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Thursday, October 26, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023

Great blocking by the Trojans helped lead to their victory over Kohala on Thursday. Photo by Brenda Iokepa Moses

KAʻŪ TROJANS LADIES VOLLEYBALL WON ITS PLAYOFF GAME AT the Herkes Kaʻū District
Kaʻū moves onto finals on Saturday for the island
championship. Photo by Julia Neal

Gym on Thursday, taking down Kohala in four sets, 26-24, 25-17, 24-26 and 25-11. Precious Mareko-Ke was one of the top players with 24 kills and eight blocks. The Trojans head next to Kamehameha School for the final playoff game this Saturday, Oct. 28. If they win, they take the island championship and go to states on O'ahu, Nov. 8-11.

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A SEASON WRAPUP STATEMENT FROM KAʻŪ  TROJAN FOOTBALL STAFF was issued on Thursday, following the last game of the season last week at Honoka'a. The team finished with a 3-7 record for the season, and was top performer this year among the smaller schools that formerly played 8-man football.
    "While there were missed opportunities, the team played very inspired football during the second half of the season. The back to back victories at home over Kohala and Pahoa provided the loyal Trojan fans with some good football memories," says the football staff.
Trojan Volleyball Ladies walk the line to mahalo Kohala
players after the match. Photo by Julia Neal
    There were many school records set this year for 11-man football. For team records, this year’s team scored 222 points to break the previous record from 1965 of 201 points scored. This year’s team set the school record for offensive yards gained in a game with 596 yards at the Honoka'a Dragons game on Oct. 20. This broke the previous record set by this year’s team who gained 539 yards against the Pahoa Dragons on Sept. 30. This year’s team also broke the single game scoring record by scoring 60 points vs. Kohala on on Sept. 23. This broke the previous record of 58 set by the 2021 team. This year’s team narrowly missed the record for yards gained in a season by compiling 3,184 yards for second all-time status. The 2022 team recorded 3,210 yards gained.
    For individual records set, Trojans were led by Adahdiyah Ellis-Reys who broke the single game passing record with 301 yards passed against Honoka'a on Oct. 20. "Diyah finished the season with an amazing 2123 yards of total offense 1356 yards passing, 757 yards rushing, and 10 yards receiving. This may be a new record, but is unconfirmed at this time," according to the football staff.
    Ocean Nihipali-Sesson ran the ball 156 times for 881 yards and 13 TDs. He also hauled in 18 passes for 262 yards and 2 TDs. He set new individual records for yards rushing, TDs rushing, and total TDs for a season. "Including his 2pt conversions, Ocean broke the individual school record for scoring with 102
points, becoming the first Kaʻū player to break 100 points scored. TJ Kuahuia-Faafia caught 38 passes (new record) for 715 yards (new record) and 9 TDs (new record). The 38 passes caught broke former Trojan, Mike Alcoran's record from 2010," reports the football staff.

Kaʻū Trojans football team, comprised of Kaʻū High and Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences
students broke many of the school records for the team and individuals. Photo by Mark Peters







           Other statistics for this year’s team include La'a Kajiwara-Ke leading the team in tackles with 56 tackles. Ellis-Reyes and Keaka McDonnell both had 3 interceptions. Stephen Adler added a 70 yard interception returned for a TD at home against the Kohala Cowboys, "which was one of the season’s highlights. This year’s Trojan offense featured a balance between a tough controlled ground game, with the ability to strike it big at any time. This year’s offense had 14 plays of 40+ yards," says the football staff, wrapping up with, "Congratulations to this year’s team on your accomplishments. Mahalo to our Trojan Seniors – Jaestin Karasuda, Keaka McDonnell, Kainalu Wanzer, Stephen Adler, TJ Kuahuia-Faafia, La’a Kajiwara-Ke, Joe Buyuan, Ocean Nihipali-Sesson, Dakota Seaver, and Dominic Nurial-Dacalio."
    This year’s team finished with Ted Blanco as the Head Coach who was assisted by Garrett Greedy, Mark Peters, Greg Rush, Walter Parada, Chris Loy, and Kevin Brown. Athletic Director for Kau is Jaime Guerpo. The team’s Athletic Trainer is Moses Whitcomb. "The football staff would like to thank our community for supporting this year’s team. Your support at home and away was felt by the team at every game."

