The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

Sunday, September 08, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Sept. 8, 2024

Families gathered in Wai‘ōhinu on Saturday to move forward on establishing a Hawaiian language immersion school as Ka'ili DeLeon blows the pū during the ceremonial opening in front of Kehau Lee Hong-Mauga and Nohea Ka'awa. Photo by Julia Neal

SUPPORTERS OF A HAWAIIAN IMMERSION SCHOOL met in Wai‘ōhinu on Saturday, with almost 70 parents, educators, children and community supporters gathering outdoors on the grounds of the Shirakawa Hotel. Nohea Ka'awa and Kehau Lee Hong-Mauga led protocol and blessings with lei. Ka'ili DeLeon,

Keiki checked out Hawaiian language books and
games with Wai'ala Ahn at immersion school
event on Saturday. Photo by Cadence Feeley

who attends third grade at Ke Kula 'O Nāwahīokalani'ōpuʻu Iki Lab Public Charter School, blew the pū for the ceremony. The group also gathered within the former Lori Lei Shirakawa Hula Studio, which is slated for the indoor venue for the program.

Many attending the event said that an Hawaiian immersion school is long overdue in Kaʻū. Leader of the mission to establish the school, called Ke Kula Nā ʻAʻaliʻi Kū Makani o Kaʻū, is Raylene A'uli Fujikawa Moses. She said the group signed a lease with the Stice 'Ohana Foundation, which owns the property and supports the mission. The next step is fundraising to support a kumu to lead the program. "As soon as we have kumu, we will start," said Moses.

The plan is to first open the place for families with newborns to five years of age to come together during the days. While the organizers are building capacity, including curriculum, licensing and staff, a Family Children Integrated Learning program can start at Wai‘ōhinu and other places.

Parents and children can come together to learn the language, 'Olelo Hawai'i. In addition to weekdays, the Wai‘ōhinu campus can be open in the evenings and weekends for outdoor and indoor education. "We want to make sure we use the place for the community," she said. "The longterm goal is to build at pre-K through 12th grade campus." Organizers are looking to eventually establish a Charter School or other entity for the Hawaiian immersion school.

Almost 70 supporters of a Hawaiian immersion school for Ka'u
made a circle Saturday on the grounds of Shirakawa Hotel, the
campus for the start of the project. Photo by Julia Neal

Moses said that the vision also includes growing kumu - teachers from within the community. "People who have some education can go back to school and we will help them so they can become kumu. Kupuna and others with Hawaiian language skills are invited to support the vision. People with other skills wanting to learn 'olelo Hawai' can join us," said Moses.

Many wanting to volunteer and work at the new immersion school came to the meeting, a number of them talking to each other in Hawaiian. One of them already providing enormous help, said Moses, is Louisa Lee, director of operations of Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo – Ke Kula Hoʻāmana ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian immersion Charter School in Keaukaha. The school donated tables and chairs to the Wai‘ōhinu effort and Lee is providing guidance in developing the program and seeking funding.

Nohea Ka'awa explains the role of the nonprofit ‘Iewe Hānau o ka ‘Āina
in starting the Hawaiian immersion school. Photo by Cadence Feeley

The Wai‘ōhinu immersion school group is looking for $60,000 to $100,000 for initial funding. A funding committee is meeting every Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Kula - the place - and interested donors, fundraisers and volunteers are welcome to stop in. ‘Iewe Hānau o ka ‘Āina is the non-profit entity for donations. Another umbrella is ʻO Kaʻū Kākou.

The group is planning an online auction in October. The old Ice House on the Shirakawa grounds may become a store to sell what is grown on the land and made by the students. Initially it will be used for yard sales and items for the auction. Community members are invited to donate items and volunteer at the store. Call Raylene A'uli Fujikawa Moses at

Leaders of the school project are Alaka'i: Raylene Auli'i Fujikawa Moses, Berkely Yoshida and Nohea Ka'awa. Advisors are Kehau Mauga and Louisa Lee. Parent Advocates are Wai'ala Ahn, Cadence Feeley and Miki Moses.

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.co m. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.

Pricilla Presley at the Hawai'i Theatre with Ginny Tiu, who starred with Elvis Presley in the film Girls!Girls! Girls! Tiu is
accompanied by family. Photo by Tim Wright

Tim Wright and Pricilla Presley

PRICILLA PRESLEY MET UP WITH TIM WRIGHT, the Ka'u High graduate '77 and news photographer, to cover for People Magazine the 102nd Celebration of Hawai'i Theatre in Honolulu. Wright said guests at the 102nd celebration on Sept. 6 were treated to a delightful surprise as Presley made her way around the stage event, greeting attendees and posing for photos under the theatre's soft, glowing lights.
After the festivities, she took the stage for her presentation, An Evening with Priscilla Presley.
Actress Ginny Tiu, who starred alongside Elvis Presley in the 1962 film Girls! Girls! Girls!, also made a special appearance. The Hawai'i Theatre, which opened its doors on Sept. 6, 1922, was further honored by an outdoor performance by the ladies from Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre.

Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre honors 102 years of the Hawai'i Theatre. Photo by Tim Wright

Adahdiyah Ellis-Reyes runs for a touchdown against Kohala to help lead Trojans to a 23-8 victory. Photo by Mark Peters

Trojan defender JJ Amaral chases Kohala ball
carrier. Photo by Mark Peters

MORE DETAILS ARE IN FROM KA'U'S WIN OVER KOHALA in Saturday's 23-8 football game on the road. Assistant Coach Mark Peters reports that quarterback Adahdiya Ellis-Reyes led the offense with 18 rushes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also passed for a touchdown.
The defense played a solid game adding three interceptions by (Zeke) Ezekiel Kaʻawa, Ian Beck and Zeyden Gallano. The defense was led by Triton Blanco and Vlad Fedoruk with six tackles each. The defense also scored a safety when Ka'awa and Blanco tackled the Cowboy runner behind the goal line.
After the game, Kau Trojans celebrated the win and Cy Zeah "Oli" Silva-Kamae's birthday.
Next up, Trojans will travel to Kamehameha School - Hawai'i for a Friday the 13th night game under the lights.
Kaʻū heads to Honoka'a at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. Kaʻū travels to Pahoa on Thursday, Sept. 26. Kohala comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kaʻū goes to Hawai'i Preparatory Academy on Saturday, Oct. 12 and Kamehameha comes to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 19. Honoka'a travels to Kaʻū on Saturday, Oct. 26, followed by BIIF Division Championships.
Athletic Director is Jaime Guerpo. Head coach is Connor Norton. Assistant Coach is Mark Peters. Coaching staff includes Greg Rush, Ray Mayzack, Duane Pua, Time Drafaul, Ted Blanco and Walter Parada. Athletic Trainer is Moses Whitcomb.

The Trojan offensive line helped the football the team take its first victory to even the record to 1-1 on the young season.
Photo by Mark Peters

Isaiah Manila-Louis takes on the Cowboy defender during Saturday's game at Kohala. Photo by Mark Peters

A celebration of the Trojan win over Kohala and Cy Zeah "Oli" Silva-Kamae's birthday on Saturday. Photo by Mark Peters

September 2024, 5,000 in the mail, 2,500 on the streets.

Saturday, September 07, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Sept. 7, 2024

These chickens live with a duck in pastures and lay eggs at Ancient Valley Growers in Wood Valley. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI'I FARMERS UNION UNITED AND ANCIENT VALLEY GROWERS FARM in Wood Valley welcomed the public to Matt and Andy Drayer's farm tour on Saturday to see the family style growing of animal and plant based food through regenerative agriculture. Andy, who is President of the Kaʻū Chapter of Hawai'i Farmers Union, noted that Farmers Union represents family farms in the Hawai'i Legislature

Matt Drayer shows marigolds protecting kale from pests.
Photo by Julia Neal

and in Congress. It helps with education, access to funding and connecting farmers to help one another and build the family farm community.
The farm day included a visit to Ancient Valley's free range egg producing chicken farm. The Drayers took the group to areas of the farm where they rotate a pair of pigs that are also fenced put have a lot of room. The fencing is moved from place to place where there is falling fruit under trees and other edibles for the pregnant sow and the boar, who are kept for breeding. The farmers showed a personal relationship with the animals, grooming them and relaxing among them. The milk cows are also pasture raised and grazed with much human interaction.
The group visited plantings of kale interspersed with marigolds to keep away insects. The walk took the guests to mamaki tea and vegetable fields and orchards that included apples and nectarines. The farmers explained simple and affordable practices to produce, on the farm, much nutrition for plants and also preparations to keep away pests.

A pair of pastured pigs live in a fenced area that is moved around on the Ancient Valley Growers farm.
Photo by Julia Neal

The event wrapped with a farm feast, followed by a presentation by Sustainable Bioresources founder Ed Rau. In addition to sourcing the high protein food plant moringa, he is working on nitrogen fixing corn plants to increase soil nutrition on farms. They are bread from ancient varieties.
On the mainland, National Farmers Union was started in 1902 in Point, Texas, before the creation of the Farm Bureau. It was founded to advocate for increased co-operative rights, fair market access for farmers, direct election of senators and voting rights for women. Its efforts led to the enactment of the Federal
Farm Loan Act, which established 12 Federal Land Banks.

