Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Jacie Umemoto, Nicoli Makuakane and Jaestin Karasuda receive their awards at MLB's Pitch, Hit and Run earlier this month.
Photo from Nona Makuakane

KA`U COFFEE FARMERS were educated in pesticide use last night to train them for war against the coffee berry borer using several chemicals, one that kills on contact and one that distributes a fungus that kills the tiny beetle over time. At a meeting organized by Ka`u Farm Bureau at Pahala Community Center, Andrea Kawabata, of the University of Hawai`i Agricultural Extension Service, gave a class on Proper Pesticide Use and Safety. She reminded farmers to protect themselves from the spray by wearing long-sleeve shirts, pants, socks and shoes, hats and goggles, protective glasses and/or face shields. She said it is also important to advise workers and surrounding farmers of the schedule of spraying and to plan spraying to avoid the pesticide drifting onto neighboring areas.

Those working with BotaniGard should wear a
properly fitting respirator.

      With BotaniGard, no one is supposed to enter the sprayed area without Personal Protective Equipment within four hours of spraying. Picking of coffee is allowed after the four hours. She also talked about the importance of keeping records of pesticide application quantities and times in order to avoid problems if neighbors have a question. Education and notification of workers of safety and emergency procedures are also required, she said.
      Kawabata explained that pesticides can include funguses and bacteria that are used to kill pests. Even sprays and applications to organic farms can include pesticides, she said.
      The warning label says that BotaniGard ES is a micoinsecticide. It causes moderate eye irritation and is harmful if absorbed through the skin, inhaled or swallowed. “Avoid breathing spray mist. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet. Remove contaminated clothing and wash clothing before reuse,” say the directions. Kawabata also recommended washing exposed clothing separately from other clothing.
      She said that farmers should use chemical-resistant gloves made of such materials as nirile rubber or butyl rubber. She also said that those applying, mixing and loading the chemicals should wear a dust mist filtering respirator with a cartridge (not a dust mask), meeting NIOSH standards of at least R-95 or P-95. She suggested that those applying the BotaniGard be fitted for a respirator at such places as Gaspro, so there would be no leaks around their faces. Her handout says that “repeated exposure to high concentrations of microbial proteins can cause allergic sensitization.”
      The handout says that BotaniGard is potentially hazardous to honeybees. “Avoid applying to areas where honeybees are actively foraging or around beehives.” Keep the pesticide away from gulches where it could make its way into fresh water and eventually into the ocean. BotaniGard could harm fish, the warning says. Kawabata said that while BotaniGard is less toxic to bees than some other chemicals, it is best to refrain from spraying when coffee flowers are blooming. It is a federal violation to use BotaniGard in a way inconsistent with the labeling. BotaniGard also kills whiteflies, aphids, thrips, mealybugs, leafhoppers and other beetles. It is legal to use on fruits, berries, nuts, spices, vegetables and such crops as cane, potatoes, tea and rice. It is commonly used on ornamentals.

      Kawabata also cautioned the use of highly clorinated water to mix with the BotaniGard, as the chlorine can damage or kill the fungus. Water testing kits are avaiable through the Agricultural Extension Service for $5 each.

Kaimana Kaupu-Manini swings at the ball
during MLB's Pitch, Hit and Run.
Photo from Nona Makuakane

Jaisen Garcia gets ready to pitch the
ball at MLB's Pitch, Hit and Run.
Photo from Nona Makuakane

      Kawabata said that the pesticide must remain in the container with its label and warnings, rather than pouring it into various containers. She suggested that farmers have a first aid station on the farmland and coordinate with one another regarding warning signs for spraying times. Support for using BotaniGard to fight the coffee berry borer is coming from the County of Hawai`i through Ka`u Farm Bureau. Farmers are required to take the pesticide-use training course to qualify for subsidies to help them pay for BotaniGard. BotaniGard is considered the best tool to fight the coffee berry borer, which has devastated Kona Coffee farms and has moved into Ka`u.

