Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Saturday, May 21, 2016

Merle Becker, adorned with maile lei, takes hayriders on a tour of Aikane Plantation's coffee and cattle fields yesterday.
Ka`u Coffee Festival Ho`olaule`a continues today until 5:30 p.m., with entertainment, food, farm tours,
and the Ka`u Coffee Experience. See more below. Photo by Jesse Tunison

LANI CRAN PETRIE, of Kapapala Ranch, received a certificate of recognition from Hawai`i County Council this week for her work in the horse and cattle industry.

Lani Cran Petrie, manager of Kapapala Ranch, is seen here
with her late father Gordon Cran. Both are members of
the Paniolo Hall of Fame. Photo by Julia Neal

The council honored Petrie for being the fifth woman inducted into the Paniolo Hall of Fame, which recognizes yesterday’s and today’s paniolo statewide - Hawai`i's cowboys and cowgirls who have contributed to keeping Hawai`i’s paniolo heritage alive.

Petrie grew up riding the rugged terrain of the Waianae Mountains and the pasture lowlands, where she gained a wide perspective of raising livestock and ranching. She pursed a career in animal husbandry and graduated in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics.
The Cran family moved to Pa`auilo in 1975 to establish the S.C. Ranch Partnership, where she spent summers and all school vacations working on the ranch. The Crans moved to Kapapala in 1977.
In the early 1990s, Petrie organized Hawai`i Cattle Producers Cooperative’s Transportation Division to help ranchers move cattle to West Coast ports. In 1995, she and her husband Bill revitalized the Old Kona Meat Market Co. that supplied the statewide military with beef.

Hawai`i County Council honored
Petrie with a certificate. Photo
from Hawai`i County Council.

Petrie has managed Kapapala Ranch since 2004 and has served as president of Hawai`i Cattlemen’s Association and Hawai`i Cattle Producers Cooperative.

“It is with great pride and respect that we acknowledge your accomplishments, dedication and passion for an industry so deeply rooted in our unique and special island culture,” council member Maile David said.

Petrie thanked the council for honoring her for being a woman in the cattle industry, suggesting that others “make sure you keep a good man around. I’ve tried to do that for 21 years,” she said. She listed ways that ranching benefits Hawai`i Island and the state, including reservoirs that provide early response to fires and water for nene, game birds and mammals.
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YESTERDAY’S KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL events included Coffee & Cattle Day and Stargazing atop Makanau.
Participants enjoyed a ranch lunch and tours of Aikane Plantation’s coffee and cattle operations. Phil and Merle Becker, descendants of J.C. Searle, the first coffee grower in Ka`u, explained how coffee is integrated into cattle ranching and other agriculture.

Stargazers use laser pointers while exploring Ka`u's dark skies.
Photo by Jesse Tunison

Stargazers enjoyed a nearly full moon as the sun set, then used laser pointers and a telescope to learn about Ka`u’s clear, dark skies.

John Cross, of Olson Trust, discussed the land’s history and significance.
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HAWAI`I DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH has identified a single imported case of dengue on Hawai`i Island, according to Hawai`i County Civil Defense. Vector control crews have treated the person’s residence and adjacent properties.
There is no evidence to indicate a local transmission has occurred. There have been no reported dengue cases attributed to local transmission since March.

Riding through pasture was one highlight of Aikane Plantation's
Coffee & Cattle Day. Photo by Jesse Tunison

As the summer approaches and more travel is anticipated, Civil Defense reminds the public that the most effective method to reduce the spread of dengue or other mosquito borne illnesses is for everyone to avoid and prevent mosquito bites. Fight The Bite by wearing clothing that minimizes exposed skin, using mosquito repellent and avoiding activities in areas of high mosquito concentration during early morning and late afternoon periods when mosquito activity is greatest.

If feeling ill and unsure if you may have dengue, remain indoors to avoid getting bitten and infecting mosquitoes, and contact your health care provider.
For information on dengue, see health.hawaii.gov or call DOH at 974-6001.
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U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD and more than 120 lawmakers urged House Speaker Paul Ryan to take action to combat the Zika virus by bringing the President’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding to the House floor.

