Kaʻū News Briefs, Saturday, April 8, 2023

A chart of facial hair styles and their names, showing those allowed and prohibited when spraying organic and conventional pesticides using a respirator. University of Hawai'i is offering free medical checkups and respirator fitting tests for farmers to qualify to spray. Image from CDC

MANY KAʻŪ COFFEE FARMERS MUST WEAR RESPIRATORS FOR SPRAYING organic and conventional pesticides. Federal rules require that those wearing respirators for spraying must first be approved by a medical physician to wear/use a respirator and attend a respirator use training event. Farmers must also win approval for their facial hair styes to make sure the respirators fit tightly. Once approved, they can be tested for being respirator fit be sure they wear the respirators properly.
    To help with this requirement, University of Hawai'i Dept. of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service has set up free medical appointments with physicians. Extension Agent Andrea Kawabata reports that 20-minute appointment slots are available with Dr. Lindborg on April 12 in Kona and April 14 in Hilo.

   Twenty-minute respirator fit testing with Jennifer Weisbrod are also available on April 12 and 13 in Kona, April 14 in Hilo and April 15 in Pahala for those already approved by a medical doctor to wear and use a respirator. In addition to using the free check up organized by the Extension Service, farmers can go to their own physicians for the medical exam or go online with a 3M physician. See the medical authorization form at https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/uploads/2/6/7/7/26772370/cuestionario_de_evaluacion_medica_de_respiradores.pdf and medical evaluation form at https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/uploads/2/6/7/7/26772370/medical_authorization_form_for_respirator_use_bilingual.pdf
   For additional free health screening for coffee farmers, partners from Hawai'i Community Health Center will be present from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 11, 12, 14, and 15 to measure blood pressure and glucose levels with no appointment needed.

    Register for sprayer calibration, respirator use and fit testing, and medical evaluations at https://www.hawaiicoffeeed.com/calandrespfittest.html. With questions, contact Kawabata at andreak@hawaii.edu or 415-604-1511.

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MAKALOA IS KAʻŪ NATIVE PLANT OF THE MONTH for Lāʻau Letters: Native Plants of Kaʻū by Jodie Rosam with art by Joan Yoshioka. Read about Kaʻū’s native plants and their moʻolelo (stories), uses, preferred habitats, and opportunities to adopt them for stewardship. This column seeks to encourage making new plant friends and to reunite with others.
    Description: This month, we are heading to our beloved anchialine ecosystems and learning about makaloa (a.k.a. ehuʻawa), an indigenous flatsedge in the Cyperaceae family. This coastal sedge is

relatively small, with thin green culms (hollow stems) that grow to about two feet tall, ending with a sharp point. The flowers are barely noticeable and turn yellowish-brown when they are ripe, dangling from the tips of the culms. Makaloa is short-lived (lasting only about five years), but tends to regenerate as long as there is sufficient water in the area. Makaloa is an essential plant for our native pinao ʻula or damselflies (Megalagrion spp.), which rest on makaloa to observe their surroundings. What’s really cute is that the eyes of the pinao ʻula are perfectly designed to see either side and around the leaf blades of makaloa.
    Uses: Perhaps the most well-known use of makaloa is for weaving. Makaloa stems were woven into mats and used for pāʻū (skirts), malo (loincloths), kīhei (cloaks), and also woven into the most prized Hawaiian sleeping mats. The makaloa mats from Niʻihau and Kauaʻi were considered to be the finest mats in all of Polynesia. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #2176 by Mary Kawena Pukui reads, “Moena pāwehe o Niʻihau” (or patterned mat of Niʻihau), which is a poetic reference to the famed makaloa mats from Niʻihau which were known for their beautiful geometric motifs. If you have a chance to visit the Bishop Museum, there is a makaloa mat that measures 10.5 x 20 feet with 25 stems per inch, which was worn as a cloak by Kamehameha I. Makaloa can also be used medicinally by crushing the leaf blades into a fine powder and placed on cuts, boils, and skin ulcers to aid in healing. And interestingly, there is a natural wastewater treatment facility on Molokaʻi that is using makaloa as part of its treatment techniques!
    Habitat: Makaloa (Cyperus laevigatus) grows in wetland habitats across Hawaiʻi, and can be found in mud flats, sandy coastal sites, and around or within fresh, brackish, and saltwater ponds and anchialine pools. In the center of Kamole (a.k.a. Kauō or Laysan), it is found around a 100-acre hypersaline lake, providing habitat for the endangered koloa pōhaka (Laysan ducks) and ʻainohu kauō (Laysan finches). In Kaʻū, you can appreciate makaloa near the water’s edge and anchialine pools and estuaries in Kiolakaʻa, Waiʻōhinu, and Honuʻapo. 

