Kaʻū News Briefs July 28, 2024

Mayor Mitch Roth

THERE WILL BE A RUNOFF IN THE RACE FOR MAYOR of Hawai'i County and the most likely matchup will be Mayor Mitch Roth and Dr. Kimo Alameda, according to one of Hawai'i's most quoted political analysts, Colin Moore. Moore also points to Bree Kobayashi and Seaula Jr. Tupa'i as candidates with supporters.

    The election ends Aug. 10, the last day that citizens can vote - it's only in person since ballots were already sent out and are returning in the mail. Aug. 10 is the day for the completion of counting of all mail-in ballots returned by registered voters. Learn how to register and still vote at 

Dr. Kimo Alameda

www.hawaiielections.gov.

    Moore is a professor at the School of Communication and Information Program at University of Hawai'i and Director for the Matsunaga Institute for Peace. He works with the University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization. He has a Masters and PhD from Harvard University Department of Government.
   In an analysis provided to John Burnett, reporter for Hawai'i Tribune-Herald newspaper, Moore predicted that "Roth isn't going to win on primary night" but won't lose to other candidates in the Primary. Regarding Roth and Alameda, Moore said, "I think we're likely to see them both move forward."
    The contest is non partisan and is over on Aug. 10 if any candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the Primary. Otherwise the top two vote getters face a runoff in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Seaula Jr. Tupa'i

    In Moore's analysis, he points out that Roth has the backing of International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Laborers' International, International Union of Operating Engineers, and the Plumbers & Pipefitters. However, Alameda gained the endorsement of United Public Workers and Hawai'i Government Employees Association, the two biggest unions representing workers in government. Also endorsing Alameda is the State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers.

    The next candidate spending report, showing donations to campaigns, was due at the state Campaign Spending Commission on July 31. 

Bree Kobayashi

     For the June 30 report, Roth showed $226,513 in campaign contributions and $132,350.26 in expenditures. Alameda reported contributions of $140,252.32 and expenditures of $106,735.84. Kobayashi reported $48,615 coming in, and expenditures of $27,244.05. Tupa'i reported receiving $10,591.09 with $11,278.73 spent. Mayoral candidates Daniel Cunningham, Kavin Kahikina and Yumi Kawano have no Campaign Spending Commission reports filed.

    In the June 30 report, "I think the smart money is on Roth and Alameda because they have the money to spend," Moore told the Tribune Herald. "Raising money is also an indication of what level of support you have in the community, especially if you're getting a lot of mid-level donations. I think that indicates a broad support among people who are politically active, because the people who give are the ones who, often, will tell their friends and neighbors to vote for you — especially the mid-level donations. The big donations tend to be, usually, people with some kind of interest in the outcome of the election because they're business owners or something like that, often trying to buy goodwill." See who gives money to whom at https://ags.hawaii.gov/campaign/reports/election-summaries/.
    Moore advocates for publicly funded elections and wrote a report on it for UHERO at  https://tinyurl.com/yc5nd5rv.

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LEARN KAʻŪ HISTORY AT AUG. 18 REUNION: The public is invited to learn more about the history of Kaʻū and to interact with locals who grew up here during the Kaʻū High Reunion to be held on Sunday, Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pāhala Community Center.
    The PBS film Kaʻū Sugar: A Town Remembers will be shown. The filmmaker is Cliff Watson, whose wife grew up in Pāhala. Oldtimers who worked for the plantation, including Eddie Andrade, will be on hand to interact with the public. Kaʻū Multicultural Society will put on its history display.
    Another film Kaʻū Coffee, the Gold that Replaced Sugar, will also be shown.
    Attendees are invited to bring a pot luck dish. Sponsor of the event is Kaʻū High Alumni & Friends.

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

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996,

5,500 in the mail, 2,000 on the streets Volcano to Miloli'i
 See www.kaunews.com

Kaʻū News Briefs July 27, 2024

Participants learned Taiko Drumming during first day of Experience Volcano Festival. It continues
Sunday at venues in Volcano. Photo by Sara Espaniola

Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa
Photo by Sara Espaniola

EXPERIENCE VOLCANO HAWAI'I KICKED OFF SATURDAY with an exposition of arts, crafts, food, music, dance and more at venues around Volcano Village. The fifth annual event continues all day Sunday. See map and schedule of all events below.
    Attendees can win prizes from the Festival Drawing. Bring printed map or flier to all seven festival locations in Volcano and get it stamped. Grand prizes include five night hotel stays in Las Vegas, luxury lodging from At the Crater's Edge, gift certificates at venues, fine art, wine tastings and goodies from many participating vendors and sponsors.
    Sponsors include Volcano Golf Course, Hawai'i Pacific Parks, Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, Kuahiwi Ranch, HPM Building Supply, Mary Begier Realty and more than 60 vendors, community organizations and performing groups and artists.
    Here are some portraits by Sara Espaniola of some of those presenting their art and culture on the first day of Experience Volcano Festival.