EVERY KID OUTDOORS HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS will be this Saturday at Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park's  Kīlauea Visitor Center and Kahuku Visitor Contact Station from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with fun filled family-friendly events.    
NPS Photo of three park staff dressed as a wizard, a bat and
 a scary Star Wars character who is Luke's daddy.
    At Kīlauea, decorate a park-themed mask then explore the trails and look for clues to earn charms for the mask. At Kahuku, come for the third annual Halloween Bingo Scavenger Hunt. Return to the visitor centers for a treat bag provided by the Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association.
    Costumes are encouraged.  Families with fourth graders receive a free park entrance. Complete the online activity on www.everykidoutdoors.gov and print the paper voucher to bring to the park in exchange for a fourth-grade pass.

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UNREST CONTINUES AT KĪLAUEA SUMMIT is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch written by
U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
    The most recent eruption at Kīlauea's summit began on Sunday, Sept. 10. Following weeks of heightened unrest, fissures opened on the Halema'uma'u crater floor and to the east on the "down dropped block," a remnant of the older caldera floor that collapsed in 2018.
    The eruption was short lived, ending just a week later, on September 16. Lava stopped flowing. Gas emissions diminished. Seismicity and ground deformation returned to "background" levels. Things got quiet. But not for long.
    A new series of earthquake swarms began suddenly at Kīlauea's summit on Oct. 4. Activity escalated quickly and more than 250 earthquakes were recorded in the south caldera region on Oct. 5. Seismicity at this scale has been observed prior to recent Kīlauea summit eruptions, but as we know, a new eruption did not begin in early October.
      Instead, intermittent seismic swarms have continued, varying from less than 20 events per day to more than 150 events on October 22. Most earthquakes have been smaller than magnitude-2 and have occurred at depths of around 1–3 km (0.6–2 mi) below the surface. Seismic signals indicating magma movement—such as low-frequency tremor—have also been observed, most recently on October 23.
    Ground deformation rates increased in early October as well. The Sand Hill tiltmeter, located southwest of the caldera, has recorded approximately 120 microradians of change over the past three weeks. GPS and satellite radar data confirm that over 10 cm (4 in) of uplift has occurred in the south caldera region since late September. Northeast of the caldera, the Uēkahuna tiltmeter has recorded approximately 20 microradians of change over the past three weeks.    

