The Kaʻū Calendar News Briefs, Hawaiʻi Island

The Hawaiian goose, nēnē, the largest native land animal in Hawai‘i, is federally listed as a Threatened Species,

its population growing during more than 50 years on the Endangered Species List. Photo from NPS/Janice Wei

NĒNĒ GEESE ARE A THREATENED SPECIES, UPGRADED FROM ENDANGERED after more than 50 years on the List. U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt made the announcement on Sunday during a trip to Oʻahu. He said he thinks the endemic goose, Hawaiʻi's State Bird, can safely be taken off the Endangered Species List. The nēnē population is estimated at over 3,000 birds and increasing, with over 1,000 on Hawaiʻi Island. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's population is over 250.

Learn about nēnē on the recent podcast series Voices of Science, which
discusses the geese, the Park's night skies, invasive coqui frogs, and
more, at nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/vos.htm. Photo from NPS/Janice Wei

Bernhardt told state officials, "You have a tremendously inspiring story. This is a story about what the Endangered Species Act is supposed to be about, and the great thing here is we're moving this bird – really, in my opinion – from the emergency ward or the intensive care unit. It's still in the hospital. It still needs [us] to be protective of it and thoughtful of it."
He contended that changing the listing for nēnē from Endangered to Threatened will "ensure that there's some flexibilities built in for the neighbors and folks that are gonna have some more experiences with these birds as their population grows."
Sen. Brian Schatz said, "We have a long way to go before the nēnē is completely recovered – and it will require continued protections – but this is an important milestone. It shows how the Endangered Species Act is supposed to work: a science-based recovery plan and a strong partnership between the state and federal governments.

Often mistaken as flightless, this nēnē spreads its wings and flies

towards Mauna Ulu. Photo from NPS/Janice Wei

"Thanks to the Fish & Wildlife Service, the Hawai‘i Department of Land & Natural Resources, and the many environmental organizations and volunteers who have worked to save our iconic state bird."

Maxx Phillips, the Center for Biological Diversity's Hawaiʻi director, said in a statement that "the successful efforts to recover the nēnē demonstrate how effective the Endangered Species Act truly is. Without this landmark law, wildlife in danger of disappearing forever, like the nēnē, would have little hope of recovery."

However, Phillips pointed out that "the Trump administration has only protected 21 species under the Endangered Species Act — the lowest of any administration at this point in a presidential term," and that rollbacks to key Endangered Species Act regulations made earlier this year "could lead to extinction for hundreds of animals and plants."

Though nēnē are strong and frequent flyers, their short wing span, long legs,
and minimal toe webbing indicate that they walk but rarely swim.
Photo from NPS/Janice Wei

Nēnē, the Hawaiian goose –which was on the Volcano House restaurant menu generations ago –was listed as Endangered in 1967.
The National Park Service estimates 25,000 wild nēnē lived here when Captain Cook arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1778. The nēnē population dwindled to 30 by 1960.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park's website attributes the huge drop in nēnē numbers to: predation by intentionally introduced non-native species like mongooses, cats, and dogs; death by hunters; loss of habitat to intentionally introduced non-native foraging animals such as goats, pigs, and cattle; loss of food and cover plants from introduced plants; loss of lowland habitat, where more food is available that helps goslings grow; and being hit by road vehicles and golf balls on golf courses.

Park officials urge motorists watch for nēnē, which are fond
of eating the plants on roadsides. Photo from NPS/Janice Wei

In the 1970s, captive breeding programs were started in the Park, but all the population-reducing factors remained. The Park began habitat restoration projects, in and around the Park. The Park launched education for visitors and residents alike, urging them to refrain from feeding – they eat native ‘ōhelo berries and other plants – and to watch for them on roadways, especially during breeding and nesting times of the year.

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TAKING AWAY FOOD STAMPS "in the middle of the holiday season is just cruel," proclaims Sen. Mazie Hirono. Kaʻū's U.S. Senator sent out an invitation this morning for citizens to sign a petition opposing Pres. Donald Trump's measure to take away food stamps from nearly 700,000 nationwide.

Holy Rosary Choir members sang and played along the winding route of
Sunday's 41st annual Pāhala Christmas Parade. See more photos below,
and on yesterday's Kaʻū News Briefs. Photos by Julia Neal

Said Hirono, "By creating additional hurdles for low-income, hard-working Americans, Trump is fueling the hunger crisis and making it harder for hundreds of thousands of families to pay rent and put food on the table.
"Make no mistake -- this is about making up for the tax giveaways to the super rich and having struggling families pay for it. I'm asking you to add your name to my urgent petition demanding Trump rescind this attack on food stamp recipients." She posted a link for her petition.

Hirono stated that Trump's new rule "is the first of three that will not only cut access to food stamps for three million people, but will also deny automatic eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals for one million children. Previous attempts to cut food stamps have failed in Congress -- so instead, Trump is making an end run around Congress and taking harsh steps by executive action in a targeted attack on struggling, working families.

Helen Mountain Farm's poinsettia-bedecked pickup transported one Kaʻū
Coffee Princess during the parade.

"Every year, millions of people in our country -- including children -- go hungry. We should be expanding food assistance programs, not cutting them. Taking away basic food assistance will only exacerbate our poverty crisis," proclaimed Hirono.

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KAHUKU UNIT OF HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK WILL BE BE OPEN LONGER HOURS BUT CLOSED ON WEDNESDAYS starting on Jan. 1, New Year's Day. Kahuku will open an hour earlier, Thursdays through Sundays, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Entrance to Kahuku, located between South Point Road and Ocean View's town center, will remain free.
Post-eruption recovery in the Park's Kīlaueasection continues as more trails and features are repaired and reopen to the public.

Kaʻū Coffee Flowers had glad company along the parade route.

A statement from the Park explains that the current five days a week schedule was established to serve visitors and the community during the Kīlaueaclosure, since it was farther from volcanic hazards. The Kīlaueaeruption and summit collapse closed the main part of Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational Park for 134 days. Before the 2018 eruption, Kahuku was open three days a week, Friday through Sunday.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Acting Superintendent Rhonda Loh said the Park plans to expand youth and visitor programs at Kahuku, with new ranger-led programs for school groups and "cultural activities that highlight the fusion of cultures that define Ka‘ū." Ranger-led hikes, special programs, trail descriptions and a map of Kahuku are featured on the park website, nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku.htm.

Jesus Loves You Church took a trailer along the parade route, with
umbrellas for shade on the sunny Sunday.

The Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is located on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5, about 50 minutes south of the Park's main entrance. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended for all hikes.

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See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

Participants in character costumes braved the sunny day to delight keiki
during the Sunday's 41st annual Pāhala Christmas Parade.
Photos by Julia Neal

UPCOMING

TUESDAY, DEC. 10

Birding at Kīpukapuaulu, Tuesday, Dec. 10 and 24, and Thursday, Dec. 12 and 26, 8-10a.m., Kīpukapuaulu - Bird Park - Parking Lot, HVNP. Led by retired USGS Biologist Nic Sherma. Two hour birding tour. $40/person. Register online. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 985-7373, admin@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Lauhala Weaving Ku‘uipo Kakahiki-Morales, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano ArtCenter. $10 per person supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

After Dark in the Park: 100th Anniversary of the Mauna Iki Eruption, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 7-8p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. UH Mānoa geologist Scott Rowland explains the significance of this eruption. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11

Moa Pahe‘e Games, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Similar to ‘ulu maika, this game requires a little more strength and skill. In celebration of the annual Makahiki season. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, DEC. 12

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, Dec. 12, 6:30p.m., United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkeley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, DEC. 13

Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, Dec. 13, 9a.m.-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Free disability legal services provided by Hawai‘i Legal Aid. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

Nā Mamo o Kāwā Community Access Day, Saturday, Dec. 14, gates open 6a.m.-6p.m., Kāwā. All cars must park at end of road fronting Kāwā Flats. Dogs must be on leash. No driving through fish pond. 557-1433, nmok.org, facebook.com/NMOK.Hawaii

Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, Dec. 14, 8-11a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Guided Hike On A 60 Year Old Lava Lake, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-2p.m., Kīlauea Iki Overlook, HVNP. Organized by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Moderate to challenging 2.4 mile (one way) hike. $80/person. Register online. Park entrance fees may apply. 985-7373, admin@fhvnp.org, fhvnp.org

Holidays at Kahuku: Hawaiian-Made Craft Fair, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-3p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free entry. Entertainment, food, shave ice. nps.gov/havo

Ocean View Keiki Christmas with St. Jude's Christmas Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m-2p.m., Kahuku Park and lower parking lot of St. Jude's.

Zentangle Artist Inspired Workshop with

Lydia

Meneses, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. Creative tangle techniques inspired by Gustav Klimt and Keith Haring. Art supplies provided. Open to all levels. No experience required. Potluck, bring snack to share. $30/VAC member, $35/non-member, plus $15 supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Hula Kahiko - Kumu Kapuaikapoliopele Ka‘au‘a with Unuokeahi and Unuiti, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10:30-11:30a.m., hula platform near Volcano Art Center Gallery. Hula performance. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Nā Mea Hula with Kumu Hula Moses Kaho‘okele Crabbe, Saturday, Dec. 14, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery porch. Hands-on cultural demonstration. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-8222, volcanohula@gmail.com, volcanoartcenter.org

Jazz in the Forest: Christmas Jazz, Saturday, Dec. 14, 5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Featuring Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones with Jeannine Guillory-Kane performing classics of the holiday season. Ticket are $20/VAC member, $25/non-member. Purchase tickets online through Jan. 13, VAC Admin Office or VAC Gallery. Pūpū, wine, and beer available for purchase. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Christmas Lighting Parade, Saturday, Dec. 14, 6 p.m., along Hwy. 11, from Nā‘ālehu Elementary School to Nā‘ālehu Community Center. Refreshments to follow at Community Center. Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association. Participants sign waiver by 5p.m. at school.

Soul Town Band, Saturday, Dec. 14, 7-10p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. $5 cover charge. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

Volcano Chorus: 25th Annual Holiday Concert, Saturday, Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. Free; donations accepted. Park entrance fees may apply. 982-7344, kden73@aol.com

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

3rd Annual Hawai‘i Bird Conservation Marathon, Sunday, Dec. 15, Volcano Golf and Country Club to Boy Scouts' Kīlauea Camp. Funds raised support endemic birds of Hawai‘i through the Hawai‘i Forest Institute for the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center Discovery Forest in Volcano. Race registration closed. Donations welcome; donors of over $100 invited to behind the scene tour of Keauhou Bird Conservation Center Discovery Forest, 10a.m.-noon, Saturday, Dec. 14. hawaiiforestinstitute.kindful.com

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Dec. 15, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

ONGOING

Santa's Workshop Event Registration, through Dec. 11, Ka‘ū District Gym. Event takes place Thursday, Dec. 12, 6-7:30p.m. All ages. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas Coloring Contest Registration, through Dec. 11, Ka‘ū District Gym. Deadline for entries is Thursday, Dec. 12, 6p.m. Grades Pre-K to 6. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball League: Ocean View Team - Mondays and Wednesdays, Kahuku Park. Nā‘ālehu Team - Tuesdays and Thursdays, Nā‘ālehu Park. Pāhala Team (seeking coaches) - attend Nā‘ālehu practice. T-Ball, 3:30-4:30pm, ages 5-6. Coach Pitch, 4:30-6p.m., ages 7-8. Programs take place through April 16. Wear cleats or tennis shoes, bring a glove if possible. Extras gloves available for use. All skills and genders welcome. $35 per teammate. See Ka‘ū Youth Baseball on Facebook. Josh or Elizabeth Crook, 345-0511

Tūtū & Me Home Visiting Program is a free service to Pāhala families with keiki, birth to five years old. This caregiver support program offers those taking care of young keiki "a compassionate listening ear, helpful parenting tips and strategies, fun and exciting activities, and wonderful educational resources" from Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool. Home visits are one hour in length, two to four times per month, for 12 to 15 visits. Snacks are provided. See pidfoundation.org or call 808-938-1088.

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Kaʻū's congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard announced she will not take the stage in the December debate between
Democratic candidates for President. She is concentrating on house parties and other outreach in New Hampshire,
where the caucus for the nominee will soon take place. See more below. Photo from Tulsi2020

REACTION TO THE UNVEILING OF TWO IMPEACHMENT CHARGES AGAINST PRES. DONALD TRUMP in the U.S. House of Representatives today came from the Hawaiʻi congressional delegation representing Kaʻū. The charges are abuse of power and obstruction of justice. A vote in the full House could occur as early as next week. If approved, a trial will be held by the U.S. Senate.
Trump is accused of high crimes and misdemeanors. Trump tweeted, "To Impeach a President who has proven through results, including producing perhaps the strongest economy in our country's history, to have one of the most successful presidencies ever, and most importantly, who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness! #2020Election."
Sen. Brian Schatz said, "The Articles of Impeachment are quite brief and 1) no one can claim to not have read them if it's literally their job to consider them, 2) they are nearly impossible to refute, factually speaking."
Sen. Mazie Hirono said, "We have a President who thinks that he can get away with anything, including shooting somebody on 5th Avenue. Shaking down the president of another country for his own political ends is nothing to him. We have to hold Donald Trump accountable for his actions."

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The late E. Cooper Brown.

THE E. COOPER BROWN CLEAN ENERGY ACT has gone to the House of Representatives. It is named for the environmental attorney who worked with Life of the Land in Hawaiʻi, and in programs that supported justice for Marshallese Islanders, and other marginalized and indigenous people. More recently, Cooper Brown developed a keen interest in the environmental benefits of developing clean ocean energy technologies to reach commercial fruition. He created incentives for the private sector to assist in the commercial development of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion and Sea Water Air Conditioning. Language on a new Ocean Energy Act was finalized, but he never saw the final draft and passed away after a long fight with cancer.

The E. Cooper Brown Energy Act would resume the investment tax credit for OTEC and support the use of ocean water for air conditioning. "These clean energy technologies will help address some of the most pressing energy production, energy consumption, and environmental issues faced by urban and coastal communities," said a statement from Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Rep. Ed Case, who introduced the bill.

Said Gabbard, "As our nation and planet are facing serious environmental threats, states like Hawaiʻi are helping lead the way to a clean energy future." She said the legislation "will help encourage investment in sustainable, diverse, and clean energy. This will also create new, good paying jobs in communities across the country, help end our unsustainable addiction to fossil fuels, and support the growing movement for a 100 percent clean energy economy."

Image from Chegg Study

Case said, "Just as we jump-started early research and development for now-established alternate energy sources like solar and wind, so should we also for environmentally sustainable and
economically viable forms of ocean-sourced energy. One especially promising form is seawater air conditioning, already underway in Hawaiʻi, cooling buildings without electricity and reducing the use of ozone-depleting substances like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which contribute to global warming. The tax credit in this bill will incentivize the private sector to further develop this technology, which has already proven to be an efficient and sustainable source of replacement energy."
OTEC is a marine technology using the difference of temperature between deep cold ocean water and warm surface tropical water to produce carbon-free electricity. SWAC is a proven technology that harnesses deep cold water of oceans and lakes to provide air conditioning. OTEC and SWAC are fuel free, have a low environmental impact, can supply pure water for both drinking and agriculture, can supply refrigeration and cooling, and can provide a coastal community with reliable energy, said the statement from the House members.
According to the statement from Gabbard and Case, "Hawaiʻi's clean energy goals are the most aggressive in the nation, forging the way as a world leader in clean energy by committing to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2045. Hawaiʻi is at the forefront of research exploring ways to meet these goals. On Tuesday, a ceremony was held for a new wave energy conversion buoy at the Naval Wave Energy Test Site at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oʻahu.

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TULSI GABBARD WILL NOT APPEAR IN THE DECEMBER DEBATE BETWEEN DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT. While one poll short of meeting the Democratic National Committee requirements, with days to go to qualify, she announced yesterday that she will not participate. Instead, her campaign launched a fundraising effort this morning to pay for television and other advertising.

The campaign organizers announced: "Every single second of airtime Tulsi has to spread her message of a government of, by, and for the people, to lift our voices against the corporate war machine, to speak truth to establishment power, counts. That means so much more than being on a debate stage delivering 60 second soundbites to the corporate mainstream media and its viewers. It means being ready to launch hard-hitting TV and digital ads in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina on Jan. 1, and it means mobilizing our grassroots volunteers to get Tulsi's name on the ballot in every state starting now.

"We've been steadily gaining in the polls in the states where we've been investing resources; TV and digital ads in Iowa and New Hampshire, organizing efforts on the ground. Now, we need to spend big — and raise big — before the critical end of year fundraising deadline.
"Our longshot campaign is punching well above its weight, but where we can really flex our strategic advantage is in primaries like New Hampshire, where voters on the ground have actually had the chance to meet and speak with each candidate for themselves, rather than through the biased lens of the corporate media. We've got tough competition in these early states; every candidate knows that a top three finish equals critical momentum that we need to carry us through to the very end. Tulsi is currently in a great position to come out in front — she's polling at #5 consistently in New Hampshire, and is steadily rising. We can get her over the line.
"Together, we will take back our democracy from the corrupt and out-of-touch elite and return our government to one that truly serves We, the People."
She addressed her supporters by saying, "Thank you for your service to our bold mission for a future with peace, human dignity, true equality, and environmental protection for all."

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SHARE IDEAS ON LOCAL AGRICULTURE SOLUTIONS by taking a short survey. Part of the Mahiʻai a Ola initiative from The Kohala Center and Kamehameha Schools, MahiX is "an open innovation challenge" looking to help solve "the most pressing issues in Hawaiʻi's agricultural sector." Contact mahiai@ksbe.edu for more information.

KŌKUA HARVEST PROJECT seeks volunteer harvesters and crop suppliers to collect fresh food from farms and other sources for donation to local food pantries and community partners. The initiative is the first Hawaiʻi Island-wide food rescue project. To get involved, contact info@kokuaharvest.orgor visit kokuaharvest.org.

HELPING HAWAIʻI FOOD AND BEVERAGE COMPANIES TO LAUNCH AND SCALE is the goal of Common Ground. This experimental accelerator program is accepting online applications, due Jan. 15, 2020. Businesses selected for the pilot cohort will receive $50,000 in cash investment in addition to technical assistance services valued at $50,000. See commongroundaccelerator.com for more information and to apply.

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MAKING AND TAKING CHRISTMAS CRAFTS is on the schedule for Thursday, Dec. 12 at Kaʻū District Gym Mulipurpose room. Registration is open through tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 11. From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., a Santa's Workshop, called Hale Hana ʻO Kanakaloka, will be held for all ages. Sponsors are the county Department of Parks & Recreation - Pāhala, Uplinks After School Allstars, Tūtū & Me, Boys & Girls Club, and Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Fri., Dec. 13 @Keaʻau

Mon., Dec. 16 host Pāhoa JV/Christian Liberty

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Tue., Jan. 14 host Konawaena

Thu., Jan.16 @Kealakehe

Wed., Jan. 22 @HPA

Tue. and Wed., Jan. 28 and 29 BIIF @Civic

Wed. thru Sat., Feb. 5-8 HHSAA on Oʻahu

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Mon., Jan. 13 host Hilo

Wed., Jan. 15 host Kealakehe

Fri., Jan. 17 @Parker
Mon., Jan. 20 @Honokaʻa

Mon., Jan. 27 @Kamehameha

Tue. and Wed., Feb. 4 and 5 BIIF @ Kealakehe

Thu. thru Sat., Feb. 13-15 HHSAA on Oʻahu

Wrestling

Sat., Dec. 14 @Hilo

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Sat., Jan. 18 @HPA

Sat., Jan. 25 @Kamehameha

Sat., Feb. 1 @Hilo

Sat., Feb. 8 BIIF @Konawaena

Fri. and Sat., Feb. 21 and 22 HHSAA

Soccer

Sat., Dec. 14 Boys @Makualani

Mon., Dec. 16 Girls host HPA, 3pm

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat.,, Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Wed., Jan. 15 @Konawaena

Sat., Jan. 18 Girls @Kamehameha

Wed., Jan. 22 and Sat., Jan. 25 Girls BIIF

Wed. thru Sat., Feb. 5-8 Girls HHSAA on Oʻahu

Sat., Feb. 1 and 8 Boys BIIF

Thu. thru Sat., Feb. 13-15 Boys HHSAA on Oʻahu

Swimming

Sat., Dec. 14 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

Sat., Jan. 18 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 25 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

Fri., Jan. 31 and Sat., Feb. 1 BIIF @Kamehameha

Fri. and Sat., Feb. 14 and 15 on Maui

UPCOMING

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11

Santa's Workshop Event Registration, through Wednesday, Dec. 11, Ka‘ū District Gym. Event takes place Thursday, Dec. 12, 6-7:30p.m. All ages. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas Coloring Contest Registration, through Wednesday, Dec. 11, Ka‘ū District Gym. Deadline for entries is Thursday, Dec. 12, 6p.m. Grades Pre-K to 6. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

THURSDAY, DEC. 12

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, Dec. 12, 6:30p.m., United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkeley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, DEC. 13

Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, Dec. 13, 9a.m.-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Free disability legal services provided by Hawai‘i Legal Aid. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, Dec. 14, 8-11a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Holidays at Kahuku: Hawaiian-Made Craft Fair, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-3p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free entry. Entertainment, food, shave ice. nps.gov/havo

Ocean View Keiki Christmas with St. Jude's Christmas Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m-2p.m., Kahuku Park and lower parking lot of St. Jude's.

Zentangle Artist Inspired Workshop with

Lydia

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Dec. 15, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 17

Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, Dec. 17 (Committees), Wednesday, Dec. 18, (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Ti Leaf Lei Making with Jelena Clay, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. Pre-registration required; class size limited. $10 per person supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

After Dark in the Park: Holiday Concert, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7-8p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Acclaimed Hawai‘i musician and recording artist Randy Lorenzo and upcoming vocalist Jennie Kaneshiro. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6011, nps.gov/havo

ONGOING

Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

The Pāhala Senior Center Garden is next to newly renovated senior housing, which is available for applicants.
See more below. Photo by Julia Neal

MITCH ROTH WILL RUN FOR MAYOR IN 2020. The elected county Prosecuting Attorney - known for his neighborhood meetings on safety in Ocean View and his community building programs - made the announcement Tuesday night in Hilo at Liliuokalani Park & Gardens. Roth's campaign released a statement, saying:
"It would be my honor to serve Hawai‘i Island as mayor. Our island is a jewel in both diversity and shared values. We have opportunities to harness those values into a model for sustainable living, economic stability, and fostering growth in culturally appropriate ways that attract our children home.
"Over and over, it's proven that the first step to problem solving — and community building — is to bring the right people to the table," Roth said.
Government doesn't need to do everything, Roth said; government can be the convener, identifying likely partners and providing framework for solutions.

Mayoral candidate Mitch Roth and his wife Noriko, from an

earlier campaign for prosecutor. Photo from Roth Facebook

"Years ago, I asked myself what my major definite purpose in life is. My answer is simple and solid — to improve the quality of life for my family and my community."
Roth, an early adopter of the community justice method of problem solving, has traveled around the United States teaching community policing to law enforcement and community members for a Community Policing Institute under the U.S. Department of Justice. He was one of the first community-oriented prosecutors in the nation, the first in Honolulu, and then on Hawai‘i Island, said a statement from his campaign organization.
Roth has served as the elected Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney since 2012. He served as a deputy prosecutor, staring in 1993, first in Honolulu and then Hawaiʻi Island. One of his first initiatives on Hawai‘i Island was to help launch the Pāhoa Weed and Seed community improvement initiative, which became a national model.

Mitch Roth bowing his head during the launch of his mayoral campaign.
Photo from Big Island Video News

"Applying community-focused principles at the prosecutor's office, we've built programs to help victims, help reduce juvenile crime by 50 percent, started the first restorative justice program in a prosecutor's office, helped start a Veterans Treatment Court, heightened the attention on sexual assault and domestic violence, and in each step, brought stakeholders to the table as partners," said Roth.
Roth asked Pomai Bartolome to serve as his campaign chair. She is a graduate of St. Joseph's and Hawaiʻi Community College where she served as president of the student government. She is now completing her liberal arts degree. Bartolome is an active community member. She owns and operates Dream Hawaiʻi Studio, a talent enhancement program, which allows youth an opportunity to build character through performing arts. She is a radio personality, wife, and mother.

Pomai Bartolome, Campaign Manager for Mitch Roth.
Photo from Big Island Video News

Roth is a founding member of the Hawai‘i Island Visitor Aloha Society (VASH); the community Coalition for Neighborhood Safety; NexTech, which creates STEM opportunities for youth; and has helped bring the Citizens Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to Hawai‘i Island. He is dedicated to helping young people achieve their goals. Roth is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island, and of Camp Agape Big Island, a four-day camp for children of incarcerated parents.
Roth is married to Noriko Yamada Roth and they have three adult children who all graduated from Waiakea High School.

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SENIOR HOUSING IN PĀHALA, operated by the state Hawaiʻi Housing Authority, is nearly renovated and is open for applicants. By the time renovations are completed, there will be some 24 studio and one bedroom units, available to those 62 and older, and those of any age with disabilities.
Rent is 30 percent of income. A person whose only income is $800 from social security, for example, would pay $240 a month including electricity and water. The highest rent, including electricity and water, is a flat rate of $840 for studios and $1,100 for one bedroom units.

Newly renovated senior housing units are available in Pāhala.
Photo by Julia Neal

The renovation opens up units and gives Kaʻū residents a good chance to acquire senior housing locally. In the past, senior housing has been in short supply, with local seniors placed elsewhere on the island and a waiting list of two to five years.
To apply, call Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority at 933-0474.
The Pāhala senior housing is in walking distance of the post office, bank, rural heath clinic, library, pharmacy, hospital, swimming pool, gym, two food stores, and several churches and community centers.
The housing comes with parking lots and the county provides senior transportation to reach medical appointments, shop, and attend events.
The housing is adjacent to the Pāhala Senior Center, where the County of Hawaiʻi's Nutrition Program offers $3 meals on weekdays for anyone 60 and older at 10:30 a.m. Sign up for meals by calling Julie Pasquale, Mondays through Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The Pāhala Senior Center Garden is on the grounds for growing food.

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Pāhala Senior Center, where weekday meals are served, next to senior
housing. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAIʻI IS NAMED BEST PLACE TO RETIRE in some reports. When rated by the cost of living, however, Hawaiʻi rates as the worst state to retire. Pacific Business News reported this morning on an analysis by GoBankingRates.com, saying that those with $100,000 to live on would only last about 14 months. The second most expensive retirement place is California, where $100,000 would last about 18 months, and New York, about 19 months.
Pacific Business News reports that an earlier analysis rated Hawaiʻi high for retirees, based on low crime rates, excellent weather, culture, and wellness. GoBankingRates.com states that in Hawaiʻi, retirees spend $85,243 a year and would need over $2 million to retire here. The most affordable state is Mississippi, where a retiree can live for $38,435 a year. Other states deemed affordable by GoBankingRates.com are Oklahoma and Michigan. See GoBankingRates.com. Read Pacific Business News.

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JESSIE MARQUES IS THE ALOHA STATE'S COMMUNITY STAR, as winner of the 2019 National Rural Health Day award. The Pāhala resident is founder of Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association.