      Anyone with questions about pesticide and safety can contact Derek Shigematsu, Environmental Health Specialist Hawai`i Department of Agriculture at derek.m.shigematsu@hawaii.gov or call 974-4143.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

INSTALLATION OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS in Na`alehu and Pahala may get help from a federal program. In advance of the release of the bipartisan, bicameral agreement on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, Sen. Brian Schatz, Chair of the Senate’s Subcommittee on Water and Power, announced key provisions included in the bill that would provide resources for wastewater infrastructure, flood control and water supply projects as well as improve Hawai`i harbors. “As an island state, our harbors and waterways are gateways to communities and are essential to connecting people and goods across our state,” Schatz said. “This agreement dedicates funds for Hawai`i and authorizes funding for our harbors and water projects, which are important to jobs here and will help protect our precious water resources.” 

      WRRDA makes several important changes to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The bill allows more flexible loan terms, including lower interest rates and principle forgiveness, in communities that have difficulty raising revenue for projects.
      Since 1988, Hawai`i Department of Health has used funding from the program to issue over $675 million in low interest loans to Hawai`i’s four counties to construct high priority drinking water, wastewater and storm water systems.
      These loans are expected to help Hawai`i County save millions of dollars in interest costs for construction of sewers to allow closure of cesspools.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Ceandra Silva-Kamei runs the bases during MLB's Pitch,
Hit and Run. Photo from Nona Makuakane

KA`U YOUTH WHO QUALIFIED at Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit, and Run Regionals held at Pahala ball field on March 20 were invited to attend the Sectionals held in Hilo at Walter Victor Stadium on May 10. Organized by Damien Silva of Hilo, the Sectionals also included qualifiers from Kona, Kohala, Honoka`a, Hilo, Pahoa and Mountain View. 

     MLB’s Pitch, Hit, and Run is a program where participants pitch six balls at a target, hit three balls off of a baseball tee and are timed in a run. Qualifiers in the Sectionals may advance to the Nationals in California, which will be held this summer.
     Winning in her age division and qualifying to the next round is eight-year-old Jacie Umemoto, of Pahala. Nicoli Makuakane placed second, and Jaestin Karasuda placed third in the 7/8-year-old boys division. Ceandra Silva Kamei placed third in the girls 11/12 division.  Also competing were 9/10 division boys Kaimana Kaupu-Manini and Jaisen Garcia.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Molly Amai Stebbins

MOLLY AMAI STEBBINS IS HAWAI`I ISLAND’S new corporation counsel, the county’s top civil lawyer, announced Mayor Billy Kenoi. Stebbins has served as deputy corporation counsel since 2007 and is currently assigned to represent the county police and fire departments. 

      She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the University of Hawai`i’s William S. Richardson School of Law.
      “Molly is a highly skilled attorney who has the talent and experience to lead the Office of the Corporation Counsel,” Kenoi said. “We are proud to have her leading our legal team, and she will do an outstanding job serving our community.”
      Kenoi also announced the appointment of Laureen Martin as assistant corporation counsel.
      Martin has served as the county’s deputy corporation counsel since 2009 and is currently litigation section supervisor for the office. She also worked as Maui County deputy corporation counsel from 2002 to 2009.
      Stebbins replaces Lincoln Ashida, who resigned as corporation counsel April 30 to take a position as senior counsel for Torkildson Katz Moore Hetherington & Harris.
      Martin replaces Katherine Garson as assistant corporation counsel. Garson will remain with the county as deputy corporation counsel.
      The appointments are are subject to confirmation by the County Council.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

MARK YAMANAKA PERFORMS TOMORROW at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The four-time Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning singer and songwriter shares original songs from his debut CD, Lei Pua Kenikeni. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Merridee Smith shares her knowledge of fused
fiber felting and botanical printing this weekend.
Photo from Volcano Art Center

A FUSED FIBER FELTING & BOTANICAL PRINTING workshop will be held at Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 4 p.m. Fiber artists Merridee and Keith Smith present a fun and intensive introduction to fused fiber (nuno) felting and botanical printing using natural materials.
      Participants make a shawl from fine white wool and silk. They test to determine which plants might produce prints and practice the use of simple mordants. Students then print scarves and their felted pieces using plants found growing in forests and backyards. “Stunning botanical prints with beautiful color subtleties and patterns are the goal,” said Merridee Smith.
      Currently, she is working with wool, silk and other fibers to create works that represent earth forms, images of the sea and lava. Her studio is in the historic Carnegie Library in Auburn, California.
      A slide show and potluck reception takes place Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at VAC’s Niaulani Campus. Examples of their work will also be on display. The slide show will cover their work and processes used in creating it.
      Workshop fee is $215 for VAC members and $245 for non-members, plus a $45 supply fee. Pre-registration is required. Call 967-8222 or see volcanoartcenter.org.

