Ka`u News Briefs Friday, April 7, 2017

Hawai`i Senator Brian Schatz with Syrian refugee. Shatz tweeted on Friday that the refugee ban
should be changed. Photo from Brian Schatz

IS THE TRUMP REFUGEE BAN IMMORAL if Pres. Donald Trump is willing to bomb Syria in the name of the Syrian children threatened by chemical warfare, while closing the door on them when their families try to flee to the United States? This is a question on Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz 's twitter feed. On Friday, Schatz tweeted a photo of a Syrian child in a refugee camp he visited, saying, "This is a kid I met in a refugee camp in Jordan. He's from Syria, and he needs us. This refugee ban is immoral."
     Schatz also retweeted: "Trump must change his refugee policy if he wants to use morality to justify action. Public agrees: 68% oppose indefinite Syrian refugee ban." Another retweet: "Can someone explain how the U.S. can bomb Syria while still maintaining a ban against its refugees?"
      It was also noted on Schatz's twitter feed on Friday that Trump defunded the United Nations Population Fund, which offers maternal health care to marginalized women to deliver healthy babies. Among those being served are some 48,000 pregnant Syrian women, many of them  in refugee camps.
     Trump's administration is contesting Hawai`i federal Judge Derrick Kahala Watson's ruling that stopped Trump's travel ban on people from six majority-Muslim countries. The arguments will be heard in a Virginia federal court.

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JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH IS THE 113TH U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. The vote in the U.S. Senate on Friday was 54-45, with Hawai`i Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz voting no.                Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave extensive testimony in her opposition to Gorsuch, contending that he would rule on the side of corporations over people.

Pres. Donald Trump, introducing Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nomination
for the U.S. Supreme Court. The nomination was confirmed Friday.
Photo from Wikipedia

     Schatz contended that the public needed to know whether Gorsuch would favor the powerful, and whether he would uphold privacy rights and the woman's right to choose. Both Hirono and Schatz said Gorsuch did not provide clarity on these and other issues during his confirmation hearings.   
     The usual requirement for confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice  is 60 votes or more by the U.S. Senate but the Senate majority leader changed the rules to allow a simple majority vote to confirm Trump's nominee. It's called "the nuclear option." Gorsuch is expected to be sworn in on Monday morning.
     The lifetime appointment means that Gorsuch, 49, could serve for three or more decades. The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice, who would agree to ban abortions and live up to other conservative expectations,  replacing  the late Justice Antonin Scalia, are named as reasons that Republicans supported the Donald Trump candidacy for President.

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A poster for the 1944 U.S. Ag Census,
which has been taken since 1840.

KA`U FARMERS ARE INVITED to be included in the federal 2017 Ag Census, which produces statistics that help protect and obtain funding for such efforts as soil conservation, agricultural water and educational programs. The Ag Census takes place every five years and dates back to 1840.       Farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their operations and communities by taking part in the national Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the census captures a complete count of all U.S. Farms and ranches and those who operate them.       NASS is in the final stage for preparing the 2017 Census of Agriculture mailing list. For those new to farming and those who didn’t receive a 2012 Census of Agriculture questionnaire there is still time to be counted by signing up. Click the ‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button below and provide the requested information. Questions, please contact Kathy King, USDA NASS State Statistician, at kathy.king@nass.usda.gov or 808-522-8080. Go to Make Sure You Are Counted!

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FARMWORKS HAWAI'I has announced programs of interest to Ka`u farmers and ranchers. Melanie Bondera , who has assisted Ka`u Coffee growers, is helping farmers form cooperatives and write business plans and grants. Diana Duff will teach a two-day long session April 29 and July 22 on Business Plan for Famers. Classes will be in Honoka`a, free and open to the public. Registration is through the Kohala Center. See www.koha.la/fsaworkshops.  A class on beekeeping is scheduled for April 22. See more at www.farmworkshawaii.com.

Pancake Breakfast, Sat, April 8, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, April 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pele & Hi‘iaka, Sat, April 8, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, April 8, 4:30 & 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Jeannine Guillory with Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones present high-caliber jazz up-close & personal. Tickets at volcanoartcenter.org, VAC’s office & VAC Gallery.

Medicine for the Mind, Sun, April 9, 4 – 5:45 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Buddhist healing meditation for beginners through advanced. Free. Patty, 985-7470.

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, April 9, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

Senior IDs, Mon, April 10, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.

