Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015

CeAndra K., Diane L., Shania Lee S., Kalia G. and Cileyna K. won the coloring contest held yesterday during Pahala Community Center's annual Rubber Band Turkey Shoot. Photos by Nona Makuakane

RESIDENTS CAN BE THANKFUL that Hawai`i Department of Health has downgraded Ka`u’s risk level of dengue fever from high to moderate. A map released yesterday also shows Ka`u’s area at risk as smaller than previously.

Na`alehu's risk for dengue fever has been downgraded and decreased in area.
Map from Hawai`i DOH

      As of yesterday, 101 cases had been confirmed on Hawai`i Island, with 78 cases being adults and 23 under 18 years of age. Onset of illness ranged from Sept. 15 to Nov. 17. A total of 190 reported potential cases have been excluded based on test results and/or not meeting case criteria.
      A Mauna Loa Estates resident reported that a state Department of Health official notified her family that a case was confirmed near Ninth and Ruby Streets. Area residents should take extra precautions, including wearing long sleeves and long pants and using insect repellent on exposed skin.
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THE 2015 HIKI NO BEST NEWS Writing Award went to Kua o ka La Public Charter School’s Miloli`i Hipu`u Virtual Academy. Hiki No is aired on PBS Hawai'i and is the first statewide news program in the country that is produced and edited by students in public and private schools.

Hoku Subiono interview several project stakeholders, including Sandra Dawson,
TMT's Hawai`i Community Affairs Manager. Image from Hiki No

      The winning feature story, Mauna Kea TMT, dealt with student Hoku Subiono’s struggle with his love of science and respect for Hawaiian culture as opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope project held vigil on Mauna Kea. Students created the story with guidance from instructors. Subiono wrote and edited the segment, and his fellow students Dazza Kuahuia, David Watai-Simeona and Quinton Kuahuia assisted.
      Hiki No Executive Producer Robert Pennybacker presented the award in Miloli`i on Nov. 9.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

KA`U RESIDENTS CAN VOTE FOR HAWAI`I Wildlife Fund through Dec. 31 during Subaru`s Share the Love event. A $5,000 donation will be given to the nonprofit with the most votes at the end of the promotional period.

Subaru's Share the Love event ends Dec. 31.

      HWF sponsors several Ka`u Coast Cleanups each year, with the next one coming up on Saturday, Dec. 5. Sign up at kahakai.cleaups@gmail.com. 

      The organization is coordinating the event with attendees of the 2015 Hilo Symposium on Marine Debris & Tsunami Driftage taking place on Friday, Dec. 4.
      It is also currently accepting donations to help with costs involved in hosting this event, including some travel stipends for off-island participants from the Pacific Northwest (Canada, Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California), other Hawaiian Islands and Japan.
      See subaruhawaii.com/share-the-love.
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Shania Lee Silva with her
winning prize.

SHANIA LEE SILVA WON the annual Rubberband Turkey Shoot at Pahala Community Center yesterday. Participants shot rubberbands at targets in hopes of taking home a turkey to cook today.
      The event also featured a Turkey Coloring Contest. Winners were CeAndra K., Diane L., ShaniaLee S., Kalia G., Cileyna K.
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

VOLCANO SCIENTISTS FROM HAWAI`I, Chile, Indonesia, Italy and Japan participated in a workshop at the Mount Fuji Research Institute in Japan in early November. Talks and discussions focused on the best ways to protect tourists in active volcanic areas. Hawai`i Volcano Observatory scientists discuss the workshop in the current issue of Volcano Watch.
      “Japanese volcanologists have been quite concerned about the possible effects of a Mount Fuji eruption on the thousands of visitors who hike up the sacred mountain every day, the article states.” Rightfully so. “In Sept. 2014, an unexpected phreatic eruption of Mount Ontake, the second highest volcano in Japan (after Fuji), killed 57 hikers. Then, in late June 2015, a small ash eruption occurred at Mount Hakone, but potentially active areas were already closed, and there were no injuries or deaths.

