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| Stewardship proposals for Kaʻū lands come up before PONC on Monday. Lands include Kāwā and nearby parcels. See story below. Map from Hawaiʻi County |
KAPELA SAYS SHE'LL RUN AGAINST CREAGAN. Jeanné Kapela, Miss Hawaiʻi 2015, is running again for the state House of Representatives District 5 seat held by Rep. Richard Creagan.
Kapela, who turned 25 on Tuesday, lost to Creagan in a three-day primary election to represent the sprawling district, which runs from North and South Kona to West Ka‘ū. Raised on a small coffee farm in Captain Cook, she graduated from Konawaena High School in 2012.
"Our community deserves leadership with aloha," Kapela said in a statement. "Two years ago, my campaign started a movement to bring hope to those who need it most. Today, faced with a soaring cost of living, crumbling schools, and climate change, that movement is more urgent than ever."
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| Rep. Richard Creagan |
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| Jeanné Kapela |
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REAL IDS FOR MICRONESIANS, MARSHALESE, AND PALAUANS will be more accessible, according to Sen. Mazie Hirono's office. Efforts headed by Hirono and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) led to the Department of Homeland Security announcing it would "remove unnecessary barriers placed on citizens of the Freely Associated States seeking to secure REAL ID Act-compliant identification," according to a statement from the senators.
Hirono's office states this announcement reverses guidance previously released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that required FAS citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau residing in the U.S. to present a visa or Employment Authorization Document in order to receive a REAL ID Act-compliant driver's license. Under decades-old treaties with the U.S. – known as the Compacts of Free Association – FAS citizens are able to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely as non-immigrants without having to obtain a visa or an EAD card. The requirement for FAS citizens to suddenly obtain an EAD to renew their driver's licenses put many at risk of losing their employment, given the delay and burden of applying for and receiving an EAD.
In October 2020, REAL ID Act-compliant identification or other acceptable forms of identification will be required for every person accessing federal facilities and traveling domestically on a commercial airline.
Said Hirono, "Since the administration first announced the decision to require visas or EADs for FAS citizens, I've heard directly from employers, grassroots organizations, county and state agencies, and FAS citizens living and working in Hawaiʻi, about the significant and unnecessary financial hardships that this community faced in obtaining the identification they need and are legally entitled to possess. This announcement was welcome news for thousands of FAS citizens living in communities across our country, and I want to thank the bipartisan group of my colleagues for joining the effort to ensure we meet our special obligations under the Compacts of Free Association, which recognize the important national security partnership between the United States and the Freely Associated States.
Said Rep. Ed Case, formerly a state representative of Kaʻū, said, "Our Compacts of Free Association with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands are of key importance to all of our countries. The Compacts permit COFA citizens to live and work in our country with a valid passport and documentation of entry under the Compacts. They should not have been required to comply with onerous additional requirements to obtain a driver's license and access other basics of everyday life, and I appreciate the administration reversing course on a matter critical to COFA citizens."
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| National Parks Foundation applied for a grant to steward Kahua Olohu. Map from Hawaiʻi County |
Two organizations are being considered in Kaʻū for stewardship grants. Nā Mamo O Kāwā proposed programs for Kāwā, Hilea Iki, Hilea Nui and Kaʻalaʻiki. Property information is available at records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/edoc/74009/Kawa%20(9-5-1606,%2025;%209-5-1705,%2007).pdf.
National Parks Arts Foundation – the group that supports the Artist in Residence program at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park – proposed programs for Kahua Olohu in Kahuku. Property information is available at records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/edoc/89136/Kahua%20Olohu%20(9-5-1205).pdf.
To testify in person, register at least ten minutes before the meeting begins. To testify in writing, bring 12 copies, and submit separate testimony for each agenda item.
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| The yellow "x" represents Akoni, The red swirl represents Juliette. Neither storm is forecast to affect Hawaiʻi. NOAA image |
Tropical Storm Juliette is also forecast to dissipate far from the islands, becoming a tropical depression by Sunday, and dissipating totally by mid-week.
READ ABOUT A NATIONAL HONOR FOR USGS IN THIS WEEK'S VOLCANO WATCH:
Volcano Watch, weekly articles written primarily by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory staff, and occasionally by USGS partners and university affiliates, was recently honored by the National Association of Government Communicators. In its annual Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Award program, NAGC recognizes excellence in government communication products with awards in over 40 categories. During a reception in Arlington , Virginia First Place in the Electronic Publication category.
Volcano Watch dates back to November 1991, when Dave Clague, HVO's Scientist-in-Charge at the time, began writing weekly articles as a way to keep Island of Hawaiʻi
Initially, Volcano Watch articles were only printed in local newspapers. But starting in the late 90s, the articles were posted online in addition to being printed in newspapers. Today, articles from 1991 to the present are archived on HVO's Volcano Watch webpage, volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html). Volcano Watch is also shared via USGS social media – Facebook and Twitter – as well as by Internet news outlets.
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On behalf of the HVO, Carolyn Donlin, Chief of the award, recognizing HVO's weekly Volcano Watch articles as excellent communication products. Photo from NAGC |
In May 2018, when Kīlauea 's lower East Rift Zone eruption began, "hits" to the Volcano Watch webpage jumped significantly – from a monthly average of about 3,000 to almost 36,000. Monthly visitation remained more than twice the average until early September, when the eruption ended – evidence that people looked to Volcano Watch as an accurate source of information.
Products entered in the 2019 Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Award competition had to be produced by or for a government organization between July 1, 2017 , and December 31, 2018 – a notable period for HVO, with three-plus months of unprecedented volcanic activity on Kīlauea starting in April 2018. Entries were judged on writing, content, purpose or goal, dissemination, target audience, overall impression, and other criteria.
