Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, April 8, 2017

Ka`u Trojans doused the Canefire Friday night to advance their winning record to 7-1 in
BIIF Boys Volleyball with a win over Christian Liberty and 14 kills by Trevor Taylor.
 See story below. Photo by Pam Taylor

A STRONG STATEMENT AGAINST THE U.S. MISSILE STRIKE ON SYRIA COMES FROM KA`U'S CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD, an Iraq war veteran and Major in the Hawai`i Army National Guard. Her interviews this week on national television and through other news services are followed by a statement she issued on Saturday: 

     "What President Trump did was illegal. Not only did he lack the Congressional authorization to launch a military strike against Syria. By launching missiles before the United Nations could collect evidence from the site of this week's chemical attacks in Syria, the White House has jeopardized the legitimacy of future attacks on chemical assets or the regime airbases used to deliver them.

     "If President (Bashaar al-) Assad is indeed guilty of this horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians, I will be the first to call for his prosecution, conviction and sentencing by the International Criminal Court. But the successful prosecution and conviction of war criminals in the International Criminal Court hinges on the UN’s ability to collect evidence. President Trump’s unilateral airstrikes inhibits our ability to gather the facts needed to present a legal case against the culprits responsible for the horrific chemical attacks," said Gabbard.

     "The fact is, Trump’s reckless escalation of the regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government will make things worse for the Syrian people, not better," contended the Congresswoman. "Have we learned nothing from our invasions of Iraq and Libya? The overthrow of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi, brutal dictators who attacked their own people, has resulted in hundreds of thousands more civilians killed, millions more refugees, trillions of dollars wasted, and the strengthening of al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist organizations. We risk the same outcome in Syria if we overthrow the Syrian government. Additionally, this attack on Syria brings the United States and Russia closer to a direct military confrontation.

     "There is a reason our Constitution is written to require Congressional approval to declare war on an another country -- so the people of our country have a voice and so our nation isn’t heedlessly thrown into war without a clear goal, strategy and endgame.

     "The stakes of war are too high to allow one individual to unilaterally and rashly make such a grave decision for our entire country.

     "The chemical attack in Syria is abhorrent and deserves a thorough investigation and prosecution according to international law. Yet we cannot allow this attack to be a rationale to throw aside our Constitution and further escalate the counterproductive regime change war that has already resulted in the deaths of over 400,000 Syrians and created the worst refugee crisis in modern history.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard visited Syria and met with leaders of various
religions, including the Rev. Ibrahim Nseir whose ehurch was bombed.
Photo by Abraham Williams

   "What Donald Trump did was reckless and dangerous. As the neocon hawks beat their war drums, we must drown their voices with our calls for peace," concluded the Congresswoman.

    On CNN on Friday, Gabbard said she is unsure of the claims that the Syrian leader was behind the chemical weapons attack, referring to a "number of theories." 

    Gabbard gave the example of false intelligence leading to the Iraq War, invasion and occupation, even though the administration took its case to the United Nations and to Congress where some members questioned the evidence on weapons of mass destruction, and voted against the war. With faulty intelligence, said Gabbard, "We launched a completely destructive, counterproductive war based on that intelligence which has now, years later, proven to be wrong."

     Concerning the blame for the more recent multitude of deaths of innocent people in Syria, Gabbard said, "There is responsibility that goes around. Standing here and pointing fingers does not accomplish peace for the Syrian people."  

Ka`u's Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard denounced any
escalation of  U.S. involvement in the Syrian War, saying it
could lead to many more deaths of children like these whom
she visited in January at an Aleppo refugee camp.
Photo by Abraham Williams

      Gabbard also pointed to the cost of war, saying, "We have to take at a premium the cost of these wars not only on the Syrian people and the people in the Middle East but the cost of these wars here in the United States at a time where we don't have money to build the roads that we need here in Hawai`i or in other parts in the country. Why should we just blindly follow this escalation of a counterproductive regime change war, sending American taxpayer dollars on these failed regime change wars that we've seen too often in Iraq and Libya and now continuing in Syria?"