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea summit. Yellow circles denote earthquake locations from October 4–24, 2023, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Nearly 2,000 earthquakes were detected during this time period. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation from September 24–October 10 as measured by satellite radar. Approximately 10 cm (4 inches) of uplift was detected during this time period. Each color cycle represents 1.5 cm (0.6 in) of ground motion toward the satellite, indicating uplift associated with a magmatic intrusion. Map from USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
 Deformation has also been intermittent, with days-long periods of increased rates alternating with similar-duration periods of little or no displacement. Increased numbers of earthquakes have generally coincided with increased rates of ground motion at Sand Hill, as seen on October 4–6, 16–18, and 21–23.
    These observations indicate that magma is accumulating in the geologically complex south caldera region. Examining history, this is not surprising.
    Numerous intrusions have been recorded here in the past, most recently in 2021 and 2015. In August 2021, an intrusion here occurred over about a week and was followed by an eruption within Halema'uma'u about a month later (September 29, 2021). In May 2015, an intrusion here lasted less than a week and occurred during ongoing eruptions within Halema'uma'u and at Pu'u'ō'ō.
    Intrusions also occurred here in the 1960s, 1970s, early 1980s, and in 2006. But only one, in December 1974, led to an eruption. It migrated southward from the caldera and then reached the surface, erupting as a series of short fissure segments with a total length of 5 km (3 mi), as it turned southwest. Of note is the fact that, before the 1974 eruption, earthquakes had migrated farther southwest than HVO has observed during recent unrest.
    Although it is not possible to forecast an exact outcome from current unrest, here are three possible scenarios that could play out in the coming days to weeks.
    Magma could continue to accumulate but eventually stop, with no eruption.
    Or, magma could continue to accumulate, followed by a summit eruption inside the caldera—similar to recent eruptions at Halema'uma'u. If this happens, we expect to see accelerating deformation and seismicity beneath the caldera 1–2 hours before an eruption.
    Or, magma could continue to accumulate, with an eventual summit eruption outside the caldera, to the south or southwest. If this happens, we expect to see earthquakes migrating southward as they did in December 1974, followed by accelerating deformation and seismicity 1–2 hours before an eruption.  
    The timeframe for any scenario is uncertain. With permission from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, HVO has installed two new webcams to better monitor the south caldera region ([MITDcam] - Kīlauea's upper Southwest Rift Zone, looking north and [S2cam] - Kīlauea's upper Southwest Rift Zone, looking southwest). Considering potential volcanic hazards, the National Park has closed trails near areas of unrest.
    Unrest continues at Kīlauea summit. HVO is watching closely. Time will tell what happens next!

Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
    The area just south of Kīlauea's summit continues to show signs of episodic unrest. Overall, inflation at the summit of Kīlauea remains high and has surpassed the level seen just before the most recent eruption on September 10th. Seismicity in the region south of Kīlauea caldera summit continues, though at decreased rates from the peak in activity on October 6. The most recent sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate, of approximately 100 tonnes per day, was measured on October 19.
    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
    Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates indicate slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the recent eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
    Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M29 earthquake 1 km (1 mi) WSW of Pāhala at 32 km (20 mi) depth on Oct. 23 at 7:37 p.m. HST and a M3.5 earthquake 11 km (6 mi) NE of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on Oct. 19 at 5:09 p.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

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HPD ARRESTED 15 FOR DUI the week of Oct.16, through Oct. 22. Hawai‘i Island police arrested 15 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Three of the drivers were involved in a traffic collision. One of the drivers was under the age of 21.
   So far this year, there have been 786 DUI arrests compared with 799 during the same period last year, a decrease of 1.6 percent.
   Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 677 major collisions so far this year compared with 666 during the same period last year, an increase of 1.7 percent.
   To date, there have been 14 fatal crashes, resulting in 15 fatalities, (one with multiple deaths); compared with 28 fatal crashes, resulting in 30 fatalities (one of which had multiple deaths, and one was reclassified to a medical condition) for the same time last year. This represents a decrease of 50 percent for fatal crashes, and 50 percent for fatalities.
    To date, the non-traffic fatality count (not on a public roadway) so far this year is one compared to zero non-traffic fatalities for the same time last year.
   HPD promises that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023