   Growing and Purchasing: Makaloa is sometimes available for purchase at big box stores like Home Depot (but not always), though it is also easily propagated by division of your favorite
makaloa friends. Choose a healthy clump with at least 20 stems and be sure you get a rhizome (horizontally-growing underground stem) when you divide the clump using a clean, sharp trowel. Plant the new clumps in water or in very wet locations and in full sun, and place them about 1-3 feet apart. Makaloa can be used to control erosion or as just an accent around rock or water features. As long as it is planted somewhere that remains continuously wet, your new makaloa friend will be a treat to grow, and may just inspire you to practice mat making!

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KAʻŪ TROJANS TOOK DOWN ST. JOE'S, CHRISTIAN LIBERTY AND MAKUA LANI over the last week in Boys Volleyball, with one loss to Pahoa.
    In the St. Joe's match, Kaʻū High won all three sets, 25-10, 25-13 and 25-16.
    Tyson Junior Kuahuia-Faafia came up with 15 kills, 5 aces and 4 blocks. Vladimir Fedoruk made 2 kills and 9 aces. Adahdiyah Ellis Reyes scored with 8 kills and one 1 ace. Karsen Polido-Tuaifaiva achieved 3 kills and 3 aces. CyZeiah Silva-Kamei delivered 2 aces; Kayson Pagan 1 kill; and Triton Blanco - 1 block.
     In the Makua Lani match, Kaʻū won in four sets. Trojans took the first and second, 25-2 and 25-14. Makua Lani came back to win the third 25-21. Kaʻū finished the match by winning the fourth 26-24.

Kaʻū Trojans won three of the last four BIIF boys volleyball matches. Photo from Coach Josh Ortega

    Tyson Junior Kuahuia-Faafia pounded 10 Kills, made 7 aces and 2 blocks. Adahdiyah Ellis Reyes managed 5 kills, 2 aces and 2 blocks. Karsen Polido-Tuaifaiva slammed 4 kills and made 9 aces. Vladimir Fedoruk had 3 kills and 2 aces. Kayson Pagan came up with 2 kills; CyZeiah Silva-Kamei 2 aces; Zayden Gallano 1 kill and Triton Blanco 1 kill.
   In the Christian Liberty match, Kaʻū won the first set 25-16, lost the second set, 24-26, won the third set 25-22 and the fourth set 25-22.
    Tyson Junior Kuahuia-Faafia managed 20 kills and 6 blocks. Vladimir Fedoruk came away with 4 kills, 1 ace and 1 block. Adahdiyah Ellis Reyes scored 9 kills and 1 block. Karsen Polido-Tuaifaiva achieved 6 kills and 2 aces. CyZeiah Silva-Kamei landed 1 ace; Kayson Pagan 1 kill and 1 block; Triton Blanco 4 kills and Patrick Riehle 1 kill. 

  Kaʻū lost to Pahoa in three sets, 14-25, 17-25 and 11-25. Vladimir Fedoruk nailed 4 kills. Tyson Junior Kuahuia-Faafia managed 2 kills, 1 ace and 3 blocks. Adahdiyah Ellis Reyes scored 2 kills. Patrick Riehle achieved 2 kills and 1 block. Karsen Polido-Tuaifaiva 1 kill and 1 ace; Kayson Pagan 1 kill and 2 blocks; CyZeiah Silva-Kamei 1 ace.