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

See kaucalendar.com/Directory2014.swf.

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, May 19, 2014

The 37th Annual Fourth of July Rodeo has been announced by Ka`u Roping & Riding Association. It will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 5 and 6, at Na`alehu Rodeo Grounds. Photo by Peter Anderson

COFFEE RUST, WHICH WAS A TOPIC at the recent Ka`u Coffee College, made news nationally over the weekend, with reports that the federal government is providing funding to battle the disease in Central America. Raj Shah, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, is expected to announce today a $5 million partnership with Texas A&M University’s World Coffee Research Center to try to eliminate the fungus.

Coffee rust first infects the topside of leaves and makes its way to the underside.
Photo from wikipedia

      According to the American Phytopathological Society, coffee rust is the most economically important coffee disease in the world, and in monetary value, coffee is the most important agricultural product in international trade. “Even a small reduction in coffee yields or a modest increase in production costs caused by the rust has a huge impact on the coffee producers, the support services and even the banking systems in those countries whose economies are absolutely dependent on coffee export,” says its website at apsnet.org.
      APS says the first observable symptoms of coffee rust are small, pale yellow spots on the upper surfaces of the leaves. As these spots enlarge, masses of orange spores appear on the leaves’ undersides.
      The fungus spreads by airborne spores and can kill coffee trees. It has been devastating to poor farmers who cannot afford fungicides to control the disease. According to NBC News, the main concern is that if small farmers lose their livelihood, hunger and poverty in the region could contribute to violence and drug trafficking.
      NBC News says production could be reduced by 15 to 40 percent in Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Ric Rhinehart, of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, said that consumers eventually could pay “extraordinarily high prices for those coffees, if you can find them at all.”
      According to APS, coffee rust is now found in nearly all the coffee-producing areas of the world, “with the exception of Hawai`i.” However, the disease could come in on plant materials imported illegally without inspection. The spores could also come in on bags of coffee that are imported. One way to prevent rust from coming here is by refraining from bringing coffee plants or beans from overseas – even a few beans in an airplane passenger’s pocket – recommended scientists attending Ka`u Coffee College.
      The effort is part of the Obama administration’s Feed the Future program, which aims to rid the world of extreme poverty through agricultural development and improved nutrition.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard wants to keep federal airline fee increases
out of Hawai`i. Image from the Office of U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD IS ASKING KA`U RESIDENTS to speak up in support of an exemption to a proposed increase in airline fees. “Sometimes it is hard for my colleagues to grasp that while they can hop in a car or a train to commute within their state, we travel through the clouds,” Gabbard said. “That’s why our voices must be heard, and why I’m working with my colleagues to get this exemption passed. But I need your help now to ensure our voices are heard.” 

      “With no inter-island railway, no highways and no ferry service, flying is how we get to doctors’ appointments and go to work. It is how we go to school and visit our family and friends. We have no other option to do these things but to fly.
      “Yet both Congress and the President have proposed an increase in airline fees by $3.10 – and for those of us who rely on flying for basic essential services, this is an undue burden on already expensive travel.
      Gabbard and Sen. Mazie Hirono have introduced legislation and called on Congress to exempt Alaska and Hawai`i from the fee hike.
      To express support for the exemption, see signforgood.com/airlinefees/?code=Tulsi-hi.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

Rodeo queen candidates are, from left, Caliyah Silva-Kamei, Zeishalynn Pua
and Lehiwa Moses.

KA`U ROPING AND RIDING ASSOCIATION is holding its 37th annual Fourth of July Rodeo at the Na`alehu arena on July 5 and 6. Running for rodeo queen this year are Caliyah Silva-Kamei, Zeishalynn Pua and Lehiwa Moses. Residents can support them by buying rodeo tickets for $6.

