Ka`u News Briefs, Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Dr. Michael Domeier fell in love with Hawai`i Island years ago and moved here to continue his shark tracking studies with his
non-profit organization MarineCSI. Photo from freedive.net

A SHARK SCIENTIST, who recently moved to Hawai`i Island, is tagging tiger sharks which the public will be able to track on an app. Dr. Michael Domeier began his research before the recent attacks on Poho`iki surfer Jimmy Ulu-Boy Napeahi, who was released from the hospital last Thursday, and a German tourist on Maui who lost her arm and then her life after a week of hospitalization. Domeier told Hawai`i News Now that tracking local sharks could help with understanding their behavior. He said the recent attacks could be an anomaly and not necessarily a trend toward more aggressive shark behavior.

       Domeier and his Native Hawaiian crew tagged their first tiger shark for the project in Hawaiian Island waters in late August. The tiger is 13-feet long and weighs about 1,400 lbs. The crew named her Blue Moon when catching and releasing her outside of Honokohau Harbor. With a state Department of Land & Natural Resources representative watching, the crew attached a satellite tracking device to Blue Moon's dorsal fin. See footage on Hawai`i News Now at 

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/23320937/big-island-researcher-tagging-tiger-sharks.   

Domeier tags sharks with satellite tracking devices, which can be followed by the
public using an app. Photo from MarineCSI

     Domeier is President and Executive Director of MarineCSI, which stands for Marine Conservation Science Institute. He said that the organization was “founded on the belief that focused research can make a difference on how we view and manage our marine resources.”  He is considered an expert in the development of electronic fish tagging and for his tagging and following of the great white sharks. Domieir has a doctorate in marine biology from University of Miami and worked on the California Department of Fish & Game Marine Sport Research Project. For more than a decade, before moving to Hawai`i, he worked for non-profit marine oriented organizations, including Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research, the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations and the Marine Conservation Science Institute. He is also a pilot of airplanes and boats.

Great White Honey raises money to
study sharks in local waters.

       MarineCSI recently launched its app for iPhone and iPad for tracking sharks. It helps users learn more about sharks, including the ability to track satellite-tagged tigers and great whites. The app displays a map with live tracking data for the sharks tagged with real-time tracking devices, so that users can follow them at the same time as the research scientists. It is available on ITunes for $3.99. Another fundraiser for his work is the Rare Hawaiian Honey Co., which he and his wife Amy own in Kamuela.  Ten percent of the income from sales of its Great White 100% Organic Kiawe Honey goes toward funding research. See www.rarehawaiianhoney.com and www.marineCSI.org.

FARMER RICHARD HA, known in Ka`u for his opposition to a refinery and biofuel plantation planned by `Aina Koa Pono, has come out against proposed bills before the County Council that would limit the growing of Genetically Modified Organisms across the island.
    In a statement submitted to The Ka`u Calendar newspaper, Ha writes, "If passed, Hawai‘i County Council’s Anti-GMO Bills 109 and 113, submitted by (county council members) Brenda Ford and Margaret Wille and to be heard on Sept. 4, 2013 at 1:30 p.m., will have unintended and serious consequences.
     "Both bills send the wrong message to our next generation. In their actions, they imply that conventional farming is not an honorable profession. This, in turn, threatens our goal of food self-sufficiency.
     "They threaten the livelihoods of Big Island farmers. Competitors who are not on the Big Island would be allowed to use new biotechnology, but not Big Island farmers. New technology generally results in lower costs, thus this would leave Big Island producers as high-cost producers.

Richard Ha opposes GMO restriction bills that are before the County Council.