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FREE FOOD

St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day.

OUTDOOR MARKETS

Volcano Thursday Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See Volcano Evening Market facebook.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music. 

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner Kona Dr. Drive and Hwy 11, near Thai Grindz. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no rez needed. Parking in the upper lot. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.

Kaʻū News Briefs, Friday, April 7, 2023

Hawai'i students learned this week that a state court will hear their climate change case to
reduce pollution from transportation throughout Hawai'i. Photo from Earthjustice

YOUTH PLAINTIFFS' CASE ON CLIMATE CHANGE WILL MOVE TO TRIAL IN HAWAI'I. This week Navahine F. v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation becomes the second constitutional climate trial and second youth-led climate trial in U.S. history, according to Earthjustice and Our Children's Trust, the two non-profits assisting the 14 students in trying the case in Hawai'i.
    Judge Jeffrey P. Crabtree, of Hawai'i's Environmental Court of First Circuit, ruled in favor of the youth plaintiffs, denying the state’s attempt to prevent the case from proceeding to trial. The case is
directed at stopping transportation systems from emitting pollution that damages the climate. It goes to trial in September.
    In his decision, the judge said the “Plaintiffs are minors" and that the State of Hawai'i's Constitution,
"Article XI, Section I is ‘For the benefit of present and future generations.’" The judge stated that "Plaintiffs allege nothing less than that they stand to inherit a world with severe climate change and the resulting damage to our natural resources.” He said that “it appears a declaratory judgment action will help resolve the parties’ different views of what the Legislature and the Constitution require.” 

Three of the 14 youth plaintiffs suing state of Hawai'i's Department of Transportation
 to stop pollution. Photo from Earthjustice

    Protecting the environment for the future of children was an argument also used less than a month ago in the Hu Honua biomass power plant case, when the Supreme Court of Hawai‘i upheld a decision to deny the plant’s operation due to its impact on climate change, ruling that a life-sustaining climate system is protected by the state constitution. The plant would have used farmed eucalyptus trees grown around Pahala and at other tree farms on the island.
    In his concurrence, Justice Mike Wilson cited Juliana v. United States, as well as an article by Our Children’s Trust Senior Litigation Attorney Andrea Rodgers, in reasoning that “the right to a life-sustaining climate system is also included in the due process right to ‘life, liberty, [and] property’ enumerated in Article I, section 5 and the public trust doctrine embodied in Article XI, section 1’s mandate that the State of Hawaiʻi ‘conserve and protect Hawaiʻi’s… natural resources [f]or the benefit of present and future generations[s].’”
    Navahine F. v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, filed in June 2022, contends the DOT operates a transportation system that emits high levels of greenhouse gasses, violating the youth plaintiffs’ state constitutional rights, causing them significant harm, and impacting their ability to “live healthful lives in Hawaiʻi now and into the future,” according to the complaint.

    According to Earth Justice, Hawai‘i is recognized as a leader in state-level climate action, yet has missed every interim benchmark to reduce overall GHG emissions since 2008. "Transportation emissions are already the largest source of climate pollution in the state and are expected to rise 41 percent over the next decade. The youth plaintiffs are seeking to hold Hawai'i's Department of Transportation accountable to ensure they meet the state’s goal to decarbonize Hawaiʻi’s transportation sector and achieve a zero emissions economy by 2045."
    Lead attorneys Andrea Rodgers, with Our Children’s Trust; and Leinā‘ala L. Ley, with Earthjustice, responded to the decision that will allow the case to go forward:

 Earthjustice attorney Leinā‘ala L. Ley 

    Rodgers said, “Judge Crabtree recognized that these young people are entitled to have their constitutional rights to a safe climate protected by the Courts. The ruling makes it clear that the state government will be held accountable to comply with its own commitments to address the climate crisis, and that elected leaders can’t just talk about solving the climate emergency, without real emission reductions from transportation.”
    Ley said, “We are pleased that the Court rejected the Defendants’ attempt to shut the courthouse door on the youth Plaintiffs. These young people can now pursue their constitutional claims to a clean and healthful environment and for protection of Hawaiʻi’s public trust resources on the merits. As recognized by the other branches of government, Hawai‘i is facing an existential climate emergency, and it’s past time for the Department of Transportation to do its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the next generation’s right to a healthy future on a livable planet.”
    Kaliko T, one of the younger plaintiffs, said, “I am glad that my story is helping to advance climate action in Hawaiʻi. I don’t want anyone else to suffer the way I and my family have. Her home was destroyed in a flood during Tropical Storm Olivia, while her community was still recovering from massive wildfires sparked by Hurricane Lane in 2018.

