Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022

Hīlea Bridge was one of two remaining timber bridges in the state Department of Transportation system. With its recent
 replacement, stories and history are wanted for a permanent public display, with a talk story session at the OKK
Wednesday market in Nā'ālehu Sept. 7. Photo from Hawai'i State Archives

HOW TO TELL THE STORY OF THE HISTORIC NINOLE AND HILEA BRIDGES, which were recently removed from Hwy 11 near Punalu'u, is the subject of public outreach at the O Kaʻū Kakou Nā'ālehu Market this Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The talk-story booth is sponsored by Federal Highway Administration, state Department of Transportation and state Historic Preservation Office. The plan is to create a permanent display at Nā'ālehu and Pāhala Public Libraries on the history of the bridges and surrounding lands .

Historic Nīnole Stream Bridge, recently replaced, is subject of information
 gathering on its stories and its history. Photo from Honolulu Magazine

    Honolulu Magazine in 2016 described Nīnole Stream Bridge as "one of the last remaining timber bridges in the Hawai'i state highway system, according to the State Historic Preservation Division’s files. Built in 1940 by engineer William R. Bartels, the 60-foot historic bridge carries Mamalahoa Highway over Ninole Stream. Though 76 years old, its wooden columns and railings remain structurally sound, but it’s not wide enough for modern transportation needs and does not match other bridges in the system."
    A suggestion in the story was to build the temporary bridge that carried cars during construction, as the permanent replacement. The original bridge could have been preserved for pedestrians and bicyclists.
    For Hīlea Bridge, the application before the state Department of Land & Natural Resources for it replacement called it "one of two remaining timber bridges in the Hawai'i State Highway System, representing a rare example of historic bridge type."
    With both bridges now gone, the agencies will bring to the Wednesday Market their Outline of Contents Materials regarding the proposed display on the two historic bridges and the history of the surrounding area. Kristen Nishimura will be on hand at the booth to collect input from community members, including preferences for interpretive display content and any anecdotes or historical information that could help inform the contents of the display.
    The Federal Highway Administration signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the state Historic Preservation Office, under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act to produce the displays "because the replacement bridges required demolition of the existing historic bridges," according to a community outreach message from FHWA.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

AN M4 QUAKE THAT SHOOK PĀHALA MONDAY, BUT DIDN'T SEEM TO RATTLE RESIDENTS, was located 7 miles northeast of the village at 2:23 p.m. The depth was 20 miles and fewer than 100 people reported to USGS that they felt it within an hour after the quake. No one reported damage. The seismic swarm, ongoing around and through Pahala since 2019, spawned the quake, said USGS.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

Taking dentistry and a sealants program to the schools is a
 mission planned for the 2022-2023 school year.
Photo from Hawai Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program

HAWAI'I CHILDREN HAVE AMONG THE HIGHEST RATES OF DENTAL DECAY in the nation, and will be assisted in public schools by a dental exam and sealants program for the 2022-2023 school year. The state Department of Health reported that 71 percent of the state’s third graders experience tooth decay and that 7 percent of keiki needed urgent dental care, compared with the national rate of 1 percent.
    The Hawai'i Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program will provide free in-school dental screenings and dental sealants to children at high-need Title I public elementary schools, including those in Pāhala and Nā'ālehu. A $133,447 grant from Hawai'i Dental Foundation will support the effort, which screened 653 children at 28 schools in 2021. Two-thirds of them received dental sealants at no cost. The screenings also identified 31 children who required urgent dental care.
    The program is part of Hawai‘i Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn, a partnership between University of Hawai'i at Manoa’s Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing and state Department of Education. The partnership’s mission is to keep children healthy and ready to learn by providing access to school nursing services in Hawai'i public schools.

Dentists, oral hygienists and other professionals
take their skills to schools across the state.
Photo from Hawai Keiki-HDS Dental Sealant Program

    

    Deborah Mattheus, Hawai'i Keiki HDS Dental Sealant Program director, said, “The schools and parents just love this program because we are providing safe and effective sealants to prevent future cavities. In addition to sealing teeth, we are screening students for urgent dental conditions and making referrals to get them immediate care. It is hard to learn if you have sore teeth. We are also teaching the kids about the importance of brushing and flossing daily.”

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html.

See September issue of The Kaʻū Calendar
at www.kaucalendar.com, and in the
mail - Volcano, Kaʻū to South Kona.