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Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday Sept. 22, 2021

The Keakealani campus for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences will soon be under construction.
Design by Boone Morrison
THE VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES' NEW CAMPUS is receiving $15 million from the State of Hawai'i with a completion date expected to be in July 2023. The governor's statement today says the money released is "to finance the construction of the entire campus of The Volcano School of Arts and 
Sciences."
    The Volcano School website says: "After many years of community input, planning and fundraising, Volcano School of Arts & Science is excited to announce that we will soon break ground on our new campus!

Gov. David Ige announced today that $15 million will be released for
 construction of the entire campus of Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences
.
Design by Boone Morrison
    "The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences (VSAS) is building a much-needed new campus on the 3.35 acre Keakealani site on Haunani Road, where our middle school is currently housed. The Keakealani Site Plan was designed by Boone Morrison Architects, Inc. and adopted by the Friends of VSAS and the VSAS Governing Board on October 6, 2016.
     "The Design Concept "reflects our learning village surrounding a center piko courtyard for gathering, outdoor learning, and play. Included in this plan are 16 classrooms including arts and culture classrooms, 2 STEAM labs, indoor and outdoor 'breakout' spaces for small group learning activities, garden areas, covered walkways, a multi-purpose center large enough for all school assemblies and community events, a commercial kitchen, and an administrative building.
    "Reflecting our commitment to environmental responsibility and stewardship, the master plan incorporates solar electricity, solar hot water, radiant floor heating, effective use of natural light and air flow, and the employment of local and renewable resources. This campus design provides adequate teaching space, maximizes open play space, and preserves the existing two-story Keakealani school house."
     Learn more about The Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences at www.volcanoschool.net.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com

HELE-ON IS SUPPLEMENTING THE SCHOOL BUS SYSTEM to help middle and high school students reach campuses and return home. Students on Hawaiʻi island who live near existing Hawaiʻi County Hele-On bus routes will be able to travel to and from campus by way of a monthly pass. The announcement was made today.
    Hawai'i County said in a statement that it will help alleviate student transportation issues on Hawaiʻi Island caused by a shortage of school bus drivers and routes. John Andoh, Interim Mass Transit Administrator, said, “When parents contacted Hele-On looking for alternatives to getting their child to and from school, we immediately contacted DOE to see how we can help within the existing design of the Hele-On transit system. We also recently launched the new routes as designed in the 2018 adopted Transit and Multi-Modal Transportation Plan which provides more access to DOE schools, island-wide with more routes and more frequency.”
    Mayor Mitch Roth said, “Ensuring adequate and equitable access to education for all our keiki is necessary to ensuring a vibrant and sustainable Hawaiʻi Island for generations to come. That is why we are excited to be able to partner with the DOE to provide county resources make sure that no keiki is left behind.”
    Eligibility is available to all middle/intermediate and high school students on Hawaiʻi island for whom seats on existing school bus routes are not available, students eligible under Hawaii Administrative Rule §8-27-5; and students who qualify for free transportation. Those who do not qualify for free transportation will be required to pay the $72 quarterly bus pass fee, which will include Hele-On bus passes for three months (value of $135).
    Parents interested in this new partnership can access the bus pass for students: Submit a school bus application to the school office or online via eTrition. A student’s ID number is needed to apply online.
If a child’s application was previously approved and put on a waitlist, parents can contact the school to request a Hele-On bus pass. After the school reviews the application, parents will be notified if the application has been approved. It takes approximately two weeks to receive the student Hele-On bus pass.
    To learn more about how to ride Hele-On and the routes and schedules, visit heleonbus.org. Schedules and route maps are available online or by calling (808) 961-8744, option 1, and can also be picked up at Moʻoheau Bus Terminal at 329 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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

HAWAI'I COFFEE ASSOCIATION IS ONE OF THE PRESENTERS SIGNED UP  for the Specialty
Coffee Association's Expo from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3. Local members of HCA include Lou Daniele of Kaʻū Coffee Mill, Ala Kastenko of Kaʻū Mountain Coffee, Lorie Obra of Rusty's Hawaiian and Kim Koch of Waiohinu Farms. President of Hawai'i Coffee Association is Chris Manfredi of Kaʻū Farm and Ranch. Vice President is Tommy Greenwell of Greenwell Farms in Kona.
     Kaʻū Coffee has been represented at Specialty Coffee Association for many years in cities from Seattle to Boston, with the exception of 2020 due to the pandemic. Farmers have come home with numerous awards in competitions and represented Kaʻū Coffee through the Hawai'i Coffee Association booth and at pasts conventions, Kaʻū Coffee Mill.
     See more on Hawai'i Coffee Association at hawaiicoffeeassoc.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com
     
NATIONAL COFFEE DAY is Friday, Oct. 1 and ahead of the celebration, WalletHub rates cities across the country for coffee lovers, placing Honolulu as sixth. 
    WalletHub reports that  coffee consumption is up 8% nationally since January 2020. Honolulu, as one of  2021's Best Coffee Cities in America, joined first place Portland, second San Francisco, third Seattle, fourth Orlando and fifth Pittsburg.  Honolulu is a major market for Kaʻū Coffee.
     WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 12 key indicators of a strong coffee culture. The data set ranges from coffee shops, coffee houses and cafés per capita to the average price per pack of coffee. 
    The report also noted that Fremont, CA, has the highest average annual spending on coffee per household, $229.62, which is 3.5 times higher than in Hialeah, FL, the city with the lowest at $65.06. Gilbert, AZ, has the highest share of households that own a single-cup/pod-brewing coffee maker, 28.11 percent, which is 2.6 times higher than in Hialeah, the city with the lowest at 10.93 percent. Orlando has the most coffee shops, coffee houses and cafés (per square root of population), 0.4529, which is 8.2 times more than in Laredo, TX, the city with the fewest at 0.0550. Portland has the most coffee and tea manufacturers (per square root of population), 0.0211, which is 42.2 times more than in Riverside and San Bernardino, CA, the cities with the fewest at 0.0005. To view the full report visit: http://wallethub.com/edu/best-cities-for-coffee-lovers/23739/

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

HAWAI'I FARMERS UNION FOUNDATION AND HAWAI'I AVOCADO ASSOCIATION are offering 20 avocado growers in west Hawai'i Island the opportunity to receive professional grafting assistance for the introduction or expansion of Sharwil and Malama avocados.
Technical Project Manager Jeff Knowles will visit farms to help evaluate suitability and advise growers. Jeff and a grafting specialist will work with growers to plant and graft up to 20 Sharwil or Malama trees over the next 12 months. There is no cost to the farmer for these services.
For the application, see https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd59IrXUBYvEbMmTAviqHb8wB9dK4aNXT_J3-4i7GdWbyRpdg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&mc_cid=909f1bcbaf&mc_eid=563999cc96
    Applications must be received by 5pm on Monday Sept. 27.
 
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 PāhalaNāʻālehu, 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.



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.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 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.