Chaslen Hualani. Photo by Sara Espaniola

Zenaida Sawyer Lei Hulu. Photo by Sara Espaniola

Desiree Moana Cruz.  Photo by Sara Espaniola

Alchemy Farm Hawai'i. Photo by Sara Espaniola

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

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996

5,500 in the mail, 2,000 on the streets Volcano to Miloli'i
 See www.kaunews.com

Kaʻū News Briefs July 26, 2024

Aikane Plantation Coffee will represent Kaʻū Coffee at Experience Volcano Festival this
Saturday and Sunday in Volcano Village. Photo by Ophir Danenberg

AT EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, many well known local musicians and more than 60 coffee farmers, food creators, artists, crafters, musicians, dancers, Hawaiian cultural practitioners and vendors will participate at venues around Volcano Village.

Among the musicians are Keoki Kahumoku, Tui Masaniai, Ti Chun, Makana Kamahele and Boni Narito.

Quilts in the Forest is one of the stops
during Experience Volcano Festival.

Other Hawaiian music will come from Huliau, Ola Loa, Mano Ali'i, Brandon Nakano, Kyle Stringz, Tutu Bee, Wes Awana, Adam Kay and Genesis Pililani. More live music will come from Tom Gagne, The Screaming Geckos, Wendell Ing Jazz, and Rocky D'amore.

Among the presenters are Aikane Plantation Coffee Co., Ultraviolet Alchemist, Picking Up the Pieces, Breathing Space Hawaii, Ola's Creations, Nap Glass & Spiral Triangle Studios, Coby’s Creations, Bao & Dim and Paradise Preserved,

Also presenting will be Bella Anela Jewelry, 50 Designz/Grindz & Ka`u Designz, Kolea Creations, Volcano Community Foundation, Lock-Jaw Lemon Peel, Ka`u Kreations Boutique, TLC Oils, Fused Fragments, Dov Abrams, Marty Davis, Love Bali By Archer Kelly, Yurts Of Hawaii, Hilo Baykery, Diane Hanzel, Nani Diaz, and Periwinkle Moon.
On hand will be Garimo’s Real Soap Studio, Eclectic Virgo Creations, Kealoha Gifts, Pukana Lā Farms, Looking Glass Stained Glass Artwork, Misty Vaught, Lakuna Links, Aunties Aloha Lemonade, Alchemy Farm Hawaii, Yolanda's Gifts With aloha, Kumiko Designs, Cocoa Rose Hawaii and Scott Pincus.
Other presenters include Warren Ink, Hawaii Pacific Parks Association, Na Makua Designs, Lynda Nolte Watercolors, Momi’s Confections, Island Love Studio, Tamisha Lee Glassworks, Luti Fine Arts, Big Island Luffa, Shay Hachiya, J.M. Designs, Lucky's Island Street Food & Tacos, Mystic Rebel, Mala Hanai Pua, Ohu Bean, Chunkies, Quilts In The Forest, and Aunty Ponds Thai Food Truck.
See map and schedule and visit www.experiencevolcano.com.

SIGNIFICANT CRACKS AND BUCKLING ON CHAIN OF CRATERS ROAD led to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park keeping it closed between Hilina Pali Road intersection and the Maunaulu parking lot. That section, however, reopened to bicycles and pedestrians on Friday.
    The Park statement says, "The cracks likely formed due to the intrusion of magma into the Upper East Rift Zone of Kīlauea volcano this week. The park engineer and rangers inspected the road this afternoon and discovered 10 locations with cracks and buckling, making it unsafe for motorists. Rangers placed signs to warn bicyclists and pedestrians of the uneven pavement."
    Escape Road between Nāhuku lava tube and Maunaulu, and Crater Rim Trail south of Nāhuku, are also open. The previously closed backcountry areas have reopened but trailheads can only be accessed on foot

Magma intrusion under Chain of Craters Road has apparently lifted the surface, almost like
a wave. A section has been closed off to all but walkers and bicyclists. NPS photo

 or bicycle. Kulanaokuaiki Campground has reopened and is accessible on foot or bicycle.
    Kīlauea is not erupting, and according to the 

Rangers and engineers found ten locations with cracks
and buckling of Chain of Craters Road.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the unrest in the Upper East Rift Zone that began July 22 has ended. More than 1,500 detected earthquakes were recorded between July 22 and July 26, including 30 earthquakes at magnitude-3 or greater.
    The park will monitor Chain of Craters Road over the weekend. Park visitors are urged to plan ahead and check the park website for any closure or hazard alerts at www.nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes.

