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Monday, May 02, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, May 2, 2022

Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative President Gloria Camba with her husband and farming partner Rogelio Aquino. Their
 R&G Farm is one of the dozen Kaʻū Coffee Farms named in the virtual 2022 Kaʻū Coffee Festival, which launched in April
 with additions to the ongoing Festival website and new facebook postings. See www.kaucoffefestival.com and https://www.facebook.com/Kaucoffeefestival/Photo from Kaʻū Coffee Festival

KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL is rolling out its 2022 virtual edition online. It was launched in late April with more promised in May and June for a production funded by a $20,000 grant from Hawai'i Tourism Authority. One new post is a music video of the song Pua Melia, performed by the band Keaiwa with Demetrius Oliveira and Gene Beck accompanying coffee farmers - hula dancers Lorie Obra and Gloria Camba, who are members of Hālau Hula O Leonalani in Pāhala.
    The Festival posting says, "Enjoy this heart-warming performance of a Hawaiian song by the Kaʻū
band, Keaiwa, and hula by two beautiful Kaʻū coffee growers, Lori Obra and Gloria Camba, in the surroundings of a verdant Kaʻū coffee farm. We hope you enjoy it and share with those who also want to feel the aloha wherever they are." See it at https://www.kaucoffeefestival.com/events and on the Festival facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Kaucoffeefestival/.
     The performance was filmed at Kaʻū Mountain Farm in Wood Valley, managed by Alla Kostenko, who works with Kaʻū  Coffee Festival and Hawai'i Coffee Association, both managed by one of the longtime Festival organizers Chris Manfredi.
     The evolving festival website from 2020, so far, profiles eight of the more than 40 Kaʻū Coffee Farms. Those profiled are: Elepoiki Enterprises with Corey and Connie Koi; J&W with Joseph Ashley; Kaʻū Mountain Farm with Dennis Albert, Kastenko and partner; Navarro Farms with Delvin and Sawhnette Navarro; K&J Farm with Carlos Paredez; Rusty's Hawaiian with Lorie and Joan Obra and Ralph Gaston; Silver Cloud Coffee Farm with Miles Mayne, and Widow Coffee with Wido Martinez. Others listed by name on the Festival website are Miranda Farms, Kaʻū Ocean Vista Farms, R&G Farms and Rising Son. See it at https://www.kaucoffeefestival.com/farms.
      The Festival site also features a Kaʻū Coffee Brewing Demonstration video from Pacific Coffee Research, a virtual farm tour from 2020 and a Kaʻū Coffee College presentation from 2020. Festival organizers also promise a presentation on the history of Kaʻū Coffee.
    The grant for the Coffee Festival went from Hawai'i Tourism Authority to Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council as a Community Enrichment grant.  See more at www.kaucoffefestival.comhttps://www.facebook.com/Kaucoffeefestival/ and https://www.instagram.com/kaucoffeefest/?hl=en.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at. www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8771374960502262788/5062840565570263092.

HAWAI'I RANKS 49TH FOR WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, among the 50 states and Washington D.C. The study was released on Monday by WalletHub. On the positive side, Hawai'i 
ranks 16th in a category called Work/Life Balance. It ranks 36th in access to childcare.

    In the overall rankings for 2022 Best & Worst States for Working Moms, Hawai'i ranks 39th. The top state overall is Massachusetts, which ranks first in Work/Life Balance, fourth in Child Care and 22nd in Professional Opportunities. The worst state in the rankings is Louisiana, followed by Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina.
    Number one in Professional Opportunities for Women is Connecticut, followed by Idaho and Minnesota. Number One in Child Care is Minnesota, followed by Illinois and New York. Following
    Massachusetts in Work/Life Balance are Number Two Rhode Island, followed by Washington state.
    In metrics used to rank the states and D.C., Utah ranks last place in the number of women executives followed by South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. The highest percentage of women executives ar in District of Columbia, South Dakota, Mine and Vermont. Utah also ranks worst for women in the gender pay gap, followed by Louisiana, Wyoming and Idaho. The lowest gender pay gap is in Connecticut, followed by California, New Mexico and Texas.
    The highest child care costs are in Nebraska, followed by Massachusetts, Nevada and California. The lowest child care costs are in Mississippis, Missouri, South Dakota and South Carolina. The worst day care systems are Idaho, Nebraska, California and Louisiana. The best day care systems are in New York, Washington, North Dakota and Okalahoma, according to the study.
    See the entire study at https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-working-moms/3565.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at. www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8771374960502262788/5062840565570263092.