     "We are criticizing and threatening the farmers, the very people who feed us and the ones we should be encouraging to help us achieve food self-sufficiency.
     "In the old days, farmers were held in high esteem. Criminalizing farmers is a new, and ill-advised, concept. What we need now is to slow down, take a deep breath and do things in a steady, rational manner.
     "All major health and safety agencies, nationally and internationally, say there is no difference between biotech- and conventional-developed crops in terms of our health and safety.
     "We are threatening the spirit of aloha. The last round of testimony on these bills resulted in a shameful display, lacking aloha altogether. This could have been prevented with better preparation.
     "We should kill both bills and form a group – free of politics – to advise us how to proceed. This group should set a goal of figuring out how we can all work together to achieve food self-sufficiency in a way that benefits the most people. It should study economic impacts of various alternatives. It should study and report on the safety of Rainbow papayas. This group should also study the social impact of various alternatives.
     "Instead of acting and then perhaps studying, we really must study the situation first before making decisions and acting," Ha concludes.

Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui

        Ford said this morning that both GMO bills "are in Draft one and we need to discuss the bills in committee before making comments."  Ka`u Farm Bureau president Chris Manfredi recently called a meeting to discuss GMO legislation. The statewide Hawai`i Farm Bureau opposes restricting and labeling GMO's.

THE NATIONAL LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION has appointed Hawai`i's Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui to serve on a national policy committee. NLGA is the professional association providing research and issue exchange opportunities to the officeholders first in line of succession to governor in all 50 states and the U.S. territories. Tsutsui is serving as a member of the International Committee, which provides direction on opportunities for global engagement by the states’ seconds-in-command. “This role recognizes Lt. Governor Tsutsui as a point of contact and recognized expert for NLGA and to his peers,” said NLGA Director Julia Hurst.
“It is an honor being appointed to an important committee, such as the International Committee for the NLGA. Because Hawaii serves as a gateway between Asia and the Pacific, being appointed to this committee is a natural fit,” said Tsutsui. Earlier this year Tsutsui led a trade mission to the Philippines with Philippine Consul General of Honolulu Julius Torres.
     Regarding his new appointment, Tsutsui said, “I’ll be able to share my knowledge on how Hawai`i continues to work on attracting the various visitor markets and business industries to fuel our economy.”

KA`U'S CONGRESSWOMAN TULSI GABBARD recently joined 53 other U.S. Representatives with a letter to Pres. Barack Obama urging him to turn to Congress for discussion on whether to attack Syria in the wake of its use of chemical weapons that apparently killed more than 1,000 people. On Saturday, Obama asked Congress to discuss the issue and to take a vote on whether to respond militarily, following the British Parlaiment voting to restrain from joining an attack on Syria. Gabbard, herself a veteran of Middle East conflicts, released the following statement:

     “The use of chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction is atrocious and violates international norms and basic human rights. The challenges faced by UN Weapons Inspectors as they gather evidence has only exacerbated this conflict that has gone on for too long, with countless innocent casualties.

Ka`u's congresswoman, Tulsi Gabbard, is a vet who wants Congress to 

debate the issue before deciding on military action in Syria.

Photo from PBS Newshour

     “Right now, we do not have enough facts about all facets of what is occurring on the ground, the factions involved in this civil war, and what the unintended consequences would be for U.S. military involvement.
     "Congressional debate and approval must occur before any U.S. military action is taken, and through this process we need to have a clear-eyed view of our objectives and what the outcomes would be, understanding the impacts in Syria, and those that extend far beyond Syria.”
     The statement from members of Congress to Obama included the following satements: "We join you and the international community in expressing unequivocal condemnation over the news that chemical weapons were reportedly used by the government of Syria.
     "While we understand that as Commander in Chief you have a constitutional obligation to protect our national interests from direct attack, Congress has the constitutional obligation and power to approve military force if the United States or its direct interests (such as its embassies) has not been attacked or threatened with an attack. As such, we strongly urge you to seek an affirmative decision of Congress prior to committing any U.S. military engagement to this complex crisis.
     "While the ongoing human rights violations and continued loss of life is horrific, they should not draw us into an unwise war – especially without adhering to our own constitutional requirements. We strongly support the work within the United Nations Security Council to build international consensus condemning the alleged use of chemical weapons and preparing an appropriate response; we should also allow the U.N. inspectors the space and time necessary to do their jobs, which are so crucial to ensuring accountability."

Kahili ginger is an invasive pest. Volunteers
will help clear it from the park tomorrow.

