Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, September 7, 2020

The biggest labor movement in Hawaiʻi's history was connected to the sugar industry, the last plantation on
this island shutting down in Pāhala in 1996, commemorated in a later Plantation Days parade
with a decorated truck used to carry cane to the mill in the center of the village. Photo by Julia Neal

THE MULTI-ETHNIC FABRIC OF KAʻŪ STEMS FROM WORKERS who came here from China, Japan, the Philippines, Portugal, and many other places. Their success is largely due to their own hard work, and the labor movement that gave them higher wages and led them to create their own credit union to become homeowners. Their labor also helped them to send their children into higher education, as well as break away from the plantations to start their own farms, ranches, businesses, and professional careers. Many of them also married 

Margaret Ann Cabudol, (left) a labor leader in Kaʻū, and Emia Peralta
on the day the last load of cane was carried to Kaʻū sugar mill 
in 1996. Photo by Dennis Oda, Honolulu Star-Bulletin

into Hawaiian families and adopted Hawaiian traditions of fishing and farming, and culture. Many of them now identify as Hawaiian.
     Labor leaders from the sugar era in Kaʻū include Clyde Silva, President of the Pāhala International Longshore & Warehouse Union Pensioner Club and President of Hawaiʻi Island ILWU Pensioners Council, Margaret Ann Cabudol, Raymond Kamei, Emie Peralta, and Taka Fukunaga of Pāhala; and Charlie and Dora Sakamoto of Nāʻālehu. Officers of the union representing macadamia workers are Shane Agustin, Jerry Salmo, and Desiree Salmo. 

     The first wave of laborers to Kaʻū came for work in the sugar industry followed by macadamia and coffee. For Labor Day, today, here is the history of labor in the Hawaiian Islands, summarized by University of Hawaiʻi's online Hawaiʻi Digital Newspaper Project:

     1840s: In the earliest strikes, plantation workers protested the poor pay and living conditions.

Women working at Nāʻālehu Mill.

     June 21, 1850: The Masters and Servants Act was enacted. This new law legalized apprenticeships, indentured service, the contract-labor system, and large importation of workers. Under this law, a laborer who has absenteeism issues or leaves a position before the contract's end could be captured by "coercive force" by employers and face strict punishments. They included working extra hours beyond the time specified in the work contract (usually twice the original contract period) and serving a prison sentence and performing hard labor there. Workers could not organize labor unions or go on strike.

     1851: Sugar plantation laborers organized the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society and went on strike. However, because the sugar plantation owners could easily hire replacement laborers from the surplus of imported labor, this strike failed.

Bullocks were an early transportation mode

     1852: Workers started immigrating from other countries to work in the plantations, starting with the Chinese.

     January 3, 1852: 175 Chinese workers arrived on the ship Thetis. Eventually, other ethnic groups would work in the plantations, including the Portuguese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, Spaniards, Russians, and Norwegians. This extreme globalization contributed to the multiculturalism of Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi Creole English, or "Pidgin."
     1857: Sugar plantation laborers organized the Hawaiian Mechanics Benefit Union. However, they failed because the sugar plantation owners hired replacement laborers.

Hutchinson helped establish Nāʻālehu. The metal safe, where it stored 
money, remains in the Ace Hardware building today.

     June 14, 1900: Under the Organic Act, Hawaiʻi became an American Territorial government. Citizens of the Republic of Hawaiʻi automatically became American citizens of the Territory of Hawaiʻi. Consequently, the contract labor system became illegal. Within a month, 8,000 laborers went on strike for better pay and working conditions, and the employment of Japanese luna (supervisors).
     Early 1900s: New unions formed, including the Federation of Japanese Labor, Carpenters Local 745, American Association of Masters, Mates and Pilots, the Longshoremen, and the Filipino Labor Union.

     1920: In the Oʻahu sugar strike of 1920, the Japanese and Filipino laborers went on strike together for six months on four major Hawaiian islands. The first inter-ethnic collaboration in Hawaiʻi demonstrated the importance of organizing by class-based solidarity rather than by ethnicity. They fought for a pay increase and improvement in the bonus system. One of the largest strikes yet, this strike strengthened the growers association and led to the start of a primitive social welfare program, which mitigated some negative aspects of plantation life.

Japanese immigrant sugar workers in Kaʻū.

     1924: Around 13,000 Filipino sugar laborers went on strike. During the failed eight-month strike, picket line violence killed 16 workers and four police officers in the "Hanapepe massacre." Afterward, the Territory of Hawaiʻi did not have the money needed to prosecute the strikers, so the HSPA gave money to conduct the court cases. Sixty of the sixty-six strikers received prison sentences, many of them for four years. After that, in Washington, D.C., plantations lobbied for loosening legal restrictions on immigration. Uncomfortable about the developing relationship between the Japanese and Filipino workers, they wanted to import workers from many countries and prevent worker solidarity.

The Honuʻapo Mill, mauka of the Kaʻū Coast, which is now 

preserved as the Honuʻapo and Whittington Beach Parks.

     1946: Before 1946, in Hawaiʻi, the Big Five, a sugar oligarchy with five companies, controlled the prices of goods and services, politics, social structure, and employment. The 1946 sugar strike challenged this social structure. Laborers realized all ethnicities must collaborate in an organized effort. Thus, labor leaders, mostly from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, coordinated this collaboration, which protested low pay, poor working conditions, and racial segregation.
     For 79 days, 21,100 laborers struck at 33 out of the 34 largest plantations, shutting down the sugar industry. Because the sugar cane dried up on Oʻahu, the Big Five sugar companies lost about $15 million. The employers had to concede to the laborers' demands, and the laborers went from the lowest to the highest-paid agricultural laborers in the United States. This victory allowed the laborers to finally exert leverage in negotiation compensation and paved the way for other laborers to strike, concludes the review by the Hawaiʻi Digital Newspaper Project.

Trains were one of the many modes of transportation

used to haul sugar in Kaʻū.

     With high pay for its workers and international competition in the sugar industry, sugar companies across Hawaiʻi began shutting down in the 1970s. In 1996, Kaʻū Sugar was the last sugar operation on Hawaiʻi Island to close its mill and leave its fields. Workers turned to developing the famed Kaʻū Coffee industry and other employment throughout the district. Local people purchased the plantation-owned homes and renovated. Homeownership skyrocketed in the neighborhoods in Kaʻū that were formerly owned by sugar plantations.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

CONCERN FOR OVERWHELMING THE KAʻŪ COAST AT KA LAE with camping and large group gatherings has drawn many comments and commentary, including the following from Maile Kaleieha:

     "Traditionally, we rarely traveled between ahupuaʻa. I still meet some kūpuna who have never been to the other side of the island who are in their nineties and beyond.
     "It is pono to refrain from going Kalae and other beaches in Kaʻū at this time, regardless of our moʻokūʻauhau in the area. Just because we can do a thing doesn't mean that we should.
      "My kūpuna are buried at Kalae. I reside on my ancestral lands in Kaʻū to care for the cave burials of my kūpuna and do spiritual work/hula noho related to Kapo lineage of Pele ʻohana.
     "In the past eight months, I have not traveled to this area where our ʻohana have always interacted. I am being patient for everyone's best good because that is Aloha. To push our own will at the expense of others is not the way of our original people. That's not how. The original way, the Law of Aloha must take precedence if we are to remain pono in this wahi pana. Do no harm.