Papaya, bananas, and other food at the senior garden.
Photo by Julia Neal

Gregg Kishaba, Rural Communities Health Coordinator for the Hawaiʻi State Office of Primary Care and Rural Health in the state Department of Health, said:
"For over 20 years, Jessie has continuously fought for equitable access to health care services and programs in her community. But make no mistake; it was an undertaking that many would likely decline.
"In 1996, Jessie was asked by a physician and nursing staff to help prevent the closure of the local (Kaʻū) hospital. Not only did she say yes to the request, but she also served as the volunteer organizer for the Grassroots Coalition to preserve access to quality health care for the community of roughly 1,700 residents.

Taro and fruit trees at the garden next to Pāhala senior housing.
Photo by Julia Neal

"By 1998, Jessie mobilized the community and created Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association, the first - and at the time, only - Rural Health Community Association in the United States. By establishing KRHCA, she built the needed infrastructure to leverage sparse resources, while enabling local, state, and federal funding to reach her small rural community located in the southern part of the Island of Hawaiʻi.
"Throughout the years, Jessie served as a volunteer on the Association's board of directors, both as president and secretary, and later was asked to take on the role of executive director. A few of the many milestones for KRHCA made possible through her efforts include establishing a resource and distance learning center, and launching the first Kaʻū Rural Health Academy, a training demonstration project that focuses on health education, research opportunities, and economic sustainability. She also partnered with the Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (independent licensee of Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association) on a telemedicine pilot by installing a health kiosk that virtually links patients with a physician."

After her nomination, Marques said, "I am sincerely humbled, but this nomination belongs to all those who helped me understand the importance of being involved in civic engagement, volunteerism, policy and decision making, leadership, and advocating for rural underserved communities."

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Trojan Girls Basketball Team, with coach Cy Lopez, recently hosted its annual Kaʻū High School Food Drive and
Preseason Tournament. Photo by Jennifer Makuakane

The Trojan ladies at Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home.
Photo by Jennifer Makuakane

KAʻŪ TROJANS GIRLS BASKETBALL worked their pre season with community service, with assistance from Coach Cy Lopez and Assistant Coach Jennifer Makuakane. On Nov. 10, the girls volunteered at the Hilo Veterans Day parade, assisting veterans from Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home. On Nov. 29 and 30, they hosted an islandwide basketball tournament and food drive for Hawaiʻi Food Bank at Kaʻū District Gym.

Trojans Sports Update:
Trojans Girls Basketball hosted the first game of the season Monday, taking on Waiakea Warriors. The Junior Varsity team faced the larger school, but finished with Warriors winning, 43 to 4. Kaʻū scored two points in the second and two in the fourth quarter.

The Girls Basketball Varsity team fared better, finishing with 17 to Hilo's 67 points. Kaʻū scored 7 in the first quarter, 4 in the second, 2 in the third, and 4 in the fourth. Trojan Marilou Manantan made 7 of the points, CeAndrea Silva-Kamei 5, Kaohinani Grace scored 4, and Shania Silva made 1.

The Trojans Girls Basketball team at the Hilo Veterans Day Parade.
Photo by Jennifer Makuakane

Both the Trojans Boys and Girls Soccer teams hosted the Warriors in the first soccer games of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Hilo Boys won their game with ten points, the Girls with 12. Kaʻū did not score. On Saturday, Dec. 7, both teams hosted Kamehameha. Both games ended in a shut out for Kaʻū, 9 to 0. Yesterday at Hilo, both teams lost to the larger school, again not scoring.
Other winter sports, swimming and wrestling, completed meets on Saturday.

See the full Trojans Winter Schedule for the 2019-2020 school year in yesterday's Kaʻū News Briefs. A shortened version will appear in daily blog posts until the season is over.

Kaʻū Trojans Girls Basketball team volunteered at the Hilo Veterans Day parade, assisting Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home.
Photo by Trojans Girls Basketball Assistant Coach Jennifer Makuakane

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Fri., Dec. 13 @Keaʻau

Mon., Dec. 16 host Pāhoa JV/Christian Liberty

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Wrestling

Sat., Dec. 14 @Hilo

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Soccer

Sat., Dec. 14 Boys @Makualani

Mon., Dec. 16 Girls host HPA, 3pm

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Swimming

Sat., Dec. 14 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

UPCOMING

THURSDAY, DEC. 12

Christmas Coloring Contest Entry Deadline, Thursday, Dec. 12, 6p.m., Ka‘ū District Gym. Registration is closed. Grades Pre-K to 6. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, Dec. 12, 6:30p.m., United Methodist Church, Nā‘ālehu. Pres. Berkeley Yoshida, 747-0197

FRIDAY, DEC. 13

Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, Dec. 13, 9a.m.-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Free disability legal services provided by Hawai‘i Legal Aid. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, Dec. 14, 8-11a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Holidays at Kahuku: Hawaiian-Made Craft Fair, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-3p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free entry. Entertainment, food, shave ice. nps.gov/havo

Ocean View Keiki Christmas with St. Jude's Christmas Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m-2p.m., Kahuku Park and lower parking lot of St. Jude's.

Zentangle Artist Inspired Workshop with

Lydia

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Dec. 15, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 17

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6-7p.m.,Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria. Family reading time plus make and take activities; snacks provided.

ONGOING

Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

The Hour of Code welcomed students at Pāhala Elementary to the world of computer science
today. See more below. Photo by Katie Graham

THE VOTE TO IMPEACH PRES. DONALD TRUMP was delayed tonight by the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, following a marathon 13-hour debate.
Sen. Brian Schatz tweeted "LOL. Republicans are angry about working on Friday." The vote could be delayed until Monday, with more debate expected to follow party lines on Friday. Trump is the fourth U.S. President to face articles of impeachment. Should the House vote to impeach him, the measure would go to the U.S. Senate for a trial.

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HOUR OF CODE ENGAGED all Pāhala Elementary students in pre-K through sixth grade today in computer science. Hour of Code is part of a worldwide effort to expand computer science education. Students in Pre-K through second grade tried their hands at programming through using the ScratchJr app. In the app, students develop characters and stories through coding.

Creating a dance party and game and developing characters and stories
introduced Pāhala Elementary student to coding today.
Photo by Katie Graham

Students in third through sixth grade worked on code.org to create their own dance party and game

through coding. SPED teacher, Rebecca Spinner, said, "This event helped spark interest in coding and computer science, as well as allowed students the opportunity to try creative and innovative problem-solving approaches."

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HELPING RURAL BUSINESSES WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY is the goal of a new program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald "DJ" LaVoy announced this week that the USDA is investing $165.4 million to help farmers, agriculture producers, and rural-based businesses lower energy costs. USDA will provide 621 awards to applicants in all 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Western Pacific. USDA is providing the funding through the Rural Energy for America Program.

Said LaVoy, "Businesses grow and create more jobs when their energy costs are lower. Reduced power costs also make American businesses more competitive in world markets. Pres. Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue are committed to making it possible for rural businesses to thrive because when rural Americaprospers, all of Americaprospers."

Brenda Iokepa-Moses, of Pāhala, who took charge of the Hawaiʻi, Western Pacific, and American Samoan USDA State Directorship in September, said there are numerous beneficiaries who would qualify for the program. "I would like to see Hawaiʻi and the Western Pacific take a bigger piece of the pie and encourage local farmers, agricultural producers and rural based businesses to apply for this grant and take advantage of this amazing opportunity."

Brenda Iokepa-Moses. Photo from USDA

Recipients can use REAP funding for energy audits and to install renewable energy systems such as biomass, geothermal, hydropower, and solar. The funding can also be used to increase energy efficiency by making improvements to heating, ventilation, and cooling systems; insulation; and lighting and refrigeration.

Reducing energy costs can significantly improve a business' bottom line, according to the statement from USDA. Solar equipment was used by 90,000 farms in 2017, three times the number using solar panels in 2012, states the agency.

In April 2017, Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory, and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Perdue presented the Task Force's findings to Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local, and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Supporting the rural workforce was a cornerstone recommendation of the task force.

View the report in its entirety at Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. View the categories of the recommendations at Rural Prosperity infographic. For more information on the REAP, or to request application materials, contact USDS Business Programs Specialist Jeffrey Wardell, (808) 933-8316 or Jeffrey.wardell@usda.gov.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

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A FORK IN THE ROAD DECISION is ahead for Hawaiʻi Electric Industries – parent company of Hawaiʻi Electric Light Co., Maui Electric, and Oʻahu's Hawaiʻi Electric Company – according to Hiloenergy professional Marco Mangelsdorf. In an op-ed for Honolulu Star Advertiser this week, he wrote, "It is time for a shake-up."
Mangelsdorf, President of ProVision Solar, warned that Hawaiʻi people and Hawaiʻi Electric Industries are at a "proverbial fork in the road" to choose between "status quo execs" or look outside the company for "new game-changer leaders."

Marco Mangelsdorf

According to ValueAct Capital, a major investor in HEI, Hawaiʻi residents have paid 280 percent more for electricity per kilowatt hour than the U.S. average over the past ten years. ValueAct CEO Jeffrey Ubben recently wrote: "This is due in part to the use of costly outdated petroleum-fired plants that are now virtually extinct on the mainland."

Mangelsdorf wrote, "Are we doing enough to adequately move the needle of our clean energy transformation? And is Hawaiian Electric up to the task?

"Sadly, I have to conclude we are not moving fast enough, and that, despite the difficulty in calling out those people I've come to like and respect, the Hawaiian Electric companies have not been up to the challenges of what needs to be done.

"The fundamental question: Have HEI and its utilities led the way in stabilizing electric costs and bringing online cost-effective renewable energies, or have they been pushed, prodded and pulled to do so? I believe that a stronger case can be made for the latter.

"Going back to at least the early 2000s, successive Public Utilities Commissions under the leadership of Carl Caliboso, Mina Morita, Randy Iwase and now Jay Griffin have expressed concerns over HECO and its subsidiaries' relative inability to adequately control costs.

"In fact, HECO's August filing for another rate increase prompted the ordering of an unprecedented management audit of the company. And last month, the commission, in another unusual move, declined to provide any interim increase in response to HELCO's December 2018 application for a base rate rise.

"In 2011, Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative was about 14 percent renewable; this year, KIUC will be over 50 percent and expects to reach 80 percent no later than 2025. In 2011, the consolidated renewable tally for the five islands of Hawaiian Electric was 12 percent. In 2015, it was 23 percent; in 2016, 26 percent, in 2017, 27 percent, in 2018, 27 percent, with this year looking to be about the same," said Mangelsdorf, adding, "Case in point: Hawaiian Electric issued a request for proposals for adding utility-scale energy storage more than five years ago but to date, has practically little to nothing to show for it."

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One of over 30 kūpuna arrested on Tuesday, July 16.
Photo from Puʻu Honua o Puʻu Huluhulu Maunakea Facebook

NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST, concluded the county Board of Ethics on Wednesday. The question was whether county Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth is in conflict regarding cases involving the standoff over construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope at Maunakea, where protesters have been arrested.
Roth is on the board of The Success Factory's NexTech STEM Programs, which received a grant from TMT's THINK fund. Roth's wife Noriko is employed at Subaru Telescope, operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Roth's 22-year-old son is employed at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NAOJ and JPL are two of six partners of the TMT project. Roth's wife is also employed by the Research Corporation of University of Hawaiʻi, which manages the Maunakea Science Reserve, where 13 existing telescopes are located.

The county ethics code states, "No officer or employee shall take any official action directly affecting… a business or undertaking in which the employee knows or has reason to know that a brother, a sister, a parent, an emancipated child, or a household member has a substantial financial interest."
Ross brought the question of conflict to the Board of Ethics, which asked him yesterday to

step back from any involvement in the cases "in the interest of prudence and maintaining the public's confidence in the system of government."

Before the board's decision, Roth turned over to the state Attorney General 30 cases of those arrested at Maunakea for obstructing a government operation. The charges are misdemeanors. Protectors of Maunakea have blocked the access road to the summit since July 15, intent on stopping construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope project. The objection to TMT is made, for most, on environmental, cultural, and religious grounds.
Roth suggested yesterday that Maunakea cases could be handled by his chief deputy. "I wouldn't have any influence on the deputy. It was never the intent that I would go in court and prosecute these cases," said Roth. "I give my deputies a lot of discretion." He said his office handles 17,000 cases a year, and that flying in prosecutors from Honolulu costs the county a lot of money.

Kiaʻi, Protectors, of Maunakea gathered above the encampment of those who protest the construction of the
Thirty Meter Telescope. Photo from Puʻu Honua o Puʻu Huluhulu Maunakea Facebook

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JUDGE MELVIN FUJINO will take on four interim positions in the Third Circuit. The positions cover all of Hawaiʻi Island. Fujino already fields cases from criminal, civil, drug, and veterans courts. The new positions add chief judge, administrative judge, senior Family Court judge, and senior Environmental Courtjudge to his roles. He was assigned the additional positions by Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald after retirement of Chief Judge Greg Nakamura. Fujino served as first deputy chief judge under Nakamura.

Judge Melvin Fujino. Photo from courts.state.hawaii.us

Fujino will retain the interim positions for six months, to allow Recktenwald time to permanently designate people for the positions.

Fujino was a prosecuting attorney for 15 years. He was a supervisor and community-oriented prosecutor for the West Hawaiʻi county Prosecuting Attorney's Office. He also served as a state deputy attorney general in the Criminal Justice Division, and a team leader and supervisor for the Asset Forfeiture and Wire Tap Review units.

Fujino was appointed in December 2008 as a Family Court judge for the North and South Kohala and Hamakua districts. He was appointed to the Third Circuit on Dec. 18, 2015.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Fri., Dec. 13 @Keaʻau

Mon., Dec. 16 host Pāhoa JV/Christian Liberty

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Wrestling

Sat., Dec. 14 @Hilo

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Soccer

Sat., Dec. 14 Boys @Makualani

Mon., Dec. 16 Girls host HPA, 3pm

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Swimming

Sat., Dec. 14 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

UPCOMING

FRIDAY, DEC. 13

Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, Dec. 13, 9a.m.-noon, Ocean View Community Center. Free disability legal services provided by Hawai‘i Legal Aid. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, Dec. 14, 8-11a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Holidays at Kahuku: Hawaiian-Made Craft Fair, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-3p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free entry. Entertainment, food, shave ice. nps.gov/havo

Ocean View Keiki Christmas with St. Jude's Christmas Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m-2p.m., Kahuku Park and lower parking lot of St. Jude's.

Zentangle Artist Inspired Workshop with

Lydia

Soul Town Band, Saturday, Dec. 14, 7-10p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. $5 cover charge. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Dec. 15, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 17

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6-7p.m.,Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria. Family reading time plus make and take activities; snacks provided.

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

Volcano Friends Feeding Friends, Thursday, Dec. 19, 4-6p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Free community dinner for all. Additional packaged goods to take home for those in need. Donations and volunteers encouraged. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

ONGOING

Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

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Keiki presented their annual Winter Celebration program to family and the community at Pāhala Elementary this evening.
See more photos, and find out what the children presented, below. Photo by Katie Graham

NĀʻĀLEHU THEATRE MAY BE DONATED TO THE COUNTY, according to today's Baltimore Sun, the newspaper of the hometown of the Weinberg Foundation, which owns the property.

The historic theater has been the effort of numerous attempts for community members to lease or buy and restore the building. The adjacent Nāʻālehu Shopping Center was recently purchased by Duane Kurisu, who said he supported renovation and preservation of the theater.

Baltimore Sun writer Hallie Miller reports Craig Demchack, Weinberg director of marketing and communications, saying, "The Weinberg Foundation is now in the process of gifting the theater to the county, which it hopes to complete by the end of 2019." Demchak said discussions about the theater began with Hawaiʻi County Mayor Harry Kim in 2018.

He told Baltimore Sun, "It was clear to the Weinberg Foundation that the community would benefit from and prefer to have ownership of — and therefore control over — Nāʻālehu Theatre and its future. The Foundation is eager to execute the necessary documents with the County to complete this transaction ... [and] is pleased to resolve this real estate matter in a manner that wholly benefits the local community and puts the community in control of the building.

The county may soon have control over the historic Nāʻālehu Theatre. Photo by Peter Anderson

"The Theater represents a place in time — a vibrant center of a former plantation town — that has the potential to reinvigorate the town today."

Baltimore Sun reported that Weinberg issues $12 million in grants per year in Hawaiʻi and has given more than $350 million to nonprofits in Hawaiʻi over the last 30 years.
A fact sheet, given to the Baltimore Sun, states that Weinberg, "regularly reexamines and realigns its investment portfolio, including real estate holdings (located primarily in Hawaiʻi and to a lesser extent in the Baltimore region) and is proud of its long history in Hawaiʻi and is deeply committed to serving the community with warmest aloha for many years to come."

Baltimore Sun explains, "The foundation's Hawaiian footprint began after Weinberg traveled to the state in the 1950s and recognized its potential for tourism... He purchased properties throughout the islands and, later, transit companies.

"According to the obituary, Weinberg was criticized as a callous landlord who neglected his properties in Baltimore and elsewhere. He shocked those critical of him when, toward the end of his 90 years, he announced he would bequeath most of his fortune, roughly $900 million, to his foundation's charitable trust."

Weinberg bought the theater in 1979, when it was already known as one of the state's most endangered historic sites. However, according to the article, the county would not necessarily restore or rebuild it, and still would have to accept the gift.

Diane Ley, director of the county's department of research and development, told The Baltimore Sun that "Renovating a building that size would prove costly, potentially hazardous, and time consuming. I'm not familiar with why the foundation bought it and let it go. It may have just fallen off their radar. It's a very small community with limited resources, and that creates a challenge as well."

Some of the roof damage to Nāʻālehu Theatre can be seen in this photo.
Photo by Peter Anderson

Ley told the reporter that she is unsure of the purpose the building would serve in today's Nāʻālehu but hopes the county can engage with the community to determine what might benefit the area most.

Said Ley, "People are generally not building theaters these days, people watch Netflix. And again, it's a very small community. To put together a theater of that size is probably not feasible."
Ley said the county "can't just automatically accept things," and that accepting ownership of the theater would require administrative and legislative review. She said no action has been taken, that the county has others priorities, and that the process will probably not be completed in 2019. Demchak said the foundation hasn't been told of any delays.
Nāʻālehu resident Glen Winterbottom told the Baltimore Sun, "We don't have any other old plantation memorials that have survived."
The theater has had an opportunity to be placed on the Hawaiʻi Register of Historic Places, according to a resolution sponsored by state Rep. Richard Creagan last year that asked the county use eminent domain to preserve its legacy. Mayor Kim's office and members of the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives sent letters to the foundation in March 2018. The mayor asked what Weinberg's plans were for the theater and other property in Nāʻālehu "relative to the Foundation's mission to assist low-income and vulnerable families." The representatives asked Weinberg to work with the community to help preserve the theater.
The theater has been listed on historichawaii.org/ since 2010. It is considered "threatened" by the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation. Its website states that "due to its decline, the State Historic Preservation Division has determined it is now too damaged for the registry. As the structure's decline continues, there is the potential that the building could be declared a public safety hazard forcing the owners to decide between repair or demolition."

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Bamboo rhythms and hula from Pāhala children. Photo by Katie Graham

PĀHALA ELEMENTARY STUDENTS presented their annual Winter Celebration program tonight in the historic school gym. Kumu hula Debbie Ryder choreographed and led the students with assistance of musicians Demetrius Oliviera and Gene Back. During the program, the preschool students presented C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S; kindergarten, Christmas Island; first grade, O Holy Night; second grade, Kana Kaloka; third grade, Hawaiian Santa; fourth grade, Taro Patch Christmas; fifth grade, Kani Kani Pele; and sixth grade, Hoʻonani I Ka Hale.
Also helping to produce and sponsor the event were the pre-k to sixth grade faculty, Principal Sharon Beck, Vice Principal Jason Britt, Student Activities Coordinator Trixy Grade, and the school's custodial staff.

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Debbie Ryder and Demetrius Oliviera accompany the children.
Photo by Julia Neal

MAYOR HARRY KIM VETOED A BAN ON HERBICIDE USE ON COUNTY LANDS this week. Hawaiʻi County Council can override the veto with six votes.

In a letter to the council, Kim said he has "regulatory, operational, and other concerns" about the ban, which would bar use of 23 herbicides, including Roundup, in Hawaiʻi County parks, roads, bikeways, sidewalks, trails, drainageways, and waterways. He said the county "does not have the level of expertise to identify herbicides as causing 'high risk of exposure,' as “dangerous chemicals,' or as 'harmful chemicals.' In 2017, said Kim, the Environmental Protection Agency evaluated the cancer risk of glyphosate – one of the proposed banned herbicides – to humans as "not likely to be carcinogenic to humans" when used according to the labels.

Kim said the EPA is responsible for regulating pesticides at the national level, that the Department of Agriculture regulates and enforces pesticide licensing, sale, and use at the State level, and that the bill "disregards" those regulations "in place to ensure the safety of people who use herbicides and well as those who work and play in areas where herbicides are used."

Hawaiian Santa in the third graders presentation. Photo by Julia Neal

The mayor objected to the requirement for 24-hour notices to be posted before application of any of the banned herbicides, should they need to be used, recommended drying times, and how long the public would be banned from areas sprayed. Other concerns of the mayor include terms like "public park" not being defined.

The mayor closed with a pledge to form a committee to "guide County operations in identifying and using best practices for the management of vegetation on County property, with the goal of reducing the use of herbicides. The function of this Committee is critical to the success of a program that ensures the continued protection of the community from exposure to handful chemicals… and doing our job of controlling invasive species."
See more details on the proposed ban on the Nov. 23 Kaʻū News Briefs.

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EXTENDING DEADLINES TO ENROLL IN MEDICARE AND MEDICAID is the aim of Sen. Mazie Hirono. She and two Alaskan senators ask for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to extend the Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment deadline for 2020 by two hours, to accommodate residents of Hawaiʻi and Alaska. It would allow residents of all 50 states the same deadline of Dec. 15.
Open Enrollment closes at 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Dec. 16, which is 10 p.m.Hawaiʻi Standard Time and 11 p.m.Alaska Time on Dec. 15. The senators wrote that the timing of the deadline "is not prominently advertised on HealthCare.gov, leaving residents in Alaskaand Hawaiʻi to falsely assume they can enroll in health coverage through the end of the day on Dec. 15, resulting in a misleading deadline for the residents of these two states," said Hirono.

Elementary students present their Christmas program to community.
Photo by Katie Graham

"Data from past open enrollment periods indicate that many people put off enrolling in health coverage until the last minute. Last year, about half of sign-ups occurred in the last week and the final day of Open Enrollment is the busiest, particularly the final hours. Given how many mainland consumers sign up in the final hours of Open Enrollment, it is clear that consumers assume that midnight is the deadline. It is unacceptable to take away this valuable window of time away from people simply because they live in a different state.

"It is absolutely vital that the residents of Hawaiʻi and Alaskabe given an equal opportunity to that of the rest of the country to enroll through midnight local time on Dec. 15. It is our understanding that keeping the Marketplace open for an additional two hours does not require significant infrastructure changes or staffing changes, and is a policy that should have been implemented years ago."

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IMPROVING THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM, cracking down on child pornography, paid parental leave for federal workers, and protecting military bases from extreme weather events are pieces of legislation set to become law. They are authored by Sen. Brian Schatz and will be included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Each provision was introduced as an individual bill and incorporated into the bipartisan NDAA package.
Paid Parental Leave for Federal Workers: This bill would provide two million federal workers with 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child after birth, adoption, or the initiation of foster care. Although the current Family and Medical Leave Act allows employees to take 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care of a new child, it does not provide any paid leave.

Sen. Brian Schatz. Photo from flickr

A statement from Schatz's office states that studies show that providing paid leave for federal employees "would save the government at least $50 million annually in turnover and replacement costs. Federal agencies are already struggling to recruit and retain young talent. Just six percent of the federal workforce is under the age of 30, while roughly 40 percent of the workforce is eligible to retire within the next three years.

The Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats Act: Introduced by Senator Schatz following the false emergency alert that went out across Hawai‘i in January 2018, the ALERT Act would improve the emergency alert system and give the federal government the primary responsibility of alerting the public of a missile threat.
A statement from Schatz's office states the system for alerting the public of threats from natural disasters and severe weather "has relied on an inconsistent patchwork of technologies and procedures established by each agency. The false alarm in Hawai‘i highlighted some of the weaknesses in the state's emergency alert system." Schatz's office states the state system "had a poorly designed user interface and did not have a sufficient verification system or computer redundancies to help prevent mistakes. The incident made clear the need for federal standards in the system and called into question the state's responsibility to issue a missile alert."

The End National Defense Network Abuse Act: Peer-to-peer file trading of child pornography on the Defense Department's network ranks 19th out of 2,891 networks nationwide, says a statement from Schatz's office. The END Act would help the Pentagon stop the viewing, possession, trade, procurement, and production of child pornography on the DOD's network upgrade the training and technical capacity of military criminal investigative organizations to confront the misuse. It would also require the DOD to enter into collaborative agreements with appropriate federal, state and local law enforcement entities, child protection organizations, trauma informed health care providers, and targeted social services.

The Requiring Every American Defense Installation to Nullify Environmental Stresses for Security Act: Protecting military bases from extreme weather events by requiring them to prepare for potential disasters and other risks posed by severe changes in environmental conditions is the goal of the READINESS Act. It would require that all DOD bases have plans that include current risks, threats to military resilience resulting from extreme weather events, changes in sea level, flooding, and wildfires. The Act would also include the future risks and threats to bases during their 50-year lifespans, using projections from recognized governmental and scientific entities, such as the National Academies of Sciences, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Global Change Research Office.

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ADDITIONAL FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDING to help Hawaiʻi recover from natural disasters of 2018 – April storms, Hurricane Lane, and the eruption of Kilauea– was issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Fund. The $26 million adds to the $71 million issued earlier this year from the same source. Hawaiʻi has been issued more than $612.7 million in federal disaster relief funding, to help state and local governments rebuild impacted communities, especially in low- and moderate-income areas, and provide resources to help businesses recover.

The Senate Committee on the Climate Crisis, chaired by Sen. Schatz, held a

hearing on how to help communities rebuild after severe weather.

To watch the hearing, click here. Photo from Schatz's office

Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, worked with federal agencies and state and county officials to ensure Hawai‘i submitted a strong application to receive the maximum amount of funding, says a statement from his office. The new funding allocation was part of the $1.7 billion housing disaster recovery package Congress passed last year.

Other sources of funding include:

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - $15.3 million of individual assistance to help people who have lost their home, and $205 million of public assistance to help local and state governments clean up and repair public infrastructure such as facilities, parks, and water lines;

Department of Transportation - $93.1 million to help rebuild roads and highways;

Department of the Interior - $80 million to help repair damages at the Hawai‘i Volcanoes Observatory and the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge;

Department of Housing & Urban Development - $71 million for housing and community development;

Small Business Administration - $47.2 million in subsidized loans to help individuals and businesses pay for repairs not covered by insurance;

Department of Labor in Disaster Unemployment Insurance - $4 million to help those who lost their job temporarily or permanently because of a disaster and are not eligible for regular unemployment benefits; and

Economic Development Administration - $187,000 to provide technical assistance for economic development activities in disaster impacted areas.

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ENJOY SEASONAL EVENTS TOMORROW, SATURDAY, Dec. 14 all over Kaʻū:

Ocean View Keiki Christmas with St. Jude's Christmas Celebration: 10 a.m to 2 p.m., at Kahuku Park, 92-8607 Paradise Circle Mauka, and at St. Jude's lower parking lot, across the street. The free joint event will feature two tents from the church: Santa's Reading Room, where keiki receive books, and the North Pole, where keiki receive Christmas stockings and other gifts. Santa will hold court in the park, and there will be other treats on offer.