      Events scheduled at the rodeo include Open Dally, Team 90’s, Double Mugging, Ranch Mugging and Wahine Mugging.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

CHARLES CLAY, who grew up in Volcano, has signed a three-year, free agent contract to play football with the Green Bay Packers. Clay spent his first 13 years in Volcano, played high school football at Hilo High and college football at Southern Methodist University in Texas and UH-Manoa.
      Clay flew to Wisconsin to compete for the position of safety during Green Bay’s rookie mini-camp. He graduated from UH with a degree in environmental science.
      See his recruiting video at youtube.com/watch?v=iDo5F3TAYVo.
      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.

“CAN AN EVENT LIKE THE SR530 LANDSLIDE near Oso, Washington happen in Hawai`i?” is the question asked in the current issue of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s Volcano Watch. 

      The answer is, “It already has,” in Ka`u. On April 2, 1868, the strongest earthquake documented in the Hawaiian Islands struck the Island of Hawai`i and dislodged part of a valley wall in the Wood Valley. “In minutes, the landslide covered an area four times the size of the SR530 slide, destroying 10 structures and killing 31 Hawaiian farmers.”

      Ka`u residents who observed the mud landslide from a distance thought it was a lava flow, the article reports. “That was understandable, since Wood Valley is on the southeast flank of the active Mauna Loa volcano and since the mudslide appeared to be red in color and was preceded by many earthquakes. But witnesses at the scene found that the ‘lava flow’ was cold mud, with streams of water draining down each side. The red color came from the abundant volcanic ash soil in the area. With more time and scrutiny, it became clear that this was a landslide.

      Landslides are hazards in areas where slopes are steep, the issue explains. “The degree of the hazard depends on the type of rocks that make up the slope. Large landslides, like other natural hazards, tend to recur in the same locations where they have occurred in the past.

Ron Self and other farmers in Wood Valley benefit from
deep soil created by the slide.

      “Ground vibration caused by the earthquake clearly triggered the 1868 landslide. But earthquakes occur frequently in this area without landslides. What was different in 1868? The Ka`u area experienced heavy rainfall just prior to the earthquake. Perhaps the rainfall saturated the ash layers in the valley walls, weakening or liquefying the ash to the point of failure during strong ground shaking.”

      Ron Self, a farmer in Wood Valley, concurs, saying he believes that the slide may have been precipitated by weeks of heavy rains as well as the earthquakes.

      One area in Wood Valley is called mud flats, where slide soil is deep and holds water.

      “The geology of the Ka`u area is also unique, with one or more thick ash layers interspersed between Mauna Loa lava flows,” the article says. “The ash layers are relatively impermeable, compared with the permeable lava flows. This means that the ash tends to be a barrier to water percolating down through the ground, resulting in water being concentrated in the lava flows. Before the sugar industry, Ka`u had many natural springs, with water gushing out of the lava flows and over ash layers that were exposed in cliffs. Now, an extensive set of tunnels cut into the ash layers extract water more efficiently.

      “Modern mapping and studies suggest that the 1868 landslide itself was composed of lava-flow blocks and ashy gravels. The debris was probably the result of lava blocks and ash sliding from the hillside. When saturated with water (rain) and shaken by a strong earthquake, the thick layer of volcanic ash liquefied and flowed like water, removing support for the overlying lava layers.
      “Liquefaction is a dangerous consequence of strong earthquake shaking and, in the case of the 1868 Ka`u landslide, can result in life-threatening landslides. Liquefaction during earthquakes can also be a problem on gentler slopes.”
      See hvo.wr.usgs/gov/volcanowatch.

      To comment on or like this story, go to facebook.com/kaucalendar.  

PROPER PESTICIDE USE AND SAFETY is the topic this evening from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Participants learn how to be compliant and how to implement federal worker protection standard requirements, thereby minimizing their risk of pesticide inspections and citations.

Mark Yamanaka performs Wednesday at Kilauea Visitor Center.
Photo from NPS

KILAUEA DRAMA & ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK holds auditions for its summer musical Ruddigore today and tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Parts in the July production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s musical include lead roles for five men and four women, mortals, ghosts, officers, ancestors, villagers and professional bridesmaids. 