Coffee Leaf Rust, a threat to all Kaʻū Coffee farmers is subject of three upcoming webinars,
one of them on Thursday, sponsored by Hawai'i Coffee Association. Photo from HCA
HAWAI'I COFFEE ASSOCIATION IS URGING KAʻŪ COFFE GROWERS to attend three webinars beginning on Thursday at 10 a.m.. The concern is Coffee Leaf Rust, a deadly invasive that can severely reduce production and kill off a coffee farm. HCA also urges farm staff, including seasonal pickers who may work on multiple farms, to embrace the new sanitation protocol to mitigate the spread of this fungus. 
    "We also encourage you to share this webinar information with your farm staff," says the notice from HCA. The webinar series is provided as a free resource for association members and the broader community. It is designed to provide important updates on the Coffee Leaf Rust disease in Hawai'i. 
    Each of the three webinar sessions will have Q&A at the end
    The first webinar is CLR on Hawaii Island: Biology, Cultural and Chemical Control Options
with Melissa Johnson. It is tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 26, at 10am. Join Here at  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86011241179#success.
     The second webinar is Controlling CLR: From the Lab to the Field with Lisa Keith. It is Thursday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. Join Here at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86511170149?pwd=rk9CTHlUGhNCeGkWgR80TH7a4z9EQS.1#success.
    The third webinar is CLR Resistant Varietals with Tracie Matsumoto. Date and time will be announced.
    The new sanitation protocol, which is adopted from the sanitation protocol for fighting Rapid Ohia Death is available with this PDF at https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/uploads/2/6/7/7/26772370/clr_sanitation_protocol. It recommends the following when surveying or gathering samples of leaves possibly infected with CLR:
See a presentation on Coffee Varieties for Hawai'i at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk0eGT7OPsU
  As a precaution, please adopt the following decontamination protocols regardless of where you are surveying/gathering materials:
    Decontaminate before and after you survey/collect samples.
    Never go from a suspected affected site to another site without cleaning your shoes, tools, and vehicle (when possible).
    Tools and shoes should be cleaned with 70% rubbing alcohol solution after removal of any surface debris. Correctly label a spray bottle with a Sharpie pen as “70% isopropyl alcohol - Flammable”. Fill the spray bottle with isopropyl alcohol. Always take this bottle with you in any field vehicle for use after all field activities. Store in vehicle in such a manner that it does not spill.
    A freshly prepared 10% solution of chlorine bleach and water can be used as long as tools are oiled
afterwards, as chlorine bleach will corrode metal tools.
    Clothing should be machine washed with detergent in hot water.
Vehicles used in infected areas should be thoroughly cleaned; power washing is recommended.
    Please be careful of the alcohol and bleach, and follow all label precautions to prevent damage to your eyes, skin, respiratory system, clothing, and equipment.


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Image by Jennifer Makuakane
KAʻŪ'S UNDEFEATED LADY TROJANS VOLLEYBALL TEAM takes on Kohala in a semi-finals playoff game at 6 p.m. at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala on Thursday. 
    The Trojans won all 12 of the regular season games, giving them a perfect season. The winner of Thursday's semi finals goes to the finals on Saturday for Big Island Interscholastic Federation Championship and competes for the state title on O'ahu, Nov. 8-11.


Trojan Cross Country team of students from Kaʻū High and Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences wraps up its season
this weekend at islandwide championships at Hawai'i Preparatory Academy. Photo by Coach David Wells
Khlo'e Keohuloa with a cool head after
the race. Photo by Coach David Wells

THE TROJAN CROSS COUNTRY RUNNNG TEAM finishes up the season at the Big Island XC Championships this Saturday, Oct. 28th at Hawai'i Preparatory Academy in Waimea.
    Runners will compete against hundreds of other runners to earn a spot in the state championship's XC meet to be held in O'ahu, Nov. 4. Trojan Cross Country has competed all over the island, running in hot humid weather in Hilo, at over 5,000 feet altitude in Waiki'i and in the cooler climates of Waimea.
    "It's been an uphill climb all season that has paid dividends with runners having personal best times in the season's final race at Kea'au High School this past weekend," said Coach David Wells. "Cross country is a difficult sport that takes a lot of discipline to see results. I'm proud of the consistency and dedication this team has put in this season and it has shown in their times," said Wells.
    The XC team members are from Kaʻū High and Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences.
    The boys are: Alden Wells, Makana Toriano, Robin Jaworkshi-Olson, Cody Rasmussen and T'rael Pesnell.
    The girls are: Mardani Sugai, Cheska Aurelio and Khlo'e Keohuloa.

T
o read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com, in the mail and on stands.

