The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Monday, April 25, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, April 25, 2022

Hano Grace, Grand Marshal of Merrie Monarch Parade, is a longtime paniolo and brother of the late Roland Grace, Sr.,
of Pāhala. Hano works with Wally Andrade, of Na'alehu. Photo by Jovena Moses

KA'U CONNECTIONS TO THE MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL are coming in through photos of local participants circulating in the community. Grand Marshal in the Merrie Monarch Parade on Saturday was Hano Grace, a longtime paniolo and brother of the late Roland Grace, Sr., of Pāhala. Hano works with Wally Andrade, of Na'alehu.

One of the judges selected for the Merrie Monarch Parade was Bernadette Freitas, of Pāhala. In addition, Hui Malama workers decorated a vehicle to promote their health care work in Ka'u and beyond.

Grand Marshall of the Merrie Monarch Parade Hano Grace on second horse on left, with
his Pa'u Rider team and family support. Photo by Jovena Moses

Merrie Monarch Parade Judge
Bernadette Freitas, of Pāhala

ALASKA AIRLINES, A MAINSTAY FOR FREQUENT TRAVEL BETWEEN KAʻŪ AND ALASKA, has cancelled nonstop flights between Anchorage and all Hawaiian Islands for summer and fall. The direct flights to Kona usually stop during this time, with travelers routed through Honolulu. Without direct Honolulu flights Alaska-bound travelers will have to stop in Honolulu and change planes for another stop on the mainland before reaching Alaska.

The stop in direct flights between Anchorage and Honolulu was attributed, in part, to a pilot shortage. Direct flights to Honolulu are expected to resume in November and continue into June. The Kona flights are also expected to return.

Connecting flights on Alaska Air to Honolulu are in Seattle, Portland and LA.

PAUL CALVERASE OF OCEAN VIEW has been located in good health in Kailua-Kona, according to Hawai‘i Police Department's Kaʻū Patrol Officer, Sgt. Chris Correia. Calverase was previously reported missing. He was located on Monday.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at. www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

COURSES IN FILIPINO CULTURE AND HISTORY will come to local schools if the Department of Education decides to implement a resolution passed by both the House and Senate of the Hawai'i Legislature this session.

The DOE submitted testimony saying that the "resolution is not needed at this time," and referred to

Hui Malama ready for Merrie Monarch Parade.

"opportunities to study Filipino history, culture and history in four social studies courses required for graduation." However, numerous educators, including those in the University of Hawai'i system sent in testimony for the measure and Big Island Rep. Greggor Ilagan, of Puna, became a chief proponent of the resolution, shepherding it to success. West Kaʻū state Senator Dru Kanuha also supported the measure.

The resolution points to anti-Asian hate crimes increasing 150 percent, according to reports in 2020. It says that "research on the use of racist language shows that language does have a profound impact on how people behave towards marginalized groups.

The resolution contends that "increased education and understanding of Asian-American history and culture, and the contributions of Asian-Americans can reduce incidents of hostility, violence, and discrimination toward Asian Americans." It points out the lack of Asian American history curriculum in Hawai'i schools and states that "Filipinos are the largest Asian ethnic and non-white group in Hawai'i, at more than 25 per cent of the population, and have had a long presence and cultural footprint" throughout the state.

State Rep. Greggor IIegan championed the resolution to put more Filipino
language, culture and history in schools, along with more Filipino school staff.
Photo from Llegan

