Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, July 20, 2017

Coral reefs are not only important in nature, they generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year to the
Hawai`i economy, says Sen. Mazie Hirono. Photo from NOAA

CORAL REEF PROTECTION WILL CONTINUE. Sen. Mazie Hirono announced today that Hawai`i will receive $715,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to fund activities critical to the effective management and protection of Hawai`i’s coral reefs.

     “Coral reefs are an important part of Hawai`i’s marine environment and generate hundreds of millions of dollars to our economy every year,” said Hirono. “Even as the Trump Administration denies the existence of climate change, it is critically important that we invest in the science that will help us respond to the very real threat of climate change, maintain a healthy coral reef ecosystem, and recover from recent serious bleaching events.”

     The federal funding announced today will help improve management of coral reef ecosystems, support greater capacity to enforce coral reef protections, promote increased understanding of the key threats to reef ecosystems at priority sites, and continue progress toward implementing the objectives of the Hawai`i Coral Reef Strategy.

    The grant funding is part of a cooperative agreement between NOAA and the State of Hawai`i Division of Aquatic Resources to support the protection of coral reefs across the state.

EPA's official portrait of its
Administrator Scott Pruitt

    Earlier this year, Hirono co-introduced legislation with Rep.  Colleen Hanabusa to address increasing threats to coral reef ecosystems due to climate change.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS ARE BEING ROLLED BACK SUBSTANTIALLY, according to Sen. Brian Schatz. "While we’ve been focusing our efforts on stopping the various Republican health care proposals that would leave millions uninsured, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has been quietly working to rollback more than 30 environmental regulations." In a statement released today, Schatz pointed to The New York Times, which called it “a regulatory rollback larger in scope than any other over so short a time in the agency’s 47-year history.”
     According to the Hawai`i Senator, "Pruitt is moving quickly because he believes that with the focus on health care and the Trump administration’s Russia ties, no one is watching the

Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz

EPA. We have to show him that’s not true." Schatz asks for those who are concerned to sign a petition to
"stop dismantling our environmental rules."
    Says Schatz, "When Donald Trump nominated Pruitt to run the EPA, we held the Senate floor through the night to give example after example of his record of denying the facts of climate change and history of undermining rules that protect our clean air and water.
     "And when Pruitt issued memos outlining a new rulemaking process at the EPA in March, I teamed up with Senators Markey and Whitehouse to write a letter seeking assurance that the EPA would make decisions based on science and what’s best for the public -- not just for oil and gas companies. Now, exactly what we feared is happening: Pruitt is working with corporate lobbyists to dramatically weaken industry regulations designed to curb pollution and combat climate change.
     "There are so many fires to put out with this Administration. But we can’t let Scott Pruitt undo so much of the progress we’ve made," declared Schatz.

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DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION, updating IT for a Dental program, and Bay Clinic’s Breast Cancer Prevention initiative have been awarded $25,000 from Hawai`i County.
     Bay Clinic’s Women’s Health and Diabetes Self-Management Education programs are accessible by all regardless of income level or insurance status. "Health screenings are important because they may reveal risk factors, behavioral and health conditions that put you at risk for diseases. For example, risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure or obesity may lead to heart disease, diabetes, or cancer," says a statement from Bay Clinic.

New funding for diabetes education for Bay Clinic has come
from the County Council. Image from Bay Clinic

     "Breast cancer may have no symptoms. For this reason, it’s recommended that women over the age of 40 get an annual mammogram,” said Dr. Chrissy Capati, Bay Clinic Medical Director. Caught early, breast cancer is treatable and prevents extensive treatment and improves health outcomes.
     The goal of the diabetes program is to provide individuals with diabetes and their families with the tools to take control of diabetes, safely manage the disease and prevent serious complications. Each 6-class DSME session focuses on diabetes education centered around the cornerstones of diabetes self-management, including blood sugar monitoring, medical nutritional therapy, and exercise.
     Call Bay Clinic’s Call Center at 333-3600 to schedule a women’s health and breast cancer screening at Ka’ū Family Health Center or Bay Clinic's Ob-Gyn in residence Hilo Women’s Health Center, Hilo Family Health Center, Kea’au Family Health and Dental Center or Pahoa Family Health Center.
     For more information about Bay Clinic’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program, call Alice Suncloud, Registered Dietician, at 965-3033.

