Kaʻū News Briefs December 19, 2023

National Honor Society Members Announced at Kaʻū High

Kaʻū High School welcomed new members of the year 2023-2024 of the National Honor Society.

Top row: David Brooks (Advisor), Kaydence Ebanez-Alcosiba, Hokulani Carriaga Pascual, Vladimir Fedoruk and Danny Eder (Vice President); Middle row : Chayanee Brooks (Advisor), Megan Pierpont, Kona Smith, Dakota Seaver, Tancy David, and Stephen Throne; Bottom row: Tatyahna Kaupu-Embrey, Tyra Wong Yuan (President), Laci Ah Yee Treasurer). The Induction Ceremony will be held on Feb 9.

Photo from National Honor Society

Julie Su, up for confirmation as U.S. Labor
Secretary. Photo from Dept. Labor

HISTORIC PROGRESS MADE BY WORKING PEOPLE DURING 2023 is the message that Hawai'i Senator Mazie Hirono gave to Congress on Tuesday. She noted that over 14 million jobs were created and unemployment rates are low. Hirono also commended Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su for her work in achieving these milestones.
    "After decades of declining union membership, working people are coming together to demand their fair share of the economic success our country is experiencing—success they make possible," said Hirono. "Since assuming the top role at the Labor Department earlier this year, Acting Secretary Su has played a critical role supporting workers and finding consensus to move our economy forward."

    Hirono highlighted Su' role in mediating contentious labor disputes, including the potentially-
disastrous strike at ports along the west coast, the largest health care strike in the nation's history carried out by Kaiser Permanente employees, and the historic deal between the United Auto Workers and the Big Three auto companies.
    "In addition to these and many other settled labor disputes, Acting Secretary Su is leading major initiatives to make life better for working people in our country and grow the middle class—from

expanding overtime protections, to strengthening apprenticeship and work training programs and much more," said Hirono. "Julie Su's work speaks for itself. She listens, she finds consensus, and she helps those around her stay the course for as long as it takes. What more could we ask of a Secretary of Labor?"
    As Su's opportunity to be confirmed as Labor Secretary nears, Hirono said there has been unfair criticism of her based on "sexism, racism, and double standards applied to women of color." Hirono said these "are all too common, in spite of their denials all around. Julie Su has been doing the job of Secretary of Labor for months, and she's been doing the job well. But still, some of our colleagues cling to baseless criticisms, insisting she's unfit to serve. It's unfair to Acting Secretary Su, and to the millions of workers whose lives she's helped to improve."
    If confirmed, Su would be the first Asian-American in the Biden administration to serve in the Cabinet at the secretary level. She is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, speaks Mandarin and Spanish, and is former Secretary of Labor for California, the state with the most people working. She is a graduate of Harvard and Stanford Universities.

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Andrea Kawabata checks on Kaʻū Coffee trees.
U.H. photo

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE sent out a mahalo Tuesday to all of the agriculturalists it has worked with in 2023 in Kaʻū and beyond and for all the help from funders, donors, partners, collaborators, volunteers, producers and stakeholders.
     The team from University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, led by Andrea Kawabata and Matt Miyahara, noted that Bevin Kekoa and Mike Moody joined them in carrying out their extension program and applied research projects and outreach events.
    "With your support of our grant funding initiatives and educational events and outputs, this year, we were able to: 

    Acquire over $460K in grant funding for the next two to three years to support your coffee

(statewide) and orchard crops (West Hawaii) industries with our extension program;
    "Provide you with 40 educational opportunities via webinars, workshops, field days, and conference presentations and booth displays for coffee, fruit, and nut producers reaching over 3,500 participants;
    "Provide worker protection standard, sprayer calibration, coverage and calculations, surfactant science, jar testing for pesticide compatibility, and crop insurance, disaster assistance, and record keeping training to extension agents in Hawai'i;
    "Share agricultural announcements and information via our newsletters, flyers, websites, and mailers; and
    "Reach a wider audience by providing translations and outreach opportunities in Spanish and other languages.We look forward to serving your industries and assisting you again this coming year."