"Despite 23 percent of Hawai'i's public-school students being Filipino, the largest ethnic group in the Hawai'i department of education system, there is a lack of Filipino representation in the education system," says the resolution, contending that "Filipino educators are underrepresented in higher education and K-12 education, with Filipino teachers representing eight per cent of the teaching force and five per cent of administration."
The resolution advises that "when students are represented, they feel a stronger ethnic pride and identity, and are more empowered to positively contribute to their communities." It points to research showing that a "family-school connection, teacher-student ethnicity match, culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum, and language programs where students' multilingual assets are utilized," leads to "students more engaged and connected to their learning, resulting in higher levels of academic performance."
The resolution asks for a social studies course for high school students to learn about Filipino history, culture, and identity; implementation of Filipino content into Department of Education content performance standards; and integration of this curriculum into existing Filipino language classes and other courses and curricula, including language arts, math, social studies, science, and visual and performing arts.
It formally requests that Department of Education recruit Filipino teachers and support Filipino teachers to teach this course. The resolution was transmitted to the Chairperson of the Hawai'i state Board of Education and Superintendent of the Hawai'i state Department of Education.

Read testimony on the resolution at https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HCR&billnumber=56&year=2022

See The Ka'u Calendar April edition at

www.kaucalendar.com, on newsstands and in the mail.

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, April 24, 2022

Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala, under the direction of Kumu Hula Leinā‘ala Pavao Jardin took both the
Kahiko and 'Auana titles at Merrie Monarch Festival. Photo from Merrie Monarch

MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL WRAPPED AFTER MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY MORNING with announcement of the winners in the traditional Kahiko and modern 'Auana hula competition with Kāne and Wahine categories.

Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi took First Place in Kāne Kahiko and First Place in Kāne ʻAuana to take First in Kāne Overall, under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula Haunani and ‘Iliahi Paredes.

Hālau Kekuaokalā‘au‘ala‘iliahi took the overall mens title after winning First Place in Kāne Kahiko and First Place
in Kāne ʻAuana at Merrie Monarch competition this past week. Photo from Merrie Monarch

First Place in the Wahine Kahiko and Wahine 'Auana, earning First Place Wahine Overall went to Hālau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinā‘ala, under the direction of Kumu Hula Leinā‘ala Pavao Jardin.

See archived footage and still photos galleries and much more on the history of the event online. See all the results at www.merriemonarch.com

KAʻŪ IS ONE OF THE DARK SKY CAPITALS OF THE PLANET, with people staying here and moving here because they see an abundance of stars in clear skies, far away from manmade light pollution. Dark Skies preservation is mentioned in the Kaʻū Community Development Plan. This is

International Dark Skies Week and here are activities for learning more about Dark Skies:
Monday, April 25 - Instagram Live Conversation with Ashley Wilson, of International Dark-Sky Association and John Rowden and Audubon's Senior Director Bird-Friendly Communities on IDA's Instagram account. They will chat about light pollution and why dark skies are important for birds. Tuesday, April 26 - April 27 - International Dark Sky Week Paint and Sip with IDA Advocate Nurul Syahirah Binti Nazarudin The event will be live-streamed on IDA's social media at facebook.com/IDAdarksky and youtube.com/user/IntDrkSkyAssoc
Saturday, April 30 - Join Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic photographer and founder of The World at Night, and Bettymaya Foot, IDA Director of Engagement, for a live conversation on IDA's Instagram account about International Dark Sky Week, astrophotography, light pollution, and dark skies.
See more and the complete schedule at https://idsw.darksky.org/

JEANNE KAPELA HAS AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE PATSY MINK PAC. Kapela, who is running to be reelected to represent Kaʻū into Kona at the state House of Representatives, released
this statement this weekend, entitled Women's Rights are Human Rights:
"Equality is a fundamental principle of our society. Over the last few years, though, we have witnessed a shocking effort to undermine the rights of women, including attacks on reproductive care and the

ongoing erosion of economic prosperity for working families. In the face of discrimination, we must always defend Hawai'i's women. That is the cornerstone of the legacy of Patsy Mink, who authored the Title IX law that transformed our efforts to end sexual harassment and guarantee gender equity in educational programs throughout the United States. I am proud to be endorsed by Patsy Mink PAC in my campaign for re-election to the State House. As your representative, I will steadfastly support solutions to critical women's issues, like expanding access to reproductive healthcare, eliminating the gender pay gap, and passing a paid family leave program. To help me uplift women's rights at the Hawai'i State Legislature, please donate today to our movement for equality. Every contribution you make will be spent strengthening women's medical, social, and financial well-being. Hawai'i has always been a leader in reproductive freedom and gender equity. I am committed to safeguarding that heritage for generations to come."

