reminded residents that the current emergency rules remain in effect until October 4, 2021, unless extended, rescinded, superseded, or amended. For a full version of the rules, visit hawaiicounty.gov/coronavirus

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.