Aidan Ahnes tries to shoot the turkey target at Pahala Community Center.

      “Japan has 110 active volcanoes (including submarine volcanoes), 47 of which are continuously monitored for signs of unrest. During the workshop, Japanese speakers representing volcano science and monitoring, the tourist industry, media and police described measures currently in place and those planned to protect tourists on Japan’s volcanoes, specifically, Fuji, Hakone and Unzen.
      “At Mount Fuji, in addition to tourists, approximately 560,000 residents live within its evacuation zones. During the summer, about 300,000 mountaineers visit Fuji, with up to 10,000 people climbing the volcano each day. Possible eruptive products for this volcano include lava flows, snowmelt mudflows and ashfall—a ‘kaleidoscope of eruption’ per Japanese scientists.

      “Methods to communicate hazards to and evacuate residents are similar to those in other countries. The challenge, however, is communicating with and evacuating hikers on Fuji, potentially in a short period of time.

      “Four main trails reach Fuji’s summit – Yoshida, Subashiri, Gotemba and Fujinomiya. “On Yoshida and Subashiri, the trail for ascent is completely different from the trail for descent. Mountain huts are numerous on ascending trails, but sparse on descending trails.

      “To reach and warn hikers on Mount Fuji, communication must be established to the network of mountain huts, but this does not help on trails with few huts. Therefore, alternate means of communicating with hikers are being considered.       “Japanese scientists have evaluated the specific effects of several different eruption scenarios and have devised hiker evacuation routes for each scenario. The evacuation zones are meant to minimize exposure to ashfall at varying distances from the most recent and likely future volcanic vents. Scientists have also compiled the 17 most prominent steepest-descent paths for lava flows on Fuji, and each path has its own evacuation route.

Mount Fuji is 12,389 feet tall, towering above surrounding communities.
Photo from USGS

      “Other workshop presenters also talked about recent volcanic activity in their respective countries and how hazards were communicated to visitors and residents. ...
      “A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist at the workshop summarized the recent lava flow threat to Pahoa. Impacts there were mainly to private property and not within a park, so tourist opportunities were not the top priority. However, Hawai`i County did eventually open a viewing area at the Pahoa Solid Waste Transfer Station for several months after the lava flow threat had diminished.
      “Kilauea Volcano’s ongoing eruptions attract nearly two million visitors to Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park each year. If and when Mauna Loa erupts, that number is sure to increase. Workshops, like the one at Mount Fuji, are invaluable opportunities to gain and share information on how to safely manage tourism on Hawai`i’s active volcanoes.”
      See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
      Shaka’s Restaurant in Na`alehu offers lunch beginning at 11 a.m. and dinner at 5 p.m. For more information or reservations, call 929-7404.
      Hana Hou Restaurant, also in Na`alehu, is open with a lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are suggested. Call 929-9717.
      Ocean View Community Center’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner takes place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more, call 939-7033.
      Thanksgiving Buffet is available from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. No reservations required. KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 for more information.

Crafters at Cooper Center offer shopping alternatives tomorrow and Saturday.
Photo from Cooper Center 

COOPER CENTER HOLDS a craft sale tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with about 25 crafters selling their wares. 

      In conjunction with Halau Hula Kalehuaki`eki`eika`iu’s wreath sale, there will be a special drawing for a Takefuton comforter sewn by halau member Tom Kaua Hoots.
      Donation is $2 per drawing ticket for the item valued at $350. Drawing takes place at 4 p.m. Saturday; winner need not be present. The halau offers free USPS mailing for a non-Volcano resident winner.

VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI Tour & Sale starts tomorrow and continues through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Meet artists in their studios throughout the village. For a map and more information, call 987-3472 or 985-7487, or see VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com.

VOLCANO ART CENTER IN VOLCANO VILLAGE holds its 2016 program preview exhibit tomorrow and Saturday, featuring displays of workshops, events and classes with some new and some returning favorites.
      The exhibit also features work by artists who are scheduled to show at VAC Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in 2016.
      VAC’s Hale Ho`omana is on Volcano Village Artists Hui Tour.