Cost effectiveness was one of the other criteria by which communication products were judged in the NAGC award program. The cost of Volcano Watch includes HVO staff hours required to write, edit, revise, and select or create imagery for the weekly articles. The annual cost in 2018 was estimated to be around $15,000, which amounts to about 18 cents per webpage view. That cost decreases dramatically when thousands of newspaper readers and social media followers are also considered in the calculation.
Producing a weekly article can be difficult under the best of circumstances. The summer of 2018 presented many additional challenges, with HVO staff essentially working around the clock to monitor Kīlauea . Still, weekly Volcano Watch articles continued to be issued to help people stay informed about the activity and hazards associated with Kīlauea 's largest lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse in at least 200 years.
The 2019 award for Volcano Watch is the second HVO product to be recognized by the NAGC. In 2018, the USGS video, Kīlauea Summit Second Place in the Documentary category of the Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards.
To learn more about the history of Volcano Watch, visit HVO's September 30, 2010 , Volcano Watch article: volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=39.
Volcano Activity Updates
The water level at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly rise. HVO is monitoring the pond closely, and under the current conditions, its presence in the crater has not increased the risk to public safety.
One earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaii this past week: a magnitude-2.8 quake 3 km (2 mi) south of Leilani Estates at 11 km (7 mi) depth on Aug. 31 at 2:01 p.m.
HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity. Neither volcano is erupting.
Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvofor past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
GET YOUR CAR SEAT INSTALLATION OR FIT OF YOUR BOOSTER CHECKED at a free Child Passenger Safety Event Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. , at Nāʻālehu Community Center. Certified Child Passenger Safety technicians will be there to demonstrate proper car seat installation, selection, and usage. Seat Belt Fit tests will also be done on-site, to demonstrate proper usage of booster seats.
The event kicks off Child Passenger Safety Week. The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, together with all four county police departments, and child passenger safety advocates, will participate in National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 15 through 21. This campaign is dedicated to "helping parents and caregivers make sure their children ride as safely as possible – every trip, every time."
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most parents are confident that they have correctly installed their child's car seat, but in most cases – 59 percent – the seat has not been installed correctly. However, if installed correctly in passenger cars, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers one to four years old. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions were 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively.
According to NHTSA data, in 2015, about 25.8 percent of children 4 to 7 years old were prematurely moved to seat belts, when they should have been riding in booster seats.
To keep all children safe, states NHTSA, parents and caregivers should use a child safety seat that best fits their child and vehicle. Complimentary public educational events will be held statewide, starting with one in Nāʻālehu. In Hawaiʻi, children under 4 years old are required to ride in a child safety seat; children 4 through 7 years old must ride in a child passenger restraint or booster seat. Violators are required to appear in court, and if convicted, must attend a four-hour class. They may also be assessed a penalty of up to $500.
Parents and caregivers can check the following to determine when a child can be moved from a child safety seat to a booster seat: the shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest, and not cross the neck or face; the lap belt must lie snugly across the child's upper thighs, not the stomach; the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat when his or her back and bottom are against the vehicle seat back; the child can stay seated properly during the entire trip.
NHTSA recommends registering all car seats and booster seats with the manufacturer for a notification in the event of a recall. For more information on car seat safety and to locate a certified child passenger safety technician, visit nhtsa.gov/carseat.
Hawaiʻi has more than 300 certified child passenger safety technicians, including firefighters, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and parents. All technicians have been trained to provide instruction on choosing the right car seat, installing it, and using it correctly.
Nationwide child passenger safety statistics from NHTSA states that:
A child under 13 years old was involved in a passenger vehicle crash every 32 seconds in 2017. From 2013 to 2017, there were 3,313 children under 13 killed while riding in passenger vehicles. Fatalities decreased in 2017 from 2016, the first decrease since 2014.
On average, nearly two children under 13 were killed every day in 2017 while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans. In 2017, over one-third (35 percent) of children under 13 killed in passenger vehicles were not restrained in car seats, booster seats or seat belts.
In 2017, among children under 5, car seats saved an estimated 312 lives. A total of 371 children could have survived if they had been buckled up 100-percent of the time.
NHTSA's latest research shows that nearly two out of three car seats are misused.
Child Passenger Safety Week is sponsored by NHTSA. For more on child safety, as well as a list of child restraint inspection stations and community car seat checks, visit kipchawaii.org or safercar.gov/parents.
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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, 3 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:
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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SATURDAY, SEPT. 7
Keiki Science Class, Saturday, Sept. 7 – 1st Saturday, monthly –
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
Volcano Winery's 6th Annual Fundraising Harvest Festival, Sunday, Sept. 8, 4-7p.m. Vineyard and winery tours, live local music, souvenir glasses, heavy pūpū. Tickets available online - $50/person 21+ (includes two glasses wine/beer), $25/person under 21. Proceeds benefit Volcano School
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Ka‘ū Net Recovery Patrol, Monday, 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
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Monday, Sept. 9 and 23, 1p.m., field trips - contact for location. Parent-led homeschool activity and social group, building community in Ka‘ū. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351
TUESDAY, SEPT. 10
Hawaiian Cultural Artifacts in the 21st Century, Tuesday, Sept. 10,
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
THURSDAY, SEPT. 12
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
FRIDAY, SEPT. 13
Hawai‘i Disability Legal Services, Friday, Sept. 13, 9a.m. -noon , Ocean View Community Center
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.
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
Nationwide 2019 Congressional App Challenge submissions from middle and high schoolers are open through Nov. 1. Submit to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, CongressionalAppChallenge.us, apps "designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science." All skill levels, all devices and platforms, and all programming languages, accepted.
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