Ka`u News Briefs Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017

The last haul sugar truck is often the symbol for  Ka`u Plantation Days, organized by the Ka`u
Multicultural Society.

2015 Ka`u Queen Lori-Lee Lorenzo represented Maui.

KA`U FIFTH GRADE GIRLS are invited to start registering for GEMS, Girls Exploring Math and Science. The annual all day event has been set for the  Crown Marriot King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel for Nov. 9. Registration deadline is  Sept. 15.

Princess Addie represented Ni`ihau.
Photo provided by Lorilee Lorenzo

     Registration forms have been sent to area schools. This event is sponsored by the American Association of University Women, Kona Branch, whose mission is to advance equity for women and girls though advocacy, education, and research.
     Registration is on a first come, first served basis, and space is limited.  Registration fee is $20 and scholarships are available. No girl will be turned away because of financial need.
    This annual day of discovery features hand-on workshops and exhibits led by local women volunteers who work in math and science- oriented careers and who show the girls how they use math, science, and technology in their daily work. The program is designed to stimulate interest and bolster the confidence of girls in these fields, as well as provide positive female role models, and may also stimulate a girl’s interest in a new career goal. Last year over 300 girls from West Hawaii attended the program, and as many as 30 girls from Ka’u have attended in previous years.
    The girls attending will receive a GEMS t-shirt, a healthy breakfast , view various hands-on exhibits prior to attending three different workshops, have lunch at the resort, and also participate in a lunchtime Zumba activity, which is always a big hit .  

2016 Pa`u Queen Teani Souza represented
Hawai`i Island. Photo provided by Lorilee Lorenzo

      Some of the workshops this year are: Underwater Adventure, Marine Science , Slime Time, Robotics, Anchialine Pools, Energy, Art and Science of Food, Animal Doctors, Dig into the Past, Hawaiian Monk Seals, Light and Reflection, Creative Computer Programming, How Rainbows Solve Mysteries , Art and Science of Dermatology, Discovering the Isle of Gems, Zumba Breaks the Mold and Body Shop. 

Retired Ka`u school teachers were honored as
they rode in the parade.
Photo provided by Gloria Camba

     Some impressions after the event from girls learned in prior years: “ We need to protect fish and animals and keep oceans clean”;” Stay fit and live longer”; “ People litter and trash is harming animals”; “Women can do stuff men can do”; ”Always follow your dream”; “We do physics everyday”; “Cooking uses math”; “Girls are awesome”; “Save money”; “How archeologists work.”
     All fifth grade girls residing in the West Hawai`i School complex in public, private, or home schooled are welcome. Sponsorship of girls by individuals or businesses will be accepted. For more information about GEMS , to sponsor a girl, or to request a registration packet, contact Cindy Armer, GEMS chairperson at cbarmer@hotmail.com or 808-896-7180. Remember GEMS registration from must be postmarked by 9-15-17.

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Princess Kailee represents O`ahu.
Photo provided by Lorilee Lorenzo

Hawai‘i International Music Festival, Wed, Aug 16, 7 p.m., Pāhala Plantation House. Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy Shoremount Obra, daughter-in-law of Lorie Obra, of Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee, raises awareness of efforts to restore buildings to host a living heritage and education center and to curate and honor the history of Pāhala. Also performing will be violinist Also performing will be Virtuoso Violinist Eric Silberger, Esteemed Pianist Carlin Ma, Hawai`i Symphony Orchestra Cellist Sun Chang Yang, Mexican Tenor Manuel Castillo, Young Artist Mexican Soprano Sandra Aldaz Meraz, and World Renowned Argentinean Bandoneon Player JP Jofre. 

      Tickets are available at the door or at www.HIMusicFestival.com.

Kainani Kahaunaele Performs, Wed, Aug 16, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Enjoy the mele of Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning Kainani Kahaunaele, who shares songs from her albums. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Family Reading Night, Thu, Aug 17, 5 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu, Aug 17, 5:30 p.m. 929-9731 or 936-7262

OVCA Board Meeting, Thu, Aug 17, 6 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Volcano Rain Forest Runs Packet Pick-up & Late Registration, Fri, Aug 18, 1 – 5 p.m., Cooper Center in Volcano.

Eighth Annual Volcano Rain Forest Runs, Sat, Aug 19, 7 a.m., Cooper Center in Volcano. Staggered starts for Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. Zero-mile event, keiki runs, entertainment, food & crafts follow. Register at volcanorainforestruns.com. 

Tango and classical music are among the offerings at the Hawai`i International 

Music Festival concert at Pahala Plantation House on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Monday, Aug. 14, 2017

Hawai`i Solar Energy Association objects to proposed tariffs on Chinese imported solar panels,
saying that 1,200 jobs of those installing them in Hawai`i would be threatened.
Photo from Hawai`i Solar Energy Association.