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CLEANING OUT THE JUNKERS FOR THE NEW YEAR: County of Hawaiʻi Office of Housing & Community Development is encouraging residents to remove free-of-charge up to two junked or abandoned vehicles from private property.
    The updated Vehicle Disposal Assistance Program launched Aug. 7 to reduce the number of derelict and abandoned vehicles littering Hawaiʻi Island. The program, administered by the County of Hawaiʻi Department of Environmental Management's Derelict/Abandoned Vehicle Section, provides residents with the opportunity to dispose legally and properly two permanently junked or derelict vehicles each fiscal year.
The service is provided free-of-charge to residents and is subject to fund availability. The program has a handful of requirements, which are outlined online at www.hawaiizerowaste.org/recycle/automotive.     Applications can also be found on the website.
Registered vehicle owners and property owners are encouraged to submit their applications early as this program will only be available while funding is available. Residents who rent but are looking to remove a junked vehicle still registered in their name must obtain the landowner's approval for the tow company to enter the property.
    Direct questions to the Derelict/Abandoned Vehicle Section at (808) 961‐8552 or VDAP@hawaiicounty.gov.

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YOUNG KAʻŪ ATHLETES ARE INVITED TO SIGN UP FOR ANNUAL YOUTH TRACK & FIELD

Isaiah Manila Louis, one of the up and coming

 track stars in Kaʻū in running and long jump.

Photo by Coach Tolu Rasmussen

MEETS in February and March, sponsored by Hawai'i County Department of Parks & Recreation. Open to youth ages 6-14, the meets will be held in Kona and Hilo.
    West Hawai'i Track & Field Meets will be Saturday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 17 at Kealakehe High School Track at 9 a.m. with the start of field events followed by track events.
    East Hawai'i Track & Field Meets will be Saturday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, March 2  at Waiākea High School Ken Yamase Stadium at 9 a.m. with the start of field events followed by track events
    Participants are limited to two meets and three events per meet. If participants are entering more than one event, they cannot enter exclusively running events or exclusively field events but must choose at least one of each.
    To participate, students should first see contact the school track program. Schools, clubs, or individuals interested in participating in any of the meets should contact Recreation Specialist Darrell Yamamoto at 808-961-8735 or email darrell.yamamoto@hawaiicounty.gov.
    Entry forms and additional information can be found online at https://www.parks.hawaiicounty.gov/facilities-parks/recreation.

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Kaʻū News Briefs December 18, 2023

Rain Nihipali-Sesson, a Junior at Kaʻū High, works for pin against a Hilo girl in a pre-season high school wrestling tournament at Pahoa High on Saturday. Photo by Coach Ray Mazyck

TROJAN WRESTLING IS BACK! Kaʻū High School's wrestling team started off strong on Saturday with a pre-season tournament at Pahoa High. The Trojan Boys & Girls got their first taste of competitive wrestling since 2019, and rose to the occasion.
    Kaʻū and 11 other teams sent their eligible freshman-junior wrestlers to face off, all of them getting two matches on the day. The Trojans were represented by Freshmen Eli Crook and Isaiah Salmo and Juniors Eddie Wirtz, Edzack Badua, and Rain Nihipali-Sesson.
    Not able to compete on Saturday were Seniors Stephen Alder, Ralph Aurelio, Laakea Kajiwara-Ke, Ocean Nihipali-Sesson, as well as Freshman Alazae Forcum (due to ankle sprain earlier in the week).

    Coach Ray Mazyck said, "Each one of our wrestlers gave it their all and gained valuable experience they desperately needed. Being a brand new program and a new sport to all of our wrestlers, we went out and competed great against well established teams."
    Notably, said the Coach, "Eli Crook started off the Trojan boys with a win by pin in overtime against a Honoka’a wrestler, a tremendous start to a promising season for the freshman."
    Rain Nihipali-Sesson was able to secure a rematch victory by third round pin for the Trojan girls against a Hilo wrestler. "Rain lost by pin in the first match against Hilo, but she kept a positive attitude and was able to be coachable and make the needed adjustments within a few hours allowing her to avenge the loss in the rematch," reported Mazyck.
    The Coach explained, "The point of a pre-season tournament like this is to gain experience and get an understanding of what this sport takes, and we did exactly that. The coaching staff is extremely proud of each of our wrestlers and excited for the season to come. The most important thing is that our team all had an incredible amount of fun, had amazing attitudes, and kept smiles on their faces through-out. We as coaches are blessed and can’t ask for much more than that."  