Holidays at Kahuku: Hawaiian-Made Craft Fair, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park in Ka‘ū. The Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park invites everyone to the second annual, free, family-friendly event featuring local crafters selling jewelry, pottery, holiday decorations, and more. Live music includes performances by rock ‘n rollers Shootz, the "Queen of Opera" D’Andrea Pelletier, and a surprise guest performing Hawaiian music. Volcano House will provide food for purchase, and Friends will sell shave ice, drinks, chips, and logo merchandise. Books, native species plush toys, and other park-related items will be for sale in the Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association store. All proceeds from this event support park projects and educational programs. nps.gov/havo

Jazz in the Forest: Christmas Jazz at 5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. The annual performance will feature Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones with Jeannine Guillory-Kane, performing classics of the holiday season. Ticket are $20/VAC member, $25/non-member. Purchase tickets online through Dec. 13, or at the VAC Admin Office or VAC Gallery. Pūpū, wine, and beer available for purchase. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Nāʻālehu Christmas Lighting Parade: Beginning at 6 p.m., the second annual parade will run along Hwy. 11, from Nā‘ālehu Elementary School to Nā‘ālehu Community Center. Refreshments will follow at Nāʻālehu Community Center. Sponsored by Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association which also hosts local rodeos and takes care of Nāʻālehu Rodeo Grounds., the nighttime parade features marching units, floats, trucks, and ATVs, and will add riders on horses this year. Parade line-up starts at 5:30 p.m. Those interested in participating in the parade are asked to sign a waiver and meet at the school by 5 p.m.

Soul Town Band: Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge in the Park will host the performance from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.$5 cover charge. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com

The Wonder of Christmas: The 26th Annual Winter Concert Presented by Volcano Festival Chorus will be held at 7:30 p.m. in KMC's Kilauea Theater. The 25-member chorus is under the direction of Roch Jones, with accompaniment by Melanie Oldfather. Also joining the chorus will be Cheryl Shine on flute.

This year's concert features both sacred and secular music. Many of the chorus' favorites are being performed. The Carols of Gathering by Joseph Martin will open the program, which is varied and includes a number of tunes with classical music themes, as well as variations on familiar Christmas carols. Popular carols Do You Hear What I Hear?, Have You Heard The News, and a medley of songs about angels titled Angels Sing Glory! are featured. The choir will perform some of their past favorites: African Alleluia, Ding, Dong! Merrily on High, and the politically incorrect version of Baby, It's Cold Outside. An audience sing-along is included.
The chorus, started 1994 by renowned music director Camille Almy, is now sponsored by the Kilauea Drama & Entertainment Network. This is the 26th concert that is presented as a gift to the Volcano community as a mahalo for their support of KDEN.
Admission is free; however, donations will be gratefully accepted. Park entrance fees may apply. For more information, call 982-7344.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Mon., Dec. 16 host Pāhoa JV/Christian Liberty

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Wrestling

Sat., Dec. 14 @Hilo

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Soccer

Sat., Dec. 14 Boys @Makualani

Mon., Dec. 16 Girls host HPA, 3pm

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Swimming

Sat., Dec. 14 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

UPCOMING

SATURDAY, DEC. 14

Pancake Breakfast and Raffle, Saturday, Dec. 14, 8-11a.m., Ocean View Community Center. To volunteer, call 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Holidays at Kahuku: Hawaiian-Made Craft Fair, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m.-3p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free entry. Entertainment, food, shave ice. nps.gov/havo

Ocean View Keiki Christmas with St. Jude's Christmas Celebration, Saturday, Dec. 14, 10a.m-2p.m., Kahuku Park and lower parking lot of St. Jude's.

Zentangle Artist Inspired Workshop with

Lydia

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

‘Ōhi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Dec. 15, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 17

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6-7p.m.,Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria. Family reading time plus make and take activities; snacks provided.

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

Dances of Universal Peace, Friday, Dec. 20, 6-7:30p.m., Methodist Church hall, across from Nā‘ālehu Post Office. Fun, easy to learn dances from many traditions evoking peace. Donations welcome. No registration necessary. 939-9461, hualaniom2@yahoo.com

ONGOING

Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

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Santa Lance Ako heads up the second annual Christmas Lighting Parade in Nāʻālehu this evening.
See more below. Photos by Julia Neal

PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE, AND NATURAL RESOURCE PRESERVATION GRANTS TO STEWARD KAʻŪ PROPERTIES were unanimously approved recently by Hawaiʻi County Council members. A $97,315 grant was awarded to Nā Mamo o Kāwā, to "protect, preserve, and restore" the Kāwā properties in Kaʻū. Hoʻomalu Kaʻū was granted $24,250, to "protect, preserve, and restore" the Kahuā Olohu, Kaunamano, property in Kaʻū. Both organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

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Mrs. Santa, Pam Ako, is on the stroll.

KAʻŪ ROPING & RIDING ASSOCIATION HELD ITS SECOND ANNUAL Christmas Lighting Parade this evening in Nāʻālehu, followed by sittings with Mr. and Mrs. Santa and food for everyone from Kaʻū High School's culinary class at Nāʻālehu Community Center. See photos in this and tomorrow's Kaʻū News Briefs.

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NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HAWAIʻI ELECTRIC COMPANY, SCOTT SEU, will succeed Alan Oshima effective in the first quarter of 2020. Oshima has led Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries, Maui Electric and Hawaiʻi Electric Light, since 2014.

Tim Johns, a member of the board of Hawaiian Electric, said, "Scott has been a leader of Hawaiian Electric's transformation into a more customer-focused enterprise that not only delivers on being a reliable, responsive energy provider but is also a trusted partner in achieving our state's sustainability goals."

Johns said the selection of a new CEO was part of the board's ongoing multiyear executive succession strategy. As part of that plan, Oshima will work with Seu for the next several months on the leadership transition and will serve as senior executive advisor to the company for the rest of 2020.

A baby Santa joins the parade with family and characters.

Oshima said, "We have the plans in place to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our use of fossil fuels over the next decade and with his unique experience in operations and working with the community, I know Scott is the right person to get it done. This leadership transition ensures that our pace continues accelerating toward our clean energy goals."

Seu, 54, is a senior vice president at HECO. He is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and received his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. He joined Hawaiian Electric in 1993 and has held a number of key leadership positions across the company, including in the areas of environmental management, customer programs, renewable energy development, system operations, and community engagement.

Santa at sundown in the Nāʻālehu parade.

Since 2017, Seu has overseen the company's regulatory, government and community affairs, and corporate relations departments. He previously served as vice president of system operations and is one of the company's leaders on cybersecurity issues, working as a liaison with the military and federal and state agencies.

With the rising threat of storm events related to climate change, Seu has also helped lead the company's resilience initiatives, focusing on community awareness and building stronger relationships with key public and private stakeholders.

Said Seu, "Growing up in Hawaiʻi and in the company, I feel a profound sense of duty to help chart the course for our future generations. This is a critical time in our state's clean energy transformation and as I talk to people it's clear that there are many different visions of the best way forward. That means our work isn't just about technology, but about pulling together as a community to collaborate and understand the choices we can make. I am humbled and honored to serve our community, our customers, and our employees as the next leader of Hawaiian Electric."

Big time vehicles join the Christmas parade.

Internally, Seu leads the implementation of the One Company transformation strategy, which brings together the best practices of Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric, and Hawaiʻi Electric Light to reduce duplication, share resources and maximize efficiency to provide savings to customers while continuing to honor the cultures and meet the needs of each island's communities.

Seu is board chair of Hale Kipa and Hawaiʻi Green Growth. He also serves as a board member for Teach for America Hawaiʻi, and supports the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa's College of Engineering as a member of the Dean's Council.

Kaʻū Multicultural Society with founder Darlyne Vierra and keiki join the parade.

Constance Lau, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Industries, the parent company of Hawaiian Electric, thanked Oshima for his leadership over the past five years, especially his emphasis on transparency, follow-through and clear communication with customers, stakeholders and regulators.

Paniolo legends in the parade sponsored by Kaʻū Roping & Riding Association.

Said Lau, "Alan has led us through such an important time in our 128-year history and I'm grateful for his commitment to our customers, our company and Hawaiʻi. There's even more work ahead and I know Scott and his team will continue to work closely with our communities to achieve our clean energy future."

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HAWAIʻI BIRD CONSERVATION MARATHON will be held tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 15, from Volcano Golf and Country Club to Boy Scouts' Kīlauea Camp. Funds raised by this third annual event support endemic birds of Hawai‘i through the Hawai‘i Forest Institute for the Keauhou Bird Conservation
Center Discovery Forest in Volcano.

The team from CU Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union marches to the tune of community service.

Race registration is closed. However, donations to the cause are welcome. See hawaiiforestinstitute.kindful.com.

A bucket truck picks up the Naugthy & Nice.

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RECEIVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO PROTECT FROM AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY THEFT from Hawaiʻi Police Department Agricultural Investigator Shane Muramaru.

Agtheft, discussed at a meeting in Pāhala in September – see the article here– is a growing problem for ag producers on Hawaiʻi Island. Contact Muramaru at shane.muramaru@hawaiicounty.gov (preferred) or 808-961-0466. Refer to this factsheet for information about ownership and movement certificates for agriculture products.

Kaʻū Auto Repair shows off a Christmas tree of tires.

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NOMINATIONS FOR FARM, RANCH, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE are open through Tuesday, Dec. 31. The purpose of the FRRCC is to provide information and recommendations to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and rural communities. Members may be farmers, ranchers, and rural community members, among others. Refer to the Federal Register for more information and instructions for submitting a nomination.

COMBATING THE SPITTLEBUG THAT DESTROYS PASTURES is the focus of new federal legislation introduced by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Ed Case to the House of Representatives this week. The spittlebug has devastated pastures in Kona and is likely headed this way.

A blow-up tractor with a blow-up Santa join the parade.

The Spittlebug Act would authorize research and University of Hawaii Agriculture Extension grants to develop ways to combat the pest. It would establish an areawide integrated pest management program to control the damage and spread of a spittlebug infestation.

The two-lined spittlebug, Prosapia bicincta, was first detected in Kona, where it damaged nearly 2,000 acres of pasture land.

Said Gabbard, "Spittlebugs threaten our precious ecosystems by damaging our farms, agricultural production, and the environment. While a spittlebug infestation has already negatively affected our grasslands in West Hawai‘i, other states across the country also face the challenge posed by this invasive species. My bill will support efforts to control this invasive species, find new ways in which we can protect our environment, and help protect our economy."

Progression of a two-lined spittlebug infestation from initial attack (left, June 2018) on healthy range grasses involving

a small patch to all visible range infested (right, Jan. 2019) with dieback of grasses and increasing weed infestation.

Applications of pesticides and intensive grazing in the early stage of an infestation may reduce the degree of

damage observed on the right.

Images from the Detection and Control of Prosapia bicincta Two-line Spittlebug in Hawaiʻi project report

Said Case, "Our grasslands are critical parts of our ecosystem and support critical industries like ranching. The spittlebug already threatens grasslands in some thirty mainland states and now, since its discovery as an invasive species in 2016, our Hawai‘i. We must take integrated action now to

prevent its spread and worsening impacts to our cattle industry and natural environment."

The Hawaiʻi reps provided this background information: "Studies conducted by the University of Hawai‘i beginning in 2016 have shown that a spittlebug infestation initiates a chain reaction that begins with the ravaging of key pasture grasses, creating an opportunity for invasive grasses to grow rampant. These invasive grasses lower the quality of the pasturelands, rendering it unproductive for livestock grazing. The latest report from November 2019 found about 142,468 acres of pasturelands infested with spittlebug, compared to 2,000 acres in September 2016.

Christmas mouse ornaments were one craft available at
Hale Hana ʻO Kanakaloka on Thursday.
Photo from Tūtū & Me

"Across the country, the spittlebug is ravishing forage and turf grasses on public and private lands. States most impacted include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin."

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TŪTŪ & ME FAMILIES joined in the festivities at Hale Hana ʻO Kanakaloka, Santa's Workshop, on Thursday evening at Kaʻū District Gym. The families, along with others from the community, made Christmas mouse ornaments. Other activities included other kinds of Christmas crafts, including mini gingerbread houses, and storybook reading. Refreshments were provided. The event was sponsored by Department of Parks & Recreation Pāhala, in partnership with Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool, Boys & Girls Club, Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi, and Uplinks Afterschool Allstars.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Mon., Dec. 16 host Pāhoa JV/Christian Liberty

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Soccer

Mon., Dec. 16 Girls host HPA, 3pm

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

UPCOMING

SUNDAY, DEC. 15

TUESDAY, DEC. 17

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6-7p.m.,Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria. Family reading time plus make and take activities; snacks provided.

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Free Haircut Day, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church. Kady and Drew Foster. 12 slots available. Also, Free Shower Day and The Big Island Giving Tree hand out clothes and items like razors and toothbrushes. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

Zentangle - Inspired Art Pop-Up Exhibit & Reception, Saturday, Dec. 21, 10a.m., Volcano Art Center. Meet the artists and discover art created using the Zentangle method. Bring friends, art, and a light pupu to share. Make and take home a Zentangle Inspired ornament. Door prizes. No registration required. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

ONGOING

Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

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Sonya and Judah Crane, of Waiʻōhinu, with Santa and the Missus, Lance and Pam Ako, after the Christmas Lighting Parade, Saturday in Nāʻālehu. See more photos below from the parade and from Holidays at Kahuku.
Photo by Julia Neal

WALLS OF PUʻU ʻŌʻŌ ARE COLLAPSING and are expected to take Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory equipment with them into the crater. Perched on the north rim, a communications hub and web cam "will very likely fall into the crater as the north rim continues to collapse," states the HVO website. HVO already implemented an alternate communication hub for geophysical data acquisition, "so there was no gap when the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō hub started tipping precariously." All the webcams at the crater's edge went offline on Monday, states HVO. A helicopter flight on Friday confirmed the hub has not fallen in yet, "which means either the antenna signal is blocked from the hub or that the solar panels are no longer able to recharge the batteries powering the antenna," states the site.

Webcams and transmission hub at the edge of Puʻu ʻŌʻō are expected to fall

into the crater as the rim continues to collapse. USGS photo by C. Parcheta

When a crack near an existing data-telemetry hub on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō was observed to be growing over several weeks, HVO prepared a contingency hub that could be rapidly installed if/when necessary. On Nov. 15, after a portion of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater rim collapsed, further threatening the existing telemetry hub, HVO field engineers deployed the contingency hub nearby. Telemetry hubs transmit important data from monitoring instruments on the volcano to HVO scientists, providing them information they need to track changes on Kīlauea.
A time-lapse camera was installed on the south rim of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō to document the continuing collapse of the north rim. On Friday the crater was too steamy to see the north rim, but the camera will capture the sequence of events when visibility is improved. This camera is not telemetered in real-time.

Justine Dennis spins yarn from locally grown Alpaca wool in front of the

Knitwits booth. Creations of the Ocean View womens' group sell to

benefit Kaʻū Food Pantry. Photo by Annie Bosted

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MUSIC, CRAFTS, AND FOOD drew a large crowd of Kaʻū residents and tourists to the second annual Holdays at Kahuku in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on Saturday.

Crowd-pleasing tunes were the constant entertainment at the community event. Classically-trained opera singer D'Andrea Pelletier, from Volcano, opened the show with her powerful and emotional rendition of popular classics. She was followed by two bands, Blue Tattoo and Shootz, in a musical
line-up that gave the event a festive boost.

Shootz entertains the crowds with Rock & Roll and Motown.

Photo by Annie Bosted

The popular event was sponsored by the non-profit Friends of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Elizabeth Fein, President and CEO, told The Kaʻū Calendar that, while the event could have been a fund raiser, it was really a community event intended to bring people together for a day at Kahuku where they could enjoy not only the music, but also food and the benefits of buying directly from crafters in Kaʻū.

Said Fein, "We want to remind the community that the park is here. We are the Park's official philanthropic partner." Friends sponsors the popular After Dark at the Park lecture series, the Youth Ranger program, and other projects. The organization kept the Park open during the 35-day government shut down a year ago.

Volcano House sold plate lunches, the Hawaiian Civic Club of Kaʻū sold hot dogs, and the Friends of HVNP had drinks, chips, and shave ice for sale.

Thomas King demonstrates his workmanship of a box created from Koa

wood to Karen and Jay Shannon of Ocean View. Photo by Annie Bosted

Twenty-four vendors signed up for the event, offering crafts in mediums as diverse as feathers, glass, photography, paper, pottery, wood, wool, and preserved fruit.

Justine Dennis, who brought her spinning wheel to the event and wove yarn from a bin of locally grown Alpaca wool, proved to be a popular draw. The Alpaca are raised within a few miles of the crafts fair, and are owned by an employee of the Park. The yarn produced by Dennis was a top-selling item at the Knitwits booth.

Rourk Reagan offers a taste of one of his locally sourced jams.
Photo by Annie Bosted

Robyn Stratton, a founding member of Knitwits, told The Kaʻū Calendar that the informal group of women fabric artists in Ocean View has raised more than twice as much money from selling crafts this year, than they did in 2018.
All the money from the sales goes directly to the Kaʻū Food Pantry. The Pantry is a non-profit organization that helps about 130 needy families in Ocean View. Knitwits meets each Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The size of the group can vary from two to 14 women. Members enjoy building warm friendships with other like-minded women, said Stratton, while creating saleable items, which, in turn, help the under-privileged. They welcome new members.

Rourk Reagan, owner of Pukana La Farms in Waiʻōhinu, produces jams and jellies from locally grown fruit. He told The Kaʻū Calendar that he uses surplus fresh fruit when it is in season. He creates a wide range of preserves, including persimmon from a tree in upper Hawaiian Ocean View Estates.

Lynn Clarke, of Ocean View, shows fused
glass creations. Photo by Annie Bosted

A long-time creator of fused glass art, Lynn Clarke, of Ocean View, combines pieces of glass and bakes them in her studio kiln until they fuse.

Award-winning wood craftsman, Thomas King, established Woods of Hawaiʻi in 1990 in Kaʻū. He demonstrated his workmanship – all created from Koa – with boxes, frames, jewelry, and more.

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PROTECTING PERSONAL INFORMATION ONLINE is the goal of legislation reintroduced by Sen. Brian Schatz and 15 other senators. The Data Care Act would require websites, apps, and other online providers to take responsible steps to safeguard personal information and stop the misuse of users' data.

A statement from Schatz – the top Democrat on the Senate Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet Subcommittee – states that online companies hold personal and sensitive information about the people they serve, but are not required to protect consumers' data, as doctors, lawyers, and bankers must. "This leaves users in a vulnerable position: they are expected to understand the information they give to providers and how it is being used – an unreasonable expectation for even the most tech-savvy consumer. By establishing an explicit duty for online providers, Americans can trust that their online data is protected and used in a responsible way."

A logistics organizer of the Nāʻālehu Christmas Lighting
Parade on Saturday. Photo by Julia Neal

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JANUARY IS VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH, announced U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates in this week's Volcano Watch:

Neither Kīlauea nor Mauna Loa erupted in 2019, but this period of relative quiet must not lead to complacency about Hawaiʻi's two most active volcanoes. Both will eventually erupt again.

Santa hat singers of season joy. Photo by Julia Neal

Given this fact, Hawaiʻi residents should stay informed and be prepared for the hazards posed by a restless or erupting volcano. As we all learned from Kīlauea's 2018 eruption, the possible impacts—lava flows, ground cracks, poor air quality, evacuations, road closures, and others—can be far-reaching and life-changing.

Volcano Awareness Month, held every January since 2010, is one way that residents can learn more about the volcanoes that both inspire and concern us all. In January 2020, informative and engaging talks and hikes on Hawaiian volcanoes will be offered by USGS HVO in cooperation with Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense. All are free and open to the public; Park entrance fees may apply.

The complete schedule of Volcano Awareness Month programs, including dates, times, locations, and brief descriptions for the talks and hikes offered in January, is posted on HVO's website, volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/ under "HVO News" in the lower left corner of the homepage, at volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/file_mngr/file-236/2020%20VAM%20Schedule_Talks%20and%20Hikes.pdf, and in future Kaʻū News Briefs.

For now, here's a brief overview of the January 2020 schedule:

Carols fill the air in Nāʻālehu. Photo by Julia Neal

HVO scientists will present After Dark in the Park programs every Tuesday evening throughout the month in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Topics addressed in these talks include a recap of HVO's current situation since relocating to Hilo and what its future may hold, as well as updates on Kīlauea and Mauna Loa on Jan. 7; what's happening at Kīlauea Volcano's summit and the crater lake within Halema‘uma‘u on Jan. 14; insight from ongoing research and monitoring on Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone on Jan. 21; and the unprecedented level of seismicity that occurred in 2018 on Jan. 28. Each program starts at 7 p.m. in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium.
UH-Hilo main campus in the University Classroom Building (UCB) Room 100 will host two talks. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, is a repeat of the January 7 After Dark in the Park program on HVO's status and volcano updates. The second program on Thursday, Jan. 16 will describe how lava samples collected from erupting fissures in 2018 have revealed the complex story of magma that fed the eruption.

Sacred Heart Church of Nāʻālehu draws youth members to participate. Photo by Julia Neal

On the Kona side of the island, a presentation about damaging earthquakes in Hawaiʻi, including the dramatic seismicity in 2018, and how to prepare for the next "big one" will be offered twice on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The talk will be first presented at the Kona Public Library at 3:30 p.m. and then repeated at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center at 6 p.m.

Kaʻū Auto Parts truck draped in lights. Photo by Julia Neal

Programs about Mauna Loa, Earth's largest active volcano, will be offered in two locations. On Wednesday, Jan. 29, an HVO scientist will talk about the current status and eruptive history of the volcano at the Puʻuhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park amphitheater at 6 p.m. On Thursday, Jan. 30, an HVO will team with Civil Defense to provide information about Mauna Loa—its current status, potential hazards, how to prepare for the next eruption, and more—in the Ocean View Community Center at 6 p.m.

The 2020 line-up also includes a number of hikes in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park guided by HVO scientists and Park rangers. These hikes include treks through Kīlauea Iki, walks through Kīlauea Volcano's summit history, a look at the 1868 Mauna Loa lava flow on a trail in the Park's Kahuku Unit, and a venture back to the 1969-74 Mauna Ulu eruption.

Christmas joy on wheels in Nāʻālehu. Photo by Julia Neal

HVO spearheads Volcano Awareness Month each January because we realize the importance of understanding the spectacular volcanoes on which we live and of being prepared for the next eruption. We hope our 2020 programs will be just the start of your quest to learn more about our volcanic island home.
If you're unable to attend the Volcano Awareness Month talks and hikes, you can learn and stay informed about Hawaiian volcanoes through HVO's website. There, you will find volcano updates, monitoring data, geologic histories for

Volcano Activity Update

Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL. Monitoring data showed no significant changes in activity over the past month. Seismicity was relatively consistent with some episodic increased rates at the summit coincident with inflation. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and below detection limits at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō and the lower East Rift Zone. The water lake at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly expand and deepen.

First Miss Kaʻū Coffee Peaberry Princess, Kendall Haddock.
Photo by Julia Neal

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain.

This past week, about 90 small-magnitude earthquakes – all less than M2.0 – were detected beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa. Deformation measurements show continued summit inflation. Fumarole temperature and gas concentrations on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.

One earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred on Hawaiʻi Island this past week: a magnitude-2.4 quake 27 km (17 mi) east of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo at -2 km (-1 mi) depth on Dec. 11 at 11:10 a.m.

HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity. Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

Hot truck wears Christmas stockings. Photo by Julia Neal

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PLANTING THE SEEDS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS is the theme of Sakada Day 2019, a celebration held Saturday, Dec. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Pāhoa Commuity Center. A group from the Kaʻū Filipino community is expected to attend. Sakada Day was held in Pāhala in 2017.

Cornelia Anguay, one of the planners of the Sakada Day event, says, "As the few remaining Sakadas leave this Earth, we call on the next generation to recover and connect to the sakada history, as we create our path towards the future. We invite young people and descendants of the sakadas to come and connect to this heritage."
Organizers ask anoyone who knows a sakada to call 808-987-8284.

Miss Kaʻū Coffee Peaberry Princess, Lilianna Marques.
Photo by Julia Neal

The celebration, organized by the Sakada Committee, honors the first Filipino economic migrants who came to Hawaiʻi to work at the sugarcane plantations. The Sakadas were instrumental in establishing a vibrant Filipino community in Hawaiʻi and in fighting for workers rights, dignity, and unionized plantation labor. During the event, sakadas will be honored and recognized with traditional songs, dances, food, certificates, and congratulatory messages.

A total of 126,000 Filipino workers worked in Hawaiʻi’s sugarcane plantations. The first 15 Sakadas arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1906 and the last 6,000 workers arrived in 1946. From 1906 to 1946, the estimated number of Sakadas in Hawaiʻi was around 126,000.

On the Sakada Day website, sakadahawaii.wordpress.com, Belinda A. Aquino, PhD Former Director, Center for Philippine Studies, states that "Filipinos have come here since 1906. During the plantation era and until now. They come in big numbers. To the point that the latest census will show you that the Filipinos are now the biggest Asian group in Hawaiʻi."

Kaʻū boasts two living Sakadas: Leovegildo "Hildo" Mercado and Prudencio Tayamen. Both men, now in their 90s, came to Hawai‘i in 1946. They are among the many Filipino immigrants who helped build Hawaiʻi agriculture, from pineapple and sugar to Ka‘ū Coffee.

Second Miss Kaʻū Coffee Peaberry Princess, Helen Miranda.
Photo by Julia Neal

Mercado sailed from Salomague Port in Cabugao, Illocos Sur, Philippines, sister city to Hawaiʻi County. He worked with pineapple on Lana‘i before transferring to Ka‘ū, where he started in the fire room, then became a fuel driver, and later a cane drier. Retired, he "can be seen driving around Pāhala, frequenting cock fights, hunting, and growing vegetables, which he generously shares with his neighbors" notes the event program from last year's Pāhala Sakada Day.

Tayamen came from Laoag, Illocos Norte, Philippines. He worked at Halakalu Plantation, north of Hilo, then moved to O‘ahu to become a stevedore. In Ka‘ū, he was a seedcutter at Hutchinson and Ka‘ū Sugar until he retired. He has four sons, four daughters, 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
Sakada Day 2019 Celebration paves a way in tracing the history of Filipinos in Hawaiʻi, acknowledging the hard work and sacrifices of the Sakadas, and educating the young Filipino generations in Hawaiʻi about their past. For more information about the event, contact Francis Dumanig at fdumanig@hawaii.edu and Jeanne Batallones at jbatallo@hawaii.edu.

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STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY to the U.S. Department of Agriculture AgDiscovery program. Youths in grades 9, 10 , and 11 are eligible. Hosted by USDA at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, AgDiscovery is a free, two-week summer program in which students learn about careers in agriculture, agribusiness, and animal and plant science. The deadline to apply is March 20, 2020. Refer to the program flyer for more information and visit www.aphis.usda.gov/agdiscovery to apply. Contact Erin Foley at erin.k.foley@usda.gov with questions.

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GINGER RIDGE FARMS IN MOUNTAIN VIEW, a certified organic diversified farm located in Mountain View, is seeking energetic and reliable part- and full-time workers to help with farm work, product manufacturing, and marketing at local farmers markets. Interested applicants should call Howard James at 808-968-7622 for more information.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Mon., Dec. 16 host Pāhoa JV/Christian Liberty

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Soccer

Mon., Dec. 16 Girls host HPA, 3pm

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

UPCOMING

TUESDAY, DEC. 17

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6-7p.m.,Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria. Family reading time plus make and take activities; snacks provided.

