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| Kaʻū Coffee farmers are seeking pickers for this season, saying the crop is expected to be "full blast," with twice as much as last year. These candidates for Miss Kaʻū Coffee, years ago, tried out picking as they learned details of the industry. Photo by Nalani Parlin |
To contact the Kaʻū Coffee Growers Cooperative for picking jobs, call Camba at 928-8558. Also hiring pickers are Kaʻū Coffee Mill at 928-0550 and other individual farmers in Kaʻū.
Last Saturday, Kaʻū Coffee Growers Co-op elected its board and officers. Camba continues as President. Vice President is Willie Tabios. Secretary is Deborah Dickerson. Treasurer is Karen Dusenbery. Directors are Myles Mayne, Leo Norberte, and Lorie Obra.
The annual meeting was held at Punaluʻu Beach following the blessing of the installation of two water tanks for the farms at Cloud Rest and Pear Tree. The tanks were donated by coffee buyer Starbucks, coffee broker Kaʻū Local Products, and coffee farms land owner Kaʻū Mahi, said Camba. Entertainment was by Chase Cabudol and Friends.
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A NAVAL RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS PROGRAM at University of Hawaiʻi
Hirono asked for a Naval ROTC program at UH in 2015 letters to then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson. The Senators continued their advocacy following the change in administrations, raising the issue with senior Navy leaders.
Said Schatz, "This new ROTC program at UH will give more Hawaiʻi students a chance at earning scholarships and gaining an education, while helping the Navy strengthen its diversity to make sure its sailors and Marines better reflect the American public and our values in Hawaiʻi. I thank Secretary Spencer for his partnership and his recommitment to the Navy's longstanding relationship with Hawai ʻi ."
UH President David Lassner said, "We are grateful and proud that the Navy has selected UH Mānoa to host a new NROTC unit. We are already the home of exceptionally successful Army and Air Force ROTC units, and the establishment of a Navy ROTC unit will provide scholarship opportunities that enable more Hawaiʻi students to attend college affordably and serve their country. Our thanks to Senator Hirono, Senator Schatz, and our entire Congressional delegation for their sustained support."
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ASPEN INSTITUTE, which formerly operated a venue in Kaʻū, released a statement about last Monday's 125th annual Labor Day celebration as an official federal holiday, reviewing the accomplishments of labor movement forbearers:
These working women and men of extraordinary determination and courage waged the battles that secured rights and working conditions we often take for granted today, such as an eight-hour workday, dramatic improvements in workplace safety, an end to child labor, retirement and other employment benefits, and, of course, weekends.
More recently, however, participation in labor organizations and the labor movement has been on the decline. The upshot? Researchers at The Hamilton Project, a policy group at The Brookings Institution, conclude that the dramatic drop in US private-sector union density, which fell from 24.2 percent in 1973 to 6.4 percent today, reduced American workers' bargaining power and contributed to growing economic inequality.
The U.S. unemployment rate is remarkably low, but today, roughly one in four working adults earns a wage that, even with full-time, year-round work, won't lift a small family out of poverty. There is too much month and not enough paycheck for millions of households. Working people struggle with basic costs – housing, healthcare, child care, transportation – leaving little to cover the ever-escalating cost of higher education for oneself or one's children.
Limited opportunity and systemic bias continue to disproportionately burden women and people of color. The gender pay gap has slightly narrowed. But women still earn only 80 percent of what men earn, and the pay gap widens at higher education levels. Black unemployment is generally twice that of white unemployment – and that holds true even when accounting for education level – and the typical black family has just 10 percent of the wealth of the typical white family.
Data suggest the trend of too few good jobs and too many poorly paying jobs may continue and possibly intensify. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data on median occupational wages, combined with some information from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, show in the graphic below that by 2026, an estimated 39 percent of projected employment will be in jobs where median earnings are insufficient to support a small family.
But this picture is just a projection based on current trends, which means that it can be changed. Work, after all, is a human endeavor, shaped by laws people choose to enact, business decisions people make, individual actions people choose to take, and values society shares.
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| Future jobs projections. Chart from Aspen Institute |
But we can't rely on business alone. Policymakers at all levels should consider ways in which they could reduce the cost of living for working people, as well as how they could support working people with updated labor market regulations that protect workers' interests. The cost and quality of essential services such as healthcare, transportation, child care, housing, and education are greatly influenced by the decisions of policymakers. These are all major and often challenging expense items for working individuals and their families. Child care, for example, constitutes 19.8 percent of expenditures for a family in the calculation of a living wage in the model used in the graphic above. Reducing this cost or other expenses for working people lessens the need for businesses to rapidly raise wages, something that can be especially challenging for smaller businesses.
Education institutions and civic organizations also play a critical role in helping people prepare for and connect to work. Worker advocacy and labor organizations can play a vital role both through collective bargaining and by providing a communication channel for workers to receive and share information with company leadership. Such a channel can provide workers the opportunity to offer insight into how to improve work processes and productivity and gain meaningful recognition for their contributions.
The future of work is today’s hot topic. What will we do to ensure that the next 125 years of labor history gives more Americans a fighting chance at the economic mobility we all deserve?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.
Officially launched by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015, this nationwide effort allows students to compete against their peers by creating an app for desktop computer, tablet, mobile, raspberry Pi, or other devices. The Challenge accepts any programming language, such as C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, or "block code."
Students of all skill levels are encouraged to participate and learn how to create their own apps. Winners will be selected by panels of judges, drawn from the community in Hawaiʻi, and honored by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Their apps are eligible to be featured on display in the U.S. Capitol building, on house.gov, and CongressionalAppChallenge.us.