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PUBLIC INPUT ON RELOCATION OF AN ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINE from rugged terrain to a 2.5 mile stretch along Hwy 11 in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is open through Jan. 14. HVNP in coordination with Hawaiʻi Electric Light Company is requesting the comment.
    The HVNP statement on the project says "existing poles and lines are located along a corridor with hazardous terrain, including earth cracks and lava tubes. Maintenance and repairs are currently difficult and unsafe. Relocating the line along the highway will also help reduce potential impacts to the forested areas in HVNP."

The new power line route in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park will
put the polls by Hwy 11, away from the forest and rugged terrain.
Photo from HVNP

    The primary purpose "is to relocate, upgrade, and bring up to code the sub-transmission electric utility poles and power lines. The update will improve capacity, lower impedance, and make the poles and lines more resistant to weather events."
    The project includes an area between Piʻi Mauna Drive and the Hilo-side park boundary near Old Volcano Road. The project is considered Phase 3 of HELCO's efforts to upgrade and harden the 3400 Line, which spans from Puna to just outside the park's boundary on the Kaʻū side.
    Phase 1 and 2 of the project included an area between the Kīlauea Switching Station outside the Kaʻū-side boundary of the park to Piʻi Mauna Drive within the park. It was completed in 2020.
   HVNP is working with HELCO and Tetra Tech, Inc. to develop and analyze alternatives, develop mitigation measures, and conduct consultations. In addition to relocating the existing power line by installing new poles and transmission and distribution lines along 2.6 miles of Highway 11, the project will remove and/or decommission approximately 2.6 miles of existing poles and transmission and distribution lines within the current power line alignment in HVNP.
     HVNP is initiating the scoping process under the National Environmental Policy Act to determine the extent and nature of issues and alternatives that should be considered in an environmental assessment. There are three ways to provide input:
    Online: Visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Phase3 for project information to submit comments online.
    Email: Email comments to havo_planning@nps.com.
    Hard copy: Mail written comments to Attn: 3400 Phase 3 Power Line Relocation, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, P.O. Box 52, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718-0052
    Comments must be submitted online, via email, or postmarked by Jan. 14, 2024 to be considered in the draft environmental assessment.

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OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE, EQUITY AND RESILIENCE will have Bethany Morrison as Interim Administrator. County of Hawai'i made the announcement Monday and said she will assume her new role in early 2024.
    Morrison has been with County of Hawaiʻi for over 15 years, serving within the Planning Department. Most recently, she served as a Planner VI where she oversaw the General Plan Comprehensive Review and the County of Hawaiʻi's Climate Action Plan.

Bethany Morrison takes the helm of Office of
Sustainability, Climate Equity & Resilience

    The county statement says, "Bethany also has demonstrated leadership in crisis management, notably during Kīlauea Eruption Recovery and with her role on the Natural Resources Resilience Action Team. In her managerial role, she supervises consultants, facilitates community meetings, evaluates various development plans, and engages in legislative advocacy."
    Mayor Mitch Roth said, "This office is all about helping to make sure we have a future where our keiki can raise their keiki here for generations," said Mayor Mitch Roth. "We are confident that Bethany understands that responsibility and will leverage her extensive experience and strong background in leading sustainability initiatives. With technical expertise in climate change mitigation and adaptation, proven leadership skills, proficiency in project management, and a successful track record in policy development and securing funding, she is well-equipped for her new role and we are excited to welcome her aboard."

