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Friday, April 01, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, April 1, 2022

The late Edith Kanaka'ole, who will grace a quarter printed by the U.S. Mint, her husband Luka. See more below.
Image from Edith Kanaka'ole Foundation 
 SHANE PALACAT-NELSEN IS A CANDIDATE FOR COUNTY COUNCIL to serve Ka'ū into Kona. The 52 year-old from Napo'opo'o is President of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Hawai'i District Council. He said that for many generations, "my family has helped shape the evolution of South Kona and parts of Ka'ū stemming from historical events that led to the Kamehameha's first key victory at the Battle of Mokuʻohai in Ke'ei."
    He noted that his family was involved in producing the first coffee mill in Hawaiʻi at Nāpoʻopoʻo, in reviving traditional practices at Hikiau and ʻAleʻaleʻa heiau, and in restoring Native Hawaiian concepts

Shane Palacat-Nelsen
within community development and planning. "My Gaspar and Grace 'ohana have worked resourcefully and in service to our community, and today I am excited to continue this legacy and announce my candidacy for County Council, District 6."
    Palacat-Nelsen was born and raised in Napo'opo'o, graduated from Konawaena High and attended Hawai'i Pacific University. He said he grew up in South Kona "when everyone I knew picked coffee after school, and our family would go fishing and shoreline gathering on Sundays for our dinners for the coming week. This very special place has come a long way since those days, and we need to navigate the course ahead to ensure our community remains vibrant, can access opportunities for economic development, and is well-served by our county government."
    For the past ten years, he has led community engagement initiatives such as directing and providing advocacy and outreach efforts to garnish support for the Miloliʻi Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area and assisted with grants for local communities for such missions as restoring, preserving, and educating ʻōpelu fishing traditions at Hoʻokena and Miloliʻi.
    Palacat-Nelsen also organized economic resilience workshops for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs through its West Hawai'i office. "From leveraging financial and capacity building resources and adequately distributing them to support our community efficiently, especially during one of the most challenging times in our lives, I've facilitated Federal, State, and County agencies, and non-profit organizations including Kamehameha Schools, Liliʻuokalani Trust, local farmers, merchants and non-profit organizations." Among the tasks was "pulling our resources together to distribute food and hygiene to Hawaiʻi island residents. We extended our efforts to include temporary financial assistance for those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic."
    Prior to this role, like many residents of Kona, Palacat-Nelsen said, he spent many years working in the hotel industry. "I started as a Financial Analyst in 2001 at The Fairmont Orchid, eventually taking on management roles. Over the years, my responsibilities changed, and I learned a great deal about developing processes to optimize efficiency and accountability in operations while leading a team to deliver high-quality and authentic services to all guests."

Shane Palacat-Nelsen, right, with Kahakaʻio Ravenscraft
 during a reforestation project. 

    The candidate said his professional experiences "have parlayed into advisory roles. As chair of the Kahu Kū Mauna Advisory Council to the University of Hawaiʻi on the management of Mauna Kea, the Vice-Chair of the Kona Community Development Action Committee, a board member of the Kona Historical Society, and president of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs' Hawaiʻi District Council, I am grateful for these opportunities to offer insights into community needs and interests to inform and educate decision makers."    Palacat-Nelsen said he is most proud of the "collaborative work in designing and implementing communication and consultation spaces I refer to as 'the lōkahi table' that bridges community-based knowledge to government resources especially in arenas of economic and community development. Outside the office is equally important.
    "On the weekends, you will find me restoring and maintaining traditional farmland terraces and planting crops such as mamaki, kalo, ʻawa, and native plantains, to working on reforestation projects that utilize traditional concepts and protocols in the South Kona Forest Reserve, and assisting in the restoration of kiʻi images at the Hale o Keawe in Hōnaunau as a lineal descendant consultant and traditional carver.
    "You will also find me assisting fishpond restoration efforts at Kaloko fishpond where my paternal grandfather grew up. Among conservation planning and activities, I am excited in my new endeavor to restore the coral and natural water passages at Kealakekua Bay. I enjoy working within the community in providing options that best suit our community, by means of collaborating with individuals and experts."
    As the council member for Kona and Ka'ū, Palacat-Nelsen said, "I will bring this collection of experiences to the table and build the necessary bridges to deliver government resources to community. There are new, once-in-a-lifetime federal funding opportunities for infrastructure and jobs, and we cannot afford to standby and miss the opportunity. We must do this while holding everyone to the highest accountability and transparency standards."
    Contact the candidate at shane@shaneforhawaii.com. See www.shaneforhawaii.com.