      Gabbard met with Assad in January, in Syria, saying she was advancing a peaceful settlement to the conflict. Gabbard will hold Town Hall meetings in Kona on Tuesday, April 11 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Kealakehe Intermediate School and in Hilo on Tuesday, April 18 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Waiakea High School.

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Ka`u Boys Volleyball is on a winning streak into
the BIIF island finals, with Pete Dacalio's 16
kills on Friday.  Photo by Pam Taylor

WINNING IN VOLLEYBALL, KA`U HIGH TROJANS ADVANCED the team's 7-1 record by dousing the Canefire from Keaau on Friday night. 

      Ka`u Trojans beat the Christian Liberty Canefire in a hard fought battle, 27-25, 17-25, 20-25, 25-19 and 15-13 on the opponents' home court. Taking the win sends the Trojans into playoff games for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation II championship.

      Ka`u standouts of the night included Pete Dacalio with 16 kills, Trevor Taylor with 14, Buddy Flores with 12 and Joven Padrigo with seven. The Trojans, however, led in service errors with 15 and the Canefire six. 

    Ka`u Coach Josh Ortega said he was proud that the Trojans stood up to the Canefire at their gym, which was packed with Canefire supporters. Both teams used a two-setter offense. For Ka`u, they were freshman Kobe Moses and senior Jamal Buyuan. 

     Ka`u's only loss this season was to Hawai`i Preparatory Academy.

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People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, April 9, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

Senior IDs, Mon, April 10, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

www.kaucalendar.com

Ka`u News Briefs Friday, April 7, 2017

Hawai`i Senator Brian Schatz with Syrian refugee. Shatz tweeted on Friday that the refugee ban
should be changed. Photo from Brian Schatz

IS THE TRUMP REFUGEE BAN IMMORAL if Pres. Donald Trump is willing to bomb Syria in the name of the Syrian children threatened by chemical warfare, while closing the door on them when their families try to flee to the United States? This is a question on Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz 's twitter feed. On Friday, Schatz tweeted a photo of a Syrian child in a refugee camp he visited, saying, "This is a kid I met in a refugee camp in Jordan. He's from Syria, and he needs us. This refugee ban is immoral."
     Schatz also retweeted: "Trump must change his refugee policy if he wants to use morality to justify action. Public agrees: 68% oppose indefinite Syrian refugee ban." Another retweet: "Can someone explain how the U.S. can bomb Syria while still maintaining a ban against its refugees?"
      It was also noted on Schatz's twitter feed on Friday that Trump defunded the United Nations Population Fund, which offers maternal health care to marginalized women to deliver healthy babies. Among those being served are some 48,000 pregnant Syrian women, many of them  in refugee camps.
     Trump's administration is contesting Hawai`i federal Judge Derrick Kahala Watson's ruling that stopped Trump's travel ban on people from six majority-Muslim countries. The arguments will be heard in a Virginia federal court.

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JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH IS THE 113TH U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. The vote in the U.S. Senate on Friday was 54-45, with Hawai`i Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz voting no.                Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave extensive testimony in her opposition to Gorsuch, contending that he would rule on the side of corporations over people.

Pres. Donald Trump, introducing Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nomination
for the U.S. Supreme Court. The nomination was confirmed Friday.
Photo from Wikipedia

     Schatz contended that the public needed to know whether Gorsuch would favor the powerful, and whether he would uphold privacy rights and the woman's right to choose. Both Hirono and Schatz said Gorsuch did not provide clarity on these and other issues during his confirmation hearings.   
     The usual requirement for confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice  is 60 votes or more by the U.S. Senate but the Senate majority leader changed the rules to allow a simple majority vote to confirm Trump's nominee. It's called "the nuclear option." Gorsuch is expected to be sworn in on Monday morning.
     The lifetime appointment means that Gorsuch, 49, could serve for three or more decades. The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice, who would agree to ban abortions and live up to other conservative expectations,  replacing  the late Justice Antonin Scalia, are named as reasons that Republicans supported the Donald Trump candidacy for President.

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A poster for the 1944 U.S. Ag Census,
which has been taken since 1840.