Keiki attended the Kaʻū Hawai'i Farmers United event
at Ancient Valley Growers. Photo by Julia Neal

National Farmers Union states that its aim is to work to protect and enhance the economic well-being and quality of life for family farmers, fishers, ranchers and rural communities. Its core principals are Cooperation, Legislation and Education.
Attending the Wood Valley event was Maureen Dada, the statewide Secretary of Hawai'i Farmers Union and co-owner of Adaptations in Kealakekua. Adaptations is a community food hub with an islandwide Community Supported Agriculture entity that buys and brings fresh food from and to Kaʻū, with Ancient Valley one of the sources and drop off places. Dad praised the Farmers Union and its President Kaipo Kekona for helping to bring transportation funding for picking up harvests from some 75 farms on this island and delivering to restaurants, stores, processors and some 375 families.
See more and contact Ancient Valley Growers at https://ancientvalleygrowers.com/. See more and contact Hawai'i Farmers Union United at https://hfuuhi.org/. See more and contact Sustainable Bioresourses at https://sustainablebioresources.com/.

IN CROSS COUNTRY, Kaʻū Trojan Girls and Boys competed in an islandwide Cross Country meet on Saturday at Waiakea High School in Hilo. With 119 girls running the 5K XC course, Trojans Maria Aurelio finished with a time of 27:02.74 and Khloe Kealoha finished in 33:32.48. With 148 boys running the XC 5K, Makanaomakualan Toriano finished for the Trojans in 25:54.57. Robin Jaworski-Olson finished for the Trojans in 29:55.29. Next Saturday, Sept. 14, Trojan Cross Country will head to Kea'au High School with at start time of 9 a.m.

IN FOOTBALL, on Saturday, Kaʻū Trojans beat Kohala Cowboys 23-8.

September 2024, 5,000 in the mail, 2,500 on the streets.

Friday, September 06, 2024

Kaʻū News Briefs Sept. 6, 2024

The 2045 County General Plan Draft shows planned uses for lands mauka and makai in the Punalu'u area as High Density and Medium Density Urban near Punalu'u Black Sand Beach, Medium and Low Density Urban for much of the land makai of Highway 11 and mostly Medium and Low Density Urban above Highway 11. Map from General Plan Draft

A PUBLIC MEETING FOR KAʻŪ ON COUNTY OF HAWAI'I'S GENERAL PLAN DRAFT 2045 will be Thursday, Sept. 19 at 5 p.m. at Kaʻū District Gym Multipurpose Room. See the Draft and give comments at https://www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/general-plan-community-planning/gp

Projected use of lands can be seen for all areas of Kaʻū, including extensive High Density Urban, Medium Density Urban and Low Density Urban in the Punalu'u area. The Land Use Change Map is at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f073ef273f054cea97b12bf658def023/page/Land-Use/

By zooming in and clicking on the map, those interested can view detailed information, including parcel number, changes from the 2005 to the 2024 General Plan Land Use state and zoning district.

A Swipe Tool offers a way to see changes between the 2005 and 2024 maps on both the Change Map and GP Maps. Click the swipe tool on the left side of the map. A vertical bar will appear, allowing user to slide it side to side for a clear comparison.

The county encourages continued engagement and reaching out with any questions.

An In-Person Workshop Recording from Aug. 29 and the Webinar Workshop Recording from Sept. 5 can be heard at https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/fol/138446/Row1.aspx.

The public is invited to weigh in on the 2045 Hawai'i County Draft General Plan on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 5 p.m. at Kaʻū District Gym Multipurpose Room and to review workshops on the subject online. The General Plan aims to incorporate the Kaʻū Community Development Plan.
Image from General Plan Draft

HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK POSTS ABOUT GIN AND THE 1934 ERUPTION: Sept. 6 marks the anniversary of the 1934 eruption, which lasted for 33 days after almost three years of quiet. During that eruption, a curious "tradition" emerged—offering gin to Pelehonuamea. This was not a