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://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano

U.S. MINT WILL PRINT KANAKA'OLE QUARTERS FOR CIRCULATION. "George Washington will be sharing some space with a native Hawaian hula teacher next year." That's The New York Times lead into the story today about Edith Kanaka'ole, the native Hawaiian Kumu Hula, selected for her image to grace U.S. quarters. Other outstanding women in history with their images to be printed by the US. Mint on quarters next year will be Bessie Coleman, first black and first Native American woman airplane pilot; Mexican American journalist and activist Jvita Idár; First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, famous for human rights work, and Maria Tallchief, the first Native American prima ballerina. The flip side of all the quarters will feature George Washington.
    A statement from U.S. Mint described Kanaka'ole as an "indigenous Hawaiian composer, chanter, dancer, teacher, and entertainer. Her moʻolelo, or stories, served to rescue aspects of Hawaiian history, customs, and traditions that were disappearing due to the cultural bigotry of the time." 
Honorees of the 2023 American Women Quarters Program
include Edith Kanaka'ole, upper right. Image from American Mint.
    She lived from 1913 - 1979.
    In a statement from the Edith Kanaka'ole Foundation, its Executive Director and Kanaka‘ole’s granddaughter Huihui Kanahele-Mossman, Ph.D., said, “This is an unbelievable honor for our family, for our body of work at the Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation in carrying on her legacy and her teachings, for our home and for our people.”
    Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele, Ph.D., a daughter of the late Kanaka‘ole, a cultural resource herself, said, “my mother was a ‘pusher’ but she always did it with a smile. She pushed all six of her children, when it was not yet a natural process for Hawaiians, towards Higher Education to earn a degree. When she became an Instructor at the University of Hawaiʻi in Hilo she encouraged Hawaiian students to 1) maintain their stay and earn their degree, 2) know who they were as Hawaiians and elevate the status of the Lāhui.”
    Another legacy is Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium in Hilo, the home of the Merrie Monarch, the world's most esteemed hula competition and festival.
     U.S. Mint Deputy Director Ventris C. Gibson said, “The range of accomplishments and experiences of these extraordinary women speak to the contributions women have always made in the history of our country. I am proud that the Mint continues to connect America through coins by honoring these pioneering women and their groundbreaking contributions to our society.”

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://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano

Three Mountain Alliance invites students grades six through 12 to sign up for outdoor adventures and mālama
ʻāina in Ka'u at Keauhou in Volcano. Photo from Three Mountain Alliance

KAHUAPONO, A FREE ʻĀINA-BASED SUMMER PROGRAM IN KAʻŪ at Keauhou will be sponsored by the Three Mountain Alliance for students in grades six through 12 who are interested in outdoor adventures and mālama ʻāina. The two-week program will run Monday to Friday from June 27 to July 8, 2022 and will take place in Kaʻū at the end of Piʻimauna Drive in Volcano i Keauhou.
    According to the program website, "The program takes students to natural areas across Hawaiʻi Island to learn about Hawaiʻi's unique plants, animals, and ecosystems. Students leave with a sense of place and responsibility to care for our island home." Applications are being accepted until May 13. Students must be a resident of Hawaiʻi Island to apply. To learn more and download an application, go to www.threemountainalliance.org/kahuapono.

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://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano

Melvin Burgo, of Ocean View
A BURGLARY ON NĪNOLE LOOP AT PUNALU'U LED TO 
ARRESTS. Hawai‘i Island police reported on Friday, they arrested and charged a man and woman, in connection with theft of building materials at the jobsite at 95-800 Nīnole Loop. The police report said that responding to an 8:15 a.m. call, police determined that a construction employee arriving at a job site encountered two suspects inside a building under renovation. The suspects left the scene in a vehicle after being confronted, and no injuries were reported.    
    The employee told police that previously laid flooring material in the building had been pulled up and stacked in piles with estimated repair costs around $4,000.
    At 9:15 a.m., after making a traffic stop of the suspect’s vehicle in Nā‘ālehu town, police arrested 55-year-old Melvin Burgo, of Ocean View, and 43-year-old Tisha Thompson of Mountain View, on suspicion of burglary. Both were taken to the Nā‘ālehu police station while investigators with the Ka‘ū patrol division continued the investigation.
Tisha Thompson, of Mountain View
    Later that day, after consulting with the County Prosecutors Office, both Burgo and Thompson were charged with one count of second-degree burglary with bail set at $2,000 each. Thompson was also arrested and charged for an outstanding criminal contempt of court warrant, with an additional $1,000 bail being set on her warrant.
     Both were taken to the Kona cellblock where they remain in custody pending their initial court appearance April 1 in Kona District Court.
     Anyone who may have information of this incident is asked to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Officer Jenna Kosinski-Santos of the Ka‘ū patrol division at (808) 939-2520.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the island-wide Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to any Caller ID service. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
 
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://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano

                       SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html


Upcoming Events for Kaʻū and Volcano

Aumākua, personal family Hawaiian gods that are often wildlife, are depicted in the David Maes Gallegos
 show at Volcano Art Center Gallery through Sept. 18. His new art also focuses on hula. 
Image from Volcano Art Center

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

THE JOB FAIR: PROJECT HOMEGROWN HIRES is this Friday, Aug, 26 at Nāʻālehu Elementary School Gym from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sponsored by the state Department of Education, the slogan is Growing Our School Communities. Workers are sought for Nāʻālehu Elementary and  Kaʻū High & Pahala Elementary. Bring government ID, Social Security Card, COVID info and TB info.