META, OWNER OF FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM,  HAS BEEN SUED BY THE HAWAI'I ATTORNEY GENERAL for
allegedly designing and deploying harmful features on social media platforms "that purposefully addict children and teens." Hawai'i Attorney General Annie Lopez was joined by  41 other attorneys general throughout the country as they sued Meta in federal and state courts. 
    The suit claims that  Meta falsely assured the public that these features are safe and suitable for young users. 
Cheska Aurelio of Trojan Cross Country
Photo by Coach David Wells
    The attorneys general assert that Meta’s business practices violate state consumer protection laws and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act . A statement from the Hawai'i Attorney General says, "These practices have harmed and continue to harm the physical and mental health of children and teens and have fueled what the U.S. Surgeon General has deemed
a 'youth mental health crisis,' which has ended lives, devastated families, and damaged the potential of a generation of young people."
     The federal complaint, joined by 33 states, including Hawaiʻi, and filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Meta knew of the harmful impact of its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, on young people. 
    "Instead of taking steps to mitigate these harms, it misled the public about the harms associated with use of its platforms, concealing the extent of the psychological and health harms suffered by young users addicted to use of its platforms," says the Hawai'i AG statement. 
    The complaint further alleges that Meta knew that young users, including those under 13, were active on the platforms, and "knowingly collected data from these users without parental consent. It targeted these young users" The statement noted a 2021 Wall Street Journal article, that Meta saw such a user base as “valuable, but untapped.” 
    Hawai'i Attorney General claims that "publicly available sources including those previously released by former Meta employees detail that Meta profited by purposely making its platforms addictive to children and teens. Its platform algorithms push users into descending 'rabbit holes' in an effort to maximize engagement. Features like infinite scroll and near-constant alerts were created with the express goal of hooking young users. These manipulative tactics continually lure children and teens back onto the platforms."
   The statement points to Aza Raskin, original developer of the infinite scroll concept, who told BBC about the feature’s addictive qualities: “If you don't give your brain time to catch up with your impulses . . . you just keep scrolling.” 
    The lawsuit claims that Meta knew these addictive features harmed young people’s physical and mental health, including undermining their ability to get adequate sleep, but did not disclose the harm nor did they make meaningful changes to minimize the harm. "Instead, they claimed their platforms were safe for young users." These choices, the complaint alleges, violate state consumer protection laws and COPPA. The federal complaint seeks injunctive and monetary relief to rectify the harms caused by these platforms. 
    Hawaiʻi Deputy Attorney General Christopher Han, who leads that state's litigation efforts against Meta, said, “This lawsuit sends a message to social media platforms that Hawaiʻi does not tolerate disingenuous and predatory practices against children. The Department of the Attorney General is proud to be a part of this nationwide effort, and we look forward to making our case against Meta in court.” 
    States joining Hawaiʻi in the federal lawsuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Florida is filing its own federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. 
     In parallel complaints filed in state courts today, eight states have made similar allegations: the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont. These lawsuits are the result of a bipartisan, nationwide investigation. Nearly all the attorneys general in the country have worked together since 2021 to investigate Meta for providing and promoting its social media platforms to children and young adults while use is associated with physical and mental health harms. "While some states have pursued litigation in state court and others in collective federal action, the attorneys general will continue to work together as the litigation continues. 
State sues Meta for damage to kids," says the statement from the Hawai'i AG.