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The Kohala Center's Agricultural Resources Bulletin gives the community a heads up on
educational and business opportunities. See www.kohalacenter.org

SUISAN COMPANY is looking to connect with growers and suppliers of  fresh produce, according to the latest Kohala Center Agricultural Resources Bulletin. Suisan is particularly interested in the following: eggplant, soft and hard squash, peppers, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, corn, beets, daikon, radish, carrots, avocados, 'ulu, taro, beans, mustard cabbage, arugula, pineapple, melons, citrus, liliko'i, mango, banana, and dragonfruit. Those interested in this opportunity, contact Suisan Produce at 808-329-3746 or producegroup@suisan.com.

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Terri L. Napeahi, owner of Papa Mu, with OHA's EDFP.
Photo from Papa Mu

TRADITIONAL UMU-STYLE COOKED MEATS, certified by the USDA-FISIS, is a business with an expansion plan for Papa Mū Native Hawaiian LLC. The Kohala Center has announced that the hui has secured a $6,000 Kiva ZIP microloan matched by the Hawai'i Food Producers Fund. The business will use the microloan to develop a USDA-FSIS certified facility authorized to sell traditional imu-style cooked meats. Visit the campaign page to learn more.
     The matching money, through The Kohala Center, is supported by County of Hawai'i and the state Department of Agriculture. They created the Hawai'i Food Producers Fund to increase the amount of capital available to local food producers and stimulate local food production in Hawai'i. Visit kohalacenter.org/business/microloan-kiva for more information about the program. View successful and current campaigns on the Hawai'i Food Producers Fund page on the Kiva lender page.

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Stewardship at the Summit: Help cut invasive himalayan ginger on park trails beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Winds up at noon.

Finian's Rainbow continues its run at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 plus and students and $12 for children 12 and under, available at the door. For more information or to make a reservation, contact KDEN at 982-7344 orkden73@aol.com.

HOVE Road Maintenance board of directors meeting, Tue, July 25, 10 a.m., St. Jude’s Church. 929-9910

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tue, July 25, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View.

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Na`alehu Hongwanji held a Celebration of Health this week and participants joined 

in Tai Chi with Phillip Hema. Everyone is welcome each week. Call 929-7647. See more below.

Photo by Ron Johnson

   BAY CLINIC'S BREAST CANCER PREVENTION PROGRAM has been awarded $6,000 from the Safeway Foundation. The program is accessible to all regardless of income level or insurance status and provides clinical breast health care and referral services to help increase access to mammograms and other related clinical care.The American Cancer Society guideline states that women, with an average risk for breast cancer, ages 40 to 44, can choose to have a yearly mammogram, and recommends that all women age 45 through 54 have an annual mammograms. Beginning at age 55, women can change to having mammograms every other year or continue having them every year.

Bay Clinic has earned a $6,000 grant from Safeway Foundation and will
offer additional breast cancer prevention opportunities in Na`alehu
and other clinics. Photo by Joe Febo/Hana Hou Photography

     “Regular preventive screenings are an important part of staying healthy. Breast cancer screenings cannot prevent breast cancer, but it can help detect breast cancer early when it is easier to treat,” said Dr. Chrissy Capati, Bay Clinic’s Medical Director.
     "Bay Clinic providers will work with you to determine which breast cancer screening tests are right for you, and when you should have them."
     Call Bay Clinic’s Call Center at 333-3600 to make an appointment at any one of Bay Clinic’s primary care locations: Ka’ū Family Health and Dental Center, 95-5583 Māmalahoa Hwy. in Na’ālehu; Kea’au Family Health and Dental Center at 16-192 Pili Mua Street in Kea’au;
     Pahoa Family Health Center at 15-2866 Pāhoa Village Road; Hilo Women’s Health Center (Ob-Gyn on-staff) at 73 Pu’uhonu Place, Suite 204; and Hilo Family Health Center at 1178 Kino’ole Street.

