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Friday, August 16, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 16, 2024

One of the last harvests of Kaʻū Sugar Co's cane, from the film Kaʻū Sugar: A Town Remembers,
The film will be shown this Sunday at Pāhala Community Center. Photo by Franco Salmoiraghi

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO A REUNION OF KAʻŪ HIGH & PĀHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this Sunday. It is sponsored by Alumni & Friends and will be held at Pāhala Community Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees are invited to dine together and bring a potluck dish to share. Music will be provided by Dennis Pascubillo and Calvin Ponce.
    A special PBS film on the history of the town and the closure of the sugar company in 1996 will be shown at about 2 p.m. Veterans of the sugar company are invited to share memories of that time. 
The old bank building still stands on Maile Street but Pāhala Theatre from 
the sugar days as shown in this photo is gone. Photo by Franco Salmoiraghi.
    The PBS film Kaʻū Sugar: A Town Remembers was produced by Cliff Watson whose wife Audrey Teramoto Watson grew up in Pāhala. The film captures the experience of the people who lived in village during the time of the sugar company and its closure. The film includes black and white portraits of sugar workers, homes, town and the sugar mill by famed photographer Franco Salmoiraghi.
    A second film, sponsored by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, illustrates the rise of the Kaʻū Coffee industry.
    Darlyne and Winslow Vierra will display their collection of Kaʻū photos and other historical items and Kaʻū yearbooks. 
    The Reunion has been celebrated for the past 22 years, except for the COVID pandemic years in 2020 and 2021.      
    The theme of the reunion is Reminisce & Talk Story. Alumni from the mainland are flying in to meet up with members of the community of their school days. Former residents will share their common roots in Kaʻū.


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Delegate Jeanne Kapela will
be one of the delegates making
the pledge of support for Kamala
 Harris for U.S. President at DNC.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY DELEGATES HEAD TO CHICAGO NEXT WEEK to participate in the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Among them is Sarah Simmons, of Volcano and Kaʻū's member of the House of Representatives Jeanne Kapela. 
    Kapela said, "As a delegate and the youngest female legislator in our state, I'm excited to make history at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago by nominating Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States.
    I'm honored to bring the values of Hawa'i Island to the convention. I believe that the spirit of aloha embodies the compassion that forms the  character of our democracy.
    "In this election, we are fighting for our basic rights and freedoms. I'm proud to be a part of the movement to preserve liberty and prosperity for the generations who will inherit our future."
     The convention is set to take place from Aug. 19-22. A statement from the Democratic Party of Hawai'i says, "The delegation, comprising of party leaders, elected officials and elected DNC delegates, will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Democratic Party as they affirm the nomination of Vice-President Harris as the party’s Presidential nomination and Governor Walz as the Vice-Presidential nomination.
    "The Hawai’i delegation will include representatives from across the state, reflecting the diversity of our Democratic electorate. In addition to voting on the nominees, the delegates will be involved in various committees, including the DNC platform, and rules committees, ensuring that the voices of our Hawai’i Democrats are heard on the national stage."
    Derek Turbin, Chair of the Democratic Party of Hawai’i, said, “This year’s convention will showcase the diverse and expansive electorate supporting the Harris-Walz ticket, which has energized our party like never before. Our delegation is ready to represent Hawai’i with pride, ensuring that our Democratic values and diverse prospectives are reflected in the national platform. The stakes in this election are high, and this convention is a crucial step in our collective effort to win in November.”

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.

THE LATEST HAWAI'I JOURNAL OF HEALTH & SOCIAL WELFARE explores how social determinants of health, such as poverty, education, and employment status, significantly influence the prevalence and management of diabetes, with higher rates observed among Filipino, Japanese, and Native Hawaiian adults in Hawai'i. 
    Another article reports a study showing that older adults aged 50-75 had a high rate of fatal drug
overdoses, primarily due to methamphetamine use, highlighting the need for substance use screening and treatment among this population.
    The Insights in Public Health column discusses the state Department of Health collaboration with   University of Hawai'i's Family Medicine Residency Program, which aims to enhance residents' understanding of public health by integrating rural health care into their training, with positive feedback from participants.
    Another article reports a study on Native Hawaiians, which found that NH residency in the continental U.S. is associated with worse self-rated health, increased mental health issues, and health insurance loss compared to NHs who resided in Hawai'i during the COVID-19 pandemic.
    See the August edition of Hawai'i Journal of Health & Social Welfare, as well as past editions at hawaiijournalhealth.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. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers 
on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film 
on history of the local coffee industry.