    Plaintiff Kalālapa W. said, “It is reassuring to have a court acknowledge our right to hold the Transportation Department accountable for their contribution to the climate crisis. I am excited to finally get to the substance of our claims.” 
    Lead plaintiff in the youth lawsuit, Mavajome F, from a tenth generation taro farming family, said, “I and my fellow plaintiffs are holding this so-called state of Hawaiʻi to its own promises and its own laws because we have a fundamental right to a safe climate. We will not allow our public trust resources to be further desecrated by state agencies working to make the climate crisis worse for all of us.”
    The youth plaintiffs are represented by Andrea Rodgers, Kimberly Willis, and Joanna Zeigler with Our Children’s Trust, and Isaac Moriwake and Leinā‘ala L. Ley of Earthjustice. This is one of several youth-led constitutional climate lawsuits brought by Our Children’s Trust with local counsel like Earthjustice’s Mid-Pacific Office. 

    See more on Earthjustice in Hawai'i at https://earthjustice.org/office/mid-pacific. See more on Our Children's Trust at https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/hawaii.

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SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS is the target of the Senate Judiciary Committee member Mazie Hirono and collegues. They sent a letter Friday asking for an ethics investigation involving Thomas's "extensive billionaire-funded luxury travel and other outstanding allegations of misconduct." 

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas
Photo from Wikipedia

  A statement from Hirono, who represents Hawai'i in the. U.S. Senate, says the letter "comes a day after a bombshell ProPublica report exposed that Justice Thomas and his wife accepted extravagant vacations worth as much as $500,000 on the dime of Republican megadonor Harlan Crow." 

    The letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court says, "In light of yesterday's reporting by ProPublica that Justice Clarence Thomas has repeatedly accepted and failed to disclose gifts and travel from billionaire Harlan Crow, we write to request an investigation into these and other outstanding allegations of unethical, and potentially unlawful, conduct at the Supreme Court. To date, the Court has barely acknowledged, much less investigated, these allegations. Amidst all of this—perhaps due in part to the Court's inaction—the American people's trust in the Supreme Court has plummeted to an all-time low. We believe that it is your duty as Chief Justice 'to safeguard public faith in the judiciary,' and that fulfilling that duty requires swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation into these allegations."
    In February, Hirono joined Senator Whitehouse and Rep. Johnson in reintroducing the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency (SCERT) Act, comprehensive legislation that would create a process for investigating misconduct at the Supreme Court, strengthen recusal standards for judges and disclosure rules for special interests trying to influence the courts, improve disclosure of gifts and travel for judges,

and mandate the creation of a binding code of ethics. The SCERT Act would require the Supreme Court to adopt disclosure rules for gifts, travel, and income that are at least as rigorous as ethics rules for members of Congress.
    "ProPublica's reporting underscores a disturbing disregard for transparency and ethics on the Supreme Court," said Hirono. "Americans should be able to trust that Supreme Court Justices apply the law fairly and objectively, but the Court's lack of a code of ethics rightfully undermines the public's faith in our judiciary. If the Court won't adopt a code of ethics, Congress needs to require it to, which is why we've introduced legislation to do exactly that."

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APRIL: TSUNAMI AWARENESS MONTH IN HAWAI'I is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, the weeky article written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
It's official! Governor Josh Green recently proclaimed that April is again Tsunami Awareness Month for the State of Hawaii. This is not to be confused with World Tsunami Awareness Day, which is November 5th.

