The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, June 12, 2022

Lynette Paglinawan, center, wife of the author of Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends, with book editors Hau'oli Lorenzo-Elarco and Lihau Collier during a signing at Punalu'u Bake Shop on Saturday. Photo by Nalani Parlin

PLACE NAMES & LEGENDS OF KAʻŪ: Dozens of Ka'ū residents and those with connections to the area gathered Saturday in Nāʻālehu at Punaluʻu Bake Shop to celebrate the launch of the book Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends. The book is described as "a special 144-page collection of memories about storied places, songs and riddles that honors the traditions and people of this wahi pana (legendary place)" as shared by Tūtū Herbert Kūʻumi Kin In and Tūtū Mary Kawena Pukui, with the book's author Dr. Richard K. Paglinawan. Each person attending received a free copy made possible by Punaluʻu Bake Shop owner Duane Kurisu and the aio Foundation.

The book launch poster, signed by attendees who received
free copies of the book courtesy of Duane Kurisu and the
aio Foundation. Photo by Nalani Parlin

Dr. Lynette K. Kaopuiki Paglinawan, the author's wife, attended the launch with her family fulfilling a decades-long promise her late husband made to Kūʻumi Kin In to preserve and make the moʻolelo (stories) and ʻike (ancestral knowledge) shared available to present and future generations of his and other Kaʻū ʻohana.

Lynette Paglinawan was instrumental in getting the book published with the help of Kaiao Press by Native Books and the Puʻuhonua Society, after non-interest from other local publishing houses that stated that the book was too narrow and needed more to appeal to a broader audience to recoup expenses. When her husband was nearing the end of his life, he told her, "I never finish my promise," she shared. Lynette responded, "I'll make it happen, but it's going to happen my way." She said that she was grateful to those that helped her and stayed true to her husband's original manuscript.

After sharing highlights from the book with the crowd, Aunty Lynette signed personalized copies of the book, meeting and greeting each person like ʻohana.

"This (ʻike and moʻolelo) was given with aloha and now it comes back (to Kaʻū) with aloha," she said. Book editors, Līhau Collier and Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, invited attendees to sign a book poster commemorating the event.

Some attendees were known ʻohana, including Agnes Pake Kin In Publico, of Nāʻālehu, one of Kūʻumi's family members to whom the book is dedicated. Others were newly discovered relatives to Aunty Lynette. Mary Kawena Pukui's granddaughter Pelehonuamea Puku'i Suganuma Harman honored Paglinawan and the festivities with oli (chant) and a hula performed by keiki of her hula hālau. Local non-profit Hana Laulima Lāhui O Kaʻū assisted in the event setup.

A second celebration of the book's release will be held on Saturday, June 25 on Oʻahu. The event will take place from 4-6 p.m. at Arts and Letters located at 1164 Nuʻuanu Ave in Chinatown. All those with ties to Kaʻū are encouraged to attend.

Order Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends at https://www.nativebookshawaii.org/collections/new-arrivals.

The busy book signing at Punalu'u Bake Shop Saturday for Nā Ala Kūpuna O Kaʻū Place Names and Legends.
Photo by Nalani Parlin

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/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

SINGLE-USE PLASTIC PRODUCTS WILL BE PHASED OUT OF NATIONAL PARKS, WILDLIFE REFUGES and other public lands. To commemorate

Rep. Kai Kahele participated in Capitol Hill Ocean
Week, which was sponsored by National Marine
Sanctuaries Foundation.

World Ocean's Month in June, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued Secretary’s Order 3407, which aims to reduce the procurement, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging with a goal of phasing out single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032. The Order is part of the implementation of President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14057, which calls for Federal agencies to minimize waste and support markets for recycled products. The Order also directs the Department to identify nonhazardous, environmentally preferable alternatives to single-use plastic products, such as compostable or biodegradable materials, or 100 percent recycled materials, in an effort to reduce the more than 14 million tons of plastic ending up in the ocean every year.