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Ka‘ū Community Cleanup, Sunday, Dec. 22. Space available. BYO-4WD also welcome. R.S.V.P. in advance to 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. wildhawaii.org

Palm Trail, Sunday, Dec. 22, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6 mile loop. nps.gov/havo

ONGOING

Holiday Ornament Registration, through Dec. 16, Kahuku Park. Program takes place Wednesday, Dec. 18, 3-4p.m. Ages 6-14. 929-9113, hawaiicounty.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/recreation

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

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Waikapuna will be preserved for future generations. Photo from PONC

WAIKAPUNA IS CONSERVED, with final documents recorded for the 2,317 acres in Kāhilipalinui and Kāhilipali‘iki ahupua‘a, Ka‘ū Moku. The sale and acquisition was announced today by the
Ala Kahakai Trail Association, which holds title; the state of Department of Land and Natural Resources' Legacy Land Conservation Program, which helped to fund the purchase; land owner Ka‘ū Mahi LLC; and The Trust Public Land, which negotiated the sale.
County of Hawai‘i's Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation (PONC) Program granted $4 million; Legacy Land granted $2 million.
While the land is owned by Ala Kahakai Trail Association, a perpetual conservation easement is owned by the County, restricting the land to agricultural and cultural preservation uses. This is the first conservation easement purchased by the County under the PONC program.

Said Keoni Fox, Director, Ala Kahakai Trail Association, "This purchase conserves over 2.3 miles of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail or ala loa, the ancient fishing village of Waikapuna, and hundreds of intact pre-contact Native Hawaiian cultural sites. This land holds special meaning for Native Hawaiians as it is the place where noted Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui spent her summers as a child, and where she learned the traditions and knowledge that formed the basis of her book, The Polynesian Family System in Ka‘ū.
As the new steward of the land, Ala Kahakai Trail Association can "preserve both our ancient history and the paniolo heritage of ranching in Ka‘ū. We look forward to working closely with Ka‘ū families to mālama this special ‘āina and cultural legacy for future generations."
Landowner Kaʻū Mahi, LLC sold the property for $6 million, while donating approximately $1.3 million in value. "We want to thank the landowner Ka’ū Mahi, LLC, for being patient and working closely with us on this conservation purchase. We could not have conserved this agricultural and cultural treasure for the people of Hawai‘i without the landowner's generosity and flexibility," said Lea Hong, Hawaiian Islands State Director, The Trust for Public Land.

Said Byron Levkulich, Board Member, Kaʻū Mahi, LLC, the seller of the land, "We are humbled to have been part of this community effort to conserve these special lands."

Suzanne Case, Chair of the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, said that, in addition to protecting important cultural sites and scenic portions of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, the property also includes sea cliffs and caves that are nesting areas for seabirds like the Noio, Hawaiian black noddy. "Waikapuna has it all – cultural significance and incredible coastal natural resources. We are pleased that the Legacy Land Conservation Program contributed to the preservation of this land. The Legacy Program has created a tremendous legacy for Hawai‘i in its nearly 15 years."

The statement said, "The Kaʻū community has been working decades to protect their beloved 80 mile coast to honor their kūpuna and empower future generations to perpetuate their rural, subsistence lifestyle. The Waikapuna purchase is the first among five conservation projects to close, including Kawala (conservation easement only), Manakaʻa Fishing Village, Kiolaka‘a, and Kaunamano, which are pending. All five projects would conserve over 6,000 acres of coastline, cultural sites, and pasture land, and connect over 10 miles of the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail."

The County of Hawai‘i's Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund is used to acquire land or easements for public outdoor recreation and education, including mauka/makai access, historic or culturally important areas and sites, natural resource, significant habitat or eco-systems, forests, beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty, agricultural lands, and watersheds. Learn more at hawaiicounty.gov/departments/finance/property-management.

The Legacy Land Conservation Program provides grants to community organizations and government agencies that strive to purchase and protect land that shelters exceptional, unique, threatened, and endangered resources. Learn more at dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp.

The Ala Kahakai Trail Association helps to connect the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail to the community and ensures that Hawaiian values and principles are acknowledged and practiced. See alakahakaitrail.org.
The Trust for PublicLand creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for PublicLand park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. See tpl.org/hawaii.

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Hikers at Kahuku Unit. Photo from NPS

KAHUAKU UNIT WILL STAY OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK, according to an announcement from Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational Park's. The current schedule, open Wednesday through Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., was announced to change, starting in January, to Thursday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., last week. The Park gave no reason for not keeping to the change.

The schedule, increased from three days a week, was established to serve visitors during the Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse of 2018, which closed the main part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park for 134 days. Entrance to Kahuku will remain free. Post-eruption recovery in the Park's Kīlaueasection continues as more trails and features are repaired and reopen to the public. Ranger-led hikes, special programs, trail descriptions, and a map of Kahuku are featured on the park website, nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/kahuku.htm.

The Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational Park is located on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5. Kahuku is located in beautiful Ka‘ū, and is about a 50-minute drive south of the Park's main entrance. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended for all hikes.

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Little fire ants. NPS photo

LITTLE FIRE ANTS TREATMENT at Steam Vents parking lot in Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational Park means the parking lot will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 18 from 8 a.m. to noon. Only the Steam Vents parking lot and the trail from the parking lot to Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff) will be closed; Wahinekapu and Crater Rim Trail will remain open. If it rains, a backup date is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19 at the same time.

LFA detections have decreased by at least 99 percent at Steam Vents since the Park began treating the area in February. In 2018, LFA were abundant and readily observed on vegetation and along the edge of the parking lot. In September, park pest control workers found LFA on just .1 percent of bait stations.

Pestcontrol workers will treat Steam Vents every four to six weeks and the park will announce the temporary closures in news releases, on the park website, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes, and via social media. The goal is to completely exterminate the ants from the area. Visitors can help by checking their gear and vehicles for LFA before coming to the park.

This will be the eighth treatment cycle at Steam Vents. For more information on LFA, how to control them and how to prevent spreading them, visit littlefireants.com.

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A WIND ADVISORY is set for Kaʻū and most of Hawaiʻi Island through tomorrow night at 8 p.m., state forecasts. Moderate to breezy trade winds are expected return to more moderate speeds on Wednesday and Thursday. Cool and windy weather conditions are forecast from Thursday night into next weekend. Trade wind showers are expected to run through Saturday, favoring windward and mountain slopes in the overnight to early morning time periods.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Soccer

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

UPCOMING

TUESDAY, DEC. 17

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6-7p.m.,Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria. Family reading time plus make and take activities; snacks provided.

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Ka‘ū Community Cleanup, Sunday, Dec. 22. Space available. BYO-4WD also welcome. R.S.V.P. in advance to 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. wildhawaii.org

Palm Trail, Sunday, Dec. 22, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6 mile loop. nps.gov/havo

MONDAY, DEC. 23

Cultural Understanding Through Art & the Environment: Kapa Aloha ‘Āina, the fabric of Hawai‘i with Puakea Forester, Monday, Dec. 23, 11a.m.-1p.m., Volcano Art Center. Pre-registration required; class size limited. $10 per person supply fee. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

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Kīlauea Military Camp reminds everyone of its Christmas Day feast 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and also to vote for its
best decorated holiday cottages. See more below. Photo from KMC

A NEW $21 MILLION FIELD STATION FOR HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY is approved after the successful advocacy of Sen. Mazie Hirono. The congressional funding comes in end of year spending for the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory for the new site within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The old site, including Jaggar Museum, was irreparable after the constant earthquakes during last year's Kilauea eruption.
A statement from Hirono says, "The field station is instrumental for HVO to monitor changes and trends at Kīlauea and Mauna Loa – both of which are classified as very-high-threat volcanoes under the National Volcano Early Warning System."
Said the senator, "Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are at the front lines of monitoring, responding to, and protecting us from volcanic activity. Our state saw this first hand last year as HVO scientists worked around the clock to provide constant information about the Kīlauea eruption. This significant federal investment will support ongoing HVO monitoring at Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, and I will continue to advocate for federal resources to support their crucial mission."

Sen. Mazie Hirono and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge

Tina Neal at the Emergency Operations Center in Hilo in May 2018.

Photo from Hirono

Hirono is a consistent champion of HVO, its mission, and its presence on Hawaiʻi Island. In May, she secured $72.3 million in funding for HVO to rebuild its headquarters and support staff operating in temporary facilities following their displacement from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
During his confirmation hearing in March, Hirono urged then-Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to incorporate feedback from Hawaiʻi Island residents and Hawaiʻi's Congressional Delegation before deciding whether to move the Observatory to Oʻahu. Following a meeting in May with Director of the USGS Director John Reilly, Hirono announced that HVO would remain anchored on Hawaiʻi Island.

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Kaʻū Voices joined rallies around the island today on what is called

Impeachment Eve. Photo from Kaʻū Voices

KAʻŪ VOICES JOINED THE NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW IMPEACHMENT EVE RALLIES that were held around the country today. Laruie Boyle, a spokesperson for Kaʻū Voices, said there were small rallies at South Point Road and Hwy 11 and in Nāʻālehu and elsewhere around the island and the nation. "Today we rose up to tell members of Congress that they made an oath to uphold the Rule of Law--not the Party favors to the President. We must protect the future of our Democracy and our three co-equal branches of govt."

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A CANDLE IN A WINDOW LED TO TOTAL LOSS OF A HOʻOKENA HOME. Hawaiʻi Fire Department reported yesterday that Sunday's fire jumped from a candle to a window screen.

All residents safely left the building before it became entirely engulfed. Fire Capt. Dave Stimac reported that the house was a significant distance down a narrow unpaved driveway. "Unfortunately, it was a total loss due to its proximity to the nearest Fire Station."

Hawaiʻi Police Department and Red Cross came to the scene to help the victims.

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SUPPORT FOR A LAWSUIT AGAINST GUT AND REPLACE practices in the state legislature was filed in an amicus by The Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi. Originally filed by the League of Women Voters of Honolulu and Common Cause, the lawsuit was rejected in Circuit Court earlier this year, but the two public interest groups have now applied to the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court to hear the case.
A statement from The Grassroot Institute defines gut and replace: "When the Legislature takes a bill already approved in one chamber and, without public notice, guts its content and replaces it with completely different language, leaving only its title as bearing any relationship to the originally introduced version."
Keliʻi Akina, Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi president, said, "This makes a mockery of the democratic process and undermines the people's faith in open, accountable government."

     The Grassroot Institute's filing of the amicus brief comes on the heels of a lawsuit initiated by attorney and former University of Hawaiʻiregent Jeff Portnoy. He alleges that "the passage of a law that changed the composition of the UH Board of Regents was unconstitutional because its contents didn't receive three readings in the House and Senate as required under the Hawaiʻi Constitution. The law as introduced was about distance-learning programs, but the language was gutted and replaced," says the statement from The Grassroot Institute.
     The amicus brief in support of the League of Women Voters and Common Cause lawsuit was filed by Grassroot Scholar Robert Thomas, a director with the law firm Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert, and managing attorney of the Pacific Legal Foundation's Hawaiʻi Center. It makes three main points:
    "First, we provide the context for the legal analysis — how 'We, the People of Hawaiʻi,' appear to have lost faith in our government, in part because of things like gut-and-replace.
    "Second, how two Hawaiʻi Supreme Court decisions set out the burden of proof and provide the roadmap the circuit court should have followed here.
    "Finally, how and why the plaintiffs should be allowed to prove their case on remand [and thus] urges this court to vacate the judgment and remand the case."
     Akina noted that, "The Hawaiʻi Legislature could end 'gut and replace' on its own, by passing rules that prevent substantial changes to a bill that has passed in one house. It could also require more specific titles for bills and ensure that the public gets the opportunity to weigh in on the substance of every bill considered.

"However, if the Legislature won't take action, then it is up to us, 'the people,' to ask the courts to uphold transparency and protect the democratic process by putting an end to 'gut and replace.'"

Click here to read the full amicus brief.

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WIND AND SURF ADVISORIES are in effect for east-facing portions of Kaʻū and the rest of the state through tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. The National Weather Service stated east winds 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 50 mph, are expected for lower elevations, with the summits of Mauna Loa and Maunakea experiencing east winds of 20 to 35 mph, with gusts to 55 mph. The highest winds on Hawaiʻi Island will occur through passes and over ridges in locations which include areas near South Point, Saddle Road, Upolu Point, and the summits.

NWS states the winds "will make driving difficult," and that motorists "should exercise caution while driving." The winds contributed to the partial rollover of a fuel tractor trailer in Kawaihae today.

The High Surf Advisory includes expected surf heights of 5 to 8 feet along east facing shores. Expect strong breaking waves, shore break, and strong longshore and rip currents "making swimming difficult and dangerous," states NWS. Beachgoers, swimmers, and surfers "should heed all advice given by ocean safety officials and exercise caution." Boaters should expect recreational surfers and body boarders utilizing harbor channels to access surfing areas.

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Vote for the best decorated cottages at KMC through

the first day of 2020. Photo from KMC

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AT KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP, with voting for the best decorated cottages, a buffet on Christmas Day, and a New Year's Eve toast:

Vote for the best cottage at KMC through Tuesday, Jan. 1. The public is invited to stroll along the sidewalks around the KMC Cottages where the staff has entered a contest for best Christmas decorations. The outdoor displays are best seen at night. KMC is located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

KMC hosts a Christmas Day dinner buffet, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Wednesday, Dec. 25 at Crater Rim Café. Main entrees will be Prime Rib, Roast Turkey, and Holiday Lamb Stew. $29.95/adult, $16.95/child for ages 6-11, five and under free. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

The KMC New Year's Eve Party on Tuesday, Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. at the Lava Lounge will have live music from Blue Tattoo. The $10 cover charge includes a champagne toast at midnight. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

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TROJANS GIRLS BASKETBALL yesterday saw Kaʻū host the Pāhoa Junior Varsity team, and the Christian Liberty Varsity team.

The JV game finished with the Trojans at 12, the Daggers at 27. Riley Brown of Kaʻū scored 6, Alazaeh Abellera scored 5, and Hulali Baji scored 1.

The Varsity game ended with closer scores, with the Trojans at 33, and the Canefires at 47. Kaohinani Grace scored 12 points for Kaʻū, Jayme Kaneshiro scored 7, Grace Smith and CeAndra Silva-Kamei each scored 5, and Melinda Eder and Marilou Manantan each scored 2.

The soccer teams and the Boys Basketball team will host Keaau tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 18.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Wed., Dec. 18 host Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Wed., Dec. 18, @Keaʻau

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 12:30-1:30p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Family Reading Night, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 6-7p.m.,Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Cafeteria. Family reading time plus make and take activities; snacks provided.

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Ka‘ū Community Cleanup, Sunday, Dec. 22. Space available. BYO-4WD also welcome. R.S.V.P. in advance to 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. wildhawaii.org

Palm Trail, Sunday, Dec. 22, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6 mile loop. nps.gov/havo

MONDAY, DEC. 23

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Vote for the Best Cottage Decorations at KīlaueaMilitary Camp through Tuesday, Jan. 1. The public is invited to stroll along the sidewalks around the KMC Cottages where the staff has entered a contest for best Christmas decorations. The outdoor displays are best seen at night. KMC is located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

KMC hosts a Christmas Day dinner buffet, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Dec. 25 at Crater Rim Café. Main entrees of Prime Rib, Roast Turkey, and Holiday Lamb Stew. $29.95/adult, $16.95/child for ages 6-11, five and under free. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Visit Kīlauea Military Camp to see the seasonally-decorated cottages and vote on the best decorated one. Photo from KMC

THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IMPEACHED PRES. DONALD TRUMP TODAY. It is the third impeachment among 45 presidents to serve the United States. The two articles of impeachment go to the U.S. Senate for a trial to decide whether to remove him from office. Ousting Trump would require approval by two-thirds of senators.

The first article of impeachment charges Trump with abuse of power for pressuring a foreign power, Ukraine, to assist his re-election campaign by investigating his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. The second article charges him with obstruction of Congress for blocking testimony and refusing to provide documents in response to House subpoenas in the impeachment inquiry.

The House voted to impeach Trump on the first article 230 to 197, largely along party lines. Every Republican voted "no," accompanied by two Democrats. One Democrat, Tulsi Gabbard, who represents rural Hawaiʻi, including Kaʻū, voted "present," which is known in Hawaiʻi as kanaloa. See story below.

The vote on the second article was 229 to 198, with Gabbard again voting "present." Every Republican voted "no" again, accompanied by three Democrats.
The sole House Independent, Justin Amash of Michigan, who switched from being a Republican over the summer, also voted for both articles of impeachment.

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KANALOA, NEITHER YEA NOR NAY in Hawaiʻi voting, was exercised by Kaʻū's Congresswoman today in the U.S. House of Representatives, which impeached Pres. Donald Trump. During the vote, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard declared kanaloa - only that she was "present."
During the proceedings, Gabbard called for censuring the President rather than impeaching him, earlier explaining that the U.S. Senate, which is majority Republican, will unlikely remove him from office through a trial next year, resulting in a perception that Trump will be exonerated.
Gabbard also took a stand earlier that voting for or against Trump in the 2020 presidential election would be the most efficient way to deal with him. Gabbard is also a presidential candidate.
Today, Gabbard was the only member of Congress to vote "present," instead of for or against the two articles of impeachment levied against Trump.
Gabbard released the following statement this evening:

"Throughout my life, whether through serving in the military or in Congress, I've always worked to do what is in the best interests of our country. Not what's best for me politically or what's best for my political party. I have always put our country first. One may not always agree with my decision, but everyone should know that I will always do what I believe to be right for the country that I love.
"After doing my due diligence in reviewing the 658-page impeachment report, I came to the conclusion that I could not in good conscience vote either yes or no.
"I am standing in the center and have decided to vote Present. I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

"I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country. When I cast my vote in support of the impeachment inquiry nearly three months ago, I said that in order to maintain the integrity of this solemn undertaking, it must not be a partisan endeavor. Tragically, that's what it has been.

"On the one side — The president's defenders insist that he has done nothing wrong. They agree with the absurd proclamation that his conduct was "perfect." They have abdicated their responsibility to exercise legitimate oversight, and instead blindly do the bidding of their party's leader.

"On the other side — The president's opponents insist that if we do not impeach, our country will collapse into dictatorship. All but explicitly, they accuse him of treason. Such extreme rhetoric was never conducive to an impartial fact-finding process.

"The Founders of our country made clear their concerns about impeachment being a purely partisan exercise. In the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton warned against any impeachment that would merely 'connect itself with the pre-existing factions,' and 'enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and interest on one side or on the other.' In such cases, he said, 'there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt.'

"Donald Trump has violated public trust. Congress must be unequivocal in denouncing the president’s misconduct and stand up for the American people and our democracy. To this end, I have introduced a censure resolution that will send a strong message to this president and future presidents that their abuses of power will not go unchecked, while leaving the question of removing Trump from office to the voters to decide.
"I am confident that the American people will decide to deliver a resounding rebuke of President Trump's innumerable improprieties and abuses. And they will express that judgment at the ballot box. That is the way real and lasting change has always occurred in this great country: through the forcefully expressed will of the people.

"A house divided cannot stand. And today we are divided. Fragmentation and polarity are ripping our country apart. This breaks my heart, and breaks the hearts of all patriotic Americans, whether we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents.

"So today, I come before you to make a stand for the center, to appeal to all of you to bridge our differences and stand up for the American people.

"My vote today is a vote for much needed reconciliation and hope that together we can heal our country. Let's work side-by-side, seeking common ground, to usher in a bright future for the American people and our nation."

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CONGRESSMAN ED CASE, who represents urban Oʻahu, voted today to impeach Pres. Donald Trump. His statement: "The President has been impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. I have upheld my oath to support and defend our Constitution to the best of my ability. Our country is strong and we will persevere through this together."

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STATE SENATOR KAI KAHELE, candidate for Hawaiʻi's 2nd Congressional District – Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's seat – issued the following statement regarding the presidential impeachment vote:

"As someone who has sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States both as a lieutenant colonel in the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard and as an elected official, I understand the heavy burden and responsibility placed on public servants who are entrusted to protect the core pillars of our democracy. Instead of draining the swamp, President Donald Trump's corrupt actions have eroded the public's trust in our government.

"President Trump has abused the powers of his office. He has put his own political self-interests above the national security interests of the United States by soliciting a foreign government to interfere in our elections while withholding crucial military aid needed to combat escalating Russian aggression against an ally. Rather than honoring his oath, he has obstructed the lawful and constitutional process of Congress exercising its oversight responsibilities over the executive branch. It has become clear to me that impeachment is now the only remedy to hold this President accountable and prevent him from further weakening the foundation that our representative democracy is built on, and that all Americans are entitled to free and fair elections.

"The House of Representatives upheld its constitutional duty this evening, now it is time for the United States Senate to put country above party loyalty and do the same."

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The evolution of cell phone coverage. Infographic from Pinterest

MAJOR CELL PHONE CARRIERS ARE PROMISING 5G COVERAGE eventually in Kaʻū and throughout Hawaiʻi. However, some physicians and researchers are questioning the possible health effects.

WebProNewsreports today on an Op Ed in Scientific American by Joel Moskowitz. WebProNewsreports "several attempts to reassure the public that 5G is safe, with Australian telcos and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) weighing in most recently. With the 5G market starting to take off, not to mention the revolutionary potential the technology promises, it's understandable why everyone wants to believe it is safe.

"In spite of that, Joel M. Moskowitz, PhD, director of the Center for Family and Community Health in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, has written an op-ed in Scientific American to make the case that there is no reason to believe 5G is safe," notes WebProNews.
The Scientific American op-ed begins with Markowitz writing, "We believe it is our ethical responsibility to inform the public about what the peer-reviewed scientific literature tells us about the health risks from wireless radiation."

After highlighting the FCC's recent decision not to change the cellular safety standards that were established back in the 1990s, Moskowitz continues: "Yet, since the FCC adopted these limits based largely on research from the 1980s, the preponderance of peer-reviewed research, more than 500 studies, have found harmful biologic or health effects from exposure to RFR at intensities too low to cause significant heating.

"Citing this large body of research, more than 240 scientists who have published peer-reviewed research on the biologic and health effects of nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) signed the International EMF Scientist Appeal, which calls for stronger exposure limits. The appeal makes the following assertions:

"'Numerous recent scientific publications have shown that EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines. Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans. Damage goes well beyond the human race, as there is growing evidence of harmful effects to both plant and animal life.'"

Joel Moskowitz

Moskowitz then goes on to discuss the specific dangers of 5G, especially the millimeter wave (mmWave) variety that provides the revolutionary speed 5G promises. Because of its extremely short range, mmWave requires base stations, repeaters and cell antennas to be placed every couple of hundred meters apart, at the farthest. This results in a much greater saturation of EMF and radiation as previous generations of wireless technology.

Moskowitz ends his op-ed by suggesting that the only safe way to proceed is to "support the recommendations of the 250 scientists and medical doctors who signed the 5G Appeal that calls for an immediate moratorium on the deployment of 5G and demand that our government fund the research needed to adopt biologically based exposure limits that protect our health and safety."
This is similar to the stand a number of Swiss cantons have taken, calling for a halt on 5G deployments until further research can be done.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

A HEAD-ON ACCIDENT IN VOLCANO LAST NIGHT, near the 22-mile marker, left the driver of one vehicle, a 79-year-old male resident of Volcano, with minor injuries, and 45-year-old Francis B. Makaiwi, of Hilo, dead. At Highway 11 and Kahaualea Road, at 9:26 p.m., units responded to the accident, using a roadblock to divert traffic through FernForest.

At the scene, Hawaiʻi Police Department members determined that a 2018 Alfa Romeo Sport Utility Vehicle was heading south, Volcano-bound, on Hwy 11, when it crossed a double-solid yellow line, striking a 2003 Mazda Passenger Van that was heading north, Hilo bound.

The driver of the van was not responsive at the scene, and was transported to the HiloMedicalCenter,where he was later pronounced dead on Dec. 18 at 12:35 a.m. The driver of the SUV was transported to HiloMedicalCenterwhere he remains in stable condition.

Police believe inattention and alcohol are factors in the crash.

An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

The Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a Negligent Homicide investigation and is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the accident to contact Officer Clifford Antonio of the Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit at 961-2339. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo.

This is the 25th traffic fatality this year compared to 31 at this time last year.

The 24th traffic fatality of the year, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, was recently identified as 83-year-old Frances Souza of Volcano. She died from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 11, near the 13-mile marker. She was driving a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu sedan south, Mountain View bound, on Highway 11, when she crossed into the opposite lane of traffic, striking a 2010 Ford F-350 pickup truck that was heading north, Hilobound.

Souza was not responsive at the scene, and was transported to the HiloMedicalCenterwhere she was later pronounced dead at 6:23 p.m. The driver of the Ford F-350 pickup truck, a 57-year-old male from Hilo, did not sustain any injuries in the crash.

Police believe that speed was a factor in the crash.

An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

The Traffic Enforcement Unit has initiated a Negligent Homicide investigation and is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the accident to contact Officer Erhard Autrata of the Area I Traffic Enforcement Unit at 961-2339.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN JANUARY AT KĪLAUEA MILITARY CAMP are open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Located in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park; entrance fees apply:

Amahl & the Night Visitors Show runs Friday and Saturday, Dec. 27 and 28, and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Jan. 3, 4, & 5, 2020, in the Kīlauea Theater. Presented by Kīlauea Drama & Entertainment Network. Tickets are $15 general, $12 for seniors 60+ and students, $10 for children 12 and under. For more information or reservations, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com.

New Year's Day Buffet, Wednesday, Jan. 1, Crater Rim Café, from 7 a.m. to noon. Menu features Roast Beef, Chicken Picata, Omelet Station, Bacon SOS & Biscuits, Waffles, Breakfast Potatoes, Steamed Rice, Fresh Fruit, Ice Cream Sundae Bar, Brownies, and a beverage. Adult, $19.95. Child, 6-11 yrs old, $10.95 . For more information call 967-8356.

Grand SlamBand, Saturday, Jan. 4, Lava Lounge, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. $5 cover charge.

SoulTown Band, Saturday, Jan. 11, Lava Lounge, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. $5 cover charge.

Pupule PapalesBand, Saturday, Jan, 18, Lava Lounge, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. No cover charge.

Blue Tattoo Band, Saturday, Jan. 20, Lava Lounge, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.$5 cover charge.

See more at kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

THURSDAY, DEC. 19

Nāʻālehu School Family Reading Night, Thursday, Dec. 19, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Family reading, make & take activities, and snacks provided. Free. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Ka‘ū Community Cleanup, Sunday, Dec. 22. Space available. BYO-4WD also welcome. R.S.V.P. in advance to 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. wildhawaii.org

Palm Trail, Sunday, Dec. 22, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6 mile loop. nps.gov/havo

MONDAY, DEC. 23

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Kōnane, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Ancient Hawaiian game similar to checkers. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

Christmas Buffet, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 5-8p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Crater Rim Café, in HVNP. Main entrees of Prime Rib, Roast Turkey, and Holiday Lamb Stew. $29.95/adult, $16.95/child (ages 6-11). Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Vote for the Best Cottage Decorations at Kīlauea Military Camp through Tuesday, Jan. 1. The public is invited to stroll along the sidewalks around the KMC Cottages where the staff has entered a contest for best Christmas decorations. The outdoor displays are best seen at night. KMC is located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Santa steps off a fire truck in Ocean View, as hundreds of keiki and their families shout a loud welcome. Kaida Houvener,

who manages South Point U-Cart, is unrecognizable under the traditional Santa outfit. Read about Saturday's event

and see more photos, below. Photo by Annie Bosted

NO THIRTY METER TELESCOPE PROJECT FOR MAUNAKEA "AT THIS TIME," announced Gov. David Ige during a press conference this morning, on day 158 of protesters blocking access to the project site. He said the state was informed that Hawaiʻi "remains the preferred site" for TMT, but that construction would not proceed under current circumstances.