KA`U FARMERS ARE INVITED to be included in the federal 2017 Ag Census, which produces statistics that help protect and obtain funding for such efforts as soil conservation, agricultural water and educational programs. The Ag Census takes place every five years and dates back to 1840.       Farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their operations and communities by taking part in the national Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the census captures a complete count of all U.S. Farms and ranches and those who operate them.       NASS is in the final stage for preparing the 2017 Census of Agriculture mailing list. For those new to farming and those who didn’t receive a 2012 Census of Agriculture questionnaire there is still time to be counted by signing up. Click the ‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button below and provide the requested information. Questions, please contact Kathy King, USDA NASS State Statistician, at kathy.king@nass.usda.gov or 808-522-8080. Go to Make Sure You Are Counted!

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FARMWORKS HAWAI'I has announced programs of interest to Ka`u farmers and ranchers. Melanie Bondera , who has assisted Ka`u Coffee growers, is helping farmers form cooperatives and write business plans and grants. Diana Duff will teach a two-day long session April 29 and July 22 on Business Plan for Famers. Classes will be in Honoka`a, free and open to the public. Registration is through the Kohala Center. See www.koha.la/fsaworkshops.  A class on beekeeping is scheduled for April 22. See more at www.farmworkshawaii.com.

Pancake Breakfast, Sat, April 8, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, April 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pele & Hi‘iaka, Sat, April 8, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, April 8, 4:30 & 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Jeannine Guillory with Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones present high-caliber jazz up-close & personal. Tickets at volcanoartcenter.org, VAC’s office & VAC Gallery.

Medicine for the Mind, Sun, April 9, 4 – 5:45 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Buddhist healing meditation for beginners through advanced. Free. Patty, 985-7470.

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, April 9, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

Senior IDs, Mon, April 10, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, April 6, 2017

The Storybook Theatre Dolphin came to Tutu & Me, Pahala Preschool and Boys & Girls Club on
Thursday to entertain and teach children about marine life. Photo by Julia Neal

MEMBERS OF HAWAI`I'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REACTED TO THE MISSILE FIRING BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP on Thursday. Trump said that when he ordered Tomahawk missiles to be launched from U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean into Syria to destroy an Air Force base, he was responding to the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's recent killing of children and others with chemical weapons.
     Sen. Brian Schatz responded with the following statement: "The Assad regime's use of chemical weapons is abhorrent, but a military response is not the answer. The president has failed to articulate a strategy to end the Syrian civil war. A one-off strike may satisfy our desire to hold Assad accountable, but it risks deeper escalation without any sense of direction or objective. And unless this conflict ends, we will never defeat ISIL and prevent its return.

Sen. Brian Schatz said that the U.S. launch of missled
into Syria risks deeper escalation.

     "Regardless, Congress must debate and authorize any escalation of U.S. military involvement against the Syria regime, as it is well beyond the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. The United States must focus on leading a diplomatic effort among our partners and allies in the region to achieve a political solution that results in a post-Assad syrian government that brings stability to the region."
     Sen. Mazie Hirono released the following statement: “The repeated use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime against his own people is an atrocity and breach of international law, and the international community must hold him accountable.

      “The Civil War in Syria adds layers of complexity in a country and region where there are no easy answers and opportunities for missteps are great.

      “In light of this, President Trump must present a coherent strategy for addressing the ongoing situation in Syria, including our own responsibility in confronting the humanitarian catastrophe and refugee crisis.”

     Rep. Tulsi Gabbard released the following statement: “It angers and saddens me that President Trump has taken the advice of war hawks and escalated our illegal regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government. This escalation is short-sighted and will lead to more dead civilians, more refugees, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other terrorists, and a possible nuclear war between the United States and Russia.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called the missle strike "wreckless."

      “This Administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning. If President Assad is indeed guilty of this horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians, I will be the first to call for his prosecution and execution by the International Criminal Court. However, because of our attack on Syria, this investigation may now not even be possible. And without such evidence, a successful prosecution will be much harder.”

      Gabbard visited Lebanon and Syria in January and met with Assad. She returned with a renewed
vow to stop regime change wars that lead to innocent people being killed. She plans to be in Kona and Hilo starting next week with Town Hall public meetings on local issues, as well as foreign policy. She will be in Kona on Tuesday, April 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Kealakehe Intermediate School and in Hilo on Tuesday, April 18 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Waiakea High School. 