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SAVE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: USE HAWAI`I AS A MODEL, says west Ka`u's state Senator, Dr. Josh Green. "Like you, I have been closely watching the ongoing efforts by congressional Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. While it seems the most recent Senate healthcare bill is dead, the fight is far from over. The focus must shift to a bipartisan effort to fix the parts of Obamacare that aren't working while assuring that people do not lose their coverage."
     Green shared an op-ed he wrote which was also carried in Civil Beat this week:
     In 1974 the landmark Prepaid Healthcare Act was passed by the Hawai`i Legislature enabled us to insure most of our citizens by mandating that any working individual (more than 20 hours per week) received employer-sponsored health insurance. Since that time, Hawai`i has consistently ranked as the state with one of the lowest uninsured rates, usually hovering around 9 percent. We in turn have been continuously ranked No. 1 nationally for almost all health outcomes. 

Celebration of Health at Nā‘ālehu Hongwanji Mission. 

Photo by Ron Johnson

     Our low uninsured rate has meant access to health care when people need it most. If citizens need to go to the emergency department, they are covered. Our people receive cancer screening at better rates than any other state in the land. We provide prenatal care to all of our young mothers who ask for it. When our seniors need help at a nursing home the service is available.
     Our vaccination rates are among the highest in the country and though we have well documented challenges regarding health care provider shortages (especially in rural areas of Hawai`i) we still find a way to get people care more effectively than our peers across the country. We are doing a better job delivering health care in Hawai`i than the other 49 states.
     We’re now witnessing from afar, the health care debate in Washington, D.C., which proposes to repeal and likely replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. This proposal from the Republican-led Congress, supported by President Trump, would radically roll back the health care safety net as Americans know it.
     It proposes almost $1 trillion in cuts to the Medicaid health care safety net over the next decade. Hawai`i alone would lose over $200 million a year in healthcare support for our people, $2 billion over 10 years.
     Specific cuts could be even more profound than the global reductions, such as shrinking or eliminating resources to treat those suffering from opioid addiction. Opioid use is at a national all-time high and has recently been described as the crisis of our time by many, with as many as 10 percent of the U.S. population experiencing some form of addiction.

In their 80s and 90s, the Yonemitsus celebrate good health at
Na`alehu Hongwanji Mission. Photo by Ron Johnson

    In Hawai`i we are already only able to provide addiction treatment to less than 5 percent of our addicted love ones. The new bill may make it impossible to treat almost anyone with addiction, using Medicaid dollars.
     One draft of the current legislation proposed to totally defund women’s health care services, provided at Planned Parenthood. This is often an attempt to insert the debate about a woman’s right to choose into a more global question of access to healthcare. It is despicable to divide us in this way.
When Obamacare was passed into law in 2010 it enabled states like ours to provide health insurance coverage for many more of our people. In Hawai`i we were able to expand our Medicaid program from 252,000 low-income citizens to approximately 362,000 covered individuals. This lowered our uninsured rate to below 4 percent.
     From a practical standpoint this meant that more than 100,000 additional Hawai`i residents had the coverage they needed for their families, especially children and adults with chronic illness. It meant that people didn’t have to choose between paying rent and paying for health care visits. It meant people could stop worrying about going bankrupt if they had a healthcare crisis in their family.
     It meant a young mother didn’t hesitate to bring her child to see me in the ER when her keiki had an asthma attack or an ear infection or perhaps something much more serious like leukemia. Obamacare meant we could breathe easier as a society when things got tough for our family’s health.