Maile Kaleieha sent in this commentary on her approach to visiting the Kaʻū Coast: "Just because we can do it doesn't
mean we should," she writes. "...No sin, no forgiveness, only learning. Everything is Aloha." Image from her Facebook

     "We have always had simple, seasonal kapu. Not the fearful kapu, the old one. We only take what we need, never more. We always give more than we take, by pule, respectful asking for permission and accepting aʻole when it is given, thankfulness, physical care of the space, sharing. It makes things better for everyone in the long run.
     "There have been many things happening in recent years because Aloha has not been the foremost thing in our hearts. Kūpuna turn away when that occurs.
     "That is the worst possible thing that can happen to us. They are our lifeline to the Po, the spiritual half of existence. The spiritual determines the physical. The only real 'power' is Aloha.
     "Every turn of our hearts, every thought, every action, returns to us in a pohai, multiplied for our learning. No sin, no forgiveness, only learning. Everything is Aloha. With Aloha in our hearts, we can do everything. We are accountable, so, e ʻoluʻolu, be Aloha."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Kaʻū High Athletic Director, Kalei Namohala, wears a mask 

to show solidarity with the #ourkuleana social media 

campaign, with a goal of normalizing COVID precautions. 

Photo from @KauAthletics Twitter

TESTING FOR COVID-19 IN PĀHALA will be held Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kaʻū District Gym. Pre-register with Auntie Jessie Marques at 928-0101.

     Cases have been reported in most zip codes in the Kaʻū area. Zip code 96704, with Miloliʻi, has reported more than 11 cases. There has been at least one in 96737 with Ocean View; at least one in 96772 with Nāʻālehu, Waiʻōhinu, Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and South Point; and at least one in 96777 with Pāhala, Punaluʻu, and Wood Valley. In 96785, Volcano Village has reported between three and ten cases. Zipcode 96718 is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, which has few residents and no cases to date.

     At the free drive-thru event in Pāhala, everyone must wear a face mask at all times. Everyone is asked to bring ID and insurance cards if they have insurance. No medical requisition required, non-insured are eligible.

     Organized by Kaʻū Rural Health, the event is co-sponsored by S&G Labs, Project Vision, Hawaiʻi District Health Office, Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi, Bay Clinic Inc., Kaʻū Hospital & Rural Health Clinic, Mayor Harry Kim, Kaʻū police and fire departments, and Hawaiʻi Island National Guard.

     See more statistics on the pandemic, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

YUKIO OKUTSU STATE VETERANS HOME in Hilo, where there are five residents from the Volcano through Kaʻū to Miloliʻi, today reported an eighth death from COVID-19. All deaths had "significant, underlying health issues," says the Veteran's Home administrators. "We are heartbroken over this and express our condolences to the family and friends of these residents."

     The Veteran's Home reports 58 of 88 residents, and 18 employees, tested positive for COVID-19. Two residents are hospitalized at Hilo Medical Center. At the Veteran's Home, 34 residents are cared for in a COVID-designated unit, physically separated from the rest of the facility with dedicated staff for the residents for only that unit. Fourteen residents and one employee have recovered. None of the employees are critical.

Yukio Okustu staff, wearing masks to promote the #ourkuleana social media

campaign, with a goal of normalizing COVID precautions. 

Photo from Avalon Healthcare

     Avalon Healthcare, which administers the Veteran's Home, issued a statement on  Sept. 4. "Based upon our contact tracing, we believe the virus entered the facility through an asymptomatic staff member who was exposed in the community."

     All residents and staff were tested for COVID-19 on Aug, 23-24, re-tested Aug. 26-27, and Aug. 31. Residents were re-tested Sept, 3, staff on Sept. 5. Positive staff members self-isolate at home and will not return to work until medically cleared. All staff members are screened before entering the facility pursuant to CDC guidelines and are sent home if they report any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or other illness. Any residents experiencing signs or symptoms are isolated and tested. All staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) pursuant to CDC guidelines, reports Avalon.

     Access to the home is strictly limited and all people entering the facility are carefully screened. Only essential visitors and vendors are being allowed in.

     "We are dedicated to providing quality care for our residents. Our staff is working around the clock to care for and protect our residents. We will continue to fight to keep our residents and staff safe," says the Avalon statement.

     Yukio Okutsu State Veteran's Home is Hawaiʻi's only post-acute care and rehabilitation service provider specifically designed to serve the special needs of Veterans. The home offers short-term rehabilitation services, residential long-term placement, hospice/end of life care, geriatric mental health care, Alzheimer's/dementia care, respite care, medical appointment assistance, peritoneal dialysis, and an active Adult Day Health Care Program.

     The home, located on Waianuenue Avenue on the Hilo Medical Center campus, is named after the late Yukio Okutsu, one of Hilo's military heroes from the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II and a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was born in Kōloa, Kauaʻi, and passed away in Hilo in 2003.

Technical Sergeant Yukio Okutsu, wearing a shirt with the
emblem of the 442nd and "Go For Broke" on it.
Photo from Wikipedia

     According to a publication of Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2008 by Julissa Gomez-Granger, Okutsu was serving on Mt. Belvedere in Italy, 1945, when his platoon was halted by crossfire from three machine guns. Okutsu "boldly crawled to within 30 yards of the nearest enemy emplacement through heavy fire. He destroyed the position with two accurately placed hand grenades, killing three machine gunners. Crawling and dashing from cover to cover, he threw another grenade, silencing a second machine gun, wounding two enemy soldiers, and forcing two others to surrender. Seeing a third machine gun, which obstructed his platoon's advance, he moved forward through heavy small arms fire and was stunned momentarily by rifle fire, which glanced off his helmet. Recovering, he bravely charged several enemy riflemen with his submachine gun, forcing them to withdraw from their positions. Then, rushing the machine gun nest, he captured the weapon and its entire crew of four. By these single-handed actions, he enabled his platoon to resume its assault on a vital objective. The courageous performance of Technical Sergeant Okutsu against formidable odds was an inspiration to all. Technical Sergeant Okutsu's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the United States Army."

     Okutsu was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which was upgraded to the Congressional Medal of Honor - the military's highest honor - on June 21, 2000.

     Planning to construct the home began in Spring, 2001, after the Veterans Affairs Clinic opened on the Hilo Medical Center campus. Construction began in 2005, lasting about two years, and the facility opened in late 2007. With demolition costs to remove the old Hilo hospital, the project cost about $33 million. Avalon Healthcare has managed the home since it opened. The home contains 95 beds.

     Applicants to the home must be veterans in good standing and meet general eligibility for VA benefits. They must be either a Hawaiʻi resident prior to their induction into the military, and/or a resident of the state for more than one year prior to consideration of their application.

     See avalonhealthcare.com/hilo.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

HAWAIʻI'S COVID-19 NEW CASE COUNT IS THE LOWEST ONE-DAY COUNT since Aug. 2. On that date, the state recorded 2,242 cases since the pandemic began. Today, 9,959 people have tested positive. Department of Health reports 3,028 people have been released from isolation and there are 6,845 active cases. The state has 105 more cases today: 11 on Hawaiʻi Island, four in Maui County, and 90 on Oʻahu.

     The state's official death toll is 86. Today's single reported death is a resident of Yukio Okutsu State Veteran's Home in Hilo. See more about the home, above.

Onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 28 days, by zip code. Gray

areas have zero or few residential addresses. White is zero cases.

Yellow is one to 20 cases. Pale orange is 21 to 60 cases. Medium

orange (not pictured) is 61 to 140 cases. Dark orange is 141 

to 220 cases. Bright red (not pictured) is 221 to 490 cases. 

Dark red (not pictured) is 491 to 870 cases. 