Ka`u News Briefs Thursday, April 6, 2017

The Storybook Theatre Dolphin came to Tutu & Me, Pahala Preschool and Boys & Girls Club on
Thursday to entertain and teach children about marine life. Photo by Julia Neal

MEMBERS OF HAWAI`I'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REACTED TO THE MISSILE FIRING BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP on Thursday. Trump said that when he ordered Tomahawk missiles to be launched from U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean into Syria to destroy an Air Force base, he was responding to the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's recent killing of children and others with chemical weapons.
     Sen. Brian Schatz responded with the following statement: "The Assad regime's use of chemical weapons is abhorrent, but a military response is not the answer. The president has failed to articulate a strategy to end the Syrian civil war. A one-off strike may satisfy our desire to hold Assad accountable, but it risks deeper escalation without any sense of direction or objective. And unless this conflict ends, we will never defeat ISIL and prevent its return.

Sen. Brian Schatz said that the U.S. launch of missled
into Syria risks deeper escalation.

     "Regardless, Congress must debate and authorize any escalation of U.S. military involvement against the Syria regime, as it is well beyond the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. The United States must focus on leading a diplomatic effort among our partners and allies in the region to achieve a political solution that results in a post-Assad syrian government that brings stability to the region."
     Sen. Mazie Hirono released the following statement: “The repeated use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime against his own people is an atrocity and breach of international law, and the international community must hold him accountable.

      “The Civil War in Syria adds layers of complexity in a country and region where there are no easy answers and opportunities for missteps are great.

      “In light of this, President Trump must present a coherent strategy for addressing the ongoing situation in Syria, including our own responsibility in confronting the humanitarian catastrophe and refugee crisis.”

     Rep. Tulsi Gabbard released the following statement: “It angers and saddens me that President Trump has taken the advice of war hawks and escalated our illegal regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government. This escalation is short-sighted and will lead to more dead civilians, more refugees, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other terrorists, and a possible nuclear war between the United States and Russia.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called the missle strike "wreckless."

      “This Administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning. If President Assad is indeed guilty of this horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians, I will be the first to call for his prosecution and execution by the International Criminal Court. However, because of our attack on Syria, this investigation may now not even be possible. And without such evidence, a successful prosecution will be much harder.”

      Gabbard visited Lebanon and Syria in January and met with Assad. She returned with a renewed
vow to stop regime change wars that lead to innocent people being killed. She plans to be in Kona and Hilo starting next week with Town Hall public meetings on local issues, as well as foreign policy. She will be in Kona on Tuesday, April 11 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Kealakehe Intermediate School and in Hilo on Tuesday, April 18 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Waiakea High School. 

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THE U.S. SENATE CHANGED ITS VOTING RULES on Thursday when it became clear that Pres. Donald Trump's nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, would fail to receive the minimum 60 votes to be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement:

     “Today, Senate Republicans destroyed a process that has been in place for years to accomplish their goal. of confirming a far-right Supreme Court Justice. Last year, they wouldn’t even give President Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland a hearing. And today, they changed the rules in order to ram through a nominee who cannot garner even 60 votes to sit on the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch would preserve the 5-4 conservative majority on the Roberts Court that favors corporate interests over individual rights." The new rules enacted by Senate Majority Leade Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) broke  tradition and changed Senate rules, bypassing the first-ever successful opposition to a Supreme Court nominee.
     The new rules will require a simple majority vote to confirm the Gorsuch confirmation, which is expected by the end of the week.

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A GUIDE TO SELLING LOCAL PRODUCE TO SCHOOLS has been made available by the Kohala Center on its Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program webpage. It explains that The USDA Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program  provides federal funds to low-income elementary schools to serve fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks between meals during the school day. The Kohala Center has created a number of resources for schools and farmers on buying and selling local for the FFVP in order to support local farmers, deepen students' understanding of local agriculture, and provide students with fresh, healthy snacks. For more information, view Kohala Center's  FFVP webpage, which includes our FFVP Implementation Report and our FFVP Hawai`i Local Buying Guide with tips for farmers on supplying fresh produce for the FFVP and other child nutrition programs.

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Kiva and Hawai`i Food Producers Fund Microlans allow individuals to loan and borrow small amounts of money
to help finance food production in Hawai`i. Photo from kiva.org

HAWAI`I FOOD PRODUCERS FUND MICROLOAN PROGRAM will fund 50 percent of loans sought through KIVA. The loans are 0 percent interest to Hawai`i food producers. The Kohala Center, with support from the Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and County of Hawai‘i, created the Fund to increase thapital available to local food producers and stimulate local food production. Hawai‘i food producers are Hawai‘i-based farmers and food processors utilizing at least one Hawai‘i-grown ingredient. Visit Hawai‘i Food Producers Fund page for more information.

       Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco. It connects people through lending to alleviate poverty. Lenders and offer as little as $25 to help with loans. 

See www.kiva.org. The Hawai`i Food Producers Fund matches the Kiva funding for producing food on the island.