The Challenge's submission portal is open through Nov. 1. The competition is open to all students who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of coding experience.
Said Gabbard, "The United States may be short as many as one million coders by 2020. The Congressional App Competition is an opportunity for Hawaiʻi's students to showcase their talents and creativity, while exploring opportunities for success in America 's rapidly changing, technology-driven, 21st century economy."
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| Tropical Storm Akoni is forecast to miss the islands. NOAA image |
TROPICAL STORM AKONI, formerly Tropical Depression Twelve-E, is the first named storm to form in the Central Pacific this season - meaning it received a Hawaiian name.
The storm is over 800 miles southeast of the islands. There are no weather advisories. The storm is expected to pass south of Hawaiʻi sometime next week. Winds are not forecast to have any effects on Kaʻū, but passing storms can cause storm surge even from hundreds of miles away.
Hurricane Juliette is still over 2,000 miles southeast, and is expected to dwindle away before nearing Hawaiʻi enough to have effect.
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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 |
2019 Kaʻū High School Athletics Schedule through September
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates
Football, Division II:
Sat., Sept. 7, 2 p.m. , HPA hosts Kaʻū
Sat., Sept. 14, 11 a.m. , Kaʻū hosts Kohala
Thu., Sept. 19, 7 p.m. , Pāhoa hosts Kaʻū
Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Fri., Sept. 6, 6 p.m. , Kaʻū hosts Kamehameha
Tue., Sept. 10, 6 p.m. , Kaʻū hosts Kealakeha
Fri., Sept. 13, 6 p.m. , Honokaʻa hosts Kaʻū
Tue., Sept. 17, 6 p.m. , Waiakea hosts Kaʻū
Thu., Sept. 19, 6 p.m. , Keaʻau hosts Kaʻū
Tue., Sept. 24, 6 p.m. , Makualani hosts Kaʻū
Fri., Sept. 27, 6 p.m. , Kaʻū hosts HPA
Cross Country:
Sat., Sept. 7, 10 a.m. , @Kamehameha
Fri., Sept. 13, 3:30 p.m. , @HPA
Sat., Sept. 21, 10 a.m. , @Kealakehe
Sat., Sept. 28, 10 a.m. , @Keaʻau
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FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
Stewardship at the Summit, Sept. 6, 14, 20, and 28, 8:45a.m. -noon , Kīlauea Visitor Center
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7
The Business of Art with Ira Ono - Full-Day Workshop, Saturday, Sept. 7, 9a.m.-4p.m., Volcano Art Center. $50/VAC member, $55/non-member. Bring personal art samples. See Ono's work at iraono.com. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org
Sounds at the Summit featuring Hawaiian Style Band, Saturday, Sept. 7, 5:30-7:30p.m. , Volcano Art Center 5 p.m. Tickets, $20/VAC member, $25/non-member, available for purchase online. Wine, beer, soft drinks, and snacks available for purchase. 967-8222, volcanoartcenter.org
‘Ohi‘a Lehua, Sunday, Sept. 8, 9:30-11a.m. , Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, easy one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo
8-Ball Tournament at Kīlauea Military Camp, Sunday, Sept. 8, tournament starts at 1p.m. , check-in starts at noon , KMC's Recreation Lodge, HVNP. $10 in advance. Pre-registration required, forms at lodge or 10-Pin Grill. Open to all patrons, with Terms of Service. Park entrance fees apply. kilaueamilitarycamp.com
Medicine for the Mind: Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Sunday, Sept. 8 – 2nd Sunday, monthly – 3-5p.m. , Volcano Art Center
MONDAY, SEPT. 9
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Ka‘ū Net Recovery Patrol, Saturday, Sept. 9. Free; donations appreciated. Limited space available; B.Y.O.-4WD okay. R.S.V.P. required, kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com. 769-7629, wildhawaii.org
TUESDAY, SEPT. 10
Free Flu Shot Clinic, Tuesday, Sept. 7, 6:30-8p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Sponsored by Long's Drugs Pāhala.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11
Ho‘oponopono Demonstration, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 10a.m. -noon , Kīlauea Visitor Center Ala. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo
Registration Open: Coffee Filter Art, Thursday, Sept. 12-17, Ka‘ū District Gym multipurpose room. Program for grades K-8 takes place Wednesday, Sept. 18, 3:30-5p.m. Free. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreation
Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka‘ū, Thursday, Sept. 12, 6:30p.m. , United Methodist Church
ONGOING
Applications are Open for the Online High School Internship Program under Sen. Brian Schatz through 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8. The program provides a hands-on learning opportunity about the U.S. Senate. It also encourages students to be leaders and advocates in their schools and communities. Interns are selected based on their involvement in their community – jobs, activities, and responsibilities – and diversity of interests and life experiences. Students must have a GPA of 2.5 or better and have personal access to email.
Exhibit - Nani Ka ‘Ikena by Volcano local photographer Jesse Tunison, daily through Sunday, Sept. 15, 9a.m.-5p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Nani Ka ʻIkena, that which is seen is beautiful, features vibrant colors and crisp, wide vistas which highlight the character and drama of Hawaiʻi Island’s landscape. The collection of ten photographs were captured over the past decade by Tunison and also document the dynamic changes which have occurred in such a short period of time. "While the landscape has changed the beauty has endured." Free; park entrance fees apply. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org
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. okaukakou.org, kaucoffeemill.com
Tutoring for Kaʻū Hugh & Pāhala Elementary is Available to All Students of the school, from
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