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THE U.S. SENATE CHANGED ITS VOTING RULES on Thursday when it became clear that Pres. Donald Trump's nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, would fail to receive the minimum 60 votes to be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement:

     “Today, Senate Republicans destroyed a process that has been in place for years to accomplish their goal. of confirming a far-right Supreme Court Justice. Last year, they wouldn’t even give President Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland a hearing. And today, they changed the rules in order to ram through a nominee who cannot garner even 60 votes to sit on the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch would preserve the 5-4 conservative majority on the Roberts Court that favors corporate interests over individual rights." The new rules enacted by Senate Majority Leade Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) broke  tradition and changed Senate rules, bypassing the first-ever successful opposition to a Supreme Court nominee.
     The new rules will require a simple majority vote to confirm the Gorsuch confirmation, which is expected by the end of the week.

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A GUIDE TO SELLING LOCAL PRODUCE TO SCHOOLS has been made available by the Kohala Center on its Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program webpage. It explains that The USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program  provides federal funds to low-income elementary schools to serve fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks between meals during the school day. The Kohala Center has created a number of resources for schools and farmers on buying and selling local for the FFVP in order to support local farmers, deepen students' understanding of local agriculture, and provide students with fresh, healthy snacks. For more information, view Kohala Center's  FFVP webpage, which includes our FFVP Implementation Report and our FFVP Hawai`i Local Buying Guide with tips for farmers on supplying fresh produce for the FFVP and other child nutrition programs.

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Kiva and Hawai`i Food Producers Fund Microlans allow individuals to loan and borrow small amounts of money
to help finance food production in Hawai`i. Photo from kiva.org

HAWAI`I FOOD PRODUCERS FUND MICROLOAN PROGRAM will fund 50 percent of loans sought through KIVA. The loans are 0 percent interest to Hawai`i food producers. The Kohala Center, with support from the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and County of Hawai‘i, created the Fund to increase thapital available to local food producers and stimulate local food production. Hawai‘i food producers are Hawai‘i-based farmers and food processors utilizing at least one Hawai‘i-grown ingredient. Visit Hawai‘i Food Producers Fund page for more information.

       Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco. It connects people through lending to alleviate poverty. Lenders and offer as little as $25 to help with loans. 

See www.kiva.org. The Hawai`i Food Producers Fund matches the Kiva funding for producing food on the island.

       Internationally, Kiva has severed 2.4 million borrowers in 83 countries with a repayment rate of 97 percent, after lending more than $965 million, the organization reports. According to the Kiva website, its philosophy is that "lending alongside thousands of others is one of the most powerful and sustainable ways to create economic an dsocial good. Lending on Kiva creates a partnership of mutual dignity and makes it easy to touch more lives with the same dollar." See www/kiva.org

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A dolphin was beached at Pahala Preschool today as Storybook
Theatre came to town. Photo by Julia Neal

STORYBOOK THEATRE OF HAWAI`I came to Pahala on Thursday with performances at Tutu & Me, Pahala Preschool and Boys & Girls Club. Storybook founder Mark Jeffers brought his giant, inflatable dolphin and taught children about marine mammals and the health of the oceans. Children were able to also sit within the belly of the dolphin for storytelling. 

      Jeffers will also make presentations at Kamehameha and other schools in the region through next week. See www.storybook.org.

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Storybook Theatre founder Mark Jeffers teaches
children inside the belly of the dolphin.
Photo by Julia Neal

Stewardship at the Summit, April 7, 14, 22, 29; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers clear ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/havo

Tropical Flower Arranging, Fri, April 7, 1 – 3 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Kaipo Ah Chong helps participants welcome spring. $45 plus $20 supply fee. 967-8222

Pancake Breakfast, Sat, April 8, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, April 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pele & Hi‘iaka, Sat, April 8, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, April 8, 4:30 & 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Jeannine Guillory with Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones present high-caliber jazz up-close & personal. Tickets at volcanoartcenter.org, VAC’s office & VAC Gallery.