The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs May 20, 2024

Mālama Nā Keiki Festival came to Pāhala Community Center on Saturday, with many opportunities for
families to seek help with health, housing, nutrition, medical care, keiki ID and more. Photos by Julia Neal

The County of Hawai'i's Emergency Rental Housing program.

HUI MALAMA OLA NA 'OIWI hosted its seventh annual Mālama Nā Keiki Festival at Pāhala Community Center on Saturday and announced it is co-sponsoring a Kaʻū Community Baby Shower and Health Fair on Saturday, June 22 at Kaʻū Community Rural Health Center's campus in Kaʻū.
The festival last Saturday included keiki-friendly activities, a raffle for the keiki, a children's character in costume, a balloon artist, and face painting. Keiki were able to exercise, riding a stationary bicycle, the wheels also turning a blender preparing a fruit drink. There were many more interactive keiki programs and education for parents.
Hui Mālama offers online and live exercise classes, Nutrition Courses, Healthy Hapai Classes, Transportation for Medical Purposes, Diabetes and Cancer Support Groups, Disease Prevention and Management Courses.

Hawai'i Children's Action Network

Joining the Hui Mālama organization last Saturday were other non profits and agencies including Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association, which is advocating for a new nursing program in Kaʻū.

Boys & Girls Club reached out to the community, along with PARENTS, which provides education and counseling for keeping families healthy. The county Emergency Rental Assistance Program was explained for those in need of shelter. Hawai'i Children Action Network presented its programs to advocate for children by fighting for their safety, health, and education.

Keiki find about about Early Head Start.

Boys & Girls Club offers after school activities.

To read comments, add y o ur own, and l ike thi s story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies the mail and on stands.

A monk seal at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach where the Marine
Mammal Center conducted a training for volunteers on Sunday.
Photo from Malama Pono Punalu'u

MARINE MAMMAL CENTER SENT CARE SPECIALISTS to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach on Sunday afternoon, following several documentations of monk seals there and along the Kaʻū Coast. The Marine Mammal Center crew provided a training session for Mālama Pono Punalu'u volunteers, with instructions and protocol for sighting monk seals in the water and responding to monk seals coming ashore.
Mālama Pono Punalu'u reports "approximately six sightings of monk seals within the last year near the Punalu'u Beach shoreline alone, as well as other sightings at Whittington Beach, Green Sands Beach and other Kaʻū Coastline areas. Marine Mammal Center has partnered with Mālama Pono Punalu'u providing signage, printed materials and continued support for monk seals, which require a 50 foot perimeter when they are on the shore and that increases to 150 feet when there is a mother monk seal and pup."
According to marinemammalcenter.org, "Marine Mammal Center is lead responder for Hawaiian monk seals on Hawai‘i Island and Maui, and we operate a hotline for reporting monk seal sightings. Every sighting reported provides valuable information to researchers, and our response teams are ready to respond if an animal needs emergency care.

"The endangered Hawaiian monk seal is one of the rarest seal species in the world, and conservation efforts are critical to their survival. Through direct animal care, community outreach, education and response, our dedicated staff and volunteers in Hawai‘i are working to save a species.

"On Hawai‘i Island, we operate the only hospital dedicated to Hawaiian monk seals, Ke Kai Ola. Our team of experts relies on the Center’s many years of experience in marine mammal medicine and health to treat monk seals so they can be released back to the wild."

Some of the volunteers who took training from Marine Mammal
Center on Sunday. Photo from Malama Pono Punalu'u

Mālama Pono Punalu'u issued a statement saying it is a "community based volunteer organization whose mission has been to provide a safe and harassment free space for basking Honu (Green Sea Turtles) while making efforts to preserve and
maintain the sandy beach area in its nature and pristine state to assist in Honu'ea nesting. Other missions include protecting the monk seals when they beach themselves in the Punalu'u area, watching swimmers and water activities after life-guards leave daily and overall safety and information for visitors to Punalu'u.
"We actively continue to seek volunteers who are willing to donate their time between 4 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. one or more days per month. It is amazing way to get to enjoy Punalu'u for a few hours at a time, talking to visitors, seeing the beauty of the area while helping to protect the turtles and the beach."

Contact Victoria Croft for more information at vjcroft@yahoo.com or (530) 306-1301‬. For more on Mālama Pono Punalu'u, visit https://www.malamaponopunaluu.org/. The Marine Mammal Center hotline for Hawai‘i Island is 808-987-0765. For more on Marine Mammal Center see https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/get-involved/volunteer/hawaii/hawaii-island.

Horseback riding tours are being offered at South Point, as posted on Big Island Recommendations and Reviews facebook.

Big Island Recommendations and Reviews
shows horseback riding tours at South Point.

HORSEBACK RIDING ADVENTURES IN THE SOUTH POINT AREA ARE BEING PROMOTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Big Island Recommendations and Reviews, with 45.2K members, posted photos in May showing people astride, along the Kaʻū Coast on Hawaiian Home Lands.