A MISSING OCEAN VIEW MAN IS PAUL CALVERASE. Hawai`i Island police are asking for the public’s assistance with locating him. The 61 year-old is described as Caucasian, 6-foot-3-inches tall, 180 pounds, having brown hair and hazel eyes. He walks with a cane and was last seen in the Ocean View area on March 26, 2022. Calverase may also be driving a gray colored 2014 Jeep with Hawai`i License Plates, ZCU 359. Anyone who may have information on his whereabouts is asked to call the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.

KAʻŪ HIGH DEFEATED KOHALA IN BOYS VOLLEYBALL ON SATURDAY, 5-4. In the first quarter, Kohala bested Kaʻū, 27-25. In the second Kaʻū took down Kohala 25-17. In the third,
Kaʻū tromped Kohala 25-17. Kohala came back in the fourth, 25-19. The fifth saw Kaʻū triumphant with 15-4.

See The Ka'u Calendar April edition at

www.kaucalendar.com, on newsstands and in the mail.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, April 23, 2022

Kehau Kalani, of Pāhala, honored O'ahu, as its princess, with Page Jennifer Carruthers, and Outriders Nahua Guilloz and Kahau Gomes in the Merrie Monarch Parade on Saturday. Photo by Kai Kalani

KAʻŪ PANIOLO AND OTHER FOLKS JOINED THE MERRIE MONARCH PARADE in Hilo on Saturday, including Kehau Kalani, of Pāhala, reining as Princess of O'ahu, with her Page Jennifer Carruthers, of Mark Twain. Also accompanying were Outriders Nahua Guilloz and Kahau Gomes, with the cleanup crew following, comprised of Meleana Faumuina, Hilina'i Faumuina and Xian Solis-Kalani. Lori Lee Lorenzo and Ikaika Grace, of Pāhala, paraded with Hawai'i Horse Owners Association.

Ikaika Grace and Lori Lee Lorenzo represented Kaʻū
riding with Hawai'i Horse Owners Association.

Jovena Moses, of Pāhala, paraded with Hui Malama, dancing and handing out fans. The organization brings health counseling and care to Kaʻū and beyond.

Bernie Freitas, of Pāhala, was a judge in the parade.

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park sponsored a walking group, including some paraders dressed as endangered species.

The county Department of Environmental Management and its Deputy Director Brenda Iokepa-Moses, of Pāhala, sent a huge vehicle totally draped in greenery and flowers, reminiscent of the the last cane truck that carried cane to the sugar mill in Pāhala as it was shutting down in 1996.

Department of Water Supply and the Fire Department traveled the parade route, along with the County Band and Kamehameha School marching band, Mayor Mitch Roth and Kaʻū's representative in Congress, Kai Kahele and his family.

Johnny Lum Ho, the late renowned kumu hula, who spent much time in Kaʻū visiting the villages, was honored with a float by his halau. The Okinawa Taiko group which comes to Kaʻū for the Floating Lantern Celebration, brought its rhythms to the parade.

Okinawan Taiko drumming group, which has performed at the annual Floating Lantern Celebration put on by
Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association, gave its rhythms to the Merrie Monarch Festival Parade on Saturday.
Photo by Brenda Iokepa-Moses

Many Kaʻū folk took in the the arts and crafts of the annual event and some were provided tickets to the hula presentations in the evenings. It was the first live competition in three years, with limited seating for the the families and halau, sponsors and a few others. It was also the most technologically sophisticated of Merrie Monarch competitions to date for the public, with a live television broadcast and live-stream plus uploading of videos of performances shortly after they finished. Archived footage and still photos are online for everyone to see. See the reusults there and in the Sunday Kaʻū News Briefs. See www.merriemonarch.com

Department of Water Supply supports preservation
of precious water resources and recognition at
the Merrie Monarch Parade. Photo from Merrie Monarch

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/.See latest print edition at www.kaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/03/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.