    As the appointed Interim Sustainability Administrator, Morrison will oversee the administration and operation of OSCER, develop policies and programs aligned with County codes, collaboratie with County departments and community partners on sustainability and resilience strategies, and ensure the equitable implementation of sustainability efforts across all community sectors.
    "Hawaiʻi County remains steadfast in its dedication to providing exceptional public service while embracing the values of diversity, equity, and sustainability. With Ms. Morrison at the helm, the County looks forward to advancing its commitment to a resilient and vibrant community that honors its cultural heritage and natural environment, fostering opportunities for all residents," says the county statement.

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ADDING $326 MILLION TO HIS PROPOSED STATE BUDGET, Gov. Josh Green submitted a Supplemental Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 to the Hawai'i Legislature on Monday. A statement from his office says the additional proposed funding prioritizes housing, healthcare, education and recovery and resilience. He also proposed $890 million in general obligation bond funds for capital improvement projects statewide.
    The budget includes disaster case management services for those displaced by the Maui wildfires, fire

Hawai'i state Director of Finance Luis 
P. Salaveria recommends bond financing
to keep capital improvements on track.

prevention and suppression measures statewide, emergency equipment, rehabilitation of State highway facilities in Lahaina, and brushfire positions in Hawai'i's emergency management agency.
    "In addition to disaster preparation and mitigation, many of the proposed funds will advance key priority initiatives across the state, such as increasing access to quality healthcare, fully resourcing our public education systems, and accelerating the development of affordable housing and essential infrastructure," said Green.
    Other highlights include funding for school food and transportation programs, continued support for Hawai'i Public Housing Authority to develop housing for kūpuna, improvements across HHSC hospitals (including Ka'u Hospital) statewide, and to expand healthcare education and mental health services across the University of Hawai'i campuses.
    Since the Governor repurposed state resources to ensure general funds were available to allow continued support for statewide priorities and respond to the impacts of the Maui wildfires, he is asking for general funded capital improvement projects be reauthorized as general obligation bond funds "to maintain strong reserves and keep the projects on track."
    State Director of Finance Luis P. Salaveria said, "This approach frees up valuable general funds for wildfire recovery costs while supporting the continuation of projects by providing them with a longer implementation period through bond financing."
    Green said, "The full costs of the recovery will unfold over time, and we are financially prepared to address those needs, but we cannot afford to stop our progress on our key priorities. This budget allows us to continue our important initiatives and support the recovery and resiliency of our state."

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S RURAL DEVELOPMENT has announced new ways to connect for opportunities for funding, loans and services. Chris Kanazawa, Hawai'i Western Pacific State Director, listed the following:  

Chris Kanazawa, head of Rural
 Development for Hawai'i.

    A new history webpage that traces USDA Rural Development’s evolution from the Great Depression and New Deal to the present, highlighting the many ways the agency supports efforts to create prosperity in rural communities.
    One of Rural Development's more recent initiatives, the Rural Partners Network, which has brought together a coalition of 24 federal agencies that offer programs and funding designed specifically for rural communities.
    A new feature on Rural.gov that makes it easier to find these federal resources in one place. The Find Programs and Opportunities tool includes hundreds of millions of dollars in financing and technical assistance opportunities that are easy to search, filter and find.
    The information will help people in rural areas access funding for a variety of business, health care, housing, community and economic development needs, said Kanazawa.
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Christmas choir photo from KDEN

WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS is the title of the Holiday Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at 7 p.m.
    Volcano Festival Chorus and Kilauea Drama and Entertainment Network performs its 28th annual Holiday Concert to include a mix of sacred and secular holiday music. The concert is free, but park entrance fees apply.

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LITO ARKANGEL PERFORMS A MAGICAL HOLIDAY CONCERT on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. at Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium.

Lito Arkangel performs Wednesday at Kīlauea
 Visitor Center Auditorium. Photo by J. Patterson

    Born and raised in East Hawaiʻi, the musician, entertainer and educator grew up in East Hawai'i loving music and sitting next to his grandmother while she played piano for their church. As an adult, Lito’s music career has taken off, with two albums nominated for Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards, the Hawaiʻi version of the Grammys. 

    His concert on Wednesday is part of Nā Leo Manu (Heavenly Voices of Hawaiian music) concerts and presentations at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and co-sponsored by Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association. 

