Ka`u News Briefs, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016

Ka‘ū Learning Academy fourth grade students learn about Kīlauea volcano and the lava lake within
Halema‘uma‘u Crater. NPS Photo by Janice Wei

FOURTH GRADERS ON A FIELD TRIP TO THE ERUPTING SUMMIT of Kīlauea received their free Every Kid in a Park pass yesterday from Sen. Mazie K. Hirono. The Senator, Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando, and park rangers greeted Kaʻū Learning Academy students at Kīlauea Overlook. The students traveled 41 miles from their charter school campus in Discovery Harbour to hike with the Senator along Crater Rim Trail to the observation deck at Jaggar Museum. Each student learned about the volcano and earned an Every Kid in a Park pass.

Every Kid in a Park Pass is good for entry to 2,000

public lands and waters nationwide.

NPS Photo by Janice Wei

     The Every in Kid in a Park program is part of President Barack Obama’s program to protect iconic outdoor spaces and ensure that every American has the opportunity to visit them. In its second year, it gives fourth graders and those accompanying them, a free pass for a year to visit 2,000 public lands and waters nationwide – including Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
     “Senator Hirono is a dedicated advocate of education for Hawai'i youth, and fully embraces Every Kid in a Park,” said Orlando. “The Kaʻū students who hiked with her today not only met one of Hawai‘i’s senators, but were able to spend quality time outdoors with someone who truly advocates for our keiki and national parks,” Orlando said.
      The students took photos with Hirono, and witnessed surges of lava spattering from a vent within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, one mile away. “My favorite thing was seeing the volcano,” said nine-year-old T'rael Pesnell, who took photos of his classmate posing with the eruption behind him.

Fourth graders from Ka‘ū Learning Academy display 

their free Every Kid in a Park pass at Jaggar Museum. 

NPS Photo by Janice Wei

   Hirono also presented the national park with Senate Resolution 541, proclaiming Aug. 1, 2016 as Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Haleakalā National Parks Day, to honor the parks’ centennial anniversaries.
     “As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the Every Kid in a Park program promotes a lifelong appreciation for our environment and natural resources,” said Hirono.
     Educators for all grades can learn more about the park's educational opportunities and curriculum on the park website: https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/education/index.htm, and by calling the Education Center at 985-6019.

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Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. all day today.
Photo by Julia Neal

IT’S ELECTION DAY, and a holiday to make time to vote for U.S. President, members of the U.S. Congress and Hawaiʻi State Legislature, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and amendments to law.

     Election Day voting locations, open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. include: Cooper Center in Volcano at 19-4030 Wright Rd; Ka‘ū High School Cafeteria at 96-3150 Pikake St. - turn into the school grounds; Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria at 95-5545 Hwy 11; Ocean View Community Center at 92-5545 Māmalahoa Hwy; and Miloli‘i Halāu. See ballots below.

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CANDIDATES IN TODAY'S ELECTIONS include those for U.S. Senator. Candidates: Constitution Party member Joy Allison; Republican John Carroll; American Shopping Party member John M. Giuffre; Libertarian Michael A. Kokoski; and incumbent Democrat Brian Schatz.
     Ka‘ū's member in congress is also up for reelection. Democrat Tulsi Gabbard is challenged by Republican Angela Kaaihue.

     On the East Ka‘ū ballots, Sen. Russell Ruderman is challenged by Libertarian Fredrick Fogel. East Ka‘ū state Rep. Richard Onishi is challenged by Libertarian Gregory Arianoff and Green Party Candidate Kealoha Pisciotta. On the West Ka‘ū ballots, West Ka‘ū state Rep. Richard Creagan, a Democrat, is challenged by Libertarian Michael Last. West Ka‘ū state Sen. Josh Green is not up for reelection this year.

     Office of Hawaiian Affairs voting is open to people of all races and cultural backgrounds. On the ballot, incumbent Robert Lindsey is challenged by Millilani Trask. The At-Large Trustee contest is between Keli‘i Akina and Haunani Apoliona. 

      Listed in alphabetical order, for United States Presidency, are the following candidates: Constitution Party member Daniel L. Castle (who withdrew but still on ballot) with vice presidential running mate Scott Bradley; Democrat Hillary Clinton with Tim Kaine; Libertarian Gary Johnson with Bill Weld; Green Party candidate Jill Stein with Ajamu Baraka; and Republican Donald Trump, with Michael Pence.