Keiki paniolo practices his horseriding skills during Coffee & Cattle Day.
Photo by Jesse Tunison

“We write to you today to express our extreme concern over the increasing threat posed by the Zika virus,” the lawmakers’ letter stated. “As you know, there are significant challenges associated with combating Zika, and we must act swiftly to ensure that we have all of the necessary tools at our disposal, including robust funding to support research and response efforts. That is why we support the administration’s full request of $1.9 billion in emergency appropriations to combat this international public health threat. We strongly urge you to bring such legislation to the floor.

“In recent months, it has become evident that we do not have a comprehensive understanding of the Zika virus – how it works and what its immediate and long-term health implications are. As it continues to spread, it is imperative that we make immediate, sustained investments in research that, hopefully, will yield a Zika vaccine, diagnostic method and guide our continued response strategy. We are encouraged by the research being done across the country, including in many of our districts, but there is still much we do not understand. Until we have these answers, we must prioritize robust funding for Zika research.

Participants watch a nearly full moon above the Ka`u Coast
during yesterday's Ka`u Coffee Festival Stargazing event.
Photo by Jesse Tunison

“Zika has spread rapidly in other parts of the world, and we are seeing the same pattern here in the U.S. There are at least 503 reported cases of Zika in the U.S. to date and at least 701 reported cases in U.S. territories. Among these, pregnant women account for 113 cases. This number will continue to rise until Congress acts. Given the neonatal neurological implications of this virus, it is unconscionable to further delay action on this very critical issue.

“We must not underestimate just how destructive invasive pests and diseases can be. We are gravely concerned about the implications of this virus and, for this reason, research and response efforts have our full and steadfast support. We urge you to give this your full and fast consideration and ask that you bring to the floor legislation to provide $1.9 billion in emergency appropriations for Zika.”
Gabbard has strongly supported the President’s emergency request to prepare and respond to Zika. Last week, she hosted a telephone town hall with close to 5,000 residents across Hawai`i to discuss the Zika virus, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses. Hawai`i expert guests Chief Darryl Oliveira from Hawai`i County Civil Defense and state Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park joined Gabbard on the call to address live questions about mosquito-borne illnesses.

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U.S. SEN. MAZIE HIRONO MET with Judge Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court. Hirono also called on her Republican colleagues to hold a hearing to consider Garland’s nomination.

Sen. Mazie Hirono with Judge Merrick Garland.
Photo from Sen. Hirono's Office

“Judge Garland’s character and record of judicial service are impressive, and Americans deserve to hear from him in a public Judiciary Committee hearing,” Hirono said. “In the Senate’s history of holding public confirmation hearings, the majority party has never before denied a Supreme Court nominee a hearing and vote. It’s been more than two months since the President did his job by nominating Judge Garland, and it’s far past time for my Republican colleagues to do their job by holding a hearing and vote on the nomination.”

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KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL HO`OLAULE`A continues at Pahala Community Center today until 5:30 p.m. The event features entertainment, displays, Ka`u Coffee tasting, farm tours, the Ka`u Coffee Experience and food.

Ka`u Coffee College closes the Ka`u Coffee Festival tomorrow.
Photo from Ka`u Coffee Festival

KA`U COFFEE COLLEGE PARTICIPANTS learn about integrated pest management, coffee berry borer and coffee quality’s impact on price.

Andrea Kawabata, assistant extension agent for coffee and orchard crops with the University of Hawai`i CTAHR cooperative extension service, and biologist Arturo Ballar Ortiz PSM, farm development and research director at Greenwell Farms, discuss Six Years of Farming with CBB: Reflecting and Moving Forward.

Award-winning roast master Mike Perry delves into Coffee Quality’s Relationship to Price Sensitivity.
Falling Coffee, Falling Profits will be discussed by Robert G. Hollingsworth, research entomologist of Hilo’s USDA-ARS-Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center and a specialist on coffee berry borer.
Miguel Meza, owner and director of Paradise Coffee Roasters in Hawai`i and Minnesota, teams up with Lee Paterson, owner of Hula Daddy Kona Coffee, to direct a coffee quality workshop.
The three-hour event begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow at Pahala Community Center.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.