Big Island Recommendations and Reviews is described on its facebook page: "This group is for sharing personal recommendations and reviews from the people in our community on the Big Island."

One post from Alexis Irwin describes her horseback riding services and says, "We will be going to south point Again Tomorrow! Come and ride~ Pm me to reserve at time." She writes that one of the trail rides offered is 30 minutes to an hour. "We can also do 15 minutes for kids. We will work with you for what your group needs." One potential rider asked if two hours could be scheduled and Irwin answered yes. One ride was quoted as costing $125, before local and group discounts.

Venus Gonsalves Henriques posted, "Are you licensed and have permits for riding on Hawaiian homelands?" Another asked whether the operation is insured.

The facebook posts also show the offering of lessons and trail rides on an equestrian farm.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs May 19, 2024

The first Nā Leo Youth Media Challenge honored two Kaʻū High School students who won
first place in PSA and Short Film categories on Saturday in Hilo. Photo by Chayanee Brooks

Kamamalu Kauwe wins first in the PSA category with The Ocean's
Future: It's in Our Hands, accompanied by teacher Chayanee Brooks.

KAʻŪ STUDENTS BROUGHT HOME JOURNALISM AWARDS FROM NĀ LEO YOUTH MEDIA CHALLENGE during awards ceremonies at the Grand Naniloa Hilton in Hilo.
Kaʻū High School student Kamamalu Kauwe took first in the Public Services Announcement category with The Ocean's Future: It's In our Hands. It's her message on ocean preservation. Another Kaʻū High student Janeea Bonoan won the Short Film category with Cardboard Friendship, her message on anti-bullying.

Janaeea Bonoan took first in the Short Film category at Nā Leo
Youth Media Challenge on Saturday.
Photo by Chayanee Brooks

More than 250 entries came in from Hawaiʻi Island youth ages 11 to 24 in 13 theme categories. English and journalism teacher Chayanee Brooks, of Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary, mentored the students and led them to the award ceremonies and awards luncheon. See the winning videos Cardboard Friendship and The Ocean's Future: In Our Hands.

AN EDITORIAL CARTOON ABOUT THE FUTURE OF PUNALU'U ran in the Hawai'i Tribune-Herald newspaper on Sunday without an accompanying written editorial or story. It is credited to Gary Hoff and Hawai'i Tribune-Herald newspaper.

While there is no plan to bulldoze the beach nor pick up turtles with a dozer, according to the plan submitted to the county by Black Sand Beach, LLC, the proposal to add on condos and other commercial development to the Punalu'u land below Hwy 11 is on the agenda with public testimony allowed at Wednesday's Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee meeting. It will be held at 5 p.m. in the multipurpose room at the Herkes Kaʻū District Gym in Pāhala.

The Action Committee is considering whether to give a recommendation to the Windward Planning Commission for its decisionmaking on approval or disapproval of a Special Management Area permit for the development.

A past Kaʻū Coffee recipe contest. The next will be held Saturday, June 1 at Kaʻū Coffee Mill.
Photo by Julia Neal

KAʻŪ COFFEE FESTIVAL'S RECIPE CONTEST is open for people of all ages to sign up for pupu, entre and dessert categories. There are no fees and those entering must pre register by calling Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 808-928-0550. Leave message if after hours. Prizes will be awarded. It takes place Saturday, June 1 at 11 a.m. at Kaʻū Coffee Mill on Wood Valley Road above Pāhala.

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs May 18, 2024

Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School representatives June Domondon and 'Aina Akamu (far right) flew to the Marshall Islands and met with with educators last week in Majuro. From left are Goodwind Silk, Manny Compass, Jobod Silk, David Anitok, and Loredel Areieta.
Photo from Marshall Islands Journal

THE MARSHALL ISLANDS JOURNAL COVERED JUNE DOMONDON AND 'AINA AKAMU'S recent visit to learn about the home islands of Marshallese students in Kaʻū Schools. The weekly newspaper, published since 1970 and its editor Giff Johnson, carried the following story online and in print: The Marshallese presence in the two Kaʻū area schools on the Big Island of Hawai'i has risen to 20 percent, largely on the growth of the Enewetak community that lives in Ocean View on the south side of Hawai'i Island.
But as the Marshallese student population grew in the two Kaʻū schools — Pāhala Elementary and Kaʻū High Schools — concern increased about poor school attendance, low academic performance and few graduates.

The rural schools, which Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School Complex Academic Officer 'Aina Akamu describes as the poor third cousin of the Hawai'i public school system, needed to transform their programs for all their students in line with realizing that the majority of Kaʻū graduates did not go onto college. 'Aina, who visited Majuro last week, said part of the transformation of the schools was to build “career readiness” into the program so that when students leave high school, they have skills that can get them into jobs.
The school now offers multiple community college-based certificate programs within the high school curriculum to get students certified while still in school. Areas of certification include agriculture, construction, health and a variety of others.
'Aina said a huge challenge was to get Marshallese high school students engaged in these community college-based certificate and college-prep programs. Two years ago, the school was successful in getting two Marshallese ninth grade girls to sign up for the agriculture/landscaping certificate program, which they completed and gained their certificates for in one year. It had a domino effect. “Eight more Marshallese signed up for the college program the next year,” he said. “Now a lot more are in this college certificate program.”
The involvement of Marshallese Lucinda Anitok-Brokken since January has given a huge boost to Marshallese at the school, and made it possible to effectively reach the parents who previously were not in communication with the school. Lucinda works for the regional education program PREL assigned to this area of the Big Island to work with the schools for the Marshallese student population.