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THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS on the ballot for today’s General Election include one for the Hawaiʻi County General Plan, which would add considerations for health into its language.  A state Constitution Amendment would hike up the minimum value of an expected outcome in each civil case from $5,000 to $10,000 in order for the case to be heard by a jury.  

     Another proposed state Constitutional Amendment would allow the state to distribute excess funds in its coffers when they reach more than 5 percent of revenues for two consecutive years – to be used for debt service for state bonds or pensions and other post-employment benefit liabilities for state employees.

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KAʻŪ HOSPITAL REPORTS that its newly upgraded electronic medical record system has produced some errors. “During a recent upgrade of our system some bills for services received at our hospital may have gone out with incorrect information,” reports Kaʻū Hospital Administrator Merilyn Harris. She asks that anyone receiving any bills in question, please contact the hospital. “Please let us know if you have received one of these. Our staff members are working hard to fix the problem and we apologize for the inconvenience,” she said.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will be keynote speaker
at KMC Veteran's Day ceremony.
Photo from Office of Tulsi Gabbard

CIVIL DEFENSE REPORTED YESTERDAY at 12:30 p.m. that Hawaiian Telcom was experiencing technical problems affecting telephone, internet, and cell phone services, including 911. Problems were reported from Pahala though Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. Bank of Hawaiʻi, Longs Drugs and other businesses were unable to make transactions. The outage was as far north as Kailua-Kona and lasted until approximately 4:30 p.m. Civil Defense advises that anyone affected by these problems requiring immediate medical attention, go to the nearest fire station, police station, or medical facility.

LEARN THE SKILL OF WEAVING lau hala with practitioners from ʻAha Pūhala o Puna this Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. For centuries, Hawaiians have used the hala (pandanus) tree to create many useful and beautiful items.

FREE ENTRANCE TO HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK will be this Friday, Nov. 11, National parks across the country will waive entrance fees for Veterans Day in honor of the men and women who have served the nation. The park has dozens of veterans among its employees and volunteers. Active duty U.S. military can obtain a free annual Military Pass at the park’s entrance station all year. For more information on the free Military Pass, visit the park website http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/fees.htm.

KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP VETERAN'S DAY CEREMONY will be this Friday, Nov. 11. KMC celebrates a century of service with keynote speaker, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. The ceremony is on the front lawn at 3 p.m.

VETERANS DAY BUFFET is offered by Kilauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Cafe this Friday, Nov. 11 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. following Veterans Day ceremonies. Adults $27.95. Children 6-11 years old $14.50

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Kaʻu News Briefs, Monday, Nov. 7, 2016

Preserving historic sites and responsible stewardship of Ka Pae ‘Āina O Hawaiʻi are “rooted in Hawaiian traditions
that make caring for the land a cultural value,” states OHA which asks everyone to vote for its trustees on Nov. 8.
Photo from OHA

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS CANDIDATES are vying for everyone’s vote on Tuesday. Any registered voter, no mater the race or cultural background, can vote for the OHA Board of Trustee members. OHA, a state agency created at the 1978 Hawaiʻi Constitutional Convention, controls many thousands of acres entrusted for the benefit of Hawaiians. Income from real estate, investments and funding goes to grants and loans for health care, charter schools, scholarships, agriculture, economic development, historic preservation, culture, arts, environmental advocacy and many other programs. OHA’s  annual budget is about $40 million and its portfolio value is about $630 million in cash, real estate and investments.

Wao Kele O Puna is a 25,856 acre forest preserve owned by OHA.
Photo from Big Island Video News

    Writing in Civil Beat recently, OHA trustee Peter Apo encourages all citizens to learn about OHA and to consider voting for OHA trustees, stating they “routinely make decisions that affect everyone in Hawaiʻi.” OHA recently supported the successful expansion of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to make it the largest marine protected conservation district on the planet. Apo noted that OHA financially supported  the recent global convention of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, held in Hawaiʻi.    
      Regarding OHA’s land use mission, OHA’s website states: “Our  focus on protecting the ‘āina is part of a larger effort to honor the past while preparing for the future. This particular emphasis for us is rooted in Hawaiian traditions that make caring for the land a cultural value. As a result, a top priority for us is to ensure that Native Hawaiians participate in and benefit from responsible stewardship of Ka Pae ‘Āina O Hawai’i.”
      Near Kaʻu, OHA has title to the 25,856-acre Wao Kele O Puna forest makai of Volcano. It is one of the few remaining tracts of lowland rainforest in the State of Hawaiʻi, a watershed, native plant seed bank for Kīlauea Volcano, endangered species habitat and provides forest resources for native Hawaiian cultural practices.

