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Wednesday, October 06, 2021

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021



The pine tree lane into Pahala would be more protected under the county's new plan to pull
the proposed wastewater treatment plant away from the road, behind macadamia orchards. Photo by Julia Neal

PAHALA'S NEW SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANS have led the County's Department of Environmental Management to ask the federal Environmental Protection Agency to allow withdrawal of a Finding of No Significant Impact for Closure of the Pāhala Community Large Capacity Cesspool. The withdrawal is  related to an older plan.
    The old sugar plantation's collection pipes that send sewage into the town's Large Capacity Cesspool is illegal under federal law and the county is working with EPA for approval of a new sewage treatment plan.     
The former Pahala sewage treatment plant
would have been along the Norfolk pine
entry to the town on Maile Street.
Image from County of Hawai'i
    The new plan abandons a former plan that called for treatment lagoons on land where macadamia orchards would be cut down. The new plan would have a smaller footprint, with the facility farther away from the iconic Norfolk Pine entrance to Pāhala and would preserve the macadamia orchards as a buffer to the new plant.
    The county made a public announcement today from its Department of Environmental Management, which submitted the request to EPA to to withdraw the older plan. It says, "DEM has determined that the aerated lagoons system is no longer the preferred wastewater treatment process for the Pāhala Community. The determination was based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, the recent discovery of extensive lava tube systems, reducing environmental impacts, cost savings, and having a more flexible system.
    "Withdrawal of the Finding of No Significant Impact is the first step to starting additional environmental review to supplement the environmental assessment. DEM and the EPA will be working together to evaluate alternative wastewater treatment systems for Pāhala with the goal of reducing environmental impacts and providing the best system to the community. The County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management remains committed to closing the large capacity cesspools in Pāhala and Nāʻālehu."
     The county has been under threat of fines by the EPA for continuing to allow sewage to go into a Large Capacity Cesspool.

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

THE COUNTY IS SEEKING APPLICANTS TO JOIN THE CLIMATE READY HAWAI'I VISTA CORPS. A promotion by the county says it will "help us prepare Hawai'i's vulnerable communities to adapt and become resilient to climate change impacts and disasters."  It says the county Planning Department is seeking applicants. 
    "Help the Hawaiʻi County Planning Department foster an improved quality of life for the island of Hawaiʻi's communities through responsible and progressive planning to promote ambitious, climate-neutral, culturally responsive strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in a manner that is clean, equitable and resilient. 
    "Play a key role in supporting the Long-Range Division to uphold the community's vision, facilitate pubic participation, and drive the policy foundation that helps shape a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable future for Hawaiʻi Island." 
    Applicants would work through AneriCorps at the Planning Department. The job would be full time from this December into next December. Qualifications include college degree and skills in public speaking, writing and editing, communications, team work, social media expertise, community organizing and computers and technology.

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

EAST KAʻŪ'S STATE SENATOR JOY SAN BUENAVENTURA  released a September newsletter on Wednesday, saying: "Throughout the past few months, the highly contagious Delta variant resulted in an alarming surge of COVID-19 cases throughout our state. The dramatic increase in cases overwhelmed our hospital system, which, forced our state and county leaders to re-examine emergency mandates introduced in the earlier days of the pandemic. 
    "While I know that many of us struggled to keep up with the evolving rules and guidelines, our collective compliance along with an increase in vaccinations, have led to the stabilization of COVID-19 infections and a decline in COVID-19 related hospitalizations. The downward trend in COVID-19 hospital admissions and the reduction of patients in need of critical care have allowed some of Hawai'i's major hospitals to resume elective surgeries and have reduced the strain on hospital resources and staff. While this is very welcome news for us all, please continue to follow safe practices and take precautions to reduce your risk of infection.
    "Since the start of the pandemic, we learned that the elderly and those immuno-compromised are especially susceptible to viruses like COVID-19, and while we all sometimes struggle to abide by some of the new mandates, I know that our kupuna (and their loved ones) are especially grateful for all of your sacrifices and continued kokua."

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

AN ELECTION FAR WEST OF KAʻŪ in the Pacific Ocean takes place this Saturday, Oct. 9 through Saturday, Oct. 16. It's in the Northern Mariana Islands, the 14-island unincorporated commonwealth of the United States, north of Guam. The residents of Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Pagan and the other small islands of about 55,000 people are holding a special election for a seat in the Northern Marianas Legislature. 
Corina Magofna, a graduate of UH in accounting, is running
 for the Legislature in the Northern Marianas, supported
by the Hawai'i Democratic Party. 
    The Democratic Party of Hawai'i supports the candidate Corina Magofna, in the hopes of achieving a two-seat margin in the Legislature of the Northern Mariana Islands.  
    "We in Hawaiʻi have a special responsibility to help our fellow friends in the Pacific!" says a statement on Wednesday from the Democratic Party of Hawai'i, which is fundraising for the candidate.
   Magofna has an associate degree in accounting from the University of Hawai'i. For the past three and half years, she was the budget officer at the Northern Mariana's  Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
   The Northern Marianas, about 3,870 miles west of Kaʻū, is comprised of 14 islands with a combined area of 183.5  square miles, about a fifth the size of Ka`u's 992 square miles. Its population is about three times the population of Kaʻū.
    The seat of government for the Northern Marianas is Capitol Hill, a village in northwestern Saipan.

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

HAWAI'I POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASED RECENT DUI ARREST NUMBERS on Wednesday: During the week of Sept. 27 through Oct. 3, Hawai'i Island police arrested 17 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. So far this year, there have been 808 DUI arrests compared with 724 during the
same period last year, an increase of 11.6 percent.
    There have been 601 major accidents so far this year compared with 585 during the same period last year, an increase of 2.7 percent. To date, there were 18 fatal crashes, resulting in 18 fatalities, compared with 13 fatal crashes, resulting in 13 fatalities for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 38.5 percent for fatal crashes, and 38.5 percent for fatalities.
    DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.

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

GET READY FOR INFLATION IS THE WORD FROM WEST HAWAI'I SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER. The non-profit released a statement Wednesday and plans a webinar on the subject. The statement says, "These past few years year have made us all very aware that we need to be ready for changes in our business environment. Worse, it seems that we have no control over these forces. One of these is inflation, the focus of this webinar. Inflation is a reality that looks as if it will have an increasing impact on our businesses. There are things that we can do to be proactive and prepare for these challenges."
     The webinar on Friday, Oct. 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. features economist Yan Cui. Born in China, she earned a master’s in International Economics from a top university in Germany and a doctor's degree in economics in the U.S. She works in the analytics team in Mortgage Banking at Bank of Hawai'i. Besides five years of banking experience, she also has ten years of teaching experience at universities.      Previously, she worked at the Hawai'i state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
    The fee is $15. Sign up at https://clients.hisbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=4410007.

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.

Pāhala 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.