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Sunday, July 14, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs July 14, 2024

Lauhala artist Joni Mae Makuakāne-Jarrell will emcee the 40th Annual Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival this Saturday, July 20. She demonstrates weaving a lauhala hat during the 2023 festival. NPS Photo by Jessica Ferracane
THE FORTIETH HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK CULTURAL FESTIVAL is in the making for this coming weekend. A statement from the organizers says, "Hulō! A remarkable program of local musicians, hālau hula, Hawaiian games, arts and crafts plus exhibitors and food vendors will be featured at the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park 40th Cultural Festival happening in Kahuku on Saturday, July 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., free!
    "The theme of the 40th Cultural Festival, E Ho'omau i ka Poʻohala, is exemplified in the many performances and hands-on activities that carry on the virtues, arts and skills of the 'ohana." Sway and sing along to Hawaiian and island-inspired music by well known performers including Kenneth Makuakāne, the Pandanus Club, and Keaīwa. Enjoy hula arts performed by Kaleilaniakealiʻi and LoriLei's Hula Studio. Lauhala artist Joni Mae Makuakāne-Jarrell, an ardent supporter of the Cultural Festival for decades, will emcee.
Demetrius Oliveira and Gene Beck of Keaiwa will perform at the 40th Hawai'i
 Volcanoes National Park Cultural Festival. Photo form Keaiwa
    Everyone is invited to test their skills at nā pāʻani (Hawaiian games), makau (Hawaiian fishhook making), and weaving with lau niu (coconut palm leaves) and lau hala (pandanus leaves). Learn to make lei lāʻī (tī leaf lei) and kāhili (feather standards), and how lāʻāu lapaʻau (Hawaiian medicinal plants) can improve one's health. 
    "Don't forget to make your mark with 'ohe kāpala - bamboo stamping! These activities are an integral part of Hawaiian culture and an enlightening, hands-on way to learn about the deep connection between Hawaiians and the natural environment."
    In addition, Kaʻū Multicultural Society will host a display about paniolo history, and local conservation organizations will share the latest information about Rapid 'Ōhiʻa Death (University of Hawaiʻi), honuʻea (Hawaiʻi Island Hawksbill Project) and efforts to save native forest birds from deadly mosquito-borne illnesses (Birds Not Mosquitoes).
    Entrance and the Cultural Festival are free. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase or pack a picnic. Laulima Catering and 4 Scoops of Aloha will offer Hawaiian food, and the Hawaiian Civic Club of Kaʻū will sell lunch plates. The Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will give away free ice shave minis and will sell the official 2024 festival T-shirt. The Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association will sell items from the park store, and a free shuttle between the festival grounds and the parking area on the former air strip will be provided by KapohoKine Adventures.
    The 40th Cultural Festival is planned to be "a fun-filled, family-friendly drug- and alcohol-free event." Sunscreen and a hat are recommended. Bring water, rain jacket, and ground mat or chair. The cultural festival is co-sponsored by Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, and the Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association.
    Kahuku is located on the mauka side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5 in Kaʻū, a 50-minute drive south of the park's main entrance.

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A HEAT SAFETY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN is launched by the state Department of Health and all four counties. The aim is safeguarding the health and well-being of Hawaiʻi's residents and visitors during the hottest months of the year.
    "Hawaiʻi has some of the highest average annual relative humidity in the country," said Bethany
Bethany Morrison assists with the Heat Safety
 Awareness Campaign. Photo from County of Hawai'i
Morrison, County of Hawaiʻi Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience Administrator. "When it is too humid, our bodies have a harder time cooling down, which can lead to heat-related illness."
    Last year, 2023, was the hottest year on record, with unprecedented heat waves and heat-related illnesses. "Hawaiʻi is known for its moderate climate and cooling trade winds; however, rising temperatures and high relative humidity levels pose a significant health risk," says the statement from the Heat Safety Awareness Campaign.
    This initiative aims to dispel the misconception that Hawaiʻi is immune to heat-related health issues and to provide residents and visitors with the knowledge and resources they need to stay safe. The campaign consists of two main components, heat brochures and social media outreach that will be shared through September.
    Heat brochures offer practical tips on staying cool, recognizing symptoms of heat-related illnesses, and emergency contact information specific to each County. The plan is for them to be widely distributed in public spaces, health centers, and community events. The brochures are in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
    A Social Media Campaign leverages Instagram and Facebook to reach a broad audience. Each County and DOH will share collaborative posts on topics including heat-related illnesses, tips for identifying heat exhaustion and highlighting vulnerable groups that are more prone to heat risks.
    See Instagram @COH.OSCER for updates throughout the summer. Visit www.heat.gov for more resources about heat illnesses, extreme heat, and how to prepare. Contact County of Hawaiʻi Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience at oscer@hawaiicounty.gov.

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

QUALIFIED, PASSIONATE APPLICANTS FOR COUNTY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS are sought by Mayor Mitch Roth. He said, "These positions are crucial for the effective governance and development of our community, and we encourage all community-minded individuals with a heart to serve to apply. Available posts are on the following:
    PONC, the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission
    Police Commission
    Fire Commission
    Transportation CommissionSalary Commission
    Fire Board of Appeals
    Liquor Commission
    Merit Appeals Board    
    The statement from the County says, "These roles offer residents the opportunity to engage in public service, provide valuable input on county matters, and contribute to the betterment of Hawaiʻi County. Members of these boards and commissions play a vital role in shaping policies and making decisions that affect the daily lives of our residents."
    Interested applicants can find more information and submit their applications online by visiting the Boards & Commissions Application - Mayor | Hawaii County, HI website. Additionally, those interested can contact Pomai Bartolome at 808-961-8504 for further assistance or inquiries.

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

HAWAI'I'S U.S. SENATORS have reacted to Saturday's shooting of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
     Sen. Mazie Hirono said, "Political violence is abhorrent and has no place in our society. We’re mourning the life tragically lost in yesterday’s attack and wishing the former President a full and speedy recovery.
    Sen. Brian Schatz said, "This is absolutely horrifying. Political violence is always unacceptable. I am praying for everyone’s safety."
    Both Trump and Pres. Joe Biden, along with other Democrat and Republican leaders, called for reduction in anger among those with different views on how to run the country. They also called for an increase in civil discourse in political life, calling it key to American democracy.
    The sniper who was killed by Secret Service was a 20 year old man who graduated from junior college in engineering and worked at a health care facility, with no prior criminal record. He was a registered Republican who had made a small donation to a progressive group.
    Trump's injury was a bloody ear. After examination at a hospital he headed to New Jersey and on to  Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention which begins Monday.

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


5,500 in the mail, 2,000 on the streets Volcano to Miloli'i
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