Teaching the use of native plants for landscaping is a program
 of OHA. Photo from OHA

     OHA points to its advocacy for “laws that provide transparency safeguards in the sale, gift or exchange of public lands as well as ensure that at least one member of the (state) Board of Land and Natural Resources has expertise in Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices.” OHA's protection of water resources includes becoming a “co-petitioner in the historic Nā Wai ʻEhā stream flow contested case, which helped to reaffirm the state’s responsibility to ensure that water benefits everyone and not just corporate interests.”
     On this island, OHA is attempting to work closely with the U.S. Army at Pōhakuloa Training Area to address community concerns about “destruction of land with significant cultural site and exposure to health hazards caused by residue from depleted uranium used during military exercises.” It is also involved in the analysis and community response to the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Mauna Kea.
     OHA pledges on its website to support sustainability by “Increasing the percent of Ka Pae ‘Āina O Hawai‘i managed to create economic value, preserve cultural and natural resources and historic properties, and/or provide cultural and social opportunities for Native Hawaiians in a sustainable and balanced manner. One OHA goal is “increasing from 12% to 15%  - the percent of ahupuaʻa that are managed sustainably,” states OHA at www.oha.org
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ROBERT LINDSEY is running to keep his position as an OHA trustee. The Kamuela resident served as a trustee for 14 years and chairs the OHA board. He has also represented other organizations, sitting on the boards for Habitat for Humanity in West Hawaiʻi and West Hawaiʻi Mediation Center. In his professional life, Lindsey is retired from Kamehameha Schools, where he was the director of the Land Assets Division on Hawaiʻi Island. He also worked as a National Park Service ranger and served one term in the Hawaiʻi Legislature.
     Lindsey is endorsed by United Public Workers, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Hawaiʻi Construction Alliance, Laborers International Union, and Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons.

Robert Lindsey is running to hold his seat as the OHA trustee for Hawai`i Island
Photo from bob4oha.com

     Lindsey said he lives by the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”  He expressed other core principles and values: “I do things always with Aloha and live by the teachings of Pilahi Paki, but always with the caution of Queen Liliʻuokalani. I will always choose being kind, thoughtful and considerate of others and their views. I prefer listening to talking. I believe in ethics, transparency and accountability. I mean what I say and say what I mean.”
     Lindsey is a writer,  authoring three books of fiction: Latitude 20.4 N Longitude 151.71; The 5th of July, God is Aloha.  His most recent work is Sonny Kaniho, A Profile in Hawaiian Courage.
     Former four-time trustee Oswald Stender described Lindsey in a recent Civil Beat editorial as “commiteed to the mission of OHA, hard working, and a servant to the Hawaiian people as well as the broader Hawaiʻi community.” Stender wrote: “It is important to Bob that the community works together to resolve disagreements and come up with solutions that will help the Hawaiian people and the communities in which they live to growand prosper while finding ways to live and work together harmoniousely. As a servant leader, Bob searches out common ground for projects, programs and funding.”
    Lindsey’s community positions include: Chair of Mellon-Hawaiʻi Scholars Committee; President of Kohala Ditch Foundation; Trustee of North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital; Director of Kahua Paʻa Mua; Director of Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests; Director, Kanu O Ka ‘Aina Learning Ohana, a Charter School; Lifetime Member of Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association; Founder & Director of the Kohala Center; member of Waimea Outdoor Circle; member of Waimea Hawaiian Homesteader’s Association; and member of Hawai`i Island Legislative Delegation. See more at bob4oha.com.
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MILILANI TRASK challenges Bob Lindsey for his OHA position. The Kurtistown resident is an attorney with a law degree from Santa Clara University. She graduated with a degree in political science from University of California at San Jose and she is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools.
     Trask  is an international expert on indigenous rights and a grassroots organizer in Hawaiʻi. Her campaign website says, “Mililani Trask is driven by the abiding conviction that in defending native peoples one should be mindful to do right by the entire community at large as well. One cannot prosper at the expense of the other.”
     Concerning land use, Trask said, I think OHA is uniquely placed to ensure that we don’t just pay lip service to our Hawaiian sense of place. But we must recognize the realities of our times and be open to change to ensure that Hawaiians do not remain on the periphery, but instead have a meaningful stake in the main economy and access to all the opportunities from which they are now too often excluded. That includes being proactive and engaged in addressing the homelessness that afflicts too many Native Hawaiians.”

