Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014

Before the mid-morning clouding over, snow on Mauna Loa hung over the Nishimura and Panglao cottages in Pahala today.
Photo by Julia Neal

STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION officials testified before the Senate Education Committee on bills related to education. SB 2139 would require all public secondary schools to implement a school year that includes 990 hours beginning with the 2014-15 school year and repeal the requirement that by the 2016-2018 school years, all public schools implement a school year of 180 days and 1,080 student instructional hours for both elementary and secondary school grade.

Kathryn Matayoshi

      The DOE supported this measure. “It’s about systems of support, contact time with students and how we collaborate when we’re not with the students that really matter,” said Mililani High School principal Fred Murphy. “To think about them in isolation is dangerous. It’s about the quality of instructional time.”

      The DOE also offered comments to SB 2922, which proposes to extend the school year by 10 days from the current 180 to 190 days beginning with the 2015-16 school year. The measure also seeks to repeal the minimal instructional-hour requirements beginning with the 2014-15 school year.
      In response to the question of cost that SB 2922 would create, superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said, “Our best estimate is that these additional days would cost the department close to $6 million. That figure includes salary, utility, maintenance and other operational costs.”
      Since the 2011-12 school year, the school calendar has been 180 days. In previous years, it has been between 178 and 180 days, except during state-enacted furloughs in 2009-10, when the school year dipped to 163 days.
      Any change, as the bill proposes, would require a change to the current collective bargaining agreement with the HSTA, which runs through 2017.
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SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED by Hawai`i Community Foundation. With the changing economic landscape, HCF has seen an increase in the number of those in Hawai`i seeking scholarships, including nontraditional students who are juggling families and jobs as they pursue their educational goals.
      Seventy-five percent of today’s college students are balancing school with work and parenting responsibilities, while financial aid for college students is decreasing as the cost of education is mounting.

      HCF recognizes the growing challenge of supporting students who are motivated to attain their degrees and achieve their career goals. HCF’s scholarship program consists of more than 190 different scholarship funds established by generous individuals, businesses, organizations, and private foundations. All of them are dedicated to making sure that educational opportunities are available to Hawai`i students who need and deserve them.

      In 2013, the Foundation distributed $4 million to deserving students, making it the third largest private provider of post-secondary scholarships in the state. Many of the recipients are hoping to attend college or university, while some are pursuing career and technical education at a community college.
      Students can apply to the scholarship program through a single, online application and, if eligible, be awarded from one or more of the funds housed at the Hawai`i Community Foundation.
      See hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/scholarships.

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New state American Federation of Farm Bureau presidents were recently selected,
including Chris Manfredi, top right, who presides over Hawai`i Farm Bureau
Federation. Photo from Grassroots News on fbnews.fb.org

CHRIS MANFREDI IS ONE OF FOUR new state American Farm Bureau Federation presidents announced by the national Farm Bureau Federation on its website. The American Farm Bureau describes the backgrounds of the new presidents: Oklahoma Farm Bureau president Tom Buchanan “raises beef cattle and winter wheat on his farm near Altus, Okla. He also grows irrigated cotton when water is available.” Illinois Farm Bureau president Richard Guebert, Jr. “and his son operate a farm in Ellis Grove, Ill., where they grow corn, soybeans and wheat.” Maryland Farm Bureau president Chuck Fry “is a dairy farmer in Fredrerick County, Md.” Chris Manfredi “is a coffee grower in Ka`u County, Hawai`i,” the Farm Bureau news reports. 

      See fbnews.fb.org/FBNews/Grass-roots/New_state_Farm_Bureau_presidents.aspx.
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Ka`u state Rep. Richard Creagan

HAWAI`I’S HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE has approved a bill that would limit the state’s liability in the case of accidents or injuries on public lands or on voluntary trails created by hikers and climbers.