       Internationally, Kiva has severed 2.4 million borrowers in 83 countries with a repayment rate of 97 percent, after lending more than $965 million, the organization reports. According to the Kiva website, its philosophy is that "lending alongside thousands of others is one of the most powerful and sustainable ways to create economic an dsocial good. Lending on Kiva creates a partnership of mutual dignity and makes it easy to touch more lives with the same dollar." See www/kiva.org

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A dolphin was beached at Pahala Preschool today as Storybook
Theatre came to town. Photo by Julia Neal

STORYBOOK THEATRE OF HAWAI`I came to Pahala on Thursday with performances at Tutu & Me, Pahala Preschool and Boys & Girls Club. Storybook founder Mark Jeffers brought his giant, inflatable dolphin and taught children about marine mammals and the health of the oceans. Children were able to also sit within the belly of the dolphin for storytelling. 

      Jeffers will also make presentations at Kamehameha and other schools in the region through next week. See www.storybook.org.

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Storybook Theatre founder Mark Jeffers teaches
children inside the belly of the dolphin.
Photo by Julia Neal

Stewardship at the Summit, April 7, 14, 22, 29; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Volunteers clear ginger from park trails. Free; park entrance fees apply. nps.gov/havo

Tropical Flower Arranging, Fri, April 7, 1 – 3 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Kaipo Ah Chong helps participants welcome spring. $45 plus $20 supply fee. 967-8222

Pancake Breakfast, Sat, April 8, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, April 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pele & Hi‘iaka, Sat, April 8, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, April 8, 4:30 & 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Jeannine Guillory with Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones present high-caliber jazz up-close & personal. Tickets at volcanoartcenter.org, VAC’s office & VAC Gallery.

Ka`u News Briefs Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Shane Trupin's Lava Ocean Adventures has received a special permit from the U.S. Coast Guard to
enter the Safety Zone set by the U.S. Coast Guard extending 984 feet from the lava entry, according
to Big Island Video News. Photo from www.lavaocean.com

COAST GUARD REOPENS WATERS NEAR LAVA ENTRY off Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. That's the news in a statement from Lt. Cmdr. Nicholas Jarboe, chief of waterways management, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. Tour boats meeting Coast Guard requirements must apply for special permission to sail closer than 984 feet from the place the lava enters the ocean near Kamokuna Lava Delta. The Safety Zone was established on March 25 when the Coast Guard noted the instability of the sea cliff near the lava flow, the danger of collapse of the lava delta being formed, as well as fumes and other hazards. Tour boat operators said they could lose their businesses. if prohibited from sailing closer than 984 feet from lava flowing into the ocean.

        "The Coast Guard Captain of the Port has outlined the requirements to request entrance to the Kilauea lava ocean entry temporary Safety Zone," said the statement issued Tuesday. "The Coast Guard is clarifying the process for requesting entry to the temporary Safety Zone for all waterway users,” said Jarboe. “Sound risk management, contingency planning and response, and regulatory frameworks help us ensure the safety of life at sea and that the maritime sector remains safe, secure, and resilient.” 

     Those wishing to enter the Safety Zone are required to submit a written request to the Captain of the Port Honolulu. According to the statement, "factors that may be considered include: the vessel’s material condition, safety equipment, redundancies, general safety practices and procedures, specific safety practices and procedures for operating near the lava ocean entry, familiarity with the surrounding waters, and mariner’s experience operating as a Coast Guard-credentialed mariner."              
     Requests can be mailed to U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, 400 Sand Island Parkway Honolulu, Hawaii 96819 or email to D14-SMB-SecHonoMarineEventPermits@uscg.mil.

     The Coast Guard was able to establish the temporary Safety Zone under Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 165.T14-0172 . The regulations state that the Safety Zone may not be entered without the prior permission of the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Honolulu. 

        According to Big Island Video News, "Shane Turpin’s Lava Ocean Adventures tour was one of the first to be granted entry after the Safety Zone was established. Turpin said he was impressed by how the Coast Guard Captain of the Port and his crew handled the situation."

     The Coast Guard statement advises, "All waterway users should ensure they have the most up-to-date information from the U.S. Geologic Survey before embarking on a voyage in the vicinity of the lava flow entry: https://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php 

     

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KA`U`S COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER MAILE DAVID stood up for Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, which was proclaimed by Mayor Harry Kim for the County of Hawai`i. American Association of University Women members brought the proclamation to the council. Women are paid 84 percent of pay provided to men in Hawai`i. On the mainland, women are paid 80 percent of the pay that goes to men.

Mail David  (back row, fourth from right) joined members of the
County Council and American Association of University Women
to celebrate Equal Pay Day on Tuesday.
Photo from Big Island Video News

   The Mayor's proclamation points out that "More than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women, especially minority women, continue to suffer the consequences of unequal pay." It notes that "women working full time in Hawai`i year round in 2017 will typically earn 84 percent of what men earn, indicating little change or progress in pay equality." The resolution says the gender pay gap is evident one year after college graduation, even after controlling for occupation, hours worked and college major.
     "We must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act" to close loopholes in the  the Lilly Lebetter (equal pay) law's effectiveness. "A lifetime of lower pay means women have less income to save for retirement and less income counted in the social security or pension benefit formula," states Kim's proclamation.