Mililani Trask is running for the Hawai`i Island tustee post for OHA
Photo from trask4oha.com

     Trask has been appointed to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is a founding member of the Indigenous Women’s Network, a collation of Native American Women whose work includes community-based economic development, social justice, human rights, housing and health. She has provided expert testimony to the U.S. Senate on Hawaiian Homelands. In recent years, she has advocated for the development of sustainable energy, working with the Maori of New Zealand and Native Hawaiians. She states that OHA should be involved in Hawaiʻi becoming independent from oil and other imported sources of energy.
     Her website says that she has worked with many prominient figures in international communities on human rights, including spending six years with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India.
     Trask’s endorsements include Hawaiʻi Government Employee’s Union, Local 368 Laborers’ International Union, Hawaiʻi Building Construction Trades Council, Hawaiʻi Carpenters Union, Hawaiian Mason’s Union and Iron Workers Union. Personal endorsements include those form Colleen Hanabusa,who is running to go back to the U.S. Congress, Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa, Robert Uluwehi Cazimero, Brother Noland, the late Kumu Leinaʻala Kalama Heini, and more. See www.trask4oha.com.
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THE GRAND RALLY, when Democratic candidates from around the state gather in Hilo on election night eve begins at 5 p.m. at Aunty Sally’s Luʻau Hale. Everyone is invited to hear the speeches. 

ELECTION DAY IS TOMORROW, TUESDAY, NOV. 8, and the last chance for registered voters to make a choice for U.S. President, members of the U.S. Congress and Hawaiʻi State Legislature, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and amendments to law.

     Election Day voting locations, open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. include: Cooper Center in Volcano at 19-4030 Wright Rd; Ka‘ū High School Cafeteria at 96-3150 Pikake St. - turn into the school grounds; Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria at 95-5545 Hwy 11; Ocean View Community Center at 92-5545 Māmalahoa Hwy; and Miloli‘i Halāu. See ballots below.

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VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETING will be held today, Monday, Nov. 7 at Ocean View Community Center, 4 p.m. 939-7033.

EARTHQUAKE: DID YOU FEEL THAT?  is the topic on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at After Dark in the Park at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Seismic Network Manager Brian Shiro makes the presentation. Free; park fees apply.

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Ka`u News Briefs, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016

Kaʻū High students will go to the state Capitol in December for Youth and Government, which provides experience in
writing legislation, debating, taking positions of state Senators and House of Representatives members and joining
the press corps. Above is the delegation from Kaʻū last year, when the Trojans were the first Neighbor Island school
representatives to attend in five years. See story below. Photo from Rowlie John Flores

EARLY VOTING ISLANDWIDE IS PAU and the last chance for registered voters to make a choice for U.S. President, members of the U.S. Congress and Hawaiʻi State Legislature, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and amendments to law is this Tuesday, Nov. 8, a holiday in Hawaiʻi.

     Nearby Election Day voting locations, open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.: are: Cooper Center in Volcano at 19-4030 Wright Rd; Ka‘ū High School Cafeteria at 96-3150 Pikake St. - turn into the school grounds; Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria at 95-5545 Hwy 11; Ocean View Community Center at 92-5545 Māmalahoa Hwy; and Miloli‘i Halāu. See ballots below.