      Many outdoors enthusiasts support the bill at its hearing on Thursday, according to a story in Civil Beat. “This is a good start toward preventing our natural resources from unnecessary closures,” said hiker Michael Bishop.
      Gene Park reported that another woman said she would move away from Hawai`i if she had to limit her weekend rock-climbing getaways.
      Mike Solis, an owner of a mountain bike company who hosts several races throughout the state, said Hawai`i’s outdoors community largely understands the risks they take. “There’s always a little bit of liability as we put these races on,” Solis testified. “We understand that our actions are our own. I don’t expect the state to be liable for my actions. I am happy to share in that liability or responsibility.”
      State attorney general David Louie testified at the hearing, “We’re not asking for complete immunity. We’re asking for a reasonable protection.”
      Daniel Quinn, state parks administrator, also testified in favor of the bill. “There are trails that are shut down,” he said. “Without it, we won’t have a clear definition of what is our duty to warn. ... Otherwise, we could just have signs all over the place.”
      All committee members present voted in favor of the bill, including Ka`u Rep. Richard Creagan.
      See civilbeat.com.

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Hawai`i Wildlife Fund continues its Ka`u Coast cleanups with its first one in 2014 next Saturday. Photo from HWF

HAWAI`I WILDLIFE FUND INVITES KA`U RESIDENTS to join a community coastal cleanup event at Kamilo Point next Saturday, Feb. 8. Volunteers should RSVP to kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com by Feb. 4 and bring sturdy footwear, sun/wind protection, a refillable water bottle, bag lunch, snacks and anything else needed for the day, including swimsuits (optional and weather/swell dependent). HWF provides trash bags, gloves, water refills, some five-gallon buckets and a toilet. 

      Volunteers meet at Wai`ohinu Park at 7:45 a.m. for caravan/carpooling to cleanup site. “We are limited in the number of passengers we can carry, so please RSVP early if you’d like a ride in one of our vehicles, or start arranging your own four-wheel-drive transportation,” said coordinator Megan Lamson.
      The groups usually finishes by 2 p.m. and returns to the park by 3:30 p.m.
      HWF and Recycle Hawai`i are teaming up again to sort collected debris for future recycling. The first 50 volunteers receive a one-of-a-kind 32- ounce HWF/Recycle HI water bottle made by Liberty Bottles. In addition, Hawai`i Kombucha will provide some of their kombucha tea for participants. Local artist Don Elwing will be showing examples of his debris art and will give away one of his pieces to a lucky volunteer. Plus, black oyster spacers and other fun debris objects will be saved for Pam Longobardi’s Drifter Project. Local jeweler and debris magician Kathleen Crabill of Nurdle in the Rough and longtime debris artist from Hilo, Beth with Seashore Collections, may also participate.

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Cast members prepare for Friday's opening of Once Upon a Mattress.
Photo from KDEN 

FOR THE PAST TWO SUMMERS, Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network has brought fairy tales to life with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. On Feb. 7, KDEN brings another fairy tale to life with Once Upon A Mattress, the musical comedy version of The Princess and the Pea, with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer. This show marked the Broadway debut of later stage and TV personality Carol Burnett, who originated the role of Princess Winnifred.
      The show will be performed Feb. 7 – 24 at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $15 general, $12 for seniors and students and $10 for children 12 and under and are available at Kilauea General Store, Kea`au Natural Foods, the Most Irresistible Shop in Hilo and at the door.
      For ticket information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

See the February Ka`u Calendar newspaper online at kaucalendar.com.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2014 ONLINE. For a page-turning version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, Jan. 31, 2014

Kung Hee Fat Choy. Today marks the Chinese zodiac's Year of the Horse. Photo entitled Paniolo Pride by Lorilee Lorenzo

HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK RANGERS rescued a lone hiker stranded on Mauna Loa yesterday after a winter snowstorm pummeled the summit and lower elevations with heavy snow and high winds. Jessica Ferracane, Public Affairs Specialist for the park tells the story:

Rescued hiker Alex Sverdlov (middle) stands with his rescuers, park rangers John
Broward (right) and Tyler Paul (left) outside the Visitor Emergency Operations
 Center yesterday. NPS Photo by Jessica Ferracane

           On Sunday, Jan. 26, New York resident Alex Sverdlov, 36, began the grueling 18-mile trek from the top of Mauna Loa Road at 6,662 feet toward the summit of Mauna Loa. He reached the 13,677-foot summit on Tuesday after dropping off his heavy gear at a lower elevation. The snowstorm struck on his late-afternoon descent, creating a blinding white-out. Night fell, and after a few futile attempts to locate his pack, Sverdlov decided to hunker down in the snow until daylight. His only protection was the clothes he had on and a bottle of frozen water.

