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View of the Kahuku festival grounds from Puʻu o Lokuana at the 39th annual Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival on Saturday. NPS photo |
KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI'I VOLCANOES HOSTED NEARLY A THOUSAND PEOPLE on Saturday, reports the National Park. Locals, keiki, kūpuna and visitors listened to Hawaiian music, enjoyed hula, tried Hawaiian crafts and practices and learned about native plants and animals during the 39th Annual Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival.
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Keiki Aniyah (left) and Shyla Grohs (right) make birds at the Birds Not Mosquitoes exhibit. Photo by Jessica Ferracane/NPS |
Good weather brought sunshine, a welcome cloud cover at times and a light breeze that kept everyone cool during Saturday's festival which started at 10 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. In attendance were 985 people. Many made lauhala bracelets, or twisted a lei from tī leaves, played Hawaiian games and enjoyed ono kine grindz on the festival grounds with their loved ones.
"Kahuku is a place of tranquil natural beauty and rich history that most visitors and even locals don't know about," said Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh. "It was heartwarming to see old friends and new faces. Mahalo to everyone who spent their day with us, and especially to our park staff, volunteers and partners who worked hard to make the cultural festival happen."
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Young dancers from LoriLeiʻs Hula Studio dance hula at the 2023 Kahuku Cultural Festival. Photo by Jessice Ferracane/NPS |
"In addition, a warm mahalo goes to the Kaʻū Multicultural Society, Momi Subiono ʻAha Pūhala o Puna, 4 Scoops of Aloha, and the Hawaiian Civic Club, Birds Not Mosquitoes, and UH Mānoa/J.B. Friday.
"Another special mahalo to park's non-profit partners, the Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (who gave away more than 600 ice shave minis), and to the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. Both partners co-sponsored the successful festival," says the statement from the Park and its Superintendent.
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Putting her best foot forward to make a traditional tī leaf lei at the 39th Annual Cultural Festival this year at Kahuku. NPS Photo |
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AN OCEAN STEWARDSHIP USER FEE GOES TO PUBLIC HEARINGS on this island Wednesday in person and via zoom at: https://bit.ly/OSUFPH07-26)
The Wednesday, July 26, hearings will be simultaneous in Hilo at 5:30 p.m. at Aupuni Center Conference Room and in Kona at the West Hawai'i Civic Center, both carried live via zoom. Zoom testimony is allowed by registering at https://bit.ly/OSUFPH07-26).
Mail or email written testimony by August 4, 2023 to Division of Aquatic Resources, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330, Honolulu, HI 96813, DLNR.Aquatics@hawaii.gov.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
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| MK-Kaʻū Girls Volleyball Club took Gold in the Moku O Keawe tournament and is opening up for new players, under Head Coach Johnathan Navarro. Photo from MK-Kaʻū Girls Volleyball |
MK-KA'U GIRLS VOLLEYBALL CLUB has announced pau season for 2022-2023, and practice for the future under Head Coach Jonathan Navarro and Assistant Coaches Janessa Jara and Ipolani Reyes. The Club is open to new players for the next season that begins in August. Girls can come out and try out during practices at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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| MK-Kaʻū Girls came in third in the 2nd Annual Luau Grass Tournament. Photo from MK Kaʻū Girls |
During the 2022-23 season, MK-Kaʻū Girls Volleyball players competed in many tournaments, taking them to Hilo, O'ahu and Anaheim, CA. They won the Gold Championship for the Moku O Keawe Jr. Regionals and came in second in the Haili Tournament, both at Hilo Civic Auditorium in March.
Other tournaments included the AAU Transpacific Champions Tournament on O'ahu where they finished in the Flight 1 Bracket; the Aloha Summer Classic Tournament on O'ahu where they took fifth in the Gold Bracket; the 14th Annual Summer Soiree Tournament in Anaheim, where they were Bronze Champions, placing 13th out of 71 teams in their division; and the 2nd Annual Luau Grass Tournament on O'ahu where they came in third.
The Club held a banquet on Sunday at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach to recognize each player and accomplishments, as well as mahalo sponsors of the club. Sponsors included FORC Hawaii Restaurant, Hardwoods Hawaii Inc, Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Services, LLC, Punaluu Bake Shop, Mizuno Superette, Apollo Energy Corporation, OKK, Ralph and Tammy Ka'apana, Alfred Galimba and many families and friends.
"All their generous sponsorship has made a tremendous impact for our club and we would like to express our sincere appreciation, it is truly a blessing," said Club spokesperson Jennifer Navarro. "Through all these sponsorship, we have managed to travel to four different tournaments this year. We couldn't have done it without all their help and support. We deeply appreciate you all from the bottom of our hearts. We hope and wish that our club and relationship will be maintained in the future to help these girls be exposed and become the best players that they have always wanted to be. We would like to Congratulate the girls for doing an awesome job representing the Big Island and we are very proud for all the work they have put in to be where they are at now."
To sponsor, sign up and for more information, contact Jennifer Navarro at 808-747-5894.
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| MK-Kaʻū Girls Volleyball Club. Bronze Champions at 14th Annual Summer Soire in Anaheim, CA. Photo from MK-Kaʻū Girls Volleyball |
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Hawaiian Cultural Practitioner Joe Comancho will give the oli to open Experience Volcano Festival this Saturday with much entertainment, food, arts, activities at many venues over two days. Photo from Experience Volcano Hawai'i |
COMANCHO TO OPEN EXPERIENCE VOLCANO ON SATURDAY. An opening Oli by Hawaiian cultural practitioner Joe Camacho is set for the beginning of the Fourth Annual Experience Volcano Festival at 10 a.m. this Saturday at Volcano Winery, one of the many venues for the two-day event.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.
Five thousand in the mail, 2,500 on the street.
See the July edition of The Kaʻū Calendar Newspaper
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