      For more information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

SAM LOW PRESENTS HIS FILM The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The film features Satawalese navigator Mau Piailug, the sailing vessel Hokule`a and her crew. Low answers questions and signs his book, Hawaiki Rising – Hokule`a, Nainoa Thompson and the Hawaiian Renaissance, which, along with the DVD, will be on sale at the bookstore. Free; park entrance fees apply. $2 donations support After Dark in the Park programs.

MARK YAMANAKA PERFORMS WEDNESDAY at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The four-time Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning singer and songwriter shares original songs from his debut CD, Lei Pua Kenikeni. Free; park entrance fees apply.

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

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, May 18, 2014

After Dark in the Park presents Sam Low's film The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific Tuesday evening. Photo from NPS

FARMERS NEED TO JOIN TOGETHER to promote locally grown food, protect agricultural land from development, restore water sources to ensure equitable distribution for irrigation and ranch use, and educate future farmers. These were some of the ideas bought forth at the second organizing meeting of Ka`u Farmers Union United yesterday. It was held in Na`alehu at Ka`u Coffee House & Hawai`i Island Inn.

Marla Hunter, member of the new Ka`u Farmers Union United, owns Eke Nui
mango farm with her husband Peter on the Pahala side of Na`alehu.

      Founding members talked about their diversified involvement in agriculture. Ka`u Coffee House proprietor Shane Johnson said his establishment wants to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables to prepare food for sale and to also sell fresh produce. “We would like to see a more local-based economy.” He told farmers, a number of them over 55 years of age, “The new generation needs all of you.”
      Pahala resident and backyard gardener Lynn Hamilton said, “It is of massive importance for small farmers to have a voice.” She noted the community challenge over the last few years when outside investors proposed a refinery and biofuel plantation that could have displaced ranchers and limited expansion of coffee and diversified farming.
      Ann Fontes, who owns a coffee and diversified small farm on the edge of Pahala, said she is concerned that “nice” ag land could be subdivided for fancy homes.

      Mike Klungness, who worked for University of Hawai`i and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, talked about farming organizations elsewhere helping to sustain agriculture for generations. He pointed to almond growers and beekeepers as examples of farmers with strong cooperatives. He also talked about the need for agricultural education at Ka`u High, which used to have a thriving Future Farmers of America organization with students selling macadamia nuts to wholesalers and vegetables on the side of the road. The students also grew ornamentals, native plants, pigs and other farm animals on campus.

Manuel Marques is one of the Ka`u Coffee farmers who joined Hawai`i
Farmers Union United. Photo by Julia Neal

      Wally Young, a coffee farmer, said he was born and raised in Ka`u. His parents were coffee farmers in Ka`u. His family grew tomatoes and cucumbers.
      Kawehi Ryder, who recently moved from Lana`i to Pahala, said he plans to grow dryland taro in Wood Valley and is interested in farm education for youth.
      S Reha, from a Wood Valley farm that has grown organic vegetables and fruit and nut trees, as well as koa, said she is retiring but hopes to sell her farm to someone who will invigorate ag on the land.
      Manuel Marques said that coffee prices are good and he plans to stay in the industry. He said he has also tried taro, but not having a poi mill made it hard to sell, even with a shortage of poi statewide.

      Marla Hunter, who owns a farm with 27 mango varieties just east of Na`alehu, talked about need for value added products. She said she has sometimes faced difficulty selling mangoes from her 70 trees at the local farmers market, which she helped to organize years ago. The group discussed the need for a commercial kitchen in Ka`u, open for farmers to make products from their produce.

       Another founder of farmers markets in Na`alehu, Marilyn Creagan, suggested that farmers label their foods better, saying that “people want to know where food is coming from.” She said the goal at her family farm is “to feed ourselves” and to sell or trade the excess with other Ka`u farmers.

      John Ah San, a coffee farmer, said he has been in ag for 50 years. He said he wants “commercial” and organic farmers to work together so that the Ka`u ag community won’t become polarized.