DOES BANNING VACATION RENTALS HELP CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING? Grassroot Institute of Hawai'i issued an opinion statement on Satuday, saying it won't work, refuting the claim that about vacation rentals "removing housing stock from our neighborhoods," saying this conclusion "really goes astray." Grassroot CEO Kelii Akina writes that "it is important to focus on the fact that a ban on short-term vacation rentals will do nothing to Hawai'i's — housing crisis, but rather will cause grave economic harm to many Hawaii residents."
He pointed to an episode of Hawai'i Together on ThinkTech Hawai'i earlier this year, when he interviewed owners of vacation rentals who spoke about how this bill would make it impossible for them to afford their homes and could force them to leave Hawai'i.

The county Department of Environmental Management, which oversees recycling, sewage, garbage, junk vehicles and more,
put together this monster float for Merrie Monarch parade. Photo by Brenda Iokepa-Moses

Brenda Iokepa-Moses, of Pāhala, center, leads a crew to promote county

Department of Environmental Management, putting together a large float

for Merrie Monarch Parade. Photo/ Dept. Environmental Management

He also said he finds it suspicious that heavy support for legislation banning vacation rentals in all but resort zoned properties, "comes from the tourism industry, whose fortunes were slammed over the past two years by the loss of visitors due to the coronavirus lockdowns." He points to industry leaders have touted the concerns about the effect of vacation rentals on neighborhoods and housing costs. "But given that they were supporting regulation to eliminate their competition, it's troubling that such arguments were taken at face value, especially when there is little evidence to back them up."
Grassroot contends that research on how vacation rental bans affect housing costs is nebulous at best.

"There are nationwide studies suggesting that vacation rentals may drive up costs, but there are also studies like the one done by Santa Barbara City and County."

The late Johnny Lum Ho honored in the Merrie
Monarch Parade. Photo by Brenda Iokepa-Moses

In 2016, Santa Barbara was considering a ban similar to the one just passed in Honolulu, but found that the impact of short-term rentals on the long-term housing supply was "negligible, far less than presumed."
Akina said, "We don't have to depend on mainland studies. We can look at our own experience. Though owners of vacation rentals often explain that their homes would not qualify as affordable housing or long-term rentals, Kaua'i, Maui and the Big Island have all enacted some type of ban on vacation rentals. O'ahu tightened the screws in 2019. Yet, housing prices still went up. Even when vacation rental usage declined during the lockdowns, it didn't result in a significant drop in housing costs," said Akina.
"The sad reality is that, once again, Hawai'i policymakers are falling for easy answers. How nice it would be if something quick and simple like an 'empty homes' tax or a vacation rental ban could solve the housing crisis. But those aren't real answers. What we need are policies that will encourage homebuilding."
Akina mentioned in his column last week that "UHERO is my new housing policy hero. . We know that one of the biggest reasons for Hawai'i's high cost of housing is its regulatory barriers to homebuilding. The counties have played a large part in creating those barriers. Now, they need to start the tough work of dismantling them.
"Instead of a ban on vacation rentals, which is not going to bring down the cost of housing in our state, our lawmakers should be spending their time enacting policies that have been shown to work, like the Tokyo Model of 'light touch' density."
He said, "Hawai'i's housing crisis is the result of decades of misguided policy, and it could take nearly as long to fix. That is why we must work together now to identify and implement tried-and-true strategies that will provide us with the affordable housing we so desperately need."