ʻĀina Akamu, Joyce Iwasihta and Kelson Gallano at the book launch on May 5
  at Kaʻū High with the image of Pu'u Makanauby Gallano gracing the cover. 
Gallano and Iwashita will present the book again at Basically Books
 in Hilo on Saturday, Aug. 27. Photo from Hawai'i Executive Collaborative
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW, the new book by Kaʻū High School 2022 graduate and artist Kelson Gallano and educator and Kaʻū alumna Joyce Iwashita, will be featured at a Petroglyph Press event at Basically Books in Hilo, with talk story and book signing this Saturday, Aug. 27, 1 p.m.
Subtitle of the book is A Guide for Helping Kids Make Good Choices. See the story at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022_05_05_archive.html. Proceeds of the book sales benefit art education and literacy at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School. 

HAWAI'I POLICE DEPARTMENT IS RECRUITING WITH PAY STARTING AT $65K+. Applicants must apply using the County of Hawaiʻi Job Opportunities web page and create an account. Deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 30.

Jean Pierre Thoma
JAZZ IN THE FOREST returns to Volcano Art Center Niaulani campus on Saturday, Sept. 10. The Tribute to Duke Ellington is called A Prelude to a Kiss. JP and the Jazztones will feature Jean Pierre Thoma on clarinet, and soprano, alto and tenor saxophones; Vocalist Binto Bailey, pianist Alex Czerny, bassist Brian McCree, and percussionist Noa Eads. 19-4074 Old Volcano Road in Volcano Village. Doors open at 5 p.m. The concert begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $30/ $25 for VAC members.

CIRCLE OF LIFE: KA PO'AI O KE OLA is the David Maes Gallegos show at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The images are of hula and 'aumākua, personal gods. The exhibition runs through Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A reception for the artist will be Saturday, Aug. 27 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. While admission is free, park entrance fees apply.

SIGN UP FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNS with a change of date from July 3 to Sept. 17. Registration deadline for the annual event is Sept. 14. Organized by Hawaiʻi Island Racers, the 50K begins at 6 a.m., Half Marathon at 7 a.m., and 5K at 7:15 a.m., all starting from Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 96-2696 Wood Valley Road in Pāhala. Proceeds go to support ʻO Kaʻū Kakou. For more details on the event and registration fees, visit https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/.
IRA ONO'S TRASH ART SHOW HAS ISSUED A CALL FOR ENTRIES. The 33rd annual event, founded by the artist who lives in Volcano at his Volcano Garden Arts compound, will be held at East Hawai'i Cultural Center in Hilo from Oct. 7 through Nov. 25. The address of the venue is 141 Kalakaua St., Hilo.
    Entries are due on Oct. 1 at East Hawai'i Cultural Center for delivery between 9 a.m. and noon. Entry forms are available at https://ehcc.org/content/call-entry-trash-art-show-2022.

TREE CANOPY FELLOWSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE: Each fellow will receive a stipend of $5,000 and be supported by mentors to guide research and connect to a network of agency and industry partners. Applications due online by Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. See Tree Canopy Viewer Fellowship Application at
Big trees provide huge shaded areas for outdoor gatherings in Kaʻū. Tree Canopy Fellowship applications are
 due Sept. 15.  
Photo by Julia Neal

ASSISTANCE FOR AGRICULTURE IN KA’Ū

GRANTS UP TO $5K FOR SMALL-SCALE GARDENING, HERDING AND LIVESTOCK to reduce food insecurity are available from the state Department of Agriculture. A zoom webinar is this Wednesday, Aug. 24 at noon. The link is  https://zoom.us/j/93608996520; or one tap mobile : US: +12532158782,,93608996520# or +13462487799,,93608996520#.
    The money is to be used for Small-Scale Gardening – purchase tools or equipment, soil, seeds, plants, canning equipment, refrigeration, composting equipment, towers, hydroponic and aeroponic farming. 
    It can also be used for Small-Scale Herding and Livestock Operations – purchase animals, buy, erect or repair fencing for livestock.
    The Micro-Grants for Food Security Program aims to help produce food in areas that are food insecure. The program has $3 million to distribute, $2 million for this year’s grant funds plus $1 million carried over from last year when 177 grants were awarded statewide. Funding is provided through U.S. Department of Agriculture under the 2018 Farm Bill.
    The online application form and program information are available at the Market Development Branch website at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/md/. Deadline to apply is noon, Sept. 19.