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

COMMUNITY MARSHALLESE AND HAWAIIAN COORDINATOR JOBS are offered in Kaʻū along with a Lead Student Coordinator position. See https://www.recyclehawaii.org/join-our-team. The three positions, with work available as early as Aug. 5, come through Recycle Hawai'i and Kaʻū High's Global Learning Lab with its three year Hawai'i Youth Clean Stream Campaign and Waste-to-Wealth Initiative, funded by the EPA. The slogan of Recycle Hawai'i is "Think Global, Act Island" and its mission is "Transforming the Culture of Waste."

    Both the Marshallese and Hawaiian positions require native language reading and writing skills and a commitment and ability to outreach into these communities. They are part-time positions, with three days a week at the school, and include off island travel. The positions earn $35.000 to $42,000 a year. 

    The Lead Student Coordinator position is for someone who has worked with high school students and will coordinate group field trips, assist with classroom instruction and help students with photography, videography and documenting their progress. The coordinator will also help transport students in the program from around Kaʻū and assist with travel. The position provides $45,000 to $50,000 a year in compensation.

     The Hawai'i Youth Clean Stream Campaign and Waste-to-Wealth Initiative is a three year grant program that aims to embed environmental justice initiatives in programs designed to significantly reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills on Hawaiʻi Island. The partnership between Recycle Hawaiʻi and the Kaʻū Global Learning Lab fosters the development of youth-led, community-based education campaigns that promote composting, raise awareness about plastic pollution, and inform the public about ongoing recycling opportunities.

    See details of the program, jobs available and apply at https://www.recyclehawaii.org/join-our-team,

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

State Department of Health has launched a public awareness program Beat Diabetes. It runs through October,

A BEAT DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM was recently launched to motivate people with prediabetes to adopt healthier behaviors to prevent Type 2 diabetes. The public is encouraged to take the Prediabetes Risk Assessment and talk with a health care provider about the need for additional testing. For people with blood glucose levels in the prediabetes range, participation in a lifestyle change program, like the Beat Diabetes Prevention Program, can lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
    Type 2 diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in Hawai'i and the number one cause of blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputations in the U.S. Diabetes complications are caused by high blood glucose, also known as blood sugar that damages small blood vessels and nerves. People with prediabetes do not yet have blood sugar levels in the diabetes range, but are at high risk for developing diabetes.
    "We should be investing more in preventing diabetes than expanding dialysis capacity," said state Director of Health Dr. Kenneth Fink. "We unfortunately have significant health inequities with Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders having higher rates of diabetes and progression to kidney failure. Increasing prevention efforts and improving disease management will help address this."

Image from BeatDiabetes.hawaii.gov

  "The good news about prediabetes is that having it doesn't automatically mean that you will develop diabetes," said Lola Irvin, DOH Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Division administrator. "Making lifestyle changes to lose weight, such as eating healthier and increasing physical activity, can prevent the development of diabetes and may also reverse prediabetes back into the normal blood glucose range."
    For people with prediabetes, losing just 5-7 percent of body weight may reduce the chance of developing diabetes by more than 50 percent for adults at high risk. However, making the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes may feel overwhelming. Enrolling in a lifestyle change program like the Beat Diabetes Prevention Program can be the easy first step to help build new, healthy habits. Participants will join a group of people with prediabetes and learn from a trained lifestyle coach.
    "My role is to guide our participants through a certified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) diabetes prevention program, providing support and encouragement as they go through their journey to a healthier lifestyle to prevent Type 2 diabetes," said Jen Valera, a master life coach with the Hawai'i Primary Care Association.
    The DOH statement said that participants have highlighted how the program and the group support have led to positive life changes:"Having the support of others helps me stay motivated. When I'm not feeling up to eating healthy or exercising, they help me through it." - Cory A."The program started my weight loss journey. It's inspired me to do a lot of things in life, and I've come a long way." – Lei K.
    The Beat Diabetes campaign will run through October. To take the Prediabetes Risk Test or sign up for the Beat Diabetes Prevention Program, visit BeatDiabetes.hawaii.gov.

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

The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar,
A Town Remembers on the history of the sugar plantation
 and the closing of the mill in 1996

5,500 in the mail, 2,000 on the streets Volcano to Miloli'i
 See www.kaunews.com