Dietrich Varez is VAC's signature artist. Photo from Varez

      Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park sell poinsettias, and VAC logo-wear and holiday treats will also be on sale.
      Call 967-8222 for more information.

CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY continues at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
      Today and tomorrow from11 a.m. to 1 p.m., VAC features various artists who are featured in the new publication Aloha Expressionism by Contemporary Hawai`i Artists, highlighting 50 of Hawai`i’s award-winning artists.

      Tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dietrich Varez, VAC’s signature artist, returns for the final day of Christmas in the Country for a meet-and-greet. He will be on hand to personalize books and prints he has written and/or illustrated, including his most recent Eva, as well as his 250-plus Hawaiiana prints.

      The Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.

KRHCAI's Floating Lantern Celebration is Saturday. Photo by Julia Neal

      Events are free; park entrance fees apply.

FLOATING LANTERN CELEBRATION is Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, Inc. sponsors the fifth annual event with taiko drummers, a qigong demonstration, hula halau, local musicians and a powerpoint presentation dedicated to loved ones, friends, family and caregivers.

DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE take place Saturday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Mark Twain with fun, easy-to-learn movements and songs from around the world, evoking peace. Last Saturday of each month. Call 430-1356 or 939-9461.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_November2015.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015

Volcano Village Artists Hui members welcome the public to their tour and sale this Friday through Sunday. See more below.

AS CONFIRMED CASES of dengue fever near 100, Ka`u’s state Sen. Russell Ruderman is calling on the state to do more to control the outbreak. 

      “I urge the state Department of Health to urgently do even more to control the dengue fever outbreak. Among the things that can be done is to establish a testing lab on the Big Island, which would reduce the response time from over a week to just a few days, allowing faster reaction to new cases and new locations of concern. And much more could be done to control the relevant mosquito populations and to reach suspected cases for testing.

Click to enlarge and read letter sent to Hawai`i Island
residents and visitors.

      “I applaud DOH Director Virginia Pressler for restoring Dr. Lorrin Pang’s involvement. He is one of the most knowledgeable officials in our state regarding mosquito-born illness, and his removal from the project this past week was deeply troubling. His involvement is reassuring, as he is clearly more concerned with public health than with efforts to save face, build reputations or minimize the publicity about the outbreak. This cannot be said about all those involved thus far. 
Unfortunately, it is perceived in our community that this was not treated as urgently as the situation deserved. Every resource available should be used, including asking the Centers for Disease Control for local help, now.
      “This outbreak is in imminent danger of becoming endemic on the Big Island. If it is entrenched here, Hawai`i will be on travel advisories worldwide. It is unlikely to remain only a Big Island problem, and it will affect the whole state financially as well as medically.”

      An informational meeting about dengue fever takes place at Ocean View Community Center on Friday at 6 p.m. There will be handouts, fliers and pamphlets available, including in Marshallese.

      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

HAWAI`I TOURISM AUTHORITY is monitoring confirmed cases of dengue fever on Hawai`i Island. “We are working with the State Department of Health and our marketing contractors to keep visitors to Hawaii Island informed of the situation,” the agency said.
      “As a precaution, we recommend that visitors familiarize themselves with information on DOH’s website prior to arriving in the state and encourage our stakeholders on Hawai`i Island to share this information with their visitors and guests.
       “We will continue to work with industry stakeholders and our global marketing contractors to ensure that visitors to Hawai`i know that it is safe to travel to the Hawaiian Islands and what precautions should be taken if they are planning to visit areas where cases have been found.”

      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

Deputy Police Chief Paul Ferreira, holding file, attended the CALEA conference
in Miami, Florida. Photo from HPD

HAWAI`I POLICE DEPARTMENT has earned renewal of its accreditation status, keeping it part of a group of police departments accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. Accreditation renewal was announced Nov. 21 at the CALEA fall conference in Miami, where Hawai`i Police Department was one of 96 law enforcement agencies being evaluated for accreditation or re-accreditation. 