Meditation with Velvet Replogle, Senior Yoga with Stephanie Pepper, 

Qi Gong with Shary Crocker. Enjoy nutritious snacks and dishes at

Na`alehu Hongwanji Mission. Photo by Ron Johnson

     Having a higher percentage of our population insured also has meant greater stability for our rural hospitals. We have witnessed a great strain on the health care system with increasing chronic disease and an aging population, but this has been supported by having almost all of our citizens covered by health insurance.
     If the current health care proposal passes it will not only force as many as 100,000 Hawaii residents to again become uninsured, but it will also put our health care safety net, especially the rural hospitals and health centers into grave jeopardy. Independent physicians will be less able to work in areas that aren’t densely populated or have too many uninsured people. It will be a disaster. This will occur all across America and it makes one wonder why this proposal is even being considered in the first place. Experts across the country in health care policy, including myself, agree that Obamacare needs to be updated, repaired and supported in a way that it can be more sustainable and continue to offer health care peace of mind for Americans.
     Repealing it is not the answer — instead improving it makes the most sense.
     In many regions across our country, including Hawai`i, where there are too few insurers to provide health care plans provided for by the Affordable Care Act, we should allow people to choose a public option. This would be a very straightforward way to stabilize Obamacare. It would also set the stage for grand discussion about the merits of Medicare for All, should our healthcare system further fragment in an unstable way going forward.

Meditation at Na`alehu
Hongwanji Mission
Photo by Ron Johnson

     Congress should have the courage to challenge big Pharma and demand that all medications for people become much more affordable. Congress should put aside its petty partisan bickering and realize that good health care for all of its citizens is good politics.
Congress should acknowledge that pre-existing conditions must be covered. Congress should guarantee that anyone with addiction gets a second chance. Congress should never tell a woman what to do with her body.
     Sen. John McCain has just had the luxury of critical life-sustaining surgery at the legendary Mayo Clinic, thus postponing a vote on the Senate floor of the bill that would prevent 22 million Americans from getting any health care, from rank and file docs across our country. This incredible hypocrisy should not be lost on anyone. McCain intends to vote yes on TrumpCare.

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KING TIDES may cause flooding conditions along all shores of Hawai`i Island from Thursday through the weekend before gradually subsiding next week. The National Weather Service advises that in light of an unusually high tides forecast and possible storm swells from approaching Fernanda storm, the following precautions should be taken:
     Ocean front residents, beachgoers, and boat owners are advised to be on the alert for high surf, strong currents and flooding.
     As a precaution, consider postponing ocean activities until these hazards are over.
Special caution to the coastal areas in and around Kapoho during the high tide periods.

FERNANDA WAS BREAKING UP, changing from a hurricane to tropical storm Wednesday evening. The National Hurricane Center said that "her inner core has collapsed. ion fact, it appears that the mid- and low- levels are beginning to separate. Intensity estimates from all agencies relfect such decay..." Fernanda is expected to become a post tropical remnant low by the weekend an be far offshore Hawai`i.

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HAWAI`I ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION WILL HOST a conference this Saturday at Ma'ona Gardens in Honaunau from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entitled Building Bridges for Resilient Agriculture: facing the Challenges of Climate Change, the day features sessions on water shortages and irrigation challenges, and an invasive species outlook in light of climate change. There will be an Indigenous Microorganism presentation. The session is open to the public with tickets at $35 to include membership and lunch.  Sponsors include Island Naturals. See www.hawaiiorganic.org

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Finian's Rainbow continues its run at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 plus and students and $12 for children 12 and under, available at the door. For more information or to make a reservation, contact KDEN at 982-7344 or kden73@aol.com.

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Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Community Policing Officer Aron Tomota has been transferred to Kona, with a warm sendoff by
Capt. Kenneth Quiocho and Capt. Dane Shibuya who returns to community policing in Ka`u.
Photo by Ann Bosted

"I WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE," SAID COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER ARON TOMOTA,  describing his seven-month assignment in Ka’u.
     Tomota’s last shift in Ka’u began with a surprise party given to him by Captain Kenneth Quiocho, and fellow police officers at the Na’alehu Police Station. Quiocho was quick to praise Tomota’s dedication to the Ocean View community and his key role in at least three areas - making the Kahuku park once again safe for children, in dramatically reducing the burglary rate in Ocean View, and in boosting interest in Neighborhood Watch meetings.