Department of Health map

     Hawaiʻi Island's case count total is 517 since the pandemic began, with 281 active. Thirteen island residents are hospitalized. In the last 28 days, active cases have been reported in zip codes 96704 with Miloliʻi; 96737 with Ocean View; 96772 with Nāʻālehu, Waiʻōhinu, Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and South Point; 96777 with Pāhala, Punaluʻu, Wood Valley; and 96785 with Volcano Village. Zip code 96718 is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, which has few residents and no cases to date. Other areas shaded gray on the map, left, have no or very little population and no cases.

     Since the pandemic began, Oʻahu reported 9,000 cases, Maui County 358, and Kauaʻi 58. Twenty-six victims are residents diagnosed while visiting other places. Statewide, 598 people have been hospitalized since the pandemic began.

     All beach and shoreline parks are closed through Sept. 19. The activities of exercising, fishing, food gathering, use of restroom, shower facilities, and access to the ocean will continue to be allowed. Hawaiʻi Island Police will continue their enforcement of the preventative polices of face coverings, distancing, and gatherings. "Know that these policies are mandated and will be enforced," says Civil Defense. "With your help, we can stop the spread of the virus to keep your family, friends, and neighbors safe. Thank you for listening and have a safe Labor Day Weekend." See hawaiicounty.gov/departments/civil-defense.

     See the Hawai‘i County COVID-19 webpage at

https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/. Request travel exemptions for critical infrastructure and medical travel at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e2f4ce19aa854964a8fd60bec7fbe78c. Report violators of COVID-19 safety protocols or quarantine to non-emergency at 935-3311.

     COVID-19 case count in the U.S. is more than 6,298,235 – about 23 percent of worldwide cases. The death toll is more than 189,140 – about 21 percent of worldwide deaths. Worldwide, there are more than 27.21 million COVID-19 cases. The death toll is more than 890,260.

Read online at kaucalendar.com. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar 

directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is 

free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout 

Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at 

kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your 

business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more are listed at kaucalendar.com.

EVENTS
Hui Mālama Free Online Home Gardening Class, Tuesdays, Sept. 8 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mala 101 is sponsored by Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi and Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The announcement says, "Learn to garden at home! Whether you have a large backyard or a few pots to grow in, anyone can learn to grow some of their own food at home! In this introductory series, learn the basics of selecting plants to grow, building healthy soil, and growing on a budget." Receive several plants and A Grow Your Own Laʻau guidebook for participation. The class will meet four times, once a month, the second Tuesday of the month, from Sept. 8 through Dec. 8. Sign up at hmono.org/services.

Give Input on Proposed Improvements to Miloliʻi Beach Park through Tuesday, Sept. 8. A draft Environmental Assessment is released by County of Hawai‘i Department of Parks and Recreation, which would update the park to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines; make improvements to the parking lot, boat ramp, walkways, playground, and basketball/volleyball courts; and replace the restrooms, water system, and hālau.

PETFIX Spay and Neuter Clinic for Cats will be held Wednesday, Sept. 9 in Ocean View. For information and to register, call 808-990-3548 or email petfixbigisland@gmail.com.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Food Giveaway in Ocean View, Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. Pick-up will be at the Park and Ride parking lot. Pick-up will be at the back store. Ingredients for a hamburger steak dinner for four will consist of 2 lbs. of ground beef, gravy mix (just add 1 cup of water), onion, and rice to be distributed.

Introduction to Papermaking Workshop with Mary Milelzcik on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This papermaking workshop, using a household blender, will introduce papermaking using recycled papers with various additives, including cotton linters, and local plant materials. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Exhibition Hawaiʻi Nei Invitational: Nā ʻAumākua, runs through Saturday, Sept. 12. Also available to view online, view the exhibition in person the Gallery in the Park during normal gallery hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Free. The exhibition is a group exhibition will present works focusing on the theme of Nā ʻAumākua, family gods. VAC will not hold an opening reception on August 8th. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Apply for Internships with Sen. Brian Schatz's office. Internships for undergrad, graduate, and law students are offered in the Honolulu and Washington D.C. offices. Applications are considered on a rolling basis year-round. Non-office internships are open for high school students to advocate in their communities. Applications due Sunday, Sept. 13. See schatz.senate.gov/services.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Virtual Advisory Council Meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Presentations will include acoustic research, a proposal for voluntary speed regulations for ocean-going vessels in the sanctuary. Register in advance here.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Food Giveaway in Nāʻālehu, Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. Pick-up will be at the ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market location. Ingredients for a hamburger steak dinner for four will consist of 2 lbs. of ground beef, gravy mix (just add 1 cup of water), onion, and rice to be distributed.

Catalyst Abstract Watercolor Workshop with Patti Pease Johnson on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Dine In or Order To Go Oktoberfest Meals from Crater Rim Café in Kīlauea Military Camp on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Menu offers Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Bockwurst, German Potato Salad, Sauerkraut, Tossed Salad, and German Chocolate Cake. $14.95 per person. Call 967-8356 to book a reservation for dine-in or place a grab-and-go order. Face coverings and 6 feet social distancing are required in common areas. KMC is open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees may apply.

Design the 2021 Ocean Count T-Shirt for Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary by Sept. 30. Designs highlighting humpback whales in Hawaiian waters must be entirely the artist's own creation. To ensure the design looks its best when printed, submit as a high definition PDF, .AI, .EPS or PNG with a quality of at least 1500px x 1500px and 300 DPI (dots per inch) with dimensions no greater than 11.5 inches by 14 inches. Top finalists' designs will appear on oceancount.org, the winner's design on the back of the shirt. The winner will also receive $500. Email the design and completed registration form to oceancount@marinesancutary.org.

COVID-19 Information for Farm Workers Poster. English: https://bit.ly/2F3gJ3u;
English/Spanish: https://bit.ly/2Z0cihc; English/Marshallese: https://bit.ly/2QLbybk

ONGOING

Attend Weekly Virtual Town Meetings, hosted by Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary, on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Discussion topics include attendance, best practices, Grab-n-Go meals, school updates, and questions and feedback, and more. Go to KHPES website for Live WebEx link.

Pre-Register for Boys & Girls Club Mobile Outreach Program in Ocean View here. Completing the form does not guarantee a spot in the program. A staff member will reach out to eligible families, to complete the registration process. Questions? Contact Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island Administrative Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (808) 961-5536 or email mobiletutoring@bgcbi.org.

Free Tutors for Keiki in Pāhala, for grades one through six, will be available from Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island soon. Subjects are Homework Help, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Math, Spelling, Test Taking Strategies, Organizational Skills, and more. Contact Boys & Girls Club at info@bgcbi.org or 961-5536.

Free Wifi Access for Students is available in Pāhala, Nāʻālehu, and Ocean View through Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary.

     In Pāhala, access is limited to ten students at a time at the school gym on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Support is provided by Joshua Ortega.

     In Nāʻālehu, access is limited to 12 students at a time at Nāʻālehu Assembly of God on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Support is provided by Carla Lind.

     In Ocean View, access is limited to five students at a time at Ocean View Community Center on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Support is provided by Carla Lind and Mrs. Marcia Masters. No restrooms available at this location.

     Kaʻū Mobile Learning Hub at St. Jude's lower parking lot is available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Instruction and support are provided by Carla Lind, Mrs. VanNewkirk, Mrs. Heather Naboa, Mrs. Marcia Masters, and Mrs. Ebanez.

     All students and staff must wear a mask at all times and follow all COVID-19 guidelines. Each student must bring their device, school materials, and a water bottle. Questions? Call 313-4100.

Sign Up for Solid Waste Operations Alerts at https://member.everbridge.net/index/482552460607505#/signup. Receive notice via phone or email of site closures, availability of services, hours of operation, special conditions affecting solid waste service (such as road closures, flooding, fires), or special events, such as household hazardous waste collections.

