 |
| Summer Fun will open enrollment for two days only, this Wednesday and Thursday. While there will be no Independence Day Parade this year with Summer Fun keiki, there will be Summer Fun at Nāʻālehu Community Center and Kaʻū District Gym. Photo by Julia Neal |
SUMMER FUN WILL GO FORWARD AT NĀʻĀLHEU AND PĀHALA. The county made the announcement yesterday, naming the sites at Nāʻālaehu Community Center in Nāʻālehu Park and Rep. Robert N. Herkes Gymnasium & Shelter - the Kaʻū District Gym. Summer Fun will run from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, and include a snack and take home-lunch. Enrollment is open to children who have completed 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grade this past school year. The program will be hosted at 13 park facilities around the Island. There is no charge.
Enrollment will begin this Wednesday, June 3 at 7:45 a.m. and close on Thursday, June 4 at 4:30 p.m. Enrollment will be accepted from parents/guardians via electronic submission at hawaiicounty.gov/summer-fun or by calling the Recreation Division at 961-8740, during business hours only: 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. No information left on voicemail will be accepted.
Online enrollment is strongly encouraged, as staff availability to take phone calls and process enrollments is limited. No walk-in enrollment applications will be accepted. Participants are limited to enrolling at one site. Each enrollment application allows for up to four children from the same household.
Participants at each site will be chosen via a random selection method, as space is limited. Selected participants will be contacted by Recreation staff by Wednesday, June 10, at which time an appointment for submitting completed registration forms will be arranged. All other enrollees will be placed on a waitlist should a program site determine it is able to expand or if prior selected participants exit the program.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Summer Fun program will be significantly modified to address the health and safety of program participants and staff. The program will adhere to all federal, state, and county-level rules and standards for safe operation, as appropriate, along with various applicable industries and organizations.
This includes screening each morning prior to entry, a mandatory face mask/cover policy, physical distancing during program activities, and enhanced sanitization procedures. The State of Hawai‘i Department of Health's Guidelines for Child Care Facilities to Reopen or Continue Care will be incorporated.
The Summer Fun program may be extended up to an additional two weeks, through July 31, at some or all the sites, should resources become available. Participants will be notified when a determination is made for their specific program site.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
 |
| Summer Fun will be held at Kaʻū District Gym and Nāʻālehu Community Center. Photo by Julia Neal |
Participants at each site will be chosen via a random selection method, as space is limited. Selected participants will be contacted by Recreation staff by Wednesday, June 10, at which time an appointment for submitting completed registration forms will be arranged. All other enrollees will be placed on a waitlist should a program site determine it is able to expand or if prior selected participants exit the program.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's Summer Fun program will be significantly modified to address the health and safety of program participants and staff. The program will adhere to all federal, state, and county-level rules and standards for safe operation, as appropriate, along with various applicable industries and organizations.
This includes screening each morning prior to entry, a mandatory face mask/cover policy, physical distancing during program activities, and enhanced sanitization procedures. The State of Hawai‘i Department of Health's Guidelines for Child Care Facilities to Reopen or Continue Care will be incorporated.
The Summer Fun program may be extended up to an additional two weeks, through July 31, at some or all the sites, should resources become available. Participants will be notified when a determination is made for their specific program site.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
 |
| Shannon Matson is running for Richard Onishi's position as state House Representative, to represent East Kaʻū. Photo from Shannon Matson |
Matson's platform aligns with Progressive Democrats who are challenging incumbent, establishment Democrats nationwide, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the most notable and successful example. Matson's positions on issues like living wage, Medicare-for-All, and Green New Deal, which can be found at electshannonmatson.com, are nearly identical to the positions that catapulted AOC to fame. Matson said she was prepared to adopt the standard Progressive ground game that promotes door-to-door canvassing as a sure way to gain votes, but the pandemic put a serious damper on that strategy.
 |
| Shannon Matson plans to travel to Kaʻū soon, to campaign as much in-person as possible, by distributing signs. Photo from Shannon Matson |
Matson said her decision to run for office "is based on her strong desire to represent her community over those of corporate interests." She promised to take no corporate donations, and agreed to campaign expenditure limits, as well as seeking partial public funding through meeting the requirements of taking $100 or less donations from Hawaiʻi residents.