U.S. Rep. Kai Kahele participated in Capitol Hill Ocean Week this past week. Referring to the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, Kahele said said "it was an honor to commemorate the 50th anniversary of groundbreaking legislation to protect our oceans, lakes and coasts ....As we celebrate the past, it is equally important to look toward the future to protect our ocean environments for our keiki. Let’s continue to draw on the vast knowledge of our kānaka maoli who mastered sustainable resource management and coexistence with the environment in order to preserve the natural treasures and resources of Hawai’i and future generations to come."
Earlier in June the U.S became the newest member of the UN Environment Program’s Clean Seas Campaign. Launched in 2017, the Clean Seas Campaign serves as a voluntary, multi-stakeholder platform

for individuals, civil society groups, industry and governments to promote policies, standards, and practices to reduce marine litter. The United States joins 64 countries, covering more than 60 percent of the world’s coastlines. Earlier this year, the United States also joined more than 90 other countries in signing on to the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and its goal to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030.
The U.S. also announced the Ocean Conservation Pledge, by which countries commit to take voluntary actions to conserve, protect, and restore at least 30% of waters under their national jurisdiction. "The pledge is non-binding, but aims to catalyze political action to significantly enhance ocean conservation efforts," says a statement from the White House.

JEANNE CAPELLA RELEASED A STATEMENT about her recent endorsement from the Hawai'i State Teachers Association to represent all of Ka'ū into Kona in the state House of Representatives. Her district, where she now serves, from Kona to Honu'apo is expanded to cover all of Ka'ū through reapportionment. Here is her statement:
"West Hawai'i is hard hit by our state's teacher shortage. Our classrooms are in disrepair, leaving our children without adequate spaces in which to learn. We lack the resources given to more affluent communities.

State Rep. Jeanne Kapela sent out a message on Sunday regarding her HSTA

endorsement to represent all of Ka'ū and beyond in the state House

of Representatives. Photo from Kapela campaign

"That needs to change. I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association in my campaign for re-election. I am committed to improving pay and working conditions for teachers, who have dedicated their professional lives to providing a quality learning experience for our keiki.
"I will fight to increase education funding, so that our schools have the resources they need to help our children achieve their dreams. I will support legislation to replace testing with arts, cultural, vocational, and place-based curricula. And I will champion community schools that offer social services on campus."
"Our schools should be a sign of our commitment to our children. To champion a well-rounded education for our keiki, donate today to our campaign for change. Every dollar you contribute will support a brighter future for our children."
"Education is the pathway to a more compassionate and prosperous society. For that reason, I will work each day to deliver the schools our keiki deserve."

Kapela is challenged by Republican Lohi Goodwin, of Ocean View and Libertarian Michael Last, of Nāʻālehu.

EXPERIENCE VOLCANO IS OFFERING SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. Organizers of the July 30 and 31 event provide four sponsorship levels: Apapane Sponsor $300; Lehua Sponsor $500; Kilauea Sponsor $800; and Mauna Loa Sponsor $1,000 (only one available).

Experience Volcano 2022 relies on no County or State funding and is sourcing support from the Volcano business and residential community and beyond.

Experience Volcano is free to the public. Organizers report more than 2,500 visitors and more than 40 events during the festival in 2021. "Our sponsors had a fantastic opportunity to engage with visitors and locals from around the world. As we countdown to the festival in late July, we need your support as a sponsor!" says their statement.
Sponsors are highlighted on the map and list of events with approximately 5,000 printed out each year. See www.experiencevolcano.com.

SPONSOR A BUCKLE,

VOTE FOR RODEO QUEEN

ahead of the Saturday,

July 9 Rodeo sponsored by

Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association

and ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Event to

be held on the rodeo grounds

behind Nāʻālehu Park.

Call 808-854-7917.

BECOME A VENDOR AT THE 3RD ANNUAL EXPERIENCE VOLCANO FESTIVAL on Saturday, July 30th and Sunday, July 31st from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Last year, over 2,500 visitors attended and over 40 events were featured during the EVH festival. All vendor spaces are $50 for both days of the festival. Sign up as a vendor or a sponsor at experiencevolcano.com. If you have questions, contact experiencevolcano@gmail.com.

SIGN UP FOR KAʻŪ COFFEE TRAIL RUNS with a change of date from July 3 to Sept. 17. Registration deadline for the annual event is Sept. 14. Organized by Hawaiʻi Island Racers, the 50K begins at 6 a.m., Half Marathon at 7 a.m., and 5K at 7:15 a.m., all starting from Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 96-2696 Wood Valley Road in Pāhala. Proceeds go to support ʻO Kaʻū Kakou. For more details on the event and registration fees, visit https://www.kaucoffeetrailruns.com/.