Historic aerial, sepia photograph of pele (molten lava) within Halemaʻumaʻu

crater. USGS photo

traditional Hawaiian offering but likely a custom started by George Lycurgus, the proprietor of the Volcano House hotel, whose stories and influence popularized it among visitors.
Pelehonuamea has often been anthropomorphized over a century, revered as a deity, yet it’s important to understand her true essence. Many native Hawaiians viewed the world as a delicate balance of many elemental forces—molten lava, flourishing plants, rainforests, and water above and below the earth. Pelehonuamea is the molten lava itself, representing the feminine energy that births ʻāina (land) and creates new earth on the surface.
While Pelehonuamea is ʻohana (family) in Puna and Kaʻū, to many "she" is seen as a metaphor for the deep connection between Native Hawaiians and the land—not as a human figure. Her presence, and that of the lava, is not necessarily feared but respected. When you visit Kīlauea, remember to do so with respect for both the land and its powerful, living elements.
The 1934 eruption, which began on this day, provided an exciting interlude after years of calm at Kīlauea. The spectacle lasted for over a month, as molten lava surged through the summit, captivating visitors and locals alike.

The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration is explained in Kaʻū Night Skies,

KAʻŪ NIGHT SKIES is written by Christopher Phillips, an astronomer, resident of Volcano and co-host of Stargazer on Hawai'i Public Radio:

This month a few planets can be spotted during sunset, beginning with the planet Venus (Hokulea) which can be seen on the western horizon shortly after the setting Sun. Saturn (Naholohola) rises a little earlier this month and can be seen on the eastern horizon during twilight. Saturn will remain visible throughout the night. It is also quite bright, so easy to spot. For the night owls among us, Mars (Holoholopina'au) and Jupiter (Ikaika) will also rise in the east ot around 1 a.m. and both planets should be visible till sunrise.

Sky Chart from 'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai'i

During September, the Hawaiian starline of Mānaiakalani dominates the skies, and toward the end of the month it will begin to make way for the coming stars of Fall as we bid farewell to Summer. If you recall, Mānaiakalani is known by several names depending on translation. It can be known as The Chiefʻs Fish Line, Come-From-Heaven, or Mauiʻs Fish Hook.
In the Polynesian triangle they represent the islands of Aotearoa (New Zealand), Hawaii, and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). You may also know these stars by their Arabic names, Deneb, Vega, and Altair, respectively. These stars are also known as the Summer triangle. The fishing line itself extends to the constellation of Sagittarius, which in this context is Pimoe, the giant Ulua fish. Next to this is the distinctive shape of the hook itself, Ka Makau Nui o Māui, also known as Scorpio, the scorpion.
The region dominated by Pimoe, and Ka Makau Nui o Māui also marks the center of our Galaxy, the Milky Way. On a moonless night the bright core of the Galaxy, filled with the light of millions of stars, is a sight to behold. From our view within the Galaxy we can see the great spiral arms of the Milky Way extending out from the bright core, with vast dark clouds of star forming material silhouetted against the light of countless stars. It is within the bright core of our Galaxy that we find the a supermassive black hole of Sagittarius A.
In 2022 history was made when the black hole was imaged by the Event Horizon Collaboration of telescopes, including the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and the Submillimeter Array (SMA), both located atop Maunakea.

Sagittarius in the Milky Way imaged by EHT

The Event Horizon Telescope collaboration is an enormous scientific endeavor that links multiple radio telescopes across the globe to create what is essentially Earth sized telescope capable of providing stunningly detailed science at a ver high resolution. This remarkable undertaking includes telescopes in Chile, Hawai'i, Spain and Greenland.
In May of 2022 the EHT made history with the first high resolution images of the supermassive black hole at the center of our Galaxy. Not content with resting on their laurels, the EHT has just delivered even more of the sharpest images of black holes ever captured from Earth, marking a thrilling leap forward in astronomy. By pushing the limits of technology, the EHT team used an ultra-high frequency of 345 GHz to provide breathtaking new views of supermassive black holes like M87 and Sagittarius A, the monster lurking in the heart of our Milky Way.
So what does radio frequency have to do with capturing images of these black holes? A radio telescope frequency is similar to the resolution on a digital camera. Think about the camera on your phone, for example. The higher the resolution the more detailed the photograph it captures. For radio telescopes, which see in the radio light instead of visible light, a higher frequency means a more im pressive and detailed image. In this case it reveals the intricate dance of hot gas and powerful magnetic fields swirling around these cosmic titans. With this higher resolution, scientists can now probe the mysterious regions surrounding black holes with more precision.

Black hole is the center of the M87
galaxy at 345 Ghz by EHT in 2024.

This new development by EHT sets the stage for creating high-definition "movies" of black hole activity, allowing us to witness these behemoths in action for the first time. It also allows us to push the boundaries of our understanding of the physics of the Universe and opens the door to new discoveries in the most extreme corners of our celestial realm. It is a proud moment for astronomy, particularly astronomy right here in Hawai'i.

Saturday, Sept. 7