As a graduate of the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action's first Kuleana Academy Kuleana Academy
"I was recently volunteering at a food distribution event held at Mountain View Park
For more information about Shannon Matson and statements on her positions, see electshannonmatson.com. Call (808) 937-3037 or visit her website.
GAINING FOOD SUSTAINABILITY FOR HAWAIʻI and other U.S. Island Territories is the goal of a letter Hawaiʻi members of the House of Representatives, and representatives from other island territories. Here is Part III of the letter. See Part I in Thursday's Kaʻū News Briefs and Part II in Friday's Kaʻū News Briefs. Both Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Rep. Ed Case signed on:
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (NIFA)
The SCBGP has been essential in helping diversify Island food crops. Limited funding however has resulted in excellent projects being turned down and falling to the wayside. We request a minimum baseline allocation of $500,000 per State and Territory.
Germplasm
Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Territories are increasingly at risk of losing gene traits for indigenous plants, foods, and flowers that have evolved over time to adapt to their environments due to natural disasters, invasive species, and climate change. Germplasm collections are key to the preservation of native plants, foods, and flower crops. As such, we request funding to expand tropical and subtropical germplasm collections.
 |
OKK Market in Nāʻālehu features ready-to-eat food as well as fresh produce and meats. Photo by Lora Botanova |
Invasive species are wreaking havoc on Hawaiʻi and U.S. Territory food production industries. Stopping invasive species at ports of entry is critical if the Islands are to build greater food sustainability. We request additional funding for the APHIS PPQ program.
Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSA)
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a weak link in the supply chain between food producers and consumers. Storage facilities are key to building sustainable food systems in the Islands . We request robust funding for the FSFL program and a one-time modification for the FSFL program to waive the down payment requirement for Hawaiʻi and U.S. Territory food producers.
Floriculture and Horticulture
Floriculture and horticulture businesses have been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. New flower and plant breeds are key to this industry's future. As such, we request robust funding for tropical and subtropical flower and plant research and breeding programs to increase tolerance from insect pests, diseases, and other climate change impacts; testing of new organic and non-organic pesticides; and implementing areawide integrated pest management and biological control programs.
Commodity Purchases
The COVID-19 pandemic has undermined the market for agricultural producers across the nation. In order to help all food producers rebuild, we request that you make additional resources available for the following USDA commodity purchase programs: Commodity Supplemental Food Program; School and Child Nutrition Food Programs; and Food Purchase Programs.
 |
| Local produce is an important food source in Kaʻū. Photo by Lora Botanova |
The agricultural industry is considered essential, yet workers throughout the food supply chain lack PPE to limit their exposure to COVID-19. We request funding to supply PPE to the agricultural industry workforce, and that such funding be directed to Cooperative Extensions which have extensive producer networks and can deliver PPE with guidance on how to use and maintain the PPE.
Loan Forbearance and Deferral
Debt servicing is a fixed cost that is common to almost all agricultural producers, but under the present circumstances loan payments decrease liquidity that farmers and ranchers need to develop new markets and reconfigure their businesses. We request language to establish a program of loan forbearance and deferral so farmers and ranchers may adjust their operations. We suggest an initial period of nine months, with the option to renew for an additional nine months.
Expansion of Weather Disaster Programs
While the USDA may be reluctant to activate its disaster loan, crop insurance, and noninsured crop assistance programs at this time, these well-established programs are familiar to farmers, USDA employees, and Farm Credit System lenders and will therefore be easier to implement compared to new programs. While we understand concerns about weather disaster in the coming months, the extraordinary scope of the COVID-19 crisis requires an urgent response. We therefore request that the House leadership and appropriators direct the Secretary of the USDA to use his authority to activate existing USDA response programs to cover COVID-19 and other emergency issues.
 |
| Masks are required at OKK Market. Photo by Bryanna Ehls |
Even before the current crisis, SNAP and non-SNAP nutrition assistance beneficiaries faced challenges accessing farmers markets and 0other farmer-direct products, now only exacerbated with COVID-19 related restrictions. Some of the challenges are: (1) limited internet access, (2) social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders, (3) limited or no public transportation, and (4) cyber security needs for financial transactions and personal identifying information. These issues are especially important within our diverse Island Communities. We therefore request that House leadership and appropriators direct the Secretary of Agriculture to develop regulatory flexibility to ensure SNAP and non-SNAP federal nutrition assistance beneficiaries have access to farmer-direct products.