           Earlier Tuesday, park management closed the mountain to visitors because of the dangerous weather. Sverdlov was the only registered hiker, and park rangers tried unsuccessfully to call his cell phone. They drove up Mauna Loa Road and confirmed his car was there. When Sverdlov’s car was still there Wednesday afternoon, park ranger John Broward decided to search for him by helicopter Thursday morning. Sverdlov was located by 9 a.m.
           “I’ve done many crazy hikes, but this one pretty much tops the bill,” said Sverdlov, an experienced hiker who successfully walked up Mauna Loa last winter. After locating his pack Wednesday morning, the deep snow made it impossible to gain much ground, and he spent a second frozen night on the mountain. Sverdlov worried that he’d die on Mauna Loa and was astonished when he heard the helicopter

Snow-covered Mauna Loa with the cindercone Pohaku o Hanalei in foreground is near
where Sverdlov was spotted. Snow-covered Mauna Kea is in the distance.
Photo by search-and-rescue pilot David Okita

            “Even the most experienced and prepared hikers can get into trouble in the park,” said Broward, who serves as the park’s search-and-rescue coordinator. “What saved Alex is that he had a backcountry permit so we knew he was up there, he is extremely fit, and he stayed calm. We’re all fortunate this had a happy ending.” On Thursday afternoon, his face sunburnt and wind-whipped, Sverdlov applied for another backcountry permit for the park’s remote coastal area. “This time I’m going to the sunny part of the park,” he said.

            To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

NINETY PERCENT OF LOBBYISTS may not be reporting expenditures to influence the state Legislature, according to those who want to close the regulations gap. Lobbyists can spend up to $25 a day per person. Regular breakfasts, lunches and small gifts are allowed – up to $150 per person per reporting period under current law, notes state Sen. Les Ihara, who recently introduced new legislation. 

    The Associated Press reports in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser this morning that Ihara, the state Senate’s majority policy leader, also noted that “lobbyists in Hawai`i operate under a longtime interpretation of the law by the state Ethics Commission that if the money they spend comes from an organization such as a business or advocacy group, they don’t have to report it in the disclosure system. The ethics panel’s position, Ihara said, holds that requiring that level of reporting would be duplicative. But ‘the Ethics Commission has misinterpreted the law,’” he said.

    “The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization, gave Hawai`i a D-minus for its lobbying disclosure practices on a 2012 report. The state’s system has not changed since that review,” reports AP. “The public should ‘know what gifts or entertainment that lobbyist provided to individual legislators,’ said Gordon Witkin, the center’s managing editor.”
     Lobbyists report expenditures in January, March and May. “Critics say this reporting schedule creates another problem, one that doesn’t give taxpayers and government watchdogs timely information about the influence exerted on lawmakers,” the AP reports, quoting Ihara: “When it’s months later people are going to forget.”

      See staradvertiser.com.

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Hawai`i state Senate, seen here on opening day Jan. 15, has introduced 1,127 bills.
Photo from Hawai`i state Senate

THE STATE SENATE HAS INTRODUCED 1,127 bills in this second year of the 27th Legislature. The deadline for bill introductions was Thursday, Jan. 23. 

      The measures are now being sent to their respective committees for consideration.
      The Hawai`i Senate and House Majorities recently announced a joint majority package of priorities for the 2014 legislative session. The last time a joint majority package was unveiled was during the 2008 legislative session. Lawmakers are focusing their combined efforts on supporting seniors and protecting the environment.

      Lawmakers have five weeks before First Decking deadline on Friday, Feb. 28. The wide array of bills under consideration includes everything from combating invasive species to looking at changes in minimum wage.
      For more information on bills and on the Legislature, see capitol.hawaii.gov.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.   

