Ka‘ū News Briefs Wednesday, January 10, 2018

THOUGHTS ON IMMIGRATION is what Hawai‘i Senator Mazie Hirono is requesting from citizens of Ka‘ū. Hirono went to the White House this week, she said, "to fight for the 800,000 DREAMers the president threatened to deport when he ended the DACA program in September."

       Hirono reported that during the meeting, the Secretary of Homeland Security "made the absurd claim that no one has lost their DACA status since the president’s announcement. Here’s the truth: Over 10,000 DREAMers have already lost their protection from deportation, and 122 more will lose theirs every single day."

     Wrote Hirono, "Many DREAMers have only this country to call home. They are our friends and coworkers, neighbors who strengthen our communities. And we made a promise that we’d protect them. As someone who came to this country as a young child, I care deeply about the experience of immigrants – that’s why I’m fighting for them every day in the Senate, but I’d love to hear from you."

     She asks that her constituents log in and weigh in at surveys.signforgood.com/hirono-daca-response.

     DREAMers are those protected from deportation by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. They are mostly young people who were brought to the U.S. by their relatives, without permission, and grew up here, with most going to school, working, and paying taxes.

A Call for Proposals is open through Feb. 9 for the Hawaiʻi  Conservation Conference. Photo from Hawai‘i Conservation Alliance

     The DREAMers Act would help them stay and earn a path to citizenship.

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LEARN THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE AT VOLCANO ART CENTER at one of two 8-week beginners courses starting Thursday, Jan. 11, at Volcano Village. Both courses focus on simple vocabulary, conversation, grammar, and sentence structure. No experience necessary. Part One is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays and requires no prior experience in Hawaiian Language. Part Four follows from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays  - some experience with Hawaiian Language is preferred. The course fee for either class is $80 for Volcano Art Center members and $90 for non-members. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org.

EXPLORE THE RICH GEOLOGIC HISTORY of Kahuku and learn about the Hawaiian hotspot and the creation of Kahuku on a free, easy-to-moderate, guided hike. Birth of Kahuku, traverses the vast 1868 lava flow, with different volcano features and formations on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. For more, visit nps.gov/
HAVO.

HEATHER METTLER'S UNIQUE COLLECTION OF GLASSWORK EXPLORING the themes of navigation and immigration - how plants, animals and people find their way to Hawai‘i - is showcased in a new Volcano Art Center Gallery Exhibit: Passage and Place. The display of handblown, chiseled and etched glass will be open to the public from Saturday, Jan. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 11, during normal gallery hours - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily. Free, park entrance fees apply.

JEAN PIERRE THOMA AND THE JAZZTONES ALONG WITH BINTI BAILEY and Larry Seyer will perform twice on Saturday, Jan. 13, with a matinee from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and an evening performance from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Volcano Art Center. “Almost Like Being in Love” is the theme of these two Jazz in the Forest concerts with love songs from around the world. Tickets are $18 for Volcano Art Center members and $20 for non-members. Purchase tickets online at volcanoartcenter.org.

STEWARDSHIP AT THE SUMMIT takes place Saturday, Jan. 13, with volunteers removing invasive, non-native plant species that prevent native plants from growing in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Interested volunteers should meet Paul and Jane Filed at Kīlauea Visitor Center at 8:45 a.m. The event will take place again on Jan. 19 and 26. Free, park entrance fees apply. For more see nps.gov/HAVO.

A PANCAKE BREAKFAST will be held on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., at Ocean View Community Center. For more, call 939-7033 or visit ovcahi.org.

Take a class with Patti Pease Johnson in Volcano. See event at right. Image from pattipeasejohnson.com

A CLASS COMBINING BATIK METHODS WITH THE ART OF SERTI SILK PAINTING, Silk Painting with Wax Resist, is led by Patti Pease Johnson on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Participants create a representational piece of art, i.e. wall hanging. The workshop fee is $45 per Volcano Art Center member and $50 per non-member, plus a $10 supply fee per person. Beginner and intermediate artists are welcome. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org.

TAKE A CLASS BLENDING INSPIRATION FROM NATURE WITH TRADITIONAL ZENTANGLE PATTERNS on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. The class blends inspiration from nature with traditional Zentangle patterns and is suitable for beginning or returning tanglers. The fee for Zentangle Class Featuring the Zendala - Twirling Leaves is $30 for Volcano Art Center members and $35 for non-members, plus a $10 supply fee. Register online at volcanoartcenter.org.

‘ŌHI‘A LEHUA is the title of an easy, one-mile, ranger led walk scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Learn about the vital role of ‘ōhi‘a lehua in native Hawaiian forests, the many forms of the ‘ōhi‘a tree and its flower. The walk is free to attend. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

DISCOVERY HARBOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETS on Monday, Jan. 15, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. For more, call 929-9576 or visit discoveryharbour.net.

View the Sulphur Vents and other attractions in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on Monday, Jan. 15, without paying entrance fees. Photo by S. Geiger, National Park Service

A FEE-FREE DAY IS OFFERED AT HAWAI‘I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - no entrance fees will be collected at all fee-charging National Parks on Monday, Jan. 15. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

WATCH A 24-MINUTE DOCUMENTARY VIDEO, RECENTLY RELEASED By U.S.G.S., at an upcoming After Dark in the Park presentation, Kīlauea Summit Eruption: Story of the Halemau‘mau‘u Lava Lake, on Tuesday, Jan. 16. The talk starts at 7 p.m., in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. U.S.G.S. Hawai‘i Volcano Observatory geologist Janet Babb, co-producer and co-writer of the film. After the show, U.S.G.S. H.V.O. geologist Matt Patrick provides an update on whats happening at Halema‘uma‘u today and answers questions about the summit eruption. Free, park entrance fees apply. For more, visit nps.gov/HAVO.

Photo from discoveryharbour.net

DISCOVERY HARBOUR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT MEETS Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Discovery Harbour Community Hall. For more, call 929-9576 or visit discoveryharbour.net.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WINE & WATERCOLOR takes place Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Artist Nancy DeLucrezia shows how to transfer a photo onto watercolor paper and introduces basic techniques in watercolor painting. Sampling of several wines from Hilo wine store “Grapes” is included. Class fee is $30 for Volcano Art Center members and $35 for non-members, plus a $17 supply fee. Register online, volcanoartcenter.org.