Organic Certification
USDA supports producers' transition to organic production through its National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. While not every producer will choose this option, some may transition as they look to rebuild their business. We request one-time funding of $1 million for the Agricultural Marketing Service to provide technical assistance for Hawaiʻi and U.S. Territory food producers for organic certification and accreditation, and a one-time modification to the Farm Service Agency cost share from 75 percent to 90 percent to be certified an organic farm operation.
In conclusion, we ask for your full consideration of these proposals to help Hawai'i and U.S. Territory farmers and ranchers weather the COVID-19 pandemic economic impacts and modernize their food production systems. We thank you for your leadership during this time of crisis.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
ST. JUDE'S will celebrate Pentecost Sunday, May 31 online. Click here for the Worship page.
 |
| Drew Foster, at work on 13-yr-old Rayco Nielsen, in January. Photo from Foster Hair Design |
NEW PRECAUTIONS AT FOSTER HAIR DESIGN in Nāʻālehu will accompany their reopening on Monday, June 1. To book an appointment, call 895-2151 or go to fosterhair.com.
New safety guidelines for the Fosters include: following the state's Safety Guidelines for Barber and Beauty Shops; instituting social distancing in the salon -- 6-foot distances between stations, no waiting chairs, only customers receiving services inside the shop; clients and employees must wear face masks; customers with appointments will wait outside the building until one of the Fosters – Kady or Drew – comes outside and says they are ready to serve them; hand sanitizer will be required and available; hand-washing areas will be available; towels, equipment, and other items will be stored in closed containers; no hugs or handshakes, "Which will be very difficult," said the Fosters.
Shears, clipper blades, and other items will be disinfected between customers, as always. Each customer will wear a fresh cape and the chairs will be wiped between clients. Surfaces will be wiped as well.
Anyone who is feeling ill or who has recently been ill is asked to cancel their appointment and reschedule.
 |
| Kady Foster, in January. Photo from Foster Hair Design |
Kady Foster told The Kaʻū Calendar, "We're gearing up and getting excited for the June 1 opening! Drew passed his barber exam in March and is now a full-fledged, licensed barber. That's exciting! We truly want to thank the community, our clients, and our friends for their support during the past couple months. Our family feels incredibly fortunate to call Kaʻū home.
"We're really looking forward to getting back into the shop and reconnecting with everyone. We're refining our service menu, as well, and we're doing a little re-design of the shop. Slots are filling up fast… Drew is still offering monthly barber specials for men and boys. This is definitely an adjustment for us, so we appreciate everyone's patience."
See January 25 Kaʻū News Briefs for more on the Fosters.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
WATCH WILLIE K HANA HOU tomorrow, Sunday, May 31. The show to remember the entertainer on KGMB (CBS) airs from noon to 3 p.m. and on KHNL (NBC) from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
KGMB and KHNL are partnering with Emme Tomimbang, Hawaiʻi News Now Entertainment Reporter Billy V, Cha Thompson, and others from the entertainment industry to remember and salute the late Willie K with a special, day-long broadcast of memorable moments from the life of the vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, actor, and philosopher.
 |
| Willie K at the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, where he accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo from Willie K |
Willie K died May 18, at the age of 60, from cancer.
The schedule is: noon to 3 p.m. , You May Not Kiss the Bride, a 2011 romantic comedy starring Katherine McPhee, Dave Annable, Mena Suvari, and Kathy Bates, with Willie K in a featured role, and filmed in Hawaiʻi; 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Memorable Moments of the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, a compilation of clips from the Hawaiian music industry's premier ceremony, recognizing outstanding accomplishments in music and video, and focusing on performances and wins of Willie K; 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Hot Hawaiian Nights featuring Willie K, an episode taped in July 2005, where Willie K took to the stage at Hapa's in Maui, played the hits, and brought down the house; 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Emme's Island Moments: Life on Stage Four, a re-broadcast from Fall of 2019 recounting
Willie K's career, the discovery of his cancer, and his journey through treatment. Willie K
"shares the fear, shock, acceptance, courage, and love of life he found through the process exclusively with longtime friend and confidant Emme Tomimbang."