      “The CALEA staff has worked tirelessly these past three years to ensure that this department would maintain its honored status of CALEA accreditation,” Chief Harry Kubojiri said. “Because of their commitment, the community can be assured that their police department meets the highest of professional law enforcement standards. I also commend all the department’s sworn officers and civilian employees for participating in the accreditation process and for embracing the CALEA standards.”
      Of the roughly 23,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, only about 1,200 have been awarded CALEA accreditation. A team of out-of-state certified CALEA assessors conducted an on-site assessment in July. The team visited district police stations and facilities and examined all aspects of the department’s policies, procedures, management, operations and support services. The team interacted with department personnel by riding along with patrol officers and conducting interviews with sworn and civilian personnel. Various community leaders were also interviewed.
      During the on-site assessment, the team took comments from residents in a public session and by telephone to give members of the community an opportunity to comment on the department’s ability to maintain CALEA standards. The CALEA Standards Manual was made available for public review.
      From this point forward, the department must undergo a CALEA reassessment every four years to demonstrate that it remains in compliance with more than 400 applicable CALEA standards.
      Goals of CALEA are to improve the delivery of public safety services by developing and maintaining a body of standards, establishing and administering an accreditation process for law enforcement agencies and recognizing professional excellence in public safety.

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Keli`i Akina Photo from Grassroot Institute

FOLLOWING A FEDERAL JUDGE’S ruling last month that a Native Hawaiian election for convention delegates may take place this month as scheduled, plaintiffs in the case of Akina v. Hawai`i have filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court. They ask for an injunction that would halt the Na`i Aupuni election while the case is being determined.

 In an Emergency Application for Injunction Pending Appellate Review, the plaintiffs stressed the timing of the Native Hawaiian election and the fact that in one week, on Nov. 30, the election for delegates will be completed and the votes would be counted, forever closing off the plaintiffs’ rights to participate in the process. 
 

      “We are glad to bring this issue to the Supreme Court,” Grassroot Institute President Keli`i Akina said. “As more and more people hear about this case, we have seen tremendous public support for our effort to stop this divisive and unconstitutional election.
      “Native Hawaiians have been vocal in denying that they have ever been – or should be – a tribe. They would, however, prefer to see the money being wasted on this election spent instead on education, health care, job training and other efforts to make a real and tangible difference in their community. The election process has been a farce and has only served to alienate and divide Native Hawaiians. It is time for the state to get out of the nation-building process and focus on the issues that really matter.”
      According to Akina, the emergency filing reiterated the point that the impetus and funding for the election came from the State of Hawai`i, disputing the defendant’s contention that this is a private election.
      “This ruling is literally unprecedented,” the appeal states in reference to the District Court’s initial denial of an injunction. “It is the first decision in American history (not subsequently vacated) to find a compelling justification for a State to prohibit individuals of a certain race from voting in an election.”
      To see filings and documents associated with the case, go to http://new.grassrootinstitute.org/2015/10/akina-v-hawaii-the-documents/.

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TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING.
      Shaka’s Restaurant in Na`alehu offers lunch beginning at 11 a.m. and dinner at 5 p.m. For more information or reservations, call 929-7404.
      Hana Hou Restaurant, also in Na`alehu, is open with a lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations are suggested. Call 929-9717.

Volcano Art Center's Niaulani Campus hosts a preview exhibit
and is on Volcano Village Artists Hui's Tour & Sale.
Photo from VAC

      Ocean View Community Center’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner takes place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more, call 939-7033.
      Thanksgiving Buffet is available from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. No reservations required. KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 for more information.

VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI Tour & Sale starts Friday and continues through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Meet artists in their studios throughout the village. For a map and more information, call 987-3472 or 985-7487, or see VolcanoVillageArtistsHui.com. 