Attend Sunday Drive-In Worship Service at Waiʻōhinu's Kauahaʻao Congregational Church. Parking on the lawn begins at 10 a.m., with Worship Service starting at 10:10 a.m. The only time a face covering is needed is when the usher comes to the vehicle to pass out the worship bulletin and other materials, and at the same time, collect any offering or gifts the individual(s) would like to give, or when leaving vehicles for the restroom. Church provides paper fans to stay cool. Bring water. Catch the live-streamed service at 10:10 a.m. and Praise Jam, which runs from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Service is emailed Sunday afternoon to anyone on the email list. Sign up by emailing atdwongyuen.kauahaaochurch@gmail.com or call 928-8039 or 937-2155.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church services and worship are posted online at stjudeshawaii.org. Join the Aloha Hour via Zoom at 11 a.m. on Sundays, us02web.zoom.us/j/6843449828?pwd=YW94djVvU0szOGNKaFZ1V0pUL1owUT09, Meeting ID: 684 344 9828, Password: Aloha. Weekly hot meals, hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended.

One-Time Emergency Food for people is available through Big Island Giving Tree. Emergency food for pets is available through KARES. Call David or Barbara Breskin at 319-8333.

The Food Basket, last Tuesday of the month, Sept. 29, provides food at St. Jude's to those in need. See hawaiifoodbasket.org.

On-Call Emergency Box Food Pantry, Cooper Center, weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Eligible one time every three months. Call Kehau, 443-4130.

Volcano Art Center, Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village, open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Saturday and Sunday. The Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday. Virtual Shopping Appointments are offered at Volcano Art Center locations. Via Skype or FaceTime, a VAC associate helps customers browse the selection of artwork up close, and gives personalized tips and recommendations to help customers "find that perfect piece of locally made artwork, wherever you are in the world!" Book appointment online for $5 and VAC staff will help schedule a date and time at volcanoartcenter.org/shop. Shop the online gallery 24/7. Orders are shipped as regularly scheduled. Free local pickup is available.VAC now offers a Virtual Classroom, which features over 90 videos. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Guided Nature Walks through Nature Trail & Sculpture Garden, Mondays, 9:30 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No reservations for five or fewer – limited to ten people. Free; donations appreciated. Email programs@volcanoartcenter.org. Garden is open to walk through at one's own pace, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Free. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Health and Fitness Website for Kūpuna, 808b-fit.com, contains videos for kūpuna to play and move along with. There are videos for stretching, tai chi, yoga, dancing, dance fitness, bon dance, hula, chair dancing, and chair yoga.

Yoga with Emily Catey Weiss, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Advanced registration required; $5 per class. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.

Ocean View Swap Meet reopens Sept. 5 at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.

Ocean View Community Market, open Saturdays and Wednesdays (starting next Wednesday, Aug. 12), 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. New market location for vendors of the recently closed Ocean View Swap Meet. Managed by Mark Cocucci. Masks are mandatory. Limit of people is 100. Social distancing is required. Gate will be unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m. Vendors can show up without a reservation for now, with $15 dollars. Parking is in the upper lot; parking on the side of the road is prohibited. All vendors must provide their own sanitizer. All food vendors must have the permits required for the items that you are selling. Vendors and attendees are encouraged to carpool.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market, in Nāʻālehu, open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374 (voice or text) or kaufarmer@aol.com for more and to apply to vend. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Choose Aloha for Home is available to families, to provide a healthy way to grow together at chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home, using neuroscience and positive psychology, children and parents alike can learn to better understand themselves and each other. The program uses a series of self-guided videos, activities, and "dinner table discussion topics," to teach families "how to manage their emotions, communicate in healthier ways, and create a nurturing environment focused on the things that matter most." Sign up at https://chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home/.

ʻOhana Help Desk offers online How-To Guides for Chromebooks and iPads given out to distance learning students enrolled in Kaʻū public schools. The website is open to the public here. ʻOhana Help Desk is also available to students and parents by phone, Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed on Saturdays and state holidays.

Ocean View Mobile Learning Lab operates weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Jude's lower parking lot. It is open to students of Nāʻālehu Elementary and Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary, to connect to internet for distance learning. Questions? See khpes.org or call 313-4100.

Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Public Libraries, open for pick-up services. Nāʻālehu is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Library patrons schedule Library Take Out appointment times to pick up their hold item(s) at their favorite libraries by going to HSPLS Library Catalog and placing a hold on any item(s) they want to borrow, or they may call their favorite library branch to place a hold with the library staff. After receiving a notice that item(s) are ready for pick up, patrons schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. For patrons who placed holds during the closure, their item(s) are ready for pickup after the patron schedules a Library Take Out appointment. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org.

Free Book Exchanges, at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu, provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.

Sign Up for Two Women's Health Programs from Kaʻū Women's Collective. Piko focuses on reproductive health; increasing access, respect, cultural competence, education, and choice. Pilina aims to grow membership and establish a culture of collaborative decision-making. Meetings held Sundays on Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. Follow @kau_womens_health_collective. Contact rootsmedieshawaii@gmail.com. Call 808-450-0498.

Receive Help Over the Phone with Critical Financial Issues, through Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund Financial Navigators from County of Hawaiʻi, in partnership with Hawaiʻi First Federal Credit Union. Access these remote services by completing the webform at hawaiifirstfcu.com/community-resource-center or by calling 808-933-6600 to sign up. The Financial Navigator will then send a short service agreement and call the client to begin their personal session. Organizations across the County can also refer clients directly to a Financial Navigator. For more information, contact Sharon Hirota at 808-961-8019.

Find Resources for LGBTQ+, Loved Ones, and Allies at Sexual and Gender Minority online resource hub. Hawaiʻi Department of Health's first website dedicated to LGBTQ+ resources. Developed by the Sexual and Gender Minority Workgroup in partnership with the DOH Harm Reduction Services Branch. Resources: Understanding the Pacific's alternative genders; Pronoun guide; Book lists for children and teens; ʻOhana support; and DOH data. For more information on joining the SGM Workgroup, email Thaddeus Pham at thaddeus.pham@doh.hawaii.gov. See health.hawaii.gov/harmreduction/sexual-gender-minority/sexual-and-gender-minorities-sgm-in-hawaii/.

Learn About Hawaiʻi's History & Culture through the Papakilo Database, a resource developed by The Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The Kahalo Center says database consists of "collections of data pertaining to historically and culturally significant places, events, and documents in Hawaiʻi's history. The purpose of this educational online repository is to increase the community's ability to preserve and perpetuate cultural and historical information and practices." See papakilodatabase.com.

Native Hawaiian Farmers and Ranchers urged to use U.S. Dept. of Ag On-Farm Market Directory. U.S. Office for American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Programs is developing a list of Native Hawaiian farmers willing to sell direct to consumers through the On-Farm Market Directory. On-farm markets are managed by a single farm operator that sells products on their farm, or on a property next to their farm. Some on-farm markets may also deliver or ship their goods directly to consumers. Visit the program website for more information and to register: ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/onfarm.

Receive Free Marketing Assistance, for small businesses affected by COVID-19. Owners can receive free marketing assistance from Univeristy of Hawaiʻi-Hilo faculty and their senior class. They offer help with moving a business online, finding out more about the businesses' customers, analyzing marketing effectiveness, and providing customer service or website feedback. Visit https://bit.ly/2YvFxsl.

Find Grants and Loans Offered to Farmers and Ranchers, at oahuaca.org. The website has a new search feature to help find information that applies to the searcher.

Begin Learning Basics of Organic Farming, from two free modules of a virtual training program by the Organic Farming Research Foundation, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program, and California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. See https://kohalacenter.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=54bdd67c601f0c0d3ea430053&id=9e1691c22d&e=0e3fe20c1f.