HAWAI`I SOLAR ENERGY ASSOCIATION sent a letter to Congress recently saying new tariffs on Chinese solar panels, if approved, could drive up prices and threaten 1,200 jobs in Hawai`i. It would also halt growth of the American solar industry, "dead in its tracks," says the letter addressed to U.S. House of Representatives member Colleen Hanabusa. It contends that  tariffs would threaten "thousands of American workers."

      The tariffs are being considered on Tuesday by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

      The letter, written by Hawai`i Solar Energy Asociation President Rick Reed, asks Hanabusa to object to a petition filed in May by a Chinese-owned U.S. solar cell manufacturer called Suniva, Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in April for its U.S. operations. To protect its U.S. operation, Suniva asks the U.S. government to levy tariffs on imported solar cells and to require minimum prices on imported solar panels. Another American based, foreign owned, bankrupt company also asked for the protection through tariffs. No U.S. owned solar manufacturer is asking for the tariffs, reports Reed.

      The majority of the jobs in solar are in the installation, rather than manufacturing of solar panels - with China already producing 80 percent of panels used worldwide. Opponents of the tariffs claim that keeping out the less expensive panels will reduce the number of jobs across the U.S. by two thirds. At the same time Congress has
passed a law reducing tax benefits for installing solar.
     Inside Climate News quotes Dan Reicher, executive director of Stanford University's Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance. "We could see a double 

whammy of higher prices and declining subsidies, which could have a pretty serious effect on U.S. solar deployment."
      A story by H.J. Mai in Pacific Business News on Monday stated that 69 members of the U.S. Congress sent letters to the International Trade Commission opposing the tariffs. It also reported: "Small-scale solar generation, which includes residential rooftop photovoltaic systems, almost doubled between 2014 and 2016, based on data from the Energy Information Administration. In Hawai`i, residential PV systems account for more than a third of renewable energy generation. A downturn, especially in the small-scale solar market, could therefore have a negative impact Hawai`i’s goal of achieving a
100 percent renewable portfolio standard by 2045."
     The current number of people employed statewide in the solar industry is about 3,195, reports Pacific Business News. Also see Hawai`i Solar Energy Association.

TODAY, MONDAY, IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT and one in six people in Hawai`i depend on Social Security,  U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa reminded the public in a statement.

Hanabusa urges protection of the Social Security Act.
Image from Rep. Colleen Hanabusa

     She said that Social Security has "become the very foundation for retirement and provides a crucial lifeline for many seniors and vulnerable Americans." However, "for many of the recipients, they end up needing additional assistance because their benefits do not allow for them to continue taking care of daily expenses and retire comfortably."
     Hanabusa said she is concerned about a move to privatize Social Security, raise the retirement age and cut benefits earned through years of work. "The peole of Hawai1i have worked hard to pay into Social Security and they deserve to retire knowing the benefits they have earned will be there."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

Statehood Flag Craft, Wed, Aug 16, 3:30 – 5 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Grades K – 8 register Aug 7 – 15. 928-0312

Hawai‘i International Music Festival, Wed, Aug 16, 7 p.m., Pāhala Plantation House. Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy Shoremount Obra, daughter-in-law of Lorie Obra, of Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee, raises awareness of efforts to restore buildings to host a living heritage and education center and to curate and honor the history of Pāhala. 

      Also performing will be Virtuoso Violinist Eric Silberger, Esteemed Pianist Carlin Ma, Hawai`i Symphony Orchestra Cellist Sun Chang Yang, Mexican Tenor Manuel Castillo, Young Artist Mexican Soprano Sandra Aldaz Meraz, and World Renowned Argentinean Bandoneon Player JP Jofre. 

Kainani Kahaunaele Performs, Wed, Aug 16, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Enjoy the mele of Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning Kainani Kahaunaele, who shares songs from her albums. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Family Reading Night, Thu, Aug 17, 5 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thu, Aug 17, 5:30 p.m. 929-9731 or 936-7262

OVCA Board Meeting, Thu, Aug 17, 6 p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Volcano Rain Forest Runs Packet Pick-up & Late Registration, Fri, Aug 18, 1 – 5 p.m., Cooper Center in Volcano.

Eighth Annual Volcano Rain Forest Runs, Sat, Aug 19, 7 a.m., Cooper Center in Volcano. Staggered starts for Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. Zero-mile event, keiki runs, entertainment, food & crafts follow. Register at volcanorainforestruns.com.

Tango and classical music are among the offerings at the Hawai`i International 

Music Festival concert at Pahala Plantation House on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017

Ka`u News Briefs Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017

Kawika Akana Matsu, of Volcano, survived a great white shark attack and a Go Fund Me campaign
 is helping him to recover. Photos from Kai Matsu.

GREAT WHITE SHARK VICTIM KAWIKA AKANA MATSU, a Volcano native, is recovering and a Go Fund Me Campaign is running to help him with expenses. The 37 year old waterman was working on Ascension, one of the most remote places on the planet, an island a quarter of the size of Lana`i in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between South America and Africa. He said he was attacked by one or two great white sharks in nearshore waters.
    Ascension's waters are a bountiful feeding area for great whites, with an abundance of green sea turtles laying eggs in some 24,000 nests on its beaches each year. It has a reputation for some of the largest marlins anywhere. Great Britain will establish a 90,460 square mile marine preserve around Ascension and its sister islands this year. It also has a U.S. Air Force facility and climate research station, and a British Air Force facility.