A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE A TASK FORCE to study whether the state should regulate the use of genetic engineering in farming is making its way through the state Legislature, with the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Higher Education approving it yesterday.
      Supporters of the proposal include the Department of Agriculture, the Hawai`i Crop Improvement Association and the Hawai`i Chamber of Commerce.
      Ka`u resident Chris Manfredi, president of Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation, submitted testimony saying the task force would create “an environment in which emotion and politics can be removed from the debate and a careful and comprehensive examination of the facts, issues and law surrounding biotechnology in our world may be examined, and sensible recommendations made.”

Gary Hooser

      SB2454 calls for the president of Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation, or the president’s designee, to be one of the members of the task force. Other members would be dean of University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, chair of state Department of Agriculture, director of state Department of Health and president of Hawai`i Farmers Union United or their designees. The governor would also select “four experts with scientific knowledge in the use of” GMOs in agriculture.
      Critics of the measure see the composition of the task force as biased and suggest that the proposal is an attempt to bypass recently approved county regulations on Kaua`i and Hawai`i Island.
      In his testimony, Jim Albertini said, “As a Big island farmer of 34 years and part of an organization that grows food to share with people in need, I oppose this bill as part of the pre-emption efforts to offset Bill 2491 passed by Kaua`i on pesticide regulation and our island Bill 113 (banning GMOs, with some exemptions).”  

      Kaua`i Council member Gary Hooser testified, “I support this measure in principle if representation on the task force includes members from each county and from small farmers that utilize conventional and organic methods, not just GMO technology. I believe including all affected parties is imperative and will constitute a more accurate and impartial outcome.
      “In addition, any statewide regulatory scheme must represent “a floor not a ceiling,” and not pre-empt counties from enacting greater protection if circumstances specific to that county warrant such action.”

      See this and other bills at capitol.hawaii.gov.

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THE HAWAI`I BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL has announced its strong endorsement of Ka`u’s U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for re-election in 2014 for Hawai`i’s Second Congressional District.

Tulsi Gabbard

      “In these divisive times, it is more important than ever for Hawai`i to have a strong leader in Washington,” said Reginald Castanares, Jr., president of the council. “Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has shown she has what it takes to bring people together to deliver real results for Hawai`i’s working families. Her deep commitment to service and proven leadership make us proud to endorse her re-election.”
      Gabbard said, “I am honored and so grateful to have the support of the Hawai`i Building and Construction Trades Council because they understand that to move Hawai`i forward we must focus on creating good jobs and strengthening our local economy to build a stronger future for all of Hawai`i.”

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TWO SUSPECTS IN A ROBBERY ON SOUTH POINT ROAD have been arrested. Trinety Crapser, of Ocean View, was arrested Monday after she allegedly threatened a Discovery Harbour resident with a hatchet on Sunday.
      Yesterday, police arrested the male suspect, also of Ocean View, but have yet to release his name.
      Police reported that a 47-year-old Discovery Harbor woman walking near her parked car on South Point Road had been threatened with a hatchet by another woman who got out of a white Toyota sedan. After a scuffle, the victim was able to take the hatchet away and throw it into brush on the side of the road. During the scuffle, the victim suffered a bite on her right forearm. A man then exited the Toyota, reached into the victim’s car and removed a bag containing a laptop, a cellular telephone and a wallet.
      The male suspect fled in the Toyota after a passerby stopped to intervene. The female suspect entered the victim’s car and unsuccessfully attempted to start it. She then ran into the bushes.
      Detectives have charged Crapser with first-degree robbery, third-degree assault and unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle.

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KA`U HIGH BOYS JUNIOR VARSITY basketball team won its last home game of the season yesterday. Final score was Ka`u 70, Kealakehe 41. Titan Ault was high scorer with 19 points. 

      Kealakehe overcame Ka`u’s varsity team, 63 – 83. Larry-Dan Al-Navarro scored 16 points.

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HUNTER EDUCATION CLASS is scheduled at Na`alehu Community Center tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Limit is 40 people on a first-come, first-served basis. Birth certificate or photo ID required both days. Participants must be at least ten years of age. No-shows may be replaced with stand-bys. Responsible adult must attend with those under 16 years of age.