    For decades, officials from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and International Tsunami Information Center, along with the Pacific Tsunami Museum, and other government officials have used April 1st as the beginning of a month-long campaign to spread the word on how to recognize and mitigate hazards from tsunamis.
    Tsunamis are a series of waves generated when a large volume of ocean water is displaced.

Aerial photo of the submerged coconut grove at Halapē, in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, following the

 1975 earthquake, Kīlauea. Prior to the earthquake, the coconut grove was surrounded by dry land.

   Why April 1st? The date marks the deadliest tsunami to hit our shores. In 1946, the ocean water was displaced by a M8.6 earthquake near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. The tsunami run-up, or maximum rise of the incoming water on-shore, reached 55 ft (17 m) in Hilo and 158 people perished across the state. Locally, near the earthquake epicenter in Alaska, the run-up was 138 ft (42 m) on Unimak Island.
    Our islands are situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean—a giant body of water surrounded by a long chain of volcanoes (also known as the Ring of Fire) along the edge of five continents. These volcanoes exist because the Pacific plate is subducting under other tectonic plates. These subduction zones, where tectonic plates converge or come together, are where very large (megathrust) earthquakes typically happen. A more recent example of such an event is the M9.1 Tōhoku earthquake that occurred near Japan in 2011; it caused an 18 ft (5 m) run-up in Hawai'i a few hours after the earthquake.

In November 1975, Hawai`i's largest locally generated tsunami in the 20th
 century hit the Ka`u Coast, wrecking this house at Punalu`u. 
Photo by David Shapiro, of Honolulu Star-Bulletin

  Tsunamis that hit Hawai'i don't always come from distant earthquakes. Although not as frequent, tsunamis can also be generated by underwater volcanic eruptions. A very recent example of this is the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Haʻapai eruption in 2022. The volcanic plume in January 2022 rocketed 36 mi (58 km) up, above sea level, and was the largest volcanic blast ever recorded by modern instruments. This event caused 60 ft (20 m) run-up on local nearby islands, but only a small, but measurable, tsunami on Hawaiian shores.
    Fortunately for Hawai'i, we are far away from subduction zones and explosive volcanoes—though Kama'ehuakanaloa (formerly Lō'ihi Seamount) and other Hawaiian volcanoes sometimes produce small explosive eruptions. We have a few hours to react if a distant megathrust earthquake or catastrophic volcanic eruption causes a tsunami that crosses the Pacific.

Car totaled at Punalu'u in 1975 tsunami.
Photo by Andy Badig

    

    Unfortunately, Hawai'i can generate tsunamis locally. Such was the case on November 29, 1975, when a M7.7 earthquake was generated under Kalapana due to the south flank of Kīlauea abruptly sliding farther southeast towards the ocean. The strong local earthquake caused millions of dollars in property damage, and the subsequent tsunami took two lives at Halapē (a coastal camping location on the south flank of Kīlauea) and caused additional property damage with a maximum run-up of 47 ft (14 m).
    Locally generated tsunamis are why we must always be prepared. A local tsunami strikes fast and with little time for us to react—devastating waves can travel across the Hawaiian island chain in minutes, and not just in the month of April. If there is a strong earthquake and you are at a location along the coast, "Don't Fool Around. Get to High Ground!" This is a much better hazard mitigation policy than "Bumbai You Learn!"

   To learn more about tsunami preparedness, visit the International Tsunami Information Center website http://itic.ioc-unesco.org or head over in-person for free tsunami and hazard preparedness workshop at the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo on Saturday, April 22nd, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
    Webcams show no signs of active lava in Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit of Kīlauea in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Summit tiltmeters showed one deflation-inflation event over the past week. Seismicity is low. The summit sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate was most recently measured on April 5, when it totaled 110 tonnes per day.
    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
    Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates show inflation above background levels, but this is not uncommon following eruptions. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.

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FREE FOOD

St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day.

OUTDOOR MARKETS

Volcano Thursday Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See Volcano Evening Market facebook.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music. 

Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner Kona Dr. Drive and Hwy 11, near Thai Grindz. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no rez needed. Parking in the upper lot. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.