Aron Tomota organized Coffee with a Cop in Na`alehu and at the Ka`u 
Coffee Festival . Another will be held at Ocean View Community 
Center on July 25 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Photo by Ann Bosted 

     Quiocho had one complaint, however. He noted that Tomota and his colleagues arrested so many criminals in Ocean View and then sent them, restrained, to Kona for investigation, that the Ka’u police ran out of leg irons and belly chains. “We had to ask the Kona station to send them back quickly, so we could make more arrests,” explained Quiocho with a poorly disguised look of satisfaction.
     In an interview with The Ka’u Calendar, Tomota recounted the back story of the recent cleanup of the notorious Kahuku Park – a playground, picnic area and sports field originally intended for recreation, but recently “taken over” by alleged drug addicts and predators. Community leaders were very concerned for the safety of their keiki as the park is a stop for the school busses.

Tomota concentrated on community
policing in Ocean View during his
seven months here. Photo by Ann Bosted

   As the community policing officer for Ocean View, Tomota’s kuleana is proactive policing. While all police officers respond to reports of crimes, the community policing officer also makes sure that problem areas are identified and deals with potentially serious problems before they become crimes.
     In June, Tomota and his team focused on cleaning up Kahuku Park. In their first five days, they visited the park at random times, day and night. They arrested ten alleged offenders, five of who were arrested for drinking in public. They were transported to Kona, given a court date and released.
     The campaign resumed from July 3 to July 14, and in seven days of random visits to the park, the police arrested 13 alleged offenders. Each time, they noticed that the number of adults loitering at the park was down. Of the 13 arrests, one was for drinking in public and the remaining 12 were for bench warrant offenses. “That was when we ran out of the leg irons and belly chains that the Captain complained about,” explained Tomota. “It is a complaint I can live with.”
     “Every time we visit the park, we see more and more keiki using the park. I counted 60 kids playing baseball, or playing on the swings. Innocent fun is back and that makes it all worthwhile,” said Tomota with a huge grin. “As a token welcome-back gift, we gave each child a brightly colored police department pencil,” he added.
    “Each time we visit the park we get a lot of thanks from the adults. Parents and community leaders are noticing the difference and letting us know”.

Community policing officer Aron Tomota.

     Making Kahuku Park safe for keiki is not the only lasting contribution made by Tomota and his his colleagues, who, earlier this year, were able to reduce the monthly tally of burglaries from 21 in January, to 11 in February, then three in March and one in April.
     Reflecting on this achievement, Tomota again gave the backstory.
     “Twenty-one burglaries in Ocean View in January spelled out “C-R-I-S-I-S” in Ka’u,” he said. “We were looking at a third of the burglaries for the whole island happening in one town of about 6,500 people. It was off the scale! We decided a crack-down was needed, and soon.
     “On February 10, with a lot of assistance, a task force was formed focusing on the area. Kona Police officers came to Ka’u to help with the crack down, including help from community policing, traffic enforcement, criminal intelligence and some vice officers. A detective from Kona, (Ka`u native) Pernell Hanoa, was particularly helpful. Major Robert Wagner oversaw the operations and was instrumental in developing the action plan.
     “I made a list of 25 people of interest, who, we felt, could have been responsible for much of the crime wave, or perhaps associated with known criminals. We talked to people in the community and found out with whom these people were associating, where they liked to go and more about their MO (modus operandi). We found trends and could link suspects to burglaries by how the illegal entry was made, what was taken and background information.”

     Tomota explained why the task force was effective. “Our main objective was to show a strong police presence. Of the 25 people of interest, I estimate that we contacted about 75percent. We would stop anybody that was walking suspiciously, hanging out or driving. A contact could include being cited, arrested for cause, questioned or pulled over, according to the circumstances of the contact. We call it ‘pro-active’ patrolling, as opposed to ‘reactive’ where we wait for the crime and then react,” he explained. “We also stopped and talked to residents, who were more than willing to share their information with us.

