Kaʻū News Briefs Sept. 2, 2024

Mazie Hirono, who represents Kaʻū and all of Hawai'i in the U.S. Senate, visited hotel workers
on strike on Labor Day. Photo from Hirono 

ON LABOR DAY, MAZIE HIRONO, who represents Kaʻū and all of Hawai'i in the U.S. Senate, released the following statement: "As we celebrate and honor working people this Labor Day, thousands of hotel workers in Hawai'i and across the country are on strike for better wages and fair treatment.
    "During the COVID crisis, cutbacks to hotel staffing and services forced workers to do more with less—cutbacks that have yet to be restored. While hotel profits are high, workers aren’t seeing the benefits they deserve.
    "I'm proud to join UNITE HERE! Local 5 workers on the picket line in Waikiki and I urge hotel management to come to an agreement with striking workers in Hawai'i and around the country."

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Rep. Jill Tokuda joins workers on strike. Photo from Tokuda

A MESSAGE SUPPORTING LABOR CAME FROM REP. JILL TOKUDA, who represents Kaʻū and all of rural Hawai'i in the U.S. Congress. She said, "Today, we honor the hard-working women and men who keep our communities thriving. Labor Day is a time to reflect on the immense contributions of workers and the rights we now hold dear, such as the eight-hour workday, a minimum wage, and employer-provided benefits.
    "Despite our progress, we can never take workers' rights for granted. We must continue to fight for affordable housing, fair wages that keep pace with the cost of living, and opportunities for our children to thrive here in Hawaiʻi.
    "As someone whose father was a Unite Here! Local 5 member, and as a former member myself, I know firsthand the importance of standing with our workers. As a member of Congress, the working women and men of Hawaiʻi can always count on my support.
    "On this Labor Day, please join me in expressing our gratitude to the labor movement and all who continue to push for a more just and equitable society."

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KAʻŪ COFFEE GROWERS COOPERATIVE TUESDAY MEETING at 5 p.m., Sept. 3, will be held at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym at 5 p.m. On the agenda are:
    Update on 2024 coffee cherry prices.
    Managers of Kaʻū Coffee Mill and MTZ Coffee mill are scheduled to explain their requirements for purchasing Kaʻū Coffee from growers.
    Kaʻū Coffee farmer Joan Obra will give a report regarding the recent storm, created by Hurricane Hone that passed 45 miles south of South Point.
    Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative President Gloria Camba said the cooperative is requesting reporting on number of coffee trees damaged.

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THE NEXT TROJAN LADIES HOME VOLLEYBALL GAME is this Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. when 

Lapahoehoe Community Public Charter School travels to the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym.

    Pahoa comes to Kaʻū on Wednesday, Sept. 11. Trojans go on the road to Waiakea on Friday, Sept. 13 and again to Kamehameha on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Hilo comes to Kaʻū on Thursday, Sept. 19. Kea'au comes to Kaʻū on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Kaʻū travels to Christian Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 28 and to Lapahoehoe on Monday, Sept. 30. Ka Umeke comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Kaʻū travels to Hilo on Saturday, Oct. 12 and again to Pahoa on Monday, Oct. 13. Kamehameha comes to  Kaʻū on Wednesday, Oct. 16, followed by Big Island Interscholastic Federation playoffs.
   The Trojan varsity team is comprised of Mckenzie Decoito, Leahi Kaupu, Jezerie Rose Nurial-Dacalio, Kiara Ortrega-Oliveira, Jazmyn Navarro, Aubrey Delos Santos-Graig, Aljshae Barrios, CaLiya Silva-Kamei and Zia Rae Wroblewski.

    The JV team is comprised of Deijah Cabanilla-Nogales, Lily Dacalio, Christy Girl Grohs, Megan Pierpont, Kalesha Hashimoto, Alazae Forcum, Wailea Kainoa Haili-Barawis and Dhaylee Cabreros.