FARMERS AND RANCHERS CAN APPLY FOR HELP WITH TRANSPORTATION COSTS, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Services Administration.  Funding for the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment program has increased in Hawaiʻi and Pacific Basin to $3 million for fiscal year 2022 and enrollment is being taken through Sept. 2. Farmers and ranchers can obtain applications and other documents by calling toll-free 1-866-794-1079 or by contacting FSA at the local USDA Service Center.


FREE FOOD

ST JUDE'S HOT MEALS are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until they run out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View.
Image from St. Jude's Episcopal Church.

OCEAN VIEW KA’Ū PANTRY FOOD DISTRIBUTION, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 9:30 a.m. - Pau. at St. Jude's Episcopal Church above the county Kahuku Park, Sponsored by Hawai'i Island Food Basket.

O KA’Ū KAKOU FOOD PANTRY DISTRIBUTION, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m. - Pau. Ka'u District Gym in Pahala. Sponsored by Hawai'i Island Food Basket.

COOPER CENTER COMMUNITY PANTRY FOOD DISTRIBUTION, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. at 19-4030 Wright Road in Volcano. Sponsored by Hawai'i Island Food Basket.

KUPUNA FOOD BASKET, Thursday, Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Kaʻū District Gym. Sponsored by Hawai'i Island Food Basket.

OUTDOOR MARKETS

VOLCANO EVENING MARKET, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See facebook.com/Volcano-Evening-Market-105888795330870.

VOLCANO SWAP MEET on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Come check them out for a large variety of vendors with numerous different products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. They also offer cakes, coffee, and shave ice.

VOLCANO FARMERS MARKET, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Kaʻū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

‘O KA’Ū KĀKOU MARKET, in Nāʻālehu, open Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY MARKET, open Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in the upper lot only. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.

OCEAN VIEW SWAP MEET 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.

ALOHA FRIDAY MARKETPLACE is hosted by Nāʻālehu Main Street on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grounds of the Old Shirakawa Estate in Waiʻōhinu. It features Made in Hawai’i products, organic produce, creative crafts, art, flowers & plants, food, music, and more. Email AlohaFridayMarket@gmail.com.

THE BOOK SHACK is open every Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Kauahaʻao Congregational Church grounds, located at 95-1642 Pinao St. in Waiʻōhinu.

DAILY/WEEKLY/MONTHLY

PICKLEBALL at Kahuku Park in Ocean View on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. To learn more and register, contact Jaquie Woodmansee at (808) 929-7092.

YOGA at Kahuku Park in Ocean View on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 - 10 a.m. To learn more and register, contact Trisha Meyer at +1 (208) 353-3594.

NET RECOVERY PATROL on Mondays with Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund. The team and core volunteers conduct marine debris recovery efforts targeting large debris items, including derelict fishing net and line bundles, that are especially hazardous to marine wildlife. Due to Covid 19 restrictions, these events are limited to current HWF volunteers. Contact kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com for more info. Check https://www.wildhawaii.org/ with its HWF calendar for more opportunities to get involved with its bi-weekly net recovery patrols.

ST. JUDE'S SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR SHOWER MINISTRY on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. If interested in volunteering, contact Cynthia Cutts at cynthiaanncutts@gmail.com or call the Church phone number (808) 939-7000.

ST. JUDE'S SHOWER MINISTRY open to the public on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, with hot water, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and clean towels. Masks and social distancing are required before and after showering. The long standing public shower service, put on pause by Covid, is supported by the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi's Commission on Mission Beyond Church and St. Jude's own outreach fund. Location is 8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Members of the congregation built the facility.

ST. JUDE'S COMPUTER LAB open Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Work-Station Laptops will be provided. Printing and shredding is available. Training sessions on Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint and assistance with setting up email accounts, Facebook, Zoom, and more are provided. Assigned times are available for individual help. Game playing is limited and no streaming is allowed. Privileges can be suspended by Administrator or Lab Coordinator. 

FREE HELP WITH FAMILY HISTORY in Kaʻū is available 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Wednesday. All are welcome to the Family History Center. The aim is to "Come Discover Your Past," says the statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which hosts the weekly sessions at 95-5682 Hawaiʻi Belt Road in Nāʻālehu. The drop-in assistance includes free Ancestry.com, Familysearch.org, and other online resources.

KAHUKU RANGER GUIDED HIKES, Saturdays and Sundays, 9:30 a.m. Join a Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park ranger to learn about the history, geology, and ecology of Kahuku while hiking through varied landscapes. Meet at the Visitor Contact Station. See www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku.htm.