     “I cannot emphasize enough how important community cooperation is to the police,” Tomota earnestly explained. “I love getting tips from the Neighborhood Watch. We urge them to call us and work with us; we do so and have success; they like it and have more faith in us and work more with us. Its win-win,” he explained.
     “We now have over 40 people at the Neighborhood Watch meetings. They are more structured and more purposeful. We discuss current issues and what we can do to fix the problems. This is collective team work. We are reaching out and they are responding,” Tomota added.
     Tomota’s commitment to the Neighborhood Watch was underlined when he was able to arrange for the county to donate five Neighborhood Watch signs to Ocean View.  Four have been installed in HOVE and one is awaiting installation in Ranchos.”
     Tomota, who is now a community policing officer in Kona, where he lives, was asked if he was pleased to be working locally.
     “I am very sad to leave Ka’u,” he confessed. “My wife and kids are ecstatic to have me closer to home and not have to do the long commute.
     “But I have enjoyed my seven months here. I feel like I have clicked with the community. When I was first assigned to Ka’u I just wanted to make a difference.” 

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While Hurricane Fernanda is is decline other storms have lined up on a path toward Hawai`i. Fernanda is followed
by Tropical Disturbance Eight-E and Tropical Storm Greg.
Image from wunderground.com

HURRICANE FERNANDA made a small comeback today, according to the National Hurricane Center, with its eye becoming distinct in the visible satellite imagery in the midst of of a ragged ring of very cold cloud tops. The Category Two storm is spinning east of Hawai`i at about 105 miles per hour but is still expected to become a Depression before reaching Hawaiian waters. Behind her are the makings of storms. First is Tropical Disturbance Eight-E, followed by Tropical Storm Greg, which is predicted to reach 60 mph before weakening to a post tropical remnant low before entering Hawaiian waters.

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POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT FUNDING is coming to Hawai`i from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Sen. Mazie Hirono, who announced today that the amount will be $6,125,363.

Mosquitoes carrying Zika, dengue
and other diseases will be targets
of new CDC funding in Hawai`i.
Photo from CDC

      “Our experience fighting Zika, dengue, and other diseases has taught us how important it is for states and local governments to have the resources they need to confront potential public health threats,” said Hirono. “I will continue to push to ensure that Hawai`i receives the funding it needs to prepare for and respond to future public health emergencies.”

     The federal funding was awarded to the state Department of Health to support its Disease Outbreak Control Division’s Public Health Preparedness Branch, which helps DOH respond to public health threats, emergencies, and disasters that threaten local communities throughout the state.

     The funds will help DOH recruit and train emergency operations personnel, strengthen connections with the Native Hawaiian health care system, conduct

community assessments, improve risk communication messaging systems, and expand partnerships for medical countermeasure dispensing operations.

     A statement from Hirono's office said that she "is a strong advocate for increasing resources needed to support critical public health preparedness investments that protect public health in Hawai`i and the nation. Earlier this year, she took the lead on sending a letter to the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt and Ranking Member Patty Murray urging for the continued funding of programs that help ensure that the nation’s hospitals and public health systems are able to safeguard against public health threats.

Hālau Nā Pua O Uluhaimālama performs Wednesday
evening at Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium
Photo from the halau

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HEAVENLY VOICES on Wednesday features Hālau Nā Pua O Uluhaimālama, which is dedicated to perpetuating the culture and the arts of the hula. They are led by Kumu Hula Emery Aceret, a student of the revered Kumu Hula Ray Fonseca and have participated in many notable hula competitions through the years. They perform from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center audutorium. Free, park entrance fees apply.

Finian's Rainbow continues its run at Kilauea Military Camp's Kilauea Theater next Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for seniors 60 plus and students and $12 for children 12 and under, available at the door. For more information or to make a reservation, contact KDEN at 982-7344 or kden73@aol.com.

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017