Several news sources reported today that state law enforcement issued a deadline to protectors encamped at Maunakea Access Road this morning: they must vacate their camp by Thursday, Dec. 26 or be arrested. The Honolulu Star Advertiser reported that branch chief of the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resource Management, Lino Kamakau, made the announcement to about 75 protectors. Honolulu Star Advertiser reported that Noenoe Wong-Wilson, one of the kūpuna at the camp, said that elders will discuss the deadline, but that she didn't think the kiaʻi would voluntarily clear out after protesting since July 15.

Vice president of external relations for the $1.4 billion telescope, Gordon Squires, said opening Maunakea Access Road "should not be predicated on TMT's timing to start construction. Over the last five months, we participated in frequent discussions with the state on finding a peaceful, lawful, and non-violent way forward on Maunakea. We don't want to put our workers, the people of Hawaiʻi, and the protesters at risk.

Specifications of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Image from TMT

"Unfortunately, the state and Hawaiʻi County have not demonstrated that they are able to provide safe, sustained access to Maunakea for everyone. For us, this dates all the way back to our groundbreaking in October 2014, and subsequent attempts to begin construction in April and June 2015, and in July 2019."

Squires said those involved with TMT "are sensitive to the ongoing struggles of indigenous populations around the world, and we will continue to support conversations around TMT and the larger issues for which it has become a flashpoint. We are participating in private conversations with community leaders, but these conversations will take time.

"The project and our individual partners are committed to moving forward in a manner that honors and supports our scientific goals, environmental stewardship, and the traditions and culture of Hawaiʻi."

Said Ige, "Today, the state reduced its personnel on Mauna Kea. We made this decision after we were informed that TMT is not prepared to move forward with construction on Mauna Kea at this time.

"State personnel have been deployed to assist the Hawaiʻi County Police Department and to help ensure public safety and safe access for Thirty Meter Telescope equipment and personnel. State personnel and resources will continue to be available upon request to support Hawaiʻi County's efforts to restore full public access on Mauna Kea Access Road.

Kiaʻi, protectors, of Maunakea, have camped at Maunakea Access Road since July 15, 158 days as of today.
Photo from Puʻu Honua o Puʻu Huluhulu

"While I am disappointed that TMT will not move forward at this time, I hope this will allow for some respite during the holiday season. I also remain committed to continuing the many conversations that are currently taking place. I know that we can do great things when we work together, and I am hopeful that our community will be stronger going forward.

"I want to thank the officers of the Hawaiʻi County Police Department, as well as our state law enforcement officers at the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Public Safety and the Attorney General's office."

See the press conference here.

Big Island Video News reported that Hawaiʻi County Police Chef Paul Ferreira said Hawaiʻi County Police will continue regular traffic patrols on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, "but will no longer have officers specifically assigned to the area of the Mauna Kea Access Road protests against Thirty Meter Telescope."
University of Hawaiʻi was granted the conservation district use permit for TMT on Maunakea. President David Lassner issued a statement in response to Ige's announcement, saying, "These past months have been difficult for everyone, and we deeply hope this provides a period of reflection for all to continue to seek a positive, peaceful, and non-violent path forward on Maunakea and for Hawaiʻi.

Noenoe Wong-Wilson was one of about 30 kūpuna arrested two days after

the protests began on July 15. Those still encamped at Maunakea Access

Road will be arrested if they are still there on Dec. 26.

Public image from amazonaws.com

Lassner said UH "embrace(s) the decommissioning of multiple telescopes on the mauna and the commitments to stewardship, education, and culture embedded in the permit conditions for the TMT and the resolutions of our Board of Regents."
He said UH still supports TMT "as part of a positive future for modern world-class astronomy on Maunakea… a place of inspiration, awe, and spirituality for many, where modern astronomy can and should coexist synergistically with traditional knowledge and culture to advance all the people of Hawaiʻi and the world."

Thousands of Hawaiians and others have raised voices in opposition, said Lassner, "and I am sorry for the pain that UH's support of TMT and astronomy on Maunakea has caused. At the same time, some Hawaiians and others have shared that they consider the study of astrophysics, the beginnings of the universe and the origins of mankind, to be the most spiritual of endeavors. Some consider the fact that Maunakea is the best site in the world for astronomical observation to be a gift to the people who were the best naked eye astronomers of their day – the Polynesians who first settled here after navigating to these most isolated of islands using their knowledge of the stars along with the ocean and winds, the clouds and the birds.”
Lassner said he is inspired by collaborations, such as Hawaiian-speaking students creating new Hawaiian names for the celestial bodies discovered in Hawaiʻi, saying "they are examples of collaborations that take place nowhere else on earth." He committed UH to strengthening the stewardship of Maunakea. He also said the sole root causes of the "deep turmoil that Hawaiʻi has faced over these last months, including the reawakening of many to the need for justice," are not just about TMT but "the historic wrongs against Native Hawaiians."

Read his whole statement here.

Persephone Riegel, a year and a half old little Bat Girl, has her

photo taken with Santa. Photo by Annie Bosted

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KEIKI O KAʻŪ BROUGHT SANTA TO KAHUKU COUNTY PARK in Ocean View on Saturday. Stepping off a fire truck, Santa was greeted with shouts of welcome from about 200 keiki and their families. Seated on a throne beside a Christmas tree, Santa posed for photos with each child and handed each child a gift.

Steve Stigall of Keiki O Kaʻū, who is supporting the effort to raise funds for a skate park in Ocean View, told The Kaʻū Calendar that every business in Ocean View donated something towards the event - either food or gifts for the children. Among those that contributed food were Liʻi and Corinthia Samoa, Kanaka Grinds, Rosie Pauler, and Kunlei and Kona Smith. Face painting was provided by Joyce Santiago. Kaida Houvener, who manages South Point U-Cart, played Santa for the keiki. Santa's local elves, Sierrarose Houvener and Kawai Smith, made sure that Santa had an age-appropriate gift for each child who sat on his knee.

Behind Santa's throne – and out of site of the attendees –

is a pile of wrapped gifts, sorted according to the age of

the keiki for whom they are most appropriate. Santa's

helpers, Sierrarose Houvener and Kawai Smith, made

sure that Santa had a gift for each child on

his knee. Photo by Annie Bosted

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

THE 2020 HAWAIʻI STATE LEGISLATURE begins in just over a month. Public Access Room – a non-partisan legislative service agency that provides resources for legislators legislative committees, and the public – recently released the 2020 legislative session calendar. See it here, on their new website, lrb.hawaii.gov/par.

The new PAR site combines the most popular resources from the old address with some new features: information sheets – calendar, lists, directories – on the Current Legislature page; guides to setting up an account, offering testimony, and bill tracking under the Engage tab on the Engagement 101page; how the legislative process works and how a bill becomes a law can be found under the Learn tab on the Overview of the Legislative Process page; and a keiki page to help younger folks learn about how things work in the legislative process.

A statement from PAR reads: "We'll continue to try to improve the site and our services to best meet your needs. Please don't hesitate to provide feedback and suggestions – we'd love to hear from you. (Reply to this email or use our new Contact page.)"

The 2020 legislative session will open on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Friday, Jan. 17 is the last day to submit non-administration packages and requests for grants or subsidies. Tuesday, Jan. 21 is the last day to submit administration bill packages. The State of the State address will be held Tuesday, Jan. 21. The last day for bills to be introduced will be Thursday, Jan. 23.

The mandatory five-day recess will be held from Thursday, Feb. 20 through Wednesday, Feb. 26, though committee hearings do take place during this week.

Santa waves to the crowd as he arrives at the Kahuku

CountyParkin Ocean View. Photo by Annie Bosted

The deadline for bills to be approved by all their committees, with committee reports filed and submitted to the originating chamber before the third reading, is Friday, Feb. 28. A bill must pass three readings in each chamber before being submitted to the governor for signing.

Thursday, March 5 is the deadline for bills to pass to the other chamber.

Friday, March 6 is the deadline for resolutions – legislative measures which request action of a government entity or state the legislature's position on an issue. They don't have the force and effect of law, require only one reading in chamber, and don't need to be signed by the governor.

The deadline for bills to pass third reading in their non-originating chamber and cross back to the originating chamber is Thursday, April 9. That is also the last day for the originating chamber to disagree with any amendments.

Any bill that proposes an amendment to the state constitution must be presented in its final form to the governor at least ten days prior to passing final reading by a 2/3 vote in each chamber, a deadline of Friday, April 24. Once adopted by the legislature, the proposed amendment is submitted to the voters, in the form of a "yes or no" question on the ballot.

Non-fiscal bills must be submitted for final reading by both chambers by Wednesday, April 29, while fiscal bills' deadlines are Thursday, April 30.

The sessions is adjourned Thursday, May 7, the 60th legislative day of a regular session. The legislature then certifies bills which both chambers have agreed on, and transmit them to the governor.

Joyce Santiago paints a design on young

Arya Mayfield at the Keiki Christmas party.

Photo by Annie Bosted

Contact PAR for information regarding the governor's deadlines at 808-587-0478, par@capitol.hawaii.gov, or lrbhawaii.org/par.

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HAWAIʻI ISLAND PLAYED HOST TO MORE THAN 64 MEDIA PRODUCTIONS in 2019, as of Wednesday, according to an article in Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald today. The tally counts productions which were permitted through the county but not ones that obtained permits only through the Hawaiʻi Film Office or productions filmed on private property, which do not require permits, Hawaiʻi Island Film Commissioner Justin Finestone told the publication.

Finestone told the Tribune that $7.2 million was spent on Hawaiʻi Island projects this year, but that the actual number might be higher when combined with numbers from the state, which Finestone did not yet have. The numbers are lower than 2018, which showed $7.4 in spending from 73 media productions, despite the Kīlaueaeruption causing a "slowdown," according to Finestone. He told the paper that he was happy to see spending top $7 million in 2019. "The year started slowly, and (the county) kind of rebounded over the summer, and we got busy again," he told the Tribune.

Hawaiʻi Island is a frequent site for travel and reality shows, commercials, and "a lot of Japanese productions come here as well," said Finestone to the paper. In 2019, Are You the One, an MTV reality dating show shot its eighth season, its third filmed in West Hawaiʻi, at a home on KeauhouBay, said Finestone to the Tribune. Hawaiʻi Island also hosted an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, a Food Network show hosted by Guy Fieri, as well as commercials for Chevrolet and Samsung, reported the Tribune.

Santa sits on his throne, waiting to greet each child, give them a gift, and pose for a photo. Photo by Annie Bosted

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

FRIDAY, DEC. 20

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Ka‘ū Community Cleanup, Sunday, Dec. 22. Space available. BYO-4WD also welcome. R.S.V.P. in advance to 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. wildhawaii.org

Palm Trail, Sunday, Dec. 22, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6 mile loop. nps.gov/havo

MONDAY, DEC. 23

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Kōnane, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Ancient Hawaiian game similar to checkers. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday – last Thursday, monthly – Dec. 26, 11a.m.-noon, Pāhala Community Center. 928-3102

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Kīlauea Drama & Entertainment Network presents Amahl and the Night Visitors beginning Friday, Dec. 27 at Kīlauea

Theatre. Above, Amahl (Anna Braun) asks questions of the Kings Melchior (Stephen Bond), Balthazar

(Dick Hershberger), and Kaspar (Joel Kelley). See the synopsis, schedule, and ticket prices, below. Photo from KDEN

A SUSPECT HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR THE ARSON of a vacation rental in Volcano Golf & Country Club subdivision on Nov. 17. This afternoon, Hawai’i Island Police charged 32-year-old Justin Michael Bardwell with second degree arson, after he was arrested at Old Kona Airport Park.

The vacation rental was broken into, vandalized, and set ablaze in the evening of Nov. 17. Hawaiʻi Fire Department received a call from guests scheduled to stay at the licensed Short Term Vacation Rental home at 99-2056 Pukeawe Circle. The first responder noted that all the windows were covered in white paint. When firefighters entered the home, they found that "most of the household furniture was found piled up and in flames." Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 8 p.m. They ventilated the home for smoke and combustable gases. Drywall, furniture, and other damage was estimated to be about $57,000. The HPD investigation identified Bardwell as the suspect.

Interior of the home in Volcano that vacationers reported
on fire when they arrived. Photo from Redfin

Bardwell is being held on $10,000 bail pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Monday, Dec. 23 in Hilo District Court.

Police ask anyone who may have information about this incident to call the Police Department's non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Kelly Moniz at (808) 961-2378, or via email at kelly.moniz@hawaiicounty.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

KAʻŪ COUNCILWOMAN MAILE DAVID VOTED "NO" on county acceptance of up to $10 million from the state for Maunakea related costs, during the standoff over the Thirty Meter Telescope, as it entered its fifth month. The unanimous vote came on Wednesday, the day before Gov. David Ige announced the Thirty Meter Telescope would not be built "at this time." For those blockading the road to Maunakea in protest TMT, he set a Dec. 26 deadline to vacate their encampment.

Hawaiʻi County Council heard public testimony from those opposed to the TMT project and council members changed their minds about accepting the money. At their previous Finance Committee meeting, they gave it a positive recommendation. The money required a Memorandum of Agreement between the state and the county.
Councilmembers said they had not seen the proposed agreement when they voted to accept the money.

Said David, "To me, the underlying issue is how we got here, and how we got here is not pono."

One of the Kū Kiaʻi Mauna movement's organizers, Andre Perez, said, "I was dismayed to see many of you agree to vote to accept the money. You don't accept the money because there's principles, and there's protocols and there's right ways and wrong ways to do things. And in your case, it's codified very clearly in legal language."

Councilwoman Karen Eoff said the language in the MOA does not match the language in the council resolution.

Council chair Aaron Chung said, "I'm very much supportive of the TMT project, but more so, I'm supportive of the rule of law. If I saw some efforts in trying to open up the road, but not just the TMT people but others, then I might be more amenable to something like this. I just don't see anything happening. That being the case, I have to vote against this."

Read more about the developments at Maunakea on yesterday's Kaʻū News Briefs.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

FUNDS FOR PUBLIC LAND, COMBATING HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS, and more for Hawaiʻi are part of an eight-bill appropriations package passed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday. With strong support from Sen. Mazie Hirono, the legislation passed 73 to 21, and would fund and renew "a range of domestic and international programs from the national Flood Insurance Program to energy production tax credits and health care programs," said a statement from Hirono's office.

Said Hirono, "This bill provides necessary federal resources to support important programs in Hawaiʻi and the country. This bill also rejects the President's proposed draconian cuts to federal education, housing, health care, and clean energy programs that Hawaiʻi residents depend on every year."

Specific items that Hirono focused on include:

Micro-Grants for Food Security Program, $5 million. Hirono helped create this program in the 2018 Farm Bill, which would direct funds to nonprofit organizations in Hawaiʻi, Alaska, and outlying areas to increase the quality and quantity of locally grown food in food insecure communities.

Land and Water Conservation Funding, $7.5 million. This would protect critical natural, historic, and cultural resources in Hawaiʻi at Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail and Haloa ʻĀina on Hawaiʻi Island.

National and Regional Climate Adaption Science Centers funding, $38.335 million. Hirono led advocacy efforts in the Senate, states her office, "to reject the administration's proposed cuts to the Centers, which help natural and cultural resource managers identify and assess climate-related vulnerabilities." The University of Hawaiʻiat Mānoa hosts the PacificIslandsRegionalClimateAdaptationScienceCenter.

Funding to programs that support the Native Hawaiian community would include $36.897 million for the Native Hawaiian Education Program, $18.3 million for the Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institution Program, $3.194 million for Education Grants for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and $19 million for the Native Hawaiian Health Care Program.

Interagency Council on Homelessness, an independent agency tasked with coordinating the federal response to addressing homelessness, would receive $3.8 million.

The legislation would increase funding for programs that combat veteran homelessness, including $250 million for the Department of Veterans Affairs' Grant and Per-Diem program – which funds support service-intensive transitional housing – $380 million for the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, and $408.3 million for the U.S. Department of Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.

The EastWestCenter, a research organization established by Congress at the UH-Mānoa, would receive $16.7 million.

The legislation would increase in the Pell Grant Maximum Award to $6,195 per academic year. Hirono advocates expanding and increasing funds to the federal Pell Grant program, which provide need-based grants to undergraduate students.

The legislation would also direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of importing orchids in growing media.

A summary of the full appropriations package can be found here.

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A high wind warning is in effect for all islands until tomorrow at 6 p.m.

NWS photo

A HIGH WIND WARNING is in place for Kaʻū and the entire state until 6 p.m. Saturday. The National Weather Service warns of east to northeast winds of 25 to 40 miles per hour, with gusts up to 60 mph through Saturday. NWS states "damaging winds, including downed trees and power lines" will likely cause "sporadic power outages… Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Winds are expected to be especially strong where they are accelerated over and downwind of mountain tops and ridges, through valleys and gaps in terrain, and down slope."

Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense suggests motorists, especially those in high profile vehicles, drive with caution; and loose objects should be tied down, including outdoor holiday decorations, or moved to a sheltered location.

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MICHAEL REEP, 15, OF OCEAN VIEW, HAS BEEN FOUND IN GOOD HEALTH, according to a report from Hawaiʻi Island Police. Reep was reported missing in early October. He was located in Kaʻū on Monday, Dec. 9. A vigil was held in Nāʻālehu to pray for the safe return of the missing teen on Nov. 2.

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d Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Amahl (Anna Braun) and His Mother (Sherri Thal) share a moment.
Photo from KDEN

CHRISTMAS SEASON PLAY AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS comes to Kīlauea Theatre on beginning Friday, Dec. 27. through Sunday, Jan. 5, with performances on Friday and Saturdays at 7 p.m., and one matinee on Sunday, Dec. 5. Kīlauea Drama & Entertainment Network has prepared this musical treat, Gian Carlo Menotti's one-act opera. Commissioned by NBC and first performed by the NBC Opera Theatre on December 24, 1951, it was broadcast live on television from as the debut production of the Hallmark Hall of Fame. It was the first opera specifically composed for television in America.
Amahl, a crippled boy, and his mother live outside of Bethlehem. Amahl is known for telling tall tales, much to the exasperation of his mother.

Late one night there is a knock at the door. It is the Three Kings looking for a place to rest their heads on the way to see the newborn child. The Kings are welcomed into the house and Amahl is sent to bring the neighbors and have them bring food as they have nothing to offer The Kings. The shepherds bring food and offer a dance as entertainment. The shepherds leave and The Kings, Amahl, and his Mother settle in for the night.

Mother awakens and sees the gold that The Kings brought with them. She knows that the gold could solve her problems. As she tries to take a handful, the King's Page wakes and catches her in the act. Amahl tries to defend his mother. One of The Kings says that she can keep the gold as The Child won't need it to build his kingdom. Amahl tells The Kings that he would like to give his crutch. When he goes to give it to the Kings he can miraculously walk.

Amahl and his Mother are surprised by
The Kings; Balthazar (Dick Hershberger),
Melchior (Stephen Bond), and Kaspar
(Joel Kelley). Photo from KDEN

With permission from his mother, Amahl leaves with The Kings to see the Child and give his crutch in thanks for being healed.
Sherri Thal will play the Mother and Anna Braun will play Amahl. The Three Kings are portrayed by Joel Kelley (Kaspar), Stephen Bond (Melchior), and Dick Hershberger (Balthazar). Karl Halemano is the Page. Arlene Araki, Mia Boyer, Al Braun, Deb Campbell, Susie Halemano, Sam Hall, and Ariana Kelley are the shepherds. The show is directed by Suzi Bond with vocal direction by Melanie Oldfather. Armando Mendoza will conduct the live orchestra. Murphy Bierman is stage managing and playing a shepherd. Set design is by Jonathan Sudler.
Tickets are $15 general, $12 for seniors 60+ and students, and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available at Kilauea General Store, Keaʻau Natural Foods, Basically Books, and The Most Irresistible Shop. Tickets are also available at the door. For more information, call 982-7344 or email kden73@aol.com. Amahl and the Night Visitors is presented by arrangement with G.Schrimer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

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TROJANS JUNIOR VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL TOOK THE WIN during the season's first game. Kaʻū hosted Keaʻau on Wednesday, Dec. 18. The Trojans scored 48, over the Cougar's 39. Jensen Navarro-Villa scored the most points for Kaʻū, with 18. Ivan Ramos scored 16, Jociah Mukini scored 7, Jezekial Jara scored 4, Waiola Akiu scored 2, and Micah Espejo scored 1.

The Cougars Varsity team took down the Trojans, 53 to 31. For Kaʻū, Dayson Burns scored 9 points, Michael Rodarte scored 6, Kyson Toriano and Elijah Evangelista each scored 5, and Raymond Polido-Kalili and Kealiikoa Reyes-Nalu each scored 3.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 21 @St. Joseph

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Dec. 21 Boys host Christian Liberty, 3pm

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

SATURDAY, DEC. 21

Nature & Culture, Saturday, Dec. 21, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate hike, approx. 2 miles. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Ka‘ū Community Cleanup, Sunday, Dec. 22. Space available. BYO-4WD also welcome. R.S.V.P. in advance to 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. wildhawaii.org

Palm Trail, Sunday, Dec. 22, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6 mile loop. nps.gov/havo

MONDAY, DEC. 23

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Kōnane, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Ancient Hawaiian game similar to checkers. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday – last Thursday, monthly – Dec. 26, 11a.m.-noon, Pāhala Community Center. 928-3102

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Artist in the Park, Friday, Dec. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

Monthly Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Dec. 27, 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Weather permitting performance held outdoors. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Amahl & Night Visitors Show, Friday, Dec. 27-Jan. 3, 5-8p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 982-7344, kden73@aol.com

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

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Kaida Houvener, the inspiration for the annual Houvener family Christmas extravaganza in upper Ocean View, is barely

discernible standing next to Mickey Mouse. Behind him is a new twelve-foot-tall reindeer. Photo by Peter Bosted

COME SEE SANTA AT THE HOUVENER FAMILY YARD on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 23 and 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. Santa will be seated in a big, new, custom-built sleigh, ready to be photographed with keiki and their families, on the corner of Lehua and Palm in upper Ocean View.

A giant Santa hovers high above an

inflatable snowman. The tall ‘ōhiʻa trees

behind are decorated with lights resembling

fireflies. Photo by Peter Bosted

For the past fourteen years, this yard has become famous throughout Kaʻū as the go-to destination for an extravaganza of Christmas lights and decorations of all shapes, sizes, colors and themes. The display is on from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.each evening before Christmas, during the holiday season.

Regular visitors to this seasonal attraction will find many new additions among the old favorites. Kaida Houvener, whose day time job is managing South Point U-Cart, is the brains, brawn, sweat and inspiration behind the annual wonderland. The day after Christmas last year, he was raiding the box stores for greatly reduced Christmas decor, and this year they are very much in evidence in the display.

Perhaps the largest among the large is a new 12-foot reindeer with soulful doe eyes. Houvener and his wife, Michelle, collaborated on a family of Scooby-Doo characters: she drew the life-size figures on plywood, he cut them out and she painted them. In the same way, they created giant nut-cracker soldiers that seemingly guard the approach to their home. A new set of inflated Minion characters from the Despicable Me franchise and a North Pole Starburst are on the list of possible new favorites this year.

A 12-foot-tall reindeer towers over the roof on which Santa

and his reindeer have come to rest. The reindeer is one of the

many post-Christmas bargains that Kaida Houvener bought

with money donated by the community. Photo by Peter Bosted

Houvener also bought and installed a 100-foot-long white fence that is tall enough for a light show. Along this he has arranged 22 projectors that throw lighted images of Christmas icons onto the fence. Candy canes seem to miraculously grow from the lava. Firefly lights in the topmost branches of the ‘ōhiʻa trees enhance the feeling of wonderment.

Each year Houvener adds more attractions – they are either snapped up at post-Christmas sales, made by him, or donated by stores. The show is powered by two generators, with a combined total of 10 outlets, from which 125 extension cords are run to power the lights, projectors, and a plethora of inflatables.

A view of a small part of the lights and decorations

that light up the night sky each evening before

Christmas from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., on the corner

of Lehua and Palm in Ocean View.

Photo by Peter Bosted

His oldest inflatable, "Let it Snow," is 13 years old, while a mechanical teeter totter that features Santa on one side and three reindeer on the other and is constantly in motion, is almost as old.

If purchasing, storing, setting up, and taking down these displays is not daunting enough, Houvener has the daily chore of making sure things don't break or get damaged. Each inflatable is set up on a palette to protect if from the ʻaʻa of the yard. Each evening, he removes the covering tarps so they can be inflated and viewed. When the show ends at 8 p.m., he goes around and tarps each inflatable to protect it. The Hawai’isun can make them brittle, if they are not shielded all day.

The community shows its appreciation of Houvener's efforts by dropping cash into his Santa mail box. This allows him to expand his show and give money to the Annual Keiki Christmas at KahukuCountyPark, which is organized by Keiki O Kaʻū. Houvener also plays Santa at that popular event, arriving in a fire truck. See story below.

"I get to be a kid myself" is how Houvener explains his role. "I was from a family of six kids. Mom and Dad didn't have much, so we got a lot of thrift store gifts. I was happy. I was happy to have a bike to ride on, and I didn't care if it was not new. I learned you don't have to be rich to make others happy. I'm not rich, but I can see how all this spreads happiness," said Houvener. "This is my way of making myself happy."

"Let It Snow" is the name of these three inflatable snow men. It is the oldest Christmas decoration in the Houvener
family display that has been growing and evolving for 14 years. Photo by Peter Bosted

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Santa in a hula skirt is a big draw. When visitors

press a button, Santa wiggles his hips and swings

his arms as he sings a verse of Winter

Wonderland. Photo by Peter Bosted

DON'T DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE urges Hawaiʻi Police Department. The annual message from HPD was released this week:

"During the holiday season there are many more people driving the roads in Hawaiʻi County than on an average day. With that knowledge, the Hawaiʻi Police Department is asking drivers to be extra cautious when traveling the roadways. If you consume any intoxicating substance don't drive. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is extremely dangerous. Fatal crashes directly related to driving under the influence have devastated far too many families on the BigIsland.

"We are asking for your help. If you see a vehicle that is driving erratic or appears to be operated by a driver who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs please call the Police Department immediately. 935-3311 is the non-emergency number and 911 can be called in an emergency. It takes our entire community working together to have the greatest impact on making our roads safe.

"It's easy: 'If you feel different, you drive different.' Don't drive under influence of any substance."

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Ryan Kanakaʻole

A NEW CHAIRMAN WILL LEAD NĀ MAMO O KĀWĀ into the next decade. The non-profit's Board of Directors elected Ryan Kanakaʻole as Chairman. On the NMOK website, the new chair states he is from Wai‘ōhinu, Kaʻū, "where my family has lived for generations." He attended school in both Nāʻālehu and Pāhala, then transferred to Kamehameha Schools. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and a J.D. and Certificate in Native Hawaiian Law from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa's William S. Richardson School of Law. He states, "Although my law practice is in Honolulu, my work at Kāwā allows me to stay connected with my ʻohana and give back to my community." He is the son of long-time Kaʻū High School teacher Cheryl Kanakaʻole.