Interspersed between programs will be special comments from pillars of the entertainment industry in Hawaiʻi, who had the privilege of knowing and working with Willie K, such as Cha Thompson, Josh Tatofi, Kalani Peʻa, and Mick Fleetwood.
 |
| There is one reported case of COVID-19 in Kaʻū. White is no cases. Yellow is one to five cases. Light orange is six to ten cases. Dark orange (not pictured) is 11 to 20 cases. Red is 21 to 50 cases. Hawaiʻi Department of Health map |
NO NEW COVID-19 CASES ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND, and all 82 cases on-island since the pandemic began are recovered. Statewide, three new cases - two on Oʻahu and one in Maui county - are reported today, with a total of 651 people having been confirmed positive for the virus since the pandemic began.
The daily message from Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Director Talmadge Magno says there are "no active cases for Hawaiʻi Island. Thank you for doing your part.
"These numbers reinforce the importance of following the policies of distancing, gatherings, cleanliness, face coverings, and keeping yourself physically and emotionally healthy. The virus threat remains and we need to continue to get better in following the preventive policies of not spreading the coronavirus.
"Hawaiʻi has been identified by Johns Hopkins University Montana for the lowest per capita infection rate in the Nation. Thank you for doing your part. Thank you for listening. Have a beautiful weekend and be safe. This is your Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency."
In the United States , more than 1.81 million cases have been confirmed. The death toll is over 105,000.
Worldwide, more than 6.05 million have contracted COVID-19. The death toll is over 369,000.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
Kaʻū Life: The Way We Were Last Year
Kaʻū Life: The Way We Were Last Year
This time last year, U.S. Geological Survey wrote about their "new eyes in the sky for monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes," Unmanned Aircraft Systems, aka drones. The weekly Volcano Watch is written by USGS HVO scientists and affiliates:
 |
A USGS pilot and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas geochemist prepare to conduct a test flight of an unmanned aerial system on Kīlauea Volcano in November, 2018. The UAS was outfitted with a prototype miniaturized multi-gas sensor for the detection of volcanic gases emitted by USGS photo by Patricia Nadeau |
"HVO is no rookie when it comes to using flight to assist with monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft have transported HVO volcanologists for decades, giving them access for visual and thermal observations, equipment maintenance, and other geophysical and geochemical measurements. But the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano presented an opportunity for HVO to adopt a new airborne technology – Unmanned Aircraft Systems; UAS or 'drones'– to better monitor the eruption than with manned flight alone.
Previously, the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo used UAS to map the 2014 Pāhoa lava flow. Other external collaborators have also previously flown short campaigns at Kīlauea 's summit and at Puʻu ʻŌʻō with permission of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. But before the 2018 eruption, the USGS itself had not employed UAS to monitor an eruption in Hawaiʻi.
 |
Images like this one of HVO and Jaggar museum, taken after the 2018 eruption, are made possible by UASs. HVO photo |
In 2018, however, UAS teams from across the USGS, as well as other agencies within the U.S. Department of the Interior, were mobilized for the Kīlauea eruption response. Through most of the activity, UAS crews worked 24/7, sometimes splitting into multiple teams so that measurements could be made at both the summit and lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea simultaneously.
The most basic capability of the UAS during the 2018 eruption was simple video imaging and streaming. This allowed for documentation of eruptive features that would not otherwise have been accessible for study due to hazardous conditions.
In a more practical sense, UAS imaging also offered enhanced situational awareness for the eruption response. UAS images helped identify where new lava breakouts were happening or were likely to occur. In one instance, a USGS UAS helped with the evacuation of a Puna resident as a lava flow quickly approached.
Some of the UAS were outfitted with thermal cameras, which provided images that were used to create detailed maps of the lava flows. Thermal imagery was also used to identify the hottest, most active portions of the flow field, which was particularly useful when visible images were not able to differentiate between slightly older and slightly newer flows.
More technical applications of UAS-based imaging included the creation of digital elevation models and measurements of lava flow speeds within channels. By using imagery to determine the height of newly emplaced lava, the new DEMs could be compared to pre-eruption DEMs to calculate the volume of lava erupted.
At Kīlauea 's summit, DEMs helped HVO assess the new landscape of the collapsing caldera and determine just how much collapse was occurring. Along the rift zone, videos taken above fast-flowing lava channels helped with calculations of how much and how quickly lava was erupting from the fissures.