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Rowlie John Flores represents Kaʻū High at
the Youth and Government Conference
at the Capitol. Photo by J-R Abalos

YOUTH & GOVERNMENT AT THE HAWAIʻI LEGISLATURE: The annual program will welcome Kaʻū High School students to the state Capitol on O`ahu in December. Last school year, the Trojan team represented the first Neighbor Islands school to participate in five years. Ka`u High Junior Rowlie John Flores submitted a story to The Ka`u Calendar and explained:
    Youth and Government allows students to speak freely and openly on political and debate topics that some would not dare put their noses under. The YMCA of Honolulu program has been around for nearly 66 years, longer than Hawaiʻi has been a state.
      Some 100 students each year from grades 6-12 learn how to be more involved in the democratic practices of the state government. The students experience taking the place of real government officials.
    In preparation for the legislative conference, students first research topics in class that range from abortion to euthanasia, composing bills in advance they later debate to determine whether that specific bill is something Hawaiʻi needs for the betterment of its people.
    Before the 65th legislative conference held in January, the Youth and Government program in Hawaiʻi did not receive any Neighbor Island delegations for years. However, thanks to Kaʻū High teacher Kevin Sun, the school sent the first delegation in five years from outside Oʻahu. Kaʻū High sent 11 student delegates: ten took part in the state House and state Senate, and one participated in the Press Corps.
    Kaʻū experienced a good first-year. Out of seven bills proposed by Kaʻū students–ranging from gun control to the distribution of contraceptives in public schools–two were passed.

Chloe Gan, a senior at Kaʻū High, inpired by Youth and Government, attended the Conference on National Affairs at the
Blue Ridge Assembly in North Carolina this Summer after attending youth and Government at the Hawaiʻi Capitol.
Photo from YMCA

    Kaʻū High alumni Kaiminani Rapoza wrote the first bill passed, proposed legislation focused on ending rape culture by requiring that students attend a class that teaches the negative effects of rape culture.
     The second bill passed was written by current Kaʻū High junior, Rowlie John Flores. The bill proposed an increase in the state’s minimum wage by amending the current minimum wage law. Flores also claimed one of the two awards Kaʻū High received by being named the Rookie Legislator Award for the Senate.
     Aislinn Carroll, a former Kaʻū delegate, was given a Rookie Legislator Award for the House of Representatives. Aislinn is now a member of the Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s delegation.

Chloe Gan is the first Kaʻū High student
 to attend the Conference on National Affairs.
Photo by J-R Abalos

   Kaʻū students inspired by the Youth and Government program are now attending similar conferences outside Hawaiʻi. This summer Chloe Gan, a current Kaʻū High senior, joined six other Hawaiʻi students at the Conference on National Affairs held at the Blue Ridge Assembly in North Carolina. Gan is the first Kaʻū High student to represent the school at the national level. At Blue Ridge students discussed and debated national and international issues. Gan proposed a four-day school week.
    With the successes of Kaʻū High during its first year in the Youth and Government program, Kaʻū students are working hard to continue to represent the school and Hawai‘i Island. The students are hard at work composing drafts of their bills, and learning how to properly debate and present their bills. Experienced members are helping new members draft bills and finding sources to support their bills.
     Kaʻū High plans to represent the community well this December, whether it is to claim more awards, pass more bills, or simply display the aloha and true spirit of the Kaʻū community at the State Capitol.
     The students are selling shave ice to raise money for this year'r trip and have seed funding form O Ka`u Kakou.

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The 1011 Japan Tsunami reached this Okoa Bay house
in South Kona.  Photo by Kaiali`i Kahele

WORLD TSUNAMI AWARENESS DAY was observed for the first time ever, yesterday, Nov. 5 with arrival of a Japanese government delegation to the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Command Center and the Hilo Airport Incident Command Center. Jointly proposed by 142 nations including the U.S. and Japan, the United Nations General Assembly voted in December 2015 to designate Nov. 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day. The Assembly called on all nations and communities to observe the day to raise tsunami awareness and share approaches to risk reduction.   The visit by the Japan delegation followed their participation in an evacuation drill in Valparaiso, Chile, involving 100,000 people. In Hilo, the group toured the Pacific Tsunami Museum.
     Ryota Takeda, Secretary General for the House of Representatives, Japan Diet, led the visiting delegation. “We human beings cannot escape from natural disasters, but we can minimize the damage. Preparedness makes a big difference in the outcome of a disaster,” Takeda said. “I trust that our cooperation and collaboration with Hawaiʻi will boost preparedness in years to come.” He also noted that a million people worldwide participated in inaugural World Tsunami Day programs.
     Takeda was accompanied by Takeshi Ogino, a deputy director in the Japan Ministry of Defense, Kimihito Aguin, also of the Ministry of Defense, and Satomi Okagaki, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They were joined in Hilo by Yasushi Misawa, Consul General of Japan in Honolulu, and Rumi Ariyoshi of the Consul General’s office.