The rest of the NMOK Board consists of the following At-Large Directors: Kaipo Kaʻawaloa; Clarissa Pua; Koa Morris; and Pueo Kai McGuire. Since 2012, NMOK has stewarded Kāwā's access points, roads and trails, freshwater springs, native ecosystems, recreational areas, and cultural sites. The organization holds monthly community access days.

A tiny keiki plays a ring game.
Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

States the NMOK website: "The Kaʻū coast has long been regarded as one of the remaining gems of wild, unadulterated coastline in Hawaiʻi. Kāwā was recognized by the community as a wahi pana integral to the preservation of the Kaʻū coast. Located in the ahupuaʻa of Kaʻalāiki, Hīlea Nui and Hīlea Iki, the Kāwā lands consist of undeveloped coastal lands encompassing approximately 785 acres. As one of the few areas in Kaʻū that feature an array of natural and cultural resources reasonably accessible to the public, Kāwā is of vital importance and has a significant need for a thoughtful and effective community stewardship effort."

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KEIKI CHRISTMAS AT KAHUKU PARK last Saturday was a great success and involved a lot of people. Event coordinator, Kuʻulei Smith, told The Kaʻū Calendar that there were more people to thank than those written about on the Thursday, Dec. 19 Kaʻū News Briefs:

Giving elves were in abundance last Saturday
at the Keiki Christmas event at Kahuku Park.
Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

Smith's event co-coordinator was Tia Rose Goldsmith. They were helped by their organizing and decorating crew: Steve Stigall, Samantha Behrendt, Annika Nicole, and Lacey Hooper. Rosie Parker made the "wonderful, awesome" fireplace for the Santa area. Daphne Smith arrived at the event space early to help put together keiki goodie bags. Teen girls Kawai Smith, Sierra Houvener, Grace "Naleo" Smith, Ehu Deguiar, and Lilinoe organize all the gifts from Santa for the keiki by age and gender, and played Santa's elves.

Smith also said, "Mahalo to my Husband Kona Smith and his kitchen crew, Liʻi Samoa, Zac Mata, and Bethany LaRue Waters for such a wonderful meal and desserts. Mahalo to Kay Glen for all of those wonderful cupcakes!" Food and dessert donations were made by Kuʻulei and Kona Smith, two large hams, juice, and water; Rosie Parker, one large ham; Bethany LaRue Waters, 20 pounds of mashed potatoes and 250 cookies; Liʻi and Corinthia Samoa, rice; Kay Glen, 150 cupcakes; and Karen Melchoir, rice crispy treats and cakes.

Booth vendors were Malia Kahumoku, Samantha Behrendt, Kaʻū Skate Club, St. Jude's Church, Anne Pagni, Robert Unger, Ehu DeAguiar, and Joy Santiago, who gifted the keiki with cookie decorating, homemade cards, snow cones, handmade pillow cases, stockings, games, and face painting.

The cookie decorating booth. Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

Robert Unger and Amanda of DTech Solutions donated use of the sound system and provided keiki games. Tim Reed provided free WiFi for the event. "Mahalo Liʻi Samoa for also jumping in there and helping with being our MC as well, we had to wing it and he did an awesome job! A big Mahalo to Kaida Houvener (Michelle Houvener) for being an awesome Santa! Mahalo to Michelle Houvener for being our photographer!" said Smith.

Ocean View Fire Department and Emergency Medical Team transported Santa to the event. Meleana Smith and Deanna Martin provided all of the printing for the event. Kaʻū Business Services, Lisa's Gift Shop, and South Point U-Cart offered their business locations as drop-off sites for the donations for the event. Kaʻū Business Services, Lisa's Gift Shop, South Point U-Cart, OV Pizzaria, Rancho Ace Hardware, Kahuku Country Market, and DJ's Pizza all made donations to the event. Individuals who made donations included Kelly and Greg Goddard, Kindra Frautus of Gallery on the Go, Juan Martinez, Margaret Steacy, and Gabe and Yolanda Morales. Karen Savage set up a donation jar at Lisa's gift shop and match an $80 donation, then went shopping for gifts with that money.

Families gather at booths for donated items, like handmade cards
and pillowcases, stockings, and more. Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

Smith said, "We'd like to send a special Mahalo to the crew at The Crisis Center of Kona for their generous donations of gifts and for choosing our event to donate to. We would like to thank each and every one of our community members (this includes businesses and individuals I forgot to name) who donated gifts and other items to our Keiki Christmas event. Without all of you, this event wouldn't have been possible and you all are awesome! I hope everyone had a wonderful and fun time!"

Snow cones handed out by Kaʻū Skate Club members.
Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

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THE SECOND STORY OF A VOLCANO HOME CAUGHT FIRE last night at 11-3903 Liona Street. The two-story, 2,514 square foot home is at the end of a more than 200-foot long, narrow driveway. The initial call came in as a propane fire. Hawaiʻi Fire Department Volcano units, along with Keaʻau Engine company, entered the upstairs, open beam living area, where "a significant amount of the living/dining room content had caught fire."

Santa hosts keiki on his lap for photos and presents,
in front of a decorated tree and a fireplace
made by Rosie Parker. Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

HFD extinguished the fire quickly and the building was ventilated of smoke and heat. HFD also turned off two 25 pound propane tanks turned off in the room. No injuries were reported. An HFD investigator remained on scene with Hawaiʻi Police Department to determine cause.

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A WIND ADVISORY, HIGH SURF ADVISORY, AND SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY are in place for Kaʻū through tomorrow. The National Weather Service warns of east winds of 20 to 35 miles per hour, with gusts up to 55 mph. NWS states "Winds this strong are capable of downing trees, tents, and temporary structures, and causing power outages. Motorists should use caution when driving high profile vehicles." Gusts are expected to be strongest in mountain passes, especially in leeward areas.

Sound and free wifi were perks sourced
for the Keiki Christmas at Kahuku
Park. Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

East facing shores are expected to experience high surf, up to 12 feet, through tomorrow night, making water activities, including boating, dangerous.

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AN OPPORTUNITY FOR KAʻŪ FOOD PRODUCERS TO REACH JAPAN is offered by the Hawaiʻi Food Manufacturers Association, by signing up for the 2020 HFMA Japan Export program. Deadline to sign up for a booth, at both the FOODEX and FABEX tradeshows in Japanis Friday, Dec. 27. Payment is due within seven days of making a reservation.

HFMA and Mana Up companies may present products at the FOODEX tradeshow from Tuesday, March 10 through Friday, March 13, in the Department of Agriculture pavilion. The FABEX tradeshow is held Wednesday, April 15 through Friday, April 17, in the DBEDT pavilion.

A smiling keiki has their photo taken
with Santa. Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

Each company will be designated a 12" by 8" by 12" shelf space area to display product for $300 at each show. Onsite staff will provide attendees with information about products displayed and provide contact information. For a higher participation fee, $600, companies can have a product featured and sampled on a rotating basis throughout show. Import clearance on products is only needed for products being sampled but recommended if serious about export. Trade show participants should be able to get feedback on interest of their products in the market, states HFMA, and may also open opportunities for initiating or increasing sales in Japan.
HFMA also offers information on tours during the FABEX show, which include a retail market tour and a manufacturing tour. Deadline to sign up is Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Contact Shawn Mawae smawae@hicoffeeco.com to reserve space at in the HFMA booths or tours.

HFMA released Foods of Hawaiʻi, A Unique Food Guide, which is a comprehensive collection of the 150 HFMA members and the products they make. States the announcement from HFMA, "This holiday season, our guide book is the perfect gift for friends and family visiting Hawaiʻi who want to discover what makes Made in Hawaiʻi products so unique. We hope this guidebook entices you to visit our factory-direct retail stores, join tours, and purchase Hawaiʻi-made products online and at your local merchants." Click here to purchase.

Helpful elves select toys for keiki based on age and gender
for Santa to hand out. Photo by Kuʻulei Smith

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HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK'S ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, landscape painter Dawn Waters Baker, will present her work to the public at Kahuku Unit's Visitor Contact Station during this month's Coffee Talk on Friday, Dec. 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. She will also paint throughout the park, en plein air. The artist lives in Texas, but was born and raised in the Philippinesand lived through the Mt.Pinatuboeruption in 1991. Baker is familiar with lush, volcanic landscapes, states the event announcement from the Park, and will be looking and listening for both the new and the familiar, along with the themes of life, death, and rebirth while she is here. The Artist in Residence program is sponsored by the National Parks Arts Foundation, Friends of Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational Park, and other partners. Coffee Talk is a free event, and the Kahuku Unit has no entry fee.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

SUNDAY, DEC. 22

Ka‘ū Community Cleanup, Sunday, Dec. 22. Space available. BYO-4WD also welcome. R.S.V.P. in advance to 769-7629, mattieHWF@gmail.com, or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. wildhawaii.org

Palm Trail, Sunday, Dec. 22, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult hike - 2.6 mile loop. nps.gov/havo

MONDAY, DEC. 23

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Kōnane, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Ancient Hawaiian game similar to checkers. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday – last Thursday, monthly – Dec. 26, 11a.m.-noon, Pāhala Community Center. 928-3102

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Artist in the Park, Friday, Dec. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

Monthly Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Dec. 27, 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Weather permitting performance held outdoors. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Amahl & Night Visitors Show, Friday, Dec. 27-Jan. 3, 5-8p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Theater, in HVNP. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 982-7344, kden73@aol.com

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo

Ocean View Skatepark Design Workshop, Saturday, Dec. 28, 3-5 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center. Help create a design plan and drawings of skatepark features to present to County Council. Organized by Kalanihale 501- 3c NPO. Public welcome. Kaimi Kaupiko, 808-937-1310

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

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Ramses, Kiaʻi, David, and Ocean from Tūtū & Me enjoyed the Christmas decorations in front of Kaʻū Hospital.
See what is being offered by the program, below. Photo from Tūtu & Me

SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR THIS ISLAND AND ALL OF HAWAIʻI, Kauaʻi reached a milestone with 11 days in the past month month supplying the island's energy needs using only renewable energy.

KIUC claims that for five hours last Tuesday, all electricity on Kauaʻi was generated by renewable resources. The community owned electrical cooperative provides power to a population of about 100,000, including visitors.

"We didn't use a drop of fossil fuel for a cumulative total of more than 32 hours during that time frame," said KIUC's President and Chief Executive Officer, David Bissell. "We believe this is a unique accomplishment for a standalone electrical grid relying on small-scale renewable generation."

KIUC is a not-for-profit generation, transmission, and distribution cooperative owned by the members it serves. Headquartered in Lihuʻe, the cooperative serves 33,000 electrical accounts on the island of Kauaʻi.

For the past two years, KIUC says, it has routinely achieved 90 percent or more renewable generation during the middle of the day on sunny days.

Noting this important milestone, energy guru Henry Curtis wrote: "The BigIslandalso could achieve that same result with the addition of cheap wind and/or solar energy.

"Even with the loss of Puna Geothermal Ventures, the BigIsland currently has a firm generation of 213.3 MW and plenty of variable renewable generation."

Fields of solar panels.

Curtis noted that HELCO has 143 MW of "green energy" operational, including 31 MW of wind, 17 MW of hydro, and 95 MW of customer-sited solar energy (generally known as "roof top").

Under development is 60 MW of solar and 38 MW of geothermal. The solar power will come from two projects, Hale Kuawehi and Waikaloa. Hale Kuawehi will be located on 300 acres on Parker Ranch near Waimea. The Waikaloa facility will be built near the village of Waikaloa.

Curtis pointed out that power from the Hū Honua project, which faces some opposition, would be sold to ratepayers for 22 cents per kilowatt hour, while the Waikaloa and Hale Kuawehi systems would supply power for either 8c or 9c per kWh. The industrial Ocean View solar project in Kaʻū, if allowed to go forward, would charge BigIsland ratepayers 23.8c per kWh.
Last month on Kauaʻi, the energy cooperative took steps toward full deployment of renewables by investing in utility-scale battery storage systems at both its Tesla solar facility in Kapaia and AES Distributed Energy facility in Lawaʻi. The storage systems contributed significantly to grid stability, according to the KIUC press release.

Both facilities on Kauaʻi can simultaneously feed solar power to the grid and the batteries for storage and use after sunset. The Lawaʻi facility can provide up to 20 MW of direct-to-grid power during the day, and 100 MW after sunset.

KIUC media contact Beth Tokioka told The Kaʻū Calendar that last year the co-op was able to save $700,000 by using solar instead of burning diesel oil, a reduction of 7 percent on the island's annual energy bill.

"The price of diesel is volatile - at the moment it is 15c per kWh and climbing, while solar is about 12c per kWh and dropping," she said. "We estimate that the average user saved about $180 last year. Our operations personnel needed ample time to put all the necessary pieces into place before pushing the envelope to 100 percent renewable. Now we're doing it routinely."

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Tūtū & Me families (David, Ramses, Kiaʻi, and caregivers) singing

Christmas carols for Kaʻū Hospital residents. Photo from Tūtu & Me

TŪTŪ & ME TRAVELING PRESCHOOL, part of the community for many years, is ramping up its services in Pāhala. The free community service, organized by Partners in Development, is in the process of developing a Home Visiting program in Pāhala. Tūtū & Me staff will be able to bring activities for keiki and resources for caregivers right into the home. Tūtū & Me is accepting enrollment applications for the new program.

Applications are also open for the preschool site in Waiʻōhinu. Call the office at 808-929-8571 for more information on the programs.

The Tūtū & Me staff members are seek ways to serve the community and participate in professional development. They volunteer at PāhalaElementary School and Library three times a week, and participate in events supporting county Parks & Recreation, Boys & Girls Club, Nāʻālehu Elementary, KahukuPark, and more. One day a week is dedicated to cultural, safety, and early childhood professional development opportunities. "If you see us around, please wave," said Hawaiʻi South Program Site Manager Michelle Buck.

Tūtū & Me keiki (Kiaʻi, David, Ramses, Dillon, Ocean, and Geneva)

outside Kaʻū Hospital waiting to sing. Photo from Tūtu & Me

Recently, the Tūtū & Me families and staff participated in holiday events in the community. On Dec. 18, a group of keiki, caregivers, and staff visited Kaʻū Hospital to sing for the residents. Said Buck, "The children had a wonderful time spreading Christmas cheer. Mahalo, Kaʻū Hospital, for allowing us to spend the morning with you."
Tūtū & Me Traveling Preschool has been a part of the Kaʻū community for many years. Children from birth to five, accompanied by an adult caregiver, can attend the preschool from 8:45-10:45 am on Mondays and Wednesdays at Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. Each month's activities are based on a theme, such as My Community, Healthy Living, Insects, or Ocean Animals. Keiki interact with each other and their caregivers as they participate in nearly 20 different centers. Each month a huakaʻi, field trip, is planned, and Tūtū and Me families gather together to experience the resources in the nearby communities. Special guests, Nurse Becky and Auntie Barbara, from Something Good In the World, visit monthly.

Tūtū & Me staff – Melody Espejo, Stacy Davis, Michelle Buck, and
Jenny Doi – experience a cultural professional development
opportunity at KahukuPark. Photo from Tūtu & Me

Said Buck, "The Tūtū & Me staff enjoy planning and preparing activities, providing resources to families, collaborating with other local partners, and serving this beautiful community. Thank you for supporting us through the years. It is an honor to educate the young children of Kaʻū."

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AN EXTENSION FOR COMMENTS ON U.S. DOMESTIC HEMP PRODUCTION PROGRAM interim final rule allows input to be sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture until Wednesday, Jan. 29. Comments received by that date will be considered before a final rule is issued.

USDA published the interim final rule on Oct. 31, under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, the 2018 Farm Bill. The rule outlines provisions for USDA to approve plans submitted by states and Indian tribes for the domestic production of hemp. It also establishes a federal plan for producers in states or territories of Indian tribes that do not have their own USDA-approved plan. The program includes provisions for maintaining information on the land where hemp is produced, testing the levels of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, disposing of plants not meeting necessary requirements, licensing requirements, and ensuring compliance with the requirements of the new part.

Submit written comments online at regulations.gov/document?D=AMS-SC-19-0042-0001. Comments may also be submitted by mail to Docket Clerk, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, Washington, DC 20250-0237; or by fax at (202) 720-8938. All comments will be made available to the public. More information about the provisions of the interim final rule is available on the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program web page on the Agricultural Marketing Service website.

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HAWAIʻI FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES that fireworks permits will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, Dec. 26 and ending at midnight on New Year's Eve at the following locations for the upcoming New Year's celebration:

Fire Administration Office located at the Hilo County Building, 25 Aupuni Street,

Suite 2501, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 26, 27, 30, and 31.

Kona Fire Prevention Office, located at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, 74-5044

Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Bldg E, second floor from, by appointment only on

Dec. 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30. Call 808-323-4760 to make appointment.

Parker Ranch Shopping Center Food Court, Kamuela, from 10 a.m. to

2 p.m. on Dec. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31.

Many fire works display will send lights, smoke, booms and bangs into

the air across Kaʻū on New Years Eve. Photo by Michael Worthington

Fireworks permits will also be sold at the following firecracker vending outlets:

J. Hara Store, 17-343 Volcano Hwy, Kurtistown

BJ Alan Tent, 325 E. Maka‘ala St., Hilo

BJ Alan Tent, 111 E. Puainako St., Hilo

Long's Puainako, 111 E. Puainako St., Hilo

TNT Tent, 381 E. Maka‘ala St., Hilo

KTA Puainako, 50 E. Puainako Street, Hilo

KTA Kona; Kona Coast Shopping Center, 74-5594 Palani Rd., Kona

Pacific Fireworks, 74-5629 Kuakini Hwy, Suite 155, Kona

BJ Alan Tent Kona, 74-5454 Makala Blvd., Kona

Each permit costs $25 and will entitle the holder to purchase 5,000 individual firecrackers. Multiple permit purchases are authorized. Permits shall only be issued to persons 18 years of age or older and are non-transferable and non-refundable. Permits are not required for purchasing novelties and paperless firecrackers. Setting off of fireworks are allowed between the hours of 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve and 1 a.m. on New Year's Day. Permits shall be visibly displayed at the site of use during the time of the firing.
For more information on purchasing fireworks permits or use of fireworks, call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2912 in Hilo or 323-4760 in Kona.

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MEASURING A VOLCANO'S SHAPE WITH GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEMS is the subject of this week's Volcano Watch, by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geophysicist Sarah Conway:

An important point: measuring the volcano's shape with high precision GNSS.

When you think of GPS, what typically comes to mind? Your phone, the navigation in your car, or maybe your watch? The Global Positioning System is a U.S.satellite-navigation system originally designed for military use, but now an extremely popular and widely used technology.

In addition to the U.S.constellation, there are three other GNSS: GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (European), and BeiDou (China). New GNSS receivers can simultaneously track multiple constellations of satellites – for example eight GPS satellites, three GLONASS, and two Galileo – that provide improved accuracy.

HVO operates a 67-station GNSS network spread out across the island but concentrated near persistent deforming features like rift zones. These high-precision GNSS stations give scientists a 24/7 record, called a time-series, of the precise position of the antenna every second through time.

How does this work? GNSS satellites send out radio waves that travel at the speed of light and transmit information about the exact position of the satellite and the current time. The antenna on the ground listens to the radio signals from multiple satellites and passes them to the receiver which calculates the exact location using a process called trilateration.

Handheld GPS like that in your phone can determine your position within a few meters or yards, but high-precision GNSS equipment and analysis can determine a location down to a fraction of an inch.

Currently, the American GPS constellation has 33 operational satellites orbiting at an altitude of 20,000 km (12,500 mi). To accurately pinpoint the location of a high-precision GNSS station, the receiver must "lock-on" or continuously receive data for six hours as satellites arc across the horizon in view of the station. Only four satellites are needed to calculate a 3-D location, but typically a GNSS receiver will track 8 or more to calculate a more precise position.

GPS unit. USGS HVO photo

There are several factors that affect the GNSS signal and accuracy of derived locations. The ionosphere and troposphere, layers of the atmosphere through which the radio waves travel, introduce delays in the radio signals that can be corrected with atmospheric models. Noise from signals reflected off nearby objects, such as tall buildings or trees, is called multipath. This makes it especially important for GNSS antennas to have enough clear "sky view" without object interference. This is also why the GPS on your phone does not work well inside a building.

To get a more complete view of the deforming volcano, HVO also conducts yearly campaign surveys on Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. During these surveys, HVO staff place temporary GPS receivers and antennas on benchmarks and leave the equipment in place for a couple of days at each site. Benchmarks are permanent brass disks that have been drilled into the ground. The benchmark typically has a cross inside a triangle that serves as a reference point for centering of the antenna.

During each survey, we return to these benchmarks to collect data and determine how the point has moved. Data collected allow us to calculate both a horizontal and vertical location, similar to latitude, longitude, and altitude and thus to evaluate the change from prior surveys.

Campaign GPS surveys have been conducted on both Mauna Loa and Kīlaueasince the mid-1990s providing extraordinary time-series records of volcano deformation. Along with Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, Hualālai and Haleakalā volcanoes are surveyed periodically – approximately every three to five years – as part of our volcano monitoring program. This past October, HVO surveyed the western flank of Mauna Loato add to the picture of volcano deformation provided by the continuous network.

Measuring the changing shape of the volcano helps us refine models of what is happening beneath the surface, for example, the inflation of a magma reservoir. A combination of improved technology and new data processing techniques is providing our best data yet in the history of satellite-based geodesy at HVO.

Volcano Activity Update

Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL. Kīlauea monitoring data continue to show steady rates of seismicity and ground deformation, low rates of sulfur dioxide emissions, and only minor geologic changes since the end of eruptive activity in September 2018. Rates of seismicity have been relatively consistent, although at the summit, episodic increased rates appear to be coincident with the inflated phase of the DI events. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and are below detection limits at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the lower East Rift Zone. The pond at the bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu, which began forming on July 25 continues to slowly expand and deepen.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain.

This past week, about 53 small-magnitude earthquakes (nearly all smaller than M2.0) were detected beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa. Most of the earthquakes occurred at shallow depths of less than 6 km (~4 miles) below sea level. Deformation measurements show continued summit inflation. Fumarole temperature and gas concentrations on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.

HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loafor any signs of increased activity.

Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Mon., Dec. 23 Boys host Kohala, 3pm

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

MONDAY, DEC. 23

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Kōnane, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Ancient Hawaiian game similar to checkers. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday – last Thursday, monthly – Dec. 26, 11a.m.-noon, Pāhala Community Center. 928-3102

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Artist in the Park, Friday, Dec. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

Monthly Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Dec. 27, 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Weather permitting performance held outdoors. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo

Final Gymkhana Event of 2019, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9a.m., Nā‘ālehu Rodeo Arena. Sign-in and check-in 8:30a.m. Hosted by Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association.

People and Land, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball League: Ocean View Team - Mondays and Wednesdays, Kahuku Park. Nā‘ālehu Team - Tuesdays and Thursdays,

Nā‘ālehu Park. Pāhala Team (seeking coaches) - attend Nā‘ālehu practice. T-Ball, 3:30-4:30pm, ages 5-6. Coach Pitch, 4:30-6p.m., ages 7-8. Programs take place through April 16. Wear cleats or tennis shoes, bring a glove if possible. Extras gloves available for use. All skills and genders welcome. $35 per teammate. See Ka‘ū Youth Baseball on Facebook. Josh or Elizabeth Crook, 345-0511

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Nā‘ālehu Methodist Church invites the public to a musical Christmas Eve with a bell choir, singing,
and many musical instruments at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAIIAN OCEAN VIEW ESTATES GREW THE MOST of Kaʻū towns, according to a five-year American Survey released by the U.S. Census bureau on Thursday. The estimates compare changes in populations of 42 Hawaiʻi Island towns from 2014 to 2018. All towns in Kaʻū showed a population increase.

The estimates show 26.49 percent population growth in HOVE, from 3,747 to 4,891, an increase of 1,144 people. The estimated increase in Pāhala is 25.5 percent, from 1,396 to 1,804, an addition of 408 people. Volcano is close behind, with an increase of 21.93 percent, from 2,582 to 3,218, an increase of 636 people. The estimated increase in Waiʻōhinu is shown as 21.37 percent, an increase of 56 people, from 234 to 290. DiscoveryHarbour's estimated population increase is 21.04 percent, from 923 to 1,140, an addition of 217 people. Nāʻālehu showed the smallest increase in population, at only 3.56 percent, an increase of 34 people, from 938 to 972.

The five-year American Community Survey estimates are based off a sample size of residents in each town, and have an error margin that's largely due to small population sizes. The 2020 census is meant to document exact numbers. Both sets of data are important, as the population of an area influences how funding from the federal and state governments are allocated, how the area is represented at state and federal legislatures, and how much aid the area receives for community development and business planning. These estimates are also important because they're the only detailed estimates for areas with populations under 20,000 people.

Hawaiʻi Island leads the state in population growth, with an overall estimated increase of 5.52 percent, or 10,614 people, from 187,044 in 2014 to 197,658 in 2018. Laupahoehoe lost an estimated 23 percent, 159 people, in the same time period. Of the 42 towns on the island, 15 lost population, with six losing over ten percent. Kurtistown is estimated to have the largest increase, 457 more people, from 862 to 1,319, a 37.73 percent increase, in the same time period.

The Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald reported that Mayor Harry Kim understands the population loss in the northern portions of the island; that the macadamia nut industry was supposed to take over after the sugar plantations closed at the turn of the century, but that didn't happen. Kim said the HamakuaCoast is "a beautiful place to live but a very difficult place to make a living, because no matter where you live, you have to find a place to work." He also said that the comparatively short commute from Kurtistown to Hilohas sparked that growth.

HOVE, said Kim, is a longer commute from Kona – 47 miles – but with the increase in housing prices, he also said he "knows at least one family that moved there because of the cost of living in Kailua-Kona," reported the Tribune.

Between 2014 and 2018, Maui's population grew an estimated 5.52 percent, Kauaʻi 5.16 percent, and Oʻahu 2.38 percent, reported the Tribune.

Kim, reported the Tribune, is unsurprised by the numbers. He told the paper that Hawaiʻi Island is attracting more people because the median price of a home on the BigIsland is less than $400,000, about half the price of homes on the other islands. "The census means more than numbers to me," Kim told the Tribune. "It's a very good picture of who we are and what our needs are."

Approval ratings for Pres. Donald Trump versus Pres.
Barack Obama. Chart from FiveThirtyEight

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A GENERAL ELECTION UNITY PROGRAM, sponsored by the Democratic National Committee, was announced this week by the Hawaiʻi Democratic Party.
The initiative is meant "to ensure Democrats enter the general election unified behind our eventual nominee and ready to defeat Trump in 2020," according to an announcement. Presidential candidate campaigns have been briefed on this effort, according to DNC.

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said, "Leading up to the general election, we'll need every Democrat working together in order to defeat Donald Trump. That's why the DNC is proud to partner with our presidential candidates and Democratic state parties in this effort so that our eventual nominee has the full support of the entire party behind them. By coming together, we will put our eventual nominee in the strongest possible position to win the White House and help Democrats secure victories at every level of the ballot in 2020."

Approval ratings for Pres. Donald Trump versus Pres.
George W. Bush. Chart from FiveThirtyEight

The program includes six key components:

The Democratic Unity Fund is dedicated to raising the resources and immediately investing in the infrastructure needed to elect the Democratic party's eventual presidential nominee.