A long way from home, Ascension Island is where Volcano native Kawika Akana Matsu
was attacked by great white sharks.

     Matsu's account is that on July 24 he was hanging out with friends at a beach barbecue at English Bay on Ascension. He decided to cool off by taking his paddle board out to sea. About 100 feet offshore, a great white nosed his board throwing him into the air and grabbing his shoulder when he landed back in the water. He said that more than one great white surrounded him.

     Matsu's brother, Kai Matsu tells more on the Go Fund Me page:

Kawika Akana Matsu left with a friend on Ascension Island.

     "Before he could get back on his board, the shark had turned and bit into his right-side torso and shoulder. He was able to fight, and managed to get in a few hits to the shark’s nose, and it released him.
     "He swam again for his board, and the shark came back again and tore into his leg and high thigh. Miraculously, he was able to break free once more, and managed to pull himself back onto to his stand-up paddle board.
     "At this point he realized the severity of his situation. He was critically bitten, losing a lot of blood, drifting out to sea, and now being circled by several sharks. Even still, he had the presence of mind to remain calm, turn his board’s leash into a tourniquet, and wait for rescue. It took about a half an hour for someone to finally get to him, and by then, he had lost a lot of blood. 

     "Once back on land, the small local community of 800, people came together to help donate many pints of blood and treat his wounds. He spent the next three days waiting to be airlifted to a hospital in Florida that was equipped to deal with the severity of his condition.
     "There, a specialized team of surgeons have been working to treat him, but he will be needing all the support he can get now. In these difficult times ahead, he will need the support of his friends, and the community as a whole.
     "His recovery time will be both extensive and very expensive, but he wants to try to recover as quickly as possible, so he can return to being a waterman. He will never lose his passion for the ocean, and wants to heal and return to the life he loves.

After two weeks in ICU, Kawika Akana Matsu is out of ICU,
following an attack by one or more great white sharks.

     "We are asking for your compassion and charity to help an amazing person overcome an overwhelming amount of medical bills, loss of his ability to work, and to help keep him comfortable during his arduous and long recovery ahead. Most of all we would like to thank all the people that helped to keep Kawika alive through their heroic actions, giving blood, and loving support,"
says Kai Matsu's statement on the Go Fund Me page.

      After treatment at the Ascension Hospital, Kawika Matsu was air lifted to Brazil and then  to Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, an 8,000 mile journey.

      He has undergone five surgeries for skin and muscle grafts in a Ft. Lauderdale Hospital and hopes to return to Volcano soon, following a sixth surgery on Tuesday. After two weeks in ICU, he was moved Saturday to his own hospital room.

       Kai Matsu said that Kawika spent the last year working on Ascension and was days away from returning to his friends and family when attacked by the great white shark. "As a native Hawaiian, his love and passion for the ocean is what drew him to the island in the first place."
     Major Daniel Schempp, commander of the U.S. Air Force unit on Ascension, where Matsu worked as an air conditioning engineer, told the British newspaper The Telegraph that Matsu is "like a water god... he seems invincible in the sea."

     The Telegraph reported that it was the second shark attack in three months on Ascension Island.

See the Kawika Recovery account on Go Fund Me.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Pick up the August edition of The Ka`u Calendar delivered
free to 5,500 mailboxes throughout Ka`u, from Miloli`i 
through Volcano. Also available on stands throughout
the district. See it online at www.kaucalendar.com

Senior ID, Mon, Aug 14, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For ages 60 and up. 928-3100

Statehood Flag Craft, Wed, Aug 16, 3:30 – 5 p.m., Pāhala Community Center. Grades K – 8 register Aug 7 – 15. 928-0312

Hawai‘i International Music Festival, Wed, Aug 16, 7 p.m., Pāhala Plantation House. Metropolitan Opera Soprano Amy Shoremount Obra, daughter-in-law of Lorie Obra, of Rusty’s Hawaiian Coffee, raises awareness of efforts to restore buildings to host a living heritage and education center and to curate and honor the history of Pāhala.           Also performing will be Virtuoso Violinist Eric Silberger, Esteemed Pianist Carlin Ma, Hawai`i Symphony Orchestra Cellist Sun Chang Yang, Mexican Tenor Manuel Castillo, Young Artist Mexican Soprano Sandra Aldaz Meraz, and World Renowned Argentinean Bandoneon Player JP Jofre.

Kainani Kahaunaele Performs, Wed, Aug 16, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Enjoy the mele of Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning Kainani Kahaunaele, who shares songs from her albums. Free; park entrance fees apply.

Tango and classical music are among the offerings at the Hawai`i International 

Music Festival concert at Pahala Plantation House on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m.

http://kaucalendar.com/TheDirectory_2017