KA`U GIRLS VOLLEYBALL team came up short on Friday playing Hawai`i Peparatory Academy away in Kamuela. The Trojan varsity girls lost in three sets, 25-19, 25-16 and 25-22. The Trojan junior varsity girls lost in two sets, 25-20 and 25-23.

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT invites volunteers to help clear kahili ginger on Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park trails tomorrow, Wed., Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at Kilauea Visitor Center. Call 985-6172.

NA`ALEHU SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCIL meeeting takes place on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. in Rooom 32.

OCEAN VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meeting is Thursday, Sept. 5 at Ocean View Community Center. 

COMPUTER BASICS will be taught this Friday, Sept. 6 and Friday, Sept. 13 at 11 a.m. at Pahala Public & School Library. Free. Call 939-2442.

AIKIDO CLASSES with Alan Morse begin tonight at a new location, the Old Pahala Clubhouse on the west end of Maile Street in Pahala at 6 p.m. Classes are free.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, September 2, 2013

Nonbinding mediation could begin in January regarding the state's failure to issue homestead awards
to Native Hawaiians.

NONBINDING MEDIATION COULD BEGIN in January as an attempt to resolve a class-action lawsuit filed in 1999 regarding the state’s failure to issue homestead awards to Native Hawaiians in a timely manner, reports Rob Perez in Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 

      Hawai`i Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that claimants have a right to sue for monetary damages, and plaintiffs are only those who filed claims with the Native Hawaiian Claims Panel between 1991 and 1995. The plaintiffs allege breach of trust in the management and disposition of trust resources between 1959 and 1988. Complaints included Hawaiians waiting for houselots, homes and land; some of them died while on the waiting list for decades. Other complaints include the state losing their applications, being unable to leave their homes and farms to their children and being given uninhabitable properties. Most are Native Hawaiians still on the waiting list for Hawaiian Home Lands.

DHHL has 11,312 acres in Ka`u. Map from DHHL's Ka`u Region Plan

      The Hawaiian Home Lands Trust was established by Congress in 1921 to rehabilitate Native Hawaiians by awarding them homesteads. The state of Hawai`i assumed the trust obligation when it became a state in Aug. 1959.
      In 1991, the state waived its sovereign immunity and granted Home Lands Trust beneficiaries the right to sue for past breaches of trust between 1959 and 1988. HRS Chapter 674 established a Native Hawaiian Claims Panel to consider claims and recommend resolution of claims to the state Legislature. More than 2,700 beneficiaries filed over 4,000 claims with the Claims Panel between 1991 and 1995.
      In 1999, the state eliminated the Claims Panel that reviewed breaches of trust by the state between 1959 and 1988, prompting the class-action lawsuit. The judge ruled that the claimants had the right to sue the state because the Claims Panel did not complete its work.
      The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has 11,312 acres in Ka`u. Hawaiian Home Lands in Ka`u are located in the ahupua`a of Wai`ohinu; Kama`oa, Pu`ue`o and Ke at South Point; and Wailau, Ninole and Ka`a, above Punalu`u.
      The state also own 237,410 acres managed by the Department of Land & Natural Resources.
      Other large landowners in Ka`u are Kamehameha Schools, with about 67,357 acres, and the U.S. Government, which owns more than 117,000 acres in its Kahuku section of Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, making the total acreage owned by the national park in Ka`u some 246,690 acres.
      Read about the history of Hawaiian Home Lands in Ka`u, along with archaeology and the meaning of place names in the Ka`u Region Plan by Hawaiian Home Lands Trust at http://dhhl.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Kau-Regional-Plan-Draft-120323.pdf.

      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Sen. Brian Schatz

“PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS TAKEN THE PROPER STEP in announcing that he will seek Congressional authorization before taking military action (in Syria),” Sen. Brian Schatz said in a statement. “Congress must weigh in. And this decision should spur an important debate, allowing us to review the facts. Most importantly, this assures the country that the gravity of taking military action is weighed fully before decisions are made. I will continue to participate in briefings with the President’s senior national security advisors and reviewing relevant intelligence in order to give this decision the serious consideration it deserves.” 