The Kawehi Ryder family bought a house in Pahala recently and plans to
plant dryland taro and work with local youth in farming.
Photo by Julia Neal

      Richard Creagan, who represents Ka`u and South Kona in the state House of Representatives, said that different farm groups can work together. He noted that in Kona a number of farmers belong to both Farmers Union United and Hawai`i Farm Bureau. Both support funding to support the fight against the coffee berry borer that has damaged Kona and Ka`u farms.
      Malian Lahey, who owns a farm in Wood Valley, has led the organization of Ka`u Farmers Union United. She said the statewide leadership of the organization supports GMO labeling and regenerative agriculture that improves soils. She said not all Farmers Union United members, however, are organic farmers. The organization is neutral on this issue, she said. It was also noted that all of the Ka`u Farmers Union United meetings are open to the public.
      Richard Creagan talked about another major threat to ag in Ka`u – the insect that is killing macadamia trees and threatening the viability of one of Ka`u’s major employers, the mac nut industry. He said funding is coming from the Legislature. If farmers don’t treat mac nut trees, their orchards will be the source of the insect spreading across the district, he said.
      He also talked about water in Ka`u, saying that restoration of old sugar plantation sources could provide six million gallons of water a day. Additionally, wells and water recycling programs could provide up to 300 million gallons a day. He said some of this water could be used to make pumped hydroelectricity.
      Both Richard Creagan and Lahey talked about the possibility of Ka`u developing its own electricity and water systems.
      Another new Farmers Union United member said she plans to integrate food production and a forest on 17 acres off South Point Road. She said her plan includes “building a food forest” with some farmer housing and value added food product production. She mentioned the “seven layers of food production” in a permaculture program.
      The group ended the meeting with some stated objectives: integrated ag and environmental education in Ka`u for grades K- 12; promoting the idea that people need to eat food grown in Ka`u; and encouraging the state Department of Land & Natural Resources to move foward on granting leases for ag water from the old plantation system.

Khloe Kamalani Moses won first place in her
Kendama tournament.  

KHLOE KAMALANI MOSES, OF PAHALA, took first place in the five and under division at the Kendama tournament this weekend at Waiakea High School. Her older brother Kameron took fourth in his age division. 

      Kendama has taken the youth community by storm. Kendama is a traditional Japanese game with three wooden cups of different sizes on the center of a wooden spike and another cup on the base of the spike. A ball is attached by a string, and the aim is to catch the ball in a cup. The game may have originated in France and arrived via the silk road into Asia and on to Japan around 1777. Such games may have originated independently in the Arctic and other locations as hand-eye training for children in communities dependent on hunting. In Japan, there are national tournaments.

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS HUMPBACK WHALE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY is seeking to fill two primary and four alternate seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public input into sanctuary matters and provides advice to sanctuary management.
      “The members of our advisory council represent an extremely important element of our community,” said Malia Chow, sanctuary superintendent. “Their input, experience and expertise assist sanctuary managers in making informed and timely decisions on how best to protect and conserve our important cultural and natural resources.”
      Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council provides advice and recommendations on managing and protecting the sanctuary. The council is composed of government and non-governmental seats for a total of 53 representatives who serve on a volunteer basis, represent a variety of local user groups, the general public, and state and federal governmental jurisdictions.
      Applications are due June 30. To receive an application kit or for further information, contact council coordinator Daniela Kittinger at Daniela.Kittinger@noaa.gov, 808-725-5905 or hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov.

Participants learn about proper pesticide use and safety at a workshop tomorrow.
Photo from UH-CTAHR

PROPER PESTICIDE USE AND SAFETY is the topic tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Participants learn how to be compliant and how to implement federal worker protection standard requirements, thereby minimizing their risk of pesticide inspections and citations.

KILAUEA DRAMA & ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK holds auditions for its summer musical tomorrow and Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Kilauea Military Camp Theater in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Parts in the July production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s musical Ruddigore include lead roles for five men and four women, mortals, ghosts, officers, ancestors, villagers and professional bridesmaids. 

      For more information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

AFTER DARK IN THE PARK GOES TO THE MOVIES Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park when Sam Low presents his film, The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific. The film features Satawalese navigator Mau Piailug, the sailing vessel Hokule`a and her crew. Low answers questions and signs his book, Hawaiki Rising – Hokule`a, Nainoa Thompson and the Hawaiian Renaissance, which, along with the DVD, will be on sale at the bookstore. Free; park entrance fees apply. $2 donations support After Dark programs.

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