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ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED ABOUT CONSEQUENCES OF FAST TRACK HOUSING DEVELOPMENT issued a statement on Tuesday, applauding Gov. Josh Green's new proclamation, restoring transparency and environmental oversight to his emergency Build Beyond Barriers effort, which is aimed at putting up housing quickly. A group of plaintiffs earlier filed a lawsuit against Green and the state, but withdrew it after Green agreed to retract suspension of environmental reviews and transparency laws. Green said he wants to build housing quickly to help solve the housing shortage.
    Roslyn Manaikawakea, president of E Ola Kākou Hawai‘i, said “Our kūpuna taught us ‘i ka nānā no a ‘ike,’ which means ‘by observing, one learns.’ As the governor, Josh Green needs to observe what is happening, and learn. Learn to see through the eyes of the people.” She said the organization is committed to making sure no no new housing project, "undermines the public’s interests in protecting our ancestors, our natural resources, and our full involvement in the decisions that affect the quality of our lives.”
    Kekai Keahi, of Na ‘Ohana o Lele Housing Committee, said, “We are keeping a watchful eye to see what the Green Administration does with this new proclamation. It is good that they recognized their mistake and removed the worst of the suspensions included in the original emergency proclamation on
Kekai Keahi of Na 'Ohana o Lele Housing
Committee. Photo by Susan Hallas
housing. We are committed to standing watch over every action the administration takes under this new proclamation to ensure the community’s voice is not ignored.”
    Earthjustice also withdrew from its lawsuit that challenged the governor's creation of Build Beyond Barriers, and his waiving it from the state’s Sunshine Law, environmental reviews, Land Use Commission. Earth Justice said it "fears that it would provide a windfall for private developers to build market-rate homes."
      David Henkin, senior attorney for Earthjustice, which represents the parties in the law suit said, “We appreciate that the Governor heard many of our core concerns and appears to have tried to address them in the revised proclamations. It remains deeply troubling, however, that the Governor continues to claim the authority to suspend laws whenever he feels like it to address longstanding public policy issues, however important. We are taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach. If the governor tries to advance housing projects that are not in the public interest, we will be back in court.”
    The suit was withdrawn without prejudice, giving the plaintiffs the option to challenge future changes in future emergency proclamations on housing.

KAʻŪ RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN UPDATING THE HAWAI'I COUNTY GENERAL PLAN. County Councilmember Michelle Galimba will lead the discussion this Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Nāʻālehu Community Center, following a presentation by the Hawai'i County Planning Department. The event is titled a Presentation & Workshop, along with Talk Story with Councilmember Michelle Galimba. See the draft at coplanning.konveio.com/. Light food and refreshments will be provided at the Talk Story.







Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Kaʻū News Briefs Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

Slater, a conservation detection dog, surveys for ʻakeʻake burrows at Pōhakuloa Training Area. Dr. Michelle Reynolds recently received a Zonta microgrant to help expand her Hawaiian Detection Dogs enterprise in Volcano. Photo by Michelle Reynolds

HAWAIIAN DETECTION DOGS IN VOLCANO has received a Pay It Forward Zonta microgrant to further develop its mission to train and deploy sniffer dogs. The dogs detect invasive species in order to mitigate their impacts to ecosystems, and to conduct research and conservation. Hawaiian Detection Dogs founder, Dr. Michelle Reynolds, works with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, U.S. Army Garrison Pohakuloa Training Area, and State of Hawai‘i. She and detector dogs have helped with the preservation of endangered forest birds and seabirds that nest on land.
    The Zonta grant for women entrepreneurs will help Reynolds to develop her website and to purchase a new kennel and training aids for nosework classes and train her own detection dogs.
    The Zonta Club of Hilo presented $6,000 in microgrants for its 2023 Pay It Forward program. The
Pay It Forward Chair Laurie Higashi gave out microgrants to female
entrepreneurs  Michelle Reynolds, Adrean Floro, and Jamie Robertson.
Photo from Zonta
awards program supports women entrepreneurs on Hawai‘i Island who are starting a new business or working to expand an existing business. The 2023 microgrant recipients were Reynolds of Hawai‘i Detection Dogs LLC, Adrean Floro of Ho‘onani Harvests LLC, and Jamie Robertson of Hana Lima Cleaning Services LLC.
    Floro's Ho‘onani Harvests LLC is a family farming business in Hilo that focuses on agroforestry, mamaki and honey production, and beekeeping education. The grant will go towards renting machinery to expand the agroforestry part of the farm, purchasing more mamaki starter plants, and developing a website. She also plans to 'pay it forward' by providing a beekeeping mentoring scholarship to a financially disadvantaged woman who has the drive and passion to learn about beekeeping.
     Robertson, based in Kailua-Kona, established Hana Lima Cleaning Services LLC in July of 2023. Hana Lima offers office cleaning as well as specialty cleaning services such as deep cleaning, move-in/move-outs, and post-construction cleaning. The grant money will go towards new equipment that will make her operations more efficient, cleaning supplies, and training.
    "We received a record number of applications this year from all around the island. It's inspiring to see so many female entrepreneurs doing innovative and important work in the community," said Laurie Higashi, chair of Pay It Forward. "The Zonta Club of Hilo is proud to provide a financial boost to these three well-deserving women-owned businesses."
    Pay It Forward microgrants are funded annually through the charitable Zonta Club of Hilo Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible. Zonta services the entire Hawai‘i Island. For more information, visit zontahilo.org.