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park parades family and endangered species characters at Merrie Monarch.
Photo from Merrie Monarch

EARTH DAY IS THE VOLCANO WATCH FOCUS in this week's column written by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. It talks about the endangered silverswords found in Ka'u and on Maui. It encourages actions to take, long term, to commit to the Earth Day goals and to understand the

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Fire Department
truck rolls through Merrie Monarch Parade.
Photo from Merrie Monarch

influence of volcanoes on the planet.:

Participating in Earth Day (https://www.earthday.org/take-action-now/) can be as simple as remembering to turn off the light when you leave a room or as involved as advocating for legislative change. Many people use Earth Day as an opportunity to educate themselves on their own personal carbon footprint (https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/). But have you ever thought about how natural events influence environmental change?
For example, you probably won’t see any thriving vegetation immediately following a volcanic eruption. Depending on the scale of the eruption, the surrounding flora and fauna have probably been devastated by some combination of ash, volcanic gas, lava, or lahars.
The resulting landscape seems inhospitable at first, but over time the volcanic deposits break down and release nutrients on which plants thrive. On the windward and wet east side of the Island of Hawai‘i, the substantial rainfall drives faster rates of plant growth, meaning the region can go from a barren and young lava flow to a thriving rainforest in under 150 years!

Office of Hawaiian Affairs leaders join the parade. Photo from Merrie Monarch

Volcanic influence isn’t limited to the nearby ground surface. Ash plumes from large explosive eruptions can temporarily block out the sun, turning the clearest day into the darkest night. The darkness can last from hours to days, or until most of the ash particles make their way back down to Earth’s surface. However, the smallest particles remain suspended high in the atmosphere, carried by wind currents for thousands of kilometers or miles.
You can think of these particles as trillions of tiny mirrors reflecting solar radiation back into space. Sulfur dioxide, a volcanic gas, combines with water droplets in the atmosphere and blocks solar radiation in the same way.
Large volcanic eruptions can block so much solar radiation in this way that they briefly impact the climate. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia, one of the largest eruptions in recent history, plunged the region into total darkness for two and a half days and lowered global temperature for five years. An even larger eruption from Mount Tambora in 1815 resulted in “the year without summer” across Europe and North America.
However, global cooling brought on by volcanic eruptions is only temporary and isn’t a solution to the current climate change crisis our planet is currently experiencing.

Kaʻū's member in Congress Kai Kahele with his family and supporters
in the Merrie Monarch Parade. Photo from Merrie Monarch

Volcanoes also regularly emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but it is unlikely that we would notice any significant rise in global temperatures due to a single volcanic eruption. For that, we’d have to look back millions of years to volcanic events like those that created the Siberian Traps.
These were large-scale eruptions that spanned millions of years and spewed enormous amounts of lava across Siberia. The resulting lava flows are known as flood basalts. They are made up of numerous and extensive lava flows stacked on one another. Flood basalt flows are very fluid and travelled very far from their source vents. The Siberian Traps eruption caused the largest identified mass extinction event on Earth. Emissions of volcanic gases were a major contribution to the extinction event, but the magma also ignited huge underground coal deposits that released vast amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. Sound familiar?
Today, human activities annually produce more than 100 times the greenhouse gas emissions than global volcanism (
This Earth Day season, whether you are admiring the eruption glow from Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea or just remembering to turn off the light when you leave a room, we hope you take a moment to appreciate planet Earth.

Haleakalā Silversword growing on the edge of Haleakalā Crater (approximately 410–530 years post-eruption). Photo by Paul Krushelnycky b) Fireweed growing on the slopes of Mount St. Helens (five years post-eruption). Photo by Lyn Topinka c) A blooming ‘ōhi‘a tree growing on what used to be the Kīlauea Iki lava lake (56 years post-eruption). Photo by Nate Yuen

See The Ka'u Calendar April edition at

www.kaucalendar.com, on newsstands and in the mail.

About The Kaʻū Calendar

Monday, April 25, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, April 25, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, April 24, 2022

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, April 23, 2022