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT TAKES PLACE tomorrow, when volunteers meet at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The Stewardship at the Summit program is ongoing, with more scheduled each Friday in February. Park entrance fees apply.

PARTICIPANTS EXPLORE THE FIVE RHYTHMS – Flowing-Staccato-Chaos-Lyrical-Stillness – during Ecstatic Dance tomorrow at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. The two-hour practice is guided by music that ignites creativity, connection, personal awareness and healing. Fees are $25 or $10 VAC members.
      For more, call Jo Caron at 443-6993.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline is today.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2014 ONLINE. For a page-turning version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014

Snows of Mauna Loa send a cool breeze through the tall palms above a Pahala home this morning. Photo by Julia Neal

A MEASURE TO FIGHT THE COFFEE BERRY BORER that has been ravaging Ka`u and other Hawai`i Island coffee farms for almost three years is expected to be passed by Congress this week. Ka`u’s Sen. Mazie Hirono worked with Senate and House Agriculture Committees to include language that lays the groundwork for a long-term federal investment to fight the borer. Hawai`i Island coffee growers praised Hirono’s work to secure an initial $1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last July to help set up the program, which is being managed by the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo.

      “The inclusion of my amendment to fight the coffee berry borer in the bipartisan Farm Bill is great news for Hawai`i and our economy,” said Hirono. “I’ve spoken with farmers concerned about how this invasive species will hurt their crops and our economy – it’s crucial we mount a concerted effort to protect our coffee plants. This amendment will help USDA, the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawai`i work collectively and efficiently to help coffee farmers combat and contain the coffee berry borer.”

The war against the coffee berry borer is on, with help from federal funding.

      Dr. Marisa Wall, PBARC acting director, said, “Through ARS’ Areawide Pest Management Program, scientists at the U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center and our partners have been able to develop integrated, biologically based control measures for coffee berry borer. This program enables us to optimize biological control methods, improve pest detection and mass trapping technology, manage coffee flowering and fruiting cycles and provide outreach to growers in an areawide system for CBB control.”
      Hirono added, “I am also pleased that this bill helps promote sustainable, local agriculture – from investments that help family farmers sell locally to supporting beginning farmers with training and access to capital. This bill was a bipartisan compromise, and I am hopeful that my colleagues and I can continue to work together to help the people of Hawai`i and the nation.”
      Additionally, the bill strengthens top priorities that help famers in Hawai`i and the nation. The bill:

• reauthorizes $10 million per year through 2018 for Education Grants to Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; 
• extends authorization for rural housing and general economic assistance to parts of Hawai`i; 
• extends the Livestock Forage Program and Livestock Indemnity Program to provide a safety net to Hawai`i farmers affected by drought or other adverse weather; 
• extends loan programs for sugar cane for five years; 
• authorizes $375 million over five years for Specialty Crop Block Grants; 
• continues investments to meet growing consumer demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, local foods and organics by helping family farmers sell locally, increasing support for farmers markets and connecting farmers to schools and other community-based organizations; 
• authorizes nearly $1.4 billion over five years for bioenergy research and development programs, including the Biorefinery Assistance Program, Bioenergy Program for Advanced Fuels, Biodiesel Fuel Education Program, and Rural Energy for America Program; and 
• extends the authorization for rural water programs, including Rural Water and Wastewater Circuit Rider Program, Rural Water and Waste Disposal Infrastructure program and Household Water Well Systems program.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Acropora gemmifera Photo from biogang.net

A CORAL SPECIES NEW TO THE MAIN Hawaiian Islands has been discovered in West Hawai`i by a research team of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources divers, under the leadership of senior biologist Dr. Bill Walsh. 

      DLNR spokesperson Deborah Ward said that not only is this the first record of Acropora gemmifera in the main Hawaiian Islands, it’s the first record of any Acropora species occurring around the island of Hawai`i. 