VOLCANO ART CENTER IN VOLCANO VILLAGE holds its 2016 program preview exhibit Friday and Saturday, featuring displays of workshops, events and classes with some new and some returning favorites. The exhibit features work by artists who will be offering classes and workshops at VAC in the upcoming year. Browse through program proposals from painting and block printing classes to stained glass, pottery, horticulture, Zentangle, Hawaiian language, music and more.
      The exhibit also features work by artists who are scheduled to show at VAC Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in 2016.
      In addition, VAC’s Hale Ho`omana will be on the Volcano Village Artists Hui Tour with works by Tim Freeman, Elizabeth Miller and Cynee Gillette-Wenner.
      Friends of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park will be selling poinsettias, and VAC logo-wear and holiday treats will be on sale too.
      Call 967-8222 for more information.

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

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_November2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015

Learn to play `ohe hano ihu tomorrow in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. See more below. Photo from NPS

IT’S STILL TO SOON TO TELL if Adventist Health is a good fit for Hawai`i Health System Corp.’s East Hawai`i Region, Robert Beehler, Adventist’s vice president for market development, mergers and acquisitions, told Colin M. Stewart, of Hawai`i Tribune-Herald.
      Adventist operates Castle Medical Center on O'ahu and 40 rural medical centers in California. Ka`u Hospital is one of HHSC East Hawai`i Region’s facilities where Castle could assume management.

Robert Beehler

      Regarding the status of East Hawai`i system’s union Civil Service employees under such an arrangement, Beehler told Stewart, “Adventist prefers to have a direct relationship with its employees.”
      He said an independent review mandated by the state Legislature in 2009 identified HHSC’s employment costs as the primary factor causing financial losses. “It said that if you continue with this current model, with Civil Service driving an expense base, with pensions, benefits and these work rules, it creates a lack of flexibility that becomes an equation that’s difficult to balance if you’re in a market that isn’t that great with demographics,” Beehler said. “It’s going to be not sustainable.”
      He said an arrangement like the one currently being pursued by Maui Region and Kaiser Permanente could also work in East Hawai`i, as long as legislators acknowledge that “some level of reduced subsidy will be necessary, because the demographics (in East Hawai`i) are not as good as Maui.”
      See hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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UH Pres. David Lassner

THIRTY METER TELESCOPE will be the last telescope site on Mauna Kea. In a letter to Department of Land and Natural Resources Chair Suzanne Case, University of Hawai`i President David Lassner confirmed that the Thirty Meter Telescope project site is the last new area on the mountain where a telescope project will be contemplated or sought. 

      Lassner’s letter stated that it “shall constitute a legally binding commitment and may be regarded as a condition of the University of Hawai`i’s current lease(s) and of any lease renewal or extension proposed by the University.”
      The commitment fulfills the second point of Gov. David Ige’s 10-point “Way Forward” plan that addresses future management and stewardship of Mauna Kea. UH has also fulfilled the third point of the plan, officially identifying three telescopes that will be decommissioned and permanently removed before TMT begins operations.
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HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH reported one more confirmed case of dengue fever on Hawai`i Island today. Of the 93 cases, 80 are residents, and 13 are visitors.
      According to the Centers for Disease Control, dengue is endemic in environments housing about one third of the world’s population, mostly tropical and subtropical places that spawn about 400 million cases annually. Unusual amounts of rain this year has made the Ka`u climate more tropical and more friendly to mosquitoes that can spread the disease.
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Did you feel it? Map from USGS/HVO

AN EARTHQUAKE AWAKENED SOME KA`U residents in the middle of last night. The magnitude-2.8 quake struck at 3:26 a.m. in the mountains mauka of Pahala. According to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, low levels of seismic activity continue on Kilauea.

      Those who felt the quake can report it at hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

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THE SEASON FOR `AMA`AMA (striped mullet) closes on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and re-opens on Friday, April 1 of next year. `Ama`ama are about to enter their peak spawning season, which increases their vulnerability to fishing pressure. The annual winter closure is designed to help the fish reproduce successfully and protect the species from overfishing.
      Criminal and civil penalties apply to seasonal violations. Criminal penalties are a petty misdemeanor punishable by fines of up to $500 per violation and/or 30 days in jail. There is no per specimen fine. First offense civil penalties are up to $1,000 per specimen and $1,000 per violation.
      “We ask the public’s compliance with the closed season,” DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources administrator Bruce Anderson said. “While it’s DLNR’s job to protect our marine resources, everyone shares in the responsibility to take care of important fish species like `ama`ama to ensure their survival into the future.”
      Copies of statewide fishing regulations for ‘ama‘ama and all other marine species are available in Honolulu at DAR offices. Fishing regulations can also be found on the DAR website at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar. To report violations of fish catch size or net use, call DLNR’s enforcement hotline at (808) 643-DLNR (643-3567). 