      Previously, Schatz released the following statement on the situation in Syria: “The President and his National Security team have provided strong evidence that the Assad regime is responsible for the recent horrific chemical weapons attack against innocent Syrian civilians. We must send a clear message that the use of chemical weapons is abhorrent and will not be tolerated by the United States or the international community. It is important that whatever actions the United States takes in Syria are consistent with America’s long-term strategic interests and are done with as broad an international coalition as possible. I know that the President, his National Security team, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are thinking carefully about their options in the coming days. The War Powers Act provides procedures for Congress and the President to participate in decisions to send U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities, and it is critically important that both the executive and legislative branches comply with the provisions of the Act which require Congressional consultation.”

      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Videoconferencing is available at Ocean View Community Association
Center during Wednesday's county meeting on GMOs. 

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL’S COMMITTEE on Public Safety & Mass Transit considers two bills regarding genetically modified organisms Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at Council Chambers in Hilo. Ka`u’s Council member Brenda Ford has introduced a bill calling for a total ban on GMOs except for research located in a biosafety level three containment facility, and Kohala Council member Margaret Wille has drafted a new bill after withdrawing her original one. Wille’s bill would allow GMO papaya to be grown. 

      Both bills call for a $100 GMO crop registration fee and penalties of up to $1,000 per day per violation. Ford’s bill includes an option of up to 30 days in jail.
      Ka`u residents can participate in the meeting and provide testimony via videoconferencing from Ocean View Community Association Center.

      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Lisa Kimura

NONPROFITS NEED A NEW BUSINESS MODEL to thrive today, according to a story by Jenna Blakely in Pacific Business News. “The old business model of applying for numerous grants and dabbling into various areas of service is not the way to run a nonprofit organization anymore,” she said. 

      Blakely suggested that one method to increase revenue is to have fundraisers. She interviewed Lisa Kimura, executive director of Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai`i, who said grants “worked as far as maintaining existing programs, but as far as doing anything new, we can’t do that without more money.”
      Kimura said, “I think a good goal is to raise at least 15 percent of our total revenue from fundraisers.” The organization has also begun to ask people to donate.
      Collaboration and formation of partnerships are other keys to nonprofits’ success, Blakely said. She spoke to Jennifer Creed, a director at Hawai`i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations, who said that the more nonprofits there are in the community, the more competitive funding becomes.
      See more at bizjournals.com/pacific.

      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

“WE ARE GOING TO MOLOKAI!” proclaims the post on Ka`u High School football’s Facebook page. Team member volunteers who have been raising money for travel required for the new eight-man football schedule express their mahalos: “Thank you to the community, families and everyone that is making this eight-man season possible. Thank you to the boys that were able to come out for a fundraiser and work your butts off: Tala`i, Nalu, Devin, Dalton, Cy, RJ, Anthony, Chance, Makana. This season is gonna be awesome….” 

      The first game for the Trojans is this Friday at home against Seabury Hall from Maui at 6 p.m.

      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Tom Peek, author of Daughters of Fire, offers a writing workshop
this weekend. Photo by Julia Neal

INNER EXPLORATION AND LIFE REFLECTION, a writing workshop with Tom Peek, takes place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. The workshop is for journal keepers, autobiographers, spiritual seekers, memoir and family history writers, and anyone who enjoys writing. No previous writing experience is necessary. Fee is $100 or $90 for VAC members. Call 967-8222 to register. 

A FREE HAWAIIAN MUSIC SONGWRITERS RETREAT is offered this Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Environmental Education Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Kenneth Makuakane and Kaliko Trapp-Beamer help beginning participants create original Hawaiian compositions through interactive presentations and small group sessions in haku mele and leo.
      The workshop is limited to 20 participants. Park entrance fees apply.
      To sign up, contact Elizabeth Bell at 985-6019 or elizabeth_bell.nps.gov.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

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Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, September 1, 2013

The population of humpback whales in the Northern Pacific Ocean may be declared no longer endangered, based
on a study being conducted by NOAA.