Last week’s visit by Kaʻū High School representatives was to connect with Marshall Islands leaders, educators, NGOs and others for the first time. 'Aina’s aim is to establish an exchange program between the Big Island schools and the Marshall Islands.
“Ninety percent of the Marshallese students in our schools have not been here (to Republic of the Marshall Islands),” he said. “I want to bring my kids back home. They struggle. It’s a hole in them and they don’t know why. They need to be connected here or won’t be able to contribute to their communities.”
He said the Marshallese at the Pāhala Elementary and Kaʻū High Schools still speak their language and “are so proud of being Marshallese.” 'Aina said he wants to start bringing these Big Island Marshallese students to Marshall Islands to connect with groups like Jo Jikum to learn about the nuclear legacy, climate change and other important issues. “I want to get them reconnected to their home,” he said an exchange would be an opportunity for students from the Marshall Islands to come to the Big Island and see Marshallese student involvement in hydroponic gardening, entrepreneurial projects and other activities of interest.
“Our goal is to build ability in students for future success,” 'Aina said.

MANY EARTHQUAKES, FEW EARTHQUAKES. This repetitive behavior of Kilauea Volcano ongoing with hundreds of quakes one day and a few the next. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that "Magma has been pressurizing the system beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south caldera region, activating seismicity along faults in the upper East Rift Zone. At this time, it is not possible to say whether this increase in activity will lead to an intrusion or eruption in the near future, or simply continue as seismic unrest at depth. Changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption."
As a result various trails and camping areas have been opened and closed during the last few weeks at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
In addition the summit of Mauna Loa reopened this week for backcountry use and overnight camping.
Information on this grueling, high-elevation trek and how to get a backcountry permit through Recreation.gov is available on the park website.

Trails to the summit of Mauna Loa have are reopened for backcountry use and camping. See
https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hike_maunaloa.htm. USGS webcam image

A NEW 'IKE HANA NO'EAU VIDEO is shared each week during the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Month of May. The videos are produced, created, and hosted by rangers at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, offering a glimpse into traditional Hawaiian cultural practices.

The subject this week is Lei Lāʻī, the tī leaf lei. The park post says, "Tī leaves are used in ceremonies, healing, protection, cooking, making lei, and more. In hula, lei lāʻī represents the spirit of Laka (associated with forests and hula), and honors ancestors." See the series of videos at https://go.nps.gov/ike.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF HAWAI'I'S STATE CONVENTION opened on Saturday at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Tapas Ballroom. Some 400 Hawaiʻi Democrats, including delegates from Ka'u, are attending in person or virtually during the weekend proceedings. Interim Party Chair, Rep. Adrian Tam oversees the meeting, considering such topics as affordable housing, health care, climate change, wildfires and many other issues.
Keynote speaker is Gov. Jay Inslee from Washington State. Also speaking is Gov. Josh Green, Congresswoman Jill Tokuda, who represents Ka'u, rural O'ahu and the Neighbor Islands, and Democratic National Committee Vice-Chair Ken Martin.

The Democrats are also considering proposed changes to the party's constitution, by-laws, and platform, election of state party chair, Democratic National Committee members, delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and members of the State Central Committee.

Tam said, "Every four years we Democrats come together and consider pressing issues before our state, county, and nation and, importantly, elect the leadership to represent us locally and at the National Democratic Convention - in Chicago this year - where we will nominate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the presidency." He contended that the "Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi is the party best equipped to lead our state and country. I'm confident that the state and nation will elect Democrats up and down the ticket - we have a record of addressing the most pressing issues before our country. We are the party of labor, of equality, of justice. I'm looking forward to this weekend and am proud to be part of this convention."

HAWAI'I POLICE DEPARTMENT ARRESTED 22 FOR DUI the week of May 6 through May 12. HPD arrested the motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Four were involved in a traffic accident. Two were under the age of 21. So far this year, there have been 347 DUI arrests compared with

371 during the same period last year. This is a decrease of 6.5 percent.
Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section reviewed all updated crashes and found 366 major crashes so far this year, compared with 326 during the same time last year. This represents an increase of 12.3 percent.
To date, there were 15 fatal crashes, resulting in 17 fatalities (two of which had multiple deaths), compared with 7 fatal crashes, resulting in 8 fatalities (one of which had multiple deaths, and one died at a later date) for the same time last year. This represents an increase of 114.3 percent for fatal crashes and 112.5 percent for fatalities.
To date, the non-traffic fatality count so far this year is 0 compared to 0 non-traffic fatalities (not on a public roadway) for the same time last year.
HPD promises that DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.