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Kaʻū News Briefs December 17, 2023

Calliyah Silva-Kamei makes a 3 point shot in route to scoring 18 points as Kaʻū defeats Kealakehe. Photo by Dee Peters

LADY TROJANS DEFEATED KEALAKEHE WAVERIDERS IN BASKETBALL on Saturday, on the road in Kona, with a score of 44-32. Lady Trojans improved their record to 2-4 on the season by defeating the Division 1

Shaylie Martinez and Tyra Wong Yuen
 battle for position to grab an offensive
 rebound. Photo by Dee Peters

Big Island Interscholastic Federation school.
    Trojans executed a balanced scoring attack led by freshman Caliyah Silva-Kamei with 18 points, supported by senior Tyra Wong Yuen with 9 points and sophomore Shaylie Martinez with 8 points. Senior Alexus Bivings scored 6 points, and junior Angelica Bivings added 3 points.
    Silva-Kamei helped Lady Trojans hold off a second half charge by the Wave Riders by scoring 12 points just in the second half and making 5 of her 6 shots, including 2 of 2 on 3 point shots.
    Head Coach Mark Peters said, "The Lady Trojans did a admirable job on the boards by leading total rebounds for the contest, led by Tyra Wong Yuen who hauled in 6 rebounds and was supported by Shaylie Martinez with 4 rebounds." Peters added, “The girls really played their best all-around game today. A credit to the coaching staff who added some new wrinkles to our offense and of course the team who worked hard all week in preparation for this game. Excellent passing, better shot selection, reduced turnovers, tenacious team defense, and being strong on the boards are all things we have been working on in practice. It was great to see the hard work shine through during the game. We have a ways to go, but each week this team continues to grow.”

 Senior Tyra Wong Yuen poses
for a picture during Saturday's
game on the road at Kealakehe.
Photo by Dee Peters

    Peters also stated, “I am so proud of all of the players, especially those who may not show up in the box score much. For instance, Lilyana Haina and Angelica Bivings play so hard and gave us some much needed toughness on defense. Laci Ah Yee, Kailee Cummings, and Mary Amon all gave us some great minutes on the court today.” The Lady Trojans have a break before they play their next game at Konawaena on January 3rd.

     Working with Head Coach Mark Peters are Assistant Coaches Megan Javar, Deisha-Lyn Nurial-Dacalio, Paul Takson and Carla Lind. Athletic Trainer is Moses Whitcomb and Athletic Director is Jaime Guerpo.

     The team is comprised of freshman Student Statistician Molly Akana, seniors Alexus Bivings, Tyra Wong Yuen, Lilyana Haina and Tina Lokot; juniors Laci Ah Yee, Angelica Bivings and Mary Amon, tenth graders Chazlyn Mukini and Shaylie Martinez; and ninth graders Kamalea Davis, Kailee Cummings and Caliya Silva-Kamei.

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Students take blood pressure of excited visitors to
 their Showcase at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary,
including school staff member 'Aina Akamu.
Photo from Kaʻū High & Elementary

STUDENTS PRESENTED A SHOWCASE OF EDUCATION AT KAʻŪ HIGH & PĀHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LAST WEEK. Families, community and business leaders and representatives of the Department of Education walked door to door and were welcomed by students themselves who invited them in for an experience. Experiences included hands on science projects like extracting DNA into a vial, giving it to a visitor to take home. Another class invited guests to accompany students to the ballfield to carry out a lesson in trigonometry using the real world to shoot the line and get the angle. Another class put on a play. Another focuses on health and took visitors' blood pressure. An elementary school class used pillows they stuffed to explain the concepts of length, width and perimeter.
    Students, not the teachers, welcomed visitors to each classroom and invited them to become involved. The showcase showed how excited and proud the students are regarding what they are learning. Their interaction with the public aimed at showing the community that they are learning and they like it.
    Some students, known to be shy, took the lead in welcoming and informing the adults. It builds their confidence, said the other more outgoing students, stepping aside to let them do it. The showcase also revealed the 'ohana relationships in the classroom between students, teachers and classroom aides. A lot of laughter and joy filled the rooms as students took the lead.