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Sen. Brian Schatz met with refugees in Germany and Jordan.
Photo from Office of Sen. Schatz

U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ TRAVELED to Germany and Jordan on a fact-finding mission to meet with German and Jordanian government leaders and non-governmental officials over the weekend. He discussed regional and international efforts to combat the threat of terrorism and address the growing refugee crisis affecting Europe and the Middle East. 

      During his visit to the two counties, Schatz toured German relocation and Jordanian refugee facilities and met with German, Jordanian and UN officials to discuss daily operations of the centers and challenges they face in assisting the growing number of families seeking refuge and asylum. During his tours, Schatz also met with refugee families and listened to their experiences of coping with being displaced in Jordan and Germany.
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD MET with Egypt President el-Sisi and other leaders in Cairo. After conducting meetings in Paris with senior level government leaders in the wake of recent terrorist attacks there, Gabbard, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, traveled to Cairo to discuss the threat of ISIS and Islamic extremist groups, how to strengthen the U.S.-Egypt relationship to ensure stability in Egypt and the importance of religious freedom.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard met with Egypt Pres. el-Sisi, at her left, and other
government leaders in Cairo. Photo from Office of Rep. Gabbard

      Gabbard had a discussion with President el-Sisi about how important Egypt’s stability and success is for the region and for the world. President el-Sisi “would like to strengthen and restore U.S.-Egypt relations so that we may work together urgently to ‘decimate’ ISIS and other Islamic extremist groups who pose a threat to us and to the world,” Gabbard said. “The recent attacks in Paris and Mali are just two examples of the devastation these groups have caused. President el-Sisi has shown great courage and leadership in taking on this extreme Islamist ideology, while also fighting against ISIS militarily to keep them from gaining a foothold in Egypt. The U.S. must take action to recognize President el-Sisi and his leadership, support Egypt’s progress and stability, and stand with him in this fight against ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and other Islamic extremists who are our common enemy.”
      Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.

LEARN TO PLAY `OHE HANO IHU tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center lanai in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Participants learn about traditional uses of `ohe (bamboo), including its use in creating musical instruments like the Hawaiian nose flute.
      Free; park entrance fees apply.

Rubberband Turkey Shoot is tomorrow.

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN Pahala Community Center’s annual Rubberband Turkey Shoot tomorrow from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Register today at 928-3102. 

THANKSGIVING DINNER OPTIONS are bountiful in Ka`u.
      In Na`alehu, Shaka’s Restaurant offers a special for lunch that starts at 11 a.m. with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberries and pie for $16.95. Dinner for $19.95 starts at 5 p.m. and adds soup or tossed green salad. For more information or reservations, call 929-7404.
      Hana Hou Restaurant is preparing its annual “all ya can stuff in” feast for $18 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The buffet includes turkey, spiral ham and salad bar. Reservations are suggested. Call 929-9717.
      Ocean View Community Center’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner takes place from 1 pm. to 5 p.m. Turkey and all the fixings are free; donations appreciated. For more, call 939-7033.
      Thanksgiving Buffet is available from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp’s Crater Rim Café in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Menu items include roasted turkey, pineapple honey-glazed ham, sweet and mashed potatoes, steamed rice, green bean casserole, corn chowder, salad bar, desserts and a beverage. Cost is $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for children six to 11 years old. No reservations required. KMC is open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 for more information.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.swf
and kaucalendar.com/Directory2015.pdf.

See kaucalendar.com/KauCalendar_November2015.pdf.