Beyond the UAS imaging opportunities, the 2018 eruption was the first time that the USGS mounted gas sensors on UAS in Hawaiʻi. The fissures were too dangerous to approach on foot to measure the gas chemistry, but a multi-gas sensor mounted on a UAS helped determine the chemistry of the eruptive plumes.
 |
Two USGS UAS pilots perform a routine inspection of a UAS system prior to a flight at the summit of Kīlauea in June 2018. The UAS for this particular flight was outfitted with a multi-gas sensor to identify any new degassing sources within the collapsing summit caldera. All UAS flights inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park were conducted with explicit permission of the National Park Service. USGS photo by P. Nadeau |
Likewise, at the summit, with collapse events and potential explosion hazards, ground-based gas measurements within Kīlauea caldera were not possible. UAS-based measurements were the only safe method for measuring the location, chemistry, and amount of volcanic gas released at the summit.
Having UAS capabilities for the 2018 eruption enabled HVO to obtain crucial data that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible to obtain. However, you may have noticed that while this article refers to UAS teams from across the USGS traveling to Hawaiʻi for the eruption response, it makes no mention of in-house HVO pilots. That's because, in 2018, HVO didn't have any certified UAS pilots with the skills required for flying in hazardous areas.
That changed in the months following the eruption: Several HVO staff members became licensed UAS operators, allowing HVO to add UAS capabilities to the monitoring repertoire.
 |
Read online at kaucalendar.com. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar directory for farms, ranches, takeout. Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free, with 7,500 distributed on stands and to all postal addresses throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com and facebook.com/kaucalendar. To advertise your business or your social cause, contact kaucalendarads@gmail.com. |
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our Fresh Food on The Kaʻū Calendar and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
Daily, weekly, and monthly recurring Kaʻū and Volcano Events, Meetings, Entertainment, Exercise, Meditation, and more are listed at kaucalendar.com. However, all non-essential activities are canceled through the end of May.
ONGOING
Free COVID-19 Screenings are at Bay Clinic during business hours, with appointment. Call 333-3600.
![]()
ʻO Kaʻū Kākou Market in Nāʻālehu is open three days per week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – from 8 a.m. to noon. The goal is no more than 50 customers on the grounds at a time. Vendor booths per day are limited to 25, with 30 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing are required to attend the market. Social distancing will be enforced.
A wide selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared take away foods, assorted added value foods, breads and baked goods, honey, cheese, grass-fed beef, fish, vegetable plants, masks, handmade soaps, coffee, and more are offered on various days. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374, for more and to apply to vend.
Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center on Wright Road, off of Old Volcano Highway, is open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.
![]()
Free Breakfast and Lunch for Anyone Eighteen and Under is available at Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary and at Nāʻālehu Elementary on weekdays (no holidays) through Friday, July 17. Each youth must be present to receive a meal. Service is drive-up or walk-up, and social distancing rules (at least six feet away) are observed. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Food is being delivered on Wednesdays to students in Green Sands, Discovery Harbour, and Ocean View.
The Food Basket's ʻOhana Food Drop is available once a month at four Kaʻū and Volcano locations. People can receive a multi-day supply of shelf-stable and fresh food, depending on supply. Call The Food Basket at 933-6030 for Pāhala and Volcano or at 322-1418 for Nāʻālehu or Ocean View. Food can be picked up from 10 a.m. until pau – supplies run out – at: A testing team from Aloha Critical Care in Kona will provide testing at St. Jude's every other Wednesday. The next date is June 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, June 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Screening will be carried out by Aliʻi Health, with support from County of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Task Force, Premier Medical Group and Pathways Telehealth.
Wearing masks is required for everyone. Those visiting screening clinics will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pen to fill in forms.
![]()
To bypass the screening queue at community test sites, patients can call ahead to Pathways Telehealth, option 5 at 808-747-8321. The free clinic will also offer on-site screening to meet testing criteria. Physicians qualify those for testing, under the guidance of Center for Disease Control & Prevention and Hawaiʻi's COVID-19 Response Task Force.
For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.
The next drive-thru screening at Nāʻālehu Community Center will be held Wednesday, June 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Screening will be carried out by Aliʻi Health, with support from County of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Task Force, Premier Medical Group and Pathways Telehealth.
