Kaʻū News Briefs March 30 , 2024

Halau Hula O Leionalani, under Kumu Debbie Ryder, opened Merrie Monarch week on Sunday. Photo by Tim Wright

Dancers from Halau Hula O Leionalani, of  Kaʻū, will perform 
Wednesday and Saturday during Merrie Monarch festivities.
Photo by Tim Wright

HALAU HULA O LEONALANI traveled to Hilo to perform at the opening of the Merrie Monarch on Sunday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Civic Auditorium. The halau from Pahala under the leadership of Kumu Debie Ryder will perform on Wednesday, April 3 at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel at 1 p.m., and on Saturday, April 6 at noon at Hilo Hawaiian.
    Halau Hula O Leionalani is fundraising for a visit to Mexico and leaves April 23, flying to Honolulu to Houston and Cancun for a six day stay. The halau will perform at Riviera Maya Splash resort and also participate in workshops with the kumu's students from Mexico and Japan. The Mexican and Japanese halau will compete in Cancoon. Hawaiian musician Lorna Lim will teach in the workshops with Ryder.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.

Kaunāmano is the Ka'u Coast lands where Nohopapa Hawai'i is gathering public input and
other information to help make a stewardship plan for the 1,363 acres. Photo from Ala Kahakai Trail Association

COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO DISCUSS STEWARDSHIP PLANS FOR KAUNĀMANO on the Kaʻū Coast. The meeting will be Saturday, April 20 at Kahuku Ranch Cabins, Koa Building from 10 a.m. to noon. Nohopapa Hawai'i is conducting the session.

    Kaunāmano is the 1,363 acre property located makai of Hwy 11 between Pohina Pali and Maniania Pali. It is preserved through County of Hawai‘i's Public Access, Open Space & Natural Resources Preservation Commission program. Called PONC, it contributed $4.31 million, and the State Legacy Land

Conservation Program contributed $2.4 million toward the conservation purchase. The land is held by the

Ala Kahakai Trail Association. The property is encumbered by a perpetual conservation easement owned by the County of Hawai‘i restricting the land to cultural, conservation, and agricultural uses, as well as a permanent deed restriction required by the Legacy Land Program. See more on Ala Kahakai Trail Association at alakahakaitrail.org. 

    Nohopapa Hawai'i is a Native Hawaiian owned and operated cultural resource management firm founded in 2013. It has been contracted to help gather community input and help to design the stewardship plan for Kaunamano, which is held in trust for the public by the Alakai Kai Trail Association.

   The purpose of the Talk Story, according to a statement from Nohopapa Hawai'i, is to share background information on the process and schedule for the Stewardship Plan. "Gather your mana'o on the cultural

and natural resources to preserve and protect

Kaunāmano. Share areas of potential concern relating to the resources. "Share your man'o on opportunities for future stewardship."

    "Nohopapa Hawaiʻi’s experience, passion, commitment, and motivation to document and honor Hawaiʻi’s wahi kūpuna extends over 20 years. Our platform is to increase awareness of our collective responsibility to document, preserve, and protect knowledge concerning historic properties and cultural resources. We research and gather this knowledge through integrated approaches rooted in historical land research and cultural understanding of place." says its message at www.nohopapa.com.

    Projects on this island have included archaeological investigations and restoration plans in Keauhou, Kona amd a Comprehensive Management Plan for Office of Hawaiian Affairs' 25,856-acre Wao Kele O Puna, one of the last lowland rainforests in Hawai'i. See more at nohopapa.com.

    Entrance to Kahuku Ranch is at 92-7406 Mamalahoa Hwy. With any questions, contact info@ohopapa.org.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. See 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.

KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL SIGNUPS BEGIN MONDAY, APRIL FIRST for all those who would like a booth at the Ho'olaulea on Saturday, June 8. Volunteers to help with the festival that runs from June 1-8 are also welcomed. For booths, see www.kaucoffeefest.com.