See The Kaʻū Calendar June Edition at www.kaucalendar.com

See The Kaʻū Calendar June edition at

www.kaucalendar.com,

on newsstands and in the mail.

SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

LEARN MORE ABOUT SPONSORS OF THE KAʻŪ CALENDAR

at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/05/sponsors-of-kau-calendar.html

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, June 11, 2022

Dr. Ashton Flinders of Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory co-leads the Voyage to the Ridge 2022, with NOAA Ocean

Exploration’s remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer to acquire high-definition visual data and collect limited samples

in poorly explored areas along the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and Azores Plateau. Here, Deep

Discoverer hovers above several large igneous boulders covered in bamboo corals. See more below. Image from NOAA

HAWAIʻI IS ONE OF THE THREE COVID HOT SPOTS IN THE NATION, reports The New York Times, with all three - Honolulu, Miami, San Juan Puerto Rico being warm weather tourist destinations. The story pointed out that Hawaiʻi had some of the toughest Covid regulations in the country, but stopped requiring pre-testing for mainland arrivals in March. Pre-testing for international arrivals ended nationwide on Saturday. Hawaiʻi was the last place in the country to remove mask requirements.

The story, published on Friday, noted that some rural parts of Hawaiʻi are recording higher Covid numbers than Honolulu. The positivity rate in Honolulu, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico is above 20 percent. Then national average is about 13 percent.
Also relevant to Hawaiʻi, is the increase in Covid cases in Las Vegas, one of the favorite destinations of Hawaiʻi residents. Federal and local health officials recommend mask wearing in all casinos and other public places in Las Vegas where the community spread of Covid is registered as High.

HAWAIʻI RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE CRYPTOCURRENCY TRADING. That's the good news, according to an op-ed from Keli'i Akina, President and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi. Akina writes:
The bad news is that Hawai'i's policymakers haven't given up the dream of regulating it into oblivion.
For years, Hawai'i residents who wanted to buy or sell cryptocurrency were stymied by the state's Money Transmitters Act, which demands that digital currency companies hold cash assets equal to their digital assets. For example, under this "double reserve" rule, a company with $1 billion in bitcoin and etherium must also have $1 billion in cash reserves.
This double-reserve requirement makes Hawaiʻi one of the most unfriendly states for cryptocurrency, and in 2017 — the same year that the value of bitcoin climbed from $1,000 to $19,783 — exchanges such as Coinbase, Binance and Bitstamp simply stopped doing business here.

Ironically, during that same year, both the Hawaiʻi Senate and House approved an exemption for cryptocurrency from the Money Transmitters Act, but that exemption was removed in conference committee and never passed. As a result, Hawaii residents were forced to watch rather than participate in the worldwide digital currency boom for the next couple of years.
Finally, in 2019, Gov. David Ige authorized the "Digital Currency Innovation Lab," a temporary regulatory "sandbox" that allowed certain companies to do business in Hawaiʻi without being subject to the double-reserve requirement.
Since the lab's inception, 134,000 Hawaii customers have been able to complete more than $800 million in transactions involving cryptocurrency.
With the lab set to end this year, Hawaiʻi policymakers during the latest legislative session, faced a dilemma: If cryptocurrency is going to survive in Hawaiʻi, it needs to be exempted from the double-reserve requirement. That small change in the law is all that is required.
But rather than passing a simple bill exempting digital currency from the double-reserve requirement, as contemplated in 2017, the Legislature instead considered a massive 90-page bill that set out an exhaustive program of regulation, licensure and oversight for cryptocurrency.
As the Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi pointed out in extensive testimony on the licensing bill, the proposal was fraught with problems ranging from being too bank-centric, to issues with privacy and data security.
Eventually, the licensing bill collapsed under its own weight, leaving policymakers scrambling for a solution that would not result in an abrupt end to cryptocurrency in Hawaiʻi.
They ended up approving a resolution asking the state to administratively extend the Digital Currency Innovation Lab project for two years, and a bill to create a task force that will study the issue.