See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, September 6, 2020

Kaʻū Hawaiian Home Lands Association interacted with families and groups of friends coming to Ka Lae to camp and
spend the weekend on the shoreline camping. They say that some went home when told that the coast is being
overwhelmed, since county and state coastal parks are closed due to the pandemic.
Photo from Hawaiian Home Lands Association

KAʻŪ HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS Association members spent a third day on Sunday, urging people coming from all over the island to refrain from overwhelming the Kaʻū Coast by setting up camp sites during the Labor Day weekend. Association members reported that Hawaiʻ Police Department and Department of Land & Natural Resources officers said they would attempt to come to the area. Their role would be to make sure people are not gathering in large groups and are following protocol of distancing and wearing masks.

     The county has no parks in Ka Lae, and the state has land but no designated parks, making it a desirable and remote place for people to camp and gather, away from the official parks which are off-limits, except for traveling across them for swimming, surfing, fishing, boating, gathering food, and other water activities. Standing, sitting, gathering in groups, and camping are prohibited.

     Kaʻū Hawaiian Home Lands Association has asked the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Hawaiʻi County to join together to make South Point Road off-limits except to those who live there, in order to keep the coast from becoming overrun. 

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

KAʻŪ HIGH & PĀHALA ELEMENTARY INVITES THE COMMUNITY TO VIRTUAL TOWN HALL MEETINGS every week, on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Discussion topics include attendance, best practices, Grab-n-Go meals, school updates, and questions and feedback, and more. Go to KHPES website for Live WebEx link.

The community is invited to Wednesday virtual town Hall Meetings concerning Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary.
Photo from Kaʻū High 

FREE WIFI ACCESS FOR STUDENTS is available in Pāhala, Nāʻālehu, and Ocean View through Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary.

     In Pāhala, access is limited to ten students at a time at the school gym on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Support is provided by Joshua Ortega.

     In Nāʻālehu, access is limited to 12 students at a time at Nāʻālehu Assembly of God on Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Support is provided by Carla Lind.

     In Ocean View, access is limited to five students at a time at Ocean View Community Center on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Support is provided by Carla Lind and Mrs. Marcia Masters. No restrooms available at this location.
     Kaʻū Mobile Learning Hub at St. Jude's lower parking lot is available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Instruction and support are provided by Carla Lind, Mrs. VanNewkirk, Mrs. Heather Naboa, Mrs. Marcia Masters, and Mrs. Ebanez.

     All students and staff must wear a mask at all times and follow all COVID-19 guidelines. Each student must bring their device, school materials, and a water bottle. Questions? Call 313-4100.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

PRE-REGISTER FOR BOYS & GIRLS CLUB MOBILE OUTREACH PROGRAM in Ocean View here. Completing the form does not guarantee a spot in the program. A staff member will reach out to eligible families, to complete the registration process. Questions? Contact Boys & Girls Club  of the Big Island Administrative Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (808) 961-5536 or email mobiletutoring@bgcbi.org.

FREE TUTORS for keiki in Pāhala, for grades one through six, will be available from Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island soon. Subjects are Homework Help, Social Studies, Reading, Writing, Math, Spelling, Test Taking Strategies, Organizational Skills, and more. Contact Boys & Girls Club at info@bgcbi.org or 961-5536.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

VOLCANO SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES CAMPUS ON OLD VOLCANO ROAD has received a special cleaning and treatment, and is ready to receive students whenever on-campus learning returns. As with all other public schools in Kaʻū, all classes have been shifted to distance learning.

     Volcano School was the first to go off-campus. All in-person activities are canceled until further notice. An announcement from the school on Facebook says the "self-directed stay-at-home order" is an effort to "stop the spread" of COVID-19.

     The school went to distance-learning after a Friday, Aug. 14 instance, when a student and parent who were on Old Volcano Road campus for just under an hour, later tested positive for COVID-19. VSAS reports no further positive cases or close contacts were reported to them. VSAS staff who may have been exposed were on quarantine through Aug. 31, unless they received a negative result on a COVID-19 test.

     VSAS says Premier Restoration Hawaiʻi assisted cleaning of possible contaminated spaces at the school. The company also trained VSAS custodians "in proper CDC cleaning and disinfection protocols for COVID-19, and certify VSAS Clean + Safe practices." Cleaning and disinfection of the exposed Old Volcano Road Campus was completed on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Premier Restoration Hawaiʻi helped clean and train custodians after the
Old Volcano Road campus was exposed to a COVID-positive
student and parent. Photo from VSAS

     "We send best wishes for a speedy recovery to our parent and student who were infected," says VSAS. "We hope that these communications help to keep our community safe and serve as a reminder of the importance of staying home as much as possible, and if you have to go out, to wear a mask and observe social distancing at all times. Please stay safe."  See more at https://www.facebook.

com/vsas2001.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

PRE-REGISTER FOR FREE COVID-19 TESTING in Pāhala on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kaʻū District Gym. At the drive-thru event, everyone must wear a face mask at all times. Everyone is asked to bring ID and insurance cards if they have insurance. No medical requisition required, non-insured are eligible. Register with Auntie Jessie Marques at 928-0101.

     Organized by Kaʻū Rural Health, the event is co-sponsored by S&G Labs, Project Vision, Hawaiʻi District Health Office, Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi, Bay Clinic Inc., Kaʻū Hospital & Rural Health Clinic, Mayor Harry Kim, Kaʻū police and fire departments, and Hawaiʻi Island National Guard.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

TWO POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES are reported by Hawai‘i Fire Department Chief Darren Rosario today. An active-duty HFD employee and a non-HFD employee participating in EMT training with the department tested positive. Both were notified they were exposed to a positive case while off-duty. The cases are not related. Work-related contact for these two cases resulted in 30 personnel from Hilo, Puna, and Kona-based stations being quarantined. HFD reports five other department employees are in quarantine due to non-work-related exposure.
     All personnel are being monitored by the Department of Health and the department's internal COVID-19 tracing team. All personnel are asymptomatic. There are no breaks in service to the public. Battalion Chiefs are reassigning on-duty personnel or recalling off-duty personnel to cover shortages.

     See more statistics on COVID, below.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Eucalyptus stacked above Kapāpala Ranch, awaiting transport to the biofuel plant on the Hāmākua Coast, where
the company has been asked to reapply for a permit to operate. Photo by Julia Neal

THE BIOFUEL COMPANY PLANNING TO USE EUCALYPTUS TREES FARMED ABOVE PĀHALA to make electricity at its new facility on the Hāmākua Coast, is questioning the credibility of Life of the Land and its executive director Henry Curtis.

     Curtis and Life of the Land attorneys are participating in the state Public Utilities Commission approval process of the Hū Honua biofuel plant. Life of the Land sponsored a case that led to the state Supreme Court rejecting its permit to sell to Hawaiʻi Electric. The court ruled that Hū Honua is allowed to reapply to compete with other alternative energies on price and environmental merits, in order for the PUC to determine whether it can sell electricity to Hawaiian Electric.
     Hū Honua says it has invested some $350 million to complete the plant and that its biofuel should be part of the portfolio of alternative energies for Hawaiʻi Island to end its dependence on fossil fuel. Opponents say its price is more expensive than solar, wind, or hydroelectric.

