Ka`u Calendar News Briefs Monday, Sept. 26, 2016

The Nature Conservancy, which manages the Kamehame hawksbill turtle preserve below Pahala, receives
donations from Hawaiian Springs, the company planning a water bottling plant in Pahala, according to
www.hawaiiansprings.comPhoto by David Rayner

HAWAIIAN SPRINGS, WHICH IS PLANNING a water bottling plant in Pahala, “is a proud supporter of many local community and charitable events and serves on the Corporate Council for the Environment for The Nature Conservancy in Hawai`i,” according to its website, www.hawaiianspringswater.com. “Further, Hawaiian Springs donates a portion of its proceeds from bottled water sales to The Nature Conservancy each year in its effort to build awareness and support for the preservation of native Hawaiian endemic species – many of which are threatened with extinction.” The Nature Conservancy manages preserves of pristine forest and watershed in the mountains of Ka`u as well as the Kamehame hawksbill turtle nesting site below Pahala on the coast.

A green sea turtle basks at what appears to be an abandoned hawksbill

turtle nest at Kamehame, managed by The Nature Conservancy.

Photo by Will Olsen/Hawksbill Recovery Project

In the 1981 Overview of Water Resources Pahala-Na`alehu, author John Mink stated that “the southern portion of the Ka`u District has profited from a long history of water resources investigations.” Mink reported that runoff rarely reaches the coast, “and infrequently do stream channels in the wet mountain area carry a sustained flow for more than a few days. Rain quickly infiltrates into highly permeable soil and rock formations and ultimately percolates to deep aquifers, even though often temporarily arrested by perching ash beds.”

Regarding source sustainability, Hawaiian Springs states on its website that the aquifer in Kea`au from which it draws water for its bottling plant there has a recharge rate of 1.38 billion gallons per day, according to the Hawai`i Commission on Water Resource Management. “It’s enough pure water to supply all the bottled water consumed each year in America in 7.3 days!” the company states. “Think that’s crazy, how about all the world’s yearly bottled water consumption in less than a month! Now that’s sustainable!
"With an approved sustainable use rating of 740 million gallons per day, Hawaiian Springs’ source (the N.E. Mauna Loa system) is the most robust in Hawai`i and one of the healthiest in the world. In fact, the overall Big Island aquifer system has a sustainable use rate of 2,431 mgd – that’s over 3.4 trillion liters of pure artesian water each year!” Hawaiian Springs states on its website.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono

SEN. MAZIE HIRONO AND FELLOW SENATE DEMOCRATS unveiled a measure to increase access to support at-risk Hawai`i youth. The Youth Access to Sexual Health Services Act would create a competitive grant program to expand access to fact-based, community oriented education and support programs that promote sexual health for young people who have been disadvantaged by underlying structural barriers and social inequity.

“Politicized and agenda-driven sex education fails too many at-risk and disadvantaged young people,” Hirono said. “Better access to education will translate into better decisions that will help young people improve their health, enhance their futures and gain confidence that their communities understand, accept, and support them.”
The YASHS act would authorize the Health and Human Services Secretary to award competitive grants for programs that expand access to sexual health services for marginalized youth, including young people of color, immigrant youth, LGBTQ youth, youth in foster care, homeless youth, youth in juvenile detention, and others.
These grants would help organizations bridge barriers to information and access – from discrimination, to a lack of knowledgeable providers, a perceived lack of confidentiality, and transportation and other costs. These barriers can contribute to health challenges and disparities, including high rates of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, unintended pregnancies, and other issues.
The YASHS Act would also ensure that no federal funds are provided for programs that withhold health-promoting or life-saving information about sexuality-related topics, that are inaccurate or ineffective, or are inconsistent with the ethical imperatives of medicine and public health.
“Despite ongoing attacks in states across the country to keep young people from accessing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, we at Planned Parenthood continue to provide life-changing sex education programs that deliver information and resources about relationships, sexuality and sexual health,” said Carole Miller, Chief Learning Officer at Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands. “We applaud Sen. Hirono for her tireless work to ensure today’s youth have access to comprehensive and medically accurate sex education, and we stand with her as she introduces legislation that will support our efforts and those of our partners to address the needs of our most vulnerable youth and at the same time help us to build safer, healthier communities for all.”
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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speaks with Service Academy students.
Photo from Office of Rep. Gabbard

KA`U’S U.S. REP. TULSI GABBARD is currently accepting nomination request letters from individuals in Ka`u and throughout Hawai`i’s Second Congressional District to the U.S. Service Academies for the classes entering in the summer of 2017. The deadline for completed files is Oct. 31.

“Each year, I have the honor of nominating Hawai`i’s best and brightest to attend our nation’s prestigious Service Academies,” Gabbard said. There is no greater privilege than to serve our country in uniform, and I encourage anyone in the Second Congressional District who is qualified and interested to submit their application for a nomination.”
The Service Academies include the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO; the Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD; West Point Military Academy at West Point, NY; and the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY.
Coast Guard Academy admissions are based on a nationwide competition and do not require Congressional nominations.
Potential candidates must have reached their 17th birthday and not passed their 23rd birthday on July 1 of the year they would enter the academy; be a U.S. citizen; have graduated from high school; be unmarried; have taken the ACT and/or SAT; and meet stringent entrance requirements of their preferred academy.
Applications can be submitted to Ryan Joslin, Office of Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, 300 Ala Moana Blvd Room 5-104, Honolulu, HI 96850.
For more information, see http://bit.ly/2cmt6Jp, or call Gabbard’s Hawai`i office at 808-541-1986.
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Ka`u High's cross country team members, with coaches Erin Cole
and Kevin Sun, are halfway through their season.
Photo from Erin Cole

KA`U HIGH CROSS COUNTRY TEAM has been training Monday through Friday and racing 5K (3.1 miles) on Saturdays. The team raced on a bright sunny day at Kamehameha school on Sept. 10. The athletes enjoy this course and came in with some good times: Brennan Nishimura 23:07, Kyle Calumpit 23:49, Rowlie Flores 27:12, Daryl Moreira 29:38, Sheena Flores 28:29 and Chloe Gan 29:24

The whole team, including coaches Erin Cole and Kevin Sun, ran in the Ka`u Coffee Trail run and found the trail to be challenging and fun.
A race on Saturday, Sept. 24 was at HPA. Teams from other islands as well as the mainland participated. The weather was typical for Waimea, with a light mist, hot sun, cool shade and a breeze. The infamous HPA hill was daunting as always, and our team ran hard. Brennen Nishimura finished at 25:10; Kyle Calumpit, 26:00; Rowlie Flores 26:47; and Daryl Moreira 28:19.
After the race, the team enjoyed a Yoga for Runners class with Stacy Lanterman at Hawaiian Healing Yoga.
The team is halfway through the racing season. The next races are at Waiakea at 3 p.m. on Oct. 1, Kea`au at 10 a.m. on Oct. 8 and BIIF Championships at HPA on Friday Oct. 21. 2 p.m. HHSAA Championships take place at HPA on Oct. 29 at 8:30 a.m.
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Native Hawaiians used rock from Kilauea's summit to make tools.
Poster from NPS

ARCHAEOLOGIST CALEB HOUCK SHARES HIS KNOWLEDGE about Hawaiian adze production and lithic block quarries on Kilauea tomorrow at After Dark in the Park.

The free program begins at 7 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Park entrance fees apply. $2 donations support park programs.

MAKE A HAWAIIAN BROOM Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. Rangers teach how to make a useful pulumi ni`au, brooms fashioned from midribs of coconut leaves.
Free; park entrance fees apply.

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