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KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK has announced free guided hikes, Coffee Talks and 'Ike Hana No`eau Hawaiian cultural programs for April through June. Visitors can also explore Kahuku on their own on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.    

Hikers experience sister deities. Hi`iaka and Pele converge in
Kahuku. NPS Photo

       'Ike Hana No'eau (Experience the Skillful Work) is a new program of Hawaiian cultural demonstrations at Kahuku on the third Friday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon. On April 21 learn how to make tī leaf lei; on May 19, learn to make a miniature kāhili (feather standard); and come weave a small decorative fish out of niu (coconut fronds) on June 23. Programs are free.
     Coffee Talk offers conversations on a wide variety of topics at Kahuku the last Friday of the month. Ka'ū coffee, tea and pastries will be available for purchase. Coffee Talks are offered free on April 28, May 26, and June 30, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
     Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone, with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Highlights include relics of the ranching era, sections of remnant native forest and amazing volcanic features from the 1868 eruptive fissures. A guided hike of Palm Trail is offered April 23, May 28, and June 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Salmon colored ohia lehua at Kahuku. NPS photo

   Pu'u o Lokuana is a short 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu'u o Lokuana. Learn about the formation and various uses of this hill over time and enjoy a breathtaking view of lower Ka'ū. This hike is offered May 20 and June 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
     Hi'iaka & Pele. Discover two fascinating Hawaiian goddesses, sisters Pelehonuamea (Pele) and Hi'iaka, and the natural phenomena they represent. Visitors will experience the sisters coming alive through the epic stories depicted in the natural landscape of Kahuku on this easy 1.7-mile walk on the main road in Kahuku. The Hi'iaka and Pele program is offered April 8, May 7 and June 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
     People and Land of Kahuku is a moderate two-mile, three-hour guided hike that loops through varied landscapes to explore the human history of Kahuku. Emerging native forests, pastures, lava fields, and other sites hold clues about ways people have lived and worked on the vast Kahuku lands –from the earliest Hawaiians, through generations of ranching families, to the current staff and volunteers of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the powerful natural forces at work here and how people have adapted to, shaped, and restored this land. The guided hike is offered April 9, May 21 and June 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  

Ti leaf lei-making. NPS photo

     Realms and Divisions of Kahuku. Experience the sense of place that evolves at the intersection of nature and culture on this moderately difficult two-mile, two-hour guided hike on the Kahuku Unit's newest trail, Pu'u Kahuku. Explore the realms and divisions of the traditional Hawaiian classification system at Kahuku. Bring a snack for the "talk story" segment of this hike. Offered April 15 and May 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
     'Ōhi'a Lehua. Learn about the vital role of 'ōhi'a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the 'ōhi'a tree, and the new disease of Rapid 'Ōhi'a Death. Visitors will be able to identify the many differences of the most prominent native tree in Kahuku on this program, which is an easy, one-mile (or less) walk. The 'Ōhi'a Lehua program is offered April 16, May 14 and June 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.    

     Birth of Kahuku. Explore the rich geologic history of Kahuku. Traverse the vast 1868 lava flow, see different volcano features and formations, and identify many parts of the Southwest Rift Zone of Mauna Loa. Learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku. This guided easy-to-moderate hike is offered April 22, May 27 and June 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
     Nature & Culture: An Unseverable Relationship (He Pilina Wehena 'Ole). Hike the Palm Trail and be inspired by a place where hulihia (catastrophic change) and kulia (restoration) can be observed as

Inside Pu`u o Lokuana. NPS photo

the land transitions from the 1868 lava flow and its pioneer plants, to deeper soil with more diverse and older flora. Learn about native plants and their significance in Hawaiian culture. This moderate hike is about two miles and takes two hours. The Nature & Culture program is offered April 29, May 13 and June 24 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

     To reach the Kahuku Unit of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, enter on the mauka side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, and meet near the parking area. Sturdy footwear, water, raingear, sun protection and a snack are recommended for all hikes. Entrance and all programs are free.

     Keep up with Kahuku events and visit the calendar on the park website, https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku-hikes.htm, and download the Kahuku Site Bulletin: https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/upload/2013_11_05-Kahuku-Site-Bulletin.pdf.

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Hawai‘i Wildlife Center Presentation, Thu, April 6, from 9 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. HWC representatives focus on the center’s history, mission and vision. Free; donations accepted.

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch meeting, Thu, April 6, at 7 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-2442 & 928-2015