     Hū Honua filed a letter with the Public Utilities Commission last Friday, claiming that emails supporting Hū Honua were sent to the PUC from a location connected to the Curtis residence. People with names on the emails contacted the PUC and said they never sent them. PUC issued a statement last week decrying the fake emails and is investigating the source of them.
     Life of the Land attorney Lance Collins sent a letter to Hū Honua's attorney Bruce Voss, saying that Hū Honua likely sent out the form emails of support from their own server and is attempting to blame Curtis and create a distraction from the issues at hand. See a story on the conflict in Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
     In the meantime, eucalyptus continues to be harvested and stacked on Kamehameha School lands between Kapāpala and upper Moaʻula above Pāhala without a place to burn it for electricity.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

REBUILD YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM FOR HAWAIʻI ISLAND begins a new round of mentoring on how to position businesses and thrive in a post-COVID economy. Sponsored by County of Hawaiʻi, Bank of Hawaiʻi Foundation, Hawaiian Community Assets, Hawaiʻi Community Lending, and Ekklesia Capital, it is open for Hawaiʻi Island businesses and nonprofits.

     The county will sponsor and cover all costs for business owners and nonprofit executive directors to participate. Training will begin Tuesday, Sept. 15.

     Rebuild Your Business groups business owners and nonprofit executive directors together into Mastermind Groups of eight where they learn from Ekklesia Capital Managing Director, David Oyadomari. At the end of the four-week program, business owners and nonprofit executives will leave with: a comprehensive business assessment; 30-60-90 day action plans; and "time management, prioritization, and vision-casting tool strategies for marketing and recurring revenue to increase cash flow."

     The announcement says they will learn processes and procedures to document and automate, outsource, or delegate; have new access to grants, loans, and loan guarantees to implement their action plans; and learn to develop a peer network and support system with other small business owners and executive directors.
     Learn more about this announcement and register for an upcoming orientation or the Hawaiʻi Island Mastermind Group at www.ekklesiacapital.com/hawaiicounty. Limited spaces are available.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

HAWAIʻI HAS TWICE AS MANY ACTIVE COVID-19 CASES THAN RECOVERED, according to Department of Health. Since the pandemic began, 9,856 people have tested positive. DOH reports 2,991 have been released from isolation and 6,779 are active cases. The state has 164 more cases today: 13 on Hawaiʻi Island, one on Kauaʻi, two in Maui County, and 146 on Oʻahu. Today's single reported death is from Oʻahu; however, two more deaths are reported on Hawaiʻi Island that are not in the state's count.
     The island death toll is seven, two new today. All are residents of Yukio Okutsu State Veteran's Home in Hilo, where there have been 55 total cases among residents and 18 among staff.

Onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 28 days, by zip code. Gray
areas have zero or few residential addresses. White is zero cases.
Yellow is one to 30 cases. Pale orange is 31 to 60 cases. Medium

orange (not pictured) is 61 to 140 cases. Dark orange (not
pictured) is 141 to 210 cases. Bright red is 211 to 490 cases.
Dark red (not pictured) is 491 to 890 cases.
Department of Health map

     Hawaiʻi Island's case count totals 507 since the pandemic began, with 268 active. Fifteen island residents are hospitalized.

     In the last 28 days, active cases have been reported in zip codes 96704 with Miloliʻi; 96737 with Ocean View; 96772 with Nāʻālehu, Waiʻōhinu, Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and South Point; 96777 with Pāhala, Punaluʻu, Wood Valley; and 96785 with Volcano Village. Zip code 96718 is Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, which has few residents and no cases to date. Other areas shaded gray on the map have no or very little population and no cases.

    Since the pandemic began, Oʻahu reported 9,855 cases, Maui County 354, and Kauaʻi 58. Twenty-six victims are residents diagnosed while visiting other places. The state death toll is 87. Statewide, 597 people have been hospitalized since the pandemic began.

     All beach and shoreline parks are closed through Sept. 19. The activities of exercising, fishing, food gathering, use of restroom, shower facilities, and access to the ocean will continue to be allowed. Hawaiʻi Island Police will continue their enforcement of the preventative polices of face coverings, distancing, and gatherings. "Know that these policies are mandated and will be enforced," says Civil Defense. "With your help, we can stop the spread of the virus to keep your family, friends, and neighbors safe. Thank you for listening and have a safe Labor Day Weekend." See hawaiicounty.gov/departments/civil-defense.

     See the Hawai‘i County COVID-19 webpage at

https://coronavirus-response-county-of-hawaii-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/. Request travel exemptions for critical infrastructure and medical travel at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e2f4ce19aa854964a8fd60bec7fbe78c. Report violators of COVID-19 safety protocols or quarantine to non-emergency at 935-3311.

    COVID-19 case count in the U.S. is more than 6,273,372 – about 23 percent of worldwide cases. The death toll is more than 188,895 – about 21 percent of worldwide deaths. Worldwide, there are more than 26.97 million COVID-19 cases. The death toll is more than 881,096.

How to use this map: Hold this map over your head so that the 

northern horizon points toward the north on the Earth. For best 

results, use a red flashlight to illuminate the map. If you are 

looking east, hold it in front of you so that east is on the bottom. 

For south views, south at the bottom, and for west, west at the 

bottom. Use this map at the times shown on in its upper left 

corner. Keep this page handy and show it to your keiki next month. 

They probably have bedtimes before the time of the chart shown 

here. The constellations are presented with their 3-letter 

abbreviations, with their common names shown in the margins. 

This is done to take advantage of the truly dark skies Ka‘ū is 

blessed with when there is no bright moon and the skies are 

clear of vog. The star charts are produced from a sky 

Atlas program written by Jerry Hudson, who has given 

us permission to publish it. Thank you, Jerry.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

STARS OVER KA‘Ū - September 2020, by Lew & Donna Cook

     The Solar System

     Jupiter and Saturn are getting closer together in eastern Sagittarius (SGR on the star chart). More about that later this year! Mars joins these two giant planets in our sky this month, being well up in the east at chart time (10 pm on the 15th) having risen around 8 pm. Mars is currently slowly moving westward, but will reverse its movement (as we see it) in November.

     Constellations and Deep Sky Objects

     What's up in our sky this month? Critters everywhere! A whole flock of birds, especially overhead and to the south. There's a swan, an eagle, a crane, toucan, peacock, and even a phoenix (a mythical bird that was consumed by fire and rises again from its ashes). Those last four constellations are in the south and are not visible to most of the country. In Kaʻū, we are lucky, being so far south.

     And there are fish, too. The southern fish (Pisces Australis) has one bright star, Fomalhaut. This star has planets that can be imaged using a large telescope but precise focus and good seeing is required. "Seeing" refers to the steadiness of the atmosphere. They have been pictured with both the Keck and the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space telescope is outside of the atmosphere (hence the seeing is perfect) while the Keck uses an "adaptive optics" process that bends its large mirror to follow the wiggles in the atmosphere.

     Someone has caught some other fishes and put them on a stringer. Mars is near the central point of that stringer with the two fish trailing off to the west. Pisces (the fishes) isn't a very bright constellation, and is often overlooked. Except for being one of the signs of the zodiac, it'd be almost unknown, like Camelopardalis (the giraffe). We'll cover the mammals next month.

Dan VanDerZanden took this photo of the Heart Nebula from his home in 

California. It shows ionized gas fluorescing and reflecting starlight. 

Top to bottom, the scale is a bit over two degrees, 

or four times the diameter of the full moon.

     That's all we'll discuss for now but for a warning: watch out for scorpions, a very big one is about to crawl under a large rock (the earth itself). The one in the sky killed Orion, who (according to a Greek myth) got memorialized by being placed in the sky opposite the scorpion.

     In the far northern sky there is a nebula called the "Heart Nebula". This is a concentration of gas and dust from which stars and planets can form. They do this by mutual gravitational attraction. Clumps of dust and frozen gas form by the billions, which fall together until there are millions, and then until there are thousands of what will become stars. Then, one and another and another start glowing by nuclear fusion. Their "stellar wind" blows what was the neutral gas and dust into charged plasma, starting the gas and dust to blow away. Our good friend Dan VanDerZanden took the photo here using his equipment at home.