      “The presence of these coral colonies is a significant contribution to our understanding of local reef diversity and opens up speculation about what other rare corals may be found on the reefs of Hawai`i Island,” Walsh said.
      Several Acropora species have been identified in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; previously, several small colonies of the table coral Acropora cytherea have been reported from Kaua`i, and a single colony was recently sighted off O`ahu.
      According to Walsh, the discovery of this rare species in the main Hawaiian Islands emphasizes the need for local marine and land-use conservation practices. Members of this genus have a low resistance and low tolerance to bleaching and disease, which can be made worse by pollution, overfishing, and climate change. They are also a coral species preferred by Acanthaster planci, the crown-of-thorns starfish, which is a coral predator.
      Acropora gemmifera is common in shallow, tropical reef environments in the Red Sea, Australia, the Indo-Pacific, and central and western Pacific, but there are few records from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It does occur at Johnston Atoll, approximately 900 miles southwest of Hawai`i.
      There have been no historical reports of any Acropora species occurring around the Island of Hawai`i, nor were any observed in more than 4,500 DAR coral reef monitoring/research dives over the past 15 years, Ward said.
      Typically, this species is found intertidally and subtidally from one to 15 meters. The colonies can vary in color from tan/brown to green, blues and even purples. The Kona population is located in waters four to 10 meters deep and consists of tan/brown colonies ranging from young encrusting forms to mature colonies estimated to be at least 80 years old. A total of 75 A. gemmifera colonies were found at the Kona site along a 50-meter stretch of reef.
      This finding was recently published online in the journal Coral Reefs.

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Team Kripps won at the last World Cup event and is
headed to the Olympics. Photo from Charlie Booker

A BOBSLED PILOT HEADING TO THE WINTER OLYMPICS in Sochi has his roots in Ka`u. Justin Kripps, the son of Libby and Robert, is a member of Team Canada. Kripps, now 27, was born in Ka`u and attended Na`alehu School from Grade 1 to Grade 7. After attending high school in Canada, he was awarded a track and field and academic scholarship to Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.
      While competing at a track meet, he was spotted by recruiters from the Canadian bobsled team in 2007. Initially, he was recruited to be a brakeman, where speed and strength are essential. Kripps rose rapidly through the ranks and was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in Vancouver in 2010, where they placed fifth in the four-man event.
      He then decided to try driving the sled and proved a very quick learner. After only two seasons on the World Cup circuit, he has been named as a pilot for Team Canada. He will compete in both the two-man and four-man events.
      Kripps and his teammates started the current season ranked 15th in the world in both events. They have had a standout season, finishing ranked tenth in both the four-man and the two-man. They topped the season off with a gold medal in the final World Cup event before the Olympics. Team Kripps, competing as Canada 3, beat out many more experienced teams, including the current world champions from Germany.
      Honoring his home, Kripps names his bobsleds after Hawaiian goddesses. The two-man sled is Poli`ahu – the goddess of ice, and the four-man sled is Pele – the goddess of fire.
      Kripps’ parents are still in Ka`u and hope to watch their son compete in Sochi via the Internet.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

KA`U HIGH BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS host Kealakehe today at 6 p.m. for the Trojans’ last home games of the season. They travel to Waiakea and St. Joseph’s next week.

      Ka`u’s wrestlers travel to Hilo Saturday for a match at 10 a.m.

VOLUNTEERS MEET AT KILAUEA VISITOR CENTER in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park Saturday to help remove invasive Himalayan ginger from park trails between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. The Stewardships at the Summit program is ongoing, with more scheduled each Friday in February. Park entrance fees apply. 

JO CARON INVITES KA`U RESIDENTS TO ECSTATIC DANCE Saturday at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Participants explore the Five Rhythms – Flowing-Staccato-Chaos-Lyrical-Stillness – during a two-hour practice guided by music that ignites creativity, connection, personal awareness and healing. Fees are $25 or $10 VAC members.
      For more, call Caron at 443-6993.

KA`U HOSPITAL URGES RESIDENTS to complete its Community Health Needs Assessment at surveymonkey.com/s/93HQ5MX. The deadline is this tomorrow.

SEE THE DIRECTORY 2014 ONLINE. For a page-turning version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf. For a pdf version, see kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.pdf.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.