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION is reviewing the status of the North Pacific humpback whale as an endangered species, according to an Associated Press story. 

      The Hawai`i Fishermen’s Alliance for Conservation and Tradition, Inc. filed a petition in April seeking to have NOAA Fisheries classify humpback whales in the northern Pacific Ocean as a distinct population and then declare that the population is no longer endangered.

Humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter to breed.
Photo from fish-journal.com

      According to the story by Audrey McAvoy, NOAA will study the issue for the next year.
      “We find that the petition viewed in the context of information readily available in our files presents substantial scientific and commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted,” states NOAA’s notice published in the Federal Register.
      The humpback whale was listed as an endangered species in 1970 under the Endangered Species and Conservation Act of 1969, which was later superseded by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. 

      NOAA stated, “We find that the petition viewed in the context of information readily available in our files presents substantial scientific and commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.”
      To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, NOAA is soliciting scientific and commercial information pertaining to this population from any interested party. Submissions identified by NOAA-NMFS-2013-0106 can be made at regulations.gov or sent to Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
      For more information, contact Marta Nammack, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources at 301-427-8469.
      See more at hawaiitribune-herald.com.
      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Robert Harris

SIERRA CLUB OF HAWAI`I HAS ANNOUNCED its official endorsement of Sen. Brian Schatz for the 2014 U.S. Senate election. Members and leaders of the Sierra Club cited the senator’s commitment to clean energy and long history of environmental leadership as the central reason for the endorsement and pledged to lend its volunteer strength to the Schatz campaign. The vote to endorse Schatz was unanimous. 

      “We are very pleased to announce the Sierra Club endorses Brian Schatz for Senate,” said Robert Harris, director of Sierra Club of Hawai`i. “Sen. Schatz is exactly the kind of clean energy leader Hawai`i and America need. His commitment to homegrown, clean energy is second to none. Based on his lengthy background in working to protect Hawai`i’s environment, we are confident he is the best choice to protect Hawai`i families’ health, air and water and build a clean energy economy that works for our state.”
      “I am committed to expanding Hawai`i’s clean energy sector,” Schatz said. “By working to grow our clean energy economy, we will create good-paying jobs, strengthen our national security and ensure that our children and the next generation of Hawai`i families inherit a healthy environment. I thank the Sierra Club for this endorsement and look forward to working with this organization and its membership on achieving a clean energy future.”
      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

KA`U RESIDENTS ARE INVITED to participate in this week’s county government meetings via videoconferencing from Ocean View Community Association Center.
      Committees meet on Wednesday, with Governmental Relations & Economic Development Committee beginning at 9 a.m., Planning at 10 a.m., Finance at 10:30 a.m. and Public Safety & Mass Transit at 1:30 p.m.
      The County Council meeting on Thursday begins at 9 a.m.
      All meetings take place at Council Chambers in Hilo.
      Agendas are available at hawaiicounty.gov.

Lori Lei Shirakawa's Wai`ohinu halau is scheduled to perform during
HELCO's Clean Energy Fair. Photo by Julia Neal

LORI LEI SHIRAKAWA’S Wai`ohinu halau will perform at Hawaiian Electric Co.’s Clean Energy Fair. In celebration of Energy Awareness Month in October, HELCO invites Ka`u residents to the fair on Saturday, Sept. 28, at Prince Kuhio Plaza IN Hilo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

      Everyone in the family can explore the world of clean energy and learn how to use it wisely and safely at this free event. Through educational displays, interactive exhibits and hands-on activities, attendees can play energy games and learn about clean energy, electricity generation, power distribution, electrical safety, emergency preparedness and customer services.
      The fair also features school robotics programs, electric vehicles, photo fun and keiki IDs. Starting at 10 a.m. are performances by halau from Wai`ohinu and Lori Lei’s Hula Studio in Hilo, along with Kamehameha School Choir and the Waiakea Intermediate School `Ukulele Band.
      Concluding the fair will be the announcement of the winning student entries of Hawai`i Electric Light Co.’s My Clean Energy Hawai`i poster and poetry contest.
      Attendees who visit each of the exhibits and submit their completed Clean Energy Passport receive a gift while supplies last.
      For more information, call 969-0137.
      To comment on or “Like” this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

An exhibit of watercolors and glass art continues
at Volcano Art Center Gallery.