Moon Phases

Date                            Moonrise         Moonset

Full Moon      

Sept.     1, 2020           6:46 pm           6:34 am**

Last Quarter   

Sept.    9                     11:39 pm*        1:13 pm

New Moon

Sept.    17                    6:29 am           7:05 pm

First Quarter   

Sept.     23                  12:44 am        11:57 am**

Full Moon      

Oct.     1                      6:30 pm           6:07 am**

*day prior     **next morning

Fridays Sunrise and Sunset times:

Date     Sunrise            Sunset

Sept.     4, 2020           6:07 am           6:33 pm

Sept.     11                   6:09 am           6:27 pm

Sept.     18                   6:10 am           6:21 pm

Sept.     25                   6:11 am           6:15 pm

     Local Attractions

     The ‘Imiloa Planetarium in Hilo may continue its closure through September but there is a wealth of information at 'imiloa@home. See imiloahawaii.org/imiloaathome for great information.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Bill Gilmartin, of Volcano, a founder of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund, checks out inventors running their machine that
removes microplastics from beach sand. The French Canadian inventors did their first tests at Kamilo 

in April of 2019 then took the demonstration to Hilo last August. Photo from Big Island Video News

Kaʻū Life: The Way We Were Last Year

A closeup of the machine sucking up debris in 

the sand. Photo from Big Island Video News

Last year, the Hoʻōla One prototype machine was first shown in action at Kamilo, removing microplastics from the beach. The inventors then took the prototype machine for a three-day cleanup along the Waiʻōhinu coastline in the Kaʻū Forest Reserve. They followed this with a visit to Hilo Bay.

     Hoʻōla One is designed to separate small bits of plastic from sand. The machine was designed as a class project by 12 mechanical engineering students at University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada. They spent about $70,000 on the prototype.

     Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund raised $15,000 to ship the large and heavy machine to Kaʻū in April of 2019. Pāhala Plantation Cottages donated housing for the designers. They first tested Hoʻōla One at Kamilo, a shoreline area sometimes know as Plastics Beach for the currents that wash up excessive amounts of ocean debris.

French Canadian inventors demonstrated Hoʻōla One at Hilo Bayfront
last year. Photo from Big Island Video News

     Hawaiʻi state Department of Land and Natural Resources said, "It's hoped the giant vacuum cleaner will help keep this beach and others around the state, clean, and plastics free."
     Hoʻōla One means "giving life back to the sand."

      Megan Lamson of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund said, during the Hilo Bay demonstration, that the "previous samples from Kamilo and Ka‘alu‘alu revealed that the prototype works" and is over 99 percent effective at removing plastics over .04 millimeters in size.

     Marine and shoreline microplastics pollution is a threat to aquatic and shoreline wildlife. Ingestion can cause blockages and starvation. Invasive species and diseases can also cling to the plastic, and the wildlife that ingests it can be exposed.

Microplastics debris are removed from the sand at Kamilo Beach by the Hoʻōla One machine, brought to Hawaiʻi last 

year with the help of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund. Photo from Big Island Video News

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more are listed at kaucalendar.com.

Read online at kaucalendar.com. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar 

directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is 

free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout 

Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at 

kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your 

business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com.

EVENTS
Hui Mālama Free Online Home Gardening Class, Tuesdays, Sept. 8 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mala 101 is sponsored by Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi and Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The announcement says, "Learn to garden at home! Whether you have a large backyard or a few pots to grow in, anyone can learn to grow some of their own food at home! In this introductory series, learn the basics of selecting plants to grow, building healthy soil, and growing on a budget." Receive several plants and A Grow Your Own Laʻau guidebook for participation. The class will meet four times, once a month, the second Tuesday of the month, from Sept. 8 through Dec. 8. Sign up at hmono.org/services.

Give Input on Proposed Improvements to Miloliʻi Beach Park through Tuesday, Sept. 8. A draft Environmental Assessment is released by County of Hawai‘i Department of Parks and Recreation, which would update the park to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines; make improvements to the parking lot, boat ramp, walkways, playground, and basketball/volleyball courts; and replace the restrooms, water system, and hālau.

PETFIX Spay and Neuter Clinic for Cats will be held Wednesday, Sept. 9 in Ocean View. For information and to register, call 808-990-3548 or email petfixbigisland@gmail.com.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Food Giveaway in Ocean View, Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. Pick-up will be at the Park and Ride parking lot. Pick-up will be at the back store. Ingredients for a hamburger steak dinner for four will consist of 2 lbs. of ground beef, gravy mix (just add 1 cup of water), onion, and rice to be distributed.

Introduction to Papermaking Workshop with Mary Milelzcik on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This papermaking workshop, using a household blender, will introduce papermaking using recycled papers with various additives, including cotton linters, and local plant materials. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Exhibition Hawaiʻi Nei Invitational: Nā ʻAumākua, runs through Saturday, Sept. 12. Also available to view online, view the exhibition in person the Gallery in the Park during normal gallery hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Free. The exhibition is a group exhibition will present works focusing on the theme of Nā ʻAumākua, family gods. VAC will not hold an opening reception on August 8th. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Apply for Internships with Sen. Brian Schatz's office. Internships for undergrad, graduate, and law students are offered in the Honolulu and Washington D.C. offices. Applications are considered on a rolling basis year-round. Non-office internships are open for high school students to advocate in their communities. Applications due Sunday, Sept. 13. See schatz.senate.gov/services.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Virtual Advisory Council Meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Presentations will include acoustic research, a proposal for voluntary speed regulations for ocean-going vessels in the sanctuary. Register in advance here.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Food Giveaway in Nāʻālehu, Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. Pick-up will be at the ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market location. Ingredients for a hamburger steak dinner for four will consist of 2 lbs. of ground beef, gravy mix (just add 1 cup of water), onion, and rice to be distributed.

Catalyst Abstract Watercolor Workshop with Patti Pease Johnson on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Dine In or Order To Go Oktoberfest Meals from Crater Rim Café in Kīlauea Military Camp on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Menu offers Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Bockwurst, German Potato Salad, Sauerkraut, Tossed Salad, and German Chocolate Cake. $14.95 per person. Call 967-8356 to book a reservation for dine-in or place a grab-and-go order. Face coverings and 6 feet social distancing are required in common areas. KMC is open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees may apply.

Design the 2021 Ocean Count T-Shirt for Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary by Sept. 30. Designs highlighting humpback whales in Hawaiian waters must be entirely the artist's own creation. To ensure the design looks its best when printed, submit as a high definition PDF, .AI, .EPS or PNG with a quality of at least 1500px x 1500px and 300 DPI (dots per inch) with dimensions no greater than 11.5 inches by 14 inches. Top finalists' designs will appear on oceancount.org, the winner's design on the back of the shirt. The winner will also receive $500. Email the design and completed registration form to oceancount@marinesancutary.org.

COVID-19 Information for Farm Workers Poster. English: https://bit.ly/2F3gJ3u;
English/Spanish: https://bit.ly/2Z0cihc; English/Marshallese: https://bit.ly/2QLbybk

ONGOING

Sign Up for Solid Waste Operations Alerts at https://member.everbridge.net/index/482552460607505#/signup. Receive notice via phone or email of site closures, availability of services, hours of operation, special conditions affecting solid waste service (such as road closures, flooding, fires), or special events, such as household hazardous waste collections.