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Saturday, Sept. 7

 

Kaʻū News Briefs Sept.1, 2024

East Hawai'i Health Clinic staff with the Go Malama slogan shared their services at the annual health fair
in Pahala Saturday. Left to right are Donna Kekoa, Heather Kali'ikoa and Ben Lawler. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

RURAL HEALTH DISPARITIES IN HAWAI'I is the subject of last week's report from University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization and UH Rural Health Research & Policy Center. The report concludes that "Rurality has one of the strongest associations with overall health status among sociodemographic factors. We find stronger evidence for a relationship with physical health than mentalhealth. Particularly strong rural health disparities are found for people with disabilities and people with incomes below the poverty line."
    The report's Executive Summary states that "health disparities may be driven by a variety of mechanisms. On the one hand, access to and quality of healthcare services may be lower in rural areas, but on the other hand, proximity to nature and closer-knit communities in rural areas are known to benefit health. In terms of the overall impact of rurality on health, existing research has found mixed results for the mainland US and no previous studies have been conducted specifically for Hawai‘i."

    The report analyzes how health outcomes differ between rural and non-rural parts of the Hawaiian islands. The analysis is based on data from the June 2023 wave of the UHERO Rapid Survey, a twice-yearly health survey of a general population cohort in Hawai‘i. The report provides descriptive and inferential results that account for the impact of other sociodemographic factors, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, education and disability.
    It concludes, "We find notable disparities between rural and non-rural residents in our sample for every measure of health outcomes studied. Our findings suggest that policy responses aimed at improving health outcomes should include efforts to reduce disparities between rural and non-rural populations. In particular, our findings suggest that rural health policy should focus on marginalized population groups in rural areas, such as people with disabilities and people with low incomes living in rural areas, as they experience disproportionate adverse effects from rurality." See the entire report at https://uhero.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RuralHealthDisparitiesInHawaii.pdf

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition at East Hawia'i Clinic and Ka'u Hospital's annual health fair Saturday. 
Photo by David Wiegler

EAST HAWAI'I HEALTH CLINIC & KA'U HOSPITAL drew hundreds of rural residents to its second annual Community Health Fair on Saturday at Pahala Community Center. Numerous organizations were on hand to provide screenings, health education and opportunities for affordable and free physical and mental health, wellness, and nutrition services.

Selena Espejo and staff member form County of Hawai'i Parks & Recreation Elderly Activities Division.
Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

 Community Children's Council of Hawai'i. Photo by Julia Neal

Allan Sebastian and Robyn Vincent of the state Department of Health's Child & Adolescent Mental Health Division. 

Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Lani Weigert of Hawai'i Care Choices, which offers Paliative, Hospice and other services.

Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Stacy Brown from Family Support Hawai'i. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Quinn Hamamoto and  Sara Kamibayashi, of Pahala and Naalehu Public Libraries, show
introduce health and nutrition children's books. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Hawai'i Keiki, Healthy & Ready to learn advocates Sherelle Sakado-Calvo and
Jessica Moe manned the station. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

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Kaʻū News Briefs Aug. 31, 2024

  Kaʻū Quarterback Adahdlyah Ellis-Reyes runs for a nice gain during the home game on Saturday against Hawai'i Preparatory Academy from Waimea, the first game of the season. Photo by Mark Peters

Triton Blanco puts a block on the HPA defender.
Photo by Mark Peters

THE FIRST GAME OF THE TROJAN FOOTBALL SEASON drew Hawai'i Preparatory Academy to the   Kaʻū home field on Saturday. HPA took home all the points, 46 of them.

     The first game for the Trojans followed the cancellation last Saturday against Pahoa, with Tropical Storm Hone threatening offshore. The Department of Education cancelled Pahoa's road trip and Hone became a hurricane, passing just below South Point.

    The next game is Kaʻū at Kohala on Saturday, Sept. 7, Kaʻū at Kamehameha in Kea'au on Friday, Sept. 13, and Kaʻū at Honoka'a at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. Kaʻū travels to Pahoa on Thursday, Sept. 26. Kohala comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kaʻū goes to Hawai'i Preparatory Academy on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Kamehameha comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 19. Honoka'a travels to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 26, followed by BIIF Division Championships.

   Athletic Director Jaime Guerpo. Head coach is Connor Norton. Assistant Coach is Mark Peters. Coaching staff includes Greg Rush, Ray Mayzack, Duane Pua, Time Drafaul, Ted Blanco and Walter Parada. Athletic Trainer is Moses Whitcomb.