The big question since has been: "What will happen to the sandbox?"
Well, now we know, and cryptocurrency enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief: The state Division of Financial Affairs and Hawaiʻi Technology and Development Corp. recently extended the sandbox until June 30, 2024, so — for now — cryptocurrency in Hawaiʻi lives.
We must realize, however, that this means there will be even more pressure on the Legislature to come up with a permanent answer. If our lawmakers continue to embrace heavy regulation and licensing schemes, this might be a short respite before cryptocurrency is killed off permanently in Hawaiʻi.
Under the byzantine licensing scheme considered earlier this year, Hawaiʻi would have gone from the worst state in the nation for cryptocurrency to ... the worst state in the nation for cryptocurrency, though perhaps slightly better than before.
If only lawmakers would realize that the answer is right in front of them. The sandbox is light-touch regulation in action. All that it does is remove the double-reserve requirement for cryptocurrency.
If the sandbox works — and judging from the pleas for an extension, it clearly does — then why not learn from its example?
There is no need to create a burdensome regulatory scheme when we have proof that a simple, common sense approach is better and more effective.
The clock has been reset for cryptocurrency in Hawaiʻi. Hopefully, policymakers will spend that time wisely and learn the value of light regulation. That way, we could make Hawaii one of the best states for cryptocurrency, rather than one of the worst.

The editorial is solely the opinion of the author and Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY'S DR. ASHTON FLINDERS WILL SOON BE ON EXPEDITION IN A RARELY EXPLORED AREA OF THE ATLANTIC SEAFLOOR. This week's Volcano Watch, written by USGS scientists and affiliates notes that June 8 was World Oceans Day, "a day to appreciate the huge body of saltwater that covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface." Here is Volcano Watch:

Sometimes it's easy to forget that our volcanic island is surrounded by oceans and one of the most distant places from continents on Earth. The ocean floor remains one of the most poorly understood places on our planet.

Dr. Ashton Flinders, research geophysicist with U.S.
Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory,
co-leads a deep sea expedition. Portrait from USGS

This month and into summer, Dr. Ashton Flinders, research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is co-leading a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Exploration expedition to a poorly explored section of the of the Atlantic Ocean floor north of and around the Azores Islands.
Flinders’ trip is the second in a series of three expeditions taking place from May through August 2022 called NOAA’s Voyage to the Ridge 2022. The expedition will be broadcast live as it happens, so you can follow Dr. Flinders on this exciting journey.
Flinders’ participation in this expedition continues a long legacy of HVO’s involvement in submarine exploration. During the expedition, he will work as a science ambassador, helping coordinate onboard and shore-side scientists to plan and accomplish exploration missions. He will provide his scientific expertise to assist in the description of newly explored areas including live narration during the ROV dives.
Flinders flies from Hilo to Saint John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, where he will board NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The ship will leave Saint John’s on June 16th, making its way 900 miles (1,450 km) to the intersection of Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR).
The ship will sail south along a poorly explored section of the MAR and will arrive in the Azores archipelago in mid-July. These nine islands are an autonomous region of Portugal that sit at the triple junction boundary that separates the North American, Eurasian, and African Plates. These volcanic islands are the expression of hotspot volcanism, though it differs significantly from the Hawaiian hotspot.
Spanning the north-south length of the Atlantic Ocean and stretching an impressive 10,000 miles (16,100 km), the MAR is the longest mountain range in the world and one of four major spreading ridges that create new oceanic crust.
The MAR is offset by hundreds of faults and is unique in having a deep fault valley along much of the crest of the range that is the site of volcanic activity and frequent earthquakes. In other areas of the MAR, spectacular hydrothermal vents often form where magma provides heat as it rises to the seafloor.

Thermal vents on the deep ocean floor are under study this summer with a Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory scientist on board the NOAA research vessel. Photo from NOAA

These vents are known to support diverse biologic communities that thrive on chemical reactions that replace the sunlight at the bottom of the ocean. However, little is known about life at these sites once vents go extinct, or what life lies beyond the vents, further away from the rift zone. Expeditions aboard Ship Okeanos Explorer have resulted in the discovery of new species, unseen before.
The Voyage to the Ridge expedition is a part of a major multi-year, multi-national collaborative ocean exploration field program focused on raising collective knowledge and understanding of the North Atlantic Ocean; the Atlantic Seafloor Partnership for Integrated Research and Exploration (ASPIRE).
The North Atlantic Ocean plays a pivotal role to humankind, providing biological and geological resources, seafood production and climate regulation, and a route for trade and travel between Europe and the Americas. With increased globalization, efforts to understand, conserve, manage, and defend the maritime commons have become an essential shared responsibility.
Seafloor mapping during NOAA’s upcoming expedition to the Atlantic will be visible on the live stream whenever remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives are not being conducted. ROV dives may span depths ranging from 820 to 19,685 feet (250–6,000 m) deep. During dives, they expect to explore deep-sea coral and sponge habitats, potential hydrothermal vent and extinct polymetallic sulfide systems, fracture and rift zones, and the water column. Dives will be streamed daily, from approximately 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT (12:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. HST).