Attend Sunday Drive-In Worship Service at Waiʻōhinu's Kauahaʻao Congregational Church. Parking on the lawn begins at 10 a.m., with Worship Service starting at 10:10 a.m. The only time a face covering is needed is when the usher comes to the vehicle to pass out the worship bulletin and other materials, and at the same time, collect any offering or gifts the individual(s) would like to give, or when leaving vehicles for the restroom. Church provides paper fans to stay cool. Bring water. Catch the live-streamed service at 10:10 a.m. and Praise Jam, which runs from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Service is emailed Sunday afternoon to anyone on the email list. Sign up by emailing atdwongyuen.kauahaaochurch@gmail.com or call 928-8039 or 937-2155.

St. Jude's Episcopal Church services and worship are posted online at stjudeshawaii.org. Join the Aloha Hour via Zoom at 11 a.m. on Sundays, us02web.zoom.us/j/6843449828?pwd=YW94djVvU0szOGNKaFZ1V0pUL1owUT09, Meeting ID: 684 344 9828, Password: Aloha. Weekly hot meals, hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended.

One-Time Emergency Food for people is available through Big Island Giving Tree. Emergency food for pets is available through KARES. Call David or Barbara Breskin at 319-8333.

The Food Basket, last Tuesday of the month, Sept. 29, provides food at St. Jude's to those in need. See hawaiifoodbasket.org.

On-Call Emergency Box Food Pantry, Cooper Center, weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Eligible one time every three months. Call Kehau, 443-4130.

Volcano Art Center, Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village, open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Saturday and Sunday. The Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday. Virtual Shopping Appointments are offered at Volcano Art Center locations. Via Skype or FaceTime, a VAC associate helps customers browse the selection of artwork up close, and gives personalized tips and recommendations to help customers "find that perfect piece of locally made artwork, wherever you are in the world!" Book appointment online for $5 and VAC staff will help schedule a date and time at volcanoartcenter.org/shop. Shop the online gallery 24/7. Orders are shipped as regularly scheduled. Free local pickup is available.VAC now offers a Virtual Classroom, which features over 90 videos. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Guided Nature Walks through Nature Trail & Sculpture Garden, Mondays, 9:30 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No reservations for five or fewer – limited to ten people. Free; donations appreciated. Email programs@volcanoartcenter.org. Garden is open to walk through at one's own pace, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Free. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Health and Fitness Website for Kūpuna, 808b-fit.com, contains videos for kūpuna to play and move along with. There are videos for stretching, tai chi, yoga, dancing, dance fitness, bon dance, hula, chair dancing, and chair yoga.

Yoga with Emily Catey Weiss, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Advanced registration required; $5 per class. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.

Ocean View Swap Meet reopens Sept. 5 at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.

Ocean View Community Market, open Saturdays and Wednesdays (starting next Wednesday, Aug. 12), 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. New market location for vendors of the recently closed Ocean View Swap Meet. Managed by Mark Cocucci. Masks are mandatory. Limit of people is 100. Social distancing is required. Gate will be unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m. Vendors can show up without a reservation for now, with $15 dollars. Parking is in the upper lot; parking on the side of the road is prohibited. All vendors must provide their own sanitizer. All food vendors must have the permits required for the items that you are selling. Vendors and attendees are encouraged to carpool.

ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market, in Nāʻālehu, open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374 (voice or text) or kaufarmer@aol.com for more and to apply to vend. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Choose Aloha for Home is available to families, to provide a healthy way to grow together at chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home, using neuroscience and positive psychology, children and parents alike can learn to better understand themselves and each other. The program uses a series of self-guided videos, activities, and "dinner table discussion topics," to teach families "how to manage their emotions, communicate in healthier ways, and create a nurturing environment focused on the things that matter most." Sign up at https://chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home/.

ʻOhana Help Desk offers online How-To Guides for Chromebooks and iPads given out to distance learning students enrolled in Kaʻū public schools. The website is open to the public here. ʻOhana Help Desk is also available to students and parents by phone, Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is closed on Saturdays and state holidays.

Ocean View Mobile Learning Lab operates weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at St. Jude's lower parking lot. It is open to students of Nāʻālehu Elementary and Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary, to connect to internet for distance learning. Questions? See khpes.org or call 313-4100.

Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Public Libraries, open for pick-up services. Nāʻālehu is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Library patrons schedule Library Take Out appointment times to pick up their hold item(s) at their favorite libraries by going to HSPLS Library Catalog and placing a hold on any item(s) they want to borrow, or they may call their favorite library branch to place a hold with the library staff. After receiving a notice that item(s) are ready for pick up, patrons schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. For patrons who placed holds during the closure, their item(s) are ready for pickup after the patron schedules a Library Take Out appointment. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org.

Free Book Exchanges, at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu, provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.

Sign Up for Two Women's Health Programs from Kaʻū Women's Collective. Piko focuses on reproductive health; increasing access, respect, cultural competence, education, and choice. Pilina aims to grow membership and establish a culture of collaborative decision-making. Meetings held Sundays on Sept. 13, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. Follow @kau_womens_health_collective. Contact rootsmedieshawaii@gmail.com. Call 808-450-0498.

Receive Help Over the Phone with Critical Financial Issues, through Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund Financial Navigators from County of Hawaiʻi, in partnership with Hawaiʻi First Federal Credit Union. Access these remote services by completing the webform at hawaiifirstfcu.com/community-resource-center or by calling 808-933-6600 to sign up. The Financial Navigator will then send a short service agreement and call the client to begin their personal session. Organizations across the County can also refer clients directly to a Financial Navigator. For more information, contact Sharon Hirota at 808-961-8019.

Find Resources for LGBTQ+, Loved Ones, and Allies at Sexual and Gender Minority online resource hub. Hawaiʻi Department of Health's first website dedicated to LGBTQ+ resources. Developed by the Sexual and Gender Minority Workgroup in partnership with the DOH Harm Reduction Services Branch. Resources: Understanding the Pacific's alternative genders; Pronoun guide; Book lists for children and teens; ʻOhana support; and DOH data. For more information on joining the SGM Workgroup, email Thaddeus Pham at thaddeus.pham@doh.hawaii.gov. See health.hawaii.gov/harmreduction/sexual-gender-minority/sexual-and-gender-minorities-sgm-in-hawaii/.

Learn About Hawaiʻi's History & Culture through the Papakilo Database, a resource developed by The Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The Kahalo Center says database consists of "collections of data pertaining to historically and culturally significant places, events, and documents in Hawaiʻi's history. The purpose of this educational online repository is to increase the community's ability to preserve and perpetuate cultural and historical information and practices." See papakilodatabase.com.

Native Hawaiian Farmers and Ranchers urged to use U.S. Dept. of Ag On-Farm Market Directory. U.S. Office for American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Programs is developing a list of Native Hawaiian farmers willing to sell direct to consumers through the On-Farm Market Directory. On-farm markets are managed by a single farm operator that sells products on their farm, or on a property next to their farm. Some on-farm markets may also deliver or ship their goods directly to consumers. Visit the program website for more information and to register: ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/onfarm.

Receive Free Marketing Assistance, for small businesses affected by COVID-19. Owners can receive free marketing assistance from Univeristy of Hawaiʻi-Hilo faculty and their senior class. They offer help with moving a business online, finding out more about the businesses' customers, analyzing marketing effectiveness, and providing customer service or website feedback. Visit https://bit.ly/2YvFxsl.

Find Grants and Loans Offered to Farmers and Ranchers, at oahuaca.org. The website has a new search feature to help find information that applies to the searcher.

Begin Learning Basics of Organic Farming, from two free modules of a virtual training program by the Organic Farming Research Foundation, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program, and California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. See https://kohalacenter.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=54bdd67c601f0c0d3ea430053&id=9e1691c22d&e=0e3fe20c1f.

See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.