Presidential Campaign Unity Ambassadorswill be a senior member of each campaign who will remain the point of contact between their candidate's campaign and supporters and the nominee's campaign, "helping ensure a strong transition between the primary and general election" and "help unify Democrats from all parts of the party behind the eventual nominee."

Commitment from Candidates to Campaign for the Eventual Nominee. DNC will ask all candidates to support the Democratic nominee and "to serve as surrogates, particularly in the weeks following the Democratic National Convention, helping to flood the battleground states or take other actions as appropriate on behalf of the eventual nominee."

Approval ratings for Pres. Donald Trump versus Pres.
Bill Clinton. Chart from FiveThirtyEight

Developing State Party Unity Strategies for incorporating inclusivity at party-run events; encouraging state party chairs and vice chairs to remain neutral until after their state's contest if they have not already endorsed a candidate (or to disclose their support for a campaign if they do endorse); and offering best practices transition the party to a general election infrastructure.

Resume Bank of Democratic Staff on Campaigns and Continued Trainings. The DNC will work with campaigns to maintain a resume bank of talent coming off primary presidential campaigns so that the nominee's campaign can utilize this trained workforce, including organizers. Throughout the primary, the DNC will continue training all levels of potential campaign staff to ensure the eventual nominee has a strong pool of talented staff.

Coordinated Social Media Unity Campaign. On Sunday, Nov. 3 the Democratic presidential campaigns and other Democratic organizations participated in a coordinated social media push across multiple platforms "highlighting the field's commitment to unity and to support the eventual nominee in the general election," using the hashtag #OneYearOneTeam.

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Vortex Series #4 by Mats Fogelvik will be for sale at

The Woodworker's Journey: Concept to Creation show

for $18,000. Photo from Fogelvik

AWARD-WINNING FURNITURE MAKER MATS FOGELVIK, of Ocean View, will display a new work at the prestigious, invitation-only The Woodworker's Journey: Concept to Creation show on Maui from Tuesday, Jan. 7 to Sunday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Schaefer International Gallery. The artists' reception is held Sunday, Jan. 5.
The show features 25 artists from Hawaiʻi and the mainland "with distinguished careers in Woodworking. The combination of their ideas, materials, and know-how exemplifies functional and conceptual innovation," states an announcement of the event.

Fogelvik designed and hand crafted the table he will display at the exhibit – Vortex Series #4 – using koa, wenge, ebony, rosewood, and pheasant woods. The mirror-like high gloss finish is a trademark look of Fogelvik's work. He told The Kaʻū Calendar that this is achieved by extra buffing, which enhances the natural wood grain and protects the furniture. The table will be offered for $18,000 at the show.

Mats Fogelvik

Fogelvik was born in Sweden and lived on Maui before moving to Ocean View. He has been building high-end custom furniture for more than 20 years. He has won many awards at the annual Hawaiʻi Wood Show in Honolulufor his work, including Best of Show in 2016 and People's Choice Award this year, for the piece he will exhibit on Maui. Fogelvik is also a mainstay artist of the annual week-long retreat that creates pieces for auction in Holualoa each fall.

Learn more about the artists and his work at fogelvik.com.

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HAWAIʻI COUNTY FIRE CHIEF DARREN ROSARIO issued a statement to remind the public of rules regarding fireworks:

Aerial fireworks displays shining over homes in Pāhala

on New Years Eve are a shining but illegal sight.
Photo by Michael Worthington

It is illegal for anyone to remove the powder or pyrotechnic contents from any firework, or to throw fireworks from, at, or into any vehicle. Fireworks must only be set off between 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, and 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1. Permits shall be visibly displayed at the site of use, during the time of the firing.
It is also illegal to set off any fireworks within 1,000 feet of any hospital, convalescent home, care home for the elderly, zoo, animal hospital or shelter, or church while services are held: set off any fireworks on any school property without authorization from said school official(s); set off any fireworks on any public way, such as a highway, alley, street, sidewalk, or park.
Offering for sale, selling, or giving any fireworks to minors is illegal, as is possession, purchase, selling, setting off, igniting, or otherwise causing to explode any fireworks, except under the immediate supervision of an adult. Setting off any aerial luminary devices – commonly called Sky Lanterns or Hawaiʻi Lanterns – or any other aerial devices – such as bottle rockets, skyrockets, roman candles, cakes, mortars, or shells – is also illegal.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

TUESDAY, DEC. 24

H.O.V.E. Road Maintenance Corp. Board Mtg., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 10a.m., H.O.V.E. RMC office, 92-8979 Lehua Lane, Ocean View. 929-9910, hoveroad.com

Bell Choir and Singing at Nā‘ālehu Methodist Church, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 7:30 p.m. Open to the public. Christmas Eve celebration.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25

Kōnane, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 10a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Ancient Hawaiian game similar to checkers. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday – last Thursday, monthly – Dec. 26, 11a.m.-noon, Pāhala Community Center. 928-3102

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Artist in the Park, Friday, Dec. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

Monthly Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Dec. 27, 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Weather permitting performance held outdoors. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

Final Gymkhana Event of 2019, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9a.m., Nā‘ālehu Rodeo Arena. Sign-in and check-in 8:30a.m. Hosted by Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association.

People and Land, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

Nā‘ālehu practice. T-Ball, 3:30-4:30pm, ages 5-6. Coach Pitch, 4:30-6p.m., ages 7-8. Programs take place through April 16. Wear cleats or tennis shoes, bring a glove if possible. Extras gloves available for use. All skills and genders welcome. $35 per teammate. See Ka‘ū Youth Baseball on Facebook. Josh or Elizabeth Crook, 345-0511

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund requests volunteers to help out at monthly community cleanup events at Lae o Kamilo, along

the Waiʻōhinu coastal strand. See how to take part, below. Photo from HWF

SELLING TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO ANYONE UNDER 21 IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE, following Pres. Donald Trump signing the measure Friday. The legislation was first authored by Kaʻū's Senator, Brian Schatz. Hawaiʻi was the first state to raise the tobacco age to 21, on Jan. 1, 2016, but federal law gives it more teeth and helps prevent visiting youth from carrying it into the state. The age was 18 for sale of tobacco. The new minimum age applies to all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping cartridges.

Said Schatz, "This is a big win for public health. Raising the minimum smoking and vaping age to 21 will protect our kids and… will save more than 200,000 lives every year."

The measure is part of a larger appropriations bill, which includes $25 million for gun violence research. The funds would be shared by the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On the same day, Trump also signed a $738 defense bill, which created the first new military branch since the 1940s, Space Force.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

BENEFITING HAWAIʻI SMALL BUSINESSES is the goal of legislation enacted by Sen. Mazie Hirono and signed by Pres. Donald Trump on Friday. A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the legislation passed in the Senate as part of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

Said Hirono, "Hawaiʻi relies on small businesses to drive economic growth and spur innovation, which is why I have continued to advocate for federal programs that support these businesses. This year's NDAA makes changes to promote business opportunities for Native Hawaiian Organizations and their businesses, and to improve research opportunities for other innovative businesses in our state."

Daphne Tong-Pave, Executive Director of the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association, said, "On behalf of the NHOA Board of Directors, we extend our heartfelt mahalo to Senators Mazie Hirono, Dan Sullivan, and James Inhofe for their steadfast support of the Native Hawaiian community. Their tireless efforts were instrumental in the enactment of the FY2020 NDAA that includes many provisions benefiting Native Hawaiian Organizations and other Native Hawaiian-owned small businesses.

"In particular, the amendment to Section 811 will allow NHO-owned firms to grow their businesses and provide greater support to the Native Hawaiian community as they each strive to fulfill their unique missions that range across social and community objectives including youth programs, access to legal defense, leadership development, innovative youth education, specialized job training, health, financial literacy, business development, cultural engagement, community development, and other community needs."

The legislation provides:

Promoting Business Opportunities for Native Businesses, a provision that will expand federal contracting opportunities for Native Hawaiian Organizations, Alaska Native Corporations, and other Native businesses at the Department of Defense. Specifically, the provision raises the threshold applicable to certain DOD contracts from $20 million to $100 million, providing businesses in Hawaiʻi with the ability to compete for larger federal contracts.

Improving Research Opportunities for Innovative Businesses, provisions that will improve DOD research opportunities for Hawaiʻi businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs – two programs Hirono has continued to advocate for during her time in Congress. Specifically, the bill includes a provision to require procurement centers to support small businesses with research solicitations and provide them with technical assistance. Under the provision, small businesses would also receive assistance to commercialize research developed through the SBIR and STTR programs.

Prioritizing Innovative Research that Supports the National Defense Strategy, a provision to align research priorities for DOD, SBIR, and STTR projects with the priorities in the National Defense Science and Technology Strategy, providing clear guidance for research pursued through those programs.

During the 112th Congress, Hirono introduced legislation to increase federal agency allocations for research and development to small businesses through the SBIR and STTR programs. Those allocations were subsequently increased, and since that time the Senator has continued to support expanding federal research opportunities for Hawaii small businesses through the programs. Last year, in 2018, Hawaiʻi small businesses received 32 research awards through the SBIR and STTR programs worth $25.3 million. DOD accounted for 19 awards worth $18.2 million.

Hirono has also advocated for federal programs that support Native businesses, particularly Native small businesses, and earlier this year, in July, introduced the Native American Business Outreach Act (S. 2191), which would permanently authorize the U.S. Small Business Administration's business outreach and counseling programs for those businesses, providing more stability for Native businesses that seek assistance from SBA. Earlier this month a companion bill was introduced in the House.

This team of 17 Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund staff and volunteers, including two
young keiki, cleaned up 886 pounds of debris at Kamilo on
Saturday, Dec. 22. Photo from HWF

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HAWAIʻI WILDLIFE FUND ISSUED A YEAR IN REVIEW this week. The nonprofit environmental organization summed up the activities they and their volunteers were a part of in 2019:

Removed hundreds of invasive plants from along the banks of two coastal wetlands, and from within 129 acres of coastal dry-forest vegetation in the Kaʻū Forest Reserve.

Received and field-tested the makana, gift, of the Hōʻola One prototype from the engineering students at the University of Sherbrooke, Canada. The machine separates microplastics from beach sand and will be used by HWF team statewide.

Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund's Mattie Mae Larson, the Art &

Cleanup Coordinator for Hawaiʻi Island and owner of

Upcycle Hawaiʻi, bedecked in derelict fishing nets,

at a Hawaiʻi Island cleanup. Photo from HWF

Removed over 81,150 lbs of marine debris during 79 cleanups on 3 islands – Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, and Lānaʻi – with the help of 1,758 volunteers (total volunteer workday count).

Reached 841 students in schools on Hawaiʻi and Maui Islands with two environmental education classroom programs and outreach to youth groups in the field.

Continued collaborations with other NGOs, landowners, and government agencies to identify and evaluate efficient methods of removing invasive fish from native anchialine pool habitats.

Educated visitors about pono (proper) viewing etiquette with our daily Honu Watch efforts and recorded over 15,000 sightings of green sea turtles (honu) on Maui.

Helped guide 255 green turtle hatchlings to the ocean (from 4 nests) on Maui.

Received official notice that HWF and partners will host the 5th International Anchialine Ecosystems Symposium in Fall 2021.

HWF's Executive Director Hannah Bernard accepted the honor of being inducted as one of "Maui's heroes" at the Akakū Maui Community Media Walk of Heroes event.

Participated as lead plaintiffs in two lawsuits to protect local and national marine wildlife health, one of which was heard before the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund et al. vs. Maui County Clean Water Act case.

Upcoming Kaʻū cleanup events are Saturday, Jan. 18, Sunday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, March 21. Volunteer spaces are limited; RSVP to kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

HOLIDAY CLOSURES of all County of Hawaiʻi Recycling and Solid Waste Transfer Stations, Landfills, and Facilities are announced by the county. All locations will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 25 and Wednesday, Jan. 1, in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

COASTAL FLOODING AND HIGH WINDS FROM THE SOUTH are possible for the next few days, states a Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service. Flooding will most likely occur during high tides, "between midnight and daybreak each day. These water levels combined with the potential for heavy rainfall and strong southerly winds Tuesday through Wednesday could exacerbate flooding in these low-lying coastal areas due to poor drainage.

"Impacts of the higher than normal water levels may include flooding of beaches that normally remain dry, salt water inundation of typically vulnerable low-lying roads, docks, boat ramps, and other coastal infrastructure. The potential for coastal flooding will diminish by the end of the upcoming weekend as the peak daily tides lower."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday – last Thursday, monthly – Dec. 26, 11a.m.-noon, Pāhala Community Center. 928-3102

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Artist in the Park, Friday, Dec. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

Monthly Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Dec. 27, 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Weather permitting performance held outdoors. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo

Final Gymkhana Event of 2019, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9a.m., Nā‘ālehu Rodeo Arena. Sign-in and check-in 8:30a.m. Hosted by Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association.

People and Land, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday – last Tuesday, monthly – Dec. 31, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

KMC New Year's Eve Party, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 5-8p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. Blue Tattoo and midnight toast. $10 cover charge for non-KMC guests. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Tiny churches across Kaʻū threw their doors open to everyone last evening and today for Christmas, this one in Nāʻālehu.

Photo by Julia Neal

MELE KALIKIMAKA, Merry Christmas in Hawaiian, "is the thing to say, on a bright, Hawaiian Christmas Day," goes the song, written in 1949 by Robert Alex Anderson and popularized by Don Ho, Alfred Apaka, Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffet, The Beach Boys and many other artists.

The phrase Mele Kalikimaka is the attempt to say "Merry Christmas" in the native language. Without letters such as "r" and "s" in the Hawaiian language, the written form became Mele Kalikimaka. Mele Kalikimaka is celebrated by the Hawaiian community, including on board the Polynesian sailing canoe Hōkūleʻa during its travels.

Henry Opukahaʻia

The celebration of Christ's birth came to the island nation in the late 1700s, from sailing explorers and missionaries, after Capt. James Cook landed in Hawaiʻi on Jan. 18, 1778.

On Dec. 25, 1786, Capt. George Dixon of the Queen Charlotte ordered his cooks to prepare a Christmas dinner, with pork, a pie, and a bowl of punch. They fetched a pig from shore and roasted it. They made a spiked punch with coconut milk. In some story telling, the event is called Hawaiʻi's first Christmas.
Henry Opukahaʻia, of Punaluʻu, traveled to New England on the ship Triumph in 1807 and became one of the first Hawaiians to become a Christian. He experienced Christmas on the mainland. He encouraged missionaries to move to Hawaiʻi to set up schools and churches, and to aid the native population who were losing their culture, and health, with the influx of mercantile trading ship crews coming to the Island. Those trading ships also brought glimpses of Christmas to Hawaiʻi.

In 1817, a Christmas dinner was offered to Hawaiian chiefs who visited a sailing ship. The English crew took the feast to the shore on Christmas Day.
In 1819, English Capt. Nathaniel Portlock wrote: "Kiana came off in a long double canoe and brought me a present of some hogs and vegetables which I received gladly, and made in a return that pleased him very much." Since there was giving back and forth, this event has been called the first exchange of Christmas gifts in Hawaiʻi.
The first American missionaries arrived to Hawaiʻi on the ship Thaddeus on March 30, 1820. Hiram and Sybil Bingla, and Asa and Lucy Thurston, brought Christmas with them. The first English missionaries arrived in 1822. Many more missionaries followed.

Capt. Nathaniel Portlock exchanged
Christmas gifts with Hawaiians in 1819.

In 1824, Queen Kaʻahumanu was baptized and Christmas celebrations slowly entered the native culture. By the 1840s, The Polynesian newspaper printed Christmas messages. Schoolmasters noted that students talked about exchanging gifts.
By 1856, King Kamehameha IV, Alex Liholiho, had traveled to Europe, where he witnessed a Christmas celebration. He declared Dec. 25, 1856, a national day of Thanksgiving in Hawaiʻi. People from many backgrounds celebrated in their own ways and together.
The first Christmas tree and Santa Claus in Hawaiʻi were reported at a Christmas Eve party for youth held by Mary Dominis at Washington Place, the Hawaiian monarch's home in Honolulu.

In 1862, King Kamehameha IV proclaimed Christmas a national holiday in Hawaiʻi. Christmas parades included torches and candles. Fireworks and champagne celebrated Christmas. Newspapers advertised the purchase of gifts to give one another.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

THE HELCO NAME WILL BE RETIRED. Hawaiian Electric is the new name for all the utilities under Hawaiian Electric Companies, including Hawaiʻi Electric Light for Hawaiʻi Island. Starting in January, the three utilities that serve 95 percent of Hawaiʻi's residents will be united under the common name: Hawaiian Electric. Operating across Hawaiʻi Island, Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi, Hawaiian Electric employs 2,700 people, who serve more than 460,000 customers.

For six years, states the announcement on the utility's website, Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries, Maui Electric and Hawaiʻi Electric Light, "have worked to align operations and share resources to work more efficiently and deliver greater value to customers. This initiative, known as One Company, has relied on technology, including a new software platform, and continuous improvement practices to reduce redundancies and share expertise and resources."

The new logo.

The transition to the Hawaiian Electric name will take place over the next several months, with changes to signage, bills, correspondence, and websites. The company will continue to use the distinctive logo created by Hilo designer Sig Zane in 2013.

Legally, the company will adopt a "doing business as," dba, model, with the three individual corporate entities remaining but all doing business as Hawaiian Electric.
Maui Electric was acquired by Hawaiian Electric in 1968 and Hilo Electric Light, later named Hawaiʻi Electric Light, was acquired in 1970.

For many years, the companies "operated as three separate organizations under separate leadership, sharing few common practices even though they were doing the same kind of work," states the announcement. "Aided by technology and driven by the transformation of the utility industry from a regulated monopoly to a highly competitive business, the One Company strategy has consolidated purchasing power, aligned operations under common management, and instituted best practices for safety and efficiency."

The old logo.

The company states the representatives at the three call centers can now help customers on any island, and are able to back each other up when call volume is heavy due to an outage or some other event. "That's resulted in faster, more responsive service, and shorter wait times," states the announcement.

Hawaiian Electric has also committed to $246 million in customer savings over 12 years.

Leadership of the company's operating areas comes not just from Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island.

President and CEO of Hawaiian Electric, Alan Oshima, said, "We're taking this step as the logical completion of our One Company strategy. This transformative effort has created an enterprise that is unified in its commitment to our customers and our state, and we want to communicate that through one familiar and trusted name.

"Maui Electric and Hawaiʻi Electric Light are names with proud histories and they won't be forgotten. Hawaiian Electric is an inclusive name that is true and authentic, given our 128-year history of local ownership. It conveys that we're not just in Hawaiʻi but that we're of Hawaiʻi.

"Having three different names continues the three-company mindset," continued Oshima. "By having one common and inclusive name that is of Hawaiʻi, not just of one place, we signal that we are a strong and united team working for all the people of the five islands we serve."
See hawaiianelectric.com.

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FIREWORK SAFETY IS ON THE MIND of Hawaiʻi Fire Department, which asks "everyone to please Kokua" in helping to prevent fires and avoid unnecessary injuries caused by fireworks each year:

Fireworks are festive staples of the New Year
celebration, but HFD urges caution when using the
incendiary devices. Photo by Julia Neal

•Use extreme care when setting off fireworks. Children interacting with or near fireworks should be under a sober adult's close supervision at all times. Even the smallest of fireworks can cause severe injuries that will quickly ruin the holidays.

•Fireworks should be set off in an area well away from dry grass or flammable materials.

•Fireworks should be completely extinguished and cool before being disposed of.

•Have a fire extinguisher and/or a water hose ready to use. Be sure water can reach all areas fireworks activities and around any buildings. Wetting down any dry, grassy areas before and after setting off fireworks is recommended. Preparing will verify water can reach any places necessary in case of an unexpected fire.
For more information on purchasing fireworks permits, or the use of fireworks, call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2911 (Hilo) or 323-4760 (Kona).

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Ka‘ū Food Basket, Thursday – last Thursday, monthly – Dec. 26, 11a.m.-noon, Pāhala Community Center. 928-3102

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Artist in the Park, Friday, Dec. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

Monthly Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Dec. 27, 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Weather permitting performance held outdoors. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

Final Gymkhana Event of 2019, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9a.m., Nā‘ālehu Rodeo Arena. Sign-in and check-in 8:30a.m. Hosted by Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association.

People and Land, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday – last Tuesday, monthly – Dec. 31, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Vote for the Best Cottage Decorations at Kīlauea Military Camp through Tuesday, Jan. 1. The public is invited to stroll along the sidewalks around the KMC Cottages where the staff has entered a contest for best Christmas decorations. The outdoor displays are best seen at night. KMC is located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball League: Ocean View Team - Mondays and Wednesdays, Kahuku Park. Nā‘ālehu Team - Tuesdays and Thursdays,

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park hosts the 11th annual Volcano Awareness Month in January, with events in and around
the Park, and all over the island. See the Park events that will happen next month, below. NPS photos

ACCESS ROAD TO MAUNAKEA'S SUMMIT WILL REOPEN TO THE PUBLIC, as will HalePohakuVisitorCenter, on Saturday, Dec. 28. According to a statement from the mayor's office, the clearing of the access road will "involve the collaborative efforts of State and County agencies working together with the protectors." The process allowed access to the summit for "telescope personnel, ranchers, conservation workers, hunters and cultural practitioners," starting today.

Vehicles headed up to Maunakea's summit. Photo from Big Island Video News

Mayor Harry Kim announced the agreement for this access was reached with kiaʻi, protectors, of Maunakea, today, day 167 of the standoff, for a stand down of "at least two months." They will not have to leave the mauna, but will allow access to the road up to the summit.
Dr. Noe Noe Wong-Wilson, one of the kūpuna arrested for blocking the access road on July 17, said, "I declare this a victory on our part. A victory because this is an opportunity for us in this Lono season… to do what our ancestors did. This is the time for negotiation, for diplomacy, for reassessment, to live in our environment the way that our environment is telling us to live."
The kiaʻi had encamped at the access road to the summit since July 15. They were given a warning to vacate by today, or face arrest, last week, the same day Gov. David Ige announced that the project they were protesting, the Thirty Meter Telescope, would not be built on Maunkea "at this time."
Kim communicated with the protectors via a letter, sent to kūpuna:
"The TMT Project has informed State officials and Mayor Kim that there will be no attempt to deliver construction equipment to the Maunakea site anytime soon. I, Mayor Kim, give you my personal assurances that no attempt will be made to move TMT construction equipment up the mountain for a minimum of two months. During this time, at least until the end of February 2020, the protectors are requested to move the Kūpuna tent which is currently on the roadway to the side of the road. This will provide open access to the general public to drive up the road to the Maunakea Visitor Center or to the summit region. This clearance of the roadway will help ensure the safety of visitors and protectors.

Dr. Noe Noe Wong-Wilson.
Photo from Big Island Video News

"During this time, State and County agencies and law enforcement will agree to stand down. There will be no attempt by State of Hawaiʻi law enforcement agencies or Hawaiʻi County Police Department to remove the protectors' encampment from the sides of Maunakea Access Road or from Puʻuhonua o Puʻuhuluhulu.
"It is hoped that during this peaceful time, communication between government officials, the astronomy community, community leaders, and protectors will continue. I, Mayor Kim will continue to work with TMT to extend the two-month stand-down period if necessary."

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POSSIBLE COASTAL FLOODING CONTINUES for the next few days, states a Special Weather Statement from the National Weather Service. Flooding will most likely occur during high tide, "late at night. Impacts of the higher than normal water levels may include flooding of beaches that normally remain dry, salt water inundation of typically vulnerable low-lying roads, docks, boat ramps, and other coastal infrastructure."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Aunty Edna Baldado discusses eating and living healthier

with traditional Hawaiian foods. NPS photo

JANUARY IS VOLCANO AWARENESS MONTH and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park will host After Dark in the Park talks and guided hikes with U.S. Geologic Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists all month. In addition, the Park continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiian culture, stewardship programs and opportunities to explore the Kahuku Unit throughout January 2020. Events are free, but entrance fees may apply. Some programs are co-sponsored by Friends of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association:

Guided hikes of Kīlauea Iki Crater, Mondays, Jan. 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 10 a.m. Meet Park Ranger Michael Newman at the Kīlauea Iki Overlook parking lot. The four-mile (6.4 km) Kīlauea Iki Trail is one of the Park's iconic hiking trails, a popular destination for hikers who cross a steaming crater floor through the intersection of eruption and native rainforest. Most leave without knowing how the crater was formed, or how three eruptions since 1823 have filled it with more than 400 feet (120 m) of lava. Delve into the secrets of Kīlauea. Discover how fountains of lava from the giant brick-red cone, Pu‘u Pua‘i, jetted up 1,900 feet (579 m) in 1959 and left behind a 50-foot (15 m) bathtub ring of lava residue on the crater walls. Moderately difficult with an elevation gain of 400 feet (120 m).

Transitions: What's next for HVO and the volcanoes it monitors?, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 7 p.m., Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. This presentation will be repeated at UH-Hilo on Jan. 9. Both 2018 and 2019 were years of profound change at Kīlauea Volcano and the USGS HVO. Devastation caused by the largest lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse in at least 200 years resulted in many transitions for island residents, including HVO. Tina Neal, Scientist-in-Charge of the HVO, describes the current status of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa and what might be coming next. She also recaps HVO's situation since having to vacate its building at Kīlauea's summit in 2018, and shares info on the exciting next steps for the volcano observatory in 2020 and beyond. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park series.

‘Ai Pono – Healthy Hawaiian foods, Wednesday, Jan. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. ‘Anakē (Aunty) Edna Baldado discusses eating and living healthier with native Hawaiian foods like kalo (the staple food of Hawaiians), ‘uala (sweet potato) and ‘ulu (breadfruit). Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ‘Ike Hana No‘eau, Experience the Skillful Work, workshops.

Ranger Keoni Kaholo‘a‘ā shares his knowledge of

how to pound kalo and make poi. NPS photo

A walk through Kīlauea Volcano's summit history, Thursday, Jan. 9; Friday, Jan. 17; Wednesday, Jan. 22; and Saturday, Jan. 25. Meet at Devastation Trail parking lot on Crater Rim Drive; arrive early, as the guided walk to Keanakākoʻi Crater begins promptly at 8 a.m. Join USGS HVO scientist emeritus Don Swanson on a two-hour walk, learning about the past 500 years of Kīlauea Volcano's history as revealed by rocks, craters, and cracks. Along the walk, Swanson points out and explains some of the features that formed during the 2018 summit collapse events, as well as the best publicly accessible display of explosive deposits erupted from Kīlauea around 230-370 years ago, one of which probably relates to an important oral tradition. Swanson also shows two contrasting vents for the July 1974 eruption, highlights the thick deposit of pumice and scoria erupted in 1959, and ponders the origin of Keanakāko‘i Crater. A ranger will be available to answer questions about the Park.

Hike the path of Mauna Loa's 1868 lava flow, Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m., Kahuku Unit. RCUH-HVO geologists Katie Mulliken and Lil DeSmither lead this guided hike along the Pu‘u o Lokuana trail in the Kahuku Unit of the Park. During the hike, learn about the eruptive history, structure, and current status of Mauna Loa, Earth's largest active volcano, as you traverse lava flows from its 1868 eruption. Katie and Lil explain the volcanic features along the trail and tell the story of the destructive eruption and associated earthquakes in 1868. They also share information on how HVO monitors Mauna Loa, which has erupted 33 times since 1843, most recently in 1984. A park ranger will assist with the hike to answer questions about Kahuku.