Kaʻū News Briefs, Thursday, April 6, 2023

Kumu Meleana Manuel me na kupuna of Volcano will lead her halau Hula Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa this Sunday, Monday and Thursday at Merrie Monarch Week events in Hilo. Photo by Jesse Tunison

HALAU FROM VOLCANO & PĀHALA ARE HEADING TO THE 60th MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVITIES in Hilo this weekend. Kumu Meleana Manuel me na kupuna o Volcano and her Halau Hula Ke 'Olu Makani O Mauna Loa is set to perform on Merrie Monarch Week's first day, Easter Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Hilo Civic Auditorium. On Monday, the halau performs with musician-singer Uncle Ben Kaili at noon at Naniloa Hotel. The halau performs again on Thursday, at Noon, at Naniloa Hotel. All events are free, no tickets needed.
    Halau member and Volcano resident Marsha Hee invites the public to attend the many festivities during Merrie Monarch Week, including the cultural, arts and artisan displays and sales. "E hele mai a kāko'o; please join us in showcasing and supporting halau hula and over 150 of Hawaiʻi's best artisans and crafters," said Hee.

Hano Grace, on second horse from the left, drew a large  Kaʻū contingent and served as Marshal of the Merrie Monarch Parade
last year. This year, parade is Saturday, April 15. Photo by Jovena Moses

    Kumu Debbie Ryder with her Halau Hula Leionalani, based in Pāhala, will perform on Sunday at the Civic at 2 p.m. and on Wednesday at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel at 1 p.m.
    Numerous Kaʻū- connected organizations, agencies and horse riding groups are expected to participate in the Merrie Monarch Parade in Hilo on Saturday, April 15.
    April 13-15 are the nights of competition, which will be shown live on KITV and also live-streamed online. See Merrie Monarch Festival (hawaiinewsnow.com).
Visit merriemonarch.com for updated event info and daily coverage during the festival. Also see Merrie Monarch Festival | Hilo HI | Facebook.

The young ladies of Pāhala's Hālau Hula ‘O Leionālani performed at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel last year. They will perform again this year this Sunday at Hilo Civic and Wednesday at Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Photo by Brenda Iokepa-Moses

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SUPPORTING FOOD HUBS TO PROVIDE LOCALLY GROWN FOOD TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS and other state institutions is the aim of the state of Hawai' Department of Agriculture's competitive request for proposals. 

    The call for proposals, says, "These awards are to be utilized by the Hawai'i State Department of Agriculture to support the establishment and growth of food hubs on a scale that meets demand by state institutions such as schools, hospitals and correctional facilities. For this solicitation, multiple awards will be made for projects that meet the terms of Act 313/SLH 2022 with budgets of a minimum $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000. 

    "Greater award amounts will be considered for proposals of extraordinary statewide benefit and with outcomes and measurable indicators that have statewide impact. Projects should be completed within 36 months and before March 31, 2027. 

     The Definition of a food hub for this solicitation adopts the United States Department of Agriculture’s working definition which means “a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products”. Locally produced food for this Request for Proposals means food grown, raised or sourced within the state of Hawai'i, according to the state Department of Agriculture's solicitation.

    See more, along with the application at https://www.msnbc.com/live

WESTERN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH & EDUCATION is calling for proposals involving agricultural producers, scientists and others who employ an interdisciplinary approaches to advance sustainable agriculture at local and regional levels. Projects must integrate rigorous research and education aiming to advance the three components of sustainable agriculture–environmental, economic, and social–and use innovative educational outreach to disseminate new knowledge to students, producers, and other agricultural stakeholders. Call for proposals closes May 23. Visit Western SARE website at https://western.sare.org/grants/research-and-education/for more information.

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THE COUNTY BUILDING DEPARTMENT WILL REQUIRE USE OF CLOUD + DELTA DRAFTING for any building permit changes starting April 17. A statement from county Department of Public Works on Thursday says, "All permit plan resubmittals and revisions shall consist of the entire plan set, which shall be formatted to identify changes made to the previous plan set by using a Cloud + Delta drafting convention.
    The Cloud + Delta format will replace the practice of those changing building permit to submit unmarked, “clean” plan sets. In addition, changing a building plan will require "a correction response letter, and all revisions shall include a revision narrative that describes changes that have been made.        