Kaʻū High and Kamehameha Schools students and mentors at the annual Conservation Awareness Contest for evaluating
places for agriculture and house sites: Whitney Raffipiy, Luke Knell, Amy Gushiken, Ka‘ehukai Keli‘ikuli, Circe Domingo,
Merle Becker, Sherwin Agpaoa, Kaweni Ibarra and Vladimir Fedoruk. Photo from HACD
Kaʻū High students Vladimir Fedoruk and Sherwin
Agpaoa receive an award for evaluating ag and house
 sites from HACD President Brenda Iokepa Moses.
The certificate is held by Kaʻū High ag teacher Kaweni
 Ibarra. Photo from HACD
LOCAL STUDENTS EVALUATED LAND FOR FARMING AND HOME SITES last Friday at Merle and Phil Becker's Aikane Plantation, where the couple grows Kaʻū  Coffee, cattle, horses and more, between Nā‘ālehu and Pāhala. 
    The Hawai‘i Association of Conservation Districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service's annual Hawai‘i County Conservation Awareness Contest is held for high school students. 
    Amy Koch, Assistant Director for Soil Science at NRCS Pacific Islands Area, explained that the students judge land sites, for soil properties, slope, and environmental conditions. Students evaluate each of the three sites for their suitability for agriculture or a homesite.
    Hawai‘i County winners will travel to the state finals in Kona. State winners can compete in the national land judging contest in Oklahoma. For Hawai‘i County, Kamehameha School took first 
Merle Becker, of Aikane Plantation,
receives a gift basket for hosting the
Conservation Awareness Contest.

Photo from HACD
 overall, with the mentorship of Science EA Whitney Raffipiy. Kaʻū High took second with the mentorship of ag teacher Kaweni Ibarra and Future Farmers of America. The overall individual winner was Amy Gushiken, of Kamehameha.
     Hawai‘i Association of Conservation Districts President Brenda Iokepa Moses said, "A big mahalo for the Beckers allowing us to use their ranch to host the competition. So proud of our Kaʻū participants led by Kaweni and the Kamehameha students who traveled out in numbers to represent their school. Looking forward to a larger group next year."
      Hawai‘i Association of Conservation Districts 
is comprised of 16 Soil & Water Conservation Districts 
throughout the State of Hawai‘i. HACD and the SWCDs work together in a variety of ways to help protect and sustain Hawai‘i’s natural environment.
    One Conservation Specialist for each county is hired by HACD  in order to assist the districts with conservation planning and further promote local agriculture and watershed stewardship throughout the community. The state Department of Land & Natural Resources provides funding and support.


HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY ADVISORY COUNCIL holds d a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. with public comment at noon. Register for the Virtual Google Meet via the link https://forms.gle/oBYuUjew4tfN7a8bA .
    The sanctuary is administered by a partnership of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the State of Hawai‘i through the Division of Aquatic Resources. The sanctuary works to protect humpback whales through research, education, conservation and stewardship. See the Sanctuary's Facebook. Contact: Sara Wood, sara.wood@noaa.gov
    On the Web: Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary: http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov and State of Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/