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FOREVER CHEMICALS ARE THE TARGET OF HAWAI'I ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNE LOPEZ. She filed a suit Thursday against 25 manufacturers of what are commonly called forever chemicals. They are present in aqueous film-forming foam found in household products like paints, cleaners, cookware, stain and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting. They were previously used in firefighting foam in Hawai'i and are still used in manufacturing firefighting protective gear and other equipment. The official name of the chemicals is per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS.

Students show the public how they extract DNA for science studies. Photo by Julia Neal

    In addition to affecting people, PFAS chemicals find their way into the environment. The suit notes that PFAS has been detected in Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, whales and dolphins. The suit aims to protect fresh water, not only for humans drinking it. It also aims to protect and improve the environment for native wildlife and human activities like aquaculture, fishing and swimming.

Elementary students stuff pillows and handle their edges to
learn about, length, width and perimeter. Photo by Julia Neal

    The complaint notes that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concludes that in humans PFAS causes “decreased fertility; preeclampsia and high blood pressure in pregnant women; adverse developmental effects in children such as low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations and behavioral changes; increased risk of certain cancers, including kidney and testicular cancers; reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response; interference with the body’s natural hormones; ulcerative colitis; thyroid disease; and medically diagnosed high cholesterol and/or risk of obesity.” Similar problems may occur in wildlife.       The AG said that “PFAS chemicals have contaminated our environment and can cause serious health problems for the people of Hawai'i. Corporations that have created and unjustly profited from the sale of PFAS must pay to address the harms caused by PFAS throughout our state.” She contends that the manufacturers engage in "deceptive and unlawful actions," causing or contributing to contamination of Hawai'i's "air, soil, sediment, biota, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, watercourses, wetlands and other natural resources.”
   Among the defendants are a number of multinational chemical companies. Defendants include 3M Co.; DuPonte De Nemours Inc.; AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc; Archroma U.S., Inc; Arkema Inc., BASF Corp., Chemdesign Products, Inc. Chemguard, Inc; Clariant Corp.; Dorteva, Inc.; Dyanax Corp; EIDP, Inc, The Chemours Co.; and Tyco Fire Products LP.

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Students teach a representative from Department of
Education about mummification of apples, using canopic jars.
Photo by Julia Neal

THE UHERO FORECAST FOR HAWAI'I'S ECONOMY was released this weekend, noting that "Hawai'i has been resilient in the face of weakening US and global economies, high interest rates, and the glacial return of Japanese travelers. Deceleration in key visitor markets will produce slower growth in 2024. But, absent a US recession, moderate gains will resume in 2025. While economic fallout from the Maui wildfires has been somewhat smaller than feared, the rebuilding path will be long, and there are considerable uncertainties about how it will proceed."

    University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization lists the following considerations:     

    • The US has outperformed most advanced economies this year. High interest rates have weighed on investment, and the labor market has softened. Currently-robust consumer spending will slow as excess savings dwindle, helping to bring inflation into the Fed’s target range and achieve a “soft landing” 1.1% growth next year. 

These science students have been studying equilibrium and
how systems experiencing stress tend move back into 
equilibrium if they can. Photo by Julia Neal

    • Canada and Japan’s real gross domestic product contracted in the third quarter. The US slowdown will restrain Canada’s economy, while Japan’s move toward tighter monetary conditions to combat inflation will ease pressure on the yen. Australia’s inflation fight is proving difficult, and its exports have been weak as China deals with a property market meltdown. Global growth in 2024 will be similar to this year’s tepid 3% pace. 

    • The Maui visitor industry has been recovering faster than we anticipated, and visitors to the rest of the state have reached record levels. Japanese market recovery is taking forever, partly due to a very weak yen. This leaves Hawai'i’s dependence on the US market unusually high. The total number of visitors to Hawai'i will be essentially flat in 2024, before returning to moderate growth in 2025. 

    • Visitor spending has been fairly soft this year, primarily due to the disruption of highpriced Maui tourism. Spending has risen on Kaua'i and the Big Island, as some travelers have substituted vacations on these islands. The weak yen is weighing on spending on O'ahu, which has dipped below its pre-COVID peak. Overall real visitor spending will drop in 2024 and firm thereafter. 