Time for the coin toss for the first Trojan football game of the 2024 season with the Captains,
10 Triton Blanco, 12 Eddie Wirtz, 22 Vladimir Fedoruk and 3 Adahdiyha Ellis-Reyes.
Photo by Mark Peters

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BLUE WATER EXCHANGE recently welcomed Chelsaelynn Kobzi, of Kaʻū, to a six-month cultural exchange program that involved traveling to Native American lands and hosting young adults from Moloka'i, American Samoa, Waianae on O'ahu, Oakland, Sacramento, San Bernadino in California, and Carson City in Nevada. The first five months were connecting on zoom and in workshops. They were followed by the eight young adults spending a month in the areas of Lake Tahoe, Fortuna, Meyers and Humboldt, California where they met with native American tribes - the Washoe, the Miwuk, the Karuk, and the Wiyot.

 Blue Water Exchange group that visited here and traveled to California tribal areas for cultural exchange.

Top row: Aspen Carrillo from Carson City, NV's Washoe/Paiute tribe; Wayson Josue from Waianae on O'ahu; Kailee Layaoen from Galt, CA; and Josue Canizales from San Bernadino, CA. Bottom row: Sierra Fata from Pago Pago, American Samoa; Chelsealynn Kobzi from Kahuku in Kaʻū; Athena Sabaria from Oakland, CA and Jesica Parker from Moloka'i. 

Photo from Blue Water Exchange

    Kobzi said that when visiting the Washoe, "we had a beautiful cultural ceremony on their ancestral lands, where the sand sparkled of fools gold. We were able to learn how to make pine needle baskets. We worked with the youth in their community garden, and had the privilege of riding in kayaks with youth to identity invasive species at Lake Tahoe."
    She said the Miwuk shared their ancestral lands in the El dorado hills of California where the temperature reached almost 100 degrees in the day. She said the Blue Water group learned to make cordage out of milkweed. They also made pine nut bracelets beginning with the nuts still in the shell and lightly roasted. "We shaved the nuts till the seed was exposed." She said that tiny wolf spiders crawled up my legs while I was mesmerized with my project. Normally I would be scared. It did feel weird but they felt harmless and curious."
    She said the group was "privileged enough to be able to cool off in their beautiful river where I met Whale Rock and Grandmother Rock."
    When visiting the Karuk, said Kobzi, "we were able help restore beaver dams, and identify different species of salmon. We had fun working together with the cross nets to catch baby fish." She said they also learned about "cultural fires and the importance of traditional burns which is making a comeback" in mitigating wildfires. She tribe partner with forestry prescribed burns. Kobzi said, "Traditionally it was women who gathered seeds before the burns. And it was they who started them. Some plants need fire to make good weaving material for baskets."
    When visiting with the Wiyot, Blue Water Exchange guests received traditional meals at tribal reservation called Table Bluff. She said the team learned how to measure tall Redwood trees with lasers and learned of invasive fish. We also got to camp for three nights with employees of the Six Rivers

National Forest and U.S. Forest Service. She said there was no phone and wifi service, but there were bears, mountain lions, poison oak and poison ivy. "We did hikes, grass identification and seed harvesting. We swam in the river...so cold and refreshing."
    Kobzi was able to welcome the group to Hawai'i Island, "where I had the opportunity to share my beautiful home with my new found friends. "We spent five days with James Akau at Kahuku Ranch. We had the opportunity to help rebuild rock wall at Kawā, listen to stories from elders of Kaʻū. We did invasive species clean up and native planting at Ka'iholena with The Nature Conservancy."
   Blue Water Exchange spent a few days at Kilauea Military Camp cabins for a few hikes and met with Mauna Kea Water Alliance. "We had makawalu workshops and mo'olelo workshops. We also did a very unique, diverse cultural ceremony for tutu Pele, which made it such a manaful experience, especially being a well seasoned hula dancer of Halau Hula o Leionalani with Debbie Ryder," said Kobzi.
    The group spent the last week in O'ahu attending a conservation conference  "It was inspirational to see such young youth so confident in knowing how to strengthen their communities and 'aina. We learned to make lauhala mats with tutu Lorna Pacheco. We worked on a invasive rhino beetle larvae removal, with Kanaloa, we planted wetland taro with aunty Donnie and uncle Wally in the valleys of Ioleka'a."
    Kobzi said she stayed an extra day to fulfill a life long dream of going to the Bishop Museum to see the rich history. "And spent relaxing moments with my new friends on the shore of Kula'ila'i in Waianae. It was a life changing experience that needs to be shared with the world...and I hope a few other kids from   Kaʻū can have the opportunity one day."

    Read more about Blue Water Exchange and the upcoming registration this Fall for 2025 at https://sites.google.com/bluewaterexchange.org/program/home?authuser=0

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