World Tsunami Awareness Day participatnts (clockwise from top left): 

Marlene Murray, Hawaiʻi County Managing Director Randy Kurohawa, 

Secretary General Ryota Takeda, Ed Teixeira, Ilihia Gionson, Tiffinie Smith,

Rumi Ariyoshi, Consul General Yasushi Misawa, Satomi Okaga

and Honorary Consul General of Hilo Art Taniguchi.

       The Japan delegation was hosted by Hawaiʻi County Managing Director Randy Kurohara, Civil Defense Director Ed Teixeira, Hawaiʻi Island District Airports Manager Chauncey Wong Yuen, members of Hawaiʻi County’s emergency management team, and Marlene Murray, Director of the Pacific Tsunami Museum.
     One briefing covered the annual tsunami evacuation drill conducted by schools in Keaukaha,and the the Nov. 1 statewide test of the emergency warning system. Another covered tsunami evacuation drills in Japan and Chile. The group participated in a communications exercise with the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and amateur HAM radio operators.
     The Hawaiʻi County Managing Director said, “We hope that all we have been through will go far in making our community stronger and more prepared for disasters.” Kurohara referenced the multitude of natural disasters challenging the Hawaiʻi Island community in recent years, including tsunami threats like the one generated by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan that caused damage in West Hawaiʻi, multiple hurricane warnings, wildfires, flooding, the dengue outbreak, Tropical Storm Iselle, and the Puna Lava Flow.

    The debut World Tsunami Awareness Day also focused on education. Exchange students from Hawaiʻi Island will go to Japan to participate in a disaster risk reduction summit for high school students, Nov. 25-26 in Kuroshio. The summit will host 350 students from 30 countries. For more World Tsunami Awareness Day info, visit World Tsunami Awareness VideoWorld Tsunami Awareness Video. For tsunami preparedness tips, visit http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/pages/tsunami_safety.php. Sign up for Civil Defense alerts athttps://countyofhawaii.bbcportal.com/.

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THIS IS ARBOR DAY WEEKEND and Arbor Day organizers across the country encourage people to plant trees. On this island participants, including Hawai`i Electric Light Co., Kua O Ka La Public Charter School and others are giving away one native tree per family: milo, niu, kou, kokiʻo ke‘oke‘o, kukui, koʻokoʻolau, and māmaki. Each tree comes with information on planting a tree and siting it properly to avoid safety hazards and to provide cooling shade for homes. The giveaway continues today at Makua`u Farmers; Market in Pāhoa.

HELCO, a charter school and others are giving away native trees this
weekend, wrapping up at Maku`u Farmers' Market in Pahoa today.
Photo frrom HELCO

AN UPCYCLE FASHION SHOW is drawing artists, clothes designers and models to create outfits out of found and reused things. To enter the competition: Upcycle Fashions must be made of recycled or reused materials that otherwise would be thrown away or recycled. Vintage clothes will not be accepted. Complete outfits are recommended. Upcycle Fashion creators write a detailed and entertaining description in a few sentences on what the outfit is made from and why sustainability is important to the community. Categories are for adults, businesses, teens and children. Entrants must sign up by Nov. 18. The Upcycle16 Fashion show will be at East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center in Hilo on Saturday, Dec. 3. A $100 prize goes to the People’s Choice. See www.ehcc.org.
     Upcycle16 Art Show opens on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m. and runs Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays form 10 a.m. through Dec. 2 at East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center. Recycle Hawaiʻi will be on hand for the Tutu Hana Hou Award presentation with a display and information on Hawai`iRecycles Day, BeRecycled Pledge and Be Recycled Sweepstakes.

Ballots for the General Election this Tuesday, Nov. 8:

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