Deep water corals will be among the species studied during
HAVO scientist Ashton Flinders' research this summer.
Photo from NOAA

Whether you are here on the Island of Hawai‘i, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, or remotely observing NOAA mapping the Atlantic Ocean floor in several weeks, we hope you take a moment to appreciate our oceans and the important role they play in making life on Earth possible.
Volcano Activity Updates; Kīlauea volcano is erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is at WATCH (https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/volcano-hazards/about-alert-levels). Kīlauea updates are issued daily.
Over the past week, lava has continued to erupt from the western vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater. All lava is confined within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and were last measured at approximately 1,900 tonnes per day (t/d) on June 8. Seismicity is elevated but stable, with few earthquakes and ongoing volcanic tremor. Summit tiltmeters recorded several minor deflation-inflation trends over the past week. For more information on the current eruption of Kīlauea, see https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/recent-eruption.
Mauna Loa is not erupting and remains at Volcano Alert Level ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption from the current level of unrest is certain. Mauna Loa updates are issued weekly.
This past week, about 30 small-magnitude earthquakes were recorded below the summit and upper elevation flanks of Mauna Loa—the majority of these occurred at shallow depths less than 15 kilometers

NOAA's Okenos Explorer will carry the expedition to explore hotspot
volcanism and discover news underwater species this summer.
NOAA photo

(9 miles) below sea level. Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements show low rates of ground deformation over the past week. Gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures at both the summit and at Sulphur Cone on the Southwest Rift Zone have remained stable over the past week. Webcams show no changes to the landscape. For more information on current monitoring of Mauna Loa, see: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa/monitoring.
Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.1 earthquake 15 km (9 mi) SSW of Leilani Estates at 6 km (3 mi) depth on June 5 at 3:01 a.m. HST, and a M2.3 earthquake 2 km (1 mi) S of Captain Cook at 9 km (6 mi) depth on June 3 at 9:20 p.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea's ongoing eruption and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity.
Visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

SPONSOR A BUCKLE,

VOTE FOR RODEO QUEEN

ahead of the Saturday,

July 9 Rodeo sponsored by

Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association

and ʻO Kaʻū Kākou. Event to

be held on the rodeo grounds

behind Nāʻālehu Park.

Call 808-854-7917.

See The Kaʻū Calendar June Edition at www.kaucalendar.com

See The Kaʻū Calendar June edition at

www.kaucalendar.com,

on newsstands and in the mail.

SEE UPCOMING EVENTS IN KAʻŪ & VOLCANO

at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html

LEARN MORE ABOUT SPONSORS OF THE KAʻŪ CALENDAR

at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/05/sponsors-of-kau-calendar.html

Friday, June 10, 2022

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, June 10, 2022

King Kamehameha is honored by two holidays, one on Friday with no work for state and county employees, and the
lei draping of his statues in Hilo and Honolulu. The other is Saturday, June 11, which is Kamehameha Day with a parade in Kona and the traditional draping of his statue in Kapa'au and the U.S. Capitol.

SATURDAY, JUNE 11 IS KAMEHAMEHA DAY, with Friday the state and county holiday for workers, as well as an Order of King Kamehameha procession in Hilo and lei draping at the King Kamehameha statues in Hilo and Honolulu. On Saturday there is the parade in Kona and lei draping of his statue in Kapaʻau, and at the U.S. Capitol. In Kaʻū, on Kamehameha Day, June 11, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. will be the launch of a new book on the Place Names and Legends of Ka'u at Punalu'u Bake Shop. See more below.

The holiday celebrates the life of the king who unified all the Hawaiian Islands from the Big Island to Ni'ihau in the decades before the arrival of missionaries.