EVER CHANGING ISLAND, AN EXHIBITION of glass art by Hugh Jenkins and Stephanie Ross and watercolors on silk by Clytie Mead, is on display for one more week at Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free; park entrance fees apply. 

      For more information, call 967-7565 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

KA`U PARTICIPANTS CAN LEARN COMPUTER BASICS at classes held at Pahala Public & School Library from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Friday, Sept. 6 and 13. The classes cover basic parts of a computer, how to use a keyboard and mouse and how to create a simple document using word processing software during a free class.
      To register, call 939-2442 at least 48 hours before class.

TOM PEEK OFFERS WRITING FOR INNER EXPLORATION AND LIFE REFLECTION Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Volcano Art Center’s Ni`aulani Campus in Volcano Village. The workshop is for journal keepers, autobiographers, spiritual seekers, memoir and family history writers, and anyone who enjoys writing. No previous writing experience is necessary. Fee is $100 or $90 for VAC members. Call 967-8222 to register.

Kaliko Trapp-Beamer

HAKU MELE: A HAWAIIAN MUSIC SONGWRITER’S RETREAT takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Environmental Education Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Hawaiian music, language and haku mele experts Kenneth Makuakane and Kaliko Trapp-Beamer help beginning participants create original Hawaiian compositions through interactive presentations and small group sessions in haku mele and leo. 

      Makuakane is a multiple Na Hoku Hanohano Award-winner along with his longtime group, the Pandanus Club. He is a prolific songwriter, producer, musician and recording artist.
      Beamer-Trapp is the hanai son of Hawaiian cultural expert Aunty Nona Beamer-Trapp, learning about chanting, storytelling, traditional protocol, family songs, and stories. He taught at Nawahiokalaniopu`u Hawaiian Immersion School from 1997 to 2003 and now teaches Hawaiian language courses at University of Hawai`i-Hilo.
      The workshop is free and limited to 20 participants. Park entrance fees apply.
      To sign up, contact Elizabeth Bell at 985-6019 or elizabeth_bell.nps.gov.

MARLEY STRAND-NICOLAISEN continued her second day of college volleyball competition on Saturday with 21 kills and 42 swings, as University of Hawai`i-Hilo Vulcans defeated the Seawolfs from University of Alaska-Anchorage. The scores were 25-22, 26-24 and 25-0. The victory followed a Vulcan win on Thursday against the Nanooks from University of Alaska-Fairbanks in three sets, 25-18, 25-16 and 25-17. The six-foot-tall Strand-Nicolaisen, a graduate of Ka`u High School where she rose to star status, is a college freshman but played beyond her years, said coach Tino Reyes. 

      The Vulcans came up with seven aces, 40 digs and 10 block assists with a .265 hitting percentage. The home came will be followed by another this Thursday when the Vulans play East Central University at UH-Hilo at 7 p.m.

KA`U WILL TRAVEL TO ITS FIRST CROSS COUNTRY competition next Saturday at Kamehameha in Kea`au. Coach Erin Cole said, “We are excited. We have a nice group of kids who like to run.” Team members include seniors William Mitchel and Romina Sembran and juniors David Pillette and David McIntire. Underclassmen are C.J. Pajinola, Charisma Felipe, Chloe Gan, Shiela Baila-Felipe and Charlotte Esquida. “We have been doing drills, running and stretches for a few weeks, and they are looking good.” Cole said the team held off from a meet at HPA yesterday. “We got a late start, and the uniforms arrive on Tuesday. The Trojan cross country team will hold a bake sale to raise money to buy food and drink to keep up team nutrition during meets. Donations are welcome. Call Cole at 938-4037.

IN OTHER KA`U HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS this week, on Wednesday, the Trojan bowlers battle Pahoa at 1 p.m. at Hilo Lanes, and girls volleyball team travels to Pahoa for a match at 6 p.m.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES