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| A grandfather and his grandchild enjoy stamping a traditional head scarf at tonight's Bon Dance celebration at Pāhala Hongwanji. A mother and her infant, in traditional garb, also enjoy the festivities. Photo by Julia Neal |
BON DANCING, THUNDERING TAIKO DRUMS, Japanes song at Pāhala Hongwanji Saturday evening honored the agricultural harvest and celebrated a remembrance of ancestors. Participants of all ages, from as far away as Japan , donned kimono and other traditional Japanese attire, dancing in the round, beneath the yagura tower.
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| A Buddhist priest took up an ʻukulele at the service to kick off Pāhala Hongwanji Bon Dance tonight. Photo by Julia Neal |
To kick off the evening's celebration, a service in the Pāhala Hongwanji sanctuary, open to people of all faiths, offered opportunity to learn about Buddhist teachings and to join in singing. The priest took up an ʻukulele to add to the local flavor of the service. He sang and talked about appreciation of the gift of life and pushing back from discrimination against all others.
During the Bon Dance evening, everyone was invited to learn about the history of Japanese in Kaʻū and all of Hawaiʻi. Stamping of head scarves, traditionally worn during the dance, was open to young and old.
Paul Sakamoto's Taiko Drummers played . The community organization O Ka`u Kakou and its President Wayne Kawachi to organize the event, and selling food and shave ice.
The facilities at Pāhala Hongwanji include a Japanese school house, now used for aikido and other activities, including a future child care center for coffee workers, an assembly hall with a stage, a kitchen and dining room, and the Buddhist sanctuary and parsonage.
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| Five-month-old Milo, sporting a traditional head scarf and baby kimono, participated in tonight's Bon Dance celebrations. Photo by Julia Neal |
See more in Sunday's Kaʻū News Briefs.
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MAUNAKEA ACCESS ROAD BELONGS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS, contends state Sen. Kai Kahele. He said he and Sen. Kurt Favella, of Ewa Beach,
Kahele, who represents Hilo and is running for Congress to represent the District that includes Kaʻū, posted a memo to Facebook early this morning.
He said that for the state to own Maunakea Access Road, it must: Initiate a land exchange with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to trade for other land of equal value; complete a land appraisal; conduct beneficiary consultation; and receive approval of the land exchange from the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
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| The pink circle, bottom, shows the intersection of Maunakea Access Road and Daniel K. Inouye Hwy. The green circle, top, shows the end of the winding road, about 6.25 miles up the mauna and about half way to the summit. Photo from Google Maps |
On July 9, 1921 , Congress passed the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to set aside about 200,000 acres of land in the Territory of Hawaiʻi
Between 1921 and the late 1970s, thousands of acres of the original land trust were "illegally taken, withdrawn, and transferred via executive authority by the Territory of Hawaiʻi, United States Military (during WWII), and the state of Hawaiʻi, in breach and clear violation of the HHCA," said Kahele.
On Aug. 15, 1983, a federal and state task force on HHCA, chaired by Ann Nathaniel, submitted a report to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Governor of Hawaiʻi on "recommendations to correct many of the past grievances and direct the Federal Government to settle land claims and the State of Hawaiʻi to improve its performance as a trustee." This report was the basis for the 1996 Hawaiian Home Lands
In 1991, Gov. John Waiheʻe convened a "Task Force on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Land Title and Related Claims" to investigate and resolve DHHL's "illegal land use claims against the state." The results of the task force became the basis for ACT 14 in 1995.
On Nov. 4, 1994 , the Hawaiian Homes Commission discussed "Proposals to Resolve DHHL Land Title and Related Claims (Roads and Highways Proposal)," which identified the Mauna Kea Observatory Road (65.142 acres) as one of the many unsettled land claims throughout the state.
In 1995, the state legislature convened a special session to introduce HB 10-S, which would become Act 14. It established a $600 million cash settlement, including a settlement for all roads and highways that were in breach of the trust. Act 14 specifically called for "the initiation of a land exchange to ready uncompensated use of Hawaiian Home Lands for State roads, claims, and highways."
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| Sen. Kai Kahele |
On March 15, 2018 , DOT designated the Mauna Kea Observatory Road as a State Highway Route. It is identified as being 6.27 miles in length, starting from the intersection of Daniel K. Inouye Highway , to 125 feet past the Hale Pōhaku Visitor Information Center Entrance.
On Jan. 28 and 29, DHHL received an update on the Act 14 Land Claim Settlement. In that report, under the "Roads and Highways Settlement," DHHL reports that, "To date, no lands have been conveyed to DHHL to satisfy the State's commitment to compensate the trust for its uses of Hawaiian Home Lands as state highways on various islands," totaling a claimed amount of 346.203 acres. The total outstanding land claim is 1,328.745 acres. This includes the Maunakea access road.
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Thirty Meter Telescope supporters lined the roadway near the Hilo Walgreens on Thursday. Photo from BigIslandVideoNews |
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| Jason Chu, Gemini Observatory. Photo from BigIslandVideoNews |
Jason Chu, a post-doctoral fellow with Gemini Observatory, said "As the polls recently showed, there are a lot of people who – in Hawaiʻi – are behind this project." He said there are many "who believe in all the benefits that this project will give, and so we are here to show the governor that there are people here who firmly believe that the project should go forward. And also for him to enforce law and open the roads up for TMT to go up.
"On Big Island Maunakea , we have a very, very valuable scientific resource. We would love to share – with Native Hawaiians and everybody. Share the beauty of the mountain and also share the scientific discoveries that can come from the mountain. And so we share that with the entire world and that will put Hawaiʻi on the map of the entire world."
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Kaʻū High graduate, union leader, volunteer firefighter, Portuguese bread baker Magaret Ann Cabudol and her friend and community volunteer DeeDee Davis at last year's Alumni & Friends celebration. Photo by Julia Neal |
KAʻŪ HIGH & PĀHALA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALUMNI & FRIENDS REUNION, the 18th annual potluck and community celebration, happens Sunday, Aug. 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. , at Pāhala Community Center
Bring a favorite dish to share. Live music, and food and fellowship for everyone. The celebration is open to the entire community, and is sponsored by the alumni of Pāhala Elementary and Kaʻū High School. The event also celebrates Hawaiʻi's 60th year of statehood.
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HAWAIʻI ISLAND SOUTHWEST AIRLINE FLIGHTS between Hilo and Honolulu start January 19. Flights between Kona and Kahului, the Bay Area, Oakland , and San Jose also start mid-January.
By January, Southwest will operate 34 departures a day on interisland routes alone.
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| Southwest Airlines started operating in Hawaiʻi in March. Photo from SWAir |
an authentically Southwest experience, with comfort across all seating – for every customer – along with in-cabin snack enhancements for our flights between Hawaiʻi and the mainland."
The airline offers an "industry-leading" 32-inch seat pitch, "Hawaiʻi and Islands-inspired" drinks and snacks, gate-to-gate connectivity on WiFi-enabled aircraft, and free inflight movies, live TV, and messaging.
Southwest Airlines first operated Hawai ʻi service on March 17.
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2019 Kaʻū High School Athletics Schedule through August
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates; Bowling TBA.
Football, Division II:
Sat., Aug. 24, 1 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha
Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Tue., Aug. 20, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Hilo
Fri., Aug. 23, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts St. Joseph
Wed., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala
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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment. 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 |
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates; Bowling TBA.
Football, Division II:
Sat., Aug. 24, 1 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha
Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Tue., Aug. 20, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Hilo
Fri., Aug. 23, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts St. Joseph
Wed., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Kaʻū hosts Kohala
Cross Country:
Sat., Aug. 31, 10 a.m., @Christian Liberty
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UPCOMING
SUNDAY, AUG. 18
Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School Alumni & Friends Reunion, the 18th annual potluck and community celebration, happens Sunday, Aug. 18, from
MONDAY, AUG. 19
TUESDAY, AUG. 20
Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, Aug. 20 (Committees), Wednesday, Aug. 21, (Council), Kona. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building
Concert with Artist-in-Residence Andy Jarema, After Dark in the Park, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7p.m. , Kīlauea Visitor Center
Ocean View Community Association Board of Directors Mtg., Wednesday, Aug. 21, 12:30-1:30p.m. , Ocean View Community Center
Registration Open: Kickball Instruction, Wednesday, Aug. 21-28, Kahuku Park
Registration Open: Handprint Trees, Thursday, Aug. 22-Sept. 3, Ka‘ū District Gym multipurpose room. Program for grades K-8 takes place Wednesday, Sept. 4, 3:30-5p.m. Free. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
SATURDAY, AUG. 24
Pickleball at KMC, Saturday, Aug. 24, and Sunday, Aug. 25, Kīlauea Military Camp Tennis
Realms and Divisions, Sat., Aug. 24,
SUNDAY, AUG. 25
Free Entry to all National Parks - NP Service 103rd Anniversary, Sunday, Aug. 25. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo
A Taste of Tea & Pottery 2019, Saturday, Aug. 25, noon-4p.m., Volcano Art Center
Applications for Grants to Steward PONC Protected Lands on Hawaiʻi Island are open through Friday, Aug. 31. In Kaʻū, areas of the Kahuku Coast Kāwā Bay
Volcano Winery's Annual Fundraising Harvest Festival Tickets are on sale at volcanowinery.com or (808) 967-7772. Proceeds benefit
6th Annual Ka‘ū Coffee Trail Run Registration, webscorer.com/register?raceid=166020. 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon races through mac nut and coffee fields along slopes of Ka‘ū starting at 7a.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, Ka‘ū Coffee Mill. Sponsored by Ka‘ū Coffee Mill and ‘O Ka‘ū Kākou. Prices increase after July 9. okaukakou.org, kaucoffeemill.com
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