What's happening at Kīlauea Volcano's summit?, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m., at Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Kīlauea Volcano's summit has been in an eruptive pause since the 2018 events ended over a year ago. Nevertheless, it remains a dynamic place. Ongoing inflation and seismicity indicate that the summit magma chamber is gradually recharging. A water lake, unprecedented in the written historical record, appeared at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u in late July 2019 and has steadily risen. What are the potential hazards at Kīlauea's summit? Could explosive activity return? What is known about the water lake? How is it monitored? Join USGS HVO geologists Matt Patrick and Tricia Nadeau as they answer these questions and more. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park series.

Explore Kahuku Unit during Volcano Awareness Month. NPS photo

Hike back in time to the 1969-74 Mauna Ulu eruption, Saturday, Jan. 18. Meet at Mauna Ulu parking lot before the 10 a.m. start time. USGS VO geologist Dr. Carolyn Parcheta leads this two-hour guided walk along the fissure that started the Mauna Ulu eruption on May 24, 1969. Lava continued to erupt over the next five years, making it the longest observed effusive rift eruption at the time. The eruption ultimately built a lava shield, Mauna Ulu, growing mountain, a prominent landmark on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. It also sent lava flows to the coast and allowed for detailed observations of eruption processes. During the walk, Parcheta describes how fissures form, how lava fountains erupt, how these eruptions create the environment you see, and why some lava drained back into the ground. She also discusses her research that revealed just how deep the fissure extends into the ground. A park ranger assists to answer questions about the Park.

Fee-Free Day in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Monday, Jan. 20. All fee-charging national parks – including Hawai‘i Volcanoes, Pu‘uhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and Haleakalā National Park – will have free entry that day. For a complete list of fee-free dates in 2020, go to nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm.

Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone 2019: quiet but insightful, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 7 p.m., at Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. In the year since Kīlauea Volcano's notable 2018 eruption ended, the lower East Rift Zone has been relatively quiet. But USGS HVO scientists continue to gain insight into the eruption through ongoing research and monitoring. For answers to some of the many questions asked by island residents – Why did the fissures erupt along a linear pattern? How long will it take for the lava to solidify? Why is vegetation still dying in the area? – join USGS HVO geologist Carolyn Parcheta as she explores these and other queries and shares recent observations and findings by HVO scientists. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park series.

Kaʻū Actor Dick Hershberger as Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar.

NPS photo/Janice Wei

Ku‘i kalo – Pound poi, Wednesday, Jan. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon, at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Make poi, the staple food of the Hawaiian diet. The root of the kalo plant is cooked and ku‘i (pounded) to create this classic Hawaiian dish. Join Ranger Keoni Kaholo‘a‘ā as he shares his knowledge of kalo. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes’ ‘Ike Hana No‘eau, Experience the Skillful Work, workshops.

Seismicity of the 2018 Kīlauea Volcano eruption, Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m., at Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium. The 2018 Kīlauea eruption produced unprecedented levels of seismicity in the volcano's instrumented history. USGS HVO documented about 80,000 earthquakes during the three-month eruption, starting with the dramatic collapse of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō cone on April 30 and ending with the final Kīlauea summit caldera collapse event on Aug. 5. The sequence included a magnitude-6.9 south flank earthquake, the largest for Hawai‘i in 45 years. HVO seismologist Brian Shiro recounts the 2018 earthquake story, including how HVO adapted its techniques to monitor the events, and describes current levels of seismicity and HVO's ongoing efforts to improve seismic monitoring. Part of Hawai‘i Volcanoes' ongoing After Dark in the Park series.

Stewardship of Kīpukapuaulu, every Thursday at 9:30 a.m., Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. Meet at the Kīpukapuaulu parking lot, Mauna Loa Road, off Highway 11 in the Park. Help remove troublesome plants at Kīpukapuaulu, home to diverse native forest and understory plants. Bring clippers or pruners, sturdy gloves, a hat, and water. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothing that you don’t mind getting permanently stained from morning glory sap. Be prepared for cool and wet or hot and sunny weather. New volunteer? Contact Marilyn Nicholson for more info: nickem@hawaii.rr.com.

Stewardship at the Summit, Jan. 3, 11, 17, and 25. Meet at 8:45 a.m. Meet project leaders Paul and Jane Field at Kīlauea Visitor Center. Volunteer to help remove invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, a World Heritage Site. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring a hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves and tools are provided. Under 18? Parental or guardian accompaniment or written consent is required. Visit the park website for additional planning details: nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/summit_stewardship.htm

Monday, Jan. 20 is the fee-free Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.

Park visitors can explore the park and its unique resources – like

the Pu‘u Loa Petroglyphs – for free. NPS photo/Janice Wei

A Walk into the Past with Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, Tuesdays, Jan. 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Each performance is about an hour. Meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center. Walk back to 1912, and meet the founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Dr. Thomas A. Jaggar, at the edge of Kīlauea Volcano. Dressed in period costume, Ka‘ū actor-director Dick Hershberger brings the renowned geologist to life. Dr. Jaggar will lead a tour of his tiny lab located below the Volcano House to see original seismograph equipment and other early instruments. Learn what motivated Dr. Jaggar to dedicate his life to the study of Hawaiian volcanoes, and how his work helps save lives today. Space is limited; pick up free tickets at the Kīlauea Visitor Center's front desk the day of the program. Program includes climbing stairs and entering a confined space. Supported by the Kīlauea Drama Entertainment.

Explore Kahuku. The Kahuku Unit is free, and is open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Take a self-guided hike, or join rangers on weekends for a two-hour guided trek at 9:30 a.m. Enter the Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on the mauka (inland) side of Highway 11 near mile marker 70.5. Kahuku is located in Ka‘ū, and is about a 50-minute drive south of the Park's main entrance. Sturdy footwear, water, rain gear, sun protection, and a snack are recommended for all hikes.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Boys Basketball

Sat., Dec. 28 host Kohala

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Kahuku Coffee Talk: Artist in the Park, Friday, Dec. 27, 9:30-11a.m., Kahuku Unit Visitor Contact Station. Free. nps.gov/havo

Monthly Mele & Hula ‘Auana Performances, Friday, Dec. 27, 4-5:30p.m., Volcano Art Center. Weather permitting performance held outdoors. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo

Final Gymkhana Event of 2019, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9a.m., Nā‘ālehu Rodeo Arena. Sign-in and check-in 8:30a.m. Hosted by Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association.

People and Land, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday – last Tuesday, monthly – Dec. 31, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

KMC New Year's Eve Party, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 5-8p.m., Kīlauea Military Camp's Lava Lounge, in HVNP. Blue Tattoo and midnight toast. $10 cover charge for non-KMC guests. Open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. 967-8356, kilaueamilitarycamp.com

THURSDAY, JAN. 2

Women's Expression Group, Thursday, Jan. 2 – 1st Thursday monthly – 3-4:30p.m., PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, Jan. 2, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Mtg., Thursday, Jan. 2, 6:30-8:30p.m., Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

T-Ball and Coach Pitch Baseball League: Ocean View Team - Mondays and Wednesdays, Kahuku Park. Nā‘ālehu Team - Tuesdays and Thursdays,

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Voting on best decorated Kīlauea Military Camp cottages goes through Tuesday, Jan. 1. Check out end of year
KMC activities, below. Photo by Michael Worthington

OCEAN VIEW HAWAIʻI SKATEPARK organizers will hold a design workshop tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 28, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Ocean View Community Center. It is open to "all who plan to use the park," said Travis Aucoin, head of the project.

Organizers are seeking donations, helpers, grant writers, and servers. Aucoin – who helped build and start the Kona Skatepark – said he wants to involve local skateboarders and skaters, whom he hopes "will have a big influence on the skatepark design." The public is invited to skatepark design

Advocacy meeting for the project at Ocean View
Community Center. The special half pipe cake
was made by local mom Deseray Seaver.

Photo from Travis Aucoin

workshops, fundraisers, and to develop a personal stake in the facility. Aucoin said that being involved with such a community improvement project "will ultimately lead to better stewardship principles." He said skateparks "are good for the community."

Aucoin said he hopes local skaters will indicate particular preferences for styles of terrain, and infrastructure like the halfpipe, bank ramps, ledges, rails, spine ramp, funbox, bowl, and roll ins. He said, "There are so many designs, so putting what is most needed in the plan is important."

An Oregon-based skatepark design company, Evergreen Skateparks, is going to work with the community, stated Aucoin. "If we have the right designer for the skatepark project, they should be able to explain any portion of the skatepark design plan in ways that address the needs of the community," he said.

Micah Roberts of Ocean View, age 6, said, "Having a skate park here would

be great because I would get to skate!" Fierra Roberts of Ocean View, age 10,

said, she would like a skate park in Ocean View "so kids can have social time

and have fun with their parents and friends." Photo from Travis Aucoin

Organizers recently held a skateboard movie night. With popcorn, snacks, and refreshments, community members watched skateboard movies and talked story about the Oceanview Hawaiʻi Skatepark plan. Staff and students from Harmony Home School attended, and provided cupcakes and treats.
Aucoin explained that the planned Ocean View roller skate rink – see September's The Kaʻū Calendar– is a separate project.
Aucoin said Kaimi Kaupiko, known for his work with Miloliʻi youth, assisted in setting up a funds account for the skatepark. Kaupiko's Kalanihale organization has offered to be a fiscal sponsor for the project. Aucoin said he will be meet with Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation regarding the proposed Ocean View location on county land.

There are donation jars in Ocean View at Kuhuku Garden and Gift shop.
Tony Hawk Foundation posted to Facebook: "Love this. THIS is community support in action. Nice work! You're on the ball! Keep up the good work."

The proposed location of skatepark.
Photo from Travis Aucoin

For skatepark fundraising ideas and help, contact Kaimi Kaupiko at 937-1310.

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HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK STAFF AND KAʻŪ RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN HELPING to search for missing six-year old Benjamin "Benny" Rapoza, who was last seen at his home in Hilo in the 2100 block of Kalanianaole Street, around 3 p.m. last Friday, Dec. 20.

A prayer vigil was set for today at 5 p.m. in Keokaha. Rapoza is described by Hawaiʻi County police as "local, standing about 3-feet tall, weighing about 50 pounds, slim build, with short brown hair, brown eyes, and a fair complexion. He was last seen wearing only a diaper. Police are concerned for his welfare as Benjamin is diagnosed with nonverbal autism."

Anyone with information on Rapoza's whereabouts or who may have seen him in the Keaukaha area is asked to call Detective BJ Sagon at (808) 961-8883 or email bobbie-jo.sagon@hawaiicounty.gov.

Family members, friends, and volunteers were joined in the search by Hawaiʻi Fire Department, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, U.S. Coast Guard, "Team Adam" from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, both Area I and II Criminal Investigations Divisions, and South Hilo Patrol. The multi-agency air, land, and sea effort yielded no results for the missing keiki. HPD reported that rain and heightened ocean swells "hampered portions of the search and posed a navigation hazard to the fire department's rescue vessel, requiring it return to shore" on Dec. 21

Benjamin Rapoza, six years old with
nonverbal Autism, has been missing from
Keaukaha for a week. Photo from HPD

The ground search for Rapoza was suspended on Christmas Eve. The investigation continues, with detectives from the Area I Juvenile Aid Section actively responding to any new information and tips. Police continue to ask anyone with information on Rapoza's whereabouts or who may have seen him to call Detective BJ Sagon at (808) 961-8883, (808) 935-3311, or email bobbie-jo.sagon@hawaiicounty.gov.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers does not record calls or subscribe to any Caller ID service. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

Clarissa Pua of Pāhala told The Kaʻū Calendar of her and husband Duane's experience, searching for the missing child. She said they found out about Rapoza going missing on Saturday evening and left Kaʻū to join the search at about 9 p.m. She refers to the Rapoza's as "dear friends." She said she contacted the child's mother, who calls Rapoza "Big Boy."

"As we got there, a (search area) map and flyers were laid out. There were cops, fire department, rangers, divers… This has been farmost the hardest situation I/we have faced. As we chose a section to search at night, you could see flashlights of search volunteers up and down the shoreline and roads of Kaeukaha, calling out 'Benny!'" Some played Spongebob, because "Benny Boy loves Spongebob." She said they searched through the night, until 5 a.m.

Pua said there were "so many different stories and leads to his whereabouts," but no sign of him. She said search teams went over the same ground repeatedly, "making sure we didn't miss a thing… As the days went by, my husband and I knew we would have to return home to Kaʻū, to attend our normal duties. Leaving was yet the hardest thing to do."

She said she and her husband continue to support the search and are trying to be of help "in any way possible." She said that being home, seeing the reports about Rapoza not yet being found, is heart wrenching, but being there was harder still. "We ask, if anyone knows (anything) or sees Benny Boy, to please make contact with the police… Thank you all for your support… tears… we love you Benny Boy."

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Nesting and breeding nēnē in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park need protection, despite a healthy increase in numbers since
the low in 1952. NPS photo

TO PROTECT BREEDING AND NESTING NĒNĒ, the threatened Hawaiian goose, Pu‘u Pua‘i Overlook and parking lot in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park are temporarily closed. The gate is secured at the parking lot, near the intersection of Chain of Craters Road and Crater Rim Drive. Visitors are able to hike about 0.4 miles of Devastation Trail from the Devastation Trail parking lot to a trail sign marking the closure.

In 1952, only 30 nēnē remained statewide. Hawai‘i VolcanoesNational Park began efforts to recover the imperiled geese in the 1970s. The Nēnē Recovery Program continues today, and more than 200 birds thrive in the park from sea level to around 8,000 feet.

Pu‘u Pua‘i is a massive reddish-brown cindercone that formed during an eruption at Kīlauea Iki crater in 1959. Evidence of this eruption is visible in the form of small tephra cinders that blanket the ground along old Crater Rim Drive towards Keanakāko‘i Crater.

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The Rotary Club decorated the side of this KMC cottage.

Photo by Michael Worthington

VOTE FOR THE BEST DECORATED COTTAGE at Kīlauea Military Camp by Tuesday, Jan. 1. The public is invited to stroll along the sidewalks around the KMC Cottages where the staff has entered a contest for best Christmas decorations. The outdoor displays are best seen at night. KMC is located within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

KMC will kick off 2020 with a New Year's Eve Party on Tuesday, Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. at the Lava Lounge will have live music from Blue Tattoo. The $10 cover charge includes a champagne toast at midnight. On Wednesday, Jan 1, KMC will hold a New Year's Day Buffet at Crater Rim Café, from 7 a.m. to noon. The menu features Roast Beef, Chicken Picata, Omelet Station, Bacon SOS & Biscuits, Waffles, Breakfast Potatoes, Steamed Rice, Fresh Fruit, Ice Cream Sundae Bar, Brownies, and a beverage. Adults are $19.95, children 6 to 11 years old are $10.95. Both events are open to authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply. Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Tue., Jan. 14 host Konawaena

Boys Basketball

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Mon., Jan. 13 host Hilo

Wed., Jan. 15 host Kealakehe

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Wed., Jan. 15 @Konawaena

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

Birth of Kahuku, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:30-11:30a.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy-to-moderate hike. nps.gov/havo

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

Final Gymkhana Event of 2019, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9a.m., Nā‘ālehu Rodeo Arena. Sign-in and check-in 8:30a.m. Hosted by Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association.

People and Land, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday – last Tuesday, monthly – Dec. 31, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

THURSDAY, JAN. 2

Women's Expression Group, Thursday, Jan. 2 – 1st Thursday monthly – 3-4:30p.m., PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, Jan. 2, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Mtg., Thursday, Jan. 2, 6:30-8:30p.m., Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

FRIDAY, JAN. 3

Fit & Firm Volcano Medium Intensity Strength Adult Exercise Class - 4 weeks, Fridays, starting Jan. 3, 8-9a.m.,Volcano Art Center. Payment in full of $36 due at first class session, check or exact change. No make-ups, roll-overs or prorating for missed classes. Limited to 15 people. Must call to reserve spot in advance. No drop-ins. Puakea, 315-9130, volcanoartcenter.org, soulfitnesshawaii
pksm.com

Strong Seniors Chair Exercise Class - 4 weeks, Fridays, starting Jan. 3, 10-11a.m.,Volcano Art Center. Payment in full of $45 due at first class session, check or exact change. No make-ups, roll-overs or prorating for missed classes. No drop ins. Limited to 15 people. Reserve spot in advance. Puakea, 315-9130, volcanoartcenter.org, soulfitnesshawaiipksm.com

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

A gymkhana, showing off a range of rodeo skills of Kaʻū keiki and youth, will be held on Sunday, Dec. 29 at

Nāʻālehu Arena. Sponsored by Kaʻū Riding & Roping Association Sign-in and check-in is at 8:30 a.m.,

events start at 9 a.m. Photo by Katie Graham

GRANTSTATION MEMBERSHIP is free to County of Hawaiʻi residents and organizations. The county Department of Research & Development has secured free access to the "premiere online database with information about grant awards and funding opportunities from public and private sources." To begin registration, complete this online form. Contact Marcia Yoshiyama at marcia.yoshiyama@hawaiicounty.gov for assistance.

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BREAKTHROUGH 2020: YOUR MIRACLE IS HERE will be held at Nāʻālehu Assembly of God from Sunday, Jan. 12 through Saturday, Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 19 at 9:45 a.m. Apostle Kola Emiola of Dominion Impact Church of Ibadan in Nigeriawill make a special presentation, "School of Miracles," on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Free and open to the public, the week of "Your Life Will Never Be the Same" will feature Bishop Matthew and Laura Torres Sr. of Zion's House of Praise, Pastor Sam and Kim Souza of Solid Rock East Hawaiʻi, Pastor Stanley Mizuno and Pastor Dexsilyn Navarro or Thy Word Kaʻū, Pastor Troy and Heather Gacayan of River of Life Assembly of God, Apostle Emiola, and Pastor Kevin and Minda Brown of Nāʻālehu Assembly of God.

The church also offers a free movie night on the first Friday of the month, at 6:30 p.m. January's showing is The Case for Christ.

The church is located at 95-5678 Māmalahoa Hwy, at the 64 mile marker. Call 808-929-7278 with questions.

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LEARN ABOUT KIDNEYS AND THEIR FUNCTION at Aloha Kidney in Kaʻū on Thursday afternoons, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.form Jan. 16 through Feb 20, at Kaʻū Resource Center, 96-3126 Puahala St. in Pāhala. The free class series is lead by retired kidney doctor Ramona Wong, MD.

The announcement about the class asks attendees to bring a pen and invite "those who love you to enroill, especially if they buy/cook your food." The class is open to "anyone who loves their kidneys, especially if they have Chronic Kidney Disease, excess protein in urine, or decreased glomerular filtration rate."

The class sessions each focus on different aspects of CKD: Jan. 16, You and your kidneys: What kidneys do, what happens when they fail; Jan. 23, Aloha kidney: How to slow loss of kidney function, protect what's left; Jan. 30, Kidney, heart, brain connection: Why at risk and what to do about it; Feb 6, Food, labs, meds . . . help?! Understand what matters with CKD; Feb. 13, Options if kidneys fail: Dialysis, transplant, natural life options; Feb. 20, Choices: Others share their journey with dialysis, transplant, natural life.

Enroll online at alohakidney.com or call (808) 585-8404.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

Jo Schmith examining ash from Katla volcano

in Iceland. Photo courtesy Jo Schmith

UNDERSTANDING KĪLAUEA'S EXPLOSIVE ERUPTIONS is the focus of this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory affiliate Johanne Schmith, Danish postdoctoral fellow:

Kīlauea Volcano attracts researchers from all over the world. Dr. Johanne (Jo) Schmith joined the ranks of USGS HVO in June to study some deposits of past Kīlaueaexplosions – a timely endeavor given the presence of water in the caldera today.

Jo is a physical volcanologist, field enthusiast, and true ash aficionado, but a career in volcanology was not an obvious choice for someone growing up in the rolling grasslands of Denmark. However, Jo has always enjoyed taking the path less traveled, and after watching scientists studying active volcanoes on TV, she knew she had to be one of them.

Jo went to the University of Copenhagen to pursue a Master's degree in geoscience, with a double major in geology and geophysics during her undergrad years. Loving the outdoors, she participated in as much fieldwork as she could, and she joined a seismic survey team to work in Denmark, Ukraine, and Norway, progressing to manage field camps. These experiences gave her a solid background for carrying out fieldwork in environments spanning sunny cornfields to cold barren mountains north of the Arctic Circlewhile dealing with multiple cultures and languages, sleep deprivation, tight deadlines, equipment failure, and once a trip to a local police station to retrieve a seismometer that someone had mistaken for a bomb.

Unfortunately, there were no opportunities to study volcanology in Copenhagen, so Jo fundraised to go to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hiloin 2006 for a semester of volcanology and volcano monitoring. Field trips to active lava flows taught her invaluable lessons about real-life volcanology, and Hawaiʻi won a very special place in her heart.

Master's research took Jo to the Cape VerdeIslandsin Africa. She was the first to map and sample the volcanological features of the island of Boa Vista, and she gained new field experience dealing with hot deserts, cobblestone highways, and transporting the occasional hitchhiking goat and owner between villages. She used chemical analysis of the volcanic rocks to search for their origin deep within the Earth's mantle and made a melting model of the islands.

On her way to a vacation in Icelandin 2010, Jo flew past the first puffs of the Eyjafjallajökull ash cloud that made headlines around the world for closing European air space. The close personal encounter got her interested in volcanic ash. She won a Nordvulk Fellowship and moved to Icelandwith her family to pursue a double PhD degree at the University of Iceland and University of Copenhagen in the physical volcanology of explosive eruptions.

The hot green pond in Halemaʻumaʻu is more orange-yellow as of Wednesday, Dec. 18, from sulfur, according to

HVO scientists. The pond was 189 m (650 ft) long and approximately 600 m (1970 ft) below the western caldera rim

as of Dec. 18. USGS photo

Jo wanted to explain why two explosive eruptions from Katla volcano were unusually large. She conducted a field study, sampled the ash deposits from the eruptions, and started investigating the formation of the ash in the lab. Specifically, she developed a new systematic way to classify ash samples in terms of how much magma-water interaction had influenced the explosions that generated the ash. She showed that water interacted differently with the magma than previously thought and that the explosive potential of the Icelandic volcanoes is grossly underestimated.

Now Jo has joined forces with scientists at HVO and UH Mānoa to study the explosive past of Kīlauea Volcano represented by the Keanakākoʻi Tephra. She has been awarded a two-year postdoctoral fellowship from the Danish Carlsberg Foundation and will use her expertise to evaluate the role of water in explosions at Kīlauea's summit.

Jo is mapping and sampling the thickest eruptive deposits to reconstruct the dynamics of the eruptions that produced them. These are particularly important and timely studies given the growing water pond in Halemaʻumaʻu. Her results will contribute to a more detailed understanding of hazards at Kīlauea's summit.

Jo has also been a passionate presenter of earth science to the public, and she has been engaged in developing a new school-visiting service at the National Natural History Museum of Denmark and later at the UNESCO world heritage site Stevns Klint. She has worked with inquiry-based learning and talent development at the NationalCenter for Learning in Science, Technology, and Health for the Ministry of Education and has a keen interest in promoting science literacy.

Welcome, Jo, to the HVO ohana!

HVO scientists conducted an overflight of Kīlauea's summit on Wednesday, Dec. 18. In this view, looking southwest,

large cracks are visible on Kīlauea's caldera floor above and adjacent to the portion of Kīlauea's caldera floor that

down-dropped during the summit collapse-events of 2018. See video from the flight at

volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/multimedia_uploads/multimediaFile-2856.mp4.

USGS photo by K. Mulliken

Volcano Activity Update

Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL. For more info on the status of Kīlauea, see volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html. Kīlauea monitoring data continue to show steady rates of seismicity and ground deformation, low rates of sulfur dioxide emissions, and only minor geologic changes since the end of eruptive activity in September 2018. Rates of seismicity have been relatively consistent, although at the summit, episodic increased rates appear to be coincident with the inflated phase of the DI events. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and are below detection limits at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō and the lower East Rift Zone. The pond at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, which began forming on July 25 continues to slowly expand and deepen.

Mauna Loa Volcano is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain. Mauna Loa updates are issued weekly. For more info on the status of Mauna Loa, see volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/status.html.

This past week, about 118 small-magnitude earthquakes (almost all smaller than M2.0) were detected beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa. Two of these events, both M3.2 earthquakes, were felt by several island residents. Most of the earthquakes occurred at shallow depths of less than 6 km (~4 miles) below sea level. Deformation measurements show continued summit inflation, consistent with magma supply to the volcano's shallow storage system. Gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.

HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loafor any signs of increased activity. Volcano Watch, volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html, is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.

See Kaʻū exercise, meditation, daily, and weekly events.

Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes

throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on

stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com

and facebook.com/kaucalendar.

See monthly and weekly Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, and Meditation at kaucalendar.com.

2019-2020 Kaʻū Winter Sports Schedule

Girls Basketball

Tue., Jan. 7 @Kohala

Fri., Jan. 10 host Honokaʻa

Tue., Jan. 14 host Konawaena

Boys Basketball

Fri., Jan. 3 host HPA

Sat., Jan. 4 host Pāhoa

Thu., Jan. 9 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11, @Konawaena

Mon., Jan. 13 host Hilo

Wed., Jan. 15 host Kealakehe

Wrestling

Sat., Jan. 4 @Waiakea

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kealakehe

Soccer

Sat., Jan. 4 Girls host Honokaʻa, 3pm

Mon., Jan. 6 @HPA

Wed., Jan. 8 host Kealakehe, 2pm

Sat., Jan. 11 @Honokaʻa

Wed., Jan. 15 @Konawaena

Swimming

Sat., Jan. 4 @Kamehameha

Sat., Jan. 11 @Kona Community Aquatic Center

UPCOMING

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

Final Gymkhana Event of 2019, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9a.m., Nā‘ālehu Rodeo Arena. Sign-in and check-in 8:30a.m. Hosted by Ka‘ū Roping & Riding Association.

People and Land, Sunday, Dec. 29, 9:30-12:30p.m., Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderate, 2.5 mile hike over rugged terrain. nps.gov/havo

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

Ka‘ū Food Pantry, Tuesday – last Tuesday, monthly – Dec. 31, 11:30a.m.-1p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Ocean View. Volunteers welcome. Dave Breskin, 319-8333

THURSDAY, JAN. 2

Women's Expression Group, Thursday, Jan. 2 – 1st Thursday monthly – 3-4:30p.m., PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org

Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, Jan. 2, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

‘O Ka‘ū Kākou Mtg., Thursday, Jan. 2, 6:30-8:30p.m., Aspen Center. okaukakou.org

FRIDAY, JAN. 3

SATURDAY, JAN. 4

Ocean View C.E.R.T. Mtg., Saturday, Dec. 4, 10a.m.-1p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Community Emergency Response Team monthly meeting and training. 939-7033, ovcahi.org

Keiki Science Class, Saturday, Jan. 4 – 1st Saturday, monthly – 11a.m.-noon, Ace Hardware Stores islandwide; Nā‘ālehu, 929-9030 and Ocean View, 929-7315. Free. acehardware.com

ONGOING

Christmas in the Country featuring 20th Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit, daily, through Dec. 31, Volcano Art Center Gallery. Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org

Call 967-8356 or see kilaueamilitarycamp.com.

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Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, December 9, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, December 12, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, December 13, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, December 14, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, December 15, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, December 16, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, December 19, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, December 20, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, December 21, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, December 22, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, December 23, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, December 26, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Friday, December 27, 2019

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, December 28, 2019