HAWAI'I RESIDENTS GRADUATING TO MEDICARE AS THEY TURN 65 are invited to a free seminar hosted by the Hawai'i State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) on Monday, May 9. Another for those wanting to volunteer to help guide kupuna will be Friday, May 27. SHIP offers virtual presentations to help newly eligible people and to welcome potential volunteers and partners that assist Medicare beneficiaries.
    Medicare helps pay for healthcare services for kupuna age 65 and older, as well as those with disabilities or end-stage renal disease. Though the program has many different components and can be
challenging to understand and navigate, in 2019, Medicare spent $7,208 on each of Hawaii's beneficiaries. The federal health insurance program is intended for Medicare beneficiaries in Hawai'i which made up 19% of the state's total population in 2018.
    The first program, called Project Grad 65, on Monday, May 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., is a virtual presentation for kupuna turning 65 and "graduating" into Medicare and for others recently enrolled in Medicare. Topics will include Social Security benefits and Medicare Basics, register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkduuhqzovGdQxuF7fvWHnySsYy1GubXyG
    The Virtual Open House on May 27, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
    Hawai'i SHIP is hosting a volunteer and partner Open House on Friday, May 27, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. To learn about the benefits of joining Hawai'i SHIP as a volunteer or partner register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYoc--pqjoqGNdr3Fhu-NJWaVBr5tioqwRG
    The national SHIP mission is to empower, educate, and assist Medicare-eligible individuals, their families, and caregivers through objective outreach, counseling, and training to make informed health insurance decisions that optimize access to care and benefits.
    Hawai'i SHIP, State Health Insurance Assistance Program, is federally funded by the Administration for Community Living and administered by the Hawai'i Department of Health, Executive Office on Aging. For 30 years, Hawai'i SHIP's Medicare-certified counselors have provided free, unbiased, local, one-on-one Medicare counseling to beneficiaries, their loved ones, caregivers, and soon-to-be retirees. Hawaii SHIP also offers free, virtual presentations on Medicare-related topics and participate in virtual fairs and exhibits that cater to Medicare-eligible individuals.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at. www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8771374960502262788/5062840565570263092.

EMPATHY, THE PATH TO UNDERSTANDING, is this month's topic presented by the non-profit Ku'ikahi Mediation Center on Thursday, May 19 as part of the
Jo Hittner, speaker at the May 19 Kui'ikahi
Mediation Center presentation.
Finding Solutions, Growing Peace Brown Bag Lunch Series
. Talks are Third Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.
    This month's speaker is Jo Hittner, Ph.D., who said, "Empathy is different from sympathy and compassion and involves more than listening attentively. It is a process of getting outside oneself to see another person's perspective from their point of view."
    In this talk, explore the beginnings of empathy, its impact on communication, the benefits of its use in many aspects of daily life, and how to improve one's empathic skills.
    Hittner has worked in the counseling/psychology field for over 40 years. She holds a doctorate in counseling from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. Before retirement, she was a professor at Winona State University, Minnesota. Currently, Hittner is a professionally trained volunteer mediator at Ku'ikahi Mediation Center. "Empathy and its effects are at the core of her beliefs in making the world a more peaceful place," says a statement fro Ku'ikahi.
    Ku'ikahi's Brown Bag Lunch Series is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy an
informal and educational talk-story session and connect with others interested in "Finding Solutions, Growing Peace."
    To get the Zoom link, register online at https://freebrownbagtalk.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Ku'ikahi Mediation Center at (808) 935-7844 or info@hawaiimediation.org. Or visit www.hawaiimediation.org.
    This lunch-and-learn series is made possible in part by funding from County of Hawai'i and Hawai'i Island United Way.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at. www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8771374960502262788/5062840565570263092.

A GARDEN WORK PARTY WILL BE HOSTED BY KAʻŪ FARMERS UNITED AT WOOD VALLEY
RANCH on Saturday, May 21. Volunteers will gather at 10 a.m. to break into teams and go over plans. The teams will break for lunch around 1p.m. and wrap up by 5 p.m. Food and beverages will be provided as well as an evening bonfire with dinner and adult beverages to celebrate the success. According to to the event organizer Megan Taylor, "Our food garden is in need of some rock walls and raised hugo culture beds. We have wood for a chicken coop/run and top bar bee hives to build as well. This can be a great learning experience! No tools will be necessary, all will be provided."
    Bringing sturdy closed toe shoes and own cup/water bottle for beverages is recommended. Volunteers can confirm that they will attend at kau@hfuu.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at. www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8771374960502262788/5062840565570263092.

See The Ka'ū Calendar May edition at
www.kaucalendar.com, on newsstands and in the mail.