    The county advises, "Plan revisions and resubmittals that do not comply with the Cloud+Delta format and/or are not submitted with a corrections response letter or revision narrative shall be rejected at permit intake. Permit resubmittals and revisions received prior to April 17, 2023, will be processed without these requirements."

    Learn how to use the county's Electronic Processing & Information Center to submit building and other permit applications online at https://www.dpw.hawaiicounty.gov/divisions/electronic-processing-and-information-center-epic-system.

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TIEKO TOBIN OF OCEAN VIEW HAS BEEN CHARGED with burglary and criminal property damage, the offenses stemming from three incidents that occurred at several businesses in Ocean View, including a restaurant and food store, during the early morning hours of Wednesday morning. Tobin is 27 years of age.

Tieko Tobin is charged in connection with
predawn thefts at Ocean View businesses
on Wednesday. Photo from HPD 

    At 1:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Ka‘ū patrol officers responded to a restaurant in the 92-8000 block of Hawai‘i Boulevard in Ocean View for a reported break-in alarm. Upon arrival, officers determined a large rock had been used to shatter the front door and items were stolen from within the eatery. While investigating this burglary, they contacted Tobin who was nearby, however at that point in the investigation he was not yet considered a suspect. Nearly an hour later at 2:34 a.m., Ka‘ū patrol officers responded to a second alarm at a grocery store in the 92-8000 block of Māmalahoa Highway, less than a half-mile away from the original incident. Officers determined a large rock was used to shatter the front door of this business establishment as well. 

    While still investigating these incidents, Ka‘ū patrol officers were again dispatched back to the restaurant on Hawai’i Boulevard for another break-in at 5:00 a.m. While conducting area checks, officers observed movement from within a neighboring business and determined Tobin was hiding within the establishment. Following officers’ commands to exit the building, Tobin climbed out of the business via a window with items from within the business. He was then placed under arrest and taken into custody.

   In the course of their investigation, detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigation Section identified Tobin as being responsible for all three incidents. On Wednesdqay, Tobin was charged with two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of fourth-degree criminal property damage. His bail was set at $4,500. Tobin remains in police custody at the Kealakehe Police Station pending his initial court appearance on Thursday, April 6, in Kona District Court.

     Police are asking anyone who may have information relative to these incidents to contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.

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FREE FOOD

St. Jude's Hot Meals are free to those in need on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until food runs out, no later than noon. Volunteers from the community are welcome to help and can contact Karen at pooch53@gmail.com. Location is 96-8606 Paradise Circle Drive in Ocean View. Those in need can also take hot showers from 9 a.m. to noon and use the computer lab from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Free Meals Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are served from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Nā'ālehu Hongwanji. Volunteers prepare the food provided by 'O Ka'ū Kākou with fresh produce from its gardens on the farm of Eva Liu, who supports the project. Other community members also make donations and approximately 150 meals are served each day.

OUTDOOR MARKETS

Volcano Thursday Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village, Thursdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with live music, artisan crafts, ono grinds, and fresh produce. See Volcano Evening Market facebook.

Volcano Swap Meet, fourth Saturday of the month from 8 a.m. to noon. Large variety of vendors with numerous products. Tools, clothes, books, toys, local made healing extract and creams, antiques, jewelry, gemstones, crystals, food, music, plants, fruits, and vegetables. Also offered are cakes, coffee, and shave ice. Live music. Volcano Farmers Market, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Ka'ū Coffee. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

O Ka'ū Kākou Market, Nā'ālehu, Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Nadine Ebert at 808-938-5124 or June Domondon 808-938-4875. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

Ocean View Community Market, Saturdays and Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., corner Kona Dr. Drive and Hwy 11, near Thai Grindz. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no rez needed. Parking in the upper lot. Vendors must provide their own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling is encouraged.