Students carry a nonviolent "gun" to shoot a line to solve triganometry and geometry problems.
Photo by Kaʻū High student Lexi

    • Statewide payroll employment was rising at a modest pace this year, before being pulled down in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires. On Maui, there has been a more rapid than expected partial employment recovery, as some displaced workers have found alternative jobs in recovery or other work. Some have left the Island. Overall, we expect Hawai'i job growth of about 1% next year. Very slow population growth will mean only incremental trend job growth thereafter. 

    • Consumer price inflation has receded from its its 7.5% peak in March 2022. Feedthrough of higher housing costs will keep inflation in the 3-3.5% range for the next year, before a slow downward trend resumes. Incomes have been battered by inflation, but are now above pre-pandemic levels in real terms, and they will grow at a roughly 2% annual pace. Real gross domestic product will slow below 2% in 2024, before picking up in 2025. 

 

The mysteries and practicalities of science on display, courtesy of Ka'u High students showing off their marine science lab.
Photo from Kaʻū High School

  • There remain a host of uncertainties surrounding Maui’s future recovery path, including how fast residents can be moved from hotels to more permanent housing, the speed of ongoing cleanup work, the extent and duration of support programs, and how long and in what fashion rebuilding will occur. 

    • The home resale market is suffering from high mortgage rates, high prices, and a lack of inventory by homeowners reluctant to give up low existing rates. Maui rebuilding will drive further expansion of an already hot Hawai'i construction industry. Getting—and housing—the needed workers will be a challenge.   

    • While Maui’s recovery remains top of mind, the state as a whole has continued to grow at a moderate pace, and only gradual slowing is expected. 

    "But, as always, Hawai'i is somewhat at the mercy of conditions beyond our shores. A sharper slowdown or recession in the US mainland would mean a sharper slowdown in Hawai'i in 2024-2025," reports UHERO. 

    Read the entire UHERO forecast and analysis for 2024 at https://uhero.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/23Q4_Forecast.pdf

Kaʻū High's Journalism Class celebrates making documentary films and writing for The Ka'u Calendar newspaper. See
 the films on YouTube. ClimbHi: https://youtu.be/iJ7bAnPZ560; Janee's: https://youtu.be/Wzg9XcVap74;
Kama's: https://youtu.be/DVf3kWqvUQ4; Cece's: https://youtu.be/xUrxxOuAPjQ; and Nyori's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cps44QGUUkg&feature=youtu.be.

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A DOUBLE RATION OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC AND HOLIDAY CHEER COMES TO OCEAN VIEW on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. South Hawai'i Symphony joins with The Jazz Gardeners to present a free concert . The Symphony is led by Farley Sangels who has played with many major orchestras around the world, including Hong Kong Philharmonic. The Christmas concert will be the third concert for South Hawai'i Symphony, consisting of about 18 musicians, mostly living in Ka'u.
    The four-person group of musicians, The Jazz Gardeners, will include Sangels on trumpet and keyboard – often at the same time. Joining him on stage will be Cheryl Cuevas performing multilingual vocals, Aaron Loesser on double bass and Gabriel Cuevas on drums.
    The South Hawai'i Symphony will play a program of popular and time-honored Christmas carols interspersed with ethnic music, such as De Tierra Lejana Vemimos from Puerto Rico, Gesu Bambino from Italy, an Israeli folk song entitled Glee Reigns in Galilee and a piece from Hansel and Gretel.
   The concert will be held at the Ocean View Community Center, 92-8924 Leilani Circle, beginning at 2 p.m. The Jazz Gardeners will take the stage at 3 p.m. There is no charge for admission, but donations to cover expenses are always welcome.
    In keeping with the season's spirit and the Kaʻū district's reputation for generosity, said Sangels, the audience is encouraged to bring popcorn, holiday cookies or other baked goods to share during the performances. "I would like our audience to have something to munch while they enjoy our music," explained Sangels, adding "we want to lift spirits in any way we can!"