Wearing masks is required for everyone. Those visiting screening clinics will be asked to show photo ID, and any health insurance cards – though health insurance is not required to be tested. They are also asked to bring their own pen to fill in forms.
For further information, call Civil Defense at 935-0031.
Ocean View Swap Meet is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks are required for all vendors and patrons.
A wide selection of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared take away foods, assorted added value foods, breads and baked goods, honey, cheese, grass-fed beef, fish, vegetable plants, masks, handmade soaps, coffee, and more are offered on various days. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374, for more and to apply to vend.
Volcano Farmers Market at Cooper Center on Wright Road, off of Old Volcano Highway, is open on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, island beef, and prepared foods. Call 808-967-7800.
St. Jude's Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen is open, with a modified menu and increased health & safety standards, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hot showers, the computer lab, and in-person services and bible studies are suspended. Services are posted online on Sundays at stjudeshawaii.org.
Nāʻālehu's Sacred Heart Church 95-558 Mamālahoa Hwy on Monday, June 1.
Ocean View's Kahuku Park
Volcano's Pāhala's Kaʻū District Gym at 96-1149 Kamani Street on Tuesday, June 30.
On-Call Emergency Box Food Pantry is open at Cooper Center Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. Call 967-7800 to confirm.
![]()
Enroll in Kua O Ka Lā's Hīpuʻu Virtual Academy for school year 2020-2021, grades four through eight. The Hawaiian Focused Charter School teaches with an emphasis on Hawaiian language and culture. The blended curriculum is offered through online instruction and community-based projects, with opportunities for face-to-face gatherings (with precautions), in an "Education with Aloha" environment.
![]()
pono – right." The school aims to provide students with "the knowledge and skills, through Hawaiian values and place-based educational opportunities, that prepare receptive, responsive, and self-sustaining individuals that live 'ke ala pono.'"
See kuaokala.org to apply and to learn more about the school. Call 808-981-5866 or 808-825-8811, or email info@kuaokala.org for more.
![]()
Pāhala and Nāʻālehu Public Libraries are Open for Pick-Up Services Only. Nāʻālehu is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala is open Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Library patrons schedule Library Take Out appointment times to pick up their hold item(s) at their favorite libraries by going to HSPLS Library Catalog and placing a hold on any item(s) they want to borrow, or they may call their favorite library branch to place a hold with the library staff. After receiving a notice that item(s) are ready for pick up, patrons schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. For patrons who placed holds during the closure, their item(s) are ready for pickup after the patron schedules a Library Take Out appointment. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org.
Free Book Exchanges at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.
Make Reservations for Father's Day at Crater Rim Café in Kīlauea Military Camp for Sunday, June 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Seating limited due to social distancing. Dinner also available to go. The main course is Prime Rib and Vegetable Alfredo Pasta Bake, with side dishes and dessert, for $27.95 per person. Call 967-8356 for dine-in reservations, to-go orders, and current event information. KMC is open to all authorized patrons and sponsored guests. Park entrance fees apply.
Kua O Ka Lā offers a specialized program that provides students with core curriculum, content area, and electives in-keeping with State of Hawaiʻi requirements. Combined with Native Hawaiian values, culture, and a place-based approach to education, from the early morning wehena – ceremonial school opening – Kua O Ka Lā students are encouraged to walk Ke Ala Pono – the right and balanced path.
The school's website says Kua O Ka Lā has adopted Ke Ala Pono "to describe our goal of nurturing and developing our youth. We believe that every individual has a unique potential and that it is our responsibility to help our students learn to work together within the local community to create a future that is
See kuaokala.org to apply and to learn more about the school. Call 808-981-5866 or 808-825-8811, or email info@kuaokala.org for more.
Free Book Exchanges at the laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu are provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Everyone is invited to take books they want to read. They may keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them to the Book Exchange to make them available to others in the community. The selection of books is replenished weekly at both sites.
Kīlauea Visitor Center Auditorium Closed for Renovation through June 30. The Park is closed until further notice due to COVID-19 spread mitigation. A popular seven-and-a-half minute 2018 eruption video will be shown on a television in the exhibits area, once the Park and center reopen, and is available online for free download.
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.