The statue of King Kamehameha in Washington, D.C.
within the U.S. Capitol. Photo by Julia Neal

Kamehameha I established the Hawaiian Kingdom as an internationally recognized government in 1810. During his reign from 1795 to 1818, fur traders and merchants, picking up local sandalwood on their way to markets in China, stopped in Hawaii on their sailing ships. Pineapple and coffee crops were introduced.
Kamehameha’s great-grandson Kamehameha V established the holiday in 1871, and Kamehameha Day quickly grew to include such events as carnivals, horse and foot races, parades featuring paʻu riders – the flower-bedecked horseback contingents representing each island – hula competitions and hoʻolauleʻa. The holiday continued as Hawaiʻi became a part of the U.S. It was one of the first holidays to be written into law when Hawaiʻi became a state in 1959.

ALL REQUIREMENTS FOR COVID PRETESTING OF TRAVELERS COMING INTO THE U.S. EXPIRE this Saturday, just after 6 p.m. Hawaiʻi time. The federal mandate required testing within 24 hours before boarding flights to the U.S. Dropping the requirement received the blessing of Centers for Disease Control & Prevention determined it is no longer necessary. CDC is expected to review its policy every three months to see if the testing should be reinstated

According to the state Department of Health, Hawaiʻi County had an average over the last week of a 13.1 percent positivity rate for testing for Covid, much lower than Kauaʻi's at 26.5 percent, Honolulu's at 21.9 percent, and Maui's at 17.2 percent. Hawaiʻi County also has the lowest rate of completing vaccinations, at 60 percent, compared to 81 percent in Honolulu, 72 percent on Kauaʻi and 71 percent in Maui County. See all the Department of Health metrics on Covid at https://health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019/

A THIRD CASE OF MONKEYPOX was reported by the state Department of Health on Friday. Like the other two, the victims are on Oʻahu. The latest patient is believed to have contracted the disease through community contact. According to the Department of Health, contact tracing is difficult because incubation can be as long as 21 days. Symptoms of monkeypox are "fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, exhaustion, and swollen lymph nodes. Infection progresses to a rash or sores, often on the hands, feet, chest, face, or genitals," according to DOH. As with covid, the virus is spread through droplets and mask wearing can cut the risk.

The Zonta Club invites women who own businesses on this island to apply for micro-grants to
help them grow in the Pay it Forward program. Photo from Zonta Club of Hilo

MICROGRANTS FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES are available from The Zonta Club. Women entrepreneurs seeking financial support are encouraged to apply, says a statement from Zonta

Club of Hilo, which oversees this island.
The Pay It Forward program goal is to help women in this community start up or expand a business through a micro-grant intended to give a helping hand. The grant will be up to $2,000. Awardees are required to submit a written report after one year, and will be asked to present the report to the club.

Awardees are encouraged to Pay It Forward when they are financially able. The Pay It Forward program of the local chapter of Zonta was launched in 2014 with an initial donation from Nancy Cabral, a Zonta member and owner of Day-Lum Rentals & Management, Inc. "Cabral's desire was to encourage other women to achieve financial independence and business success. Since its inception, many other generous donors have contributed to these micro-grants for women entrepreneurs," says the Zonta statement.

Applications are available online at https://zontahilo.org/pay-it-forward-microgrant/ and are being accepted via email by midnight July 31. Send to info@zontahilo.org or by mail postmarked by Friday, July 31, 2022 to Zonta Club of Hilo, Pay It Forward Program, P.O. Box 1915, Hilo, HI 96721-1915.

For more information, visit zontahilo.org or email info@zontahilo.org.
The Zonta Club of Hilo is a member of Zonta International, whose mission is to empower women through service and advocacy. Hilo Club projects include Fashion Frenzy, Magnificent Me Girls Conference, college scholarships, and Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day. Website: www.zontahilo.org.

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/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.html tml

GET READY TO JOIN THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE at The Cooper Center in Volcano from 8:30 a.m. till 1 p.m.. The parade will start at the Post Office at 9 a.m. and will end at Cooper Center. There will be no parking at Cooper Center, except for handicapped permitted automobiles by reservation. Maps for parking can be found on their webpage at thecoopercenter.org. There will be crafters in the Carlson Covered Court, food vendors along the parking lot, an entertainment area, children's games, and a large silent auction from 9 to 11:30 a.m..